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The next morning, Father called me into his study after breakfast. I obeyed the summons with no small amount of trepidation, but as it turned out, I had nothing to fear.
"I'm sorry about last night," he said gruffly. "Jethro's actions caught me off guard as well. I don't blame you for reacting the way you did - I would have done the same in your place."
I let out a sigh of relief. "Then I'm not a spoilt cub?" I teased, and Father chuckled as we shared a warm hug. Our pack was very tight-knit, and quarrels never lasted long. "But what the hell happened last night?" I added.
Father shook his head. "Young Jethro rejected you," he said. "I suspect Pearl had something to do with it, as she usually does. But the long and the short of it is that Jethro is now her mate, for good or ill. I'm sorry. I know you two had promised to be mates, but a promise made when you were cubs does not equal a marriage contract."
"Jethro did seem a bit off last night," I said. "I chalked it up to nerves about joining our pack, but Pearl must've got her claws in him long before. Or she really is his mate, in which case heaven help him."
"I'll wager it's the former," Father said grimly. "Pearl was always grabby, even as a cub. And you know best how she never likes to see someone with something she wants."
I knew it all too well. As cubs, Pearl, Gemma and I had played together, and I recalled the tantrums Pearl would throw whenever she saw Gemma or I playing with a toy she wanted. And we always had to include her, even if we wanted it to just be the two of us. And Pearl's greed had only gotten worse as she got older. More often than not, she'd take something from someone, not because it was of any use to her, but to deny the other person. And she'd never liked the fact Jethro and I had been so close. She herself had never indicated an interest in him, but word of our announcement would have gotten to her one way or another, hence last night's display. "And she won't let him go," I surmised grimly, feeling as if my heart would break all over again.
Father gave my hair a gentle ruffle. "Go for a run," he suggested. "The wind in your fur will help clear your mind, I'll wager. And then we can have a smaller gathering tonight to make up for last night's disaster. I'll be having stern words with whoever laughed at you, by the way, so leave it in my hands."
"Thanks," I said gratefully.
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The woods behind our house had belonged to our pack for generations. They were full of hidden nooks and crannies, and Gemma, Jethro and I (plus Pearl, at her mother's insistence) had spent countless hours there growing up, both shifted and in human form. It was also the place where Jethro and I had had our first kiss three years ago, and I felt the tears sting my eyes as I walked past the little glade where it had happened. It had been a sweet, innocent kiss, and that had been the day I'd fallen head over heels in love with him, depsite just being barely out of my teens. I just hoped he wouldn't bring Pearl to this spot, or I'd tear both their throats out. 132Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoufTanZSdy
'Tearing throats out won't help,' Chaser advised me gently. 'I know you're angry at them, and I sure as hell don't - bloody hell!'
I looked up, startled, and growled when I spied the black wolf who'd just stepped into the clearing by the lake where we'd learned to swim. I shifted and bared my fangs, and the unknown male returned the favour. 'What are you doing here?' he demanded.
'I could ask the same of you, stranger,' I said, pinning my ears back, a low growl rumbling deep in my chest. I was larger than most females, and the male looked a little less sure of himself when he saw my size. It was often a shock to outsider wolves to see how big Chaser was for a female, and that more often than not cooled their aggression. 'Unless you want a fight, I suggest you explain yourself, and fast. You're on White Whisper turf, in case you hadn't noticed.'132Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOQ9UbRt96
'My apologies,' the male said, sounding contrite as he softened his aggressive stance. 'Truth be told, I got lost while walking, so if you can point me in the right direction, I'll gladly get out of your fur.'132Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWJvjXDo2w
I blinked, and Chaser gasped. 'No flipping way,' she said. Two years had passed since I'd heard those last seven words, but hearing them now sparked recognition, and I leapt, tackling the newcomer, causing us to both tumble on the grass as I nipped and licked every part of his face I could reach, and Jackson returned the favour happily. We were both somewhat out of breath by the time we'd finished nuzzling and grooming one another, but the reunion only continued when we shifted, the better to share a bone-cracking hug. "I almost didn't recognise you," I said, clinging to him, hardly believing he'd come back. The last two years had been a welter of agony for me - Jackson and I had been closer than was usual for a brother and sister - and now that I was in his arms once more, I didn't plan on letting him go again any time soon. 132Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRH9MPpMyfs
"It's been a while, little sister," Jackson agreed, his voice thick with emotion. "You were a stranger to me as well, right up until you almost knocked me into the lake." He tightened his hold for a moment before letting go, gently cupping my face and kissing me on the forehead. "But you've been crying. What happened?"132Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBcN5k6CMT
I took a deep breath. I had been crying during my walk, and I'd never been able to hide anything from my brother. "Jethro rejected me last night," I said, the words still difficult to utter despite me having accepted there was nothing to be done about it, short of murdering Pearl, and I no longer had an inclination to do so in any case.
Jackson's face darkened. "Pearl," he surmised.
"One and the same," I said. "You know what she's like - she'll take whatever she wants, and she doesn't give two shits about hurting the person she's stealing from."
"Jethro was always a bit fickle as well," Jackson reminded me, and I winced. My brother didn't pull his punches, but he wasn't mean about it, and I had to admit, Jethro had never been as devoted to our promise as I was. "And his mother wanted him to mate with someone a little more high-class," Jackson added, a rueful smile gracing his lips. "We're apparently not high-class enough for Bethany, it seems."
I winced again, but conceded the point. "At least you're back," I said, more tremulously than I'd have wished, and Jackson pulled me into his arms again, pressing me against him. I'd always felt safe when he held me like this, and I closed my eyes, listening to the reassuring sound of his heartbeat. I couldn't say for how long we stood like that, but eventually, Jackson pressed a kiss to my head.
"By the way," he said, sounding slightly puzzled, "when did you start wearing sandalwood? Not that I mind, of course, but it's a bit unusual, that's all."
I frowned, and then my eyes widened in shock, the blood draining from mine and Chaser's faces. It took all I had not to tear myself out of Jackson's arms, especially when I noticed the subtle scent of cinnamon in the air. "Must be my new shampoo," I said lightly, and Jackson chuckled as he let me go, keeping a firm grip on my hand as if fearful I might disappear should he let go. I felt the same way, but Chaser was going insane inside my head, and it was taking all my willpower to keep from joining her.
Jackson didn't notice, thankfully. "Must be," he agreed, dropping another kiss on my head, and, much to my relief, the cinannom scent soon faded. But as we started for the packhouse hand in hand, I knew what had happened. This wasn't a misfiring of my thwarted desires concerning Jethro.
This was something much, much bigger.
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