Golden Eyes

You can run..

Jackson didn’t want to coddle the woman, but as he sauntered towards his motorcycle with his nonchalant cowboy aura, he glanced back to watch her wobble on those high heels and sighed to himself. She’s going to kill herself walkin’ like that. He didn’t hesitate. He walked back towards her and took her arm in one of his rough hands. He sought to steady her before whispering in his gruff voice. “You sure didn’t come prepared for gravel, Miss Rowan. C’mon.”

The gravel had posed significant problems for Rowan, and Jackson judged the shocked expression that lingered on her features. f**k, I hope she doesn’t figure out where I’m really from. He shook his head, unaware of how she felt. Jackson’s attention was drawn towards the sunset, he knew that they didn’t have much time to get out to her car. Once on his bike he held out a helmet with a wide grin that tilted to one side. “Here., I don’t go anywhere without a helmet, darlin’.”

Jack watched smugly as Rowan pulled the helmet on and clipped it under her chin. He moved to straddle his motorcycle and then revved it to life before he patted the seat behind him. He pulled on his helmet just in time to obscure his smirk as he watched Rowan climb up behind him, her arms wrapping around his taut middle.

He paused there for a moment, even as he revved the engine. He did his best not to concentrate on the fact that Rowan’s perky, young breasts were pressed into his back as she clung to him. He had noticed how her scent seemed to toy with his nose and grunted to himself.

Not a werewolf. Jackson mulled that epiphany over as they turned onto the nearby highway. As he flicked his blinker on he spoke. “Which way, Rowan?” He winced to himself at the slight growl.

“Left, about two miles.” Rowan pointed as she squinted to the left into the setting sun. She could barely see as she returned to holding Jackson’s waist tightly.

“Alright. Hold on tight darlin’.” Jackson said as he pulled out onto the highway where she pointed. The motorcycle thrummed beneath them as it covered foot after foot of the two miles with little effort. Jackson kept his eyes on the road while his black hair was kept out of his eyes by the wind and his hastily put in a ponytail.

The waning heat of the day was kept at bay as the overheated Toyota bronze Camry came into view. Jackson started to slow the motorcycle down and pulled over just in front. A scent had caught his nose that made him tense. He propped the motorcycle and slid off of it with easy grace. His nostrils flared as his arm shot out to stop Rowan. His hackles rose.

“Pretty sure your boyfriend’s been here, Rowan. Somethin’ you wanna tell me?” His head tilted to capture her in his golden gaze. He was just barely holding his inner wolf in check from the smell.

“Ex. Ex-boyfriend, Jackson.” Rowan paused as she took a long look at his eyes and bit her lip. “His eyes used to do that too. Go gold when he was upset…I-I don’t know what that means.” Rowan looked all around the area but found nothing amiss.

Jackson grunted as he didn’t see or hear anything that might let him know she was lying. His now wolf-gold eyes glanced around the landscape, and he moved to help her back on his motorcycle. He looked into her face. “Stay here. Do -not- get off the bike. There’s a damned good chance your ex-man’s searching for you and all up in his ‘claim his territory’ wolf shit.”

Rowan nodded mutely which prompted Jackson to turn around and walk towards her car. There was an unlocking beep flashing from the headlights as Rowan unlocked the car and Jackson nearly spooked into his wolf form. He glanced back to Rowan with a look that clearly said “Asshole.”

He was not expecting the quick charge and punch from the man who had hidden beneath the car to escape the heat of the setting sun. Jackson was sent flying to his back down onto the dirt with a snarl. “f*****g hell…warn a man!” he snarled as he forced himself up with an agile jump.

“Thanks babe.” The unknown man said to Rowan as he looked down at Jackson with a smirk. “Hey, Graves! Long time no see, buddy!”

Jackson paused as he stared at the larger man. He glanced over his shoulder to the terrified Rowan, noting her horrified expression. His shoulders clicked as he took in the beast before him. Not many in the area topped him in sheer size. Even as Jackson felt his nails lengthening to claws he growled out. “ …Kevin? Kevin Banes?” He reflexively flexed his fingers as his heart rate quickened. I don’t want to fight, but he’s not getting the woman. He settled and kept his gaze on the bigger man as he analyzed his body language.

“Yup. That’s me. Where you been Jackson? Bloodrose pack certainly missed you for a while….till I took over.” Kevin cackled out like a hyena as he strode towards Rowan. “C’mon baby, you know you belong with me, not this half-blood mutt.”

“Kev..I…I don’t want to go with you. I was just asking Jackson for a ride. Please..” Rowan stammered out, then she winced at how weak she sounded as Jackson had half-turned to watch her. He witnessed her clenching her wrist as she spoke with a firmer tone. “I am not going with you, Kevin. Leave me alone.” She looked in his eyes at the end of that statement.

“You say that now, just wait baby.” Kevin rumbled out with a smirk crossing his chiseled features. He kept nodding as he tried to saunter over to her.

He was taken aback and surprised as Jackson snarled and jumped up to punch his jaw with his left fist. He intended to knock the bigger man down into the dirt even though his claws cut into his own flesh. “You’re not taking her, Kevin.” He growled out.

“Oh yeah? You gonna stop me, Jackson? Just like you didn’t in our old pack?” Kevin shook his head, recovering as he got up in Jackson’s face, the two men snarling and sizing them up.

“You don’t want none o’ this, Kevin. We both know who the -true- Alpha of that pack is.” Jackson snarled, a silvery black fur starting to sprout across his neck, shoulders, and arms.

Jackson didn’t miss the sound of the sirens that were steadily getting closer, nor the flashing blue and red lights that appeared on the horizon just a few minutes later. He stood firm in his position between Kevin and Rowan, though his silvery fur was quickly receding back into his skin.

Kevin looked irritatedly at Rowan and then at the approaching police. He put his fingers into his mouth and whistled, the two men who had accompanied him brought up the jeep they had hidden, and all three men hurried to get in it. Kevin blew a kiss to Rowan.

“See you soon, Baby.” He winked at Rowan as he and his men sped off south, away from the lights.

Jackson didn’t miss Rowan shuddering at the wink as he picked up the helmet and clipped hers on before his own. He dashed to her car and rummaged while Rowan shouted out. “Front passenger seat! Under it! Hurry!” She stowed the cell phone away in her pocket while Jackson savagely ripped whatever was under the seat and stuffed it into his small storage area on the bike.

He mounted his bike and pulled down his goggles on the top of his helmet. He revved the engine to life but shut off the lights just as the police were within three hundred feet of them. He sped off north with Rowan clutching onto him. His gold eyes flickered to his mirror as he watched the sheriffs swarm the broken car after they drove past the speeding motorcycle.

He pushed his motorcycle for hours, ninety miles per hour down the freeway during the dead of the night when it was colder with just one thought on his mind: f**k.