Lion Beta's Protective Mate

Chapter 2

At two o’clock, Sara walked out of the accounting office into the sunlight. She looked around and didn’t see Jackson yet. Figuring that he was held up some at his job, she sat on the metal bench outside the office door to wait.

She loved working here because of the atmosphere on main street. Everyone was friendly. It was colorful and the variety of shops were unique. There were always people walking by, talking and laughing. Older folks were just out walking for exercise, enjoying the weather.

Sara noticed that there was a small boy standing outside the toy shop across the street. He couldn’t have been more than eight or nine years old. His back was to her as he gazed in the window. She wondered what it was he saw that had captured his attention. He had brown hair and was a little on the slim side. She felt for him. She remembered the times she had wanted to go into that very store and her dad had explained that the money just wasn’t there.

Hearing a truck broke her concentration from across the street. She saw Jackson slowly making his way toward her. Her heart tripped just looking at him and her pulsed raced in anticipation of being close to him again but she refused to let it show on her face. She grabbed her bag and stood as he stopped in front of her. Opening the door, she got in and looked at him.

“We had this discussion this morning. I do not like being left waiting.” She lifted an eyebrow and waiting for his response with a stern look on her face.

He just looked at her for a minute. “Your appointment is at three o’clock,” he paused. “Three streets over.” He lifted his own eyebrow.

Trying to hold back her smile, she failed miserably. “One day. I’ll get you to react one day.” She thumped his shoulder. “All that control can’t be good for you. What gets you excited? Like you can’t wait to do something or makes you just let loose?”

He grinned at her with a mischievous glint. “You really want to know?” He looked around like he was getting ready to diverge a secret. Turning back towards her, he crooked a finger at her.

Sensing a trap but unable to resist him, she leaned forward to get this sudden burst of insight.

He swooped in and kissed her. It started slow. Each wanting to savor the first touch. After a moment Jackson deepened the kiss. His hand slide along her neck holding her in place.

Sara’s heart skipped a beat and then accelerated. The feel of his soft, firm lips against her was something she had been daydreaming about all day. As his kiss deepened, something inside of her moved, urging her to get closer to their mate. When he slowly pulled away, they were both breathing erratically.

“Does that answer your question?” He leaned in and lightly nipped her bottom lip, the temptation more than he and his lion could withstand at the moment.

Completely having lost herself in the kiss, Sara opened her eyes and looked at him in confusion. “What question?”

Jackson sat back grinning wolfishly. “That’s the best compliment I’ve had all day.” Reaching over, he took her hand though he still hadn’t released her neck yet. He wanted to make sure that he stayed in contact with her because what he was about to reveal was going to shock her a bit. “One thing we do need to address though, Sugar, is that apparently, when you get a little excited your eyes go cat. They aren’t your normal beautiful brown right now.” In all honesty the change had affected his lion. He was struggling to hold him back. His lion could sense his mate close.

“My eyes?” She dropped the visor down on the truck quickly and looked at her golden eyes. It was a definite change. Way different from the honey brown she was used to seeing in the mirror. It was a little unnerving how the outer rim seemed to sparkle a little in the sunlight. “That’s never happened before.” She wasn’t sure if she was saying it to herself or to Jackson.

Rubbing at the tension in her neck, Jackson lounged back a little in his seat, unconcerned. “I did kiss you this morning. Maybe the hormone is already starting to take effect. It didn’t take long for Lindsey once Tony kissed her. Maybe your body just needed the hormone from your mate instead of getting some random lion DNA.”

Closing the visor, Sara looked uncertain but went along with it. “I guess. It is still a little weird seeing it though. What if someone notices that my eye color is different?”

Jackson shrugged. “It’s close enough to Halloween. Tell them you are trying out some new contacts.” Putting the truck into gear, he pulled out into the road heading toward the lawyer’s office.

Taking a moment to settle her racing heart, she looked at him while he drove. “Wow,” she breathed. “Is kissing you going to be like that every time? We may have to limit doing that in public if I lose myself so much during it that my eyes change color.”

He sent her a sidelong glance before turning back to the road. Reaching over he took her hand. “It only happens that way with you.”

Sara was still grinning as they pulled into a parking space in front of the building. They had plenty of time but she hadn’t been kidding when she told him that she didn’t like to be late. By the time she had turned to open the door, Jackson was already there to help her out. He retained her hand as they made their way to the front entrance.

Jackson’s hand was on the doorknob when Sara noticed something up the street. She paused in puzzlement.

“What’s wrong?” Jackson stayed close and looked around.

Sara pointed toward the boy just up the street. He seemed to be window shopping again. This time at a candle shop? “I could have sworn that I just saw him on main street right before you got there. Strange.” She shook her head. “I must be mistaken. There’s no way he could make it here on foot in the time it took to drive here. Right?”

Jackson knew there was a way but didn’t comment. He studied the boy for a moment. It was possible he could be a changeling but it was impossible to know what kind until you got close enough to scent him. The wind was in the wrong direction without being obvious about what he was doing. Dismissing the boy as an immediate threat, Jackson tugged her toward the door again. “Come on. Let’s get this done. I have plans for tonight.” He waggled his eyebrows playfully.

Smiling, she followed him inside. The reception area was just as she remembered. Sara had come with her grandmother several years ago. She recalled that she had sat in this room for an hour while Tabitha had spoken with Mr. Gray. She had read a book while sitting on the comfortable couch and remembered Tabitha seemed very satisfied when she had reemerged.

Now, the receptionist, Mrs. Cross, smiled when they walked in. “Miss Thomas! It’s a been so long.” Walking over, she took Sara’s hand in both of hers. “I wish we could have met again under better circumstances. I’m so sorry for your loss, honey.”

A knot formed in Sara’s throat. She smiled sadly. “Thank you. It has been a few years.” Sara squeezed her hand in appreciation. She was still uncomfortable when people she was unfamiliar with expressed their condolences. Turning slightly, she indicated Jackson. Anything to direct her attention away from her and her grandmother. “This is Jackson Moore. He’s a very good friend.” She sounded a bit uncertain at the last part of the introduction.

His brows rose at the last bit but he still reached out to shake Mrs. Cross’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

She gave him a friendly smile. “I’ll go let Mr. Gray know you are here. He’s almost ready. I believe he was on the phone with your father a moment ago.” She missed Sara’s shocked look as she headed toward the door marked ‘Mr. Gray’.

Sara shook her head sadly. “Well, I guess that answered the question of whether he was going to be here or not.” Not only was the disappointment there but also the hurt. He couldn’t return any of her phone calls or texts but he could bring himself to call the lawyer? Was she really that unimportant to him now?

Jackson took her hand and squeezed. “He’ll get through this. Just give him some time. He was really close to your grandmother. He will come back to you.” He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear that had come loose. “A very good friend, huh?”

She blushed slightly. “I wasn’t sure how to introduce you. We haven’t exactly discussed that part.”

His smile was playful but reassuring. “I’m just teasing you. You are everything to me. I’ll explain the mate bond to you after this appointment. Or at least what I know of it.”

Her brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

He shrugged. “It’s different for every couple but there are a few things that are the same. Those I can tell you. And I know Lindsey has told you a few things.” He pulled her closer so he could hold her a moment while they waited for Mrs. Cross to return.

Sara was about to ask another question when the door behind them opened again.

“Mr. Gray is ready for you now.” Mrs. Cross stepped back holding the door for them. “Straight down the hall, first door on your left.” She smiled encouragingly before going back to her desk.

Following her instructions, they went to the directed door and knocked. When it swung open, an elderly man stood on the other side. The black of his suit highlighted the gray peppering his hair.

“Miss Thomas,” he reached out to shake her hand. “Please, come in. Have a seat. We have quite a bit to go over.” Glancing over her shoulder, he eyed Jackson speculatively. “And who is this young man?”

Pulling her hand back, she smiled. “This is Jackson Moore.”

“I’m sorry Miss Thomas but only family is allowed at the reading of the will.” He smiled apologetically.

Jackson saved her from having to reply. “I’m her fiancé, sir. It’s a pretty new development so she isn’t used to introducing me yet.”

Mr. Gray looked at her and she nodded. “Yes, I’m sorry. We just got engaged this morning. It’s very new.” She smiled, blushing a little with embarrassment. She seemed to do that a lot today.

“Very well. If you would both take a seat, we will get started.” He gestured toward the chairs as he moved behind his desk to sit. He had various stacks of papers and folders on his desk. “Now,” grabbing a file from one stack, he opened it. “I just spoke to your father. He apologized that he couldn’t be here. I informed him of the contents of his mother-in-law’s will that pertained to him and he very quickly informed me that I was to sign everything that she had given him to you. So that combined with what she had originally left you is quite a bit. I’ll go over it all with you so that it makes sense.” He smiled at her in a way that she was sure he meant to be reassuring.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed, Sara just nodded and held tight to Jackson’s hand.

“Okay,” nodding decisively, Mr. Gray continued. “I’m going to start with the easiest part first.” Looking down at his papers, he picked up the top page.

He went through a rather long list of investments that her grandmother had invested in over the years. “In that list I’ve included the investments that your father just signed over to you. All in all, they bring in several million a year. I have Mrs. Cross drawing up the new documents now so the proper paperwork can be signed before you leave today.”

Sara just stared at him in shock. “She never said a word. We always lived modestly and were completely happy with that. She only mentioned once or twice about speaking with her financial advisor.”

“Yes, Mrs. …” he flipped the page in the file. “Timbrooke. She is, my apologies, was, Tabitha’s financial advisor. I have all of her information here.” He handed her a business card. “I took the liberty of calling and speaking with her. She knows what is going on and is awaiting a call from you to discuss the accounts. From our conversation, it should be a simple take of removing your grandmothers name from the accounts. She had apparently already had your name added to the investments years ago. All Mrs. Timbrooke needs is a copy of the will, which I have already sent her, and Tabitha’s death certificate, to make sure it is all legally binding.”

Mr. Gray turned another page in his folder. There were several charities Tabitha was involved with. They discussed each and Sara made the decisions on what to continued whatnot to. They also discussed the process of getting Tabitha’s bank accounts switched over into her name. There were other details, like Tabitha’s house and car. They had a lot of work to do over the next few weeks in getting it all done.

“Now, this last bit of business I left til last due to the rather unpleasantness of it.” For the first time, he looked uncomfortable.

“Unpleasant? I’m sorry, Mr. Gray. I don’t understand.” They had been going it for an hour with him trying to make Sara understand everything from her grandmother’s will. There were plenty of shocks and she could honestly say that she was not only mentally exhausted but also emotionally. There was so much she had just found out about her grandmother she hadn’t known and wouldn’t have if this hadn’t happened. What else could her grandmother have been hiding from her?

Mr. Gray pursed his lips in distaste. “Your mother is alive, Sara. Tabitha has been paying her off to stay away from you.”