Her Forever

Jack

After the fiasco from yesterday, bearing her soul and history of her past, I wanted to do something nice for her. Even having her wake up in my arms this morning, letting me nuzzle her, and not having a full-blown panic attack was a miracle in itself. Rosalie was starting to trust me, and the bond that we shared was helping with that.

Stepping out of the limo, I grabbed her hand so we could enter the restaurant. I wanted to shower her with things she had never acquired or experienced. She left home at just 14, and I have yet to hear the hardships she had to endure on her own. I hope that she will be able to tell me more tonight.

Putting her hand in the crook of my arm, we walked into the restaurant with all eyes on us. She continued to blush as people started taking pictures; I wasn’t aware people knew we were coming. Still, she’s too beautiful to not take a picture of her. Soon, even in the human world, people will know she’s mine as I am hers.

Approaching the podium, the hostess takes no time to ask my name and grabs the menus as we walk to the back of the restaurant. Large chandeliers, white marble columns, and a soothing live band played in the background. Normally, I would walk quickly to the back of the restaurant, but Rosalie was taking it all in; her mouth was almost agape once we reached the back. I liked this restaurant because the back had VIP private tables where curtains could be drawn for complete privacy at our booth.

The golden curtains were lifted to each side as we both slid into the booth and sat closer to each other. Rosalie didn’t seem to mind as I grabbed her hand under the table as we looked at our menus. Her nose liked to scrunch up while she thought and squint her eyes as she read the menu with such concentration.

“Jack?” she said my name quietly.

“Yes, Kitten?” I glanced down at her. She was just so small; my giant hand engulfed hers so well.

“I’m not sure what to get. Will you order for me?” With those doe eyes, how could anyone say no?

“Of course, my love.” Rosalie’s eyes widened, and a blush appeared on her face. Does she really not think she couldn’t be loved? I grabbed her face with one of my hands and lifted her head up until her gaze met mine. Her eyes were glassy, not about to cry but a look of longing.

“What are you thinking? What is going on in that mind of yours?”

“I, I don’t know; it’s silly.” She laughed. I tilted my head to the side, begging her to continue. “You give me all these terms of endearment; I just like it, I suppose.” She grinned happily while trying to hold in her blush.

“I will call you anything you want if you’d please stay by my side.” I reached for her hand and caressed her knuckles. “Will you, Rosalie, stay by my side?” The waitress opened the curtain and brought a man to the table as she was about to speak. Rosalie’s face paled, and fear was radiating off of her. I didn’t even have to use my Wolf senses to know it.

“Pardon me, Mr. Storm, but this gentleman asked to speak with the young lady.” These were private booths for a reason, for privacy. The woman almost looked robotic as she spoke of the man’s intentions. His complexion was pale and dead. Vampire. The fucker was a Vampire.

I stood up quickly and buttoned my jacket; Rosalie was nervous around him, she knew who he was, and I had a sickening feeling that I may know who he was as well. “Can we help you? This is a private area. You shouldn’t be back here.”

The Vampire gave a grim smile and nodded towards Rosalie. She was stark white, not a bit of color on her face. Her body began to shake, and the beast inside me was ready to spring forth in front of a bunch of humans. “Leave,” I growled loudly. “Don’t cause a scene; we both know we don’t want that.”

“I’m just here to get back what’s mine,” he picked up my glass of wine and took a sip. “Her branding will suffice as proof.” Tears started building in Rosalie’s eyes as she clutched the table. This fucker had another thing coming.

“She isn’t going anywhere. I suggest you leave.” I walked up to the smell of rotting flesh and put my chest next to his. I was still a few inches taller than him, but I knew he had some brute strength through his Vampire capabilities.

“The branding is special; she is mine. Why don’t you show him, dear?” His voice was calm, the calm before the storm that was stirring in his mind.

“I’m not yours,” she whispered delicately. “Never was, never will be.” Even though her voice swung in the air like a floating feather, any supernatural could hear it. She meant every word of it, and she wasn’t going to change her mind. Rosalie may have been scared shitless, but she knew what she wanted.

Derek growled lowly in his throat, “And do pray tell, who takes ownership of you now?” Rosalie stopped shaking and stood up. Something about this mark that I had ever heard of kept her in a submissive state while she was with him. He was bothered and shocked that she stood up to him. Feeling the compulsion in the air that he was throwing at her, I could tell it was for truth. He wanted to know who owned her or who had her.

“No one owns me. I am my own person,” she spoke in a monotone voice. A few moments went by again, and she glanced from me to Derek. More evidence he had used a truth compulsion. How she was able to get away from this Vampire is beyond me, human minds haven’t been trained for mind trickery.

Within the blink of an eye, the Vampire lunged at Rosalie ripping her black lace dress from top to bottom and looking in between her breasts. There was a very light scar that looked to be a brand. It was precisely in the same place behind her back as in front of her chest as she fell forward from his brute force. The rest of her body was littered with deep scars, gashes, and even Derek’s name spelled out on the side of her ribcage.

“f**k!” he whispered and turned to me. My hands were already around his neck, trying to keep the demon from drawing any more attention. “You are her mate,” he spat. “She’s still mine; I marked her first! Her b***d is MINE.” Derek continued to lunge at me as I wrestled him to the floor. All hope to keep this under control was out the window.

Glasses and plates were shattering as people screamed around the restaurant in terror. People were running in all directions while my mate sat at the table, trying to cover herself. She was frozen in place, watching the two men fight. I prayed to the goddess she wouldn’t find out what we truly were at this moment; I don’t think her heart could take it.

The warriors stationed outside stormed in with a mighty fury, and Derek realized he was surrounded. Glancing between the warriors and Rosalie, he let out a snarl; his eyes glowed red. “I’ll be back for her. I claimed her first, you filthy dog!” With that, he ran out of the restaurant before I could even get another claw into his neck. Picking myself up, I ran to a stunned Rosalie. Taking off my jacket, I covered her body. The warriors started to pay the restaurant for the damages, and some scanned the area for more threats.

Scooping her up quickly, I wrapped my jacket around her and carried her bridal style out of the car. So much for a nice date and getting to know one another.

I kept whispering to her as we walked out of the restaurant. “It will be alright; I’ve got you.” Rosalie buried her face into my neck, and I could feel the wetness from her tears. Gripping her tighter, I sat in the SUV and drove back to the packhouse in silence. My grip on her tightened as I covered her to keep her safe.

***

Rosalie

He found me. After all these years, he’d finally found me. I had let my guard down, and he approached me even when Jack. Jack was not slim and trim. He was muscular; you could see the rippling muscles underneath his dress shirts when he would simply run his hand through his hair.

I had never seen such a fight; Jack fought with his jacket on, unable to remove it since Derek moved so fast. I’ve never seen Derek move so fast before; it was unearthly, he was something else that I had never seen before, or maybe I never dared to see it. His strength felt the same, he ripped my dress to shreds, and all my scars were on stage for Jack to see. Shame was all over me; my heart ached for him to see me like that. I tried to cover myself, but it was all in vain with a torn dress. A dress I had specifically picked out to cover my shame.

Jack never said a word after he fought valiantly against Derek. He fought for me; no one has ever done that before. It made me feel like I could be safe. However, Derek will always be at the forefront of my mind until the day he’s dead and cold in the grave.

Feeling Derek’s rage from across the table was unfathomable. His aura, his being, was being outreached throughout the restaurant, and I was at the brunt of it. When he asked me who I belonged to, I usually told him that I belonged to him. However, this time I didn’t which shocked me to the core. I always told him I belonged to him, but my mouth deceived me and told him I didn’t. I would get punished for this one day; I already felt the sting.

Riding back to the community house, the car was silent. Would Jack still protect me? Will he still let me stay, knowing I pose such a threat to everyone else? Trying to hold back the tears, he lifted me to his lap and patted my head with his large hand, and held me close. “I’m here for you; I’m never leaving you,” he whispered.

I turned my head and looked up at him; he was so tall. I felt so small in his arms, but the best feeling was, I felt safe. His eyes glanced from my eyes to my lips and back to my eyes again. He leaned down halfway, waiting for me to meet the other half. Not hesitating, I lifted my mouth up to his and touched his pouty lips for my very first k**s. Right now probably wasn’t the best time for a k**s but a pull within me wanted it more than anything.