Cognitive Dissonance

Chapter 14-Jack & Claudia

After I finished my weekly Saturday babysitting duty with Jack I decided to sneak off into the part of the forest where Dan was.

I was hoping that when I found him, I might be able to make a deal with him. I'm a quarter of the way to my destination when I get the sense of being followed.

I turn around and hesitantly say "hello?"

I get no response but the feeling of dread remains in my stomach. Maybe I was just being paranoid. I tried to reassure myself that no one was following me and continue on.

A few minutes later I hear the slight rustle of leaves and the sound of someone falling down.

"a ha" I turned around accusedly in the direction of the sound and see a sheepish looking Jack come out from behind a tree.

"Why are you following me?" I raise my eyebrow in annoyance.

Jack ignores my questions and instead responds with on of his own. "Where are you going?"

I frown giving him as much of a glare as my exhausted state could muster. Sleep had not been easy for me and last night I had found myself plagued with nightmares. "None of your business"

Jack studied me with his honey brown eyes that were darker than usual. "Okay, well I'm coming with,"

"You can't!" I snap, unhappy with this turn of events. "Why can't you just leave me alone,"

"You're going to see Dan." Jack doesn't phrase it like a question but more like a statement of fact.

What the fuck? Am I that easy to read? "Did Carter send you?" I scowl at the blonde.

Jack has the nerve to smirk in response. "I know you better than you think,"

I avoid his gaze and turn back around stomping away. Unfortunately, Jack doesn't get the hint and follows me.

"This is a bad idea,"

Anger rushes through me as my fists tighten. "You were the one that wants your mate so FUCKING badly. I'll get Dan to fix the effects of this," I seeth waving the wrist with the bracelet in front of him.

"At what cost? Bryce, I want my mate but not if it means you getting hurt. Dan is what got you into this mess in the first place. Do you really thing going to him will make things better?" Jack reasons.

I hated how right he was. "Why do you care?"

Jack sadly smiles. "Because as much as you dislike me. I still think of you as my friend,"
He says it so sincerely that I have no choice but to believe him.

Why did I always do the wrong thing? Unsure of what to do with all this bottled up rage, I turn my attention towards a tree and punch it. Pain flares through my knuckles as they make contact with the rough wood but that doesn't stop me from hitting the tree again.

Jacks eyes widen and his face looks conflict almost as if he looks unsure of what to do. If I wasn't so focused on what I was doing I would have taken the moment to relish that Jack, the boy who could never do wrong, looked unsure.

Eventually, Jack had enough and he places his hand on my shoulder. "Bryce, stop"

I ignore the command and continue smashing the tree. The flesh on my knuckles have already torn and blood seeps down the back of my hand.

Jack firmly force me to face him and only slightly wines when I punch him straight in the stomach.

Jack tilts my chin up and looks into my slightly watering eyes. "Look at me,"

My hands still and my breathing slowly down as Jack tells me to breathe in and out slowly. Gazing into his eyes, I feel a sense of warmth and peace that I had never felt before. It was scarily exhilarating.

A few minutes later I'm feeling much better and a pink blush overtakes my features when I realize the compromising position the two of us are in.

I reluctantly push the taller boy away. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?" a confused look was plastered across Jacks annoyingly perfect face.

"You didn't use your alpha command" I accuse pointing my finger at him.

Jack frowns, "So?"

"Nothing," I reply bitterly as I storm off towards the pack lands completely abandon my quest to see Dan. How had Jack so easily calmed me down? I was never that easily calmed down and for Jack to do that without using his alpha command left me feeling uneasy.

Finally Monday arrived and for the first time in forever I was actually early. I hadn't been able to sleep and ended up being ready for school before anyone in my house had even woken up.

I yawned as I exited the passenger side of the car. I had wanted to drive, but Lily said that I looked like I was about to pass out and refused to let me take the wheel. I glance over at Lily and see her looking worriedly at me.

I roll my eyes. "I'm fine," I say before swinging my bag over my shoulder and heading towards the front door of my school.

When I enter I stop in my tracks as my jaw drops open in shock because right near my locker is Jack and Claudia making out.

"What the fuck?!?" I yell loudly as everyone including the pair in question turn to look at me.

I storm up to Jack and his whore and glare at them. The two of them look at me in silence before Claudia speaks up. "What?" The raven haired girl batts her eyelashes at me innocently. "Can't I kiss my boyfriend?"

If my jaw could drop any lower it would have at that statement. "B-Bo-Boyfriend?" I ask flabbergasted. I look at Jack hoping that he will deny it and tell me that it was all a joke but instead he just shrugs at me beforing looking at his 'girlfriend' with sickening adoration.

I huff in anger and another feeling that I don't care to identify at the moment. "So much for wanting to meet your mate. You are such a hypocrite."

Jack looks blankly at me before replying, "I don't care about my mate. I'm going to reject them if I meet them. Even if the moon goddess doesn't want to recognize it, Claudia is the one for me." Jack leans down and pecks the girl on her lips.

"Awww, baby" Claudia smiles up at him and I feel like I'm going to throw up.

"I need to be excused," I say before running towards the bathroom and puking my guts out.