Much relieved, she put her mind to collecting all of the papers she’d need to grade over the weeklong holiday. Aerilyn considered doing all of her grading over the weekend so she’d have the rest of her time off to relax and hang out with her friends and family.
After school, she went to her car with two bags filled with papers and books. She was rearranging the piles in her backseat when she sensed danger. She straightened up and looked around. A few students still remained, milling around the property, and a number of crows were pecking at a bag of chips that had been run over in the parking lot.
A voice rose above the cawing black birds. Her eyes went to a boy on the hillside who was shouting, “Leave me alone!”
Aerilyn recognized Riley almost immediately. Beside him was the man she’d heard making a scene in the office a few weeks ago. She knew Riley wanted nothing to do with his father. Her protective instincts took over, so she shut her car door and hurried across the lawn to get closer.
She kept her eyes on Riley’s dad. He wore designer jeans and a button-up shirt. His hair was much like Riley’s, long and dark. He was speaking to her student in hushed tones, and the tendons in his neck were pulled taught.
“Riley?” she called as she moved closer.
“… have the same condition. I can help you with it if you stop fighting against me.”
Riley scowled at the man and spat. “I don’t want anything to do with you—I want you to leave me alone.”
“Do you need help?” Aerilyn asked her student, breathlessly.
He turned to look at her. His face pinched into a grimace, and he cried out, “I want him to leave me alone.”
Aerilyn looked at the man, whose pale blue eyes flashed in her direction. She raised her chin and stepped toward him. “Sir, you have to leave school property, or I’ll be forced to call the police.”
The man sauntered up to her with his eyes narrowed. Their size difference became apparent as she tilted her head back to meet his gaze. His hands clamped down on her shoulders, tightening around the base of her neck. If he wasn’t holding onto her so tightly, she might have been knocked off her feet.
Aerilyn’s heart raced, and she instinctively raised her hands against his chest. As if she were trapped in a tunnel, she heard Riley’s voice yelling a distance away. But all she could hear was the man’s muttered threats, “You have no right to keep me from my son. This is between me and him. You’ll regret coming between us.”
She felt the heat of his breath on her face and smelled something metallic. She swallowed and tried to breathe, but his grip was tight on her throat. Shifting in the midst of everything was not an option, no matter how badly she wanted to. Her mind went blank, unable to think of a way out of it.
“Let go of her!” Riley’s shouts got louder. She realized her student wasn’t getting closer. He’d been there the whole time, she was only now beginning to take in her surroundings again.
The man let go of her, continuing to hold her gaze, and she stumbled backward, coughing. Aerilyn moved closer to Riley, putting herself between the man and his son. She said to the father with surprising clarity and force, “Leave now.”
The well-dressed man stared her down before backing away. He called to Riley, “I’ll be around. I’m the only one who can help you, son. The only one.”
From behind her, Riley shouted back, “I don’t want your help!”
When the man disappeared near the street, she wheeled on Riley to see if he was okay. He was shaking and visibly upset. She reached out to touch his shoulder. “Did he hurt you?”
The teen shook his head and began pacing back and forth. “I hate him.”
“Why don’t you come inside with me—we can call your mom,” Aerilyn suggested, gesturing toward the building. “Please?”
She scanned the property for any sign of the man, checking to see if they were safe, confirming he’d gone. She still didn’t feel comfortable letting Riley leave after the altercation.
Although he resisted, he allowed her to lead him back into the school, where she marched them straight into the office. The dean of students happened to be walking through and stopped when she saw Aerilyn come in. One look at Aerilyn’s face relayed the gravity of the situation.
Somehow, Aerilyn was able to communicate what had just happened without breaking down. She felt strangely calm. Detached.
The dean of students led Riley into the principal’s office. His mother and the police were called as Aerilyn stood by, recounting again and again what had occurred, assuring her boss she was fine.
When Riley left with his mom, he seemed defeated, sad. His eyes were downcast and his shoulders slumped. Aerilyn watched him go, wanting to remain with him, to protect him.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” her principal asked, frowning. “I can give you the district number if you need to talk to someone over the holiday.”
She shook her head. “I’m fine.”
“Let me know if you need to take a mental health day before you come back. And remember,” he said as he walked her out of the office, “we’ll have security on alert when we’re back from break. If you see him again, you call up to the office, and we’ll get the police here immediately.”
Aerilyn couldn’t recall how she got out to her car and was surprised when she found herself exiting off the highway at Morrison. She was on the gravel road leading up to her house when her phone rang. Aerilyn blinked at the illuminated screen, seeing Emery’s name, and let it go to voicemail.
Minutes later she rolled up her driveway and came to a stop at her garage. She sat, wrapped in stillness and silence, numb to her surroundings for minutes. Aerilyn didn’t realize her door had opened until she heard Jax’s voice ask, “Are you okay?”
She did a double take, realizing he was standing beside her, gazing down at her with a frown. He reached inside the car, released her seatbelt and took her hand to help her out. Aerilyn felt like a balloon being guided by an invisible string.
The sound of her door shutting was swallowed by the night. Jax stood before her. He was apologizing for something, but she couldn’t focus on any of it. He pulled her close and embraced her. She closed her eyes and drank in the comfort he provided. His arms swaddled her like a baby in a blanket. It felt good until it didn’t.
“Ow,” she muttered and pulled away, rubbing her shoulders. Her muscles ached, and she remembered the hardness of Riley’s father’s glare and his violent grip.
It was then she realized she was shaking. Tears poured from her eyes, and she looked up at a baffled Jax.
Twelve
His voice acerbic, he asked, “What happened?”
He barely contained his frustration and anger, looking at her. She was very unlike the woman he’d grown to know over the last few weeks. He doubted it had anything to do with his abrupt departure last weekend. This change in her emotional state was due to something significant, and he wanted to know what.
Aerilyn wiped the tears from her face. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“You look like you’re in shock,” he said, scanning her body for signs of injury.
She looked around in a daze as if she wasn’t seeing anything. He took her hand and led her into the house, where Petey rushed up to them in excitement.
Jax muttered, “Not now, buddy. Go lie down.”
“Stay late to grade papers?” Emery asked from the dining table with her gaze on her laptop. “I don’t know why, it’s not like you’re paid overtime.”
“Here,” Jax said and guided Aerilyn to the couch. “Sit down.”
Emery looked up and jumped to her feet when she saw the state her friend was in. Still holding Aerilyn’s hand, he told Emery, “Get her some water.”
Emery hurried into the kitchen with wide eyes, and the sound of the cabinets opening and shutting rang out.
“My dad is going to flip out,” Aerilyn muttered. “I don’t want to move back home.”
“Your dad can’t make you do a
nything.” Jax sat beside her on the couch. “Why don’t you tell us what happened?”
She shook her head and her expression hardened. “It was one of my student’s parents. He was harassing his kid, so I stepped in.”
Emery hurried up with a glass of water and handed it to Aerilyn, who put it to her lips to take a sip. Aerilyn rubbed her temple with a shaking hand. “I told him to leave the property. He grabbed me and told me I’d regret coming between them.”
“What a prick,” Emery cursed and sat down at Aerilyn’s feet, putting her hand on her friend’s leg. “Did he do anything else to you? Hit you?”
Jax narrowed his eyes and returned his focus to Aerilyn. She shook her head. “No. He was so strong—practically lifted me off the ground. Almost choked me.”
“Were the police notified?” Emery asked.
Aerilyn nodded. “Yeah, the school’s taken care of it. I think I just need a good night’s sleep. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
Anger bubbled up, tightening Jax’s chest. “Nothing’s wrong with you. You were just attacked.”
“Why are you here? I thought you hated me,” she whispered to him.
He looked into her brown eyes and wished he could make her attacker suffer for the pain he’d caused her. It made him feel even worse for being such a selfish jerk. “No, I’m just a moron. Just ask Emery. I never should have blamed you for your father’s behavior.”
Aerilyn covered her face with her shaking hands.
Emery didn’t seem to know what to do. She shrugged at him and whispered, “Maybe now isn’t the best time.”
He adjusted beside Aerilyn, prepared to leave when her hand shot out, and she grabbed his forearm. “Stay with me?”
“Of course.” He wrapped his arm around her. She settled against him and shuddered. He shared a concerned look with Emery and cleared his throat. “I think you should tell your father about what happened.”
Aerilyn groaned. “He’s going to overreact.”
She was probably right. Jax had listened to Aerilyn’s complaints about her struggle to get some distance from her family, to find freedom. But when it came to her safety, he thought it best to be conservative. He was sure Alaric could provide more security than the school or even he could.
Jax looked down at her. “Hold your ground with him. You’re a grown woman, but there’s nothing wrong with needing some extra protection.”
“He’s right, Aerilyn.” Emery patted her leg. “I don’t want to see anything happen to you.”
Some kid’s abusive father would be easy enough to deal with. It probably wouldn’t take more than a threat from one of Alaric’s enforcers to get the message across. If the guy knew what was good for him, he wouldn’t show up again.
Aerilyn placed her hand on Jax’s chest. Warmth spread throughout his body.
She blinked up at him. “I’ll tell him, but when I’m ready. Not while I’m upset.”
Petey came up to the couch and set his toy beside Jax’s hand. The dog backed up with wide eyes, and Emery snickered. “Look who’s made a new friend.”
Emery stood up, brushing the dog hair from her clothes, and looked down at her friend curled up by Jax’s side. Her pocket rang, and she pulled her phone out and walked from the living room and into the kitchen. Her voice was hushed as she talked, and after a few minutes she reemerged and said to Aerilyn, “Deane and I were going to meet up at the Rusty Bucket to talk about our findings from the week. I can call him back and cancel if you need me here.”
Jax glanced down at Aerilyn, who in turn looked at him. She brushed her hair behind her ear and asked, “Will you stay with me? I just don’t want to be alone.”
“Yeah,” he nodded. “No problem. I have nowhere I need to be.”
Aerilyn turned her head to peer over the couch at her friend. “It’s fine. I don’t want to keep you from your job. Jax will stay with me.”
Emery adjusted her ponytail and pressed her ruby-red lips together. She went to pluck her leather jacket from one of the dining chairs. As she went by again, she winked at them both while she pulled her keys from her pocket. “Protect her with your naked body if necessary.”
“Night, Emery,” Aerilyn grumbled. “Say hi to Deane for me and do me a favor—don’t tell him about what happened.”
“You’re the boss,” Emery said from the stairs.
The door opened and shut, and immediately following, Aerilyn sighed. “God love her.”
They sat in silence for a time until Aerilyn pulled away to reach for a remote. She blinked over at him. “I didn’t think I’d see you around here again anytime soon.”
He couldn’t bring himself to look at her. “I’m not good at this—having friends or—anything else. The thought of losing my freedom rattled my cage. I know you’re just trying to help.”
She blinked up at him and sank back in against his side with the remote clutched in her hand. “I hoped you’d come around, you big dolt.”
When he was sure Aerilyn wouldn’t notice his sideways glance, he watched her blink at the television as she scrolled through the options. Aerilyn pulled her legs onto the couch, grabbed one of the throw pillows, set it on his lap and lay down. She did it so innocently, like it was normal to lie against someone on a Friday night. Yet he’d never experienced anything like it.
His stepdad had kept him fed and clothed, but he hadn’t been one for hugs or shows of affection. And once Jax discovered his strange magical talents for changing into a cougar, he kept his distance from friends. He’d had a number of one-night stands, but there was no snuggling involved. By the cover of darkness, he’d be gone, returned to the seclusion of his trailer.
Jax didn’t know how to feel about Aerilyn’s casual closeness. She rested her hand on his knee. While she stared at the screen, watching the movie, he gazed at the waves of her hair spread over the pillow and at the rise and fall of her ribcage. He wanted to touch her. Simply put his hand on her back like he’d seen people do. But he didn’t.
No more than fifteen minutes went by before he realized she was asleep. Her dark lashes curled away from her closed lids and slow, long breaths rasped from her mouth. She needed a good night’s sleep after her day, but he didn’t want to wake her to get her to bed. So he let her be.
Jax reached for the remote and turned off the television. He eased back into the couch, sliding down ever so slightly, careful not to disturb her, and closed his eyes. His breathing matched hers, and before long, he was fast asleep.
Aerilyn yawned and stretched with a groan. She raised her arms above her head and felt the arm of the couch. Disoriented, she slipped open one eye and realized she was in her living room.
She rose up on her elbow and looked around the dimly lit space. Petey was sleeping on the floor at the foot of the couch and morning light was beginning to pour in from the windows.
Then the memories from the previous day filtered through her mind. She remembered snuggling with Jax and the movie she’d put on but couldn’t recall anything else.
Aerilyn propped herself against the back of the couch and noticed a folded piece of paper on the coffee table. She reached over and flipped it open.
I didn’t want to wake you. Had to go to work. Let me know if you need anything—Jax
She knew she’d asked him to stay but wondered when he’d left. She yawned, which woke Petey. He got up slowly and shrugged off his sleep. His collar rattled as he wandered to the back door and scratched to be let out.
Aerilyn’s stomach gurgled, and she felt a pang of hunger. She hadn’t eaten dinner before passing out last night, and she was feeling it now. She got up and opened the sliding glass door for Petey, then went into the kitchen to make some coffee.
When she raised her arm to get a mug from the cabinet, her muscles ached, and she winced. Aerilyn set the coffee cup on the counter and pulled down her shirt to reveal her shoulder and upper arm. The sunlight pouring in through her kitchen window illuminated a bluish-red mark, and she remembered Riley
’s dad grabbing her.
She swore and shook her head. While she continued to prepare a pot of coffee, she replayed the events of yesterday afternoon in her mind. Aerilyn had never thought of herself as a weakling. She knew she was a small woman, but she was a shifter, and a wolf at that. She had two older brothers who through their dominant natures had toughened her throughout her adolescence.
Aerilyn hated that she’d been pushed around, and that she’d crumbled emotionally in front of Jax. She figured it had been the shock of it all. But she still didn’t like it. She hated that when that jerk had thought he could manhandle her, her only defense—shifting—hadn’t been an option.
“Could you make more noise?” Emery’s scratchy voice floated into the kitchen.
Aerilyn whipped around with wide eyes. She hadn’t been particularly quiet as she banged the cabinets shut, having forgotten her friend was sleeping down the hall. “Sorry.”
“S’ok.” Emery yawned and stumbled into the kitchen wearing a loose T-shirt that said, I’d flex but I like this shirt. Her eye mask was pulled up and was being worn like a headband. “Now that you got me up, will you make me a cup, too?”
“Sure.” Aerilyn returned to the coffee maker. “So, when did you get back last night?”
Emery scratched her thigh and groaned. “It was past midnight. Deane and I had a lot to talk about.”
Aerilyn pointed at Emery’s shirt over her shoulder. “That yours?”
A wicked smirk touched her friend’s lips. Emery opened the cupboard and pulled out a box of cookies. “I borrowed it from a guy I met a few months ago.”
“Oh my God, really?” Aerilyn asked. “Didn’t he want it back?”
Emery grinned. “I think he was afraid to call after our wild night.”
Aerilyn shook her head. “You’re an animal.”
Her friend giggled and accepted the coffee that was handed to her. “You know it.”
Emery brought the mug to her lips and took a sip. She watched Aerilyn go to the fridge and take out the eggs. “So, how are you doing today?”
Half-Blood Descendant: A Paranormal Series (Half-Bloods Book 1) Page 12