Page 25

Jaxson

“I DON’T KNOW,” Billie says for what must be the twentieth time since we came into the security office, looking at the screens displaying the wolves currently in the holding cells.

All the wolves were either dragged in there under the influence of beta-toxin, or went willingly to await their fate and have a chance to plead their case to our alpha.

Only not all of the wolves have been focused on our alpha.

When we walked in, about ten of the wolves that were in the woods and under Little Fox’s command sunk down to the floor and crawled their way toward us in submission. At first, we— okay,

FINE! Fine!

I thought they were all displaying their subservience to Xander, the alpha responsible for their judgment. But when I turned to Xander, his brows were furrowed, and his head was canted to the side as he observed them through his wolf’s eyes.

Billie, having changed into Xander’s old blue sweater since my T-shirt was soaked with her sweat from whatever the hell she and Little Fox did to force Colette into submission, numbly stumbled her way toward the cells. When I saw the unfocused gaze in her glowing eyes, as if she were in a trance, my heart lodged itself in my throat... again . I shared a wary look with Ethan, and we both slowly approached her, ready to intervene when her feet abruptly stopped about five small steps from the cell.

She stood stock-still while her glowing eyes widened taking in the wolves. Xander observed her reaction and then proceeded to take several long strides toward the other holding cell and away from Billie. All but two of the wolves lying on their bellies kept low to the ground and reorientated themselves to follow him, though it seemed they made sure not give Billie their backs. The other two didn’t even notice his departure, their eyes fully locked on our mate. She rubbed her chest, and all , even the wolves facing Xander, rolled onto their backs, giving her and him their bellies in absolute surrender.

Her feet seemed to glide over the remaining distance, and her hands slipped around the bars. In a smooth lullaby of a voice, unlike any voice I’ve ever heard from her, she said, “My wolves, be at ease. All will be well. Alpha Knight is who I trust with you.”

The two wolves facing her flipped and reclined onto their haunches, their heads bowed in deference. The wolves in front of Xander stayed on their backs and looked at him. His nostril flared with his large inhales, and his glowing eyes flicked between the wolves on their backs, the ones sitting patiently, and then our mate, who was still loosely gripping the bars, eyes glowing but unfocused. Xander crouched down and slipped a hand through the bars, as the wolves lined up, and one greeted him. Each one’s eyes were glowing brightly and their bodies were shivering under his palm. After he was done, he pressed up to standing and announced, “At ease, wolves. You are pack.”

Those that met him joined the other two, and they all let out cheerful barks and howls that snapped Billie free from what I assume was her connection to them. Her hands fell from the bars, and she shook her head several times. She stumbled backward just as I was coming up to meet her. With my arms wrapped loosely around her waist, we watched the wolves make their way to a back corner, where they flopped down together, cuddling and nuzzling in a huge puppy pile.

I bent down and whispered in her ear, which was red, much like her neck and face. “What’d you do, mate?”

She craned her head back to look up at me with bulging eyes, and meekly smiled. “Pulled a Donny?” Then she cautiously twisted her head around to look at Xander, who was gazing between her and the wolves. He raised his brows. She returned the gesture and added an opened-palm raise of I don’t know . His jaw ticked, and his chest expanded with a deep, stabilizing inhale that felt like it shook the foundation of the building, before releasing it through his nostrils and dipping his chin. Turning to Mayland, he motioned to the cells, and in a cool tone he ordered, “Let’s keep this cell clear of all those but the ones huddled in the back corner, and make sure they’ve got food and water available to them. Then I’ll assess the others one at a time.”

“I’d like to help with the assessment,” his gran interjected, gliding up alongside him and placing an earthen hand on his shoulder. Xander looked down at his gran, and she offered him a small smile. “The final verdict may need to be declared by the alpha, but the judgment doesn’t solely have to. Nor should it, Alpha.” Xander’s brows dipped, and his narrowed eyes swept over the wolves and then back to his gran. Her gaze followed his, and she expelled a tired breath. “I’ve known these wolves for a long time, some from when they were just pups. My connection may help provide a greater picture.” She paused and rocked her head from side to side. “Or more detailed at least.”

Xander agreed, and then he and his gran went about assessing all the wolves, even the unconscious ones, with the exception of the ten or so blissfully sleeping in the corner like they had no worries in the world and had found a peace long forgotten.

The tension and weight Xander had been carrying—the knowledge he’d be here, making this decision for these wolves—lightened as he and his gran connected, discussed, listened, and together came to a conclusion. In the end, of the remaining wolves, all but four would be banished from pack lands and branded as permanent enemies of our pack. The pack officers, Elder Eleanor and Jasper have agreed to handle those wolves tomorrow. Because tonight—tonight we have to deal with the four here determined to be treasonous and sentenced to death, including Colette’s father (and holy fuck, what did Xander sense from him?). Then they will join the fate of those killed in battle—a fate that will be carried out at the pit, hopefully well before dawn. Never liked how short the days got this time of year up here, but tonight I’m grateful for it.

Now, Xander, myself, Billie, and his gran are gathered in the office, on the same floor of the cells, the same one we watched Amber’s complete breakdown from. Ethan and Jasper have shifted back into wolf form to readminister beta toxin to the wolves that will be banished and those we’re bringing to the pit, while Mayland and White work on loading the ones destined for the pit into the back of the police truck.

Xander’s gran is sitting on a dark-green cushioned rolling chair from the eighties, I think, in the back corner, quietly collecting the paperwork that will need to be filed with the Shifter High Council. The sleeves of what I call her grandmother sweater, the knitted brown wool is stretched out from years of wear, are rolled up as she sorts through the pages and casts curious glances at her grandson and his mate, both of whom are standing in front of the monitors staring at the sleeping wolves. They’re close enough to touch, yet both have their arms folded over their chests.

Xander releases a frustrated grunt at her repeated answer of “I don’t know,” and Billie throws her arms up in aggravation while turning to him, her face stretched out in exasperation. “Listen,” she says, and he half turns to her with an arched brow. Dragging her fingers down her face, she groans. “I don’t know what happened apart from the process. I’m pretty sure Little Fox wasn’t completely aware of the potential outcome of what she was doing. All she knew was that her mates were in trouble, and she had the ability to keep some of the threats away. Did she know she was connecting with them?” She poses the question with a shrug of a shoulder. “Sure. But I don’t think she expected to take two of them on as her... subjects, or whatever. If she really did”—she raises a finger just as Xander’s mouth opens— “then I’m a little relieved because the amount of shifter energy she used and how absolutely drained I was after, means that we probably didn’t need to approach it in this manner. If we need to deploy a similar tactic in the future, hopefully it won’t have to be nearly as personal or draining.”

Aaannndddd they’re back to staring at each other, but this time with tension rapidly rising. Scrubbing a hand through my hair, I mutter, “They seem content. All of them, not just the two in question.” Glancing at the monitor, I have a desire to shift and join in on the snuggles. But I can’t because I’m a leader now. I blow out a breath. “Happy even. And if that’s the case, maybe we sidebar this discussion?” I flit my gaze between the two, neither looking away from the other. “If their well-being is not in question and they’re safely secured here, maybe we focus on what still needs to be done. That way we can have this discussion later with clear heads and perhaps guidance from those who may have insight on this, yea.”

The tapping of stacks of paper on the metal desk sounds from behind us, and Gran presses up to standing with the packets in hand. Swishing over in her L. L. Bean duck boots, her Wigwam wool socks peeking out from under her denim broomstick skirt, she sighs. “That sounds like a good idea, Jaxson dear.” Damn straight, my spine erects, and my chest puffs out at the praise. Her violet eyes glow, and she gazes between Xander and Billie. “What happened was not done with the intent to harm or with the resulting outcome in mind. In fact, what Little Fox did may have helped far more than merely preventing an oncoming attack. Elder Allan will most likely have some information on what occurred, as well as Alessandro. Little Fox was doing what she thought was best, and without mentors to guide her, she has to learn out in the field at times. Not ideal, but I would rather she test her powers than be afraid of them and too scared or uncertain to use what is inside her. I think she achieved her goal—there was just a little more oomph behind it than needed.”

“She displayed a power that could be spun and used to support the negative rumors about her and royals that are already being spread,” Xander argues in a tired voice, his hard gaze going from his gran to Billie. “Twice,” he adds.

Billie winces and ducks her chin.

The tight lines of frustration and ire etched on Xander’s face pull down into worry, and he reaches for Billie, taking hold of her hips and pulling her to him. Her shoulders drop from their tense position, and she loosely hangs her arms around him, tucking her thumbs into the waistband of his worn jeans while resting her forehead on his chest. His arms drape around her, and he lays his cheek on the top of her head. “She was on fire, Gran,” he says in a slightly garbled voice. “She unknowingly drained herself to such a point she couldn’t save herself. Even after Jax gave her some of his essence, she still slipped under that boiling energy. If I hadn’t been there...” He struggles through a jagged inhale. “I... I don’t know if she would have survived.” Billie’s face scrunches up, and she snuggles deeper into his hold. He doesn’t say anything more about what happened with Colette, the four of us needing to talk through it privately.

Gran rubs Xander’s shoulder. “But you were there, my dear,” she coos. “You were there, and now she knows. They both know. Perhaps”—she tilts her head down to look at Billie, who opens her watery eyes at the feeling of Gran’s attention— “we’ll learn from this. Set up more training and do so in controlled environments.” She glides a hand down Billie’s shoulder and pats her midback. “And maybe be more cautious next time, hmm?”

The corners of Billie’s mouth curl up, and she puffs out a short laugh. “Neither Little Fox nor I want to feel like that again.” Her body shudders, and Xander squeezes her tighter. “It was definitely a memorable lesson, one that is literally seared into my memory.”

“Exactly, my dear.” Gran softly laughs, then she steps back and gives me the smallest of nods as if she knows how badly I want to join my pack-mates in this mini-snuggle session. I come around Billie’s back and squish her in tight to Xander so I can rest my hands on his hips and my head on his shoulder, Billie secured between us: alive, conscious, no longer burning up. “Now why don’t you take a moment, and I do mean just a moment, and then we’ll end this night before the sun rises on what will hopefully be a brighter day?” Gran suggests.