Lacking Humanity | Moon Ridge

Chapter Twenty-One

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"Come, Delta John wants to see you." She said with another encouraging smile, one that Aurora was utterly thankful for. Even if she is his mate, the bond between a Luna and Delta was a strong friendship.

And Jack was as close as ever with Sage.

He was following her blindly, and she began whispering kindly into his ear of what they spoke about before. It still didn't prepare him for what he saw, this wasn't the man that died in the wars.

This was the shell of his father, beaten and torn apart by those pleading for mercy in the pack house.

Jackson's breathing started to pick up at the thought of them going unanswered. Slipping out from the Luna's grasps, he fell down to his knees and held onto his father's hands—Struggling to grasp the whines and pleas within him, that his beast didn't understand how this was even possible.

He had mourned twice over, once in skin—And again in fur when he took the title his father had barely prepared him for.

"Dad..." The hallowed cough escaped John's lips, only to be followed by a smile. "There's my boy—Such a happy boy." Rory had looked over at Sage, and all the female could do was open her arms once again. Leaving Aurora to find comfort in her leader, the quick rubbing of their cheeks had calmed their wolves and enticed them with how united they all were to one another.

But Jack was shaking, with both rage and sobs as he tried to digest what's happened—And so suddenly!

He hadn't seen his father in over thirteen years, he had almost beaten Randal with all things considered.

"Dad...What happened? How did—How did this all happen, I don't understand." The smile still lay happily on John's face as he wiped away his son's tears. "I tried to help this pack, me, Hank, and Mason—A few others too." John started, all before his eyes switched over to the Luna and Aurora. But his story was interrupted as he offered out his free hand towards the new female, and by the conjoined scent of his son—It was clear to the elder wolf that this was his new daughter.

"So beautiful...She chose so well for you, my boy." Jack laughed, but it was clear he was still tearing himself apart. "Y-yeah, she is." But it sounded so struggling and weak that Sage felt that she was overstepping, that this was a chance for the family to reconnect.

Of course, Aurora has her family in Arctic Crest, but with nobody to support them both directly here—It's been quiet, even if the Elwoods helped where they could.

"N-no!" John said in the midst of his mumbling words, his hand leaving his son's embrace to reach out towards the Luna. Causing her to smile. "I wait outside...It's okay." He quickly shook his head, not liking the idea whatsoever.

"Dad, Sagey's has to check on her pups." Jackson offered, and his eyes flung open in remembrance of her saying something of the sort before. And his smile returned once again. "He's a father, is he?"

"Yeah, Rem beat me and Eli to it...Would you believe that?" He teased, and John threw his head back into the pillow to relieve his ticking heart.

"She works in funny ways...I'm sorry son, I tried." Aurora had taken a leap of faith and decided to properly introduce herself as the daughter of Arctic Crest's Delta, and it earned the room another well-deserved cheer at how well-placed it all is.

Hey hun, hate to interrupt—Rue's not listening to me or Luke, she won't eat.

With that being said, Sage truly had to part ways. Even for half an hour, Jackson was able to calm his wolf with the help of Aurora and her soothing nature.