Jackson's POV
I stare silently at Katie sitting down with her back against their door asleep.
While Rose is as beautiful as an innocent rose, I have to admit that Katie is just as attractive. The sexy kind of attractive.
My nose twitches from the scent mixed in with hers and I raise my eyebrows in surprise, a smile on face.
Placing the food down on the ground besides her, I crouch in front of her and gently call her.
"Katie," I whisper.
The rooms are sound proof so nobody can hear from the outside, and those inside cannot hear the outside, but I still whisper as not to frighten her awake.
"Katie," I try a couple more times.
Her eyes flutter open and I smile even more. "...Jack...son?"
Her sleepy voice gives me goosebumps.
She looks really cute right now.
"Yeah, wake up. You shouldn't sleep out here in the hallway, and you can't sleep until you've eaten something. And why aren't inside?"
Katie pouts. "I was going to chill inside, but I decided it'd be awkward for Samuel if I was there with him. And then I got sleepy just standing here and I was too tired to move from here so why not just sleep here?"
I shake my head at that. I move to wrap my arms around her, but immediately pull back when I feel the sparks I've heard about between mates when they touch go off.
Katie's eyes widen at that and she looks fully awake now.
"What the hell are you trying to do?" She growls out.
I put up my hands up in surrender, "It's not what you think. I was only going to carry you to my room to eat and rest up."
Katie narrows her eyes at me, but reels back her anger. "I can stand up myself, thank you very much."
So she does, swaying a little bit, but she's eventually standing straight and staring me down. Or in her case, up.
She looks adorable, but it sucks how she's keeping me at a distance.
I sigh and pick up the stuff I brought up for her and start heading to my bedroom. "Come on."
She hesitates and looks skeptically at my bedroom door before following. "You didn't have to bring food for me you know."
I don't turn around when I reply, "What's the use of cooking food if you aren't going to eat some yourself?"
Chancing a glance back, her eyes are wide in shock.
"They told you?! I thought I didn't have to tell them not to tell anybody that I made lunch because of the problems that can arise from it!" She groans.
"They didn't," I chuckle at her freaking out.
"They didn't? Then, how do you know? Who told you? They're the only two who knew!" She argues adorably.
"You did," I laugh at the incredulous look she gives me as we stop outside my door. "I'm a werewolf. I can smell. You have the smell of all the food in the dining room for lunch latching onto you. I'd be a fool if I didn't put two and two together. Besides, nobody else knows but me."
"Oh," she says, flushing, embarrassed about her useless outburst.
"It was delicious by the way." I open the door and look over my shoulder and smile at how her face reddens more.
"Of course," she says proudly, "I'm the best cook there is."
She closes her mouth when she looks inside my room. Her eyes dart around. "This is amazing."
"Come in," I step aside for her to enter.
She does without hesitating with an expression like wow.
Her eyes land on me as I'm still watching her standing in the middle of the room.
There's a King size bed in the center of the room against the other side of the dark oak wall. Or more like a double king sized bed.
On its left side is an open area for relaxing with a lover's couch and a coffee table in front of it facing a flat screen TV attached to the wall surrounded by a couple shelves with books and other comfy stuff.
On the right side of the bed are four doors, two of which are the restroom and closet.
Katie continues to look around.
I think back to Rose's comment about her living in a basement.
I look at my room. It's huge, but it's nothing fancy. The furniture are nice and all, but they look simple.
If I had a say, the only fancy thing about the room is the room's spaciousness, and the double king sized bed.
I clear my throat to catch her attention, smiling.
Motioning to the couch and to the food and water on the coffee table, I say, "You should eat."
Katie looks at the food, then at me. "I can't eat all of that," she deadpans. "I'll get fat."
I laugh at the comment and sit down on the couch patting the open space next to me. "One plate is mine. Don't worry."
"Oh," she sits next to me on the couch and takes the offered plate from me. We begin eating in silence.
It's peaceful how we eat in comfortable silence.
When we finish eating, I hand her a bottle of water and take one for myself.
"So," I start, "tell me about yourself." I leave out the: I'd really like to know more about you and get to know you.
She stares at me before she looks over to my books neatly stacked in the shelves. "Do I have to?"
"Only what you're willing to share," I shrug.
Katie studies me. Doe she not want to get to know me?
"Well, my full name is Katie Xing. I take after my mother's last name."
"Full name huh? Mine's Jackson Reyes." I smile at her.
"What's the East Clan's pack name?" She questions.
I stare at her in surprise. Everyone knows it.
People call us the East Clan because we occupy majority of the East of the New World. But our pack name is just as famous.
"The Blood Moon Pack," I answer and stare at her weirdly. "You...did not know?"
Katie avoids my questioning stare and plays with her fingers. "I told you, didn't I? I am not very knowledgeable in these pack stuff and rivalry stuff. I only know the rumors my mother had told me as a child."
"Oh." Well since she brought up her mother might as well change the subject to make her feel comfortable.
"Did you love her like with Rose?" I curiously ask, wanting to know her a little more.
Katie finally looks at me and has a small smile in place. "Yeah," she says in a calm voice, "I did."
"Did she teach you how to cook?" I push further.
"Yeah, she was. Mom was very beautiful too." She says softly.
"Do you look like her?" I wonder how I would react if I saw two Katie look-alikes.
Katie nods. "Yup. I got all this," she makes curves in her body gesture, "from my momma."
I chuckle as she wiggles her eyebrows. "I see. Was she a white wolf like you?"
Katie frowns at that and looks down at her hands folded on her lap. "No, she wasn't. She was...someone...who got caught up in the Alpha of the West's troubles..."
"A human...I see." I mumble.
Okay her mother is a delicate topic.
Jackson remains silent, not sure what to say.
Katie looks me in the eyes suddenly. "She would always tell me that Alpha's, especially the two of the strongest packs are dangerous and to always be wary in their lands. She had told me that what those in the West do is done the same in the East to those of the West; which was why I wanted to thank you when we first arrived on being understanding when we didn't mean to step in anyone's land. So thank you."
I lean back on the couch and lay my head against the back turning to look at her. "I'm not a fan of bloodshed."
"You and me both," Katie adds.
"My mother," I start, and quickly swallow to continue, "was killed during the last fight with the Dark Moon Pack three years ago. My father had passed a couple years before that. I've been Alpha since my mother died."
Immediately I regret starting off with that information for her to know.
"How old are you now?" She asks curiously. And I send her a thankful smile.
"Twenty. You?" I ask back.
"Eighteen." She replies.
I whistle at that. She's ripe for the picking. "Nice."
She nods with a smile, "I've heard that ever since you've taken the leadership as Alpha, the West Clan hasn't been able to attack."
"I made sure to avoid any fighting with the West. I don't want anybody else to suffer from the Dark Moon Pack anymore. But, if it comes to it, I'll fight if I'm left with no choice." I stare straight into her eyes as my warrior blood burns inside my veins as I speak. "I won't let anybody hurt my family."
I see Katie slightly shiver from my intensive stare.
She bites her lip and my eyes flicker to it for a moment before I'm staring into determined grey eyes.
She replies back more softly than I expected, "And I won't let anybody hurt Rose, the only family I have left."
My eyes widen. Oh shit! "Oh! Wait. I didn't mean it like-"
Katie holds up her hand and yawns, shaking her head and I shut my mouth. "I know what you mean. I just wanted you to also know."
I sigh in relief. "Thank god. I didn't want it to seem like I was threatening you. Anyways, you can go ahead and rest on my bed if you're tired."
She shakes her head and stands up throwing her trash in the nearby trashcan. "Thanks for the offer, but I think it's time for me to kick Samuel out of the room so I can take a nap."
I follow her to the door and open it for her. "Just text me if you need anything."
Katie waves me goodbye and thanks me one last time before heading to her room.
I smile at her and close the door.
I look at the couch where we were sitting and smile even more to myself. At least you know a little more about her now.
I walk to a door on the right leading to my office. Opening it, I enter my office and sit down in my rotating chair. I open my laptop and crack my knuckles. Time to work.
Thirty minutes passes before my phone vibrates on the table.
~Ding~
My phone lights up with a new message received displayed. I open it and am surprised by who it is.