Chapter 153

“I’m a public figure too,” I explain to Jackson, incredibly sorry, “and…my reputation, unfortunately, matters. If Luca has confirmed to the entire nation that I’m his mate, and then I’m stepping out with this super hot Alpha, kissing him in the streets? The press is going to tear me to pieces – call me unfaithful, say that I’ve betrayed Luca. No one will believe me that I have two mates – everyone will say that I’m a liar. And…I mean, as a political figure…I can’t be seen as a liar.”

“Oh,” Jackson says, his eyes unfocusing as he looks away from me and starts to process this. “So…he claimed you first. So that I couldn’t.”

“If he did it,” I say softly, needing that to be stated. Because, well, while it doesn’t look precisely good for Luca right now…I’m not willing to damn him without confronting him first and getting the truth from his own lips.

Still, Luca isn’t my priority in this moment.

“How are you feeling about this,” I murmur, softly running my fingers through Jackson’s newly cropped hair, loving the way that it feels against my skin. I feel so much calmer than I did even half an hour ago – and it’s not only that I got a chance to process everything, but also because Jackson is here, holding me, being steady and warm as he always is.

He turns his head to me, frowning consideringly. “How do you want me to feel about it?”

I scoff and smack him lightly on the shoulder. “I want you to feel how you feel!”

Jackson laughs a little, his pretty blue eyes crinkling. “Okay, I just…I mean, I want to support you, Ariel. And I think that if he did this then it was an absolutely horrible thing to do – that you should be livid. You’re right – it’s not up to one person in a pair to make unilateral decisions regarding these kinds of announcements. He took that from you.”

I nod, grateful for his support, but I smack him again. “You’re dodging the question.” He laughs at me, smiling, and I can’t help but grin back. “How do you feel, Jacks?”

“Don’t be mad at me,” he murmurs, leaning forward and gently pressing his forehead to mine. “But Ariel…for me? I…I don’t really care.”

“What!?” I squeak, and Jackson grins, pulling me tighter, liking that sound. And I lift my arms, wrapping them around his neck as I shake my head at him. “Jackson, this was a blow to you! He took a shot, he made a move to actively counter your claim on me! That’s bullshit!”

“He took a shot,” Jackson murmurs, “but it didn’t land, Ariel. I just…I’m not wounded by this. It’s not something that’s important to me.”

“Please explain,” I sigh, leaning back a little and letting my fingers lace together behind his neck. “I don’t get it. How does this not piss you off?”

Jackson takes a deep breath, thinking for a moment before he speaks, trying to put words to his emotions, which I know is sometimes foreign to him. “If Luca did this, then he did it at least partially to piss me off, thinking that I’d get jealous. But I’m just not jealous of this sort of thing.”

He shifts his eyes back to me, looking a little worried that he won’t express himself clearly. I nod to him, encouraging.

“I have a very visceral reaction, Ariel,” he murmurs, “when I see Luca touch you. That’s difficult for me. And I did…” he growls a little, the sound rumbling in his chest, and I can’t help but smile, “I did not like that picture of you and him on the porch, in the magazine.”

I bite my lip, a little pleased, but he moves on.

“But this more…abstract jealousy? Where like, he has a claim on you, and it matters because other people know about it? And that’s supposed to bother me?” Jackson shakes his head, clearly indicating that he thinks it’s nonsense. “I don’t think that’s a natural response, Ariel – I think that’s a very cultural thing – having to like, announce to the world that this woman is your woman, and getting all pissed off when someone else looks at her the wrong way.”

I look at him curiously, needing more.

Jackson sighs a little, wanting to be clear. “I don’t…care if anyone else knows that I’m your mate, Ariel. Don’t take that the wrong way – but what other people think and feel about our relationship? It doesn’t matter to me – the only thing that matters is you being here, in my arms, where you belong.”

He says this last bit with an edge of a growl on his words and I grin at this, pleased.

“I didn’t grow up here,” Jackson continues, looking at me steadily. “I didn’t…learn how to be jealous like that – how to get mad and possessive because some other guy announces to the nation that you’re his girl, when I know you’re mine. I think it’s kind of…dumb.”

I nod, getting it now, unlacing my fingers from behind his neck and starting to run them again through his hair, liking Jackson more now than I have before, which is…saying something. He’s right, though – he doesn’t have some of the more annoying and disgusting habits of our culture’s masculinity. He just never learned them.

“I don’t want you to think that I’m dismissing this,” Jackson murmurs, lifting a hand to softly stroke my cheek. “I respect that you’re a public figure – and I’m proud of you for that. I think you take it seriously, and I…I like that. So, if this hurts you, and you’re mad about it, then I’m mad about it. But…if you’re worried that I’m wounded by this?”

Jackson just shrugs, like bullshit like this can’t even touch him.

And I grin, and pull him closer, and press a simple kiss to his mouth.

“You’re amazing, Jacks,” I say, shaking my head in awe a little. “You’re so lovely.”

“Do you want me to be madder about this?” he asks, genuine and earnest. “Because I can be angrier, if that’s what you want.” And then he forces his face into more rigid lines, growling again, and I laugh as I feel the rumble of it in his chest. “This stupid…magazine!” he grumbles, taking it from my hands and tossing it to the floor, clearly trying to figure out how to perform an appropriate level of rage for my sake. “I’ll…beat up that reporter! I’ll…punch Luca!”

I burst into laughter now, taking his cheeks between my hands and shaking my head, urging him to stop.

Jackson laughs too and then shrugs. “Actually, I won’t punch Luca,” he murmurs, smiling down at me. “Because…I mean, I really want him to win tonight, and I’m really strong and would seriously mess him up. So. If you want me to punch him, I’ll have to save it for tomorrow.”

“Don’t punch him,” I murmur, sighing happily, absolutely adoring my big tough Alpha. “But thank you for offering, baby, it’s very sweet.”

A little shiver passes through Jackson when I call him baby, and he looks away from me, I think hoping I didn’t notice. But I did, and I grin.

“Baby,” I murmur, turning his face back to me, and he groans and brings his mouth to mine, kissing me swiftly and burying a hand in my hair, absolutely sweeping me away.

We both sigh in disappointment when the door opens.

“Oh, gross,” Jesse says, and I turn to see him standing stoop-shouldered in the doorway, a pastry in each hand. “Rafe, my best friend is kissing my cousin! And it’s gross.”

“Oh, shut up, Jesse,” Rafe says, shoving him into the room and closing the door behind them. “It’s not like I haven’t had to watch you make out with people like, a million times.”

“Yes, but this time it’s Ariel, and I am the one having to do the seeing, and it’s very terrible, Rafe, honestly – I might need a nap – I have to recover from this shock –“

“Wait,” Rafe says, frowning at Jesse and processing what he said before – which sometimes takes a moment. Jesse talks a lot, and he says it all fast. “Aren’t I your best friend?”

“Oh, no, that’s Jackson now,” Jesse says, his face falling into mock apologetic lines as he points over at my mate. Rafe’s jaw drops open in pretend shock as he presses a hand to his heart, making me laugh. “Yes, we came to new terms on a cliff outside the Academy the night Ariel told everyone she has two mates. It was a very traumatic experience, but very bonding.”

“All right, all right,” Jackson sighs, releasing me from his arms and putting his hands up like he gives in and just wants it all to end. I laugh and move over slightly, sitting next to him in the window seat instead of in his lap. “What’s going on, anyway?”

“We come bearing breakfast,” Jesse says with a broad grin, moving forward and handing Jackson and I each a pastry.

“And also, a ride,” Rafe adds, crossing his arms over his chest and tilting his head back towards the door. “Car’s waiting outside to take us to Luca’s house. Time to go give him a piece of our collective mind.”

I beam at my brother and my cousin, thrilled that they knew that this is precisely what I’d want to do next, and that put this in order so that I didn’t have to bother with the details. I take a bite of my pastry and jump to my feet. “Great!” I say, wiping crumbs from my lips. “Let’s go! I want to get to the bottom of this.”

Rafe nods to me and then turns his eyes to Jackson. “You coming, McClintock?”

I look back eagerly at Jackson, but my face falls when I see him hesitate.

“Well…” Jackson says, a little awkward, running a hand through his hair.

“You’re kidding me, right!?” Jesse sputters out.