Primal Instinct

by Ally Parker

  “Come on in.”

  Jaxx crossed the room and plopped into the chair, his wounds making themselves known. His thoughts on his mate, he tapped into their link, picking up on her weariness. It had been a dream come true for his female to rescue Ava, but reality panned out differently. Instead of the warm welcome Kenzie had expected, Ava had been struggling.

  Saint took a drink out of his coffee mug and grimaced. “Cold. I don’t know if I need more coffee or to crack open the whiskey.”

  Jaxx shifted his attention back to Saint. “If the council has plans to return to Shadow Moon, I’d go with the whiskey.”

  Chuckling, Saint eased back into his chair. “Grab me the bottle then. Saul is calling a meeting in ten minutes. He’s questioning Lucas now.”

  Jaxx tensed. Would that expose Saint’s coverup of the dodgy paperwork?

  “Relax. The incident with Lucas is taken care of. Saul has seen to it.”

  Right. Saint had bargained for his safety, and the councilman had traded asylum for his sister, Annika, in exchange for approving the were application. Jaxx’s brows crawled down his nose, still shocked to the lengths Saint had gone to protect him.

  “About that.” Jaxx cleared his throat. “I owe you.”

  Saint held up a hand and shook his head. “You’re not just my beta, you’re my family. Family sticks together. So let’s move on.”

  Saint’s words reminded him yet again why he respected his alpha so much. Despite knowing that issue was binned, the council made him edgy. He didn’t know if it was his father’s influence, or maybe it was simply a guilty conscience for Saint putting his neck on the chopping block.

  Saint pushed from his chair, walked over to a coffee machine, and refilled his mug. “Both Ryker and Kali are still MIA. There are whispers that they were working together all along.”

  Raising his brows, Jaxx wouldn’t be surprised if Kali had climbed into bed with Ryker. The she-wolf had done whatever was needed for her own survival, no matter the cost. Obviously, no love lost between brothers. “Do you believe the rumors?”

  Shrugging, Saint moved back to his desk and grabbed the scotch bottle, pouring a nip into his coffee. “When it comes to Ryker anything is possible.”

  Jaxx huffed and leaned forward, bracing himself on the desk. They’d make a perfect pair or end up killing each other before the next full moon. “I’m surprised with all of the council’s resources they haven’t picked up a trail.”

  “That makes two of us. If they have, they’re keeping their cards close.”

  Saint took a deep swallow and sighed, leaning back into his chair. “I have Annik… Kennedy in a cabin deeper into the property. Saul has agreed to speed up proceedings but needs to interview Ava before he leaves.”

  Jaxx’s brows lifted. “Should I get Kenzie?”

  Shaking his head, Saint blew out a breath. “Not yet. Ava hasn’t said a word since her return. I’m concerned the council will assume she’s unstable and want her neutralized.”

  Jesus! Jaxx’s eyes widened. That couldn’t happen. Kenzie only just got her sister back. Ava hadn’t even warmed up her bed; surely the council would give a traumatized were some breathing room. His thoughts stalled, picking up the footfalls approaching. Nostrils faring, he inhaled and recognized Saul and Ava.

  Per custom, Jaxx stood and took a position by Saint’s side.

  “Welcome.” Saint swept his hand to the chairs in front of his desk. “Please, take a seat.”

  Ava froze in the entrance, her gaze darting from Saint to Jaxx. Her hands clenched, fisting around the sides of a blue sweater. He didn’t need any supernatural abilities to see she looked scared. As he always said, a frightened animal made a dangerous one. The tension vibrated around her in waves. Saul walked forward, giving Ava no option but to enter the room. The door clicked closed. Ava’s attention jumped to the heavy oak.

  Saint’s tone softened. “You remember Jaxx, don’t you? He’s your sister’s mate. Her, er, husband, you could say.”

  Ava’s gaze collided with his. She stared at him for a moment, her eyes narrowing. He offered a smile and hoped it came across friendly. “After we’ve finished here, I can bring Kenzie to visit, if you’d like.”

  Her clenched fists tightened, turning white at the knuckles. The peppered scent of anger rolled into the room. Maybe a visit so soon was a bad idea.

  “I’m Saint, the alpha of the Shadow Moon pack. You’re safe here, Ava. We simply have a few questions to make those who hurt you responsible for their actions.”

  Ava’s chin dropped to her chest; she stared at the ground. Saul assessed her with a speculative gaze.

  “Then what?”

  At first Jaxx wasn’t sure he heard right. Ava’s voice was softer than a whisper.

  Saint leaned forward and steepled his fingers. “Then we make them pay for what they’ve done.”

  Ava’s head rose, and luminescent golden eyes sparked. She blew out a breath, closed her eyes, and visibly relaxed her shoulders. “I’ll tell you everything you want to know, for my freedom.”

  Saul walked over to the wall, grabbing a crystal glass, filling it with amber liquid. The councilor cleared his throat. “That’s not how this works, I’m afraid.”

  A growl rippled from Ava’s throat, and her tongue swept over her extended canines. “Then I’ve got nothing to say. I’m not spending the rest of my life in a cell, no matter how pretty it looks.”

  Saul laughed. “You don’t have a choice, child. Saint may be willing to indulge in your sensitivities. I, however, have a responsibility to our entire race.”

  He took a sip of alcohol and walked over, sinking into a seat and placing the tumbler on his knee. “Talk. Prove you aren’t a risk to our kind, and you’ll walk away with your life. Or continue to show you’re unstable, and I’ll have no choice but to take action.”

  The threat was clear. Saul had laid down the terms, and Ava needed to make a choice. Jaxx’s mind reeled over how to subdue the situation. There was no way he could go back to his mate with the news that the council had killed Ava. He remembered how upset Ava had been when the doctor forced her to bite Hope. Attempting to appeal to her softer side, he said, “Hope wasn’t the first child we found at the hands of Delmac. We’re trying to stop these monsters from hurting innocents like Hope, like your sister, like you.”

  Jaxx eased around the desk, approaching Ava, and he crouched beside her. “If you help us, think of all the people you’ll save. Don’t you want justice for what was done to you?”

  Ava’s bottom lip trembled. “Of course I do,” she snapped. She sucked in a breath and hardened her jaw. “I… want to help. I just can’t be a prisoner anymore.”

  He rubbed her shoulder, and she tensed. The area was bonier than what was considered healthy. “You won’t be a prisoner. Once we get you a mentor and you have full control over your wolf, you will have your freedom to join any pack. Until then, there is a small town run by our kind—a place of safety—where you can go to heal.”

  She bit her lip, the action reminding him of his mate when Kenzie composed her emotions. So many feelings rolled off the female, and Jaxx’s heart clenched. Ava swiped a palm down her face and nodded. The tension in the room dropped, and everybody relaxed, Jaxx resuming his position by Saint.

  Saint smiled, though it looked more like a grimace. Jaxx was sure his alpha hadn’t genuinely smiled in decades. “Tell us everything.”

  Ava didn’t spare details. She spoke of the many tests and operations conducted to see how fast she could heal, the beatings when Kenzie didn’t please the doctor or William. Unfortunately, the upper personnel of Delmac always kept her drugged and blindfolded when they transported her to different facilities.

  On the mention of the drug, Jaxx interrupted. “Can you tell us more about the drug?”

  She shook her head. “All I can tell you is it hurts and leaves one hell of a headache.”

  Saint’s jaw pulsed. “What about the drugs used on the child?”


  Ava’s eyes averted to the floor, and she wrung her hands. “I just don’t know. I didn’t even know about Hope until last night.”

  Saul stood. “I think I need a refill.” He glanced around the room. “Anyone else?”

  “I’ll take three fingers,” Jaxx said and rubbed his hand over his head to clasp his neck. After hearing the finer details of Ava’s experience, he thought they all might need a drink. He passed a tumbler to Ava. “Can you describe what this William looks like?”

  Cradling the drink, Ava shuddered. “I don’t know how much it’ll help; he looks like he’s in his fifties, graying hair, though he still looks fit. He never dressed in the uniform, but he had the air of a military man. Like he was used to giving orders.”

  As easy as finding a leaf in the forest. “Any distinguishable features?”

  Ava snapped her lids closed, her eyes roaming memories, and snapped them open. “He had a tattoo on the inside of his wrist. It looked like a snake. I only caught a glimpse of it so I can’t be certain.”

  Saul nodded. “Every detail counts.”

  Saul looked at Saint, a knowing glance passed between them, and Jaxx didn’t like it one bit.

  “I think that’s all I need for now,” Saul said.

  Saint inclined his head. “If I find anything of value, I’ll be in touch.”

  Bracing hands on his knees, Saul stood. “The council will do what we can. Unless we find some more information, we might have to wait until this William makes a move.”

  A scary possibility to consider. How many people would fall victim to the capture and tests William was responsible for in the meantime? Maybe with the doctor out of the equation, the future of Delmac would crumble.

  “Before I go to assess Hope, I’d like to settle the matter of Ava’s pack status.”

  Ava’s gaze flickered to Jaxx, her look accusing. “You said I’d be free.”

  Keeping the movement slow, Jaxx nodded. “Yes. But you still need to be aligned with a pack. Trust me, it’s for your own protection. If you have no alpha backing you—willing to protect you—you’re anyone’s game.”

  Her lips pursed. “I see.”

  Silence blanketed the room. The minutes ticked by, and Ava blew out a breath, her gaze zeroing toward Saint. “I… I can’t stay here.” Her gaze shot to Jaxx, and she licked her lips. “I just can’t. I’ll go to that place you mentioned—to Wolfden.”

  Saul clapped his hands, “Good. It’s settled. I’ll leave you to finalize that.” He turned his attention toward Jaxx. “Can you take me to the infirmary? I want to see the child.”

  “Of course.”

  His stomach rolled. By rights, the tiny human shouldn’t have made the transformation. She was no shifter, nor a were. Hope was something else entirely. The question was—was she an asset to their kind, or a danger?

  “Dear God.” Kenzie blinked back tears and came back into her own head after listening to the whole meeting with Jaxx, Ava, Saint, and Saul. She felt sick to the pit of her stomach. Kenzie wrapped a hand around her middle to try and stem the nausea. The things that Ava had endured, no one should experience, and without her new abilities, would have never survived.

  She shivered. It took a special kind of monster to pull claws from a person or slice them open simply to catalogue how quickly they healed. Grinding her molars, her anger flared at the despicable things the doctor and William had done in the name of science. For a moment back at the labs she had felt sorry for the woman. Now, any smidgen of sympathy vanished. No matter the cause driving the doctor’s actions, nothing could justify what Ava had suffered through.

  Jaxx’s warmth filled her consciousness, settling the churning chaos of her mind. “I need to talk to you.”

  She knew exactly what he intended to discuss—the meeting. Rising from the bed, she ran sweaty palms over her jeans and moved from the room toward the front door.

  “You already know.” Not a question.

  It looked like she wasn’t the only one tapping into their connection. “Then you know I have to see her.” Before she left her.

  She needed Ava to know she wasn’t alone. That from here on out, both of them would never be alone again. From Jaxx’s mind she’d gleaned that Saul had taken Ava to the infirmary for a checkup with Cadence. Kenzie walked down the corridor, the candlelight flickering in the recesses as she passed.

  “Be careful.”

  Jaxx’s tone was one she hadn’t heard before. She frowned and scoffed. “Careful of my own sister? Ava would never hurt me.”

  Jaxx didn’t respond, though she felt the trickle of doubt creep through their connection. Why would Ava hurt her? The thought was crazy.

  “I’ll be close.”

  Maybe once Ava had time to settle, she could visit Shadow Moon and Kenzie could take her down to the river or to the fire pit she’d seen out back—to show Ava a glimpse of what pack was really about. Kenzie weaved through the tunnels and rounded the corner, skidding to a halt. Ava leaned up against the medical doors with her arms crossed. Ava’s head jerked up, her eyes blazing, and she unsheathed her claws.

  She looked like a cornered animal. “Ava.” Kenzie held out her hand, gesturing for Ava to stop. “It’s me.”

  Dear God, can’t she tell it’s me? She’d expected Ava to carry a certain level of baggage after everything that had happened, but maybe her sister was more damaged than she thought.

  Ava shook her head. The amber glow receded, and she cleared her throat. She straightened and pulled at the hem of her sweater. “You shouldn’t sneak up on a person like that.”

  She let the comment go and told herself Ava had a right to an adjustment period. Ava was strong—she had to be to have survived—she’d settle out over time. “How are you holding up?”

  Pulling at black denim threads on a gash of her jeans, Ava shrugged. “Everything’s just fine. I’m fine.”

  Kenzie took a step closer. In the cold nights alone in her apartment, she’d imagined this moment; each fantasy ended with her arms wrapped around Ava so they’d both know they weren’t alone. After all the years, their fight was over, and her daydreams could be reality. Kenzie closed the gap between them and threw her arms around Ava, squeezing tight. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited to do this.”

  Ava tensed. Her sister’s arms solidified to her sides. Kenzie frowned. The peppered scent of anger grew in the air. Eyes wide, Kenzie pulled back, and Ava’s clenched jaw pulsed. Kenzie dropped her arms and stepped back. “What’s wrong?”

  “What’s wrong?” Ava whispered. Ava shook her head like she’d asked the stupidest question in the world. The fire returned to her gaze. “What’s wrong?” she repeated. “You’re seriously going to ask me that? I’ll tell you what’s wrong.” Ava growled.

  Kenzie’s wolf clamored forward. Watching. Waiting just under the surface. This wasn’t their first fight, and she was sure it wouldn’t be their last, yet her wolf definitely detected a threat.

  “Kenzie. What’s going on?” Jaxx’s voice floated in her mind.

  “Nothing I can’t handle.”

  Kenzie stood her ground. Pushing from the wall, Ava licked her canines. “All this time, I’ve been a prisoner. All this time, it’s been me who got beat on, cut up, violated because of you.” Ava’s lip curled. She eyed her from the top of her head, down her shirt, jeans, and to her boots, “What did you get? A man to call your own and a new family to play house. Tell me, how is that fair?”

  It felt like Ava had slapped her in the face. Kenzie blinked. A mixture of emotions swam around her stomach. Finally, guilt won, snaking up and wrapping its tentacles around her throat, squeezing until she struggled to swallow. While completely untrue, Kenzie had been made to plant evidence to destroy the lives of people. She’d been a puppet and wore the guilt that she was unharmed while her sister wasn’t.

  Ava had it all wrong; they’d both been prisoners. Yet her mind circled around the one word that chilled her heart. “Ava, did they force you…” She struggled to ge
t the word rape past her lips.

  “No, no one forced me to have sex. There are many ways to be violated without being raped. Trust me on that.”

  She blew out a breath, relieved at that small mercy. “You have to believe I never stopped trying to free you. Shadow Moon could never replace you.”

  The hue dimmed from Ava’s eyes. “In the beginning I believed that. I knew you’d never leave me locked up with those monsters. Each night I’d lay in my cell and think you’d burst into the room at any moment to break me out.”

  Kenzie’s guilt grew. She had tried to find her, following Delmac employees every chance she got; always, she’d gotten busted. But she’d promised Ava no one got left behind. No matter what brilliant plan she’d fabricated, she’d failed them both. Her shoulders slumped.

  Ava laughed, her chin tilting toward the ceiling. “It took me until the third beating to realize I was being punished because you were trying to free me.” Ava’s lip curled. “Then I started praying you’d just give up on trying to save me.” She laughed. “Not that it helped. Especially when I started getting taught lessons for your disobedience.”

  Kenzie bit the inside of her cheek, and her bottom lip trembled. Her sister must hate her. “I’m sorry, Ava. I tried to follow orders. But some of the things they wanted me to do—”

  Ava sliced her palm through the air. “Save it. Because of you I’ve had my life stolen from me. Yes, you got me out of that hell hole, but I’m still a prisoner.”

  “If you don’t think Wolfden will be to your liking, maybe you should go with the council.” Jaxx’s baritone vibrated through the air.

  Kenzie spun on her heel to face her mate. Ava needed time to realize what pack could mean for her too. “Jaxx, don’t.”

  Jaxx walked up to her and wrapped his arms over her shoulders. He gazed over her head to Ava, though his words were meant for her. “I know your sister has been through a lot, and it will take time to grow accustomed to all the changes.” His arms banded tighter. “But I won’t stand by and listen to her talk to you like this when she has no clue what you’ve been through.”