Holy shit!

I opened my eyes slowly and sat up. I suddenly remembered yesterday, peeled back my shirt, and stared at my shoulder. It was perfectly fine, and there was no trace that I had been stabbed there.

“You are good as new,” came Jake’s voice, and I turned to see him in the doorway, looking handsome. His long, dark hair fell to his forehead, enhancing those roguish good looks of his. I scowled at him, and he smiled.

“You stabbed me,” I said, and he grinned as if he enjoyed the moment.

“You asked, dear,” he said with mock sweetness, and I rolled my eyes.

“And you still stabbed me,” I said, and he grinned and grabbed my hair and swung it like a sword.

“I couldn’t miss that opportunity,” he said, and he plopped on the bed beside me.

“You’re a beast” I said, and he smiled. He extended a claw, grabbed my teddy, and stabbed it in the heart.

"Hey!” I complained, and he grinned and tossed me the teddy. I hid the teddy behind the bed, and he chuckled.

“What happened yesterday?” I asked, and he stood and stared at himself in a nearby mirror and fiddled with his hair.

“I stabbed you, and you howled—I meant wolf-howl—then you grew fangs and almost chewed my head off, but you suddenly collapsed,” he said, and I sighed.

“Why do I still feel human?” I asked, and he shrugged.

“That trigger was for a short period of time; you really need to meet your soulmate,” he said, and I stared at him curiously.

“How do I know my soulmate?” I asked, and he looked away.

“When you kiss the person, your wolf immediately recognizes him, and a bond is formed. You would feel it, and he would,” he explained, and I tilted my head to the side.

“So I just go about kissing random dudes?” I said, and Jake's lips twitched.

“If you want to,” he said, and he lay to the floor. He closed his eyes.

“Do you love my brother?” he asked, catching me off guard, and I nodded. His eyes filled with something that looked like jealousy for a moment, then he closed them.

“Go shower. We’ll try awakening your wolf today with another trigger,” he said, and I nodded. I opened the door.

“You can go. I have to change,” I said, and he smiled slowly.

“You can’t force me,” he muttered, and I sighed.

"Please,” I pleaded, and he nodded and walked out of the room. I knew why I asked him to leave. I didn’t know why, but I was starting to feel something for him—something I thought I only felt for John.

How wrong I was.

      

_______________________________________

   

Jake and I sat in the grass after a gruesome session of training, and I was extremely famished. He produced a pack of sandwiches and handed me one.

“I haven’t seen John in a while,” I said, and Jake shrugged as he shoved a sandwich into his mouth.

“He is away on alpha business,” he said, and I stared at him.

“Why do you sound bitter?” I asked, and he chose not to reply. Something was definitely up between him and John. Jake popped open a bottle of beer and drank what he offered me, but I shook my head.

"Wimp,” he said, and for some reason that made me smile.

“Did you ever have a girlfriend?” I asked, and he did a mock-offended face.

“Girlfriend? How very insulting. I don’t do relationship stuff; I just do what I want with the lady, and then we’re done,” he said, and I studied him.

"Hmmm,” I said, "Playboy,” I said, and he grinned.

"Definitely,” he said, bringing out another sandwich and giving it to me, and I stared at him in surprise. Why was he suddenly kind?

“You're being nice,” I said, and he narrowed his eyes.

“So you prefer me, tearing heads huh? I see,” Jake said with a cold smile, and I shook my head frantically.

“No, no. I am just surprised, that’s all,” I said, and he suddenly looked serious.

“You just bring out the best in me; I don’t know why.” His eyes roamed my face, then my lips, then back to my eyes, and he looked away.

“Eat up; you still have five more laps to run,” he said, and I groaned. Couldn’t he just be perfectly nice for one day?

"Fine,” I said, quickly eating my sandwich, and I started jogging while he watched me skeptically. Did this guy even ever get impressed by anything? I ran as he instructed, and I sat on the grass when I was done.

“I am tired,” I said, and for a moment he looked at me sympathetically. Then he masked up the emotion and helped me get up. He walked me to my room, and I sat on a chair. He rummaged around my things and pulled out my old journal and opened it. I shot to my feet and snatched it from him; he snickered.

“You write a journal?” he asked, and I nodded. He grabbed a pack of candy from the top of my drawer and tore it open, popping two into his mouth. 

“Stop taking my things,” I chided, and he grinned. He looked so handsome that I felt dazzled, and he stared at me in concern.

“What’s wrong?” He asked quietly, and I shook my head.

"No, it’s nothing,” I said, and he studied my face, and again, his eyes went to my lips. He brushed away my hair from my face and slowly pressed his lip on mine. He pulled away, but I pulled him closer, and he deepened the kiss. Then immediately, my body vibrated, and he pulled away in shock.

‘Mine’ said a voice that sounded like mine but was deeper in my head, and suddenly Jake’s eyes widened.

“Soulmate” he whispered.

Jake was my soulmate.