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11. Jackson

11

Jackson

My body is growing more uncomfortable the longer I sit in the office. The mate bond pulls like a noose at my throat. Add in that I’m still only wearing sweatpants and smell like my mate—a scent I don’t want to share with anyone else.

‘ She needs us, ’ my wolf says.

I nod, ready to be done with this discussion anyway.

“Dad, we need to finish this later.” I quip while pushing out of my chair and heading for my room. I don’t care that I didn’t even wait for him to agree. Respect is earned, and my father has yet to earn it. Plus, I didn’t agree to be gaslit by his old ass this morning about why I’d never be the Alpha he was. I growl at the implication as my feet carry me on autopilot up the two flights of stairs toward Charlie.

Then I hear it—a sound I never want to hear again. The scream pierces through the walls, and I run. I might’ve broken the bedroom door as I pushed into it.

The sight before me breaks my heart. I feel her fear. The anguish and pain pulses through us. Her eyes are blank as she stares up at the ceiling, unmoving.

“Charlie, little mate?” My words are soft.

Her lips roll into her mouth as her eyes begin to water. I climb into the bed and wrap her up in the safety of my body.

She presses her tiny head into my chest, and I breathe in her scent while she sobs softly in my arms. There is a sense of pride knowing she chose me and that I can be here for her. My hand runs tenderly through her silky black hair. “I’ll hold you forever, little mate.” I press a kiss to the top of her head.

She doesn’t make a sound, but her small head nods against me as her breathing calms, and she falls back asleep. Having Charlie wrapped in my arms reminds me why I need to be here. My dad just sat me down, acting like the Alpha he used to be. He explained how I’d never be good enough for this position and that I’d made the wrong call supporting Hunter and his new mate, Emma.

His reasons are valid. I probably don’t deserve to be Alpha, but I want to be despite that truth. I want to be the Alpha that Charlie deserves. I want to offer protection and safety to our Pack. I want to be a better man and tell my siblings the truth about their heritage.

I’ve asked my dad every day why he hasn’t told them. The flare in his eyes, though, as he tried to write off his reasonings over what he did as necessary, made me so mad that the anger pushed into my wolf, who wanted to shift.

The energy flares to life again. I need to do something. Charlie is safe, and now I need to keep the rest of the Pack safe. I text Will as I step into the shower.

Will, I need you to come to the Lodge ASAP; I will explain everything when you get here.

I wrap the thick, fluffy towel around my waist when I hear the knock on the door. I know it’s Will because only two people in this house wouldn’t be scared to knock on my door.

I check on Charlie as I cross the space of my room. She’s still sleeping safely tucked into our bed. Opening the door for Will, I gesture for him to come in before shutting it.

“Jackson, shit, man. You’ve a…” He stops and looks at the bed again, “Alpha, that’s Charlie?” He questions.

I nod. “She’s my mate. I was hoping you could stay with her for the rest of the day. I have some phone calls to make. I need to check in on the pack run my mom was organizing.”

“Yeah, anything in particular she needs to do?”

“Please take her to her condo and have her pack. She’s moving into my room.”I toss my keys to him, “And take my truck.”

His eyes widen as he catches the keys, “Does she know that she’s moving? And what do I tell Lola?”

I run my hand over my jaw, feeling the freshly trimmed stubble. “Let Charlie tell her what she wants. I don’t know their relationship. And I hope she understands that moving in here is not up for negotiations.”

My heart pulses as I think Charlie might still want to work in the bakery or maybe not want to move in here. I can’t be with her all the time. The urgency of needing to call my friends presses on me again.

“Will do, Alpha,” Will says. I nod and turn to my duffel bag. I guess it’s time to unpack cause there is no way I’m leaving now.

There was a moment when I first arrived that I thought I would turn down the position of Alpha. Let my siblings live with the notion we were all family. Not ruin everything our Pack is built on. I hadn’t felt like it was my place.

But now with Charlie. I’ll need to be what she needs me to be; for her, I would be the best fucking Alpha.

Once dressed, I pull my phone out and glance at Will. He is in his own world on his phone at the small table near the fireplace.

“If she wakes up, tell her I’m in the office if she needs me.”

He nods.

My feet are on autopilot, carrying me to the Alpha office. My mood is already shifting to grumpy asshole. I pass the kitchen and see my mom. “Mom, my office now,” I say, not even acknowledging the three other pack members in the kitchen. I can hear their whispers as I open my door. I’m being rude, but I really don’t care. I want to be back with Charlie. I also need to get this Pack in order.

My mom’s soft knock on the door has my eyes snapping to her. I quickly flip the switch for the fireplace, adding a soft glow to the room. I watch the flames lick at the fake logs and think of Charlie. How hot she burned for me earlier. Was that just today?

“Jackson, how are you doing, son?”

I stretch my neck to the side as I sit across from my mom. I want to ask her if she was in on the kidnapping. If she agreed to buy children that’d been stolen? Instead, I clench my jaw.

“When’s the run?”

“Holly and I set it up for Friday night.”

I nod, two nights from now, keeping my teeth clenched. “Is there a dinner, or is it just a run?”

“The dinner will be on the back Veranda; I was just finalizing the menu with Keelie.”

My head dips again.

“You’ll need to be accepted by the Pack.”

“I know,” I growl. I’m ready to take on anyone who would challenge my seat. The image of Charlie flashes through my mind. For my mate, I would welcome a challenge.

My mom’s voice is timid, “Will you present her at the affair?”

“No.”My voice is clipped.

“Are you going to tell me who it is?” My mom’s curiosity is genuine, and she wants to know out of love, but I’m still struggling to trust a woman who has allowed our family to live within these lies.

“No.”

“Jackson, can you tell me what I did wrong?” Her whine has my lips pulling up in a sneer.

I shake my head. Her small body falls. Maybe it’s not right to punish her. I can’t imagine why she’d follow my father’s plan.Unable to hold myself back any longer.

“Did you know?” I growl.

Her eyes pinch as if confused by my question.

“Did you know we were taken from our families?”

The tears are almost instant as she whispers my name, “Jackson…”

“You knew?” I push out of my chair, and my anger and fire build as I pace the back half of the office. “Did you know that my mother, my real mother, was killed because of you?”

I can smell my mom’s fear filling the room. My dad will come pushing through the door any second because this is his fight. I can’t stop. I want to kill him right now.

“Leave, Mom.” I clip with my back to her. My claws tear into the soft wood of the mantle as my wolf surges forward. I breathe through the need to shift as I watch the flames lick the air. The heat of the fire fills my body.

The anger bleeds into a memory that seems as clear now as it was thirteen years ago. It happened in this very room.

My dad had been grooming me to take over his seat. The Alpha seat is usually revered as an honor to have passed on. I’d been so excited to hold that mantle. My curiosity had pulled a seventeen-year-old Jackson to the office earlier than usual, and that’s when I found the locked cabinet slightly open.

The large folder in the middle said “Children” at the top. Naturally, I pulled it out and placed it on the desk, hoping to glimpse more of our childhood.

Only to find the sale contracts for three children. My contract sat on top, “Jackson (3) was born of the Turner family to Wilma and Miles Turner on May 3rd—the reason for sale, death of parents, an orphan. At first, the certificate confused me, so I flipped to the one underneath that read, Hunter Ridge (3) born to Red and Harlot Ridge, reason for sale, kidnapped. My heart stopped at the truth of my brother, who has always been my twin. Finally, the last sale listed Holly Ridge (0), born to Red and Harlot Ridge, reason for sale, kidnapped. The sheet slips from my hands.

I ran to the bathroom down the hall, the realization of my parentage making me sick. Once I had composed myself well enough, I returned to the office, tucked the papers into the folder, and replaced them in the cabinet.

It took me three more days to finally ask my dad about it. He accused me of being incompetent. A snitch. Not worthy of the seat as Alpha. That was the same time I started acting out. I didn’t want to be the Alpha of a Pack that supported kidnapping.

Blatant kidnapping.

When I realized my dad feared the truth coming out more than anything, I blackmailed him into my twelve-year plan and left.

The memory only fuels the anger that has me holding myself up on the mantle in the office. I breathe in deeply to try and lessen the sting of the truth. The weight of my findings has hung over me for the last twelve years. My military career was a nice distraction. I couldn’t think of my past when I was busy saving lives and working with my team. Now, though, I must face the truth and hope my past doesn’t ruin my future with Charlie.

Pull my phone out of my pocket and press send on the green icon next to Kill’s name.

“I need you to come here,” I say when he answers.

“Hey, it’s nice to hear from you, too. It’s been a minute. I missed you, best friend .”His voice is full of sarcasm.

I pinch the bridge of my nose at his sarcastic response. His taunts only add fuel to the fire, “Fuck off, can you come?”

“Chill out, grumpy ass; yeah, I’m just down the road.”

“Good. Also, call Reach and Wyatt.”

“You got it, boss; see you soon.”

Hanging up the phone. The weight of everything that comes with being Alpha settles on my shoulders. I want to be here and be the best for Charlie, this Pack, and my family. I know one thing: my siblings deserve to know the truth.

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