Their Polar Bear Dilemma

6 - The First Challenge

Jax

    Over the next week, both of our schedules stayed a little out of whack, but it didn’t take long for Shiloh to adjust to our sleeping schedule.  I think it helped that she also had werewolf blood running through her veins, and she had me to snuggle up to.

    It was wonderful, falling asleep together with Shiloh in my arms.  I had always slept better when she was with me, and I felt blessed to have her beside me every night.

    During the day, we would train with the warriors, ensuring our own ability to defend ourselves if ever under attack.  When that was done, we would take a short catnap, then we’d make a trip to our favorite swimming spot.

    Sometimes, I would invite my siblings, but more often than not, I wanted Shiloh all to myself.  The older we got, the more that had been happening.

    However, I did share her in the evenings.  We would have dinner as a family, then we’d sit on the floor and play with cars or dolls, depending on which one of my siblings were there at that point in time.  It wasn’t a rare occurrence for one or more of them to rush off with their friends. 

    As the days passed by, turning into weeks, we took full advantage of Shiloh living with me.  Not a day went by without me waking up to her beautiful, smiling face, and I couldn’t have been happier.

    Unfortunately, we were bound to run into a challenge eventually, and that challenge presented itself after three months of living together.  I was awakened by the sound of my mate whining in her sleep.

    The second I wrapped my arm around Shiloh, I noticed she felt hot to the touch, and she was covered in sweat.  While caressing her flushed cheek, I nervously mumbled, “Shiloh, wake up.  Tell me what hurts.”

    Her reaction was to groan, as she curled up in a ball with her arms hugging her abdomen.  Feeling more worried than ever before in my life, I gently shook her shoulder and pleaded, “Kitten, please tell me what’s wrong.  I want to help you.”

    “It hurts, Jax.  It hurts so freaking bad.  Make it stop, mate,” she whined in agony.

    “What hurts?” I asked, needing to know more.

    “My insides,” I choked out before groaning again.

    Not knowing what else to do, I left the bed and ran out of my bedroom, then I sprinted straight to my parents' bedroom.  Without bothering to knock, I barged in and anxiously mumbled, “Mum, wake up.  I need your help.  Something is wrong with Shiloh.”

    My mum had always been a light sleeper, so I wasn’t surprised to see her jump right out of bed, then we rushed back to my bedroom.  Halfway down the hall, the sound of Shiloh’s groaning reached my ears, and there was no stopping the ache that formed in my heart.

    When I reached the bed, Shiloh was still curled in a ball, but her body was now trembling.  My mum immediately jumped into action and started checking her out.

    After asking Shiloh a few questions about the pain, my mum looked at me with concern swirling in her eyes, as she stated, “Shiloh is in heat.  You should probably bunk with one of your brothers until it passes, while Shiloh stays in here.”

    “No!  I need Jax here with me,” Shiloh whined with tear-filled eyes.

    “It’s too risky,” my mum responded.

    “Mum, you can expect me to stay away from my mate when she’s hurting like this.  I won’t abandon her when she needs me the most,” I stated with determination.

    Knowing I would not back down, my mum sighed before grumbling, “Fine, but if you break the number one rule, Shiloh will have to move back to the Jungle Pack.  Is that understood?”

    “Understood!  Is there anything I can do to help Shiloh?” I asked.

    “I will request for ice to be brought up, so she can take an ice bath.  It will only provide a small amount of temporary relief, but that’s better than nothing.  In the meantime, I’ll reach out to Tamara and see if she has any tricks up her sleeve to help Shiloh,” she informed me before leaving the bedroom.

    While waiting for the ice, I sat on the edge of the bed and rub circles on Shiloh’s back.  She groaned and whined the whole time, making me feel bad for not being able to take her pain away.

    Finally, the ice arrived, and the tub was filled up with it.  Having seen Shiloh naked many times, I didn’t think it would be a problem, but the second I removed her clothes, the sweet scent of her heat hit my nose, making me feel the carnal need to mate with her.

    However, I knew the repercussions of that action and somehow managed to fight the urge.  It took a hell of a lot of self-restraint, but I couldn’t risk Shiloh being forced to leave.

    While the ice bath eased the pain Shiloh was experiencing within her, it also made her teeth chatter and her body shiver from the cold.  Knowing it was the best thing for her, I played the part of the bad guy and insisted she stay in it.

    Shiloh pouted her kissable lips at me and whined to get out, but I made her wait until the ice had fully melted.  At that point, I got the water draining and scooped her up in my arms, then I carried her straight to the bed.

Shiloh

    I had no clue why my insides felt like somebody was twisting them.  All I knew was that I was in pain, and I needed something, but I didn’t know what.

    Jax’s mum seemed sure I was in heat, but that wasn’t supposed to happen until we reached the age of maturity.  Then again, we also weren’t supposed to be able to feel the pull of the mate bond until then, but Jax and I had felt ours for many years.

    Alana recommended Jax stay away from me until the heat passed, but I couldn’t stand the thought of not having my mate within my reach, and neither could he.  She was reluctant to agree, but she did so with a reminder about not breaking the number one rule… no mating or marking.

    Not long after that, Jax put me in an ice bath.  It eased the burning sensation I was experiencing all over my body, but it also made me feel terribly chilled.  I tried to leave the tub a few times, but Jax was adamant about me staying in.

    After being forced to endure the ice cold, Jax finally scooped me out of the cold water and carried me back to the bed.  While keeping his eyes fixed on my face, he pulled the blanket over me and softly murmured, “Get some rest, kitten.”

    “Are you leaving?” I worriedly asked.

    “No, sweetie.  I’ll be right there, sitting on the loveseat,” he assured me with a forced smile.

    I could see the pained look on his face, but I didn’t know why it was there, so I asked, “What’s causing you pain?”

    “I’m good, kitten.  No pain here,” he answered before placing a soft kiss on my forehead and whispering, “I love you, Shiloh.  Sweet dreams.”

    “I love you, Jax,” I whispered in return.

    Jax did like he said he was gonna do and sat down on the couch, then he fixed his eyes on his hands that were resting on his lap.  It didn’t take me long to fall asleep, since the pain had eased a little, but it wasn’t a long sleep.

    The sharp pains and burning sensation on my skin soon returned, leading to me curling back up into a ball.  Seconds after I groaned from the pain, I felt the bed dip beside me, then those amazing sparks made my back tingle.

    Needing to feel more of those wondrous sparks, I uncurled my body and scooted closer.  Unfortunately, Jax was fully clothed, preventing our skin from making as much contact as I was craving, so I started tugging at his shirt while groggily mumbling, “Get rid of these clothes, mate.  I need to feel your skin against mine.”

    “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he responded with wariness.

    “Now, Jax!  Please, don’t make me beg,” I demanded in an almost pleading tone.

    After a few seconds of hesitation, Jax stripped down to nothing but his boxer briefs.  Not wanting to push my luck, I didn’t demand he take the rest off.  Instead, I snuggled against him, but it still wasn’t enough, so I laid on top of him and mumbled, “Wrap your arms around me.”

    Not questioning me at all, he did as instructed while also pulling the blanket back over us.  I buried my face into the crook of his neck and moaned with delight, as those wonderful sparks slightly eased the pain in my abdomen.  

    In addition to that, I got the joy of scenting my mate.  I had always loved Jax’s scent so much.  The smell of cocoa and cloves permeated my nostrils, putting my somewhat frazzled mind at ease for the moment, and it wasn’t long before I was falling asleep again, but this time I was wrapped in my mate’s arms.