26

Landing at Cedarbrook Airport had never been such a notable affair. It was twenty miles outside of WolfHaven, and as much a victim of the lush city life as anywhere else. Jackson had passed through this same airport a million times over, and still, it was like seeing it for the first time as he escorted Mara through their private gate.

Her hands shook as she disembarked and their short taxi ride from the plane to the gate was filled with her tense energy.

Every time Jackson traveled, he did so without any issues. Yes, money and status were factors of his life, but seeing the way “celebrity” status affected Mara was something different. He could still live his life undisturbed to some degree, but even having flown via private jet, and funneled through a private gate, Mara still couldn’t escape the press.

He saw the reason for her nerves as soon as they exited the escort vehicle.

The cameras flashed from far enough away that Mara had time to cover her tired eyes with sunglasses, but he caught the drawn expression she wore before she forced a signature smile. Seeing her like this made him uncomfortable, bringing back the difficult conversation from the plane.

And… the state he found her in after the break-in.

“Mara, is it true you’re in contact with your stalker?” Someone yelled. A shove sent two cameramen into each other and Jackson choked down his growl. He told himself they hadn’t seen her pale with fear. They hadn’t seen the way she mentally detached after the break-in. How she clung to him for safety, weeping, shaking. But staring at the frenzy of cameras, he wasn’t convinced they would have cared even if they had. Something awful told him they’d have shoved a camera in her face.

Was that what happened the night of the gala? Her first attack had sent the media into an uproar and too many people said it was for publicity. A simple stunt. Is that how they’d ended up with such compromising pictures of her fleeing the scene? Now, everyone more or less felt the situation was real but that it was some sort of game to play at her expense.

“Stay back behind the curb!” Jackson barked. They were vultures, circling her, closer and closer. Mara’s shoulder flinched as he shoved someone back. Two more people were encroaching on her space, and he knew if he let it continue, they all would do it. He sighed in relief when a few of his Deltas exited nearby SUVs to secure the perimeter. Two Betas came forward to clear their path.

Jackson rounded Mara’s side to see her wide-eyed, unchanged expression.

“Does Andrew know about your hot new bodyguard?” He almost snarled at the bold paparazzi that stumbled into their path. But one of his men was already there to shove him back. Jackson wanted to wrap her up and protect her from this world. The one that wanted to devour her from the inside.

“Yours, I assume?” Mara muttered discreetly, her eyes flitting to the men in suits.

“They’ll be following us to the film grounds,” he confirmed. Mara had argued that this amount of force was unnecessary but clearly she’d underestimated how much it took to keep the public at bay. Even he was considering what more it would take. The painful conversation waiting for him in WolfHaven jumped to the forefront of his mind.

“Pose for us, Mara!” Jackson stiffened, ready to bark at them to back off again, but she just dutifully smiled and posed for the cameras while the car service loaded their bags.

Flashing lights. Chaos. She didn’t answer any questions, though it didn’t seem to stop the reporters asking and with each one, she inched closer and closer to Jackson. With each one, her confidence wavered, her shoulders lowered. That signature smile tattered at the edges.

“Andrew says it’s serious, is there a bun in the oven? It looks like you’re showing, Mara!” She flinched. It was so subtle Jackson might not have noticed if not for his hand placed at her back. He felt the vein throb in his neck. Did no one consider the human being behind the camera lens?

“Mara! Mara!” Fans hollered, as they neared the curb, scrambling for autographs and selfies at her expense. It was a sickening realization that no one cared. No one protected the woman at his side.

He would.

“That’s enough for today,” he growled, and didn’t apologize for it when the spectators began to grumble. Jackson tightened a hand at her lower back and pushed Mara past the crowd. Thankfully, they were almost to the car.

“What a bitch,” one of her eager fans said as they passed. His whole body stiffened. Mara had been willing to put herself on the line, her safety at risk, to speak with fans, and this was how they treated her as soon as they couldn’t get what they wanted?

Pushing her into the far seat, he climbed in beside her and slid the door closed. The driver pulled away from the curb and merged into the lane headed for the highway. Jackson noticed the sheen of sweat that broke out across her skin and now that some of the sound was deadened by the closed door, he could hear her erratic breathing.

“Here,” he said, reaching for a complimentary ice-filled glass and a bottle of water. The driver took the correct exit for the highway and Jackson studied the GPS route to ensure there was nothing amiss. Mara finally took the water with a silent nod and Jackson rolled his eyes heavenward.

“It’s fine if you’re still angry with me,” he said quietly as the SUV slid into the flow of traffic. “But you need to eat.” He offered her a complimentary protein bar and when her hand didn’t move to take it, he ripped it open himself.

“Am I going to have to—” Jackson’s eyes shot up to the next exit the driver was about to take— “Not this one. Take the one for Parview. Less traffic with better vantage points.” He turned back to Mara, “Protect you from yourself as well, Ms. Luxe?”

Her hand shot out and wrapped around his wrist. Not to take the bar, but to anchor onto him?

“You’re shaking,” he murmured, scooting closer. “Are you cold?”

Mara shook her head frantically, her hand jostling the cup as it rose to her mouth. She squeezed his wrist hard, then released, and squeezed again. After she took a couple of sips, he smoothly plucked the glass from her hand and turned until they faced each other. He opened his mouth but the driver interrupted as he adjusted them back into traffic. “Apologies sir, they didn’t notify me of a preferred route at the briefing. I hope this won’t hinder your experience.”

Jackson dismissed the apology with a glance that confirmed the new route before returning to his focus. He could care less about the experience.

Mara’s mouth quivered, her muscles tightening and loosening in a similar pattern to her hold on his wrist. She looked…fragile. So fucking fragile. The longer he spent around her, the more he felt like she was breaking.

Without thinking, he pulled her into his chest, resting her head against his neck. “It’s alright,” he said softly, “You’re alright. We’re safe. I’ll keep you safe.”

She muttered something under her breath and shoved her sunglasses away. They clattered to the floor and she curled tighter to him, gripping his shirt roughly like she needed him. Her breathing picked up before she let out a large, shaky exhale. He felt the air brush against his neck, sending her sweet scent into his nose. His wolf perked up but he shoved the mutt away.

Slowly, she took the protein bar from his frozen fingers and peeled off the last of the wrapper. The first bite crunched loudly in the cabin of the car and he swiped over his lips to hide his expression. His wolf let out a satisfied rumble that his mate was happy and Jackson had to agree.

Mara pulled away, little by little, giving him a strange, soft look as she turned to look out the window. He didn’t think now was the time to push, so he waited until she finished the bar and leaned back. Satisfied that she wasn’t going to ignore her basic needs any longer, he opted to run through security logistics on his laptop. Anything to distract himself from the deep, primal rightness that came from caring for his mate.

These feelings weren’t supposed to be happening… but they were.