Chapter 4

I sat on the cold chair inside the police station. Across from me, my Beta, John Brown, couldn’t stop smirking as he looked at the guy in front of him. "Thomas, man, look at you. You look like you’re about to cry for your mommy. Hurts that bad, huh?" Thomas's face was a mess, blood and bruises I left all over him. The whole thing was ridiculous. A rookie like him trying to take on an Alpha? Seriously? When we shifted, he was barely half my size. I didn’t even bother using my full force—just knocked him down effortlessly. As expected, Thomas lost his temper the moment John poked at him again, his fist shooting up in rage. Before he could move an inch, a nearby officer smacked his baton hard on the table—THUD—and Thomas froze, sinking stiffly back into his seat. He glared at John like he wanted to strangle him on the spot, knuckles white from how tightly he was clenching his hands. John found it hilarious. He leaned back in his chair right next to me, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Same old Thomas. No wonder you’ll never make Alpha!" John scoffed, shaking his head like it was some kind of joke. "Bet Ella’s gonna scold you when she hears you threw a punch at Jackson." That hit a nerve. Thomas snapped. "Shut the hell up!" he shouted, his voice raw. "I may not be an Alpha yet, but at least I’m not stuck being someone’s Beta puppet!" He turned those burning eyes on me next. "And Ella must be blind to fall for a jackass like you. What the hell does she even see in you?" God, they were so immature. I tuned them out, letting my gaze drift to a boring spot in the corner. Not worth my time. Still, when Thomas insulted Ella, John barely flinched. He chuckled darkly, then fired back, "Keep dreaming, Thomas. Ella’s only gonna care if Alpha Jackson got hurt. You? Go cry in a corner, nobody's checking on you." Thomas clenched his teeth so hard I thought he might crack them, then slammed his fist onto the armrest. He growled, voice hoarse with rage. "Jackson had it coming! I wouldn’t have touched him if he hadn’t said he was gonna screw Ella!" That name pulled my attention. I glanced at him again. No blood ties between him and Ella, but their eyes really did look alike. He stared at me and John like a wild wolf zeroing in on prey. His face was all twisted up from the anger bubbling under his skin. Last night, when I joked about how good Ella might feel, this guy had completely lost it and came at me. But honestly? I didn’t care what this wannabe Alpha thought. What right did he have to judge me for wanting a regular she-wolf? John’s smile vanished in a second. "What did you just say?" he snapped, his voice suddenly cold as ice. He glared hard at Thomas. "You started this. If you hadn't come at us first, we wouldn't even be stuck here right now." Thomas's words were like venom. "And if Jackson hadn’t run his mouth about Ella and started thinking those filthy thoughts, I wouldn’t be here either!"John clenched his fists and shot up from his chair, eyes blazing. "Thomas, how dare you talk to Alpha Jackson like that? If Ella knew what you’ve been doing—" "Shut up! Don’t bring Ella into this!" Thomas snapped. He shot me a glare that could cut before turning away in disgust, then turned back to John, face twisted with fury. "Can you go one damn minute without saying her name?" "Seriously? I’m stuck here with a loser who can’t shut up about a girl. Pathetic. What, can’t breathe without Ella around?" "You son of a—" John’s voice pitched higher, ready to spit another insult. I frowned and stood up, cutting him off cold. "Enough. Get out." Grabbing my coat, I muttered, "Leave." "Jackson, wait—" John started, sounding panicked. I shot him a glare, lifting my wrist to show him my watch, my voice low but sharp: "Check the time." "Ten o’clock." His voice quieted instantly under my stare, shoulders shrinking. "Go back and attend the pack meeting, John," I ordered. Slipping on my suit jacket, I turned and walked out without another word. Ella hadn’t shown up at the station since last night, but I had a feeling why. She and Thomas clearly weren’t on good terms—no way she’d show up just for him. Maybe the cops never even told her that the fight involved me. Either way, I needed to get back to White Moon. If her usual routine held, she'd be waiting for me there. She always waited, watching me handle pack affairs. I reached the door and suddenly felt eyes burning into my back. I turned—and yep, Thomas. He glared at me with those light brown eyes—too much like Ella’s—but full of hate. That look? It unsettled me. Because in that moment, I saw Ella in him. Ridiculous. Getting spooked by a wolf not even full Alpha yet? "Jackson." John had followed me out. He tracked my gaze and saw Thomas too. His face curled in contempt. "Pfft. That little bastard. Served him right, you knocking him down." "When Miss Miller sees the bruises you took, she’s gonna flip out on him!" John smirked, his tone dripping with glee. "Hell, she might even throw herself at you. Beg for forgiveness." I brushed the creases out of my coat, voice dripping sarcasm. "No, Ella doesn’t yell. She’ll just tell Thomas to stop picking fights with me. And honestly? He’s not worth the effort." I didn’t deny the part about Ella wanting to be with me. And I knew Thomas heard all of it—right before his Ella-like eyes dimmed in defeat. I didn’t pause. Just walked away. John rushed ahead to open the car door for me. I climbed in.Just as we were about to leave, a black SUV pulled up right in front of the station. I glanced over, a bit puzzled—it parked neatly by the entrance. John noticed it too and squinted, then said with a raised eyebrow, “No way, that's the car Oliver Davis drove to the dinner last night.” “Seriously? He’s the Alpha of Claw Pack. What’s he doing at a police station?” “Man, he’s like the celeb of our kind! Always showing off, but he’s not the type to stir up trouble.” John kept turning his head, trying to get another look at the SUV. “He never likes dealing with us,” he muttered. “Shows up at the police station outta nowhere? If we didn’t have that pack meeting later, I’d already be over there trying to find out what’s going on.” I was slumped in the back seat, watching the street go by with my eyes half closed, John’s chatter and the sirens buzzing faintly in my ears. Spending all night at the station with zero rest had drained me completely. My whole body felt like lead. Then, hearing John's mention of Oliver, something just didn’t sit right with me. I straightened up and asked, frowning, “Oliver Davis? You’re sure it was his car?” “No doubt. I saw it up close yesterday. I wouldn’t mistake it,” John said as he settled back into his seat, finally giving up on staring out the window. “You know Oliver’s the Alpha of the Claw Pack—he’d never loan his car out. If he’s here, something big must be going on... But what could get Oliver involved?” “Jackson…” John leaned over a bit, voice cautious. “Is everything okay with you today? You seem off. Want me to reschedule the meeting?” “Damn that Thomas Wilson,” he added quickly, “kid just had to stir up trouble now of all times!” I forced a smile, trying not to look like a total mess. “Relax, John. I was just thinking about the meeting.” “Hah! I knew it! Nothing shakes you that easy,” John chuckled, clearly relieved. After that, the car went silent, and honestly, I was grateful for the peace. My head was pounding, and even thinking straight felt like a chore, but John's words still echoed in my mind. Oliver had been at the dinner yesterday. Everyone’s eyes were on him—Ella included. That thought alone made me twitch. Ella wasn’t supposed to be looking at anyone else. Not him. She always carried this subtle, tempting sweetness in her scent, and she didn’t realize just how damn seductive she was. Maybe I should’ve marked her already… lock her down, make sure no one else ever got that close.