The entire building was saturated with the scent of wolves, hormones, artificial cleaners, and perfumes. It burned his nose. His ears hurt from the multitude of voices screaming and laughing and crying. Jackson’s heartbeat was something to focus on, but it couldn’t drown out the sounds completely. Jackson’s scent was smothered out completely when they passed by a room that was actively spraying air freshener.
Wren forced himself not to gag. His head started aching at the onslaught of scents.
The stairwell was a bit better. The sounds were muffled, but still loud enough to bother him. Jackson’s heartbeat ticked up as they climbed the steps. Wren found it amusing, which was a newer emotion he was still learning to handle.
The top floor wasn’t as bad as the first. Less than half of the rooms had people in them and no one was spraying any fake scents in the air. Quiet mutters were being exchanged in the rooms, but Wren tuned them out to
He stepped back. The instant onslaught of cleaners hit him again and he closed his eyes against the smell, against seeing any anger on Jackson’s face. He couldn’t believe he did that. Pushing into his space, forcing Jackson into letting him -“What’s going on?”“The smell.” He forced himself to talk, but kept his eyes shut. He wouldn’t make Jackson wait for an answer this time. Jackson had been so good to him, so far, but Jackson’s heart was still pounding. He was angry. He had to be so angry. “The cleaners used-” His words cut off as a scraping sound filled the room and a gust of wind diluted the scent.Wren opened his eyes. Jackson was leaning against the window sill. He smiled and shook his head. “Wren, you have got to start talking to me. Tell me when things are wrong or hard. Let me know.”Wren stared. He couldn’t figure out what was happening. Jackson… wasn&rs
The trip to and from the store went fairly quickly. Wren stuck close to him. So close that several times Wren bumped into him when Jackson stopped suddenly to scan the shelves. Wren didn’t relax until they were back in their dorm room with the door shut.Jackson liked that he could see the difference now in when Wren was tense and uncomfortable. Wren was standing by the window, breathing in the fresh air. He looked calm and as relaxed as he ever got, then Jackson said, “We need to talk about your beard.” Wren tensed up worse than he had in days.Jackson stared at the tight shoulders, at Wren’s unnatural stillness.“I know hair length is important to wolves, trust me, Kia’s lectured me plenty on it. I was under the impression facial hair didn’t play a role in how your fur feels. Am I wrong?”“You’re not wrong.” There was a large stretch of silence that Jackson didn’t try to interrupt.
Jackson woke up to the sound of the shower running in the bathroom. It took him a minute to realize why that was wrong, then he jolted out of bed only to slam to a stop outside the bathroom door. He couldn’t just walk in on Wren in the shower. It wasn’t Kia in there.Jackson crawled back onto his bed with his laptop. There were a lot of orientation things going on throughout the day. Jackson was going to skip most of them. He had no interest in whatever motivational things the bigwigs in charge of the school had to say. Lunch on the quad would be interesting though, at least if Wren was interested in going.He pulled open his list of names to keep an eye out for. Most of his peers that he wanted Wren to be able to eavesdrop on were a bit older than him so they wouldn’t share many, if any, classes. Again, he cursed the fact that his dad had him moved out of the best dorm on campus.The shower shut off. Several minutes passed and the door clicked
“Um, how’d you make it so we can’t hear in your room?” Zain’s voice was quieter than it had been when he was hidden in Liam’s room and he wasn’t quite making eye contact with Jackson, but Jackson leaped at the chance to explain.He pointed at the box sitting on the top part of the desk. “I made the first version of that my freshman year of high school. It’s wireless and connects via… “ Jackson let his voice trail off. “The specifics don’t matter. It’s customizable to fit any sized room. I hold the patent, but due to a minor disagreement with my dad, I’m unable to currently create and market them as I’d like.”Liam’s brow rose. “Youmade that?”Irritation again prickled under his skin at Liam’s tone of disbelief. “Yeah. I did. I got into this school just the same as you and you don’t see me doubting your intellig
Jackson stepped back into the room. Wren hadn’t even twitched from his position. The pizza was untouched on the plate. Jackson wanted to reach for it, move it away, but Wren could still be a little protective over his food and with him already tense, Jackson wanted him to have his space.“Are you ok?” Jackson asked. Wren flinched at his voice and didn’t answer. Jackson ran over the conversation in his head. He’d been so focused on Liam that he wasn’t sure what part made Wren so upset. The information about Kia had surprised him, but he hadn’t looked upset at it.“Gay means… You have sex with men?” Wren’s voice was shaky in a way Jackson had never heard it before.Jackson was struck all over again by how much Wren didn’t know. “Yeah, in my case. I’m interested in men to date and potentially have sex with. Kia’s interested in women, though she’s never been with anyone.
Jackson’s upper back was numb from where it had been pressed into the hard wall. His arms were tired from staying locked around Wren. Wren was a heavy, heavy weight against his chest. Jackson wouldn’t have moved to save his own life. Not now that Wren had settled enough to fall asleep.Wren shifted in his arms, then jerked back and Jackson let his arms fall. He sat forward some and shifted his shoulders in an attempt to get some feeling back in them.“Good morning,” Jackson said and Wren flinched back. His ears flattened down to his skull and he ducked his head. Jackson hesitated, unsure if Wren was afraid or worried or what… He figured it was best to just not mention and keep going on like nothing odd had happened. “I figured you’re probably still hungry. Want some burgers? Or want to get out of this room for a bit? We’re not too far from some hiking trails.”Hiking was the last thing Jackson wanted to do.
Muffled whines woke Jackson up. The window was wide open, the room was a couple steps past chilly, but his quilt was much thicker than the hotel blanket had been. The moon was full and bright enough to light the room up.Jackson rolled over to stare at the Wren shaped lump across on his bed. Another whine filled the room. Jackson started to push the blanket off, started to go wake Wren up, but he stopped. Wren flinched back from touch as a human when Jackson initiated it. It was only when he was a wolf that Wren seemed more comfortable with touch.The next whine cut off half way through and an audible gasp of air came from Wren’s bed. Jackson watched as Wren lay still, then rolled over. His eyes glinted in the moonlight. For several seconds, they stared at each other.What was there to say? Nothing Jackson could say would make anything Wren had gone through any better. The silence stretched between them. Wren tugged the blanket tighter around him and Jacks
Wren hadn’t meant to growl at Zain. He’d just seen Zain warning Jackson to back off and had reacted without thought. He’d spent the rest of the time remaining still and quiet. Jackson was trying to be friends with them and he’d growled at Zain.Though Zain seemed to forget the whole thing within moments. He was back to quietly sitting by Liam’s side, leaning in slightly, and focusing on Liam. Every now and then, he’d glance over and give Wren a small smile and Wren would jerk his gaze away. On the walk back, Wren had stepped back, to walk behind Jackson as usual, but Zain was sticking close to Liam’s side this time and Jackson kept glancing back at him.He couldn’t stay behind him. His heart skipped forward a couple beats, and he stepped ahead. Jackson smiled up at him and Wren gave an uncertain, almost smile in return. His lips felt like they twisted weird and the expression didn’t come naturally to him at all, but
Jackson dug their big knife out of the drawer. He crushed and minced the garlic and scraped it to the side of the cutting board. “Wren?”“Yeah?”“Check the chicken.”There was a rattle behind him. Jackson turned to the carrots and started peeling them. The peeler was apparently a little loose and cocked the side after just two swipes. “Chicken’s good. Want me to adjust that?”“Nah, I got it.” Jackson straightened the peeler clamped on the edge of the counter. He tightened the grip and switched back to peeling the carrots. “Has anyone texted yet?”“Kia and Belle said they might be a little late. Otherwise, no.”Jackson glanced over. Wren was leaning his hip against the counter. His hair was loose around his shoulders. The sun beamed through their kitchen window and lit him in a warm light. Jackson set the half-peeled carrot down and stepped forward.
Nine months since he’d lost his arm and he and Wren were homeowners. Jackson laughed as he caught sight of the white flakes swirling in the wind outside the kitchen window. He opened the cabinet doors in search of the cocoa. Wren was starting a fire in the fireplace. The first snow of the year was later than normal and nothing more than barely there flurries. “Wren,” Jackson called from the kitchen.“Yeah?”“It’s snowing.” Jackson found the container. He braced it between the counter and his hip and used his hand to pry off the top. He mixed the chocolate into the hot milk, squeezed the excess out of Wren’s tea bag, placed both cups on his tray and carefully carried it into the living room. “Our first kiss was in the snow.”The fire was just starting to catch on the logs. Wren settled on the couch next to him and reached for his steaming mug on the coffee table. He tossed his other arm across Jack
Six months of therapy and rehab and sympathetic looks and Jackson was sick of it. He was tired of living in the hotel. He was tired of nonstop people. Nonstop sound. Nonstop everything. For a moment, he considered asking Wren if Wren would want to move in with Grandma Rose and Grandpa Frank. Then he realized what they could do. What they had the means to do.Wren stepped into their room. He was sweaty from the run with Zain. His dark hair stuck to the back of his neck despite the ponytail’s effort to keep it off. Jackson pushed his laptop to the side and rose up on his knees.Wren leaned forward for a kiss and Jackson pulled him in closer with his arm around Wren’s neck. Wren chuckled and gently disengaged. “What’s going on?”Jackson fell back and reached for his laptop again. He avoided eye contact as he pulled up the screen he had minimized. “I was just thinking that maybe it’s time we get a house? Just for the two of
Three months. His scar was still red and angry. Jackson’s therapist was great. Really. He knew any body image issues he might have were something he’d get over with enough time, but for now, staring at the angry red skin that marked where his arm should be… He felt a stupid mixture of embarassment, shame, and disgust. Jackson was pale. He’d always been pale. He’d never had an issue with it before, but now, the paleness of his skin made the scar look all the more alarming. The knock on the door startled him and he realized he’d been standing there for a little too long. “Just a second,” he called. The shirt was still a struggle to get on, but he was getting quicker every time. Jeans were a no go since he couldn’t button them one handed so he spent all of his time in sweatpants. Sweats were comfortable, but they were just another reminder of what he couldn’t do anymore. What he didn’t have anymore. The empty sleeve hung limp over his shoulder. Jackson turned hi
His dad was on his way to Jackson’s hospital room. Grandma Rose had reassured him countless times that if he changed his mind then she would personally escort him from the entire country. Jackson appreciated the thought, but he needed to talk to his dad. It had been a week since Jackson woke up. A week and Jackson was leaving the hospital in hopefully another day or two. He wanted to talk to his dad now, while he was still in such an impersonal place such as a hospital room.Jackson stared at the door. His dad should be arriving any minute. His dad had told Grandma Rose that he would be there at noon and it was currently 11:57. Wren sat next to him, on his left side, the side of his missing arm. He glanced at the clock. Then the door. Then the clock.When the knock came, he jumped and glanced at Wren. “Can you get it?” Jackson asked. Walking across the room in his hospital gown with one sleeve hanging limp would have put him in too vulnerable a positi
About two hours after your shooting, all of the collars in Oconee stopped working.Jackson didn’t understand. “That’s not possible. I know the coding in those collars backward and forward. There are countless fail-safes. For them to just, stop working…” Jackson shook his head. He was already feeling tired again, but he pushed through. “Do we know what caused it?”“There was a statement put out from that Carmillan Collars PR lady that they were looking into what caused the problem, but that was three days ago. There’s been no word since.”Three days. “What day is it?”“You were shot four days ago. You’ve been in and out of consciousness but every time was only for a few seconds and you were pretty confused,” Kia said. “You mentioned geese a couple of times.”Jackson’s lips twitched in a reluctant smile. “I think I was dreaming of
Jackson woke up confused. His brain was fuzzy and he couldn’t move. The ceiling was unfamiliar to him. It was white and speckled… like a quail egg. Jackson chuckled, but the laugh sounded wrong. He couldn’t stop though, because quails made him think of geese and geese made him think of Kia getting chased by the geese that lived in the pond.His chest heaved as he tried to stop laughing, then a sharp burst of pain stole the laughter from him. He gasped and closed his eyes.“Jackson!” That was Kia. Wasn’t she just chasing the geese? “Jackson! Wren, wake up.” There was a thump. Wren? Did she name the geese? Maybe he’d help her chase them…* * *Jackson opened his eyes to the quail egg ceiling. “Did you get the geese?” There was a weight across his legs that he hadn’t noticed until it was gone. He tried to turn his head, but his muscles didn’t want to work so he just closed
They mingled. Jackson shook countless hands. Laughed with people as he passed them by. The crowd bubbled around him and let him through easily. Kia held tight to one hand as she pulled him forward through the crowd. “Come on!”She shoved him up onto a truck bed, then pushed him higher so he was standing on the cab. A megaphone was shoved in his hand. He gripped it tight and stood up straight. In the most surreal moment of his life, the crowd in front of him stilled and grew silent without a word from him. Hundreds of people. Thousands of people? A lot of people, quiet and staring at him. Jackson lifted his chin and raised his hand in a wave.“Are you ready?”There was a murmur of assent through the crowd.“Please, march quietly. We ask that this be a time to reflect. A time to ask ourselves what else we can do for those oppressed in Oconee. If you’re religious, use this time to pray for our neighbors. If you’re no
Jackson couldn’t believe it. The sheer amount of people who had crammed their way into the small town near the border… He turned to Kia. “How did you do this?”Kia grinned. “The power of the internet… And your second interview was probably the main thing.”People in bright colors carrying signs of various messages milled about. The streets were packed. There were police officers out, some of them carried signs of their own.No More Collars. Freedom For All. No Rest Until We’re All Free.Jackson shook his head and stepped back from the window of his hotel room. “I can’t do this. I shouldn’t be the one speaking.”He heard the shower cut off. Kia leaned against him. “You’ve done so much more than this already, Jackson. Now you’re going to lead this march. You’re going to climb on that stage and you’re going to give that speech. Look out there