Page 28 of Predator (Stope Packs #4)

Jackson was in hell. He could not believe he was having a late dinner with two potential mates and Emily Nightsom, the female he fully planned to mate. The women cast each other sideways glances like they were sizing up competition at a county fair, but everyone seemed determined to play nice. For now.

Still, Emily had paled even more, and the urge to scoop her up and haul her home pressed against Jackson’s chest like an itch he couldn’t scratch. The clink of silverware and the hum of conversation filled the diner, but every second stretched painfully long.

Abilene smiled brightly, her fork spearing a crispy piece of fried chicken. “This is excellent,” she said. “I spoke with my Alpha, and no matter what happens, Jackson, we’d love to join your pack and start a painting community.”

“That’s great,” Jackson replied, genuinely meaning it since they needed more bodies. “Do you have any decent fighters?”

“Maybe about ten,” she said. “Some younger fighters, if you need them. A few guys are interested in mining, but most of us just want to paint. We can contribute by selling our work.”

Xandra, seated beside her, arched a brow. “You paint for a living?”

“Yep.” Abilene nodded happily. “We do shows and sell our paintings. It’s a good life. Do you like to paint?”

“God, no,” Xandra chuckled. “But I shop. I shop well.”

Abilene’s grin didn’t waver. “Cool. I’ve never been much of a shopper, but I imagine it takes skill.”

“I like to decorate, too. But shopping’s my thing.”

Jackson resisted the urge to rub the back of his neck. He glanced at Emily, who had barely touched her chicken, her fingers toying with the napkin on her lap.

“What about you, Emily?” Abilene asked, tilting her head.

Emily straightened slightly. “I write romantic suspense novels and work on safety schematics for the mines. Both are gifts, and I enjoy them.”

“That’s interesting,” Abilene said, sounding sincere.

Xandra’s gaze shifted between Emily and Jackson. “You two spend a lot of time together. Why are you helping him find a mate, Emily?”

It was a fair question. Jackson glanced sideways, curious about how Emily would answer. At least now he knew she’d wanted into his territory to meet with his doctor, and not for any nefarious reasons.

Before she could respond, his phone dinged. The timing felt like a lifeline thrown to a drowning man, and for once, Jackson considered kissing whoever had sent the text.

“Saved by the bell,” Emily muttered, her lips quirking as she picked up her fork and finally took a bite of chicken. Jackson nearly choked on his drink, trying not to laugh, and the tension in his limbs loosened. Just a little.

“Excuse me.” Jackson read a 911 text from Thane to meet outside right now. Why hadn’t the guy just walked across the restaurant? More than eager to escape the table of females, Jackson stood and stepped away, striding outside to meet his friend, who was waiting in the snow. “Yeah, Thane. What’s up? And take your time,” he muttered.

Thane brushed snow off his shoulders. “I thought I should tell you first. Philip Nightsom was attacked leaving the meeting earlier. I just got word from contacts we have in his pack.”

“Ah, shit.” Jackson glanced back at the table, his gaze lingering on the back of Emily’s head. “How bad? Is he dead?”

“No. He made it back to his territory, but a couple of our sources there say it’s bad. I don’t know how bad yet.”

Shit. What now? “Damn it. All right, thanks.”

Raya stepped outside, wrapping a scarf around her neck. “I paid the bill.”

Thane zipped up his jacket. “Thanks. I’ll head back to the office to keep an ear on things, Jackson.”

Jackson wiped snow off his chin. “Call me with any news.”

“No problem.” Thane slipped an arm over Raya’s shoulders. “I’ll escort you to your car.”

Jackson walked back inside and returned to the table, surprised Emily’s pack hadn’t contacted her. “Hey, Em. Where’s your phone?”

She blinked and looked around, quickly standing. “Oh, crap. I must’ve left it in the truck. Why?”

He placed cash on the table. “Ladies, you’ll have to excuse us.”

Xandra glanced at the money. “Are we meeting tomorrow?”

“I’ll give you a call.” He didn’t mean a word of it.

“What’s going on?” Emily pressed as he guided her toward the door with a hand at the small of her back.

He waited until they’d walked outside into the blasting snowstorm to speak. “I don’t know all the details yet, but your father was attacked on the way back from our meeting.”

“What?” Her face drained of color. She bolted toward the truck, yanking open the front door. Her phone sat on the passenger seat. “Oh no. I missed five calls.” She clutched the phone tightly, her breath coming quicker as she scrolled through the missed calls, fingers trembling as she tapped the screen.

She quickly dialed Nadia, who answered immediately. “I just heard,” Emily said rapidly.

“Hi.” Nadia’s voice came through clearly on speaker, sharp with worry. “Philip was attacked. He said it was by Ravencall wolves, but he got away. It’s not good, Emily. The doctor said one of the wounds almost reached his heart.”

Emily drew in a deep breath, steadying herself as snowflakes swirled through the air, clinging to her hair and jacket. “He can heal since he’s an Alpha.”

“I know, but Victor’s making noises, and I don’t know what to do.” Nadia’s voice wavered with panic.

Emily glanced at Jackson, who kept his gaze steady on her. “It’s okay. Just hang in there. I’ll be home in a few hours.”

“No, you won’t,” Jackson interrupted, his gaze shifting toward the swirling snowstorm. The wind howled against the truck, rattling the side mirrors. Snow fell thick and fast, already blanketing the road in icy layers. Visibility had shrunk to mere feet. “I can’t fly in this, Emily. Driving is too dangerous, as well.”

Emily shuddered as she looked around at the storm, her breath fogging the air. Snowflakes spun wildly through gusts of wind, clinging to the windshield like frozen lace. “Nadia, just hold it together until I get back. As soon as I can fly out, I’ll be there. Trust me.”

“Okay. Just keep your phone on. I’ll call if anything changes,” Nadia said.

Emily steeled her shoulders. “Can he talk?”

“Yes, but the doctor sedated him so his body could heal. He’s stable right now.” Tears trembled in Nadia’s voice.

“We’ll handle this, I promise. Just sit tight.” Emily ended the call and leaned against the side of the truck, snowflakes melting on her cheeks.

“He’ll be okay.” Jackson stepped closer to brush snow from Emily’s brow. Her skin felt chilled beneath his fingers, but her eyes stayed distant. He opened the truck door. “Get in.”

She slid into the seat without a word. Jackson crossed around the front, then started the engine and steered onto the snow-covered road. The tires cracked the ice as he pulled away from the restaurant.

His phone buzzed and Jackson hit the button on the dash. “Thane?”

“Yeah. Just got off the phone. Sources on the ground say Ravencall wolves attacked Philip.”

“I just heard the same thing. Emily’s at my house tonight. I now want double patrols around the perimeter at all times.”

“You got it. You want me personally on-site instead of in the office?” Thane asked.

Jackson’s grip tightened on the wheel. It was impressive how well Thane knew him, down to predicting his next move. He’d planned to let his friend have a night off, but apparently the Ravencalls were making a move. Now. “Yeah. I want you covering her.”

“Understood. I’ll be there in half an hour.”

“Excellent.” Jackson ended the call, glancing at Emily. She stared straight ahead, lost somewhere in her thoughts.

“Your dad’s tough,” he said, though it sounded hollow even to him. Letting the silence settle, he dialed Erik next. The call went to voicemail, so Jackson left a brief message before phoning Seth.

“Jackson,” Seth answered. “You hear?”

Anger roared through Jackson, and he shoved it down. “Yeah. Sounds bad.”

“I know. But I don’t think we should change our plans tonight.” Seth said.

Good. They were on the same page. “I agree. They won’t expect us in a storm like this. Let Erik know. We move forward.”

“Got it. Meet you at midnight.” Seth sounded as if he was already moving.

“Midnight,” Jackson confirmed, clicking off and pulling into his driveway. His gaze swept the property for threats before he exited the truck, circled to Emily’s side, and lifted her into his arms. Her breath hitched, but she didn’t resist as he carried her inside, holding her close.

“What are you doing?” she asked, sounding lost.

“I’m carrying you.” Jackson saw no reason not to state the obvious. “Sorry about dinner tonight.”

“Oh, that?” She shook her head. “That just felt bizarre.”

“Your father’s going to be okay.” He knew he had no right to promise that, but the words came anyway. The clock on the wall ticked the hour, and he had to get moving.

Emily’s fingers slid through his hair, grounding him in the moment. “As soon as it’s safe to travel, I need to get home.”

“I know.” His voice roughened slightly.

Her gaze dropped to his lips, the air between them heating despite the chill that clung to their clothes. “But we do have tonight,” she whispered.

“I have a job to do tonight, but I’ll awaken you when I return,” he replied, placing her gently on her feet near the fireplace. He quickly lit the fire, its warmth chasing away the cold in the main room.

She blinked at him, looking lost. “What are you planning to do tonight?”

Jackson held her gaze, the crackle of the flames filling the silence. “Make a statement.”

Emily paced near the fireplace, her steps restless against the rug. Out the window, she could see Thane making another pass around the cabin. She’d asked him to come in, but he’d refused, focused on his patrol. Her phone buzzed, breaking the quiet.

She pressed the speaker. “Nightsom.”

“Hi, Emily, it’s Dr. Gwen.”

Oh, crap. She’d forgotten about the doctor. “I’m so sorry I didn’t come by after dinner. It’s well past midnight. Please don’t tell me you’ve been waiting for me.”

“This is normal for me, but I actually lost track of time.”

Emily sat on the sofa and stared at the fire. “Did you find something?”

“Yes. My hunch was correct. I went over the test results two times just to make sure.”

Emily’s pulse quickened. “Tell me.”

“You have a genetic disease tied to inbreeding.”

What the heck? Like cattle? Hadn’t she seen something on television about that? “What does that mean?”

“It means your pack has a limited gene pool, which has caused a recessive mutation to show up in your family line. Both parents need to carry the gene for it to affect their children. But since Alphas usually only mate with other Alphas, the mutation is seriously strong in your lineage.”

“Oh,” Emily murmured. Her stomach twisted. Victor’s offer of mating seemed more repulsive than ever. The packs had stayed too isolated for too long, and it was clear that letting in new blood was essential, even if it meant fighting her father at every turn. They had no choice. She clutched the phone tighter. “So, this can stop?”

“Yes. Expanding the gene pool would prevent future cases.”

Emily ran through scenarios. “You’re telling me that if I mate somebody outside of my pack, my children should be all right?”

“Yes.”

Emily’s breath shuddered out of her. She knew enough about genetics to understand the dark truth. “But it’s still going to kill me.”

“Not necessarily,” Gwen replied, her tone cautious. “I have a theory that if you mate with an Alpha, such a connection could help suppress the progression of your illness.”

“But both my parents were Alphas,” Emily protested.

“From the same pack,” Gwen pointed out. “That’s the difference. They both carried the recessive mutation, which is why it manifested in you.”

Just great. This was headed somewhere she couldn’t face. “Dr. Gwen. Seriously?”

“Yes. If you mate with an Alpha from outside your gene pool, I think there’s a chance his DNA could introduce stronger, non-mutated alleles that may offset the effects of the mutation. Essentially, the dominant genetic traits from his chromosomes could override the faulty ones, which might help your cells function more efficiently. It could slow or even halt the progression of your illness.”

“Or I’d be mating someone just to die on them not too long after.”

Dr. Gwen fell silent for a moment. “Yes.”

Emily appreciated the truth. “So, you just have a theory. That’s all.”

“Well, yes,” Gwen confirmed. “I’m hoping your genetic code isn’t beyond repair. There’s a chance it just needs a new combination of traits to stabilize.”

Emily’s head ached. “That sounds like a long shot.”

Gwen sighed. “Maybe. I’m just spit-balling here. The last thing is that timing is crucial. The longer the mutation affects your system, the harder it will be to reverse the damage.”

Well, of course, timing was crucial. Why wouldn’t it be?

“But, Emily, I will tell you it’s your only chance.”

Emily barked out a laugh, though she didn’t feel an inch of humor. This was unbelievable. She could mate Jackson and maybe live or die on him the next week, leaving him alone once again. She couldn’t do that to him.

And what about her pack? Either way, it was screwed. “There has to be another way,” she insisted.

“I’m sorry,” Dr. Gwen replied quietly. “But you and Jackson seem to have an attachment, and he’s a perfect candidate.”

Perfect as a guinea pig? What if they mated and she died? Oh, she knew without a doubt that he’d mate her to save her life. He cared about her. She could feel it, and someday, she’d take that strong sensation to her death. But if they mated and she died, what then? One more family member would’ve died on him. Could she even consider putting him through another loss?

She concentrated on the phone still in her hand. “Thanks, Doc. I appreciate you staying up so late.”

“Goodnight, Emily.”

“Goodnight.” Emily clicked off, but it rang again before she could set the phone down. Heart pounding, she answered. “Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Nadia. Philip’s taken a turn for the worse.” Nadia’s voice cracked. “I don’t know if he’s going to make it. Victor’s already trying to take over the house. I don’t know what to do.”

Emily stood, pulse thudding in her ears. “Okay. I can be there in three hours.” She wasn’t sure she had the strength to run the whole way in wolf form, but she could drive. Fast. “I’m coming. I promise.”

She ended the call, grabbed her bag, and dashed outside. The storm had worsened. Snow swirled violently through the air, branches whipping against the wind. Ice splintered beneath her boots as she crossed to the truck. The air smelled of pine and frost, sharp and biting in her lungs. But she was a wolf, and she was a mountain girl. She could get home in time.

She had to.