Jackson's Vengeance

Chapter 12

Tori’s POV

This morning I decided to see what is happening around the safehouse. I missed a whole day waiting for Jackson to return. Did the talk help? Yes, but not enough for me to give up and back down now. In fact, the talk made me want to pursue answers I didn’t think I wanted until I opened my eyes this morning.

My first stop is to see Hilda, she must have the answers to my strange questions about Jackson and I know she will give them to me because she is honest and kind. I also know that we have developed a friendship and it means something to both of us. I have no one else that can answer my questions and Minnie, is practically avoiding me. I will deal with that later for now I need to get to Hilda.

I make my way to the medical center and see that Hilda is busy attending to new patients. There is also a new wolf that was found on the outskirts of town. Frans is now attacking other areas too and many are on the run. This specific wolf was found in a ditch. He was badly wounded and has been in recovery ever since he was found. Hilda thinks that he will make a full recovery and Jackson thinks he will make a good addition to the fighters in the pack, provided he is willing to fight.

Lin who works with Hilda, spots me and comes over. She is eyeing me suspiciously and I am annoyed with her,

“Did I steal your lunch?’ I ask.

“Where were you all day yesterday?” She asks.

“I didn’t know I needed to report to you?” I say turning away.

“I just find it interesting that both Jackson and you seemed to have vanished yesterday.”

“What are you implying?” I ask her.

“Well, you know since he marked you and all.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I ask confused.

Just as Hilda walks up to us, she tells Lin to go finish some work and I eye her with rage. Who the hell does she think she is? Ever since the pack arrived, she walks around thinking she is a queen. She self-appointed herself to work with Hilda. When she first arrived, she did nothing but sit around and cry on her brother’s shoulders. She makes me sick!

“What is she talking about Hilda?” I ask.”

“Don’t worry about her, she is full of herself. Let us go for a walk.” Hilda leads me out and I don’t resist.

We walk to the lake and I know she brought me here to calm me down.

“Tell me what she was talking about?” I say feeling annoyed.

“I don’t think that now is the right time. When you are calm and ready, I will tell you.”

“I am calm, can’t you see.”

“What I see is your wolf ready to pounce.” She replies.

I look at my reflection in the water and my eyes are red, my wolf thinks I need help dealing with Lin but I don’t. I take a deep breath and think of something else but instead, I see brown eyes, staring at me, calling me out. Then I see soft lips, strong masculine arms, and my eyes fly open.

“Hilda, I need to know some things and you are the only one that can answer these questions.”

“Ask me anything except for the marked story.” She says and sits down.

“Fine, tell me why Jackson keeps me at such a distance?”

“It is hard for him to accept that a vampire is a part of the vengeance he wants since it was a vampire who destroyed his family.”

“Then why is he always watching me, like he wants to talk to me but then he holds himself back.”

“Why do you think?” She asks me, turning the tables on me.

“Something is happening to me Hilda, I have no idea what and I can’t make it stop.”

“Tori, we are in the middle of a war, you have been through so much, it is obvious that things won’t be the same.”

“I know but, I sat in this very spot for an entire day waiting for him just because I had a feeling he would come back after he saved me from Mike who tried to get me when I was taking a swim. The look on Mike’s face was something else to discuss, he was so spooked when Jackson arrived and he arrived in his Alpha wolf form, I don’t even get why.”

“I have no idea why either.”

“He said he was sorry for treating me differently, one minute we having a nice conversation, next he has that look in his eyes and changes the subject. I could tell he wanted to end the conversation so I left but he stayed. I have never felt so confused in my life.” I throw myself back and close my eyes.

“Tori, relax, everything will work out. In a few days we are going out there again and when this is all over you can focus on this feeling that you have.”

“You right, I need to refocus. Being around him makes me crazy. I need to get out and just have a change of scenery for a little while.”

We walk back to the safe house and we see Lin draped around Jackson, he seemed annoyed by her but doesn’t make any attempt to stop her, as we approach he looks up and notices me, he immediately pushes Lin off who slips and falls onto her ass.

“Jackson, how dare you!” She says when she notices us coming.

“Lin you have to stop this.” He says and walks away leaving her on the floor.

I stand over her and ask,

“Need a hand?”

“I rather die than be helped by a bloodsucker such as yourself!” She says and storms off.

Hilda and I make our way to the hall to get some food, recently I have avoided the hall because another one of Jackson’s fans has taken over and made it a place we hate to go.

Once we enter, we see her, mooning over Jackson and ignoring everyone else. I feel like throwing up when I have to bear witness to this.

Hilda and I sit down at the table with the rest, Jackson stares at me and Cayley stomps off. She doesn’t return but later when I head off to my room I overhear them talking.

“Damnit Jackson, why did you mark her if you had no intention of claiming her and if you not going to claim her then why do you care to be coy in front of her?” Cayley says.

I can see that she is angry, and as much as I don’t want to listen I stay and continue to listen to the rest of the conversation.

“Cayley, you know for a fact we don’t choose who we mark and even if I don’t plan to claim her, I will still respect her and you better do the same.” Jackson seems very angry and I can tell that he is trying to keep it together.

“I thought we had something, I thought when you showed up that we would be together and I believed that I was the one.”

“You have been a wolf your whole life, you know that is not how it works, I never once gave you any hope that we would be together so that is on you!”

“The pack will never accept her!” Cayley finally says.

“That is my problem, not yours!” Jackson replies.

He walks away and disappears into the night, I am speechless wondering what this marking business is all about. I mentally kick myself for never learning more about wolves and I know that if I find out about the marking, I will find out what Jackson’s issue is.

The next morning at breakfast Cayley is even more hateful than she has ever been, sad to say that she even treats her pack members badly. Caleb, annoyed with his sister takes her outside to have a word with her after she yells at Iva.

“You cannot act this way sister!”

“I am sick of this!”

“You know how this works, didn’t we all warn you to not have hope that Jackson would mark you.”

“Why, why can’t he choose me, I am a wolf, a pure wolf. Not some half, freak.”

“This bitterness will get you nowhere sister.”

“I could kill her!” Cayley says.

“Are you mad, she is the Alpha female.”

“She isn’t yet, they haven’t mated, if they did his eyes would have changed by now.”

“Do you know what the other pack members would do to you, not to mention what the Alpha would do to you?”

“I would be ridding him of a problem brother, he doesn’t want this problem, he said so himself. He didn’t choose her, his wolf did and how will the wolf know it was me. Help me brother and when I am Alpha female I will make you Beta.”

“You have lost it, sister, I want nothing to do with this plan.”

“You are my brother, you have to help me.”

“I am a solider to the Alpha and if you do anything to either of them, I will kill you myself!” Caleb storms off and Cayley watches him go. Her mind is made up!