3rd Person POV
'I'm outside your door. -Katie'
Jackson raises an eyebrow at the text and heads back to the front door, opening it to see Katie in new clothes: black short shorts and a matching black tank top.
His nose twitches when he inhales her scent mixed with the smell of the guest shampoo and soap.
His eyes land on the light brown teddy bear in her arms, so small it's the size of his hand.
"Samuel is sleeping in the bed with Rose. I would have kicked his ass if she didn't look too comfortable, and I will castrate him if he goes any further than spooning her. And...I need a place to sleep." She flushes but doesn't say what she wanted to ask.
Jackson crosses his arms and his other eyebrow raises, waiting.
She flushes more when she realizes he wants her to continue. Instead she spins around ready to leave.
"Oi wait, where you going?" He asks.
"I'm going to crash in his bedroom." She mumbles.
Jackson chuckles lowly at her sudden pride showing and grabs her shoulder, but immediately lets go when she stops because of the sparks.
"Wait," he says and runs a hand through his hair. "You can sleep on my bed."
She doesn't turn around. "And where are you going to sleep?"
"It's only the afternoon, I'm not going to sleep," he says as if it's obvious. "Besides I have Alpha duties to take care of in my office."
Katie turns around and waltz right into his room and throws herself onto his bed sighing in content.
He laughs out loud at how she makes herself at home. "You really are settling in fast."
She pulls the fluffy blanket on top of her and cuddles with her teddy bear into her chest in the middle of the bed.
"Of course," she yawns, tired from eating less ever since she left her Clan to save money to buy healthy food for Rose even if there's more than enough for the both of them. It's never wrong to be cautious.
"You're room is the only place that feels like home...Even though I've never had one..." She finally falls asleep.
Jackson leans against the door frame and watches her. It's endearing how she feels at home here. If only that were true though.
He sighs at the thought and massages his forehead.
He turns back to his office and glances at her one more time before entering to finish up his work.
Don't get too attached Jackson. Just because she's your mate doesn't mean you're mated yet. And you don't love her.
'Not yet.' An unfamiliar voice says in his head.
He stops in his tracks. What the? Who was that?
***
Three hours later Rose eyes snap open full of fear.
Her breathing is ragged and she immediately sits up, crying out in pain when she feels her injury reopen.
Samuel shoots up from the bed at the sound of her shout and the smell of blood.
She doesn't register the warmth his body emits trying to soothe her. All she can think about is the nightmare she just dreamt.
Rose covers her ears and begins crying out louder, more blood dripping out of her wound.
Samuel panics, unsure what to do as he tries to figure out what's wrong with Rose.
***
What she registers first is the blood.
Her nose twitches at the smell, quickly pulling her out of her deep slumber.
Next is the emotions omegas can emit through the mind link unintentionally if there's something that is really bothering them.
The one that makes her shoot up in the bed is the screeching 'KATIE!' in the mind link that has her bolting out the room and swinging the guest room's door open.
Samuel freezes in place when he catches sight of blackness in Katie's eyes. His wolf instincts are screaming danger right now.
Jackson is right behind her as soon as Samuel called for him, and saw Katie running passed his office door with black eyes.
Rose is still crying out, holding her head.
Katie stomps her way to the bed and ignores every other presence but Rose's.
"Rose," Katie tries to calm her wolf's instincts.
She crawls on the bed to cradle the read head; Samuel immediately gets off and stands next to Jackson by the door.
"Rose," she calls again, petting her gently while rocking her. "I'm right here."
Rose clutches her tank top and begins sobbing in her chest. "Ka-Ka...Katie!"
"Shhh~ I'm right here. Shhh~" She coos as her fingers comb through red threads.
"Katie...! You're not going anywhere right?" Rose hiccups. "You're not going to leave me alone right?"
Katie hugs her tighter and inhales her scent. "I won't leave you alone. I promised remember?"
Rose nods her head and continues crying in Katie's chest. "You won't die right?"
Jackson and Samuel's eyebrows shoot up at that.
Katie doesn't answer right away. "You're the one who's sick, so shouldn't I be asking you that." She jokes instead.
Rose shakes her head and laughs a little. "You know what I meant."
"If you're laughing that means you've calmed down." Katie laughs too. "You know you probably scared the shit out of Samuel."
At that Rose pushes herself back and Katie wipes the tear stains on her cheeks. "Oh my! I didn't mean to!"
Rose looks to Samuel and wipes the forming tears in her eyes, "I'm sorry. I just get these nightmares and all. I didn't mean to..."
Samuel rubs the back of his neck, "Yeah. It's okay. I was just scared and wasn't sure what to do."
"Next time I'm not around and she has a nightmare again, just do what I did okay?" Katie glares at him.
Samuel is glad the blackness in her eyes are gone now, but he stands up straight nonetheless and nods his head. "Affirmative!" And he tries to hide the happiness that there'll be a next time he can sleep with his mate.
Katie turns back to Rose and her eyes zone in on her injury. "We're going to need the Doc or Sally for this."
Jackson nods his head at that. "I've already called Sally. She should be here any second. Though I told her it would be for Samuel."
Jackson and the two girls laugh at the color draining from Samuel's face when he thinks about what could have happened if Katie had attacked him.
Not that Samuel can't fight, but he wouldn't want to hurt his friend's mate and his mate's friend.
Plus, there's a small portion of him that feels like he wouldn't be able to hold his own against her, not that he'd ever admit it.
"Where's Sammy!" They hear Sally shouting from down the hall.
She skids to a stop at the door and has her emergency bag with her as she surverys the room.
When she puts the pieces together she glares at Jackson. "You! I thought you said Sammy was hurt!"
"No, I said Sam might get hurt." Jackson corrected her.
She huffs and makes haste to Rose's side to stich her up again. "I swear man." She growls under her breathe despite how gentle she is with taking off the blooded bandages.
"Did you have fun while I was out?" Katie moves aside but interlaces one of her hands with Rose's.
Rose lights up at the question, thankful to have something to keep her mind away from her aching shoulder and previous nightmare. "Sammy told me all about the woods around here and the people!"
"Sammy?" Sally and Katie chorus questioningly.
"He said I can call him that when I asked! And anyways, Katie, remember how you've always wanted to see a lake and go swimming in it? They have one not far from the pact house!" Rose squeals.
"He also said that there are birds! Haven't you've always wanted to see one? There's a lot in the forest!"
"There are?" Katie slightly perks up at that.
"Yeah!" Rose shouts at the sparkles in her friend's eyes.
"Wait, you've never seen a bird before?" Sally gawks at the embarrassed face Katie makes. "Oh! I mean you've traveled across the country so you should have seen at least one bird."
Rose smiles sadly at that, "Katie didn't have time for any sight-seeing since she was too busy worrying about me. Even before I was injured, I was in no condition for traveling. Let alone running away."
Sally avoids their eyes at that. Sometimes she forgets that they're from the West Clan and that she doesn't really know their backgrounds. Her heart suddenly aches and she doesn't want to be in the room with them anymore.
"Anyways, there are plenty of birds and other animals. Like deer! Oh and butterflies! He said that there's a whole area full of colorful butterflies!" Rose tells her.
They all jump back when Katie is full-blown smiling; her emotions open for all to feel.
The three others in the room are all surprised that she can express herself like an omega. They're also tingling from how excited and happy she is, like they're being pulled along by her.
"Butterflies?! Really?!" She whirls around and the two males are surprised to see the usually distant gray eyes full of life.
Her eyes land on Samuel who feels uncomfortable under the unfamiliar look she's giving him. "Can you show me?"
"Yeah..." Samuel smiles awkwardly. "If...if that makes you happy."
Katie stands up and stands in front of him squealing. "Will you? You will do that for me?"
He nods his head vigorously.
"Then let's go. Now-" She stops and her smile drops and she looks down. "Oh. Um I..."
She looks back at Rose who is smiling at her.
"Don't worry about me," Rose shoos her out. "You need to see the outside world more. Go, I'll be fine."
"But..."
"She said go. Don't worry, I'll stay with her." To prove her point, Sally sits down next to Rose and also waves Katie off.
Everyone looks at Jackson expectantly and he sighs. "I still have work to finish, if Samuel doesn't mind he can take you to the butterfly field."
Katie turns to Samuel with pleading eyes.
He puffs out his chest and smirks, "Of course I'll take you!"
Katie's grinning now and everyone in the room can't help but smile too. "Then let's go!"
And the two are out the door and gone.
Sally laughs at that. "If I didn't know you and my brother were mates, I'd think it was those two."
Jackson holds back the growl that wants to claw its way out of his throat because of her comment but instead just nods his head at them and leaves the room.
He's disappointed he won't be able to see Katie's reaction when she sees all those butterflies.