06. ▹

JACKSON'S EYES SUDDENLY SNAPPED OPEN. He wasn't quite sure if it was real or if he had dreamed it, but he was sure he'd heard his front door shut closed violently. Jackson slowly and quietly sat up, rubbing his eyes with his fists and stretching before looking at the time, which read two-thirty a.m.

Jackson decided to check the front door, just in case he hadn't been dreaming. He let out a quiet yawn as he lazily dragged himself downstairs, turning on the light and squinting as his eyes adjusted to the harsh light. At first glance everything seemed fine, so he decided to check the front door.

It was unlocked, but it didn't seem like someone had forced it. Perhaps he'd just forgotten to lock it after Carter left. Jackson then proceeded to lock the door, shutting off the light and heading back up the stairs to his room. As soon as he was about to crawl under the covers, he realized he had missed something. He quickly rushed back downstairs and turned on the light, panic running through him as he realized— the slip of paper Carter had given him with the address to the house was gone.

—

"Move it, you're wasting my damn time." A strict female voice called out to a petite werewolf girl and a tall werewolf boy. The werewolves followed the banshee like lost puppies, although they wished more than anything to turn around and make a run for it.

"If we're such a waste of time then maybe you should've gotten the damn paper yourself and ditched us long ago." The tall werewolf boy spat, venom laced in his words. The banshee clenched her jaw and rolled her eyes, continuing down an alley as she took a glance at the address written on the piece of paper in her hand.

"Stop, this is it." The banshee said and held her hands out as if to tell them to stop walking, but instead of a house, they found themselves at a dead end in an alley.

"This is it?" The petite brunette girl asked with crossed arms and a cocked eyebrow.

"Should be, look at the address. Find something, anything." The banshee demanded. The two werewolves shared a concerned look before looking back at the black-leather-clad banshee.

"Like, a secret passage or something?" The girl asked. The banshee turned back to look at the curious girl.

"Or something."

—

Jackson continued to dial Carter's number but no matter how many times he called, Carter didn't answer. Jackson was sure everyone at the house was dead because of him and he hated thinking about it. It wasn't like he was attached to them, but he was grateful for Carter. He was his first friend in London and had helped him time and time again. He simply wanted to return the favor.

Jackson threw an angry punch at the wall, a large gaping hole taking place where his fist once was and suddenly freezing in his spot as he was about to throw a second punch. He listened closely to the vibrating of a phone and he slipped his ringing phone out of his jean pocket to see Carter's name on the screen. Jackson wasted no time in picking up.

"Hello?" Carter said.

"Finally you fucking answer! I thought you were dead!" Jackson seethed through grit teeth.

"Yikes, sorry mate. My phone died."

"Yeah yeah. Anyways I think that banshee came back to my place, because the paper you gave me with the address is gone."

"Oh. Alright. Is that it?" Carter asked nonchalantly. Jackson was honestly shocked.

"What? What do you mean is that it? You're not worried that she'll find you?" Jackson was sure Carter was an idiot.

"No. It's not like she can find the passage here anyways." Jackson cocked a brow.

"Passage? I don't remember a passage." Jackson recalled his visit to the coven house.

"Yeah that's cause you were knocked out that time and the time you left we took a different path."

"Oh, well I guess that's it then, that's all I had to say."

"You sure, America?" Jackson growled in irritation, grinding his teeth.

"I'm sure," Jackson rolled his eyes. "Anyways I gotta go now."

"Alright, mate. Night."

"Yeah." Jackson hung up, his stomach twisting and his mind clouded with confusion, Carter's words from days before running through his mind once again in that moment.

"You're gay?"

"Are you not?"