Between Imminent Fates (The Immortal Accords #12)

12. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Jax

For the first time since Jax had been assigned to the kennels under Barlowe, the cages were clean. He had arrived early this morning to spray them down and remove waste and urine.

It was clearly apparent which wolves were rabid. Those who’d already been infected threw themselves at the cage doors, attempting to bite him with frothing mouths. Those who hadn’t watched him with a keen intelligence. Several had successfully shifted back to human form, but many found it was easier to remain the wolf. Few wanted to be without clothing.

It infuriated Jax that he couldn’t do anything about their situation— yet. All of them perked when he approached, but not out of fear. Each of them watched him with what felt like hope, almost as though they trusted him. He spoke softly to them, using reassuring words as he went about his work.

To Jax, they had begun feeling like his responsibility.

The wheelbarrow creaked slightly as he rolled it down the aisleway. Filled with venison, he gave every wolf a portion of meat before going to the next. Though he knew it wasn’t enough, he had to do something.

The dark grey wolf in the next cage stared at him with despair. If Jax had to guess, it was the lanky teenager who’d been brought in during the last round. Though the animal couldn’t hold his gaze, he knew misery when he saw it.

“Hold on for just a little longer,” Jax whispered. “We’ll get you out of here. I promise you that.”

A near-silent whine escaped the animal. One paw crept forward, then another, until the beast was pressed up against the bars. Tail tucked and trembling, the wolf whimpered.

Jax couldn’t take it anymore. Crouching down, he reached through the bars of the cage and gently combed his fingers through the animal’s coat. Though his skin burned where it touched the silver, he didn’t pull back. While he didn’t speak, the small act of compassion made the wolf inside the kennel stop trembling.

The sound of approaching footsteps made him quickly pull his hand from the cage. He straightened and was tossing meat to the wolf by the time Barlowe appeared down the aisleway.

“What are you doing, Hunter?”

“Feeding them, sir.”

“And who gave you permission to do that?” came the gruff response.

An angry growl threatened to erupt from Jax’s throat. Swallowing the urge, he refocused on the meat in his hands to compose himself. It grated on him that showing the wolves compassion was lost on the colonel.

“A wolf in good condition stands a better chance at killing immortals than one in poor condition,” he replied evenly. “The same reasoning applies if their wounds are infected.”

When Barlowe opened his mouth to reply, Jax interjected, “Don’t worry, I’ve cleaned the kennels on my break time, sir. My work is getting done.”

“Good. As you were.” The officer made a face. “Take an hour every day to clean the cages—I loathe the smell.”

Jax glared at the retreating man, then turned back to his work. Never again would these wolves live in filth—nor would they starve on his watch. If he couldn’t personally rescue them, the least he could do was treat them humanely.

The fact that Rayn hadn’t returned to this location recently was a good thing. If the Raeth discovered Jax was a werewolf, he’d be dead or rabid. If he had to guess, Rayn was busy with the other kennels.

By the time it hit five o’clock, Jax was more than ready to leave. Outside the door, the kennels had been atypically quiet. It was a miracle what caring for animals did.

At home, Zeus greeted him with his usual enthusiasm.

Living in the city, Jax heard everything. Two floors down, he could hear a couple arguing about how dark toast was supposed to be. A floor above him, someone was dancing to a jazzercise video. Earlier today, he’d heard the joggers who’d run past his building like clockwork at six a.m.

He had already begun looking for places outside the city. There, he could run the countryside with Zeus whenever he desired. At the thought, the otherness inside him perked.

It was an odd feeling. Having been alone in his mind his entire life, a second presence hovering on the edges seemed foreign. At times, he was almost convinced it could speak if so prompted—though he had no idea what a wolf would say.

His jogs had become heartbreakingly easy; he hadn’t even broken a sweat this morning. Part of him wondered if this was how superheroes were born. Perhaps Superman had actually been a Raeth.

A fresh package of Oreos was ready on the coffee table when Key knocked on his apartment door. The wolf inside him bounded forward to look through his eyes—making him temporarily stumble as he got used to the feeling. Blinking, he narrowed his gaze and glanced around the apartment, his beast huffing at the delay. Shrugging, Jax grinned when he saw the platinum-blonde woman on the other side of the door.

“Hey there.”

The foreseer cocked her head, studying him for a moment before her lips curled. “Your wolf—he’s looking at me.”

“Yeah.” Jax rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s an odd sensation.”

Chuckling, she stepped close and rose on her tip toes. Her mouth brushed against his, a fleeting kiss of contact, before he ensnared her. Tugging Key closer, Jax savored the flavor of her lips and the sense of rightness she’d brought with her. When they were together, everything seemed to fall into place.

Their intimate greeting was short and sweet, and when she stepped back, she scratched under Zeus’ chin. The moment she saw the Oreos on the coffee table, she squealed.

It made Jax’s wolf burst with happiness. He’d always enjoyed feeding Key, but the animal took that to a whole new level.

“Rayn hasn’t been back to the kennels in a week,” he began, “so I don’t have much new intel for you. I’ve a feeling that he’s busy with the other ones.”

“He’s probably running around in circles. We’ve eliminated eighteen of them so far—there were twenty-two total. The rest were run by the Citizens ,” she explained, “not by the Army.”

Jax nodded. Taking a moment to organize his thoughts, he ate a cookie and draped his arm across the couch behind Key. As they had every night she’d been here, she snuggled up against him like a puzzle piece he’d been missing.

“What about the remaining four?” he asked. “I don’t want to sit idly by while everyone else risks their neck, Key. Let me help you.”

Key shifted away from him, then turned so that she could study his features. “Jax, do you remember when I said that I had a plan? That I’ve been working toward this end for centuries?”

“I do.”

“The plan has been set in stone for ages, and with that comes inflexibility.” She offered him an apologetic look. “Essentially, it can’t be changed.”

A flare of frustration lit within him. Grinding his teeth together, he sank back against the couch and warred with the anger that threatened to swallow him whole. Jax had thought that becoming a werewolf would open doors. Unfortunately, they were all still locked—and paws lacked opposable thumbs.

“Did I do this to myself for no reason?”

Key shook her head. “I believe that this is what was meant to happen—I just didn’t foresee it.”

It didn’t help. Jax pinched the bridge of his nose. Though his parents were gone, and Key was the only person who truly mattered to him, he’d drastically altered his chemistry without fully thinking it through.

“Are you angry?”

“At myself?” He shrugged. “Maybe.”

Then, she asked, “Are you angry at me?”

Glancing up, he shook his head. “No. I made my own choices, Key. I’m not going to fault you for a decision I made.”

Despite that, he was frustrated with the situation he’d put himself in. Rather than go with the flow, he’d stabbed a hole in his innertube and opted to swim instead.

“Even if I wanted to bring you, Jax, I have trouble seeing you in my visions,” she said, “but, after the one with your commander, there is a mission we absolutely will need your help with.”

A flip switched, and Jax could almost feel the wagging of his wolf’s tail. The giddy sensation banished what remained of his negative emotions.

“I’m in.”

Snickering, she said, “Have I told you how much I adore your enthusiasm? I could always use a bit more of that.”

Curling his fingers around the back of her neck, he brought her mouth to his. Soft and plush, her lips made it impossible for him to think about anything else. The taste of chocolate bloomed on his tongue, and the wolf howled in pleasure. His hand flexed as he anchored himself in this small brush with heaven.

Key’s silky hair tickled against his skin, brushing over his knuckles, as she moaned slightly. The sound made him still, then close what distance remained between them. She drove him wild with the smallest of noises, and he indulged himself by desperately claiming the woman with his kiss.

Jax realized that it would never be enough. Key was like his gravity: necessary, fathomless, and ever-present. Without her, life would be impossible.

Everywhere she touched, he burned with desire. Her hands roamed across his chest, felt the broadness of his shoulders, and clasped the back of his neck. If Jax let himself, he’d fall for her completely.

A wet nose on his arm surprised him. Pulling away from Key with a laugh, he patted Zeus’ head. “Thanks buddy.”

Beside him, Key snuggled back into him. Not for the first time, he wondered what her life was like outside this apartment. Who her friends were, and how they’d reacted when she told them what was to come. Though she’d mentioned them on and off, it seemed as though she liked to distance herself—if only for a few hours.

“How do the others respond when you tell them their parts?” he asked.

She grimaced. “Poorly. Usually, they stomp their feet and growl. I beg and plead and threaten. Always a joy.”

“I’m sorry, Key. That must get tiresome.”

“I am tired,” she admitted. “I’m sick of being a foreseer. At times, I wish I was normal, that I’d never been blessed with this ‘gift.’”

“But you’re saving thousands of lives with your gift. And nobody ever wanted to be normal. Not even Superman,” he added with a laugh.

“No?”

“Nope. Because then, he wouldn’t be able to save the people he loved.”

“I suppose you’re right.” She pinched him cheekily. “A wise werewolf. Never thought I’d see the day.”

Snickering, she grabbed another Oreo. For a few minutes, they relaxed and watched the movie. Neither were truly paying attention—especially not when Jax began to gently massage her neck. She held so much tension there, and the least he could do was alleviate some small portion of it.

“You said that the werewolves from the other kennels are finding dens?” he asked. “Packs?”

“They are. There have been about forty of them that weren’t rabid—and we consider that a success. We’re splitting them up between the major dens in the states, and sending a couple to the Canadian locations, too.”

Given the conditions at his kennel and what he’d seen from Rayn, Jax was ecstatic that they’d saved that many. With his hands on her skin, he felt the moment she tensed.

“Speaking of, Jax, you’ll need a pack.”

He sighed. “I was afraid of that.”

“I have no idea how dominant you are, but the sooner we find you one, the better.”

Nodding, he stated, “There are several wolves in my facility that aren’t rabid yet—wherever they go, I want to make sure I’m close by. That teenager I told you about?”

She nodded.

“He’s still there. Bitten and turned, but not rabid. I think they’re behind—Rayn hasn’t been there in weeks, and Barlowe seems preoccupied.”

“We’ll get them out, Jax.”

He could only hope they’d be alive.