Chapter 136

Chapter 0236

“Jacks!”

Jackson hears his name called behind him, but he doesn’t register it, or doesn’t care. Instead, he

just continues to stride forward in the dark, not really knowing where he’s going, just needing to

get…out. Get away. Disappear into the night, into the wilds, into… whatever.

Any place but that castle.

Any place but here.

“Jacks! You asshole!” the voice comes again, closer this time, and Jackson’s instincts make him pay

attention to it, his wolf turning inside him to growl at whatever’s coming. “Slow down! I know you

can hear me!”

Jackson moves on, determined, but inside him his wolf turns again, raising his nose a little, a whine

in his throat. Jackson pushes him away, but the wolf persists, pressing his snout into Jackson’s

hand. Come on, the wolf says, listen. It’s Jesse. We like Jesse.

Jackson is the one growling now, insisting that he doesn’t like anyone, but his wolf just nuzzles

against his hand, sad, not wanting to run anymore. So Jackson sighs, and slows, and turns when

Jesse’s footsteps come near.

“What the hell man,” Jesse says, bending over and panting a little, “I’ve been chasing you for like,

twenty minutes!”

“Should have been faster,” Jackson mutters, shrugging and looking away, shoving his hands deep

into his pockets.

“Don’t be a dick,” Jesse growls. “I’m trying to be nice to you, the least you could do is let

me.”

“Nice to me?” Jackson huffs, turning to glare at Jesse a little. “Do you seriously think that’s going to

fix anything?”

“Yeah, Jacks,” Jesse says, standing up straight and crossing his arms, “I think that being nice to you

is just going to make Ariel magically not have a second mate. Obviously, that’s what I think.”

Jackson narrows his eyes. “You’re being a jerk, Jesse,” he growls, turning to walk away again.

“Jacks!” Jesse groans, and Jackson tugs his arm out of Jesse’s grasp when Jesse grabs it.”

Don’t you get it!? I am being nice to you! This is what people do!”

“What?” Jackson asks, still walking but turning towards the slightly smaller Alpha to glare at him.

“Do what? You’re not doing anything – you’re just bothering me –”

“Exactly!” Jesse exclaims, keeping pace with Jackson’s long stride. “That’s what people do! People

who care about each other! When something shitty happens, you show up, and you’re just there!”

“That doesn’t do anything,” Jackson grumbles, discontent – but honestly, nothing, really, would work

for him right now. Nothing can make this better – nothing will make this better.

Ariel – Ari – his mate. But she’s not really his, is she? He’d thought he’d had her, he’d thought for a

blissful couple of days that she was his. That everything was going to be okay. That for once he

had…like, a shot at this life, at this thing they call happiness.

But he never really had it, did he?

No, it was all an illusion. Because she was lying the whole time.

“Jackson,” Jesse sighs, grabbing his arm again and making him stop.

Or, well, Jackson agrees to stop – because Jesse…he’s not big enough to actually stop him. But

they pause anyway, on the top of a hill, darkness all around. And Jackson hangs his head as he

waits, because…well, where is there to go, anyway?

“This is me trying to do something, all right?” Jesse says, his voice softer now, his hand. gentle on

Jackson’s arm. “Something shitty happens, and even though they can’t do anything about it, the

people who care about you show up. And they hang around. So, please. stop walking away from

me and let me do that for you!”

“Why?” Jackson growls, not getting it.

To iu

be there!” Jesse exclaims, throwing out his hands. “To show you that I care,

are, that you’re not alone! To…stop you from throwing yourself into a ditch, or whatever!” Jesse

pauses, staring at Jackson, waiting for him to respond, but Jackson just stands perfectly still, staring

at him. “Or to throw you into a ditch, if you keep being an asshole about it.”

At this, Jackson huffs a laugh.

“So would you stop running away?” Jesse mutters, crossing his arms now, a little cold in the night

air now that he’s not running around after the big devastated Alpha. “I’m trying to… be here for

you.”

“Fine,” Jackson says with a shrug. There’s a long moment of silence. “So, what do we do

now?”

“Whatever you want,” Jesse murmurs. “Walk. Sit. Just…exist, if you want to. Or you could…

talk to me about it.”

Jackson stares at Jesse like he’s insane if he thinks that’s going to happen, and to his surprise

Jesse bursts out laughing, taking a step forward and clapping a hand on Jackson’s shoulder.

“Jacks, seriously, I need you to tell me…did you grow up under a bridge or something? Why don’t

you know how to let someone comfort you?”

And Jackson sighs, a long, deep breath, and just looks down at the ground.

And Jesse sighs with him, realizing that…well, that the answer is because nobody ever has

comforted him. And Jesse’s heart, like Ariel’s, absolutely breaks for this guy.

“Come on, you weirdo,” Jesse murmurs, pushing on Jackson’s shoulder warmly and turning him a

bit. “Let’s do a little walk. You don’t have to say a damn word to me. I’ll just…be here.”