BK 4 - Chapter 19 - Marked
Lisa had a hard time sleeping. She kept thinking about what was in the file from Roger and their talk with Wesley. How could anyone think it was okay to kill others without any consequences? She couldn't wrap her head around it.
She knew Wesley was checking with INTERPOL to see if there were any laws to protect them, but she wanted to do some research on her own. Lisa slid out of bed and got her laptop. She sat at the small desk in the bedroom.
She began a simple search of laws protecting shifters. When nothing came up, she searched for laws specific to vampires and witches. Again there was nothing. Lisa started getting creative.
She began reading laws protecting indigenous tribes, their culture, and their lands. Lisa liked the idea of shifters, witches, and vampires being covered by the same laws as Native Americans. As she searched the ins and out of how the indigenous tribal laws came into effect, Jayce came up behind her and kissed her head.
"What are you doing?" He asked, leaning down to look over her shoulder.
"I'm thinking maybe we could look into laws for the indigenous tribes and write them to fit us. I know it's a long shot, but what do you think?" Lisa looked up at Jayce nervously. Was this a ridiculous suggestion?
"That's a great idea. Let me help." Jayce got his laptop out and sat on the bed. They worked for a couple hours, pulling up everything they could about the laws protecting indigenous tribes. They only stopped when someone knocked on the door. Lisa ran downstairs and saw Alex and Kiersten. She immediately knew something was wrong.
"What happened?" Lisa asked as they came inside. Both of their faces turned red.
"We...I...uh," Alex stumbled over his words. Lisa crossed her arms and looked between the two of them.
"You had sex, didn't you?" She smirked when their faces got even redder.
"How did you know?" Kiersten asked softly. She was mortified that it was so obvious what they'd done.
"I can just tell. So what's the problem?" Lisa asked. She was glad Kiersten couldn't see her laughing and sticking her tongue out while Alex glared at her.
"We forgot to use protection," Alex answered while putting his arm around Kiersten. They hardly slept, thinking about the cub that could already be growing in Kristen's belly.
"So you don't want cubs?" Lisa asked, not really understanding the problem. If they planned to mate, having a cub should be a good thing.
"We want cubs, but we didn't plan for it to happen so quickly," Alex replied slowly. He looked at Kiersten, and she looked thoughtful.
"Lots of things happen that we don't plan for. I can't imagine anything better than having a little bear cub running around. The only problem is you haven't marked Kiersten yet, so I'm not sure how that will affect the birth." Lisa said as she looked at the couple, who seemed to be breathing a little easier.
"Why would that affect the birth?" Kiersten asked, confused. Would being human have an effect on the cub?
"Shifters typically go into heat to get pregnant. We only carry our cubs or pups for a few months. Labor is usually easy, too, because we heal faster. You need to talk to a doctor to see if you're pregnant and what that means for you. I wonder if you mark her now if it will help." Lisa bit her tongue when she saw them both turn red again. Jayce came down from the bedroom and noticed the tension in the room.
"Is everything alright?" He asked. Lisa quickly told him what was going on, and he smiled.
"That sounds awesome to me. I can't wait until we have cubs." Jayce said, taking a seat next to Lisa.
Alex started thinking maybe Lisa and Jayce were right. He and Kiersten wanted cubs, and if they had one sooner than expected, they wouldn't love him or her any less.
"You're right. If we have a cub, so be it," Alex kissed Kiersten's forehead, and she beamed. She hadn't been as worried as Alex, but now that she knew he was fine with it, she secretly hoped their mistake turned into a happy surprise.
"Can we still talk to a doctor to see if you can go ahead and mark me? I don't want to wait if we don't have to." Kiersten asked.
"I'll ask Mom who we can talk to," Alex answered. He sat in a chair at the table and pulled Kiersten onto his lap.
Lisa told them what she and Jayce had been working on that morning. Kiersten and Alex both liked what she was thinking.
"You know they say that the first shifters were Native Americans. They could shift into wolves to defend the lands they were forced to leave. We can look into the laws, but maybe we need to visit some of the tribes too. We could talk to some of the elders who may be able to help guide us." Alex said, looking at the others. He had always been interested in Native American art, so he'd spent a lot of time studying the traditions of the different tribes.
"That's a good idea. Why don't you and Kiersten work on that, and we'll keep looking at the legal side?" Lisa said. She liked the idea of Alex and Kiersten talking to the tribes themselves. There may be some secrets they may be willing to share with someone that wasn't there in an official capacity.
"Are you okay with that?" Alex asked Kiersten. He wanted to take her shopping first, but after that, they would try to set up some visits with a few Indian reservations in the area. They may look elsewhere if they can't find any in California willing to help them.
"That sounds great." She answered excitedly. Kiersten could hardly contain her happiness at how Alex and his family were sure to include her in everything. They didn't think she needed to stay behind because she was blind. Not once had they mentioned her lack of sight.
After the unpleasantness with Scott the night before, Kiersten had spent a little time with the women of the family. She already felt like one of them. When Cat, Kitty, Janel, and Mindy had talked about being human before being mated, she felt a connection with them. Jade had stuck by her side, repeatedly apologizing for bringing Scott. Kiersten was glad in a way that she had brought him because it gave her a chance to fight back when she never thought she could.
After eating breakfast, Alex and Kiersten left to go back to talk to Melanie about a doctor. Lisa and Jayce returned to the bedroom to continue their research. Before they got started, Jayce pulled her into his arms.
"So when are you going to mark me?" He asked before kissing her until her knees felt weak.
"I can mark you whenever you're ready. Are you sure you don't need more time to think about it?" Lisa asked as the excitement of being mated bubbled up inside her.
"I'd like to start the process of making sure the most beautiful woman in the world is mine forever." He replied, lifting her up so she could wrap her legs around him.
"Okay, but there won't be any changing your mind later. You can mark me after you've fully transitioned, and we'll be together forever. Is that what you want?" Lisa asked while wrapping herself around him tightly.
"I've never wanted anything more. What's better than being tied to the person I love for the rest of my life? We've known each other for less than a week, but I can't imagine my life without you. I love you, Lisa." Jayce replied as he sat on the side of the bed with her on his lap. He kissed her while running his hands under her shirt, feeling the smooth skin of her back. When she pulled away, she put her forehead against his.
"I love you too. If you're ready, I can do it now." Lisa said, looking into his eyes. When she saw nothing but love staring back at her, she finally felt everything she'd always dreamed of in a mate had come true.
"I'm ready," Jayce said, tilting his head to the side. Lisa kissed the spot she was going to bite. When Jayce felt her fangs sinking into him, he felt a slight pain, but it was quickly replaced with a feeling of warmth that filled his body. He could feel his connection to Lisa growing and tying them together. When she pulled out, he looked at her with tears in his eyes.
"Are you okay?" Lisa asked with concern licking the few drops of blood off his neck.
"I'm fantastic. For the first time in my life, I feel wanted and loved. Thank you for coming into my life and making me part of your family. You're more than I could have ever hoped for." Jayce answered as he buried his face in her neck.
They had both been damaged in their own way, but now their broken hearts had come together and made them whole. Lisa held Jayce as he cried and felt tears running down her face. Maybe her dad was right. Everyone met their mates when they needed each other the most.
