Dragon Star (A Shifter Football League Novel) (28 page)

Mia stopped in her tracks before he caught up to her. It was like she knew she would be caught.

"Where are you walking to? Are you trying to escape?”

A halfhearted smile reached him in response, and he fell back.

"Would you let me escape? No, I'm only going for a walk. I need to think about this."

What was there to think about? Bears believed in simplicity. Jax listened to his bear often. Being alpha, he was supposed to be the most in tune with his bear. Mia had him confused. All mixed up.

"I don't want you to be in danger. You're a Marchini in Black Bear Park. Probably the first one ever."

Mia sighed. She looked around for somewhere to sit, but this part of the trail had no stumps or big enough rocks.

"You're not making this easy. This was my first mission. I just took control of the company after my dad's fuck up." She kicked her feet and sighed again. "Maybe I'm not made for this."

Jax shook his head. He wanted desperately to hug her, but knew it would be condescending. "Don't talk like that. Everyone struggles, and everyone needs help."

"I don't know what to do. I'm so confused. A real CEO wouldn't be this confused."

"Let me correct you there," he said, taking her side. "A real CEO would be confused, because a real CEO would care. One of those scumbags just looking for a paycheck, not caring about their employees, they wouldn't be bothered. But you? You care. You've got heart, and passion, and that's one of the many parts about you that I can't get enough of."

"And I'm confused about another thing," she said, her eyes shining as she peered off into the dewy morning. "I'm confused about you and me."

"What is there to be confused about?" Jax took the opportunity. He'd been waiting for this moment. This moment when she would let him in and he would seize it.

“About…”

She never got the chance to explain her confusion.

Jax took her lips and made up her mind with a kiss. Suddenly, it was all clear. What they should be doing, how insane it had been to fight their attraction, their past, their future, and how it had all intertwined beautifully.

That kiss made sense of it all.

It was like a bright shining light illuminated all those dark corners of her mind, and shone brightly on those happy dreams that she’d tried to bury, only due to fear and cynicism. Their tongues danced, their lips glided across one another, their breaths hitching and their chests pumping to the same feverish pace as they attempted to take more, more, more…

They pulled away, fearing that they’d collapse from not taking a breath. They’d shared the same breath for too long. Now they needed to breathe in some fresh oxygen. Then, definitely, they’d be back again.

Mia whipped her hair back. “That helped.”

“Did it?” He grinned

“Somewhat, at least, I’m sure about one thing now.” Mia wagged herself back and forth, hands clasped, beaming up at him. Could she get any more obvious?

“You’re talking about us.”

She smacked him on the rear playfully. As soon as she did it, her hands returned to clasped.

That had been one firm, plump ass on Jax. Her arousal peaked.

“Of course. You can’t really be that oblivious, can you?”

“It’s hard to believe. I’ve waited so long to find my mate,” he began to say, then grew quiet once Mia shot him a hard look.

“Mate?”

Jax couldn’t get out of this one. “I’m...yeah, I don’t want to scare you, but that’s what we call…do non shifters have a word for it?”

Saying that they were destined to spend their entire life together might scare her. The confused girl had only just made up her mind.

“I’m not sure,” she said. “Girlfriend, maybe?”

Jax had to laugh.

“What’s funny?” Her tone was slightly annoyed, a little questioning too.

How could he explain that a mate was forever? That girlfriend paled in comparison? Not even wife could compare to being mates, at least, not with the divorce rate at what it was at. A mate was a life time, and if you believed in the spirits like Keith, forever after that too.

“Let’s keep walking,” he said.

They held hands, walking through the misty morning. Their stroll ended on top of the overhang that looked out onto Jax’s front lawn. The sun was strong, far too strong for that position, and they needed to turn away and face each other instead.

“We’ll figure this out together,” he promised her.

Mia went in for a short, sweet kiss, but it lingered. Their hands started to caress each other again, and then roamed wildly — grasping, pulling, rubbing, until they were making out on top of that peak.

Her hardened nipples brushed against him, plus the softness of her breasts and her hips brushed against him too, and he lost it. Jax almost claimed her there.

Thankfully, Mia broke away.

They needed to get back to his cabin.

Or did they? Jax’s cock started to throb.

Head held up high, thinking pure thoughts, Jax walked with Mia back to his cabin. On the way back, however, Mia stopped, he asked her what was up, and then she raced off toward the trees.

At the foot of the forest, she pointed at it with a wild smile. “I just got an idea.” She began to clap. Then she hugged Jax and gave him a squeeze.

“Oh?”

“I need your help to do it, though.” She unwrapped her hands, swiped a stray hair from her eyes, and looked like she made a mistake with her hug.

It hadn’t been a mistake to him. It was fine for her to open up. It was welcome.

“How do you need my help?” he asked.

“Could you build a few more homes like the one you’ve built for yourself?”

Jax pondered the question. Not long, he came to the conclusion, “It wouldn’t be many if we wanted to save the woods.”

“No, but you could build a couple? A few every year?”

“One or two, yes. Cabin-style, like the one I made, although that did take a lot of hard work. I’m sure I could do it.”
For you.

Mia leapt up again. “And could you also...carve the same type of furnishings? With that same special wood? Has anyone sold it here in the Park?” Mia burst with questions. Jax couldn’t keep up.

“Yes, we could. We’ve got a lot of lumber left over. Too much, in fact. We fell trees when they’re ready, and we’ve got plenty to take down each year. Even taking one of those beasts down can be a days, let alone a week’s worth of work.”

Mia rubbed her hands together methodically. “Do you know what this means? We can save this place. We can do it...together, like you said. Do you think your clan would be up for it?”

Up for what, exactly? Jax was having a hard time following. He scratched his head. “Sorry, I’m not following.”

She clasped his hands and shook it, trying to get him to understand her excitement. “I don’t have to take over the land. I can sell a few cabins a year, and sell some of the furnishings from the excess lumber. With the rarity of it, and the craftsmanship, it can command a high price and it’ll be sold only to the highest bidder. We’ll do it together.” He was beginning to get excited as well.

Would his clan go for it? It was a compromise. And to be honest, they’d not done much with the excess lumber as they all had the furnishings they’d needed for their own homes. Bears could get lazy too, and this would give them clear motivation.

With pride bristling in his chest, he swept Mia by her thighs into him. He leaned down to her lips, snatched them, and took her breath away.

“Like I said, we’ll do it together.”

Like always, the clan would have to listen to their alpha.

* * *

T
wo Weeks
Later

W
orked over
, Jax hauled his gear from the cutting site and dropped it on the main path to take a breather. The others passed him by. Keith and Claude were in high spirits. They were two bears that Jax could count on. Right away, they agreed with his conclusion.

They would work with the non shifters, work with Mia, and her team, and they would keep their land.

Some weren’t happy with associating with the Marchini family. They still didn’t trust them. But they didn’t know Mia like Jax knew Mia. It would take time. Eventually, they would learn her true nature.

Troy, who still distrusted them the most, lugged his pack over his leather jacket. He still had bruises and marks from their fight. One claw mark from his chin down to his throat had never fully healed, nor did it look like it ever would.

He nodded to Jax and kept walking.

For all of Jax’s intuition, he couldn’t sense any hostility in the nod.

“Take it easy, Troy,” Jax called to him.

He tossed his arms up and smiled at him as he was still walking backward. “You know, it’d be easy to push one of those big trees on you, if I really wanted to. If you trust me enough to work the job with you, that’s saying something, you don’t have to try to make it better forever, you know?”

Jax frowned. “You’re right. You’ve got my approval.” Except, he wouldn’t end it there. His nostril twitched. “I’m still keeping my eye on you, though.”

“I don’t blame ya,” Troy shouted back, and he turned around, no doubt still grinning like a fool as he headed back home after a long work day. “You keep on watching. I’ll keep on working. And before we know it, you’ll trust me again.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Jax yelled back.

With his acute hearing, Troy could probably hear him a mile away if he wanted to. Troy just kept going.

It had been awkward at first. Jax wondered if he should let Troy back on the bearjack crew. He didn’t have the heart to kick him out. The loner bear didn’t have any family, and though he didn’t want to admit it, the work was what kept him going.

The others, too, hadn’t been much trouble after their fight. They trusted him. Jax sometimes doubted he was a good alpha, but he certainly felt acknowledged once he’d united the two factions who had been warring since before Mia was born.

His acute senses picked up rubber, gas, and exhaust. A car pulled up the main path. Jax was there to meet Mia as soon as she arrived. She leapt out and embraced him, and he now smelled the sweet vanilla and flowery scent of her perfume, and took an even deeper inhale.

They had been working a lot together. Mia had been gone the past week to the city in order to draw up the necessary plans.

“It’s so good to see you again. I missed you.”

Was this the same girl who he’d fought with? Now she was admitting she missed him dearly after a week? His heart swelled with pride, but also, a nagging like an itch he simply couldn't scratch came over him.

She wore a tight-fitting, curve hugging, black and white dress. Her smooth legs looked lickable. Her hair was curled and styled. An outfit like that wasn’t fit for the rugged lands they’d be traveling, but Jax didn’t have the heart to admonish her for it.

Mia knew what she was doing. She knew Jax would be admiring her the entire time.

Ahh...that ass...that lovely ass, wagging in front of him. His primal thoughts were already skyrocketing.

“How was Boston?”

“I like it better here. More space, less stress. As for work, it went well. There’s some who are opposed to it, mainly my father’s yes men, but there’s some who are very optimistic and believe it to be a better choice.”

That made him happy. Mia deserved major respect. If they didn't give her respect, his bear would crush them.

“Show me what’s going on with the tree?”

“Sure.” It was now customary for Jax to hold her hand.

Into the Big Trees they went with Jax leading the way until they got to the tree that they’d cut down together. Or at least, Mia had helped by delivering a few blows of the ax. The rest needed to be done by the crew, but she’d been there the entire time, watching with fascination as they took down the behemoth.

The moment it crashed Mia screamed for her life. For your first time, standing below an ancient tumbling down to the Earth, it was to be expected.

Now there was ember seedlings scattered where the tree had been taken. New roots began to spread. She ran her fingers across the new bed of life.

Mia hopped up. “Let’s go and see the lumber.”

“Wait.” Jax held up a single finger to stop her.

She’d been in such a rush that she pressed right against his finger. It was against her shoulder now, so close to her chest. Jax flinched and took a step back.

He needed space for this. “The lumber has already been taken care of. Sorry, you were gone too long.”

She looked pretty sad, until Jax reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace.

“Go on,” he said, and she bent, letting him place the necklace on her.

“Jax, what is this?”

“It’s from the tree. I carved it myself.”

Mia needed to lift it up in order to gaze at it. He’d done a fine job on it. That wasn’t just his opinion. Jax had been showing it off around Black Bear Park to anyone who would critique his craftsmanship. He’d been a little worried that Mia wouldn’t like it.

Usually, he was sure of his skill, so he was pleased to see Mia’s eyes shimmer with tears of joy.

“It’s beautiful.” Mia seemed not to understand though. “It’s for me?” Are you sure?”