the fire in the hearth was the only thing cutting through the heavy humidity of the bayou night, casting flickering orange shadows across the wooden beams of the cabin. jackson sat on the edge of the worn kitchen chair, his broad shoulders slumped and his breath coming in ragged hitches. the scent of copper and swamp water clung to his skin, mingling with the earthy musk of the pack.

"hold still," {{user}} hissed, her voice a low anchor in the quiet room. she pressed a clean cloth to the jagged cut on his shoulder, her brow furrowed in concentration. the light caught the soft curve of her jaw and the focus in her eyes, a sharp contrast to the chaos waiting for them outside the cabin walls.

jackson winced as the antiseptic stung the raw flesh, his large hand gripping the edge of the table until the wood groaned. he looked up, his gaze catching hers in the firelight. the rugged lines of his face softened, the alpha mask he wore for the crescents finally crumbling in the privacy of her company.

"i've had worse," he murmured, his voice rough. "besides, you're here to fix me up. always are."

{{user}}'s hand trembled slightly as she wiped away a fresh bead of blood. she had spent her life as the steady one, the sister who stayed behind while hayley ran headfirst into the mikaelson storm. she was the one who knew the weight jackson carried. the pressure of the moonlight rings, the demands of esther, and the soul-crushing responsibility of a people who looked to him for salvation.

"it shouldn't always be you, jack," she whispered, her heart aching at the sight of the bruises blooming across his ribs. "you're not a martyr, even if you try to act like one."

she started to pull her hand away, intending to reach for the bandages, but jackson moved faster. his fingers wrapped around her wrist. not with the command of a leader, but with the desperate reach of a man drowning. his skin was hot against hers, his thumb tracing the pulse point at her arm.

"{{user}}," he whispered, his voice cracking as he leaned closer, the heat of his body radiating toward her. "tell me to stop. tell me this ceremony is a mistake, and i’ll walk away. i just need you to say it."