Leifs Surrender

Chapter Nine

That had been a close one. Leif had watched Jaden go to the break room with another cashier and had decided to hang close by it until she left. He’d already walked around the store so much that he now knew where to find everything in it. So far, he’d been able to keep under the other employees’ radars. He didn’t need one of them noticing he’d been here for hours and have him kicked out for loitering.

To be honest, he didn’t know how many more times he could do this. If he had to do this all week, he could see himself losing his mind from boredom. You could only look at food for so long before your eyes started to cross. Plus, it was making him hungry. At least the store had a coffee shop. He’d managed to grab a cup of coffee and a muffin close to lunch time, before Jaden had gone there to buy her lunch.

It wasn’t all completely bad, though. Spying on Jaden all day allowed him to see what she was like when not around him. Able to see for greater distances than a mortal, he hadn’t had to get very close to watch her. There were times when he swore she turned to look his way, but he wasn’t worried that she would catch him. Her glasses only improved her eyesight so much.

Her nearsightedness was something Leif hoped would go away once Jaden was turned into a werewolf. Not that he minded that she wore glasses. She looked cute when he accidently knocked them askew while kissing her. He just wanted her to have all the abilities a normal werewolf would have. Since neither Roxie nor the other morals she’d turned into werewolves had worn glasses before the spell had been used, he wasn’t sure what would happen to Jaden’s eyesight.

But he was getting ahead of himself. Jaden first had to accept him for what he was, along with their being mates, before he made any mention of the spell. He hoped she would allow Roxie to turn her, but there was always that chance that she would refuse. It might be selfish of him, but he didn’t want to settle for one human lifetime with her. He wanted to live out the rest of his days with Jaden at his side.

Leif walked down the aisle and headed for the opposite end of the store from where Jaden worked. He ignored the mortals around him, feeling as if he’d just been pole-axed.

He loved Jaden. For a man who had never thought he was capable of having that kind of emotion for a woman, it was a huge revelation. But it was true. His feelings for her had solidified into love.

A smile spread across his face. Now he understood what his mated siblings had meant about him not being able to escape it when it became his turn to find his mate.

He’d been a fool to try. Even now, he couldn’t picture his life without Jaden in it. Christ, he was even having a hard time remembering what it had been like before her. She completed him. He’d thought he was good the way he’d been, but now that he could admit his true feelings for her, he knew how wrong that had been.

He’d have to tell Jaden tonight what he was. And then he’d convince her to move in with him and quit her job. There was no point in putting it off. He’d also bare his soul to her. Chuckling to himself, he shook his head. For a man that once thought doing that would doom him to hell, he couldn’t wait for the opportunity to do it.

At five minutes after four, Jaden walked out to the parking lot. She gave it a quick scan and found Leif’s Cadillac parked almost in the same spot he’d used when he had dropped her off. Smiling, she made her way over to it and got inside.

“You’re right on time,” she said.

“Of course I am. I wouldn’t leave you hanging like that.”

Leif gave her a thorough kiss that made her wish they weren’t in such a public place, then he drove out of the parking lot. When she noticed he was taking the route to her apartment, she said, “I thought we were going to your place.”

“We are. I thought you would like to change and pack some clothes for tomorrow.”

“How about I pack enough clothes for a week?” Jaden turned her head to look at Leif, to see his reaction to her words.

He gave her a quick glance before he turned his attention back on the road. “Does that mean you’ll move in with me?”

“Well, not exactly. What it does mean is that I’m willing to give you a week as a trial run.”

“A trial run?”

“Yes. If after a week we haven’t started to hate each other, I’ll quit my job and move in with you permanently.”

“How about instead the trail run only lasts three days?”

“A week.”

“Four days.”

“Are you trying to bargain me down?” she asked with a laugh.

He gave her a sexy grin. “Is it working? If not, I think I can come up with some ideas that will help sway you.”

She laughed again, but inside, Jaden started to melt. She had a pretty good idea what Leif would do to win her over to his way of thinking. He’d use his body to persuade her, and it would work too. One good bout of lovemaking and she’d be putty in his hands.

“All right, you win. Four days, but I’m standing firm on that. Not a day less.”

Leif reached over and ran his hand up and down the top of her thigh. “You drive a hard bargain, but I’ll still use my powers of persuasion to see if I can wheedle you down some more.”

When they arrived at her apartment, Jaden didn’t take very long to change out of her uniform and pack it along with enough clothes for four days. She also taped a note to her landlords’ door to let them know she would be staying over at a friend’s for a few days, just in case something came up.

In no time at all, she and Leif were back on the road heading for Marin County. She watched the landscape go by, still finding it hard to believe that there was a chance she would be living in such a rich neighborhood.

At the mansion, Leif took the small suitcase she’d packed and carried it inside while he held her hand. Instead of taking her upstairs to his bedroom, he put her suitcase down near the stairs and then headed them in the direction of the kitchen.

“I don’t know about you,” he said, “but I’m starved. I bet you are too, having to look at food all day.”

“You build up a tolerance after a while.”

“I doubt I ever would. I’d want to come home and eat everything in the house.”

“I’m not saying there aren’t some things I see and decide I should pick up after my shift is done. It’s kind of the downside of the job. I’ve spent more money at the store than I should at times.”

“I’ll have to take you shopping sometime and let you fill the cart up with whatever you want. My treat.”

They found only Dirk inside the kitchen. He stood at the stove plating a steak he’d fried. He also had a large mound of mashed potatoes smothered in gravy on his plate.

“You’re finally back,” Dirk said as he turned and went to sit at the table.

“Where is everyone else?” Leif asked.

“Saskia, Eli, Roan, Ansley, Jager and Daylen went out for dinner, separately. Kye and Skylar are with Roxie. I’ll be heading back over there as soon as I’m done eating.”

Leif pulled out a chair for Jaden to sit. “Oh yeah, it’s date night. And isn’t this your day off?”

Dirk nodded and swallowed his mouthful of food. “Yes, but Roxie is helping with a project of mine. Before I forget, Saskia left a couple of thawed steaks in the fridge for you and Jaden.”

Moving toward the fridge, Leif said, “I don’t know, Dirk. Since you practically live over at Roxie’s, you might as well move in with her and Beowulf.”

“I don’t think so.”

Leif turned to Jaden with two packages of steak in his hands. “I think I’ll throw these on the barbeque. How would you like yours done, Jaden?”

She looked at the t-bone steaks he held. “I like mine medium, but not too pink.”

“Then yours will have to go on before mine.” Leif turned back to the stove and lifted the lids off the two pots that sat on it. “And it looks as if there are enough potatoes and gravy for us so I don’t have to make anything else. I’ll just run out and get the barbeque fired up.”

Jaden watched Leif walk out the back door to the patio. Now alone with Dirk, she turned to him and smiled. After meeting all of Leif’s siblings, she’d noticed that Dirk was the quietest of the bunch. He even used quiet even tones when he spoke. With his friendly dark green eyes and dark brown hair with blond highlights that just fell past his shoulders, she was sure he drew a lot of female attention, but Dirk didn’t come across as a man that would take much notice of it.

He smiled back. “While Leif is busy, I just want to tell you that I’m happy you’re with him. He’s a better man for it.”

Jaden blushed. “Thanks, but I’m sure I haven’t had that much of an effect on him.

We haven’t even known each other for a week.”

“Yes, you’ve definitely had an impact. Before meeting you, he had a bit of a roving eye when it came to women. But he’s settled right down with you. We all told him one day he’d find the woman meant for him. He never wanted to believe us. And now here you are.”

“Thanks, I guess,” she said, not sure what to say in response.

“Anyway, I’m happy to see you with Leif.”

Dirk then turned his attention to his food, leaving Jaden to think over what he’d said.

She’d assumed Leif wouldn’t have had any problem picking up women before meeting her, but she hadn’t thought he was one of those guys who went from one woman to the next. It didn’t seem like the Leif she knew. Whenever he was with her, he seemed only to have eyes for her. Not once had she caught him staring at another woman. Assuming what Dirk said was true, Leif’s asking her to move in with him would have been a monumental step for him to take. Maybe his feelings for her were a lot stronger than she thought.

Leif returned to the kitchen and washed his hands in the sink. “I have your steak on, Jaden. I figured we can just heat the potatoes in the microwave.”

When he turned to face her, she stood and walked over to him. “How about I do that since you’re looking after the steaks?”

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “All right. That would be a big help.”

Dirk pushed back from the table. “I’m done so I’ll leave you two alone to enjoy your meal.” He put his plate in the sink and then walked out of the kitchen.

“I hope Dirk doesn’t feel as if he had to leave because of us,” she said.

“He knows he doesn’t. Knowing him, he’s probably in a hurry to get to Roxie’s to play on the computer. They’re both internet junkies.”

“Oh.”

Leif brought his mouth down to hers. He swept the seam of her lips with his tongue before it slipped inside. Their tongues brushed against each other, tasting. Jaden leaned into him, feeling herself getting swept away on the tide of passion Leif stir inside her. At her moan, his kiss deepened. Angling his lips over hers for a tighter fit, he ground his erection against her.

Before she completely lost the ability to think, Jaden said against his mouth, “Leif, the steaks.”

He quickly let her go. “Crap, I almost forgot about them. We’ll have to continue this later.”

After he went back outside, Jaden looked inside the cupboards until she found the plates. There was no question of what she and Leif would be doing after they ate. It looked as if she would be getting dessert once she finished her meal after all.

The sound of his cell phone ringing had Leif reluctantly leaving the warmth of Jaden’s arms. They’d eaten and then hurried up to his room to make love. It had been pretty close as to whether or not they’d make it to his room. While they had eaten, he’d used every opportunity to heat things up between them. He would never be able to look at another steak or mashed potatoes without getting aroused.

Grabbing his cell phone off his nightstand, he flipped it open. “Hello?”

“If you want that information you were looking for, you need to meet with me in an hour. Alone.”

Leif recognized the gruff male voice as a lone wolf he had been working on to get information about what Miles was up to. “I’m not in the city right now. How about we set up another meeting?”

“No, it has to be tonight or the deal is off. I found out what you wanted. Meet me in the parking lot behind the bar. You know which one. You have less than an hour now.”

When the other end disconnected, Leif swore under his breath. He had no choice but to meet up with the lone wolf. The information he had might be the lead they needed to flush Miles out of hiding again. The bastard had a knack for pulling a disappearing act.

Putting his cell phone back, Leif turned to look at Jaden. The lone wolf had just complicated things between them. He couldn’t bring her with him. It was too dangerous.

She was a mortal and could easily get hurt or worse. Leif didn’t exactly trust this lone wolf. Leaving Jaden behind was going to cause them to go through the separation anxiety. And it would be really bad since they were newly mated. Once they had been mated for a while, like Roxie and Beowulf, they could stand to be away from each other for a few hours. Shit, he was going to have to quickly explain everything to her before he left, and he wouldn’t have any time to reassure her or answer the inevitable questions she would have.

“Is everything okay, Leif?”

He sighed. “No. I have to go out, and I can’t take you with me. Get dressed.”

Jaden frowned, but she did as he asked. Leif quickly dressed, then headed for his walk-in closet. He came back out with his sword and a leather jacket in his hands. When he looked over at Jaden, she was dressed and her gaze was locked on his sword.

She swallowed. “Is that a sword you’re holding?”

“Yes. Come downstairs with me. I don’t have much time, but I have to tell you something.”

Once they reached the foyer, he belted his sword on his back and pulled his jacket over top of it. Turning to Jaden, he took her by the arms. She gazed at him curiously. He also saw the confusion in her eyes. There was nothing for it but to tell her everything at once. He hoped he didn’t scare the hell out of her.

“I have to go meet someone, a lone wolf. He says he has some information we need to help keep Roxie safe. There’s a man named Miles, and if he ever got his hands on Roxie, he would use her so he could rule over all the werewolf packs in her stead. As her Protectors, we can’t allow that to happen.”

“Wait a second. Werewolf packs?”

“I’m a werewolf, Jaden. So are Roxie and the rest of my family.”

“How can you be a werewolf? It’s not possible.”

“Yes, it is.”

Hating that he could no longer ease Jaden into this, Leif let go of her and took a step back. Reaching inside himself for the spark of magic that would allow him to make the change, he shifted into his wolf form. Jaden let out a small shriek and took a step back as she stared back at him. He knew what she saw. Even in his wolf form, he was big. His fur was the same auburn color as his hair. Leif gave her a chance to take him all in then he shifted back to human form.

Before she could take another step away, he took Jaden by the arms again. “I know you’re probably having a hard time accepting what I am, but you have to listen to me. It’s important. I’ve claimed you as my mate. The first time we made love our souls joined.

Being mated to a werewolf is very different from taking a mortal as a husband. With our souls joined, we won’t be able to stand to be apart from each other for very long, which means after I leave, you’re going to feel as if you haven’t seen me in months even though it has only been an hour. It could get so bad you’ll feel like climbing the walls. You’ll also think something bad has happened to me. Just try to remember I’m going to come back. I’ll feel it as well, but I don’t have much choice. Until Roxie turns you into a werewolf, you’re too vulnerable as a mortal. I won’t take the risk that something will happen to you.”

Jaden’s eyes had gone round behind her glasses. “Claimed me as your mate…turn me into a werewolf…Leif, I can’t—”

He cut her off with a kiss. “The others will be home soon. Tell them I went to meet the lone wolf about Miles. They’ll understand.” Leif dropped his hands and started to walk backwards toward the front door. “And tell them I didn’t get to explain much about us. Saskia and the others will help you understand. I promise I won’t be away any longer than I have to.”

Knowing he was about to put them both through hell, Leif turned and walked out the door without a backward glance.