Chapter 25

Chapter 25
"The home I provided for you, you ungrateful bitch!" Jackson snapped at her, standing up to tower over her in anger.

In a flash, Jackson, Toby, and Lincoln were on their feet and standing between Jackson and Kathrine snarling. Kathrine knew there was an excellent chance at least one of the men would lose their temper very shortly, she grabbed her mother's arm and yanked her out of the way as she backpaddled from the conversation area of Jackson's office. Her mates and father had Jackson shoved against the wall and Jarold had his hand around his father's throat. Kathrine could see Jackson's face turning from red to purple.

"Guys, today is not the day." She yelled in an attempted to break through what she knew would be a red haze in their vision. Through their mate bond the only thing she could feel was red hot murderous rage, so much that she was nearly choking on it. She tried to send calming signals through the bond, hoping to break through their instinctual reaction at their mate being threatened.

What was really surprising to her, was her father's reaction. He was usually the voice of reason, but she could see that he was barely holding his wolf in as the three of them restrained Jackson. A minute of hostile tension flowed through the males in the room before Jarold loosened his grip enough that air was able to get to Jackson's lungs and his face started fading to a less alarming color.

"It would take absolutely no effort for us to find another house. Father. Do NOT think for one moment we won't take that pretty little title you so covet from you. Threaten our mate even one more time. A disrespectful glance in her direction would be enough." Jarold seethed. Jarold gave him another threatening snarl and squeeze of his throat before he slammed him against the wall once again before releasing his father.

Without a backward glance, her mates stalked toward her and while Toby walked ahead and opened the door, Jarold snatched her hand and all but dragged her from the office with him. A door slamming was the only indication that Toby was hot on their heels until they reached the backyard. He snatched her other hand as the three of them headed for the woods. She made absolutely no argument. She could still feel rage rolling through their bond and she honestly was too shocked by the turn of events of that confrontation to even want to stop them. They made it about a hundred yards into the woods before they came to a stop and turned to face her.

"You okay?" Jarold asked her gently.

"Am I okay?" She asked incredulously. "Are you guys okay? He didn't touch me. How could I not be okay?" She looked up between the two of them as she put a hand on each of their cheeks.

Her heart softened as they both leaned their faces into her hand and basked in her touch. Almost as if on a dimming switch, the anger she felt in them drained out. She pulled them both into her embrace and held each of them. She felt their breath on both sides of her neck as their arms circled her and held her tightly to them. They stood like that for an uncounted amount of time, just holding each other. The first time there was conflict in their trio had shaken them all. They had been living in a bubble of peace. It was a wakeup call that when they came back into the pack, their peaceful bubble would be permanently popped.

"Are you ready to go back and do what we need to do?" She asked them gently and felt their bodies immediately fill with tension.

"We might as well. Plus, we're starving." Jarold said with a resigned sigh.

She moved to stand between them and wrapped an arm around their hips and relaxed when Toby's arm went around her shoulder and Jarold's went to hold onto her hip. The contact with each other did more to sooth them than anything else they could have done. Her wolf was telepathically sending reassuring and loving messages to their wolves doing her part to sooth their wolves. She could feel them calming even more with each heartbeat.

By the time they returned to the pack house their parents had regathered on the patio, though there was significant distance between Jackson and Lincon and Lacey and Letha were doing their best to be buffers between the two. Kathrine, Toby, and Jarold approached and when Kathrine went to take a seat, Toby stopped her. He took the seat instead and then pulled her down on his lap. She looked into his eyes questioningly.

I need to touch you right now. I didn't get the physical release of the fury and I'm not sure I'll keep control right now. Toby said through their bond.

She nodded and leaned into his chest with her arm braced on the back of the chair so she could gently run her fingers through his hair. Jarold scooted his chair as close to them as he could so he could rest a hand on her thigh. Apparently, he was feeling the need to have contact to keep control as well, so she held his hand with her free hand. They had entered the extremely tense aura of the patio and Toby and Jarold had immediately prepared for another fight.

The silence between the seven of them stretched to an unbearable length before Jackson finally spoke up in a measured voice, "I'm sorry. I should not have done that in the office."

Kathrine, Toby, and Jarold looked at him in surprise. The last thing they had expected was an apology from Jackson. They knew that the reason for the apology was him hoping they could at least put on cordial masks by the time the pack started to arrive for the ceremony.

"We're not the only ones you owe an apology to." Jarold said pointedly as he gestured toward Lincoln and Lacey with a jerk of his head. "You disrespected his daughter."
Not to mention other offenses, she thought to herself. But she knew that moment wasn't the time to bring that back up again. Tempers were hanging on by a thin string and the last thing that needed to happen was another physical confrontation.

"You're right. Lincoln I'm sorry for disrespecting Kathrine. I let my temper get the best of me. It is no excuse to talk to a woman that way, though." Jackson managed to make his apology a touch more sincere than he had made it to his sons.

"You're correct about that." Lincoln said in a tight voice. "It is no excuse."

"The ceremony will begin in a few hours. Since we couldn't get last night together, let's put this behind us and try to spend the rest of the day peacefully." Jackson suggested.

"We can agree to that, if you'll get breakfast out here. My mates are hungry and cranky." Kathrine said.