His Loyalty

13

The feeling of dirt beneath his paws and the wind in his face usually calmed him, today it did nothing for him. Jake had been running for the past couple of hours, trying to curb his anger. Anger at the Alpha that tried to threaten him with Elders. Angry at the Alpha who treated his own flesh and blood like filth. He couldn't even refer to her by her name.

His beast snarled as he ran, lip curling up revealing his canine. He wanted nothing more than to rip the sorry excuse for a male apart. What type of father acted that way towards his daughter? His demands were laughable as well. Take that pathetic excuse of a female instead of his Madison? He would die before he ever took another.

The conversation he had with Lucas played through his mind, making him run faster. His claws dug into the ground tearing up the earth beneath him. His mind was troubled, torn on what he was supposed to do.

After he walked away, Lucas and Landon followed him. Lucas bombarded him with questions, the most prominent being what was he going to do. He refused to follow in his father's footsteps and would never put a female through what Grace and his sister had to deal with.

Madison would not be forcibly marked.

Jake found himself standing before the pack house, the light shining from the living room the only one on in the house. The beast let out a low rumble when he made out a pacing figure of Madison. She had waited up for him and he was thrilled. His beast wanted nothing more than to make his words about marking her true, but only on her terms.

He could feel the shift coming, his bones reshaping. A shiver ran through his body when the last of the change happened and he stood up straight. He fist clenched by his side, he made his way to the house. Lucas had said he wouldn't tell her anything of what happened, the it was up to Jake to disclose the conversation.

Pulling on a pair of shorts, he stepped inside. Madison's pacing immediately stopped and she turned towards him. Her face was full of concern and he frowned. Had he caused her distress?

"You've been gone for hours. I was worried my father did something to you." Stepping forward she worried her lip, "what happened? Nobody will tell me anything."

Jake reached for her, pulling her into his arms, "Maddie, I'm so sorry."

The moment Jake felt her start to pull away, he tightened his hold. He couldn't lie to her, he had to tell her the truth. Burying his noise into her hair he inhaled, committing her scent to memory. He was unsure how she would take what happened, but he hoped she would understand.

"I told your father I marked you."

Madison instantly stiffened. "You did what?"

"He wanted to take you away from me. Gina wants to take your place. She isn't as innocent as she wants your father to believe. Apparently she slept with on overzealous male."

Madison looked up confused, "what do you mean?"

"He marked her. She's trying to pass it off on me." Taking her face in his hands he looked in her eyes, "it wasn't me though Maddie, I swear it. I had to say something. Me marking you was the only thing to come to mind."

Madison pulled from his grip, "no!"

Gripping her arms he refused to let her run, "Madison! I won't force it on you. I promise you, I won't force you."

He saw the instant she relaxed and he chuckled, "Landon told him you were carrying my pup. You should have seen the look on your father's face. A look of complete terror came across him."

Silence filled the air and Jake cocked his head. Madison stood still, her breathing heavy.

"Why did your father look so terrified at the mention of us mating?"

Madison shook her head, "I don't know."

Narrowing his eyes Jake inhaled, "the stench of your lie is permeating the air Maddie. Why was he so terrified at the mention of it?" At her silence he pressed further, "what has happened to you that he thinks I now know? Madison just talked to me, let me help you."

"I don't know!"

Jake watched as she bolted up the stairs. He wanted nothing more than to go after her but his anger was rising knowing she was lying to him. He had to think with a clear head and that wouldn't happen if he followed her now.

"She's terrified Jake, just give her some time."

He turned to see Grace leaning against the door frame, her hand cradling her growing stomach. A small smile graced his lips before he dropped his head in his hands. "I couldn't get out everything I wanted to say to her. I should have never tried pushing her for the answer."

The light touch of her hand on his shoulder had him smiling again. Grace had been more of a mother to him in the time that had been together than his own mother had in the few years she was around.

"Give her a few minutes to herself and then you go up there and apologize. You let her know that whenever she is ready you will be here."

Jake nodded, he knew Grace was right. He was so out of his depth, he was wolf and she was human. He felt the mate bond and she didn't. He had to be patient with her. A relationship between the two of them wasn't going to come easy, she didn't have the same urge toward him as he did towards her.

"There will be one good thing to come out off all of this in the end."

Jake raised a brow, "and what is that?"

"The love that she will have towards you won't be based off of the deep embedded animal instinct we have. You'll know she loves you for you, and not because her genetic make up is telling her she has to." Grace sighed, a smile on her face. "Madison will choose to love you, and making her own choices is what she needs."

"Woman, are you trying to say that you only love me because of our bond and not because you choose to?" Lucas growled playfully.

Jake didn't plan to stick around and made his way towards Madison's room, chuckling when he heard the response that came from Grace.

"Lucas, if the bond wasn't there pulling me to you in the beginning, I would have run off and mated with Anthony." Grace teased.

The squeal that left Grace made Jake hopeful, if Grace and Lucas could find love and happiness after everything they went through then he knew that he could do the same with Madison.

"Madison can we talk?" Opening the door to her room, he froze.