POV: SAINT
Sam was truly dead.
Everyone in the pack was stunned that someone managed to slip past the guards and poison Sam. It didn't take much to realize that this person must have used magic, which complicated things even further. We were left wondering why they chose to poison Sam instead of helping him escape. What could their motive be? This led us into another cycle of theories and confusion.
This also meant the culprit was someone still within the pack. I recalled Evelyn mentioning a different route that Sam and that woman would use whenever they wanted to leave the pack. I shared this with Jackson, but we couldn't find any trace of the route. It seemed like it had never existed.
I had decided I needed to uncover the truth by speaking with Samantha's mate, Joshua. I prepared a list of questions focused on Samantha's past and her connection with Sam. However, if I started asking Jackson these deep questions about his sister now, it would clearly show him that I'm suspicious, which wasn't my intention since I lacked proof. I wanted to be certain before making any accusations.
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Jackson walked in. He appeared to have just returned, still wearing his work clothes. "Hey," he said as he approached me, "what are you up to?"
"Not much, just sorting through some things."
"I missed you," he said while cupping my cheeks and giving me a light kiss on the lips. Ever since he confessed his feelings, we have been sharing sweet kisses that make my heart flutter. "I miss you too," I replied, returning the peck.
"Come stay in my room."
"Huh?"
"I don't want us to sleep in separate rooms anymore," he said, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer. "I want you to be the first person I see when I wake up and the last one before I go to sleep. I want your scent all over my bed."
A shiver ran down my spine when he said that, and I hoped the moon goddess didn't let him feel it. I never thought we would come this far—him confessing his love for me and asking me to be his Luna. Now, staying in the same room felt thrilling as I dreamed about our future together.
"You don't want to?" he asked, his face falling. He must have taken my silence as a no.
"I didn't say that! Of course, I'd love to," I replied softly. His expression brightened as he said, "Let's get some sleep for now; tomorrow we'll move your things." I nodded quickly as he took my hand and led me to his room.
As I walked in, his scent immediately reached my senses. From that moment on, I knew I would cherish his scent every day of my life. And when we finally become mates, our scents will blend together permanently. This thought filled me with excitement—much more than I had expected.
"Is it hot in here? I thought it was chilly," Jackson remarked, brushing his hand against my face and neck.
"No, why do you ask?" I replied, feeling confused.
"You feel really warm all of a sudden, and your cheeks are flushed. Are you feeling hot?"
"N-no, I'm not. I just need to take a quick shower," I said as I hurried toward the bathroom and closed the door firmly behind me. I needed a moment to gather my thoughts before embarrassing myself by walking out too flustered. The last thing I wanted was for him to think I'm overly eager, even though the desire to mate with him was overwhelming. All I could think about was how much I wanted to feel his skin against mine and have him inside me...
"Ugh!" I muttered under my breath. "I really need to calm down before he notices how turned on I am." Taking off my clothes, I turned on the cold water for the shower, determined to cool down before rejoining him. By the time I stepped out, he had left the room, so I went ahead and got Tom settled in bed.
I kissed Tom goodnight, then gently locked the door before heading to my room. I reminded myself to cut back on his sugar intake since it was clear he had a sugar rush tonight. After his shower and dinner, getting him to sleep was quite a challenge.
As I walked in, Jackson had just stepped out of the shower. A few droplets still clung to his hair, showing it was damp. He only had a towel wrapped around his waist, revealing his well-defined chest. His sculpted muscles seemed to beckon me, almost daring me to come closer and let myself get lost in them. Reluctantly, I shifted my gaze from his stunning physique to meet his eyes, where he was already grinning at me.
"I love the expression you make when you're checking me out; it's hot," he said with that same smirk.
I instinctively touched my face, feeling my cheeks flush. "What expression?"
He didn't answer but reached for his pajama pants and casually let the towel drop onto the chair, exposing himself completely. I quickly looked away, feeling my cheeks grow warm from the image of him naked on now perched my mind while hearing him chuckle softly.
"Uh..." I started, feeling embarrassed and flustered. "I just got Tom to sleep."
"Are you shy?" His teasing tone followed as he moved closer.
"N-no?" I stammered, wishing I could hide my uncertainty with a facepalm.
He let out a snort. "You don't need to be shy; you've seen and touched me without clothes before," he said, still teasing. When I looked at him, I noticed he was wearing his pants.
"I-I was in heat back then; I don't really remember much..." I lied, even though every detail was etched in my memory—how his large hands explored every part of me made me bite my lips.
His arms wrapped around my waist, giving me a squeeze as he pulled me closer. "What if we help you remember? Hmn?" he asked, his voice low and enticing. I gripped his strong arms, feeling myself respond to his alluring presence.
"I want you to call me alpha again, Saint. I want to hear you whimper when you do. You remember how you called me alpha while begging for me, right?" He leaned in and kissed my neck and shoulder, sending shivers of pleasure through me as I surrendered these sensitive spots to his lips. "Y-yes...hmm...I remember," I moaned, turning my face toward him so he could kiss me. All I wanted was for him to kiss me, and he eagerly obliged.