Finding Home Ch. 16-17

Chapter 16

A fat wet tongue licked the side of Lucy's face. She opened her eyes, realizing she must have fainted.

Standing inches above her was a giant black wolf. The creature must have been twice the size of other wolves she had seen on TV. Its fur was shiny and thick. It had massive paws positioned on either side of her head.

And it had intelligent amber eyes.

Lucy's own eyes widened as she remembered her conversation with Jackson.

"Oh my god." Lucy whispered. Holy shit. He really is a wolf! "J-Jackson?"

The wolf... Jackson ... licked the side of her face again. He yipped at her and his tongue lolled out of his large jaws. He sat back on his haunches and cocked his head to the side.

Lucy sat up and continued to take him in. He's beautiful.

The wolf placed his snout against her hand. She scratched him behind the ears. She sat silently, petting the wolf's large head for several minutes. "Well, Fido, what am I gonna do now?" It hit her how much her life had changed in just a week's time.

The black wolf growled at her lowly. She jumped back, surprised at the hair-raising sound. The wolf took a few steps away from Lucy. Popping sounds filled the air. Like bones breaking. Lucy had to look away, it was just too soon for her to want to watch the change.

After the sounds subsided, she looked up and there was her Jackson. Human Jackson. Standing in front of her, naked as the day he was born. She might have been turned on if she wasn't so overwhelmed right now.

"I'm no dog, little one." Jackson said hotly.

This is just too much. How can this be? How did I get myself into this?

Jackson softened, seeing that Lucy was visibly shaken. "You're handling this very well, Lucy. I'm impressed." Lucy was encouraged by his praise, but she found her thoughts still circling around the unbelievable circumstances. "By the way, thank you for the compliment, little one, but my wolf's beauty doesn't begin to rival yours. I can't wait to meet your wolf when the time comes."

Wait a minute, I didn't say he was beautiful out loud.

"Can...can you read my thoughts?" Lucy asked quietly.

"Only as the wolf. For now. Once we mate, we'll be able to communicate through thought in both human and wolf forms."

Wolf forms? My wolf? What the fuck!

Feeling on the verge of a panic attack, Lucy began to back away from Jackson, moving back towards the office.

"Lucy! Lucy, wait. I know this is a lot to take in, but please, baby, listen to me. Lucy. Lucy stop!"

His last two words came out with a strange echo. Lucy felt her feet immediately cease movement, almost as if they were stuck to the ground.

She turned her head to look at Jackson, pleading. "I just need some time, Jackson. Please. Just give me a day or two. I... I have a lot to think about. This is just so..." she couldn't even find the words to finish the thought.

For the first time since she had met him, Jackson actually looked unsure. He gave her a long sad look before saying quietly, "Go ahead, little one." He sounded so defeated, Lucy's body urged her to go comfort him. Her feet were finally free, she could easily run to him. But the growing panic in her head caused her to run back out of the woods.

Tyson was waiting for her when she arrived in the parking lot of the office. "I'll take you back to the hotel, Ma'am."

She nodded at him and slipped into the car door he had opened for her. As she looked out the window and saw Jackson exit the forest, the first tear began to fall.

***

After thanking Tyson for the ride, Lucy walked into the hotel lobby and saw Mae giving her a compassionate look from the front desk. Lucy locked eyes with the old woman and felt tears slide down her cheeks. Mae rushed over and wrapped the crying Lucy into a big bear hug. More life big wolf hug. She sobbed again.

Mae wordlessly stroked her hair. Wrapping her arm around Lucy's shoulders, Mae guided her to her room.

"I just... I just don't understand, Aunt Mae." Lucy cried as she blew her nose and flopped down at the edge of the bed.

"I know, dear. But nor do any of us understand it. Not really, anyway. We are what we are." Mae said, full of elder wisdom. She sat next to Lucy and held the girl's hand.

"But I'm not. Not yet... Or maybe never. How could I do that? I can't leave behind my life... and my friends... and my job!"

The older woman wiped a tear from Lucy's cheek. "Honey, who said anything about giving all that up? You've seen the people around here, we all work and have friends. And jobs! And damn good lives, too. Do you really think I'd let my stubborn-as-a-mule nephew keep you barefoot and pregnant?... unless that's what you want, of course." Mae gave her a conspiratorial grin. Lucy had to laugh at the mental image. But the more she considered it, the more... natural... that seemed. Being with Jackson felt so... so right. Then why was she so scared of her future with him?

"I'm scared, Aunt Mae. Wh-what if he doesn't want me anymore? What if I make a bad wolf? I've barely got the human thing down! There must be plenty of others more worthy of an Alpha?"

Mae looked at her so firmly, Lucy remembered Tyson's warning not to mess with the old woman. "You listen to me, dear. Luna, the Moon Goddess, picks every mated pair. And she is never wrong. She chose you for Jackson. And she chose Jackson for you. It is destined." Mae softened as she continued, "And why would you want to change that anyway? Aren't you fond of him?" Lucy nodded. "Doesn't he care for you?" She nodded again. "Doesn't he satisfy you?" Lucy blushed, but still nodded. "Then it's settled, dear. Besides, you're already in the family, even if you don't know it yet. You've been calling me 'Aunt Mae' this whole time." Mae smiled fondly at the girl.

Lucy smiled back at the old woman through her drying tears. She was thankful that Mae had taken the time to console her. It all sounded so simple when Mae laid it out like that. Once Lucy calmed down a bit more, Mae left the girl alone.

Though she was feeling better about the whole situation, a deep sense of unease was growing in Lucy's gut. She tossed and turned on the bed, unsure of what was bothering her so greatly at this point. Something's off. Something's really, really off. Lucy curled into herself under the covers and closed her eyes, willing sleep to come to her.

She must have gotten a temporary respite at some point, but awoke some time in the middle of the night. As she opened her eyes, she realized the sense of dread had dissipated and she felt almost entirely calm. Something stirred to her left side. The flash of a bushy black tail caught her eye. When she turned on her side, she was face-to-face with giant amber eyes.

She smiled broadly. He's here.

Chapter 17

So I'm in love with a wolf, Lucy thought with amusement as she and Jackson- human Jackson- ate their breakfast in her hotel suite.

Jackson had made the executive decision that neither would attend work that day. Lucy was thankful. She wasn't ready to face the world (or the wolves) just yet.

"Ask. I know you must have questions. Ask, and I will answer." Jackson said casually as he took a bite of a bagel.

"I think I understand a little bit more about 'mates' after talking with Aunt Mae... Is that why I'm so attracted to you all the time?"

"Yes and no. The mating 'pull', as we call it, is very strong. It can be almost overwhelming, as you found out last night when we were separated. But I like to think a lot of that just comes from my natural animal magnetism." Jackson gave her a wicked grin.

Lucy let out a deep belly laugh at the pun. Being with Jackson was so... easy.

"Ok, whatever you say, wolf man." Lucy teased. "About last night though, how did you know how I was feeling? Did Aunt Mae call you?"

Jackson shook his head, "She didn't need to. I can only hear your thoughts as a wolf, but even as a man I can sense when you're feeling a strong emotion, especially now that we've spent more time together. Plus, it was quite difficult for me, too, you know. I don't enjoy being away from you. I imagine you've probably felt flashes of my emotions too, even if you didn't realize it at the time." Lucy thought back to the seemingly abrupt flashes of lust she had felt over the last few days. She snorted. Men- they're all the same. Even the werewolves.

She thought back to how Tyson and Emma had acted yesterday during lunch. "Can you hear the thoughts of other wolves?"

"Wolves in my pack, yes. Most of the time the others can only communicate mentally with their mates, if they have them. As Alpha, I can communicate with any of the others, or any number of them, if I choose. I can also bridge a link for group communication so the wolves can talk with each other, if necessary. But I usually block everyone else out. Things can get quite... messy... when individuals are not given the proper privacy about certain things." Lucy nodded. She could see how knowing everyone else's secrets could be uncomfortable.

Jackson took another bite of his bagel. "So I guess you still eat human food?" Lucy asked.

"Certainly. Though I do prefer my meat on the rare side in human form. As wolves, we hunt together for small game and deer. But given the way the world is these days, we could get by just fine on human food alone. Hunting has become more for bonding and training. Sometimes celebration. It's quite fun. You'll enjoy it." He smiled at her.

Lucy bit the inside of her cheek. "I don't know... I've never fished or gone hunting, or anything like that. I doubt I'd be any good at it..."

Jackson touched her cheek as he laughed gently, "Little one, compared to hunting with a pack, the way humans 'hunt' is downright rudimentary. Your wolf will know how. It's instinctual."

"You keep referring to 'my wolf'. Isn't that just me?" Lucy was so confused.

"You and the wolf will be like two beings in one body. It's hard to explain if you haven't experienced it. She will have her own thoughts and desires which may align with yours, but she may also disagree. From what I've seen, for Turned werewolves like you will be, it can take some time to embrace the connection with the wolf. But you must try, she is a part of you." Jackson said seriously.

"What do you mean we might disagree?"

"You asked yesterday about my eyes. What color are they now?"

"Black."

"And what color are my wolf's?"

"Amber."

"Yes. Sometimes there can be a power struggle between the wolf and the human. If the wolf starts demanding to come through, this may cause a partial shift- usually the eyes first. For a younger wolf, this is much more difficult to control."

Lucy thought back to the times when Jackson's eyes were a glowing amber. It was usually during passionate moments. She remembered their steamy couplings... his eyes had been amber. "Wait, does this mean I had oral sex with your wolf?!"

Jackson chuckled. "Much as he wanted to come through and experience it himself, no. I kept him at bay. Though the partial shift can have its benefits..." Jackson licked his lips. His tongue began to grow longer as he licked, reaching the tip of his nose easily. It slipped back into his mouth as he gave her a sexy grin. Lucy shivered, remembering the otherworldly feeling of his long talented tongue deep in her pussy.

Jackson winked at her before continuing. "I must admit I have not been the best at controlling my wolf since you, though. He's been so incredibly excited since we've met. I had to run out of the nightclub during our first meeting because I came so close to fully shifting right then and there. Luckily The Den is mostly owned by the pack and almost everyone there was a pack member, but I didn't want to scare you." Lucy remembered how he had scurried out of the club, leaving only his first name with her.

"How did you know how to find me after that night? How did you know who I was?" Lucy remembered that Jackson said he had asked her boss for her specifically for the assignment at his facility.

Jackson moved uncomfortably in his seat. "Well... actually..." He cleared his throat.

So this is what it looks like when he's nervous for a change.

"Actually, I knew who you were before The Den. You see, some members of the DeLane Pack opt to live in the city. I allow it because we have plenty of people here to keep Pine Creek in business and I don't wish to be a dictator. As long as it's safe, pack members can live wherever they choose within a few hours' radius. We even have a few business interests there, including The Den. So, I make frequent trips to the city to ensure everything is running smoothly and to check in. Such was the case last Friday. My wolf was getting a little antsy with all of the commotion of city life, so I shifted and took a short run through a fairly isolated park. Imagine my surprise when I caught the scent of the most delicious creature taking a lunchtime jog."

Lucy stilled as she remembered the lightning fast flash of black she had seen during her run last week. She had brushed it off as an off-leash dog at the time. Now it was all coming together. It was that afternoon that her boss, Ed, had informed her of the DeLane Industries assignment.

Jackson continued, "I had a few of the city pack members do some research. And I found you. Quite easily, in fact. You're very...well-connected, as it happens. I called your boss and had you sent here as soon as possible. Once I had caught your scent, it was agony to be without you. Even worse once we had actually met."

If it was any worse than what she'd experienced last night before the wolf arrived, Lucy couldn't imagine how Jackson must have felt leading up to Monday. At least she had had work to distract her.

Work.

"I've actually been meaning to ask you," Lucy began. "Your facility seems really on top of all of the environmental requirements... why did you need this audit anyway? Or did you just use that as a cover to bring me here?"

Jackson smiled proudly at her. "Very clever, little one. The answer is twofold. One, to ensure our secrecy is maintained, we strive to blend into the human world as much as possible. And this includes things like regular auditing of all aspects of our business. We don't want to give the humans, let alone their government agencies, any reason to come, for lack of a better word, sniffing around our site. And two, yes, I would have stopped at nothing to have you in front of me one way or another. It was just very convenient that the two goals aligned in this case." She smiled at him. "But I still need you to finish the job, Lucy. The livelihood of the pack depends on our avoidance of unwanted attention." She nodded at the understood importance of her job.

"But when this assignment is done, will I go back to work?"

Jackson looked at her levelly. "As I mentioned, some of the pack does live in the city, so I suppose it is possible if you truly insist. However, it is much easier for me to stay on top of pack operations from here in Pine Creek. We'd probably have to move several others as well... Tyson, possibly Hank..." Jackson listed a few other names she didn't recognize.

Lucy bit her lip. She thought of Tyson and Emma. She thought of Hank and how devoted he was to his job. She couldn't possibly upend their lives like that. Though she also knew that they would do it in a second if their Alpha asked them to. But she just couldn't do that to them.

She thought of her coworkers, her boss, and her friends, Melanie and Briana. Could she leave them all behind? At least she didn't have much of a relationship with her family to worry about. But Mel and Bri had become her family.

"Could I have visitors here?" she asked hopefully.

"Sure, within reason. We're used to being forced to blend in with humans." He paused. "So you'll agree to stay in Pine Creek?" He said, a large smile starting to form on his face.

"Well I'm not sure I have a choice. Not really, anyway..." She looked down at her feet.

Jackson's smile faltered. "Baby, you always have a choice." He grabbed her chin gently and tipped her head up to look in his eyes. "You're my mate. Your will is my will." He looked at her with such passion and determination. Such love.

Her heart almost exploded. Jackson was her mate. He was hers. And she belonged to him. And always would.

She pounced on him and laid a heat-filled kiss on his lips. He growled and grabbed her hips roughly. Lucy started to get turned on. She remembered what he had said in the forest about them finally fucking once they knew each other better.

"Wait, Jackson," Lucy tried to focus on her next questions. Her mate was making that exceptionally difficult with his hands massaging her ass as he moved his lips to her neck. That sparked another question.

"What about... unnnghh... Oh that's nice... but Jackson, what about... marking?" She said, trying to fight the urge to remove their clothes.

"Mmm. Yes." He mumbled deeply against her throat. "To officially solidify the mating bond to all other wolves and to Luna, my wolf will bite and mark you. The mark is permanent and all other wolves who see it will know you are mine. The bite will be placed here." He softly nipped his teeth at the site of the perpetual hickeys he had given her. She cried out with the sensation of his gentle teeth. And also with the knowledge that the mark would make her forever claimed by him. It sounded wonderful. Except for maybe one aspect.

"Will it hurt?"

Jackson licked the spot where his teeth had been. "Honestly I'm not really sure. I haven't been marked yet either." He moved up to whisper in her ear "but I hope to change that soon."

She felt a jolt in her nipples at the implication of his words. But she was also confused.

"How can I mark you?"

"Because you are human, the mark will not only solidify our mating bond, but it will also trigger your Turning. Only a mate can turn a human. The idea is that Luna made it so that werewolves could not turn humans maliciously. And so it is my honor to turn you, Lucy." Jackson laid a soft kiss on Lucy's lips. "And your wolf will mark me." The kiss quickly deepened.

Lucy paused to catch her breath. "So, when is all of this supposed to happen?"

"Whenever you want. As an Alpha, it is customary to invite the entire pack to the mating ceremony. So we'll probably need 2 days to prepare." Jackson began licking her earlobe.

"Oh! Um. Oooh that tickles! Umm. Well, let's just do it. I don't want to agonize over waiting. Let's just do it as soon as we can."

Jackson stopped and looked closely into her eyes. "Are you sure, my love? I don't want you to feel pressured. I've waited for you my entire life. There's no rush if you're unsure." He studied her carefully.

"Yes." Lucy paused, considering her thoughts once more before continuing, "Yes, I'm sure. I've never felt as sure about anything as I do about you, Jackson DeLane. My mate." She planted a sweet kiss on his mouth.

"You have no idea how pleased that makes me." Jackson said as he leaned his forehead against hers.

After a few moments, he caught her mouth in a passionate embrace. And this time, he didnt stop.