Undeniable Craving (2 page)

It was a man who
softly said her name from somewhere at the side of her bed. Jaimie didn’t
recognize his voice. He didn’t say anything more, but she sensed he was still
there.

The mattress
dipped as he sat beside her. Jaimie couldn’t help noticing he smelled good.
Like really, really good. If she hadn’t been at death’s door, she was sure her
body would have reacted to his scent. As it was now, she found it pleasurable,
and it took away some of the typical hospital smells.

He carefully
gathered her into his arms. She wanted to wake up and ask him what he was doing
since she didn’t know him, but the drugs kept her sucked below the surface,
unable to get past them.

He gently
touched where her shoulder and neck met, brushing against her skin. The ends of
his hair tickled her face as he brought her closer. Was he going to kiss her?
Was he some kind of freak who went around kissing women who were on the verge
of dying for some kind of sick fetish?

Jaimie soon got
her answer as his mouth came down on her skin where he’d brushed her and bit
her—hard. There was an instant of pain before a surge of pleasure took its
place. It was more like a warm, comfortable feeling that settled into every
inch of her. With that came a wash of emotions. For the man who held her in his
arms. It didn’t make any sense, but in a way she felt as if something invisible
tied them together. That he was hers, and she, his.

He seemed to
reverently kiss her lips before he said quietly, “I’m Gage, and I claimed you,
Jaimie. You’re marked by the mate brand. If it worked, you’ll live. I’m going
to leave now, but I’ll come back. I’m not going to let you go.”

He settled her
back onto the bed, then covered her with the blankets. He kissed her forehead
before he stood. Jaimie listened as his footsteps headed out of the room. She
tried to wake up enough to call out to him, but it was a battle she wasn’t
strong enough to win. His name kept repeating in her mind as she sank deeper
into the darkness that rose to meet her.

Chapter Two

Leaving Jaimie,
his now claimed mate, behind was the hardest thing Gage had ever done. She was now
his, and his instincts screamed at him to go back, to look after her. That was
what he was meant to do—to protect, provide and love his female.

He did love her.
After he’d bitten her, he’d felt the invisible link that joined them as mates
form between them, never to be broken. Once the connection was complete, it
solidified Gage’s feelings for Jaimie. He fell instantly in love, which was
supposed to happen.

If the link
forming between them hadn’t been enough to prove the claiming had worked, the
appearance of the mate brand on Jaimie’s neck where it met her shoulder did.
The bite had also healed within seconds, leaving no traces of what he’d done
behind. Gage hoped like hell her body would work to heal the cancer that
ravaged her. It had to. He wouldn’t accept anything else.

He stepped out
of the hospital and headed for the parking lot. He’d have to book a room at one
of the local hotels. There was no way he’d return to Canyon Creek without
Jaimie. Gage then remembered she had a young son. His steps slowed at that
implication. He’d not only gained a mate but a child as well. He was a father
now.

He shook his
head at his thoughts as he unlocked his SUV, then climbed inside. He was
getting ahead of himself. Gage was well aware of what he’d done, and how it’d
changed his life, but Jaimie hadn’t a clue. She was going to have a hard time
with it all, and she’d wonder how she’d gotten the mate brand. She’d think it
was a tattoo. One she had no recollection of getting. The doctors and nurses
were sure to notice it as well.

Gage started his
vehicle, then drove to the parking exit. He paid the fee before he turned onto
the street. If Jaimie hadn’t been in the hospital, he would have stayed and
explained everything. About his being a wolf shifter and how she was his mate.
Somehow he’d have to get her out of there. For one thing, the doctors would
question her miraculous recovery after being so close to death. They more than
likely would start doing tests, which would include blood work. He had a
feeling that would show some differences that hadn’t been there before.

He found a hotel
and was able to book a room for a couple nights. Gage had no idea how long it’d
take him to get his mate and son ready to make the move to his home. He hoped
it wouldn’t take too many days. He wasn’t exactly comfortable in a city like
Great Falls for extended periods of time. Being a wolf, he needed to take on
his animal form and have the freedom of going for a run in the trees. That was
something he couldn’t do there.

Gage had gotten
into his room and sat on the bed to test it when his cell phone rang. He fished
it out of his front jeans pocket and looked at the display before he answered.
It was his mother. She more than likely called to check on him. Even though he
was pushing thirty-one—as were the rest of his brothers since they all were
from the same litter—his mom still thought of them as her babies.

“Hi, Mom,” he
said once he hit the button to answer the call.

“How was the
drive? Did everything go well at the fur buyer?”

Yup, she was
checking up on him. “The drive was fine. Long as it usually is. And I sold the
pelts with no problem. I have the check in my pocket.”

“Then I guess
you’ll be heading back to Canyon Creek soon.”

“Ah, not
exactly.”

“Why? You need
to come home. Your time is running out and you haven’t found your mate. You
have to make a concerted effort to find her. I know you’ve been to Helena, but
you never sought out any of the female wolf shifters in the pack there.”

Besides always
watching out for each of her children, Gage’s closeness to his deadline of
finding a mate had worried her. The closer it loomed the more anxious his
mother became. At least he could now set her mind to rest.

“That’s the
reason I’m not coming home right away.”

“I don’t
understand.”

“I found her,
Mom. I found my mate. And she’s human.”

“Oh, thank
goodness. So you’ll be bringing her home with you tomorrow?”

“Not exactly.”
He paused. “I found her in the hospital, dying of cancer. The doctors gave her
only a couple days to live.”

“Gage, no. We’re
going to lose you.”

“No, you won’t.
I claimed her.”

There was a
marked silence on the other end before his mom asked, “What? You claimed her?
While she’s in the hospital on her death bed?”

Great. Now his
mother thought he was a sicko. “I claimed Jaimie, but not in the way you’re
thinking. I would never do something like that. I bit her. I don’t want to lose
her. So I bit her with the hopes it’ll save her. The mate brand appeared on her
skin, in color, and my bite mark healed in a few seconds. I’m hoping the cancer
will be cured as well.”

“So you’re going
to stay in Great Falls until you know for sure?”

“Yes. I can’t
think that my claiming her didn’t save her. That’s the only reason I bit her.
Not to stop me from losing my humanity.”

“I know, dear.
There’s a good chance she’ll survive. Your brothers’ mates do heal very quickly
and haven’t been sick since being bitten. We’ll have to take that as a good
sign for your Jaimie.”

Gage’s hopes for
his mate’s survival hinged on that. “So am I. I’m going to go now. I only
arrived at the hotel a short while ago. I need to have something to eat, then I
have to figure out how I’m going to manage to get Jaimie and her son to move in
with me.”

“She has a son?”

“Yes. From a
previous relationship. The boy’s father hasn’t been in the picture right from
the start. He’s living with his aunt right now. She’s Lynne, who works for the
fur buyer.”

“I’m a
grandmother,” his mom said happily. “Since Lynne is his aunt that must mean
she’s Jaimie’s sister. I’ve always liked Lynne.”

His mother had
started looking forward to grandchildren when Kiel had become the first to have
his mate brand appear. Gage’s mate’s son would be spoiled rotten.

“Jaimie is
Lynne’s younger sister. I’ll call you when I’m on my way home.”

“Your father and
I will come to Great Falls.”

“No, Mom.”

“We can help you
ease your mate and her son into our world.”

“Seriously, Mom.
No. Please stay in Canyon Creek.”

“We could bring
you some clothes. You weren’t planning on staying in Great Falls longer than a
day. You have no idea how long it’ll be before you come home.”

“I’ll buy some
new clothes.”

“Don’t be silly.
That’s an added expense you don’t need. You’re already paying for a hotel
room.”

Obviously, his
mom wasn’t going to let it go. He really didn’t need her to come there. She
meant well, but she’d “help” too much as she tried to do with other aspects of
his life when he could manage just fine on his own. Gage and his brothers
building their own cabins and moving out, even though they were still on their
family’s property, had sent his mom into smothering mode. He didn’t need that
now.

“If you’re going
to insist,” he said, “then send one of my brothers. I’d prefer you don’t come
to Great Falls. Having my mom and dad around while I try to win over my mate
isn’t exactly something I’m comfortable with.”

His mom sighed.
“All right. I won’t come, but I will have one of your brothers go. I’ll need
the name of the hotel you’re staying at and the room number.”

Gage rattled off
the information, then quickly finished up the call. After he put away his cell
phone, he fell back onto the bed. That was one crisis narrowly averted, but he
expected one of his brothers to show up at the room sometime that night. His
mother would see to that. Whichever sibling it was, they’d be sleeping on the
floor in wolf form. Gage wasn’t going to give up the only bed.

* * * *

It was close to
six thirty when there was a knock on Gage’s hotel room door. He opened it and
was surprised to find Cyrus and Shyla standing on the other side. He’d thought
one of his unmated brothers, Memphis, Rhett or Talon, would have made the trip.
It never occurred to him that a mated brother would arrive with his mate in tow.

Gage stepped to
the side to allow Shyla and Cyrus to come in. “I didn’t think it’d be you two.”

Shyla smiled.
“Cyrus decided it’d be best if it was us. You’re already under enough strain as
it is. You don’t need Rhett, Memphis or Talon hanging around and bugging you.
Plus, this gave us an opportunity to get away and have something of a
honeymoon. During the trapping season, there wasn’t time. And don’t worry,
Cyrus and I booked our own room. One with a whirlpool tub.” She gave her mate a
smile that said volumes.

Cyrus held out
the duffle bag he held to Gage. “Mom packed you at least a week’s worth of
clothes.” As Gage took the bag, then let go of the door so it shut, his brother
asked, “How are you holding out?”

Gage shrugged.
“As good as can be expected I guess. It’s hard being separated from Jaimie, not
knowing if she’s getting better or not. I keep hoping it worked. I’m going to
the hospital again in the morning. If she is doing better, she won’t know me.
She was sleeping and didn’t awaken when I bit her.”

His brother
reached across and tugged down the collar of Gage’s t-shirt where it covered
the mate brand. “Well, your brand is in color so you’re definitely mated. I’m
guessing the bite you gave Jaimie healed in seconds. I can’t see why it
wouldn’t work on the cancer as well. We may not be able to turn our human mates
in to wolf shifters, but they do get some aspects of our kind. Like rapid
healing.” Cyrus let go and put his arm around Shyla.

Gage touched his
mate brand. After he’d talked with his mom, he’d gone to the bathroom and
looked at it in the mirror. The Celtic knot work was now in vivid blues, greens
and reds. He’d stared at it for quite some time, his thoughts lost in worry for
Jaimie.

“How long are
you two staying in Great Falls?” Gage asked.

Shyla answered.
“A few days. I figured since Neha came to me when I had a hard time accepting
what Cyrus was, I want to pay it forward and do the same for Jaimie if she has
a hard time with it all.”

Neha had gone to
see Shyla and had explained what it meant to be a human mate to a wolf shifter.
Gage guessed it coming from another woman in the same situation had helped
Shyla get her mind around the new life she’d fallen into.

“Thanks,” Gage
said. “I just might have to take you up on that offer.”

“Since you don’t
need Shyla’s help right now,” Cyrus said, “we’re going to our room. We’re on
the floor above yours in 605.”

“All right. I’ll
give you a call tomorrow before I head over to the hospital.” He smiled. “Enjoy
your whirlpool tub.”

“We intend to.”

After Shyla and
Cyrus left, Gage dropped his duffel bag onto the floor next to the bed and then
took a seat on it. He turned on the TV and flipped through the channels. He
supposed he’d be the next brother to get electricity put into his cabin along
with a satellite dish. Kiel and Cyrus had done it for their mates since it was
what Neha and Shyla were used to having. Gage would do whatever it took to make
his mate and son’s transition to his life as comfortable as possible.

* * * *

Jaimie awoke for
the first time in a very long while feeling rested and in no pain. At first,
she thought her doctor must have tried a new medication on her, but she had
none of the usual lethargy the drugs caused, which she could never shake.

This morning she
felt…different. If she had to describe it, she’d have to say it was a sensation
she attributed to not being sick. That shouldn’t be, though. She had terminal
cancer, and she’d just about run out of time. The day before she’d been in so
much pain and so weak she’d slept more than she’d been awake.

Jaimie then
remembered the visit she’d had from a man she didn’t know. Gage. It was hazy,
but she thought he’d bitten her, then she’d sunk into a deep, restful sleep and
hadn’t awoken until this morning. In all probability, it could have all been
her imagination. Or a hallucination. She’d been in a state that was between
wakefulness and slumber. It wouldn’t surprise her at all if that turned out to
be the case.

She opened her
eyes. She was able to focus, and her mind was completely alert. Jaimie quickly
took stock of herself and found there was still no pain. She turned her head
and looked at the large clock on the wall. It was really early, but she was no
longer tired. That was a bit of a shock. She scanned the room and spotted the
vase filled with pale pink and red roses that sat on the table next to her bed.
They were new.

Jaimie turned
her gaze toward the door as someone stepped into her room. It was Lynne. Jaimie
smiled. “Hi.”

Lynne came to a
sudden standstill. “You’re awake.” Her eyes welled with tears. “You’re awake.”
She rushed over to Jaimie, sat on the bed next to her and gathered her into a
hug. “When you wouldn’t wake up last night, I thought for sure…”

“I feel…better.”

Lynne released
her and sat up straight as she wiped her tears away. “Really? You do have some
color in your face now.”

Jaimie’s stomach
growled—loudly. Her eyes widened as she looked at her sister. “And I’m hungry.”
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually wanted to eat.

Lynne smiled
through another wave of tears. “You’re hungry. I have to get the doctor.”

“Before you do
that, I want to sit up. Who brought the roses?”

Her sister
worked the bed to lift Jaimie into a sitting position. She looked over at the
flowers. “Oh, those must be from Gage.”

Jaimie’s breath
caught. “Gage?”