Page 90 of Saving the Last Heir
Like the first time, it had been frantic and passionate. I’d honestly grown to believe that sex like this was nothing but afantasy, but it wasn’t. You really and truly could have earth-shattering and mind-blowing sex. Each time we were together, there was an intensely undeniable connection unlike anything I’d felt before. It made me excited but also melancholy. There was still no way to know if our plan would work, or if we’d even survive whatever came after. Even so, I couldn’t stop wondering about what a life with Jackson might look like. I was falling for him, fast and hard, but I needed to temper my expectations. This might be nothing more than a way to deal with the stress. Once we had his sister back and Christian’s sister was safe, then I could perhaps broach that subject.
Until then, all I could do was enjoy the glorious joy that filled my heart. If nothing else, it would be an amazing few weeks to look back on.
Jackson shifted as if to get off me, but I pulled him close. “Don’t,” I whispered, running my fingers along his back. “Stay.”
He sagged against me. I kept my legs wrapped around him, holding his softening cock inside me as long as I could. While I rubbed his back, Jackson’s breathing grew deep and steady as he slipped off to sleep. Holding him, I closed my eyes, a faint smile on my lips as I too slipped off to dreamland, happy and satisfied in more ways than I could count.
21
JACKSON
Iwas torn out of my dreamless sleep by the incessantbuzz-buzz buzz-buzzof my cell phone vibrating. When I opened my eyes, my vision was blurred from sleep and the memories of the night before. A fuzzy warmth filled me as I rolled over to find my phone.
Shyanne lay beside me, still fast asleep. Easing myself off the bed, I quickly found my discarded pants and pulled the phone free. The smile on my face vanished when I saw the name on the screen.
“Carson? What’s wrong?” I said, keeping my voice low so as not to wake Shyanne.
“Thank God,” Carson hissed. “There you are. I’ve been trying to get ahold of you for an hour.”
I must have been in such a deep sleep that I hadn’t heard the phone.
“What’s the matter?”
“It’s Tormynd,” Carson said, sounding miserable. “I…I think he’s about to go.”
An icy hand grabbed hold of my heart and squeezed. Go? Did that mean what I thought it meant?
“I don’t understand. What do you mean he’s about to go?”
“The Vanishing, Jackson,” Carson said, his voice tight and strained with panic. “He’s been sick the last few days. It was hard to tell if it was just bad allergies or a cold or something, but it’s not. He’s in bed now, shivering and coughing like mad. It’s like all the others. Iknowit.”
A wave of nausea spread through my stomach, cold sweat springing out across my entire body. Vertigo overcame me, forcing me to grab the wall to steady myself.
“Wait, wait, wait,” I muttered, trying to compose myself. “Are you sure? Uh, maybe it’s like pneumonia or?—”
“Jackson,” Carson said, his voice sad and tired. “You and I both know shifters can’t contract that. Stop. Please. I know you don’t want to hear this, but it’s happening. He…he’s asked for you. Can you come home? We need you.”
Sinking down to the ground, I glanced at Shyanne’s sleeping form. My responsibility to my people was a constant shadow hanging over me. As badly as I wished to stay here and slide back under those sheets and pull her close, I needed to go home.
“I’ll be back,” I said, resigning myself to the trip. Then, before either of us could say more, a horrifying thought occurred to me. “Does Mom know?”
Carson sighed heavily. “Not yet. Tiana and I have been keeping it from her. Both of us hoped it was something else. With allthe stress she’s been under, we thought it best to keep her out of it for now. But she’ll find out if he vanishes. You can’t hide something like that.”
“Let me tell her, okay?” I said, already scrambling around the room and gathering my clothes.
“I will. Jackson?”
“Yes?”
“You need to hurry. I…” he trailed off, and silence stretched for several seconds. “I don’t think he has much time.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
Moving as quickly and quietly as I could, I dressed, then hurried over to the small desk by the window and searched the drawers until I found hotel stationery and a pen. I slid a piece of paper out and scribbled a note.
I’m so sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up. An emergency came up at home, and I didn’t want to wake you. Trust me, this isn’t how I would typically do this. I’m ordering you room service for breakfast before I leave. I want you to know I had the most amazing night of my life last night, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everything you’re doing to help me. I’ll give you a call as soon as I can.
See you this afternoon to prepare for tonight.
