38. Jax

38

Jax

Anna refused to leave with Lunessa. I could see the guilt holding her back, forcing her to dig her heels in and refusing to go with the witch until everyone else was safe.

Unfortunately, she was also the target, so no one wanted to leave her unprotected. I had to order Amelia and Kenzi to leave. I tried to order Saul first, but he merely pointed out that a healer might be necessary. There had been a few skirmishes over the past few days but nothing major. Still, we were all holding our breath.

Lunessa thought she might have one more transport in her, but it wouldn't be closer until evening. We found a small break along a rockslide and made our camp for the night. We all shifted for a few hours to stretch, check on minor wounds, and give our wolves some rest. Sleep and travel were easier as wolves, but it was dangerous, even to me, to let the wolf be in control for too long.

"I don't remember you," Finn admitted quietly as he stared up at the night sky. It didn't take long for me to figure out what he was talking about.

Anna.

"If Maeve was my mother, and we grew up in the same pack, and she spent so much time with you, then why can't I remember you?"

"If Maeve had a mate and a son, how come we don't know about it?" Anna responded. "It's not like she can just wipe them out of existence."

I grunted. "Maeve has always been strange about weaknesses. If she had a mate, it would not surprise me if she didn't tell anyone, but her pack should have been able to feel the mating bond. And a child is pretty damn hard to hide." A thought occurred to me. "Unless she had him before she became alpha."

"And hid him from the pack?" Anna asked. "Why?"

Saul cleared his throat. "It's just as Jax said. To hide any weaknesses. Female alphas are rare on the mountain. When she took power, she may have felt the need to hide her child and mask the mating bond. She used him as her spy, and no one was the wiser."

"She must have been one hell of an actress," Finn said in a low voice. "I have no memories of her as a mother, and no memories of Anna."

"Andrea," I said absently.

Finn's head swiveled to mine. "What did you say?"

"Her father changed her name when they went on the run. Her given name is Andrea."

"You couldn't pronounce it," Finn murmured as he stared at Anna, realization dawning in his eyes. "You called yourself Reyah. I called you Reyah, but your mother hated it. She told me that you needed to learn your own name."

His eyes glowed as he straightened. "Your hair was lighter. A lot lighter, and your eyes were so dark they were creepy, but I think it was also because you had this intensity about you."

"Magic?" Anna whispered, and I squeezed her hand. Hearing the tremor in her voice, I pulled her into my lap and nuzzled her neck.

Finn was quiet for a moment before he shook his head. "I don't remember you doing any magic, or even knowing that you had magic. I just remember that your wolf was small, and I'd tease you about that. Of course, you were small too, but you'd always get so mad."

"Some things haven't changed," I chuckled.

We fell into silence again before Saul shifted. "It's strange that you would find her again. Almost like destiny. The two most wronged by Maeve now facing her again. Only you two aren't alone. You have a whole pack at your disposal. Anna has Jax. Finn has Amelia."

"What?" Finn straightened so quickly that he hit his head on the hanging rock above him and grunted in pain. "Amelia? Why would you say that?"

Even in the dim light, I could see Saul struggling not to smile. "Perhaps I am mistaken."

"Does everybody know?" Finn asked in a resigned voice. I knew that tone well. It was the same one I used for months after bonding with Anna. In my case, anyone bonded with me could also feel the mating bond. When they realized who it was, it was met with sympathy, and in some cases, abject horror.

With Finn, it had to be different. Everyone liked him and Amelia. There was no need for him to try to hide it.

Unless they didn't want each other.

Anna shifted in my lap. "I can feel the mating bond, but I think most wolves have noticed when you're running together."

Finn grunted. "Yeah. Our wolves get along great. Too bad she doesn't trust me, and let's face it, my mother being a homicidal maniac doesn't make things any easier."

"She likes me just fine, and my father's no better," Anna pointed out before she tensed. "Wait, Amelia does like me, doesn't she?"

Saul chuckled. "I'm glad we can have these insecure conversations to distract us from our real issues."

I opened my mouth to point out that his day was coming when a small rock rolled down a crevice, making just the smallest of noises, before falling next to me.

Instantly, we all stilled. It could have been nothing. A bird dropping it from the sky. A small rodent scurrying about on the plateau above us. The wind. All the rogues that we'd encountered, we'd seen or smelled a mile away. There was no chance that there was one sneaking up above us. It was only about thirty feet up, and the wind was blowing in our direction. We'd smell it.

But still, what were the chances?

Anna rolled off me and crouched. Immediately, we all started to shift. As soon as my wolf was out, I tried to shake off my stress and glanced behind me. Saul and Finn had shifted, but Anna was still human. Normally, her wolf was the first one out. She glanced up and widened her eyes. I lifted my nose and sniffed.

Wolves. Too damn many of them. They'd taken precautions to hide their scent, and they were moving quietly together. They were probably in a formation.

They were hunting. Us.

We all backed up to the rock wall. We were cornered, but we were covered on three sides, so they could only attack in front of us. Above us, more rocks started to fall. I lowered my head as a shifter still in human form reached the bottom.

"Alpha Jax," he said politely. He looked to be in his fifties with salt and pepper hair and, oddly enough, a suit. He didn't look or smell familiar. "Your party is smaller than we were expecting. Did you run into some trouble?"

So they haven't been following us this whole time. I growled in a low voice.

"I see the witches are not here. That is unfortunate. I'm told that conversing with you is a moot point, but I believe in giving everyone a chance. I have orders to take the null by any force necessary and the son, if he would like, to accompany and guard her. I'm told they are close."

The son. These weren't rogues banning together.

They were Maeve's wolves.

I growled again.

"We have two dozen wolves and you are four. It will not take long for us to accomplish what we want, and it's always a little messy to kill an alpha. Relinquish them, go home, regroup, and come back to fight another day."

I attacked. To my surprise, the man turned wolf and met my attack with an astonishing speed. Wolves began to descend from the rock face, and three jumping on me immediately. I roared as teeth and claws bit into me, but I shook them off. Turning my head, I froze.

Saul and Finn had shifted and were fighting. They formed a protective barrier around Anna.

Eyes wide, she looked terrified, and she was still fucking human.