Page 66 of Jackal's Pride
It was the first time, as a woman, that I realized how much I craved to belovable.I wanted to be loved. As it was, I only knew how to be hated and stalked, lied to and closed off.
Now Jackal…
I yearned for someone who had yet to leave me. Gavin and Newt were proof that even my friends wouldn’t stay by my side. Everyone always seemed to want something I’d never offered to give them. But I’d already given that up to Jackal along with every future one of the beats that thumped from my heart. It was only a matter of time before he’d leave my tattered pride on the floor and be done with the one thing he was interested in—my body which he went around calling “mine” like the Neanderthal he was. Sadly, I kind of liked it—kind of liked him.
That was unacceptable.
“We should head to the castle,” I muttered quickly the second we were finished with the repairs. The Den looked exactly as it always did, only empty.
I didn’t wait around to see what Jackal planned to do. I seemed to havesomepride left when it came to him. Newt taught me that no one was who they said they were—or pretended to be.
______
“Fifty-four?”
“Sixty.” Payne dragged his feet through the door where we were all sitting. “Found six more with the same note.” He flicked the red note on the floor angrily. I didn’t have to see it. We’d already read the same note over andoverwith every dead Reaper body we found.
The age of the Reapers has come to an end.
-Harvesters
“How cute they’d name their little group after Harvest.” August tossed another one on the floor with a scowl on his face.
“This is Harvest’s doing,” Dad added. “He’s created this group with ease. News travels fasts. It’s only going to get worse.” His commanding tone and rigid posture spoke one thing:prepare ourselves.
Everyone was tired and stressed out. There wasn’t enough space for all of us to fit on the two couches in the family room slash meeting area so a few of us stood. August was in his typical spot by the window. Joy and I sat side by side while Prudence, Mom, Kitty, and Isabella sat on the other couch. Sebastian, perched on the arm chair, rubbing Isabella’s shoulder.
“What do we do now?” Joy asked, lifting her head. The only one of us brave enough to do so.
“First, we’ll get in touch with every Reaper,” Dad replied. “We need to make sure everyone’s watching their backs. We can’t let the Harvesters catch us off guard again.”
“We’ve been so focused on the human problems that half the Underworld is likely plotting with this group. A lot of them would love to see us fall so they can do whatever they want in the human world,” Mom mumbled sadly.
Dad grasped her hand, pulling it up to his lips. “It’s okay. We’ll get through this.”
She frowned. “Then why are you barely sleeping?”
“It’s hard to rest when you have so much to lose.”
“We’ll get through this,” Sebastian repeated. “If we get down and out so quickly, then how will we survive the next eight months? How will we protect ourselves as well as the humans?”
“It’s a group of low-ranking demons that we’ll squash in no time,” said August. “I deal with demons like this all the time at the casino.”
Mom smiled at him.
“He’s probably right,” Payne agreed.
“Probably?” August scoffed. “I am right.”
Payne exhaled. “The problem lies in their numbers. If they attack a Reaper as a group, they’re able to hurt us. I think that’s what they’ve done to the ones we’ve lost.”
“We’ll need to contact those who had families, and let them know what’s happened,” Joy whispered. “Actually, I can do that now.” She got up and scurried out of the room, not even bothering to let her eyes wander to Payne who was watching her for once.
Kitty shook her head, taking a bite off her Slim Jim. “You’d think she’d be used to death since death is our job.”
“Joy has a soft heart,” Mom told her. “But that doesn’t make her weak.”
“Why is the terminator standing by the door even now?” Prudence asked, and I tensed. “Are we making him a Reaper or what?”