Page 31 of For All My Effort
“It’s a complete copy of my office at work. All the important information about where I have teams, their safety plans, and whatnot. In case an emergency happens, I need to be able to find them. So, what upset you earlier?”
“It was just a misunderstanding.”
“Explain it to me, then.”
Jackson sat me down on the only chair in the room, standing against the little bit of wall next to the door. His thick arms were crossed over his chest, and despite his naturally stern expression, his scent was patient and calm. The chair was wide, letting me cross my legs in the seat. To stop myself from turning around from the momentum, I reached out to the desk to settle.
“It was private,” I tell him.
He shakes his head. “Nothing in this house is private. Nothing to do with this pack is private. Especially not to me.”
We stared at each other for a long minute, my attitude versus his calm. Part of the reason that I didn’t want to tell him had to do with the fact that I was embarrassed. I let my negative emotions win rather than just talking it out. Was I allowed to have feelings? Sure. But my mates weren’t rude alphas, they genuinely cared about me. And I kept assuming the worst with them.
I broke our eye contact, half deflating as I admitted what had happened. The words just flowed out of me, and I didn’t look back up toward Jackson until I finished.
“I think we all messed up,” he surprised me by saying. “It didn’t help that your heat came on much quicker than anticipated, but we can rectify that now. Let’s go on a date.”
“A date?”
“How else are we supposed to make new memories? Get to know one another again? The issue is that you’re worried about belonging in the pack. The solution is to prove to you just how compatible we truly are.”
It made sense. Was logical. Honestly, it even made me excited. My instincts loved the idea of being pampered and spending time with my mates.
My hangup was the term dating. Did that mean exclusive? Were we no longer a pack as we got to know each other so there was a potential for us breaking up? I didn’t like that idea at all.
With one hand on the desk, I pushed myself side to side in a comforting gesture while I tried to think through accepting the proposal or not.
Pushing off the wall, Jackson stepped closer. He grabbed my hand so I couldn’t turn the chair away from him and then kneeled down in front of me. “Talk to me, Hannah. Don’t keep your worries to yourself. I can feel you starting to panic.”
“I don’t want to break up.”
The words were barely out of my mouth before Jackson growled, his scent spiking with anger. “We won’t.”
I raised my hand about head level, explaining, “Bonding is like here. Top tier, forever.” Lowering my hand to my stomach’s height, I added, “Dating is here. We’d be going back a step.”
“Wrong. We will always be here.” He placed his fist under my hand, raising it up back to the imaginary line I drew for bonding. “We’re dating you in name only. I won’t let anyone take you from me, not even you.”
“You’re crazy,” I whispered, even as my stomach tingled at the aggressive compliment.
To that, he just grunted.
“So that beta…”
“Which one? Koda?”
“The one who flirted with you and Seb that sent me into a heat.”
“Is that what caused all these doubts you’ve been having since your heat? You think we might want someone else? Oh, rebel,” he tsked. “I will happily prove to you every day that you’re the only one I want.”
“Even if I never remember?”
“One day, you’ll become so confident in my love and adoration for you that you won’t ever doubt me. That’s my goal. So yes, even if you never remember. You’re mine. And I can’t wait to watch you fall in love with me all over again.”
His words were honest, but I still snorted a laugh at his phrasing. “You’re cocky, huh.”
“With good reason, rebel.”
When he winked, another round of tingles started at my stomach and spread upward to my cheeks, pulling my facial muscles into a wide smile. Flashes of memories from my heat reminded me how good it felt when he’d knotted me and I squirmed on the seat, the chair making my movements more exaggerated.