33. Jaxon
Ihad already planned out what would happen when I came into contact with Lucien. I told myself I’d remain calm and do everything necessary to stick to the mission ahead. But now I’m staring at him from across the grand hall—chaos breaking out around us—and all I want to do is rip his throat out with my teeth.
Getting into their pack territory was too easy. They think they’re bulletproof, but they’re lazy idiots who didn’t see this attack coming. Panic erupted, and I’ve never been so joyous to hear the sound of true fear.
Blood splatters across the granite floor, limbs and organs following in its wake. I trained my pack well. I trained my pack to kill. None of them will let me down. My only wish is to keep the Alpha and Beta alive for my personal entertainment.
Lucien’s dark eyes are misty and full of hatred. I growl at his presence and remind myself if I kill him, it’ll ruin our entire plan. But when I look at him, I think about all the tears Ava has shed, the times she’s purposely hurt herself, all of the pain she’s been through.
I launch into action, darting towards him in my shifted form. My legs move so quickly that he barely has time to jump out of the way. I clamp my sharp canines around his leg and drag him to the floor.
My jaw bites down, and blood seeps out of his wound and into my mouth. He screams in pain.
Good. I want to make him beg for his pathetic life.
A quick death is too kind for someone like him. He deserves hours and hours of torture until there is barely anything left of him. I bite harder, almost ripping his leg off.
Stop. Kayden’s voice echoes through my mind. Don’t kill him. I know how badly you want to, but we’ve got bigger plans ahead. Remember them, Jaxon. Don’t let your anger win right now.
A snarl rips from my throat as I pull away, blood dribbling down the fur on my chin. I’m on the verge of letting my wolf go, but I keep control of his actions by masking them with my own emotions. He’s bloodthirsty. He wants the fucker dead now. But I want revenge. I want true justice for Ava.
Lucien squirms against the floor, clutching his wounded leg. A puff of air rushes through my snout in his direction. Wrap him up in silver, I tell Kayden. Get him out of my sight before I kill him.
You got it, Alpha.
I turn around to find the majority of Lucien’s wolves dead. Sebastian is downstairs in the basement, helping girls who have been chained up and used for Lucien’s sick desires.
We’ve got the Beta out here, Kayden informs me.
Good.Don’t let go of them for a single second.
Never. I’m looking forward to making them pay.
The room quietens down, and I hear the last breaths some of these low lives will ever take. I prowl down the hall, checking to make sure they’re all dead.
A noise behind me pricks my ears, and I whip my head to the sound. I focus my eyes on the royal blue curtain that is fluttering slightly. A soft whimper erupts into the room. I move forward until I rip the fabric away to find a young boy cowering in the corner, knees drawn up to his chest as he sobs.
His terrified blue eyes move towards mine. He flinches from my presence and pushes himself into the wall desperately. My gaze holds on his face—he’s nothing but a kid. “Please,” he trembles. “Please, just make it quick.”
My wolf growls inside me, but I keep myself still. He doesn’t look like the other men we slaughtered. He’s a teenager.
“Jaxon,” I hear Sebastian’s voice behind me. “I’ve got a couple of girls outside. They’re humans. We’re going to take them to the nearest hospital.”
I nod. Good.
Sebastian’s eyes flick to the boy hiding away. “Another?”
I’m not sure. Ask him who he is.
“Who are you?” Sebastian demands, and he jumps at the echo of his voice.
“E-Evan. I’m Evan.”
“They hurt you like the girls?”
Tears cloud his eyes. “Lucien is my brother,” he whispers. “B-but I am not like him. I could never be like him.”
I glance at Sebastian, who merely nods. Let’s take him with us.
“Got it. Come on, Evan. Let’s go.”
His eyes flash with white fear. “Where are you taking me?”
“I’ll answer your questions later.”
I study them as Sebastian guides Evan out of the blood-splattered hall. I take a moment to glance around at the lifeless bodies. I wish I could have taken my time with each and every one of them, but at least I have the Alpha and Beta to myself. I can’t wait for their torturous nightmare to begin.
It’sinto the early hours when we get home, and all I’ve been thinking about is how desperate I am to see Ava. To hold her in my arms and never leave her for another night. I had a mission to uphold, and as much as our bond was tugging due to our distance, I had to keep focused.
My hand gently presses against my bedroom door to find Ava asleep in my bed. A strange sensation washes over my chest, sharp but bright. I study her sleeping face and steady breath. I wish for nothing more than to crawl in beside her and wrap her up in my arms, but I’m a mess.
I stare down at the dirt and blood on my body, silently draw the door shut, and walk towards the guest shower. I scrub every inch of my body three times. I don’t want any of their scents lingering on my skin. Ava shouldn’t have to endure that possibility.
When I return to my bedroom after getting dressed, I peel back the duvet and wrap my arms around Ava from behind. She jolts when I touch her.
“It’s okay,” I whisper in her ear. “It’s only me. I’m home, baby. I’m home.”
She instantly rolls in my arms to look at me. Those pretty eyes are tired and begging for sleep, but it’s replaced with relief when she sees my face.
“You’re back,” she murmurs.
I kiss her forehead with a nod. “Yeah, I’m home. Are you okay?”
“What happened?” she asks, avoiding my question.
“We can talk about it when the sun rises. Get some sleep.”
Ava shakes her head. “I won’t be able to—not now. Please, tell me what happened. Are they dead?”
I raise my hand to brush a lock of dark hair behind her ear. “All of the pack are dead,” I state. “But I kept three of them alive, and I’m keeping them in a dungeon out in the warehouse on our territory.”
Her face pales. “They’re still alive?”
“They’re being watched by multiple guards. They’re not going anywhere. They won’t be able to escape. They won’t be able to harm you,” I try to reassure her, but those brown eyes start glazing over.
“W-why would you bring them here?”
I cup her face gently. “Because I wanted to give you the opportunity to have closure, if you want to. And killing them quickly didn’t seem fair to me. If you don’t want to see them, I won’t make you, but I will make them pay for all the pain they’ve caused you. I want to see them suffer.”
“Oh, my God,” she trembles.
I push myself up on an arm as she swipes her legs over the edge and paces. “They’re here. They are here.”
“Not in the house,” I say. “I would never let them anywhere near you without your permission. If you don’t want to see them, then that’s okay. But I wanted to be transparent with you. I had to be honest and give you this chance before I took it away forever.”
She cups her hands together and starts pulling at her fingernails. “I-I don’t know if I can face them,” she murmurs. “I don’t think I can stomach it.”
I scoot to the edge of the bed. “Then you don’t have to.”
Her breathing increases, and I stand. “No.” She holds out a hand when I approach her. “Just give me some space for a second. Please.”
“Okay,” I say carefully. “I’m not going to touch you. I just don’t want you to start panicking. I’m sorry if I overstepped a line.”
Ava presses her face into her hands and releases a soft cry. “I’ve spent so long trying to keep my progress going,” she whimpers. “I’m worried this is going to push me right back.”
“No, it won’t. It will remind you of how far you’ve come. That you are capable of doing anything you desire,” I remind her. I wish she could see how strong she is. Not every day is going to be perfect, but she needs to see the strength she possesses. “You have the upper hand. You have all the power. It’s in your hands.”
She turns to me slowly, two tears rolling down her cheeks. “Then why do I feel so weak?”
“You’re not weak. What I told you is a shock, and you don’t know how to digest the information. We don’t have to do anything right now, but whatever you want, it’s yours to take,” I whisper, my fingers itching to reach out and hold her.
“I need longer to think,” she sniffles.
I nod. “Of course. There’s no rush. I promise.”
Ava wraps her arms around herself, and I frown. “Okay.”
“Will you let me hold you now?”
Her glistening eyes meet mine. It takes a moment for her to speak, but when she says, “Yes,” I gather her in my arms and wrap her up in the safety of our bond. I kiss the top of her head over and over until she settles into my embrace.
“I’ll never let anything happen to you. Never.”
Two days later,Ava bursts into my office. “Sorry I didn’t knock.”
I shake my head. “You don’t need to knock. What’s the matter?” I ask, my eyes quickly assessing her to make sure she’s not hurt.
“I want to go see them. I want to talk to them.” She throws back her shoulders and straightens her spine.
I stand from my desk and walk across my office towards her. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she whispers. “I had a session with Gemma today, and we made a pros and cons list. I realised what you said was right, if I get closure then it might allow me to fully move on. My trauma will never be forgotten, but I can try and close that chapter of my life and look to the future.”
My lips curl at her bravery. “I’m so proud of you,” I say sincerely. “But as soon as you want to leave, say the word, and we’ll be out of there in a second.”
She sucks down a breath and nods. “I haven’t thought about what I should say. I don’t really know how I’m going to feel when I see them.”
“You don’t have to plan anything.” I take her hand, running my thumb across her knuckles soothingly. “If you want to say something, you’ll know what to say at the time. Try not to dwell on it.”
“Okay,” she rasps.
I place my hands on her cheeks and bring her forehead to my lips. I leave a simple kiss that lasts for a couple of seconds. “Let me know when you’re ready, and we’ll do it. Together.”
Her head tilts slowly, and I see a wave of concern past her eyes. “Sooner rather than later. Otherwise, I’ll end up overthinking it.”
“Then, let’s head out now.” I entwine our fingers. “You’ve got this, baby. I’m going to be right by your side every step of the way.”