Page 70 of Healer’s Betrayal

“I don’t want you to,” I tell him as we walk down the next set of steps. We reach the bottom, and he puts a hand on my arm.

“But I know he was family.”

I laugh, but there’s no warmth to it. “No. We will never claim him as family.”

He steps closer. “Kayla.” His voice is deeper now. “Did he ever—”

I stop him, knowing where he’s going. “No. He didn’t,” I swallow. “He was abusive and dangerous, but he didn’t do anything like that.” I don’t meet Jackson’s eyes.

“Did somebody else?” His voice is just as low.

I breathe out a sigh. “I protected myself, Jackson.”

“Who?” the word is filled with such animosity, my eyes lift to his. “Names, Kayla. Then they’re all dead.” His entire body is nearly vibrating with rage; I can feel it coming off him. I swallow and fight tears. I try to take a breath, but it gets snagged in my chest. A sound escapes, a broken sound. He reaches out and gently puts a hand on my waist and pulls me slowly towards him. A moment later, I’m against his chest. “Is this okay?” His hold is so gentle, it makes the battle against my tears a lost cause. I nod because I can’t speak, and he pulls me closer to his chest and wraps his other arm around me. For the first time in a really long time, I feel safe, protected...the way I used to feel when my mom and dad were both alive and life wasn’t so cruel. The tears come in earnest, and I’m helpless against the onslaught of emotion his touch brings to the surface. The dam breaks on the emotions I’ve kept smothered for the past seven years. He doesn’t say anything; he just holds me. When the worst of it finally passes, and I feel like I can catch my breath again, I speak.

“Nobody ever did anything, because I never let them.” My words are soft but steady. “I got good at protecting myself and protecting Noah. My uncle was always abusive but not usually to Noah. I was always able to intercept him, get Noah away before something happened when my uncle got mad. I saved every penny I made working at a local fast food joint. The day I turned eighteen, we were ready to leave.” I swallow as the memories of that day return.

“What happened?” he asks. There’s no tenderness in his voice, and I’m glad. It helps me get the story out.

“We waited for him to leave for the day, and then we grabbed our bags. But when I looked inside the pouch in my bag that had all my money, it was gone.” Even now, the feeling of absolute devastation and despair I felt that day comes back with a vengeance.

“He took it.” It’s not a question.

“I don’t know how he knew; we were so careful. But yeah, he took it. Things were bad before, but they were really bad after that. I started saving again; but then one day, my uncle came after Noah. I wasn’t able to distract him. We left that night. I-I stole his car and the cash he had in his wallet.” I’m quiet after that as the shame I still feel over that fills me. “I didn’t have any other choice.”

“You should have taken a whole lot more than that.”

I almost smile at his words. “You probably would say I should have killed him before I left.”

“No.” He pulls back, and I look up at him. “That was my job.” His eyes are hard, but his hold on my arms is gentle. “You’re too good, too pure for something like that.” Something like regret passes over his face. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you and Noah.” His jaw tightens. “Had I been, he would have been dead a long time ago as well as any other males that dared threaten you or even look at you wrong. But I’m here now. You and Noah are under my protection now.”

Emotion clogs my throat, the same emotion that made me sob against his chest. I’ve wanted to be safe for so long, to be protected. I’ve had to make it on my own for a long time; the job of protecting Noah has been solely on my shoulders. “Thank you, Jackson.” My voice is soft, still emotional. I meet his eyes. “We haven’t been protected in a long time.” His jaw is clenched so tightly, it’s a wonder he doesn’t break a tooth.

“Does it scare you? What I am?”

I think about what I saw earlier today. “I mean it’s definitely a shock. Are all the guys...one of those?”

He nods at the door. “Let’s talk about it in the room.” He opens the door, and we walk down the hallway to the room Noah’s in. Before I can swipe the room key, Ransom opens the door with a smile on his face that quickly fades.

“Kayla, you okay?”

Jackson puts a hand on my lower back. “Not your concern,” he all but growls at Ransom. Ransom just grins and steps out into the hallway.

“You’re welcome,” he whisper yells at us.

I turn to face him. “Thank you, Ransom, for watching—” The door closes, and I look at Jackson. “I was still talking to him.”

“He’s gone,” he says in a gruff voice.

I shake my head and follow him to the other side of the room where the king bed looms before us. I choose not to dwell on it. “Bryce, Max, Ransom, Garrett, the doctor...they’re all wolves.”

“But you and Ransom aren’t with their group,” I point out.

“No. They’re all from the same pack.”

“Pack?”

He nods. “Like wolves in the wild, most wolves live in packs with other wolves. There's always an alpha, who’s in charge.”