JacksonJackson turned away from her captivating green eyes to see four men in dark clothing emerge from the alley. Their faces were covered with ski masks, but he could smell the violence building on them. He had smelled that same scent, heard that same heartbeat in Afghanistan. It was from a suicide bomber walking into a town square with the detonation trigger in his hand.Jackson's eyes flashed golden. There was no way these thugs were going to hurt a hair on Chloe. He would rip them to shreds before they could ever even lay a finger on her perfect skin. He turned back to Chloe, putting his hands on her shoulders."I'm going to need you to do exactly as I say, do you understand?"She nodded quickly, fear starting shimmer in her eyes as she glanced over his shoulder at the approaching me."Good," he said, taking her chin in his fingers and drawing her attention back to him. "I need to you stay behind us. See that dumpster over there? I want you to go to it. Protect yourself at all c
ChloeThe three of them hurried quickly and quietly to Dr. Turner’s car. Jackson opened the passenger door to let Chloe ride shotgun and she gave him a small smile. She wasn’t sure how she felt about him yet, but the act of chivalry was still charming.Once the car started, Chloe cranked the heat, letting it blast to try and make herself feel warm again. She was looking forward to a hot shower at the motel. Even if she didn't have any of her things, she would still enjoy the water and getting the cold ache out of her toes.They rode in easy silence for the short trip to Third Street. Dr. Turner hadn't been kidding when he said it was a cheap motel. Chloe had never seen anything so rundown and sad looking. Suddenly, she was a little bit more hesitant about the shower. The place didn't even look like it had consistent running water.Dr. Turner parked the car and hurried into the main office, returning after only a moment with a key for a room. Together, the three of them entered a very
ChloeNow that they were alone, Chloe couldn’t distract herself from him. There was a tightness in the pit of her stomach that she knew only he could satisfy. Fragments from the dream kept popping into her head. The way he tasted. The heat of his skin. It made it hard to concentrate with him sitting within arms’ reach."So, you're a werewolf. How long have you known?" the words sounded even stupider than they did in her head as soon as they were out. She blushed slightly, hoping to get him talking to distract her from the memory of the dream."Not long. I had my first, what did Quent call it? My first change last year in Afghanistan. It wasn't exactly a pleasant experience." Jackson tightened slightly, keeping his eyes on the papers scattered across the floor."Oh. I'm sorry." Chloe suddenly felt incredibly foolish. She knew she should have started the conversation with something safer, like religion or national politics."Actually, until today, I didn't know there were any others lik
JacksonJackson hurried back to Fort Baskerville, flashing his ID at the gate guard and then again at the newly placed guard on his building. He barely felt the cold January night settling around him like a heavy winter blanket. Little snow flurries danced in fits across the sky, but there wasn't enough snow to do more than frost the trees and make them sparkle. The poor private had flinched when Jackson growled at him, but held firm to needing to see ID.He slammed the door to his small office and flung himself into the desk chair, half hoping it would dump him on the ground and give him something to break. The chair creaked, but it held. Jackson ran his fingers through his hair, wishing he had something stashed in the desk to take the edge of his emotions.He couldn't believe what he had just done. He whined softly into his hands at the mess he had just created. Not only was the beautiful Chloe in danger, he had gone and kissed her. Throwing his uncontrollable emotions into her life
ChloeChloe found herself back in the red velvet room. Her lover wasn't there yet, so she sat and waited on the bed, playing with the buttons on her shirt. It was only a matter of moments before Jackson strode through the door. He wore a tan t-shirt and his military camouflage pants that accentuated his perfect ass. Elation went through her as she flew into his arms, savoring the feeling of his muscles wrapping her up.He kissed her as though he hadn't seen her in months. It started slow and sensual with deliberated softness. His tongue searched deliberately for hers, finding her mouth and filling it with exquisite sweetness.His hands were warm on her skin as he pulled her into him, deepening the kiss. Her body pressed into his, feeling his strength. He was hot to the touch and she knew it was because he wanted her. He needed her. She pushed her hips against his, feeling him harden against her. She wanted him so badly it was making her shake.With a delicate hand, she slid her finger
ChloeChloe lay in bed, her eyes still closed and her cheeks flushed. She didn’t know it was possible to have such vivid dreams. She could have sworn that Jackson had been in her bed, their lovemaking the real thing and not just a nighttime fantasy. Her body even felt sore in all the right places. She didn’t want to open her eyes, afraid to spoil the illusion. Maybe if she kept them shut, he would walk out of the shower and tell her it wasn’t a dream.A heavy pounding on the door made her groan."Chloe? It's me," called a masculine voice through the wood. Jackson.Her eyes shot open and she bounded out of bed, grabbing the gun he had given off the nightstand and peeking out a hole in the curtains and then the peephole before unlocking the door and letting him in. She flung open the door, and she almost launched herself into his arms before remembering that he hadn't actually been there for her dreams. He drew back as she stepped forward and she thought of how he had left suddenly afte
Chloe"I have news!" Quent burst through the door as soon as Jackson had it open. He shook his head and carefully glanced about outside before closing it again. Chloe hoped the blush on her face and the thumping of her heart wasn't too noticeable to the older Were."I spoke with the council," Quent began as he shrugged out of his light fleece jacket, tossing it onto the single chair. Chloe still couldn't get over the fact that neither Jackson nor Quent ever seemed cold. In this weather, she was wearing a ski parka, not some flimsy little fuzzy thing. "Jackson, you are to present yourself at the next full moon.""What's going to happen?" Trepidation made his voice quaver at the end of his question."Nothing bad," Quent assured him. "The alpha of our pack is interested in meeting you. You will need to take a lesson with one of the older Weres to learn the ins and outs of being a full wolf, but since you seem to be able to control yourself currently, it shouldn't be bad.""And if I don't
JacksonThe late afternoon sun filtered down, making the leftover snow sparkle and shimmer. The trees were tipped with white and the gate guard’s breath frosted the air. Jackson barely felt the cold; not that he didn’t usually feel warm, it was just with the taste of Chloe still on his lips, he didn’t even need a coat.He had slept a beautiful, dreamless sleep for the rest of the morning. When he had woken up, Quent was gone, but Chloe was sitting at the small table working on her laptop with three books open beside her. She hadn't heard him as he slid out of bed and behind her, feeling her jump when he put his hands on her shoulders."Researching your brother's condition?" he asked. She laughed."No. Homework." She grinned up at him and his heart soared. Even in the horrible motel lighting, her hair shone and her eyes sparkled. He was still afraid he was going to hurt her, but it was impossible to feel anything but happiness when he was this close to her. He would worry about the wol
Jackson"I woke up in a medical tent with perfect memory of what had happened. I never told a soul what really happened until now," Jackson finished. "They had to tie me down at night because I would have nightmares about it. I struck an orderly once and broke his jaw."He watched Chloe's face, trying to gauge her reaction. Her face was unreadable, only a slight frown creasing her forehead. The insides of his stomach knotted up, afraid she was going to tell him to get out. It had felt good to tell someone the truth, but now that he was finished, he was afraid."You were afraid you were going to hurt me, weren't you? That's why you pushed me away at first?" she asked. Jackson nodded."I don't want to hurt anyone again. Especially not you."Chloe reached out a gentle hand, her fingers caressing the curve of Jackson's face. She smiled. "I knew from the moment I met you that you would never hurt me."He kissed her hand, relief flooding through him. She didn't hate him. She pulled lightly
One year earlier: Kandahar, Afghanistan"He hasn't spoken to anyone yet, sir," the armed guard outside the tent said."Good," Captain Wolfe replied. He chambered a round in his own pistol just in case things got crazy in there. "Is the video equipment set up?""Yes, sir. The doctor said it was a pain in the ass to work around, but he knows the difference between a request and an order."Wolfe nodded. He pulled the flap back from the tent and took a quick look inside before pushing the flap back into place. He had recognized the doctor, his enlisted nurse, and the man handcuffed to the bed was obviously the prisoner, but..."Who's the fourth guy?" Wolfe asked."He's the guy who brought him in. An Afghan National Army officer named Actor, I think?"Wolfe nodded. "Akhtar." He had heard that Akhtar had helped Americans in the past, one of the only ethnically Pashto officers in the region.Wolfe pulled out his notepad and began to walk into the tent. The younger soldier stopped him. "Will
ChloeChloe sat by the window overlooking the courtyard wrapped in a big quilt she had found on one of the beds. She had let the fire go out in the cabin but the warm sunshine coming in through the windows was keeping her toasty and comfortable. She had genetics books spread out on the table in front of her, but she was having a hard time concentrating. She kept glancing out the window at every sound, hoping it was Jackson coming back.A knock on the door startled her. "It's open!" she called as she attempted to untangle herself from the blanket."Hey, Chloe," Blake said, opening the door and kicking the snow off his boots before stepping inside. She beamed up at him, finally escaping the clutches of the quilt.Blake wrapped her up in a big bear hug, popping her back in the process. She still couldn't believe how strong he was. Or that he was a good three inches taller than when she had last seen him. He had changed quite a bit, but his green eyes were still the same. She knew that ev
JacksonJackson walked casually onto the base after being dropped off a quarter mile down the road. He showed the gate guard his ID and began walking toward the parking lot with his truck. The snow was almost melted and dead yellow grass lay in strange patterns as he walked across the field to his truck.As he came closer to the building, he could see yellow tape blocking off the main entrance, and numerous Military Police vehicles parked along the edge of the building. The smell of acrid electrical smoke and water hung heavy in the air. It made Jackson's nose itch. A guard stood at the corner of the building, waving away anyone coming toward the medical center. Jackson could hear him tell a group of soldiers that the medics were now located in the chapel for the time being.Jackson sauntered over to the guard. The guard gave him a polite nod, noting the rank on Jackson's uniform as he straightened. He rendered a quick salute.Jackson returned the salute lazily, as if telling him that
JacksonJackson sat in the warm sunshine on the front porch of the councilor's cabin. The snow was beginning to melt, though there were reports that it would snow again in a day or two. He ran his hands through his hair for the hundredth time, telling himself he needed to get it cut. He also needed to shave, but his razor was back on the base.He checked his watch again, as he had every thirty seconds or so for the past ten minutes. Quent was supposed to come and take him back to Fort Baskerville so he could pick up his truck, but Jackson was half-hoping Chloe would wake up and come out of the cabin before Quent arrived.He wanted her to come out because he wanted to see her. Wanted to see her reaction to him shifting last night. She had pressed her hand to the glass and smiled, but he needed to see her in his human form to be sure she was okay with him. He wasn't sure that in her situation if he would be okay with seeing the person he was sleeping with turn into a wolf.He hoped she
ChloeThe evening sun hung low in the sky, slowly dipping behind the mountains as it were tired. The sky was awash in purples and reds with thin clouds making abstract and beautiful designs in the sky. On the other end of the sky from the sun, stars were starting to dot the navy blue heavens and the moon was beginning her full rise to glory.Chloe sat at the window, watching the sun and moon shift places. A friendly fire crackled in the small councilor's cabin and she had a cup of tea on the table beside her. The cabin was meant to hold camp councilors during the summer months. As such, there were three small bedrooms, one bathroom, a utility kitchen, and a small table with four chairs next to the big window overlooking the center courtyard. Chloe could see the sun fading into to the west from the edge of the window, and the moon ascending in the middle.The moon had been in the sky for much of the day, hanging low but still visible. She had asked why they all weren't shifting since t
ChloeChloe awoke warm and in a strange bed. She sat straight up and promptly bumped her head on the bed above her. She swore and held her hand to her head as she carefully maneuvered out of the bunk bed. The fire still crackled in the fireplace next to her, but sunlight shone through the high windows of the cabin, filling the room with morning light.The door with the crescent moon on it was indeed a bathroom, which Chloe took her time using. She even found a comb and managed to coax her hair out of the giant rat's nest it had become and back into a usable ponytail. She found her coat and shoes stored neatly by the front door and stepped outside.Snow had continued to fall through the night and the entire camp sparkled with fresh snow. The trees wore blankets of thick white and the ground glittered in the sun. Chloe took a deep breath in of clean, winter air and smiled. Today was going to be a good day.She could hear the sounds of laughter and yelling, so she followed a path beaten
ChloeChloe struggled under her brother’s weight, but she didn’t slow down. She followed Jackson and Quent as they carried the other two soldiers down a short, dark hallway and out into the snow. Jackson found the van easily enough, and they quickly pushed the tired soldiers into the back.The cold night air burned her lungs as she gasped for air. It wasn't just the exertion from carrying her brother that had her gulping down mouthfuls, it was everything that had happened in the past thirty minutes. She glanced at her watch, shocked that it had been less than a half hour for everything she had just seen to happen. Thirty minutes ago, she was still looking for her brother and the Colonel was still alive."Get in the van, Chloe," Jackson coaxed, putting a hand on the small of her back and helping her into the open back. The three soldiers sat with their backs against the side of the van. Chloe stepped inside and Jackson carefully shut the door behind her. She could hear his feet crunch
Jackson"No one is putting my brother back in there," Chloe stated, rising to her feet. She had just spent the last six months of her life searching for her brother, and now, after finding him hooked up like a lab rat in a tank, there was no way she was going to let him go.The gun swiveled in slow motion to point directly at her. She squared her shoulders and raised her jaw. She looked Colonel Bronn right in the eye and saw only a lust for power. She wished she could have had more time with Jackson. A muscle in the Colonel's cheek twitched as he pulled the trigger. Chloe closed her eyes.A heartbeat later, she was still standing. She almost didn't dare to open her eyes, afraid that the bullet would just be closer, but she did.Standing in front of her, snarling, was Blake. His brown hair grew longer by the second and fur erupted along the edge of his shoulders, poking out from the now ripped seams of his jacket. She could see the fear in Colonel Bronn's eyes as a beast of his own cre