It ended at Midnight -Chapter 7

Jack

I looked down at my mate, her body still. She looked peaceful and worried at the same time; her lips turned up in a small smile while her brow furrowed. I wondered what she was dreaming about. She was so beautiful that much was true. I couldn't believe after all this time I had finally found her. By Goddess my mother would be so thrilled to finally know that I wouldn't live a life on my own anymore. Briar Haven had been in need of a Luna for a long time now and I had begun to feel guilty when I couldn't provide them with such a necessity. Yet she was here now, in my arms. Every muscle in my body trembled at the realization, the need to protect her brought me to my knees. My chest rose in heavy breaths as I tried to get air into my lungs. Sweat started to bead on my skin making me shiver against the subtle wind.

Lost in my own thoughts I jumped when I felt someone's warm hand touch my back, my wolf growling in the back of my mind. Without a chance to realize what I was doing I snapped my head around and dug my teeth into flesh, warm blood stinging my tongue with its iron taste.

"Woah, what the fuck Jack. YOU BIT ME."

Luke's shriek echoed off the trees around us as his hand moved from my shoulder. I could feel his pain through our bond and my wolf shrunk back in embarrassment. I couldn't believe I just did that. How did I not hear him coming. "I'm so sorry Luc, I don't know what I was thinking." I said, turning my gaze back down to the sleeping girl in my arms.

"Yeah dude, I don't think you were thinking at all. Like wholly hell dude you fucking bit me. What did I ever do to deserve this.

"I said I was sorry-"

"I mean seriously. Some Alpha you are. First you ran off, without me might I add, when we were supposed to be heading back to the pack. Didn't even let me know where you were going either which might I say was incredibly stupid since we both know hunters tend to be in this part of the forest at night. Then when I finally catch back up to you I get treated like this. Am I nothing to you. I thought we were brothers."

I could hear Luke feigning hurt as he no doubt coddled his hand that would have already started to heal at this point. I shook my head, a smile pulling at my lips. Even now I couldn't help but laugh at his stupid childish behavior sometimes. He must know I didn't mean it, hell he had to be able to feel my regret through the bond.

"You don't bite brothers." He muttered softly.

He walked up behind me again after nursing his wounds and placed his hand back on my shoulder, a little tentatively this time. I could feel the hum of our bond in the back of my mind and I knew he was trying to ask me what I was doing out here. I don't think he could see the girl in my arms. I didn't really want him to notice her either. She was mine and it was my job to protect her.

"Jack come on, it's getting late, and we really must be getting back to the pack house."

I knew he was right but a part of me didn't want to move in fear of disturbing the angel in my arms. Luke's hand touched my shoulder again this time a little more forcefully. My wolf started to tense up and it took everything in me to real him in. Luke sure as hell would never forgive me or even let me live it down if I was to bite him again. Hell, I don't think he will ever let me forget it now, he'll make sure I take that to the grave. Unfortunately, maybe even place it on my tombstone. I sighed, shifting my body enough to stand without letting her go. I don't think I could ever let her go, my entire body tingled where our skin touched, and it elated me. It made me feel more alive than I've ever felt.

"Luke listen, now don't freak out-"

I tried to warn him, to let him know that there was a girl in my arms before he saw her, but it didn't matter because the second I turned around I could see the look of shock in his eyes. And before I could explain what was going on he jumped back like three feet as if I hurt him again.

"Holy shit dude, who the hell is that? Like what are we doing right now. First you bite me then you just knock out poor innocent human girls. What happened to my best friend, who are you." He shouted at me, looking around to make sure there was no one around to hear. "Just put her down Jack, let's think rationally here." The shock and betrayal distorting his normally calm features.

I could feel the annoyance bubble up inside me. He knew me better. I don't know why he always had to act so stupid and childish around me, but it got under my skin sometimes, especially since he normally played himself off as the calm and collected type around the rest of the pack. I mean, my mother and sister knew better but that's because he grew up in our home after his parents passed away.

"Luke please, now is not the time for this. I need you to just trust me and help me get her back to the pack house okay." I looked at my best friend for what felt like forever trying to beg him to understand everything that I wasn't saying. Somehow our bond felt distant, like there was a wall between our minds that was preventing my wolf from connecting to his and I knew he couldn't tell that she was my mate.

"You want to bring this -this human back to the pack house? Dude, are you nuts. No human has ever been to the pack house. That kind of defeats the whole safe and secure aspect don't you think."

I sighed, I don't think there was anything I could really say at this point besides just telling him that she was my mate that would get him to understand the severity of the situation however I couldn't bring the words out of my mouth. He was partly right about the situation. No human had ever been allowed access to the pack house and right now she definitely smelled human. I looked down at the sleeping girl in my arms, the electricity that burned where I touched her and the sweet smell of cinnamon and vanilla told me what I already knew but there was also a doubt there. The soft pink flush of her skin that showed she was cold and the small hints of blemishes that scattered themselves across her cheeks told me she wasn't a wolf. Our kind had adapted a long time ago to the drastic temperatures of the Bone Forest and we rarely ever had breakouts when we went through those awkward teenage years.

All the signs of her being a human were there. The way she trembled slightly in my arms, the frailty of her body where she should be firm and muscled. How could she be so imperfectly human when I clearly saw a wolf's eyes staring back at mine just moments before Luke showed up? I reached over her and brushed a loose strand of auburn hair from her face, trying to catch a glimpse of what I knew I saw. The girl whimpered at my touch so quietly that if I wasn't already so intently focused on her I would have missed it. My wolf growled inside my head, frustrated.

"We have to get her back Jack, she needs to get back to the pack now." He hissed. His urging sent another wave of anger through my body.

I looked up at my best friend and beta who was staring at me like the world had fucking ended. He had taken another couple steps back without me realizing it and I knew he was waiting for a good explanation. I breathed deeply before I responded to the question I had left up in the air.

"Luke, I need you to trust me. As your Alpha I am telling you that this girl will come with us back to the pack house. I can't fully explain why right now but I can say that it is probably one of the most important things that you will do." I tried to project as much of my alpha energy onto him as I could with our bond being as blocked as it was.

A few more seconds elapsed, and I could tell he was trying to resist the power I had over him. Give it up to him to pick now to be the time to actually refuse to obey. What a perfect time, this prick. Eventually I could tell when he gave in as his shoulders sunk. He walked over to me and reached down to help me stand without making me let go of the girl.

"Whatever, brother biter." He mumbled as he turned around to lead us back home, taking a protective stance as any good beta would do.