Axel Summer Shifters Season 2

by Raines, Harmony

  Or her family. Axel looked up as he sensed Jenessa approaching. I also don’t think that applies only to shifters. I’m certain Jenessa would fight for her family. And take out a couple of Hogg’s men if she had to.

  She is quite a woman, his cougar agreed. So, the idea is definitely not to fight unless absolutely necessary? His cougar sounded disappointed.

  That’s right. No fighting unless they start something we have to finish.

  “Hey, how are you?” Jenessa came to Axel and kissed his cheek before giving her dad a brief hug.

  “We’re good. Is my mom okay?” Axel had to firmly deny his mom’s request to come out here and give those Hell Fire MCs a piece of her mind.

  “She’s fine. She’s with Joanna.” She inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly.

  “And the guys?” Axel had arranged for his shifter friends to help him if they were needed.

  “They will all be here shortly. Although they will keep back out of the way and only come if we call.” She held up her phone. “A phone call, not some version of Tarzan.”

  “Pity, I like a good howl.” Her dad looked up at Jenessa and his eyes twinkled with humor.

  “You look as if you are enjoying this far too much.” Jenessa leaned down and spoke in his ear. “I am not losing you to that life again, Dad.”

  “Oh, it’s all behind me. I should have left sooner...” His voice trailed off as he and Axel heard the distant sound of a motorcycle.

  “What can you hear?” Jenessa asked, looking around. “I sure wish I had shifter senses.”

  “Someone is coming,” Axel told her.

  “One motorcycle. It’s Tyler.” Ralph sat up straighter and looked toward the road. Sure enough, a few seconds later the bike carrying Tyler and Colleen turned onto the trail. Behind them was a car. Inside was Colleen’s mom. They had met a couple of miles away so that mother and daughter could speak together in private. Axel just hoped the mother-daughter bond was strong enough to counter the mate bond between Hogg and his mate.

  We would do anything to make Jenessa happy, his cougar reminded him. Surely, Hogg feels the same and if the only way she’ll ever be happy is if the family rift is healed then surely, he’ll accept it.

  That depends on how rational Hogg is. And what influence men like Rogue have over him. Men like Rogue don’t want peace at all.

  Then Hogg will have to leave his gang and start a new life just like we did and just like Ralph.

  Perhaps.

  “It’s good to see you, son.” Ralph pushed himself to his feet and went to Tyler as soon as the bike stopped.

  Tyler switched off the engine and waited for Colleen to dismount before he took off his helmet and swung his leg over the bike. “Dad.”

  “Got a hug for your old man?” Ralph held out his arms and Tyler went to him.

  “I’m sorry, I never meant to cause this much trouble for you all.” He wrapped his arms around his father’s shoulders and hugged him tightly.

  “I know you didn’t.” Ralph patted his son’s back. “I’d like to meet your mate.”

  Colleen was talking to her mom who had gotten out of her car, looking nervous and unsure of herself. Understandable since she was about to confront Hogg.

  “Sure.” Tyler turned around and smiled at his mate. Colleen returned the smile but looked wary as she glanced at his family standing behind him.

  Jenessa hooked her hand under her dad’s elbow and guided him toward Colleen and her mom. Axel followed behind, not quite trusting Colleen’s mom. This could all be a setup and go horribly wrong in an instant.

  It’s all fine, his cougar assured him.

  Axel was not so easily won over. He’d experienced treachery during his time in a motorcycle gang.

  “Hello.” Colleen’s mom stepped forward, putting herself between them and her daughter. “I’m Janine.”

  “Janine, I’m Jenessa, this is my dad, Ralph, and my mate, Axel.” She shot him a glance that told him he was not last in her heart, only in the introductions. He nodded at her to assure her it was all right with him.

  “Hello.” Ralph eyed Janine warily, too, but then he smiled and shook her hand. “I’m happy you came. I hope we can sort out this mess.”

  “I hope so, too. Kids.” Janine rolled her eyes but when she looked at her daughter, there was love and pride in her eyes.

  “That’s not fair,” Colleen told her mom. “Dad knows Tyler is my mate. He knows it’s not personal, that I didn’t go out of my way to make his life difficult or to ruin his stupid idea that our bloodline should stay pure. What does it matter if my mate is a wolf or a bear?”

  “Colleen, you need to calm down. That argument won’t work on your dad. He knows it’s not your fault. At least deep down he does.” Janine swallowed hard and clutched her hands together. “I’m going to try to talk to him and make him see sense. I want us to be a family again. But if that doesn’t work, I want him to set you free.” She brushed a tear from her cheek and turned away.

  “Mom, I’m sorry. I don’t like seeing you upset like this.” Colleen hugged her mom. “But no matter what Dad says, my life is with Tyler now. All I want is for you and Dad to be part of that life, too.”

  “Maybe when he knows you are carrying a child, he’ll relent.”

  “A child?” Ralph turned a surprised expression to Tyler.

  “I thought you knew...” Tyler looked at Jenessa.

  “It wasn’t my news to tell,” Jenessa explained.

  “You’re having a child?” Ralph asked as if needing to double-check he’d heard right.

  “We are.” Tyler and Colleen hugged each other as their families looked on. “And we couldn’t be happier.”

  Janine watched her daughter, her expression clouded. It seemed Hogg might not have the same soft heart as his wife.

  “How long until they get here?” Axel wanted them to focus on the danger that lay ahead. Hugging and kissing were all fine, but they were about to be faced by an angry parent with an MC club as backup.

  “Soon.” Janine glanced down at her watch. “When Colleen called me, my husband had just left to join the others. He then texted me to say they were leaving but I was already on the road. I had maybe a half an hour head start.”

  “And your dad knows to come here?” Axel asked.

  “I texted him the coordinates and told him we needed to talk.” Tyler scuffed his foot in the dried leaves. “I don’t think he plans on talking.”

  “Then he’s got a surprise in store, doesn’t he?” Janine’s lips were a thin line as she looked at Tyler. The young man needed to work hard to mend the damage he’d done. Not that it was his fault, but Janine and Hogg would not see it that way. If he’d never come into their lives, they would be a happy family still.

  That’s not how the mating bond works, his cougar said sourly. You can’t pick and choose your child’s mate.

  “Let’s just hope when we have children, and they grow up and find their mates, that we approve.” He smiled to himself as he watched Ralph and Tyler. “That could be us. Or we could be Hogg, adamant that the mate fate has chosen for our daughter is just not good enough.”

  His cougar chuckled. It’s a good thing we don’t have a crystal ball. I plan on believing we will love the mate that fate has chosen for our children. Just as we love our mate.

  “I hear something.” Tyler lifted his chin, and his eyes went out of focus as he listened to a distant rumble.

  “They’re here.” He glanced at Jenessa who nodded. She had her phone in her hand and they had made sure they were in a place where they could get cell phone reception. Trying to make a call for help would be useless if there was no signal.

  You might have to call them like Tarzan if that happens, his cougar laughed but a thrill of anxiety passed through him. This could go well, or it could turn bad fast.

  “Here they come.” Jenessa moved to Axel’s side. He wanted to turn to her and tell her to run and hide. She shouldn’t be here, she shouldn’t be putti
ng herself in danger. All the other people here were shifters and had teeth and claws for defense. Jenessa had nothing.

  She has us, his cougar reminded him.

  They would have to be enough. If things went bad, they would have to protect her, with their lives if necessary.

  “I don’t like this. There are about fifteen of them.” Jenessa glanced at Axel. “How many of your friends are here?”

  “Ten.” Axel assessed the men on bikes as they came to a stop. “Then there are me and Tyler. Colleen will fight with us, too.” Janine looked over her shoulder at Axel, she’d heard them talking. He had no idea which side her loyalty would lie on.

  “If Hogg doesn’t see sense, I will be the one to knock it into him.” Her eyes flashed as she turned to face her husband, who removed his helmet and got off his bike.

  “We’re about evenly matched.” He kissed Jenessa’s cheek. “If you want to beat one of them over the head with a tree branch, we will be even.”

  “I can do that. I might not be a shifter, but I aim to defend my family as if I was one.” She eyed the branches next to the fallen tree trunk but didn’t get one yet. That might be seen as a sign they intended to fight. A peaceful outcome was what they all wanted.

  Oh, I don’t know. I wouldn’t mind a second shot at knocking Rogue’s head off his shoulders, Axel’s cougar said.

  “Janine. I didn’t expect to see you here.” Hogg stepped away from his bike and walked closer to his mate and daughter. “Colleen. There’s still time for you to come home with us and let this bear shifter walk away.”

  “You know that is never going to happen,” Colleen answered. “Tyler is my mate. I thought you would understand and see some sense of your own.”

  Tyler clenched his fists and moved to stand by Colleen’s side. “We’re mates and there is nothing you can say or do to change that.”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” Rogue was off his bike and striding toward them. “There is plenty we can do.”

  “This is not your fight,” Hogg hissed at Rogue.

  “Oh, but it is. You are a weak leader. You can’t even control your own daughter.” Rogue spoke loudly so that the rest of the gang could hear.

  “I am not weak. Colleen will come home with me.” Hogg’s face turned red as he took one more step toward his daughter.

  “You leave her.” Janine put herself between her mate and their daughter. “You know there’s nothing you can do to stop this. Colleen loves Tyler. They are having a child.”

  Hogg’s eyes widened and he stared at his daughter, his eyes lingering on her belly where his grandchild grew. “A baby.”

  “Oh, Hoggy woggy is going to be a granddaddy.” Rogue had his own agenda and the rest of them had been sucked into it.

  “Shut up, or I’ll rip your ears from your head.” Hogg swung around to face Rogue, but the younger man didn’t back down.

  “Get your family in order,” Rogue spat.

  “Hogg.” Janine took hold of her mate’s leather jacket and held it in a firm grip. “You know what it’s like to have a mate. That burning desire to be with them, to make them happy.” She moved her hand to rest over his heart. “If you can’t do this for our daughter, do this for me. Colleen is our daughter. You know how much I love our family. How much you love our family.”

  Hogg looked down at his mate. Axel saw the look of love in his eyes. This was going to work.

  “Hogg wash.” Rogue turned his back to Hogg and his mate and spoke to the rest of the gang. “He’s gone soft. We need a new leader, someone who is strong enough to keep us pure. Strong enough to lead us and not give in to his heart.” Rogue clasped his hand over his heart as he spoke in a high voice. He was goading Hogg, he was trying to usurp the leader of the Hell Fire MC.

  Hogg’s eyes narrowed as he turned to face Rogue. “What do you know about mates? What do you know about why we do what we do? You don’t have a mate or a family.”

  Rogue laughed, his tone insulting as he said, “Exactly. I don’t have the very thing that has made you soft.”

  Hogg shifted in midair, his massive wolf leaping at Rogue who spun out of the way just in time to dodge the claws that would have raked his face.

  “Shall I call the others?” Jenessa asked, her finger on the dial button.

  “No, not yet.” Axel put his hand on hers. “Let’s give this a moment to play out first.”

  “What if the others all attack?” Jenessa asked warily as the two wolves circled each other.

  “Colleen, Janine, move back out of the way.” Tyler grabbed hold of his mate’s arm and pulled her toward him.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” Janine announced loudly. “I’m going to take down Rogue.”

  The air shimmered around her, but Colleen rushed forward and grabbed hold of her mom. “If you get involved this won’t look good for Dad. Rogue will say he needs a woman to fight his battles.”

  Janine half turned to look at her daughter then nodded and followed her away from the fight. “If he hurts my mate, I’ll skin him alive with my claws.”

  Suddenly, Hogg leaped forward, his attack taking Rogue by surprise, and Hogg landed a paw on his opponent’s snout. Angry snarls filled the air as the two faced off once more. This time Rogue made a lunge at Hogg, but he was entirely outsmarted by Hogg who dipped his shoulder and let Rogue’s wolf sail straight past him. With incredible speed and agility, Hogg swung around and leaped on Rogue, pinning him to the ground.

  “I take it back, I think we would have been outnumbered,” Axel said. “Hogg fights like a champ.”

  “Two-time champ, actually,” Janine said with pride. “Before we had Colleen, we both used to fight in the ring.”

  “I don’t think I want to know what kind of ring.” Jenessa watched in fascination as Rogue wriggled out from under Hogg and took a misaimed swipe at his opponent before rolling over. Hogg saw his chance and gripped his teeth around Rogue’s throat. The fight was over.

  “Now what?” Ralph whispered.

  “That is up to Hogg.” Axel’s cougar was both disappointed and relieved he hadn’t had to fight the Hell Fire MC. He’d wanted to get his teeth and claws into the guys who had threatened his mate, but he was thankful he hadn’t had to defend her against them. One wrong move and she might have gotten hurt. Or worse.

  “Hogg.” Janine approached her mate and reached out her hand to him. “Hogg, honey, it’s done.”

  Hogg shifted back to his human form and hugged her tightly. “What are you doing here?” His eyes strayed to where his daughter stood with her mate. “You went behind my back?”

  “It’s not what you think. Colleen asked me to meet her so that we could talk. Sensibly.” She leveled her gaze at him, and he sighed. “There hasn’t been a whole lot of sense in all of this, has there?”

  “No.” He turned a bitter expression on the gang member lying on the ground. “I was manipulated.”

  “By Rogue?” Janine’s eyes flashed in anger.

  “I was stupid. He said if Colleen broke our pure bloodline, it would weaken my position. But I think I’ve shown my position is not weak.” He curled his hands into fists and growled, “It’s strong.”

  “You shouldn’t have doubted yourself.”

  Hogg left his wife and went to stand before his men while Rogue remained on the ground. “We are strong. Not because our blood is pure but because our spirit is pure.”

  His men raised their hands into fists and punched the air, saluting their leader. It was over. For Hogg at least.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight – Jenessa

  “Colleen.” Hogg turned to his daughter, his voice low and calm. “You’re my daughter. I had no right to tell you who you could take as a mate.”

  “No, you did not.” Colleen squared up to her father, her expression set firm. “You know how the mating bond works. You know that I had no choice who I lost my heart and my soul to.”

  “True words.” Hogg looked more frightened of his daughter than of all the members of his gang, and Rog
ue, combined.

  “I want your word that you will never threaten us again.” She reached out for Tyler’s hand and he threaded his fingers through hers. “Tyler is my mate.”

  “And he is my son.” Ralph walked forward, his legs not as strong as they once were but his spirit was undaunted.

  “And now he is my son. Our families are joined.”

  Great, Jenessa thought. Just what we need, more hotheaded bikers in the family. However, her relief was enormous.

  “I might have to give you a trial or something to see if you’re worthy,” Ralph said lightly.

  Hogg took the comment in good humor and rolled his head back and laughed. “You have a reputation, Ralph. I can see it is well earned.” He turned back to his men. “The joining of my daughter and her mate will strengthen our bloodline.”

  His men murmured in agreement.

  “I think he might have more work to do there.” Axel slipped his arm around Jenessa’s shoulders. “I think we can finally get on with our own lives.”

  “Maybe we should tell your friends it’s okay and they can go home.” Her shoulders slumped forward in mock disappointment. “And I so wanted to see a dragon rain fire down on the men who threatened us.”

  Axel pulled away from her, his brows furrowed. “You are a bloodthirsty woman.”

  “I am when it comes to defending my family.” She patted his chest. “And yours.”

  “Come on. I need to go hug my mom, too.” He glanced sideways at his mate. “I don’t care if you think I’m a momma’s boy. You’re bound to me no matter what.”

  “Am I? Is that a challenge?” she asked.

  “No, I am never going to challenge you, you might hire a dragon to singe my fur.” He winked at her as they approached the others.

  “We need to go.” Jenessa placed her hand on her dad’s shoulder.

  “I’ll take care of him and bring him home,” Tyler told her.

  “Is that okay with you, Dad?”

  “Yes. Thanks.” He turned around and hugged her. “Thank you for bringing the family back together.”

  “I’m glad it all worked out.” She hugged her dad back. “We’re going to need to talk. About how things are going to work out.” Jenessa stepped away from her dad. “I’m moving to Cougar Ridge. Axel’s mom has lived here all her life and she needs him. Not that I’m not going to be there for you, Dad. I just wanted to let you know.”