Now that she was asleep, Jax left the house as fast as he could. Hearing her steady breaths and her smell slowly filling the house was making him lose control. Every time he was close to her, something so primal, a possessive urge he couldn't control would claw at his insides, and tell him to pull her into his arms and relive the extraordinary night they had shared.
Jax clenched his jaw, his knuckles white by his sides.
This was absurd. Utterly absurd.
She was Human, for crying out loud! It just didn't make any sense for him to lose control and yearn for the feeling of her once again. How could this be? How was he supposed to cope with this?
Jax could feel the familiar tightening of his chest, the urge to protect and claim...and devour. He swallowed, running a hand through his hair, a gesture rough with inner turmoil.
"Alpha," Sophie called next to him as they walked together, although she was two steps behind him.
"Yes?"
"Any luck in finding the Shard? Does she have it?" Sophie asked.
Sophie was an important member of the Orion Pack, usually leading the Pack whenever Jax and Aiden were out of town. Also, she was his cousin.
"She doesn't trust us, so she's yet to open up about anything," He replied
"So you brought her to live with you so you can gain her trust?"
"I was planning to torture the truth out of her, but now that their safety has been compromised because of me, I have to keep her here to make sure she's safe. And now that she is, make sure to pass the message to everyone not to show their true selves to her. She doesn't know Werewolves exist, and I'd like to keep it that way till we no longer have any business left with her. The less people know about us, the better."
Sophie nodded, calculating, "But what about the rule against keeping a human? The Alphas of the other Packs won't take it lightly with this pack if they ever find out,"
Jax wasn't too worried about that. He believed every member of the pack had his full trust and would not snitch on them. "I don't think they ever will. Moreover, I'll make sure she tells us where the shard is before anything goes wrong,"
.
.
.
Maya woke up with a small yawn the next morning. She had remembered the nice brown eyed woman leading her to a room in the house and letting her know she was going to be staying there for the time being, and a few minutes after she had fallen asleep.
She studied her surroundings, reminding herself that she was in a new territory. Sliding off the bed, Maya saw the small bag she had packed by her side and quickly took her meds.
Breakfast was already waiting on the dining table, and she finished every morsel before going to take her bath. The warmth of the water against her skin felt like heaven's embrace, melting away her remaining ache lingering in her muscles. Maya sighed a breath of relief and only stepped out once she felt somewhat satisfied.
She hadn't packed much clothing. She threw on an oversized T-shirt and comfortable knit pants she had brought with her, and left the room.
Now that she was thinking straight again, she had even more questions that needed answering, but Jax would probably not answer any unless she admits she's the Princess of Rhys, which is never happening. But for now, she wanted to see her grandmother and have her phone back.
Penny must be worried sick!
As Maya walked out of the house, the dense aura in the air reminded her that the town wasn't giving off regular vibes, and the people here were... different.
She needed to be very careful.
.
.
.
"That would be the end of our lesson for today. It'll be the same time tomorrow," Jax announced to the teenagers in front of him, still jumping around in their wolf forms. He stood there in only jeans, the cold wind of the morning dancing with his jade hair.
He had just finished practice with them and headed back to look around town. Earlier, Aiden had reported back to her on his investigation about the culprits who had attacked Teresa and their whereabouts, and there hasn't been any lead so far.
Jax had been restless and not as cautious as he used to be. He was the reason Maya could no longer go home, and their safety is now shattered. Even if they do find a way out of this, Maya and Teresa would have to leave the country.
"What got you so engrossed in your thoughts?" A voice asked from behind.
Jax almost groaned, "Why are you here, Ingrid?"
"I haven't seen you in a few days. You've been running around with Aiden and Sophie, and it's been lonely, so I thought to come and see you now," She replied, standing next to him with her eyes glued on his face.
He didn't even spare her a glance, "Go back home. I'm very busy,"
Jax turned around to walk away, but she continued like she didn't hear his last words, "Do you know what's annoying?" Her calm eyes brewed with something hidden, "It's the fact that you're soft when it comes to her. You could have easily tortured and got the information out of her, but you took her back to your own house, and now she stays there. Why?"
Jax clenched his fists, "Are you questioning my decisions, Ingrid? Do you have a problem with what I'm doing?"
"It's just absurd, I think. We would know where the shard is by now if you just beat it out of her. The Moon witches have long abandoned us, and now the existence of our race depends on the lunar shard, and it just seems like you're taking it for granted."
"Watch what you say to me, Ingrid!" He growled softly, his aura emanating. Ingrid stiffened, fear clouding her eyes, knowing she might have crossed the line there, "Just because we are engaged, doesn't mean you can speak to me like I'm not your Alpha. If it's attention you seek, seek it somewhere else. I am busy, woman!"
As Jax walked away, Ingrid's eyes darkened. She seemed upset and thought back on how far she had come. Becoming Jax Thorn's fiancée hadn't been easy. When he had found out about her deceit five years ago, he had grown so much loathe and didn't want to associate himself with her anymore, but she and her parents had managed to secure her engagement with him about two days ago.
And of course, her brother Aiden, played a huge role too.
The thought of another woman living in the same house as her fiancée didn't sit well with her. Even though she was just a lousy human and Jax only needed information, Ingrid was at unease. She had witnessed Jax pulling her into the car days ago, and the interaction between them wasn't just merely captor and captive.
Jax had never looked at her like that. Not in the twenty-three years she had known him, and yet some... forgotten Princess had managed to...!
"This is insane," Ingrid said to herself, chuckling hysterically, "What if I'm just overthinking this? What if I'm not?"
Nevertheless, she wasn't going to let anything else get in between her and Jax!
.
.
.
Jax didn't need a mate anymore. The pain of betrayal and heartbreak still stung hard even after five years had passed, and he had learnt his lesson that unfaithful day. When Solene had rejected their mate bond for the guy in Lyre Pack, he had been shattered.
Ever since then, the word ' Mate ' triggered him.
He hated it.
But then, he still needed a female leader for his pack, someone who has the skills and will bear the next Alpha or Luna of the Orion Pack.
If Jax sought an Alpha Female, he just needed her to be strong enough to look after the Pack whenever he wasn't around. And Ingrid, being his beta's sister and the daughter of a strong family in the Pack, made her a good fit for the role.
So when her father, James Carlson, had shown him his father's will, where he was requested to take Ingrid as his wife in the future once he was ready to be a husband, he announced their engagement.
But it seems that it had given her an even bigger head than before. He needed to put her in her place.
Pausing, Jax inhaled deeply to clear his lungs. Last night, he barely had a wink of sleep knowing Maya was in the next room. He could hear her soft breath, her soft mewls whenever she mumbled something to herself in her sleep, and his body couldn't take it anymore.
If he hadn't left as quickly as he did this morning, she would have woken up and found him lying next to her, or worse... inside her.
Then, he saw her.
She was a flicker of movement, moving through the shadows of the buildings and stalls. Her demeanour was replaced with a furtive energy that immediately snapped his attention. She moved with hesitant quickness, as if she was expecting to be seen. Her shoulders were tense, and her head was down as she moved.
Jax tilted his head a bit to the side. What was she doing? She was currently driven by a purpose he didn't understand, and his primal instinct stirred to life again. Was she in trouble?
He had just moved to cover the distance between them when he held back. Her face showed no signs of fear, mostly anxiety. He was curious as to what she was doing.
Wait...was she sneaking around?
As he watched her navigate through town while following closely behind, a small smile formed on his lips. Her intense focus was commendable, if only she knew she was surrounded by Werewolves and they would sense her coming moments before she arrived.
Part of him wanted to confront and demand answers, but a bigger part wanted to know what she was up to. He kept following her with the keen awareness of a predator till he realised where she was going.
The clinic.
Suddenly, she stepped into an open area and halted. He heard her breathing a little faster, and a bit of panic rose within him. His legs moved faster than his thoughts, and she whirled around to see him standing there.
"Jax," She breathed, her eyes shining with relief, "I thought I was being targeted by a wild animal, but it's just you."