29. Charlie

29

Charlie

The energy in the pack house is off. It’s a feeling I’ve never felt before. My hand instinctively begins to flick at the loose skin lining my thumbnail. Wyatt didn’t help my mood; he hasn’t said anything since we left the bakery. Though the feelings pushing through my bond with Jackson are slowly tearing me apart, I want desperately to call him to find out what is happening and how I can help.

Wyatt pushes the large doors shut behind me, “Don’t leave unless told to, understood?” He growls, locking the door.

I don’t even get to respond before he walks away. Holly’s blonde hair is a blur as she runs down the stairs, “Charlie, did you hear?” Her voice is a tense whisper.

“No, what?” The box of cookies I brought back trembles slightly as I slide it onto the foyer table.

“Emma was taken.”

“What?” My voice is raised, and Holly quickly shushes me.

“Yeah, I don’t know any details, but Amy from the clinic just got here. Jackson ordered a Pack lockdown, so everyone is headed here until the situation is figured out.”

“What?!” I say again. My thoughts race, trying to get my wolf’s attention. Emma was taken. She’s gone. “Do they know who took her?”

Holly shrugs.

“I need to help Jackson.” I turn back to the door, and Holly grabs my shoulders. “No, Charlie. I made my brother a promise, and you leaving is dangerous. He can handle whoever has Emma. The best thing you can do is help me here.”

Holly redirects my body towards the large dining room full of Pack members; some women are chatting, and pups are playing in tiny circles on the floor. The entire house is buzzing with activity. This has never happened before, and my wolf begins to pace from the onslaught of sounds and activity. The anxiety that Emma is in danger and Jackson’s out there. I need to get to him. I need him.

My wolf begins to growl, and my feet root to the spot. “Holly, I can’t do this, I…I?—”

Holly’s blue eyes fill my vision. “Charlie, you need to hold it together. We can’t leave this house, and the Pack needs you. They need to see you as one of them right now, especially if you’re going to be Luna.” Her words echo through the room, and many women turn toward me.

The whispers shift to, “That’s her. She’s Jackson’s mate.”

My eyes slowly widen. ‘Oh god, how do they know?’ I ask my wolf. “Holly, I can’t.” My feet carry me from the large room towards Jackson’s office. His scent is heavier here, and I take in deep breaths. My wolf doesn’t answer me; she’s still wrapped up in the feelings flooding our bond.

I push the heavy door open, needing relief and space, but the office is filled with men. Killian is bent over the large desk on the phone; his eyes are dark as he takes me in.

“Charlie?” He growls.

My head shakes uncontrollably as I scan the room, I need him. The panic is suffocating me. What was I thinking that I could become a Luna? I can’t do this.

My breaths come in quick pants as I slowly back out of the room.

A large body presses in behind me, and that’s the moment I break. My elbow retracts, hitting the person in the side, and my foot slams down on theirs. I’m using every skill I have while the need to run overwhelms my body. It’s so ingrained that I don’t question any of my responses.

Killian brings the phone closer, pressing the speaker button. “Little mate?” My hand is positioned to land the final blow. “Charlie, I’m here. It’s me. You’re okay.”

I can’t scent him, and my vision is blurred from the tears; my throat is clogged with the boulder I swallowed.

“Charlie, beautiful, listen to me.”

His voice is like a light on a foggy night, pulling me out of the attack I was spiraling into. “Jack-son?” His name is a broken plea.

“Hey, breathe for me.”

I follow his command. As I breathe, I hiccup, “Where are you?”

“Right here, Charlie, right here.”

I blink quickly, clearing my eyes as I continue to suck in deep gulps of air. The anxiety ebbs away as I take in the room.

Killian’s standing next to me with the phone.

My eyes land on Holly, and I realize that every man in this room is watching me fall apart. “Can you take the phone to the safe room.”

I nod and gently take it from Killian’s hand. Holly wraps her arm around my waist as we maneuver through large bodies. Wyatt opens the bookcase door, and we slip inside.

“Better?” He asks through the phone.

I nod.

“Take a breath for me.”

Now that I’m in this cave, my breathing is already calmer, and I realize Jackson’s added furniture to this tiny space. There are two small reading chairs, a table, and some of my favorite books.

He chuckles through the phone, “Do you like what I did to the place?” He asks.

“As long as you don’t plan on keeping me in here all the time… it’s nice.” I say, beginning to breathe normally again. Holly sits across from me, her elbows on her knees, leaning forward so her chin rests on her hands.

“No, never, but I needed you to have a cave in the house; the Falls is not a safe place to run to, and I would feel a hell of a lot better if you came in here when you needed to run.”

“How did you?”

“Little mate, you became my world a few weeks ago, and I will continue to worship you wherever you are. I love you. I knew you would need this eventually.” The tenderness in his voice pacifies my anxious wolf.

“Jackson, the entire Pack knows we’re mated.” I hiss as the reality of the house I’m stuck in slams into me again.

“Yeah, that’s my fault; we went to Nan’s and…well, it’s not important right now. What I need from you is to stay calm. Remember that every person in this house is your family. They love you, and now they want to meet you. I talked to Holly about teaching you how to be a Luna. She’s been watching our mom our whole lives. So trust her. Trust in me.” His words pause, and he sighs; I can picture his hand pushing the thick brown hair back off his forehead. “Charlie, I can’t come back until we get Emma. I don’t know how long that’ll be. What I need from you is to know you’re safe. That you’re taking care of our Pack and the pups. Everything is going to be okay.”

Tears once again fill my eyes as I look at Holly, “Has this happened before?” I ask them both.

Holly purses her lips and shakes her head, “Not in our history, no, but the records show that many reasons we flee are from humans hunting us.”

“But Emma’s a human. Why would they take her?”

Jackson’s voice fills the room, “Let me figure that out; stay with Holly?”

“Okay.”

“I love you, beautiful.”

“I love you too, Jackson.”

My heart sinks as I realize I need to hang up the phone. The reality that I don’t know when I’ll see him causes me to whimper. Holly slips the phone from my hand and puts it to her ear. I watch her nod to Jackson’s orders, and she slips from the room to return the phone to Killian.

This would be it if there was a moment for a pep talk. Yet there are no thoughts. This is all so much. Holly steps back in the room, and my eyes pull up to her, “Let’s go bake something for everyone, hmm?”

My lips pinch with my slight nod. My mind floods with ideas for cookies or brownies; baking is the only other escape, and right now, it feels right.

The panic has ebbed away as I followed Holly back out to the kitchen. It is buzzing with activity, and everyone slowly stops moving around as we enter. I feel a squeeze of panic pinch in the middle of my throat.

“Hi, everyone,” I give a small, shy wave. Holly has disappeared into the large walk-in pantry.

She reappears, saying, “Here,” and hands me a new white apron. I open it to find the words, ‘I love you from my head, to-ma-toes,’ with a small tomato character making a heart sign.

I stifle a laugh, “What is this?”

Holly shrugs. “Jackson said you would need a new apron, and he ordered one from that funny pun-baking site where I found your other one.” She looks at the words again as I tie the apron around my waist. “He’s kind of hilarious.”

I shake my head and turn to Keelie, “Okay, I’m here to help. What do you need?”

She claps her hand, and everyone who had a job previously begins to move again.

Keelie’s motherly eyes lock with mine, and she approaches slowly. “I know you’re good with baked things. Could you get a batch of two hundred rolls started?”

“Easy,” I say, sliding around the kitchen with practiced ease. I feel the anxious energy shift into something new as I place all the ingredients out. “Do you have a large mixer?” I ask her.

She shakes her head in sadness. “No, we only have the Bosch, and it can only handle about ten cups of flour at a time.

My lips roll into my mouth because ten cups of flour won’t make more than twenty rolls. “I need that mixer. Let’s send someone to the bakery to grab it.” I turn to leave the kitchen.

The oversized table is hushed. It’s late at night, but no one wanted to leave until we heard something. I can hear the slight whispers from the end of the table as I sit at the head next to where Jackson would sit.

Nan encouraged me to take this seat, which feels like more than just a chair. This is me sitting in a seat of power—a pinnacle—a beacon for my Pack for all these people who are looking for some kind of hope. My phone pings with a text, and I pull it out.

We found her. It will be another few hours, but everyone is safe. We need to set up a clinic in the Pack House to take care of everyone.

My breath catches in my throat at the simple words. Everyone turns to look at me. The quell of panic that I’ve grown so used to attempts to rise, but I swallow it down.

I twist my lips to the side as I slip my phone back into my pocket and look up at the women and children who are all watching me.

I drop my head, ‘Okay, we have this. We can address everyone as a Luna, their equal and friend.’

‘We always had this.’ My wolf adds. The small words boost that confidence that’s been slowly growing over the last few days.

I push out of my seat, and the hushed silence is almost deafening. It’s been about thirty-six hours since Emma went missing, and an undeniable sadness has fallen over the Pack and a stir-crazy energy that has been more obvious in the pups.

I breathe once more before dragging my eyes up to look at each of the women who’ve trusted me with everything. I release my thumb from being assaulted by my pointer finger. As I see Lola, she gives me an encouraging nod.

“As you know by now, I am Jackson’s mate. I want you all to know I’m so grateful for each of you.” My eyes land on Lola, to Nan’s. Even Mrs. Anders’s eyes are soft. “I’ve heard from Jackson. Emma is safe.” I take in the widening eyes, and my shoulders slump slightly in relief. “That being said, he needs help, I need your help. There are others they found, and we need to make sure we have space for them when they arrive.”

I see heads jerk up with this. Suddenly, I don’t know what to do, and I turn to Nan, who smiles softly. I see her lashes glowing with tears. She stands and walks up next to me, wrapping me in a hug, and then she turns to the rest of the table.

“Alright, ladies…” Her voice drawls as she lists who will manage what and says that each woman should pick where she wants to help the Pack.

The small stone in my throat bobs as I swallow down the emotion of watching each of these strong, capable women step into new roles. I get put in charge of the Bakery and pups. I smile as I see Kyler bouncing at the end of the table, and his face pinches uncomfortably. I know that look well.

“Kyler, no,” I whisper, and the entire room breaks out in chaos.