He's standing there holding the breakfast room door open with one broad hand, frowning around at all of us, looking like a god damn model. Somehow, he got his hands on a really nice pair of jeans, and a blue button-down shirt that looks like it was made for him, rolled up to his elbows. His look is all very simple, which suits him, but it's very clearly expensive and tailored. And it suits his body completely, making him look...honestly, almost a little unreal, unnaturally perfect.

But the real coup is his hair. Jackson has always had a longish, shaggy mess of hair that really worked for his brutal, controlled-ferocity sort of vibe. But some genius has transformed that into a style, cropping Jackson's hair closer on the sides and trimming the ends so that they're more even. Now his hair falls into his face in a soft curtain of silky brown, and he just looks...

God, he looks like I want to jump him right now.

But if Jackson notices the effect his new appearance has on me, he doesn't let me see it, instead quickly surveying the room and realizing that something is wrong.

When his eyes fall on me, and he sees the trace of devastation left on my face, and puts together that something happened to me?

His response is immediate.

the door shut and striding into the room so that he stands across the table from me, leaning far across the wood to lock his eyes with me, smacking his hand down against the surface. "Who did this to you? Are you all right?

scary Alpha mate who is ready to tear the world apart because something made me sad. "I'm okay," I say, putting a hand out on

the shock on almost everyone's faces. But some people aren't shocked, or don't show it My eyes move first to Rafe, Jesse, and my dad, who look stern and pleased, like this is precisely

to my mom, who I see is bursting with pride for Jackson as well, not at all startled by a huge man storming around and slamming his hand on tables, demanding

Cora who is...perhaps a little too appreciative of Jackson's

someone please tell me what's going on?" Jackson asks, his voice tense as he clearly works to balance his desire to intercede and make it all better

my mom, standing and rolling one of the magazines up so Jackson can't see the cover - not just yet. "Come on, Jacks," I say, moving around the table towards him and

who she always

not for your entertainment, Jess," Rafe snaps

slumps down into his chair, frowning up at

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