My Enemy, My Mate (Complete)

Chapter Ten - A

"Then my parents had me a few years later. It seemed that was the final straw for your father. A year or two after I was born he declared war on our pack for some stupid little thing no one remembers. Everyone knew the true reason was to get to my father."

Jackson shook his head and took a deep breath before continuing.

"Our fathers met during a battle when I was fifteen. My mother jumped in between them during their fight. I have no idea what she was thinking... Maybe at that point she just wanted the fighting to stop. She got in the way of an attack, I'm not sure whose, and it was a death blow."

Jackson took another ragged breath and stared at the ceiling for a minute. He had lost his mother at only fifteen. It was a decade ago, but I could tell the wounds were still fresh.

"My father was destroyed when he saw my mother. I'm told that's when your father struck, killing my Dad as well."

"Jesus Christ," I said for lack of any other coherent thought. "How could-"

I stopped myself. I knew full well now what my father was capable of. I honestly don't think he was above killing a grieving, distraught mate at his worst point. He probably relished in it.

"Since then, he has made it his life's mission to get rid of me as well. I'm the only thing left alive to remind him of what happened."

"I can't believe all of the blood that was shed in the name of some misbegotten love," I said and took a straggled breath. "I don't want that to happen again because of us. Why in the world did you break into our party to start with if you knew how much my father wanted your head on a silver platter?"

"I was trying to find out who the spies in my pack are, to no avail. I would do it all over again if I had the chance. You are worth risking my neck," he grinned seductively and leaned in.

A knock on the door interrupted us.

"Room service."

Jackson hopped up and threw on some jogging pants before leaving the bedroom of the suite to answer the door and collect our food. I let my head sink back into the plush pillows and closed my eyes.

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A couple of hours later we had our overnight bags packed up and ready to go. I took a deep breath as I took in the suite and relished in our last few moments of just being us - Jackson and Rosemarie Merphate.

Jackson produced a long, velvet jewelry case and opened it for me to peek inside. Two white-gold necklaces lay inside and he pulled one out with his large fingers.

"I couldn't bear being parted with the rings," he confessed. "This way, we can wear them on a necklace until we clear things up enough to wear them where they belong."

I couldn't say anything, I was both touched by his thoughtfulness and saddened by the necessity of it. Instead, I gently pulled my rings off of my left hand ring finger and placed them in Jackson's palm. He threaded the rings onto the necklace and came around me. I pulled my hair out of the way as he did the clasp on the back of my neck.

I felt the rings fall between my breasts as Jackson leaned down and gently placed a kiss on my mark, sending a chill through my body.

"Remember to keep them hidden under your shirt," he reminded me sounding pained.

I tucked the rings into my shirt and turned to Jackson looking angry at where the rings sat hidden on my body. Neither one of us liked this.

Instead of addressing it again, I pulled his chain out of the velvet box and held out my own hand. He hesitated for only a moment before removing his own band and putting into my awaiting palm. I deftly threaded his own chain through the band and motioned for him to turn around. He turned and got down on his knees so I would have easier access to his neck.

I walked over to him and clasped his own chain on his neck. I placed my hands on his shoulders before slipping them around him and embracing him soundly. I never wanted to let go. I never wanted to leave here.

Jackson's tanned hands came up to my own pale, freckled ones as he squeezed them gently. I held back my tears. He undid my hands around him and stood up turning to me.

"It's time to go, Romy."

"It is," I said with finality.

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It was surreal returning to the pack house with Jackson pretending that nothing had happened when our whole world was changed. People were bustling through the whole place exchanging gifts and chatting. Christmas music was playing loudly in the common areas and the scent of Christmas dinner wafted throughout the house.

Jackson led me straight to the large, 10 foot Christmas tree that had been put up before I had even arrived. My eyes bugged out of my head. There had to be hundreds of gifts under there! There was no way to get through the presents to even get to the tree, they extended throughout most of the living room.

"Is this all for you?' I exclaimed with wide-eyes.

"Well, it is all for us. I try to buy something for everyone in the pack so I guess they all feel the need to reciprocate."

"You buy something for everyone?"

That was astonishing to say the least. There had to be close to two hundred pack members in the Merphate lands and that was only counting adults. Jackson bought all of them a present at Christmas?

"Well, yeah." He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "I like to make them all feel like they are appreciated and that I know them. It isn't much most of the time, but I like to give back. They are as much family as anyone who lives here in the pack house."

I wrapped my arms around my gorgeous, generous, caring husband.

"Have I told you how much I love you lately?" I asked.

"I believe you have, but a reminder is always nice." He leaned down and kissed me.

"Looks like the love-birds are back," Allison said as she sat on the couch. "You guys going to opening your presents soon or should I come back later? It's gonna take a couple of hours to get through them at least."

Bradley came in and sat down beside her, followed by a few more of the pack members that resided in the house. Mostly the higher ranked wolves lived in the pack houses, but Jackson also let new members and members who were working on or building their houses stay as well.

"Well, we may as well start. This might take us the rest of the day," I joked and sat on the other side of Allison.

It did take us quite a few hours to get through all of the presents. The majority were for Jackson and he took genuine interest in each one he got. There were some for me as well. Jackson said it was because they were recognizing me as their Luna.

By the time we were done with the gifts it was dinner time and we all sat down at the least formal Christmas dinner I had ever had. I loved it. I loved being here, I loved my husband, I loved his pack and I dreaded the end of December.

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