Who is Magpie?

The next hour was spent with her directing them to search in places she would hide things, and then her forcing them to move so she could search herself. By the end there was one audio only device near the bed, and a second camera above the curtain. She took all of them apart, piece by piece, and laid them across the table like she was mapping them for reassembly.

“Hmm,” she mused. “Two cameras and a bug, apparently I’m worth something after all.”

“Understatement,” both Ezekiel and Bronx muttered at the same time.

“Awe, twinning,” Jessamine joked in return and they both scoffed.

“Jessa,..” Bronx began but hesitated and when she gestured for him to continue he shook his head. “Never mind, I completely forgot what I was going to say.”

Jessamine worried what those words had been but then Ezekiel asked, “what do you want to do today?”

“Riiight. You both better get going. The longer you take to leave the later you’ll be done.” She rolled her eyes as Ezekiel moved to pick her up off the couch.

She smirked, and gripped the back of the sofa instead of his hand. Placing her good foot on the seat she flipped over the back, holding her busted ankle off the ground as she landed on her foot behind the sofa. She did another slow back bend, holding herself up in a handstand for a moment to land the same foot on the ground behind her again and jumping to sit on the edge of the bed.

They looked at her and she shrugged. “If you have to go, I don’t need you here,” she pouted and crossed her arms.

Ezekiel felt a slow blooming regret, wondering how to tell her. “No one has to go,” he began and she glared. “The only meeting today you, as my Luna, will also attend, and your crutches have already been retrieved.”

She gawked at him and, despite Bronx’s confusion, she understood. “Ezekiel Ashford, don’t you dare talk to me before the debriefing for that meeting. In fact, you can go find the crutches. I don’t want you carrying me everywhere.”

Ezekiel looked flustered, “Jessa, I…”

She turned her head away and Bronx was baffled that he couldn’t figure out what had happened, turning to Jessamine hopefully.

“He was testing me, to see how I would feel about you guys leaving. I’m not afraid to be on my own,” she retorted in Ezekiel’s general direction, “and I would destroy my ankle brace over someone’s face before I let them get a third shot at me.”

Bronx looked surprised towards Ezekiel, but didn’t quite believe it. “Really?”

There was a small twitch of his hand that Jessamine couldn’t see when he said, “yea, after these last incidents I wouldn’t blame you if you distrust anyone, but I didn’t think you’d be honest if I asked.”

Her head snapped toward him. “Didn’t think I’d be…” This time when she made a low chuckling sound he understood the warning. “I have never, not once, lied to you. You think that I would tell you I blew up a warehouse full of supplies, and possibly killed your people, but be too big of a ballsack to tell you that, while I’m at reduced fighting ability with an active threat in the house, I’m scared to be alone?”

Ezekiel felt the betrayal in her, like she was back in the cell right before Fiona had gone down, and realized how greatly he had fucked up . “Jessa, I…

She shook her head. “No.” Her arm gestured to the door. “Get out.” He looked at her wide eyed, but her face didn’t budge from its firm scowl. “I would have already stomped off, but seeing as how I don’t have anything to walkwith, and I’m not extra enough to hand stand out during a fight,.. YOU can go take the walk I would have.”

He landed his hand on hers, a small light shining in his heart when she didn’t pull it away. “Jessamine,” he said softly, getting onto one knee. “I’m sorry, I should have thought better. You’re right, you have been unwavering in your honesty, and I’ve been the one not fully discussing things with you. What can I do to earn back what I have lost?”

She took a slow breath. “You’re saying the right things, but I’m not ready to forgive you. I need some time.”

He nodded, releasing her hand and gathering their plates. “I’ll go get your crutches and gather the things for you to review before the meeting.” He nodded towards her with acceptance. “I’ll take the long way.”

When the doors clicked closed Jessamine brought her feet up to the lip of the bed frame and put her elbows on her knees. “Did I overreact?”

Bronx got up and went over to the bed to sit beside her, resting his hand over hers. “Jessa, don’t let anyone tell you your feelings aren’t valid. It doesn’t matter if I think I would feel disappointed if I were in your shoes, if you do then that’s all that matters.”

She leaned against him in thought. “I can feel his regret, but he still thought I would lie to him. How can I gain trust and respect in the pack, when my own mate doesn’t trust me to be honest?”

“Oh Jessa,” he cooed, bringing her tightly for a hug. “It’s not as much as all that. I have known my brother my whole life, raised together as we were after my parents died, we felt more like twins then adoptive siblings. His mistrust is his own, after years of people lying to him, and now finding out about Athena.. that is by no means a reflection on you. That is his baggage to unpack, and he’s not great with communication.”

She nodded against his chest. “I feel like we never talk about the things we need to. He’s told me about his childhood with you, and teenage years… I don’t really want to tell my stories like you guys do, like they were the ‘good old days’, but I thought he would ask factually, for the pack. I… I don’t know.” She sighed, and Bronx rubbed his hands over her back, feeling the different textures in her skin.

“I know it’s a lot, and everyone leads you to believe that Mates are just perfect right from the start, but you two did just meet. The bond, and being able to sense how they’re feeling helps immeasurably, but it will still take time to understand each other.”

She paused and swallowed hard, like it would erase her will to speak her next words, but it didn’t. “You understand me.”

There was a pregnant pause but he pulled away and smiled. “I’m just good at reading people, and I knew someone like you once. Don’t hold it against him.”

Her face flushed and she looked away. “So you don’t feel it?”

“Feel what?” He asked, brushing the hair away that hid her blush from him.

“..How I’m feeling?” She asked again, not any more sure of her question than she had been the first time.

He smiled warmly at her, brushing a tear from her cheek gently. “Actually feeling each other’s emotions is only for mate pairs, for the rest of us we can only be very good guessers with the people we are ‘that close’ with.”

She forced a smile and a nod. “I should have thought as much. Thank you,.. for not laughing. I guess I thought.. I don’t know what I thought. I suppose I’m just not use to people being kind to me, and with what Ezekiel said on the full moon.. and then what happened. I’m sorry I misunderstood.”

He closed his eyes and rest his forehead against hers. “I will always be here for you Jessamine.”

She flinched at him using her full name, wanting to correct him but feeling like that would further complicate things. She felt tired, like her emotional capacity for the day had been met. Although, that did take away from the feelings of embarrassment at sounding so inexperienced, wishing she could take back ever saying anything.

“Thank you Bronx.” She pondered a minute before speaking again. “I love Ezekiel,” she blurted out suddenly. “It’s not because of any debt to him, or because I want to be Luna. It wouldn’t matter if he was the poorest man in the world or lost everything tomorrow, I would love him the same….”

“Jessamine, I know, don’t worry. I don’t think you asked because you lack love for my brother. I know you two are genuine mates, but I was also there when you were attacked and that has helped us .to get closer. I understand these feelings are new,” he assured and rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

Jessamine nodded, but she couldn’t help feeling a lump in her throat. “I’d like to take a bath,” she began quietly. “I think it would be ok if I used some of the Sanaberry to heal the outside and then wore the bracing in the tub. I left the flashlight in Talia’s room, would you go get it?”

He smiled but it only graced one side of his face. “Of course.”

He kissed the top of her head as he rose, thinking through the act afterward as he left. Bronx knew he had to back off; knew that he couldn’t allow Jessamine to feel like he was leading her along. His heart hurt that she hurt, but there was little that could be done about that.

Bronx opened the door to leave and saw a pair of crutches left behind in the small hallway. He closed the door quickly behind him, to hide the fact that Ezekiel had likely overheard some part of their conversation. That would be a later problem for him and Ezekiel to deal with, not something for Jessamine to worry about.