Chapter Twelve
Jackson
Jackson forced himself to stay calm as they headed outside. Typhoon was bigger than him, stronger, more experienced. Basically head and shoulders above him. But that didn’t matter.
I’m fighting for my mate, he thought, casting a glance back at Ava. He smiled at her. Her face was utterly white as she held her belly. He stopped and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“I’ll be fine.”
“Jackson…”
“I’ll be fine,” he repeated.
Typhoon waited for him in the yard, a smirk on his lips. As Jackson started forward, though, the house shuddered. The ground shook and a rending noise like thunder filled the air. Light flashed in the sky. The shifters all froze, looking around with wide eyes.
“Vampires,” Jackson muttered. “They must have broken the charm.”
In the next moment, dark figures dropped from the sky. Jackson shoved Ava, sending her back inside. Then he shifted, shaking off his clothes as he did so. The vampires dropped over them, hisses filling the air.
Jackson moved quickly, launching himself at the closest vamp, latching onto its legs with his massive jaws. He sank his teeth in, ripping the flesh away so that the vampire fell to the ground with a scream. Jackson ripped his leg off with one final bite, then the other, moving on to the next vampire while the other one remained crippled on the ground.
Val snarled in her jaguar form, leaping over him to tackle a vampire. The others tackled vampires, but more kept coming. Typhoon shifted into a huge, menacing wolf and threw back his head, howling. It reverberated through the forest, making all the vampires shiver. Jackson’s wolf rose in challenge to the sound, urging him to tackle the other alpha; it was an instinct he’d never had before.
He ignored it for now, quickly ripping the head off of one vampire before he tore into the throat of another. Out of the corner of his eye, Jackson saw Ava, her belly heavy, sink low to the ground in the doorway. She had shifted, her black fur gleaming. A vampire crouched before her.
Jackson lunged, but another vampire side-swiped him, preventing him from getting to help her. His wolf howled.
Ava sprang forward. Her claws gleamed in the night as she savaged the vampire; it screamed and jerked, and she dug her teeth deep into its throat, choking it out. Val joined her, tearing the head clear off. She stood protectively before Ava, taking out any vampires that came at them.
His distraction cost him. He felt fangs penetrate his neck but jerked away in time, flipping around, snarling at the vampire. Another wolf—Cunningham—slinked up behind the vampire, diving at him from the back so that he fell to the ground. Jackson shook himself. Venom seeped into his bloodstream but he ignored it for now. A good half-dozen vampires were focused on Typhoon. He moved this way and that, slashing and snapping at them. He was able to kill several before more flooded the area; they separated him from his men.
There were screams in the air, vampires and shifters, the snarl of a lion as Basil crushed a vampire in his jaws. Jackson got a moment to look for Ava, frantically scanning the space for her. His eyes landed on hers as she crouched behind Val.
Cunningham leapt onto the back of a vampire headed for Val. Jackson was torn for one moment before he leapt back into the fray, charging in to help Typhoon. Cunningham and Val would protect Ava; without Typhoon, the whole Brotherhood would crumble.
A vampire was on Typhoon’s back. Jackson locked his jaws around its leg and yanked it back. It rolled several times before springing back to its feet. By that time Jackson was already fighting back-to-back with Typhoon, tearing and slashing at the vampires all around them. The venom worked its way into his head, making everything whirl around him. Something tore into his side and he collapsed, blackness whirling around him.
***
Ava’s scent enveloped him. He moaned, reaching blindly for her. He found a hand and held it tightly, but it wasn’t Ava’s. It was too big. Too… heavy. Jackson managed to force his eyes open to find that it was Cunningham’s hand that he gripped so tight. With a grunt, Jackson pushed it away.
“Ava.”
“Easy.” Cunningham sounded exhausted as he put a hand on Jackson’s shoulder. “She’s right here.”
Then he saw her. Relief washed over him and he reached for her. She bent over him, her lips pressing against him again and again. He wanted to tell her to be gentle but was too drawn in by her affection to discourage it. Everything threatened to spin around him again, but he managed to sit up.
He sat on the couch in the safe house. Cunningham and Val were both there, as were Typhoon’s men. When he saw Jackson was awake, he slipped from the room.
“How long have I been out?”
“Few hours,” Cunningham grunted. There was a bandage around his arm. He stood and stretched, yawning. “Glad to know I don’t have to kill you, boy. Seems like you’ve finally built up an immunity to vampire venom.”
Jackson grunted. He fingered the holes in his neck, finding them not much more than shallow scratches. If they had been any worse, he probably wouldn’t have made it. Not with venom in the neck. He pushed that thought aside as he turned to Ava. She appeared unharmed, but he looked over her carefully, making sure that she hadn’t been hurt. When he was satisfied, he pulled her back with him and held her in the crook of his arm.
His eyelids fluttered open then, and he looked up at her face in wonder.
“Lily,” he said. “I like the name Lily.”
Ava choked on a sob of relief, kissing him again and again.
“Lily,” she said softly. “I like it.”
“Good,” he said, then promptly fainted again.
***
He woke again sometime later, feeling much lighter. Ava’s scent was still there. This time he kept his eyes closed, waiting for his strength to recover. There were footsteps nearby and then Ava spoke softly.
“Thank you.”
“No problem,” Cunningham said.
Ava hummed. “You were bitten, too. I saw you.”
“Yeah. No big deal. It doesn’t really get me like it does other shifters.”
“Why not?”
Cunningham grunted. “Lucky, I guess.”
Jackson thought about cracking open an eye, but stayed still. If he was honest, Cunningham’s mysterious immunity had always been a curiosity to him. He never knew why. He was certain Cunningham did, but the older wolf never said anything about it.
Ava waited for half a beat before she continued. “Thank you for saving him.”
Her cool hand brushed over his brow. Jackson turned into it. Her sweet scent was stronger than ever and he opened his mouth to taste it better.
“I don’t care whether he lives or dies, honestly,” Cunningham grunted. “I just—"
“You don’t want Val to be upset. I saw how you constantly backed Val up in the battle. How you couldn’t take your eyes off of her.”
Jackson bolted upright. “WHAT?!”
Both Ava and Cunningham jumped. Ava put a hand to her heart, making a little whimpering noise. Jackson winced and looked at her apologetically, then turned a fierce glare on Cunningham.
“Stay away from my sister, Blizzard. I fucking mean it.”
Cunningham met his eye. “I have no intentions of getting anywhere near her.”
“Keep it that way.” The last thing Val needed was some old man sniffing around. Not that he should be worried about this. Val had made it clear that she hated Cunningham more than once. Still, Jackson growled at him, just in case. “If you go near her I’ll kill you.”
Cunningham rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I’ll go tell Typhoon you’re awake again… unless you plan to faint again.”
Jackson growled at him. The other wolf only grinned as he slipped out the door. Ava moved to sit beside him, and Jackson couldn’t help himself. He pulled her into his arms and rolled over, pinning her beneath him.
“Hey, Kitten,” he purred at her.
Ava let out a startled laugh. “You seem oddly energized.”
“It’s the venom.” He moved to nibble her neck but stopped. Instead, he laid a hand on her stomach. “Is she…”
“The baby’s fine. I wasn’t in the fight all that much.” Ava’s arms moved up his to wrap around his neck. “God, Jackson. You scared me. Terrified me. I wanted to rip off your head myself when you went in to help Typhoon. I thought you were going to die helping that…” She sighed. “Actually, he’s not that bad. He’s been a perfect gentleman towards me.”
Typhoon, a gentleman? Jackson snorted. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Typhoon’s voice rumbled behind them. “And as much as I’d like to see this preggo porn play out, I don’t have time for your sex life, Tornado. Get up.”
The command rankled Jackson, but he did as he was ordered. His head spun a bit, but he managed to hold himself upright. He threw his shoulders back and stared Typhoon in the eye. Ava stood beside him, her hand clutched in his.
“So… how long do I have to recover before I have to kill you?” Jackson asked, his voice calm and even.
Typhoon rose a brow as he leaned against the doorframe. He folded his massive arms across his chest and smirked. “One, you’d never be able to kill me. Two, is that any way to speak to your alpha? Especially since I was generous enough to reinstate you as the alpha of the Coalfell chapter?”
Jackson’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yeah. You saved my life out there. And I pay my debts.” Typhoon frowned at him. “Convincing the vamps to release their claim on your mate was tricky, though. I expect you to pay double fees the next coming year. Oh, and I had to trade all lands between the lake and canyon to the vampires, so you lost a quarter of your territory. I hope she’s worth it.”
Jackson grinned. His wolf relaxed, now that Typhoon was… well, not on their side exactly but close enough. He took Ava’s hand in his and brought her knuckles to his lips. “Oh, she is. So worth it.”
Ava grinned back at him. “And you are worth it, too.”
They kissed, earning a groan from Typhoon. Shaking his head, the other alpha left. Jackson let him go as he wrapped his arms around his mate, bringing her closer to him. She was here and safe… it was all he wanted.
***
Four Months Later
Jackson nuzzled Ava in the neck as she found her second release. He sunk deep inside of her, rocking in and out gently. Their sex life had certainly taken a turn since Lily was born. No more wild, loud nights. Now they kept quiet and kept it short but satisfying. Jackson found he needed to be extra careful with his mate. Her hormones were still a bit wild from pregnancy, meaning that sometimes she wasn’t very sensitive at all, and other times felt raw after a few strokes.
“How’s my girl?” he purred, nibbling at her ear.
She smiled and gave him that satisfied kitten look that drove him so wild every time he saw it. “I’m pretty good. Up for round three.”
The baby monitor lit up then and they could hear the sound of Lily cooing in the next room, talking to herself as she woke up. Mornings often started like this. If they didn’t get her quickly, though, she let them know that she had needs that weren’t being filled—loudly. She was just as temperamental as her mother.
“I’ll go get her,” Jackson said, lifting himself off of Ava, who gave a soft whimper of discontent and frowned when he got up. He grinned at her.
“I’m sorry, kitten,” he said.
She sighed.
“I know,” she said. “Go get her and bring her in here. She needs to eat.”
Jackson nodded, kissing Ava’s forehead before he got up and went into the nursery where his baby daughter lay in her crib. As usual, he couldn’t help but smile as he picked her up, looking at her eyes, the same color as his. Lily looked like Ava in almost every way, right down to the sweet roundness of her cheeks, but her eyes were his.
“Hi, Lil,” Jackson said, wrapping her in a blanket, carrying her against his chest into the bedroom. Ava was sitting up in the bed, and her face lit up when Jackson brought her daughter to her, laying her in her mother’s arms. Ava kissed the baby on the forehead, looking up at Jackson with a bright smile on her face.
“She’s so beautiful,” Ava said.
Jackson had to agree, though he couldn’t take his eyes off of Ava’s rapturous expression. At that moment, he knew that it was time—the moment he had been waiting for. His heart started to pound in his chest as he stood up.
“Where are you going?” she asked, frowning.
“Uh—I’m just going downstairs. To get coffee.”
Ava raised her eyebrows. “Okay,” she said. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Jackson said, brushing her off.
He cursed himself for being nervous. He wasn’t a nervous person. Usually, he had his head on his shoulders. Missions were executed as he planned them. Always without a hitch. But for some reason, this was nagging at him, making him worry that his perfect moment would somehow go wrong.
Maybe because his plans always went out the window when it came to Ava.
Jackson went downstairs and put on the coffee, going into the front room and pulling a book out of the case. Behind the book was a little green velvet box. Jackson opened it to see the ring, glistening and untouched, inside. He shut it again and took a deep breath, putting it into his pocket. His heart raced as he poured two mugs of coffee and carefully carried them upstairs. Ava was laying on her back on the bed with the baby on her chest, stroking Lily’s soft curls, humming to her in a sweet voice. Lily fed eagerly, making greedy slurping noises.
“Why do you have that look on your face?” Ava asked, looking at him with one eyebrow raised.
“What look? I don’t have a look,” he said.
She laughed, leaning forward to kiss him as he handed her the mug. Ava took a sip. Jackson lay over her legs and kissed his daughter’s head.
“What do you think, Lil?” he asked. “Do you think we should keep her? Is she a good mommy?”
Lily broke from Ava’s breast to wave a hand in his face, then went right back to eating. Ava laughed.
“Have you been considering getting rid of me?” she asked.
Jackson shook his head, swallowing nervously as he reached into his pocket and handed her the box. Her lips parted, her mouth opening in surprise as she stared at the box.
“Open it,” he urged.
She pulled it open, her eyes widening when she saw the ring inside. With a startled gasp, she dropped it again. Her mouth went into an ‘o’ as she looked up to stare into his eyes.
“I want you to marry me,” he said to her. “I’ve known that’s what I’ve wanted since—probably the first time I fought with you.”
She chuckled. “You hated me.”
“I never hated you. I always wanted you. And I will always want you,” Jackson said to her, taking her hands as he snuggled Lily on his lap. He brought one up to kiss her fingers. “Please be my wife as well as my mate.”
Ava stared at him for a moment before she bit her lip, smiling. She held out her hand and Jackson felt relief wash through him as he slipped the ring onto her finger. He leaned in and kissed her, shifting his body so that they were lying side by side with Lily nestled between them. He stared at his mate’s face, drinking her in, knowing that every fight had been worth it to know that she would be his forever.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, I’ll marry you. Gladly. More than gladly… I love you, my crazy wolf.”
“And I love you, Kitten. I love you.”
*****
THE END