ALPHA(48)

“In a minute,” I said, pulling him towards me and squeezing him tight. I was in pain and so tired I couldn’t keep my eyes open, but there was nowhere else I would have wanted to be. I was in Jacksons arms and he was my whole world.



LAURA



“He was a fucking traitor.”

Two days after the dramatic events had unfolded with the Grove Pack, and I was sat on the patio bench in Jackson’s garden, wrapped in his arms. I felt like I hadn’t slept in weeks, but for the first time in days I could finally relax. Tensions were still high with the rival pack, but after losing many members, they’d retreated to lick their wounds. Oh, we knew it wasn’t the last we would hear from them, but for now we could relax in the knowledge that we were stronger than them. The next time they came for us, we would be ready. Ethan had been released from the clinic this morning, and was back to his normal cheeky self. He’d suffered serious injuries in the fight, but after shifting a few times to speed up the healing process, he was good as new. Thank God. Logan had paid me a visit, scolding me like a child at running headfirst in to danger and yelling at Jackson for letting me go, but once I explained about the threat to Annabelle, he understood. He told me he still wasn’t happy about it, but he did understand and he was just relieved to see that I was okay. I’d had nightmares the past few nights, with many of them revolving around Tyler and ending in him hurting a member of my new family, but Jackson was always there to wake me up and hold me until I calmed down. I knew that I would have sleepless nights for a while, but I was so thankful that not only was I alive, but the rest of my family were too. Jasmine had been pretty much inconsolable after being reunited with Annabelle and once I had arrived back home, hugged me for so long my arms had started to go numb. She told me that she would never be able to repay me for the sacrifice I had made, and the danger I had put myself in to save her daughter, but I told her that she didn’t need to repay me for anything. Sometimes you had to put your neck on the line for those you loved, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Jackson had been so busy sorting things out within the community, and trying to reassure the terrified people, that I’d barely had five minutes to speak to him. For the first time in days, we finally had some quality time to spend together, but something had been playing on his mind and I couldn’t bear to see how much it was eating him up. Tyler.

“How did I not see it?” He used his foot to gently push us back and forth in the porch swing, and he squeezed me tighter while kissing me on the forehead.

“None of us knew, Jackson. How could you? He acted as your best friend and followed every single order you gave him. No-one would have ever suspected a thing.”

“That’s not the point. It’s my job as Alpha to protect this pack. I trust those men with my life. I should have known something was up. What kind of Alpha lets a traitor loose in their pack to do whatever the hell they want? He managed to get them access to our town, set fire to my brother’s fucking house almost killing you, and pretended to rescue you from those guys when he was in on it all along! I wish I’d killed the little shit slower.”

“Jackson,” I said softly, holding his face with both of my hands forcing him to look in to my eyes. “Please, don’t lower yourself to his level. Killing is never for pleasure. Tyler fooled us all.”

He leaned towards me, and I instinctively reached up to meet his lips as he kissed me with a desperation I’d never felt before.

“I need you,” he whispered against my mouth, his hot breath mingling with mine as I tried to steady myself.

“Not here,” I giggled and he groaned as he pulled away. He sat back up, and pulled me more securely on his lap, just holding me in a comfortable silence. I loved the time I spent with Jackson, whether it was out on dates or in his bed. It was these moments I craved the most though. With Jackson, we could just sit in silence and it wouldn’t matter. We allowed each other moments of silence to process our own thoughts, but we were there if the other ever needed to talk about anything. I craved those instances because they made me feel even closer to him. It scared me how much I was starting to depend on him, and I knew that my life without him would be a much bleaker place.

“I need you tonight. I need to feel you next to me. I need to feel that you’re alive and you’re with me.”

I smiled at the urgency in his voice, and for the first time in days I felt weightless and safe. Like nothing could ever hurt me because I was in Jackson’s arms.

“Wheeey!” Jackson and I were suddenly pulled apart by Blake, who sat in between us both, throwing his arms over our shoulders and squeezing us in to his body like we were kids.