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| Jackson |
War? Dread gripped Jackson as he followed beside Damon. How were they going to win a war against a pack with over seventy wolves? Would Damon's plan work? He trusted him—of course he did. Damon was the Alpha for a reason, but Jackson couldn't shake the feeling of trepidation which gripped him the moment he saw Kyle.
He glanced behind him at the pack, who all looked at serious-faced as Damon. Wilson, on the other hand, had his eyes focused on the Alpha, and he looked furious. Jackson understood why, though. Every time Wilson tried to speak up during a pack discussion, Damon shut him down. But that was just how things worked, right? Outsiders weren't welcome to take part.
With a worried frown, Jackson shifted his sights to Damon. "Damon?" he asked quietly.
The Alpha glanced at him. "Hmm."
"What happens now? I mean...this is gonna be a pack war, right?"
"It already is," Damon said firmly. "It was war the moment Kane lured us towards that prowler."
Jackson's frown thickened. "But...how will he know that you declared war?"
"He'll know when we kill his next group," the Alpha snarled.
With a slow nod, Jackson stared ahead. It didn't feel like Damon was in much of a talking mood right now. He was concentrating and Jackson didn't want to disrupt his thoughts. So, he gradually fell back to where Wilson and Julian were.
The giant tiger looked at him. "Do we have any sort of solid plan or what?" he asked Jackson.
"We're going back across the river like Damon said," Jackson answered. "And...I think we'll stop somewhere to discuss a plan."
Julian shook their head. "I know that Alpha Damon is a Prime, but...I don't know if that's gonna be enough. Kane's smart and resourceful. He's killed at least fifty packs since I was recruited, and I've never seen anyone get a hit off on him, either." They then frowned and said, "Well, there was this one wolf a long time ago—the one who gave him the scars on his face."
"Scars?" Wilson questioned. "Don't all lycans heal eventually? No scars?"
"Well, yeah...but this wolf left scars. I don't know why, and no one really talks about it. It was like...ten years ago, so I've only heard rumours."
"I'm sure Damon knows what he's doing," Jackson said confidently. But then again...there were things he still didn't know about his mate, and one of them was what Damon was like before he met him. He became a Prime, he was an amazing fighter, and yet...Jackson didn't know the stories behind any of that. All he knew was that Damon's brother, Alaric, died and passed leadership onto him.
But now probably wasn't the best time to ask Damon to tell him stories. The Alpha declared war, and Jackson had no idea how they were supposed to fight it and get to Greykin Valley. But he was sure Damon knew what he was doing.
"You're always defending him," Wilson mumbled.
Jackson frowned at him. "What?"
"Damon. You're always protecting him and acting like everything he says goes. Just like you always used to defend those assholes you dated."
His frown became a scowl. "I don't wanna get into this again, Wilson. You and Damon need to learn to get along—"
"I don't want to. He doesn't deserve you, Jack. I know an asshole when I see one, and I'm telling you, if he hasn't already, he's gonna make you feel like shit."
"You're wrong," Jackson argued.
"I'm not," he insisted, frustrated. "It's like he's trying to keep you away from me. We've barely spent any time together since you found me and it's 'cause you're always with him. Y-you're like...stuck to him like glue, just like you were to everyone who came before him."
Jackson scowled irritably. "All Damon's ever done is try to protect me—and he's done a pretty good job of that. He's not like those fuckboys I used to date; he's my mate, Wilson, and until you can accept that, I'm done with this conversion." He sped up and cut through the pack to join Damon again.
But he could feel his throat tightening. Why was Wilson being like this? Why couldn't he just accept the fact that he loved Damon? Why did he have to be so hostile and take whatever chance he could to try and start an argument? If he kept at it, Jackson feared that very soon, Damon wouldn't be able to hold back for his sake anymore. Jackson didn't want to see them fight, but he didn't know what to do.
He looked at Damon. "What's the plan? Sorry if you're trying to think one over right now, I just...I'm worried about this whole war thing."
"We're going to cross the river and find someplace to hide. A cave, another burrow, or something that keeps us out of sight. Once we find that, we'll all come together and suggest ideas, but the main goal is to take out Kane's wolves and continue our journey towards Greykin Valley. We can't sacrifice mission time, so we're going to have to do both things at once," the Alpha explained.
"Kill them as we go?" Remus asked.
Damon nodded.
"It's a good plan," Sebastien said from behind them.
"Agreed," Tokala concurred, walking beside Sebastien.
The Alpha then slowed down. "The river's up ahead. Everyone be on high alert. Watch for cadejo and hostile wolves."
Everyone went silent and followed the Alpha to the tree line. But when the river was in sight, there were no cadejo to be seen. Damon stopped and looked around, and once everyone joined him, they all mumbled unsurely.
"I think...Kane must have led them back to the pit," Julian said as they and Wilson stood behind Jackson.
Damon glanced at them and then glared ahead. "We can't take any chances. Stay close, keep your senses focused, and if you see even the slightest thing you think might be dangerous, you speak up. Understand?"
"Yes, Alpha," everyone said.
The Alpha stepped out of the trees and walked towards the flowing river. Jackson and Remus followed behind him, and the pack trailed them in a single-file line with Sebastien and Wilson at the back.
A harsh breeze rushed past, carrying the scent of the forest, and as his fur floated in the wind, Damon called, "We'll keep moving downwind. Kane's wolves won't be able to follow our scent, so we'll find somewhere to take cover before the winds shift."
"Do you want me to scout ahead?" Sebastien called.
"Go," Damon agreed.
The winged hound took off and disappeared into the forest across the river.
When Jackson's paws touched the water, he looked down at the small fish swimming above the pebbles. He didn't sense danger, and it didn't look as though anyone else did, either.
The pack crossed the water without disruption, and once they moved into the woods, Damon picked up the pace, following the river.
"We'll use the river to get us to the Great Lake," the Alpha called.
"The Great Lake?" Jackson questioned curiously.
"A lake which all paths connect to. From there, we'll follow the river that passes Greykin Valley."
"Why didn't we just head to the lake in the first place?" Wilson called from the back.
Damon adorned an irritated expression.
"Because it's dangerous," Brando answered, looking at the muto. "There are a lot of stories about the Great Lake. Wolf walkers travel miles to bathe in its water; it's said that the Moon Goddess grants wishes and answers to those who drink it, and the wounds of those who swim inside are healed."
"I've heard that, too," Dustu said. "I thought I could go there and ask for my family back after what happened, but...even the Moon Goddess can't bring people back to life."
Wilson asked, "So why is it dangerous? It just sounds like some sort of shrine or temple."
"It's neutral ground," Damon answered. "Any pack could be there, and if they have ill intentions, the moment we leave the Great Lake, that pack could come after us."
Tokala nodded and added, "There's also a story of a monster in the water. If someone breaks the laws of neutral ground, the beast comes out of the depths and drags them to an inescapable place."
"So...why don't we just drink the water and wish for Kane's pack to die?" Wilson asked, glancing at Julian, who looked like they were wondering the same thing.
"The Moon Goddess does no harm," Rachel answered as Damon led the way up a hill. "When you ask Her for something, you ask for guidance, knowledge, and power. But wishes of death are never granted. Wolf walkers live by a code—even those of us who choose to turn our backs to Lupi Sequi Veteris—and if a wolf walker wishes another dead, they must do it by their own claws."
Just then, Sebastien abruptly appeared out of nowhere and walked beside Jackson, who flinched in startlement. "There are some old ruins two kilometres up ahead. The place is abandoned and looks like it has been for a while."
Damon nodded. "Lead the way."
The hound walked in front of Damon, and when he started running, so did everyone else.
Jackson tried to focus on the forest around him, but all he could think about was the Great Lake and the creature that resided inside it. The thought sent a cold shiver down his spine, and he couldn't help but wonder...what was the monster? Were the stories true? And if he drank the water, could he ask the lake for guidance or strength? He might be learning to use his demon ethos, but he didn't see himself getting over his tendency to fall victim to his anxiety any time soon.
But now wasn't the time to be thinking about that. He needed to concentrate. There weren't only cadejo to look out for anymore.
The pack travelled quickly and silently, following Sebastien through the woods as a storm brewed overhead. Snow started falling, so Damon ordered Sebastien to pick up the pace, and just when the storm transformed into a blizzard, they reached the crumbled brick walls of an old ruin.
Jackson couldn't make out what the old walls were once a part of, and there was no time to glance around and wonder, either. The snow fell hard, and the winds became spiteful. He hastily followed everyone down some icy stairs and into an old, empty wine cellar. Cobwebs were frozen to the ceiling, and several smashed bottles lay on the frosty floorboards.
"Move this," Tokala called.
Brando and Wesley helped the Zeta push a large shelf along the floor and towards the exit, but the wind was relentless, and fought them from blocking the stairs. So, Jackson hurried over before anyone else and pressed the weight of his body against the shelf, helping keep it up as the others pushed it forward.
"Lalo, Dustu, move that barrel," Damon instructed as he shifted into his Prime form and grabbed a barrel on his own.
Everyone worked together, stacking whatever they could find in front of the shelf to keep the wind from pushing it over, and once the barricade was steady, the pack backed off and waited to see if it would hold.
"How long do you think the storm's gonna last?" Leon asked.
"There's no way to tell," Damon answered, looking around as he shifted into his normal wolf form. "This is good, though. We can rest here and come up with our first plan."
"I actually had an idea," Wesley said, sitting down. "Kane's going to send another group after us, right? So, we lead them into a trap."
"An ambush?" Dustu asked.
"Not necessarily. We don't know how many are coming."
Jackson watched everyone wait for Wesley to continue. It was like killing Kyle and partly avenging Alastor had given him back some of his strength, and he seemed eager to get this war started.
"Kane led us across that river; Kane left those cadejo waiting for us, and I say we use his tactics against him. We've got rope, so we set up traps. Sebastien can fly, so he can grab as many wolves who didn't get caught in the traps as he can, and then we let the cadejo kill the rest of them—we lead the cadejo to Kane's trapped wolves. That'll send a message," Wesley said firmly.
Everyone looked a little surprised by the fact that he had so much to say.
Damon, on the other hand, looked relieved. "It's a good plan," he said with a nod. "How much rope do we have? Dustu, check."
Dustu shifted into his human form and started looking through everyone's bags. Then, once he was done, he looked at Damon and said, "Seven."
"How long is each rope?" Damon asked Sebastien.
"The Venaticus pack standard is ten meters," the hound answered.
"Good. We can make a few traps with that. But we're not killing all of them," Damon said, glancing around at everyone. "I need one of them alive."
"To send back to Kane and tell him it's war, right?" Remus asked.
Damon nodded. "Once the storm has passed, we'll head out and find a place to set up the traps."
While they began discussing what kind of traps they could create, Jackson looked over his shoulder. Wilson was curled up in his tiger form by the back wall. He couldn't see his friend's face, but he could tell that he was upset...and he was sure that he knew why, too.
Jackson was still annoyed about what Wilson said to him on the way here, but there was also a part of him that felt bad. Wilson was right. Ever since he found him, they hadn't spent very long together at all apart from the occasional conversation here and there. Wilson was his best friend and had been since he was a kid. Jackson knew how he pushed Wilson away every time he started dating someone knew, but his friend always put up with it. He didn't want to do that to him again, though. Wilson deserved better, so Jackson was going to be a better friend.
He got up and walked over to where he lay. "You, uh...not listening in on the whole war plans thing?" he asked him.
"Why would I? It's not like I'm allowed to get a word in," Wilson grumbled.
Jackson sat down. "Look, I'm sorry I snapped at you and walked off."
Wilson sighed and sat up so that they could face each other. "No, I'm the one who should be saying sorry. I've been an ass."
"Well...kinda, yeah," he said with a quiet laugh. "But I know that I have, too. I know how I used to ignore you and blow you off whenever I was seeing someone, and I hate that I did that to you. And...I'm not asking you to be best friends with Damon, I just want you to understand that this is different."
The tiger groaned—
"And...I know that I've gotta do better, too. I'm sorry I haven't given us much time, there's just a lot going on and I'm always so nervous or scared or have no idea what I can do to help. I stick with Damon because he makes me feel safe, not because he's trying to take me away from you. You're still my best friend, and I'm gonna make sure we get to hang out more, all right? Just...please stop almost getting into fights with him," he pleaded, glancing at Damon.
Wilson sighed again. "It's hard not to when he keeps trying to order me around. I'm not one of his lackeys."
Jackson frowned and said, "He just tells you not to get involved in pack stuff, that's all. And I mean...I get it. All of this would probably be so much easier if you were a part of the pack."
"I'd rather be lost out in the tundra again than work for him," the tiger snarled.
"But at least you'd be able to take part in discussions."
"Not worth it."
Jackson's frown thickened. "Can...that even happen? Can other lycans join a wolf walker pack or can they only stick with their own people?"
"It can happen," Wilson grumbled. "But lycan mix-packs are frowned upon. They're seen as cowardly or tainted or whatever. And even if that wasn't the case, I still wouldn't join."
Jackson knew better than to argue. Wilson seemed pretty firm in his answer. So, he gave up and looked over at the barricaded door.
"Jack, look..." Wilson said with a relenting tone. "All of this is just...a lot to take in. Just a few months ago, wolf walkers were just stories, and now not only am I surrounded by them, but my best friend is one, too. And not only that but you're also mated to one. It's just...I'm trying, okay?"
He nodded. "I get it. It's been a lot for me too. And now we're going to war with this other pack while trying to reach the lab. We're all gonna need to stick together."
An aggravated glare danced across Wilson's face. But he huffed quietly, looked down at his paws, and then shrugged. "I'll try. But sometimes, it feels like he's fishing for a fight."
"I'll talk to him too, okay? But..." he looked over at the pack, who were still discussing traps, "...not yet. We can just hang here for a bit."
Wilson nodded and lay on his side.
Jackson relaxed, too. He didn't know how long the storm would last, nor did he know when the pack would be done. He didn't have much to give in terms of laying traps and coming up with war plans. If they needed him, he'd be there. But for now, he'd stay with Wilson. He didn't want his friend to think he didn't need him anymore or that he'd always choose Damon. He just hoped the two would eventually find common ground and stop almost going for each other's throats.
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