Monday, October 1, 2012

♥ Nan and Jaska: A Finally Ever After ♥



I am having way to much fun with Picasa. It's so easy to make these little banners, but they add so much to the post. So, I'm sorry if you get sick of them, but I just can't help myself. HAHA. Expect more in the future. 

Although this isn't my first M/F story--the very first story I ever wrote was M/F--I realize it isn't what I normally write. I decided not to include this piece in the Isaac and Knox tale because this scene was a little longer and more intense than I intended it to be and I didn't want to pull away from the Izzy/Knox explosion. Not to mention, that story is purely M/M and I didn't feel it went well with the current content.


But many of you wondered, emailed, and commented about this pair. So, here it is. The uncut Nan and Jaska reunion. If you still aren't clear about what is going to happen here, this is a M/F short. LOL. 



Enjoy everyone!



NAN AND JASKA


After the incident at Sated, Nan stood next to her Jeep—looking down the street, staring at everything and nothing. Knox had finally broken down. He’d taken the last person she had left, Isaac. She had no idea how that was going to turn out, but Isaac had been pissed as all get out. She prayed he would be okay.  It made her realize how much of her life she had devoted to Isaac and his well-being. Now as the older twins had their own lives, Cage and Axel were too busy figuring out who they were, Nan found herself all alone. Instead of feeling pitiful, she popped her jacket collar and got into the vehicle.

She couldn’t go back home right now. She didn’t want to be around the others when all she wanted was to be somewhere else. He hadn’t called her or texted yet. She knew from talking with her mother that morning that he’d come home last night. Did he not want to see her? Had he found someone else in Russia? God, what was she saying? They hadn’t even kissed. They weren’t together.

Exhaling slowly, Nan started the Jeep up and pulled his number up on her phone. Dialing was the most nerve wracking thing in the world. Even as a vampire her stomach still flipped at the thought of rejection. Being a strong woman though, she wouldn’t let him on to how vulnerable she was.

“It’s been a while,” his sexy voice greeted her after the second ring. His voice deeper than last time, Nan wondered just how much he’d grown since they’d last seen each other.

“Yeah, it has,” she replied just as casually.

“Where are you?”

She shrugged as if he could see her. It helped with her act. “Sated, just leaving.”

“Sated? Hopefully not working?”

She smirked. “I was only enjoying myself. You honestly think I would get up on a pole?”

“A guy can dream.” He chuckled. “Seriously though, Nan, where have you been? I was expecting at least a text yesterday.”

Silence hung on her end for a minute. “I figured you were busy. What, with coming home and all yesterday.”

“Shit,” he swore. “It was supposed to be a surprise. For everyone I mean. Who told you?”

“Yeah, for everyone,” she repeated quietly. Why was she calling him? This was so stupid. He was probably just making small talk for her benefit, being nice. God, she was so pathetic. “Never mind, I have to go.”

“Nan, wait.”

“What?”

“It wasn’t for everyone. I just said that,” he admitted quickly. And like a drug addict, she took the candy offered.

“I miss you,” she whispered much to her own horror.

“God, Nan, I miss you more.”

They sat there breathing on the phone—both measuring how serious this situation had become.

“You were just a kid. I thought it was funny, a crush, but when you left—I didn’t think it would be like this.” She clicked her seatbelt on to do something with her shaking hand. “I don’t even know why I’m telling you this.”

“Because you know I how feel about you. Even though I know you’re probably freaking out right now, you know deep down how much I care for you, that I would never hurt you.  If it’s as bad as the craving I have, I know exactly how you feel.”

She swallowed harshly, her breath matching his on the other end. “You’re different now. Why is this so different?”

“I am different, Nan. We all have to grow up sometime.”

“But I liked you. Even if you were just a stupid dweeb, I liked the old you.”

“I’m still me, just a little older, and a lot more in love.”

She groaned—a reprieve from the serious nature of this conversation. “Stop saying shit like that. It’s embarrassing.”

He laughed. “See? I’m not so different after all. I could tell you a bad joke in Russian if you want to hear it. Huh, huh? You know you want to.”

She bit her lip with a grin. “No, actually I’m good.”

“You’re smiling though, I can hear it, but I want to see it.”

Gripping the wheel now, Nan watched the crowds crossing the busy street. She knew she couldn’t stay here. She knew where she needed to be now. “Where are you?”

“Home.” He cleared his throat. “But I moved.”

“What?” She sank back in her seat, her eyes heavy with heartache. He had come back just to leave again? “You moved?”

“Down the block.” He chuckled.

“You asshole, don’t do that to me!”

He laughed out loud. “Oh baby, I missed teasing you. You’re so easy.”

“I am not your baby and I am not easy.” She couldn’t stop the grin which appeared as she wiped her eyes.

“Uh huh, whatever you say, baby.” He made a kissing noise and she fought not to smile. “It was part of the surprise I was trying to keep, but I guess the cat’s out of the bag. My parents hooked me up with a loft for my birthday. Now that I’ll be working at the shelter down the block, they figured I’d want my own place to start my life, you know? I’ve been busy all day, trying to put things away and stuff. I didn’t want to invite you over if it looked crappy.”

Her lashes fluttered closed with a smile. “You wanted me to see your digs all pretty? Did you get a pink bedspread too?”

“Yep, even have a pillow with your face on it.”

“You do not.” She sat up.

“Come find out. The old Satori Insurance building, you know the one with the—”

“Ugly green paint, yeah, I know.”

“Top floor, I’ll leave the door open for you and, Nan?”

“Yeah?”

“I can’t wait to see you,” he whispered.

The line went silent, her screen blinking red as the call ended. She put the phone to her chest and took a deep breath. After all that had happened tonight with Isaac, she needed this. In fact, she deserved to be happy—even if her happiness was a pervert and a goofball.

Half an hour later, she took the thin metal stairs like she was ascending to another level of her future. If she wasn’t in her right mind, she would have raced up there, flung the door open, and let her beast do the talking. But she had to see him first to be sure this was the real thing. Now that she had turned, she knew she’d know in an instant. If she was honest with herself, she’d known Jaska was hers her entire life, but she’d been too scared to act without proof. She didn’t want to fall in love with a man that wasn’t meant for her, among other things.

Maybe it was just all in her head. He was only a cute dork that she had conjured into something else—a fantasy that wasn’t real. It was just too easy if he were the one. Everyone else had had to fight for their mate, rescue them, butt heads until they finally came together. How could she just walk up a flight of stairs and open a door? It seemed too good to be true.

Lost in her own thoughts, her hand touched the opened metal door. He was here. Inhaling, she caught his scent, knowing it as if she’d had the ability all her life—drawing her inside with swirling eyes. Polished light wood floors gleamed under her feet. A short, narrow hallway led to a larger space. She pealed her jacket off. Her skin was hot as Hades all the sudden. It dropped to the floor as she continued her hunt for him—carelessly discarded in her quest for the truth.

When he had said loft, she hadn’t been prepared for this. A floating black staircase went to another open level above. A sleek wraparound couch in a snow white circled the middle of the room. It was not the kind of place where an immature young boy lived. It was the kind of place where a man lived.

“Jaska,” she rasped.

His scent was choking her senseless until all she could think of was him. Nothing else mattered. Fearful of what she would do when he did appear Nan clung to the back of the couch with her head down.

Hands cupped her shoulders, large hands that made her shiver. “It’s okay, Nanette.” He pushed her long dark hair over her shoulder. “Damn, you’re burning up.”

“You should have just said hello,” she hissed. Her fangs dropped in her mouth. “Slowed this down a bit.”

“I’m not afraid of this like you are. You’ve been my girl since day one.” His unfamiliarly large body covered her back, lips pressed to her neck.  “I’ve had a long time to want you. Now it’s your turn to want me back.”

“I’ve always wanted you back,” she growled, whipping her head up, turning around in his embrace—coming face to face with his bare chest. Muscles, hard chiseled abs, tanned skin that glowed in the light. A dusting of hair trailed down his chest, hair that didn’t belong to some punk kid that she had remembered. No, Jaska, was most definitely a man.

Eyes drifting up slowly, Nan lost her breath. He was staring down at her—dark eyes full of exactly what she was feeling.

“Why am I the one that needs to assure you? You’re the vamp here. You have enough proof that I’m your future baby daddy yet? Or do you need me to show you?” He took her hand in his, yanking her closer.

The rigid form of his cock pushed into her belly, causing Nan to close her eyes. “It’s too easy, Jaska, all of this. You just show up, tell me you love me, and that’s it?”

He watched her eyes open slowly. “I could pretend to be in peril if you wanted, a little role play to get things going?” He waggled his brows.

“You know what I meant.”

Her hands wrapped around his hips, clutching as she slowly lost herself in his body. Nose pressed to his chest, she inhaled his scent like cocaine to her bloodstream. Filling her to the brim with his emotions, his smell—his desire for her. Still, there was hesitation.

“Why are you fighting this?” Jaska stood still. His eyes were hooded, watching her slither slowly up his chest. “I want you, Nanette.”

“It’s not want,” she hissed. “You have to like me. It’s in your blood.”

At his limit, Jaska shook his head. With a forceful push, Nanette landed over the back of the couch, onto the cushions. He hopped the couch gracefully to perch between her legs.

“Now you’re creating problems like the others go through.” He narrowed his eyes—heat bleeding across his dark irises. “I love you. You love me and not because of some damned bond from the heavens. I’ve loved you since the day I was old enough to give this feeling a name. I’ve watched you from far away, from very near, grow into a strong woman that I want to call my own. I’ve stood back every time you pushed me away, but don’t think for a second I didn’t know you did it for show. You’re scared. I know that. All your life you’ve been the caretaker of everyone except yourself and you don’t know how to take what you want, but you don’t have to take this, Nan. I’m giving it to you.”

Nan hissed through her teeth when he lowered his body to hers. “I’m really going to give it to you.”

Her hands automatically slid over his body with his heated words. “What do we do?”

He laughed, breaking the intensity of the moment. “What do we do, seriously? Baby, let me show you.”

Slowly, he lifted onto his knees, picked up her leg and unzipped one boot off her calf and then the other. Socks slipped to the floor. His careful hands spread over her stomach while his eyes watched her face. They stayed locked on each other, his hands sliding up with her shirt until her bra was revealed.

“Fancy.” He grinned. “How did you know I liked lace?”

Unsteady, almost out of control, she growled—whacking him upside the head. “Are you going to joke around the whole time?”

“I’m trying to get you to relax, but I can see that isn’t going to happen.” He flopped back onto to the couch. “Man, I figured this was pretty simple. Guess I was wrong.” He raised his brows and looked away.

“Simple to get into my pants you mean?”

“Yeah, Nan, that’s exactly what I was going for. Get into her pants and be done with it.” He stood up, rubbed his thighs, and walked away. Going for the stairs, he stopped suddenly. “You know what? No. You don’t get to do this to me. You aren’t the only one in this, Nan. You’re my mate!”

He turned to her. His face distraught and her heart raced to comfort him.

“Do you really not want me? Is this because you don’t want to have sex with me or because you don’t think I’ll be a good partner? I would like to know. I think I deserve that much at least. Before I have to spend the rest of my life alone because I can’t even think about anyone else, much less have sex with them.”

“You’re a virgin?” She almost died. Her heart sank into her gut. He had waited for her and she had— tears formed in her eyes, turning her head.

“And you’re not. That’s what this is about, isn’t it?”

“See, I knew you’d be like this.”

“Stop it!” He marched over to her. “Stop telling me what I am or what I think for once. I don’t care about the others. All I care about it that you’re mine and from now on, you don’t touch another male. Only I touch you.”

His dominance, even human, called to her. Only he would touch her. She would belong to him wholly for the rest of her eternity. His voice so protective, so fierce, she couldn’t say no.

“Fuck everything else, Nan. Admit you love me. Stop lying to yourself and—” He was pulled down by his the belt loops of his pants. His knees fell to either side of her lap. Her mouth pressed to his.

Finally, he thought with relief—not just of body, but his mind as well. He loved Nanette Valjana with everything that he was. To finally be with her completed his entire being. Caressing her long dark hair, he cocked his head to take her kiss deeper—to feed off every inhale and exhale of her body. His tongue slid over her fangs causing her to shiver.

Only pulling back to get rid of her shirt, she pressed her bare stomach to his with a moan. The heat of his skin penetrated her to the core. She didn’t think it was possible to be hotter than she already was, but Jaska disproved that quickly. With other men, there had been attraction, mutual desire, but never this. What she felt for Jaska exceeded every desire she’d ever known. She wanted him, all of him with a need that wouldn’t quit. Not just his body, but his love too. The knowledge that he really loved her only made her arousal deepen.

Feeling Nan melt into his body, Jaska gently picked her up, and carried her to the stairs. Her kisses weren’t interrupted, only relocated. Hot flicks of her tongue slicked over his neck and he gripped her ass tight ascending the stairs as fast as he could.

Nan landed on her back, strewn across the low style bed. Like an animal, Jaska pounced back on his mate with hunger. She immediately met him on his knees, letting him fumble with the clasp to her bra until he became irritated and ripped it apart.

“Jaska!” She growled. “I liked that…oh fuck!”

Bending her back with a handful of hair, he licked her nipple—freshly pebbled from the cooler air. Swirling attentively over the bud a few times, Jaska drew it into his mouth—sucking hard until she her voice was nothing more than a hiss.

Combing her nails through his messy black hair, Nan let him suspend her with a strong arm. Their passion unraveled like a gift to the universe.  A nuclear sizzle between them made the loft seem so much smaller. Throwing her head back, a hiss through her fangs, Jaska licked the sweat building between her breasts. She was completely his. Her hips grinding a wicked heat against his chest, her painful grip in his hair, the gyrating ripple of her toned stomach as she moved with him—his mate wanted him back.

His hand pushed flat between her breasts, laying her flat to the bed while her hands retreated to grab fistfuls of sheets.  Further down her body, Jaska explored her belly button with his tongue, teasing Nan when he got to the barrier of her jeans.  Her hands gripped his head once more, forcing his mouth against the heat waiting for him. He bit into the denim, pulling, inhaling the scent of her arousal.

It was obvious how she wanted it. Nan had never been slow or sweet. She was a good person, but sometimes good people liked it hard behind the public curtain. Eager to please, he yanked her jeans with her underwear down over her slender hips, stopping at the knees to trap her to him.

“Jaska,” she growled, twisting to get her jeans off, to spread her legs for him.

“You’re always telling me what to do,” he breathed across her skin. “Not this time.” He watched her, tracing his tongue across the slit between her legs.

Her blood felt like it was on fire, his tongue going deeper, penetrating her folds slowly—a form of torture. Biting down on her bottom lip, she tasted blood. A growl rumbled around her mouth, swallowed down her throat as he gripped her hips to keep her still.

Jaska had no idea what he was doing. He’d watched porn, beat off to a few magazines time and time again. He knew the technical aspects of a woman’s body, but tasting Nan on his tongue was better than any form erotica he’d ever known. This wasn’t porn. This was his woman under his hands, under his mouth. Those were her moans, Nan’s voice reaching his ears. This was her scent calling her back for more. Nothing was better than this. The sure way he handled her body and his instincts drove his tongue deeper, over the bud that arched her off the bed.

Inch by inch, Nan felt the restrictive denim pulled from her body. For a man with no experience, Jaska knew how to drive her mad. For the first time in her life, she had no idea what to do with herself. She found that her hands wouldn’t stop moving, no sure place to call home. Her torso lifted from the bed over and over as if the air in her lungs was trying to escape her body. Her skin which was damp with sweat, felt like it was crying tears of joy with each bead of perspiration that swelled to the surface.

“Please,” she finally begged.

Under his trance, Jaska knew Nan meant that one word. She’d given in completely to his touch. With pride, a certain satisfaction, Jaska gave in to her. He pulled the remainder of her clothes off her body. Her legs opened immediately, the muscles tight before they released, relaxing into the bed in invitation. Running his hands over feet, up her calves, and smoothing down her angled thighs, Jaska kissed her skin again—her sex on complete display, glistened, begging to be tasted thoroughly.

And that’s exactly what he did. Working the muscle inside his mouth like a pen to paper, Jaska wrote his love inside her body until she sang. Nan felt the build up inside her core, the shaky feeling in her legs uncontrollable. She tried to find words, something to say to make him know how she felt, but nothing more than a choked cry came out her mouth. She shattered as he sucked her clit into his mouth, nibbled until she finally screamed.

For the first time since she’d laid out on his bed, Jaska knew what had happened. With a grin, he added a finger inside of her while grinding up her body to attach his lips to hers. She eagerly ate away at his mouth, her own taste on her tongue, she sighed. Post orgasm fatigue had left her. Her hands clawed at his back. His finger pumped into her slick heat and she smiled for the first time in a long time.

She wanted him so badly it hurt. He added another finger, cranking her heat up all over again. With force, Nan grabbed his hand and flipped him over. Naked, free, she straddled him and ran her hands down her body. The first female claim he’d ever experienced and it would be the only woman he’d ever know. His hands traced hers, kneading her breasts as she closed her eyes—dancing on top of his denim covered bulge.

When she lowered her swirling eyes to his face, hair curtaining around them both—closing off the rest of the world save for the natural red that filtered through her silky dark locks. She sucked his lip between hers, nicked the skin for just a taste. His blood dripped onto her tongue like waves crashing through her soul. The taste consumed her as if she was drowning in him.

The craving to be completely skin to skin against Nan drove Jaska mad. Removing his fingers, a whimper from his mate, he struggled to free himself of his jeans. He cursed the day he’d bought the damned things. Skin tight in their fit, he had to shimmy them off in a twist and tangle of his own limbs.

Even as heated as Nan was, she fought not to laugh watching Jaska struggle. She rose to her knees, yanked the pants from his ankles, and looked down at his proud member—salivating from only staring. Their eyes met. Jaska’s heart hammered in his chest. He couldn’t believe this somehow, both of them naked before the other, no longer any barriers between them. He wanted to…

Nan had plans of her own. Her back smoothed down. Her hands ran down his thighs in a nail grazing caress. Face to face with his cock, she flicked her tongue across the head. His whole body groaned. His deep voice bouncing off the rafters as his mate wrapped her lips around his cock.

Coffee and cream, his flavor was good enough to drink. Nan indulged herself with the rigid cock in her mouth, moaning around his delicate skin, his heat that pulsed against her lips. Tongue curled around the underside of his cock, she pushed every inch into her mouth, her throat, until her nose nuzzled against the whispers of hair against his skin. She inhaled, relaxed, waited until he swore out loud before pulling back to breathe.

“Fuck, Nan,” Jaska gasped with a wondrous smile.

His woman was just—damn! As much as it pissed him off that other men had touched her, he thanked God for the skills she’d learned somewhere down the road. Even though he was pretty sure Nan had never been into anyone like she was now with him. It was in the cat like way she moved, the trance in her eyes for him alone. The moans she made as she tasted him. Yeah, that alone was enough to forget those other guys and give Jaska a much needed boost. Shit, he hissed as her fangs grazed over him—a pain that beat the hell out of a paper cut. This kind of pain he welcomed.

Nan felt the satisfaction rolling down through Jaska’s mind. While she sucked him down again, Nan tuned into his mind, his heart, and felt nothing, but want, need, and love. Smiling around him, she grabbed onto his ass and bobbed faster just to hear him pant like an animal above.

“I’m gonna, oh, fuck! Nan, shit, you have to stop!” He grabbed onto her hair, pulling her succulent mouth of his cock with a gasp. “Still human remember? I can’t very well—you know?”

She laughed—a smile full of fangs that surprised him. He hadn’t been there for her turn. He hadn’t been there for a lot of things recently. Jaska sat back on his knees, cock still throbbing, just to look at her—take her in. Her dark eyes swirled with a bright gold. Growing up around vampires all his life, they didn’t frighten him, only drew him closer.

He noticed the way her lean muscles flexed, twisted, as she moved up to join him. He noticed her fangs, delicate yet deadly, as she smiled with a practiced move of her lips. For a supposedly fictional creature, a beast to the humans, Nanette Valjana was the most beautiful kind of deadly he’d ever known—fictitious or not.

“You’re beautiful,” he blurted.

She flicked her eyes down, like another blanket of warmth and vulnerability had been thrown over her. Only her father had called her that, her mother—not a man, and certainly not a man that loved her. In and out, she calmed her breathing. It didn’t help when his fingers traced her jaw and he pressed his naked body to hers.

“I mean it, Nanette,” he whispered. “You are truly the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen.”

Did you say thank you to something like that, she wondered. Did you say, you too? Instead of replying, she let her heart speak for her. Her arms slid around his waist and she let him pull her closer until no space separated them.

What started as a kiss to her hair turned to Nan grinding against his cock and Jaska getting back to the program—the shy moment between them heating back up into something carnal. Somehow, Jaska knew that’s exactly what Nan needed to hear to make this real. That he thought she was beautiful and not because of the fated bond they shared. But because he truly thought her the only woman that would ever be his fantasy made real. Wasn’t that what every woman wanted, he smiled against her neck, to be pretty to the man of their dreams?

“So sexy,” he urged her on. “Just looking at you makes me hard.”

A hand between them pressed her back into the bed. His slick cock rubbed against her as she spread her legs for him. “Look all you want,” she countered with a growl.

“I’m gonna do more than look.” He laughed before seizing her mouth.

That caused her to laugh. He was so urgent, manly, yet juvenile in his delivery. He wasn’t nervous though, Nan thought, he was ready for this. She was all he could think about while she was the one who was slightly nervous. When they came together, her instincts were going to take over. She’d been keeping her beast in check thus far with a strange ease, but it wouldn’t be long now. Her fangs itched. The sound of his blood rushing through his body filled her ears. Her fingers tensed with the need to punish his skin with her grip.

“You good?” He breathed across her lips before looking down between them.

“Jaska?” She rasped.

“Yeah?” He looked up and in his eyes she saw that boy she always knew, had always loved.

She gripped his hair in both her hands, pulled his face to hers—eyes swirling as the beast began to come forth. “Fuck me.”

His brows rose in surprise at the guttural tone in her voice. The tip of his cock brushed her clit and she growled. Oh hell yeah, he smiled into the face of his mate from the dark side, it’s about time.

“This isn’t funny. Stop smiling and fuck me!”

“Yes, Ma’am.” He waggled his brows and pushed her legs up. “Tell me if it hu—”

She arched her back as he lined up, pushing him inside. “I said—”

“I got you, baby.” He narrowed his eyes, plunging the rest of the way in.

Better than her mouth, her sex surrounded him, gripped him hard. His eyes went wide, his mouth opened in a shock at the feelings surmounting inside of him. Nan took away his moment of holy shit by pushing back against him like an animal in heat. She gripped his shoulders, urging him on. He got the hint, shook his head and pulled back.

“Hard,” she growled.

“You’re so bossy!” He shouted, slamming into her.

He wasn’t sure if it hurt her, but one look at her face and he knew he was golden. Hair splayed on the sheets like silk, eyes swirling, head tilted back—Nan was in heaven. If this is what she liked, he thought. Fuck that, this is what they both wanted. Each of them wanted raw, explosive, sex—the kind that you blushed about even in your sleep.

Getting over his boyish inexperience, Jaska drove his cock home, over and over, until his hips had a mind of their own and the only gear he was programmed with was downright demonic. That didn’t mean he wasn’t still set on making Nan feel what he felt for her. As he leaned down, his hands found hers—threading them together to either side of her head. His lips brushed hers—taking the pain of her fangs as she bit down on his lip.

Her bite was euphoric—the pull of his blood through his lip touching places in his body he didn’t know existed. He felt high on Nanette, felt her thoughts in subtle glimpses in his mind, felt the pleasure swelling his cock inside of her. Keeping the rhythm he had was proving difficult. His limbs wanted to give out. His body still wanted to give in. He was hot with a trace of chilling cold whispering over his spine—what he knew was coming next sent him into a frenzy.

Her eyes swirled so fast, so bright, that he couldn’t look away. When she let go of his lip, the feeling was almost painful—her fangs detached from him felt like a part of his body being removed. He didn’t have to wait long to feel her again.

Nan wrapped herself around her mate’s body. Arms around his back and neck, moving up to ride him on her knees—squeezing his thighs with hers. She found the smooth line of his neck. Her hand pushed his thick mess of hair away from his skin so she could inhale the mint of his cologne, the sweat that was all him. She swept her tongue over the quick tick of his heartbeat. And it was then that she herself go and give in to her greatest desire.

Jaska held onto Nan, his head flying back with a groan when his mate’s fangs pierced his neck. A deep sinking feeling invaded his psyche—a euphoria that rivaled any drug or passion he’d ever known. Still she moved up and down on his cock. Still he gripped her ass for dear life, guiding her even though she knew exactly what to do. Their minds connected for the barest of moments. The flood gates of their inner secrets, the love Nan had been holding back, the insecurities Jaska had over his mate, all of it came to light.

Knowing without a doubt that Nan loved him for everything he was made his heart soar and his climax kick into overdrive. On the other side, Nan’s tears of joy slid down her cheeks. Each pull of his sweet, sweet life essence drove her closer to the edge. A fulfillment she never thought she’d have, her mate in her arms, feeding her, loving her. Now she had it all, the biggest question answered, and all the little ones could wait. She had Jaska. That was all she had ever needed.

Jaska shuddered in her gripping embrace. The building intensity in his loins caused his eyes to roll back, his breathe to hitch in his throat. He emptied his seed deep inside of her, barely having the conscious thought to push her back onto the bed with her fangs still embedded in his neck. He wanted to see her face when she went over the edge. He wanted to see the reaction his body caused her—to feel pride at bringing Nan pleasure, very intense pleasure.

Full on his blood, Nan pulled her head back when her ass hit the sheets. His climax filled her like it was her own. She wanted to see him. Just one look into his eyes and she knew she’d come too. Licking her lips of the red that stained them, Nan caught his eager look. He thrust one last time—deep, hard, right where she needed it the most.

Jaska watched Nan’s face. Her eyes flicked up wide, the deep brown and swirls of gold so beautiful he could hardly stand it. Her mouth, smeared with a tiny spot of blood, opened as she tried to breathe through the orgasm right on the cusp. Eyes wavering, Nan watched him back. Her body shook from her head to her toes curling into the sheets. Her thighs trembled, clenched, relaxed for only a second before a storm ripped through her body.

A small movement, his chest brushing over her nipples and she rode the waves rocking her to the very core. Their hands found each other. Their eyes locked until Nan could breathe again, both of them laying there, him on top of her, because they just couldn’t part.

“You okay,” he whispered. Hell, he’d never done that before. Not the feeding, not the sex, none of it.

“Am I okay?” She rasped, a hoarse chuckle following.

He finally got to his elbows, looked down at her with a frown. “I’m serious.”

“The dweeb does have a serious side after all.” Her lazy smile confused him.

“We just made love and you’re going to joke about it?” He rose onto his knees, looking away.

“Jaska?” She rolled her eyes with a sigh. Not wanting to move, she would just to reassure him that this had been the best passion of her life.

Nan knew what he was feeling. The first time jitters setting back in. The constant thought that you weren’t very good in bed—that the other person wasn’t interested anymore. The truth was, with any other person, first time sex was usually awkward, fumbled, and weird afterwards, but with her mate? He’d skipped awkward and went right for the kill—a real man with moves to make a woman scream his name.

“What?” He made to move away.

She tackled him, rolled him onto his back. Straddling his naked body, she smiled. “I’m better than okay.”

Jaska swallowed. His hands found her smooth hips, fingers splaying to feel more of her skin. “Yeah?”

“Oh yeah,” she growled. “Now stop acting like a little girl and kiss me.”

“Say the magic words and my lips are yours.” He grinned, covering his moment of what if by raising a brow. All insecurities had been abandoned like dust bunnies under the bed. Yeah, she wanted more.

“Please?” She tried.

“Nope.”

Nan thought about it for a second. What magic words, not just one? Then it came to her with the sudden apprehension on his face. She smiled. “I love you too.”

“Then come here,” he rumbled.

Hugging her body to his, their lips met. For the next few hours, Jaska lost his lack of experience, over and over again.

It was early in the morning, but the loft was still dark as Nan crept from the comfort of Jaska’s bed and padded down to the main level. His mother, Katrina, had definitely decked out the kitchen. A homemaker to the core, Katrina’s touch was everywhere. A coffee pot with all the fixings sat on the counter, matching dishtowels hung from little hooks on the wall, a scented candle that Jaska would probably never use. Nan grinned, throwing on his shirt from the floor. It hung on her. It smelled like him. It was perfect.

Still filled with memories of last night, she moved around the kitchen as if on a cloud. This morning wasn’t weird or awkward. She knew that this loft, this place with Jaska, was right where she was supposed to be. She knew that if he asked her again, the answer would still be the same. I love you. And she did—she loved that man still dead to the world in bed. She’d loved him since day one—goofball and all.

As she poured the fresh coffee into a mug, Nan cringed at the thought of telling her parents. Her dad, King, was very protective of her. Her mother would probably explode into a pile of glitter at the news and throw some huge party in their honor. Isaac, she frowned. Would it upset her best friend to know she was perfectly happy and in love with a man that didn’t give her grief? Like Knox did with him.

Would she be expected to move all the way out here and live with Jaska instead of with her family and friends at the compound? Could she really do that, be away from everyone? Would they have to get married now? Would she have to have some elaborate ceremony, be in the spotlight when she hated being the center of attention?

Not even the coffee relaxed the sudden stress in her jaw. Mating with Jaska meant so many different things. Was he ready for all of that? Did he see past the sex and see the bigger picture? Lost in her thoughts, she jumped as hands smoothed over shoulders and a kiss was pressed to her head.

“It’s kind of early, Nan,” he grumbled. “Put down the coffee and come back to bed.”

“I’m an early riser. I usually go running around this time. Guess my internal clock is still the same, no matter where I am,” she rushed.

“You good with where you are or—”

She set the mug down, turned to face him. “Jaska, what do we do now?”

His hair stuck up every which way and she hadn’t realized, until now, he was still very naked. He looked around in thought. “You mean breakfast? I make a decent omelet, but I’m not very good with toast. Always set it on the wrong thingy and—”

“I wasn’t talking about breakfast. I was talking about us.” She leaned against the counter and crossed her arms. “I mean, you’re not even a vampire yet and you still have college to finish up and then our parents will demand we get married and—”

Whoa.” He put his hands up. “Who said anything about getting married? And what does me not being a vampire yet have anything to do with us? As for college, I already decided I’m not going back. I have a job. I have my high school diploma. I have a place to live.”

“Of course we have to get married. Isn’t that what you do after you find your mate? And what do you mean you’re not finishing college? I will not marry some dropout punk. This house, loft or whatever, isn’t yours. It’s your parents. I have a degree. I pay for my own things with my own money. I work, Jaska. It may be with the vampires, but they chose me because I know what I’m doing.”

Jaska didn’t respond. He’d gotten out of bed because he’d simply rolled over and she wasn’t there. He’d wanted to have that moment—the morning after moment that people in love were supposed to have, the time where you blushed and kissed and forgot the coffee for another round. But that wasn’t going to happen. Not only was he naked and staring into the eyes of his angry mate. He suddenly felt like a little kid—his mom yelling at him for sneaking a cookie. This time, Nan was filling his mother’s shoes and he felt a whole lot worse than after stealing a fucking cookie.

He felt his pride disappear, that moment with Nan slip away to be replaced by a cold in his chest. Why was she doing this to him? What had he ever done except love her? Maybe she was right. Maybe he did love her, but she only had to love him back because of the attraction fated to be there in the first place. Maybe she was right on all the other things. He was just some punk ass kid. Not a vampire, a real man, or anything that would make a good mate. He was only living on his parent’s funds, right? He had only gone over to Russia to go to school, not learn tradition or how to help others in need, how to be one of them. Nope, he had nothing to offer Nan.

He turned around, numb inside, and walked to the other side of the living room.

“Where are you going?” Nan huffed, traipsing after him with narrowed eyes.

With a click, he opened his bureau and grabbed some clothes. “To the shelter, I wasn’t supposed to be there until noon, but whatever.”

“It’s like five in the morning, Jaska.”

He didn’t look at her. “And they’re open twenty four seven.”

“You’re just going to leave me here?”

“I guess so. It’s not my place anyways, right? I don’t care how long you stay.” He gently shut the drawer, brushing past her to get his shoes.

“You know what I meant, Jaska.”

“I haven’t understood anything you’ve said in the last twenty four hours except I love you, but clearly that didn’t mean shit. So, consider this a favor, Nan. You have a problem and I’m going to fix it for you. You’re welcome, mate.”

“Oh, no you don’t.” Nan sped into his path, blocking him from the front hall. “We’re going to talk about this.”

“No, you’re going to continue telling me how worthless I am. How I’m some young dweeb with a man sized dick that can fuck you all night long, but not be good enough when you print out my resume. How I have no experience, how I’m too young, how I don’t amount to anything because I’m not a genius like Axel or your best friend, Isaac, who I might add didn’t get his degree either.

You’re going to continue to make up excuses of why we can’t be together or why I’m not going to make the cut as your eternal partner because you’re so scared of change. Your whole life you’ve been a sidekick, a BFF, a caretaker, a problem solver, but when the hell have you ever thought, well, gee Nan, why am I all alone? Because you don’t want to step outside your comfort zone and be a part of something different. You don’t want to move here because you’ll miss your friends and family. You don’t want me to go there because I’ll embarrass you and you don’t like being the center of attention.

You’re scared that your father will think I’m too young and not good enough for his daughter. You’re scared that your mother will throw up with happiness and coddle you to death over possible nuptials. You’re scared that I’m so young that I don’t know what I want and I’ll end up finding something else when I come into my own. But you know what, Nan? I’m a man! I am a grown ass individual who is capable of earning my keep, capable of thinking for myself, and fully fucking capable of providing for you. Whether it be emotionally, physically, or the fucking cash my dad put in my account.

I am a man. Not some boy with a fucking crush. Not some loser that is tied to you ‘til death do us part because I have to be. I love you! I always have and I always fucking will. So, what the hell else do you want from me?”

Hanging her head, Nan couldn’t think of anything to say. It wasn’t Jaska’s fault at all. He was right. She was scared of this. Their bond was sudden. It was so fresh she could still smell him on her skin. She was scared of growing up, of being a wife, maybe a mother. She was terrified she didn’t have it in her to be Chloe, her mother, or Katrina, Jaska’s mom. She wasn’t the house maker type. She was herself—Nan, the bitchy, kick-ass secretary to the queen, a fighter and a best friend. She didn’t pick out pillows to match the drapes or bake cookies or change diapers. But, she loved him. She loved Jaska with all her heart. She was only too scared to give in to the other side of that love—the part that wasn’t just about voicing it, but showing it.

“I’m sorry I’m not good enough for you. And I’m really sorry that you had to be stuck with me, that feeling that makes you love me even though you don’t. It sucks because I waited a long time for last night—to hear you say it back. But I get it now.”

He exhaled quietly, turning away from her so she wouldn’t see him cry. Men didn’t cry. Men apparently didn’t have feelings or weren’t supposed to care so much. God, he hated that. How women expected a man to be so different from them, not sensitive in the least, or to cry when they were upset. It was so irritating.

“Jaska.” She reached for him, but he shrugged her off. His pain flowed through her, tearing her apart.

“Guess you got your dramatic hard ass happily ever after.” He zipped up his coat. “Only in this, whatever you wish to call it, I’m not going to play games with you. I know I’m a good person. I know what I feel is right and I know you’re being crazy. I’m not going to chase you all over kingdom come to make you see that. I’m not going to write you poems or send you flowers to make you come running back. If I’m not who you want, then move on. Just know that if you do, I won’t be here when you realize he’s not your everything.”

“Where would go?” She looked up with a gasp. He couldn’t leave her. He wouldn’t do that.

“If you don’t want me, I can’t be around you. I can’t look at you or smell you or watch you with some other guy, Nan. That would be torture and I just won’t do it.”

“You would really leave?”

He shook his head. “I’m done here. Stay, don’t stay, do whatever you please.” He waved at the room. “I can’t have this conversation anymore. You know what I want. If you want it too, you know where I’ll be.”

“Jaska, please don’t go.” She tried as he walked to the front door, gently pushing her aside.

But he didn’t listen. He had to leave her before he raised his voice any further or worse lost it and started weeping in a corner because the heartache was just too much. The door clicked shut behind him and Nan slid down the wall while, listening to his shoes hitting the metal staircase down to the street.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be, she put her face in her hands. I didn’t mean it like it came out, she argued in her head. Why can’t I just let this happen? Why I am such a bitch? Just like all the other mated pairs, she had created her own set of problems—even when there weren’t any. It was all her fault. She’d been the one to push him away because of her own fears and he had walked away. Did he really want her to follow after all she’d said to him, made him feel like shit because she didn’t know how to proceed—because she’d never done this before.

How did she do this to herself, to Jaska? Why? She had no one else to ask except the one person she dreaded calling the most. Isaac was off dealing with his own problems—a big fucking problem. She wasn’t talking to Cage because he was being a complete asshole. Axel would only give her some evaluation of her inner thoughts, dragging out her entire life and giving it to her in a diagram or something. The twins, well, no way. Her dad would hear her crying on the other end and probably haul all the Guardians out of bed to shoot Jaska in the head. That left her with one option.

Pulling herself together, Nan went to the living room and picked up her phone. Ten missed calls, fourteen messages from everyone and their mama, and enough emails to make her head explode. She ended up dialing the person who had called her the most.

The line picked up right after the first ring, a breathless gasp of her name. “Nanette?”

“Mom,” she sobbed.

“Oh my God, where are you? Are you alright? Are you crying? Nanette, honey what’s going on?”

“I fucked up and I don’t know how to fix this.” She let the tears fall—only the second time in her adult life she had let her mother hear her cry—the first being when she turned and now this. “He hates me and I made him hate me.”

“Who hates you? Nanette, are you hurt? Did something happen after the club? The twins said they couldn’t find you and we haven’t heard from Knox or Isaac. What is going on!”

Nan could hear her father’s rumble near the phone, probably freaked out by her mother’s tone.

“Can you go in the other room or something? I don’t want dad to hear this.”

“He’s going to hear it from me whether you like it or not. I’m not trying to upset you any more than you already are, but your father cares about you to, Nanette. He loves you just as much as I do and it kills him when you don’t think enough to trust him. Now you either tell me what’s going on or I’m coming for you. I will track you to the ends of the earth because you are my baby and you’re upset. Plus I’m pregnant. Do you really want your pregnant mother pumped up and ready for action?”

Nan heard her father chuckle, taking the phone. “Nanette, what’s going on?”

In the empty loft, Nan looked around, trying not to cry even more at the sound of her father’s voice. She knew he was going to win this time—damn parents and their caring.  “My mate hates me.”

“Your what?” King nearly dropped the phone. “What dumbass punk would not want my little girl? I’ll kill his ass. Rip his head right off!”

“You can’t kill him! It’s Jaska.” She blew out a long breath, covering her face as if she was picturing his murder.

“Jaska,” he replied flatly. “Kissy noises, stares at your chest, and makes crude jokes Jaska? I don’t believe that shit for a second.”

Nan narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, and you married a vampire Royal and are some ancient warrior for their race. How plausible does that sound?”

King laughed. “You don’t sound so upset now. Now you just sound like you.”

“Yeah, well, the me you know just made my mate feel like shit and he left me.” Why was she telling him this? This was her dad. What the fuck did he know about her and Jaska?

He groaned for her. “That kid has loved you since the day he first landed eyes on you, should’ve known this was going to happen.” He clicked his tongue then sighed. “Baby girl, he left because he probably didn’t want to argue. Smart on the silence part, but leaving only pisses a woman off more. Cut him a break, Nan. He’s new to this just as much as you are, obviously. He’ll come back. And when he does, you’ll probably break down and admit your feelings and blah, blah, blah. If he doesn’t come back, know that I’m going to cut a bitch.”

“Dad!” She barked and flopped back onto the couch.

King chuckled. “I got you to stop crying didn’t I?” When Nan didn’t say anything, he laughed some more. “See? I’m good at this father stuff. You just have to give me a chance sometimes. I’ll admit he’s a bit of a dork and I hate how he doesn’t know what the hell a brush is, but if he’s your mate, he’s your mate baby. If you’re scared, I get it. I was scared too.

Hell, I was terrified when I first realized who your mother was to me. Jaska has it easy. I walked into a mating with a kid. Who I love with all my heart, but it was really scary. You can’t help it if you love him. You can’t help, but want to be near him. Tell him that.”

“I don’t want to leave you guys,” she admitted. “I’m not ready to get married and be—”

“An adult?” King hummed with that knowing way. “Nan, you’re already grown up. You are an adult. He may be younger than you, but he’s a man the same as me now. Sometimes you got to put two and two together. But the one thing you have to live by is compromise. That’s the only way a partnership works is by giving and taking. I know you’re stubborn as all hell and I’m sorry you get that from me. But from one unmovable to another, standing your ground on something you know you’re wrong about gets you nowhere and all alone fast. I get the couch and you get left—where are you anyways?”

“His place,” she muttered.

King was silent for a second. “I’m not going to comment on what I think about that because you’re a big girl and I don’t want to have that conversation, but do you need a ride or do you—”

“I think I’m going to stay here.” She shut her eyes, smelling Jaska everywhere even though he was long gone. “And…so…you’re okay with this, you know, with him?”

“Honestly, now that I think about it, he’s kind of perfect for you. Maybe he can get you to relax, laugh a little more and not be so damn serious all the time.”

“Gee, thanks dad.”

“No problem kiddo.” King laughed. “I have to give you back to your mother before she pops a baby out of her ear or something. I love you, Nanette.”

Damn him. Nan shut her eyes tighter so as not to cry. “Love you too, dad.”

“Okay, I want to know everything,” Chloe interrupted the moment. She squealed quietly. “I cannot believe this! Jaska?” She sighed. “Katrina and I had joked around about it, but this is real. I cannot tell you how happy I am. Once Katrina finds out she’s going to be over the moon.”

“Mom?”

“Of course, you’ll need to get on the same page with Jaska before we present you as a couple and all of that. Oh my goodness! We can throw a party and you can wear a dress and—”

“Mom!”

“What?”

“No parties. No dresses. None of that, okay? Let us work this out before you tell anyone and when you do, I’d like you to ask my permission first. Please?”

“You said us. King, she said us.” Chloe cooed to her mate.

King took the phone from Chloe, rolling his eyes. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t go yapping to the rest of the clan. You do what you need to do and call us if you need us, alright?”

“Thanks dad.”

“No problem. One thing before I let you go though, you don’t have any idea where Isaac and Knox are, do you?”

“No. Do you?”

“Not a clue, but if you get wind of the situation, give me a holler. Rowe is about ready to send in the cavalry and Cade has been calling us trying to get a hold of Isaac to check up on him. You know, leaving in right after their fight and all. He's getting suspicious. It’s not looking good around here honey.”

"So, you heard?"

"About Knox being Isaac's mate? Oh yeah. Frank called to warn us first thing after he dragged Isaac out of the bar like a demon or so I was told anyway. Was it that bad?"

She snorted. "You have no idea. But give it until tonight, dad. If one of them has not called in or someone doesn't spot them, then you can go hunting. Okay?” Nan rubbed her eyes.

“I’ll send that along. Bye baby.”

“Bye dad.”

Nan laid there until she knew she had to go. But no woman could go a groveling without a big cup of coffee first.


Freshly showered and her damp hair uncooperative, Nan opened the door to the bakery. The scent of freshly baked bread, donuts, and other sweets made her mouth water, but she'd have to stand in line for a while. Apparently, she wasn't the only person in the city with the same idea. 

At least thirty people were crammed into the small room, gazing at the glass display cases, chatting with their friends, and a few annoying ones on their cell phones. But they weren't the ones she watched. It was the old couple, the owners behind the counter who she couldn't stop looking at. Maybe in their seventies, the man and woman worked as a perfect team. 

Even though they were working, their love for each other was very apparent. Small touches, little looks, whispered words as they passed from one side to the other. They were completely in sync. 

This was the other side of love—the part she was denying herself. This was all Jaska had wanted. To be part of something bigger, to be part of her everyday life and know that she had his back like the little couple exemplified. The wife rubbed his back for a second, a little hunch in his stance as if it had been a long morning. The husband in turn would grab things off the top shelf even though he was obviously tired and achy.

They just loved being near each other. They were compromising in every move they made. That’s what her father was talking about. Give and take—it all made a circle in the end. When it was finally her turn, she had to shake her head to stop from staring at them.

“You too?” The old man commented with a smile.

“I’m sorry?”

“Rough morning?” His accent was thick like her dad’s. New York meets Jersey with a hint of something European, but it had always made her smile.

“Yeah,” she admitted. “I’m hoping coffee and donuts will make our…I mean my day better.”

“Ah, boy troubles?” He nodded like he was sure that was the problem, pouring two to-go cups of coffee without being asked.

Amazed at the swiftness in which he moved and the unsaid order he prepared, Nan flicked her eyes to him. “Something like that.”

“Well, in all my years with the missus, I learned two things that I’m going to pass onto you.” He stopped folding the pastry box to look at her. “One, say you’re sorry and make like you mean it. And two, there isn’t anything a good chocolate chip scone can’t fix.”

She smiled, covering his hand with hers. “I’ll remember that.”

“And three,” his wife interrupted with a handful of scones to the box. “Always put the damned toilet seat down.”

“Amen,” a woman praised in line. The bakery patrons chuckled. Nan felt a little lighter— surer of what she was supposed to do.

“Thanks.” Nan slipped the man a twenty then dunking a five into the jar for a children’s cancer charity.

“You’ll be just fine,” the wife murmured. She squeezed her husband’s arm and went back to the counter, another day another dollar.

“See ya round, kiddo.” His thick accent and the little nickname making her feel as if her dad was right there with her.

“Yeah, I think you will.”

As Nan walked out of the bakery, she took a look around. Maybe it was the smell of fresh bread clinging to her clothes or the early morning hustle of Jaska’s new street, but she really did like it. What she liked more was the renewed ambition in her heart—the grown up feeling, a new adventure brewing in her chest. Maybe something different, something bigger was exactly what she needed and a little chocolate scone kick in the butt was what she had been waiting for.

One last look at the bakery, a glimpse of that couple who didn’t have a glamorous life, but had each other—Nan smiled and crossed the street. The shelter was only a block up. She walked up to the line of men and women outside the building with a frown. All these people were waiting to apply? There were this many vampires or pre-turns without anywhere to go?

It was only a couple dozen, but if this was one of the smaller shelters—she could only imagine what the larger ones looked like. A large vamp stood outside with a clipboard, talking to the first man in line. He glanced at her, at the contents in her arms, and frowned.

“If you want to put your name on the list, give it to me and we’ll do a background check. If everything checks out, we can place you with a room on a temporary basis—six weeks. Four week wait minimum for job placement or training, but if you need to crash for the night, emergency housing is back of the line over there.”

Always the caretaker, Nan’s heart broke for the vamps outside in the cold. They were hungry too, she could feel it. Not for just blood, but for food. A little girl caught her eye. Maybe five, she hid behind her mother with a shiver.

“Will you take these? Go ahead and help yourself, I’ll be right back.”

“Uh, thanks?” The vamp with the clipboard steadied the coffees in his hand. He offered one to the man at the beginning of the line with a shrug—never looking back as Nan booked it to the bakery again.

A while later, she returned with an old shopping cart she had borrowed from a homeless man on the corner—borrowed  meaning she’d slipped him a twenty and a few muffins, but he seemed pleased as punch about it. The cart loaded with white boxes and four cardboard carafes of coffee and a stack of cups, Nan sidled up to the clipboard vamp once again.

“So.” She looked at him. “Who’s next?”

The vamp looked down at her cart with a grin and nodded. “Next,” he called out, not even missing a beat.

After ten people, ten smiles and appreciative praises, Nan knew she’d been wrong about Jaska’s profession. He was more of a man than she’d ever hoped for to spend his days helping these people, doing the things she’d overlooked for her race. These people needed someone to help them out of the dark places they were in. And that person was her mate.

More people lined up over the next hour and Nan couldn’t seem to help them enough. She poured coffee, got the homeless man to run back and forth to the bakery for a few extra bucks, and helped clipboard vamp—whose name was actually Greg. The one thing she never noticed in her new routine was Jaska watching her through the front windows the entire time.

“That her?” The front desk girl, Lizzy, handed a clean set of sheets to a man who’d made it through the line and inside.

“Yeah,” Jaksa rasped. He slid another pair of socks and a few toiletries to a woman who passed.

“You going to go out there and say hello?” Lizzy snorted. “Or are you just going to leave her hanging?”

“I don’t want to interrupt. I can tell she likes what she’s doing and once she sets her mind to something, there’s no stopping her. When we hit the limit, I’ll go talk to her.”

“Whatever you say.” She smiled at the little girl with her mother. “It’s pretty cool though, her just stepping right in like that. Not a lot of the Royals do that kind of stuff.”

“She’s not like any girl you know.” Jaska smiled then.

“Apparently.” Lizzie only laughed.

When the shelter reached their limit for the day, Nan proceeded to fight Greg tooth and nail. “You can’t expect them to sleep on the streets tonight! It’s going to be like twenty degrees out there. That’s a fucking kid right there. Are you serious? The compound takes families in all the time! They would never—”

“Leave a Royal out in the cold. Yeah, I know.” Greg crossed the last name off the list and looked at her. “The world sucks sometimes, doesn’t it? It’s not that I don’t want to help them, Nan. We just have nowhere else to put them.”

“Fuck that, yes we do.” She pulled out her phone. “I can’t believe you would put that little boy out on the street, you bastard.”

Greg waved her off with the clipboard, going inside while Nan held a finger up to the hopeful line of vamps. “Oliver? Yes, it’s an emergency. Yes, I know what freaking time it is. Don’t you growl at me. This is important! If I have to come down there and whoop your ass out of bed, it’s going to be ugly.”

After explaining the situation, two calls to a few locations and a lot of groaning from Oliver. She finally had a place to put the dozen vamps on the street.

“See? That wasn’t so hard, was it? Mm hmm. You too, Oliver. They’ll be waiting.” Call ended, she looked at the line with a smile.

“A van is on the way to take you to St. Martins for the night, until all of you are placed in housing. And just an FYI, if any of you plan on causing trouble, and I mean drugs, weapons, giving them shit, after I went through all that to help you out—you can just leave now.” She stared them all down, but they just smiled back.  “Good, that makes me happy. Ten minutes, be ready.”

“I’ll be damned.” Greg leaned in the doorway. “Who did you call a favor in from? Jesus?”

“Nope, the manager of the city, he was more than happy to help.”

“I will second that damn. Oliver Caldwell? Who the hell are you, Nan? You just show up here with a bakery and take over.” He smiled.

“She’s my mate.” Jaska brushed past him down the stairs.

Greg laughed. “Lucky bastard.”  Envious and sensing a moment coming, Greg took his leave.

“Want to take a walk while they wait?” Jaska offered Nan his hand.

“Coffee?” She hitched a thumb at the cart. Nervous as all get out, Nan kept her cool. Even though Jaska stilled looked sinful as hell with his bedhead and still smelled like her.

“It’s a date.” He grabbed her hand like it was the most normal thing in the world, a coffee in the other.

She took a deep breath after they’d walked a minute. “I don’t have some big speech planned. I mean, I know what I want to tell you, but I’m not really good with the delivery.” She took a sip, secretly reveling in the way his thumb brushed over her hand.

“I don’t need a speech, Nan. This is good. What you did back there, that was enough.”

“No, it’s not.” She stopped walking. “I told you that you were the immature one when really it was me. I was overwhelmed and the mating stuff was all so new, but I had no right to say what I did to you. I’m really sorry, Jaska. For making you feel like shit, for pushing you away, all of it, I’m so sorry.”

“You should be.” He sipped his coffee casually. “You did make me feel like shit.”

“God, Jaska. Tell me what to do and I’ll do it. I really do…love you.” She swallowed. “Anything and I’ll do it.”

He started to laugh. “Wow. I must be something to get the great, Nanette Valjana, to beg.” He looked at her. “You are too easy, baby.”

“Are you fucking with me?” She huffed. “Oh my God, you are!”

He pulled her to him, angry and all. “And now we’re even. You want to make it up to me? Give your mate a kiss.”

Her mouth twisted from a frown to a shy grin. “Is that all?”

“Anything else will cost you more coffee.”

“Lucky for me, I have a good hook-up. All the coffee you could ever dream of.”

“In that case, put the moves on me, baby.” He chuckled.

“I love you, Jaska, goofball and all.” She reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him like she meant it. 

They had all the time in the world to worry about the other things. For now, they just loved.

The End

XOXO NIGHT TEMPEST




24 comments:

  1. Aw!!! They're so cute! Lovely story, Night :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yay new story! Just got home from long weekend and saw this:) Great story and I think u rocked a m/f just like u do w/m/m. REALLY want some more Knox/Isaac but I know u have other stories too. I promise not 2 chant their name too much( fingers crossed) Oh and Blay/Quinn's story on ITunes is on the popular pre-order list, pretty sure I will combust b4 that book is released.

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  3. Wonderful! I am so glad you gave these two their own story!! So fun and real!! Love the little tidbits about Isaac and Knox. November can't come fast enough. :o)

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  4. OH MAN I knew he was going to be hot and smart. GO JASKA! I am so proud he stood up for them so well.
    SusanB

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  5. Awww such a hot, sweet story!!! I loved it :D

    Mo x

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  6. I loved this story...can't wait for the Knox and Isaac story to continue it is driving me crazy tht they haven't gotten together yet but I love it tho...cannot wait to read more of these little clips and side stories or the continuing story of Blaze(hoping you finish writing that story soon :) pls)....hope tht you keep writing
    Love it all :)

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  7. Oh Night I live for Mondays now since we get a new story from you. Best way to start the week. Thank you so much.

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  8. I can't wait for Knox and Isaac story. I can't believe you put their part in there, but I think it made the story much better and I get to find out what happens when Knox realized Isaac was going to be at the bar :D I kinda knew that that was what had happened. I would like to think that Knox and Isaac went far far away into a place where they can get their much needed alone time.... that is until they come home a face the wrath of Cade :D

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  9. The hints into Knox and Issac aside, I really enjoyed this, Night. (Even with all the straight sex. LOL) It was wonderfully touching and reminds me that you can bring a tear to our eye as well as put us into heat reading your work.

    Bravo.

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  10. Sooo beautiful!
    You totally aced the m/f story.
    Awesome as always.
    Loved it NIght!
    :)

    Mik

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  11. Well that was wildly hot and unexpected! Jaska is awesome and like King said, would totally balance out his daughter. Such a cute couple :) Can't wait to read more about Knox and Isaac tho!

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  12. I love ur banners please keep them up

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  13. "Working the muscle inside his mouth like a pen to paper, Jaska wrote his love inside her body until she sang" I am going to learn embroidery and then I am going to stitch this on a throw pillow. This is one of your best lines ever. It is so nice to read a sexy m/f story. It was hot without being groady. I still swear I am moving to their world though. Hot, tallented sweet guys who work at shelters. Sounds good to me. Also the whole unbreakable bond thing would be sweet too. As for Issac and Knox, I can't wait for them to get back. I sure hope they found a cure for their rectal-cranial inversion they seem to be suffering as of late. oh and as for the banners. Oh yes, please keep them up. They so set the mood. Anywho, Yay for this story and I can't wait for more from this universe.

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  14. Love, love, love it!!!! They are so, so cute and they make such a perfect couple. This story made my day!! Night, you just get better and better :)

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  15. Excellent story, loved the whole thing and how Jaska took charge to show Nan what she needed. You have become a true artist with words. I can't wait to hear the flip side of the club event and what went down between Knox and Izzy.

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  16. you can not give us the knox and issac teaser, then expect us to wait.
    TEASE!!!

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  17. I am so happy that you took the time to give us Nan and Jaska's story! Short though it was, it couldn't have been more perfect. I know we all tend to stick to the m/m genre... but this story just shows that we love you for your wonderful stories, and not just for the hot guy action ;) Lol!! Nan and Jaska are so perfect for each other, and definitely deserved their own story.

    I also love (and hate) all the little Knox and Isaac references! That was pure and utter torture--- of the best kind. Please don't make us wait too much longer. The tension between them has been so thick, and we need resolution baby! Hot, nekkid, screaming resolution :D


    ~Naughty

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    1. Oh-- and thought you'd be interested to know-- guess who finally created a blog! LOL! I've been following you all for so long and commenting a ton on your stories, I just never really thought about creating my own.

      It's pretty new... not much on there yet. BUT-- I did just post an interview with Gweall (I'm G's editor). It's funny the stuff we get into when we write, and decided we needed to share it!

      I'm working up to posting my own stories-- but until then I plan on posting pics, story reviews, and general randomness. I have anxiety about having peeps read my work, so I'm trying to get over that by starting small :)

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  18. hi :)

    i can't read any of your posts.. half of your blog is white... am i the only one who's experiencing this? if yes, let me know please.. please email me at nixllamas@yahoo.com , because i probably couldn't read it too if you reply here... even other bloggers' comments were hidden by this white something.

    thanks..

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    1. same here.... just press ctrl A and the words will appear like magic :)

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  19. *swoon* I love your writing so much

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  20. Missed this when it first came out. Wonderful. I love how the younger generation is pairing up. Nan and Jaska are both sweet and will have a great life.

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  21. Awww! That was so heart warming. And sexy as hell! I know you dont do boy girl stories often but you are damn good at it. Always keep me looking for more!

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