The door to Quent's car slammed shut. His feet made a sticky sound as they crunched across the gravel full of melting snow up to the porch. Jackson reluctantly let Chloe go in order to turn around and face the oncoming man, but he was glad to feel Chloe stay directly behind him. He leaned back into her, feeling her body absorb his warmth.
"Paper says there was a fire on the base last night. Unknown amount of damage and that there was one injury: Colonel Bronn," Quent announced, holding up a newspaper. Jackson stayed quiet, knowing the three of them were all thinking the same thought. Was Herbert keeping up the story?
"So what happens now?" Chloe asked softly. Her hand was on Jackson's shoulder and he liked the way her fingers felt, even through his tan t-shirt.
"Now, I take the Captain here back to pick up his truck." Quent jerked his thumb toward Jackson. "Then, I'm taking a nap. Those young-uns wore me out last night."
Arthur strode out of the bunk house, his eyes going immediately to Chloe's hand on Jackson's shoulder.
"Jackson, we need to talk." Arthur's blue eyes were cold. Chloe gave an audible swallow, but she didn't pull her hand away. The fact that she didn't care what Arthur thought made Jackson's stomach do happy flip-flops.
"You can talk in the car, Arthur," Quent said. He walked back to the driver's seat of the car and Arthur climbed in the passenger side. Jackson was going to have to sit in the back.
Jackson turned, a rueful smile on his face. "I'll see you later?"
"You better," Chloe answered with a laugh. He stepped up on the porch and kissed her cheek, feeling her sun-kissed skin under his lips. Their eyes met, green and brown, and practically ready to throw out sparks.
Chloe pushed his shoulders and he stepped off the step. "Go before one of them decides to eat you for making them late."
Jackson couldn't wipe the grin off his face as he hurried over to the backseat and scrambled in. He sat in the middle seat where at least he had a little bit of room for his long legs. The car was just too small for a full-grown man to be sitting in the backseat.
The three men were quiet down the bumpy road to the main highway back into town. Jackson's palms were starting to sweat as he wondered what Arthur wanted to talk to him about. From the tone of his voice, Jackson had a feeling he wasn't going to like what the older man had to say.
"Thanks for the ride, Quent. I appreciate it," Jackson finally said, breaking the silence.
"You had to get your truck back somehow," Quent replied, turning the car onto smooth highway. The wheels hummed as he added speed.
"I need to talk to you about Chloe," Arthur stated as soon as the car was no longer accelerating. Jackson felt hot and cold at the same time. If Arthur told him he had to leave her... he wasn't sure what he was going to do.
"What about her?" Jackson tried to keep the defensiveness out of his voice, but he didn't succeed.
Arthur turned around to look at him. "Do you love her?"
"Yes." The ease of the answer surprised Jackson. The word had come out before he even had time to think, but he knew it was true. He'd never loved anyone like he loved her. There had been first loves and even a girl he had considered marrying once, but those emotions were fragile and thin compared to the love he felt for Chloe.
"Good. I thought so last night, but that confirms it." Arthur grinned at him. "Congratulations on finding your Fated One."
"My fated what?" Jackson frowned. This wasn't quite what he had been expecting.
"Fated One. You and she were made for one another. You might say she is your soul mate," Arthur explained. Jackson's confused look didn't shift, so Arthur continued. "Real wolves, the kind that don't shift, often mate for life. Specifically alpha wolves. As Weres, we take on these characteristics. She is your mate, your one true love."
Jackson shook his head slowly. It made sense in a strange sort of way, and the idea that they were meant to be together rang truer than anything. He had done a little research into wolves since he had begun changing, and what Arthur said made sense.
"Wait, you said 'specifically alpha wolves.' I'm not an alpha," Jackson finally said after a moment of letting Arthur's words sink in. There was so much going through his mind that he was having difficulty prioritizing his questions.
"Yes, I did say that. And, yes, you are an alpha. Just because you don't have a pack to lead doesn't mean you aren't one." Arthur's blue eyes peered at him. Jackson ran his fingers through his hair again. He really needed a haircut.
"What does that mean?" Jackson asked in a careful tone. In researching wolves, Jackson had learned about Alpha Wolves. They were the leaders. There was only one alpha in a pack. If the old alpha was growing weak, or a new alpha wanted his position, there was often a fight to the death. Jackson respected Arthur, and the last thing he wanted to do was fight him.
Arthur laughed, shaking his head as though he could read Jackson's thoughts. "If you're worried about having to fight me, you can put your fears aside. We're part human too, you know. With that means we can use brains instead of brawn. I don't think you want my pack, so you don't have to challenge me."
Jackson let out a breath and gave the man a quick smile. "Good. You're stronger than you look."
"I'd give you a run for your money, that's for sure," Arthur said with a chuckle.
"What if I did? I don't want your pack, but what if I did? How do Weres handle that?" Jackson asked. Jackson's mind was shying away from the Fated One topic for a moment. Any question seemed better than the one he knew he needed to ask.
"There are ways to go about it." Arthur shrugged. "If it is acceptable to the pack, a smooth transition is best. There have been instances of violent takeovers as needed though. If you want to take over my pack though, just ask first, okay?"
Jackson gave a nervous laugh. "You got it." He took a deep breath. He had to ask it. "If Chloe is my Fated One... what if I hurt her?"
Arthur smiled. "You won't. It's one of the perks of her being a fated one. You'll find she keeps you calm as well. Less nightmares, less fear in general."
"I won't hurt her?" Jackson repeated.
"No, you won't. Has that been bothering you?" Arthur chuckled. "Sometimes I forget that you have no clue what you are. You cannot harm your Fated One."
Jackson's shoulders dropped as a weight lifted. He wasn't going to hurt her. They could be together, and he didn't have to live in constant fear that he was going to wake up in wolf form and mangle her in their bed. They could be together. He gave serious thought to just jumping out the car window and running back to Chloe's side.
"Jackson," Arthur said, recapturing his attention. "You have to tell her though."
"Tell her what?"
"I can see you have demons. I can smell them on you and I felt them last night. You have to tell her." Arthur's eyes darkened slightly. "She has a right to know."
Jackson stayed quiet. He didn't want to tell Chloe about what he had done. The reason for the nightmares. She was still innocent, but he was covered in blood.
"Whatever is haunting you, it will haunt her too. She shares your dreams, remember? If she knows, then she can understand and help you break free of them." Arthur peered at him, looking at Jackson like no one had ever looked at him before.
"She really is in my dreams, then?" Jackson asked, his eyes going to his hands.
"Yes. Another perk of Fated Ones."
"Any other 'perks' I should know about?" Jackson looked up at Arthur.
"You can find her anywhere she goes. Same as she can find you. Even if she's not a wolf. You'll start finding you think alike, and that you preferences are her preferences and vice-versa. You are two halves a whole and you need the other to feel complete." Arthur smiled softly.
"Do you have one? A Fated One?"
Arthur's face fell into a horrible sadness. "I did. She died."
"I'm sorry," Jackson said. Arthur shook himself, as though trying to free himself from his despair.
"Me too." Arthur held Jackson's eyes. "Are you going to tell her?"
Jackson thought for a moment. He didn't want to keep anything from Chloe, but he was afraid of what she might think of him if he told her. She was a gentle soul, kind and compassionate. What would she think of him if she knew the horror and destruction he had wrought?
"I don't know," Jackson answered honestly. Arthur nodded slowly.
"Do what you think is right. She will know everything about you eventually, and I guarantee should would rather find out from you than on her own." Arthur returned to facing forward. The car was quiet again.
Jackson's mind buzzed with thoughts. He wasn't sure how he was going to tell Chloe what he had done, but that was pushed to the back of his brain. One thought kept bubbling to the surface and made it hard to concentrate on anything else. He wasn't going to hurt Chloe. He could be with her. And that was what he wanted more than anything else in the world.
Chapter 30
Jackson walked casually onto the base after being dropped off a quarter mile down the road. He showed the gate guard his ID and began walking toward the parking lot with his truck. The snow was almost melted and dead yellow grass lay in strange patterns as he walked across the field to his truck.
As he came closer to the building, he could see yellow tape blocking off the main entrance, and numerous Military Police vehicles parked along the edge of the building. The smell of acrid electrical smoke and water hung heavy in the air. It made Jackson's nose itch. A guard stood at the corner of the building, waving away anyone coming toward the medical center. Jackson could hear him tell a group of soldiers that the medics were now located in the chapel for the time being.
Jackson sauntered over to the guard. The guard gave him a polite nod, noting the rank on Jackson's uniform as he straightened. He rendered a quick salute.
Jackson returned the salute lazily, as if telling him that it was no big deal. "What's going on over there, Specialist?" Jackson asked, giving the man his most friendly smile. The Specialist relaxed as he saw the Captain wasn't going to pull rank on him.
"Well, sir, there was an accident last night."
"What kind of accident? It smells terrible!" Jackson leaned against a nearby tree. "You've got a rough job today," Jackson said. The soldier smiled, warming up to him.
"There was an electrical fire. The experiment in the lab it was in was ruined," the soldier said.
Jackson nodded. "Anything to do with the Colonel's death? I heard a rumor he was there."
The soldier nodded, his body language relaxing the longer Jackson spoke with him. This was how Jackson got a lot of his intelligence; just being friendly.
"Rumor is the Colonel started it," the soldier replied, leaning in conspiratorially. "They say he wasn't pleased with how the experiment was going and blew a gasket."
Jackson nodded. "After meeting the Colonel, I wouldn't doubt it. He wasn't exactly polite the last time I had to work with him."
"I hate to speak ill of the dead, sir, but I have to agree with you." The soldier glanced around and then whispered to Jackson, "Rumor is if he had survived, he'd be looking at a court-martial for some of the things he authorized."