Fighting For Hope (The Hybrid and The Wolf - Book 3)

Chapter 13 - The Devil is Damned

I was  still in the Bayou with Jackson and Hayley, we were outside the shack Hayley and I lived in when I was still pregnant with Hope. I sat with Jackson and watched as he whittled a tree branch, Hayley joined us and I noticed that she was holding a broom.

"Uh, why do people keep leaving broomsticks on the porch?" She asked my brother, who smiled. "Seeing as I'm not really a 'sweep while the soup's cooking' kind of gal."

Jackson stopped whittling to explain. "Well, back in the day, it wasn't easy getting a preacher out here. So, if you were engaged, and you couldn't wait . . . then the community would let you jump the broom."

"Couldn't wait for what?" Hayley asked.

When I saw Jackson's expression, I understood and started to laugh. Hayley then looked at me and I raised my brows, suggestively at her.

"Oh!" She cleared her throat, awkwardly.

"Yup," Jackson chuckled.

"I would've been happier with a panini press," Hayley dropped the broom.

"It's just a tradition."

"Yeah, got it."

I smiled at how uncomfortable this made her, I decided to save her by changing the subject.

"Well, that was awkward," I said, looking to the side before facing Jackson. "So, what are you working on?"

Jackson got up. "Oh, I started this for your little girl when you lived here before. Now, that she's alive . . . ."

Jackson pulled back a sheet to reveal a crib in progress.

"I figured it was time to finish it."

I looked at the crescent moon etched into the wood and I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face.

"Something else, um, I'm getting word from a few packs outside of Louisiana?" He looked from me to Hayley. "They want to be here for the wedding! They want in on the Unification ritual!"

"I thought the ritual only affected the power of the wolves in our pack?" I said, confused.

"Unless they recognize me as their alpha," my brother told me. "Then your power becomes their power."

"You think other Alphas will step down and bow to you?"

Jackson nodded. "They're coming here today to do just that."

Hayley looked around, overwhelmed.

"They want what you have, Nina, I mean, we all do. I mean, a couple of weeks after the wedding, you're gonna have one hell of an army to protect your little girl."

I smiled at him. Suddenly, I couldn't wait for the wedding.

~*~*~

Once the packs had assembled, I went searching for Jackson and I found him wrestling with some kids. I smiled at the sight.

"Hey, you guys, come on! Let's go to the water!"

The kids dispersed except for a girl, Jackson turned to look at me and the girl went to join her friends.

I walked towards my brother. "Looks like Hayley's got some competition."

Jackson laughed. "Unfortunately for Daisy, I am a one-woman kind of guy."

"The meeting's taking place up at Mary's."

"Okay."

I looked around, sensing something.