The defiant mate by Fennifer Francis novel Chapter 29

Jay-ła POV

Jay-la woke to find Jackson sleeping on the bed next to her in a sitting position. It surely was an odd feeling, she lay there and just watched him for a solid minute, he looked very relaxed, his chin on his chest his eyes closed, his arms were folded across his chest, he was still dressed as he had been earlier.

He had not left her side the entire day, she knew it. She knew Stephen had also been around and for once truly was thankful for him. She felt very relaxed at this moment, compared to this morning, and being unable to cope with all that had happened, she felt light and with none of the usual weight that she had felt on her every day of her life since leaving the pack. Stephen had clearly used his Gamma Charm to not only calm her down but maybe take away her fear for the moment.

She glanced around the room. It was very large, with a set of large french doors off to the left of the bed, with soft sheer curtains tied on either side. She could see there was a balcony out there. The furniture in the room was all in soft grey and cream, there were two wing-backed grey and cream striped chairs with a light wood table between them, for shared meals she guessed.

A door that was open and must lead to the living space. There were also two other doors both open on her right, a bathroom and a walk-in wardrobe, she guessed. A long grey and white ottoman at the end of the bed, which was king-sized with a grey velour bedhead, there were several large windows and all the curtains, grey in colour, were open and she could see it was dark outside.

She was lying in the very comfortable bed, with a cream duvet over her. She checked to make sure she was wearing clothes. Still was, not that she thought Jackson would cross the line with her.

She reached out and squeezed his arm gently to wake him.

His light grey eyes opened and moved directly to hers. “Hey there,” he smiled gently at her, before glancing at his watch, then back to her with a slight frown.

“Where are my children?” she asked right away. She could not smell them at all, so they were not close by.” Where are we?

“With Jody at his place,” he replied, rolling his shoulders in a stretch that made his muscles ripple and c0ck, her eyes followed the movement unconsciously “You, my dear, are in the pack house.” His tone had changed ever so slightly, a hint of amusement and when she looked up to him he had this small amused smile on his face, he had seen her watching him.

“Why not with dad?” she ignored his look and sat herself up next to him.

“Your distress over your mother was really affecting them, so Stephen and I made the decision to separate you, till you could get yourself under control and together, you were really struggling Jay-la, your distress was affecting myself and Ethan too, Stephen being the Gamma not so much. It’s his job to deal with that kind of stuff I guess.”

“Oh,’ she bit her lip “I’m sorry,” she shook her head, “I had no idea my being upset would affect anyone…” though she had seen on occasion how her children reacted to her emotions, recalled if she was really sad, they appeared to be sad too, and became all quiet, she just put it down to the mother, child bond between them, but if her emotional state had effected both Jackson and Stephen that was odd indeed. “Are they okay?” she hoped that they were, her distress levels had been off the charts and she knew it, had not been able to cope at all.

“Yes, perfectly fine now it appears, happy with Jody, accepted him as your father, but l guess seeing you hug him the way you did, meant that they knew you trusted him.”

Jay-la pushed her hair out of her face and sighed “Am allowed to see them?” she could already feel that weight of worry coming back. She was in the pack after all and her Alpha could stop her from seeing her children. It wouldn’t take much at all. A simple order.

“Of course you are. Why would you think you aren’t?” he frowned at her.” You may go anywhere you like, you are a pack member Jay-la, nothing is off limits to you.” again he looked at his watch “you didn’t sleep long barely 2 hours, I surely thought you’d been out much longer.”

Jay-la shrugged, “I don’t feel like I was awake much today,” and she highly doubted that she could go anywhere she wanted.

“You spent the entire flight in Stephens’ arms sleeping, so 5 hours give or take, and then you passed out at your mother’s bedside. Its 8pm now.”

“Is this your suite Jackson?” she asked curiously, nudging him a little playfully. She had recalled how he and his wolf had responded to her flirting back in her office.

He laughed out loud, it was filled with amusement and the grin on his face when he turned to look at her was full of happiness and cheek, “Oh no, Nathan would kill me if l put you in my bed.”

The smile on her face at his reaction to her question was gone in an instant and replaced with a glare, she threw the duvet off and got out of the bed. Just because she’d had his pups, didn’t mean he had control over whose bed she was going to be allowed to get into. Yes she’d had to send Tim away, but she was not going to be bullied by him into being alone for the rest of her life, just because his wolf didn’t like another man around her children, he would damned well have to deal with it.

“Where is he?” she asked her, worried about being in pack territory finally coming back to her completely. “when am l going to have to report myself to him.. be punished?” she sighed the last two words out, it was unlikely she could get away from him now.

Jackson chuckled at her softly and got off the bed. “He’s not here, dealing with Rae-Rae and her family. I’m not sure when he’ll return, no eta at this point. But he did tell me, you may go wherever you like, no restrictions at all. Including Kora,”

She was staring at him now, eyes narrowed on him, she didn’t believe it. To be honest, she turned away from him, spotted the bathroom and headed for it. She looked a right mess, puffy eyes and slightly swollen bottom lip, from biting on it she guessed, her clothes were all rumpled and her hair was a mess.

She used the toilet, washed her hands, then her face and ran her hands through her messy hair, trying to neaten it as best she could.

When she came out, Jackson was leaning all casual like on the doorway which she thought led out of the bedroom, waiting for her, she supposed “pups or mum first?” he asked.

“My children, I am sure they are worried.” Kora agreed, though she was acting a little odd, pacing around in circles inside of her mind, ears flat against her head, tail low.

‘What’s wrong Kora?’

‘Vera smelled funny, want to go there again.’

‘Pups first?’ Jay-ła queried, wanting to help Kora’s needs out First. She didn’t usually act this way.

Whatever it was, I was really bothering her.

‘Of course, yes’ Kora snorted, as though that was a stupid question.

Jackson walked her out of the suite. Her eyes widened when she realised she was on the Alpha’s floor, she could suddenly feel fear ebbing into her, she felt Jackson’s gaze on her, she had been on this floor a thousand times growing up, she knew it just by sight. She turned and looked at the room she’d been in and nearly stumbled over her own feet. It was the Luna Suite.

She heard Jackson chuckle at her reaction and turned her eyes on him questioningly.

“What? Where else would I put you? You did birth his pups Jay-la. Heirs to the pack.” he was smiling that very amused smile at her. Like the unspoken question she had turned on him was the funniest thing he’d ever heard.

That doesn’t make me the Luna!” she muttered. She was not his mate. “I don’t think it is at all appropriate, Jackson.”

“It’s completely appropriate,” he replied “unless..” his voice trailed off as they walked down the long hallway heading for the stairs or elevator, she guessed.

“Unless what?” she bit her lip nervously, wondering if he meant a cell

“Unless,” he nudged her playfully, “you wanted me to put you in the Alpha suite?” and his head nodded to the solid oak double doors that they were passing on her right. She could hear more amusement in his voice.

Her head whipped around “Why the hell would I be in there?” she gasped at him, a little horrified by the question. The last time she’d been on pack territory he’d been furiously angry at her, “Like he’d want that.” she snapped at him.

Jackson’s laughing at her was igniting anger in her. “Oh come on Jay-la, its not like the two of you have never.” he left it unsaid. Knowing she would get his meaning.

“That was a very long time ago, before he hated me.”

Jackson was still smiling at her amused it seemed even more so than before. “Hmm, I don’t think he hates you, I think the man would love nothing more than to punish you in the fun way.. if you know what I mean” he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Anger claimed her. “He can go shove it, if he thinks after all that has happened I will crawl back into his bed, he’s in for a rude shock.” she grated out between clenched teeth.

“oh l’m sure he will shove it somewhere, the first chance he gets.” the laughing that was coming out of him was practically making him bend over from pure amusement.

Her anger boiled over. “I know you think you’re being funny. But it is not in the slightest bit funny to me, Jackson!” she yelled at him.

He stood, cleared his throat, reined in his laughing and nodded “Noted…you know, you’re not as fun as you used to be.”

“Well, I wonder why?” she glared at him and then stormed off towards the staircase. She knew there was an elevator she could take. The pack house was 5 stories high but she really wanted to stomp all the way to the bottom floor, allowing her anger and displeasure at his stupid remarks to be known.

Jackson trailed her down the stairs and out of the pack house. It was snowing outside and more than a light flurry, her eyes moved around the pack, she had always loved it when snow covered it, made everything seem just that little bit magical, there was a good couple of inches of snow. She turned her eyes upwards ‘Are we expecting a snow storm?”

“Looking to hide in a snow drift?” he seemed amused again.

“No, just curious is all.”

“It’s the first snow, actually, a small blizzard is expected. The Alpha might not make it back tonight if he’s not careful.”

Those words were music to her ears, to be honest. A day/night on pack territory where she didn’t have to worry about him coming for her, was a relief. She wasn’t looking forward to their showdown.

Jackson went with her all the way to her parents’ house.

“Are you going to follow me everywhere?”

“Probably,” he nodded simply, “you might run away again?”