Page 77 of For All My Effort
“What do you mean?”
“Could you sit down, in front of a camera, and be interviewed?”
“What do you mean?”
A headache was forming between my eyes. He said he understood that I wouldn’t do an interview that hurt my designation, yet he wanted to know if the act of being interviewed would freak me out? Did he think I could somehow talk my way around an actual answer to a professional social investigator? Or was he planning on my memory loss to be effective in not answering questions?
“Do you trust me, rebel?”
I nodded, slowly. I did trust my mates. Not just instinctively. It was a lesson I was learning over and over again. “Yes.”
“Good. Let’s get you to bed. I’m taking you out on a date tomorrow.”
Jackson lifted me from the couch, carrying me up the stairs with ease as my other alphas followed. With the way I was wrapped around him, I watched my mates climb the stairs after us. The scents of nerves and frustration and relief were swirling around us in a mayhem of mixed uncontrollable emotions.
We undressed, my mates keeping their boxers on while I slept completely naked. Usually, I preferred pajamas. If I was honest, I was too distracted to put them on. My mind was buzzing with nothing, jumping from topics so quickly that I couldn’t have honestly answered the question of what I was thinking about.
It wasn’t just me that was distracted either.
I wanted to comfort all my mates, wanted to grow myself or multiply so I could wrap them all up in my arms and scent. Instead, I had to settle for a puppy pile. Jackson on the bottom with me laying on top of him. Sebastian on one side so I could reach out and touch him while Han and Zeke cuddled on Jackson’s other side. Han was closer, but Zeke reached an arm out to hold my hand.
In the dark silence of the space, I couldn’t help asking, “What’s the plan?”
“Don’t worry, rebel. We have three weeks to get you prepared. I’ll explain everything tomorrow, you’ll need your sleep.”
Despite my internal protests, I did fall asleep almost instantly.
Chapter Twenty-One
Jackson woke me up so early that I wondered if I actually got any sleep. I was moving so slowly as I got ready, unable to even muster a thank you to Jackson who laid out the clothes he wanted me to wear.
I wanted to ask what kind of date demanded that we get up before the fucking sun, only I couldn’t seem to convince my tongue to move.
We weren’t the only ones who got up, though. Sebastian was mysteriously missing from the nest and as soon as I woke up more, I planned on finding the energy to worry about that.
My head was resting against the cold counter of the island, the position weirdly comfortable, although that might have simply been because of how tired I was. Jackson was packing up our bags with snacks and water bottles and different sprays that I didn’t bother investigating to their actual use.
Something was set on my head, and it took a lot of effort on my part to raise my hand, feeling the fabric of a hat. Apparently, we were going outside.
“What time is it?” I managed to croak out.
“A little after 4:00,” Jackson said, sounding as awake as if he’d said noon.
“In the morning?”
My mate was lucky that I was too tired to even complain about wanting more sleep or I couldn’t guarantee this date would happen. I knew Jackson woke up early to work out, but I never knew he woke up this early. How did he even function the rest of the day?
Closing my eyes felt so good, as if keeping them open was an exercise in itself.
Something loud slammed down beside me, and I jumped, the momentary shot of adrenaline in my system making me feel awake.
“Drink up, princess.” Sebastian handed me a cup, the clear plastic with a simple logo of a muscular bicep, before kissing my temple.
I wasn’t particularly hungry, but a smoothie wasn’t really food, so I took a sip. The fruit flavor was fine, but it had a weird chalk aftertaste that clung to my tongue.
“Let me try.” Jackson grabbed the drink from me before I could warn him about the lingering aftertaste, and he handed me the drink Sebastian had handed him. “This is good. Try mine, rebel, we need to be heading out.”
Jackson’s drink was a mix of chocolate and coffee, and it was delicious. I swore that I could almost feel the energy from the drink seeping into my veins and waking me up.