it was a well worn, or maybe I should say well loved piece of material once upon a time it would have been a vivid red but had now faded to a dull brown jackson, a twelve years old with a head of scruffy hair held out the worn material to me with an angery look, not directed at me but more of a self hatred

knowing that he had done something he shouldn't

I took the blankey from him turning away jackson moved quickly

"Jackson" I said calmly but firmly and he froze he wasn't going to get away from this without a stern talking to from me

jackson turned back to me with his head lowered not meeting my gaze

"jac look at me"

hesitantly he lifted his eyes to find my own guilt and regret colored his amber eyes knowing that what he did was wrong I knew already that I didn't need to scodle him

"why did you take archeys blanket from him?" I asked and he lowwered his head refusing to grace me with his answer for a long drawn out moment

"other wolves were making fun of him," he stated slowly "because he cried all the time and hid in ... that thing" he motioned to Archey's beloved blankey

"that doesn't answer why you took it jacs"

"to make him stronger, if he didn't have it he could be stonger braver" he paused them whispered as if it was an after thought "... safer"

"they're mates!" blue said shocking me and I frowned gently

"blue" I said "you can't go calling things like that"

"the signs are all there lexi you can't tell me you don't see it"

with a quiet sigh I decided to humor my wolf

I moved closer to jackson and kneeled down looking him right in the eyes

"jackson do you care deeply for archey?"

His cheeks turned bight red and that was all the answer that I needed blue laughed in the back on my head jackson shook his head wildly which caused my smile to widen more

"jackson can I ask you one more question?"

His eyes widened and he nodded quickly

"anything alpha!"

"everytime you see archey with this" I asked lifting up the blanket, "what do you feel?" I sat down on the ground and he did the same

"I feel, weird and my chest goes really tight and and ......" his cheeks if possible turned even redder "I feel like I need to .... hurt someone"

I smiled gently at him watching his frown deeper more as he looked away only to look back to me

"but I don't know why I feel that way, he's an omega I shouldn't want to hurt someone for him!"

I sighed I knew it was the older wolves veiw rubbing off on him, like I said before, an omegas an omega no matter what pack

I gently placed my hand on jacksons head and he looked at me with confusion

"just because he's an omaga doesn't mean that he isin't as strong at a theta"

hope fillled his eyes but then he clenched his fists and frowned deeply and laughed and smiled removing my hand from the top of his head

"do you know what a mate is jackson?"

He nodded vigorously

"what's a mate jackson?"

"Your one and only, the girl or boy you will be with forever"

"do you know what a mate makes you feel like, have you been told?"

He nodded again

"they make you warm and fuzzy on ...the....." a look of shock came over his face "are archey and I ..... mates?"

I pursed my lips, "i'm not 100% sure jackson but it seems like it"

his eyes filled with hope as he clenched and unclenched his hands but he frowned any emotions he had drained from his eyes all together

"but, but" I stopped him

"if you feel a tugging sensation in your chest, one that pulls you closer to him, then you'll know"

I handed the blanket back to him,

"but in the mean time, I think you have a pup to apologise to

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"what did you say to him" Shawn said as jackson handed archey back his blanket he bowed his head whispering words of apology and respect

archey only laughed hugging jackson to him tightly a large smile overed his face and seemed to spread onto jacksons

"I told him what a mate bond should feel like" I watched the smile spread over shawns face lighting it up light a light bulb in a dark room

"your telling me...." Shawn started and I silenced him with a hand nodding slowly,

"don't go spreading this around Shawn just because your a proud parent. I don't want my pack split in two over a pair of young mates, just wait to boast when they recognise each other as theirs"