BK 5 - Chapter 31 - Cameron and Jamie
Jamie looked around the shelter and sighed. She had been there for almost three months, and they were getting ready to kick her out. The worst time to be put back on the street is in the winter. Northern California is cold and rainy at that time of year. It may not be as cold as other places, but when it rains, the chill feels like it seeps into your bones, making it difficult to get warm.
She didn't ask to be born in a house with a drug-addict mother who thought she was always trying to steal her men. Jamie left when her mom tried to kill her with a butcher knife. The boyfriend her mother had at the time had gone into Jamie's bedroom and tried to rape her. Rather than kicking the bastard out, her mother blamed her for coming on to him.
That was about six months ago, right after her eighteenth birthday. The asshole said that because she was eighteen, he had a right to touch her without anyone screaming she was underage.
Jamie looked out the window and saw the sun beginning to rise. After breakfast, she would be told to leave. She began packing her things, making sure there was nothing left behind. Jamie didn't have much, but it was hers. She looked in the small handheld mirror and tried to tame her unruly brown curls, but it was useless, so she put her hair in a messy bun. She looked down at the jeans and sweater she had on. They were in decent enough shape but still wouldn't keep her warm. Jamie put her coat on, grabbed her bag, and went to where they handed out food. She took one of the brown bags to go and left the shelter.
In high school, she had studied hard so she could make something of herself when she graduated. She planned to go to college and get away from her mom. However, circumstances made that day come quicker than she anticipated. Now, she was just trying to survive.
A cold, steady rain fell as she walked down the street near downtown Sacramento. She passed by people who had their tents set up on the sidewalk. Jamie had never considered needing a tent because being homeless was supposed to be temporary. When she spoke to social workers, they told her she needed to find a job. Well, that was easier said than done. There weren't too many places that would hire someone who was homeless, had smelly clothes, and couldn't bathe. No one would want someone with body odor handing them their burger and fries.
Jamie pulled her hood up on her coat, and her tears mixed with the rain. How could she get out of this never-ending cycle of hopelessness? As she walked, someone suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her into an alley.
"Get the fuck off me." Jamie shoved the man to the ground and turned to run, but three other men were blocking her path.
"We saw you leave the shelter and thought you may need some warming up out here in the cold." One of the men tried to pull Jamie into his arms. When she was close enough, she kneed him in the groin. He let her go and dropped to his knees. Jamie tried to run, but two other men grabbed her arms and pulled her further into the alley while she struggled.
"Let me go, you sick bastards," Jamie said. The men laughed and forced her onto the ground. The other two joined them on the ground.
"You're going to pay for that." The one she kneed in the groin said while he started to pull down her pants. Jamie screamed for help, but the rain had gotten heavier, and the wind was blowing hard, so no one heard her.
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Cameron parked his car on the side of the street and ran through the rain into the building. He was signing the purchase contract for a new group home. He was twenty and had been helping at his family's group homes since he was a cub.
He had gone to a local community college to get an associate's degree in social work to help young adults on their own for the first time. The group home he was investing in would help young adults once they aged out of foster care.
As he was leaving the realtor's office the rain was coming down harder. Cameron ran to his car, but he heard something that made him stop before he could open the door. He listened and heard it again; it sounded like a woman screaming. The sounds seemed to pierce his chest like a knife. He had to find her.
When he heard the scream again, he started running in the direction it came from. When he saw four men holding down a woman in an alley, he ran over, grabbed the man who was pulling down her pants, and threw him against the wall. He grabbed another man by the hair and punched him in the face before tossing him to the ground. The other two men took off. Cameron went over to the woman who was standing up and straightening her clothes.
"Did they hurt you?" He asked as he looked her over. She didn't meet his eyes as she picked up her things.
*"You have to touch her; I believe she's our mate."* Cameron's lion Rebel said excitedly.
"I'm okay. Thank you." Jamie kept her eyes down as she prepared to walk away. Cameron stayed next to her. He hadn't even seen her face clearly. How was he going to touch her?
"Can I take you home or somewhere else?" He asked. Jamie laughed dryly.
"I live on the street, so I am home," She replied. Cameron's heart broke. She was the type of person he wanted to help. Even if she wasn't his mate, he'd want to help her.
"It's cold and wet out here. Can I take you to a hotel?" Jamie looked up at him and glared.
"I'm not a damn whore." She said through clenched teeth. Cameron was too stunned by her beauty to see how angry she was. Her eyes were pale blue, and her face looked like an angel's.
"I wasn't suggesting that. I was only trying to get you somewhere dry and warm to go. I'm Cameron. Please let me help you." He said as he held his hand out to her. Jamie looked at his hand and then into his brown eyes.
"Why would you want to help me? You don't know me. I'm just a nobody on the street that was attacked by four pieces of shit. You don't need to feel obligated to do anything more." She started to turn, but Cameron stopped her.
"I don't feel obligated. Helping people is what my family and I do. Please, can I get you a hotel room?" Jamie looked at him, and he seemed sincere. The two idiots he'd pulled off her jumped up and ran away. Cameron wasn't done with them. He and Rebel had their scents, and they would find them later.
"Okay, fine. You're not one of those freaks who think they're doing the world a favor by killing the homeless people, are you?" Jamie asked. She wasn't getting that killer vibe from him, but she couldn't be too sure. Unfortunately, what those men had tried to do to her wasn't the first time. She was fortunate that no one had been successful. Cameron smiled at her, and her heart began to race. He was handsome even in the pouring rain; with his blonde hair a wet mess, she could tell how attractive he was.
"No, I'm not, I promise. Although if they had hurt you any more than they already did, then I may have turned into a killer." He said, as he led her to his car. Jamie smiled slightly. That was the nicest thing anyone had done for her in a long time. She turned toward him before getting in the car and held her hand out.
"I'm Jamie, by the way. It's nice to meet you, Cameron." He held his breath as he reached for her hand. As soon as they touched, his suspicions were confirmed she was his mate.
Jamie's eyes widened in surprise when she felt something tingly run through her body when she touched Cameron's hand. What caused that feeling? It caused an excitement in her that she hadn't felt in a long time, if ever. When she met his eyes, he was smiling at her.
"It's nice to meet you too, Jamie." He opened the door for her, and she got into the car. Cameron felt like he was walking on air as he walked to the driver's seat. He wasn't sure how he was going to tell her that he was a lion and she was his mate. He decided to ask his parents for advice. After all, his dad had been a human before he met his mom, Lisa.
