Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine
UNSPOKEN THInGS

GABRIELLA'S POV

The car was too quiet. The kind of quiet that makes you want to scratch your skin off, pull your hair out and scream out. The kind that makes your chest heavy.

Jack sat on the driver's seat, behind the wheel, his knuckles is tight and white around it, eyes hard on the road. His jaw was clenched, the muscle there ticking every now and then. I didn’t need anyone to tell me he was angry. I could feel it in the air. It thick and heavy and suffocating like a storm waiting to break

I swallow, not wanting to acknowledge how good he looked right now with his hair messy and and some part of his face looked rugged.

I sat stiff in the passenger seat, my arms crossed over my chest. I didn’t dare look at him when i noticed him turn and glance at me. Not when I could feel his eyes burning holes into the side of my face every few seconds.

I stared at the rearview mirror in front of me, staring at Jax in the passengers seat. Behind us, Jax was out cold, his head resting against the seat, his eyes closed.

His breathing was rough and uneven. I tried not to look back. I couldn’t. Seeing him like that made my chest tighten with pain.

My mate had been infected with a venom that made him go feral. He couldn’t even recognise me. He even tried to attack me during the fight.

He growled softly and stirred on the seat almost falling over because the chair did little to accommodate his huge size. His face twisted in a way that showed he was in pain.

I felt that squeeze again in my chest and a tear fell off my cheeks involuntarily. I sniffleed, immediately wiping ths tears off. The place where they had slashed with claws– so Jack told me– had started to decay.

Jack’s voice finally cut through the silence like a knife. “What happened?”

I flinched at the tone of his voice but didn’t turn to him. Instead, I chose to continue staring out the window.

“Gabriella.” His voice was sharp now, giving me no room for pretending I didn’t hear.

I kept my eyes on the window. “It’s nothing,” I said quietly.

Jack scoffed, his grip on the wheel tightening. “Nothing? You got captured. He got poisoned. And you say it’s nothing?”

I stayed quiet. What was I supposed to say? That I got overwhelmed by the whole mste thing– with having two overbearing mates and needed I needed the help of my ex boyfriend to ask for advice? Yeah right.

He growled under his breath and slammed his legs on the brakes. The car screeched to a stop on the side of the road.

My heart jumped into my throat at the sudden action. Before I could speak, Jack leaned over, grabbing my cheeks and forcing me to face him.

“I asked you a damn question and i damn well need an answer!"

His eyes were cold and burning at the same time, full of a kind of rage I hadn’t seen before. My breath hitched as I stared into them. For a second, I froze. I felt small under his gaze, like a child who’d done something wrong.

I swallowed, my voice barely coming out. “Let go of me…”

“Why did you go to Hunter?” he asked, his voice low but deadly. How the actual hell did he find that out? Did Hunter tell him?

I blinked. “I didn’t… I wasn’t—”

“Don’t lie to me,” he growled.

I pulled my face away from his grip, not meeting his eyes. “It doesn’t matter, Jack.”

He let out a loud curse and slammed his palm against the steering wheel. I jumped at the sound, my heart feeling like it was racing a thousand mile per second.

"Damn it, Gabriella!"

He cursed again, louder this time, his hands gripping the wheel so tight I thought he might actually break it in half.

He didn’t speak again as he started driving, and I didn’t dare say to anything either. The ride to Jax’s mansion was quiet again, but not calm. It was the kind of silence that made your ears ring. The atmosphere was thick with unresolved thoughts and words and also this pull to him.

Sometimes I forget he is also my mate. The moon goddess was kind to me and decided to curse me with two mates. Brothers who it seemed hated themselves!

As we reached the gates of the packhouse, I saw someone standing at the entrance. Benson. I had recognised him once as Jax’s Beta. He brought me here to Jax the first day I wanted to see him for the first time. I got the feeling he didn't like me. Not one bit from the way he spoke from our tiny little encounter that day.

He was pacing about by the gates his phone in hand. The second he spotted the car he dropped it and ran towards the car.

Jack stepped out first, opening the back door and pulling Jax’s limp body out, supporting him against his chest

“Alpha?” Benson’s voice cracked. “What the hell happened?!” He demanded as his eyes shifted from mine to Jack. He shifted one one feet subtly. A sign if nervousness.

He was scared of Jack.

“Help me,” Jack said, his voice and face as hard as stone.

Benson rushed over, throwing Jax’s arm around his shoulders. “Get someone to call the healer!” he barked over his shoulder at a house helper who had rushed out behind him.

They both started moving towards the house, Jax in between them.

I stepped out of the car slowly, my legs feeling weak. I felt so tired and weak and hungry. As I came down from the car, my legs wobbled, but I steadied myself, my wanting to draw much attention to myself.

As soon as they get into the house, they helped Jax to the couch, laying him down on it.

He looked like he wasn't even breathing. My heart thumped at the thought.

I should mot be doing that. Thinking negative things. It won't help us. Him, me, Jack, his pack. All of us.

As I make to step into the mansion, Benson turned his head slightly his eyes meeting with mine. His eyes darkened immediately, face twisting in a way that made my stomach turn. He growled angrily, his stance widening as if he was ready to attack. Like I'm some traitor.

Yep. Definitely doesn't like me. Not even one bit.

“What is she doing here?” he spat, not even hiding the disgust in his voice. “Didn’t Alpha make it clear she wasn’t to return?”

I flinched at his tone and actions.

He didn't have any idea i was pregnant for Jax and that i was Jax’s mate now. Jax had accepted me. I had accepted him too. He also had to accept me.

But before I could open my mouth, Jack stopped in his tracks, his body rigid. He turned slowly, his gaze hardening as he stepped in front of me his body blocked mine from Benson’s demeaning gaze directed at me.

“If you talk to her like that again,” he said, voice so calm it was almost scarier than a yell, “I’ll make sure you never get another chance at life. Trust me, you wouldn't want to cross me."

Benson’s mouth opened, but no words came out. He was clearly embarrassed, his ears turning red.

Jack didn’t even wait for a reply. He turned back around and helped Jax through the doors of the halls to take him to his room.

And just like that, I was walking into the packhouse again. But it didn’t feel like a home. It felt like walking straight into fire.

I felt like something was going to be wrong somewhere.

I felt eyes watching my every move.

I freeze as I felt something whizz behind me from the corner of my eyes.