5. Jax

5

Jax

For one unsettled moment, I realized that Anna wasn't there anymore. One moment she was staring into my eyes, and the next, it was her wolf.

Happy, content. When she bowed to me, I realized she was even playful. It was a side of her wolf that I'd never seen before, along with the fact that I'd never seen her wolf without Anna.

I didn't know what to do. A frantic part of me was worried that Anna had disappeared completely. It wasn't unheard of for wolves to give up their human selves completely.

Was that what Anna had done?

We hadn't had a chance to stop and take a breath in months. So much had happened. I just wanted her to talk to someone, a professional, and sort through her feelings.

Her wolf nuzzled me, and I reluctantly gave my wolf more control so they could run and play. The hours passed, and when she collapsed and rolled on her belly with a happy smile, I shifted. Sitting in the grass, I held her head and softly stroked her ears. Despite the length of time we'd been together, I hadn't spent that much time with her wolf. She rarely shifted outside of emergency situations.

The crisscross pattern of her scars both broke my heart and filled me with pride. Her father had done that to her deliberately, but she'd survived. She was the most amazing wolf I'd ever met.

"Finn is fine," I said conversationally as I rubbed my finger over her wet nose. "His wolf panicked a little, but once he was with Amelia, he calmed. When he saw me, he grounded himself completely and let Finn take back control. You were right about Amelia and Finn, although I don't know if they're willing to admit it yet. I shouldn't be surprised that you noticed it. You spend a lot of time looking at people, don't you? Judging whether they can be trusted."

Anna's wolf rumbled, and she wiggled further into my lap. Still no sign of Anna. Chuckling, I ran my hands down her furry belly. My sweet little honey-colored wolf.

"London has requested to see us when we're done with the run. I sense there's some trouble here, and he'd like my advice." When the wolf growled, I rubbed her ears. "I'm not worried about it. I don't think it will delay our trip. I figure we can stay here for a few days to rest and gather our strength. London has offered us a truck, but it won't fit all of us. I'll send you with Janelle, Cindy and Kenzi. It shouldn't take you more than two days. Finn, Saul, and I will go on foot. It'll put us a few days behind you, but I don't anticipate any trouble."

Her golden eyes dimmed just a little, and I started to see more of Anna staring back at me. "I'm not being chauvinistic. It'll triple our journey if Janelle is on foot, and Cindy is in no shape to make the trip. Kenzi and Amelia can drive, and you have access to my power if you run into trouble. Finn is almost faster than me, and we'll keep Saul in case we run into trouble."

The wolf blinked, and I watched as her fur started to disappear. It always blew me away at how quickly Anna could shift, but moments later, she was the one in my arms, staring up at me.

"Hello," I said with a soft smile. "Your wolf seems happy."

"You make her feel safe."

Well, shit. That kind of honesty never came from Anna, although the look of annoyance when she said it was very her.

"We should get dressed and see what London wants. I haven't had a chance to thank him for letting us rest here."

I was reluctant to let her go, but I didn't stop her from rising and searching for her clothes. Mine were at London's home, but I found a pair of sweatpants and a tee shirt stashed at the base of a tree that fit pretty decently. I wanted to ask her why she'd hidden in her wolf, but I decided it wasn't the most important issue at hand. It was the first time I'd ever seen her do it. Maybe she thought her wolf deserved it.

"Your breakfast was cut short. Let's grab something to eat and then we can see him."

"Your new obsession with how much I eat is a little unsettling," she grumbled.

After making her a sandwich and some chips, we sought out London. To my surprise, Saul was in his office. Seeing me, my healer rose and bowed his head.

London had his own healers. What the hell was he doing with mine?

"Don't growl at him or at me," London said without looking up from his paperwork. "I haven't done more than just request his presence. We've been waiting for you. I imagine the wait has been fairly boring for him."

"On the contrary, the silence has been soothing. There is no silence on a ship," Saul said with a wrinkled nose.

"I still can't believe you took a damn ship." Finally pushing his papers away, London looked at Anna and smiled kindly. "But it does not surprise me the lengths Jax went to make certain that you are safe. I'm sure that he's told you that your secret is no longer a secret. They know she is a null. It's unheard of, and it's going to make you very popular."

My insides tensed. Once London and Maeve realized what Anna had done to save Irene, they'd been furious that I hadn't told them. Maeve immediately demanded that Anna be available to all of them. "Do you have need of a null?" I asked tensely.

Leaning back, the other alpha smirked. We both knew that I owed him, but I was not about to loan Anna out to that need. "No. Currently, I have no need for a null. I have a witch, but unlike the rest of you, magic is not a big part of this pack. What I do have need of is a chemist."

That explained Saul. In addition to having his medical degree, Saul had a minor in chemistry. "And why is that?"

"For the last three months, I've gotten a mysterious shipment included with the rest of my shipments: vials of an unknown substance. I assumed at first that it was a mistake, and I returned the crate. Another arrived a month later. This time, I had my security team investigate the company it came from. They do not exist. Even the return address was not the same. I returned it. Yesterday, another arrived."

"That doesn't sound good."

"I thought that as well. I've not allowed any of the wolves to go near it. I've granted you entry into my land and sanctuary for a few days, and I ask nothing in return. However, if your chemist finds himself bored and would like to look at these vials, I would be happy to offer him all of the equipment in our lab. I'm hoping that it will be enough to discern just what is being sent to me."

"Yes, please," Saul said eagerly. His eyes shimmered at the thought of a challenge and a mystery.

I shrugged. If he wanted to do a little science while we were here, who was I to stop him? "You'll take the necessary precautions?"

"Have you ever known me to be careless? If you take me to the crate, I'll get started right away."

"Thank you. This mystery has been weighing on me. I will be in your debt."

"Consider us even," I said roughly.

London paused. "A personal favor to Saul then, should he ever need it, even if he can't discern the contents. Jax, you are welcome to go with him if you want to see the contents."

He wasn't bothering trying to hide his interest in speaking to Anna alone. I glanced at her, but she didn't look at all uncomfortable. After a moment, I nodded. London called a wolf in to show Saul the crate, and he hopped away like an eager puppy.

I hesitated, and Anna looked at me and smiled. "I'm fine. You don't need to watch me every second of the day."

It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her that it wasn't what I was doing, but it occurred to me that it was exactly what I was doing. She needed some room to breathe. I could give that to her.

She was safe here. When I looked at London, he had understanding in his eyes. As I followed Saul out, I tried to ignore the same feeling that I had every time I walked away from her now.

That it was the last time I was going to see her.