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Theo

"She won't come up?" Jackie asks, her facial features speak how disappointed she is. Conrad stands beside her looking at me with disapproval, but I shrug it off.

"I need to go talk to her. " She says and walks past me to the basement door. I grab her arm softly in warning.

"She won't come up because she still don't trust herself completely. If you go down there it may make her worse." I say. I didn't mean it as a insult, but JC is terrified of hurting someone. Especially her parents I would guess.

"Theo, she is my daughter. I am her mother, I know she wouldn't hurt me." Jackie turns sharply. I let out a sigh. I know she is right. I just don't want to push JC to a breaking point, I don't want to stress her beyond repair.

"Okay." I let it go, I'll deal with the repercussions later. JC most likely needs her mom more than she realizes. Conrad nods his head to me, thanking me for not putting up a fight and follows Jackie down to the basement.

I decide it's best to give them some privacy and go talk to Kelsia about how we are going to approach things with JC and how she will be monitored the whole time she is with JC.

Kelsia is waiting patiently and when she sees me she stands up, "Where is she?"

"She's still down there. Her parents just went down to talk to her." I closing my eyes and breathing in deeply again, calming myself. This situation is not ideal and the last thing I expected when I came to find my mate.

I want to be there for her, comfort her and protect her. But I can't help her, only Kelsia can and that makes me crazy jealous. My feelings for JC get stronger and stronger each passing day, it's hard to be a good mate to her when this certainty doesn't fit the criteria I learned about.

"She's scared." Kelsia states and sits back down softly. I sit down on the couch beside her and look at her, crossing my hands.

"She is." I say back and the weight of those words sink in. I don't want her to be scared. I can feel most of her emotions. I can see how for years of feeling dread, fear, and confusion would make a person feel uncertain after someone says they don't have to feel that way anymore.

"I'll help with that. It's always scary in the beginning. Of course, she may be stronger than me so she will be a challenge." Kelsia sincerely says. I know she will be a challenge, and I love challenge.

"She's been a challenge so far, I don't expect her to stop now." I laugh and so does Kelsia.

I decide now would be a time to talk to Kelsia on a more serious note, "I don't know if you are a good person. So, forgive me for saying that I will be watching you closely, especially when you are around my mate."

Kelsia nods he head slowly, "I understand, however you need to understand how important it is to get JC ready."

"Ready for what?" I question. What could JC possibly need to get ready for? All she needs to do is learn about how to control her powers.

"Theo..." Kelsia leans forward, "JC is going to be in fight of her life."

I furrow my eyebrows, not completely comprehending what she is saying. Kelsia sees this and elaborates. "You can't protect her forever. She will need to protect herself. They will find a way to get to her, and she will need to be prepared."

No rouge is getting near my mate, Kelsia insinuating that she will have to fight them is pure craziness. I am her protect, her warrior, and her caretaker. This mate thing may be new to me and slightly more stressful than I would have liked, but JC isn't just a girl I want to avoid anymore.

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JC

I sit in the suffocating silence of the dark cell room. I tried testing my abilities, but nothing I did would awaken them. I hear footsteps coming down the stares and I already know who is is.

Cherry and wood scents came down the hall, the smell of my parents and instead of panicking like I wanted to do. I stay seated on the bed, staring straight ahead at a blank black wall. If I take one look at my mother I will most likely either cry or throw myself in her arms.

She may be scared of me, she may want to disown me. My father however is not a man of many words. Sometimes he is sweet, other times you can't tell what he is thinking.

"Jacqueline?" My mother calls out to me and I get stiffer, but look in her direction. When her eyes land on me, she takes off running down the hall and into my cell.

She wraps her warn arms around me and starting crying. My father walks in shortly after and sets on the bed on the other side and wraps his arms around me. I break down at that point and become a puddle of emotions in both my parent's arms.

"I am so sorry." I sob and grasp onto their arms.

"Oh honey, it's okay. We are just happy to see that you're fine." My mother says and pulls away, looking into my eyes.

I don't know what else to say to my parents. I feel like such a terribly disappointing daughter. They don't need this.

"I don't know what to say." I say as they still hold on to me.

"We love you Jacqueline Claire. No matter what you are. We are here for you every step of the way." My dad says and hugs me a little tighter. That little show of emotion from him showed me him and my mother are very serious about what they've said.

I can't believe I have put them through so much. "You're not scared of me?" I'm scared of myself and it's surprising that no one else would be.

"You're our daughter. You could bring down a whole building with a snap of your finger and we still wouldn't be scared." My mom says and I let out a laugh. I hope I don't ever bring down a building so effortlessly.

"Thank you guys." I say and my dad lets go of me, then stands.

"Come on princess, you don't need to be down here." He extends his hand, and I smile. "Princess" was my nickname as a child and I haven't heard it in years. If my father tells me I don't need to be down here and he is showing so much confidence in me, then maybe I should go back up.

My parents are my greatest fear, aside from Theo. Theo has proved he isn't scared of me, and so have my parents now. I need to set my insecurities aside and just trust my loved ones.

"Okay." I say and grab my father's hands. He lifts me up off the bed effortlessly.

My muscles are sore, and I find myself asking why.

Mom gets up too, she wipes some tears away and walks in front of me.

"I'm sorry that you didn't feel comfortable enough to at least talk to me about all of this." She begins getting emotional again and I wrap my arms around her, burying my face in her neck.

"It wasn't anything to do with you. I have ran from this for so long. I had so many secrets and now that they are out there, it feels scary and relieving all at once." I say.

I need to tell them about where Jamie came from. Jamie hasn't talked about it, because I think he doesn't remember it. I've questioned that, and it's as if I told him the fake story so many times he believes that's what really happened.

I've felt guilty about that since it happened.

"From now on, you can come to me with anything." She says which sets the quilt in so much more. I need to tell them.

If this is a time to tell them about it, it's the perfect opportunity.

"There is something I need to tell you guys about Jamie." I mention hesitantly. I step away so I can see them both face to face.

Mom and Dad look confused, the story I told them about Jamie was that I just found him in the woods wondering around alone with no family.

He even told him he didn't have anyone, but that's because he watched me kill them.

"I didn't just find Jamie. He was with a pack of rouges and they kidnapped me. Jamie was one of the rouge's son." I admit. I feel a little burden lift off of me, but the looks on their faces sets it back on.

"Rouges kidnapped you?" My dad asks angrily. I can't tell if he's angry with me for not telling him or that it happened.

"I was out on a run when I was thirteen. They took me to their camp. They told Jamie to watch me in the tent while they came up with a plan. One of their plans was to use me to get into our pack."

"Jamie was only four JC." My mom says in unbelief.

"They told him to kill me if I tried to get away, and he did try. The rouges came to see what was going on and I tossed them all in the fire." I look to the floor, as I relieved that memory again.

It is my darkest moment.

"Tossed them?" My dad clarifies.

"It's how I learned about my abilities. I was so mad from the things they were saying and how they were teaching Jamie to act. Jamie cried and acted scared of me, but I told him I would take him somewhere safe. I gained his trust and told him a fake story." That manipulative side of me is also a reason I felt evil and dangerous. I was never like that before all of that happened and I didn't recognize myself.

Everything just kept adding up until I didn't see myself as a decent person. I saw myself as someone who is dangerous. I ran when Theo came because I didn't want to do any of that or hurt him in any way.

"Oh my God." My mom says and sits down, shaking her head.

"Our little boy went through that." She says to my father. Dad shakes his head too and closed his eyes.

When my dad opened them, I saw tears. That's the first time I have ever seen my dad shed tears. They love Jamie as if he is their actual son and the past that Jamie has is traumatizing. And they didn't know anything about it, because of me.

"I don't think he remembers any of it." I say in a half-hearted defense.

"Out of all the things that you have hidden JC, you should have told us that." My dad says in a disapproving manner.

I agree, I should have. I could have told them that me and Jamie escaped, but if did that Alpha James would have sent out warriors to find the pack rouges and they would have found bodies. Around that time, I was convinced I was a monster.

I couldn't risk that at the time. I was so young and stupid.

"I know, and I'm so sorry." I say, holding back some tears.

Mom and dad stay silent, and so do I after that.

I hear footsteps coming down the stairs and the intoxicating scent of my mate soon reaches my senses. The tension I felt was relieves when he came into view. Mom and dad, set out of the cell and start talking to the exit, leaving me still standing there. My heart clenched watching them walk away from me, clearly upset which my actions.

Theo passes my mom and gets to my dad and I hear him ask faintly, "What happened?"

My dad doesn't respond and keeps walking. They are no doubt going straight to Jamie to comfort him and love on him. I'm happy about that, but after I told them it was like they had no interest on my mental health anymore just Jamie's.

Don't be selfish. I say to myself

Theo walks to me looking at me curiously, "What happened?" He asked me the same question and I closed my eyes, and run my hands through my hair.

"They are upset with me." I tell him, sitting back on the bed. I was finally ready to leave, to get out of this filthy basement and their anger with me just discouraged me. I want to bury myself under these blankets and never come out.

I feel even shittier if that counts.

"I over heard you that you were about to leave the basement." He states. I expected him to ask me why they are upset, but he knows the story. I'm surprised he or Alpha James hadn't said anything to them about that.

"I probably should give them space right now and stay down here." I say and lay down on the bed. I keep reminding myself to breath in and out.

I see Theo's hands clench at his side and he looks down at me, his patience wearing thin.

I gulp.

"I am getting tired JC. I want you to be okay. I want you to come back upstairs and stop being so hard on yourself." He says as collected as he can. I'm stunned with him for being so forward with his feelings.

I immediately get defensive, "I didn't ask you to look out for me or to worry about me. I am fine."

"It is my job to worry about you and care for you. I am your mate." He says sternly and crosses his arms. He looks so attractive acting tough and stern with me.

"Well..." I don't really know how to reply to him because I'm in a trance of how attractive he is. I press my lips together in a line.

"Well?" He asks and raises a eyebrow at me. I want to laugh at his face, but I bite my lip.

"Don't do that." He says immediately. I see him look away from me with clear lust.

"Do what?" I ask innocently, but I know exactly what he was talking about. I didn't do it on purpose, but seeing that effect from that simple action makes me wish it was on purpose.

Theo looks at me and lets out a breath, "Bite that lip."

My problems seem to fade away as I look up into Theo's eyes of lust. I only care about him for the moment.

I can't do this though. My guilt is too heavy and I will not screw up this moment. And by screw this up, is let our first physical encounter be down in this basement. I'm sure I probably smell by now. I don't even look like myself and my parents are extremely angry at me.

I drop my gaze to to the blanket and pull it over my shoulders. "You should go." I say, not looking at him.

Theo sits next to me, and pulls me into his arms-which I did not expect.

I let out a small squeak. "I'm not going anywhere." He says to me and places his chin on the top of my head.

I relax into his arms and just let him hold me silently.

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I hope this chapter cleared some of JC's feelings up for ya! Obviously there is a lot happening in this book, but the best is yet to come ! Stayed tuned !

Xoxo Makayla