It was nearly ten minutes before I received a response.
Has something happened?
There was so much that I wanted to say now that I had his attention; but, that could all be saved for another time. I waited for a few moments. It took ten minutes for him to text me; he could wait a few for my response so I could formulate it carefully in my head.
We need to meet soon. Somewhere where we won't be out in the open in case one our pack members are around.
I paused a few moments before I hit send. I bit back my pride and pressed the button. This time it only took a few moments for me to get a response.
At sunrise in three days meet me at the edge of your father's territory near the city. I can pick you up there. Be safe.
Long ago the packs had all established that the nearby city was a neutral territory; all of the packs used it equally for shopping and entertainment. It was fortunate for me as well - of the smells of the city would hopefully mask Jackson's scent from my father.
I replied that I would be there and tucked my cell phone away in my bedside table. I resisted texted him back and saying that the situation was dire and he needed to see me tomorrow. He was an alpha to his pack above all else and I respected him for that, I reminded myself. If I had pushed the issue, I am sure he would have come tonight. But again, I didn't want to be that girl.
Besides, I had a week to go. What harm could three days do?
---------------------------------
It had been the longest three days of my life. The next day, the fever began. Only as a slight flush to begin with, just enough to make my pale, freckled cheeks a little rosier than usual and cause me to drink a little more water.
On day two, I was told I was to stay home and rest to get over my "cold" as not to infect any of the children. I didn't argue – I couldn't exactly tell them that what I have isn't contagious. So, I stayed in bed and fell asleep early after setting my cell phone for just before sunrise the next day.
I woke up the next morning to the buzzing of my cell and my body on fire. It felt as though I was in a confection oven. I took a freezing cold shower, which helped only a little and got dressed as quietly as I could. I could tell that my movements were slowed by the fever and my reactions not nearly as swift as they usually are so I was extra careful when I climbed down the trellis outside my window.
I couldn't imagine having to go through four more days of this. It did not surprise me that the other she-wolves went crazy on or by day seven and started having delusions and hallucinations. I could almost feel my brain melting from the heat as is.
I was going to bring my father's motorbike so that it could be easily hidden in the woods, but opted to shift and run instead. I didn't want to risk someone finding the bike and wonder what happened to me. Or possibly wiping out in deliria.
I was careful, my fever slightly subdued with the release of my wolf. Hopefully, someone would think that I was feeling better and out for a run instead of fraternizing with the enemy. When I was satisfied that my trail seemed chaotic enough, I made my way to the edge of the territory.
The edge wouldn't be clearly identifiable to anyone unless you were a werewolf. There was nothing particularly visible to detect it. It was more of a sense, a smell, which notified a wolf that it had entered another's territory – or you were leaving your own. Briefly, I wondered what Jackson would think of a rusty wolf emerging from the woods. Would he recognize me or would he think that I was one of my father's pack members who had discovered him? A twig snapped under my paw.
"Romy?" Jackson's voice called from the road which was only a few feet away.
I stepped out of the woods towards my mate. The gravity was instantaneous, even more so as my wolf, and I felt myself drawing closer to him. The fire that was igniting my body started to cool, slightly. He was just as handsome as I remembered, if not impossibly more. His dark hair was still wet from a shower and I could smell his body wash from here with my heightened senses. It just occurred to me that I didn't even know how old my mate was. He looked like he could be anywhere between nineteen and twenty-five.
He stiffened momentarily as though he were about to shift, but then calmed when he realized it was me.
"You should probably shift back so we can head out," Jackson said reaching out and touching my fur tenderly. "We can't be caught by one of your pack mates."
I stepped back slightly and shifted back into my human form, realizing that maybe I hadn't thought this whole thing through. There is no magic solution so that we shift with clothes. Nope, when we turn back we are bare as the day we were born. Now, I was standing naked and human in front of my mate, unclaimed. The fact that it was November barely seemed to register – our body temperature ran higher than normal humans normally and the fever made the November breeze feel like a cool summer's day.
Jackson's eyes darkened and he growled, pulling me to him and trapping me between his toned body and his black town car. He pressed into me and put his face to my neck.
"Now this is a pleasant surprise," he said in a gravelly voice, placing a kiss on my collarbone disturbingly close to the place where he would have to bite to mate me.
His hands were roaming up and down my naked body, causing goose bumps wherever his electric fingers touched and I couldn't help but arch into him.
"Jackson," I sighed contently and grabbed onto his jacket.
He seemed to snap out of his trance and ripped off his jacket, wrapping it securely around my shoulders. It was so big on me it went halfway down to my knees, effectively covering my naked body. He seemed reluctant to remove his hands from my shoulders, but still pulled away.
"Are you alright?" He asked concerned, pushing the hair out of my face as tenderly as he had touched my fur. "Romy, you're hot as a fire!" He said as though he had just noticed and pulled his hand away. He leaned in and put his forehead to mine to double-check and pulled it away just as quickly.
"I have a fever." I replied simply, not sure if I could form a coherent reply after his touches.
"I would say so! Luckily I thought that you might come as a wolf. I have some clothes that should fit you in the back seat."
He opened the door and ushered me into the back before shutting it securely behind me before jumping into the driver's seat.
"We need to get away from the border as soon as possible," he explained, starting the engine and pulling a u-turn back toward the city.
I nodded, not even sure if he is looking or not. I grabbed the clothes that were carefully laid out on the seat and began to dress under his jacket, embarrassed. It wasn't like I wasn't used to being naked in front of guys, the whole pack saw each other naked after pack runs but no one ever thought anything about it. But, there was something disturbingly vulnerable about exposing that part of yourself to your mate... only to have him cover you up.
"Where are we going?" I asked as I finished dressing. The clothes fit me surprisingly well. I gently folded Jackson's jacket and reached up to place it on the passenger seat.
He glanced at his jacket and then glanced back before returning his eyes to the road. We were almost in the city by now and the sun had risen a bit more.
"The Globe," he said hesitantly.
I froze for an instant. The Globe was a five-star hotel and restaurant.
"The Globe?"
"I know the owner. I've told him that we need to be completely confidential, that we can't be disturbed and no one can know that we met," Jackson explained. "We can't have war, Romy. He just assured that he would make sure that we get a private suite so that we can use the living quarters to talk without interference. Just talk."
It made sense. But I just couldn't get out of my mind what other things could be done in a hotel room – especially a suite. What he didn't know was that it wasn't my intention to just talk. Something had to be done, at least the first part of the mating ceremony or I would die in a mere four days. We only had another month after that to figure out what we were going to do about this whole mess.
I was a ticking time bomb.
The Globe was one of the oldest buildings in the city. It was all white and brick with large windows and ornate white arches outlining the front to assert its dominance. It was a large building, but on the smaller side for a hotel.
When we pulled up to The Globe a valet greeted us. Jackson left his jacket in the car and got out, handing the keys to the valet and opening my door. I got out and looked up at the ornate entryway. Jackson reached for my hand but then pulled back at the last second. Even here at the break of day he was worried someone would see us. We walked side-by-side into the hotel a foot away from each other. There was almost no one in the lobby and only one person behind the desk – a man.
"Hello Jackson. I trust you had a safe journey," the man greeted.
"Thankfully. Thanks for helping me out Bill."
"My pleasure," Bill replied and passed Jackson a card key. "It is room number 524. The staff has already been warned not to disturb you."
Jackson nodded and shook Bill's hand. I twisted my hands in front of me, not quite sure what I should be doing. Bill turned to me and smiled genuinely. This time when Jackson turned to me he took my burning hand in his own and led me to the elevator. He pressed the number 5 and we both stared at the numbers in silence as they drew nearer and nearer to five. When the elevator dinged and opened I jumped slightly, causing Jackson to chuckle. I nudged him with my shoulder in response.
Room 524 was on the other side of the building, the farthest room from the elevator it seemed. I was nervous but anticipating our talk. I needed to know if Jackson knew that by not mating he was condemning one or both of us to death.
When he slid the card key into the slot beside the door and it lit up green my heart fluttered. He turned the handle and opened the door, ushering me in. I hit the light switch as I passed and let out my breath. The room was gorgeous – like a mini-palace.
The furniture was old fashioned and ornate. In the sitting room there was a sofa and some chairs all surrounding a fireplace. Off of the sitting area was a dining room that could sit six. I assumed behind the rest of the doors I would find equally an intimidating bedroom and bathroom.
The door shut behind us without a resolute thud and then I knew that we were sealed in. Just me and Jackson, alone for an indefinite amount of time. I briefly wondered if we would be able to control ourselves long enough to get any talking done. I could already feel the air sizzling with tension - both the sexual and non-sexual kind.
Jackson cleared his throat like he was about as uncomfortable and jittery as I was.
"Maybe we should sit down?" He suggested, motioning towards the expensive-looking sitting area.
Good idea. Get us sitting down away from each other. Hopefully that would stop roaming hands and thoughts. I moved to a chair and sat down as delicately as possible while Jackson plopped himself down on the sofa. I took a deep breath and we looked at each other for a few moments.
"How are you feeling now?"
I shook my head in response. My fair skin was certainly giving away that the fever had not broke – in fact, it wasn't going to break unless Jackson bit me today.
"What do we need to talk about?" Jackson finally asked, sounding more than a little concerned.
"I know that we agreed to stay away from each other as much as possible for the sake of our packs," I started, not really sure how to approach this. "And I am fine sacrificing my happiness for theirs – both my pack and yours."
I took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. They were so beautiful I almost wanted to start crying.
"But do you know what happens when mates find each other and don't complete the mating process?" I asked.
"To be honest, I have never really asked."
"I did, as discretely as possible," I said and paused, not sure how to approach this. "Jackson, if you don't at least mark me before the full moon there is a pretty good chance that I'll die."
"What?" He burst out and jumped up quickly, startling me with this swiftness. His heart rate picked up and he started to pace. "No, that's not possible. The full moon is only days away."
"One of the women in the pack told me. You have to be marked by the first full moon and complete the ceremony by the next one. It starts off with a fever in the female that gradually intensifies. Then, delusions and hallucinations start happening. Then the female goes mad or dies – most likely both."
Jackson was shaking his head, as if he didn't want to believe it.
"Your fever – how long have you had it?"
"This is the third day," I reply.
"Is it getting any better?" He asked, hoping (I guess) that I just had the common flu and everything I told him was old wives tales.
"Only slightly when I am with you," I whisper.
He came over to me, kneeling in front of me in the chair, our heads almost level since he was so tall.
"I wouldn't be able to live knowing that you were no longer," he whispered in reply, pressing our foreheads pressed together as though it would somehow transfer my fever to him instead. "How did I not know about this? Why did no one tell me?"
"Well, I don't imagine it happens very often," I joke weakly. "I gather if I hadn't been me you would have marked me the night we met."
He falls silent and sits in front of me, crossing his legs and staring at me.
"If we are together a war will erupt between our two packs again," I said simply.
"We are at a momentary truce at best. It isn't going to last long – it never does," Jackson asserted. "But I want to think about them and put them first, but I cannot allow you to simply die. It goes against my very being. I have to protect you at all costs."
I looked into his blue eyes, shining like gemstones.
"I don't want to be the one responsible for a war that will inevitably hurt the people you and I love the most."
"I am not letting you be a martyr," Jackson growled. He stood and pulled me up to him. My arms encircled his torso, almost of their own accord. I placed my head on his chest. I didn't want to die, but neither did my pack mates.
"I will think of something," Jackson said. "You are not dying on me. Do you hear me?"
I nodded and held onto him tighter. He kissed me on the forehead.
"We have to mark you today."
I pulled back and looked up at him.
"Someone will notice."
"No, we have to do at least that. I won't risk you while I try to hash out a plan. I am going to have to explain to my pack what is happening and have their input. In the next month you have to be safe while I try to finish saving you and the packs."
"Is... is my father truly that bad?" I asked, remembering the look on his face the day that he tore apart my bedroom. "Why can't our mating unite the packs instead of divide them further?"
Jackson's face darkened and he looked away.
"I don't want to tarnish your father for you so I will only say this: he would not hesitate to launch a full-out war on my pack if he had even the slightest opportunity or cause."
"But why?" I asked. We had been enemies since I could remember but no one had ever explained the history to me.
He turned and looked me in the eyes again as I silently begged him to tell me. Instead he sighed and pressed his forehead to mine.
"Maybe I will tell you another day, but not today," he said and pulled back and kissed my forehead. "So, enough of that. Today has to be a happy day. We are going to start our mating process. Hopefully if we just complete the first process you can hide it from your father until I know what to do. Make sure to wear high cut shirts and bathe about three times a day in perfumed salts."
"What if you don't come up with a plan?" I asked.
"Then you will be super wrinkly," he laughed.
I scowled and he turned serious once more.
"I will come up with a plan before the next full moon, Romy. I swear it."
I didn't know if it was the conviction with which he said this or my own hope getting in the way, but I believed him.
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