Page 13

Jackson

My heart pounds fast and hard in my chest, the rapid beats reverberating through my entire body as I wait for Sofia to come out after settling Emily into the pack house.

My mind races with a flurry of thoughts, unable to focus on anything else.

My wolf paces in my mind, agitated and restless, snarling to go check on her.

Why the fuck did Sofia need to put her up in the pack house?

With all the unmated males. I’ve already mindlinked a few warriors to keep watch over her.

They jumped at the task. And as much as I want to believe it’s because they want to do their duty to the pack, it’s more likely it’s because of how fucking drop-dead gorgeous Emily is.

My wolf snarls at me, he thinks I should be the one watching her.

“Ooooh, you’ve got it bad Jacky-boy,” Sofia sing songs as she steps outside alone.

“What’s going on? And don’t call me that,” I grumble, too on edge for her usual teasing.

“Oh, this is too good,” Sofia giggles. She seems to enjoy withholding the information way too much. She’s practically vibrating with glee. I’m at the end of my rope and fit to explode if she doesn’t start talking soon. I definitely should have listened in at door.

“Sofia. Please,” I snap. “Just tell me what’s going on.”

“Okay,” she sighs as her expression loses the humor that was present only a second before.

“That girl has been through a lot. Like a lot . I’m not about to undermine her trust by giving you all the details.

But she’s from Blood Moon, in Arizona, and she was with the Alpha. Have you heard of Aidan Blackwell?”

“Why is that name familiar?” I wrack my mind, trying to pull up any information on him, but I’m drawing a total blank.

“Remember when Ryan brought me to the Alpha meeting two years ago?”

“Oh fuck, that asshole? The one who told Ryan to put you on a leash because you didn’t ask for permission to talk? ”

“Yup, the very same. And I might have thought he was the biggest asshole of all time then, but from what Emily has told me, that’s not even the tip of the iceberg.

He’s a sadistic monster. I can’t imagine what life was like being his girlfriend,” she says sadly as her eyes glisten.

It must be bad, because I don’t think I’ve seen Sofia cry since she was a kid.

Fur threatens to erupt along my arms as my wolf roars inside me. He wants blood. Wants vengeance. And that thought surprises me enough to snap me out of what I’m feeling. I push him back down and my fur retracts while Sofia continues to talk.

“She must have traveled over a thousand miles before you found her. All on a broken leg that she couldn’t reset without stopping for a few days that she didn’t have.”

“Shit.” I drag a hand down my face. “We can’t let her get caught. But keeping her here… that could drag a war to our doorstep.” My wolf is still ready to burst out. His hackles are up and he’s snarling at the thought of her leaving.

“She’s not planning on staying. She isn’t twenty-one yet and doesn’t know if he’s her mate. She's smart. She covered her tracks when she escaped. And she plans to move on as soon as her leg is healed.”

“Fuck, okay. How long until her birthday?”

“A couple of weeks.”

We fall into silence. I should be thinking strategically—pack safety, political risks, logistics. But all I can think about is the way she froze when I touched her. The way she looked at me like I was about to hurt her.

“She’s going to need a lot of self-defense help before she goes,” Sofia says after a moment.

“But I gotta say, I think she should stay. I like her, Jack. She seems genuine. And absolutely terrified of doing the wrong thing. She’s convinced that Aidan is her mate.

I don’t get it. He abused her for years.

How could anyone treat their mate like that? ”

My head is spinning, and my wolf is howling like he is in physical pain. I’m trying to be objective, but I can hardly hear over his howls. It doesn’t make any sense. But neither does anyone wanting to hurt Emily. She’s so tiny. So breakable.

“Will you report back to Ryan and see what he wants to do? I have a couple of warriors monitoring her.”

“Yeah, already done,” she says, waving her hand dismissively.

Like I’m an idiot for not realizing she would have it covered.

“He’s happy with us playing things by ear for now.

Honestly, he seems kinda distracted at the moment.

But seriously, you need to back off a bit.

You scared her when you acted all macho earlier. ”

I groan, feeling like a total dick now that I know she’s running from a psychopath, but still aware that I probably won’t be able to control that part of myself in the future. For fuck’s sake, I could pull my hair out right now just thinking about her.

“I was only trying to get some answers!”

“Yeah, yeah, I had your back. I told her you aren’t a complete asshole, but you need to take it easy.

She’s petrified and traumatized,” Sofia states sadly, all of her usual sassy attitude replaced by glistening eyes and slumped shoulders.

I’m an asshole for even considering this, but how do we know that this is true?

I can’t help worrying; what if it’s all an act?

“Have you considered maybe not looking like you’re about to maul someone next time you want answers?”

“My job is to protect the pack. I understand you like her, but I’m not convinced yet,” I explain, dragging my hands through my hair.

“You know what happened the last time I trusted an outsider,” I say with a sigh. I’d love to be able to trust Emily is who she says she is, but the last time I trusted a pretty girl… it was a fucking disaster.

“Suuure,” Sofia says, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she raises a skeptical eyebrow.

“What’s that supposed to mean? I’m a Delta.

My role is to protect the pack and ensure its safety.

” I can hear the frustration in my voice, no matter how hard I try to keep it in.

As a Delta, it’s my duty to maintain order, enforce discipline, and defend the pack with unwavering loyalty.

Whether it be against rival packs, predators, or any other peril that may befall us, my instincts drive me to protect pack members at all costs.

The safety and well-being of the pack are paramount above everything else.

I’ve learned the hard way how fucking disastrous it could be if I ever forget that again.

“Oh, come on, you can’t be this oblivious,” Sofia says as she places a hand on her cocked hip.

“Like I get it, she’s insanely gorgeous; she’s smart, she’s got that whole inner strength thing going on, and she would fit in great here.

And you know what? She totally ticks your boxes for your intense protective vibe when there’s usually never anything here to be protective of. ”

I gape at her with my mouth hanging open.

Shit, did my best friend’s little sister just read me like a book?

Could there be something there other than an attraction to an obviously sexy as hell omega?

My wolf perks up and lets out a yip. He doesn’t believe we need to be suspicious at all.

It’s so fucking weird because he’s usually champing at the bit to get at potential threats .

“When did you get so wise? You’re still a pup,” I sigh.

Sofia blows out a huff of breath as she turns and walks away, but just as she reaches the pack house door, she lets me know that she’s bringing Emily for training in five days.

“Figure out your shit, Jack. Don’t mess her around. She’s gone through enough.”

Sofia may have answered my questions, but she’s given me a lot of new ones, too. And it’s getting harder to pretend I don’t understand what my wolf wants. He is drawn to her in a way I’ve never experienced before. There are very few reasons that could lead to my wolf fighting me so hard.

The past five days have dragged like a bitch.

The warriors I've had on Emily’s tail report that she has barely left the room.

Sofia visits her at least once a day, staying for several hours, but she has had no contact with anyone else other than being introduced briefly to some of the other she-wolves.

But the day I’m due to see Emily finally arrives. It’s 6:00 am and I’m standing in the training center in front of fifty pack warriors ready for training, but there’s no sign of Emily or Sofia. I talk the warriors through warmups and send them on three laps of the lake in human form.

I’m about to join them when I see the girls walking up, whispering animatedly to each other.

Emily is wearing tight dark leggings and a blue and navy hoody that’s pulled up over her head, hiding her blonde hair.

My brain immediately starts wondering how soon I can get her warmed up enough to take it off.

My chest tightens at the sight of her trembling legs and the way she chews on her nails as they get closer. She’s scared. Of me. And that stings more than I’ll ever admit. And oddly, reassures me. Because if she’s this afraid, she can’t be a threat. Right?

And maybe if she’s not a threat, then I can get to know her and even be honest with myself about how attracted to her I am.

“You’re late girls. You better be ready to train.”

“Hell yeah, we are,” calls Sofia, grinning while shoulder-bumping Emily, who promptly stumbles and falls over.

I reach out on instinct to help her up, but the second I touch her, she freezes.

I back off immediately, holding my hands up in surrender.

Her reaction is a punch to the gut. I take it back.

I definitely do not want her to be afraid of me.

“Uh, you okay?” I ask. Emily nods as she scrambles to her feet. She’s shaking like a leaf and her dazzling green eyes are darting all around. The scent of fear rolls off her like fog.