By the time he got back to the dorm and grabbed his books, the other students were already lined up in the hallway. Jax stood next to Ava. She shot him a questioning look, but he gave her a dismissive wave to tell her he was fine. She didn’t look as if she believed him, but she didn’t push the issue.
As they took their seats, Jax noticed that another student was sneering at him. Jax had never talked to the male before. All he knew about him was that his name was Val and he was a huge snob. He was the type who thought his good looks and athletic ability would get him through on life. Forget about the fact he never bothered to pick up a book or try to learn anything new. It was a trait that didn’t impress Jax in the least. It further disgusted him because Val was always at the bottom of the class and was always giving Keegan a hard time. Jax really respected Keegan and hated to see him being treated that way.
“Do you have something to say?” Ava snapped at Val.
“Actually, I have some questions,” Val said as he slowly leaned back in his chair.
“Yes, chocolate milk comes from brown cows, and the moon landing was totally fake,” Alvus drawled.
“I’m not talking to you, twin,” Val replied in short, clipped tones.
“Too bad, because I’m all over this conversation,” Alvus replied.
“Yeah, Jax is our friend. I know that word is kind of foreign to you, since nobody wants to hang out with you,” Philip added.
He actually was telling the truth. While Val used to be super popular in civilian school, that all changed at the Academy. The other students finally had seen how lazy he was and that he could become a liability, so they had quickly dumped him.
“Fuck off,” Val shot back.
“You wish,” Philip replied.
Val smirked before turning back to Jax. “I was wondering if you’ve visited your uncle in prison yet?”
Since Jax had told his friends everything the previous night, none of them were surprised, although there were some gasps from the other students. Jax clenched his hands into fists and glared at Val as he wondered what the deal was with him. Jax had never even talked to the jerk before, so he couldn’t figure out why the male was suddenly giving him such a hard time.
“No, I’m not going to see him. Are we done here?” Jax replied in a strangely calm tone.
“Did you hear what they found at his house?” Val challenged.
“All I was told was that it was some illegal items,” Jax admitted.
Val gave a mocking laugh. “It was illegal, all right. Your uncle is dealing TAR.”
Jax tilted his head to the side. “Dealing…what?”
“TAR is a drug that shifters use to get high,” Ava explained before she turned her fury onto Val. “What in the hell are you doing? Jax never even met his uncle before, so why are you making such a big deal of this?”
Val gave a lazy shrug. “I just thought Jax should know that he’s related to a drug dealer. In case you didn’t know, Jax, they are the lowest of the low, the scum of the Earth, the crap on the bottom of my shoe. That’s your family. Aren’t you so proud?”
Fury filled Jax. He was really getting sick of his damn family making his life miserable, but at that moment he was also pissed at Val, and the jerk just happened to be right in front of him.
Jax lunged forward. Maybe if he punched Val in the face a few times, he would think twice before he shot his mouth off. Jax raised his arm, ready to strike. Val put his hands up in a defensive gesture, which showed that he wasn’t as strong as he bragged to be.
Alvus wrapped his arms around Jax’s waist then pulled him back. Jax fought for a few moments then relaxed. It wouldn’t do him any good to get kicked out of the Academy for fighting.
“What in the hell is going on?” Keegan thundered as he came in.
“Val is being a jerk,” Ava said. “He decided it was up to him to let Jax know about his uncle.”
Keegan narrowed his eyes at Val. “Is that true?”
Val shrugged, but a look a fear flashed over his face. “If I hadn’t said something then somebody else would have, so I don’t see what the big deal is.”
“Well, you can just explain that to Mitchell. He’ll be waiting for you in his office,” Keegan replied. “You can go see him now.”
“Shit, dude. You are screwed,” Haven muttered, shooting a dirty expression at Val.
That kind of surprised Jax. Haven and he had never been friendly, so he didn’t know why the Hawk would be on his side at that moment. But Jax had other things to worry about at that moment, like if he would be taking his own trip to see Mitchell or not.
“Everybody else sit down and get your books out. We’ve already wasted enough time as it is,” Keegan ordered.
Jax paused, not wanting to believe his good luck. Then Keegan gave him a sharp glare. Jax quickly sat down, opened a book and buried his face in it. He tried to get lost in the topic, but he couldn’t get his mind off the incident.
He was so angry his hands shook. He tried to calm himself down, but Val’s hateful words kept ringing in his head, which was stupid. Jax hadn’t even met his uncle, so he shouldn’t feel offended on his behalf. Yet the insults still stung.
Jax just wanted to have at least one normal aspect to his life. Everything was all screwed up since his parents had taken off. They had kept so much secret from him, and his dad wanted him dead. Now, Jax found out he had a criminal in his family tree too. He wondered what would be happening next. Maybe he would discover his grandparents ran a cult. That could be the only thing that would be worse.
“Don’t let him get to you,” Ava whispered. “Val loves to stir the pot and make others feel bad. You can’t give him that satisfaction.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” Jax replied, in an equally low voice. “You don’t have an uncle who deals dope. Your dads are heroes in the Coalition. My family is nothing but losers.”
Ava nipped on her bottom lip as she appeared to be looking for something to say to make Jax feel better. In the end, all she could offer him was a weak smile. Jax sighed to himself. That was because he’d been right. His family was nothing but a waste of space.
Jax almost felt as if he had a neon sign on his forehead, one that flashed loser. After all, he had the same blood as his family. Then he was just as bad as they were, right? It seemed as if it were only going to be a matter of time before he messed up and everybody figured that out too.
Class ticked by slowly, but eventually it was time for lunch. Jax got up to join the others, but Keegan motioned for him to come over. Jax took in a deep breath. It appeared that he would be getting in trouble after all. He wondered if his day could get any worse.
“Are you doing okay?” Keegan asked.
“Yeah, I’m not going to cause any more trouble if that’s what you wanted to know,” Jax muttered.
“That’s not what I mean,” Keegan replied, folding his arms over his chest. “I want to make sure that Val didn’t upset you too much. I heard some of what he was saying to you, and it was pretty messed up.”
Jax shrugged. “It’s true, isn’t it? I mean, there is no reason for him to lie about my uncle.”
“Yes, it’s true. Vapor found a ton of TAR in his home, enough for us to know he’s a dealer. That still doesn’t mean Val had the right to give you grief over it. You’ve never met the male, so why should you have to answer for his actions?”
“I guess Val thinks I’m like him since we’re related,” Jax said, the words almost sticking in his throat.
“Bullshit,” Keegan snapped. “You are nothing like any of your family members. Blood doesn’t decide who you are. Your actions do. Look, you may have an asshole for a father, but you aren’t like him. In fact, you’re the furthest thing from him. You’re brave, smart, and you have a great moral character. That’s something that comes from your heart. It can’t be taught, and it sure as hell isn’t genetic. You met Chase. Do you think he’s like his other relatives? That he’s going to turn on the Coalition because he has
Raven blood in him?”
“Of course not,” Jax replied, looking up.
“Then you need to stop thinking that about yourself. You’re not any different than he is,” Keegan said, putting a hand on Jax’s shoulder.
Jax paused as Keegan’s words sank in. Tears began to form in Jax’s eyes, and he had to blink several times to keep them from falling down his cheeks. He was not about to cry in front of his favorite instructor, even if Jax had a feeling Keegan would totally understand the overflow of emotion.
“Thank you,” Jax said in a thick voice. “I’m sorry I flew off the handle and tried to have a go at Val.”
“We’ll just let it pass this time. I may have done the same thing if I had been in your place.” Keegan smiled. “He’ll think twice next time before he makes a smartass comment, won’t he?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Go, get some food. I heard Logan has one hell of a training session planned for you guys. You’re going to need as many calories as you can get in you.”
Jax nodded then started to leave. He paused at the door for a moment, before he rushed back to Keegan. Jax quickly gave Keegan a hug. Keegan put his arms around Jax then gave him a tight squeeze.
“You’ll get through this. Don’t forget that I’ll be here for you,” Keegan said.
“I won’t,” Jax promised.
Jax pulled back. He refused to look Keegan in the face. Jax felt embarrassed by his show of emotion. The last thing Keegan probably wanted was to have some student hanging on him, like a toddler to a blankie, but he hadn’t shoved Jax away. Maybe he did understand what Jax was going through after all.
Jax gave a half wave then left the room. As he rushed to the cafeteria, he hoped that the rest of his day would be uneventful. He really needed a break from drama for a while.
Chapter Eight
Keegan hadn’t lied. Logan’s training session was beyond grueling. Jax didn’t mind though. He just used it to get rid of all the tension in his body. Even after his conversation with Keegan, Jax still felt a bit pissed at Val.
“Damn, Jax,” Alvus said as he got up from the mat. “If you keep throwing me around like that, I’m going to have to spend the night in the infirmary.”
Jax winced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so rough.”
Alvus winked. “That’s okay. I can take it.”
Jax glanced across the training center. His older friends’ class was there today, and they were deep in their own workout. Kira still managed to shoot him a wave. Jax returned it before getting back to Alvus.
“What are we doing after dinner?” Alvus asked as he went through the motions of their latest takedown move.
“I don’t know. Do you want me to help you study for the history test?” Jax asked.
“Actually, I think I’m already set for it. Willow helped me over the weekend.”
Jax cocked a brow. He hadn’t recalled Alvus and Willow being alone with each other. It wasn’t a bad thing. Jax should be happy that his friends were getting along, yet he felt a pang of something that felt suspiciously like jealousy.
Jax shook his head. He was being stupid. He and Alvus were just friends and nothing more, so Jax had no right feeling possessive of the Jaguar. Hell, Alvus probably wasn’t even gay. He may have gotten touchy with Jax lately, but all felines had the tendency to be that way around their allies. It didn’t actually mean anything. Just like their late-night snuggling meant nothing.
“Okay, since you don’t need me to tutor you anymore, we can do something else,” Jax said, trying to keep his tone as light as possible.
“I never said I didn’t need you anymore,” Alvus countered. “I’m always going to have to get your help with the book stuff. I’m never going to be as smart as you.”
Jax wanted to kick himself. The last thing he wanted was for Alvus to feel bad about himself. The Jaguar was already too hard on himself as it was.
“I didn’t mean to be a jerk. I need you, too. There is no way I’m ever going to be as big or strong as you are, so we will have to keep helping each other if we want to graduate,” Jax replied.
“You’re managing fine without my help,” Alvus argued. “I wasn’t there for you the night you fought that Assassin.”
“Maybe not, but I used moves that you helped me learn. If it hadn’t been for all the extra time you put in with me, I would have never been able to get help,” Jax pointed out.
“Oh, my God!” Philip exclaimed. “You’re both just so wonderful and awesome. Now stop it and get back to work. I’m starting to gag here.”
Since Philip’s tone was light and he grinned at them, Jax knew he was only joking around. Jax laughed then got back to work. He’d just landed on the mat, with a painful thud, when a loud commotion caught his attention.
It was so loud that it got everybody’s attention. Even Logan paused and looked over at the older students. The instructor let out a curse then hit the panic button.
For several moments, Jax didn’t know what was going on. Erin crouched on the ground. He had his hands over his head and was letting out the strangest sound. It was halfway between a scream and a yowl. It didn’t even sound human. It was more animal-like.
“He’s having his first shift,” Ava declared.
The other instructors joined Logan as they rushed over to Erin. Logan crouched down next to Erin and began to talk in his ear. Jax couldn’t hear what was being said, but he could guess that Logan was trying to talk Erin through the shift. Jax knew it was supposed to be painful. He could only imagine how scared Erin must be.
Jax had never seen a student shift before, so he didn’t know what to expect. It shocked him to the core when Erin’s body began to pulsate a bit. It wasn’t smooth like he’d seen with the instructors. It was almost as if Erin was trying to hold back, which only had to make the agony that much worse.
Jax put a hand to his stomach. His chest hurt as anxiety built up inside him. He had to resist the urge to rush over to Erin himself. Jax wanted to yell at Erin, to tell him not to fight the shift but to just let it take over and let nature do its thing.
But all Jax managed to do was to stand there in horror. It was the last thing a true friend should be doing, and it stunned Jax to know that he was betraying Erin by being so weak. Yet he couldn’t make his damn feet move one inch.
Then a shimmering light went over Erin’s body, and a Cheetah stood in his place. Jax gasped at the beauty of the creature. It was still smaller than the adults, but Erin’s feline was much larger than his human form, especially when it stretched out then let out a roaring sound.
The adults attempted to keep Erin in place. Erin appeared to have other ideas, though. He leapt across the room then stretched out once more. Then the Cheetah looked across the room and locked gazes with Jax.
Jax swallowed hard as his heart began to hammer with fear. Usually, shifters kept their human mind when they were in their animal form, but things were different the first time. They were still getting used to being in a different body and didn’t know how to tamper down their animal instincts, so Erin could be capable of anything.
Erin quickly moved forward, his feline eyes never leaving Jax. Another spike of terror shot through Jax as he began backpeddle. Logan called out to Erin, but the Cheetah continued to stalk Jax.
“Jax, don’t panic,” Logan called.
Don’t panic! If Jax could have, he would have laughed. It was easy for Logan to give that command. He wasn’t the one who had a fricking Cheetah breathing down his neck. Jax would have rolled his eyes if they hadn’t already been bugging out from fear.
Erin’s body shimmered again then he was back in his human form. Jax let out a sigh of relief, but it was short lived as Erin rushed forward then pinned Jax against the wall. Erin pressed his body against Jax’s. Then he lowered his head and loudly sniffed Jax’s neck.
“You smell like him,” Erin declared in a gravelly voice.
Jax fisted his hands in the front of Erin’s shirt and just stood there.
He feared if he made any motion at all it would only make Erin more pissed off than he already seemed to be. Jax dared to look at Erin’s face. The male had an almost feral expression about him. His pupils were so wide they made his eyes look nearly black. His nostrils flared slightly, and his upper lip curled up in a snarl.
“Why do you smell like him?” Erin demanded as he continued to sniff Jax.
“Sorry,” Jax whispered, not knowing what else to say.
Erin began to rub the side of his cheek against Jax’s neck. A shiver went through Jax as he gasped for breath. He didn’t know what in the hell was going on. All he was certain of was that he didn’t want any part of it.
“Erin, you need to let Jax go,” Logan ordered in an even voice.
Jax gave his instructor an incredulous look. He couldn’t understand why somebody wasn’t intervening. Surely they had some sedatives or something in case something like this happened. Jax couldn’t figure out why they were just standing around and letting him become Erin’s breathing and scratching post.
“You’re mine. You shouldn’t have any other males’ scent on you,” Erin snarled.
“No, he isn’t yours. You need to let him go. Now!” Logan said.
“Holy, crap,” Ava said. “What in the hell is he doing?”
“He’s just a bit confused right now,” Logan said. “It’s his first shift, and it’s hit him a bit hard. That’s all.”
Jax did roll his eyes at that one. A bit hard? He would hate to see if things had been worse. Erin probably would be snacking on Jax then. Jax could understand Erin not being himself, but he had never signed up for this kind of treatment.
“Jax, tell him to let you go. He seems to be fixated on you, so he may listen if you say it,” Logan said.
Jax awkwardly patted Erin on the chest. “Ah...if you could let me go, that would be great.”
Erin just let out a purring sound as he pressed his body tighter against Jax. He sniffed at Jax’s neck again. Then Jax felt the velvet sensation of Erin’s tongue dancing along his skin. Despite the whole situation, Jax let out a soft moan. He would have never expected that to feel so damn good. Especially, since he wasn’t certain Erin would not still turn violent.
Blood Doesn't Decide (Coalition Training Academy Book 2) Page 6