The Wars of Ivory White (Book I: The Protector)

Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27

Laura Evans busied herself with the final touches of her dinner. Jordan was expected to arrive any moment and she wanted everything nice. When they first started dating, he told her the truth about who he was and that she was his mate. Her deceased husband had been a Hunter, so she had no problem with him being a werewolf. She did ask how he felt about her husband's role as a Were hunter. Jordan explained that while they were leery of Hunters, and completely unwelcoming of the humans who did, Natural Borns only stepped in when humans were threatened. Even then, Hunters usually respected traditions and territories, only requesting assistance when they needed it. In spite of their good relations, Hunters and supernaturals avoided each other.

Work kept Laura busy, but coming home at night was lonely, even when Tracy had been around. She enjoyed Roger's company. However, having someone else there for physical and emotional support was wonderful. Jordan had also lost a mate. He knew the pain and uncertainty that came with their death. After Frank died, she never thought about being with anyone again. In fact, she had resigned herself to it. Then Jordan stepped in. Suddenly a part of her heart felt restored.

A light knock sounded at the front door. Letting himself in, Jordan greeted Laura with a warm hug. When Roger came down, they all sat down and ate. After dinner, Jordan and Laura went for a walk.

"You two go ahead. I got the dishes." Roger said, gathering the plates.

"Thanks Roger." Laura went and grabbed her coat, while Jordan waited for her at the door. Holding hands, they walked through the woods enjoying the crisp weather. Laura sensed that something was bothering him. Not wanting to pressure her date into talking, she asked about Tracy instead.

Jordan smiled briefly, "She surprised us all. We weren't expecting her to take down a Beta wolf by herself."

"You mean Vera?" Laura asked.

Jordan stopped walking. Looking at her curiously, he was shocked that Laura knew.

Laura chuckled, "Tracy and I talk almost every night. She told me that Carla wasn't comfortable around the rest of the pack and that they were training in secret."

Jordan sighed, another blame to lay at his door. After all, he never made the effort to introduce her to the pack nor did he try to talk to her. She walked in, scared and alone after losing both parents and her home. His only reason for ignoring her was because of a grudge he held against her father. A grievance he had no claim to.

"Are you still with me?" Laura asked gently.

Jordan smiled at his beautiful mate, "I'll always be with you as long as you let me."

Laura smiled, affectionately squeezing his arm.

"Let's go in and get you warm." Jordan said as they headed back.

Walking into the house, they saw that Roger had already gone to bed. Quiet and alone, the silence was broken only by the occasional pop and crackle of a burning log. A glimmer of light flickered from the flames in the fireplace casting deep shadows in the dark room. Jordan sat on the couch in front of the warm heat, watching the enchanted dance of the orange blaze. Laura handed him a glass of warm mule wine before settling next to him on the plush couch.

"Before meeting my mother, my father had sex with a girl in college. She got pregnant and gave my father a son. My father had planned to marry her for the sake of the child but she had found her mate and married him instead. My half-brother, Jackson, was raised by my father.

My father eventually found his mate, my mother. She was jealous about his past, upset that she wasn't the one to give him his first child.

She wanted to send Jackson away but my father wouldn't allow it. He had bonded with his son. When I came along, I was always aware of my mother's resentment. Seeing my father spend time with Jackson made me resentful too. Jackson was always nice to me. His courtesy to my mother just made her hate him even more. Her hatred towards him eventually became mine."

Jordan ran his fingers through his hair. Gripping hard as the old memories and hurt broke through, he was ashamed of all the times he and his mother had bullied and wronged his half-brother. Laura sat quietly, waiting patiently for him to continue.

"I remember when Jackson had just finished college and I high school. My father gave us both a  graduation party. The night of the celebration, he hid from my mother's bitterness, while she refused to have anything to do with the affair. I recall acting like a selfish child, hating to have to share my party with him. All I did the entire night was bitch and drink, complaining to my friends about how my half-brother was ruining my life. Later that evening, when most everyone was drunk, I overheard Jackson tell his friends that he had found his mate, and that she was sleeping off her intoxication upstairs."

Suddenly Jordan's face crumpled. Tears flowing, he moaned in agony. Hating to see him in such distress, Laura hugged him, rubbing his back soothingly.

"It's all my fault!" he cried.

"What happened?" Laura asked gently, knowing that he had to get this off his chest.

"That night I went upstairs to Jackson's room and saw the girl wrapped in a blanket. I got into bed next to her and rubbed my scent all over her body as she slept. Then I made it seem like I had sex with her. I even pulled her dress up, exposing her bra. I laid on the bed with my shirt off and waited.

When he came up and discovered us in bed together, he was furious. For me, it was terrifying to see him so angry. Through all the insults and pain my brother endured because of me and my mother, he was always calm, until then."

Jordan remembered that his roar was so loud it woke the girl, who jumped up in fright. Jackson rushed over, lashing at Jordan body with his fists. Every time Jordan faded from consciousness another punch would knock him back around.

He wasn't sure how long Jackson beat on him. When he stopped, Jordan looked up and saw that Jackson's eyes were no longer on him, but the girl. Wearing a coral lace dress, her chocolate eyes were full of emotion. She watched him thoughtfully as he approached her.

^Jackson's Mate ^

"Mate." she whispered softly.

"NO!" Jackson roared, grabbing the innocent girl by her neck, "You're a filthy whore and I reject you."

The girl's eyes flooded with tears as he shoved her away from him. Stumbling backwards over a chair, she tripped and fell out the third story window, her screams cut short by a sickening crack.

Jackson jumped out of the window after her, breaking his leg on the pavement below. He crawled to his mate's lifeless body, holding her close while howling his agony to the moon. Sobbing with pain, he begged her to come back, not to leave him alone.

Jordan cried in Laura's arms, after recounting the story in his mind. "It's all my fault. Instead of making things right, I hid like a coward, letting him take the blame. I even allowed my mother to convince me that I was the victim. I just wanted the respect and strength that Jackson had. I was so blinded with jealousy of my father's bond to Jackson that I refused to believe anything but my mother's poison."

Jordan's shoulders shook uncontrollably. "When Carla arrived, I never wanted to look directly at her because I was sure I would see her father. I didn't want to remember.  So, I ignored her pain, even when I could've given her a better life."

"What are you going to do now?" Laura asked.

Jordan swallowed the lump in his throat, sucking in as much air as his lungs allowed.

"I can't fix the wrong that I've done, but I'm going to do everything possible to make sure my niece is taken care of ...." sighing, he continued. "...and then I'm going to take a trip."