I watch in silence as Meadow thrusts Carmen at Jasper, so he has no choice but to catch her before she falls, and Meadow smacks Carmen on the back of the head with an open palm. The hostile affection she has for Carmen has always been a mystery to me, and the fact she just reduced her to an object.
“Listen you, skanky puta. I know how you’ve been hurt. I know how scared you are; this idiot did the absolute worst when you imprinted. Rejection is a big deal to you; we all know you have scars. He’s here now trying to fix that, and your pig-headed slow brain is too all up in yourself to think it through. Alora was rejected by that thick brain over there, and look at them now. You love each other. The fates made it so. Go have some crazy sex, vent your anger, and then talk things out. Trust me, with your personality, I think the only way to get through to you is if he mans up and takes the crazy from you while being banged.” Meadow again shoves Carmen into Jasper’s arms when she tries to step away, and her scowl his way seems to flick the button in his head.
“I’ll let you do whatever you want to me in any form.” Jasper catches her around the waist and doesn’t relent when she starts to struggle.
Meadow smirks, seemingly pleased with herself, and walks off past them with a hand toss in the air as if to say ‘laters.’
“Let me go,” Carmen growls, eyes ambering, and even I hesitate that Meadow has this right. I flinch and step forward to tell him to do as she says, but Jasper spins her, so he’s nose to nose with her. Now she’s in his grasp, he completely changes tact, and the impatient boy is replaced with a dominant Lycan mate.
“I’m never letting you go. You can hate me, push me away, curse me out, fight me, and tell me you don’t want me, but I will never leave you. I will always be a step away, ensuring I’m here to take care of you. Forever….. I was wrong. You won’t get rid of me, no matter what you say or do.” Jasper’s voice drops to a low intimate level, and it seems weird that we are staring at them like this. Tension sparks between them, and little electrifying pulses signal through the air as the mate bond kicks up the sexual need between them.
I turn away and motion for Colton to come to me, to give them space, and he sighs before getting up like an obedient puppy dog.
“I don’t like you.” Carmen pouts at my brother, but her venom has subsided quicker than the speed of light. Her voice is softer, her gaze is no longer amber, and her posture is deflated.
“That’s progress. It was ‘I hate you’ a week ago. I see that as a positive step.” Jasper leans closer to bridge the height difference and properly slides his arms around her, pulling her into him in a hug even though she doesn’t return it. She struggles a little, but nowhere near the venom she had a few minutes ago, and I can see her caving now he’s touching her.
I remember how that went when the bond was so strong that a mere touch could mess with your mood and head and weaken your strongest resolve. Meadow aimed for that when she tossed her over like a wet rag.
Carmen doesn’t want to reject him. She’s doing what she does and pushing people away, being fierce so they can’t hurt her. There’s a vulnerable little girl inside who wants someone to stand up and fight for her because no one ever has. She wants to be loved without conditions, and maybe my brother is exactly the person who will do it. He’s stubborn, and realizing he wants her in his life, he won’t give up. He’s someone who sticks to what he feels.
“I might dislike you for years yet. You’ll get fed up and leave.” She murmurs, and I tug Colton’s hand and pull him towards the breakfast room to give them more space. Meadow is nowhere to be seen anymore. I mentally high-fived her for throwing Carmen into his arms and kickstarting a real conversation between them when overpowered by their feeling for one another.
“I’m going nowhere. I swear. I’ll follow you for an eternity, even if you keep me at arm’s length and never say a nice word to me. I’m hopeless when it comes to you; we both know this isn’t curable. You’re mine, Carmen, and I’m yours.”
“Let me go. I have things to do.” Carmen turns away from him, wavering and getting scared of it, but his hold never loosens, and Jasper follows her face with his. He can see through it, and I relax, knowing he knows her better than anyone now and will find a way to break through that wall.
“She’s caving.” Colton nods their way and wraps his arm around me, tugging me into his chest, so I cuddle him as he leans against the door frame. Watching from a distance yet not leaving until we see where this goes.
“She was doing that before we even got here. I could feel it. She just needs that little extra push.”
“I’ll let you go and get back to work on one condition.” Jasper pushes his forehead against hers, and even though she refuses to move her arms from her side or hug him back, I see how she slumps into him with that intimate touch.
“What is that?” she plays along, no longer fueled by anger.
“You let me give you a goodbye kiss. Being this close makes me crazy, and I miss that first kiss we had way back when we were imprinted. I want to feel that again.” He breaks into a devilish smile, all good looks from our father, dimples, and a twinkle in his eye. Mr. Confident comes from nowhere and slides right in. Jasper knows he isn’t on the losing side anymore. I bet every sense he has is tuned into her emotions, and he knows she’s already his. The joy of the bond.
Carmen doesn’t respond. Her silence is unusual, and she turns her face to the side to avoid his eyes again. Her fingers twitch as though she’s contemplating a response or trying to find the will to say no. Jasper takes that as encouragement and, without hesitation, lets go with one arm to catch her chin between his fingers and tugs her mouth to his before she can refuse.
I stiffen and wait for the chaos to ensue because she can be a volatile wolf on a good day, and pouncing on her with a kiss could end in violence, but nothing erupts. Instead, a sweet and gentle kiss on her lips leaves her completely still, and as we pause and wait with bated breath, Carmen leans back towards him and kisses him back. A fluid, unhesitant response pulled out of her by experiencing intimacy with him again. She’s lost in the bond.
I almost leap out of Colton’s arms with joy, but he hauls me back and yanks me backward into the adjoining room. Pulling us out of sight and giving them privacy.
“We know what happens next. We don’t have to watch it.” He shrugs at me and pulls when I try to strain back to see. I want to know if they are taking it further, for sure.
“You know how prickly she can be. I must ensure she doesn’t send him off with a sarcastic brush-off and ….”
Colton silences my words with a kiss of our own, catching me in his arms and yanking me into him so I am fully under his control. Lip to lip as he plants the most seductive kiss on me he has in a while, and I become Jell-o in his arms. Using his gifts of prowess to bring me back under his control.
We kiss for what feels like long minutes, tongues intertwined, hormones hitching, and then a link breaks into my mind and kills the moment dead. My girl uses the pack link, so we both get the message loud and clear. I swear, there are times I do not appreciate Meadow.
Chica, those two just hightailed past me on the way to Jasper’s room, looking like they’re in the haze. Carmen finally broke. Mission accomplished. We can celebrate a new mateship by dawn.
I gasp in surprise, filled with warm enthusiasm, and do a little jump and yay before planting another kiss on Colton’s mouth.
“Thank god. Can we go back upstairs and return to what we were doing? The haze sounds appealing.” Colton picks me up princess-style without waiting for a response and elicits a giggle from me at his impulsiveness. Bouncing my palm on top of his head and kissing him lightly on the nose while shaking my head at his naughty antics.
“Lead the way, lover.” I giggle as I am hoisted higher, and he doesn’t wait for a mood change. Or more interruptions.
Meds, take Carmen and Jasper off any duties for a few days and leave them to get everything out of their system.
Colton’s reply makes me snort-laugh, knowing that this is not for their benefit but his. I think the one who needs to get a lack of something out of his system is the mate of mine who’s hauling my ass upstairs faster than a rocket.