Guardian Wolf Ch. 07

"Jessica, before you react or say anything, please just listen to what we have to say, okay?" Rachel said, waiting for confirmation or confrontation.

Jessica thought what the hell. The two had obviously brought her favorite Chinese food as some sort of peace offering. Let the little cunt speak her piece before she proceeded to tear her ass apart. Despite her outward bravado and callous internal monologue, Jessica was very confused at such a display of overt friendship. She expected Rachel to come in with guns a blazing, not egg rolls and white rice. It seemed everything today was throwing Jessica's world out of sync with the rest of the universe she was so familiar, and comfortable with. Jessica was still reeling from Camille's successful intrusion past her previously impervious emotional defenses. She tried to bluff by hiding behind a stoic demeanor and callous indifference, but she was finding it difficult in mustering up the necessary courage. She found herself feeling very vulnerable once more.

Before Rachel began her carefully planned defense she reached behind James and picked up the balloons. She stood up and proceeded to tie them around an available opening in Jessica's head rest. Jessica regarded her actions like she was about to unleash two diamondback rattlesnakes upon her. Rachel then proceeded to the bathroom and refreshed the water level in the vase of roses. Satisfied that she had delayed the necessary oration long enough she sat back down in the chair next to Jessica's bed. She could feel her mate place his strong arm around her slight frame in quiet support.

Thanks babe. I need support right now.

You'll be great baby. Be honest with Jessica, just not too honest yet. She can't handle the whole truth yet.

Gotcha! Avoid mentioning pack, werewolves, and the like.

Before she opened her mouth, Rachel thought of something and discussed it with her mate as they conversed telepathically. Jessica was confused and a little concerned at the continued silence. She was not privy to the silent conversation and was wondering when this whole circus would begin.

Instead of Rachel, it was James to speak first. "Jessica, I spoke with your father this morning after Robby took you to the hospital. He was very curt and down-right rude when I spoke to him," James said.

Jessica chose to remain quiet. So far he was preaching to the choir. She was all too familiar with her father's less than diplomatic nature. Jessica thought derisively in her own head 'I guess I know where my stellar attitude comes from. Thank you dear Daddy!' She thought this last part as she felt the bile begin to rise in her throat; Jessica had to visibly swallow to ensure she kept her lunch down. She wasn't going to relive THAT memory again.

James continued carefully. This next part was probably going to sting quite a bit. "In his exact words: As long as my daughter isn't dead I am not driving all the way out to Bellevue to pick her ass up. She is perfectly capable of finding her own ride home. I'm too damn tired and I am in no mood to play midnight taxi service. As long as she is not seriously injured or dead she can just wait until the morning. I will send the limo to fetch her then or she can get that black BOY to drive her home. Either way I don't give a flying fuck. Now don't call me again. You should know better than to interrupt me with something less than an emergency," James said as he repeated Augustus's less than fatherly response verbatim.

Jessica finally turned towards them and spat, "I get it! I have really shitty parents, alright? Is that what you want to hear? That my life outside of school is a fucking joke? My parents," Jessica laughed out loud, "isn't that a fucking joke...my parents. They aren't my parents; they are prison wardens with whom I happen to share genes."

Jessica continued in her emotional tirade, "they aren't even parents to me, they never were. I have never N-E-V-E-R felt one iota of love or affection from those two pompous bastards! I am nothing more than a pretty inconvenience that my father exploits and my mother despises because she sees me as a fucking threat! I can't escape them. They hold all the cards and they lord over me in their opulent palace...palace...ha! It's a fucking prison with nice hardwood floors and a swimming pool! I don't have one real friend. I never have!" Jessica screamed barely stopping herself before breaking down entirely in sobs. Her response was far more emotional than she anticipated.

That last part wasn't entirely true. When she was six years old she became pretty close to a little Hispanic boy named Tomas. He was the son of the household cook and the head gardener. He was her only friend and playmate in her otherwise glamorous yet dreary existence. They would sneak away from Jessica's governess and go play hide and seek out by the family stables. For a few short months one summer she enjoyed real human companionship; they were the happiest memories she could remember. That was, of course, until her mother found out. Anna Hamilton was appalled that her only daughter was fraternizing with the help.

"No child of mine is going to play with someone beneath her station, especially not some filthy Mexican bastard!" Anna spat at her one day after catching them running through the main house together. Jessica found herself detained to her room behind lock and key for the rest of her miserable afternoon.

The next thing Jessica knew, her friend Tomas and his parents were gone. It wasn't until years later that Jessica learned that Anna had them fired and, in a moment of sadistic glee, reported them to ICE and had them deported. Somehow it got back to her that little Tomas was killed at the age of eleven when he was caught in the cross fire of a drug deal gone badly down in Guadalajara. She suspected her mother had conceived that last little bit of evidence just to sink the knife in a little deeper. She really was a no good, heartless BITCH! Unfortunately the lesson was a hard one learned: never, never fraternize or associate with the help!

Rachel and James watched Jessica get a far-away look for a few brief moments as she seemed to reminisce on a forgotten memory. James and Rachel looked at each other and decided it was now or never.

"Do you want some?" Rachel asked.

Jessica was momentarily confused as she was caught off guard.

"Do I want some of what?" Jessica asked skeptically.

"Friends; do you want some real friends?" Rachel asked with such sincerity that Jessica could not find her voice to be sarcastic.

Before she could answer the last two people she expected to be showing her kindness, she heard her father's voice go off in her head. It began asking what was in it for her. What was the angle of having a friend? Was it someone that she could use and manipulate? Those friends are the only friends worth having. A friend you can't use is a friend only for suckers! Certainly his daughter was not a sucker! Jessica shook her head violently trying to silence the deep bass voice that still held a tinge of Germanic accent. Finding her voice temporarily out of service, Jessica lowered her head and nodded slightly.

"Then come with us," Rachel said as she went to collect a wheelchair from Cami.

"Where are we going?" Jessica asked, confused as James wheeled her following behind Rachel towards the elevator.

"I'm going to introduce you to some friends of mine that are incapable of judgment and derision. These friends will never speak poorly of you and will never even consider stabbing you in the back," Rachel said enigmatically.

Despite her confusion and mistrust, Jessica was amused. Friends who wouldn't stab you in the back? What were they, fucking robots?

Rachel pushed the button for the third floor and waited as the carriage took them upward. Upon exiting to the third floor, Jessica was surprised to see they had entered the ICU floor. James followed Rachel wordlessly as he wheeled Jessica. They had turned down a corridor and followed the long hallway to a set of double doors. Above the doors there was a sign in bright red neon. It read 'ICU: Children's Ward'.

It finally dawned on Jessica where they were going. Rachel was taking them to the Intensive Care Unit for Children. Jessica immediately began to fill uneasy; she had absolutely zero interaction with children. She didn't have the first clue on how to act around kids. Jessica didn't want to be known for going off on a defenseless child, especially a sick defenseless child. Rachel was obviously known on this floor as she spoke warmly to the nurses on duty at the nurse's station. Hadn't she heard something about Rachel volunteering at a hospital? At the time Jessica thought it was a stupid idea; why volunteer when you can shop? Right now she felt like such a superficial shit. Shallow didn't even begin to describe how she felt at that moment.

"Annabelle, Jeri. I would like to you to meet Jessica. I'm going to introduce her to some of the kids, if that is okay?" Rachel asked as she introduced the two duty nurses. Jessica simply smiled weakly and waved a little.

"The kids haven't seen you in a while. They were starting to think you had forgotten about them," Annabelle said. She was a small woman barely five feet tall with bright red hair.

"Just so you know, there is someone in their already with them," Jeri said. She was a larger and more voluptuous black woman.

"Oh cool! Is it Robby?" Rachel asked excitedly. Jessica cringed at the name. She didn't want to face the black boy so soon. She was in no emotional state to defend after so fully berating him last night. Gods! Was she that big of a bitch to other people?

"Oh no! It's that dreamy boy of Cami's from downstairs...Marcus. He is such a cutie!" Annabelle said. Obviously she was quite taken with the young man.

James finally caught on to the brilliance of his mate's plan

.

Well look who is playing devious little match maker! How did you know Marcus was upstairs?

A little birdie told me. Okay, Camille told me. She let it slip that he was upstairs when I got the wheelchair from her. You know it was on purpose.

I'm married to a genius!

Yes you are baby! Don't forget it or I'll kick your ass!

Yes Dear!

Both mates chuckled privately, momentarily forgetting they had an audience. A polite cough brought them back to the present. Rachel recovered quicker than her more embarrassed mate and thanked both nurses before directing James to follow behind her with cargo (Jessica) in tow.

Jessica was ushered through another set of double doors that led into a large open common room with many beds lining the walls. Each bed was occupied with a child or signs of a child. Many of the healthier children were crowding around a young man laughing as he told them jokes. Jessica felt her heart skip a beat and her pussy dampen considerably when she first locked eyes with the young man. He was indeed gorgeous. He had long blonde hair that was pulled smartly into a pony tail and pale blue eyes with a hint of grey. He was nowhere near as muscular as James but he was exceptional. His body was leaner, more in line with a swimmer than a body builder; lean and muscular. Jessica could not help herself as she gazed longingly at this young man. Something beyond her comprehension was pulling insistently at her heart. When Marcus smiled with a lopsided smile Jessica nearly came on the spot. What was with her today?

"Jessica this is my cousin and best friend Marcus. He is Camille's youngest son," James said in introduction.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Jessica," Marcus said in greeting. Jessica had no idea how badly he wanted to push her down and mount her at this exact moment. Of course it would be inappropriate in front of the children. He chose instead to briefly shake Jessica's hand. An electric shock arced between them as their fingertips touched. Both Marcus and Jessica gasped in surprise; Marcus smiled knowingly and Jessica bowed her head in confusion.

James and Rachel could smell both Jessica and Marcus's arousal. Rachel was beginning to understand just how strong the pull to one's mate truly is. She of course understood it first hand, but it was interesting to see the interaction between mates as an objective observer. James winked at his mate as both could smell the overwhelming pheromones permeating the immediate area. Rachel looked over to Jessica and saw just how hard her breathing was. The girl was on the edge of hyperventilating from over stimulation. Something needed to be said before Marcus claimed his mate well before it was prudent.

"Marcus! We brought Jessica upstairs to make some real friends with the kids. She doesn't have any real friends. James and I have decided that this needs to change. Do you want to be a friend to Jessica?" Rachel asked as she stared Marcus down to ensure he did not overreact in his answer.

Marcus blinked momentarily as he struggled valiantly with his wolf. He was in severe negotiations with his baser self, pleading for patience. Now was not the time to breed or change his mate. She had far too much emotional damage from years of neglectful abuse. It would be a long and arduous journey before Jessica could even think about accepting her new role in the pack and as his mate. As a caveat Marcus promised his wolf that, one day soon, he would have vengeance on Augustus and Anna Hamilton for the pain and suffering they caused their mate. This seemed to mollify his wolf, if only for the moment.

"I would love to be her friend," Marcus said. He noticed Jessica's shoulders slump slightly. Was Jessica hoping for something more than friendship?

"Good. Then why don't you introduce a few of the kids while I go get Abby," Rachel offered.

"Sure. Kids? This is Jessica Hamilton. She is in the hospital because she hurt her head. Come say hello and make her feel welcome please," Marcus said as he helped to herd the healthier children over to meet their new friend.

Jessica was terrified. She wasn't afraid of the children; they were as innocent as lambs. No, Jessica was terrified for herself. She was dreading making a terrible mistake by snapping at one of these children or hurting their feelings. Too many years under the racial bigotry and callous indifferent tutelage of her parents had warped her sense of decorum. All it would take was one social faux pas or hurtful comment to destroy her chances at making some real friends for the first time in her life.

Even now she could hear her mother's voice chastising and belittling her for even being near the children. "Just look at them," she heard her mother's voice in her head. "They're like little lepers. The humane thing would be to euthanize the lot of them to put them out of their parent's misery. And why are you here Jessica? Do you really think these are the type of friends a girl of your breeding needs or deserves? Grow up child! This is as daft as playing with that little Mexican brat years ago; you are better than them. None of these children are worth your time and effort. Not one of them can help you achieve success in life. Now grow up and go find someone suitable for marriage. Gods know you won't be worth much to anyone unless you are on your back spreading your legs. Give your father a grandson so he will quit bitching already. You are a Hamilton for god's sake; start acting like one. Don't stoop to the level of these pathetic little urchins!"

Jessica again had to shake her head violently to dispel the taunting voice in her head. Even when they weren't here, her parents haunted her waking thoughts. What had she done to deserve parents like them? Every day for the last seventeen years had been a waking nightmare. Ironically, it was only in her sleep were she found refuge; in her dreams she was the one in control, not her parents. For a few short hours in her life, she was completely in control of her own life, of her own destiny. How would she escape them? Could she escape them? Was she doomed to continue as a fanciful pawn for her father's manipulation and her mother's scorn and ridicule?

Jessica's thoughts were interrupted as she felt a strong hand grip her shoulder. A warm and comforting feeling spread through her, immediately calming her fears. It was an amazing feeling. She COULD be someone else here. No one knew her; no one would judge her because of who she was and who her parents were. She was only Jessica here. She wasn't Jessica fucking Hamilton. These children really wouldn't judge her, would they? How could they? They were innocents; they did not have the capacity for malice and deceit. For the first time, in quite a long time, Jessica Hamilton felt genuine happiness. She looked up at Marcus as he gripped her shoulder gently. The warm smile he gave her filled her body with warmth and contentment; yet somehow, all the warmth seemed to congregate solely in her pussy. Just looking at this gorgeous man made Jessica wanted to melt in his warm embrace. Despite fleeting feelings of disproval and callousness that still tore at the fringes of her consciousness, Jessica dismissed these feelings and basked in the moment. She returned Marcus's smile with a genuine one of her own.

Jessica had to marvel at how well Rachel had manipulated her; no, it wasn't manipulation. Not in the sense that Jessica was familiar with. This manipulation was intended for her benefit out of kindness. Rachel was allowing her to interact outside of her comfort zone with someone who couldn't rebuke her for her past actions. Rachel was forcing Jessica to come off her high horse and down to the level of children. Her status and wealth meant nothing to these kids. She was simply Jessica to them, nothing else.

Jessica watched as a little girl with what looked like a clear plastic helmet on her head came towards her. The girl had no hair on her head except for some peach fuss and a large, jagged scar running the length of her skull that terminated at the bridge of her nose. Jessica determined that the tiny girl was no more than six or seven years old. She noticed that the girl walked with the aid of crutches because part of her left leg was missing below the knee. Gods! What had happened to this poor girl? Marcus noticed the tiny girl coming towards Jessica and helped mediate introductions.

"Jessica, this is Molly Jameson. Molly this is Jessica Hamilton. Say hello sweetheart," Marcus said, urging the child forward.

"Hi Jessica, I'm Molly. I see you hurt your head. Where you in a car accident like me?" Molly asked in complete innocence.

Jessica was having trouble finding her voice to reply to the tiny girl. This girl had been in a fucking car accident? Didn't the mother have her wearing her seat belt? Jessica found herself becoming angry at the mother's negligence. She had to take some deep breaths before she allowed herself to speak once more.

"No Molly. I fell and hit my head really hard," Jessica said, trying desperately not to talk down to the little girl.

"I hope you get better. I know I will. The doctor says it will still be a couple of weeks before I can leave. He said my new leg will be ready by then. Isn't that neat-o?" Molly asked.

The girl seemed totally unfazed by her injuries. Jessica felt like such a pussy at the moment; here she had been bitching and moaning about a damn headache and this girl was missing part of her fucking leg and still was smiling. At that moment Jessica had a small epiphany: there was a hell of a lot more people outside of her world that were worse off than she. For years Jessica had hosted her very own pity party inviting anyone that cared to listen to her endless woes. She was so ready to blame others for her misfortunes without taken any responsibility for her own actions. Her own self-loathing and the energy directed at hating her parent's was making her miserable. Outside of her immediate parental incarceration, she had no genuine reason to be melancholy. The thought helped brighten her mood.