Chapter 4

Half way between Derek's house and his Jackson sits on his bike patiently waiting for Derek to show up and then suddenly he hears Derek's car, the engine is really loud, he thought.

And after a few more minutes Derek parks in front of him, he gets out in a hurry, "So you said you wanted to talk," Derek said excited at that Jackson even text him in the first place.

"I do, your felony charge (a reference he makes to annoy Derek about Stiles being too young for him) and his best friend are asking question from someone who is aware that werewolves exist"

"What do you mean?" Derek demanded.

"I mean Dante knows about werewolves."

Derek shrugs, "So…."

"…So?" Jackson replies, "He said he saw a werewolf one night a few months back with red eyes along with three other werewolves that were with it," He watched Derek closely, "and you're not bother by this?"

"Does he know anything else?" Derek said staring at Jackson evenly.

Jackson shrugs his shoulders shaking his head slightly still somewhat confused over Dante knowing so much about all of this.

"Then I think you should find out and then let me know."

"No!" Jackson replies. "I'm only telling you because I know how important it is for you to keep being a werewolf a secret," He repositions himself on the bike, "and I wanted to tell you not to hurt Dante."

"First off what do you mean No, and secondly if I need to protect the secret then I will do what I need to regardless of who it is that knows it!" Derek said gruffly.

"Dante is my mate" he growled "and you're not going to hurt him. You need to figure something else out."

"Well you are the one who brought it to my attention and since he is your mate…." He paused, "wait a minute Dante is you're mate?" it was like his mind did a rewind "If Dante were your mate, we would not be having this talk"

"What is that supposed to mean?" he said anxiously.

Derek creeping slowly up to Jackson like a wolf stalking its prey, "It means that you would have told Dante everything about werewolves," he said standing a few feet from him "or at least the things he needs to know. You would have told him and he would not be saying things that would cause alarm," he said taunting him.

Derek watched Jackson now his reaction told a different story. Derek could see Jackson had not claimed Dante which meant Dante did not know anything about being Jacksons mate.

"So, that doesn't mean anything," he defended.

"Sure it does," he said eyeing Jackson "a mate…like in Stiles case would already know about the pack and about the alpha namely me…..but more importantly they would know about you" he said putting a finger on Jackson nearly pushing him with it.

"Join the Jackson, and all this crap will be over, no more playing guessing games no more calling me with useless information on people I could carless about" he said holding Jackson by the arms.

"No" Jackson said calmly shaking free of Derek's grip; he remounted himself on his bike.

"Is there any way I can get you to change your mind?" Derek asked.

With his helmet covering his head Jackson recants "Nah not really" then pushing it down over the rest of his face he then cranked up his bike allowing the engine to roar loudly, then spinning it in a circle Jackson sped off at high speeds down the road.

After a rough day and week Jackson tries to settle down for the night, the afternoon brought up more stuff for him to be concerned with. Derek did bring up a valid point he needed to tell Dante about being his mate; he needed to claim Dante and he needed to do it soon otherwise Derek might make trouble for him.

But now he needed some sleep seem the only thing that helps him is a run. He stands at his bedroom window overlooking the street below running his fingers across the windowpane unlocking and locking the latch as he debates going he repeats this several times. Normally he would just go, but right now, lurking in the shadows across the street half way down the road near the old reserve entrance Derek lies in wait.

Why he cannot just leave me alone, he wonders to himself. A heavy sigh escapes him, and then haphazardly he unlocks the window lifting it quietly and then climbs out the window. He stands on the ledge and then leaps forward performing a perfect summersault he lands on his feet kneeling by one knee. Without hesitation, he races across the street to the other side then following Derek's scent, he nears that part of his neighborhood that borders the woods. Sure enough waiting in the shows are the red eyes of the alpha.

"Derek not now" Jackson says.

Derek replying calmly (the red eyes' dimming to Derek's normal blue color) "I didn't come here for that, I sensed that you might be troubled I thought I could help you….even though you don't want to join the pack."

Jackson suspicious of Derek just looks at him. Derek however realizing his error glances toward the woods.

"Let's just run, no talk about joining the pack or helping each other out. Just you and me"

Jackson shook his head in agreement, the two of them ran off into the woods no words just running.