Kella (Black Jack's Curse Book 1)

by Rebecca Ratliff

  “I'll call the kid, I'm sure he'll come right over. How about the two of us head inside. I'd love a glass of anything you might have.” Kella looked up and saw the smile on the man's face, a smile that she'd never seen since moving to the small town two years earlier.

  “Well, I..,” she looked down and couldn't leave glass on the ground. She'd never forgive herself if someone got hurt. “I can just clean it real quick. But here,” she got up quickly and pulled her keys from her pocket before unlocking the door, “you can wait inside. Help yourself to the fridge.” She couldn't even think right then, let alone recall anything that might be available to drink, but Blake was talking to her and she wasn't going to blow it.

  He's going to let her clean glass? No wonder she needed help finding a man. Jackson watched Blake leave her to the task and walk into the house. He heard himself growl again, which was a reminder to learn how to better control his emotions. He slowly positioned himself on the ground with only his large head coming through the bushes.

  Kella managed to get every bit of the mess cleaned and only cut herself once in the process. Jackson's gaze moved to the window of her home where he watched Blake pour a glass of wine, only one glass, and walk to the living room. Jackson's growl was contained that time.

  He then watched her as she went into the house and straight to the kitchen to wash her hands. Jackson wondered if the woman even realized that Blake hadn't poured a glass of wine, but since she got one herself, it became obvious that she knew. And yet, he surmised, Kella didn't seem bothered at all.

  Watching the two of them talk together in her living area had brought thoughts of his own life. It was a familiar scene, the two of them laughing and making small talk over a drink, but Jackson started to wonder if perhaps he'd tried too hard in his own life. If women, such as Kella, didn't even notice that a man was being horrible right out of the gate, then what was the purpose in all the effort that other men would put in. Jackson's egotistical thoughts were interrupted when a sudden realization took hold.

  Why do I care about who the guy is, or how he treats her? This is it! And I didn't have to do anything! He stood without thought and took a few steps forward until he was on the sidewalk across from Kella's house. Enough talking! Get on with it! He willed the two to put the wine down and go to the bedroom, because clearly, he knew that all women needed was a good romp in the sheets and they would be in love by morning. The man? Probably not, but it didn't matter. The queen was clear, and he was only meant to find love for Kella. He was going home and the couple in the living room were just one sweaty night away from sending him there.

  Chapter Two

  Jackson stretched his back legs as far as he could, looking more like a frog than a wolf-dog. But he didn't care because the sun was rising and the couple had done exactly what he needed. Their relationship was consummated, without a doubt, and his queen would summon him back to his realm at any moment.

  He was still planning what he would have for lunch, at home and away from the human realm, when he heard the back door open to the house. Jackson was in the backyard, as he'd been since seeing the pair take their conversation to the bedroom during the night, and he remained still as the man nearly tiptoed along the back of the house. Blake didn't notice the one hundred and fifty pound wolf that was stretched out in the morning sun not ten feet from him, as he was too concerned with getting away without waking Kella.

  Ah, the morning escape. Well.. it's obvious that you don't care about the woman. Jackson wasn't concerned about the man's feelings, as long as Kella had found love. I can't say that I admire your taste in men, but who am I to judge? Jackson yawned, gaping his mouth so wide that one could have counted every razor sharp tooth that was exposed. He flipped over and rubbed his back on the ground, squirming from side to side, and feeling the bliss of a back scratch that the earth provided. He was still enjoying his massage when Kella's voice carried from the house.

  “Blake? Where... did you go?” Jackson flipped to his stomach and stood, shaking the grass from his fur, as he listened to the woman call for a man that he knew wouldn't answer. “You're.. gone?” Jackson nodded, not that anyone could see the dog reacting to the voice, and only stopped playing with the situation when the woman's voice dropped low enough that he barely heard her. “What did I do?”

  No... no! You didn't do anything! You love him, that's all that matters! Jackson ran to the back door without thinking, hoping to talk to the woman who was about to cry over a man that should have left her giddy and dancing through her morning. You knew he was an asshole! What did you expect? Jackson willed her to remember how happy she was to gain his attention the night before, and how willing she obviously had been to share her bed. Yet, his desire for a happy ending for the woman had been shattered when he heard her pain as she cried quietly in the kitchen.

  A sound came from his mouth that he didn't expect as he only attempted to yell her name. He..... unfortunately ... barked. What the fuck?

  Kella's face appeared through the window in her back door, and she instantly recognized the large dog from the festival. She remembered that he wasn't too friendly, and she had no idea the reason he was then barking at her door.

  She opened the door slightly to tell him to go away, but what happened next was the last thing she expected.

  Jackson was overcome with emotion and had to find a way to get through to the woman, even in his current state. He ran to the door and shoved his head in the opening, pushing it wide enough for his body to barge through.

  “Oh my God! No! Good dog... good..boy.” She backed away, hands in front of her body, until she felt the kitchen counter at her backside. “Oh shit.. it's okay. Just.. shoo!”

  Did you just shoo me? I'm not a housefly, lady. Jackson started to walk towards her, but the terror displayed on her face had caused him to stop. Don't freak out. I won't hurt you. Shit! How am I supposed to tell her anything? He closed his mouth, putting an end to his panting and showing of teeth that made her nervous, and then sat. It seemed to help, but she still wouldn't move. Okay. Get her calm. Then... find a way to make her happy about the asshole.

  Jackson was no stranger to dogs, but in his realm, they roamed free and weren't kept as pets. Although many of them were friendly because the Fae were known to feed and love them when they came around, they were still part of nature and were appreciated as mostly wild. He also knew how quickly a friendly dog could earn friendship by a show of affection. Affection that he was already regretting as he cocked his head to the side and hoped he looked more cute than deadly.

  “Okay,” Kella took a deep breath and stared at him for several seconds, “I'm going to get you a treat..,” her hand moved behind her and that's when Jackson realized he hadn't eaten since the day before, “here you go.”

  Really? Popcorn? It was obvious that it was a leftover bag from the festival, and he could only sniff the air as the bag was flung in his direction. Stale popcorn. And my mouth is watering. This is bullshit.

  She watched him devour each kernel, but he didn't go for the few pieces close to the back door. So much for her plan to get him back outside. “How about..,” that time, she actually moved to the right and walked slowly to the refrigerator, “some lunch meat?”

  Meat? Hell yeah, lady! Give me all the meat! He sat again, hoping to look calm, but couldn't help himself when she tossed it in his direction. Her throw was good enough to have it splat against the back door if he hadn't caught it in midair.

  “Shit. Okay.. I'll try again.” Kella took hold of another slice of roast beef and took a few steps in his direction before throwing it again. “There's no way you're wild. Someone trained you to do that.”

  Yeah, when I was a kid my mom used to hurl cold cuts at me for fun. Jesus lady... any dog can catch flying meat! Could I get some more?

  Kella wasn't sure what else to try, but just as she reached for more beef, she saw the dog do something that changed her outlook enough to allow her to walk the bag of r
oast even closer.

  I know. Head tilt.. waving paw... whimper. Now hand it over. Jackson was rewarded with several slices, and to his surprise, her smile was just as comforting as the food itself. Okay, you're a pretty lady and you just got used. And now you're smiling and feeding a wolf in your living room. I have to admit, I like your style.

  “Aren't you a handsome fella.”

  You have no idea. Let me come back here as my real self and we can...

  “Oh, you have a collar! Can I see?” Kella's hand reached out slowly and Jackson encouraged her by raising his head. He had no idea that he was even wearing one, so he was just as curious as Kella to see what the queen had done. “Black Jack! That's your name. Well, it's very nice to meet you.” Jackson's eye roll wasn't the same as it would have been if he wasn't a dog right then, but it still would have been obvious if Kella was paying attention. But right then, she was looking on both sides of his tag to see if there was contact information for the dog's owner. “Just a name?” She let go and dropped to the floor on her knees, looking the dog right in the eyes. “Maybe you're chipped? I'll take you to the office and we'll find out, okay? I'm sure you're ready to get back home.”

  Yes I am. But this chip business you're searching for had better not involve anal probing or stool samples because I'll bite you. Not playing.

  “I take care of dogs for a living,” she ran her hands through her thick dark hair and he could tell that she was debating on whether or not her appearance was acceptable for the public, “and cats. Well.. I guess all animals. Especially around here. I'm not that great with horses because I had one step on my foot when I was a little girl. They kind of scare me...,”

  Feed me or do the chip thing. Please. Just stop talking. Jackson looked to the door, then back to Kella. He found that the simple move helped her make the decision to leave right then. He did, however, wish that she'd taken a few minutes to change from her pajama pants that was covered in kittens performing all kinds of acrobats.

  He eagerly jumped into the passenger side of her car, of which was barely large enough for his extra large body to fit. There was no doubt that he looked ridiculous in the tiny contraption, but he remained still as she maneuvered the narrow roads. “It's not much, but it's mine.” She got out and started to walk to his side to open the door, but could only laugh when he barreled through the front and darted from her side.

  Why are you hoarding so many animals? Jackson followed closely beside Kella and looked around to see who owned the various scents that wafted throughout the entire front of the building.

  “ There you go, just give me a minute.” She let him in and closed the door behind her. Kella dropped her purse and keys on the counter and looked at Jackson as if she were measuring him up for a battle. “I'll bring the scanner to you... don't be scared.” She walked quickly to the back but Jackson wasn't about to stand in the front alone, not knowing what the woman intended to bring.

  She got to her examining room and could barely turn around when Jackson walked in, taking up a better portion of the available space. “Well, I guess you're anxious to find your people, huh?” Jackson stepped closer to take a look at the handheld device that she picked up.

  One last warning, that's not going in my butt. Jackson was well aware of the animal doctors in his realm, and it seemed as if they were always quite interested in the anal region of all them. He saw the devices in the room, and he wasn't having any of it.

  “I'm just going to run this between your shoulder blades. Hold still, big guy.” Jackson was relieved at hearing the location that she planned to put the far-too-large-for-a-butt device, and he sat his rear to the floor and waited for her to finish whatever it was she felt she had to do. “Bad news. You're not chipped. But I guess you knew that already, huh?” She put the scanner away and gently grabbed Jackson's face, holding him in her small hands as she stared into his face. “I'll find your family. Don't worry.” Jackson stared in return, not understanding why a stranger would care so much about his life, especially since he was only a dog.

  That's nice, really, but the only way I'm going home is if you and that man get your shit together. I have an idea, let's go find him. Jackson pulled from her hands and turned, knocking everything from the shelf that held paper towels and cleaning supplies. Sorry.

  “Hey! Where are you going?” Jackson turned to the right, instead of the left, and found himself running head first into a glass door. One that, unfortunately for him, was locked. “Serves you right. That's not the front door. So if you're going to take off running, you might want to know where you're going. Look,” she pointed through the door, “see the sweet babies?” Jackson had already seen the twelve puppies that yipped and whined from behind a small enclosure. “I finally made enough money to build them a proper shelter. And I'll have plenty left over to take on more fosters. You wouldn't believe how many animals need homes.. I wish..,” Jackson looked up when he heard the strain in her voice, and the pain of her words were obvious, “well, I just wish I could save them all.”

  Jackson admired her for trying so hard, but he also wondered why she didn't just let them go. Dogs were master hunters and they adapted to just about any environment. But you've domesticated all of them. They wouldn't survive, would they?

  “And the kittens are in here.” She started to walk further down the hall but Jackson had to stop. He'd done far too many things that he didn't intend, and taking a chance at a bad reaction to the cats in her care wasn't going to happen. “Or.. not.” She followed him to the front, and he waited close to her leg as she made a call before leaving.

  He listened, and apparently she was asking if someone had been there that morning to care for the animals. In Jackson's world, if someone said they'd do something, it was done. “Alright, just get better. I'll take care of them.”

  “Good morning!” Jackson turned and was on full alert at the sound of a man's voice. His growl was intentional, as well as the slow deliberate steps he took towards the man who entered Kella's office.

  “Black Jack! It's okay! He's my friend.” Jackson looked back and saw Kella smiling. He was no longer going to bite the guy, but he wasn't going to stop staring at him until he heard the reason for the intrusion. Especially since they had another man to find, so that Jackson could go home. “Parker, this is Black Jack.” The man smiled at the dog as if that would help, and walked slowly to stand in front of him. He wasn't a threat, that was certain, but Jackson still wasn't trying to make new friends. In fact, he didn't want any friends. Jackson also recognized the man as one of the volunteers that cleaned the streets after the festival.

  Tall. Good lucking... as far as humans are concerned, friendly, and he seems to have a fair amount of wealth. Why wouldn't you choose him? Jackson didn't want to spend much time on the thought since it was Kella's choice of man that required his focus.

  “Nice to meet you, buddy.” Parker gave him a pat to the head which almost got his hand bit off, but Jackson shrugged it off and moved to the other side of Kella. “Well, aren't you protective? He's a good guy to have around.”

  “Yes he is.” Jackson felt her hand move through the thick fur around his neck and he hated how soothing the small gesture felt. “But he has a family out there somewhere and I need to find them.” Parker nodded, and the same compassion that he saw in Kella's eyes were seen in his as well.

  “I heard Wyatt is sick. I just came down to help out. Go, I know you haven't had a day off in weeks, I'll take care of everything.” Jackson wanted to nod, but all he could do was nudge Kella's hand to take the offer and leave.

  He'll feed the pups. Let's go. We have an asshole to find. Kella looked down and Jackson started walking to the door. She reluctantly agreed, but all of them knew that it was because she wanted to find Jackson's family. Yeah, you work on finding my dear family... I'll work on sniffing out the loser that ran out on you this morning. Deal?

  “Thanks, Park. I owe you one.”

  Chapter Three
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  Kella led the way back inside her house with Jackson close behind. He didn't want to waste more time with pups, kittens, or sick volunteers to an animal clinic, what he wanted was for Kella to contact the love of her life and work things out. A shower? You're going to waste more time? He could have found another woman by now! Hurry woman!

  Jackson flopped hard to the floor and attempted to show his displeasure at the situation. Kella didn't even witness his display of self-pity as she was already washing herself and trying to figure out where to start in locating Black Jack's people. “They can't be far from here. He's too healthy and well taken care of, I'm sure his family is in town.” She rinsed her hair and a thought hit her without warning. “Yes! The festival! Someone brought him there! The only people I don't know are a few that live in the country.. he has to belong to one of them!” With gusto, she finished her routine and wrapped herself in a fluffy green towel. Jackson heard the water shut off and he was back on his feet in an instant.

  If we could go, that would be... oh... shit... nice. Kella walked through the living room in her towel, drying her hair with her hands as she made her way to the kitchen. Who knew you had that under those awful pajamas? The woman who had smelled of pickles and popcorn was no longer in front of him. A beautiful woman with the skin of a goddess and the body of his most satisfying dreams was present and very much appreciated.

  He watched her grab her phone and simply stare at it without speaking a word. Jackson wasn't a fan of the small device that most humans carried everywhere they went, then again the Fae had no need of them since most could speak to anyone through their thoughts. It was a much easier process and one that he was even more grateful for after seeing how addictive the humans' little phones had become. To him, being left alone was far more important than having a perpetual distraction. However, he thought, he was there to get Kella back in the embrace of Blake so that he could go home and live his life.