Page 27 of Stolen Choices
More pain engulfed his body. His bones and muscles felt like they were shattering but he ignored it and focused on Katia’s deep-blue eyes. The hues filled with the desire of their first kiss. He fought the urge to succumb to the pain and drift off into nothingness where he couldn’t suffer ever again. He couldn’t do it while Katia was still hurting. He didn’t know much about magic, but he knew one thing, he’d never backed down from a fight he couldn’t win before. He pushed past the pain barrier and into the silence of his own inner self. In his mind’s eye, he could see the spell twisted in front of him, entwined with his consciousness. He ordered it out, but it didn’t move. His panther appeared at the edge of his dreamy vision, its teeth bared and claws ready to scratch. ‘Leave,’ he ordered again. This time his panther sprang from its spot and attacked the wispy tendrils of the spell. It roared, slashed, bit, and attacked. It killed every last strand of the magic binding him. Jackson let out a long breath as his panther came victoriously back to him and settled within him once again.
His eyes opened, and for a second time, Jackson found himself trapped in a cage in the Glacial Blood mansion. Kas and Jessica were sitting on chairs on the other side of the bars.
“You have a strong panther,” Jessica spoke to him first.
His immediate reaction was to curse her for being the cause of his pain, but then he remembered she wasn’t. His head felt clearer now than it had since before he could really remember…maybe since before his parents died.
“What’s happened?” he asked, rubbing his temples when his non-murderous thoughts toward the witch didn’t cause him to roll around on the floor in agony.
“You’ve broken the spell.” Jessica smiled at him with genuinely warm affection. It was a little unsettling. For so long, he’d fought against these people.
“I don’t think I’ll ever understand magic.” He got to his feet and rubbed his head. The wound he had from hitting it on the floor was no longer there. “You healed me?”
Jessica nodded.
“Thank you…I think. Why am I not dead?”
“You’re more useful to us alive until Katia tells us otherwise.”
Katia! He’d lost track of her for a moment.
“You have to let me out. I need to go after her. If I’ve broken the spell, I can get her out now.” He grabbed the side of the cage and rattled the bars. “Kas, please.”
“I don’t think you’re in any position to be making demands of me, but I do owe you for telling me about my grandfather.” The polar bear got up from his seat. “While you were fixing yourself, we went to see him. I think you’ve got a lot more to tell me about my brother’s plans before I let you go anywhere.”
“Please, there isn’t any time. I know Weston had something big planned for Katia. She’s dying inside. We have to rescue her now.”
Kas and Jessica exchanged looks. Jessica lifted her hand up in the air and waved it. The lock on the cage clicked. He dared to push the cage door open and walked out to his freedom. With a powerful witch in the room, he wasn’t going to make any stupid mistakes. He’d been under enough spells to last him a lifetime. Jessica got to her feet and came to stand in front of him. She reached out and placed her hand over his heart. He didn’t move—he just stared down at her.
“What are you doing?”
“Checking something out. It won’t hurt. My magic is natural and only used for good. Not the type Ciaran put in your head, or the darkness he used to resurrect Kas’ grandfather. It’s positive but can reveal a great deal.” Jessica muttered a few words he couldn’t understand before his head started to spin.
Kas grabbed him and held him up as a powerful blast surged through his body, but it wasn’t painful—it felt warm and caring and filled him with a desperate urge to make amends for the wrongs he’d committed while under the influence of Ciaran’s magic. He’d taken Katia to that place and put her back in harm’s way. He had tried to stop what he was doing, but every time, the spell had punished his mind and taken away his control. Now he was going to damn well make sure he got her out of there. He’d fallen in love with her.
The magical power whooshed back out of him, and he regained his footing and senses. He opened his eyes again to see a smiling Jessica staring at him. Jackson stiffened. What the fuck had just happened? Seriously people needed to stop doing magic on him. It was freaking him out. He wasn’t afraid to admit that magic scared the shit out of him. Kas seemed like a pussycat compared to Jessica, and he was a several ton polar bear.
“He loves Katia,” the witch announced and smiled. “They’ve kissed. I feel the love surrounding him. And Katia, despite her situation, feels something for him too. She knows it’s not been his fault, and he’s been trying to rescue her. It’s early days for them, but I think we may have another couple in the mansion.”
“Only if we can save Katia.” Kas added and patted Jackson hard on the back.
“Then let me help,” Jackson pleaded as Jessica continued to keep her hand on his chest.
“Let’s go get the others. I want Weston dead. There’s no chance at redemption for him this time,” Kas replied.
The polar bear then strode from the room, and when Jessica lowered her hand, Jackson followed him through the corridors of the mansion.
They entered the lounge to see everyone preparing for battle. The shifters of the pack flexed their claws, ensuring they were sharp. Emma limbered up while Selene stood holding the twins. Jackson guessed she wouldn’t be joining the fight, because she was pregnant with a volatile baby. She’d be the one to look after the cubs.
On the other side of the room, Jane and Isobel helped each other into combat gear before handing guns to Zain, who checked them to ensure they were ready to fire if needed. Jackson opened his mouth to question what they were doing but couldn’t find the words. He could only stare at the two humans as they prepared to go into battle. Humans, fighting for a shifter…surely it wasn’t possible. They must be staying here to protect the mansion and the babies.
“No, they’ll be there, fighting alongside us. I’ll run with Jane, and Zain with Isobel. We all have each other’s backs.” Kas pushed his thoughts into Jackson’s head, and the panther wondered if he’d projected his own into Kas’. “I know what you went through with humans, Jackson, but they aren’t all the same. Some we can trust—others we can’t. It’s about finding the balance, not ridding the world of all of them just because the majority of humans who are good share their DNA with a few stupid people. I’m sure we could argue the same about a few shifters.”
Jane, the older of the two human women, came over to them.
“How is your head, Jackson? Do you need any aspirin? I can’t believe Nuka did that to you. Ever since I’ve known him, he’s been in need of a damn good spanking.”
“How long have you known him?” Jackson found himself asking before he even really thought about the question.