Chapter 7

Jackson was brimming with happiness but had to put on a serious face as he sat in a pack meeting. He couldn’t hear his father’s droning voice all he could see was lily’s face…her smile…her eyes. He broke into a grin.

“Care to share your reason for smiling when there has been a breach on pack lands?” his father, alpha McCabe asked folding his hands in disappointment.

Jackson stared at all the eyes that turned to him in silence. He wouldn’t let his father ruin his mood.

“Nothing. You can proceed with the meeting.” He said without a trace of emotion. Alpha McCabe sighed and continued the meeting after a beat of silence.

The head of the pack security started to talk.

“we don’t know how there was a breach on pack lands, the scent left behind is the only evidence that we have left. It might as well be a stray animal.” The pack security said.

“I trust my instincts, I believe there was a breach.” Alpha McCabe said with a harsh frown on his features. His beta hummed in agreement.

Jackson hoped that his father was simply being paranoid and there wasn’t an actual breach. He wondered who would breach into their pack because they have been mostly peaceful for the past years.

After the meeting ended his father stopped his by the door.

“I didn’t mean to embarrass you in today’s meeting.” He said.

Jackson nodded and tried to make his way to the door but he was halted once again.

“Have you found your mate yet? It’s time for you to start taking reign of the pack.” Alpha McCabe said.

Jackson had to bite his tongue to stop himself from saying instead he shook his head. He had to honour Lily’s request.

His father’s eyes widened he scratched the back of his head as if he was confused.

“Anything else?” he asked.

“You need to prepare to visit neighbouring packs to search for your mate then.”

Jackson mildly panicked but kept his heart under control so his father wouldn’t hear it.

“I think you should leave my mates business to me.” He said in a rush and left the room.

The hoped that this lie wouldn’t keep up for long.

Lily sat in her bed texting Hannah who gave her monotonous replies. She decided to call her to ask what was going on. After the third ring Hannah picked.

“What’s wrong? You’ve been off lately.” Lily said.

It was quiet at the other end of the phone till she heard a quiet sniff.

Lily’s heart stopped.

“Are you crying!” she asked sitting up on her bed while clutching her pillow. “What happened Hannah?”

“I’ll tell you in person…at school.” Hannah finally said but her voice sounded cracked as if she has been crying for a long time.

Lily rushed to put on her jeans and t-shirt for school. If she has to go early today to see Hannah so be it. She rushed out of her house without breakfast even though her father kept on back.

She was out of breath when she arrived because she ran all the way there. She quickly scanned around looking for Hannah’s blond hair. She spotted her by a tree sitting under it with her face buried in her hands.

“Hannah!” Lily yelled as she approached her.

She looked up from her sitting position her eyes were bloodshot and looked irritated by constant rubbing. They stared at each other.

“Who should I kill?” lily growled out her eyes flashed a little bit of purple but Hannah didn’t notice it.

“I was rejected.” She said so quietly that she almost didn’t hear her.

“By who?”

“Cody… Cody Green.” She forces herself to spit out his name. Mentioning it hurt.

Cody green was the next beta of the pack and Jackson’s friend. They went for training together which is probably why Hannah is just realising that she’s his mate. He was Kimberly older brother and as entitled as she was it seemed.

A loud growl emanated from Lily’s chest startling Hannah. Her fangs and fingers elongated. Lily couldn’t understand why both her wolf and witch sides have been acting up since Jackson arrived but she was too blinded by rage to think about it.

“How dare he reject you?” Lily growled again trying to keep her wolf under control.

“It’s fine…I mean it’s not fine. He hasn’t officially rejected me yet which is why I haven’t died from the pain of heart break.” Hannah rushed out while standing from the ground she didn’t want anyone fighting because of her.

Lily barely managed to calm down. She knew what the pain of rejection can do to a wolf. If the person is not strong enough it can lead to death or turning feral. She didn’t want to imagine that happening to her best friend.

She looked ahead and saw Cody laughing with his friends and some random girl on his arms as he disappeared into the school walls. Lily turned just in time to see Hannah’s crestfallen expression.

With all her reasoning gone she matched up to the school after Cody. Droning out any voice of Hannah telling her stop or think it through.

A purple haze fell over her eyes. She wanted Cody dead.