It was a good thing Jordan brought some light reading—the latest copy of The Journal of Analytical Biochemical Chemistry—for this retreat because her cell reception was shit, and there was no way she was creeping back downstairs to ask Jackson for the Wi-Fi code. When she arrived, Lily had shown her the door that led to the attic but hadn’t gone up as the room wasn’t ready. When she left the dinner table, she had walked past one other bedroom which she had assumed was Jackson’s. Based on the position of the attic room, she realized that Jackson was right underneath her.
Underneath her room, she corrected herself. Not underneath her literally. Of course, that made her visualize Jackson’s hot-as-hell body underneath hers, his hips between her thighs. Her wolf licked its lips, and she quickly shut that thought down. Stupid she-wolf.
It must have been nearly four o’clock in the morning when she finally put the journal down. Her eyelids felt heavy, and at last, sleep was claiming her. That is, until she heard the most god-awful sound in the world.
“What the hell?” It was a loud, ringing noise that burrowed into her ear canal. She grabbed a pillow and placed it over her head, but that didn’t seem to block out the noise, especially with her sensitive hearing.
Another loud sound—this time, it was the door to the attic bedroom flying open and slamming against the wall. She jumped out of bed, tripping over the sheets in the process, then landed on the floor with a thud. Slowly she looked up.
Jackson stood in the doorway, looking down at her. His hair was slightly mussed in that sexy I-just-rolled-out-of-bed way, and he wore a tight shirt that clung to his broad shoulders and jeans that molded to his hips. She involuntarily licked her lips when she made the outline of his abs through the shirt, wondering if they tasted salty after he was done with working on the ranch, all sweaty and dirty and—
“What the hell are you doing?” he groused, startling her out of her fantasy.
“Oh my God! Are we under attack?” She scrambled to her feet, trying to free herself from the sheet that had wrapped around her body.
“Attack? What are you talking about?”
“Are you deaf?” she asked in an exasperated voice. “That racket! Is it some kind of alarm?”
“Yeah,” he said. “That’s your wake-up call. It’s time to get up.”
“Get up and do what?”
“Your chores.”
She struggled with the sheet. “Chores? What do you mean, chores? Ah-ha!” Finally, the damned sheet was loose and pooled down at her feet. She kicked at the damn thing that made her fall on her face in front of that stupid ogre.
“Your chores. The reason you—”
Her head shot up, wondering why he’d suddenly stopped. His mouth was open, and he was staring at her. Rather, down at her chest.
It was warm in the attic room, so she had dressed in a thin tank top. It had cooled down considerably, so now her nipples strained against the white fabric. She crossed her arms over her chest as embarrassment flooded her veins, making her cringe.
“I—just come down when you’re ready,” he growled before turning away, his heavy work boots echoing his obvious displeasure as he stomped away.
She grumbled as she scrambled around for her things, yanking on her black leggings, gray V-neck shirt, and sneakers. This was her standard outfit and the great thing about wearing the same thing every day was that she didn’t have to think about what to wear. Plus, when it was butt-crack-of-dawn o’clock in the morning and she couldn’t remember where the light switch was, it was comforting to know her outfit would always match.
After stopping by the downstairs bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth, she trudged out to the back of the house. Everyone was already out there, probably waiting for her. Keith and Blake nodded and greeted her good morning while Karen snickered as she passed by. And Liz—how the heck did she look perfect even at this hour? Her shiny hair was bound up in a sleek ponytail and her makeup was on point. The checkered shirt she wore clung to her curves as did the tight jeans that looked like they had been spray-painted on her ass. Unless she woke up like that, she probably got up an hour before to make sure she was perfect.
“Nice of you to join us.” Liz’s lips curled into a smile.
She ignored Liz and stood beside Blake. “Where’s our host?”
Everyone looked around and saw Jackson strolling out of the barn, two men following him. He had changed into a long-sleeved shirt that was rolled up to his elbows, showing off the tattoos that curled up his arms. The wide-brimmed cowboy hat completed the look.
“Good morning,” he greeted. He gave everyone a courtesy nod, though he did flash a smile at Liz. “Welcome again, thanks for your cooperation and getting up early with us.”
Jordan guffawed and crossed her arms, which only earned her a stern look from Jackson.
“Anyway,” he continued. “As you all know, this retreat is a pilot program between the Shenandoah and the New York clan. Grant Anderson wanted to start this program to allow Lycans to get in touch with their animal side, something I’m sure not many of you get to do, living in the city. What we hope to accomplish is to bring you balance, and hopefully, prevent any problems in the future.”
His voice had gone somber, and there was a heavy silence in the air. Jordan, of course, knew what he was talking about. The big battle of Norway. Blake and Keith had looked uneasy, and she realized they could have volunteered to fight in the battle. She would have too, had she been in New York at that time.
He continued. “Anyway, today we’re going to start you with some light chores around the farm. Now, you may be wondering if I’m using you for free labor. Well, kind of.” He chuckled. “But this isn’t just about learning how to do ranch hand work. What we’ve found out around here is that steady, hard work is something our wolves need. It’s in our biology. You know this; you all probably feel restless sometimes, especially if it’s been too long since a shift or a Blood Moon. You want to run, and you can’t sleep. Maybe in New York, you’ll roam the streets or get on the treadmill for a couple of hours.”
“I’ve done that,” Blake said. Everyone except Jordan nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, well work is what you need. To burn off all that extra energy.” Jackson motioned for them to follow him. “We’ll start by mucking out the barn. Garland,” he nodded to the older man on his right, “and Jesse,” he gestured to the younger man behind him, “and I will be around to help you out and show you how it’s done. We’ll be doing this for just an hour and then we’ll head in for breakfast.”
“Muck out the barn?” Jordan cried. “Like, clean it out?”
Jackson crossed his arms. “Yes. You gotta problem with that?”
“Actually, I do,” she said. “There’s like … poop there.”
He gave her an exasperated look. “Yes, that’s the general idea of what a barn is.”
“But that’s unsanitary. I’m not sure I brought enough hand sanitizer with me.” She reached into her pocket. “And the hay … oh my God, my hay fever’s gonna go crazy. Plus, there’s my asthma. My inhaler’s back in the house.”
“Hay fever? Asthma?” Jackson’s voice pitched a few tones higher. “Are you kidding me?”
“You know, hay fever doesn’t come from hay,” Karen said.
She wanted to say, shut up, Karen, but turned to Jackson instead. “I can’t do this.”
“I’m afraid you have to,” Jackson said. “Grant Anderson and Sebastian Creed said you should consider me your Alpha and you have to do this. For the good of the clan.”
As if on cue, she let out a very loud, wet sneeze. “Oh no …”
Jackson strode toward her, and as he came closer, his large form loomed over her. “Well, you’re going to have to suck it up, Buttercup.” He pointed to the barn. “Now go.”
Jordan sniffled and rubbed her face with the sleeve of her shirt, but followed everyone to the barn. She trudged behind them, grumbling in protest along the way.
“Here you go, yo
ung lady,” Garland said, handing her a shovel.
She grimaced, but took it anyway. “Thanks.”
He grinned at her. “Now, don’t you be paying no mind to Jackson being all grumpy. He’s used to having to order people around.”
“So, his bark is worse than his bite?” she asked hopefully.
“Er … well,” Garland rubbed a hand down his face nervously. “I’m sure you won’t provoke him too much, will you?”
She laughed. “I’ll try.”
Cleaning out the barn wasn’t as bad as she had thought. Garland had shown her some tips, and being a Lycan, she wasn’t all that tired. Of course, she was sweaty and dirty, but it felt good for some reason.
“All right everyone, good work,” Jackson announced.
“I have to say, it was one helluva workout,” Keith remarked as he dropped the shovel.
“I could go on and on though,” Liz said as she daintily put two pails down at her feet.
Jordan wanted to scream. Though her shirt and jeans were dirty, the other Lycan still looked perfect, without a hair out of place. Liz must have sold her soul to the devil or something, because right now, it felt like she needed two showers to get the stink out of her clothes and hair.
“Oh, Jackson,” came Liz’s high-pitched voice. She had sidled up right next to him, rubbing his shoulder.
Gritting her teeth, Jordan spun on her heels. She was staring down at the ground as she marched out of the barn, causing her to bump straight into something solid.
“Hey there.” Strong hands wrapped around her arms. “Watch it, pretty lady.”
Her head shot up, and her gaze collided with a pair of brown, doe-like eyes. Almost too delicate for a male. “Sorry,” she said.
“No worries.” He flashed her a smile as bright of the sun. He was a Lycan too, she could sense. “And you are a pretty lady. Are you one of them retreaters?”
“Yes,” she said. “I’m Jordan.”
“Carter!”
Both of them turned at the angry voice. Jackson strode toward them. His face was inscrutable and his hands were balled at his sides. “What are you doing here?” he said through gritted teeth. “I don’t want anyone else around here with the guests.”
Jordan could feel the force of his wolf—all male and very alpha—and Carter must have too because he released her and took a step back. “Sorry, Alpha. No one told me.”
“What do you want?” Jackson’s voice was tense and cutting.
Carter lowered his eyes and bowed his head. “Uhm, the Lupa asked me to come here and tell you that breakfast was ready.”
“Good. You said what you needed to say, now get out of here.”
“Yes, Alpha.” He turned and began to walk away.
She watched him disappear into the distance, frowning in confusion. “Well, I’m starving. I’m gonna go eat.” When she pivoted, she felt a hand on her forearm. There it was again, that electricity that sparked over her skin.
“Jordan.”
The way he spoke her name made a shiver run through her. Ignoring him, she tugged her arm away and began to make her way back to the house. Stupid brainless ogre. What was the matter with him, treating one of his employees and a member of his clan like that? Well, it shouldn’t be a surprise, seeing as how he treated his son. I just want to get out of here. She didn’t want to be here or be around that boorish man anymore.
5
Jackson stared after Jordan’s retreating figure, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. He didn’t want to move, couldn’t move or else—
Or else what?
He let out a frustrated growl. Whether that was him or his wolf, he couldn’t tell. Just calm the fuck down. Why his animal was acting this way, he wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he wanted to rip Carter’s head off for touching Jordan.
“Jackson?”
The sweet voice jolted him, and he spun around so fast that Liz staggered back. “I—” He cleared his throat. “Excuse me.” He turned around and began to walk toward the house, ignoring Liz’s calls and cursing at himself as the distance between them increased.
Just as he thought, Liz was perfect—wasn’t afraid of work, beautiful, and was very interested in him. Normally, he wouldn’t waste time getting a willing female into bed, but he kept hesitating.
It was that damn woman. Jordan and her perky little tits. When he went to her room this morning, the sight of her nipples poking through that paper-thin shirt had him fucking hard as steel.
I’m thirty years old. I’ve seen dozens of tits. But the image kept popping into his head. They weren’t overly big and he’d be able to cover them with his hands. But those perfect nipples … he wanted to see them naked and suck them in his mouth.
“Goddammit.” He kicked the dirt. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. He was supposed to want Liz, not Jordan, the hypochondriac weirdo.
“Jackson? Are you all right?”
He’d been so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t realize he was already back at the house. Lily was standing at the top of the porch, hands on her hips.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“You seem tense. Did something happen?” His mother’s face was drawn into a mask of concern. When he said nothing, she sighed. “All right then. Get washed up and come in for breakfast.”
“I will.” He trudged up the steps and headed to the small sink by the door, twisting the tap so hard that he felt the steel creek under his fingers. He splashed himself with a healthy amount of water and dried off with the towel hanging from the rack. His shirt got wet, and he cursed again.
“Jackson, you silly man,” Liz said as she caught up to him. Behind her was Karen, Blake, and Keith. “Didn’t you hear me call you?”
“Sorry, I was in a hurry,” he said, trying to muster up a smile but failing because of his foul mood. “Let’s go in and get some food. You all earned it.”
With a deep breath, he walked into the kitchen, the rest of the retreaters filing in behind him. Breakfast was laid out on the table and much to his surprise, there were already two people seated, their plates piled high with pancakes.
“No way you can eat all that,” Austin said to Jordan.
“Oh yeah, I can.” Her stack was twice as big as his. She reached over to the serving plate and put a healthy amount of bacon on top. She smashed her fork into the pancakes and popped an enormous bite into her mouth.
“Jeez, you really can eat!” Austin said. “Hope you don’t barf all that up.”
Jordan swallowed. “Ha! You’d think that would be cool, don’t you?”
“Definitely.” Austin laughed. “Gross, but cool.”
Liz sat down next to Austin. “That would be wasteful though.” She took some fruit from the bowl in front of her. “Austin, you need healthy food for breakfast, too. Wouldn’t you rather have some strawberries and cantaloupes?”
“I’m a wolf and I’m gonna be Alpha someday. I don’t need no fruit! I need meat.” Austin grabbed a fistful of bacon strips and bit into them.
Jordan snorted, making her choke on her food. She grabbed some juice and downed it, cackling as Austin continued to chew his way through the bacon while Liz looked on, appalled.
“Austin, make sure you finish your breakfast,” Jackson snapped. “You’ve got to leave for school soon.”
“I will, I will,” Austin said with a pout, but dug into his food heartily.
Jackson felt the irritation gnawing at him. It was bad enough that the annoying she-wolf had gotten under his skin, but now she was getting to Austin too. He’d never seen him act so carefree and happy with anyone but Evie and Lily. Goddammit, his son should be getting close to Liz, not Jordan. “You’re not even dressed yet,” he said. “Garland will be taking you to school in twenty minutes.”
“Give him a break, will you?” Jordan’s fork clattered on her plate loudly. Around them, the conversation went silent, and all eyes went to him.
“Excuse me?” Now she was crossing a line. “How—”
> The door suddenly opening and slamming against the wall made him stop. The door swung back, but a hand shot out and stopped in from completely closing. Jesse’s face, covered in sweat from exertion, poked through the opening “Alpha. You have to come now.”
“What’s wrong?”
The younger man’s brows furrowed. “Just come. Garland’s truck is out front.”
Jackson’s instincts made him sprint out to the front porch. Garland’s red, dust-covered pickup was already backing up toward him. “What’s going on?” He stopped short in front of the driver’s side window.
Garland got out and then jerked his thumb at the cab of the pickup. “Found it way out in the middle of the valley.”
He walked over to the back of the truck, Garland right behind him. He grabbed the tailgate and pulled it down. “Jesus fucking Christ.”
The metallic smell of blood instantly hit his nose. He wasn’t squeamish, but the sight of the dead animal in the truck bed made his blood freeze in his veins. There was no other word to describe it except a slaughter. From what he could tell it was, or rather, had been, a goat. But it was hard to recognize the form as the neck had been twisted around and the torso was nearly ripped in half. Again, like the chickens, there was something malicious about this killing.
“What do you think?” Garland asked.
Jackson didn’t want to say it. But he didn’t have to. They both knew what this could be. Feral wolf. No control, only an appetite for destruction.
“Oh my God! That’s horrible!” Liz cried.
Jackson didn’t realize everyone had followed him outside. Lily, Austin, and their guests were standing right behind him.
“What the hell is going on?” Keith eyed the carcass. “Is that a baby cow?”
“Oh, Jackson!” Liz exclaimed. “Who could do such a thing?” Tears formed at the corner of her eyes.
“Hey, it’s okay.” He reached out, and she immediately clung to him, pressing her face to his chest. Of course Liz would be upset. She’d grown up on a farm, so she understood. Every animal was precious. That goat provided their farm with milk, not to mention kids that could be sold or continue to supply them with dairy products. To have it mutilated in such a manner was not only a waste, but disrespectful. He wanted to put his arms around her and pull her close, but for some reason, it felt awkward. It didn’t feel right. Her scent was cloying, and he couldn’t breathe. His wolf too protested at her touch. So instead, he reached up behind her and stroked her back in a soothing manner.
A Mate for Jackson: Bad Alpha Dads: A True Mates Standalone Novel Page 5
