“Dang, I’m almost late,” Ava called as she joined them.
She was rushing so fast she ran into Jax and almost sent them both to the floor. They were saved when Philip reached out to steady them. Jax still had to wrap his arms around her tiny body to stop her momentum.
“What took you so long?” Jax asked, finally feeling safe enough to let her go.
“I couldn’t get a cowlick out of my hair. I might have to start getting up sooner so I can take a shower in the morning. It will dry my skin out since I have to take one at night, too, but I’ll have to live with it. I’m not about to sleep all sweaty from training. That’s just gross,” she said.
“Yeah, it would be. Plus, you snooze above me, and I don’t want to have to put up with your stink all night,” Jax teased.
“You wouldn’t notice it if you actually slept,” she pointed out.
Jax paused, shocked. “I didn’t realize you knew. I’m not keeping you up with all my tossing and turning, am I?”
“No, I’m just worried about you. If you fall asleep in class, you won’t be taking any notes. Then who will I copy from? The twins are just as hopeless as I am.” She grinned to let him know she was teasing.
“I won’t slack off. I promise,” Jax said.
“Seriously, though, are you okay?” she asked.
It had to be the ten-millionth time she’d said that to him. Jax tried not to get aggravated by it. After all, she was just being a concerned friend, yet it still made him feel as if he were weak. He was a solider in training, so one simple attack should roll off his back.
“I’m fine,” he assured her, even though he wasn’t sure it was the truth.
If he was okay, then he should be sleeping. Alvus didn’t have that problem, and he’d been hurt too. In fact, he was acting as if nothing had changed, yet Jax still clung to his blankies and was having bad dreams. Not exactly warrior behavior.
“Am I late?” Alvus yelled as he joined them.
“Almost,” Logan said in a loud voice as he entered the hallway. Their head instructor glared at Alvus. “Don’t make it that close again.”
Logan was tall and had more muscles than the Hulk. If he’d given Jax that look, he would have probably peed his pants. Alvus just gave a sheepish grin. It was as if his friend didn’t fear anything at all.
“Sorry, sir. It won’t happen again,” Alvus replied.
Logan nodded then ordered, “Everybody get to class. Make sure we all stay awake, too, Haven.”
The Hawk shifter blushed, but didn’t say anything. Silently, Jax agreed with Logan. Haven struggled in the academic part of the Academy. He was the last one who should be nodding off during lectures.
Frankly, Jax didn’t see how anybody could nap during class. They were learning so many interesting things from shifter history to the different breeds and military tactics. It was all fascinating to him. He even read ahead in the books because he couldn’t stop his drive to learn more. Jax couldn’t get enough of it.
His father had kept him separated from the shifter world as much as possible, so much of the information was new to Jax. Sure, he’d gone to the Coalition school, but they’d only covered basic stuff there. They hadn’t really touched on anything shifter-related.
He took his usual seat in class then opened his book. Their teacher was already waiting for him. It was a Jaguar shifter named Keegan, who happened to be the Coalition leader’s brother. So, Jax always made sure he was on his best behavior in front of the male. He never did know what might be reported to Mitchell.
“Everybody settle down. I have a special guest today,” Keegan announced. “He should be here any minute, and I want you all to be respectful. It may be a bit shocking when you realize who he is, but that doesn’t mean you can pop off with some mean comments. I won’t put up with it from anybody. Do you understand?”
Jax nodded along with the rest of the class. He felt a pang of interest. What kind of guest could possibly warrant such a warning? If it was just another feline shifter then there should be no reason to worry about them mouthing off. He shared confused expressions with Alvus. It made Jax a little relieved to know he wasn’t the only one who was wondering what in the hell was going on.
The door opened and a tall, slender male walked in. Jax let out a gasp when he got a closer look at him. He had raven hair, black eyes, and his skin was deathly pale. Plus, he was tall and almost too thin. While he’d never seen one before, Jax instantly knew from the pictures in his book the male was a Raven.
A jolt of fear shot through Jax, making his palms tingle and his feet jittery. He had no idea why Keegan would bring in one of the Coalition’s sworn enemies. Surely there had to be rules against that kind of thing. Jax had overheard some of the soldiers talking in the cafeteria, and they said there had been a Raven attack just the other day, so it couldn’t be safe to have one around students, even if they were Academy members.
Then Jax noticed the Raven was wearing a Coalition uniform. It even had the same patch as all the other soldiers. Jax glanced over at Ava. She didn’t seem surprised at all. She even waved at the guy. Oh, wow. Not only did she know who it was, but it appeared as if they were friends. One could even say they were good buddies. Jax vowed to have a talk with her about holding stuff like that back from him.
“Everybody calm down,” Keegan ordered. “This is Chase, and he’s a good friend of mine and an official member of the Coalition. And before you all ask, yes, he is a Raven.”
Jax sat back in his chair as he studied Chase. Come to think of it, the guy didn’t smell like rotten meat. He’d read all Ravens carried that stench because they liked to eat spoiled food which just added another layer to their grossness. It made them scarier too. One had to be pretty twisted to find that kind of stuff tasty.
“Hi. Like Keegan said, my name is Chase,” the Raven said. “I’m sure you all have a lot of questions for me. I’ll answer them all for you as best I can.”
Haven raised his hand. “Were you born into a Murder?”
“Yes, I was. It was a close-knit group, but as you can probably already guess, they were as mean as hell. My family moved away from them because they were threatening to cull my sister. They decided she was defective because she has a learning disability and deemed her a liability,” Chase replied.
“That’s so mean,” Jax blurted loudly.
He covered his mouth as a heat came over his face. He hadn’t meant to talk without permission. He’d just been so outraged that he’d forgotten the rules for a moment. He cringed as he waited to be yelled at, but it didn’t happen. Instead, Chase just let out a soft chuckle.
“Yeah, Ravens aren’t known to be nice or fair. It wasn’t until we came here and Dulla saw Dr. North that we found out she had high-functioning Asperger Syndrome,” Chase said.
Philip raised his hand. “I thought we didn’t get human illnesses.”
“We’re finding out that isn’t always the case when it comes to mental disorders. We’ve found shifters can have an array of illnesses from bi-polar to depression,” Keegan informed them.
“I guess that would explain Shane,” one of the students quipped.
“Fuck off,” Jax snapped.
Greeeeeaaat...now he’d talked out of turn twice, plus he’d cursed, yet he couldn’t really regret it. Anger burned through him, and he was seeing red all on behalf of the Assassin. That kid didn’t even know Shane, so who was he to say stuff like that?
“Yeah, fuck off,” Ava echoed, her eyes bright with fury.
“Okay, that’s enough,” Keegan said. “Let’s get back to the lecture.”
Jax let out a sigh as relief coursed through him. His muscles relaxed, even though he still had the urge to punch the jerk who had made that remark. It shocked Jax since he was usually more docile. Maybe all the training was starting to sink in and his inner warrior was coming out.
“Any more questions?” Chase asked.
“I have one,” Alvus said. “Do all Ravens hate us, or are there m
ore out there like you?”
“There are a few who are like me, but it’s hard to find them. Their Murders usually cull them. Ravens live to kill and hurt others, so if somebody in their group doesn’t show the same tendencies they get rid of them.”
“Why don’t they just kick them out? They have to have family members who are willing to stand up for them?” Jax asked.
“Family ties don’t mean much to Ravens. They don’t understand the words love or loyalty,” Chase said.
Welp! That was something Jax understood all too well. He idly wondered if his father had any Raven blood in him. That would go a long way at explaining what he did. Jax shook his head. He was giving his dad too much credit. It hadn’t been because of bad genes. His father did it all out of pure malice.
“How do they train their teens? Do they have something like the Academy?” another student asked.
“No, they taught all of us how to fight from the moment we could walk. It wasn’t gentle, either. If you messed up, they had pretty brutal punishments,” Chase replied.
“Like what?” Ava asked.
Chase shot a questioning look at Keegan. Their teacher nodded his permission for him to reply.
“They would beat us. If they thought it was bad enough, they would even whip us,” Chase said in a voice that was so sad it tugged at Jax’s heart.
“Even the young ones?” Philip pressed, his face a bit pale.
“Yes,” Chase replied shortly.
Horror filled Jax, and he was pretty sure his face looked much like Philip’s. He couldn’t imagine being raised that way. No wonder Ravens hated so much. It was literally beaten into them. That still didn’t justify their actions. Chase and Shane both had been abused as kids, but they weren’t evil. Still, Jax kind of understood why Ravens were the way they were.
“How did you and your sister escape?” Jax asked.
“We were lucky. Our parents actually saw reason and we escaped,” Chase replied simply. “Later on in our lives, we found Mitchell and he took us in. I’m glad he did, too. Even if I could, I would never go back there.”
“Do you fight out in the field for the Coalition?” Alvus asked. “If so, have you ever run into some of your old Murder members?”
“The answer to both of those questions is yes,” Chase answered. “I had no problem taking them down. They wanted to kill my sister. That’s something I will never forgive.”
Chase’s voice was so cold it sent a shiver down Jax’s spine. He really couldn’t blame the guy. The Murder had been horrible to him. If Jax was in the same situation, he’d probably feel the same way.
He paused, his stomach suddenly starting to ache. He wondered if he would ever get to the point to where he would want to kill his father. While he hadn’t abused Jax when he was younger, the male had ordered a hit on him. That made him no better than Chase’s Murder.
Jax didn’t want to hate that much. If he did, then he worried he would be no better than his dad. Yet, on the other hand, a proper soldier should want revenge. They wouldn’t be forgiving and let somebody get away with that. It all confused Jax. So much so, he could feel a headache coming on.
The rest of the lecture seemed to pass by with a blur. For the first time, Jax didn’t really pay attention. He was too caught up in with all the emotions whirling around in his mind. He almost missed the end of class and was the last one to leave the room. As he passed Chase, he paused.
“I’m sorry for what happened to you,” Jax said in a low voice. He kept his face down, afraid to meet the Raven’s gaze.
“It’s okay, I got through it,” Chase said. “You will, too. I heard about what happened to you. It’s pretty messed up. Nobody as young as you should be going through that.”
“You know about my dad?” Jax asked.
He wondered if somebody had announced it over the loudspeaker or something. Then he remembered how Ava had once told him there were no secrets in the Coalition. Everybody knew everything about everybody.
“Yeah, since I’m a solider, the security is part of my detail. Don’t worry. They have this place locked up so tight nobody will be able to get through again,” Chase assured him. “Plus, they’ll catch your father, and then the hit will be called off of you.”
As Jax nodded his head, he couldn’t deny the part of him that hoped they never caught his dad. He didn’t want to have to watch whatever punishment might be coming his way.
Chapter Three
“I can’t believe we got to meet an actual Raven,” Philip said.
It was lunch time, and they’d gathered at their usual table. Jax was still bothered by his thoughts, and he was hoping the down time with his friends would help to soothe him. Ava always managed to have that effect on him, but it just wasn’t working right now. Maybe Jax’s problems were getting too big. He couldn’t get over them simply by hanging with his bosom buddy.
“Did you already know him?” Jax asked her.
She gave a slight shrug, never taking her gaze off her food. “Yeah, he’s a friend of my dad. He’s even visited our house a few times. I really like him. He’s a bit twisted, and that makes him my kind of shifter.”
“Why didn’t you tell me there were a couple of Ravens living with the Coalition?” Jax demanded.
“I don’t know. I guess, I never thought about it. It’s really not a big deal,” she said.
Jax exchanged shocked glances with the twins. Ava was acting so blasé about the whole thing. It was a bit frustrating. Then again, Ava’s life wasn’t that conventional. She probably had all kinds of information tucked away. For all they knew, there could be a nest of Spider shifters hanging in the basement and she wouldn’t give it a second thought.
“Not a big deal? It’s a Raven,” Jax said. “I would think it’s huge.”
“Why haven’t we ever seen him at any of the Coalition functions?” Philip added. “If he’s a member, then he should have been there.”
Ava rolled her eyes. “Why? So he could get a ton of hateful comments tossed his way? You saw how some of the class reacted to Chase. Most shifters can be assholes when it comes to dealing with others who are different.”
Jax had to concede to himself that she had a valid point. Several of the books he’d read were full of disparaging comments about all kinds of shifters. They even slammed Raccoons, and they lived with Coalition, so, yeah, there was plenty of hate. Even though Mitchell seemed to be working hard to stop all that, it was hard to erase it all. That would probably take decades.
“It must be hard for them,” Alvus said. “Having to live with a bunch of felines, most of whom don’t like you, yet Chase still goes out and fights for them. He’s putting his life on the line for the safety of the Coalition, yet they don’t appreciate it.”
“Which is why I’m going to punch Haven in the throat first chance I get,” Ava snarled.
“Damn, I would hate to be on your bad side,” Philip said. “I get enough bruises when we spar together, and you like me.”
“Speaking of training, are you ready for your first day back?” Ava asked Jax.
Jax nodded. “Yeah, I haven’t had any pain for a while. It will be good for me to get back to what’s normal, if you know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I do,” Ava replied with a smile.
Jax paused. He wanted to ask Alvus if they would still be sparring partners. They had been before the attack, but Jax still wasn’t sure if Alvus would be open to that.
“Stop it,” Alvus said in a low voice as he leveled a knowing look at Jax.
“Stop what?” Jax asked.
“You’re worried that I won’t be your partner because I hold some grudge against you,” Alvus said. “I don’t feel that way at all. How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t blame you for what happened? Did it ever occur to you that I might be grateful for what you did that night? You were shot and bleeding, yet you still managed to save both our lives. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.”
For a moment Jax couldn
’t breathe as the weight of what Alvus had just said hit him. He hadn’t seen it that way. He’d been so busy blaming himself he’d forgotten what he’d managed to pull off, after only a week of training, too. It made him wonder how much he’d improve as he learned more. Hell, he might even learn to actually dodge the bullets the next time they came flying.
“Thank you,” he said in a near whisper. “I needed that.”
Alvus sat next to him, so the male only had to reach over to put his arm around Jax’s shoulders. “You’re my hero. I’m not saying that in a sarcastic manner either. I really mean it.”
Jax swallowed hard. He’d never thought anybody would say that to him, let alone, a fellow student whom he admired so much. Emotions overcame him, but this time they were all good. He felt as if he were six-feet tall and a badass. Pride made him want to puff out his chest, but he held back. He didn’t want to grow a massive ego after all.
Then he became aware of something else. Alvus wasn’t pulling away. In fact, he scooted his chair close so he could hold onto Jax tighter. A tingling sensation filled him as he found himself wanting to lean into the embrace. He even found himself inhaling deeply. He’d never noticed before how good Alvus smelled, which was stupid. They all used the same soap, so it shouldn’t be any different from the other students.
It was, though. Avlus smelled like cinnamon. No, make that warm cinnamon like the type that was in those frosty buns. Jax had never been a fan of that food before, but suddenly he couldn’t get enough.
“It’ll be okay,” Alvus whispered. “I’ve got your back, and I won’t desert you.”
Jax closed his eyes. He needed to hear that so badly. He hadn’t realized it until that moment. Sure, the adults might have told him that. Even Ava has said those words to him, but hearing them from Alvus made the whole world seem better.
“Promise?” Jax asked, hating that he sounded like a lost child.
“Promise,” Alvus confirmed.
He pulled away. Jax felt so lost from the lack of contact he almost reached out to jerk Alvus back. In the end, Jax managed to control himself, which was a good thing. He didn’t want to be more clingy than he already was, yet he could not deny to himself he liked being held by Alvus.
Blood Doesn't Decide (Coalition Training Academy Book 2) Page 2