Awakening

137

Morgan definitely stood out as she stood in the small field that surrounded Jackson's trailer, but she didn't care, the woman taking in a slow and deep breath through her nose, a smile forming on her lips when she took in the scent of the grass and the trees that surrounded them, opening her eyes and looking at the clouds that were scattered across the sky. Zeus walked up to her side, her smile growing when she scratched behind his ear, even though his head reached above her shoulder when he stood at full height. He enjoyed being out in the open, but he also knew most preternatural creatures and humans feared him and with good reason. The protector was large in size with strength to match, not to mention he was fast when he needed to be since he occasionally needed to keep up with his charge. Zeus wasn't sure how he was created, he didn't know who his mother was or if he had any brothers or sisters. He just remembered waking up in the woods, caked in mud and falling into a shallow lake before finding the Du Locke house. When he saw the mark on her right arm, something in him screamed, he was meant to protect Morgan with everything in his being. And he would.

"It's peaceful out here, isn't it, bud?" Morgan asked

Zeus leaned further into her touch in response, a low sigh emitting from her nose. It really was peaceful. With all of the drama happening, she hasn't been able to take the time and actually breathe, and she even wondered where she would be if she never found out about her abilities and lineage. There was a likely chance she would still have the Du Locke house, Eric wasn't the kind to listen to others. Hell, he had the entire building renovated without her knowing about it, and she still didn't know when he started it. Morgan turned around, her hand falling from Zeus's ear, walking back over toward the trailer so she could get a headstart on dinner, deciding to make her salmon chowder, something she hasn't been able to make in a while. Unfortunately, Jackson didn't exactly have a stove, which meant Morgan had to cook the soup over a homemade fire, something she could easily control.

Her guard took the liberty of purchasing a cheap fold-up table, one that could only sit a few people, which was okay, and would give Morgan more working space. Alcide was using a pickaxe to dig in the dirt, helping his father with the fence as she set a bag of Yukon gold potatoes on the table, raising her head as a truck pulled up on the dirt road. A man exited,

"Jackson" he greeted, walking over to them "Alcide, look at you. Ain't seen you since you was a pup"

"Mr. Rollins" he replied with a nod

"What do you want?" Jackson asked

"Just out warning folks" Mr. Rollins informed "there's been a bunch of baby vamp attacks in Madison and Rankin Counties. Kills are messy, savage. We think the vamps are upping their numbers, turning folks, letting them run wild" causing Morgan's eyebrows to furrow slightly at the news "baby vamps are forming into packs, hunting. Coming our way"

"Silver-plated box fence" Jackson informed "won't stop the grown vamps, but it'll keep the baby ones out" turning around and walking to a table "get off my land"

"Good to see you're still a son of a bitch, Herveaux" looking at him "I come out here out of respect for a man I once knew" walking back to his truck "no good deed goes unpunished, I guess" getting in the driver's seat "you were a packmaster, but you threw it all away"

"I was forced out by you turncoats" he replied

"Don't let your old man drag you down, Alcide" starting the engine "he's quicksand" driving away

". . I'll pop his tires if you want" Morgan informed

"That's alright, sweetheart" Jackson replied, taking a drink of his beer "Rollins is a lying shit. Comes out here acting all high and mighty. He can go to hell. Can't trust him, that's the truth"

"You did it" Alcide said, looking at him "so why don't you stop pretending like you didn't? You stole that money from the pack. That's why they kicked you out. And there's not a damned thing you can do to change that"

"I don't need Rollins coming out here and digging up ancient history" looking up at his son "and I sure as hell don't need my kid passing judgement. You get it?"

"Whatever happened to pack first?" tilting his head slightly

". . Pack left me out here to rot" walking to the door of the trailer "pack can go fuck themselves"

He walked inside without another word, Alcide letting out a huff through his nose, picking up the pickaxe he dropped, hitting the dirt out of frustration.

"You know if you ever need to vent . ." Morgan trailed off, peeling the skin from the potatoes

"Yeah" he replied, grunting at the tip of the pickaxe hit the dirt "I know I can come to you"

She gave him a small smile, placing the peeled potato in a separate bowl, grabbing another one and quickly getting to work. A few others have attempted to copy the recipe, making sure to follow step by step, but they could never get it right, it didn't taste the same as Morgan's. So she decided to make a big batch in the cooler seasons for Merlotte's, something she needed to do again, sice everyone loved it. It was Alcide's favorite, too, and she was sure Jackson was going to like it as well. But she would have to go to the nearest store to get another salmon, which she didn't mind doing. It took some time to get all of the meat off the fish and put it into the chowder. Zeus laid down under the table, resting his head on his paws and closing his eyes, letting out a huff through his nose, deciding to take a nap before he went on a hunt of his own.