Blindsided: Book 2 of the Bound Trilogy

~Jack’s POV~

Emily has not come out of her room. She only opens her door to pick up the trays of food left in the hallway for her.

This is getting frustrating. She won’t even open the door if someone knocks on it. You can hear her on the other side listening to make sure the person left before even opening it.

I know this because she does it to me every time I try to talk to her.

I was thankful the Alpha placed my room across from hers. I leave my door open so when she retrieves her tray I can catch a glimpse of her.

I’ve tried to get her attention when she is collecting her food, but she quickly hides behind her door again. I have learned to leave her alone.

It was killing me though. To only catch a glimpse of her. Not to be able to hold her, talk to her, or kiss her. My wolf has been pining for his mate, quite frankly so have I.

The first day I arrived, Alpha Matt told me everything. About how he found Emily, about where she could have come from, and ultimately, what happened to her those few short months ago.

To say I was pissed with the latter is an understatement.

Once he finished telling me what happened to her and how they found her, I was shaking so badly I barely made it out the front door before my wolf burst forth.

I ran their woods for hours, until I came to a secluded clearing. The anger still had not abated so I took it out on a nearby tree. Let’s just say, this pack won’t be needing firewood for the next little while.

I eventually made it back to the pack house and was shown my room across from Emily’s.

Deciding I needed to talk to her, I knocked on the door. When she did not answer, I looked at the watch on my wrist. It was only seven o’clock. I knew she was in there. I tried the knob and it turned easily. Walking in I saw my mate tangled in her sheets on the floor.

Thinking to worst, I ran over to her. When I saw she was okay, I tried to help her get up. She kept brushing aside my hands, and cringing from my touch. Even though I understood why she did this, it still hurt that my mate did not welcome my help.

I tried to get her to talk to me, but her walls were up, and she was ushering me out the door. I tried to ask her to go to dinner with me, but she slammed the door in my face.

It’s been quiet from her side of the hall ever since.

Sighing, I pulled my cell from my pocket and decided to call Alia and see if there was any news about my Alpha and Luna.

Alia picked up on the third ring, “Hello.”

“Hey, Alia, it’s Jack,” I greeted. “Have you heard anything yet?”

There was a gasp on the other end of the line, “Oh Jack, I can’t believe I forgot to call you!”

I stiffened and became more alert. What happened? “What’s going on Alia?” I questioned carefully. I did not want to jump to conclusions or think the worst.

Her laugh floated through the phone, “Devin and Leah are coming home today!” she shouted.

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Do you know about what time they’ll be back?” I asked. I needed to let him know about Emily and her possible connection to Leah.

Unlike, Devin, I paid attention during our Werewolf History classes in school and knew about the raid that happened nineteen years ago. I also, knew about the Alpha of the White Wolves having triplets.

I had seen Leah’s wolf the first day she came home from the hospital, so I knew she was one of the children kidnapped from the White Wolves’ territory. With them having the same eye color, it is possible they are related. Devin, and I’m sure Leah, would want to know this.

Alia interrupted my thought, “They should be here in the next few hours. If you want to talk to him you can call back later.” I could sense her excitement about them coming home over the phone. She had always been a bubble of energy, and this time was no exception. I’m sure her and her six-year-old daughter, Ehren, were bouncing off the walls with anticipation at seeing their Alpha and Luna home again.

“All right,” I answered, “I’ll call his office line in a few hours. There is something I need to talk to him about anyway.”

Alia’s curiosity at my statement practically singed me as it zinged across the line, “Ooh, what is it? Can you tell me? Is it about your mate? Please, please, please, Jack, tell me what’s going on?”

I chuckled. I’m sure if she was standing in front of me she would have her hands clasped and batting her eyes at me to get her way. Since she wasn’t, it was easier to brush her off. “Sorry, mud pie, but I should talk to Devin first.” As expected, she screeched over the phone at her nickname.

“Jack!” she yelled, “You know I hate that nickname! You promised you would never mention it again!”

Before she could go on a rant, I hung up the phone laughing. I may not have siblings, but Alia was the closest thing I had to a sister. I loved to tease her, especially with her nickname. We started calling her that after she decided she was going to have a bake sale at the age of five. Being we were so little at the time, she didn’t know how to cook so she was going to make mud pies. Only, it wasn’t mud she made them with. Apparently, she had gone into the woods to get her mud and came back with bear poop instead.

She stank for days, and Devin and I had fun teasing her for the next few years.

Putting my cell back in my pocket, I leaned against my open doorway and tried to stare a hole through Emily’s door.

Ugh, why did she have to be so difficult?!

Hearing my stomach grumble, I straightened and sighed in defeat, might as well head downstairs for lunch. I perked up a little at that idea. This pack’s Luna really knew how to cook. My mouth was watering just at the thought of having one of her delicious meals.

Quickening my step, I headed down the stairs and made a right towards the kitchen and dining room, passing the sitting room along the way. I could hear the T.V. going in the living room on the other side of the staircase, but wasn’t interested in finding out what some of the pack members were watching.

I was too distracted with the thought of food that I was not paying attention to the goings on around me. I collided with a soft body, and my arms automatically came up and around to steady the person in front of me.

I felt the shocks before looking down and confirming it was,in fact, my mate. I didn’t care that she had somehow snuck past my room without me knowing. She was here in my arms and that was all that mattered.

Not realizing what I was doing, I tightened my arms around her and leaned in to the crook of her neck. Nuzzling the spot where her neck and shoulder met, taking a deep breath her intoxicating scent overwhelmed my senses. I started kissing and nibbling along her shoulder finding where I was going to place my mark.

I could feel her melting in my arms as a soft moan escaped her lips. As my canines started to extend I became aware of her soft, wonderful, hands pushing against my chest, and her breathy voice trying to get my attention.

“Stop,” she whispered, and hearing the fear in her voice, I quickly gained control of myself.

Pulling back while still keeping her in my arms, I looked at her face. She was wearing those infernal sunglasses again. I know why she wears them, but I wanted to see her eyes. She must have senses my hand reaching up, as she swiped it away.

“Please…” she paused looking slightly confused, and I realized it was because she didn’t know my name.

I mentally kicked myself. I had completely forgotten to tell her my name when we met the other day. I’m such an idiot.

“Jack,” I told her, my voice coming out huskier than I intended.

A shiver ran through her when I said my name. Hmm, looks like I am not the only one affected by the mating bond.

Wait, if the bond affects her, then why does she keep pushing me away?

“Jack,” the sound of my name coming from her lips made me want to moan, but I swallowed it back. She was talking to me, and I did not want to scare her off again. “Can you please let me go? I need to go upstairs and get ready to leave?”

Images of her changing into some slinky lingerie invaded my mind before the rest of her statement registered. Leave? She can’t leave! I’ve just found her!

‘Calm down you idiot,’ you my wolf scolded. ‘You’re going to scare our mate if you keep thinking like that.’

He was right, I needed to calm down, so I took deep breaths letting my mate’s essence fill me.

Emily had stopped trying to get out of my arms and was now standing still within my embrace. I tried to read her features to get a guess on what she was thinking but she was expressionless.

Deciding not to wonder on what I had done this time to make her pull away, I asked, “Where are you going?”

She took a step back and managed to pull from my arms. She was going to step around me when I grabbed her lightly by the arm.

“Please, Em, I’ll worry if I don’t know where you are.”

~Emily’s POV~

“Mom, I don’t want to go.”

My mother and I were currently in the kitchen arguing about my doctor’s appointment today. I was glad I had been able to sneak past my mate’s room while he was talking on the phone to some girl named Alia. The past few days, I’ve been avoiding him and everyone else.

I had wanted to rip the phone from his hands when I heard the joy in his voice when he greeted her. I ignored the stab to my heart and walked carefully down the stairs.

I could smell the meal my mother was making for the pack’s lunch and knew she was in the kitchen. Placing my hand on the wall to my right, I used it to keep myself heading in the right direction.

When I entered the kitchen, she had hit me with the news that she had set up an appointment for me without asking first.

“Yes, you are,” my mother said sternly. I knew from her tone of voice, I was going to lose this battle. There was no arguing with her once she had her mind set. I guess that is why she makes such a good Luna.

“What time is the appointment?” I sighed in resignation.

“Lunch will be ready in twenty minutes, after everyone is done eating we will leave,” I could hear the triumphant note in her voice. “I was going to come up in a few minutes to let you know, but since you are down here it saves me a trip.” There was a pause, as I heard her chopping and stirring something from her position by the stove. Whole new aromas assaulted my senses. I was practically drooling where I stood. “Are you going to be joining us for lunch?” she asked.

I thought about it for a minute, but decided against it. I didn’t want to have to sit through a meal with the pack and feel their pitying stares. I also, did not want to have to make small talk with my mate. I still did not even know his name!

“No,” I said. “You know how I get before an appointment.” There was no way I was going to tell her the real reasons why.

“Oh, okay honey,” I heard the disappointment in her voice. “Well, why don’t you go upstairs and get ready then. I’ll come get you in about an hour.”

Sighing, I turned and placed my left hand on the wall and started following it back towards the stairs.

I wonder if I can sneak past my mate again.

I smacked into a wall. A wall? I was following the wall to the stairs, there was nothing between the kitchen and the stairwell. Arms kept me from falling backwards and landing in a heap. Since when do walls have arms?

Shocks ran through me. I had run into my mate. His arms tightened around me and he buried his head in my shoulder. Shivers ran down my spine as his breath tickled my exposed skin. I let out involuntary moan as I felt him kiss and scrap his teeth along my neck and shoulder.

Feeling his elongated canines brought me back to reality. He was going to mark me! I pushed against him, he wouldn’t budge, but he stopped his ministrations.

“Stop,” I whispered, being held in his arms shouldn’t have reminded me of the attack, but they did. I just hope he couldn’t hear the fear in my voice.

He pulled back while keeping me in his arms, and I could feel his stare on my face. I was wearing my sunglasses, so I knew he could not see what I was thinking. I sensed his hand reaching up to remove them and I swiped it away.

“Please…” I paused in frustration. I really wish I knew his name.

“Jack,” his voice was husky and thick with lust. A shiver ran down my spine when he said his name. Ugh, stupid mating bond.

“Jack,” the sound of my voice caused him to still. “Can you please let me go? I need to go upstairs and get ready to leave?”

He stiffened even more and I felt something stir against my thigh where we were still pressed tightly together.

He took a deep breath and I felt him relax against me, his ‘friend’ still at attention between us.

I stood still in his arms, not wanting to excite him even more. Who knows what might happen if he gets too excited.

“Where are you going?” he asked. I was confused. I was going somewhere? Then I remembered the doctor’s appointment.

I took a step back, pulling from his arms. I tried to step around him when he grabbed me lightly by the arm.

“Please, Em, I’ll worry if I don’t know where you are.”

Sighing in defeat, I figured I might as well tell him. There was no point in lying, I hated to lie to anyone. It always made me feel guilty whenever I would try.

“I have a doctor’s appointment in about an hour,” I whispered. I really hate these appointments. I tried to leave again, but he squeezed my arm gently.

“Are you okay? Is the baby okay? Is there anything I can do?” hearing the panic in his voice had an urge to comfort him. Giving in to the feeling, I reached up and for the first time touched his face.

Realizing what I was doing, I quickly pulled my hand back, rubbing it on my thigh trying to get rid of the tingles.

“I’m fine,” I managed to get out. “It’s an appointment for…” I couldn’t finish, so I gestured to my stomach.

I felt his large hand spread across my abdomen. It felt like he was protecting the thing inside of me from any harm. That’s ridiculous, I thought with a mental shake of my head.

I was stunned by his next question, “Can I come with you?”

His hand was rubbing small circle on my stomach. Man that felt so good, I was almost purring.

Stop it Em, I scolded myself. He’s probably only asking to get on your parents’ good side. Don’t let him get to you.

Pushing his hands away, I started on my way to the stairs again. I only made it one step when I was stopped again.

“Em, please? I want to be there for you.” I wanted to jump up and down and scream ‘Yes’, but I also didn’t want to get my hopes up that he really cared.

Keeping my emotional walls up, I shrugged my shoulders. “Ask my mother,” I told him, “I need to go get ready.”

With a quick tug, I was able to escape his grasp and made it to the bottom of the stairs. I didn’t want him to know he rattled me, so I walked calmly up the staircase just in case he was watching me. Once at the top, I picked up the pace and made it to my room.

Behind my locked door, I let the lingering tingles from his touch affect me. My whole body shivered with want remembering the way he held me tightly to him.

I needed a shower.

Stripping and making my way towards the shower, I turned the water on as cold as I could stand.

Ducking my head under the pounding spray, I wondered if my mother had said yes to Jack coming with us. What am I thinking? Of course she will say yes. He’s my mate. She’ll be over the moon that he wants to be there.

Sighing, I let the cool water sooth my heated skin. This was going to be an interesting afternoon.