Havoc's Mate (Badlands Territory #2) - Lila Rose Page 0,13
their words. But no one hurt me, no one chased me, and no one upset me. It was just the shock of it all—the shock of my mind opening to other possibilities.
It was understandable I would react the way I did, but now, after Mom’s words, I realized my fear of them was misplaced. What also helped was the way I was becoming comfortable around Jackson and how he made me feel safe and protected.
“No one hurt me. I—” Shaking my head, I told her, “It was a shock when they used words like alpha, beta, and pack. Then someone shifted right there in front of me and….” My hand went to my chest, my heart still beating fast. “I can still hear his bones. It scared me.”
“Of course it did. Heck, I probably would have peed myself if I’d seen it.”
My mind calmed, but a thought loosened and made itself known. Mom was taking all of this exceptionally well. Too well. Facing her, I asked suspiciously, “How did you know?”
She smiled softly. “The ghosts. Havoc’s father appeared to me after they left the house and you were busy up here unpacking. He was in his wolf form and then appeared as a man.” She laughed. “Your dad even got scared.” She rolled her eyes. “You did, Mike. You would have shit yourself if you could.” She snorted. “Anyway…” She faced me again. “I didn’t accept what I saw right away; I was in shock also. But I did eventually. Like I know you will.”
I shrugged, running my hands down my jean-clad thighs. “It’s a lot to take in.”
“And in such a short amount of time. There was no buildup, just a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am.”
I sighed. “Why does that sound dirty coming out of your mouth?”
“I do not have a dirty mind, Mike…. Okay, maybe a little.”
“Jackson offered me a job, but that was before I ran out of there scared of them all. But I’m not sure I could do it now anyway.”
“Jackson?”
“Havoc,” I supplied.
She smiled wide. “He asked you to call him Jackson?”
“Mom, don’t think too much into it.”
“I won’t. I’m not. However, I’m sure he’s never asked anyone else to call him by his first name. It’s sweet. Also, I think taking a job with him would be good. You’ll get to know the shifter world quicker than any other way.”
Nerves fluttered inside me. Some of them were from fear, others were for a different reason altogether, because we were speaking of Jackson. That man… shifter, had me wanting things I thought I’d never want again. Not since I’d run from Sean.
But he did, which confused me even more. Why was I reacting this way to a shifter? Why him out of any of them?
“They called him alpha,” I told Mom softly. “Would it mean the same as it does from those paranormal books you like?”
Huh, my life had turned into an unbelievable romance…. Not that I wanted to be with him in that way. I mean, what would it be like to be with a shifter? This was all too much. All too fantastical.
“Yes, I’m sure it does. But don’t let that put you off him—”
“I’m not on him, Mom.” Then realizing what I said, I blushed. Mom cackled like an idiot.
Once she sobered, she asked, “What are we going to do? Stay and give this new and exciting world a chance, these people a chance? Or do we pack up and run?”
My body jolted when a mournful howl spread through the air outside.
“Oh dear,” Mom said. “He sounds very upset.”
“He? How do you know it’s a he?”
“Just a guess. What are we doing, Cora?” she pressed.
Just the thought of running put a foul taste in my mouth. We hadn’t been here long, but it had started to feel like home, more than any other place, and had done so practically as soon as we entered the town.
And Jackson… he felt like something special, if I allowed myself to acknowledge it.
“We’re staying,” I whispered.
Her hand rested on my arm and gave it a squeeze. “I think it’s a wise choice. Get some rest. You have work tomorrow—”
“Mom,” I groaned, scrubbing a hand over my face, suddenly feeling exhausted.
“Honey, take this jump. Let your wings fly, and I’m sure you’ll be rewarded with something amazing.”
She spoke as if she knew something more than what I did. My gaze narrowed. “What do you know?”
“Nothing, honey. I just have faith. In this town, these people.”
“I’ll think about it, okay?” I said,