Confidence In A Mate [Cackle Lands 2]

Chapter 3

CHAPTER 2

Warren slammed his pack on the table, “This is f*****g bullshit. Every time we think we have a way in, the sons of bitches show up. I don’t f*****g get it.”

“At this rate, we are never going to get Miller and Cal’s dad out of there.” Parker said, setting his pack on the floor.

Nyx tossed a chair, shattering the China Cabinet against the wall and splintering wood all over the floor.

“Well, that was productive.” Or muttered.

Nyx turned angrily towards Or, “My mate is in there somewhere, damn it. You scented him as well as I did. Why did you stop me from going in there?”

“Because if you get caught they might kill you, and besides that, damn it, it would give away the fact that we’re trying to get in to get my mate’s parents. We are going to have to figure out another way. Mikka has survived this long, Nyx, he will survive a few more days.” Or argued.

Jackson snorted and Or turned to him. “You have something to add Jackson?”

Jackson turned to his brother, “Yeah, those are the same words we said to Cal, and look where that got us. My mate is gone, his parents are still captive, and Mikka is most likely either with them or for some reason placing himself in grave danger, and we are here making yet another plan.”

“Do you have any bright ideas on how to get past their security? Son of a b***h, Jackson, we’re not prepared for this s**t. I don’t have enough men to guard our home, and get Miller and Cal’s parents from that hellhole they’re in, and go looking for Mikka.” Or argued.

“I need a shower.” Jackson said stepping past Or.

Or went to grab him, but Jackson jerked away. Or snapped, “Jackson talk to me.”

Jackson turned to Or, “Talk to you about what, brother? Talk to you about how I feel like I can’t breathe in a full breath? Or how my heart seems to always miss a beat? Or should I talk to you about what it feels like to have my brother hold me down, so I can’t go after my mate and bring him back home? What is it you want me to talk to you about, Or?”

“Jackson, he wanted to leave. We couldn’t force him to stay.” Or argued. “Besides, I really thought he would come back.”

Jackson let out a sound between a laugh and a grunt, “You thought he would come back.”

Holding his arms out wide, Jackson turned in a circle, shouting, “Do you see him, Or?”

Jackson stopped twirling in a circle to look at his brother, “It’s been one month, three days, and twelve hours since my mate walked out this door. I have no clue where he is, or if he’s even still alive thanks to you…and for what… ? Nothing, that’s what. While you get to go up to your room and make love to your mate as often as you want under the stars. Well, f**k you very much Or.

Fuck you.”

Jackson left the room ignoring Or. Taking the stairs two at a time and making his way to his room. He was shocked to see Miller standing in front of it. “Miller.”

“Jackson, Or did what he thought was right at the time.” Miller softly said.

Jackson scoffed, “So he says.”

Jackson lightly pushed Miller out of his way and opened his door. Miller followed him into his room, “We need to get Cal back, Jackson.”

“And how do we do that? We don’t even know where he is.” Jackson replied.

“He’s at the cackle just past this one.” Miller replied.

Jackson stopped unbuttoning his shirt and turned around, “Are you telling me he is staying at Dirge?”

Miller nodded, and Jackson asked, “How do you know that?”

“Being the mate to the Alpha has its benefits. When Cal was packing, and you and Or were fighting, I went to CJ and had him follow my brother from a distance. He’s been watching over him ever since.” Miller explained.

“And you didn’t tell me?” Jackson asked, then rapidly turned away from Miller, yelling, “f**k!”

Miller whispered, “I wanted to tell you… I mean I meant to… but… I was hoping Cal would calm down and come home.”

“How the hell did he even get those crazy bitches to take him in? That cackle is nothing but women. They do not allow men on their lands.” Jackson said, sounding as shocked as he felt.

Shrugging, Miller replied, “Cal was always more comfortable with the ladies. He said he had far more in common with girls then he ever did with the guys. Knowing Cal, he fits right in.”

Jackson started buttoning his shirt as he walked towards the door. Miller stepped in front of him, asking, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Going to get my mate and bring him home.” Jackson replied.

“Jackson, CJ has tried more times than I can count to get on their land, and let me tell you, they fight better than a lot of men I know. He damn near got killed because his big toe crossed the line.” Miller replied.

Jackson walked passed Miller, saying, “Yes, but we are mates, and to interfere in a mating is punishable by death, and I am damn tired of people f*****g up my mating. I’m going to go and get him, and not a f**k one of you is going to stop me.”

Miller grabbed Jackson’s shoulder and whirled him around to face him, “Don’t you f*****g dare blame us for what happened. It was you who wanted him left out of those plans to get mom and dad. You are the one who refused to listen to me when I told you how he would react. I told you Cal would be pissed. I may not have thought he would leave, but I knew he would feel betrayed.

You still insisted he not be a part of the plan. I told all of you, but you didn’t care. So, you know what? You have no one’s ass to kick but your own.”

Jackson’s mind went blank for a second and then he realized, “You’re right. It is my fault. I should have listened to you, Miller.”

Sighing, Miller replied, “God, I’m being a d**k. It was all of our faults. Mine, yours, Or’s, Nyx…Fuck I hate when Cal is right. I really do.”

“Right about what?” Jackson asked.

Miller said, “I never knowingly judged Cal by his looks or how he acted. I must have done it subconsciously though, because the thought of him in a fight against any of Patrice’s men, scares the s**t out of me.”

“Maybe it’s just that I haven’t slept more than an hour at a time in a month, but I’m still not getting it.”

“Faith, Jackson. Like the song says…‘we gotta have faith’… and we didn’t. Can you imagine how Cal must have felt looking at all of us in that room and knowing we plotted and planned to keep him out of the loop? You know I put myself in that situation, and I felt worse than dogshit under a shoe. We didn’t have faith and that means we didn’t trust him to know his limits. How would you feel?” Miller asked.

Jackson gave a watery laugh, “I have thought about nothing else. I can still hear what Cal said before he left. As long as your true mate breathes, so shall you, but if anything were to happen to him and he stops breathing, so shall you. I never looked at it from the other side, Miller. It never occurred to me.”

Miller grasped Jackson’s hand, “You were only thinking about his safety.”

“It wasn’t just that.” Jackson replied, hanging his head in shame.

“What do you mean?” Miller asked in confusion.

Jackson sighed and walked back into his room, sitting on the end of the bed, “I didn’t want to take the chance that Cass would get to him.”

“Jackson, we all had our reasons for not wanting Cal to go. What none of us understood was what was driving him to be there. I didn’t understand why he was so damned determined to get

to them. Like you said, I never looked at it from the other side. When we were upstairs, Cal said I forget that we are only half-brothers. I never thought of us that way, so to me there was nothing to forget. He’s always been a great brother to me. He’s always been there, and when he really needed me to be there… I betrayed him.” Miller said, looking down at his hands.

Jackson sat there with Miller for a long time. Neither of them spoke, both lost in their own thoughts.

Jackson heard Or and Patrick coming up the stairs, Patrick saying, “Or, we need a way in. If we can get our men on the land itself, we can set ourselves into a position and do a surprise attack.

While we fight, Nyx can go and get them out of their cells.”

“And he’s going to watch his back, pull them out of the ground by himself… now mind you, we have no idea what kind of shape they’re in…can they walk, or do they have to be carried…? Hell are they even still alive…? And then he is going to have to fight his way out of there, because we will already be battling for our lives and they are not just going to let him waltz off out of Thornridge, Patrick.” Or argued.

Once they were at the top of the stairs, Or said, “And we haven’t even put into consideration if Lenox is there with his cackle. Whitewing has some seriously strong men.”

“So, what? We just give up? How do you explain that to Miller? His parents are alive, and he can’t get to them. His brother is alive, and gone. He has lost everything, and for what?” Patrick argued back.

“He has not lost everything. He still has me.” Or snapped.

Patrick laughed but it was not with humor, “Or, you have slept in the office since Cal left. Your mate barely talks to you, and the cackle feels your despair. At the rate you’re going, you are going to lose everything as well.”

Or didn’t say anything as he turned and went to his room. Seconds later, Jackson watched as he returned with a change of clothes and rapidly went back downstairs slamming his office door behind him.

Patrick was walking past Jackson’s room and saw him sitting there with Miller. Stepping to the open door, Patrick said, “You’re killing him, you know? He barely eats, he rarely sleeps, and he is losing the faith of his people.”

Miller turned away from Patrick not saying a word. Patrick, however, was insistent. “You and your brother have some very interesting theories about mates. But, you don’t do your part. You say that a mate is supposed to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of the other, yet you know yours is suffering and do nothing to change it.”

“Mind your own business, Patrick.” Miller replied.

Patrick walked further into the room, “Miller, this is my business. Since Jackson has been damn near useless to us, it’s fallen on me to take care of his duties as well as my own. So, I am not

only one of the Beta, I am also acting enforcer. So you see, my Alpha is my concern, as is this cackle.”

Standing up, Miller pushed past Patrick, “Well my love life is out of bounds, even for you.”

Patrick grabbed Miller by the upper arm. Miller hissed, “Let go of me.”

“Fix this, Miller, before Or loses what he has left of this cackle. You’re his mate and yet you refuse to act like his mate.” Patrick argued.

Miller jerked his arm free of Patrick, “See, that’s where you’re wrong. I’m not the one who kicked Or out of our room. He made that choice all on his own the day my brother left. So you see, you’re pissed at the wrong person.”

Jackson watched as Miller left his room reeling at what he just heard.

Patrick turned without saying anything to Jackson and that’s when reality set in. Either he got his s**t together and fixed this or their family, as well as this entire cackle, would be finished.