A Wolf's Purpose

•Chapter 17• Daddy Issues

Flickering lights appeared outside the house. Jayden peeked through the curtains, careful not to touch them and give them away. "Shit, there's a lot of them." He said. About five police cars were standing outside the house. Men and women surrounded the house. Two vans appeared in the back as well. He turned around to look at his youngest brother. He lay with his head on Liz's lap and his eyes closed. He blacked out a minute or two ago. But he was still breathing. That was good enough for now. Liz's hands were placed on the boy's cheeks. Gently brushing over his skin. "You're okay. It's okay." She assured him. Jerry groaned and squeezed his eyes shut even harder. "Shh, it's okay." She whispered. Her hands slowly moved into his hair. His groaning in pain immediately stopped. Jayden noticed it too. He walked up to the couple. "Is he still breathing?" He asks. She nodded slowly, Her eyes remained focused on her boyfriend. "He gave him a pretty good beating." She said. Jayden noticed that she was apprehensive about him. No one has ever shown to actually care about them. Especially not a girl like her. Everyone was scared of them. And the girls that Jayden hung out with were very different. They didn't care much. Not at all.

Jerry lifted his chin slightly and his eyes fluttered open. "Hey," He said quietly, voice cracking. She smiled brightly at him. "Hi," Liz said. She leaned down and kissed his forehead. It almost made Jayden a little jealous seeing them like this. He cleared his throat and looked at his younger brother. "You okay?" He asks. Jerry glanced up and nodded. "Where's Jack?" Jerry questioned. His voice was still raspy and sore. He sat up straight and put his hand over his throat. "Megan's with him. He's in his room." Jayden tells him. Liz placed her hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" She asks him. He nodded in response. "What of Eric?" Jerry continued. "Knocked him out and tied him to a chair," Jayden answered. "You knocked him out and tied him to a chair?" Jerry repeated, not knowing whether or not to take his brother seriously. Jayden nodded and placed his hands on both hips. He was being deadly serious. Jerry got up from the couch. "With the cops out there?" He questions. "Oh, so that you remember? But not when to duck down when your brother throws his fists at you." Jayden replied. Liz puts her hand over her forehead and shakes her head. "You boys are unbelievable." She sighed.

Meanwhile, Jade was sitting beside her father. He rambled on about this great plan he had since the beginning. "So, let me get this straight." She started, "You tricked all of us, pretending to be sick, just to get revenge on the Greenwoods. In a way, I can understand, but tricking your family is a little out of my reach here. I thought we were supposed to be honest with each other because we're family." Jade says. Bill nodded and glanced at his feet for a split second. "I wanted to, Little One. None of this would've worked out the way it did if anyone knew about this. Not even you." He tells her. Jade could spot a small flickering in his eyes. Was it guilt? Happiness to see her again?

Then something else hit her. She furrowed her brows together. "No one knew about this?" She asks him. He shook his head no again. "If no one knows then how did you did you find us?" She added. Louis now focused on the man as well. "I always kept an eye on you," Bill answered quickly. "And, in those four months, you never revealed yourself until now." She replied. "It wasn't the right time," Bill tells his daughter. A slight chuckle rolled off his tongue as well. She shook her head. "No one knows where we are. We didn't even tell the pack. The only one that knows are Ian and-" She started. "And me," Casper spoke up.

The two men and Jade snapped their heads toward the sound. The young man stood by the doorway and got inside the living room. Suppose you could even call it that. Jade stood up, stopping the boy right in front of her. "Never trust anyone." Louis cursed under his breath. Jade shook her head. "No, please tell me you don't have anything to do with this." She sighed. "I'm sorry, ma'am."Casper replied, "He asked me to keep an eye on you. Paid me a lot to do so. I needed the money." He explained to her. "And you never told me my father was alive?" Jade asks him. He shook his head and lowered his chin. "I wanted to. I like you, ma'am. He said I couldn't." He rambled. Jade turned to her father again.

"Why would you do that?" She asks him. "I thought you could use someone like him beside you. After what your brothers did I assumed-" Bill started. "After what I did to my brothers you mean." Jade said, cutting him off, "After I almost killed the three of them. Blaming them for your death. Blaming them for everything. Breaking this family apart. And here you are, standing in front of me, alive and well. And you're telling me he was supposed to be some replacement?" She questions. The strawberry-blonde girl turned to the young man behind her. "No offense," She tells him. "None, taken, ma'am," Casper replied. Bill stepped forward. "Jade, I didn't mean for this to happen. I never meant for you to feel this way. Your brothers... I need your help to put them in their place."He tells her. He placed one of his hands on her cheek and brushed her skin with her thumb. He gave her a look he always gave her. That special look. Little glittering in his eyes. He was proud of her. "I never expected you to take over the way you did. You stepped up. I'm proud of you." He tells her. Tears burned behind her eyes. "But you shouldn't have," Bill added.

He pulled her closer and pressed a soft kiss against her forehead. "You need to go home, now, Little one." He says. Jade furrows her eyebrows again. "What, no." she protested. Bill now placed both of his hands on her face. "I can help you," Jade tells him. "You need to go home. I don't want you to get hurt. Besides, you almost shot someone in brought daylight today. I can't keep you from doing anything reckless while working." He tells her. "Bill, I think that-" Louis started. Bill snapped his head to his best friend. "I'm telling her to go home."He says sternly. He looks at his daughter again. "I say this because I love you. I want you to be safe. I am proud of you, but you need to get home before you get hurt." He says. Before she could say anything else, he gently pushed her in Casper's direction. "Can you take her home?" He asks her. The young man gives the man a nod. "Yes, sir." He replied. Casper carefully took her by her arm.

Jade glanced over her shoulder to look at her uncle. He held up his hand and gave her a nod, assuring her it would be okay. Louis glared at his best friend."You are out of your mind." He said. Bill looked at him. "I'm her father." He reminds him. "Who just came back from the dead? And just so you know, I stuck by her side. I didn't abandon her for some insane plan I have." He replied. "We both there is a bigger purpose behind all this. Listen, this is perfect, I-"Bill started. "No, no, no, I don't want to hear it. What you did is unacceptable. And now you're going to send her away? Do you have any idea what she's done while you were absent?" He questioned. Bill glares at him. "You mean what you've dragged her into? I asked you to keep her out of this." Bill replied sternly. "You abandoned her!" Louis snapped.