38. Jackson

38

Jackson

The door to the office presses open, and I immediately know who it is. “Mate,” I say while leaning back in my chair and gesturing for her to come over and join me.

“How’s my sister?” It’s been a few hours since we met, and I know she’s sad.

“She’s okay, " Charlie says softly, then adds, “She’s going to be okay.”

I nod and pull her small body closer. Her baby bump popped a day ago, and I can’t stop running my hands over it.

“I need to see him,” she whispers.

“No.” It’s the same response I’ve given her every day since her attack. The bruising on her throat is nearly gone, but her voice is still hoarse. The reminder that I failed her.

“Jackson, I want to see him. I need to. Plus, Holly asked us to move the ceremony up, and I want him there.”

My head shakes, and my lips pinch. “I can’t. He’s still dangerous to you.”

She breathes deeply and sweeps her hand over my cheek up into my hair.

“Alpha, I need to see my brother.” She says in a tone that makes me smile. She’s so strong.

“Fine, but I’ll be with you, and if I have to use my Alpha bark on him, you can’t be afraid of me.”

“Okay.”

I slip her off my lap and take her hand in mine. On the first day, his wolf submitted to me easily, and we had to force a shift on nearly every confrontation just to get him to understand I wasn’t Ax.

Ryan has been more coherent after a shift, and he does share some small memories of Charlie that don’t include her being a whore or a breeder. But after about fifteen minutes, his mind locks down again, forcing him to fall into the pit of darkness he lived in for so long following Charlie's escape.

“Charlie, I need you to know that he’s not the same. He’s not the man you knew. He might be one day, but he’s suffered.”

She nods, and I see her hand slide over her cheek. “Okay.”

I pull her up short in front of the room he’s kept in. I now have a key after my team realized I could never kill him. It would destroy Charlie, and despite his foul language, I could never hurt her like that.

“I’m going to force a shift. His room is a mess and sparse because we’ve had to make his wolf come out to calm him. Do you understand?”

She nods. My brave girl’s hand twitches as she picks at her nails, but I take them in mine. “You didn’t do this,” I whisper. “None of this is your fault.”

She swallows, and a small tear crests her lashes and rolls down slowly. “I understand,” She whispers.

“Good.” I let one hand go to unlock the door and guide her in behind me.

“Ryan, I brought someone to see you.”

Ryan doesn’t turn from his chair or move. “I can smell her. They trained me to pick out her scent, to always know her…” His words fall off. “I hate the smell,” his voice turns cold as he presses up out of his seat and moves to attack Charlie.

Her breath catches as I slide her behind me and wrap my hand around his throat. “Shift,” I command, dropping his body to the floor. He shudders under the command, and his black wolf appears.

His wolf is subdued, and I know it is safe. He submitted to me, and I hope he will recognize Charlie.

Ryan bows slightly in acknowledgment, as he raises his head he breathes in deeply.

“Ryan?” Her soft cracks, “It’s me, Charlie.” I step back from her and allow them to have a moment. Her eyes shift as she allows her wolf to pull forward.

Ryan’s large black wolf lies flat on the ground. In an act of respect and loyalty, he submits to her, and she croons and runs to him. Her tears soak his pelt as she embraces him around the neck. He leans his head into her and breathes her in again.

Her words are a soft whisper I have to strain to hear: “I did it. I found my treasure, Ryan. Now, I have to help save you from the people who tried to steal from us. I won’t stop being here until you're mine again. Please remember us.” Her pleading voice has me swallowing my emotions. “I’m going to shift now. I need to.”

She slips from her clothes, and I watch her break into a beautiful black wolf. They run their heads and necks down each other affectionately as if coming back together.

I check my watch because I know my command will wear off soon, and she needs to be back behind me safely. When he shifts, he doesn’t remember who he was or what’s happened.

“Charlie, beautiful, it’s time,” I say my heartbreaking having to stop this reunion.

She blinks at me and rubs her head one more time on her brother as she steps back. His eyes follow her movements and pinch painfully as she steps next to me and back into her clothes.

I wait. His shift is quick, and I’ve been in here multiple times a day to know exactly how this goes. Finally, his human pulls forward again, and the disgusted sneer pulls at his lips. I shift Charlie behind me again.

“We’re done now,” I say, guiding her out of the room and locking the door behind us.

She leans heavily on the wall, her breath coming out in short pants.

“Are you okay?”

She shakes her head, “I never thought I’d see him again.” Her lips roll into her mouth as she tries and fails to hold in her emotions. “I miss him something fierce.”

“You can come back when you want. I'm not sure he can be at the ceremony, but give him time. Okay?”

“Okay,” she says, a little defeated.

“Good. Now, let’s go see what we can pull together for tomorrow to make this the perfect ceremony.”

The sun hangs low in the sky, making the pines glow a fiery orange. The color reminds me of Charlie as I look out over the back patio of the Lodge. The last twenty-four hours have been a whirlwind of insanity. Apparently, the girls had a lot more planned than I expected.

Twinkling lights drape from the patio roof across the yard to the tall trees. Wyatt and Reacher had to climb up and secure them, as the lodgepole trees barely supported their weight.

The yard is full of white chairs facing the gardens nestled below me. Twinkling candles, arranged in jars of varying heights, line the veranda. The entire scene is like a fairytale come to life.

“How are you feeling, Alpha?” My mom’s voice is quiet as she presses to stand beside me. I wrap my arm around her shoulders, needing to apologize for being such an ass to her.

“I’m sorry, Mom, for blaming you for thinking you’d lie to us.”

She shakes her head, “All I ever wanted was to love you like my own and come hell or high water, I will. I never would have lied had I known, I’m sorry you found out the way you did.” She sighs and watches as Pack members walk around the side yard and fill in the seats. “Is Holly going to be okay?” She asks, quieter than before.

“I think so; she’ll be safe. At least Will won’t let anything happen to her.”

She drops her head in confirmation, “Are you going to be okay son?”

My head tilts towards her. “Yeah,” I say, unsure of my feelings right now. Shame and guilt wash through me.

“None of this is your fault, you know?” She says softly.

I shake my head. “I don’t know, Mom. Maybe Dad was right. I’m not meant to be Alpha.” I sigh and continue, “I let Emma get taken, my mate—” I choke out the thought but let it die. “Then I hurt Holly.”

My mom does the one thing only a mother can do. She takes my cheeks in her small hands and turns my head so my eyes lock on hers. Her voice is unwavering as she says, “You can not control other people, Jackson. You can only control how you react. And you reacted every bit like the Alpha you are. When Emma got taken, you did everything you could to find her. When Charlie got hurt, you ensured she would be okay. And when you knew the truth about Holly’s past, you hid it to keep her safe. Everything you do, you do out of love for your family and your pack. Your father was wrong.” Her eyes mist over a little. “He was wrong. You are a better Alpha and better man.”

I nod into her hands, and she pulls our foreheads together. I breathe in her truth, her sincerity, and her love. “Thank you, Mom,” I whisper, swallowing down the feelings she’s brought to the surface.

“Now,” she sniffles, not lifting her head from my shoulder. “I want to see you take that beautiful woman and burn her into our history as your mate and Luna. She deserves it after everything she’s fought for.”

I nod. “I love you, Mom,” I say as I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her into a hug.

“I know. I know,” she says quietly, just as the music switches. I escort my mom down the stairs and through the aisle to take her seat at the front of the ceremony.

Emma and Holly come down the stairs first, both wearing beautiful dresses and escorted by Will and Hunter. I nervously twitch my fingers together, waiting to get a glimpse of her.

Everyone stands as I see her take the last step down the stairs. Wyatt and Reacher flank her on either side, her small hands wrapped in their arms as they lead her to me. When they turn, my breath catches.

Her beautiful red gown wraps around her delicious curves, sharing her small swell with everyone here. The dress has a slit straight up the side, showing her muscular leg with every step, and later today, I plan on ripping it the rest of the way off her body.

When I asked her why red, she said some of her best memories were in red dresses, and I frowned. She explained that she never would’ve found me if she hadn’t been sold, and the night Ax came back, she wore red, and it brought her brother back to her.

Red was her color, and right now, against her pale skin and dark black hair, it was every bit her color.

She rolled her lips into her mouth as her gaze dragged up my body. I’m not wearing anything special, a button-down and slacks, but her eyes are eating me up. I revel in it and breathe deeply, pushing my chest out.

“Hi, big guy,” She breathes out as Reacher and Wyatt slip her hands into mine.

“Thank you guys,” I say to my team.

“You’re a vision,” I say to her, kissing her cheek; she leans into my lips.

At that moment, the sun slips between the trees, its rays illuminating her in the soft orange glow of sunset.

“I will gladly dance in your blaze, beautiful,” I say, kissing her once more before standing tall to present her as my mate and Luna. Ready to declare this beautiful phoenix as mine.

Forever Mine.