The Heir (20 page)

Jessica dazedly shook her head; she had no
idea what to say.

Jessica stood rooted to the spot, she was
sure she was having an out of body experience. This kind of thing
just never happened to her.

"Are you going to say yes?" Laura asked
her.

"Why would she say no?" Dasha demanded,
looking at her like she was crazy to even think it.

Their questions swarmed around her like
buzzing bees and she couldn't hear herself think over the noise.
Leaving the flowers on the counter she headed towards the back of
the store in search of some quiet but everyone just trailed after
her. The girls badgering her nonstop to say yes while Axel and
Christian silently enjoyed the show. With her eyes she begged them
for help but they just shrugged and shook their heads.

Jessica glared at them, earning herself a
couple of smiles, and made a line for the employee restroom. They
followed her there too but Jessica stopped them at the door and
shouted "silence!" before slamming the door in their startled
faces.

"No need to be rude." Dasha snapped through
the door and Jessica heard them walkaway.

Relieved to be alone, Jessica leaned against
the door and closed her eyes; slowly she began to slide down to the
floor. What was she going to say? She asked herself now that she
had a chance to think. She wanted to say yes, she knew she should
say yes, but she couldn't.

She was scared.

She'd never had a serious boyfriend
before-Shane didn't count-and she'd never been out on a real date
either. If she said yes, she would have to find something to wear,
and worry about her hair and face. Jessica groaned, if she said yes
she would be forced to ask for help. She glanced down at her
clothing; sneakers, jeans and a t-shirt, it was all she knew how to
wear.

She didn't know how to dress her hair, that's
why she liked to wear it short and she didn't know how to apply her
makeup- apart from the basics-which she rarely used. What if he
decided to take her somewhere fancy, she would have to wear a
dress, and high heels!

Jessica groaned, she didn't know how to do
any of that stuff and she'd probably just end up making a fool of
herself. She smiled ruefully, around Nick she didn't need any help
from that department; any time he was around her, he turned her
brain into mush and she ended up acting and looking like a complete
idiot.

"Why?" She wondered. "Why does he want to
take me out?"

According to him they were already mates, so
what was the point? She rubbed the mark he'd left on her with the
heel of her hand. Slowly, realization dawned. She'd told him that
she wasn't moving in with him and he was just trying to convince
her.

Typical male thing, they just couldn't take
no for an answer. Jessica jumped up and swiped the back of her
jeans, determination written on her face. Well, he better get used
to hearing the word from her, just because he claimed her didn't
mean he owned her. She would talk to him and see him when she was
ready, not a day sooner.

Hearing herself, Jessica groaned again, she
knew she was just grasping for any reason to say no because she was
too scared to go. Maybe she should just say yes, she nibbled on her
bottom lip, she could ask her mom and sister for help.

They would like that; they could go shopping
and do that stuff girls did. She looked at her hands, they could
get manicures and...Oh hell. That stuff just wasn't her.

Damn him, damn him for turning her into an
idiot. She couldn't believe him, she'd asked for time to think
about everything and all he'd managed to give her was a couple of
hours. Alpha's, she thought with derision, they wanted everything
and they wanted it now.

Well, he couldn't have her and the sooner he
knew that the better.

Managing to rile herself up, she jerked the
door open and looked at Axel, her hand, palm up, extended towards
him. "Phone." she ordered "Dial his number."

Axel knew what her answer was and he was sure
Nick wouldn't like it. "Are you sure you don't want to think about
it a little longer?" He asked her.

Jessica snapped her fingers once and opened
her palm again without saying a word. If she thought about it a
little longer she'd probably go insane.

Sighing, Axel dug out his phone and did as
she asked, he handed her the phone after the first ring. Jessica
placed it next to her ear and turned to go back to the bathroom
when she remembered that it was futile. Axel and Christian would
still be able to hear her.

She leaned against the wall and waited for
her call to be answered instead.

"Did she like the flowers?" Nick asked as
soon as he answered.

She smiled sweetly even though he couldn't
see it. "Yes she did actually."

"Jessica?"

"How many other girls do you send flowers
to?" She asked and wanted to slap herself silly for it? She didn't
want him to think she was jealous, even though she was.

"Are you jealous?"

She could hear the smile in his voice.

"What?" she asked airily "why would I be
jealous?"

"Maybe you are jealous because you like me a
little?"

"If I liked you a little would I be calling
you to say no?" She shot back.

Her question was met by silence and when he
finally did speak, his voice sent chills down her spine. "Are you
saying no?"

"Yes, no, yes."

"It’s a simple question; may I have a simple
answer?"

"With you, nothing is simple." She retorted
and after taking a fortifying breath, added. "No, my answer is
no."

"I see." He said slowly. “And why not?"

"Simple." She mimicked his tone. "Because I
don't want to. You can't make me do something I don’t want to." She
answered childishly.

"Watch me." he warned and hung up on her.

She looked down at the phone and a shiver of
trepidation ran up her spine. She silently handed the phone back to
Axel and headed back to the store floor. They followed her
silently, shaking their heads at her folly.

"Did you call him?" The girls asked.

"Did you say yes?"

"No." Her clipped tone brought the girls up
short.

She didn't want to talk about it. She didn't
want to think about it. She didn't need anyone to tell her what an
idiot she was. She already knew. She refused to show any fear but
deep down inside she knew she was in deep trouble.

They looked like they wanted to say something
else but they got the silent message and dispersed to work around
the store, speaking in hushed tones and every now and then sending
sideways glances her way. Jessica ignored them, went to the
checkout desk and because it was a slow Sunday afternoon, leaned on
the counter to stare out into space.

The rest of the day dragged on uneventfully
and she could have sworn that the hands on the clock moved slower
than usual. And every minute that Nick didn’t show up, her fear
abated; until she was sure he had decided to respect her
wishes.

Closing time came without incident. It was
Jessica and Laura’s job to close the store on Sundays. During the
rest of the week Lottie, the store owner, closed the store but
Sunday's were her nights’ off-bingo- and she had the girls close
for her.

They counted out the money from the cash
register and stored it in the safe; turned off the lights, set the
alarm and ran for the front door; they had a certain amount of
seconds to get out and lock the door before the alarm clicked on
for the night, if they were still inside when that happened the
alarm would go off and alert the authorities.

Axel and Christian were waiting by the door
when they came running out, Jessica locked the door and stashed the
keys before saying her goodbyes to Laura.

"See you tomorrow." She told her.

"Just you?" Laura asked peeking under her
lashes at Axel.

"No, they will be here too-forever more." She
finished with false gloominess.

No one laughed. When she saw that Laura
wasn't budging she gave Axel a nudge, and he, unruffled, stepped up
to Laura, reached for her hand and raised it to his lips.

"It was a pleasure meeting you Laura; you
made my day seem that much shorter." He told her sincerely.

Laura looked up at him and smiled shyly;
Jessica heard a sigh and wondered where it had come from before she
realized that it was coming from her. She looked around to check
that no one had noticed and found Christian smirking at her. She
stuck her tongue out at him but was distracted by Laura's question.
She'd just asked Axel out on a date!

Axel brought a hand up to his heart. "I would
love to," he told her, "but bodyguard is a twenty-four/seven
profession." Laura's shoulders slumped, "but hey! We will see each
other at the store right?"

That made her smile, "Tomorrow?"

"I'll be here." He promised.

After those words she smiled, said goodbye
and they watched as she got into her car and drove off. When the
car was out of sight, Jessica looked at Axel admiringly. "You got
some moves!" She exclaimed with a smile. "I mean, you had ME
sighing."

Christian agreed and they turned towards
their bikes. They'd taken two steps, keys in hand when they
froze.

"Why the hell did you have to say no?!"
Christian wailed.

They pushed her back until she hit the
building wall. Then they stood in front of her, hands up and on
their guard. Seconds later, she saw two forms barreling towards
them, one wasn’t a human and she couldn’t help but let out a
piercing scream.

Chapter 14

The wolf reached them first, it growled and
she tried to back away but there was nowhere for her to go. She was
stuck between a hard place and a really sharp...set of teeth. With
her adrenaline pumping, everything that followed, she experienced
in slow motion. The wolf took a step closer and she shrank back,
she had to bite her lip to keep herself from screaming like a
little girl again.

Axel and Christian closed the distance
between her until they were shoulder to shoulder and less than an
inch away from her. She thought they were trying to protect her
from the wolf but, when it moved its head to the side, to her
amazement they moved aside to let the wolf stand between them.

As it turned to face the way it had come, the
tail graced her leg and Jessica cringed away. The reality that she
was most probably looking at a werewolf became too much to take. To
her, werewolves and shifting, it had all been like aliens-just a
possibility. Now that she was staring at an honest to freaking
goodness wolf she felt like life had just flipped on its axis.

She'd believed everything Nick had told her
but now there was zero doubt in her mind. Wolves didn't act this
human; they just didn't approach you and turn around to protect you
without being prompted. They didn't, she shook her head, they just
didn't.

"Get away from her Matt."

The order snapped her attention up to owner
of the voice. He was walking slowly towards them with barely
contained energy sizzling around him. As he got closer, Axel and
Christian shuffled back nervously but the wolf stood his ground.
Nick balled his hands into fist and snarled. "She is my mate!"

His eyes began to glow as he got closer to
them and Jessica brought a fist up to her mouth and bit down to
keep a scream from escaping. Those eyes, they weren’t human. She
knew that most of her fear was irrational, but she couldn't help
it. Healing bones, extra strength, speed and super sense, she could
handle but furry legs were a-whole-nother thing.

The wolf crouched down and curled its lips
back, exposing his fangs and stuck its tongue out. It was a
simultaneous act of aggression and submission. She remembered
reading about that before and slowly her irrational fear began to
abate. She took a deep breath through her nose and dropped her fist
down to rest at her sides.

The movement was caught by Nick and his
piercing stare trapped her, like headlights on a deer. He stepped
closer and the wolf let out low rumble that stopped Nick mid step.
He looked at the wolf, then at Axel and Christian before looking
back at her.

"They are protecting you." He told her. "My
most loyal, my friends, they are standing against their Alpha to
protect you."

Jessica looked at Axel and Christian, they'd
promised to protect her but only now did she believe them, truly
believe them. She could tell that they were uncomfortable standing
up against Nick but they weren't moving.

She looked at the wolf, wondering who he was,
if she'd met him before.

"That's Matt," Nick told her, as if he'd read
her mind. "He is my enforcer, my best friend." Nick spoke the words
mockingly. "You haven't officially met him yet, but you will later;
if he is still alive." He added ominously.

The wolf didn't move or make a sound and Nick
smiled at him, showing his own set of canines before looking at her
again. "Their actions are all punishable by death." He informed
her, "They are willing to die to protect you."

"Because you are a psychopath!" She
snapped.

"Only with you! You make me crazy but I've
told you before, I would never hurt you." He tried to take another
step towards her, hand out, reaching for her and the wolf growled.
Nick lowered his hand and looked at her. "Matt thinks you should
have a choice." He told her in a calmer voice.

"Matt is one smart puppy."

"Or a dead one, your choice." He shrugged and
spoke as if he'd just asked her to choose ice cream flavors. "I
would never hurt you but I can’t say the same for them. Come with
me."

"Are you nuts!?"

Nick sighed. "Why are you always fighting me?
Do you want me to fight my best friend?"

"No, I want you to leave me alone!" She
slumped down to the ground. Raised her knees up to her chest and
wrapped her arms around them.