Chapter Four
Jackson
She was going to be alright. Jackson stood in Ava’s doorway watching her sleep, just as he had been doing for the past two weeks. This time was different, though. She was still weak from the venom, but she was out of danger. The vamps hadn’t tried anything so far. They weren’t any closer to finding out who the shifter that killed the vampire in the woods was, though. It would be helpful if they had a copy of the pictures, but vampires weren’t known for being helpful.
Her hair fell into her face as she shifted slightly. Jackson would have given anything to push that hair away. Looking at her sleeping peacefully, he wanted to kiss her eyelids and her lips. A moan left her lips and he wondered what she was dreaming about.
Jackson snorted. His cellphone buzzed and, with another snort, he snatched it out of his pocket. His wolf snarled when he saw who it was, and he quickly retreated to the downstairs.
“Typhoon,” he greeted, keeping his voice flat. “I thought you’d be in contact earlier than this.’
“And I thought you’d get your head out of your ass on your own. I guess we were both wrong.”
Typhoon was the alpha of the Savage Brotherhood. While Jackson was alpha of the local chapter, Typhoon ruled them all. It was an old organization, having served as a barrier between vampires and humans long enough that even some shifters had forgotten about their enemy’s existence. Typhoon wasn’t much older than Jackson himself, but he had a strength behind him that nobody could deny.
“I’ve received an official complaint from Astrophel,” Typhoon continued. “You’re blocking him from his chosen payment. What the hell are you thinking?”
“We don’t know that the shifter who killed that vampire is even alive. If the vamps killed him, then he’s their payment.”
Typhoon snarled. Even over the line, it made Jackson’s hair stand on end. His wolf snarled back, although he bowed his head in subservience on instinct. He’d seen Typhoon take out far older, stronger, and more experienced alphas for smaller betrayals than this, not to mention the sheer number of vampires he’d killed.
“Shadow told me you fucked her.”
Jackson bit back another snarl. Why the hell would Val tell him that? He thought about Ava’s face, the flush in her cheeks as they found completion together, the way her wild scent increased when she had welcomed him into her.
“I’m not letting the corpse get his hands on her.”
“So, it has nothing to do with the shifter that killed the vamp.” Typhoon’s snarl became more pronounced. “Give her up, Tornado. We’ve been hit too hard the last few years to give up more for one girl, no matter how big her tits are.”
Jackson opened his mouth to snarl at his alpha not to speak about Ava that way, but he stopped himself. Why was he feeling so protective of her? They hardly knew each other. Was she really worth losing his life over?
His wolf growled and snapped at his throat, furious at him for even thinking such a thing. Jackson pushed it down. Ava was under his protection because he didn’t let anybody die at a vampire’s hands for nothing. Especially not Astrophel, who only chose her because of the connection they had shared in the woods.
“I’m not handing her over,” Jackson hurried to continue before Typhoon could snarl again, “until I have evidence that the shifter who killed that vampire wasn’t already killed, I refuse to accept his claim to a life. We can’t just let them walk all over us.”
Typhoon snarled again, but it wasn’t as angry this time. “Fine. I’ll deal with Astrophel, you find this shifter and verify he’s alive. And do it quick. I’m not a patient wolf.”
Typhoon hung up. Jackson shoved his phone into his pocket and shook his head. Not a patient wolf? Understatement of the century.
***
Somewhere around dawn, Jackson was woken by the front door slamming. He was alert at once, a growl in his feet, as he sprang off the couch. Val shot him an annoyed look as she walked into the living room. Three tow-headed girls trailed after her. The oldest, Artemis, gave him a sleepy smile.
“Hi, Uncle Jackson.”
Jackson smiled at his three nieces, though his heart plummeted at the sight of them. Something had to be wrong if Val dragged them out here. Was she that worried about Astrophel?
“You three go upstairs and get some more sleep,” she told them, her voice the softest it ever was. The girls obediently trotted upstairs. Val waited until they were gone before she turned to him with a glare.
“What?” he asked.
“Your guys got busted, that’s what,” Val said, her voice dripping with irritation. “All because you haven’t been around to keep them in line.”
Jackson swore loudly, but Val smacked him hard. He winced, rubbing his arm. “What do you mean, they got busted?”
“I mean that the idiots decided to pull a job tonight. Eric was supposed to be driving, but he was drunk. They thought they’d be cute and not keep me in the loop. Blizzard has them now.”
Jackson cursed. He hated when the sheriff got involved in his business, especially since Cunningham had been one of them once, before he’d yellowed out to become a military guy and a cop.
“Cunningham,” he spat. He’d lost the right to his nickname when he left the gang. “I’ve told him not to mess with my guys.”
“And he’s told you to keep them straight. Blizzard doesn’t care if you run your business, but he’s not going to let you screw up and get him in trouble. He’s pissed. You’d better talk them out of jail, what with your kitten upstairs with a vampire on her tail.”
Jackson glanced upwards. He didn’t want to leave Ava alone, but she wouldn’t be alone. Val and the girls were here. With a half-groan, half-sigh, he headed for the door.
“Be nice,” he called over his shoulder, then was gone.
His mind was full of Ava as he drove to town. The heat in her eyes, her anger, the wild animal in her was what he wanted almost as much as he wanted a real smile from her. He had kissed her lips, felt both that smile and that animal. His wolf longed to be with her every moment of the day. Even now it whimpered at leaving her.
There was an explanation for that, but Jackson refused to even consider that she might be his mate.
It was impossible. He had heard about what it would be like to meet his mate—every shifter had. It was supposed to be magical, without any of the bickering. Jackson found it hard to believe that she could be his mate if they couldn’t even get along enough to hold a conversation without fighting. Still, when he kissed her, his entire body felt like it was becoming part of a whole for the first time.
Just thinking about it pissed him off, mixed his feelings up so that by the time he got to the sheriff’s office and local jail, his jaw was tight, his whole body wound up.
He was not in the mood for Cunningham’s games and slammed the door open. He glanced around, catching sight of the older wolf. His eyes darkened as he stalked over.
Cunningham gazed at him coolly. “Masters.”
“Cunningham.”
The sheriff stared at him, holding the door open. Jackson held the man’s eye as he stared across the desk. The two had formed an uneasy truce a long time ago, one that felt like it was on thin ice every time they saw each other. It was almost as delicate a balancing act as the treaty with the vampires.
“So, what’d you pick them up for?” Jackson said eventually. No use in pretending that he didn’t know what he was there for.
“These morons tried to rob a jewelry store in Oak Town,” the sheriff said, shaking his head. “No one was hurt, but the owner saw their faces. I’m charging all your guys. This was sloppy, Masters. You’re getting cocky.”
“No, Cunningham,” Jackson growled. “We have a deal. You know that.”
“Our deal is that your guys don’t get caught, and I don’t go looking for them. Your guys got caught tonight, Tornado. The Savage Brotherhood does their job, and I let you off the hook as long as you don’t fuck up. They fucked up. They put themselves on the radar. I have no choice—"
“Listen, Cunningham,” Jackson growled as he leaned on the desk. He loomed over the sheriff, but Cunningham didn’t so much as blink. “I need those guys out there. Astrophel has—"
“Astrophel’s involved?” Cunningham’s expression went from cool to focused. He got to his feet. “For how long?”
“Couple weeks,” Jackson grunted. “Vamp was killed by a shifter, he’s claimed a panther. I’ve been keeping her in the safe house while looking for proof that the shifter that killed the vamp is still alive.”
Cunningham swore explosively. He ran a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair and glared at Jackson. “What the hell, Tornado? That’s the sort of thing you tell me before it gets this far. And what the hell were you thinking, sending those idiots on a job while there’s a vampire threat?”
“They acted without permission and will be punished for it. But I need them, idiots though they are, patrolling the borders. Nobody else can protect the humans and shifters from the vamps. Only my guys are equipped to handle it.”
“Yeah, well, right now they’re only equipped to sit in a cell in handcuffs,” Cunningham snarled. “And I’m tempted to leave them that way for a few days.”
Jackson shook his head. “Unacceptable. I need them now. Don’t worry, they won’t be getting anywhere near any jewelry stores. And by the time Val’s through with them, they might not even have skin left.”
Cunningham narrowed his eyes and snarled. Jackson’s own wolf wanted to attack for the challenge, but he held himself back. It was that sort of impulsive action that nearly got him killed when Cunningham left the gang. He was smarter than that now.
“You really didn’t give the orders?” the sheriff asked.
“No,” said Jackson, his jaw tight. “Now we need to get out of here. I’ll keep them in line.”
Cunningham sighed, grabbing his keys from his drawer and standing up.
“I don’t want a single vampire-related death in the city. If it happens, I’m taking your men in. You’d better hope they’re not as useless as I think they are,” the sheriff said as he stepped out of the room.
Jackson followed him back through a hall to the cell, where three men were sitting on a bench with their hands locked behind their backs. The men looked up at Jackson with bashful looks as the sheriff unlocked the cell. Jackson glared at the three of them, and each of them flinched.
“Basil, Tony, Eric, you’re free to go,” Cunningham said, unlocking them one at a time. “Stay out of my sight for a few weeks.”
“Yes, sir,” said Basil, the youngest of them, a lion shifter that Jackson had only taken on in his gang because of his strength as an animal.
The three of them filed out after Jackson, who didn’t speak to any of them. He gestured at the truck he’d driven there, and they silently climbed into the bed. He didn’t want to talk to any of them, nor look at their faces.
“Jackson,” the sheriff called after him before Jackson got back into the truck.
“What is it?”
“Like I said, one vamp attack, I’m bringing your guys in. Doesn’t look to me like they’re doing any good.”
“We’ll stop Astrophel,” Jackson said harshly as he started the truck.
He took off, driving back to the bar where he’d left his motorcycle. It was cold outside, but he wanted it back, wanted to ride it to the safe house and feel the wind pressing against him, pressing his thoughts out of his mind.
Jackson nodded at Les as they made their way behind the counter to the small room at the back of the bar. He almost expected to see Val there, but she wasn’t to be seen. He remembered her taking the girls out to the safehouse. She wouldn’t leave them there with Ava as a babysitter—Val trusted very few people with her babies.
“Tornado—” Eric started
Jackson whirled, a snarl in his throat. The three men backed up and dropped their heads. His fists clenched, and he resisted the urge to beat some sense into them.
“You three are on forest patrol until further notice. Go up to the ranger shack.”
The three of them groaned, but at the look on his face, they fell silent again.
“Do you think this is a fucking game?” he seethed at them. “We have a sacred duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves. We have fun, but we don’t let it interfere with what we have to do. Now get the hell out of here before I decide to rip out your throats. None of you sleep until this is over. If a vamp attack happens in your sector, I’m either going to put you in a cell or in the ground. Got it?”
Basil swallowed hard. “Y—yes, sir.”
The others nodded silently. Jackson glared at the three of them for a moment longer before he gestured for them to leave. They scrambled out quickly, heading for their bikes at once.
Jackson stopped at the bar to get a bracing drink to calm his nerves. Les gave him a look he knew all too well.
“What?” he snapped at the bartender.
Les smirked. “This girl’s gotten under your skin, hasn’t she? You’re just as surly and distracted as your dad was when he met your mom. They were a real couple. If they weren’t so in love, they’d have killed each other before you had the chance to be born.”
The tension in Jackson’s shoulders eased as he was reminded of his parents. He hesitated a moment, wondering if he could confide in Les, but decided against it. He downed his drink and threw a handful of bills on the counter.
“See you around,” he grunted and went for his bike.
It was cold, but Jackson didn’t care—the leather jacket he was wearing kept him insulated as he flew down the street, getting on the highway to head back to the safe house. He wondered if Ava was up and, if so, what she thought about the fact that he had just disappeared on her.
He wasn’t comforted by the knowledge that Val would be there. Now that he thought about it, actually, leaving Ava with his sister could turn out to be a big mistake. Val wasn’t one for niceties. He pushed the bike hard, wanting to get back to her as quickly as possible.