22. Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-One
Key
Torrin Scayde was dead. The news was met with celebration from every immortal leader who was connected to their plight.
Key’s eyes closed, the weariness of her burden somehow becoming lighter and heavier at the same time. One more step taken, an accomplishment that should’ve inspired her to keep going. And yet, she wasn’t celebrating. She knew what his death meant.
Instinctively, her mind searched for the one person able to make it all bearable: Jax. Locating his new psychic signature was child’s play. It seemed her own mind was keyed into his on a subconscious level, calling attention to the fact that she couldn’t seem to stay away.
She manifested in the hallway outside his apartment, knocking once to announce her arrival. Jax’s door opened to reveal his expectant smile, her name already on his lips, like he’d known she was coming. There went all her fears of being intrusive and startling him.
“Key.”
His dark hair was slightly tousled in a way that begged to be caressed. “Hi handsome.”
“Come in.”
Key grinned when Zeus leapt at the opportunity to run out and greet her. Something of a foreseer himself, Jax had grabbed the Husky’s collar before he had a chance to reach his goal. Giggling, she propped open the door while he dragged the dog back inside.
Whenever she was near him, it seemed that her troubles melted away. The heaviness of the future lightened the moment she saw his smile. Though it was unexplainable, Key cherished his effect on her life.
Jax loosened his hold on Zeus’ collar and the pup bounded over to Key again, with a flurry of excited yips.
“And what are your intentions this evening?”
Key put her arms around Zeus’ neck. “I’d prefer to spend time with Jaxson Hunter, should he be in the mood for an evening with a Raeth.” Her eyes met his, then dashed away at the heated intensity she found there. “Maybe hiking?”
Jax’s belly laugh caught her off guard. “I have a much better idea.”
Running his thumb along her cheekbone, a flare of desire sparked within her at the heat in his eyes. He turned away after a moment, dragging his eyes to the door. The wolf grabbed his keys from a hook and tossed them in the air before he caught them.
“Come on, I’m taking you on a real date.”
***
Key couldn’t help grinning as the cotton candy melted on her tongue. The waffle under it added the perfect crunch to the sweetness. Around them, sights and sounds amazed her, and it was the first time she could recall having fun with someone other than Nero, Key, or Luna.
It was a night that she would never forget—not only for the activity, but the company. Jax beamed beside her. He’d stolen her away to a foodie paradise: the annual Washington Waffle Festival. It was held every April, and it was the perfect getaway on a not-too-chilly night. Partially held outside, the outdoor portion had a variety of carnival rides Key had never seen before.
“I never would have thought a food festival could be this much fun!” she gushed. “All those Hallmark movies weren’t lying.”
Winking down at her, Jax motioned to the Ferris wheel. “I suppose you’ve never been on one of those?”
“Nope. Looks dangerous.”
“Good thing you’ve got your very own personal U.S. Army Captain to keep you safe.”
His arm cinched around her waist. Key cocked her head up to give him a sidelong look. He often forgot he was an immortal, keeping it a separate part of his nature instead of something that defined him. Other than Eden, Nero’s mate, Key had never met such a young werewolf. She wondered if the way they thought about their identity changed over time.
Key had always thought of herself as a Raeth first. A woman and a foreseer, certainly, but she’d never been human. Jax defined himself as a Captain in the Army first, and the wolf that lived beneath his skin was nearly ignored. That could be dangerous.
Perhaps it was best to get him into a pack. Ava had certainly thought so, and Aidan had reiterated the same point when he’d spoken with Key recently.
Finishing the last bite to her waffle, she followed him toward the towering steel ride. As soon as the door closed on the Ferris Wheel, Key’s subtle fear was forgotten in favor of the scene that skittered past her foretelling senses. Flashes of the conversation ahead wormed their way into her consciousness, and a brief note of apprehension snaked around her throat.
“The alpha of the werewolf nation has reached out to me on your behalf, Jax,” she said. “He’d like to meet you.”
“The alpha? How did he find out about me?”
“Ava, the werewolf you met the night you brought us Barlow, spoke to Aidan about you living without a pack. She asked that he at least meet with you to discuss next steps.”
Jax sighed heavily, and the corded arm across her back tightened. For a moment, she simply let the gentle rocking motion of the Ferris wheel exist in the space between them.
“Do you think I should meet with him?”
“Aidan is a good man, and I think it might be a good idea,” Key answered, snuggling into Jax’s side, and letting his spiced leather scent invade her senses.
“Okay. But what does he want from me?”
“Most likely,” Key shrugged slightly, “he wants to get a feel for your wolf, ensure you’re secure in a pack structure of some kind. As Ava said, alphas need a pack to ground them, and it can be dangerous to go it alone.”
“Would I become like one of those wolves at the facility?”
“I can’t answer that for you, but I do know that werewolves crave the stability and hierarchy of a pack. Zeus, unfortunately, won’t cut it.”
“And what about you?” He pressed his lips into her forehead where she leaned against him. “Can’t you be my pack?”
“I’m not a wolf.”
“What about Eden? The one mated to your sovereign?”
Key was startled as he repeated something she’d thought he hadn’t caught. “Eden’s circumstances are different. She’s mated—bonded—to an alpha of sorts, and he keeps her grounded.” Swallowing harshly, her eyes darted to the lights outside their seats. “You and I: we aren’t mates, Jax.”
As much as it hurt to say it out loud, it could never be. Key’s fate had already been decided, and such a bond was not in her future. A beat of silence stretched following her decree.
“What am I to you, then, Key?” His voice sounded tight. “What are we doing here?”
She attempted to formulate an answer to his question, but the words wouldn’t leave her lips. The conversation was getting away from her, but she couldn’t find a means to keep it from spiraling.
At her silence, Jax grunted, the sound annoyed and sobering. “Am I only a means to an end? Why did you single me out instead of some other man?”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
His arm retreated from where he’d cast it around her shoulders, and she immediately felt bereft at the loss. When his gaze found hers, Key cringed. Irritation ripened across his features before they sounded in his voice.
“Don’t lie to me.”
“What do you want me to say?” she asked, grasping at straws now. “You’re important, Jax.”
“To the cause, maybe. But what about to you?”
Would it be a lie if she said both?
When she didn’t immediately answer, he grimaced, the look something between anger and hurt. It’d been only a moment ago she’d felt such happiness, and now, it seemed to be slipping down the drain. Key winced as she folded in on herself, becoming a person she didn’t know.
“I don’t know what to say to that.”
“Tell me the truth.”
His words were a demand now, his wolf’s unflinching stare appearing in his gaze. She knew for certain he would never hurt her—that much was plain as day—but all of it was simply too much. Added to the pressure she’d felt for centuries, his accusations seemed to unravel any trace of the confident woman she’d always claimed to be.
Key tried to find solid ground as her foundation shook beneath her. She quickly turned away to hide her vulnerability.
Out of nowhere, Jax snuggled her to him, and a remorseful sound rumbled in his chest. The scent of spiced leather washed over her as she tried to stop her tears.
“Key, I’m sorry, I just—everything is so new to me.” Apology thick in his voice, Jax squeezed her closer and the ride continued to chug from under their seats.
“It’s not your fault,” she whispered. “It’s mine. I care about you. I always have.”
Expelling a shaky breath, Key’s fingers found purchase on the collar of Jax’s shirt. She placed her cheek against his broad chest, feeling the rhythm of his heartbeat and the gentle rise and fall of his breath. She felt safe with Jax. Protected. Trusted. It was a foreign sensation.
As the ride slowed, Jax’s lips brushed against her hair. “Let’s go back home.”
Home . At the slip, Key’s mouth curled in a shy smile, but already her eyelids were heavy. The heavy toll of her foresight had settled squarely on her shoulders, as it had for centuries. Passing by in a blur, the ride home was quiet and uneventful. She fell asleep against the car window.
She woke to him carrying her inside, held close to his chest. The only thing that disturbed her was when he flipped on the lights in his apartment. Grumbling, she buried her face in the nook of his shoulder.
“Are you planning on leaving, Key?”
“I’m keeping you,” was her sleepy reply.
His chuckle clued her into the fact that he wasn’t talking about their relationship. “I mean tonight. Are you teleporting back home, or do I get to keep you tonight? Will you stay here with me?”
Key murmured, “Oh, I could definitely be enticed.”
The soft squeak of a mattress made her perk to attention, finally getting a look around at where he’d carried her. A pinstriped comforter matched solid navy drapes, but the mixed assortment of furniture seemed to have been passed on from several different generations.
He sat next to her. “Can I kiss you goodnight?”
She nodded, her heartbeat thrumming in anticipation as his hand came up to cup her cheek. The gesture sent volts of electricity skittering across her skin. His mouth claimed hers in the next instant, the possessiveness of his kiss overwhelming her.
He slipped backward to cup her neck, drawing her flush against his body as his other hand tightened behind her back. The way he held her, like she belonged to him, only made Key’s fire burn brighter.
His teeth nipped at her bottom lip as he pulled away—too soon—and steadied himself. His hooded gaze met hers, the longing and intensity behind that heated look making Key reach out to him again. He caught her wrist before she made contact and sadly shook his head.
“Key, if we go any further, I won’t be able to stop myself,” he apologized. “I want you. I need to leave before we do something we might regret.”
None of it mattered to Key. The need for this man seemed to intensify with every passing moment. “Then just stay with me. Sleep next to me.”
He grimaced. “Tell me that nothing will happen—demand that nothing happens.”
And just like that, she knew he needed to hear the words. “Nothing can happen between us, Jax.”
“Okay.” Tension leached from his features. “Let’s go to sleep.”
When he slipped beneath the covers behind her and tugged her into the heat of his body, nothing had ever felt more natural. Jax, the human turned wolf she’d seen in visions since the dawn of her existence, was becoming a pivotal part of her life at the very end of it.
Key barely registered Nero’s telepathic call asking where she was. Bleary with exhaustion, she answered, I’m safe, sovereign.
At least for tonight.