KT sniffed. “Looks like Jax is back with my medicine. If you don’t mind, I’m feeling like getting some shut-eye.”
“Of course.” Aerilyn patted the woman’s calloused hand. “Let me know if you need anything, and I’m happy to get it for you.”
Her neighbor smirked. “If you happen to stop by the Rusty Tack, I wouldn’t say no to a burger and fries.”
“You got it.” Aerilyn stood up and walked to the front entry.
KT’s voice rose once more. “Let that young man know I’m resting and not to bother bringing my meds until supper time.”
Aerilyn nodded as she went outside and closed the door with a click. The dust had settled on the driveway, revealing another truck parked beside KT’s. She adjusted the bottom of her blouse before approaching the vehicle. She looked at the man’s profile through the driver’s window and heard music playing inside the cab.
It went silent as his door creaked open and he got out with a white paper bag clutched in his hand. He appeared to be in his early twenties. His jeans had smears of grease near his pockets, and his white T-shirt and red flannel were untucked, hanging loose around his waist. Short blond hair covered his head in tousled waves. His blue eyes narrowed as he stared back at her.
She cleared her throat. “I’m Aerilyn. I live down the street. Just came by to check in on KT.”
“Hey.” He gave a slight nod and glanced toward the house. “She sent me to get her meds.”
“She told me.” Aerilyn paused to see if he would introduce himself. When it seemed apparent he wasn’t about to say anything more, she continued, “You’re the one who found her?”
He nodded again, and this time his eyes went to settle on her face. His jaw clenched while he thrust his free hand into his pocket.
This was going to be harder than she'd thought. He wasn’t being very forthcoming, so she tried another approach. “Did you see the cougar? Was it very big?”
Jax went around the front of his truck and said over his shoulder, “I didn’t see it. Only found KT on the ground lying in her own blood. I should really get these to her if we’re done here.”
His eyes lingered on the closed garage door while he passed it on his way to the house.
Aerilyn called over to him, “Jax—that’s your name, right? She’s resting. Doesn’t want her prescription until dinner.”
He stopped mid-step and sighed. Without saying another word to her, he turned between the two buildings and opened the metallic door of the trailer parked in the clearing. She watched it sway gently as he climbed inside his moveable home.
A breeze cut through the evergreens and brushed against her body while she stared at the anchored Airstream camper. There was something about the way Jax spoke with hesitation that made her think he was lying or holding something back. Maybe it was because she worked with teenagers, or maybe it was because she used her instincts to feel out situations.
Aerilyn moved soundlessly to the trailer and closed her eyes to connect with the energy that crackled expectantly at her core. She pushed her power outside of herself and let it extend beyond her body. A surge of energy coursed back into her like she’d been shocked on an exposed wire. Her lids flipped open and she stumbled away.
Her instincts hadn’t been wrong.
She pulled her phone from her pocket and hurried to the driveway. Safe in her car, Aerilyn dialed Emery’s number. As soon as her friend’s voice answered, she skipped the pleasantries and got to the point. “I think we have a problem.”
Three
Jax watched Aerilyn from between his blinds as she got into her car and backed down the driveway. She looked like she was just out of high school, which meant she was too young for him.
Didn’t matter anyhow. He wasn’t looking for a date.
It was still early to think about dinner. He didn’t know what to do with himself. He’d stopped by the shop that morning on KT’s request to let the guys know how she was doing and repeated her explicit instructions that they were to continue with business as usual and not to worry about her.
He’d helped Chris lower an engine into a rebuild project before taking off to the hospital when KT rang and instructed him, “Come and stand by my bed and look menacing at these fools. I’m trying to convince them I’ll be fine since I have you around to look out for me.”
“Sure thing, boss,” he’d answered, and then he’d done what he always did when he was around people—felt awkward, avoided eye contact and spoke only when necessary.
He’d wheeled her out of there, taken her home in his pickup and done whatever she’d asked of him all day. He didn’t mind, but now that she was resting, he didn’t want to just sit around.
His thoughts went to her garage. If he knew KT, she’d want to get back to her GTO as soon as she could move around again. He didn’t want the memory of the other night made more painful by the sight of the stained floor, so Jax let himself into the detached garage. His fingers swiped at the wall switch. The fluorescents buzzed to life, flooding the vaulted space with bright light.
There on the floor beside the vintage Chevy was KT’s smear of blood. It had absorbed into the cement and oxidized into a dark stain. It made him uneasy standing there, thinking about the other night and what he’d seen. Some things in life made no sense. He was example of that. But what that freak had been doing to KT was just wrong—unnatural.
Jax sighed. He went to the utility sink at the corner of the room and found some bleach, a bristle brush and a bucket. While he prepared the chemicals for the floor, he questioned whether he’d been right to pretend he’d seen nothing. He’d never told a soul about his abilities, and he wasn’t about to start telling people now, but maybe the police should know about the bloodied wild man having his fun on KT’s neck. He was pretty sure KT had no memory of what'd really happened, and if he said anything, they’d think he was crazy. Hell, he wasn’t so sure he wasn’t.
The fumes from the bucket of diluted bleach filled the room, so he pressed his knuckle against the garage door buttons and waited for the panels to lift, letting in some much-needed fresh air. Jax set the bucket beside the biggest stain and got on his hands and knees to scrub.
He was lost in thought when the Jeep crawled up the driveway. The bleach solution did the trick and pulled up much of the discoloration. Jax wiped his hands on a rag and got to his feet, staring in through the front window of the vehicle as it slowed to a stop a few strides away from him.
He didn’t recognize the woman driving or the man in the passenger seat. From what the police had told him the other night, the case was closed, and they were handing things over to animal control. But Jax thought those people drove white trucks and carried nets. At least that’s how they were pictured in the cartoons he used to watch on the old television while he’d lain on the floor of his stepdad’s modular home.
The driver and passenger got out of the vehicle with their eyes on him. The woman was young, maybe in her twenties, and had long dark hair. A bright-red bandana was tied around her head. Matching lipstick accentuated her plump lips, which curled into a coy smile.
The dark-haired man may have had a few years on her, but he didn’t seem as pleased to be there as she was. His lips formed a tight line, and his eyes combed the property before settling on Jax. The stranger closed his door and approached the open threshold of the garage. “How are ye today?”
Jax wasn’t good with accents, but he knew the guy wasn’t from around there. Maybe British? Jax also wasn’t one for small talk. If he could have guessed, he didn’t think the stranger was fond of it either, based on his impatient grimace. Jax shrugged and muttered, “Fine.”
“Brilliant.” The man continued to talk as if he didn’t really care whether Jax had just admitted he was dying. “I’m Deane, and this here’s Emery.”
She stopped beside Deane and flashed her toothy smile at Jax. Her cheek dimpled, which might have been disarming had it not been for Jax’s instincts. She was a tabasco-and-vanilla milkshake
with a pepper on top—all the appearance of sugar, but he knew better.
“What’s your name, tomcat?” She tilted her head and blinked her eyes at him.
Now, that was something he’d never been called. The way she looked at him as if she knew all his secrets left him unnerved. He answered after a long pause. “Jax.”
“Weren’t you born with a last name?” She frowned. “Or you like Madonna or Elvis?”
Who was this chick? He stared incredulously at her until he realized she was serious and was waiting for a response. “Johnston.”
“Jax Johnston,” she repeated and looked at Deane with a frown. “Isn’t there a singer by that name?”
Deane ignored her and tilted his head. “Ye’re not from around here, are ye?”
“Not any more than you are.” Jax wanted to get back to cleaning up the garage, so he got to the point. “Listen, if you’re here to visit KT, she’s still resting and doesn’t want to be bothered.”
A dark cloud fell over Deane’s face. His jaw tightened, and his eyes narrowed.
“Oh, no.” Emery’s cherry-red lips curled once more into a dimpled smile as she spoke up. “We’re here to talk to you, tomcat. We’re the enforcers around here.”
Jax blinked at the two of them and frowned. “Look, I talked to the cops the other night, and they said the case was closed. Animal control’s dealing with it now. I’m done talking—I have things to do.”
Emery and Deane exchanged a look before Deane said, “It’s no crime forgettin’ to stop by the lodge if ye’re new in town, but we have a problem when cougars go attacking old ladies. Ye follow, Jax? Goes against our laws. We may not have many, but the ones we have are imperative for the Society’s survival.”
Maybe he’d been sniffing the bleach fumes too long, but nothing this guy said made sense. Nothing.
Emery frowned at him and muttered to Deane, “Think this one’s special?”
“Nah.” Deane shook his head slowly. “He’s not dense. Either he’s playing us, or he’s one of the few who went under radar.”
Jax found his voice. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I had nothing to do with KT getting hurt.”
“I say we take him to Alaric,” Emery said in a loud whisper.
Jax stepped back. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Listen, tomcat.” Emery’s sugary exterior melted, and she jabbed her pointer finger toward him. “All shifters are subject to Genus Society laws. That includes you.”
Jax’s throat tightened. “What did you call me?”
Sometimes it was best to play dumb. Especially when you knew you were in a heap of trouble. This was an unexpected twist to his day.
Emery pinched her lips together and threw her hands in the air. “How are you so patient right now, Deane? Does it come with age?”
Once again Deane appeared unaffected by the woman beside him as he stood with his arms crossed. He was around Jax’s size and just as muscular. There was an edge to his gaze as if he’d seen and done things that left him empty inside. Jax guessed that getting into a fight with this guy wouldn’t be wise.
Deane’s deep, melodic voice explained, “People who transform into animals are shifters. A guardian sensed yer power, and that’s why we’re here.”
“Do you understand now?” Emery asked with crossed arms.
Jax shook his head. “I want an attorney.”
“Oh, honey.” Emery tisked. “Alaric is the judge and jury around here. So long as you’re innocent of any crime, and there’s no skeletons your closet, you’ll be back here before the nine o’clock news.”
“Be smart about this, mate,” Deane said with a level voice. “I would hate to ruin this good thing we’ve got going between us—ye cooperatin’ and me not damaging yer face.”
Four
Jax sat in the backseat of the Jeep in silence. He’d learned that sometimes it was wise to sit back to watch and listen.
At least they’d let him slip into KT’s place to leave her meds beside her while she lay snoring on the couch. He didn’t know what was happening, but he felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole into another world. Questions filled his thoughts. He hoped that by going along with them, he’d get some answers. Jax had never been the sort who went out of his way to find trouble, but conflict always seemed to find him. He was lucky that way.
He may have been new to the area, but he knew they were headed into Denver. While they drove, he listened to Emery talking on her phone in the driver’s seat.
“Thanks for giving us the heads-up,” she said. “We’re taking him in. Your dad should be able to straighten everything out.”
Jax wasn’t one for big cities and bright lights. That was why he always settled in quiet towns or on the outskirts of urban areas. When he’d driven south out of Wyoming into Colorado, he’d traveled toward the jagged mountains and avoided driving into Denver. Now he was being taken to its center.
Emery exited the highway and took them past sports arenas and tall buildings. Lofts, bars and shops lined the streets. It made his skin crawl to be around so much cement and metal.
His curiosity heightened when she slowed down to parallel park in front of an old brick building. A sign hung over a darkened doorway. Gold lettering read, Genus Society. A crest adorned the lower half of the placard.
“We’re here,” Deane grumbled and got out of the passenger seat. He opened Jax’s door and waited for him.
This was it. He didn’t know what to expect. Maybe this was where his life ended, but he wouldn’t go out without a fight.
Jax sighed and walked to the middle of the sidewalk. Deane pointed to the shadowed doorway. Emery had already locked up the car and disappeared through the threshold. Jax hesitated one last moment before following her in.
The dark room extended back and echoed with movement. Rustic wood floors and thick beams stretched from one end to the other, and dim sconces illuminated the brick walls. They went by a pool table and overstuffed couches, but he was focused on the long wooden tables that filled the far side of the space. Families were sitting and eating spaghetti. It gave him an eerie feeling. It had the appearance of a rustic community center, but his bodyguards had in no way suggested he was being taken to have a meal.
A few people lifted their heads and waved at Deane and Emery. Not exactly the threatening reception Jax had expected.
Deane grabbed hold of Jax’s bicep and led him across the room. Under his breath, he muttered, “Don’t try anything now, ye hear?”
“Grab a plate,” a woman called over to them as they got closer. “There’s plenty.”
“Maybe later,” Deane said from beside Jax as he urged him forward. “We have business to conduct.”
Emery passed the people eating and went through an archway. He and Deane followed, entering a darkened chamber. Emery moved farther into the inky room to climb a thick wooden stairwell that led to a second level. The farther Jax went into the building, the more trapped he felt. He had to remind himself he’d come for answers.
On the second floor, a series of doors lined a tiled hallway. Emery paused at one of the doors and knocked. From within, a man’s voice called out, “Come in.”
She turned the knob and went inside. Jax and Deane walked through, and Emery hung back, blocking the exit. A large office with vaulted ceilings welcomed them. Track lighting was mounted on the raw wooden beams above, and an oriental rug covered most of the wooden floors.
“Good evening, Alaric,” Deane said to a man sitting behind a carved mahogany desk. Behind the man, tall windows provided a view of building tops and the streets below. In the distance, clouds touched the mountains as the sun had begun its colorful descent.
The brown-haired man behind the desk stood up and approached them with a sober expression. He didn’t look any older than Deane. Thirty, if Jax had to guess. He was dressed in a pair of slacks and a button-up shirt. His dark eyes combed over Jax before settling on Deane. “Who do you have here?”
Deane put his hand on Jax’s shoulder. “Think we found an unregistered shifter in connection with a cougar attack.”
Alaric shook his head and sighed. “Pity.”
Jax was through with standing back and watching. He strode forward to defend himself. “I didn’t attack anyone. He’s got it wrong.”
“Is that so?” Alaric’s eyebrow arched as he returned Jax’s stare. “Let’s start at the beginning, shall we? Tell me, where are you from? The truth, now.”
Never in his life had Jax opened up about his family to anyone. He wasn’t about to start now with some wannabe Mafioso. “And why should I tell you?”
“Not off to a good start, are we?” Alaric cast a glance over his shoulder. He muttered to Deane, “Would you get the windows?”
Deane lowered blackout roller blinds, blocking out their view of the outside world. Jax began to question his choice to come to this place without a fight. He looked at Emery, who still stood at the door, barricading his only way out of there.
“Settle down,” Alaric said to Jax. “I can see you need proof before you cooperate. I can provide that.”
He unbuttoned his shirt while walking over to a wooden screen beside his desk. Alaric slipped off his shoes and disappeared behind the divider. Moments later, his shirt was hung over the top, followed by his pants. Jax watched in confusion. This had gone in a direction he hadn’t expected.
If a naked man walked around the corner, he was so out of there. He didn’t care if he had to knock out Emery to do it. He wasn’t sticking around for anything kinky.
Rustling sounds came from behind the screen, and without warning, an eagle flew up to perch on the top of the wooden frame. Dark-brown feathers covered it from its head to its flapping wings. Piercing eyes stared at Jax as the bird screeched.
He stood there, speechless, knowing full well what he’d just witnessed. Since the first time he’d shifted at the age of seventeen, he’d thought he was special, different. Alone. He was guessing he wasn’t as solitary as he once thought.
Half-Blood Descendant: A Paranormal Series (Half-Bloods Book 1) Page 2