Confronting the Past and Unraveling Emotions

Jackson looked at me and took a step forward, then stopped abruptly. It was as though I had pricked him. If only I could. If only I were a porcupine shifter or something-if those even existed. All those little needles to protect myself from all these Alphas and their tempers. He let out a huff. “I don’t need you to flatter me. I just want to make sure you’re okay.” I’d readied myself to fight with him; I didn’t expect him to say such a thing. It threw me off-kilter. And now he was smiling, which threw me off even more. He seemed genuinely concerned about my physical condition and asked a few more questions. Jackson turned around, picked up the plate on the table, and handed it to me. “Eat something first.” I did not respond, just stared blankly at the food on the plate. “Taya?” When Jackson called my name, I slowly raised my head to look at him. I tried to keep my expression bland and indifferent, but I couldn’t help the tears in my eyes. My hopes that he didn’t see them were dashed w