Jax

by Julia Mills

  The sound of crutches hitting the window, coupled with me cursing like a drunken sailor, brought Phoebe running. From the look on her face when I finally got my ass on the floor as opposed to it pointing at the ceiling as I’d landed, I knew I was in for a lecture. Deciding to head her off at the pass, I opened my mouth to speak, and that was as far as I got.

  “What in all that is holy are you doing? Could you not just sit on your ass on the couch and watch TV while I made your food? Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?”

  “There’s someone out there!” I yelled and pointed towards the gardens while struggling to stay upright.

  “What?! Where?” She asked, stepping over me and peering out the window. “I don’t see anyone.”

  “Dammit, Phoebs, help me up. I’m telling you somebody’s out there. Behind that short bush with the floppy, yellow flowers,” I spat while trying to get to my feet and failing miserably. “I need to get out there and see if I can track that son of a...”

  “No freakin’ way!” Phoebe yelled. “There’s absolutely no way I’m letting you out there to hobble around on that soft muddy ground on crutches. I’ll call Grant and he can send someone over to see what’s going on.” And with that, she pulled out her cell phone and began dialing.

  I knew she was right, but that didn’t stop me from being pissed. I’d never depended on anyone to fight my battles, and the helplessness I was feeling at that moment made me want to scream, or better yet, break something. I was the tough kid that protected the younger ones growing up. I was the Marine they sent in with his team where no one else would go. I was the one that protected some of the most hated politicians from all over the world and in that moment, I was sitting on the floor like an invalid waiting for someone else to see who was spying on me. That shit just did not sit right with me.

  Getting up on the knee of my good leg, with my cast stuck out to the side, I realized too late that without something to hang onto, I had nowhere to go. Thankfully, Phoebe appeared at my side holding one of my crutches and grinning from ear to ear. It took some maneuvering considering I outweigh her by a good eighty pounds and am almost a foot taller, but I was finally upright and headed to the couch when Grant came through the door.

  “You look like hell,” he commented before kissing my sister and walking towards the French doors.

  “Thanks, Brother. Love you too.” I thought about tripping him with my crutches, but he’d just land on his feet like the cat he was.

  Grant chuckled as he opened the door and stepped outside. I watched and waited while he walked the garden. His brows furrowed before he knelt behind the same damn bush I’d been sure the trespasser had been using for cover. When he reappeared his frown had deepened. He strode towards the door like General Custer leading the charge, ready to kick ass and take names.

  His foot was barely over the threshold before he was issuing orders into his cell phone. I was itching to get in the fight. Being stuck with my leg in a cast and my butt planted on the couch was nowhere near what I was used to.

  Grant shoved his phone into his interior jacket pocket before he started to explain. “You were right. Someone was out there. A woman from the size of the footprints and the long blonde hairs I found stuck to the bush. Her footprints head off to the south. She’s a shifter for sure. Her scent is everywhere but it’s not one I recognize.” He stopped, thinking for a moment, and then continued, “It’s familiar. I’ve scented it before but not here. Dammit, I just can’t place it.”

  “What the hell could she want with me?”

  “No clue, but I intend to find out. There’s no excuse for what she did, and then to skulk around in the bushes like some stalker is simply unacceptable. We’ve made these lands a safe haven for all shifters whether they join the Pride or not. Our hospitality only has one contingency... live peacefully—cause no harm. This little kitten has broken the rules and will pay the price.”

  I immediately felt sad for the woman and had absolutely no clue why. Grant would show no mercy; that I knew for sure. He thought of me as family and for that, I was grateful, but I couldn’t shake the need to protect ‘my stalker’ from whatever punishment the king had planned.

  “Are you sure it’s the same person that knocked me over?”

  “It’s the same scent.” He tapped his nose. “One I’m not likely to forget, even though I can’t figure out how I know it.” Grant shook his head. “It’s going to drive me crazy until I can figure out where I’ve smelled it before.”

  “Maybe she came to apologize for knocking you down and explain why she ran away. Or to thank you for trying to help her out of the brambles,” Phoebe said as she brought my soup and sandwich to me. With all the commotion, I’d completely forgotten she was even making it.

  “But why would she not have come to the front door like a civil being?” Grant asked.

  “I don’t know. Maybe she was afraid of the reception she’d get and wanted to feel out the situation before making her presence known. I’m sure she knows Jax is human by now and never expected him to spot her in the garden.” She set the tray on the table and turned towards Grant with her hands on her hips. “You know how you cats are. You think you’re at the top of the food chain and all that.” Her shoulders bounced with the effort to keep her laughter in check. She’d almost gotten away with it, but then added, “And everyone knows the feathered shifters are cooler than the furry ones.” The battle was lost as she laughed out loud, squealing when Grant swooped in and swung her into his arms.

  “All right you two, get a room, and not here.”

  It took almost thirty minutes and I had to assure Phoebe I’d call if absolutely anything came up, but it was all worth it when they said their last goodbyes and finally shut the door. Blissful silence and the wonderful feeling of being alone after almost thirteen hours did more to make me feel better than all the pills in the world could have.

  Settling back into my makeshift bed, I turned on the TV and searched for something other than reality shows or reruns, finally settling on the A-Team,

  Yes, it’s a rerun, but at least I was watching the movie and not the series from the eighties.

  I tried to think about anything but the cast on my leg and the woman that had been hiding in my backyard. Why was she there? Was Phoebe right? Had she come to apologize? I yawned as the pain meds my well-meaning sister had demanded I take began to work. All my questions were left unanswered as I fell asleep, only to dream of haunting hazel eyes that held a world of secrets and long, dark blonde hair blowing in the breeze.

  The next few days were some of the most frustrating of my life. Walking on crutches was difficult for the average sized person, but being super-sized made things all the more ‘fun’. My adventures with what I was affectionately referring to as the ‘sticks of doom’ had resulted in two broken lamps, a cracked end table, several...

  Read that as more than I cared to count.

  ...broken plates, glasses, and bowls; not to mention some colorful new curse words that would make even my Marine friends blush.

  At least I got good news from the doctor. My bones were healing much faster than originally expected, and with any luck, I’d be cast-less and crutch-less in just a little over a week. I was already planning a bonfire with the sticks of doom as the guests of honor, not worrying that they were aluminum, just hoping to watch them melt if nothing else, when I walked out to meet Phoebe in the waiting room.

  “From the smile on your face, I’d say you got good news.” She chuckled as she stood and followed me down the hall.

  “I did. Doc said I’m doing so good I might be out of this stupid thing by my next appointment.” I hit my cast with one of the crutches for effect.

  “That is great news! For you and the furniture,” she teased.

  “Ain’t that the damn truth? I’m beginning to think my nickname should be Crash instead of Sarge.”

  The ride back to the carriage house was uneventful. Thankfully, Phoebe had errands to run and it was t
he maid’s day off which left me to my own devices. I planned to steal some alone time, which meant eating the huge bacon cheeseburger the cook had left in the fridge, followed by a long nap. Sleeping during the day was not something I usually did, but I’d had some funky dreams the last couple of nights and was seriously dragging ass.

  All I could think of was food and sleep as I let myself in and headed straight for the kitchen. Fifteen minutes and no broken dishes later, I was full as a tick. No one made bacon cheeseburgers like Grant’s cook. Heading to the couch, I glanced out into the garden for the hundredth time, not sure what I was looking for, but eyeing the bush with the yellow flowers all the same.

  “Yeah, you know damn good and well what you’re looking for, which proves you’ve lost your mind.” Mumbling to myself, I plopped on the couch and shook my head. Maybe I should have another CAT scan since it had been impossible to get and keep that stupid woman out of my head since she knocked me down that hill. My questions had questions. I wasn’t mad, although I had every right to be. She’d done this to me, or at least that’s what Grant’s people were saying. They’d matched the scent in the garden to the one in the brambles and on the pants I was wearing the day she sideswiped me, and therefore, she’d become public enemy number one.

  My nap was calling and I was giving myself a headache thinking about some crazy cat woman who obviously only wanted to get a good look at me before disappearing to parts unknown. I stretched out on the sofa, put on a rerun of the ’92 Super Bowl to listen to the Cowboys beat the Bills, and willed myself to sleep. It came quickly and deeply; so much so that I woke with a start, disoriented and grabbing the remote to turn down the blaring sound of static.

  Cable must’ve gone out while I slept.

  Frantically clicking the buttons, I realized it was the damn walkie talkie Phoebe had demanded I keep when she left. Smacking it until I hit the right button and there was blessed silence, I reached to the side and tried the lamp, only to find the electricity was out. That explained the radio, it was signaling its loss of charge. Shaking my head to clear the cobwebs, it then became apparent I’d slept long enough that it was dark outside.

  Hobbling on my new walking cast while leaning on the antique cane one of Grant’s many ancestors had used, I looked around for matches to light one of the hundreds of candles the decorator had placed throughout the house.

  Don’t think too hard about it. I’ve already tried to picture a lion prowling the countryside with a cane and I came up empty.

  I’m pleased to say that I actually got two candles on the mantle and a smaller in a brass holder to carry with me lit without breaking anything or burning the joint down. Being clumsy was a whole new experience for me; one I could not wait to give up the day this stupid cast came off. It was definitely a blow to my manhood and I had no problem admitting it.

  Grabbing my cell phone off the coffee table, I called Phoebe. She was whispering when she answered and it was then I remembered she and Grant were at a reception for one of the other shifter clans. “Oh shit, Phoebs, I’m sorry. Call me when you’re done.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  One of Phoebe’s guilty pleasures was dressing up and going to the ‘functions’ that were part of her position as wife of the King of the Lions and Queen of the Aviary Shifters. There was no way I was going to ruin it for her, so I lied. “Everything’s great. Have fun.”

  She must’ve been having a good time because all I got was, “All right. Talk to you later.” I hadn’t gotten out of anything that easily since...well, never.

  With nothing to do, I grabbed the flashlight from the kitchen drawer and headed to bed. I stood looking out my bedroom window for a long time. The landscape was covered with its usual blanket of moisture and fog, but with only natural light it seemed more mystical, almost haunting in some way. Laughing at my sudden poetic outburst, not sure where it had come from, I made my way to bed. No sooner had my head hit the pillow than the sounds of hissing, growling, and snarling erupted from the peaceful scene I’d just left.

  Jumping up, I hobbled to the window just in time to see a fully-grown male lion and a black panther attempting to take down a smaller, light-colored cat...my stalker! From the way the smaller animal fought, I could tell she’d been in similar situations before. She moved with such grace and agility, twisting her body in ways I’d never thought possible even for a cat, avoiding every swipe and slash of her much bigger opponents’ claws.

  Watching the action like a prizefight I had bet a month’s salary on, I willed the smaller cat to drop both her opponents, which really made no sense, but her escape seemed vital to me. Running to the left then immediately changing directions, she caused the charging lion to stumble and then unceremoniously roll down the hill, a tangle of fur, paws, and pissed off King of the Jungle. Not even looking back, she used her forward momentum to launch herself into the air, landing like Mary Lou Retton on the bottom branch of the huge, pink-blossomed Crabapple tree. The panther attempted the same move but failed miserably.

  Not willing to let his prey get away, the big, black cat made a beeline for the open garden gate. The female carefully walked across the branch, past the trunk, and onto yet another limb, working her way inside the garden and towards the house, all the while keeping track of her pursuer. The black panther flew into the garden, jumped on top of the cast iron table that sat in the center, and stopped, watching my stalker’s tightrope act and patiently waiting for her to come close enough for him to pounce.

  A roar shook the windows, announcing the return of the lion, who immediately took an offensive position on the ground just beyond the table his cohort sat atop. All motion stopped, both on the ground and in the tree. I once again found myself rooting for the female to find some way past her much larger opponents. Only the single flick of the lion’s tail against the wet ground told me he was still breathing.

  Time seemed to stand still as these three deadly predators sized one another up. I thought of all the opponents I’d faced, nameless and faceless, simply the soldiers I’d been sent out to defend our position against. Never in all my years of service was I forced to look into the faces of my enemies like the three big cats locked in mortal combat just outside my bedroom window were looking at one another.

  I realized I was holding my breath at the same time the electricity flared back to life. The entire garden was bathed in the glaring light from the four halogens Grant’s people installed earlier today. The skirmish that ensued could only be described as awe-inspiring. Taking advantage of her competitors’ surprise, the female jumped into the air, sailed over the Black Panther’s head and barely escaped his outstretched paw. She landed with amazing grace on the ground just behind the startled lion. As soon as her feet touched the ground she was off and running, nothing but a streak of caramel-colored fur flying across the meadow into the darkness.

  She disappeared from sight before my two guards were able to reach the opposite side of the garden. I watched as the big cats became men again before my eyes. No matter how many times I’d seen that happen, it was still a shock. I was immediately thankful to the powers that be for letting them return to their human forms fully clothed. The alternative could’ve been embarrassing... for all of us.

  I left the window and my bedroom, limping towards the front door, arriving just as the doorbell rang. I wasn’t surprised to find Willem, Grant’s head of security, standing at attention sporting a frown and an attitude. Not that I’d ever seen the man smile, but in this case I knew he was pissed and more than a little embarrassed at having been bested by the little female.

  Before I could make a smartass comment, Willem grumbled in his deep, Scottish brogue, “I know you saw her get away, and I know you were not involved in the altercation, but I have orders to make sure you’re okay. The queen is very distressed. The puma was a much more formidable opponent than we originally thought. Our best trackers are out looking for her and I have doubled the guard around the carriage house per the King’s orders.
We will catch this rogue and bring her to justice.”

  I almost laughed at the vehemence of his last comment. It wasn’t that I didn’t feel bad for him; hell, I’d been in his shoes more than once. To fail a mission, especially one that involved someone important to your superiors, was more than a professional failure, it was a blow to your ego. It was personal. It was the kind of mistake some didn’t come back from. It took inner strength and an iron will. Thankfully, I saw that in the man standing at my door.

  “Thank you for the update. You did your best and I trust that’ll continue.” I answered him the way I would’ve wanted to be answered. Not coddled or given meaningless platitudes, just the facts, man to man.

  A quick nod and an about-face later, Willem was walking towards the group of men waiting in the driveway. I had decided to walk out and greet them when my cell phone rang from the bedroom. Half-limping, half-hopping, I crossed the threshold just in time for the ringing to stop. Grabbing the phone, I saw the missed call was from Phoebe. Before I could hit the button to return the call, she was calling again.

  “What’s up, Phoebs?”

  “What’s up? Really? That’s how you answer the phone?” She screeched so loud, I pulled the phone from my ear to save my ear drums.

  “Calm down, Sis. It’s all good here. Grant’s people have it all under control and I’m heading back to bed as we speak.” I sat on the edge of the bed and swung my cast onto the stack of pillows I’d only touched before.

  “I think you should move to the main house until this psycho woman is caught.”

  I sighed. I’d known it was coming... again, had actually been having this exact argument with my loving sister since the day of the accident. “You know that’s not going to happen. Stop suggesting it. Grant’s men are here. The lights are back on and I have back up if need be.”