A Legend Is Born

Chapter 14 Part 2

Josh

The pride comes first. That's what I've always believed, the motto I've lived by for over a hundred years. I had every intention of going on patrol with the girls that night, but as we prepared to leave I got this sudden jolt of pain through my chest, and my heart started to race.

The girls already shifted and were staring at me. I met each of their curious gazes with my own panicked one. "Something's not right. You three go on without me. I have something I need to look into. I'll try to catch up with you later."

Understanding flashed in Jane's eyes, and she stayed rooted in place as the others turned and dashed into the night. "I'll be fine. I'm sure it's nothing too serious, but I want to be here just in case. Be safe out there, Janie."

She turned and took off in the same direction the others had gone. My heart continued beating at an unbelievable pace, and I made my way to the porch, fighting the urge to go after Lissa. I spent the night going between pacing the porch, and trying to relax. The latter being near impossible with the various swings in my heart rate.

I'd worked myself into quite a frenzy by the time the sun started to rise, and it only subsided when I finally caught sight of her coming down the street. As she approached the gate, I remotely released the lock so she could come inside. I wanted to race across the yard and sweep her into my arms, but every limb in my body was exhausted and refused to cooperate.

A smile tugged at her lips as she walked up the steps and headed toward me. "Good morning."

I discretely gave her a once over, grateful and relieved that she'd sustained no injuries. "Good morning. How was your night?"

She flopped onto the bench next to me and stretched her legs out in front of her as she leaned back. "Uneventful. Thank God."

She was hiding something from me, her erratic heart rates throughout the night told me something was wrong despite her claims otherwise. "Good. Got a few minutes to talk before breakfast?"

She reached down and loosened her boots, glancing up at me from the corner of her eye. "Of course."

I was suddenly overwhelmed with nerves and felt like I was back in high school, about to ask out the girl of my dreams that didn't know I existed. "I have a confession to make."

Her eyelids drooped a bit, but she quickly recovered. "What's that?"

My gaze wandered along the fence that surrounded the property. I was surprised to find myself afraid of her rejection. I'd been rejected before, but coming from her, I couldn't imagine being able to survive it. "I find myself extremely interested in this rare woman I met."

She was good at masking her emotions. I almost missed the faint flash of disappointment in her eyes before she looked at her feet. "Really? Why do you need to confess that to me?"

I thought I made my feelings clear when I kissed her, but apparently she didn't do subtle hints. Instinct took over as I grabbed her hands and dropped to my knees in front of her, effectively pinning her in place. "Because, Jules. You are that woman." My hand continued to tremble as I reached out and tucked an errant lock of hair behind her ear. "I don't get it. We just met, but it feels like I've known you forever. You've told me so little about yourself, but I know all I need to."

A blush rose to her cheeks, and her heart sped up, causing mine to do the same. "Guess it's my turn to confess something."

I looked up at her and tried to hide the hope in my eyes, knowing that her next words might very well destroy me. "They do say that confession is good for the soul."

She swallowed hard. "You scare me."

I wasn't sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn't that. I silently cursed myself for being so stupid and reckless. I dropped her hands as if they were on fire and shot to my feet, stumbling backward as if she'd pushed me away. "I'm so sorry."

Her eyes flashed with recognition, and she chuckled. "Sorry, let me rephrase that. There's something about you that makes me feel like I can trust you. And that scares me. It goes against everything I've ever been taught. And it makes me want to get to know you better."

My heart restarted and relief washed over me. For a second there, I thought I pushed too far. "How about we go to dinner tonight and take some time to really get to know each other? Maybe finish what we started at the zoo. I never did get to show you what I wanted to."

Her laughter had subsided, but the flushed color lingered on her cheeks. Her eyes met mine and sparkled in the early-morning sunlight. "Okay."

Happiness exploded through me with that one little word. I nearly swept her into my arms on the spot and danced her around the yard. The only thing that stopped me was the apprehensive expression on her face. "You won't regret this."

"I hope it's not someplace too fancy. I'm still pretty scratched up from my last fight."

I'd been dying to touch her and was willing to take advantage of every opportunity she gave me. Without warning, I grabbed her chin and moved her head from side to side, inspecting her wounds and enjoying every second of our contact. "You're beautiful just the way you are. And anyone who thinks differently can take it up with me."

I ignored the blush that rushed up her face and stroked her jaw as I pulled my hand away, already wishing I could put it back. "You look exhausted. Why don't you go on upstairs and take a bath? I'll bring breakfast up for you."

She glanced around. "I don't want to be too much trouble."

I pulled her to her feet, bringing her lips dangerously close to mine. My lips tingled with the need to kiss her, but I resisted. I lingered a moment to enjoy the feelings she always sent ripping through my body. "Don't be silly, it's never too much trouble to look after a beautiful lady."

I walked her upstairs and left her with a fresh towel and the promise of breakfast in bed in an hour, which I promptly went downstairs to prepare. I went fairly basic so that she wouldn't get stuck with cold food that should be eaten warm and left the tray on the dresser.

I heard the soft hum of the whirlpool jets firing up and smiled to myself, elated that she was in my bathroom. I leaned back against the door and closed my eyes, picturing her in there. Desire flooded me as I picked up on her soft moans through the door. There wasn't a part of me that didn't ache to go be with her, but she'd been clear that she wasn't ready. I had to get away from the house, before I lost control.

I didn't even bother using the front door. I went straight to my room and jumped through my window, landing in a crouch on the ground twenty feet below and took off at a dead run. I needed to get into the woods. It was the only place where I could freely let go and release the pent-up energy.

I shifted as soon as I hit the tree line, hardly taking the time to remove my clothes. My paws barely touched the ground as I bolted around trees and soared over small streams. After an hour, I'd exhausted myself and had to stop. But as soon as I stopped running, the image of her in my tub returned, sending another surge of energy through me.

After several hours of running myself ragged to no avail, I knew I would have to suck it up and go home. I didn't need a lot of sleep, but I still needed some if I was going to be able to protect anyone.