Romance: JADEN: An MMA Fighter Romance (Bad Boy Tattoo Romance) (New Adult Pregnancy Short Stories) (40 page)

When she came to, she was lying on the queen sized mattress in her bedroom. Pete was sitting next to her, gazing at her face and waiting for her to open her eyes.

“There you are,” he murmured, brushing her curls away from her forehead as she blinked into the sunlight. “I thought you were going to be out for the night.” She looked down and saw that he’d covered her in her favorite pink robe. Hailey sat up slowly, struggling against the fatigue in her body so she could look around the room. Pete saw her searching and answered her question before she could ask.

“He’ll be back later,” Pete said, smiling. “Had to go grab some things from home. He’ll be staying with us for a few days, if that’s ok.”

Hailey thought for a moment and realized it was. The anxiety in her body was completely gone; she no longer resisted the thought of Jacob being their third. She seemed as calm as Pete had earlier. She looked at his deep blue eyes, full of peace and affection. Her brow furrowed.

“Why are you still so calm?” she asked. “We should be even antsier without Jacob here until we bond. What’s up with that?”

Pete gave her  a strange look. “Hailey…what do you think that was? We just bonded.”

She blinked slowly, trying to wrap her mind around the words. “But…we didn’t do a ritual.” Her heartbeat sped up, and her stomach knotted in fear. “There wasn’t any bloodletting. How did we bond?”

Pete reached out to touch her, and calm flooded her veins instantly. He ran his thumb over her hand as he spoke. “Apparently bonds don’t need that kind of things if the participants are truly in sync.”

‘What?” Hailey blurted. Then something in the back of her mind stirred. “Wait. My dad told me something about that when I was little. He said folk’s didn’t used to need candles and knives to form packs.” She could almost hear his Mainer accent saying the words in her head. “I thought it was a bunch of bull, like when old folks say things used to be safer for kids or music has gotten worse.”

Pete laughed and squeezed her hand. The last of Hailey’s consternation dripped away. “Turns out this is true. We’re bonded. All three of us.”

Hailey looked at their hands in wonder. They were  bonded triumvirate, just like that. She felt lighter and more alert, but that could easily be from the sex and rush of metaphysical energy.

“So we’re bonded,” Hailey repeated. “What now?” She looked at Pete’s slim face as it softened in thought. The energy between them was more pronounced now, and she leaned forward and kissed him, softly as first, and then more urgently. She pulled back while she still had the presence of mind to do so, giving him time to answer.

“Now,” Pete said, laughing, “we put out a call. It should be pretty easy, given how well our energies blend together.”

“When can we do that?” Hailey asked eagerly. She wanted to see how a pure bond like this would affect a pack bond. Before, the bond between them and the other members had been mild at best, and they didn’t get any of benefits that others did, like thought-sharing and pooling energy to heal. It had been frustrating, and the need to experience a real bear pack was overwhelming. Now that she had a taste, Hailey was eager for more.

“Soon,” Pete promised. “You know that once you feel a call it might take a few days before you decide what to you. “

Hailey nodded. She’d been called to the Boston pack in Maine. She’d dreamt of the pack and its huge underground den one night, picturing herself padding through the halls in bear form. She’d found her own nest of blankets, already warm with her scent. As her dream self settled down in the nest, something in her ursine mind told her she had to go west to Boston. It only took her five minutes and a call to the east coast consulate to find out which den she’d dreamed of.

“Where will we move once our pack gets going?” Pete asked Hailey, snapping her out of her reverie. “Our basement is a fine den for now, but it can only hold about six or eight bears. You’ll want more than that, right?”

Hailey pictured  her basement crammed with sleeping bags and pads of foam. “Maybe we can pool our money and buy a place,” she said. “Something big. “ She smiled, and a feeling of pure happiness spread through her body. “I can’t believe this is happening!” She bounced on the bed, snuggling closer to Pete so she could place her head on his shoulder.

“I know,” Pete murmured, kissing the top of her head. “It’s all happening so fast. And we have Jacob to thank.”

At the sound of his name, Hailey pictured the man, the unbelievable Adonis-like figure who had breezed so mysteriously into their lives. She felt a fondness sprouting for him already, and she wondered if Pete felt the same.

“Pete?” He moved his head toward her in response. “Are you really not worried? Or nervous?”

He sat up so he could meet her eyes. “I’m really not.” He sounded faintly surprised. “And again, I know I should be. Maybe it’s because I’ve known a few more bonds than you have, but something about this feels so different, but incredibly right.”

Hailey remembered something. “When were you with a man before?” She poked his side. “You never mentioned that before.”

Pete flushed lightly. “I’m used to women I come into contact with being weirded out by my same sex history. So I don’t mention it until it happens. I’m sorry.” His eyes dropped from hers, and he looked ashamed, the first negative emotion she’d seen him display since meeting Jacob. Her heart felt crushed, and she wanted to fix her mistake.

“No, it’s fine,” Hailey cupped his face and pressed her lips to his, concentrating so she could pulse energy into his body. It was stronger than usual, and he gasped, pressing into her mouth hungrily and nipping her lower lip. When she pulled back, his eyes were heavy with desire. “I don’t mind,” she said breathlessly, trying to steer them back on track. “I just want you to feel open enough with me to tell me everything. “

Emotion clouded Pete’s eyes, and he kissed her again before standing up to get off the bed. He tossed her the dress she’d been wearing earlier and picked his clothes up from the foot of the bed. “I think we should put out a call as soon as Jacob comes back.”

Hailey nodded absentmindedly. Her intuition was even sharper than usual, and something was at the edges of her attention. She closed her eyes, focusing on pulling the energy toward her, not moving toward. She opened up the boundaries of her senses and let the vision pressing at her mind sharpen and become fully visible. She saw heavy hands, a square face, leather skin that was deeply lined around bright green eyes. Those eyes. Her vision pulled back, and she was looking at Derek’s bullfrog face. He was sitting in a car, and his energy was moving toward them. He seemed angry---no, beyond angry; the air in the car was so hot that the lackeys in the backseat were dripping with sweat. She’d never seen Derek this angry before. His hands gripped the steering wheel of his SUV until his knuckles whitened. The speedometer’s needle inched up to 90, and the light turned yellow; then Hailey heard a semi-truck’s horn blare dangerously close, and the vision shattered. She opened her eyes and gasped; she hadn’t been breathing the entire time.

Pete was kneeling at her side, pressing his hands into the skin of her thighs. “What’s wrong?” he asked anxiously. “What did you feel?” His face was bone white, his eyes quivering with anxiety.

“Saw,” Hailey gasped, rubbing her ribs. Her lungs had nearly exploded when she started breathing  again. “I saw it.”

“A vision?” Pete’s voice was hushed. “You’re not a seer.”

Hailey shook her head. “But I’ve always had some of the abilities,” she said slowly. “Bonding with Jacob must have done this.” Her brown eyes were huge and luminous, but they were empty of fear. “I can see things now. I can get into their heads.”

“What do you mean?” Pete asked uncertainly. His fear was dropping away, and he was peering into her eyes intently. “Do you mean you can read their thoughts?”

“Derek is coming,” Hailey said, feeling fear creep into her blood like ice water. “He’s coming, and he’s angrier than I’ve ever seen him.”

Pete’s eyes went round with terror. “What the hell are we going to do?”

Hailey shrugged, feeling far away from everything going on. She started to speak just as she heard tires biting into the gravel in the driveway. Pete stood, alarmed, but Hailey knew it was just Jacob. She could see him, and if she closed her eyes, she could see his hands unbuckling his seatbelt. Then she realized something; like a moment ago with Derek, the angle was wrong.  She could see the house through the windshield, but not his body straight on. She was watching the door come closer to her when a relatively large hand plucked a key from the pocket of a hoodie and it turned in the lock. The unfamiliarity of the limb shocked her and split her focus; she heard the door opening right in front of her, and she heard it open at the front of the house from the bedroom: the two sounds were one. She focused, and the deviation merged together again. She was walking down a hall toward her bedroom, and pushing the partially closed door open. She was looking at her short, curvy body, pale skin, and head of wild brown curls from six feet above the ground. She watched her face grow even paler in shock, and saw the confusion form on Pete’s face. Then she opened her eyes, and she snapped back into her own body. Hailey doubled over and retched, but nothing came up. Pete wrapped his arms around her and her muscles relaxed, letting cool air rush into her body at last. Jacob rushed forward, his handsome face contorted with worry.

“Hailey,” he said, and he touched her hand, sending a current of stillness into her body. “You were in my head. How did you do that?”

“I think the power boost pushed her abilities into seer territory.” Pete was smoothing her hair back from her forehead, now slick with sweat. “But we have bigger problems. Our old pack leader is coming for us.”

“Now?” Jacob asked in surprise. Hailey was gazing at him dazedly, the irresistible wave of serenity starting to enfold her again. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” Pete said, his voice finally sounding worried. “The guy’s a brute, honestly.”

“Make him go away,” Hailey said suddenly. She squeezed Pete’s hand, and the bubble of rage she’d swallowed earlier swelled to life. “I’m going to make him.”

Pete was shaking his hand. “Hailey, I don’t think we want to involve Jacob in a fight before we even get the pack started. Let’s just call the po---“

The noise and light dropped away as Hailey reached for Jacob’s shoulder and shut her eyes at the same time, sending her energy outward in the direction she last remembered seeing Derek. Jacob sensed her need, and she felt a pulse of power roll through her body, strengthening the link between them and sharpening her vision. She pictured Derek’s eyes, the bright green pupils burning with anger and loathing. In the next breath, she was speeding down a street she recognized---he was minutes away. She could see the rows of houses clearly, and the air was still thick with rage. She looked at Derek’s thick fingers, furry and wrinkled. She felt his heavy body on the seat, too round and old to be hers. Could she let him know she was there?

Derek, she thought. Then she felt a blow of energy strike her, like a metaphysical punch to the gut.

Get out of my head, bitch, she felt Derek think. Who do you think you are? The car swerved suddenly, and his lackeys shouted in panic: she could smell the sharp note of fear in the air, especially from Derek. She could tell by the way he asked that he actually didn’t know who she was; she could taste his confusion like she could taste the air in her room.

This is Hailey, she said gleefully. She felt the wheels turning in his mind, and he bucked against her hold arrogantly.

Yeah right, he thought. Hailey’s a kid. She can’t do shit like this.

She can if she found a power booster to form a triumvirate with, Hailey said, and let him feel the truth of her words. She opened her mind to him---she didn’t even know she could---to show her the huge musclebound man peering at her anxiously at the side of her bed. You can feel how powerful I am now. Think about what you’re doing.

No way, Derek snarled. I’m going to make you pay for your arrogance, you cunt. Nobody leaves my pack so disrespectfully and then tries to form their own. I’m the boss, honey. I gave you too many chances. He pressed the gas pedal closer to the floor, his heart racing. He let her see the inside of his mind, screaming the images so she could see them more clearly. His hands on her body, sensual at first, then ripping through the flesh of her stomach suddenly and sinking its hands into the organs inside. In his vision, Pete and Derek were already dead, bloodied and dismembered on the floor.

   Hailey was getting lightheaded. Rather than show him the fear and shock he wanted, she nodded. I thought you might feel that way, she thought. Her tone was almost morose, and she felt Derek pause, trying to parse her words and the way she said them. I’m sorry. I gave you too many chances, too.

   Wait, what? Terror swelled in Derek’s chest as his foot pressed the pedal all the way to the floor without his permission. Hailey concentrated on moving his hands on the wheel. She sent the car careening around a corner, down a narrow street that she knew didn’t lead to an exit.

   Wait, Derek thought desperately. His lackeys were screaming in the back seat, asking him what the hell he was doing. Hailey saw the three-story warehouse loom larger as the car sped forward down the dead end street. Yellow tape crossed the rusty gate surrounded the building, and Hailey knew the car would tear through the barrier like tissue paper. The building was a few hundred feet away, and she felt urine soak the front of Derek’s pants. Wait, I’ll leave you alone. I’ll leave you alone, I’ll give you----