Page 56 of Fleeing Fate
His voice is pure threat. “Someone going to tell me why the fuck there’s two wolves in my girl’s room and why it reeks of her fear?”
He wasn’t here when Caleb intervened, and he probably thinks they were both doing something bad to me. My small room can barely contain all the masculine energy and swirling alpha aura. It’s then that I realize Caleb’s aura is every bit as strong as John’s.
Ryan and Luca appear in the hallway outside the room and their snarls join the already loud melee.
“He was going to rape her, and he threatened to banish me if I didn’t let him, if I didn't fucking join in. Sick cunt,” Caleb spits, his tone dripping with vitriol. “I’ve challenged him for Alpha. I can’t sit by with this sick fuck for a fucking second longer. He was going to rape her and then hand her back to her ex.”
“Like fuck he is,” Jackson says with a growl. “I’ll fucking kill him.”
“No, you won’t,” Ryan barks, stepping into the room with an Alpha command that shoves through the tension like a wrecking ball. “John is an Alpha. You can’t kill him in cold blood. Let’s take this outside now.”
My heart sinks at his words. Is he going to let John get away with what he just tried to do to me?
“Fine, let’s do this,” John sneers. “You’re never going to fucking win against an Alpha, anyway.”
“Outside now,” Ryan snaps, applying his alpha command. “We’ll wait for your pack elders to arrive before the actual challenge. You won’t be accepted unless it’s seen by your own pack members,” he directs at Caleb.
“You can’t possibly think aBetais going to beatme?” John scoffs.
“Possibly not,” Ryan agrees. “But Emily is part of my pack and under my protection, so if I were you, I’d be hoping he does. My Delta might not be able to kill you under council rules, but you come for one of my pack members and I’ll rip you to fucking shreds myself if I have to.”
I feel a tinge of warmth in my eyes, and I realize I’m crying again. But this time it’s not because I’m afraid or defeated. Unlike before, these tears are of something deeper; of happiness, relief,belonging.
Because I might not officially have broken my bonds with Blood Moon and joined Lunar Eclipse, but Ryan is treating me like I belong here. Like I matter. He barely knows me, but he is willing to kill to protect me. Jackson didn’t hesitate for a moment to throw himself into a situation that could have been deadly in order to protect me from higher-ranked wolves. Even Caleb had my back and he owes me nothing.
“I’m not leaving Emily,” Jackson tells Ryan. The anguish in his voice is clear and I know he’s torn between wanting to not let John out of his sight and knowing I need him here with me. And the fact that he chooses me tells me everything I need to know.
He choseme.
Ryan moves to stand beside Jackson who remains a barrier in front of me. Regret paints Ryan’s face as he looks at me.
“Emily, I can’t begin to express my apologies to you for this happening in our pack house. I will station warriors outside your room tonight when Jackson joins us to discuss pack security,” he says. The implication is clear in his tone. He doesn’t want me to be hurt. He will ensure my safety, but Jackson can’t spend the night here because the pack comes first.
As everyone leaves the room. The adrenaline evaporates from my body and my legs buckle. Jackson spins to catch me before I hit the ground. He picks me up in a bridal hold—the same way he carried me to the pack hospital that first day. He carries me the couple of steps to my bed before frowning when he notices my half-packed bag.
“I panicked,” I whisper.
He doesn’t speak for a long second. “Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?”
“No,” I murmur. “I’d stopped packing before he got here. I don’t want to leave. I want to stay here with you.” He places me down on the bed before moving my clothes and bag to my desk. He sits beside me and looks at the ground.
“Did he… what his Beta said… did he touch you?”
“No, not really. Kind of…” I blow out a breath, not even knowing how to explain what happened and what could have happened. A shudder rolls through me, and Jackson tenses as he waits for me to tell him about my experience.
“He threatened to tell Aidan where I was if I didn’t agree to let him do whatever he wanted to me. And when I refused, he said he was going to rape me anyway. His beta came and interrupted him. John tried to get him to watch, even offered him a turn.” I let out a humorless laugh. John Anderson might even be worse that Aidan.
“I’m so sorry, Emily,” he mutters, and I can see how heavily this is weighing on him. Tears are in his eyes and he looks like he’s afraid to touch me. Like he doesn’t know what I need for the first time since we got together. “I should have been here. That never should have happened to you. You should have been safe.”
“I’m safe, Jackson,” I say while reaching for his hand and interlacing our fingers. “How did you know to come?”
“Sofia. She mindlinked, said you seemed upset, that something seemed off and I should check on you while she was organizing things for the visiting Alpha. I called for reinforcements when I got to your room and realized you weren’t alone.”
“Caleb didn’t let him hurt me. And even if he hadn’t, you would have got to me in time. I’m okay.”
“You don’t look okay.”
But I am.