Chapter Twenty-Two Jay
Jay
“Mr. Costas, sir. Thank you for seeing us on short notice.”
“Jay. Enough of the formalities. I’ve been telling you for almost a decade if you can’t call me Dad, then at least Antonio.” Their host smiles with a slap to Jay’s shoulder, causing his new assistant to stare, eyes wide at her normally-so-formal employer being so familiar. “Let’s go into my office, and we can get things started.”
Leo is the spitting image of his broad-shouldered alpha father, inheriting the same imposing frame, but his sharp eyes and confident features unmistakably belong to his alpha birth mother. His gentle demeanor, however, is a testament to the influence of his second mother, who softened his edges with love and patience.
They are meeting in Antonio’s corner office, where the seating has already been arranged, with chairs and sofas encircling a low coffee table neatly set with coffee and water.
They wait for their host to be seated in the large armchair before finding their seats. Leo once shared that his father used the throne-like chair as a strategy with rivals and clients alike because it made him look like a King holding court.
Jay finds a seat directly to Antonio’s right, with Gideon and Rowan on the sofa beside him. It’ll keep Rowan within reach if things go off the rail. Goddess, please don’t let them go off the rail.
Gideon has his eyes on the door and their host despite him being family, but at least he’s not standing in front of it like an angry sentinel like he had been yesterday. Leo, Gray, and Finn are seated opposite them on the sofa on the other side of the table.
“How is Nix, Jay? Boo-Boo says he’s still sleeping.” Leo points a finger at Finn in warning, already anticipating Finn’s chuckle at the nickname but not even looking up from pouring his father’s coffee with his other hand.
Jay clears his throat. “He’s still asleep, but every day is closer to him waking up. Soon, I hope.”
“He’ll have a bit of a learning curve, especially with…everything,” Antonio says with a meaningful eyebrow. “So, tell me why we’re here. I’m concerned, given Gideon is looking like I’m going to have to mount a murder defense for my favorite son-in-law.” Gideon widens his eyes and points to himself in a me? gesture.
Antonio must see the hesitation in Jay’s face. Add to it that every Rhodes’s pack member has gone still, and the older man is too smart to miss it. “Am I really going to help you hide a murder, Gideon Carnell? Because I am genuinely concerned.” He looks from face to face, all joking aside.
“Nothing so bad as that, sir,” Finn says, clearing his throat, before moving to get the books and a few of the medical reports from Dr. Spencer out of his bag should they need them.
“ Well, not yet,” whispers Leo, who gets a glare from Gideon for his audacity.
“Let me start us off then, so we’re all on the same page. I’ll try to be as sensitive as I can. Our goal here is to be sure the defendant receives the maximum penalty possible for his crimes against our Nix.” Antonio is not looking for a response, so continues, “I understand from my contact in the prosecution’s office that the defendant has confessed to the assault only. He retracted the parts where he had left the scene because he thought the assault had resulted in the death of his partner.” Gideon puts his hand on Rowan’s arm as a reminder that Antonio is on their side.
“Can he do that?” Grayson asks.
“He can. Whether the courts believe him or not is another thing entirely. In addition to the matter of the assault and attempted murder is the supposed violation of the Were-Human Alliance that references the attempted forced turning.”
Rowan takes immediate offense, jumping to his feet and bumping the coffee table hard enough that the cups and saucers clank loudly. “Supposed! You didn’t see his back! It was awful. Hundreds of vicious–”
Jay stands, too. “Rowan! Sit.” His stomach drops because Rowan hesitates and Jay worries that there might be a repeat of earlier in the week—this time in front of Leo’s father. The situation is escalating, and Jay finally feels a tinge of alpha anger simmer in his gut.
But Rowan finally sits, and the room heaves an imperceptible sigh of relief.
Antonio clears his throat. “As I was saying, the defense will argue that it was a series of simple assaults, not an attempt to violate the Alliance. They’ll claim the defendant knew that, as a beta, he couldn’t possibly change Nix. Alternatively, they’ll paint him as unhinged. We need to disprove those narratives before the trial begins.”
Jay bites back his frustration. Hayes might be crazy, but a plea of insanity won’t keep him behind bars for life. “How do we do that?” Finn asks, perched on the edge of his seat, his books and papers still in hand, glasses balanced on his nose.
“His defense team hasn’t had him undergo any psychiatric testing, and I think it’s because he is competent. With Alliance violations, both sides must agree on which psychiatrists conduct the interviews. If we can put Hayes on the hot seat unexpectedly, we get to draw first blood.” He looks at Gideon. “I don’t mean that literally.”
“What do you mean, sir?” Jay asks.
Finn leans forward, his voice calm but resonating with conviction. “I think what he’s saying is that every time Hayes bit Nix, he intended to force a non-consensual change on a human. He knew full well it was illegal—regardless of whether he claims ignorance about his ability to effect the change or his beta status.”
“What does that mean for the prosecution and the charges?” Jay presses, needing to eliminate any chance of Hayes escaping justice. It’s not their job to build the case, but knowing the strategy calms his nerves.
“The prosecution needs to prove Hayes believed he could turn Nix—that he just had to try hard enough, long enough. Despite scientific evidence to the contrary, they’ll argue that the repeated assaults over five years show intent. They’ll emphasize that Hayes maintained a job and a social presence in the community and still chose to harm a human in violation of the Alliance. It closes off the defense’s counters.”
Finn pieces the argument together with remarkable speed. “So, the prosecution can argue he made a deliberate choice, and his persistence proves it?”
“Exactly so, Finn.” Antonio’s tone is proud.
“So what happens then, Dad?”
Antonio gives his son a reassuring smile. “The prosecution only has to prove intent—and with Hayes’s persistence, that’s not a high bar. The key for us is ensuring the case gets tried in a Were Court. He’s ours now, Jay. As soon as you register his beta status, they can get the ball rolling.” The mates freeze, and Jay’s grateful for the scent blocker patches preventing a blast of anxious uncertainty from tipping their host off prematurely.
Antonio isn’t at the top of his field for nothing, and he figures it out anyway. Placing his coffee cup on the table and folding his hands in his lap, he asks. “Alright, boys. You’re clearly worked up about something, and if you want me to help you, then you have to get on with it, even if it’s that body I mentioned. We will handle it.”
“Sir, we hesitate to share it with you since it’s sensitive information, and we take Nix’s personal information seriously. He’s not able to consent and we don’t want to take that away from him.” It’s not that he doesn’t trust Antonio, but this isn’t his story to share. They’d arranged this meeting for this exact purpose, but now that they’re here, Jay feels like they’re genuinely caught between a rock and a hard place.
If they wanted this handled by the Were Courts with its more severe punishments, then they had to prove Nix was Were, and Jay can think of no way around sharing with Antonio that their Sunshine is a mythical omega and subsequently risking his well-being and violating his privacy.
“Consent is integral to what we do here, and you’re right; Nix can’t advocate for himself right now. While the pack’s interests are at the forefront of my mind, there is no one just for Nix, right?” Antonio looks like he’s considering something. “Hmm. Boo-Boo, do you have any cash on you? It doesn’t have to be much.”
“Who carries cash, Dad?” Leo’s cheeks are pink when he shakes his head. He’s not the only one.
Clearing his throat, Grayson pulls a single dollar bill out of his wallet. It’s wrinkled, and his cheeks are flushing pretty pink. Finn’s eyes pop out of his head. “Gray, no. You kept that? I’m going to die. You can’t give that to our father-in-law .”
Grayson hands the bill over to Jay. He can see there’s a lipstick kiss in the center. He remembers exactly how Grayson had earned this, and he has nothing to be embarrassed about. Not at all.
“It’s all we’ve got, Finn, and if it helps Nix, then I’ll happily earn another one, okay?”
Sighing, Finn resigns himself, but there’s a flash of a tiny lovesick smile before he nods.
Jay offers the bill, but Antonio holds up his hand, goes to his desk, and picks up the phone. “Hello, Ms. Christie. It’s Antonio Costas. Would you have a moment? Yes, my office, and right now if it’s convenient. Excellent. Thank you.”
He sits back down, and it’s mere minutes before there’s a knock. A woman a little older than Jay is entering the room. She’s petite but carries herself with confidence, even though she’s clearly uncertain about why she’s received a call to the big boss’s office. The energy changes and Jay has to make eye contact with Rowan to be sure he’s not going to challenge her for Leo’s hand.
“This is Erin Christie. She is an attorney in our Were Rights division. I recommend you hire her to represent Nix’s interests. She will make sure we all respect his rights regarding this case and anything else he might require. I’m going to go and see my assistant for a few minutes. Jay, give her that cash. It’s a retainer on Nix’s behalf. Ms. Christie? Bill to me personally, please.”
After Antonio leaves, Jay makes a mental note to argue about the billable hours later and gets a good look at the attorney he’s about to hire to protect Nix. Or rather, Nix is going to hire. He stands up and holds out the money with two hands. She puts her tablet down and accepts in the same way.
“I’m Jay Rhodes, and these are my mates: Gideon, Leo, Grayson, Finn, and Rowan. Luca is at the hospital with our new mate, Phoenix Rena. Thank you for seeing us on such short notice.”
“Hello. Maybe we should talk about what it is you need me to do and who I’m doing it for.” She sits on her employer’s “throne” looking like she belongs there.
They fill her in except for the parts about Nix’s secondary gender. She’s horrified and angry in turns. “It sounds like the prosecution has the case well in hand. Do you need me to represent Nix in court? Should he be called?”
Finn stands up. “You’re bound to hold whatever we talk about here in the highest confidentiality, right?”
“Finn, isn’t it?” She asks.
“Dr. Merritt,” Rowan growls.
“You’re a doctor?” She smiles at Rowan. “You must have taken the Oath, then. It’s similar to the one we take to become a lawyer, and I uphold its tenants as a personal point of honor as well.”
“Good.” Satisfied, Finn gives her the papers from Dr. Spencer.
The attorney looks up at him and then at Jay to see if it’s a joke. “Are you telling me my new client is an omega? Holy shit,” she whispers, awed, and Rowan laughs out loud. “Oh shit, sorry. I shouldn’t swear at the office.” She laughs, too. “Sorry. So, Phoenix Rena transitioned as an omega, not a beta, as assumed. Now, you need to prove he’s a beta for justice to proceed—without revealing his true gender. If the truth comes out, you’ll have zealots and super-fans all over you.”
Jay nods grimly.
She begins pacing. “We need to keep his secondary gender a secret while meeting the burden of proof for the registry, so the Were courts take jurisdiction.”
It’s Leo’s turn. “Do you think we could tell my Dad? Maybe he has an idea.” She contemplates the request and shakes her head.
“It’s why Mr. Costas called me in. I’m sorry, but not without Nix’s consent. At any rate, I expect we have time. The trial will not go before the courts for a bit.”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Christie, but we don’t have time. We have to notify them of our intention to register so that they can charge him by midnight tonight,” Jay says.
She nods. “Leave it to me. I’ll draft the letter of confirmation with the intent to register and buy us some time. The letter alone will be enough for them to proceed. Let’s—”
Jay’s phone rings; he hadn’t put it on silent just in case Luca needed them. It’s not a number Jay recognizes, but a frisson of worry slithers down his spine.
“Excuse me. Hello, Jay Rhodes speaking. Who is this?”
Jay can hear muffled growling in the background and the squeak of shoes on a tiled hallway. He can see Gideon dialing Luca on his phone, too, with no luck.
“This is Greg Stanley, Phoenix Rena’s nurse at the hospital. I’m calling because your packmate is not doing very well.”
“Luca Wilde? Is he all right? He has panic attacks sometimes. Please tell him we’re coming.” The pack is on their feet in an instant, moving with purpose. Finn pauses just long enough to hand Ms. Christie the card from Detective Larsen, his expression polite but firm. Meanwhile, Leo slips quietly out the door, heading to let his dad know they have to leave.
“No, sir. It’s Phoenix Rena. He’s awake, and he’s not handling it well at all!”
Jay has no recollection of leaving Antonio’s office or any of the social niceties he would normally use. He’d bolted from the office, intending to take the stairs down the twenty flights to the street level and run the entire twenty miles to the hospital.
Thanks to his mates, Jay doesn’t barrel over Antonio’s assistant in his rush. It’s Leo who slows him just enough with a firm grip on his arm, grounding him before he can charge ahead. The elevator is already waiting when they reach it—Grayson, ever thoughtful, had slipped out past Leo’s subtle delay to call it up in advance.
By the time they step out onto the street, a taxi is idling at the curb, courtesy of Finn’s quick thinking, knowing instinctively that waiting for the valet wouldn’t be fast enough for Gideon—not if someone they loved was in trouble.
Even Rowan, one of the few others in their pack who could drive, waves them on with a reassuring nod, ready to take Gideon’s Escalade to the hospital at a slower pace. Every piece of their coordinated effort clicks into place, a seamless reminder of the bond that holds them together.
Jay is so grateful for them all.
Jay and Gideon pull their jackets off in the taxi but leave their scent patches on. There’s danger in filling the small car with alpha-stress pheromones, and they don’t want to end up in the river or wrapped around a utility pole. The drive seems so long, with the traffic moving at a glacial pace. It makes his wolf want to jump out and run the rest of the way.
His Nix is awake, and he’s going to get to see his beautiful smile and hear his deep voice say, “Hello, Jamie.” Jay cannot remember a time when he has been so excited.
When the taxi pulls up in front of the hospital, Jay doesn’t wait for the elevator; the hospital is way too busy for that, so he and Gideon take the stairs two at a time up to the pediatric floor. Parents are pulling small children back into the safety of their rooms as the two alphas thunder past.
The security guard is standing outside Nix’s room, looking harried with the door closed tight. A nurse is standing outside, looking pissed and laying into a security guard.
“Mr. Rhodes.” It must be the nurse who had called him earlier. “I’m sorry, a parent called security.”
The head of the security unit also looks flustered. Jay wants to push him out of the way and fling open the door, but the guard puts his hand out and stops a mere inch from touching his shoulder.
Good thing, too, as Gideon is still on high alert, always running interference. A warning growl makes the beta visibly flinch.
“Mr. Rhodes, your two betas are in the room, and one is—well, he’s feral. We understand he can’t be tranquilized, given his medical condition”—he glares at Greg—“but he has your other beta held hostage.”
Without another thought for the security guard, Jay presses a hand to the door. The scent of blood and burnt cookies seeps out from underneath, stinging his nose and fueling the overwhelming need to ensure both Nix and Luca are alright.
Then Jay hears it: “Don’t! Don’t want you!” The shout is a clear warning, even if the words themselves aren’t, and Jay is surprised to hear a bit of “push” behind it. But he recognizes that voice and his heart beats faster.
Removing his scent patch and opening the collar of his shirt so Nix will be able to smell him, he takes a deep breath to calm himself, inhaling deeply to get Nix’s scent to the back of his throat.
He slips in, and Gideon pulls the door almost closed, leaving it open a sliver just in case Jay needs him. Jay gets one look at his Sunshine: blue light shimmers from Nix’s glowing eyes, casting sharp shadows across his blood-streaked face. His lips curl back into a feral snarl, revealing fangs that glint in the dim room. Tiny hands, now tipped with lethal, glinting claws clutch what appears to be a torn black t-shirt. Every line of his body vibrates with fury, his posture one of pure, defensive instinct, daring anyone to come closer.
Jay’s breath catches. Despite the ferocity, or maybe because of it, Nix is breathtaking—wild, untamed, and Jay’s. The instinct to reach out, to soothe, is almost unbearable. Words seem inadequate, but one escapes him, soft and steady, carrying every ounce of love and reassurance he can offer.
“Nix.”