THE BLACK ROSE

THE FIRST SHIFT OF THE BLACK ROSE

CHAPTER 5: THE FIRST SHIFT

It started with a nightmare.

2:37 AM.

I woke up to screaming.

"NO! MOMMY!"

Jackson.

I was out of bed and in his room in 3 seconds.

He was thrashing in the sheets, soaked in sweat. His little body was shaking.

"Baby, baby it’s okay," I said, grabbing him. "I’m here. I’m here."

"Mommy they’re coming," he sobbed. "The big wolves. They’re coming."

My blood went cold.

"Shh, shh," I rocked him. "No wolves. No one’s coming. You’re safe."

But he wasn’t listening.

His breathing got faster.

His eyes squeezed shut.

And then it happened.

His nails.

They got longer.

Sharper.

And his eyes...

His eyes flashed gold.

A low growl came from his throat.

Not human.

"Jackson?" I whispered. "Baby, look at me."

He opened his eyes. Gold. Wolf eyes.

And he was scared.

"Mommy, it hurts," he cried.

I pulled him to my chest and held him tight.

"I know. I know. It’s okay. It’s okay."

His claws retracted.

His eyes faded back to blue.

And he collapsed against me, sobbing.

"Did I... did I turn into a monster?" he whispered.

"No," I said, kissing his hair. "You’re not a monster. You’re my boy. You’re perfect."

But inside I was terrified.

Because I knew what this meant.

His wolf was waking up.

---

Across town. Pack house.

Ryder shot up in bed.

Pain.

Sharp.

In his chest.

Not his pain.

His wolf was howling.

Pup. Pup in pain.

He was out the door before he realized he was moving.

Bare feet. Jeans. No shirt.

He ran.

Callen met him in the hallway. "What is it?"

"Jackson," Ryder said. "Something’s wrong."

They shifted.

Two wolves.

One black. One gray.

And they ran.

---

Motel. 2:45 AM.

I was still holding Jackson when the door slammed open.

Ryder.

In human form. Panting.

Behind him, Callen.

"What did you do to him?!" Ryder roared.

"GET OUT!" I shouted. "You’re scaring him!"

Ryder stopped. Looked at me.

Really looked.

Jackson in my arms.

Crying.

Exhausted.

Ryder’s face crumbled.

"Hey," he said softly, kneeling. "Hey, buddy. It’s me."

Jackson peeked at him. Eyes still wet.

"Dad?"

The word broke Ryder.

He sat on the floor, far away. Hands up.

"Yeah," he said. "It’s me. You had a bad dream, huh?"

Jackson nodded.

"That happens sometimes," Ryder said. "To people like us."

"Like us?" Jackson asked.

"Yeah," Ryder said. "Like us."

He looked at me. Asking permission.

I nodded.

Ryder scooted closer.

"Can I hold your hand?"

Jackson held out his hand.

Ryder took it. His big hand engulfed Jackson’s small one.

"The first time is always scary," Ryder said quietly. "But you did good. You didn’t hurt anyone. You just got scared."

"Did I turn into a wolf?" Jackson whispered.

"Almost," Ryder said. "Your wolf is waking up. That means you’re growing up."

"Is it bad?"

"No," Ryder said firmly. "It’s good. It means you’re strong. Like me. Like your mom."

Jackson looked at me. "Is it true, Mommy?"

"Yeah, baby," I said, tears in my eyes. "It’s true."

Ryder didn’t let go of Jackson’s hand.

"Can I stay?" he asked me. "Just tonight. In case he has another nightmare."

I wanted to say no.

I wanted to protect him from this.

But Jackson was already curling into Ryder’s side.

"Okay," I whispered. "Just tonight."

---

4:00 AM.

Jackson was asleep between us on the bed.

Ryder on one side. Me on the other.

Neither of us sleeping.

"You felt it, didn’t you?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah," Ryder said. "The bond. When he was scared. It hit me like a truck."

"That’s why you came."

"That’s why I came," he confirmed.

Silence.

"Ryder," I said.

"Hmm?"

"I’m scared."

"Me too," he admitted.

We looked at each other over Jackson’s head.

"He’s going to need training," Ryder said. "To control it. So he doesn’t get hurt."

"I know," I said. "But not with the pack. Not yet."

"I agree," Ryder said. "We can do it here. Just us."

Just us.

The words felt dangerous.

"Thank you," Ryder said suddenly. "For not hating me. For letting me be here."

"I don’t hate you," I said. "I hated what you did. There’s a difference."

Ryder nodded. "Fair."

He reached out and brushed Jackson’s hair back.

"He looks like you when he sleeps," Ryder said.

"He has your nose," I said back.

We both smiled. Small. Tired.

---

Morning.

Jackson woke up first.

He looked at Ryder. Then at me.

Then he crawled into Ryder’s lap.

"Did I really almost turn into a wolf?"

"Yeah," Ryder said. "And you did amazing."

"Can you teach me?"

"Yeah," Ryder said. "I can teach you everything."

Callen came in with coffee and donuts.

"How’s our pup?"

"Tired," Jackson said.

"Then you get donuts for breakfast," Callen said.

The four of us.

Sitting on the motel floor.

Eating donuts.

Like a family.

It was the most normal thing we’d ever done.

---

Later that day. The park.

Ryder was teaching Jackson how to breathe.

"When you feel it coming," Ryder said, "you breathe. In. Out. Like this."

Jackson copied him.

"Good," Ryder said. "Again."

I watched from the bench with Callen.

"He’s good at this," Callen said.

"He’s a natural," I said.

Ryder looked over at me and smiled.

A real smile.

Not the cold Alpha smile.

The boy I used to know smile.

My heart did something stupid.

---

That night.

No nightmares.

Jackson slept through the whole night.

Curled up between Ryder and me.

When I woke up, Ryder was already awake.

Watching us.

"Morning," he whispered.

"Morning," I whispered back.

Jackson stirred. "Dad?"

"Right here, buddy," Ryder said.

And just like that.

The word didn’t scare me anymore.

---

END OF CHAPTER 5