Page 60 of Not Your Ordinary Shifter

Without the sex part, that was going to be tough. He thought for a second. “Out of control, I guess. Like the goose took over and I was just sitting in the backseat watching him drive. I’m not sure I could have kept him from doing anything, even if I’d tried.”

“You should have more control over that. But it was your first time, and there are other factors. Most shifters change long before mating is an issue. It could have made everything more powerful. I think… we’re just going to have to wait and see how you adapt.”

Jacob sighed. There was a part of him that still expected his parents to know everything, and that part was disappointed. “Got it. Okay, next question… she’s a swan, but she’s not from our family.”

“That’s not a question. It’s a statement,” his mother said, in a tart tone.

He rolled his eyes. “I don’t even know what to ask, Mom. Help me out here.”

She laughed. “You’re asking about other shifters, non-family, I would guess.” She shrugged and pursed her lips. “There are plenty of shifters in the world, obviously. We all do our best to hide and keep our heads low, so it’s easy to lose touch. Likely if you go far enough back, you’ll find all us bird folk are related to some degree.”

“Seems like she’d be the one to ask about this, Jacob,” Nate added. “But I would be interested in finding out her lineage so I can add it to the records.”

“Dad, at the moment I’m not even sure she wants to talk to me.” He’d made such an ass out of himself at the restaurant, and she hadn’t seemed thrilled about the lake either. He’d be lucky if she wasn’t on her way out of town.

“The bond will help with that. It will draw you back together,” Gretchen said. She shot a look at Nate, who grinned.

It was one of those awkward couple moments that Jacob didn’t want to be part of. “Yeah, well, in the meantime I’m not sure what to do.”

“Give her a few days to get used to the idea. She’s likely to come looking for you, if you wait,” Nate said, as he stood up. “We’ll leave you alone so you can think about things. Find me if you have any questions. Your first shift can be confusing, and I know you had all the lectures the other kids got, but that was a while back. You might need a refresher.”

He held out a hand to Gretchen, who seemed reluctant to take it, but finally did and let him pull her to her feet. “If you need to talk…”

Jacob appreciated the offer, but his dad was right. He needed some alone time to work through everything. “Thanks. I’m going to crash, I think. It was a long day.” The latter was true at least. “Tell everyone… I’m glad to be back and I’m sorry I ran off earlier. I’ll be around tomorrow.”

His father firmly guided his mother to the door before she could say anything else. He ignored her attempts to turn back and made sure she went out first, but he paused in the doorway. “Don’t mate with her as a human, not until you’re both sure. Once you do, the bond will become permanent, and then it will have to be broken the hard way. No one wants that.”

He didn’t wait for a reply, but pulled the door closed behind them, and Jacob was left alone with his thoughts.

He stripped down to his boxers and flopped on the bed. Despite the whirling of his brain, the long day caught up with him and he fell asleep faster than he would have expected. Too soon, since it had him waking at a disgustingly early time of morning.

The house was silent. It was still dark outside. With nothing to occupy his thoughts they turned to her… Lizzy. It was a cute name, but it didn’t really suit her.

Elizabeth, on the other hand… “Elizabeth. My mate,” he whispered in the dark room. Just saying the words sent a reaction through his body. His skin tingled, feeling tightly stretched.

Shehadglowed for him in the restaurant. It wasn’t his imagination, and now he knew why. He pictured the way her mouth curved ever-so-slightly. The way her eyes had sparkled as she joked about her name.

Her beauty was undeniable, despite the dark circles under her eyes and the ugly uniform, but that wasn’t what made his cock harden and push against the front of his boxers. “Mine.” The mate bond was what made his body ache for her.

He could feel it tugging like a leash around the base of his shaft, pulling him to get up and go find her. They were meant to be together, so he could keep her safe.

So he could claim her.

But he wasn’t an animal, at least not all the time. He knew that she’d been freaked out. Even if the bond had never turned him into a babbling idiot at her job, the events at the lake had obviously been a shock. Time. He had to give her time, but for now he had needs

He pushed the blanket aside and thrust his hand into his boxers. His fingers curled around the hot hard length and began to pump up and down firmly. Images of her, sprawled beneath him, crying out his name as he thrust into her body, spurred him on.

It didn’t take much longer to hit his peak than it had when he was on her back in goose form. Something he sincerely hoped would change when they were together in person—in human shape.

He’d never had a problem holding back or lasting until his bed partners were satisfied. It was awkward that the one woman who counted was absolutely wrecking his control. Maybe that was part of the mating bond—to need so desperately that your body rushed to completion.

He sure as fuck hoped not, because he wanted to spend hours making her scream his name.

Chapter

Seven

She made it three days before she realized she was going to lose her mind if they didn’t meet again soon. Every time she closed her eyes she saw him. When she dreamed … they were X-rated, and he was the star. On the street, she’d pass a guy in glasses and stop short thinking it was him, but it never was.

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