The Forgotten mate

Now (2)

I pushed my way into the kitchen and was almost knocked off my feet as a tiny tornado flung herself into my arms.

'Dean.' she squealed in my ears. I spun around and placed her gently on the countertop.

'morning JJ.' I said, giving her an honest smile as I kissed her forehead. Jessie and Derek's daughter Luna, five years old, and yet she had somehow managed to wrap me and all the guys to be honest around her little finger. She was our little princess. She smiled in that sweet, innocent 5-year-old way.

'Where have you been?' she asked, her dark eyes intent , 'I was looking for you.' she pouted, looking so much like her mother.

'I'm sorry princess. ' I said, smoothing her hair down 'I was just a bit busy but I'm here now.'

'were you with a woman?' I laughed while she continued giving me a Jessie-style frown, 'you know that's not good for you.' she said, turning from a five-year-old child into a thirty-year-old therapist in seconds.

'hey .' I said, reaching for the cupboard behind her head 'fancy a lollipop?' I pulled out two lollies and she snatched it out of my hand. She hopped down off the counter. She scampered to the door, unwrapping the orange lolly as she went ,

'By the way' she said, pausing in the doorway, 'this conversation is not over.'

'I believe you.' I said weakly, unwrapping my lolly as I made my way to Jessie's study.

Jessie looked at her watch casually as I entered the study,

'Twelve minutes.... Dean, I'm disappointed in you.' she said playfully. Derek stood just behind her and smiled.

'its quality not quantity baby.'I said, winking.

'Oh did they tell you that?' Carl said, slapping me on the shoulder. I flopped down on the sofa looking at Jessie. She had moved aside slightly and was stood painfully close to her mate. Derek was looking at her as if she was just the center of the world. Jessie, in contrast, was looking at him with a gentle, devoted look she didn't share with anyone else. He reached out and softly brushed her cheek with his fingertips. As they drifted down to her lips, Jessie kissed his fingers softly. Watching these two, I should have found them nauseating but I didn't, they were so damn cute and to be honest, watching them just made something inside me ache. The wolf inside me just craved his mate and seeing the two of them this simple intimacy, I wanted it, I needed it. All the girls, the f*****g was fun it was a nice distraction but i knew that ultimately what I wanted was what they had. Derek leaned over and gave Jessie a swift kiss on the lips before she turned and headed over to the enforcers, her mate a half a step behind her. He was my brother but I knew he wouldn't hesitate to attack me if he thought I was any kind of threat to her.

'right .' Jessie said jumping playfully up to sit on the edge of her desk. 'Who s ready to go hunt some rogues?'