Bonded

Chapter 11

"Aren't you getting tired of these long nights?" Jacob asked me, laying on his stomach, facing me.

I nodded, my eyelids heavy. We had said good night to Sam about an hour before. Jacob and I were in my bed, over the covers, just looking at each other and talking. After almost losing him, I didn't want to take my eyes off of him for a second, let alone the whole night. Just in case. Just in case I really had lost him, and this version of Jacob was just a figment of my imagination.

Jacob reached over to massage my scalp to coax me into relaxing. I made a purring sound as my eyes fluttered shut. His calloused fingers circled slowly as I felt my body relax from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. I started to doze off. The second he stopped, my eyes flew open to meet his again. I wasn't ready to fall asleep. He chuckled, "It's ok, baby, you can relax. I'm right here; I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

Propping myself up on my elbow, I ran my finger lightly up and down his arm, going along the contours of his muscles. He shuddered at the feeling as he sighed. "I just can't believe I almost lost you today..." I mumbled.

"I know, baby." He sighed. "You know how Sam was saying that all he could think about was Emily and the baby?" He paused while I nodded. "All I could think about was you and just kicking myself in the ass for losing my temper like that, again." Jacob had a faraway look in his eyes. "It's like the rest of our lives flashed in front of me when I hit the water. All of the things that I want with you could have slipped away in that instant. It was scary as hell."

Leaning forward, he pressed his forehead to mine. I closed my eyes and quietly gasped at the overwhelm of images that flooded my mind. Visions of me and Jacob standing up at an alter heavy with tulle and white flowers. I watched as my mouth said, "I do" and his. He was handsome in his black tux and bowtie and his eyes sparkled as they took in me in a white, strapless lace wedding dress. He showed me our first kiss as husband and wife before the images flashed to me handing him a pregnancy test that showed to be positive. I saw him kissing my pregnant belly before placing a kiss on my lips before he makes his way to work.

He continued by showing us lounging in bed in our new home on a Saturday morning. The bedroom door opens, and two little children run in to join us. An energetic little boy who was the spitting image of Jacob and a shy little girl who favored both of us in the most beautiful way. Vacations to the beach. Pack meetings with little children running around an upgraded version of Kaya's house. The two of us as wolves running together, strong and confident. The final image was of me and Jacob, older and graying, watching as our adult children start to run their own pack and continuing our legacy after our retirement.

My eyes flickered open and were met with his brown eyes staring at me. "I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't look into those beautiful hazel eyes every day." He whispered. His hand reached up and tucked my hair behind my ear before running his fingers down my neck, over my mark, and settling only when he reached my hip. "If I couldn't touch your smooth, soft skin. If I couldn't kiss you. Or listen to your beautiful heart beating every day." Jacob sighed again before pecking my lips. "What if I couldn't kiss you anymore? Or feel you? Or hear your voice? Or..."

"Don't make yourself upset." I touched his cheek. "Are all of those things really what you want? It all felt so real."

Jacob didn't answer. He just gave me a lingering kiss. Deepening it, he gripped my hip and pulled me closer to his body. Jacob ran his tongue over mine, making me moan. I grabbed a fistful of his shirt and tugged it up. He didn't take the signal that I wanted it off. I felt his hand glide past my hip to my ass, smacking it playfully. A wave of arousal washed over both of us as we continued to feel each other.

My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to pull Jacob on top of me. He resisted as he used his other hand to tilt my head upward so his lips could access my neck. I sighed as my eyes rolled back. His tongue darted out as he placed open mouthed kisses on my neck and collarbone. Jacob stopped and took a deep breath. Breathing out, he mumbled, "Lavender."