Chapter 20

JAX

I’m already head over heels for her. Every bit of her. Every tiny detail of her existence is my world.

Even the small things, like the way her eyebrows furrow when she’s deep in thought, her lips slightly parted, or how a blush creeps onto her cheeks when she catches a glimpse of my bare chest.

The stolen glances she throws my way when she thinks I’m not looking. These little, often overlooked things, they’re my everything.

I can sense her now, even though she’s not here. If she were, I’d picture her chewing on her bottom lip, and once all the skin was gone, she’d move onto her fingernails.

She’d stare into the distance, her eyes sparkling then dimming with each thought that crosses her mind.

The way her breath quickens when I’m near her.

The way her palms get sweaty and she quickly wipes them on her pants, hoping I don’t notice. But I do.

I remember when we were watching ~Nemo~ together, and all I could do was watch her. How her expressions changed with each scene, and then how her eyelids started to droop.

She snuggled up to me, resting her small head on my shoulder. Her breath tickled my neck, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Every part of me yearns for her. I’m sitting here, in this meeting, pretending to listen to one of my warriors, but all I can think about is her. She’s all I can think about.

I sneakily pull out my phone and hide it under the table. I find one of the many photos of Hayley on my camera roll.

In this one, she’s curled up into a tiny ball, her eyelids tightly shut. She looks so peaceful, yet so tormented.

I flick to the next photo. Hayley is staring out of the kitchen window while I make us breakfast. I remember taking it secretly, not wanting to interrupt whatever she was pondering.

She does it a lot. Thinking. Part of me wants to know what’s going on in her beautiful mind, but if she wanted to tell me, she would. I can’t force her, it wouldn’t be right.

We’re so different, yet so alike. I just wish she’d realize it too.

My daydream is interrupted when I’m mind-linked by Sam, one of my warriors currently on patrol. “Alpha! Rogues at the southern border! An estimated thirty.”

Thirty rogues? All together? I’ve heard rumors of rogues forming small packs, but usually alliances of three or four, not thirty.

“We’re on our way. Try to hold them back,” I respond to Sam.

“Everyone, this meeting will be rescheduled. We have rogues breaching our borders in the south. John, I want you to gather all the pregnant females and any other members who can’t fight and lead them to the bunker.

“Tony, I want you and a handful of warriors to guard the infirmary to protect the members inside, just in case.

“And Dimitri, I want you and every other warrior to spread out across the entire pack borders, to make sure they don’t sneak in another way. Go, go, go!”

Everyone jumps to their feet and leaves the room to carry out their orders. Meanwhile, I head towards the Rose Club to ensure Hayley is escorted safely.

I don’t want her to panic and me not be there to soothe her, that’s why I didn’t mind-link Axton.

I know he can protect her, but my selfish side needs to see her safe with my own eyes.

I trust my warriors, and I know they can hold them back while I get Hayley to safety.

An odd sensation fills me as I make my way to my girl. Something’s wrong. Hayley feels distressed.

I quicken my pace to a sprint towards the brick building. If anyone has hurt her, they won’t live to see another minute. They’ve hurt what’s mine, and you don’t mess with what’s mine.

I don’t bother knocking as I burst through the door, relieved to see Hayley unharmed.

“Baby,” I breathe out with a sigh. Her eyes twinkle just a bit when she sees me, but they quickly return to normal. The distress she was feeling has vanished, replaced with warmth.

My wolf growls in my head at the sight of her. He understands that we can’t complete the mating ritual like other mates do, but one look at Hayley and I’d do anything she asked.

I worship the ground she walks on. I feel so connected to her. I’ve heard about the mate bond before, but I never thought it would be this intense. I feel physically pained when she’s not near me.

Deep down, I know that’s why I came to see Hayley instead of telling Axton to escort her to the bunkers, but I’d never let my subconscious win.

I hope she feels the pull too. I want her to need me like I need her. I want her to love me.

I mind-link everyone in the room, except Hayley as she doesn’t have access to mind-link, and fill them in on the situation.

They know what to do, as we’ve done many drills before, and start filing out in an orderly fashion.

“It’s okay, nobody panic. You’re all going to be completely safe,” I assure them, letting my wolf shine through to let them know that both of us are speaking.

I would die for every single one of my pack members. Any alpha that says otherwise is not a true alpha.

Hayley looks around in confusion, unsure of what to do. She starts to follow the other females but I gently grab her wrist and intertwine our fingers, and she looks deep into my eyes.

I reach up and cup her cheek. Without realizing it, she leans into my hand and closes her eyes.

I will protect you, baby.

“Don’t panic, baby, but I need you to follow me. Everything is fine, so don’t worry, but stay close to either me or Axton, okay?” I whisper to her.

Her beautiful eyes shake with a bit of fear, but I reassure her by kissing the top of her head.

I’ve fallen for her eyes, but she doesn’t know that. One day she’ll realize how beautiful she is, and I can’t wait for that day.

With our fingers laced together, I guide her outside, Axton trailing close behind us.

“I’m going to shift, and you can ride on my back. That way, we’ll get there faster. Is that okay, sweetheart?” I ask, my eyes scanning the surrounding woods for any signs of danger.

She nods, her expression a mix of confusion and trust. I figure it’s better this way. She’s already dealing with so much, and I don’t want to overwhelm her with more than she can handle.

I start to undress, and Hayley blushes, her gaze dropping to the ground. I can’t help but feel a little thrill at her reaction. It’s a sign that she might actually like me, even if it’s just a little bit.

I shift into my wolf form quickly, hoping to spare Hayley any further discomfort. I look at her and nod, encouraging her to climb onto my back.

She tries, but she’s too weak. Axton steps in, lifting her onto my back with a gentleness that surprises me. His hands stay firmly on her waist, never wandering. Good boy.

I give Axton a nod, signaling him to shift, and we take off towards the pack house, Axton following close behind.

As we approach the pack house, we slow down. Axton shifts back into his human form first, pulling on a pair of sweatpants we keep stashed in the trees around the pack house for situations like this.

Axton lifts Hayley off my back and sets her down gently. I stay in my wolf form, planning to head to the southern border to help out.

Hayley watches me with wide eyes as I approach her, nuzzling my snout against her waist. She reaches out to pat my head, her touch light and hesitant, before quickly pulling her hand back.

Aaron comes bounding over, eager for more attention. He leaps towards Hayley’s hand, but she jumps back, startled. Easy, Aaron. Be gentle, I remind him.

This time, he approaches her more slowly, nudging her hand with his snout. When she starts to scratch his ear, he lets out a low rumble of pleasure, his tail wagging furiously.

~Enough, Aaron. We need to go. The pack needs us,~ I tell him. He pulls back reluctantly, and I nod at Axton, signaling him to take Hayley inside.

“Take care of my mate,” I tell him, my voice filled with worry. I give Hayley one last look before taking off.

The wind whips against my face as I race towards the southern border. The trees blur together as I run, the adrenaline pumping through my veins pushing me to go faster.

When I arrive, the sight that greets me is grim. Some of my pack members are lying on the ground, writhing in pain. But they’re all still alive—I haven’t felt the loss of any of them through our pack link.

I spring into action, pulling a rogue off one of my trainee warriors. I rip a chunk of skin from their neck, leaving them to bleed out, and move on to the next enemy.

Three rogues spot me and start to circle me. I watch each of them closely, looking for any weaknesses.

The rogue on my left has a gash on his side. The tan wolf on my right seems to have a broken paw—he tries to hide it, but his limp gives him away. The black-furred wolf in front of me doesn’t seem to have any injuries. He’s bigger than the others, but he doesn’t give off the aura of an alpha. He’s powerful, though. Probably a beta. This should be interesting.

The tan wolf charges at me first, followed closely by the one on my left. I duck as the tan wolf lunges at me, causing him to miss and fly past me. I quickly turn to face the other wolf, my claws sinking into his eye and blinding him.

I kick the tan wolf in the snout as he tries to attack me again, then jump on him, pinning his injured leg to the ground. I rip a chunk of flesh from his face, and he howls in pain. I swipe my paw across his neck, silencing him forever.

The one-eyed wolf stumbles towards me, and I let him come. All the while, the black-furred wolf watches, observing but not moving.

When the one-eyed wolf is close enough, I lunge at him, biting into his previous injury and putting him out of his misery.

I lift my head to face the black-furred wolf, blood dripping from my fangs. He bares his teeth at me, challenging me.

Bring it on.

I wait a few seconds before pouncing. We collide and roll, growling and kicking at each other. He manages to land a kick to my face. I hear a bone snap at the force and suppress a whimper.

I pull my head back for momentum and flip his jaw, making him look up and roll on his back. I spring to my feet and stand on top of him.

With power, I bite down on his ear and rip a chunk away, throwing it down to the ground.

I want to kill him. I badly want to kill him. For what he did to my pack, my family. But I need him for intel.

When I look back up, I notice all the other remaining rogues are either dead or have fled. All my pack members are still alive. We are still together.

I mind-link some nearby warriors and Dimitri to restrain the rogue beta and take him to the cells for questioning.

Before I walk away, I mutter, “If you accidentally bang his head against the walls on the way, that’s fine.”

I crouch down next to one of my pack members called Jamie who is lying down on the ground. I shift back and ask, “Where does it hurt?” He points to his back leg with his snout and mind-links, “Here, Alpha.”

“Drop the formalities, you’re in pain, they are not necessary.”

He doesn’t have the energy to respond except for a whimper.

I call for help and get him on a stretcher. I mind-link Tom and the other doctors and nurses and tell them to prepare as we have many casualties that are going to be sent in.

I help the rest of my pack members in any way that I can. Once all the injured members are on their way to the hospital, I turn to Dimitri and the rest of the warriors.

“Fan out. Cover the entire border just to make sure that they did flee, and are not lurking around nearby. If any of you spot a rogue, do not chase it. Report it straight to me, immediately. Do you understand?”

They all nod and in unison say, “Yes, Alpha.”

As they begin to disperse, I call out, “Great job today, guys. You did well.” With that, I turn and leave.

I shift back into my human form, Aaron, and make a beeline for the pack house. As I sprint towards the bunkers, I pull on a pair of loose, gray sweatpants that I’d grabbed on the way.

I punch in the passcode and find the rest of my pack gathered inside. I sniff the air, searching for Hayley’s scent. I find it in the far corner. I weave my way through the crowd to reach her.

Seeing her is like a breath of fresh air. You don’t realize you’ve been holding your breath until you let it out.

I pull her into a tight embrace, pressing her body against mine. I nuzzle her neck, taking in her scent.

Her pulse races and her breath comes in short gasps. I hope it’s relief at seeing me, but with Hayley, I can never be sure.

I rest my head on her shoulder, exhaustion washing over me.

A mind-link from Dimitri interrupts my thoughts. “Alpha, the pack grounds are secure. Everyone can return to their rooms.”

“Thanks, Dimitri. We’ll have a meeting to discuss everything later. For now, we need to rest... and don’t forget to take care of yourself too,” I reply sincerely.

“Sure thing, boss,” he teases.

I remember the rest of the pack is still here and pull away from Hayley. I plant a kiss on her cheek, causing her to blush instantly. I turn to face the rest of the pack.

They’re all grinning, having witnessed our little moment.

“Everyone, the pack grounds are secure. You can return to your homes, but stay within the borders. You all did a great job staying calm; it’s clear the drills have paid off. Go take care of your loved ones. You’re all dismissed.”

They all leave quickly, eager to return to their mates.

I don’t know why rogues are targeting our pack, but I won’t stand by and let it happen. We need help. And fast.

I turn to Axton. “Axton, get in touch with Silvermoon Pack. Tell them we need our warriors back immediately,” I order.

I’d lent some of my best warriors to Silvermoon Pack when they were at war with Redwolf Pack. As allies, Midnight Rose Pack and Silvermoon Pack help each other out when needed.

I turn back to my mate. I lean down and plant a soft kiss on her temple, my breath fanning her skin.

She shivers at my touch, goosebumps spreading across her skin. I pull back, reluctantly, to find a shy smile on her pale face.

“Come with me, baby,” I whisper. I need to hold my mate…