Chapter 36
A chain of limos rolled down the road to the pack house.
Twenty more armored vehicles escorted them.
Alpha King Renz came to the Blood Moon Pack to impress and intimidate.
There had to be one hundred warriors in those armored vehicles.
They’d be hard to beat if war broke out, even with the Blood Moon Pack being highly trained.
Hazel’s words rang in Jaxom’s ears, for his ears alone.
They were coming to take him, put him is silver.
She’d begged him not to tell anyone this would happen.
Now, he had a glimpse of why. If Renz was as corrupt as speculated, and the Moon Goddess herself was moving against him, the reaction of Drake, Hayden, his family, and friends needed to be real.
If Hazel was right, their Luna, the woman who could bring back the Lycans would be right under Renz’ nose.
The wrong move would tip him off. Of course, he expected Jaxom to cave because he thought Jaxom was too weak to look out for the welfare of his loved ones, family, and pack ahead of his own life.
Jaxom worked on calming his racing heart. Drake was watching and had suspected for weeks something was up. The plan had only come into some sort of understanding the moment Alpha King Renz announced he was visiting the Blood Moon Pack. Keeping Drake and Hayden out of the loop was killing Jaxom.
Hayden deserved better. So much better. The guy had been through enough.
The physical pain from the overdose was just as devastating.
Marking Hayden had opened all three of them to a depth of power they’d never felt before.
It was new and overwhelming. They’d had no time to adjust, learn how to tap into it and see what they were capable of.
Renz had given them less than a day as a fully mated and marked triad.
Jaxom hated him for that. Hated him for the pain he was causing.
An escort of warriors opened Renz’ limo. The power move exuded control and precision. Jaxom saw the sweat on Renz lips. The little kingling knew this was just an act. He had nothing.
The Quorum of Thirteen Elders got out of three limos. Those gentlemen were rarely ever seen in the same place. What lies Renz must have been spewing at them. What dark witchcraft he must have acquired to make them believe.
Jaxom had never been a fearful man. But his knees quivered at the step he was about to take. They were going to torture him. It was so bad Hazel had cried. Jaxom hadn’t realized she knew any other emotion than snark.
The Quorum gathered on the steps beside Jaxom’s family.
He had his arms wrapped around Drake and Hayden, clinging to them for a few minutes longer before Renz dragged him to hell.
At least they all realized how bad this was.
There wasn’t a happy face in sight. A supposed king had never shown this type of force at a loyal pack before.
“What the hell is he up to?” Drake whispered in his ear.
“No good. He doesn’t know the meaning of good.” Jaxom squeezed Drake. His handsome mate was going to be enraged. He only hoped Hayden could help Drake keep it together. Hayden would be Drake’s shield now.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, people of the Blood Moon Pack, thank you for gathering. I wish this could be a time of joy as I’ve experienced here so often. Unfortunately, I bring tiding of betrayal instead.”
Jaxom swallowed a growl down. The little bastard was going to do it and those Elders, some but not all, were to buying it hook, line, and sinker. An Alpha King was above reproach, after all.
“The Blood Moon Pack has never betrayed the crown, Alpha King Renz,” Jaxom’s dad stated firmly.
Jaxom couldn’t look at his dad. The few glimpses he did get, his dad was furious.
His hands had been tied and his son was being forcibly taken to be treated badly.
His dad didn’t need to know the prophecy to know that Renz was not kind.
“Not the entire pack, but one bad seed can spoil the lot. I come to save this most noble pack from being spoiled.” Renz pointed a finger at Jaxom. “Jaxom Steven Bane, step forth.”
“You know I love you both,” Jaxom said to Drake and Hayden. “Do nothing. Hayden, you are Drake’s shield.”
Jaxom stepped away from his mates and felt his heart die. The loss of their touch had him dreading the next step. This was going to hurt and he was choosing to let it be so. The only way to his Luna was through the pain.
“Jaxom, don’t,” Drake hissed. Hayden was already by Drake’s side holding his hand, trying his best to calm their mate. Jaxom could feel their anxiety for his safety through the mate-bond. At least they’d still have the mate-bond.
“Jaxom Steven Bane, you are under arrest for direct disobedience to your king in matters of public safety. Per the prophecies given to me by the most respected witches in the land, you were to come to me to be my chosen mate.”
“That makes no sense,” someone in the crowd yelled.
Renz continued, “Guards, restrain the prisoner. Had you followed prophecy, our crops would not have failed.”
Jaxom hissed as silver cuffs slipped around his wrists and ankles. There was no way for him to shift now. Silver cut him off from that protection. At least his hands weren’t behind his back, but the silver burned. Long term, he’d be scarred from it.
“Jaxom is our fated mate,” Drake yelled. He could hear Hayden pleading with Drake. Hayden had to keep their mate safe.
“The prophecies said Jaxom Steven Bane was to reject his fated mates as a test of obedience to the Moon Goddess. By not coming to me, he caused her wrath of drought and tidal wave on the western coast. Tornadoes in the east and winds too high to plant in.”
“This isn’t the path you want to go down, Renz,” Jaxom said clearly so everyone could hear. “We all know this is not how the Moon Goddess operates.”
“Sedate his wolf least he cause more damage to this land in his arrogant disobedience,” Renz said as if he was shocked at being talked back to by Jaxom.
A guard jammed a needle into Jaxom’s arm and wolf’s bane flooded his body. He’d never doubted Hayden. Now he knew Hayden had underplayed how much it burned. Jaxom tried to remain standing but his knees gave out. He was kneeling at Renz’ feet. How arrogant the prick looked now.
“Alpha King Renz, it is true. Those prophecies you spoke of are abnormal.” Elder Kent tried to intervene. “Why don’t we go inside and discuss this. Surely…”
Alpha King Renz interrupted, “Are you calling me a liar, Elder Kent? An Alpha King?”
“You are no Alpha King, you abusive piece of shit,” Jaxom forced out half growl, half pained groan. He had to keep Renz’ attention on him.
“Gag him and dose his wolf again. The magic in our realm is breaking. Bane has caused this and he must be punished for his crimes.” Renz pointed a dramatic finger at Jaxom’s family.
“If I find the Blood Moon Pack colluded with Bane to cause the death of this realm, they will pay the price, too. Each and every member must be investigated, starting with his so called fated mates. They must have whispered in his ears lies that they were strong enough to weather the storm.”
Ripples of denial and anger spread through the crowd. Rebellion at Renz’ words was spreading. Jaxom could feel the fight coming and it had to stop. He had to get his to Luna. Renz was the only way to do that.
The guard was still fumbling, trying to refill the syringe. The first dose was large and ran like a stampede of horses through his veins. A second dose would render him useless to his pack.
“You have me, Renz. I’m locked in silver.
You want me so bad you can take me. I’m not fighting you.
But, leave the pack out of this. Leave my mates out of this.
They are innocent.” Jaxom gave his best arrogant sneer through the agony of wolf’s bane.
“You think you’re so strong? Break our mate-bond yourself.
Then you can reforge it with you at the helm. ”
Drake broke Hayden’s grip as he struggled to get to Jaxom. “No! No, Jaxom! Let him go, you son of a bitch.”
Guards tackled Drake before he could get down the steps. They had him in silver, a dose of wolf’s bane ready to inject. Hayden fell on top of Drake blocking the guard from delivering it. The look on his face was pure panic.
We can’t help him right now. Jaxom heard Hayden yell at Drake through a mind-link for the three of them. Jaxom tried to send his love and reassurance to them but was getting weaker by the moment. His wolf was being forced to retreat.
The guard finally had another dose. He stabbed the needle deep into the muscle of Jaxom’s bicep. Another guard was shoving a gag in his mouth and buckling it behind his head. Jaxom collapsed on the ground and writhed in pain. He could hear his mom calling his name.
“Get him in the limo,” Renz said.
Guards lifted Jaxom roughly off the ground and dragged him to the limo. The Blood Moon Pack was cursing Renz, jeering at him. Jaxom couldn’t have loved his people more. Renz had come here expecting shock and support. Instead, they were hurling abuse at him.
Two guards dragged Jaxom into the limo and shoved him down onto the floor.
They used the chain of his cuffed wrists to secure his hands above his head where he lay.
Renz got in the limo and Jaxom could feel it start to move.
He could feel Drake and Hayden calling to him through the mate-bond, but couldn’t respond.
“Cut his clothes off and secure his legs,” Renz angry voice filled the limo.
A guard cut his shirt off and threw it in the corner in tatters.
Jaxom tried to kick as the other guard was cutting off his pants.
The wolf’s bane was making any fight useless.
He had no strength. Terror shot through him as they forced his legs to spread, bent at the knees.
Ankles attached to chains coming from each wall.
A pillow forced under his hips to lift his ass up.