“Then I’d like to go talk to him,” I said firmly, refusing to let this tension keep building and escalate into something we can’t come back from. “I think he and I need to have a moment.”
“I’ll walk you,” North offered. “Then I’ll leave you two alone for that chat.”
“Thank you, North. I’d like that.”
My beta led the way through the estate, stopping in what looked like a library before leading me further in. He seemed to know the place well, which I guess was expected if they were this close.
“Do me a favor,” North finally said with a sigh. “Try not to judge Jack too harshly. He really is a good guy. He’s a good alpha.”
“I feel like I have whiplash,” I admitted. “He seemed so sweet and flirty and I was excited, and then he scented Cole on me and saw the marks, which shouldn’t have been a shock, and suddenly, I’m the bad guy. Cole and I have something already formed, that isn’t a surprise.”
“It’s really not you,” he reassured me. “Jack is currently being an idiot.”
“I don’t disagree with you there.”
“He doesn’t like feeling like his brother is outshining him… again. That’s been a self-inflicted battle all of their lives and he hates that feeling of inadequacy. Now, he’s making a fool of himself.”
He was right about that.
“I don’t think he ever cared to admit how much it hurt that your brother left and he felt like he had to stay to take care of Karina.”
“Where are their fathers in all this?” I questioned. Everyone acted like it was normal they left her alone all the time. Even at the holidays she loved so much.
I couldn’t reveal that Cole and I didn’t talk about them much without outing us. It was something we were definitely going to have to address soon. I hated the idea of lying to the pack, and it didn’t matter now anyway because I was Cole’s.
That changed literally everything.
“Their dads have always been workaholics, to be honest. They’re really good to Karina, but they don’t do right by her if you ask me. They should be here taking care of her more. They’ve amassed their wealth, they don’t have to do everything they do to keep it. I think they’d go crazy if they had to stay in one place for too long. And well… Karina loves Pine Ridge. She’s just as stubborn and won’t let it go that easily. Sometimes, I think she likes the independence. They’re here when it counts and they spend a huge portion of the year here now, whereas before they traveled almost constantly. I thought they were supposed to be back by Christmas, but according to Karina, they aren’t anymore.”
“Well, hopefully, they’re gearing up for a surprise,” I said, annoyed on her behalf that her pack could just leave like that. Though if Karina didn’t care, who was I to judge?
We stepped into the next room, a large theater room with a huge screen. Currently, there was just a logo bouncing around, some sort of loading screen because nothing was playing.
Jack was sitting in the back, unmoving, just staring at the screen.
North bent down and placed a kiss on my temple. I took in a deep breath of his gingerbread-and-nutmeg scent before watching him walk away.
Jack had to have known I was here. I watched him tense as I moved down the aisle and sat in the seat next to him. It was almost comical how much he was working at not looking at me.
“I’ve already fucked this up and I’ve known you less than a day,” Jack said finally, turning toward me.
The eyes I thought were warm and brown looked dull now. He was defeated.
“How about you stop making assumptions,” I said evenly, almost defiant as I challenged him. “When I walked into that kitchen and met you and North, all I could think was that it seemed so warm and inviting and full of life. You both smelled incredible, but you also seemed so easygoing and fun. You were joking and flirting. Then we get to dinner, and you scent Cole on me and immediately just switch personalities.”
I took a breath before I could keep going.
“I’m going to be honest with you, Jack. I left my exes at the altar for cheating on me. But if I'm admitting it to myself, that relationship was doomed long before that. I’ve dealt with my share of bullshit, and I won’t deal with jealousy and fighting within the pack ever again.”
His eyes fluttered closed as if he was trying to find the strength and the words to fix this.
“You’re right,” he said, finally. “It had nothing to do with you. I just…”
He trailed off and let out a breath. This alpha was trying his best to be vulnerable and I just stayed silent and let him have a chance to figure it out.
“I’ve watched my brother have everything our entire lives. He was always so smart and motivated. The dads always talked about how he was going to make something of himself. I felt like I was always the throwaway child, the one who was here to keep the peace. As long as I smiled pretty, everything would be okay.”
Jack’s eyes burned with frustration and bitterness sharpened his voice. Fuck them for ever making him feel that way, though it rested squarely on his fathers’ shoulders, not his brother. Cole was doing his best and chasing his own dreams.
