Contract with Jackson

~

JeonJa

~

Jackson smirked at me, enjoying my impatience. The discussion had taken long and it was now nightfall. This party he kept speaking about was to start within an hour, and we were going nowhere. At the back of my mind I had known it would be difficult getting in even with all my threats and glares, but this... this was just ridiculous. I couldn't even kill him for he was still of use to me and to be honest I wasn't that sadistic. I could say he wasn't that much of a friendly person but he seemed virtuous, which was a lot to say about an enemy.

"This is going nowhere," I told him honestly, and he simply nodded. His pack was outside the study, so he and I were all alone. It was an uncomfortable meeting.

"We did reach somewhere, I haven't yet gotten angry at you for beating my brothers," he flipped the subject, "and we established that I would submit your name under the tag omega. if you want to participate, you have to go clean."

"Yes my lord," I snapped, "but why do you keep forgetting that the competition banned omegas."

"And you keep forgetting that they may take in an exception if you give out proper request. And I am willing to back you up if you apologize to my pack."

"I won't."

"Are you crazy you moron?" he snapped this time, his smile morphing away into a scowl, "you just have to apologize and I am willing to accept you as my pack member. You can take up my name and submit the request. I have a clean history, everyone knows this. They might listen to you."

"Do you seriously think they will just accept me and take in my name," it was stupid, his plan.

"Why not, they only want entertainment and there are enough senile old men who would pay for you." When he saw my darkening stare he clarified further, "not as in slave kid, but as a race horse. You will be their lucky card."

"So you will take me in and approach them, but without breaking any rules."

He nodded, "Yes, now you are getting me. I will be frank, I liked your style, you stood your ground and also exhibited a special element I haven't seen before. Element of darkness as you say."

He poured himself a drink and sat more comfortably in his chair, smug about something I didn't want to know. "Want some?"

I ignored his offer, so he just shrugged and chugged down the drink in one gulp. He whistled by the end of it and kept down his glass with a clink.

"I am willing to invest in you. But you go by my rule and I back you up. I give you my word."

"Ever heard of backstabbing?" I asked, instead of answering him.

He quirked an eyebrow at that, "Nope, not in my dictionary as far as I know."

"I know, I am asking because it is in mine. Or maybe not. Who knows."

Jackson smiled, a sly smile I hadn't seen in a while, it was as if Toga had reincarnated in him. "Kid, if you wanted to do something like that you wouldn't have stayed put until now, I know you could have taken me out very easily, still could, but you didn't, you won't. Plus you need me."

"And I assume you need me as well, but why?" the guy was confusing me beyond belief, and I hated the game he was trying to play on me.

"I find you interesting," he pulled the bluntness forward, "if you win, my name would be world renowned, for I would be the one who had introduced you, and even if you don't win, I will still become famous since I introduced an omega who is clearly very unique. So in both ways, I win. Hence, you don't have to worry about me backstabbing you. And I believe you need me because I can provide for you. Strength is one thing, but not all things can be arranged by brute force. My pack and I believe, specially Mak, one of my brothers you beat," I rolled my eyes as he continued, "that commerce and social uplifting is one of the major aspects, a factor that makes you who you are. And without proper backup and ranks, you cannot survive this world. There are many who would go to any lengths to take you down. Mark my words, you aren't as secure as you think. Have you ever thought about what would happen after the competition?"

"Yes, I will challenge the-"

"True alpha, I know, but then what?"

I gave him an impassive glower, which he shrugged off with boredom. "You are such a brat," he mumbled, knowing I would hear it, "you cannot survive like this, if you lose to the true alpha, which I have no doubt you will," I glared, and he ignored again, "you will be stranded in a place full of combatants who would try to challenge you. Pride is a sick subject one pursues even if it gets difficult. So to save your hide, you need a pack, a strong one at that."

"Your pack isn't strong."

"I know." He said simply, although I did sense his annoyance at me. "But how about I help you form a pack strong enough to face the world."

Now his offer made me stumble in my thoughts, "That's-"

"Impossible?" he asked with a smirk.

I looked away, "Yes."

"You are an omega, you did the impossible by defeating me and my betas, and yet you say finding a pack for you would be impossible. You are a hypocrite."

"Look," I started, "I know how big of a plan you are adamant on making, but there is no need for a pack, I like to live alone."

"Liar," he mocked, "everyone needs a pack, there is no one who doesn't. The wolf hybrid race was meant to stay in packs, our instincts demand it. No matter how small or big, a pack keeps you sane."

"I told you, I don't need one."

He sighed, "Fine, I can't force you, but you know you feel it. That emptiness."

Yes I did, I has felt it since long, it was too much sometimes, but for some reason I couldn't force myself to work with a pack. I had tried once, but it was a failure. I would snap at the members and get frustrated with them, or wouldn't like their scent... my nose was sensitive.

The one or two supposed member I had, got fed up with my constant emotional dramas and that resulted into their leaving me. So I granted them their freedom, knowing I couldn't take them in.

"I couldn't take them in, a pack." I told Jackson, as he listened to me intently.

"What happened," he encouraged, and more kindly than I would have preferred. He didn't need to go all sentimental on me. We weren't friends, and definitely not a pack. Till an hour ago we were enemies, still were.

"I formed a small pack, with two other people, but I often snapped at them and got angry. I know a pack leader shouldn't do that and the sense of bonding works among us to calm us down if we get too enraged, but I couldn't keep it in, my anger. I do have anger issues."

"So they left you?" this time he asked without being sensitive, the confusing guy. Maybe he had seen my discomfort. It has been a while since I bonded with anyone, I had grown up detached and become an empty shell with time, trusting not a single soul.

This is my life as an omega, don't ask what happens during my heat, it's sick.

"Yes, they did. Since then I didn't even try to make a pack, and you do say that you will make me your pack member, but I can feel it, I wouldn't belong in it. So don't bother."

"Why?"

"Because I fought with you and I don't suppose I could work under you, it would be strange."

He laughed after hearing me, "True indeed. You are a lone wolf kind of guy but I still think a pack would be best for you. Maybe you are an omega so you are unable to form pack, since only an alpha could complete the bonding tradition, but even then, I suppose you won't be able to fit in. You are no longer a category we could define with a single class."

"So then, what do you have in your arsenal."

"I will tell you if you apologize."

I didn't like it, it made me mad that I would have to apologize for doing nothing wrong. The world worked like this, if a pack suffered, it was their own fault. But I wanted to enter the fest and I knew that Jackson would be my safest bet, he was not as hateful as I had imagined him to be. He was a very thoughtful person, if not clever.

"I don't want to apologize, for it was your own weakness that cost you. Packs are constantly attacked for one thing or the other, plus it's not as if I am entering your pack."

"But you are entering into an agreement aren't you?"

I grit my teeth, "Fine, I am sorry."

He frowned, "Is that an apology, seemed like a threat to me."

I slammed my fist on his desk, "How about I visit your grave to apologize. Sounds more fun to me."

He shivered, and I knew my aura had him freaked. I didn't find myself prideful but I honored my self respect. I bowed to no one, I had enough of that in my childhood.

When things seemed to have calmed down, he settled back in his chair, and I in mine. We both stared at each other for a while and I knew he was going to make a decision right now.

"I had hoped we could agree on things, but I see that would be impossible now."

I didn't move a muscle, secretly holding my breath for his conclusion. His sentence seemed to hint two ways.

"I have decided to support you and invest in you," he said, which relieved me greatly for I was tired of finding council members, he wasn't the only one whom I had tried to threaten, the ones before him got away somehow or either died... ah, it was troublesome. "But," I listened as he spoke more, "if you don't follow the rules of the negotiations, I will find a way to get back to you with interest. I take my business seriously."

"What are the terms."

"I will help you out with getting in to the fest," he did not lack any confidence as he claimed his efficiency, "with a cleared and stamped application none can refute. I will also help you with accommodation, clothes and stuff. I will invest in you and call for your win. I will also share my profits with you, and my pack will listen to you until and unless you don't make them do what they don't want to. I will also grant you free access to all my properties. And not to mention, you will know the people from my inner circle. And for a later date, I will help you stay safe against all the insane guys who I am sure will come after you. You will become a part of my extended pack, where you get all the freedom you want."

He paused and I waited, there must be a catch for all this, "In return, you will protect my pack if need be and keep my pack a fixed place in your council... if you get a win against that true alpha that is. But even if you don't, you will have to sign a contract alleging yourself as our contract member when we get into trouble."

"So I am signing a job contract, but for how long." I really wanted to leave.

"Oh, not that long, it will be a 20 year service, you can extend it whenever you want to."

"That is too much," I complained, "I can simply ignore you and find another, not that I haven't done it before, I just heard you had better access to the fest."

He chuckled, "Don't be rude, you and I both know you aren't that much of a heartless bast*rd and I don't care what you did to the members before me, I only care about myself. Just think about it, you are getting an unofficial pack, and a reliable party who is willing to pay you, invest in you and also make friends with you."

"I like my freedom."

"I know, that is why you can leave and form a pack of your own whenever you want, you can mate and have children for all I care, but you will help us out if we are in trouble. There are benefits to both parties. And don't forget, if you get into trouble, we will help you out. Now what do you say?"

"I am not bound to you."

"You aren't, you can leave us to die, but," he shifted in his seat to get closer to me, his body leaning on the table, for a second his eyes flashed red, "I have many people in higher places who will love to give you a good chase just on my record, so don't you dare try to betray me."

I chuckled, leaning on the table too, although he didn't move back. "I am also not a person to mess with, I have had a rough life and I know how to survive. So..." I smiled a fake smile, "you are at my mercy, remember that."

He chuckled, "Deal, only time will tell who is at whose mercy." He didn't give me any contract to sign, it was a verbal contract, but I knew it meant more than just a few words.

"True," I accepted the challenge.

"By the way," he started, settling back on his chair, "You are cordially invited to my founder's party tonight. I will arrange for your suit and boot, all you need to do is come. We shouldn't leave any chance at getting you to be recognized by the higher ups."

"I will come, but before that I need to ask you something." A pink haired boy flashed in my mind.

"What?" he asked curiously.

"Do you keep slaves?"

He looked offended, something that was very interesting to see, as all the alphas I had met before, salivated at the term 'slave' itself, it was gross. "I am not into that, and I don't lie."

I nodded at his words, his scent told me he wasn't lying, and for some reason I trusted his words. Curious.

"If you not have such interests, then do you have a pink haired member in your ranks."

He looked puzzled, "No, I don't like pink, so I am sure none of my members have that. Although if they do have it, I am going to bleach it white."

I felt bad for his members, he was virtuous, true, but also a big asshole, though I now knew that the boy wasn't one of his, it made more sense, I hadn't seen him in the pack nor did that Jae knew anything about him.

"Do you have any staff with that hair color?"

Jackson now perked up, standing up and coming next to me. To my surprise he leaned himself against me and whispered in my ears, "Why do you want to know, you interested?"

I pushed him away with annoyance and bit my lips, not wanting to show him any emotion, I wasn't blushing. Not at all.

"I just wanted to know."

He grinned, "I have none of that pink hair in my staff. But if I find one, she is yours."

I felt awkward, "It was a he, anyway. Forget it, I am not interested like that."

"Sure~"

I didn't have any weakness, but seems like Jackson had just found something close to it. Something that stirred my emotions. And emotions were my greatest weakness.