Blood Warrior (27 page)

After what seemed like several tense moments, Victoria gave one last warning growl and took off into the trees. I stayed where I was, staring at Jackson, who had his back to me, still tensed for an attack. Slowly, almost cautiously, he turned so that he was facing me.

Standing face to face with him in wolf form was far more intimidating than anything I’d ever encountered. It took a lot of effort, but I managed not to take a step back.

But when he began to approach me, I felt my heartbeat kick into overtime, and I clenched my fists tight to keep my hands from trembling. “Jackson?” I asked in a quiet voice, even though I knew it was him.

Yes, darling, don’t be afraid, it’s me.

It was his mid-western drawl in my head and I felt certain that I had truly lost my mind this time. Just add hearing voices to my list of problems. Unsurprisingly, I laughed out loud at my loony thoughts. I was starting to hate that nervous habit.

In front of me, Jackson tilted his head to the side.
What’s funny? Only you would
laugh at a time like this
.

I jumped at his reply, which was once again, just in my head. “Are you talking in my mind, or am I going nuts?” I asked out loud.

Jackson’s laughter sounded inside my head.
You’re not crazy, darling, when we’re
in wolf form, this is how we communicate.

I narrowed my eyes as a thought came to mind. “Can you read my thoughts too?” His tongue lolled out and his lips pulled back over his teeth in an expression that I thought might just be a smile. When I propped a hand on my hip, he spoke in my head again.

Relax, I can’t hear your thoughts, only other wolves can hear each other without speaking out
loud, and that’s not mind-reading, it’s just like communicating without speaking. I can talk to
you like this, but I can’t hear you unless you speak out loud.

“Oh,” I said. Now I was freaked out on more levels than one.

When he began walking toward me again, I couldn’t help but tense a little. Even though I knew Jackson would never hurt me, it was unnerving to have something so big and intimidating be so close to me. Judging by the size of him, I would compare it to getting up close and personal with a lion.

When he was only about a foot away from me, I swallowed hard and did my best to remain very, very still. Like I said, he was more than intimidating in this form.

Just don’t run, okay? He told me before closing the distance between us. If you do,
it will be hard not to chase. I don’t think my wolf would harm you, but he’s still a wolf.

I crossed my arms and snorted. “I don’t run.” At least not usually, but then, this was not the usual.

His chuckle filled my head again and he stepped forward and pushed his muzzle into my hair. Again, I felt my heart beat out of my chest.

But you want to. I can smell it.
He nuzzled my neck, and surprisingly, goose bumps broke out over my skin
. Your scent is so much stronger like this
.

I heard him inhale deeply, and his warm, wet nose brushed across my collarbone.

Amazingly, I felt my eyelids flutter at his touch.

It’s absolutely intoxicating, darling.

My hand seemed to reach up on its own and I ran my fingers through the fur on his neck. It was soft and thick, and I felt like I could fall into the warmth of it. I was seriously thrown off by this, but at the same time, it was… exciting. Taking a deep breath, I inhaled the scent of him, letting Jackson fill my lungs.

He pulled back a little and tilted his head again; it was actually really cute. His voice was utterly shocked when he spoke in my head.
Your eyes are glowing Alexa.

I furrowed my brow at that. “Umm, thank you.”

Giving his head a small shake, he said,
No, I mean they’re
glowing
. They’re
glowing wolf-gold.

That sobered me up quickly, and in glancing around, I found that the shapes of the forest were no longer hard to make out. In fact, I could see everything almost as well as if it were full day outside. Don’t get me wrong, this was a shock, but honestly, by this point, I was taking everything in strides.

“Cool,” I said. “I mean, I guess it’s cool. I am part wolf aren’t I?” He chuckled again.
That you are, and I think your wolf likes me.

I shrugged, mildly embarrassed that I had reacted so strongly to him while he was in this form. “What’s not to like?” I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

I could hear the smile in his words
. Amazing, you’re amazing. I’m going to shift
back. Can you wait here for a moment? It should only take a few minutes.

I nodded. “Yeah, sure.”

He turned and trotted off into the trees. A few minutes later, he emerged and I stared at him with wide eyes. He had indeed shifted back to his human form. However, that wasn’t why I was staring. It was because he was completely naked.

As soon as I realized what I was doing, I jerked my gaze away. It wasn’t easy though, Jackson had the body of a gladiator. I had known that he was in good shape, but it was quite different seeing it firsthand. Also, I was just embarrassed; it’s not every day I saw a naked man. I didn’t even really watch television.

My cheeks flooded with heat as he approached me, and he laughed at the way I kept my gaze up at the stars. “Sorry, darling, my clothes aren’t far from here, but I didn’t want to stay in wolf form too long with you around. My wolf tends to run on instincts, and you invoke some pretty strong instincts.”

I shrugged. “It’s okay… How far are your clothes?”

He laughed. “Not far, but if you take off your shirt I can use it to cover up.” I shook my head and couldn’t help a smile. “Nice try.”

He threw his arm over my shoulder, further embarrassing me. “Suit yourself.” We found his clothes a few minutes later, which actually was just a pair of jeans.

After he slipped them on, I gave him a big hug and a quick kiss on the lips. “Thank you,” I said.

He wrapped his arms around me and I became acutely aware of the feel of his warm skin against mine. Pulling myself closer to him, I allowed my fingers to explore the hard muscles in his back. When he pushed the hair off of my neck with his nose, the same feeling I’d had a few moments ago came rushing back, only stronger. There was something enticing about standing in the middle of a dark forest with him so close to me. He inhaled deeply again and then pulled back to look at me. His eyes glowed once more, and I was pretty sure mine had lit up gold as well.

“You’re very welcome, my love. But what were you doing out here again? I told you it can be dangerous.”

I smiled, still very much wrapped up in his proximity. “I’ve never been good at taking directions, Jack.”

He raised an eyebrow. “But apparently, you’re good at evading questions.” I sighed and stepped out of his arms. I hated lying to him, but it’s not like I could tell the truth. “I’ve been stressing a lot lately… and the forest seems to give me some peace. I like to run out here, it helps me think.” That wasn’t a total lie.

He considered this. “Okay, but, for me, will you try to do it during the day? The wolves usually only run at night, so you should be okay if you stick to daylight hours,” he said, in a serious tone.

I nodded, understanding that he was just worried about me. “Okay, I’ll try.” He stared at me for a moment as if he wasn’t sure I was telling the truth. I guess he accepted my answer, though, because he took my hand. “Let’s get back in case Victoria decides to show up again. I think she was going for your throat.” I nodded, and a little anger spiraled in my stomach. “Yeah, I think she was.”

Chapter 51

We made it back to the city, exiting the woods near the school. Then, an idea suddenly came to me and I turned to Jack. “What time is it?” He glanced down at his wrist and saw that it was bare, like much of the rest of him. “Not sure, but it’s probably around nine. Why?”

I didn’t know what to say so that I could get away from him. It’s not that I didn’t want to be around him, it’s just that I wanted to do this on my own. “I need to go to the library,” I said. It wasn’t a lie, mainly because I couldn’t think of one fast enough.

“Okay, I’ll walk you… I didn’t know you did homework.”

I raised an eyebrow at that last part. “I read a lot.” That was true. “But it’s okay, you don’t have to come, because if I’m going to make it there before they close, I’m going to have to run.” That must have sounded cool; now all I needed was a pocket protector.

Jackson’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief. “You are going to ‘run’ to the library so that you can get there before it closes? Did they just get the new copy of Harry Potter or something?”

I rolled my eyes at him. “The last copy of that came out years ago.” His expression turned a little impressed. “You do read a lot.”

“What? Everyone knows-,” I shook my head. “Never mind, I just need to pick up a book I’ll need for class tomorrow.” I was finding myself lying to him more and more. I didn’t like it, but I’d promised Soraya that I wouldn’t say anything to anyone. So really, I was just keeping someone else’s secret, right?

“Okay,” he said slowly.

I hopped onto my tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “Thanks again, Jack. I won’t forget what you did for me tonight. I’ll see you at lunch tomorrow.” I took off after that. I’m absolutely positive I looked like a total idiot, but I really did want to reach the library before it closed.

As it was, I reached to front of the small stone building just as the librarian was locking up for the night. It was the same older lady that had given me the journal, and upon seeing me, she opened the door and ushered me inside. She locked the door behind me and her features flooded with concern. “Warrior, is everything alright?” she asked.

I ran the back of my hand across my forehead to wipe away the sweat. I ran every day, but I didn’t run my fastest very often, and I was a little winded. I pulled in a harsh breath.

“I’m fine,” I breathed. “I just wanted to catch you before you left for the night.” She smiled, but still looked mildly confused. “Alright, well what can I help you with, dear?”

I smiled back at her choice of an endearment term. She would remind me of my grandmother, if I’d ever had one. In fact, I think she was the only person I’d met at Two Rivers who could qualify for old, and even so, just barely. “Do you believe in what that journal said?” I asked, deciding to cut to the chase.

She nodded slowly and gave me a knowing, half smile. “Ahh, so that’s what’s got you rushing over here.” She studied me for a moment before continuing. “Yes, I do.”

“Then you know why everyone here seems to think that I am going to save them from something,” I replied.

Again, she hesitated. “I would say that I understand why they would think that, yes.”

“From what?” I asked.

Her brow furrowed. “I beg your pardon?”

“What do they think I will save them from?”

She spoke in a whisper, almost as if she was afraid to say. “From an inevitable future.”

I threw up my arms. “What are you talking about? Why does everything have to be such a mystery around here?”

She glanced around uneasily. “Please, Warrior, I would ask that you lower your voice. This is a library after all.”

I turned around abruptly and went to leave, but she stopped me when my hand reached the door. “Look around you, Warrior, and listen to those instincts you try so hard to ignore. You can feel that something is off,” she whispered, nearly inaudibly. “Look at the people and places here and compare them to the world that you knew outside of these walls.” I turned my head and pushed open the door. “Yeah, thanks.”

“I understand your anger, you are a Warrior after all, but I can say no more. I do not wish to speed up what little time I have left.” Grabbing a random book off a nearby shelf, she shoved it into my arms and gave me a slight push out the door. “Good luck with your test tomorrow, Warrior,” she said in a normal voice.

“Thank you,” I repeated, then, I stepped back out into the night. Looks like I was going to have to get some answers on my own.

Unfortunately, I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be all that easy.

Chapter 52

The next morning, I was in Patterson’s class, talking to Tommy. We had just finished what Patterson called “boot camp”. It involved an exhausting amount of push-ups and jumping jacks. Though I was sure my hair was a mess, Tommy’s was still neat and perfect.

“What happened to you yesterday after that warrior came to get you?” he asked, once we caught our breath.

I shrugged. “I guess you could call it a one-day-unofficial suspension.” His face lit up with understanding. “For the thing with Victoria?” I nodded and searched for a change in subject. “By the way, I decided I do want to go to the fight this weekend.”

That sly smile came over his handsome face. “Really? What made you change your mind?”

“I just thought it might be… educational.”

He laughed at that. “Do you realize that will be our first date?” I shifted my feet. “Actually, I’m with Jackson.”

He waved this off. “Only until you fall in love with me.”

I raised an eyebrow at that assumption. “Is that so?”

He looked at me like the answer was obvious. “Why, yes, it is. Now go get changed and I’ll walk you to history class.”

“Yes, sir,” I said sarcastically, giving a small salute.

He smiled and headed off to the boy’s locker room. I rolled my eyes and went to go wash up before my next class. I wasn’t annoyed with Tommy; actually, he made me laugh.

But I still found it strange that guys actually liked me. I’d always been told that I was beautiful, so it wasn’t that my self-esteem was low, it was just that human guys had always stayed away from me. Humans altogether had always avoided me, but here, people didn’t avoid me at all.

They wanted to be around me, they liked me. It was easy to get used to, because out of everything that had been happening, a little friendship was one thing I could welcome with open arms.