Jax (Astral Mates #7)

Chapter 3

Three

LATER THAT DAY…

General Kai looked at the two of them. The Dragan leader was silent, his face a cold mask.

Elara Morgan shifted her weight from left to right. It was obvious Jax caused all of this. Why was she in trouble? Okay, she borrowed a jet without permission, but Jax is the one who flew his aircraft directly into a coming asteroid…

If he was a better pilot, none of this would have happened.

And she saved his life, didn’t she? She could have let a giant rock obliterate his handsome face, but no. She didn’t let that happen.

If anything, she’s the hero!

General Kai was known to be a stern but fair leader. He’s managed to keep his crew in line through all sorts of trials and tribulations. He’s going to make the right choice… right?

Finally, the imposing leader broke the silence.

“Elara Morgan. You disobeyed a direct order from Captain Jax, your commanding officer. You stole a Hyena-Jet, and as a direct result of your actions, one of our priceless jets is damaged beyond repair. In effect, the Ravenous has lost an important military asset, and we are now weaker than we were before. Is that correct?”

Elara gasped for air. When framed like that , it sounded bad. Really bad. Chop-chop - off-goes-your-head bad.

“General, I-I?—”

“Is that correct, Morgan?”

Morgan bit the inside of her cheek. “I guess, technically? But sir?—”

“Captain Jax,” General Kai said, ignoring the pleading human. The blue general turned his attention to the pilot who shared a name with his first-born son.

Jax was a common name for a first-born son, but Kai did hope that his own prodigy would turn out different from the fighter pilot in front of him.

Jax the pilot was stubborn, arrogant and misguided. All the worst qualities of the Dragans, rolled into one handsome package.

“Yes, general?”

“You did not integrate the humans into your command, disobeying a direct order from me. Is that correct?”

“No, general. That is incorrect. The humans that you’ve assigned to me are part of our team.”

Elara scoffed. “Yeah, right. We’re allowed to bring you coffee and wipe the floor. No human has piloted a vessel since our crews merged.”

“For good reason,” Jax replied instantly, turning his gaze towards the pesky human. She looked back at him defiantly. Why did Elara Morgan have to be so damn attractive, along with being so annoying? “Humans lack the necessary qualities. Their reflexes are slow, their stamina sub-par, their knowledge of Dragan-systems sorely lacking. Your kind is a liability!”

“Then why did you crash your Hyena into an asteroid, and I didn’t?” Elara countered. “In fact, I saved your blue butt, ‘captain’. Admit it. I’m the better pilot.”

“Why you insolent little?—”

General Kai raised his hand and silence descended upon the council room.

The Dragan leader rubbed his temples and sighed. Getting the Ravenous home in one piece while avoiding space-pirates, worm-holes and other intergalactic threats was hard enough already. Now he had to deal with this petty squabbling?

Kai would prefer a Torian armada to this any day of the week. Torians face their foes head-on, with the intent to kill. These two? They argue, and fight, and dance around their feelings. Can’t they see the truth staring them in the face?

Enough was enough.

General Kai rose from his seat. His leather kilt rustled as he walked towards them, his piercing gaze nailing them both to the floor.

Jax and Elara both gulped, wondering what decision the general had made.

Kai stopped right in front of them. He was taller than all other Dragans — an impressive feat. Elara Morgan was positively dwarfed by the two alien men. Her eyes only reached up to Kai’s pecs.

“Here’s what’s going to happen. You must learn to work together, for the good of our mission. From this moment on, you are each other’s shadow. Where one goes, the other follows.”

“What?” Jax exclaimed furiously.

“You can’t be serious!” Elena said. Her heart launched right into her throat. Be around Jax, all the time ? That’s torture!

“That’s an order,” Kai growled, his deep voice rumbling. “That also means you will share your quarters from here on out. There will be no exceptions to this order. Absolutely none. Is that understood?”

“But general! My quarters are not meant for two!” Jax said.

“Compromise,” Kai said.

“But I only have a single bed. How can that possibly work?”

“Figure it out, captain. Or shall I throw the both of you in the brig for treason?”

“Treason?!” Jax sputtered.

“You disobeyed a direct order,” General Kai reminded him. “You neglected the human crew members assigned to you. Do not test me, captain.”

“Fine,” Jax said, gritting his teeth. “But for the record, I think you are making a grave mistake.”

“For the first time in my life, I have to agree with Jax on this!” Elara said.

General Kai nodded. “Noted. Then it’s already working. Dismissed.”

“But general — how long will this punishment last?”

“As long as it needs to.”

“General!”

“Remind me, Jax. How many credits was that jet worth? The one you crashed by being careless?”

Jax remained silent.

“Exactly. Come see me in a month’s time, and not a moment sooner. Dismissed.”

General Kai swiftly walked away. Elara and Jax stood next to each other, silent. Both crossed their arms and avoided eye-contact.

“We’ll be moving into my quarters,” Jax said. “I assume yours is tiny. My captain’s quarters will give us a bit more space.”

“Fine,” Elara responded. “Let me grab my things.”

This was a nightmare. An absolute nightmare. How was she going to survive in a tiny room with the cocky Dragan?! This was going to be torture! Jax was the most arrogant man she had ever met, and he drove her crazy.

General Kai had it all wrong. This wasn’t going to fix things. It was going to make everything a thousand times worse.

They were never going to get along.

Not now, not ever.