Jackson's Vengeance

Chapter 19

Jackson's POV

The wolves are fighting each other, the old pack members are fighting the new ones. I try to calm them down, but they don't listen, in the end, I must roar to get everyone in line. I am furious with them, we are in the middle of a war with an enemy that keeps getting ahead of us, and instead of standing together, they fight each other. We need to stay united. This is not the time to be against our own.

When they are finally in line, I notice that Tori is gone. I take a deep breath to try and calm myself down. I want to make this work, I want to save the rest of the wolves and I also want to protect my mate. This is going to be so damn difficult!

"Where did she go?" I say in frustration.

"She left," Lucian says his face grim.

"I can see that!" I snap at him.

"Bruce, we need to get everyone to safety," I say.

"What about Tori?" He asks.

"I will find her when I am done with this," I say raking my fingers through my hair.

"The best place to go is the caves. It has been the only place where the vampires can't go, and I think we will all be safe there." I say to Bruce.

"You right. We can get there before midday and then look for Tori." He says looking very worried.

"We will find her, she can't be far, and she needs some time to accept all this," I reply, I rub my eyes and then say,

"Let's get going!"

I have no idea what it is about the caves, but the vampires have never been able to get close to the place. It is a beautiful place, surrounded by greenery and a valley filled with fruit and nut trees. The is a stream close by and the hunting grounds are rich with food. It is perfect for us to recon and figures out what we need to do next. It might be cramped with so many wolves, but we will make it work.

There are so many things going through my mind but I need to focus on one thing at a time, like getting the pack to safety. I have questions, so many questions, some of which I don't have the answers to. Will we ever defeat Frans? Will we be able to recover from this loss. Will I find Tori? Will she be ok? Will the pack ever accept her? What happens if they don't accept her? How will I be their Alpha without her? I consider handing over the reign to someone more capable, maybe someone they trust. The one thing I know for sure is that I am not prepared to let her go.

When we arrive at the cave, Lucian looks at the place and says,

"It makes sense."

"What makes sense?" I ask.

"You see these green plants, well for some reason vampires hate it. I saw them use it when they tortured other vampires." Lucian says.

"This could be very useful," Hilda says and pulls some out to smell it.

"Let's get everyone settled," I say.

I divide the caves into groups, some wolves are not happy to share but we need to adjust to the situation. Cayley eagerly says she will take over cooking duties and I allow it but I instruct Minnie to keep an eye on her. I instruct the scouts on which areas to scout and keep to the safer routes to avoid being attacked. Fin is still out of it and Hilda has treated him and let him rest. Mike leads the first scout team out to keep the area safe. I instruct the fighters on what needs to be done. I have wolves collecting and hunting food. Lin and a few other females go to the stream to collect water and Gail and Angelo offer to keep watch at the entrance to the caves.

With every wolf tasked with something to do, everyone settled and my nerves urging me to leave to find Tori, I turn to Bruce and say,

"I need to find her, I want you to stay and if anything happens and I don't return, you are the new Alpha." I pat his shoulder and he looks at me fondly.

"You are the only Alpha of this pack. We will find her together." He says.

"What about the pack?" I ask.

"They need someone to keep things in order." I continue.

"I will watch every one. You two go bring her back safely." Minnie says joining our conversation.

"We are going with you too." I turn to see Lucian, Hilda, Caleb, and Iva.

"No, I can't have you all out there, it is dangerous and I would not forgive myself if anything happened to you," I say.

"We pledged our lives to you Alpha," Bruce says and bows down, the others bow with him and I shake my head at them.  How did I end up with this loyal few, I am honored and I nod to them, Hilda hugs me and says,

"Everything will be ok."

"Go get our girl," Minnie says.

I know she loves Tori as she would a daughter and even though she is putting up a brave face I can see that she is worried about her and wants her home as much as I do. Home, this is her home with me and the pack. Eventually, they will calm down and things will be fine. I will make sure of it. I will find Frans and I will end his reign over this land. I will restore the peace and I will give Tori the happy family that she deserves to have.

We follow her scent which leads us to the third coven house, the place is burning which means she wasn't far off. I know that she will go for Frans next and I know she is walking into a trap. I need to stop her before it is too late. Lucian seems drawn to a tree further away from the coven house, he calls us over and we all stand around looking at the ground,

"Mistletoe," Hilda says.

"She was poisoned," Lucian adds.

"No wonder she didn't look so good on the way back to the safehouse," Iva says.

"Is there a cure?" I ask.

"Not that I know off," Hilda replies looking fearful.

"We need to find her," I say and look around for signs of which way she could have gone.

"She is in her wolf form, I can feel her, I am always drawn to the Alpha in her," Lucian says.

"Let's go!" I say and shift as we leave the burning coven in the distance.

We are running as fast as we can, I can sense her. She isn't as fast as she could be and I think it is the poisoning that is holding her back. Finally, I see her in the distance, I howl and she hears me but keeps running. I howl again and when she doesn't heed, I roar my Alpha roar and she stops, turns, and looks at me with pleading eyes.

"Tori," I say when I reach her.

"Why have you come here?" She asks.

"You can't go in there, it is a trap, and you are outnumbered," I say.

"I know, but I need to do this and you can't stop me." She says.

We are still in our wolf forms and communicating wolf to wolf, the pack is standing a distance away but they can see and hear everything. I look at them and they look as worried as I am.

"You need healing, you need to recover and then we can do this, then we can fight," I say.

"No, he destroyed everything and if I don't end this now, he will keep coming after me and destroy every happiness I ever find. You and the pack are better off without me." She says looking away.

"We are better together, don't you see that he wanted to force you out the pack and you are giving him exactly what he wants." I can see the rage in her eyes and I know I need to calm her down, I need to calm her emotions and let her know that I know how she feels and that we can do this together. I shift and kneel in front of her.

"My love, you can't do this, I need you to come back with me, I need you to heal and I need you to trust me too, together we will win this war. It will never be over until he is dead and he will never die if he gets you. Inside that palace gates are hundreds of vampires that are going to destroy everything we are trying to build. I know you are hurting, I know we lost so much today and I know you want vengeance but today, now is not the time." I can see that she is moved and suddenly she shifts and falls to me. I catch her and pull her to my lap.

"He killed them, they survived the first time and I let them die. I should have taken them someplace he wouldn't find them but I left them there to die." She cries openly and I hold her close.

"It isn't your fault, this is not on you my sweet, sweet Tori." I stroke her hair and she cries on my shoulder.

"I don't have much time Jackson, I… I have been poisoned." She says in a whisper.

"If I couldn't do any good alive, at least let me  go down doing some good, let me save the pack." She says between sniffles.

"Not like this, we will find a way out, we will find a way to save you and when you are safe and healthy you and I will take his head off together," I say picking her up and carrying her.

She doesn't reply and when I look at her, her eyes are closed, her breathing is shallow, and she has passed out.

"Nothing will happen to you, my love!" I say kissing her forehead.