Rise of the Underdogs: JACOB

Reconciliation and Recalibration

“That was inexcusable, Heaven. There was no freaking need to slap the guy who’s already been through enough hell to make a trip through Hades look like a nature hike!” I snapped on my baby sister as soon as I knew Valik was gone.

Though she wore a shocked expression and her body trembled with terror over what she’d done, I still had to pull rank and discipline her accordingly. I hated it, but I had to uphold pack law, even if it was against my own blood.

Her hazel eyes found my blues, weary and sojourning, as she sank to the chair opposite to me. “I didn’t mean to.”

“Meant or not, it was wrong. You control your words, actions, and your emotions,” I said. Leaning back, I nibbled on the edge of my thumb. My knee bounced as we waited for news. “Heaven, look, I get it. You’re scared he’s going to follow the rumours. I can guarantee that Valik would rather end his own life than hurt you physically. He’d rather suffer in silence than allow you to get caught up in his personal hell.”

Her eyes met mine, and I felt the array of emotions flashing there. Her fear, her contemplative ways, her knowledge that she’d done wrong and was now scrambling to find a way to fix it. “How…”

“One, give him time. Val’s gonna need to process what you did and separate the past from the present. He can’t do that if you’re clinging to him wanting to make amends. Two, wait until bedtime, approach with caution, and be understanding.” I said, taking in the way her shoulders slumped forward.

Tears slid down over her elegantly pale cheeks, “Jakey, I didn’t mean to hit him. A… are you sure of what to do?”

“Open your mind to Ehno, Thorne said his brother wants Aspen,” I commented, getting to my feet with a fluid grace I didn’t actually feel. “Whatever he relay’s to you is what needs to happen to fix this mess you created.”

Her mouth hung open, “Say what?”

“You’re nearly an adult, sis,” I said, deadpanning her with a dark look. “Time to pull up the big girl panties and find a solution that doesn’t end in bloodshed or rejection. Don’t forget, our oldest brother hasn’t been nice to your Mate either, so that’s playing on his mind, too.”

Falling silent, Heaven swallowed tightly. “He’s at the cliffs. Logan intercepted him, furious, but Valik talked our dear friend down. Ehno says he’s… he’s asking for space; for time to bring himself under control.”

“Good,” I chuffed. “Give him that, go to him at bedtime, and show him that one bad day doesn’t have to define your whole life.”

Sobbing into her hands, my sister let the tears fall. “I thought… when I heard he’d threatened her and the pup… I wasn’t…”

Grabbing her hands in mine, I kissed her knuckles, “Hey, little sis. Listen, you were reacting on what you heard, but you should have simply walked away. He’s been matching your wavelength, now it’s time you matched his. You’re a Medic, not a monster. You made a mistake, now you need to learn from it. Understand?”

Heaven nodded numbly, her willowy arms wrapping around me tightly. “You always could talk down us less level-headed siblings.”

“Except Jackson,” I joked. “Gotta use a brick for him.”

She laughed. Taking the tissue I offered, she wiped her face. Gesturing to the treatment room, she licked her lips. “So, is she really…”

“My Mate,” I finished. Rubbing my hands together, I smiled. She had to be told, and it had to be now in order for her to understand the magnitude of her actions. “There’s something you need to know going forward, sis. One thing about my Mate, and one thing about yours.”

Heaven hiccupped softly, “I’ll listen.”

“Ehno and Thorne, Valik’s wolf and mine, are littermates,” I explained quietly. “It’s why we can never face each other in battle. Our wolves would turn on us, refuse to defend us, and eventually cause our deaths. He’s an Elite, I’m a Delta – but we match in strength and courage. We understand each other on a deeper level because our wolves are brothers, not just because we understand each other’s pain and suffering.”

Her eyes snapped to my face, “So all that brother from another mother stuff? That was you trying to say it without actually saying it? Why?”

“Jackson,” I said simply. “Dude needs a few different feet up his ass, but Valik’s working on a way to make him see truth without violence. I’m letting him handle it, but, if our oldest brother gets too outta hand, I’m sending him a visit from our personal Hellions.”

“He’d kill you,” she commented.

I shrugged, “He can try, but Logan’s faster, and Mom is… well, she’s Mom. Protective and proactive.”

Someone rushed by, clipboard in hand while a buzzer went off somewhere in the opposite wing of the clinic. The PA crackled, announcing medical terms I had no use or knowledge of. Leaning back, I watch a nurse stop by us.

“Delta Jacob, the girl and pup you brought in are under controlled coma for their healing benefit. We’re going through a full body check, but we need a signature. Preferably her Mate, if one exists,” the man stated.

Standing, I grabbed the chart and wrote my name in the space where it said Significant Other or Primary Guardian. “There. Do what needs doing. I just want her handled and healed with care and caution. Also, I’m going to need a copy of the file for Alpha Logan. He’s going to want to know everything.”

“Of course, Delta Jacob,” the doctor called over his shoulder before vanishing into the room again.

“She had a pup?” Heaven asked, shock and awe filling her voice. “And why include Logan?”

Sitting back down, I licked my lips and bowed my head, I didn’t want to get into the conversation, but I had promised her clarity. I had delivered the news about her Mate’s connection to me through our wolves. “Yes, she has a pup. That’s not as important as keeping her alive. It’s not as important as finding out who did enough damage to put her in a freaking hospital bed under medical coma. The cuts? The bruises? They aren’t consistent with falling or self-infliction. They’re too clean, too precise.”

“She was hurt? Oh, Jakey,” my sister whispered, leaning into me as Aspen curled around Thorne to keep him calm. “And what about the baby?”

“She’s mine, and so is the infant,” I declared softly. “There’s got to be a story there. Some kind of logical explanation that recuses her of fault for bearing a child not for her Mate. Until otherwise proven, both are nothing but innocent souls caught in politics beyond their understanding. I mean, if the Grand Alpha can adopt, then so can the rest of us, right?”

Heaven nodded vigorously. “I can’t work her case, but I can use my own skills to get into any historical hospital visits where wounds don’t match the claims if you like?”

‘Yes,’ Thorne whispered, whimpering for both his brother and our personal situation.

“Thorne agrees that would be for the best,” I calmly replied, though I was really anything but calm. “As for informing Logan of this development? It’s because the dude is in his second year studying Law and working shifts at the District Attorney’s office under Luna Clara, who is also the lead Attorney.”

“By creating a paper trail, you’re securing her place as your Mate and her child will be heavily guarded under pack law of interception for the benefit of an involved child,” Heaven said, suddenly understanding the method to my madness.

My smile reached my eyes this time, my eyeteeth elongating just enough to show that both Thorne and I were on the same page with what needed to be done. The door at the other end of the hall opened again, and the doctor walked out. The look he gave was solemn, at best, but the relief lines softened the earlier edges of his face. “What’s the news?”

“Delta, I’m pleased to let you know that the pup is in perfect condition. However, his mother requires medically induced sleep to assist in healing her and her wolf. Both woman and spirit are weakened by whatever they were put through,” he answered.

He handed me the digitized file, “As ordered, here is the complete list of injuries sustained by the female and her pup.”

Someone else snatched the tablet from my hands, and I looked up at Logan. “Valik’s calming himself down, and Samuel already gave me the rundown of events. She’s your Mate, Jake?”

“They’re both mine, regardless of the sire’s identity,” I declared.

He smirked, running a hand through his red hair. “Good to hear. Stay with her to make sure her wolf remains strong enough to heal her human. You’re herein relieved of all pack duties until your Mate is strong enough to handle being without you. As for the pup, I’ll bring it up with Dad and find out what course we can take. This list of injuries is extensive and obviously not self-inflicted. Doctor Draxton, I’d like to see this patient for myself.”

“And the legal aspect?” I called out as he moved to follow the doctor into the examination room.

Logan’s grin turned dark, feral. “That…” he breathed a laugh “That is going to be like turning Sam loose in the kitchen and saying no limits.”

My only thought when he said that: Oh, s**t. He’s going nuclear.