Chapter 6

~~Stephanie

I opened up the beers and grabbed 2 more and walked outside. All I wanted to do was get to know him all over again. We would take this at a snail's pace. My snail. Not his snail.

We sat down on the porch swing overlooking the backyard. Lightning bugs filled the backyard and the stars illuminated just enough to see each other. His arm slung around the back of the swing as it creaked along with our swings. I loved sitting out here. It made me feel at peace and calm. Especially after a long day at work or if I ever needed the quiet.

"Do you wanna talk about anything in particular?" He asked softly looking at me at the corner of his eye.

"I am kind of afraid of the answers. I want to know everything. Why you never came back, why you never called, why you never came back for Adds, literally everything." I answered.

He sighed and nodded.

A few minutes ticked by. I knew he was getting his thoughts in order and I let him be. This wasn't going to be easy and my big mouth wasnt going to help if I started rambling.

"My parents wouldn't let me come back for a while. But, I came back once for that Christmas after we graduated. You apparently had Adaline around then. I was doing one of my runs when I buckled in pain. It happened so quick and for so long I thought you had died. I went home and my parents sent me back to college immediately. They never answered any of my questions, they refused to let me see you, and even added me on a do not enter list at the hospital. Everything they could do they did. I called all the time. Not even a joke. For the first year I called every day. Once after my first class of the day and then at the end of my school day. It tapered off over the years but the first call of the day didn't. I still called every day." He explained.

"I got rid of my cell phone when I had to cut back on my bills when I lost my parents." I whispered honestly.

I nodded, sighed, and let tears fall down my cheeks. "If you would have known would you have stayed?" I choked out between my tears.

"Wildflower, if I would have known I would have taken this pack over the next day, made you our Luna the next, had Adaline, and then married you." He grabbed my hands and stared at me.

"What about the parties, the girls, everything you did in college?" I asked.

"I was in idiot. I really believed my parents with everything they told me. I was so scared that I would never have you and then the pain got to be so much. I was trying to push the hurt away. After you had Adaline I never felt pain from you again. You and Shawn never...." I left the last sentence run off.

"No. Because I still believed in the mate bond. Even if you didn't want me, I still wanted to break the bond. Maybe have a second chance with Shawn. He and I were set to go to your parents to have the mate bond broken so we could become mates." I answered bluntly.

He sighed and took his hands back. "Fuck Wildflower. Still not holding back huh?" He asked jokingly.

"Oh, I'm holding back. But we can't talk about everything in one night Jackson. This is going to take a lot of time." I shot back.

"Stop calling me Jackson. You never call me Jackson." He said gritted through his teeth.

"When I realize you are worthy of being called anything else I may call you whatever the hell I want." I explained.

He shook his head and sighed, "I deserve that."

Again we were in silence. But it wasnt as awkward as before.

"Do you smell that?" He asked breaking the silence.

"I smell you, flowers, and....who is that?" I answered quickly.

I mind linked a friend on border patrol. Then a friend on watch duty at his station that was near our house. I gasped as I scanned the tree lines for anything.

A howl ripped through the night as I ran inside and grabbed Adaline. I laid her in the safe room in the office room that my parents installed when I was a young pup and not able to fight. I laid her down and locked her in.

Only her and I knew the code.

I ran back outside only in time to see our border patrol and royal guard in wolf form running to where we were.

"Rogues." Jackson spit out, "Go ahead with Adaline. I can't lose you again."

"She's fine Jackson. I'm not fighting about this again. Remember in school?" I asked.

He turned to look at me and Chase had taken over. His eyes had become as black as night.

"Fine." I mumbled and walked back in the house. I knew if Chase was out then he was serious and I was not pissing those two off again.

I did once in high school when another pack came into our property without permission and Jackson/Chase ignored me for a week. They were so mad that I went out and fought. I'm not the best fighter but I can hold my own and I'm not letting innocents die because I was in hiding because my boyfriend told me too.

~~Jackson

Our wildflower never listens to us. Chase muttered.

I smirked knowing it was true. She was so damn stubborn. But she was our Luna or she would be soon. I can't have her getting hurt.

If she takes your dumb ass back. She won't even let her wall down so we can mindlink. Chase muttered. I growled. I would worry about that later.

I kept scanning the line of our land waiting on any noise when another howl broke out. They were here but why? Why would they be here now? Maybe because my father died and they think we were weak.

I saw my men rushing to the border as the rogues ran over the line. The fight had begun. A rogue jumped out in front of me and mid-jump I shifted to my wolf. I jumped onto the rogue ripping at their throat out with my teeth. I jumped on to another who had a silver knife in his mouth as I backed up and kicked him before he could get a good hit in or slice me with the blade.

Fighting with silver was common with rogues because they weren't trained fighters. They would take any chance they could get at killing a pack wolf. After I took out a few more the warriors, my warriors had captured 3 or 4 so we could interrogate them later. Finding out who or what led them here would be of great help since this was a random attack and not an act of war. At least I hoped not.

I sighed as I transformed into my human form and threw on a pair of shorts that a warrior had thrown me. I was pretty far away from Stephanie's house.

Alpha Jackson. 2 rogues got passed us and they are at our Lunas house. My border patrol mindlinked

I grabbed two warriors and ran all the way to her house. No way in hell is someone getting to her. Not now and not ever. I messed up everything before. I can't afford to lose her again. My heart pounded in my chest as we finally caught sight of her house. Her front door was ripped off and I could see 2 huge figures in the hallway of her house leading to her panic room. Her yells filled my ears. Even behind the panic room door she still yelled.

Why her house? Why now?