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Chapter Twenty-Six

last update Last Updated: 2024-05-15 21:05:51

Judge Jackson

“This doesn’t make any damn sense,” I complained as I reviewed the charts. “These numbers are off…really off.”

Pressure built behind my eyes after reading the charts once more. The fertility rates of purebred wolves had dropped to a concerning level. Thirty-eight percent was alarming, but what was even more shocking was that the breeders are taking longer to become pregnant. Instead of becoming pregnant within two months of their departure from Eden, breeders were now taking as long as eight months to become pregnant.

Why do these rates look so dismal? What has changed just from last year?

“We need to run the numbers again.”

“There is no use. The numbers were run repeatedly. They’re accurate,” Elder Francis confirmed with a heavy sigh.

He’s sighing. It’s never good when an elder sighs. Usually that means that changes are coming, and lives will be affected.

“Do you know what this means, Judge Jackson?”

“It means that there is a probability that the fertility issue is exac
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    ImaniI passed out shortly after Judge Jackson arrived. I played a dangerous game antagonizing Alpha Andrew, but somehow, deep down, I knew that Judge Jackson would save me, just like he did at the Breeding Selection Ceremony.Yelling forced my eyes to flutter, bringing me back to semi-consciousness, but hearing Judge Jackson call the other man ‘brother’ made them fly open in disbelief.Judge Jackson and Alpha Andrew are brothers?I focused my eyes on the two men and the resemblance became clearer as the seconds ticked by.“They should put you in the fucking prison and experiment on you. Maybe you’re the one with a mutation!” Alpha Andrew yelled. “Something has to be alarmingly off in your brain for you to select the lowest of breeders! You are an Alpha and the highest-ranking Judge deserving of the purest form of breeders, yet you have one that will guarantee produce pups with mutations—if at all!”“Who I’m with is none of your concern,” Judge Jackson said.“That same thinking screwe

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    Imani“I can help, you know.”Jackson snorted derisively. “Yes…I’ve witnessed your version of ‘help’, and I think I rather be without it.”I pouted. “It was a mistake. I was distracted.”“By what?” he asked, flipping a pancake.“I was texting Mary.”“Your friend who can cook, according to Judge Max.”I rolled my eyes at the playful taunt.“I can cook.”“Setting food on fire is not cooking.”I opened my mouth to argue but thought otherwise. We’d just be going around and around in circles, and while I hadn’t set anything on fire, breakfast was inedible.“Agreed. While we’re on the subject of Mary, do you think you can ask Judge Max if it’s okay for her to come over for lunch, or vice versa? Do you think it will be an issue?”“I don’t foresee an issue as long as Mary is agreeable. Judge Max is quite enamored with Mary. Some say he treats her too well, but the ones who’ve made such deplorable claims tend to have unhappy breeders and no pups to show for it. It’s pure jealousy.”I drooled w

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    ImaniI picked up the manual and flipped to the passage he called out. I snorted when I read that all breeders must serve as escorts to events as mandated by their high-ranking partner. I snapped the booklet closed with a heavy sigh. I wasn’t looking forward to the banquet. For one, I knew I’d be met with cold, hard gazes, screwed lips, and snide remarks.But…if I look on the bright side…Mary might be there. It’ll be nice to see at least one friendly face. I mean, Judge Jackson wouldn’t be hostile towards me, but calling the man’s face friendly is a lie.“Imani, we have much to do!” Dr. Hemsworth called.“I’m sorry,” I apologized as I approached him.“It’s quite all right. Judge Jackson promised you’d be useful in my research and gave me permission to lock you in a cell if you give me any difficulty.” My mouth gaped in shock. “I’m kidding. Relax,” he said with a chuckle, holding the door open for me.It didn’t seem like a joke to me because I could picture Jackson saying it. We passed

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    ImaniI stepped out of the shower in the locker room and fanned myself. The water was even hotter than the water at Jackson’s house, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I took full advantage. The hot water did wonders to melt away the stress of the day. I’d been in a slump ever since Dr. Hemsworth told me the story about losing his mate. He tried to mask the pain by being energetic, staying busy, and talking my ear off, but I could tell from the far off look in his eyes that he was still under the influence of grief.We ended work thirty minutes ago and he escorted me to the locker room to get ready for the banquet once he’d confirmed the administrative staff was gone and no one would be milling about. I stood under the spray, allowing the hot water to batter my aching shoulders and neck. I’d grown stiff from being hunched over documents and medical journals all day.I approached the wall length mirror above the sinks and wiped my hand across it, clearing the condensation. I screamed wh

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    ImaniI sat with my hands in my lap and tried not to think about my encounter with Jackson in the locker room. But how could I forget when my body still strummed with hot desire for the man? His teasing was so relentless that I thought I’d combust.There’s no doubt that I want Judge Jackson, but does he truly want me? Yes, he teases, but it’s possible that’s all there is to it. It’s possible that teasing me is just a fun way to pass the time—a source of amusement to break up the humdrum.“You seem…preoccupied. A penny for your thoughts?” he asked with a sly smile.“I don’t know what’s expected of me at this banquet. I don’t want to do something that’ll land me in trouble.”“Hmph. You do have a knack for finding trouble, but it’s simple, Imani. Stick by my, remain silent, and don’t make direct eye contact with any other males. Any other questions?”“Will I be able to speak with any of the other breeders?”He nodded lazily. “I’m sure you all have a lot to catch up on.”“I’m curious. Wha

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    JacksonMy fingers clenched around the steering wheel as I drove to the prison. I’d been anxious since Imani rejected me earlier when I proposed marking her, and my anxiety shot through the roof when Andrew swaggered into my office with his shit-eating grin.I hated Andrew–always had. He offered nothing to bettering our society. If anything, he made it significantly worst by injecting his arrogance and cruelness like a noxious fume. He’d been cruel since he was a child in Oasis. Some might say Oasis made him that way, but I knew better. He was born unapologetically evil and that evil festered like a puss-filled wound. Andrew was a coward and resigned to being a noble who could skate by and live his life untouched behind his gilded gates. I didn’t hold a disdain towards nobles–I came from the same noble bloodline as him; however, I looked down on those who felt the rules didn’t apply to them and that the world owed them for simply breathing. They dressed to the nines for their fancy

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    JacksonI was about to shut down for the day when the door to my office flung open and the last person I’d hoped to see strolled in like he owned the fucking place. I held back a sigh and glanced at my watch. Who the hell let him out of confinement?“You don’t look thrilled to see me,” Andrew said. I stared at him and my lip curled in disgust when he sat his uninvited ass in an arm chair. “I’m sure you received the same reaction from your breeder,” I quipped. “Fuck you!” my brother barked, turning red in anger. I watched unimpressed as he attempted to restrain himself from shifting. His claws digging into the arms of the chair proved he was doing a horrible job. “I lost my breeder because of you!” he spat.“Correction, you lost your breeder because of you. The courts determined that your actions and long-term abuse physical and emotional abuse to your breeder was so egregious that she could no longer remain in your care.” I leaned across the desk. “Do you know how much of a sick mo

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    Imani“Imani? Can you hand me three of the 100 milliliter syringes?” Dr. Hemsworth requested. I turned around and collided with the metal tray that held the syringes and nearly toppled the tray and its contents over. Thankfully, I righted the tray at the last minute. “My word. Is everything okay, Imani?”“I-I’m fine,” I rushed out.I’m not fine. Jackson offered to mark me!I never responded to him–at least not verbally. Jackson offered to mark me and I ran out of his office like a bat out of hell, and didn’t leave my bedroom until it was time for him to drive me to the prison.We remained silent during the car ride, and the hard set of his jaw made me believe he took my fleeing as rejection, but that wasn’t the case. Marking between male wolves and their breeders was…unheard of.Many generations ago, it was a normal rite of passage for mated couples to mark each other. But due to the war with the humans and the declining wolf population, marking was a ritual that was no longer practi

  • Escape from Eden: A Breeder's Awakening   Chapter Forty-Four

    Imani“Because I leave in a few days for a mission.”I dropped the plate I was washing in the sink. “What did you say?”“I must leave for a recon mission in a few days. I’ll be living amongst the foul beasts.” My brows crinkled in confusion. “The humans?”“Precisely,” he confirmed. “But that’s dangerous. You can’t go,” I protested. “It’s my job, Imani.”“I’m coming with you,” I said without thinking. Deep laughter rumbled from Jackson, and I couldn’t blame him. My suggestion was asinine, but I was desperate. What if he didn’t return?“I’m afraid that’s not feasible, Imani.”“What do you have to do on this mission?” I asked, following him out of the kitchen to his office. “Did I forget to mention that it was a top secret mission?” he said, teasing me because he knew it would get under my skin.“Can you be serious?” I asked in frustration. He eyed me cautiously as he sat in his office chair. I stood in front of his desk and glared at him until he motioned for me to sit in the chair

  • Escape from Eden: A Breeder's Awakening   Chapter Forty-Three

    JacksonI growled at the screen as I turned the pancakes in the pan. I was on the sixth episode of Bleed With Me, and I was cursing every single second of enjoyment I gained from the sordid show. “Screw her for introducing me to this show,” I grumbled. “And screw King Westin for intentionally sending the prince on a wild goose chase. I swear to–”“Good morning,” Imani greeted breezily as she entered the kitchen. I fumbled with my cell phone and nearly dropped it in pancake batter. I caught it before I faced an early-morning crisis and shut off the show before she could figure out what I was up to. “Are you okay?” she questioned as she approached the coffee maker. “I’m fine.”“You don’t look fine.”“I look better than you,” I teased lightly, smoothing down her curls that had tangled from her wild sleeping.“Ouch,” she commented with a roll of her eyes as she poured herself a cup of coffee. “I should be saying that. Is there a reason you sleep so violently?”“I think it has something

  • Escape from Eden: A Breeder's Awakening   Chapter Forty-Two

    Imani“Here…put this on,” Jackson said, offering me one of his shirts. I accepted it without hesitation and pulled it over my head. I wasn’t surprised when the shirt swallowed me whole and stopped at my knees.“Would you like a late-night treat?”My interests piqued. He’s being so…nice. I hope Nice Jackson is here to stay. I don’t know how I’ll feel if he turns into an asshole again. Especially with how far we’ve come. He snapped his fingers, drawing me back to the conversation we were having. “Um…yes, I would like a treat.”He nodded. “I’ll be back shortly.”Jackson left and I returned to my bedroom to retrieve my laptop and headphones. I’d started the next episode of Bleed With Me while I waited for his return. I was so immersed in the show that I hadn’t noticed his return ten minutes later. Strong fingers tapped my shoulder and I was surprised to find Jackson hovering above me with two steaming mugs in his hands. I removed the headphones and apologized. “Too much television can

  • Escape from Eden: A Breeder's Awakening   Chapter Forty-One

    Imani“I need more, Jack.”The words had tumbled out of my mouth faster than I could have ever imagined. I was past pretending–past shame and embarrassment. I needed Jackson, and I’d worry about how our dynamics would change in the morning. He kissed me again, and the smoldering fire in my belly turned into a raging inferno. I fell back against the pillows and my legs parted instinctually. “Your wish is my command,” he whispered against my lips.I sharply inhaled when his fingers ran between my folds. My legs trembled around his thick body and he grinned wolfishly. “So sensitive, Little Lamb. And so wet. Let me show you.”He raised his fingers in the darkness of the room that was bathed by the moonlight. His fingers glinted with my arousal for him. My jaw slackened when he eased a dripping finger toward his mouth. His pink tongue slid out for a taste while the anticipation was killing me. My hips rolled–searching for contact. I whimpered when my clit scraped across the front of his

  • Escape from Eden: A Breeder's Awakening   Chapter Forty

    Jackson“You wanted me to hear you, Little Lamb. So…here I am.”“It was an accident,” she tried arguing, pulling the sheet tight around her. I inhaled deeply and released a shuddered growl. My wolf, Rowan, threatened to make an appearance–the need to mate was enough to bring him out of hibernation. “This was no accident, Little Lamb; you wanted me to hear you.” She shook her head furiously. I grinned. “I knew you were in heat since the moment I opened my eyes this morning.”“You…you did?”“I did,” I replied painfully, trying to concentrate on not losing myself to my primal side–the side that wanted to consume her, uncaring of her comfort or pleasure.She has no idea how difficult it was riding in a vehicle with her!“Why didn’t you say anything?” she questioned. It took me several seconds to reply because my eyes were transfixed on her hard nipples poking through the thin sheet that hid her body from me. “Because…I wanted to see how how long you’d go before asking for help, and you

  • Escape from Eden: A Breeder's Awakening   Chapter Thirty-Nine

    ImaniMy top teeth drove into my bottom lip as the vampire lovers passionately kissed on the screen. My throat felt tight and dry as the raw passion between the forbidden couple from warring covens intensified. I snatched my champagne glass off the coffee table and guzzled it down, hoping it would provide relief. Instead, the room seemed to become warmer and it felt harder to breathe.Truthfully, I’d been warm since I stepped into Judge Max and Mary’s residence. I was grateful when Jackson removed my coat because I was sweltering. I didn’t say anything about the temperature in the home because we were guests and I didn’t want to be difficult.But now I feel like I’m on fire.My mouth gaped when the male lead crammed his face between the female lead’s legs. She writhed on the bed, moaning and twisting her fingers in the black satin sheets.“Are you okay, Imani?” Mary asked, pausing the show. “I-I’m fine,” I stuttered. I snatched my eyes away from the screen and focused on my lap. “Yo

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