Page 14 of Jessica's Mates
Bezen chose that time to call out. The male’s eyes darted towards them, then back to me. I was shaking and I felt like I was going to throw up. What the hell was I doing? I should run back to Bezen. There were five of them and only one of him. He picked up a rock and threw it to where I just had. I didn’t know what to think.
His eyes scrunched up as if he was really studying me. “Jee-seka,” Bezen called out loudly and my stupid translator chose then to pick it up. Alerting him that I was not as close to where I said I was.
The blue male seemed stunned, and I took that moment to run. Fuck this shit. Fuck them all. I ran as fast as I could, my bare feet stepping on some sharp rocks and I didn’t care. I was getting away from all of this. I was going to run back and tell Koh that I never wanted to go into the woods again. That I would be happy to stay with him back at my hut. I wanted to get to know him, maybe one day take him as a mate if K’Tem didn’t arrive.
And if he did, he told me he would understand if I had more mates. I just didn’t think I would want them… oh god. Tears were streaming down my face as I heard them after me. And Tomlee. I would give him a chance; he had my body singing to him. I wanted to get to know him also. Make blankets and babies together.
Ugh… Was this the end, where I work out all the things I should have done but now it was too late? That was when you figured out it was the end, right? I could understand why the others had more than one mate. How could you choose just one when there were so many different males, all unique and special? All wanting the same thing: companionship, love. Someone to come home to at night and say, “Hey, honey, how was your day?”
I wanted that. I wanted it all and if I got back to Clan Wolf, I was telling them all this.
“Jessica,” I heard from close behind me. I shrieked and lost my footing. I tumbled to the ground, my ankle twisting. Pain shot up and I grabbed it.
“Fuck, get away from me. I don’t know what you want. Leave me alone.”
The blue male looked down at me. His huge body was covered in blood. Did they hurt him? Why was he following me?
“K’Tem, Jessica.” He nodded at me. His short, blue hair falling in his eyes as he looked down. I glanced behind them to see if Bezen and the others were coming for me, but no one seemed to be there.
“K’Tem? Did you just say K’Tem?” Oh my god. I sagged. He knew K’Tem.
“Where is he? Is he coming here? Is he with you?” I could see he didn’t understand my words. I didn’t know who or what he was, but he said the right words. He said “K’Tem” and that was enough for me to choose to go with him.
I pulled myself up, holding onto the tree beside me, but my ankle gave out and I bit my lip trying to hold in the cry of pain.
“Jessica.” I looked up and he held his hands out to me. I heard Bezen calling out. It was either I jumped in this guy’s arms—even though he was covered in blood—or I’d never get away from Bezen again.
I chose blue guy. I reached up and he took me very carefully into his arms, cradling me to his chest. I felt the air breezing past as he started to run. Towards K’Tem, I assumed, but after a while the pain in my ankle turned to a throb and the adrenaline from the chase had worn off. I found my eyes closing.
I just hoped he was a good guy.
Chapter Fourteen
K’Tem
Icouldn’t believe I had gotten this far only for my Jessica to be kidnapped by the males from Clan Ariaan. I shouldn’t have left here. I should have spoken up to my commander about my fated mate. My chest burned with the pain of losing her to these males. They would die for this. I wouldn’t allow them to be free once I got my hands on them.
The same was for the two males here with me. Koh and Tomlee believed they were her fated mates. It made me wonder if there was something special about human females to make so many males drawn to them. Maybe humans were not that much different to Aashi, taking many mates.
I looked down to my datapad, following the directions my brother was sending me. I pointed in a new direction and changed course. It was as if she was moving faster now.
“Are you sure this is the way?” the older male, Apak, asked me. I stopped and let them see my screen where my brother tracked her. She was moving much faster than I thought she would be. I quickly typed in a message asking if he was tracking her and not an animal. He replied that it was Jessica, but she wasn’t alone. And she wasn’t with an Aashi either.
“What does that mean?” My hearts started to race. She wasn’t alone?
“What does what mean?” Koh asked with a curious tone to his voice. I turned to see him looking at me, then glancing back to my datapad, confused at my words.
“She is not alone, my brother has stated, and she is not with an Aashi. I do not understand this. We will need to be prepared for when we get close. We might need to fight.”
All the males gripped their spears and waited for me. I felt like I was slowing them down, but I ran with everything I had. I was coming for her.
When we came to a clearing, to where it said she was, I saw her golden hair. She was lying down, away from us. I worried she was dead, that we were too late. Koh called out and I watched as she rolled over and opened her eyes.
“Koh?” she called over to him, the smile on her face making me believe she was unharmed. And very happy to see him.
“Koh, oh god, you’re okay?” He nodded and he bent down beside her. She held her hand up to his face, the tender moment between them had me conflicted. I wanted to push him aside and show her I was now here, but I wouldn’t do this to her either. She had something special with this Aashi male. I promised I would understand if she had taken on Aashi mates, and if what Koh and Tomlee said was true, she would want them as mates. They were good males from what I had seen.
“K’Tem?” I heard her gasp. I moved in close to her, her eyes streaming with tears. I wiped one away and she sniffled as she wrapped her arms around my neck.
