“Well, what caused me to help those men is the trait my father ridiculed me for, every time I helped someone in trouble. He said I was weak and it was conduct unbecoming an Alpha. But what he didn’t understand is it’s a part of me that comes so naturally—I mean, to me it’s like breathing. I literallyhaveto help someone who’s in trouble.
“All this contradiction inside of me caused me to spend my childhood and teen years in a constant state of feeling I was two people. When your mother explained that I was an Alpha/Omega hybrid, everything fell into place. My whole life just clicked and I knew why I could lead my brothers and yet care about those who needed help.”
Jackson stopped for a moment before continuing, “That’s when I understood why I was reluctant to seek revenge for my family’s death. And it explained why I loved taking care of my siblings when I was growing up. When I learned I could get pregnant, it was as if I’d known it all along. I don’t know how else to explain it.”
Steel was inordinately proud of his mate at that moment as he thought about all Jackson had to overcome in his life. He was amazed and humbled at his mate’s strength, pledging to himself he would make Jackson’s life easier from this moment on. That thought led him to say, “What can I do to help your brothers? I have a great deal of resources at my disposal.”
“I don’t know at this moment,” said Jackson. “We still have the Silver Point enforcers hunting us and I know my brothers won’t feel comfortable until I eliminate that threat. I’m unsure how to proceed.” Then he added, “But now with a baby on the way, this becomes the main priority. I just wish I knew why they want the Fox River Pack’s land.”
“You’re not alone, babe,” Steel said “I understand why you don’t want to fight them and I agree. I’ve been thinking about what I can do to stop them and make their Alpha call off the kill order but I need to talk to my father and my brother first.” Then almost as an afterthought he asked, “Did you make a complaint to the Universal Paranormal High Council yet?”
“No,” Jackson said, “Because right now it’s our word against theirs since none of us was there during the massacre, so there aren’t any eyewitnesses. The other issue about making a complaint is it would expose us to Silver Point.” Jackson sighed, thinking once again of the insurmountable odds of finding a peaceful solution while still getting justice for his family.
And then something Steel said clicked in his mind and he exclaimed, “You have a brother? Oh fuck, of course you do, your mother told me but I guess I was distracted. Shit, what a crappy mate I’m turning out to be. Is your brother older or younger? Where does he live? Will I meet him? Hot-diggity-damn. I have another brother.”
By the end of Jackson’s outburst, Steel was laughing so hard, he was holding his stomach. Jackson swatted at him. “Stop it. Tell me about your brother,” he demanded, even though he, too, had a hard time holding back his laughter.
Still chuckling, Steel answered, “My brother, Slate, is younger by about two years. We basically grew up together but when I moved here, he decided to stay with our parents. Even though I miss him, I’m glad he did cause it took a lot of worry off me. He works in the family business and he’s one smart dude, though if you tell him I said that, I’ll tickle you mercilessly until you agree to anything I want.”
Steel then leaned over, giving Jackson a taste of his threat. Jackson grabbed at his mate’s hands to stop him from reaching his very ticklish sides, but he failed and threw himself against Steel pushing him down on the sofa.
Steel looked up into his mate’s eyes which were dancing with merriment, sucking in his breath at the absolute beauty he saw. Pulling Jackson’s head down, Steel’s lipsgently grazed the soft, pliable lips of his mate, licking and gently biting Jackson’s lower lip until he finally opened his mouth, allowing Steel in. He groaned as his tongue tasted his mate. Deepening the kiss, Steel’s hand snaked into Jackson’s soft hair, pulling him closer until Steel could no longer tell where his mouth ended and Jackson’s began.
Jackson responded immediately, by tongue dueling for dominance over Steel’s, finally succeeding when he entered his mate’s mouth, where he explored its contours and wallowed in the taste.
Feeling his mate’s hard cock up against his groin, Steel started to grind his body against his mate’s. Jackson could wait no longer; he needed to feel his mate’s naked cock against his. He reached down to unsnap Steel’s jeans and then heard music. Ignoring it he struggled to pull apart the jeans—difficult since he was lying on top of them. Rolling over to his side, he was finally able to wrench them open, finding the object of his desire—Steel’s cock.
What the fuck?Steel was pushing him away. Confused he pulled back to look at his mate, wondering what was wrong when Steel’s words finally penetrated his head. “Babe, your phone is ringing. I think it might be your brothers. Don’t you want to answer it?”
Jackson shook his head, trying to clear away the lust consuming his body. He blinked several times before he answered, “Yeah, I should probably do that.” He slowly sat up on the sofa, trying to locate his phone. Spying it on the floor, he picked it up, answering the call. “Hi, what’s up?”Not my cock anymore, he pouted to himself.
“Jackson?” asked Logan, “Are you all right?”
“Hi bro, yeah, I’m fine. Is everything okay there?”
“Yeah, everything’s good. We’re wondering when you’ll be back.” Logan hated how he sounded so needy.Shit, I’m an Alpha, suck it up.
Jackson heard the slight panic in Logan’s voice, knowing he needed to get home soon to quiet the waters roiling with the uncertainty as to what his mating would mean to his brothers. “Just a minute,” said Jackson, as he turned to Steel. “Logan wants a timeline as to when we’ll be coming back.”
“How about five tonight?”
Jackson nodded and said, “We’ll be back around five. Is Mystia still there? How’re Steel’s parents?”
Logan breathed an internal sigh of relief. “They’re fine. Mystia’s here but Jimmy went back to the gas station. See you then. Bye”
Steel studied the tension in Jackson’s body. “Is everything okay at home?”
“Yeah, but I know my brothers are unnerved by our mating. And that doesn’t even take into account my pregnancy,” said Jackson, a shadow crossing his face as he thought about the Alpha status of his mate. He just knew he couldn’t ask his brothers to follow Steel just because they were mated. It was too soon and his brothers still were wary of other wolves which is why they’d been irritated when Jackson hadn’t mentioned a wolf gave him a ride to Jimmy’s.
Steel thought he had an inkling of what was bothering his mate, but he also knew Jackson didn’t want to bring it up because it might hurt his feelings. He decided to make his position clear and then see what Jackson had to say. “Mo chroí, come over here and sit with me. I have some more things I want to tell you.”
Jackson walked over, sitting as close as he could to his mate, feeling the need to touch Steel. Burying his nose in Steel’s neck, Jackson took deep breaths of the unique scent which could calm him in seconds and, after his tensions had eased, he looked up with a weak smile and asked, “Now, what are you going to tell me? All good, I hope?
Chapter 15
Hoping to ease what he thought was Jackson’s biggest worry, Steel said, “Babe, I don’t expect to become Alpha of the Blackwood Pack. You’re the Alpha and I think you have, and are doing a damn fine job.”
Jackson interrupted, “What are you talking about? You’re just as good as I am, probably better.” He wasn’t going to let anyone question his mate’s abilities, including Steel himself.
