The Mating Rights

Chapter 26

Taya's POV

   I'm so overwhelmed, it's been three days since Jess and I met with the pack doctor meaning I have 18 days left until I have to fight Jasmine. Max thinks we should do my change tomorrow so that I have 3 days to recover, then have 2 weeks left to train before the actual fight. Jesse doesn't want to think about it and I just want to get it all over with. 

   Max has told me how rare it is for humans to shift especially females but he looked a little more hopeful once I told him that I had white werewolf blood in me. Tawny has been distant ever since I came back. I think she feels guilty about letting Jasmine beat me up a bit. She didn't realize the circumstances so I don't blame her. She obviously thought we were just sparing like any other gym partners. 

   Jesse tried to punish Nick and Caleb, but I stopped him. They thanked me and have been coming around more often. Aside from Max and Tawny, they are the only other pack members that know about Jasmine's challenge.  

   They have express how scared they are for me and I think they have been hanging around a lot more because they are scared I won't be here much longer. I'm determined to make it though. 

   The boys are sitting on the opposite side of the island in the kitchen and I have some brownies baking in the oven. I have the molten lava on the stove and the vanilla ice cream in the freezer. They made sure to remind me that I owed them. I had a couple extra in there because I mind linked Jesse and told him he is allowed to come down from his office in a few minutes. 

   He's been put on Taya time out. He has been attached to my hip and it is getting exhausting. I love him greatly but I don't like using the restroom with him there. I made him go work for a couple hours and promised him a treat if he could stay up there for 2 hours without coming down and touching me. 

   I have left my mind open to Jesse though since I am hanging around two unmated males. Even though I trust them, Jesse wanted me to not block him out as a precaution. I think it is really because he wants constant contact with me but as long as he's not picking me up every two seconds, I guess I'm fine with it. The brownies are done and I have a pipet full of hot molten chocolate lava. I squeeze the chocolate into the center of each brownie and grab the coconut milk vanilla ice cream. Best vegan ice cream in existence. I prepare four plates of dessert and tell Jesse he can come down through our mind link. 

   "So, this is why you ditched me huh? You wanted to hang out with boys", Jess said jokingly. 

   I gasped, "how did you get down here so fast"?

   He just winks at me and sits down with a plate. They all take bites and complement me on how good it tastes. If there is one thing I know, it's desserts. 

   "Thank you, thank you", I curtsy and smile. We eat and Jesse talks to Nick about Warrior stuff. Nick has been acting as the Warrior Leader since Jasmine was put in the pack prisons. 

   Caleb smiles at me and tells me, "you're gonna make it. I know you are. You're too strong willed to not come out of this kicking and fighting". 

   "Well I'm glad someone thinks so, Everyone has been looking at my like I'm a baby they found in the dumpster lately", I sigh, "all of this pity is killing me". 

   "Jasmine will be tough to beat, I didn't know about her father before she told you. None of us did, she was just another member of the pack that Jesse let in when he killed their Alpha. But that must be why she's such a strong fighter. She never wanted to be taken advantage of again, I guess", Caleb darts his eyes towards Jesse and sees him still in deep conversation with Nick. "She's going to be tough to beat but she is already getting weaker. I can see it in her eyes, everyday in the cells wears at her. 

   That comment makes me sadder than it should. I mean given the chance I know she'd snap my neck in a second but I can't help but sympathize with her. She was such a victim and she has worked hard to built herself into this strong person physically but it doesn't seem as if she ever healed mentally from what happened to her. I look at Jesse and know he's worth it but it nags at me still.

   When we finish eating, Caleb rinses the dishes off and puts them in the dishwasher. It's about 4:00 pm and I know there is no way that I'm getting Jesse off of me for the rest of the day so I embrace it. 

   We are cuddling on the couch watching Top Gun, well he's watching it and I'm intermittently playing with the hair on his legs and finishing my drawing of Jesse. I'm fishing up the last few strokes of his eyebrows to get it completely perfect. I look at the drawing and am pleased with the outcome. 

   "Wow baby, that is so good", he smiles and kisses my hair. 

   I shake my head, "well I had a great muse". 

   He stands up from the couch and pulls me up with him. "Alright you bag of lazy ones, let's go", he says.

  I ask, "let's go where"?

   "You'll see", he says walking over to the elevator. "We gotta go get changed first", he tells me.