Claws and code

Jack's thoughts

Don't normally do this to you but... I'm feeling extremely excited. I went to Melbourne this weekend! And while I was there, I saw DaVinci's original works (his codex is on display at the Lume). They also have to-scale machine inventions by Italian artisans, from the pages of Leonardo's codices and cutting-edge AI and VR interactive technologies that breathe life into the master's iconic works... Amongst other things :) Anyway, that was my bit of useless information for you, just wanted to share my excitement. Enjoy the next, long, chapter from Jack's pov.
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Jack's POV
Meeting Mark's sister was the only thing I could think of. Not the invaded system that had brought us here, not the security for my cousin and our Alpha. I couldn't think of anything other than the tiny female. She had light brown hair, big brown eyes and freckles across the bridge of her nose. Her hand had been so small in mine, I'd only wanted to use it to pull her into my arms.

My mate. She didn't seem to feel it. She should have felt it too. Instead of throwing herself in my arms when we met, she'd refused to look at me.

Instead of talking to me, she'd let her brother talk for her.

And she'd almost refused to shake my hand, I'd seen the hesitation all over her face and the anger over her brother's face.

Then her hand had slipped into mine. My world straightened. She was made for me, I could feel it in every cell of my being. She pulled her hand out of mine like she'd been burned and it took everything I had to keep from grabbing her. How could she not feel our bond?

What had happened to my little mate for her, to be so disconnected from her wolf, that she could walk away from me, her mate?

I couldn't take my eyes off her when she walked away from me. My heart turned cold at seeing her leave. My animal side begging to chase her down and take her home.

She had no mark, she only smelled of her family and pack but there was an underlying scent I couldn't place yet found oddly familiar.

Like an idiot, I smelled my hand and stalked to the systems room where we had been the day before. Where Mowgli's things hadn't given a clear scent. The moment I entered the room, I could smell her. She'd been locked in here with the Alpha's son when our people couldn't go in. I was sure of it.

'Seriously Jack?' Jasper snapped into my daze. 'I wanted tea, not just mint leaves!'

I looked down at my other hand where I'd crushed a big hand full of the fragrant leaves that were for his tea.

'I'm your cousin and I'm here for security. Not to serve you. You said you needed fresh mint for tea and I got you fresh mint.' I snarled at him. He was being a brat.

'What happened?' He linked me. 'Is there a threat? Are you worried? Is there a problem? Is the Alpha alright?'

I replied in the link. 'Everything is fine.' Big brown eyes flashed through my thoughts and part of me cried at the loss of our mate.

Jasper didn't say anything else in the link, just looked at me for a while. Then he smiled like a kid in the candy store, his whole face lit up. 'The legend has been here! That was why we were locked out. Mowgli found out how to track the mole in two of the systems. David is showing us how in the third, they did two of them already. In one night! Can you believe it?! Now we have to go through the files, compile and report and then we will hook them up to a network and Mowgli will track them back to their base!'

'And Mowgli will be here to do that?'

Jasper's face fell. 'Yeah, but we will probably be locked out again and we still won't get to meet him.'