“They have told me the same thing,” she said, with a nod. “And I applaud you for wanting to pr
otect your child. It is an instinct that every mother should listen to.”
Cynthia held out her hand. Jane mimicked her actions.
“But there are times where we are left empty-handed. Which is why I have decided to give you this as a sort of housewarming gift.”
Jane inspected the item. “A dagger?”
“Yes. It goes around your thigh and stays concealed under your clothing.”
“Oh, so like something out of a James Bond movie.”
“Excuse me?” I was as confused as Cynthia looked.
“Never mind.” Jane strapped the dagger into place before giving the woman a hug. “And I am sorry that I suspected you of having an affair with Landon. I understand now how silly that was.”
Cynthia returned the hug in a motherly fashion. “It is normal for us to have our doubts. It’s in our nature and what separates us from the common beast.” She pulled back and held Jane at arm’s length. “But, if there is anything you should know, it is that both your mates are incredibly trustworthy and they would never do anything to hurt you.”
“I know,” she answered. “It’s the only thing I know to be a hundred percent true.”
Hearing those words, I could not help myself from kissing her. In a moment’s notice, I had her on a nearby counter. A second later, her fingers were already tangled deep within my hair. Our lips came crashing together. I didn’t think of breathing. All that mattered was her sweetness.
“Well, it seems to me like you two could do with some privacy…” Cynthia excused herself as the kiss continued.
Jane’s legs came apart as I moved myself closer.
A desire as strong as fire came over me.
“Your mine,” I growled.
“Always,” she answered. “Now, take me.”
Chapter 22: Jane
A few weeks later.
Sweat dripped from my brow. I had soaked through my shirt but I wasn’t finished. Despite the burn in my arms, I threw the dagger with all my might, landing my mark.
A second later, something came flying in my direction. I dodged and hugged the ground, nearly eating a mouthful of dirt in the process.
Landon’s foot made its way toward my face. I rolled, narrowly avoiding a broken nose.
Quickly, I rose and climbed a nearby tree. While in the branches, I made my transformation. I was lithe enough to travel from tree to tree. The boys followed from below. Roman was aiming arrows. A few were so close to hitting me that I heard the whoosh as they whizzed past my ears. “You’re going to have to do better than that!” I shouted, effortlessly shifting back to my human form and landing on my feet. I didn’t hesitate for a moment before breaking into a sprint.
The boys were hot on my trail. I could practically feel them breathing down my neck but I wasn’t going to let them catch me.
My lungs begged for mercy and maybe I was pushing myself a bit too far but all this training was making me feel fearless and strong. If I became strong enough, then there was nothing in this world that could hurt me.
Dropping down, I grabbed a few rocks off the ground. They were dense and smooth. I knew they would work wonderfully as projectiles. I just needed to wait for the right moment in order to throw them.
I was coming up on a curve. I pushed myself to run a little bit faster, determined to get there before my mates could catch up with me.
It was nothing short of a miracle but I managed to make it. I swung behind a boulder and used it as coverage, as I made my shot. The rock rolled from my fingertips and honed in on its target — Roman.
Thump!
He was knocked askew by the blow. I could already see the blood flowing from the cut I had created. Guilt swallowed me whole.