His Unidentified & Untouchable Mate

Peace at Last

Zahraa POV

I woke up with Jacob curled around me, his heat pouring into me. I’d changed into a long-sleeved shirt last night, but I refused to sleep in gloves. And we’d put the same rolled sheet separation between us we had our first night together – yet he’d crossed it, entangling me like a wrestler might his opponent.

I had arms around my torso (how had he snaked one under me without waking me up?), and his legs wrapped around mine – one was under my knee, and one over, effectively leg-locking me. His head rested on my chest again, his ear over my heart.

I stared at the ceiling, releasing all the anger I’d pent up over his cheating. We were trying again. Was that wise? Who knows. But I wanted to.

I wanted this feeling – this exact feeling. Having him curled around me, my sheets smelling like him, me smelling like him.

My arm curled around him and started rubbing his back as my eyes drifted closed again. I focused on the soft circles I made on his white T-shirt, a soothing rhythm. And I started to hum something. I don’t know what – I don’t think I’d heard it before. I assumed I was making it up as I went. But the melody was soft and sweet; almost like a lullaby. It must’ve roused Jacob, because he groaned ever so slightly, then looked up at me. His brown eyes were bleary with sleepiness, and from this close, I could see a splattering of faded freckles across his nose.

I wanted to kiss them, and sadness once again reigned supreme.

“Good morning,” I said, offering a sleepy smile.

He groaned again, untangling himself so he could stretch. “G’mornin’,” he muttered. He closed his eyes and settled back in for a moment, his breathing evening back out. I began rubbing his back again, and he woke once more with a start. “Good morning,” he repeated – though this time the words were fully audible. “How long have you been up?”

“Not very long,” I replied, speaking in a voice just barely above a whisper. For some reason, this space felt almost holy. Like speaking too loudly might shatter the magic of the moment. “About ten minutes.”

He pushed himself away, albeit hesitantly, and grabbed for his phone, then groaned. “I missed training.”

I tried to hold back the snort that inspired, and failed miserably. He shot me a glare absent any real fire, and I chuckled. “I’m sure once every now and then is forgivable.”

“Not when you’re the one leading the training,” Jacob sighed, pushing out of bed. “I’ve got to get over there and straighten some things out. You have coffee with the girls this morning, right?”

I nodded, and withheld a sigh. I didn’t want him to realize right away how much I wasn’t looking forward to explaining my decision to them – how much they’d come to hate him.

“Once you get back, we’ll call him,” Jacob yawned.

Something about that statement made my stomach do an artful backflip. It must’ve shown on my face, because he quirked an eyebrow. “Unless… you don’t want to?”

“No, no, I do… we should. I’m just…”

Afraid.

The word summoned itself, and my heart thumped painfully at the realization. Afraid? Why? I’d met the man once – he was pushy, sure, but the only male that had ever been able to touch me without pain. Furthermore, he seemed to know why that was. Contacting him only made sense, but…

No.

The voice in my mind would not leave me alone about it. I pushed the heels of my palm into my eyes, relishing the sweet, grounding pain that blossomed. “…I don’t like him. Something about him feels off.”

“I feel the same way,” Jacob replied, speaking firmly. And of course, he would. The man had touched his mate.

But this wasn’t off in a werewolf territorial sense – this was off like… like the rolling creep you may feel along your spine when you don’t know why someone unsettles you, until you realize he has a few spots of blood on his pant leg – someone trying desperately to look outwardly innocent, despite the basement full of bodies they probably had. Like being the only boat out to sea from horizon to horizon, and seeing an incredible shadow pass beneath you.

“But,” Jacob continued, “If he knows something, we should pick his brain.”

I swallowed. He was right. Wasn’t he? I mean, the last bid we had was hypnotherapy, and that was a long way away yet. “Sure,” I replied with an exhale. I forced a smile, “I’m sure you’ll be right beside me if we have to meet again.”

“I wouldn’t dare leave you alone with him,” Jacob said, his voice a little too emphatic. “So go ahead and have fun with your friends. And try to convince them not to lynch me when they see me next.”

I forced out a strangled laugh. “Easier said than done. I think Ingrid is sharpening knives as we speak.”

Jacob laughed, and when he gathered his things and prepared to leave, I opened a Door for him to his own bedroom. When he was gone, the apartment felt empty, and I felt anxious – but something else too.

When that man – Zain – when he’d grabbed me, Ingrid had simply backed off. He hadn’t said anything – she just stepped back.

Did she know him?

My phone buzzed. As if she’d known I was thinking of her, Ingrid was calling.

I stared at the photo. My best friend. My confidante. The only person I truly trusted wholeheartedly.

She’d abandoned me last night.

“Hello?” I answered, unable to help the creeping animosity in my voice.

“Hey,” Ingrid replied, sounding cheery – as though she didn’t pick up on it. “Alanis is asking us out to coffee. Tanis can’t make it – sounds like trouble in paradise if you ask me. Want to get ready at my place?”

Normally, I enjoyed my space getting ready. But this morning, I had questions for her – things I didn’t want to address in front of the whole group. “Sure,” I practically sighed as I stuffed my outfit for the day into a bag. I hung up without saying goodbye and opened a Door to her bedroom, stepping through to see her covering her bedroom mirror with a sheet.

“Hey,” she greeted. Her smile was so big, so warm.

Like she didn’t even remember leaving me to that snake of a man.

“Hey,” I repeated, unable to summon an ounce of enthusiasm. Her smile faded, and before she could ask ‘what’s wrong,’ which would only further infuriate me, I added, “What happened last night?”

Her expression grew guarded. “I thought we were going to ask you about that. You got back with Jacob. I didn’t see that coming.”

“No,” my voice came out sharper than I’d intended. “Not that. With the guy. With Zain.”

“The guy that grabbed you?” Ingrid scrunched her nose. “Zahraa, I didn’t even see him.”

My heart pounded as though it’d received an electric shock. “What do you mean? You followed him when he took my hand. You left at the bar in the middle of telling him to leave me alone – how do you not remember this?” I shook my head, feeling as though I was crumbling. My reality was crumbling.

And then, from the rubble, a fire rose.

“No,” I shook my head. “No, you remember. You have to remember,” I commanded. Something seared within me – a heat that was not uncomfortable that ran along my blood in my veins. When it abated, Ingrid looked like she was crumbling instead.

Her eyes widened, and her hands framed her face before her fingers tangled in her hair, gripping it tightly, pulling it as though it might ground her as she curled into herself. She inhaled sharply. “Goddess,” she exhaled; “Goddess, Zahraa, I…” There was a pure, cold horror in her eyes when they met mine. Tears followed shortly after. “Zahraa, what did you do to me?”