Not your normal wolf

Date?

Jackson POV

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I was slightly surprised that Anna had agreed to go out with me. After I saw the way she looked at Alaric and the way he was staring at her- she was definitely taking the less of 2 evils. She didn’t seem afraid of him but she seemed more on guard and cautious around him. Always ready to fight.

“So the diner is about 30 minutes after we leave the pack lands… I can tell you they have some of the best milkshakes I’ve ever had” I tried to make some casual conversation. I could tell she was nervous. I mean it wasn’t surprising supes and hunters didn’t generally ‘hang out’.

“I’ll keep that in mind” she murmured and stared out the window. I figured that’s all I would get out of her but she suddenly looked my way. “Have you traveled a lot? Tried a lot of milkshakes?” It seemed casual but also undertones of suspicion.

I shrugged. “I’ve been to many packs in the last year. Had many opportunities to frequent the diners across the country.” It was true I had been to a lot of packs and always tried their milkshakes. This one truly was the best.

She looked slightly perplexed. “Why…why did you go to those packs?” I was caught slightly off guard by her question. Did she fear the wolves were trying to have an uprising? Hunters did help to police all the supes.

“I was…looking for someone. Also I took over being alpha last year. I needed to make alliances. Just as I did with the hunters. We’ve been getting attacked by more and more rogues and it seemed detrimental to the pack” I shrugged off the question but she still looked skeptical and maybe a little worried.

“Oh. That’s good…” she trailed off lost in her thoughts. We drove quietly the rest of the time til the diner. She jumped out of the truck seemingly with supe speed and I stared at her in shock for a second.

“Just…don’t like small spaces. Hunters are trained to be very fast” she shrugged it off so I did too and followed her inside. She quickly strutted off towards a booth in the corner. When I raised an eyebrow she looked a little embarrassed. “We are always trained to keep our back to the walls if we’re going to relax. No one can sneak up you this way” she said staring a little too intently at the menu.

“Ah well I don’t mind. This booth has nice lighting” I joked and poked at the light that hung too loose and flickered above us. That got me a slight smile. I could feel onyx wagging his tail at her smile.

She looked a little pale and she seemed to be getting dark circles under her eyes. She must have been really exhausted by today. “You know we can do to go if you’re really that tired” she looked up gratefully and gave me another beaming smile.

“Thank you…if things are taxing all day and I don’t eat I tend to be a little um- anemic” we got up and made our way to the front. I ordered two double cheeseburgers with fries and two chocolate shakes. She seemed to be in complete agreement with my choice.

‘She isn’t one of those girls who gets a salad when she really wants a burger. I like that’ Onyx said staring at her dreamingly. Was this betraying our mate? Being attracted to this girl? I knew onyx was adamantly against giving up his mate but he seemed more than interested in getting to know Anna.

She dug into her burger the second we got into the car. Making quick work of the food before we were even halfway home. I saw her eyeing my burger with a glint in her eye. I chuckled and nodded at her that she could have it. She smiled but this time she had ketchup on the corner of her mouth. I leaned over and wiped it with my fingers before I even realized. She froze and touched the space I just touched. I don’t know how to describe the look that crossed her face? Hungry… but I don’t think for food.

She quickly shrugged it off and dug into the second burger. I couldn’t fixate on what that look meant. Being attracted to another girl would be one thing but I would never sleep with another girl knowing all the pain Cathy had felt. I hadn’t ever felt any pain from her betraying me but after I woke up next to Jessica the pain of our bond holding on by a thread was enough for me to never be near a woman again. It was actually against the rules to even be on the top floor of the pack house besides my delta, my beta and his mate. I put an alpha order on everyone so no one would even consider it.

I always had a suspicion Jennifer had put something into my drink but no proof. I couldn’t throw her out of the pack on a suspicion. Onyx was practically frothing at the mouth. My alpha command to keep her away from me seemed to work pretty well. Occasionally around the training grounds I would see her. She had no reason to be there and she seemed to be looking at me. Although inconspicuously. I could understand why she was upset she was supposed to be my Luna. ‘I tolerated that twit. She has nothing on Cathy’ I couldn’t agree more. Looking back on her I also just tolerated her because she had some Luna qualities. But behind her intelligence was a true conniving b***h.

We rolled up to the house right as she finished the burger. She looked tired still but not exhausted. I grabbed the fries and milkshake and she looked at me a little bashful.

“Thanks for the food… sorry i ate yours too.” She looked at the ground. I wanted to pull her chin up but seeing how well that went last time I refrained.

“I’m happy you’re fed and got out of here for a little bit” I smiled a genuine smile. I can’t remember the last time I cared to be around a woman but she put me at ease. She soothed onyx as well. I could hear him purring at her close proximity the entire car ride.

“Well I best get to bed. We have another grueling day tomorrow as well.” I nodded. She was here for a reason and she was wanting to go back to her home I’m sure.

“Have a good night, Anna. I’m glad we got to spend some time together” I let her head off to her room after that. I knew I wasn’t alone but she didn’t need to know that. Once I heard the door close I turned on my heel.

“Come out, Alaric. I know you’re there” I watched as he dropped from the ceiling. I was slightly afraid Anna would realize he was there but she seemed lost in her thoughts. But now I have to deal with this problem.

“You know, Anna asked me to not start anything with you- and maybe I wouldn’t have if you hadn’t taken her tonight.” He tried to look menacing but I knew Anna didn’t like him and I wouldn’t dare back down from a fight when a woman is being threatened.

“I only offered to take her out, she was the one who agreed. She didn’t want to return to the house for some odd reason.” I looked at him pointedly and I saw his eyes flash for a moment. He was about to take another step towards me but I let onyx’s energy roll out a little. He seemed to rethink his action and moved back. Neither of us needed this fight. It would start a war. I knew I could win this fight but couldn’t win the war. He also seemed unsure of that albeit it a little cocky.

“We’re leaving soon and I won’t have to worry about you trying to get close to her anymore. You do realize what would even happen if a hunter fell in love with a wolf don’t you?” I hadn’t honestly thought much on that. I knew what would happen on my side. I’d struggle to get people to accept her as a Luna, and lose some alliances but nothing extreme. We’d make it.

He smiled at the gears turning in my head trying to decipher what he meant. “They’d kill her you know? I’d be forced to kill her.” I searched his eyes but only saw the truth. I felt afraid for her at that moment. The hunters were truly terrifying when they needed to be and if someone was a loose thread they would annihilate them. He bumped my shoulder as he walked inside. Probably to go bother her again.

The only way to protect her was to keep my distance but could I do that?