Greatest Curse (Book 2)

Scars Run Deep

(Asher)

I cannot remember the last time I was this excited about something. It was just a date, but at the same time, it wasn't. It was so much more than just a date.

It was obvious to me now that Jaxon's past was incredibly dark. Aware that he is keeping secrets from me, I'd had a conversation about it last night with my dad. Weird, right? A teenage boy talking to his straight father about boys?

But, dad had experience dealing with someone- his mate- who had scars and a dark past. I could think of no one better to go to for advice. My father had enlightened me with a story about him and mom when they were now beginning to know each other. She kept secrets from him too, but after a while, when he'd learned of them, it was because she'd been ashamed and thought he would be embarrassed to have her as a mate.

The advice I took away from his story was that I needed to be patient, to show Jaxon that he could trust me. But I also needed to be open-minded and try to put myself in his shoes. Before reacting, do what I have been training to do all my life. See the bigger picture and understand why he feels the need to keep secrets or do what he is doing.

I don't like being kept in the dark. It limits time and knowledge, and if things go wrong, I might be too late to do anything helpful. But, this wasn't about me. As it had been from the start, it was about helping Jaxon heal.

It was just after noon, and I was dressed and ready to head out. Jaxon would be coming over in a bit to pick me up, but there was just one thing I needed to do before I left. The switch had been made on the roster after I reminded Sky about the date, yesterday at Marcana's pack meeting about that new pack, Blackwater.

That was another thing that concerned me. Yesterday in the locker room when Bennett, Blake and Jaxon had approached us in hopes of gaining that piece of knowledge, I was shocked to learn that they knew the name of the pack without Sky telling them the full name. Bennett's reaction had me worried, and even Sky and Dale were curious. Bennett looked petrified to the point he had fallen sick, sprinting off to the bathroom and unloading his stomach.

Jaxon looked equally as scared but had somehow shoved past his own fears to help Bennett. It was obvious to us that Black Rock might not be a troublesome pack if their reactions gave any indication. They had bad history with Blackwater, and it did nothing to dispel the uneasiness that had been steadily settling and building in the pit of my stomach.

Something is coming. I could feel it.

Initially, I was supposed to be doing border patrol today, but now that I found my mate, and I was going to spend a day with him on an official date, someone needed to take my spot. Sky had arranged things that Carter would take my spot this day on patrol, and when next he was on, I would fill in for him. That was the way border patrol works.

Packs were incredibly understanding where mates were concerned; the heads constantly shifting and rearranging schedules to suit.

Sky had called me this morning, telling me to remind Carter that he had to fill in for me since according to Sky, the bastard was intentionally not returning his calls. Carter is in a bad place right now, following Kelly's rejection, and he was taking it out on everyone around him.

Poor Sky was facing the brunt of it.

Apparently Carter hadn't taken my words into consideration and hadn't stopped pushing people away. If anything, he was steadily losing control of himself, giving into the violent appetite of his wolf. It was as though Kelly's rejection had led him to lose sight of what he was and what was expected of him.

Walking to the front door of the Hayes' residence, I pressed the doorbell and waited for someone to answer. After knowing these guys my whole life, it was established that we were welcomed like family. But I still rang the doorbell out of common courtesy since it is after all, somebody else's home.