33. Jack

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Julie woke up from her afternoon nap, all tears gone but a headache remained. She stretched, feeling exhausted both from the walk back to the pack house and the sleep. She can't remember the last time she slept so deeply without any kind of dream affecting her. She adjusted her shirt, trying to get out some of the wrinkles and then made her way down the stairs to the first floor where she was finally able to be. There wasn't anyone on the second floor and until she had stepped onto the first floor, she hadn't run into anyone.

"You can't come in here, Julie." Kris told her sternly, gesturing for to go back up stairs. Julie recognized the expression on Kris's face. It was filled with worry, fear and hope. She looked nervous and Julie wanted to know why. Did something happen? Did the war start? Were her brothers hurt? What about her pack? Was someone critically injured?

"Did I do something?" She asked, making sure it wasn't another one of Dresden's silly orders. Kennedy raced from the hallway, intentionally blocking Juile's view into the living room. Julie looked at her, raising her eyebrow in question.

"Not at all." Kennedy told her, smiling wide and uncharacteristically. "You're just not allowed to be down here right now. Go back upstairs and rest some more." Julie's eyebrows rose at that. She thought for sure that Dresden had given her the okay to be out of the bedroom. She thought for sure he knew she was physically capable of hanging out in the living room. Why is everyone else telling her to go rest now?

"I'm going to the kitchen for a drink." She said, walking around Kris and cutting through the dining room to get to the kitchen. No one was in there that would block the doorway to the living room and she made way to enter it. Kennedy and Kris both showed up, blocking her. Leila appeared behind them now, looking annoyed.

"We're werewolves, Julie." Leila said, giving her an amused look. "Do you really want to test us right now?" Julie sighed, seeing their point. But she was too stubborn to give up so easily. It was obvious that they were hiding something important from her and she wasn't sure if she should be fearful or not.

"So am I." She turned around, feigning resignation. She heard them sigh, relaxing and took her chance. Quickly, she turned back and twisted around them, entering the living room.

"Julie!" Kris called, pulling on her arm but it was futile.

Jack laid on the couch, looking broken and twisted and overall weak. He was covered with bruises and dried blood. His arm was bandaged and it clung to his neck in an awkward fashion. His eye could barely open, it was bruised black and he had dried blood around his mouth. Julie felt her stomach twist and her heart drop. The sight of the blood brought images to her head. She felt her hands shake, the color red staining them.

"J-Jack?" She stuttered, her voice whimpering as she stepped closer to him. The pack members around him looked up at her in shock, cursing under their breaths. She kept her eyes on Jack, a fear growing in the pit of her gut. She kneeled next to him, looking at his one good eye as she took his hand in hers. "What happened?" He let out a groan, looking up at Hannah, Kennedy and Kris who all whimpered next to her.

"What happened...keeping her away...me did...not understand?" He struggled, his voice barely audible. The anger in his eye was evident though and Julie knew it had been an order from Dresden. He was only trying to spare her. She would have to thank him later. Jack turned back to her, staring at her quietly before he opened his mouth again. "Their Alpha...Ian...Rose."

"Ian?" She couldn't recall the name. She recognized her sister's but she didn't know an Ian. Obviously, she knew, this Ian guy had something to do with Jack. She felt her hands shake with a mix of anger and fear. If someone could do this to Jack - the beta to one of the most powerful packs she's known - how would Dresden far? How would the rest of her pack? And should they fail, what would happen to Ollie? Her brothers? Her?

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