“This…” He gestures wildly around the room, his eyes turning darker “…This should be your territory! This is your home!”
He points towards his bed. “That should be your bed. You should be with me!” His Alpha tone echoes throughout the room as he roars. I can’t help the tremble in my body as I back away from him. I call to my wolf for the strength to stand up to him, but I can’t hear her. Thinking back, I haven’t heard her since I landed on Georgina’s doorstep.
He lowers his voice, but I watch at a distance as his fists clench tightly at his side. “You shouldn’t have to run from your pack, Lexi. You should never feel unwanted. Your pack should feel like your home.” He moves closer and I curse as I bump into his dresser behind me.
He lifts his hands up in surrender and says with words so soft and gentle, “I won’t hurt you. I’m sorry I lost my temper, my wolf is calmer now.”He looks down at me and I force myself to look at his chest.
“I have to go back, Jax,” I whisper.
“You can’t,” he says just as softly back, moving a piece of hair out of my face.
“Why?” I look up at him frowning.
He looks down at the piece of hair he’s now twirled in his finger. “I don’t want you to.”
I place my hand over his, the same one that holds the strand of hair.
His eyes find mine. “I’m sorry I entered your land, Jax, but I needed to see Georgina. I should have asked for your permission before I crossed borders, but my head was all over the place and I just didn’t think. I’ll stay here until the morning, but then I really need to get back to Fort Hills. I need to face my problems head on.”
He nods his head in understanding. “Your mates are there too?”
“They are.” I nod, looking down at my hands now. My mates. Just repeating those words in my head causes a pain of longing in my chest for them. The distance between us has caused a physical pain in my heart.
I jump when he moves the hair away from my shoulder, pushing against his chest to get distance between us as his other hand cups the back of my neck holding me in place. His thumb moves gently along the side of my neck.
“They still haven’t marked you?” His eyebrows knit together.
I don’t have an answer to that, so I just shrug.
Just then there’s a knock on the door, I step away from Jax as he calls to whoever is behind the door to come in.
Ronny’s head pops in with a smile beaming on her face as she looks between the two of us.
I look her in the eye trying to get into her head. “Get those thoughts out of your head. Nothing is going on between us.”
“Sure looks like there is something going on there.” She lifts a brow looking between Jax and I.
Jax walks past saying,“Lexi, you can stay here for however long you need. I’ll tell the pack this was a planned visit, let them know you’re not a threat.” Then he looks me in the eye and forces himself into my thoughts. “This conversation isn’t finished, we need to talk.” I nod my head and he leaves.
“Wow! You two still have that I’m-gonna-jump-you-when-no one’s-lookin’ chemistry going on.” She looks at the door Jax just left through and then back to me. I push her arm walking past her.
“Oh please.” I roll my eyes blushing. “Where’s Chloe?”
We head out of the room and down the stairs towards the main living room. It’s crowded with people, but I don’t feel any animosity coming for the other pack members. I’m welcomed and greeted with nothing but happy familiar faces.
Chloe squeals when she sees me. “You’re awake!” She wraps her arms around me, squeezing me tight. Her excitement at seeing me makes me giggle.
“We missed you so much!” She tugs on my hair. “Next time, answer our calls and reply to our messages! We didn’t know if you were alive or dead!” Guilt engulfs me; I’ve caused so much worry for my friends because of my constant need to flee.
“I’m so sorry for the way I left.”
Ronny folds her arms over her chest and huffs.
“You tell us you’re half wolf, perform some heavy witchcraft shit on Chelsea, then you up and leave. We didn’t know whether you’d survived the shift or not. Never do that again, Lexi. I swear to God, I will come after you and I won’t let anyone get in my way.” Ronny’s voice is firm as she says this, I know she’s deadly serious.
“No more running. I promise.” I grab both of them and hold them tight.
We move to sit outside away from the crowd.
“Do these parties happen often?” I ask, gesturing towards the noise coming from the house behind us.