Chapter 211
“You’re aware that not all wolf communities were happy with your rise to power twenty years ago, Dominic, when you declared wolves and humans equal citizens in the nation,” Hank says, shrugging like it’s obvious.
Dominic nods, because it’s true – and he’s well aware.
“Well,” Hank continues, “some of the more militant groups are eager to see your rule end and the nation returned to what they understand as more ‘traditional’ policies with wolves on top and humans down low. And especially a group like The Community, with its views on women’s role in society? The Community doesn’t have any real power beyond a couple of dozen very fierce warriors, but any information they do have they pass to the Atalaxians. They’re traitors, Dominic.” Hank’s voice falls low here, laced with regret. “There’s no way of beating around that bush. The Community is vehemently anti-Sinclair, and it worries the hell out of me that you’ve got one of them in the Palace spending the holidays with you.”
Ella tenses, watching Sinclair clench his jaw and tap his fingers against the table in front of him a few times, clearly thinking.
“That’s it, Hank,” Sinclair says, snapping his gaze back up to the computer. “We’re sending a chopper for you – today, now. I want you here, asking Jackson McClintock some questions. Seeing what he knows.”
“Dominic!” Hank groans, holding his hand out, palm up, pleading. “Please, I have work to do –“
“You’re just sitting snowed into a cabin, Hank,” Sinclair snaps, glaring hard at his old friend. “What on earth could you possibly be doing?”
“Paperwork! Planning! Writing reports and essays for medical journals! Processing tests! Writing aid proposals!” Hank takes another breath to continue his list but Ella talks over him.
“Oh, Hank, you know we’ll give you all the aid you need!” she says dismissively. “The helicopter will be there in what, four hours?”
“Three,” Sinclair says, likewise standing and peering at the screen, brooking no more protests. “Pack up your family, Hank, bring them too – Ella will want a visit and it’s better than leaving them starving in the snow.”
“Dominic!” Hank shouts, half enraged and half dismayed. “Ella!”
“Byeeee, Hank!” Ella coos, reaching for the mouse to end the meeting. “See you soon, can’t wait!”
She presses the button and then exhales a long breath, looking up at Sinclair, who looks steadily down at her.
“El –“
“No, Dominic,” Ella says evenly, cutting off his idea before he can even say it.
Sinclair sighs, putting his hands on his hips and looking away.
“Our faith is with Jackson right now,” Ella insists, quiet and calm, as she always is in moments like these.
Sinclair sighs again, heavily and nods. “Until he proves otherwise,” Sinclair says quietly. “We believe our daughter and her mate. But god damn, I wish the Goddess had given us an easier path than this.”
“Had given Jackson an easier path than this,” Ella corrects, taking a deep breath. “Because if what Hank is saying is true, Dominic…” she grimaces.
He nods, finishing her sentence. “Then this is far worse for him than we thought.”
We’re all gathered on the other side of the roof, far away from the rooftop garden, dressed in our Cadet uniforms with our backpacks stuffed with whatever gifts we can fit in them to bring to school. I sigh, anxious, as a helicopter settles down onto the roof top. Jackson, next to me, doesn’t squint at all in the wind it makes - just watches in fascination, not even blinking.
“Amazing,” he murmurs.
“You’re going to get something in your eye in all this wind,” I mutter, smacking him on the arm and then reaching up, standing on my tiptoes to shade his eyes. He just smirks at me and swats my hand away. “God, why does our method of transportation have to be so loud?”
Jackson just smirks, glancing at me, before returning his eyes to the machine as its blades start to slow.
“I can’t believe you’re stealing mom,” Juniper growls, stomping over to stand with me and Jackson, giving us a little side glare like we honestly had something to do with it. Rafe, hearing her, comes to stand closer, his arms crossed across his chest.
“What did she say to you, June?” he asks, frowning over at where our mom is giving Mark a kiss goodbye and what can only be a warning to behave himself while she’s gone. “She didn’t say a word about why she’s coming to the Academy with dad today. I don’t get it.”
“She didn’t say anything,” June groans, being very dramatic and looking more like Mark in this moment than she’d be happy to hear. “She just said she’s going for the night to get you guys settled – and that I have to stay with Aunt Cora and the ducklings.” Junie shudders, pressing her eyes shut and hugging herself like it’s the most horrible fate. “It’s so sticky over there.”
Jesse laughs, coming over to us, his backpack slung over his back. “Rosie’s all ready for you, June,” he says, grinning and patting her on the shoulder. “Says she’s giving you a makeover.”
Juniper groans louder now, tilting her head back and venting her rage to the sky. I can’t help but laugh, but I don’t miss that Rafe doesn’t join in on it.
“What?” I ask, turning to him. “What’s wrong with mom coming to school?”
“Something’s up,” he murmurs with a shrug. “She wasn’t planning on it this morning. Something…changed.”
“No point in worrying on it,” Jackson murmurs passively, turning his eyes from the helicopter to frown at Rafe. “She’ll tell you when she wants to, not before.”
“I love this attitude,” Jesse says with a happy sigh, grinning at my mate. “Your tacit nonchalance in the face of Sinclair chaos is why you fit in so well, buddy.”
Jackson huffs a laugh and sends a grin Jesse’s way, but down our bond I can feel that Jesse’s words touched him quite a bit. Jackson – he’s laughing it off like a joke, but he likes very much being told that he fits in with us, I think especially because he feels like such a mismatch.
Juniper whips her head back up at Jesse’s words, a wicked grin taking over her face. I turn to her in surprise, wondering what the hell she’s got up her sleeve.
“Yeah, well, Jesse’s not the only one noticing that you’re fitting in.” Juniper quips, gleeful. She reaches into the little messenger bag she’s got slung over her shoulder.
I lean towards her, taking the bait, desperate to know what’s going on. “Wait,” I say, frowning, “who else is noticing?”
“The press,” Juniper says, whipping a skinny tabloid magazine out of her bag and holding it out for all of us to see. I gasp, grabbing the paper out of her hands, my mouth falling open with shock and a little bit of delight when I see that the cover is pasted with pictures of Jackson – Jackson walking with our group out of the train station, Jackson standing with mom on one of the palace balconies, Jackson helping Jesse and Rafe haul in yule logs from the truck outside, even one of me and Jackson standing close, chatting, laughing with each other. God, when had the press gotten that? And more.
“Oh my god!” I whisper, reverent, staring at them. But I burst out laughing when I read the hot-pink headline emblazoned over the top.
WHO’S THE HUNK!?
“Ohhhh my god!” Jesse gasps, leaning close to me, his face the mirror image of mine. “This is – this is amazing –“
“What is it?” Rafe asks, frowning, trying to get in to see. Jackson likewise peeks.
“No worries!” Juniper quips, thrilled, pulling more copies out of her bag and handing them around. “I have enough chopper reading material for everyone!”
I look worriedly up into Jackson’s face as he takes a copy from my sister’s hand. He frowns for a moment, but the second he realizes that it’s him on the cover he goes pale, his mouth dropping open, and then he blushes scarlet when he, too, reads the headline.
I squeak, unable to help it, and immediately rush for him, wrapping my arms around his waist and looking up into his face, my magazine copy still gasped in my fist.
“What…what is this?” Jackson murmurs, passively folding one arm around me while he stares at the magazine cover.
“Looks like an expose,” Rafe says cheerfully, looking up at Jacks with half humor, half worry. “The press got curious about you hanging around with the Royals all Midwinter break.”
“And the theories abound,” Jesse says, flipping through the magazine with wide eyes. He bursts out laughing, looking at Jacks. “Everything from a new plain-clothes bodyguard to Mark’s boyfriend.”
“Mark’s boyfriend?” Jacks asks, kind of appalled, frowning at Jesse. “He’s like…a million years younger than me.”
“Plus, straight.” Juniper chimes in, still delighted at her revelation.
“Is he?” Rafe asks, curious, looking at our little sister.
“Mark’s not-so-secret porn collection under his bed would suggest so,” Junie says with a sigh, like she’d much prefer that he either be gay or that she hadn’t stumbled upon that particular collection, making us all burst into laughter.
