But You ARE beautiful

Her thoughts were interrupted when James entered the bathroom with a gasp. She quickly realized she'd taken her shirt completely off and stood her back to him and her breasts exposed in the mirror. She flushed deep pink and covered herself immediately with her arms. The action caused the wounds to pull viciously. She hissed in pain.

"I-I-I'm sorry, I knocked but you didn't answer, I was concerned you might've fallen or something." He stuttered out eyes closed and holding out a towel to her.

Jessa sucked in a deep breath. He'd seen her now. The scars. The horrible marred skin. And he'd looked away horrified. She was hideous. He must be so turned off by her right now. She couldn't blame him. She had never seen her back, but she often heard others talking.

James backed out of the bathroom and ran directly into Amelia and his mother. His face flushed in a deep crimson at having been caught in a situation. He awkwardly tried to shift to hide his arousal and stuttered out that Jessa wanted a bath. Then he turned and fled to his own suite.

Amelia chuckled and went to help her best friend into the tub. She found Jessa sitting on the side of the tub sobbing. Her first instinct was to protect. She crouched down immediately looking for any sign of new injury or threat. Finding none her arms went around Jessa and her hand patted the uninjured shoulder soothing.

"What's wrong? Shhh shhh Jessa, it's ok, what's wrong?" She asked in a slightly panicked tone. What on earth just happened here?

The door slid open and Luna Mae came in in a flutter of motherly concern.

"My Goddess, what's all this?" She asked in her motherly caring tone.

"J-J-James!" Jessa stuttered it then started sobbing again.

It took the two women several more minutes to get it out of Jessa that James had come in and seen her topless and had looked absolutely horrified at the sight of her. She sobbed as her heart shattered at the thought of her mate being repulsed by her body. Luna Mae started up the bath adding calming lavender and bubble bath to the water.

She and Amelia helped Jessa into the tub. Her energy had been drained by the emotional turmoil and she'd been reduced to a signing hiccupping mess. She left Amelia to help her as she left the room to go talk to James.

She crossed the hall and knocked briskly on James's door. Receiving no answer she strode into the room to hear his shower running. She walked over and knocked on the door. She heard him mutter a short curse word or two then the towel being yanked from the rack. Moments later the door opened.

"Mom? What's wrong?" He asked. "Is Jessa ok?!?!" He asked getting panicked.

"Oh she's just dandy son. Now that she's cried her eyes out and she's too weak to even cry anymore!" She scolded drilling her finger into his chest. "Exactly what did you do to that poor thing?" She demanded.

"Nothing. She went into the bathroom and I knocked but she didn't answer, so I cracked the door open and called her. She'd stripped her shirt off and was standing kinda dazed looking at tub. She snapped out of it and immediately covered herself. I grabbed the towel and shut my eyes. I was mortified that I had just walked in on her! I just…. Ran…" he said.

"Son…" Luna Mae sighed. "She thinks you were repulsed by her scars. She's cried herself out heartbroken that you couldn't bear the sight of her! She thinks you are going to change your mind about her…" her tone softened at the end.

James let out a growl at the thought of her ever leaving his side. Goddess! He wasn't horrified at that. He was so incredibly turned on by her that he had to fight himself not to mate and mark her on the spot! His silly mate thought he was turned off. He had to fix this.

As he headed for the door his mother cleared her throat and reminded him that he might want to put on some clothing first. He blushed and strode back to the bathroom.

She headed back to check on Jessa. She found her tucked into her blankets propped up on the bed. She had dozed off and Amelia was straightening up the bathroom. She walked to Amelia and told her the exchange she just had with James. Poor girl had misread his expression for something against her and not his own chagrin. She prayed that Jessa would hear him out. She turned with Amelia and left the room to let James talk to her privately.

A few minutes later James knocked on Jessa's bedroom door, she woke up tears still on her cheeks and mumbled out a broken voiced come in.

James strode into the room looking guilty as a boy who'd been caught with his hands in the cookie jar before dinner. His face changed to self loathing when he spotted the tears on her face and glistening in her auburn curls.

Without a word he rushed to her side, his thumbs removing the tears and stroking her fair face.

"I've made a mess of this Jessa. Please don't cry!" He begged "I would NEVER change my mind about you. You are my goddess given mate. I was overwhelmed with desire, I fled to not take you then and there. Please, don't think I'd ever let you go. I'm sorry. So sorry that my actions caused you to feel this way." He murmured over and over.

"You…. You find me desirable? I'm hideous with these scars. I've been blessed that nothing ever marred my face, but my body is ruined. Riddled with marks and scars." She said after a moment of doubting his words until she realized he was serious.

"But your scars make you beautiful. It shows me just how tough of a warrior you are. How you're so sweet despite all you've been unfairly put through. I couldn't dare to hope for a better Luna. I know you can handle anything thrown at you, and you'll fight for your pack. For this is now just as much your pack as mine. I'm feeling like a heel for saying this, but I'm having a hell of a time keeping Jax at bay right now. Our urge to mate and mark you are becoming harder to ignore." He said with a slight edge to his voice.

It was then that Jessa made the decision that shocked them both to their cores. She launched herself at him kissing him soundly. She didn't even have it in her to be embarrassed about being so wanton with a man. She'd certainly never so much as kissed a man. But she found herself going along with her urges. Her hands found the buttons of his shirt and she began to quickly albeit clumsily try to unbutton them. She had to FEEL him. His skin so smooth and hot. His hands reached up and clamped over hers. She looked up in confusion and desperation as for the first time desire flooded her system.

"Wait Jessa, wait. Hold on. Let me just, let me… I'll be right back…" he gasped as he ran out the door.