Pack Ties, Blood Lies

Chapter 21 - Moon Goddess's Mistake

Standing under the heat of the shower, I scrubbed at my skin until it stung.

The memory of Drake's hands on me was mercifully hazy, but I still knew what had happened. I felt dirty and disgusting.

My bruises still hurt like hell. The dark lines on my thighs couldn't be clearer handprints if they had been outlined in sharpie.

I shut off the shower, stepping out and towelling myself dry.

Jack had been insistent that I stay in the room beside his. Just in case I needed anything.

I hadn't bothered to argue, I was too focused on my desperation to get clean.

He had collected me some clothes from my cabin, which was sweet of him.

I slowly dressed, taking comfort in the feeling of safety, that had been missing for so long.

I was grateful for the long sweatpants he had packed, happy to hide my bruises from even my own eyes.

I had been sitting on the bed, staring into space for a while, when there was a light knock on my door.

Startled, I froze for a moment, before making myself relax. I wouldn't be that person.

I wouldn't let myself be defined by what had happened to me.

I called for the visitor to come in, pleased to see there wasn't a crowd waiting... just Jack.

He smiled at me hesitantly as he crossed the room to sit in the large armchair under the window.

"Are you ok?" he asked softly, eyes running over me as if he expected me to fall apart right in front of him.

I ignored the question, not really knowing the answer myself.

I pulled my legs up to sit cross-legged on the bed and decided to ask him something instead. "What happened? How did you find me?"

Jack sighed, letting his head fall back against the seat. "Really Charlie? That's what you want to talk about?"

"Yup." I said, aiming for a cheery tone of voice, but probably falling short.

He groaned but sat back up in his chair. "Fine... Drake's rogues hung around for a few days, making sure your scent trails were gone... But they didn't bank on us following them back."

He looked smugly out of the window for a moment. "The trackers took a wolf each and traced them. Most wound around the forest for a few days, either losing their tracker or settling in a random place to confuse us..."

"There was just one idiot that slunk straight back to Drake." He snorted and shook his head. "It took a few days of surveillance, but we were finally able to make a move when he sent a lot of his men out somewhere."

His midnight gaze returned to me and he smiled a soft smile. "And then we got you back."

My stomach did a flip-flop at the gentle look on his face and I looked away. Focusing my attention on a loose thread on my left sock.

"Thank you." I mumbled, still unable to look at him.

After a hesitant pause, he spoke again. "We heard some of the rouges talking... About using your blood to create an army... because you don't have a wolf."

So, they knew.

The sadness in my heart rejoiced slightly in the fact that I wouldn't have to be the one to tell them.

"Why did you do it Charlie? Why go with him? We could have fought..." there was a slight edge to his voice that made me whip my head up to look at him.

He was too slow to hide the anger in his eyes.

"Are you an idiot?" I demanded, suddenly furious. "So many would have died, over nothing!"

Jack glared at me, shooting to his feet. "You are not nothing!"

"I am not worth the Pack!" I was on my feet now too, anger fizzing in my bones.

"You are to me." He blazed, baring his teeth in anger.

Unfazed, I took a step towards him in clear challenge. "Anyone with a vagina is important to you!"

He snarled in response. "That's unfair. You have no fucking idea about anything."

"Yeah, that's me. Clueless, wolf-less and apparently now completely naive. How am I any different from the rest of your harem?" I spat.

Jack shot across the room faster than I could follow. "Because you are my mate" he growled.

His mouth crashed to meet mine. His tongue setting me alight with hot desire.

Shock exploded through me as he held me, softening the kiss to a bone tingling caress. Everything was soon lost in the feel of his lips on mine. Rational thought totally absent as he cupped the back of my head tenderly.

As he drew back, he gently tucked my hair behind my ears, eyes searching my face.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." He sighed, moving to back away.

I grabbed his t-shirt, holding him in place as I gazed into the warm depths of his navy eyes. "Yes. You should."

The air between us seemed to fizz with electricity as we stood, barely apart but hardly touching.

My heart raced as his words sunk into my brain.

It made no sense. I had known him so long. It had only been recently that he showed any kind of interest in me.

"How can that be true?" I whispered. My mind reeling and remembering his many partners over the years.

I had never recognised him as my mate. But then... I didn't have a wolf.

I had always found him bone meltingly sexy, but most women would happily agree.

Our friendship had blossomed through proximity and I had come to care about him as family.

Jack sighed, pulling himself out of my grasp and walking over to the window, to stare out into the thick forest surrounding the Pack House.

"When we met. You were so young. I knew you were my mate immediately. My wolf recognised you as soon as he saw you." He stuffed his hands in his pockets bitterly. "I was fourteen. Horrified. Convinced the Moon Goddess had made a mistake."

He chuckled dryly, shaking his head at his memories. "Unknowing, the Alpha made me train you. Which was fine. I wasn't attracted to you, obviously, you were a child. And you didn't seem to have any idea..."

"It was an easy step then, to look for pleasure with other women. I was young... free to entertain myself however I chose. I wasn't hurting anyone." He rested his head for a moment against the windowpane.

I walked over quietly to stand beside him, eyes blindly staring into the shadows of the forest while he spoke.

He glanced down at me with a small smirk. "And then you grew up." His eyes glittered with mischief as he watched a blush rise to my cheeks. "I had thought of you as a pup for so long, I was blind to your beauty. But then you turned seventeen... and the first whisps of your haze entangled me."

His eyes darked, desire clearly visible. "Suddenly I saw a woman. Stunningly beautiful with your dark curls and pretty green eyes. Not to mention, tiny waist, and soft, full breasts... I knew there were still so many reasons to keep away. And damn, I really tried. But every time I saw you, I wanted you more... No, I want you more."

Slightly breathless I peeped up at him. Struggling with myself.

My recent ordeal made me want to cower away from any kind of touch, sexual or otherwise.

But my history with Jack felt like a river, filling until it was about to burst its banks.

I wanted him.

I wanted to be the master of my own body again. To decide who, what and when I am touched.

I wanted to feel my body shake with pleasure, instead of pain.

And I wanted it now.