Chapter 214

“Let me talk to your brother,” dad growls, each word slow and distinct. “I need…more information about how the rest of the time at the Academy has been. Although, I’m going to put him through a meat grinder the moment I see him, so he’s not going to be able to get any words out.” noveldrama

“You can ask Jesse, then,” I offer, more cheerful than I have a right to be, because I can see dad’s determination starting to crumble.

Dad just glares at me. “Don’t think he’s not dead too.”

“Please,” Cora says, her voice dry, “murder your own children. Leave mine to me. I’ve got special plans for that sneaky little rat – a long, slow death, I think…”

Dad glances towards Cora, opening his mouth to retort, but we all go silent and turn towards the second door in the room the moment it opens and Rafe reappears with a certain tall, freshly- showered Alpha by his side.

Rafe’s eyes go wide when he sees the collection of his loved-ones gathered on the poor over- burdened bed and he puts out a hand, smacking Jackson in the chest and stopping him in his tracks.

I can’t help it, though – Jackson, in a fresh cadet uniform, his hair all wet and slicked back?

God, but he looks so good.

He grins, feeling my emotions down the bond, passing his own relief and joy back to me. But then his eyes flick to my dad, and he stills, realizing…

Well, realizing precisely who is sitting before him.

My dad slowly gets to his feet, scenting the air, a vicious growl building in the back of his throat as he recognizes the scent of this cadet as the scent that is all over me.

“Dad,” I say, my voice worried as I shoot a glance between him and Jackson, grabbing for his sleeve. But my dad just brushes me off, moving slowly as he stands, his eyes moving between Rafe and Jackson. “Dad, don’t –“

“Who the hell are you?” dad asks, his voice very, very dangerous. “And why is your scent all over my injured daughter?”

“Dad,” Rafe says, stepping in front of Jackson, his eyes wide.

“Enough!” dad snaps at my brother, glaring daggers at him. “Step aside, Rafe, let this man speak for himself.”

Rafe sets his jaw and stays still for a moment, clearly deciding what to do. But then, to my surprise, he steps to the side, letting Jackson handle this himself – some Alpha instinct letting him know that this is between my dad and Jacks.

To my surprise, unlike the vast majority of men who would fall back a few steps and beg forgiveness or start spouting an explanation in the face of my father like this, Jackson stands his ground. He sets his jaw and curls his hands into determined fists. His shoulders slump forward, just a little, in what I think is a sign of non-aggression, letting my dad know that he does not want to fight. But he doesn’t give up a single step of the space between them.

Instead, Jackson just flicks his eyes to me, asking silently what I want him to do. Letting everyone in the room know that his next actions are at my command, not Dominic Sinclair’s.

“Oh,” Cora says, her voice a little breathless with awe and surprise next to me. “Oh, so this is…the one you were talking about, Ella…”

“Dominic,” my mom snaps, and from the corner of my eye I see her rise to her feet.

My dad stills just a second before turning towards her. Slowly, she shakes her head. “You’re making the wrong assumptions, Dominic,” she says, her words cold and filled with warning. “That boy did not hurt Ariel, he saved her. Jackson is the one who carried her across the finish line – he’s her mate.”

My dad goes absolutely rigid with shock as I turn to stare at my mom.

Because as my father’s growl fills the air and he turns his murderous gaze back to Jackson, I am desperately, deeply unsure that that was the right thing to reveal in this moment.