Chapter 74: Responsibility and socks

Jesses pov

Many had gathered when I came down, and I could feel the nervousness rising. Argus, however, noticed something else, and our gaze found Callum. He looked tense. Reece was by his side and didn’t look like his normally relaxed self either. Had Callum regretted it? Part of me hoped so, while another wondered what the reason would be.

“Do you want me to go there? I can leave right away.” I caught Reece’s soft words to Callum.

“Believe me, I want nothing more than to rush there myself… but she asked us to wait. She wants to handle this herself, and I have to try to let her. But what the hell could that bastard want?” Now my interest was really captured. I understood that they were talking about Cathy, and even if I had wanted to stay out, Argus would never have allowed it.

“Callum! Reece! Do you feel like filling me in?” Callum flinched when he heard me, and Reece rubbed his forehead.

“Jesse!...ready to announce the good news?” Nice try, Callum…

“I heard you…so, what’s going on?”

“Nothing you need to worry about…pack business just…”

“What pack business?”

“Er…what do you mean?”

“I heard you! This is about Low Falls and Cathy! Spill!”

“Fuck…I promised her James…”

“Jesse! And I don’t care, if this is going to be my pack, I have a right to know!”

“I know! But still…you know how she’s going to be…”

“Yeah, I know, but it doesn’t matter. Spill!” Argus was at the surface, and his aura made everyone in the room squirm, everyone except Callum and Beacon. But they noticed.

“Fine…There’s been an unannounced visitor to Low Falls.” I knew who had come before he even told me. Fuck!

“Let me guess…Dark, disgustingly charming, and raised on pasta?”

“How? Did you know he was here?”

“I may have gotten some information that he crossed the sea, but I didn’t know he would venture here.”

“Do you know what he wants?”

“No idea, but I suspect he wants to establish himself on this side; Cathy and Low Falls are a perfect target in that case.”

“Does he want to take her as Luna?”

“Very possible, that would be the easiest way. He would get a strong pack here, become brother-in-law to Great Falls’ powerful Alpha and the True Luna…it’s a smart plan.” My mouth tasted bad as I spoke the words, even worse because I knew they were true.

“Cathy would never…” Callum bit off the words and thought.

“Yes, she would. If she wants to keep Low Falls.”

“But she suggested that you take over.”

“She might have changed her mind…”

“Fuck…”

“Yep…fuck…”

“Who did you get the information from? Do you know anyone close to him?”

“I know his true mate, Aurora.”

“Really? How?”

“She’s my boss’s daughter and I kind of…fucked her…”

“Hell yes!!! That’s what I’m talking about! The boss’s daughter! Good job, man! Give it here!” Reece raised his hand in the air, waiting for his high five, but quickly lowered it when he saw our expressions.

“Hrm, I…I’m going to find Maya…” With that, he disappeared.

“So, are we going there?” Argus was ready to shift and make his way there on foot.

“No…she wanted us to stay out of the way until she found out what he wanted.”

“Is that really a good idea?”

“I don’t know Jesse, but that’s what we’re going to do. She’ll have a couple of days. You can concentrate on your friend, Hitch, he needs you and Zandra right now, if I understand correctly?”

Hitch, how could I have forgotten him so easily? I had been given the green light, so now all I had to do was make sure he and Sasha got here.

“Yeah…I’ll arrange for him and his daughter to get here as soon as possible.”

“Perfect! Then we have a plan. Are you ready?”

“Ready?”

“Yes, ready to get to the heart of what this meeting is really about?”

“Exactly, that’s what it was too…I guess.”

“Perfect! Then let’s get started!”

Kevin, Emma, ​​and my old pack all wanted to swear in and follow me. Argus had never felt so strong and proud inside me. Everyone was given a week to finish what they needed to before we moved. A week…a week may seem like a short time but to me it was an eternity. A lot can happen in Low Falls in a week when Alfonzo is there…fuck…please Cathy, don’t do anything you’ll regret…

Two days later, I was standing outside when the car pulled up, and for a moment, I forgot all the worries and concerns over what was happening in the neighboring pack that had haunted me since I accepted my new responsibility. When the back door opened, Sasha jumped out to sprint and throw herself into my arms. Goddess, how I had missed her. I could feel it when I inhaled her sweet scent. Argus was purring in my head at being close to his youngest pack member.

“Hope!” Sasha twisted out of my arms to continue toward Hope, who had come out onto the stairs behind me.

“Bro!” I hugged Hitch, and my heart broke when I felt how thin he had become. It was like hugging the skeleton in the biology class at school. But I didn’t show it; I didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable. Being here went against who he was enough anyway.

“How are you feeling? Did the trip go well? Any complications? I understand if it was hard to make the trip in one go, not to stop to spend a night, but I just wanted to get you here as soon as possible so we can get started and then…”

“Hey, take a breath, breathe!” Hitch chuckled at my babbling.

“Both Sasha and I are okay, the trip went well, no problems, I promise.” He looked over my shoulder, and I turned to follow his gaze. Where I had expected to see Hope with Sasha in her arms stood Luna, and once again I was amazed by her beauty, strength, and size. I felt Argus bow inside me and by my side. Hitch went to his knees.

Sasha ran her fingers through the thick white, shiny fur, letting them wander over Luna’s shoulders and back up towards her head. She couldn’t reach all the way up to feel her ears, so Luna finally lay down to make it easier for her and let the girl continue her exploration.

“She shouldn’t…Maybe I should call her back here…I don’t want her to bother…”

“Hitch, shhhh…Luna wants this. I can promise you she’s communicating with Sasha’s wolf right now, let her continue.”

We were both so busy admiring what we were looking at that neither of us noticed the equally great force approaching us from behind.

“It’s a beautiful thing to witness, a broken, troubled soul, being healed by something so strong, fierce and dominant…yet at the same time with such a warm and tender hand…like a cold, sharp stocking needle fishing out the escaped stitches to mend the hole in a sock…” Zandra’s voice made us both jump, and even though I should be used to it, for a second, I became as uncomfortable as Hitch next to me.

“Are you comparing my daughter to a sock?” Zandra’s eyes sparkled at Hitch’s answer, and I thought I saw one corner of her mouth twitch slightly.

“I certainly did. I apologize if I offended you.”

“No, no, Socks have saved my life many times…try walking in deep sand, in 40 degree heat in sweaty leather boots…in socks on the other hand, with the boots over your shoulder…it was like a day at the beach…”

“You must be Hitch, the sick wolf I’ve heard about…”

“And you must be Zandra…the beautiful white witch who will make my remaining days a little easier…”