Chapter Six Dylan #2
Teowulf called for them to start and both men circled each other on the mat.
Silas still looked way too relaxed for someone being challenged to fight.
Hands still by his sides and circling around, just sizing Jackson up.
Then Jackson looked poised to start the fight, but continued to circle.
I shifted from foot to foot as they did this.
I didn't want Jackson to get hurt. Silas's upbringing trained him to be an Alpha.
All Alphas had to learn how to fight and not lose a match during training like I was.
Jackson may have been Silas's upcoming Beta, but he could lose this match.
"Is it just me, or is there history between these two that we don't know about?" Hunter pointed out to me.
"I see it, too. I don't know what happened, if that's what you are asking. I just know Jackson was to be Silas's Beta."
"Well, that's just great. If we don't know, that means Jackson hates this asshole, and we just allowed him to get into the ring with him," Hunter growled.
I felt the same way. If I would have known Jackson held more resentment toward Silas, I wouldn't have let this happen. If anything, I would have told Teowulf before coming here not to let Jackson challenge Silas.
Then Jackson made the first move. He charged at Silas and dropped to the ground to swing his leg at Silas’s.
Silas wasn't ready for it and fell back onto the mat.
Jackson leapt toward Silas to get on top of him, but Silas rolled away in time.
They both got to their feet and Silas swung at Jackson.
When Jackson moved, Silas followed up with a jab where Jackson moved to, but Jackson turned away before it connected.
They danced across the mat, and both of them were skilled enough not to allow the other to get the upper hand.
There were a few punches that landed, but not good enough to make either man get knocked to the ground.
I noticed Jackson tried to get Silas onto the ground, but Silas would get back on his feet before Jackson could get on top of him.
One punch from Silas made Jackson's head snap to the side, though, and I winced.
Jackson's lip was split open, and blood ran down his chin.
I grabbed onto Hunter's arm when Silas punched Jackson in the gut, and he fell onto his knee.
"Fuck, do you think Jackson will lose this?" I looked up at Hunter.
Hunter's eyes were studying the fight, so he didn't look down at me before he responded. I heard movement on the mat, telling me Jackson was back on his feet and moving around again.
"Maybe. Silas has excellent form and knows his way around a fist fight. He's not letting emotion get the better of him like Jackson is, which is not good for Jackson. He could very well lose this fight."
I rolled my eyes. "Great. That's going to be a shot to his ego if he loses this. He wanted to make Silas pay for rejecting me."
There were sounds of fists connecting with a body, and I was nervous to look to see who had the upper hand.
Hunter chuckling spiked my interest, and I turned my head just in time to see Jackson slugging Silas in the cheek.
Silas wobbled a few feet back, blood trailing down his face.
I smiled, knowing my mate at least landed a good one on Silas.
"That's for my mate."
It made my heart swell hearing Jackson say that. I felt the smile that spread across my face, and Silas looked right at me when I did. He shook his head before putting his hands down at his side.
"You're still upset I slept with Lacey? That was before she even found her mates, dude."
Jackson growled. "She left me because of you! Then you used her for what you wanted and went to the next bed of your choosing."
Wait... what?
It all came back to me. Jackson told me how his mate rejected him and sent him here because of his jealousy.
He didn't enjoy having to share her with others, and when I found Hunter, he thought I would be the same way.
Instead, Jackson grew to accept Hunter as a mate of mine, and now they were like long-lost brothers.
It didn't take time for Jackson to adjust at all.
It just took some understanding and patience for him to realize I wasn't going anywhere.
After being rejected, I understood how it felt to not be good enough.
But this was different.
He never mentioned that his mate had been with Silas first, and it was because of him not letting go that led to his rejection.
Why would he leave that out? I would have understood that.
Did he know I was destined to be with Silas before I arrived here?
It was the Alpha of his pack, and he could have gotten that information from them.
"I don't even know why you are so pissed off. That chick slept with half the pack!"
Jackson swung for Silas's face, but didn't land as Silas swept away. "We were friends! We grew up together, and you thought it was okay to do this to me?"
Now I was more confused. This didn't sound like what happened with his mate at all. This did sound like the reason behind Jackson’s jealousy of his mate being with others, though.
"We were drunk! I didn't even realize it was Lacey until the next morning."
"That doesn't mean shit!"
Jackson threw another punch, and this time, it went into Silas's stomach.
Silas bent over, and Jackson used that moment to give him the uppercut that laid Silas out on the mat.
Jackson jumped on top of Silas and started throwing blows to his face.
Silas held his arms up to block the hits, but Jackson wasn't letting up.
Silas moved, hitting Jackson in the side, and I heard the bone crack.
With Jackson distracted, Silas managed to flip Jackson off him and scramble to his feet.
“Why does it even matter anymore? Lacey didn’t care about you at all. She approached me and claimed she thought she felt the bond!”
Jackson got to his feet and ran to Silas. When I saw Silas's leg lift to kick him away, I became concerned for Jackson. He wasn't thinking straight in this fight. All his emotions were pouring out of him, and I could feel his pain and frustration through the bond.
"Jackson, STOP!" I yelled before he reached Silas.
Jackson stopped and looked over at me. I couldn't believe his anger wasn't about me right now.
I thought this was because Silas grabbed onto me.
This wasn't about me at all, which only broke my heart for Jackson more.
He liked to act that things did not bother him, but this definitely bothered him.
It had been eating him up since it happened.
Was fighting going to make this better? I didn't think so.
"Why does this still matter to you?"
Jackson's face was red from his anger, and he still wore his glowering gaze when he looked at me.
I thought it would soften some, but his rage still consumed him.
I reached through the bond with him and tried to calm him the best I could.
This needed to end differently than the path I saw it heading down right now.
Jackson would keep going until he did a lot more than knock Silas out.
"Because if he can betray me, his friend, like that, why would I think he wouldn't betray you?" Jackson snarled.
Through the bond, I could feel he told me the truth.
The anger he felt about Silas linked to me, too, but not in the way I thought.
I bit my lip and stepped onto the mat. Jackson needed me right now, and I didn't care if this broke any of the rules for this match.
When I walked up to him, Jackson didn't move.
He held my gaze, and I couldn't believe his wolf wasn't present in his eyes.
Knowing he needed my touch, I put my hands on his face and made him only look at me.
"I get it, Jackson. This experience has tainted your opinion of Silas, and that is going to be a hard thing to move on from, but you need to think about this a little more.
This isn't on pack grounds where you can fight until someone stops breathing.
Forget about the past." Jackson growled.
"Shush. No growling at me." I kissed him on the lips, and I heard him sigh from contentment.
"If he betrays me, I get to kill him. Not you. "
Jackson chuckled and then kissed my nose. "Fine, but don't think for a damn second I won't throw a few punches of my own if that happens."
"Always with the jokes," I said before he covered my mouth with his.
The smoldering kiss he gave me had my toes curling in my shoes.
I wished dozens of people weren't around us because I would've loved to push away the last of his anger in a different way. Jackson’s hatred about Silas made sense right now.
I just didn't think that's why Silas deserved to get his ass handed to him, and with me pulling the anger away from Jackson with this distraction, I knew he would deliver that beating to Silas now.
I broke the kiss and patted Jackson's cheek. "Now, kick his ass."
When I reached Hunter, he had his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head. I bumped into his shoulder, suppressing a smile.
"You gonna let this go?" he asked me.
"Hell no. I'm going to learn the full story when we get back to the room. I just wanted his head cleared, so he didn't feel embarrassed for letting this get to him and costing him the fight."
"That's our girl," he told me, putting an arm around my shoulders.
It was like Jackson was a whole new man.
Teowulf called out for them to begin again after asking them if either of them were tapping out.
Neither of them wanted this to end. I suspected Silas didn't want to take the simple route.
Whether that was to save face or give Jackson his closure, I wasn't sure.
Jackson did a much better job this time around.
He waited for Silas to make a move before he did.
When he threw a punch, he landed it. Both of them still evaded some of the punches, but it still looked like a more honed in fight .
When Jackson grabbed Silas and pulled him to the ground, I thought the match was over–except they both had each other in a hold with their hands around each other's throats.
I couldn't tell who would tap out first, or if both of them would just lose consciousness together. Thankfully, I didn't have to find out.
Teowulf stepped onto the mat when both of them started turning blue.
"Enough!" His power rolled off him, and I saw it make both men drop their holds.
"It's a draw. One of the best fights I've seen in a while.
" He looked at the crowd. "Take notes on that.
Falstof fighting with too high of emotions cost him this fight.
Learn from that." He looked back at my boys.
Hold up. Did I just think my BOYS ?! Ugh. I'm claiming him already, even when I don't want to.
He is ours.
Not yet, he isn't.
We have owned Silas since our creation.
Shut up.
"Your issues with each other end here. You both are valuable to your mate.
" Jackson growled. "Get over it, Falstof .
Lynch is another mate to yours. If Pierce doesn't accept the bond, then fine.
That's up to her, not you. I'd say Lynch here has proven to be one who won't back down from a fight, though.
With Pierce being a suitable match for powerful males, I'd expect you both to have to fight for and with her over the years.
If you fight together, no enemy will stand a chance.
" Teowulf looked back at us. "Class is dismissed. "
Then the professor walked off to the door without looking back.
Silas and Jackson walked over toward the rest of us.
I smiled at Jackson, and he returned one to me.
The cut on his lip had already healed over, but there were bruises on his face.
All of them would be gone by morning after Jackson ate and got some rest. He wrapped his arms around me, pulled me up to meet his eyes without having to look up, and pressed a kiss to his mark, sending a wave of tingles throughout my body.
I let out a giggle as my wolf rumbled her love for him.
When he put me down, I saw Silas standing just a couple of feet away.
Jackson turned to put me behind him, and Silas put his hands up in surrender.
"Listen, I just wanted to say I'm sorry about Lacey. I didn't realize how much that affected you before. You met your mate like a week later and then were sent here. We didn't get a chance to talk about it before now. I should've apologized sooner." Silas held out his hand to Jackson.
Surprisingly, Jackson clasped it and gave it a shake. "Thanks for your apology. I should've said something sooner myself. Doesn't mean I'm happy you are fated to Dylan, though."
Silas frowned. "I know. I'd apologize for that too, but that's not something I am sorry for."
He let go of Jackson's hand and walked away.
I noticed his slumped shoulders, and our connection pulled me toward him.
I could feel his sadness when I shouldn't with it being severed.
He felt awful for doing what he did to Jackson, and how it now affected me.
I shouldn't feel this from him yet. The bond still felt severed, but I could read Silas like I could Jackson and Hunter.
My wolf couldn't explain it either when I asked.
How is that possible?