Chapter 32 Jaxon
Jaxon
We need to go back, my wolf urged.
I ignored him, and every other instinct screaming at me to turn around, and forced him to keep moving. Our mate asked us to do something for her.
Our mate.
The memories were still fresh enough to taste. I couldn’t quite convince myself that most of last night hadn’t been a dream, but the scent of Tisiphone lingered on my wolf’s fur. It was buried in my skin. Burned on my lips.
The depth of what had happened still didn’t seem real. After all this time, she hadn’t rejected me. We were destined to be together. She agreed.
Did she? My wolf’s frustration rippled through us both. Because she left… again.
It’s different this time, I reassured him.
Is it? His doubts were creeping in, but I refused to make them my doubts.
We’d had a lifetime of this conversation, and one night wasn’t long enough to break the cycle.
The nature of the beast was jealous, one that lived in the moment and demanded I take what I wanted.
But I’d seen what happened when Alphas gave into that base instinct, and hadn’t I almost done that myself?
Tisiphone had tried to blame herself for what happened when we were pups, but I wasn’t without fault either. I’d been a young, arrogant, and cocky alpha wolf who thought he knew best for his mate.
When she’d told me she didn’t need my protection, it became a wound that refused to heal. And part of me had used that anger to fuel the male I’d grown into. If we’d gotten together young, would I be able to rein in my power like I could today? I didn’t know.
But I did know that I had to do this for her. To show her that I trusted her as much as she should trust herself.
Even if it killed me.
It just might.
I’ll take my skin back now. I forced the shift, grabbing my own clothes this time before I went to see the convoy from the Cerberus pack.
It was still early, so I wasn’t expecting to run into anyone, least of all Tisiphone’s sisters, who sat drinking coffee at a fold-up table outside the command tent.
For being triplets, the three of them were nothing alike.
They all had the ghosts of Tisiphone’s beauty and features, but the three were cut from different cloth.
And to be honest, these two had always scared me a little.
Meg was a typical alpha wolf female that didn’t miss much and could handle her own in a fight, but Alec’s tongue was sharp as steel and her cold eyes could cut a man down where he stood.
Definitely not the females I hoped to speak with this early in the morning.
Meg sniffed the air as I approached. “Why do you smell like my sister?”
They both set down their coffee tins, glaring as they waited for an explanation.
It was unnerving as fuck.
“I…” Get it together. You’re an Alpha. “We…” I licked my lips. “She…”
“Fine-a-freaking-ly!” Meg screamed, jumping to her feet. She threw her arms around my shoulders, knocking me off balance, and the warmth of her embrace equally caught me off guard.
“But wait.” She sniffed again. “You’re not mated.”
“No. Not yet.” I glanced over my shoulder to the festival tents in the distance where they were stoking the morning fires as the sun continued to rise lazily. “She didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize the… mission.”
“Curse the gods,” Alec spit under her breath. “This is insane.”
Meg gave her sister a reprimanding look. “It’s not our place to argue with what Alpha Kera thinks is best. But I agree, I hate that Trish is in there alone.”
“She’s not alone.” Alec turned her icy glare to me. “Lover boy here is supposed to be with her.”
“She asked me to relay a message to Alpha Kera,” I said, anxious to get back before whatever tests Vincent had in store for us today.
“Okay?” Meg pressed when I didn’t elaborate. “Tell us what it is, and we’ll tell Kera.”
“I’m not sure that’s the best idea…” My voice trailed off when I saw the look on Alec’s face. “Right. Tisiphone thinks Vincent is performing blood magic and he’s convinced some followers to join him. She’s trying to get proof. Then she’ll get out of there.”
“Blood magic?” Meg gasped. “Nope. That’s it. She’s pushing this too far. We’re going to get her.”
“I thought you said we’re not supposed to argue with Kera.” Alec rolled her eyes.
“But Trish can’t take on an evil warlock alone,” Meg cried. “You’re right. This is crazy. We never should’ve let her go in the first place. Kera is going to get her killed.”
“She’ll be fine.” Alec nodded in my direction. “She’s using her magic again, right?”
“What do you mean again?” Meg growled. “Trish always uses it. And look how it always ends up. Coupled with this dark magic, there’s no telling—”
“Will you shut up?” Alec growled back at her sister. “She was doing that for you. For all of you. Don’t you see it? Trish literally turned herself off so that she could take care of everyone else, and you’ve fed into it since day one.”
I blinked, shocked, but not all that surprised to hear Alec saying this out loud.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. She—”
“Don’t you?” Alec cut her off. “You were fine with her working for you, and being a good little beta wolf, just like the rest of the pack treated her. Someone you could save. That all of you could save because you have this hero wolf complex and nothing to use it on.”
I knew she wasn’t talking to me, but I still felt scolded. I decided to never speak to Alec again before she finished her morning coffee.
“You’re so full of it.” Meg shook her head. “Ever since you moved out, you think you’re better than us. But I care about my sister. I care about both of you, and I would never intentionally do anything to hurt any of my family.”
There was something in that statement that sobered Alec a bit, but she didn’t apologize. “If you really cared, you’d trust that Trish isn’t a pup anymore and that she can take care of herself.”
“I…” Meg blew out a heavy breath, realizing I was still standing there. “Sorry,” she said. “We’re all worked up about this.”
“I understand.” I itched to leave, but didn’t want to risk their ire, and it was interesting to learn more about Tisiphone this way, even if it felt like eavesdropping.
I hadn’t realized her family was always so intense, but maybe that’s how families were. It wasn’t as if I had any real reference otherwise.
Alec’s claws descended as she drummed them against the tables. Her tone was as sharp as the clawed tips. “What are you waiting for? We’ll relay the message. Now go make yourself useful and take care of our sister.”
My wolf didn’t even blink at the clear challenge and dismissal in the sigma female’s command.
Please don’t make her tell you twice.