The Mating Rights

Chapter 9

Taya's POV

     Jesse held my hand as he took me down to the living room. He smiled, and looked at me. Suddenly he picked me up as he walked over to the elevator. 

   "Hey, you know I can walk", I stated.

   "But why would you if you could have a handsome guy carry you", Jesse countered.

   I smiled at him and watched as the elevator doors opened. "Well wouldn't this have been nice to know about when I was trying to escape. Speaking of escape. Where's Jessica, she needs a talking to. How dare she just give me up to my captors? You could've been a psycho that was gonna rape me for all she knew", I rambled starting to get upset with my boss. 

   Jesse told me, "Everyone here knows me and respects me. I sent out an order to everyone to return you to me immediately once I realized that you had ran. Don't be mad at her, she really didn't have much of a choice".

   I was still slightly annoyed with her but I guess she had to follow orders--wait! "So does that mean Jessica is a werewolf", I asked.

   "Hahaha, of course she is. Everyone who lives in this house and on my territory is a werewolf or has a very close relationship to a werewolf that stays here", he replies. 

   "Well why doesn't she have a mate then, she's always going on dates with men around town", I said even more shocked at her behavior. 

   Jesse carries me into the living room rushing past a crowd of people with questioning eyes into a movie room that is isolated, "that is something that you should talk to her about, it's not really my place to say". 

   Shit that means it's either bad or heartbreakingly sad. I made a mental note to ask her about it later. "Jesse", I say even though I already have his attention, "who were all of those people out there".

   "Those people are the people in my pack that live in this house, they are very excited to meet you but I figured that you might want to relax for a tiny bit" he said while sitting in a huge comfy bean bag chair with me cuddled into his side.

    "Oh jeez, so no pressure huh", I pause. 

     "Let's play a game", I said out of the blue.

     "What kind of game", Jesse said obviously intrigued by my suggestion.

    "Nothing crazy, lets just play 21 questions, yeah?", I said making it obvious what kind of game I meant.

    "Okay Princess, ladies first", he said smiling as he glanced at me, then started stroking my hair. 

    I searched my brain for questions that I didn't already know the answer to, "how old are you", I asked feeling a bit distracted. The buzzing had gotten increasingly worse because of the constant contact with him. 

    "I'm 29 babydoll", he said way too casually to have just said the number he just said.

    "Are you kidding me? 29! Oh my god, my mother is going to kill me, literally wrap her fingers around my neck and strangle the life out of me" I said half shouting.

    "Princess calm down" he smiled that award worthy smile. "Do you have a problem with my age?", he questioned.

    Cheater! "That counts as your question", I said making sure the beautiful man in front of me knew I wasn't going to let him cheat.

    "Okay, fine. Answer the question" he said rather pointedly.

    "Um, no not really. I'm just scared of what other people are going to think. Especially my mother", I said kind of getting upset.

    "Why do you sound so sad, baby?" Jesse looked over at me confused.

    "I don't know, I just... I-I I want to not like it. I want to have a problem with it. I want to have a problem with everything you've told me in the past 24 hours. I can't be mad at you and I should be furious! I mean you kidnapped me for goodness sakes and now I'm just sitting her cuddled into your side like everything is normal! Like you didn't just turn into a freaking dog yesterday. This is all just so much to take in and- What are you doing?" I said confused as Jesse rolled us over so that he was straddling me. 

    He fixed our legs so that his were on the outside of mine and my hands were pinned above my head. His beautiful face was inches from mine and I wanted so badly to kiss him. He sat quietly for a few seconds looking me in the eye. "Babydoll", he started, "I'm sorry, I know that this is stressful for you, but try to stay calm please" he paused. "For me?" he added a few seconds later.

    "I just hate this. I should be so mad at you, but I can't be it's like my body is forcing me to only have positive emotions in regards to you and it's annoying. I should hate you, but I don't" I said feeling a little silly for my outburst.

    "It's the mating bond, Princess. You couldn't hate me if you wanted to", Jesse explained. "It's the same for me".

    I felt Jesse sliding his hands down my arms. I turned my head to the side and wrapped my arms around his neck bringing him into a hug. He smiled against my neck and I swear my heart skipped a beat or three.

    "How long is the bond thing going to be like this", I asked already a little sick of it.

    "Um, forever?", my mate said amused.

    I sighed, feeling more than a little exasperated. Why couldn't he be ugly? This would all be so much easier if he just looked like a goblin, elf, vampire, boogieman monster?

    Jesse's deep chuckle distracted me from my thoughts. "What's funny", I asked.

    "A goblin, elf, vampire boogieman, monster? You're adorable", Jesse laughed.

    "Oops, I wasn't aware that I said that out loud", inwardly shaming myself. "Sorry", I said feeling very stupid.

    "Princess, you didn't", Jesse said seriously, "We share a mind link".

    "What? You can read my mind?", Oh no! This is terrible, crap crap crap!

    "Yes, and once we complete the mating rituals, you will be able to read mine as well Babydoll", he said as if it was something that I should have been aware of.

    Jesse then sits back up and picks my hand up to kiss the back of it. "Are you feeling a bit calmer now", He asked tentatively.

    "Yes", I said allowing him to shift us to sit in our original position.

   We stay just like that for a while. Talking easily with each other as if we had known each other for years.