Female Warrior's second chance Mate

Dealing With the Past. Part one

Jessica POV

Yelling so much yelling, although it was loud and near by it was also somehow muffled like I was trying to listen to a conversation through a wall. I shook my head trying to clear some of the fog that seemed to be clouding my hearing. I looked down at the M110 SAAS in my hands and then looked up to see Carter shouting in my face. Joseph Carter, my best friend and right hand man we went through basic together and ended up in the same battalion. We were an inseparable team, a package deal if you will.

“Sarge, you good?” Carter yelled.

I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why he was yelling, he was in his full combat gear. Tan camo that was common with the military these days so we could blend in with the desert. His helmet and bulletproof vest were secured and all tan, he also had a M110 SAAS. It was then that I looked around I noticed that we were crouched down behind an armored truck, my back was against the truck and Carter was leaning on his left side facing me. I scanned the area when I heard the gunfire and saw the explosions. Dirt was showering us from all sides, it was in this moment that I remembered that we were in Afghanistan and were pinned down by insurgents. I knew my face had confusion written all over it when I looked over at Carter, when I saw his face I could feel mine change. I put my game face on and c****d my weapon, I turned my body so that my back was away from the truck. I looked at Carter one more time before I nodded and stood. I raised my gun and was prepared to fire when I felt white hot pain in my left shoulder. I felt myself fall to the ground as soon as I made contact I looked at my shoulder. All I could see was blood and a hole where my vest was supposed to be. I couldn’t stop the scream that escaped me.

I sat straight up in my bed panting. I swallowed quickly trying to calm my breathing. I looked down at my shoulder and I was wearing the black tank top I wore to bed. There was no vest, no blood. All I saw was the thin strap of my top and the tattoo I had gotten to cover the scar. The dream I had sent me reeling, it was one of the many flashbacks I had and by far the least distressing. That particular memory was of my first tour in Afghanistan when I was 18. We were going about our business passing through a small village when insurgents came out of nowhere and pinned us down. My tour was supposed to last two years. I made it six months before I got shot with an armor piercing round.

I looked over at the clock next to my bed, 7:30am I slept a half an hour more than I did yesterday. With my adrenaline pumping I knew there was no way I was going to get back to sleep so I decided to take the win and get out of bed. I went into the bathroom down the hall. I fumbled around the wall till I found the light switch, it always took me a minute to find it. Once I finally found the switch and the light was on I took a moment to look myself over. Sine I was already facing the mirror.

I was a bit pale, but still tan and not a "I stayed out in the sun all day" kind of tan. My skin tone comes from my Cuban heritage on my father's side. My mother on the other hand is white. My complexion came from my mother while my skin tone came from my father. My mother also gave me her hazel green eyes, which at this moment, were a little wild and hazy from the adrenaline still flowing through me from my flashback.. Loose strands of my shoulder length dark brown hair were stuck to my visibly sweaty face. I turn the cold water on to splash the frigid water onto my face. This effectively finished waking me up, washed the sweat from my face, and cleared the haze I was in. Once the haze lifted, I took another look at my shoulder, more precisely my tattoo. My tattoo was of a sun sitting on the horizon of a dense forest. Aside from the tops of the trees that were in the sun, the forest part didn’t have much detail. The tattoo took up most of the space just below my collar bone in my shoulder joint. As I examined my tattoo I lifted my right hand and touched the scar. The scar was a small circle of raised skin and unless touched, you would never know it was there. The less-detailed portion of my tattoo covers the scar perfectly. This tattoo has a partner on the back of my shoulder in the exact same spot. The only difference between the two is that the one on my back is a full moon and the moon is blue.

Since I didn’t have to be at work until 11 at the latest, I decided I was going to do what I always did in these moments, I was going to run my feelings out. I pulled my hair back into a half pony and walked back to my room. I pulled out a blue athletic racer back tank top and some black workout leggings. Once changed I walked down the hall toward the front of the apartment. I stopped by my brother's half open door. I could see a half naked figure lying with her back to me and her reddish brown hair flowing over the pillow. I smirked a bit and continued down the hall where I could hear noises from the kitchen. Upon entering the kitchen, I was met with my brother in his pajama pants and no shirt, French pressing coffee. He looked up at me with a solemn look on his face.

“I see Megan spent the night again.” I said, grabbing an apple from the bowl on the counter.

“I see you're running out your feelings again.” He stated right back at me. I just shrugged at him.

“That’s how I roll.” He shook his head and turned back to the coffee he was making.

“I heard you scream, you really should talk to someone about those dreams. You can’t keep living in the past, you need to deal with it at some point.” He said, not looking at me.

“Jace, I talk to you, and the last time I checked, you’re somebody. Plus it wasn’t that bad this time, I didn’t dream about Mongolia.” I told him, knowing full well what he meant. I took a bite out of my apple. We’ve talked about this before and I knew that he was only pushing it because he loves me, and my dreams worry him. I know that I have PTSD from my time in the military but I was dealing with it in my own way.

“Jess I know you know that I mean a professional, but I also know that you are too damn stubborn to listen to what I have to say about it. Just know I love you.”

“I love you too little brother.” I walked over to him and kissed his cheek then went over to the table where I kept my armband for my phone and my headphones. Once I was geared up, I turned back to Jace.

“I’m sure you'll be gone when I get back, so I’ll see you later at work.” I smiled at him.

He smiled back “Of course, you think I’d leave you high and dry on a Saturday night?”

“No, bring Megan. I know you said that she’s still looking for a job. So you can get her acquainted with the bar during the slow part of the day and we can use tonight as a working interview.”

“You’d do that?”

“Yeah, we’ve all known each other since we were kids, and with her being your mate and all, the least I can do is give her a chance.”

“I’ll be sure to let her know. She’ll appreciate it as much as I do.”

“That’s what family is for. Love you, see you later.” I called over my shoulder as I walked out the door. I heard him call out a “Love you too.” before I shut the door behind me.

Since I was a child I have always trained my body. I have a black belt in four different martial arts, as well as a highly trained warrior not only from my time in the military but from training with my pack. My brothers trained as well, since our Alpha believed that even if you weren’t a warrior, you should at least know how to defend yourself, if the need should arise. I took this to a whole new level, I was obsessed with fighting and making myself stronger. I knew that being a woman and half human put me at a disadvantage, and there were a few pack members that made sure I knew this everyday. Because of this, I trained longer, and worked harder than everyone else, just so I could be as strong as them. When I joined the military, it was the same thing, and there were more than a few males that enjoyed letting me know, just where they believed a woman belonged.

Nowadays, I go for my runs to clear my head and work out those feelings that the dreams give me. I still train but instead of training with a pack, I train three times a week at a local gym, just to keep my skills sharp. I do this for two reasons. The first is so I can protect myself and my brother, since we don’t have a pack to fall back on. No we are not rouges, we are still members of the Blue Ridge pack, it’s just that our pack is in east Texas, and we live in California. The second reason is that I own a bar called the Blue Moon Tavern. A shifter friendly bar and since the day I opened my doors, I made sure every one knew I was not someone you wanted to f**k with. I've broken up many fights and shown people why it is you don't underestimate someone by their looks. I also get my fair share of human clientele, but my establishment is still a shifter hot spot.

I ran my usual 12 mile loop around the city before making my way back inside my apartment. As I thought, Jace wasn’t here. Usually when Megan stays over, he takes her home, and then spends time at her place till he has to be to work. I grabbed my work clothes and went to take a shower. Once out and dried off, I put on my jeans and work shirt which was a t-shirt that had a blue moon with a pair of wolf eyes over it. Blue Moon Tavern was written underneath the design. Blue was written in blue, the rest was in white. This was the bar's logo. On the back it said “a howling good time” with a large howling wolf silhouette under the words. I know it’s a bit obvious, but the best place to hide something, is in plain sight, and if I make things painfully obvious, the humans will never suspect a thing.

As I walked back to my room, I put my hair back up into a half pony, since I didn’t feel like putting in that much effort, but I also didn’t want my hair in my face. Once I got to my room, I threw my shoes on and grabbed my bag and walked out the door. I usually walk to work since my apartment is only six blocks away. Yes that means that I walk back home super late at night, but I don’t worry, I am a very skilled fighter, and if that’s not enough I keep a colt .45 tucked away in my bag.

The bar opens at 11 and seeing as it’s only 10:30, I had to use my keys to get in. The inside of the bar was a normal sight. I had a 10’ bar on the right that had a curved corner at the end, that went into the wall. I kept the cherry wood bar top nice and polished. I even had it waxed once a month to keep it shiny. To the left were a few tables, but most of the ground floor was used as a dance floor. About 20 or 30’ back was a wall with a set of six stairs that led to an upper level where the rest of my table and chairs were. The walls were painted a dark drown that had hand painted details that made it look like you were walking through a very tall forest. There were vegetation details painted in, and every so often there was a wolf or bear painted in. Some just stared out, others slept, and others still were playing. I was proud of the walls, partially because it gave the bar that "a day in the wood" kind of feel. When I walked in, I immediately turned right and went through the single swinging door that led to the kitchen. I always started my day by checking in with my kitchen staff. It shows my staff I care. It also gives me an opportunity to see if there are supplies or ingredients that we need right away, or we think we might need. I like to solve problems before they become problems.

“Buenos días Berto. ¿cómo estás hoy?” (Good morning Berto how are you today?) I asked my head cook. California has a large spanish speaking community, and being half cuban, I am fluent in both English and Spanish, which helps in communicating with my staff.

“Bien bien y tu?” (good good and you) Berto responded with his usual dazzling smile.

“He tenido días peores. ¿Hay algo que necesites?” (I’ve had worse days. Is there anything you need?)

“Ver tu hermoso rostro es todo lo que necesito.” (Seeing your beautiful face is all I need.) This guy always knew how to stroke a girl's ego and make her feel good. It is honestly the only way I want to start my day, and Berto always delivered.

“Bueno, ahora que te lo he proporcionado. ¿Hay algo que necesites para la cocina?” (Well now that I have provided you with that, is there anything you need for the kitchen?)

“No no estamos bien surtidos para el día. Gracias por visitarnos.” (No, no, we are well stocked for the day. Thank you for checking on us.)

“Su bienvenida, avíseme si necesita algo. Estaré en mi oficina hasta las 3 y luego estaré en la barra.” (Your welcome let me know if you need anything. I will be in my office till 3, then I will be by the bar.)

“Me aseguraré de hacer eso. Tener un día precioso.” (I will be sure to do that. Have a lovely day.)

“Usted también.” (You as well.) And with that, I walked out of the kitchen.

As I rounded the corner I saw Angie, one of my managers behind the bar doing her morning routine of taking inventory and polishing glasses. She looked up as I approached the bar.

“Do I need to send Brian for a run?” she asked, nodding her head to the end of the bar where it connects to the wall. Brian looked up from his paper when he heard his name. Brian was a big guy, 6’8”, by my guess. He had short dark brown hair and enchanting hazel eyes. His broad shoulders and large muscles made him look like a Redwood tree. Brian is a bear shifter. He also happens to be my bouncer, as well as Angie's partner. Angie is a werewolf. She, and all my bartenders, are some form of shifter. I do this so my bartenders can sniff out who was human and who wasn’t, that way we don’t accidentally give a human were- level alcohol and kill somebody. Angie was about an inch shorter than me, so at 5’6” she and Brian had a little more than a foot difference in height. She had blonde hair and bright blue eyes, and she herself had some muscle definition. One requirement I had for all my front of house staff, was that they took self defense classes in case things get out of hand. Most of my staff are women, and I find it important that if they find themselves in a situation where they may be assaulted, they can put the guy in his place and get away.

“No, not today. Brian can actually finish his paper today.” Brian grunted, and went back to reading. “Alright Ang, if ya’ll need anything I’ll be doing paperwork in my office. I should be done around 3, then I’ll be out here doing my thing.”

Angie laughed, and shook her head "Got it boss.”

I walked past the bar to the hallway that led to my office. I patted Brian’s shoulder as I passed. I always kept my door locked when I wasn't around, protection of important documents and all. Once inside I flipped the light on. My office was quite spacious apparently the previous owner liked to spread out. I had a leather couch off to the right. It was comfy, I should know I've slept on it more than once. When I first opened the bar I put in more hours that I do now so there were several days I didn't go home and slept here. There was a tall wooden coat closet to the left of the door. I kept extra changes of clothes in there for times when I didn’t go home, or something was spilled on me. My desk was toward the back of the room, against the left wall. Across the room on the right wall, was my safe and three filing cabinets. I tossed my bag onto the couch, and walked behind my desk, and sat in my chair. I have never been a big believer in spending a lot of money on things, but I made an exception with my office chair. I got the most expensive one I could find and never once regretted my decision. I figured if I was going to be sitting in it for hours on end, I should at least be comfortable.