Greykin Valley

| 44 | The Great Lake

Damon frowned skeptically. "The murk only forces us to expose dark, destructive secrets which could affect and hurt those close to us. If you're hiding something—"

"It's literally none of your business," Sebastien snapped. "I'll join your Zeta and his protégé and look around for trouble."

The Alpha growled at him and stood protectively in front of Jackson. "Either step onto the fucking ice, or I'll be forced to halt this mission until I know what you're hiding."

Sebastien growled in return. "Don't threaten me, wolf."

"Why won't you step on the ice?" Wilson demanded, also moving closer to Jackson. "You know something, don't you? You and those Venaticus assholes are hiding shit."

"And I bet you it has to do with Jackson," Julian said slowly. "Right?"

"Make your mind up," Damon warned him.

Sebastien scowled in hostility and looked like he was about to pounce.

Damon looked like he was getting ready, too.

Jackson moved in front of Damon and Wilson and frowned at Sebastien. "Look, whatever it is, just tell us. I know you haven't been with us all that long, but...you've been helping, so the least we can do is give you the benefit of the doubt, right?" he said, glancing at everyone.

A few of the wolves nodded in agreement.

Sebastien shook his head and looked in the direction Tokala and Dustu went.

"Sebastien?" Jackson insisted.

The hound sighed heavily and glared at them all. It looked like he was going to speak...but after a hesitant grunt, he slowly lifted his front paw and placed it down on the ice. Then, he took another step...and another, and once he reached the pack, a confused frown appeared on his face.

"So..." Wilson drawled. "What's supposed to happen?"

Damon huffed irritably. "Evidently nothing."

"Or he has nothing to hide," Julian suggested.

"Then why did he hesitate?" Remus questioned.

"Let's just get a move on," Sebastien complained, moving past them all.

Jackson frowned cautiously and caught up to the hound. "Why did you hesitate?"

"Because I know a lot of fucked up shit, all right? I've done my fair share of heinous crap, and I've seen shit that would give you nightmares for years. I didn't want to have to relive any of it."

His cautious frown became a sympathetic one. "I'm sorry."

"I thought you were gonna blurt out something about the Venaticus doing experiments on Jackson if we didn't find anything at the lab," Julian muttered, following beside Jackson.

"Yeah, well, if that were the case, it wouldn't happen," Wilson said firmly.

"And there'd be a dead kludde on the ice," Damon growled, barging past Wilson so that he could walk beside Jackson.

"Hey, fucking watch it!" Wilson snarled.

Damon snapped back, "Know your fucking place."

The tiger grunted. "Oh, I'm starting to want you to make me."

"Don't test me, you muto piece of—"

"Stop!" Jackson insisted, glaring at them both as they approached the part of the lake which wasn't frozen. "Please, can we just...try to get along?"

Both Damon and Wilson growled quietly.

Jackson adorned a hopeless stare. He was almost certain that his mate and best friend would never see eye to eye. They'd always be at one another's throats, no matter how much he asked them to try and at least tolerate each other. And it upset him. Would they go too far someday? Would they make him choose between them?