I put my work down and rub my pounding headache. Thanks to Luke being the best person ever, I didn't have to drive back to the office. After a quick text with Jason's address, he was on his way. He questioned me for a bit and insinuated that Jason and I were screwing. I quickly shut that down, but he didn't look convinced by the time he left. Who knew looking like you nearly died gave off sex vibes?
The Chinese food we ordered before we started engulfed the entire room with its smell. I got through all of my work, but Jason is still typing away, constantly flipping through paper documents and emails. I have no intention of interrupting his flow, so I sit with my thoughts.
If werewolves existed, what else did? How would Saiya react to the truth? I can believe Jason so well because of what I went through, but Saiya, on the other hand. Jason isn't one to joke or talk about the supernatural, so maybe that'll provide some seriousness to the conversation. I scoff at my naivness. Nobody in their right mind would believe that without evidence.
And I highly doubt Jason would put her through an hour chase. If Jason can't shift with his humanity intact, then he might as well cut his losses now. Saiya may be a bit of an airhead at times, but she's a "won't believe until I see it, " kind of person.
I sigh as I realize I've already made a decision. I'm going to help Jason figure this whole thing out. It's not like he has the time to do it himself. I see a crease form on his head. He must be extremely stressed out.
I grab my laptop and start typing. I'm going to help Jason figure out his past, but before that, I type in the word "calla," I go to click my enter button before a growl erupts from the other side of the room. I instantly freeze like a child caught stealing candy. I slowly look up to see Jason still staring at his laptop. "Soren," I start to sweat a bit. "Yes?" he doesn't bother to look at me when he responds. This reminds me of the start of our relationship. "You're up to something. Stop it,"
I nearly fall off the couch. How did he know?! "But, but I. How did you?" I stutter my words and fail to make a coherent sentence. "I can hear it. That, and you keep subconsciously staring at me," Staring? I wasn't staring. At least, I don't think I was. Damn. And how could you hear somebody doing something wrong? His kids were going to have a hell of a time with him.
"First off, how can you hear that? Second, how did you know I was staring? You aren't even looking at me!" This was just insane! Jason finally lifts his head so that our eyes connect. "Your heartbeat, Soren. It increased and sounded weird when you started to type. It wasn't like that before. And you don't need to see a person to feel them looking at you,"
I didn't know what to say to that. I put my hand on my chest. Sounded weird? Was there something going on with my heart now? His wolf side was showing, and I'm not used to it. The only thing left to do is, "Well, you're wrong," deny his every accusation. "I decided to help you figure out your situation. I'm trying to see if I can find anything online for you. And before you give me a skeptical eye, you'd be surprised at the mythologies that are influenced by real events. Not to mention, we work with a bunch of people with a bunch of connections. I know a few who owe us,"
He cocks his eyebrow, intrigued yet doubtful of my plan. "First, you were doing something wrong. Your heartbeat evened out after telling the truth. Second, if I couldn't find anything about my past in the past decade and then sum, I highly doubt you can," I roll my eyes at him. He can't possibly be this arrogant.
"Are you forgetting I'm the one who collects every drop of information on our partners before we get involved with them? I gathered a lot of information they didn't want to be known. You might be a tough nut to crack, but so were they. I can only assume your adoptive parents have fake names and you don't have a fake birth certificate. It's the most cliche thing people use to cover their tracks. I'll get a printout of your birth certificate and get somebody to look into your adoptive parents. What are their names?"
Jason looks at me before sighing. "Gabriel Madden and Jessica Madden," I quickly write it down in my notes. "Yeah, those are definitely fake names. I'm expecting your adoption to be a closed one. It's not like we can request a confidential intermediary on your behalf. Your parents are either off the grid or dead. No offense. We're going to have to do this the illegal way, but if that's the case, then while I'd like to trust my connections won't spill, they are still working for our rivals business-wise.
I'm going to have to find another source and be anonymous about who I am. If our company is tied to anything illegal, we're done for. Needless to say, I can still rely on them to get us the basic information on your adoption certificates. Fear not, I'll be careful. You just sit back and relax.
But we will have to practice your shifting. If Saiya is going to believe you, you need to be able to transform without trying to kill her. It seems you need a link to your humanity to snap you out of killer mode. We'll figure it out," I smile at him and start to email our sources.
I see Jason stand up. He walks to me and closes my laptop. I look up at him with questioning eyes. What I see in his leaves me breathless. His eyes are full of tears, refusing to drop from his eyes. He looks down at me with appreciation. "Thank you, but it's getting late. You should rest," I shake my head. "If you're up, so am I. If I can't force you to stop with words, then I'll make you with actions. If you're concerned for my health, then you should be concerned for yours as well. I'll cook up some real food, and you can set up a movie. We slept through most of the day, but we have a long day tomorrow. Let's relax into tomorrow. I'm sure you got most of your work done, and I'm not driving back home this late at night. I'll wake up early in the morning to leave."
I start to get up to find something to cook before I realize there isn't a kitchen here. I think back to what I saw when I first entered. The kitchen is destroyed. "You don't have another kitchen by chance, do you? I could go for something outside of Chinese food," Jason chuckles before stepping toward me. "You're amazing. Are you up for pizza?" My smile widens. "Am I ever? I'm surprised you ate Chinese food. You don't seem like a junk food kind of guy, "
"You were going to cook a meal because of me?" His face changes once again to shock. "You're going to have to learn a lot of things about me." I whip out my phone to order pizza, garlic bread, and hot wings. "What movie tickles your fancy?" I ask Jason. "I'll watch whatever you want," I put my finger on my chin and think about it. I'm in the mood to laugh. Put on anything with Kevin Hart." He takes the remote and clicks on a movie. We settle down until the pizza comes. Before I know it, I'm on the couch eating junk food and laughing with my boss/brother-in-law/friend...?
I don't know what Jason is to me anymore. I decide not to think about it and enjoy the moment.
-----
Jason's P.OV
I knock on Saiya's door and patiently wait for her to answer. I check the time and hope she isn't asleep. 10:00 pm, I grimace. I got off work as early as possible to get here at a reasonable time, but everything took longer than expected despite Soren and I getting most of it done this past week. Soren, I had the wrong impression about her at first, but I see us becoming great friends. Her decision to help me was unexpected, but I'm grateful for it.
Saiya opens the door, looking groggy. My lips lift in a smile. She's completely and utterly adorable. "Jason?" I put my hand on her face and hit the top of her head, bringing her into my chest. "You didn't check the door before opening it?" She looks up at me and smiles. "I did, but I need a closer look to confirm,"
"Don't open the door again unless you're 100% sure. Got it?" Saiya chuckles, then rolls her eyes. "Okay, dad." she walks into the house and leaves the door open. I take that as my sign to enter.
I kick off my shoes at the front of the door and place them neatly beside one another. I hang my bag on the coat rack at the front door and make my way toward Saiya. I grab Saiya from behind and turn her around for a passionate kiss. The moment our lips connect, she melts in my arms. My hands roam her backside and down her hips.
A moan erupts from her mouth, and I take the opportunity to slide my tongue into it. She whimpers and reciprocates my actions. Our bodies press together, providing warmth and comfort. I can feel her heart racing as fast as mine, and I smile. Her hands roam my chest in a circling motion. I tug at her lips until I'm suddenly pushed away. Saiya takes a gulp of air. Her face is flushed and she's completely flustered. I grin at my handiwork.
"Fuck, I'm sorry I pushed you away, but if that kept going the way it was, I wouldn't hesitate to give my virginity to you, and we're saving that for after the wedding," she shyly smiles, assessing my feelings on the matter. I cup her head and caress her cheeks. "I know, baby. I've just been missing you. We're both always busy, and I haven't touched you in weeks. There's only so much loss of contact a man can take with his future wife." I give her one last gentle kiss on the lips.
We pull back, but we aren't far from one another. I stare her up and down and subconsciously let out a growl. Her mouth opens in a gasp. Her thin tank top and shorts make me want another go at her, except I don't want to kiss only her lips anymore. I shake my head to rid myself of such thoughts. If these kinds of thoughts keep going, I won't be able to hold out until the wedding.
"I know. I wish we could make more time for one another. Do you think we could visit my parents next weekend? We haven't had a chance to go over anything for the wedding, and I want to start planning with my mom. Besides, my brothers will be coming back next week, so it gives you the perfect opportunity to meet them," My stomach sinks. I think back to what Soren said about telling Saiya about my werewolf side. The deeper we get into this relationship, the harder it's getting to tell her.
Will she find comfort in her brothers or parents after I tell her? And if so, how are they going to take it? I plaster on the best smile I can muster at the moment. "Of course, if I don't meet them next week, I probably won't see them until the wedding,"
She smiles at me and kisses me on my cheek. "Great, so how has work been going?" Saiya stares at me expectantly, and I know she's not concerned about business. "You mean how Soren is going. She's fine, better than before actually. She's found a new passion project." Saiya nods her head, but her face embodies disappointment.
"I guess she's not concerned with familial matters. I don't know why I keep getting my hopes up. She's completely selfish and has no idea what is going on with our family. Hell, I'm sure she didn't tell dad happy birthday yesterday. I mean, she's never been close with him to begin with, which I don't understand at all considering he's been more of a dad to her than her actual dad. This family wants her, yet she keeps pushing us away, throwing herself into work. Does she ever think about others?" Saiya scoffs, but the sadness in her eyes betrays the anger she shows through her words.
"Hey," I grab her hand and sit her down on the couch with me. I grab her chin and redirect it so she's facing me."Your sister, she's not selfish. Not one bit. After these past weeks, I'd say quite the opposite. I don't know why your family is the way it is, but give Soren a chance to express herself without the pressure of being your big sister." Saiya slaps my hand from under her chin and pouts.
"You've known her for all of what, three weeks maybe. It's not like you two talked much before. And what do you mean by you'd say the opposite after these past few weeks? Besides, she had absolutely no pressure in being my older sister. She never was much of one and still isn't." I heavily sigh. There is so much conflict between these two. It seems they both have misconceptions of each other.
"Soren and I are business partners, and you and I are romantic partners. I know a thing or two about both of you. Besides, Soren and I have become closer. She's shown me more parts of herself that I never would've expected from her. I'm sure if I can be surprised, so can you. How about she comes with us to visit your parents. It'll give your family a chance to reconnect with her and take some of the heat off me," I wink at her. She looks at me suspiciously before breaking out in a giggle. I release a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
She wraps her arms around me and kisses my neck. "You're amazing, you know that?" I smile at her and embrace her for a while. I don't know how long we stay like this before sleep takes us.