Chapter 138
Jackson's POV
Ryan and Jake were still talking—something about Brianna, about the anniversary celebration, about her father being from Silicon Valley—but their voices became muffled background noise, like I was underwater and they were speaking from the surface.
My Orion erupted inside me, not with aggression but with pure, primal alarm. Danger. Threat. Protect.
My grip tightened on the phone until my knuckles went white. Every instinct screamed at me to move, to run, to get to her now—but I forced myself to stay still, to think.
If Caleb was making his move this brazenly, it meant he felt confident. It meant he'd been planning this. And if I reacted impulsively, if I showed my hand too soon, I could make things worse.
But the alternative—doing nothing, hiding, pretending I could protect Ellie by staying out of family politics—that wasn't working either. It had never worked.
She was facing this alone while I played at being normal.
The realization cut deeper than any physical wound. I'd been so focused on avoiding my heritage, on being just another college student, that I'd left the person who mattered most vulnerable to the exact threats I was running from.
"—her dad's that Silicon Valley tech guy, right? The one who—Jackson?"
Ryan's voice broke through the roaring in my ears. I looked up to find both him and Jake staring at me with concern.
"You okay, man?" Ryan asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Need to sit down?" Jake was already standing, moving toward me.
I forced myself to breathe, to think. "I'm fine." The lie tasted bitter. "Just—something came up at home. Family stuff. I need to take a few days."
Ryan frowned, standing up as well. "Now? Classes just started. Is it serious?"
Jake stepped closer. "Do you need help? I can talk to your professors, help you—"
"No." I cut him off, perhaps too sharply, and softened my tone. "Thank you. But this is something I have to handle myself."
Because you can't know what I really am. Because if you did, you'd be in even more danger.
I could feel Orion pushing at my control, demanding action, demanding I do something. For once, we were in complete agreement.
I grabbed my bag, shoving in a change of clothes and essentials with jerky, mechanical movements. Every second felt too long. Caleb was here, on campus, probably already forming plans, and I was wasting time—
"Jackson." Ryan's hand landed on my shoulder. "Whatever's going on... you know we're here, right?"
I turned, meeting his eyes—honest, open, worried. Jake stood beside him with the same expression, these two friends who'd welcomed me into their lives without question, who had no idea what kind of danger lurked in the shadows around them.
"I know." My throat felt tight. "I'll be back soon. Jake—" I managed something close to a smile. "If you want this thing with Brianna to work, do what Ryan says."
Jake gave a weak laugh, but the worry didn't leave his face.
I headed for the door, pausing at the threshold. Behind me, Ryan and Jake stood uncertainly, and for a moment I wanted to tell them everything—about the wolves, the politics, the threats that were circling closer.
But I couldn't. That was a burden they didn't deserve.
"Don't worry," I said instead. "I'll be back before you know it."
The lie sat heavy in my chest as I walked away.
The cold air hit my face as I stepped outside, campus sprawling before me in the late afternoon light. Students everywhere, laughing, talking, living their ordinary lives.
I headed for Pine Trail, the wooded path at the edge of campus where I could be alone, where I could make the call that would change everything.
My fingers found Miles's contact, hesitating only a moment before pressing dial.
Two rings. "Jackson? I wasn't expecting—"
"I've made my decision." My voice came out lower than intended, carrying the weight of what I was about to say. "I'm claiming my right as alpha heir."
Silence on the other end. Then: "You're certain? This means facing Caleb. Facing the entire family's scrutiny. There's no going back once you start this."
I stared through the bare trees toward campus, where Ellie was, where my friends were, where everyone I cared about lived completely unaware of the predators in their midst.
"I'm certain." No more running. "Caleb's already here, Miles. He's approaching people I care about. I can't keep avoiding this, pretending that if I just hide well enough, it'll all go away." My grip tightened on the phone. "My father's position should have been mine. I'm not letting it go to someone who murdered him to get it."
"Good." Miles's voice filled with unmistakable pride and fierce approval. "This is what I've been waiting to hear. Come home. We'll start your training immediately—combat, strategy, pack law, everything you need to know. It won't be easy, Jackson."
"I know." I looked toward the lights of campus, thinking of green eyes and a stubborn chin, of friends who deserved protection they didn't know they needed. "But I'm ready."
"Then get here as soon as you can. And Jackson?" Miles's tone shifted, becoming deadly serious. "From this moment on, every choice you make will be watched. Every action judged. You'll need to prove you're not just entitled to be alpha—you're capable of it."
I ended the call and stood in the growing darkness, the cold no longer touching me. Orion rumbled beneath my skin, not in warning but in agreement.
This is right. This is what we should have done from the start.
No more hiding. No more pretending I could escape my heritage by being a good student and keeping my head down.
I turned and walked back toward the parking lot, each step more certain than the last.
The boy who'd spent years hiding from his identity was gone.
In his place stood someone ready to fight for what was his—and for everyone who mattered more than ancient pack politics ever could.