Undeniable Craving (4 page)

He placed his
hands on either side of her hips on the mattress and closed the distance
between their mouths. Gage gently brushed his lips along hers before he latched
on for a deeper kiss. Jaimie opened, and his tongue swept inside. The beeps of
the heart monitor attached to her sped up as a rush of desire washed through
her. She reached up and fisted the front of his t-shirt, tugging hard to get
him even closer.

As he tasted
her, and their tongues met, Jaimie didn’t want it to end. She felt more alive
than she had in months. Her heart beat at a rapid pace and her blood heated
with arousal. For once, she didn’t feel as if she were disconnected from her
body as it slowly lost the battle with cancer. Gage grounded her, gave her the
pleasure she needed in a bad way.

“You really must
be feeling better.”

The sound of
Lynne’s voice had Gage breaking the kiss, but he didn’t move away from Jaimie,
and she didn’t let go of his shirt. They both turned their heads in her
sister’s direction at the same time.

Lynn smiled. She
looked down at Gage and a look of surprise flashed across her face. “Is that…”

Her sister’s
words trailed off as she tugged Gage’s collar down farther to reveal his mate
brand. With her other hand, Lynne eased the one on Jaimie’s hospital gown to
the side. She smiled so huge it could have lit up the room. What she did next
was even more surprising. Lynne took Gage’s face in her hands and placed a
loud, smacking kiss on his lips.

“Ah, Lynne, why
did you kiss Gage?” Jaimie asked as he sat straighter. He looked as shocked as
she felt.

Her sister set
her gaze on Gage. “It was you. I didn’t know it was possible, but you’re the
one who saved Jaimie. You claimed her. You made her your mate. I thought your
kind couldn’t do that with humans.”

“You know what
Gage is? That he’s a wolf shifter?” Jaimie wouldn’t have guessed that in a
million years.

Lynne nodded.
“I’ve known about them for quite some time.” She looked at Jaimie. “You know
Sam, Rob’s best friend?”

“Yes.” Rob was
Lynne’s husband so Jaimie had been introduced to Sam whenever he got together
with her brother-in-law.

“Well, Sam is a
wolf shifter. His pack is in Helena. That’s where Rob grew up. They’ve been
friends since they were teenagers. Shortly after Rob and I married, they let me
in on the secret, and I promised not to tell anyone. Now that you have a mate
brand, I don’t have to keep it from you any longer.”

Jaimie shook her
head. “Sam is a wolf shifter?”

“Yes. Actually,
you saw him once in his wolf form.”

“I did?”

“Yup. It was a
couple years ago. Do you remember seeing Rob walking a huge ‘dog’ on a leash?
We told you it was one of the neighbors’ that we’d promised we’d look after for
the weekend. You’d said it looked more like a giant wolf than a husky. You were
right. Sam and Rob had made some kind of bet and Sam had lost. In doing so, he
had to shift to wolf form, allow Rob to put a collar and leash on him and let
him walk him like a dog once around the block.”

Gage burst out
laughing. “I’m so not telling my brothers that story or they’ll try it out on
me.”

Lynne turned her
attention on Gage. “I truly thought wolf shifters couldn’t take humans as
mates.”

“It isn’t a case
of couldn’t. I don’t think it happened before until recently. Kiel was the
first of our litter to become mate branded since he was born first. If you know
about wolf shifters then you know how we come to the conclusion of who our mate
is supposed to be. It kind of surprised all of us that Neha, a human, had that
certain part of his anatomy working again. Then Cyrus found Shyla, another
human. So I’m not surprised it turned out Jaimie is mine.”

“Did you know
before you came to the hospital?” Lynne asked.

“Yes. You had
her scent on your clothes. It set me off, if you know what I mean?”

“Well, I don’t,”
Jaimie said. Gage hadn’t told her yet how he’d known she was his mate.

Lynne smiled. “I
think I’ll let Gage tell you that one.” She grew serious. “I’m going to assume
one of the perks of being a wolf shifter’s mate is fast healing and being
long-lived.”

Gage answered.
“We know for sure our mates can heal, and obviously it works with something as
serious as cancer. We don’t know about the long-lived part yet, but we think
that’s the case as well.”

“Did the doctor
order blood tests?” Lynne directed her question at Jaimie.

She nodded.
“Yes. He should be returning with the results soon. That’s why we wanted you
here since you have the power of attorney. We have to get me out of here before
they push for more. I seem to be recovering at a fast rate. I’m no longer in
pain. It feels as if I never had cancer. I’m weak, but I think that’s because I
lost so much weight. I am getting stronger a little bit at a time.”

“You’re right.
We have to get you discharged before they start asking too many questions about
how fast you’ve recovered. Legally, I’m pretty sure I have the right to take
you home. I had the option of having you…die…at home. I don’t think they can
stop us from taking you out of the hospital now.”

That was soon
put to the test when the doctor arrived a few minutes later.

“I have the
results from your blood work,” he said as he opened the file folder he held. He
silently scanned what was inside before he spoke again. “It’s good news. Your
cancer is gone. I don’t mean you’re in remission. I mean it’s completely
disappeared. As if you never had it. I’ve never had a patient who was days away
from being deceased make such a miraculous recovery. We need to do more
extensive tests to make sure it stays that way. Plus, there were a couple
strange results as well.”

Jaimie shook her
head. “No more tests. I’m done with them. I just want to go home.”

“Sorry, but they
need to be done.”

Lynne broke into
the conversation before Jaimie could say anything more. “If Jaimie says she’s
done with the tests then she’s done. She’s not in any danger. You said so
yourself. We’d all feel better having her home.”

The doctor
scowled. “She may be out of the woods now, but there’s always a chance the
cancer will return. It’s happened once already. If you take her out of the
hospital before I feel she should leave, I have the right to refuse care for
her should she return to the hospital.”

Her sister
glared at him. “Then so be it. Please sign the discharge papers so we can go.”

“I can see
you’re adamant about it, and that there is no point in arguing about it since
you won’t listen to reason. I can have them signed for her to leave tomorrow.”

“No.” Lynne
shook her head. “Jaimie leaves today. Right now.”

The doctor
sighed. “All right. I’ll say this one more time. This is against my wishes as
her physician. I’ll go now and get the discharge papers ready. The nurse will
bring them to you to sign once I’m finished. It should only take twenty
minutes. I have one other patient to look in on first.”

After the doctor
walked out of the room, Jaimie felt as if she could finally take a deep breath.
For a bit there, she’d thought they’d have a fight on their hands. At least it
hadn’t come to that. Now all she wanted to do was get out of the hospital and
never come back.

Chapter Four

Gage silently
stood by the window and watched the two sisters interact. Lynne fussed over
Jaimie, who in turn took it in stride. The heartbroken Lynne he’d seen
yesterday at the fur buyer was long gone. The one he’d known for years had
returned, which made him happy. He could also see that she did take on the mother
role with Jaimie. And the love she had for her shone through with every smile
and touch.

Now that they’d
arranged for Jaimie to be discharged from the hospital, Gage set his mind to
the steps needed to get his mate and son moved to Canyon Creek. It wasn’t going
to happen today, and maybe not within the next couple days. It was going to be
a big decision for her. He’d claimed her, but there wasn’t anything that would
keep her physically at his side if she didn’t want him. For him, on the other
hand, there would never be anyone else. She was his mate, end of story. No
matter how much he’d hate to lose her, he’d let her go if that was what she
truly wished. He’d just be happy with the fact he’d saved them both.

Who was he
kidding? To let Jaimie go would hurt like hell. It’d take a very long time
before he reached the stage where he’d be able to say he could live without
her. With them mated, he was absolutely and thoroughly head over heels in love
with her. Nothing would change that. That was the way male wolf shifters were
wired. They claimed their mates and they handed over their hearts to them with
no questions asked, even if they hardly knew the female.

Once the sisters
grew silent, Gage went and joined them. “Where is Jaimie going to go after she
leaves the hospital?”

“Can you wait at
least a week before you take her home?” Lynne asked.

Gage blew out a
breath. “I don’t know if I can last that long in a city.”

“Really? Sam has
never had any problem with it.”

“That’s because
he’s from the Helena pack. Over the years, they’ve become more human than wolf.
I don’t live that way. My pack just consists of my parents, myself, my five
brothers and two of their mates. We live in log cabins on a huge amount of
forested land. We need to be in a wolf form quite a bit. We’re wolf shifters,
not werewolves. The animal is closer to the surface.”

Jaimie broke
into the conversation. “Where do you live, Gage?”

“Canyon Creek.”

“That’s a couple
hours from here, right?”

“Correct.”

She looked at
Lynne. “We’ll stay two days, just long enough to get all the things Derrick and
I will need to take with us for the move organized.”

“Okay. Just
promise I can visit as often as I can.”

Gage smiled.
“Lynne, you and your husband are more than welcome to visit. You already know
my family so it isn’t as if we’re a bunch of strangers to you. My mom will be
as protective of Jaimie as if she were her own daughter. Same with Derrick,
though she’ll spoil him rotten since he’ll be the first grandchild.”

He was happily
surprised Jaimie hadn’t balked at the idea of moving her and her son in with
him. Maybe the invisible link that joined them had her feeling as strong for
him as his were for her. Even though Kiel’s and Cyrus’ mates said they’d fallen
for their mates the instant it formed, Gage hadn’t been too sure if Jaimie
would have experienced it since she hadn’t been awake when he’d bitten her.
Plus, there hadn’t been any intimacy between them yet.

A nurse arrived
with the discharge papers. Lynne quickly signed them and then gave them back.
The nurse then removed his mate’s IV line and unhooked her from the machines.
It was a done deal. Jaimie was free to leave. Gage couldn’t wait to get out of the
hospital. The harsh disinfectant smells had been steadily getting to his nose.
It was no place for a wolf shifter. He longed for the clean, fresh air of the
forest around his cabin.

“I only need to
get dressed, then we can go,” Jaimie said.

“I’ll help you,”
Lynne said as she headed for a tall cupboard in the corner of the room.

Gage nodded.
“I’ll wait outside in the hall.”

Jaimie gave him
a thankful smile. He returned it before he left the room. It wasn’t very many
minutes before his mate and her sister joined him. Gage ran his gaze over
Jaimie. Her jeans and t-shirt hung loosely on her frame. She definitely was too
skinny, but she’d gain some weight once she had regular meals. Seeing her
standing, she really was a small thing compared to his much taller height.

Once Jaimie was in
front of him, she said, “We’re going to Lynne’s house. That’s where Derrick, my
son is. You’ll come with us, right?”

“Of course. You
need to be with Derrick. I’m sure he’s missing you.”

Lynne nodded.
“He is. He’s only eight. Jaimie being in the hospital has been really hard on
him. He’ll be overjoyed to see she’s home.”

“I bet,” Gage
said. “I guess I’ll follow you two.”

Jaimie met his
gaze. “I’m going with you in your car.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Let’s go.
I don’t want to be here another minute.”

The three of
them walked down the hallway to the bank of elevators at the pace Jaimie set. After
a short ride down, they headed out of the hospital. Outside, as they turned in
the direction of the parking garage, Gage made sure he stayed close to his
mate’s side in case she started to feel weak. The cancer was gone, but her body
would still be recovering.

Lynne left them
once they were inside the garage since her car was in a different section from
Gage’s. He and Jaimie continued on to his SUV. He could tell she was tiring.
Her steps had become slower.

“Would you like
me to carry you the rest of the way?” he asked.

Jaimie shook her
head. “No. I’m doing this. I’ve been lying in a bed for the last few months. I
need to get used to moving under my own steam again.”

“All right. Let
me know if it gets to be too much. We have a little bit of a walk.”

“I’ll be fine.”

In the end,
Jaimie walked the entire distance on her own. By the time they reached the
passenger side of his SUV she was shaky and there were beads of sweat on her
upper lip and forehead, but the look of accomplishment she wore said she didn’t
care.

Gage unlocked
the door and held it open as Jaimie slid inside the vehicle. He closed her in
once she was all the way inside, then walked around the back end to climb into
the driver’s side.

Once they were
clear of the garage, she gave him directions to Lynne’s house. Jaimie rolled
down her window and took a deep breath. “God, the air smells good. I didn’t
think I’d ever be able to get out in the spring sunshine.”

“You’ll like it
at my cabin. The air is always fresh and clean. My section of property is surrounded
on three sides by forest. And it’s really private, except for when my family
comes to visit. My unmated brothers like to show up whenever they feel like
it.”

“That sounds
exactly what I need.”

Gage glanced at
Jaimie. “I have to say I’m surprised you’re more than willing to come live with
me. You’ll have to uproot your son and everything.”

She shrugged. “I
guess I’m ready for the change. Living in Great Falls will be a constant reminder
of what I went through with the cancer. I don’t want that. You can give me a
fresh start so I can put all that awfulness behind me.”

“And you have no
problem accepting the fact I’m a wolf shifter and that you’re my mate?”

“No.”

“My brothers’
mates freaked when they found out.”

“You saved my
life, Gage. If not for you being what you are and claiming me, I could have
been dead already.”

“So, because I
saved you, that’s the reason you want to move in with me?”

“No. I do think
you’re gorgeous and sexy as anything. It
has
been a long time since I’ve
had a man interested in me.”

Gage shot a
glance over at Jaimie to find her smiling. “You’re interested in my body, huh?
I think I can be persuaded to let you have your way with me.”

Jaimie chuckled.
“Good to know. And I’ll be taking you up on that.”

“I look forward
to it.”

He turned on to
Lynne’s street and slowed down as Jaimie pointed out which house belonged to
her sister. Lynne had arrived before them and stood on the boulevard, waiting
for them. Gage parked at the curb in front of the house.

After they got out
of the SUV and joined Lynne. Gage didn’t miss the concerned expression she
wore. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

Lynne turned
toward her sister. “I thought Rob and I had taken care of this, but it would
seem we didn’t. Derrick’s father is back in the city.”

Jaimie scowled.
“Okay. What does Neil being back have to do with anything?”

“He heard you
were close to dying, and that Derrick is staying with us. He showed up on our
doorstep the other day, demanding we give him his son.”

“Like hell,”
Jaimie said. “The bastard left Great Falls after I told him I was pregnant. He
gave up his rights to Derrick. Neil has never even seen him, and hasn’t paid me
a cent in child support. I’ve had to do it all on my own since I was
seventeen.”

“I know. Rob
told Neil that you made us legal guardians of Derrick. Neil said since he was
the father he had the right to take him. Rob told him to get a lawyer, and that
seemed to be the end of it.” Lynne glanced toward the house. “Neil came back. He
pushed his way into the house, trying to get Derrick. Rob has managed to keep
him in the entranceway.”

“No way is he
taking Derrick. I’m not dead, and no longer sick, so he can get lost again.”

Gage fell into
step beside Jaimie as she headed toward the house. Lynne followed. The sound of
raised voices could be easily heard the closer they came to the front door.
Jaimie quickened her pace and then yanked it open. Two men stood just inside,
angrily yelling at each other.

“Neil!” Jaimie
shouted the name as she came to stand next to a man who appeared to be close to
her in age. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Neil’s
expression of anger turned to one of shock. “Jaimie? I thought you were in the
hospital and that you didn’t have much time left.”

She nailed him
with a hard gaze. “As you can see, I’m no longer sick. I’ve made a miraculous
recovery. How dare you come here and try to take my son?”

The shock left
Neil’s face to be replaced with annoyance. “He’s my son too.”

“You gave up the
right to be a father long ago. Out of Derrick’s eight years of life, not once
have you bothered to see him. Why now?”

“If you died, I
was Derrick’s remaining parent. I should have custody of him, not your sister
and her husband.”

“I gave them
guardianship. It was my choice to make, not yours.”

Gage stepped in
as Jaimie shook and her face grew pale. “I think it’s time you left, Neil.”

The other man
turned his gaze on Gage. “Who the hell are you?”

“I’m Gage, Jaimie’s
fiancé. As I said, you need to go now.”

“I don’t have to
do a damn thing you say. I have the right to at least see my son.”

“He’s my son
now. Will you leave nicely or do I have to walk you out?”

Neil looked at
all of them, then settled his gaze back on Gage. “I’ll go, but I’ll return.” He
spoke to Jaimie next. “I’m back in Great Falls to stay. And I
will
be a
part of my son’s life.”

Jaimie shook her
head. “No, you won’t. Derrick doesn’t need you around.”

“Then I’ll take
you to court and fight for shared custody.”

“Fine. Don’t be
surprised if a judge makes you pay child support for all the years you’ve
missed. Eight of them. I doubt you’ll get shared custody, anyway. You haven’t
done anything to prove you’d be a good father.”

Neil flashed
them all an angry look before he stormed out of the house, slamming the door
behind him. Gage had a feeling this wasn’t over yet. Jaimie’s ex-boyfriend didn’t
give the impression he was willing to step aside.

“Mom!”

The name was
shouted as a young boy who looked a lot like Jaimie came racing down the stairs
from the floor above. Once he reached the bottom, he ran to his mother and
threw his arms around her waist with his face pressed to her belly. His small
shoulders shook as he cried.

Jaimie held him
close and rubbed his back. “It’s okay, Derrick. He’s gone.”

Derrick pulled
his tear-stained face away from his mother’s stomach. “It’s not because of him.
I thought you were going to die. Aunt Lynne wouldn’t let me see you in the
hospital.”

“You don’t have
to worry about losing me, kiddo. The cancer is all gone.”

Derrick hugged
his mom again, then turned his head to the side to look at Gage. “Who is he?”

“This is Gage.
He’s the one who made me better.”

Gage smiled at
Derrick. “Hi. I’m really looking forward to getting to know you a lot better.”

Rob cleared his
throat. “I’d like to know what’s going on. Why did Gage call himself Jaimie’s
fiancé? I know for a fact she didn’t know him before she went into the
hospital.”

Jaimie turned
her gaze on Lynne. “You didn’t tell Rob?”

Her sister shook
her head. “I figured we could tell him once you were home.”

“Tell me what?”
Rob asked.

“I guess it’s
best just to show you,” Jaimie said.

She pulled her
collar away from the left side of her neck where it met her shoulder to reveal
the mate brand. Gage did the same as Rob’s gaze swung his way.

“You’re a wolf
shifter,” Lynne’s husband said with shock in his voice. “And you claimed Jaimie
as your mate? I didn’t think it was possible with humans. Didn’t you have
to…you know…to do that? You couldn’t have done
that
in the hospital.”

Gage smiled. “I
am a wolf shifter. Lynne told us about your friend, Sam. Jaimie is the third
human to be claimed by one of my kind that I know of. As for how that happened,
I only bit her. It was the only thing I could think of that would save my
mate’s life.”