“Yes.” His lips turned up at the corners. “First, let me thank you for saving my son.”
“Cross! And Deedee!” Panic gripped her. “Are they okay?”
“They are unharmed,” he said. “As are you.”
“Huh.” She looked down at her arms, then cupped her body with her hands. She was all in one piece. She sighed in relief. “Oh, thank God! I thought—”
The door slammed open. “Daric! Is she awake?” Meredith rushed into the room, Dr. Creed and her mate behind her. She ran right to Jordan and embraced her. “Thank God you were there during the accident!” she sobbed. “I don’t know what I’d have done if anything …”
“You saved Deedee, too,” Sebastian said in a somber tone. “I owe you one.”
Jordan scratched her head. “Er, what happened? I’m pretty sure I didn’t cause the accident this time.”
“No, it’s not your fault,” Daric said. “I’m afraid that my son is to blame.”
“Cross?” Jordan was confused. “How could a baby cause an accident?”
Daric tsked. “There are still many things we don’t know about what the hybrids are capable of.”
“Hybrids?” she echoed.
“Half Lycan, half magical children,” Dr. Creed continued. “Cross is a hybrid. Like your Alpha’s daughter.”
“Oh, right,” she said. Her cousin married Lara Chatraine, a witch from the New York Coven and they had a daughter, Elise, who was not much older than Cross and Dee. “But I don’t understand how a baby could have caused the accident.”
“I believe my son may have released a burst of power and shorted the lab equipment,” Daric said. “It’s highly unusual for an infant warlock but not unheard of. I’ve cast a simple binding spell to stop him from using his powers until he’s old enough and have had the proper training.”
“Uh, that’s great. All resolved then.” She swung her legs over the side of the bed. “Ack! Where are my clothes?” she exclaimed as looked at the drab hospital gown she was wearing.
“They were burned in the explosion,” Dr. Creed said. “We can—” She stopped short. “Jordan, you don’t know, do you?”
“Know? Know what?”
Dr. Creed and Meredith looked at each other before the latter spoke up. “Jordan, that explosion would have killed anyone. Even a Lycan.”
“Really?”
“Yes,” Dr. Creed said. “When you shielded the children, the only reason all of you survived is because you’re pregnant. With your True Mate’s child.”
Preg—
“Hold on!” She raised a hand. “I’m what?” Her head buzzed as a wave of dizziness threatened to overwhelm her. She gripped onto the thin, paper-like sheets. “I can’t be pregnant. I’m on birth control.”
“That only proves our point, I’m afraid,” Dr. Creed said. “True Mate pairings always conceive the first time, unless you used condoms.”
Oh, shit. Of course they didn’t. Jackson had shifted from wolf form, and she wasn’t exactly the type to carry condoms when she went on random walks.
“Honey, it’s the only explanation.” Meredith put a hand on her arm. “I know it’s confusing. We can get a test if you want.”
“But the fact that you’re still here is proof,” Dr. Creed said. “When the rescue workers found you, they said you didn’t have a scratch on you.”
“I …” Oh, God. She was pregnant. With Jackson’s baby.
“Well?” Meredith asked. “Who’s the lucky man? Husband? Boyfriend?”
Lucky, indeed. “I … he …” She felt her cheeks prickle with heat. “Please, I can’t do this right now.” Her throat was burning with tears.
“Wait.” Dr. Creed let a sharp gasp. “He doesn’t know, does he?”
Jordan didn’t move a muscle, not wanting to deny it or reveal who the father was. She was afraid to even speak.
“This ain’t right.” Sebastian stepped forward, his hands curling together. “Your man needs to take responsibility for this.”
“Jordan,” Daric said in a gentle voice. “Don’t worry. You are safe here. The New York clan, as well as the San Francisco clan will take care of you and your child. There is no need to fret.”
When he placed a hand on her shoulder, she felt a strange zing across her skin. What the …
Daric cleared his throat. “I think we should leave now,” he said. “Jordan needs her privacy.”
“But we can’t just leave her by herself,” Meredith protested. “The poor girl is pregnant and all alone. She—”
“Min kjære.” He took his mate’s hand in his and shot her a meaningful glance. “We should go. Our son needs us.”
Meredith looked like she wanted to protest, but changed her mind. “All right. We’ll head out. But,” she turned to Jordan, “you contact us if you need anything, okay?”
Dr. Creed reached out and squeezed her hand. “You’re not alone, Jordan,” she said. “You have us. I promise you, whatever you need for you and the baby, you’ll have.”
“Like I said,” Sebastian added. “I owe you one. Big time. If you want me to burn this deadbeat to ashes, just say so.”
“Sebastian!” Dr. Creed admonished.
“What?” Her husband shrugged.
Jordan felt the overwhelming emotions taking over. She couldn’t breathe. She wanted all these people out of here. She wanted to be out of here. “Thank you,” she murmured. “I really need to be alone now.”
“All right, we shall leave you. Come along, everyone.” Daric herded everyone toward the door. Before he left, the warlock flashed her a knowing glance. “Do not fret, little ōkami. All will be well.”
The door closed shut before Jordan could ask him how could be so sure everything would be all right. And how he knew that endearment. Ōkami was Japanese for wolf and her father’s nickname for her. Well, it didn’t matter now. Nothing else mattered.
She threw herself back down on the bed. Pregnant. The word rang in her head, over and over again, but it still didn’t feel real. Tentatively, she placed a hand on her belly. Then, she started to cry. At first, it was just tears streaming down her cheeks, but then it became full-on sobs. This was a total disaster.
And no one could know. Lycan children were treasured in their world. With their numbers dwindling, every child was welcomed, regardless of parentage. Illegitimate children were accepted into the fold, sometimes even raised with their legitimate siblings.
She couldn’t do that to Jackson, and certainly not to Austin, not when she knew there was a chance for him to have a real family. Jordan and her baby would just tear them apart. Besides, she wasn’t fit to be a mother. Even Jackson told her so.
Her wolf came out of nowhere, ripping her up from the inside. Protect … don’t hurt …pup.
“Jeez,” she said aloud. “Shut it. I’m not going to do anything!” How could it even think she would do anything to harm their baby?
She let out a long sigh. There was nothing she could do now. And, since she wasn’t hurt, they couldn’t keep her here. She just wanted to be home, in her crappy little studio in Bushwick and just forget all this happened.
The next day, Jordan was sitting at home in her pajamas, eating cold Chinese food from a takeout box when she was interrupted by insistent knocking on her door. She wanted to scream “Go away!” but whoever it was must have really wanted to see her because they would not stop knocking.
“Fine.” She put the box and the chopsticks down, wiped her hand on her robe, and marched over to the front door. She considered looking through the peephole before opening the door, but apparently, she was invincible, and not even a homicidal maniac could kill her. “What do you—”
Her chest tightened, an invisible grip squeezing around her rib cage.
It couldn’t be.
She shook her head. The man standing on the other side of the door may have looked like Jackson, but she could tell he wasn’t. Even if he didn’t have that scar down his cheek, she just knew. Her wolf knew too, and it yow
led in disappointment.
“I know what you’re thinking.”
Jordan realized there was a woman there beside not-Jackson. “You do?”
The pretty brunette gave her a smile, her light brown eyes friendly and warm. “Uh-huh. You can tell, right? It’s not him.”
“How did you—”
“I’m Evie,” she said. “And this is my husband, Connor.”
“He’s … he’s …”
“Jackson’s twin,” Evie finished. “I’m guessing he never mentioned he had a twin. Jordan, may we come in?”
Though she was speechless, she stepped back anyway to let them inside her apartment. “I’m sorry, I haven’t cleaned up.” Oh, God, there were tons of takeout boxes all over the living room. And the kitchen. And on the floor. “I wasn’t expecting company.”
“It’s all right,” Evie said. “We don’t want to take too much of your time.”
“Yes, I’m quite busy, as you can see.” Ugh, her stupid mouth again. “Sorry, it’s my defense mechanism.”
“Jordan, would it be okay if we just get to the point?” Evie asked. “About you being pregnant with Jackson’s baby.”
Her shoulders sagged. “Fine.” It was time to face the firing squad. “But how did you know anyway?”
Evie chuckled. “It’s a long story, but Daric knew because he touched you and saw it in a vision.”
“He did?”
“Yes. He can do that with almost anyone. And so, he told Meredith, who happens to be Connor’s adoptive sister.”
She glanced at Connor and then Evie. “Hold on. You’re going to have to explain this all to me.”
“We can, but like I said, it’s best we get straight to the point.” Evie pursed her lips. “Why did you run away from Jackson?”
“And why haven’t you told him about the baby?”
Connor’s voice was so like Jackson’s it made Jordan’s heart hurt. She thought she had shed all the tears she could in the last twenty-four hours, but it seemed she still had more. “I … I don’t know!” She sobbed. “I mean … I just can’t.”
“Can’t what?” Evie asked.
“Ruin his life. Or Austin’s!”
Evie’s face was a mask of pure shock. “Excuse me?”
“Jackson doesn’t want me.” Oh God, saying it out loud made her feel worse. Every time she closed her eyes, she only saw Jackson and Liz kissing. “He’s already chosen someone else.”
“Who?”
“Liz! That’s who.” She wiped the tears with the back of her hand. “She’s perfect, don’t you know? She rides horses, loves the outdoors, doesn’t have weird allergies or germaphobia. She’s also gorgeous. Like a fucking Victoria’s Secret model with legs ’til Kansas. She’s the one he wants.”
“What?” Evie sounded shocked. “No way. Absolutely not. Oh, Jordan.” She pulled her into an embrace.
Jordan sniffed, trying not to get snot all over Evie’s pretty blouse. “That’s kind of you to say, but I saw them with my own eyes.”
“Well, you better get those eyes checked.” Evie released her and then gripped her shoulders tight. “Jordan, I chat with Lily on the phone every day. Now, uh, it’s probably our fault Jackson was even considering Liz.” She glanced at her husband, who shot her a look that said, I told you so.
“It is?”
“Yeah,” Evie said sheepishly. “She and I were trying to find a mate for Jackson. And a mother for Austin. This whole corporate retreat thing seemed like an opportunity to do that. I, uh, may have influenced the Alpha to send some eligible women up to do the retreat.”
“Oh.”
“And you were a last minute addition, right?” Evie laughed at Jordan’s nod. “This True Mate thing … funny how you don’t know what it’ll lead to. But I digress. Jordan, Jackson doesn’t love Liz. He doesn’t even want her in his territory. Apparently, she had some awful things to say about Austin.”
“Among other things,” Connor growled.
“Anyway,” Evie continued. “Jackson hates her. Austin hates her. In fact, according to Lily, all he talks about is you.”
“He does?”
“Yeah. She says he’s always, Jordan this or Jordan that around the house.” Evie chuckled. “Now it makes sense.”
“No it doesn’t.” Jordan looked down at her hands. What had she seen that day? With Liz and Jordan kissing? Did he have a third evil twin lurking about, kissing women?
“Look,” Evie said. “I’m sure this is all a misunderstanding. You need to call him and talk it over. Clear this whole thing up. You’re True Mates. I can’t even begin to tell you how special that is.” She gave Connor a warm smile.
“I …” Could she do it? What if Evie was wrong? “I don’t know.”
“Do you love him?”
The question came out of left field. Did she? “I’m not sure. I mean, I’m not even sure I can be a mother.”
“Lady, you saved three children in two weeks,” Connor huffed. “If that ain’t being a mom, I don’t know what is.”
“It’s not that,” she said. “I don’t know how I feel.”
A flash of disappointment crossed Evie’s face. “Just … will you think about it?”
“Are you going to tell him?” Jordan asked. “About the baby, I mean.”
Evie looked up at Connor, then back at her. “We have to.”
She knew it was inevitable. Unless she ran and hid out until the baby was born, news would get out eventually. “Just … give me a couple of days, okay? I just need to think about what I need to say to him.”
“The words are there.” Evie pointed to her heart. “You just need to pick up the phone and tell him.”
She wasn’t even sure she could do that. “I won’t make you lie to him for too long,” she promised. “I just need to be the one to say it.”
“I totally understand. We’ll leave you be for now.” She turned to her mate. “Let’s head back home.”
Connor put an arm around her and led her away, Jordan following behind them. She murmured a good bye before she closed the door, then braced herself against it as her knees trembled.
So, Jackson and Liz weren’t getting together. Relief poured through her. But, did she love him? Hell, did Jackson love her?
She shut her eyes. All she could see was Jackson. Smiling at her, teasing her. Making love to her that night. She felt so free, so cherished. It was the closest thing to flying she’d experienced.
She gasped, realization flooding right through her. “I’ve been an idiot.” She did love Jackson. All this time, she’d been afraid. S0 afraid of how different they were and how it wouldn’t work out, that she’d been too blind to see what was there all along.
“Crap!” She had to go tell him now. Her wolf yowled its agreement, and she chuckled. “All right, all right. Hold your horses.” There was no time to waste, though a shower was definitely in order. As she ran to the bathroom, she began to plan.
16
“Don’t any of you motherfuckers know how to do a damn thing right?” Jackson lashed out as he threw the hammer to the ground.
“So-s-sorry, Alpha,” Jesse said, his Adam’s apple bobbing in fear. “We’ll do it right.”
“Make sure that you do,” he growled, before turning around to stomp back toward the house.
He was getting tired of this shit. Being damn angry all the time and taking it out on his crew or anyone who got in the way. He nearly bit the head off some poor greenhorn who had the audacity to ask him a simple question about where to put the tools back.
He raked a hand roughly through his hair. This wasn’t going to work. He had to control himself and his wolf before he lost everyone’s respect. That would mean also losing control of his clan, and he couldn’t risk that. Someone could come and challenge him for the Alpha position. However, he would give all that up if he could change things at home.
Jackson stopped just outside the door of the house. He knew why he hesitated to come in each time, but he did anyway. Taking
a deep breath, he opened the door.
Lily was standing over Austin as he sat on the kitchen table, scribbling on a notebook. The moment he entered, his son glanced up at him. The look Austin gave him—anger, disappointment, sadness—made him feel about ten inches tall.
“Jackson, you’re back,” Lily said in a lighthearted voice. “How was today?”
“Same,” he grumbled. “What are you working on, Austin?”
The boy glared at him and then gathered the notebook to his chest. “May I be excused?” he said, looking up at Lily.
“I uh, suppose—”
“Austin.” Jackson advanced toward him. “I asked you a question politely.”
“Yeah? So what?” Austin shot back. “Just cause you’re bein’ all nice to me doesn’t mean I have to be nice back!”
Jackson really was trying. He had been trying the last two weeks not to lose his cool at Austin or answer his baits. The boy was obviously hurting; hell, he was too. But it was like a powder keg in here and it looked like things were about to explode. “Austin, you will stop with that tone and be respectful and polite to your elders.”
“Why? Why do I gotta? Why can’t you leave me alone? You ruined things!” he shot back.
His control snapped. “Oh, that’s rich. I ruined your life? You’re eight years old. You don’t even have a life.” Fuck. He instantly regretted opening mouth.
“Not my life!” Austin said. “You ruined your life. She was the best thing that happened to you and you let her go.” His cheeks were red and puffed up. “You’re an asshole!”
“Austin Campbell Forrest!” he shouted. “You go up to your room now! You’re grounded.”
“For how long?”
“Indefinitely.”
Austin threw his book down. “Fine!” He stomped away, hiccupping as he tried to muffle the sound of his sobs.
“Fuck!” Jackson scrubbed a hand down his face. “Fuck my fucking life.”
“Jackson Logan Forrest!”
“I’m an adult, Momma, I’m allowed to cuss.” He sat down on the chair Austin had vacated and buried his face in his hands.
Austin was right. He’d ruined everything. His life. Austin’s life. Everything around here was falling apart.
A Mate for Jackson: Bad Alpha Dads: A True Mates Standalone Novel Page 14
