61. Chapter 61

Chapter 61

T he collective gasps echoed through the forest.

Layla's heart pumped loudly as she held Hope against her chest and watched the proceedings. Jackson was expressionless as he looked down at Diedre, but she could have felt his horror a mile away.

She got it. They had only started having the ‘what are we' conversation. They had just talked about going away, and hopefully, they would have agreed on what their relationship was.

But did Jackson have to be so horrified that someone had called her his girlfriend? She had been in his bed for months; that couldn't have been the first time someone had said it. Amber had tried to be his girlfriend so she could be called Luna, and she'd tried to make Zach the Alpha for the same reason. She knew there had to be some power in that ranking—Jackson was not only their Alpha but also their King.

But if he wasn't planning on getting rid of her and wasn't thinking of getting a more suitable woman for that role, why the hell was he so against that idea?

Jackson looked around at the hundreds of people around him before he turned his head to face her.

And then his eyes flashed red, and the wave of horror disappeared. She got lost in those eyes despite them being his beastly wolf's eye. Or maybe because of them. She felt herself being drawn to him again, even though they were literally running for their lives.

"Yes," Jackson said. "Yes, she's your Luna."

She let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding, and a warm glow started in her chest.

He was publicly acknowledging her. He had put a label on their relationship, and it settled all her fears.

But all around the camp, nobody could hide their shock and horror. Jackson's words returned to her mind. They would not accept her even if she shifted in front of their eyes. She was still different from them, perhaps because she'd yet to shift. But she knew in her heart that they could work on that. If they survived the Hunters, they would have all the time in the world to try to change their minds.

That was assuming Jackson wanted something more permanent with her.

She had already decided that there would be no one else for her. The ball was in his court.

Jackson handed Diedre over to the man who had been helping her and then looked back at the people around him.

"But you haven't marked her, Alpha," someone said.

"We will talk about that later. Let's start moving."

What did that mean? Was he supposed to put some sort of mark on her to show that she was his girlfriend? A ring, maybe?

She looked down at the ring he had placed on his finger months ago, hanging on the same chain as the emerald pendant. It had been months since she could fit it.

Perhaps not a ring, them, because all the jewellery had been given to her as if it meant nothing.

But all her thoughts turned back to what was happening when she saw everyone start to take their clothes off and tie them into bundles. She looked down at Hope with her cheeks colouring. She had never seen so many naked people in her life, and they didn't seem to care about it. It had to be a wolf thing. Jackson often walked around the bedroom naked, letting it all hang out with a confidence that she would probably never have. And her mother had been naked the days she'd spoken to Jackson and her. Would she have to do that when she started shifting?

"Remember what to do. Stay focused. I'll see you on the other..." Jackson started.

His voice trailed off as he looked somewhere to the left of him. Someone was coming. She rushed to her feet, ready to start running with Hope if she had to, but when she focused on the sound, she felt relief.

It was Dylan. She had been worried that he had been left alone with the Hunters so close.

When Dylan burst through the clearing, he was barefoot with only a pair of shorts on. Sweat dripped down his body as if he had run the whole way, but he was not as breathless as she would have been.

Micah and Jackson rushed to him, and one of them handed him a bottle of water.

"They're coming," Dylan said. "They're heading directly for this spot."

There were murmurs and whispers, and a wave of fear hit her in the face. Was it her fault that these Hunters had come into town? Had she done something to give herself away? Could they have seen her when she had gone out to dinner with Brit and Jackson and had struggled to control her emotions?

Guilt started to eat her up. Maybe she had celebrated being Jackson's girlfriend too early. She would never be able to look any of them in the eye if they lost more people.

"How are they tracking us? Their paths are so direct it's like they know exactly where they are going," Jackson asked.

"Amber," Dylan growled. "She's walking with them and leading them to our meeting point."

The pack gasped, and the panic increased. She felt a little angry that Amber wanted to hurt her and Jackson so much that she would betray all her people. Why would a wolf side with her enemy?

"Let's move. Don't stop for anything," Jackson growled, and then she felt the subtle waves in the air.

She heard the popping bones, the whines and the growls. And then, almost in an instant, there were so many wolves in front of her. Even in the darkness of the forest, she could tell their coats had different colours. They looked magnificent.

They were nothing like the wolf that had attacked her in the forest, but smaller versions of Jackson's wolf. Perhaps less evil versions, too. Jackson's wolf was in a league of its own.

The wolves picked up the bundles at their feet, and then she noticed the children coming forward and climbing up the backs of some of them. She remembered they couldn't shift yet. Would they be okay? They looked terrified as other adults went around, strapping the younger ones down so they were more secure. One strapped Diedre down, but the woman couldn't hold on like the kids.

And once the clearing was nothing but a sea of wolves, they started to run in one direction. It took seconds for the clearing to empty.

"Go, too," Dylan said. "I'll stay behind and throw a few of Diedre's potions to buy us some time."

"Stop doing that. Go and lead your people, Dylan," Jackson growled, shoving his friend towards everyone else.

But Dylan just threw him a look before he started throwing vials of something in all directions around the clearing.

Jackson shook his head and then looked at her.

"You have to hold on to me," he said. "I won't do any dangerous jumps and will stay as steady as possible for Hope's sake."

She nodded, and a moment later, Jax was naked and stuffing his clothes into the rucksack. Once he checked that she strapped Hope securely in front of her, he stepped back.

And then there he was. Jackson's wolf. Cain. He was still the most terrifying creature she had ever seen, but she wasn't scared of him this time. It was hard to be afraid when she knew he was a part of Jackson, and therefore, he was a part of everything they had done together.

Cain lowered his head to only inches from her, and then he sniffed Hope and licked her. Because Hope was a part of the beast, too.

The wolf lowered his body, pulling her back into the situation. They were not safe anymore. Amber had betrayed them, so the chances of them dying had gone up by a lot.

Once she settled on the wolf's broad back, she checked that Hope was secure one more time before she grabbed the tufts of the wolf's back. Cain walked into the trees and turned back just as Dylan shifted and picked up his clothes.

She sniffed the air. A hint of something fruity dissipated as they stood at the sidelines. Somehow, there were no signs that anyone had been there. The footprints were gone. There weren't any lingering scents.

But in the distance, very close to their position, she heard the stealthy footsteps approaching. Hundreds of them from different angles, hardly making any noise. They were much closer than the last time she checked on them.

Cain and Dylan must have heard them, too, because they turned around and started running.

The hunt had started.