My Runaway Mate

Chapter 16

Jax's POV

TWO WEEKS LATER

Life has gotten pretty amazing around here these past few weeks.

Bailey is feeling better, and we've actually started getting into a routine. We wake up, eat breakfast, go to training together, she'll stay at the gym with Maddie and Hannah once they come in, while I go to my office for pack business. Then we'll meet up again for lunch, before I head into my other office for a couple of hours. I get home just in time for dinner and a quick walk around the pack lands with her before we go to our rooms for the night.

It's getting harder and harder saying goodnight to her. I want to be able to hold her all night long. To breathe in her scent. To wake up with her in my arms.

I still haven't forgotten about Grayson. His trackers are still out there looking for Bailey.

Dad had been contacting some friends about Red River, but they've said that Red River is running just fine and according to the law. Something just isn't adding up. His friends are trust worthy people. They wouldn't try to deceive my father. There's more to this. I just know it. I'm going to get to the bottom of this.

I walk across the hall to Bailey's room and knock on the door, but she doesn't answer. I knock again, still no answer.

She's not still sleeping is she?

"Bailey?" I ask, as I slowly open the door. Her bed was made, so she wasn't still sleeping.

I open the door some more, to see the rest of the room, and found her staring out of the window.

"Hey, everything alright?" I ask, as I walk up and hug her from behind.

She wraps her arms around my arms and leans back into me.

"Yeah, sorry. I'm just thinking about Ben. I haven't heard from him in two weeks and I'm getting really worried."

I kiss the side of her head,and hold her closer to comfort her.

"Jax?"

"Yeah?"

"I--I think I need to go back. I have to check in on Ben"

My heart stops beating, and I get a knot in my stomach. I turn her to face me.

"Bailey, you can't go back."

"But Ben could be hurt! Or he could be in the stalls, or--or--he..." she stops as tears are flowing down her face.

"Shhhhh, honey. It's going to be ok. Listen to me. I'm sure Ben is fine. You said it yourself, he's strong and smart. Maybe he just can't talk right now, but Bailey? It's not safe for you to go back. If Grayson gets his hands on you...."

Just the thought of Grayson touching her has brought my wolf to the surface. I have to fight to stay in control right now.

"What if I send a couple guys to Red River? Would you be ok with that? They can look for Ben and let us know what's going on" I ask her.

She looks up at me with such a hopeful look.

"You--you'd do that for me?" she asked

"Sweetheart, I'd do anything for you, but I need you to be safe"

She puts her arms around my neck and stands on her tippy toes to reach me as she pulls my head down to her. She places the sweetest kids on my lips. I wrap my arms around her waist, and lift her off her feet as I deepen the kiss.

After a few minutes,we both were needing oxygen, so I broke the kiss reluctantly. We just stood there, catching our breaths, resting our foreheads together.

"Thank you so much Jax, for everything. I didn't know what I did to deserve you" she says.

"Funny, I was just thinking what I did to deserve you. I--I-- hey, how about we skip training today and go for a run?" I ask her.

"Ok sure. My wolf could use the exercise." she says to me.

"Ok then. Let me just let Kip know what our plan is and we can go."

I mind link Kip, to send a some guys to Red River, not wanting to waste any time for Bailey's sake.

"Ok, they'll leave within the hour. Ready?" I ask her.

"Yes" she says with a big smile.

We get outside and just breathe in the fresh air. I just realized I'm not able to mind link with Bailey yet. We haven't mated and I haven't marked her yet. Something I'm just dying to change.

One step at a time I repeat in my head.

"Ok, so once we've shifted, if you need a rest just let me know." I tell her.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll take it easy on you." she teases me.

"Oh, so that's how it's going to be? Ok then. Last one to the lake, owes the winner a massage?" I challenge.

"Your on" she hides behind a tree to shift.

I quickly undress and shift as well. She steps out and I realize this is my first time seeing her wolf.

She's a beautiful brown wolf. The same color brown, as her gorgeous brown curly hair that she has in human form.

I walk up to her and nuzzle her with my nose. She does the same thing to me.

We just let our wolves take a minute to get to know each other. After a few minutes, I lowered my head and scratch my paw at the ground, as to ask her of she's ready to run.

She just looks at me and then suddenly turns and runs. CHEATER! I think to myself, as I chase after her.

We run through the woods and all over the pack lands. She's pretty fast. I think about to the night I met her. Running from that rouge.

I suddenly worry that maybe we shouldn't be running like this just yet. I know she's been feeling better and Dr Gratiot did say everything looked fine, but I would hate if she were to get hurt again.

I see the lake coming up in the distance, and I decide to give it all I got to win this race. Apparently, Bailey had that same thought as she pushes herself to run too.

We are running just about at the same speed, when Bailey jumps into the lake. I follow right behind her.

I honestly don't know who won. It doesn't matter though, as long as I get time with Bailey, I win.

We crawl out of the lake and shake the water out of our fur. It was a nice cool down after that run. The cool water was just what I needed.

We lay down next to each other to rest, before heading back to the house. We left our clothes back at the house, so we have to stay in wolf form.

I glance over at Bailey, and I can tell by her steady breathing, that she's fallen asleep. So I cuddle up close to her and savor this moment as I drift off net to her.

******************************************

The rest of the day was business as usual.

After we woke up from our nap and get back to the house, I needed to get to work.

Bailey went to meet up with Maddie and Hannah.

I'm sitting in my office when Kip walks in.

"Hey, I sent Brad and Dave out to Red River." he tells me.

"Thanks. Bailey is really worried about him. I hope everything's fine, for her sake."

"Yeah, me too." Kip says.

We go over some routines, and scheduled as normal. Usual pack business,and then Kip gets up to leave.

I'm left sitting I my office with a stack of paperwork. Well, can't put these of any longer.

As I get to work, I think to myself that I want to take Bailey out, off the pack lands.

Like a date.