Chapter 25
Jaxom shifted as he went back in with Hayden. His mate was pale and breathing harder. Jaxom could only imagine how vulnerable he felt at the moment. Injured and wolfless, he had no way to defend himself. That just ticked Jaxom off even more. No one was going to take what was his.
“What was that?” He looked nervously at the door and then up to Jaxom.
“Stupid people following even worse orders. We’ll get more information out of them soon enough.” Jaxom squeezed Hayden’s hand, then got clothes out for him and Drake to get dressed. “But, right now we need to move you. We have people coming to clean the mess up.”
“Oh, you don’t have to go out of your way for me. I’ll, I’ll be fine in here.” Hayden shifted nervously and tried to put on a brave face.
“But I won’t be fine. The mate-bond is pushing at me hard to protect you. Help me do that by getting on the gurney. I don’t want to hurt your ribs by carrying you.”
Hayden let Jaxom help him sit up and get off the bed.
The nurse said he was healing faster since they’d flushed the wolf’s bane.
He’d be 80% by his birthday. A huge improvement.
Most wolves would only take two weeks to be completely healed.
Hayden’s body was weak from starvation and poison.
He needed more time and that was what his vulnerable mate was going to get.
“You want the teddy?” Jaxom asked.
“Um, yeah,” Hayden blushed. “It feels good protecting my ribs from my arm.”
Jaxom gave him the bear and cupped his cheek. “Never worry about loving a gift. You had to grow up too fast. I love seeing you chilling with your bear. And don’t worry, Tarra has all kinds of gift ideas planned.”
“Uh oh, that sounds ominous,” Hayden chuckled.
“Anything else?”
“The hoodie and jacket on the chair. Drake gave them to me.”
Hayden’s big eyes followed Jaxom as he got the requested items. Jaxom never wanted to see that innocent look die in Hayden’s eyes. It was calling to him to get on the gurney and just snuggle in. That would come soon though, as soon as they got him to the new room.
“Okay, let’s get you to a safer room,” Jaxom said as he started pushing the gurney.
“They were coming after me?” Hayden asked with a start.
“Drake and I just can’t keep our mouths in line around you.” Jaxom smiled reassuringly. “They were coming after you, me, or Drake. Just as long as they got one of us they’d be happy.”
“But, why?”
“We’ll explain everything. Move first.”
Drake was still in wolf form as he led the way.
Six guards surrounded Hayden. Jaxom Stayed close to his new mate.
Asher backed them up with Tarra at his side.
Tarra was a dirty fighter being smaller and weaker than most warriors.
She had a knack for anticipating her opponents moves and took advantage of that gifting.
Drake was out front because those murderous asshats were right. Jaxom had never seen Drake lose in combat. He’d been lightly wounded or knocked off his feet, but he’d never been beat. Drake was only too happy to get in a fight and come out swinging.
They got to an older, remote part of the pack house.
There was a suite for them and rooms for the guards.
The wide open space in front of the suite meant that the guards could spread out versus the narrow hallway leading to the other suite.
They were down one spare room but Jaxom and Drake were planning on sleeping in Hayden’s room anyway.
His new mate wasn’t 18 yet. There would be no more touching than hand holding. Jaxom was grateful it was only three weeks. The sooner Hayden was marked, the safer he’d be. Even according to the murderer’s own prophecy, marking Hayden would make killing him a moot point.
Hayden was settled on the couch, teddy bear tucked under an arm. He’d wanted his hoodie on before he got settled, too. Jaxom only hoped they could continue to keep him comfortable.
Drake paced up and around the living room and into the kitchen. The attack had put Drake in battle mode. He needed to work it out with physical activity.
I hate this, he mind-linked Jaxom, having a nice little rant.
I do too.
They won’t stop until the prophecies come true or one of us dies.
They’ll back down after Hayden’s marked, Jaxom tried to pump some sense of encouragement through the mate-bond.
Bullshit. They won’t back down until they’re put down and we have a Luna.
That’s not how I interpreted the new prophecy, Jaxom tried to soothe Drake through the mind-link.
Hazel said we’d be marked for death. Drake stopped pacing and glared at Jaxom.
“Hey, Hayden,” Jaxom said out loud and sent a cocky smile at Drake. “I think Drake needs to hold your hand so he’ll calm down.”
Drake stomped his way past Jaxom and sat on the couch, gently taking Hayden’s hand.
“How you doing, mate?” Drake said. His voice was husky with suppressed anger.
A small grin started curling Hayden’s lips. He looked back and forth between Drake and Jaxom. Amusement replacing nerves from the move.
“You totally just used me to help Drake calm down cause I really am your mate?”
“We are in trouble with this one. He’s too smart,” Jaxom laughed and snuggled up behind Drake to hug him.
“I hope you’re okay with this,” Drake said, “cause you’re kinda stuck with us.”
“I can’t wait till my birthday. You guys will be the first birthday present I ever had,” Hayden said with a light blush.
Jaxom’s breath caught in his throat. “I promise to make it the best damn birthday you ever had.”
“Me, too. We’re going to be pretty protective of you. I hope you can handle that, too,” Drake said.
“Because of what happened tonight? That might happen again?”
“Probably. That’s why my dad and a couple of Elders are coming here to talk to us.”
Jaxom sighed in a fair bit of irritation to have three Elders sitting so close to Hayden.
His new mate was sprawled out on the couch, covered in a blanket and eating chips and dip with a soda to sip.
He was still too vulnerable, even to old men.
The mate-bond was driving him to mark, but Hayden wasn’t of age and Jaxom would be damned if they forced a bond on an unready partner no matter how willing.
It was only three weeks. It took effort to stop his thoughts from swirling. Time to concentrate.
“What is the Book of Beginnings and is it important?” Jaxom blurted out. There was no time for niceties.
“It was a set of prophecies. All true. Most have come to pass. There are only five more to come. The problem is, none make sense on how they could come true until after the fact,” said Elder Pryon.
“Do you know them?”
“We do,” said Elder Kent. “And, you three seem to be the focal point right now. There were a few other times they were almost fulfilled but enemies of the Lycans killed those fated mates. You boys have choices to make. Follow the mate-bond with Hayden. Or, all three of you to reject it so as not to follow the path of prophecy.”
“We accept the mate-bond and potentially get killed? Or reject it and Drake and I stay mates and Hayden is rejected and alone?” Jaxom asked in growing anger.
“That’s essentially it. The men that attacked you are not wrong.
All three of you descend from Lycans. Specifically you, Jaxom, are descended from the last Lycan King, Lorenz.
He was a terrible man and fell into the trap witches set centuries before as punishment,” said Elder Kent.
“That trap also promised the Lycans would one day return as leaders that understood compassion.”
“Hazel told Drake that he, meaning Hayden, was coming. Drake had to stand as his shield and not let anyone kill him. Hayden’s life meant ‘she’ would come and the Lycans would return.”
“That is one of the prophecies almost verbatim,” said Elder Heald. “I am excited to see that one coming true in front of my eyes. We’ve waited for so long. And, as we can see, Hayden is very vulnerable and needs his shield.”
“I’m in prophecy?” Hayden asked, a chip suspended before his lips.
“Yes, you are and quite necessary for the Lycans to return,” Elder Kent smiled at him in reassurance. “Did Hazel tell you that the three of you mating, and most importantly marking each other, would also mark you for death?”
“She did. She said not to let anyone see the mark,” Drake said. Jaxom noticed Drake didn’t mention the bracers. They felt like protection wrapped around his forearms.
“That is two out of the five. Little Witch Hazel has been busy,” Elder Pryon said in amusement.
He sat back and leveled Jaxom a hard look.
“Do you want the Lycans to return? Meaning, you would become a Lycan. No longer wolves. Your very essence would change. Still the man you are but different in ways, too. And, your decision to follow this path affects others born of Lycan lineage. You would be changing their lives, too.”
“Lycans weren’t always bad, just the last two generations.
Our kind, Lycans and wolves, thrived under good Lycan leadership.
Now there is corruption and abuse all over.
” Jaxom cleared his throat. “Drake and Hayden are just two examples of abuse. I don’t want to speak for any other Lycan born, or wolves, but I don’t want to give up Drake and Hayden either. ”
“I’m in,” Drake said as he held Jaxom’s hand.
“I know you guys don’t really know me yet, but I don’t want to give you up either,” Hayden said quietly.
Jaxom reached for Hayden’s hand and gave it a squeeze.
“What are the other three prophecies?”
“One, when she will finishes the mark the Lycans will return,” said Elder Kent.
“Two, she will not understand her mates without help, nor recognize the mate-bond until you mate and mark her,” said Elder Heald.
“Three, you will not recognize your Luna, or recognize the mate-bond until she finishes the mark.”
“Okay, help me here. She won’t understand us or recognize the mate-bond.
But, she’s supposed to finish a mark Hazel says not to show anyone.
And, we won’t recognize her through the mate-bond until we mate and mark her?
And what? We force the mating and marking of her to get her to see who we are to her?
” Jaxom got up and went to look out the window.
“They don’t make sense until completed,” Elder Kent said.
“They’re guides,” Hayden shrugged as he as he popped another chip in his mouth. “Now we get the choice to decide if we are continuing or not. I say yes. But my, um, mates get a choice, too,” he finished softly.
“Guides, yes. That’s exactly it,” Elder Pryon said.
“We are not here to tell you what to do. To proceed with the prophecy is to declare war against Alpha King Renz. He won’t take that lightly.
And, as you’ve seen, other wolves are intent on stopping the return of the Lycans.
Consider carefully, gentlemen. You don’t have much time. ”
“No matter what you decide, I support you. You are my sons. And yes, that includes you, Hayden. You are no long alone whether you mate Jaxom and Drake or not. Take your time.” Alpha Steven said.
“The pressure is on,” Drake said.