51. Jax

51

Jax

The burial of my two wolves was a somber affair. We don't have a graveyard. It's too much wasted space. Instead, we gift the body back to the earth and plant a tree on top. The trees grow into a memorial for anyone who wishes to visit.

Anna, I noted, avoided Parker's tree. I hoped that one day, she'd be able to visit and try to reconnect with him. The body was gone, but that didn't mean the spirit didn't remain.

It wasn't until afterward that she told me of what Maeve could do with Irene's blood. I had half a mind to lock Irene away until Maeve was good and dead, but I also wanted to trust the witches. As long as someone had eyes on Irene, Maeve couldn't do any damage through her.

It did serve to distract Jenson. Another obstacle, especially with my third gone. I couldn't help but wonder if this was Maeve's plan all along. Not to spy but to divide the attention of my second.

She could have gleaned so much information during her time here. It was no secret to the pack that Jenson was circling Irene. What was a secret was why they were still at odds with each other.

Anna was quiet during the funeral. She disappeared while I finished up my meetings, and when I sought her out for dinner, I found her in the courtyard of my house, sitting in the grass, with a fire extinguisher next to her. She was out of breath and clearly frustrated.

She was pushing herself. Again. That was my mate. I admired the desire, but I knew what could happen if she burnt out too fast.

"Hey, baby," I said casually as I walked toward her and joined her in the grass. "You're hot, but I'd prefer if you didn't start any more fires."

She glared at me. "How can you joke at a time like this?"

"It's not always sink or swim. Sometimes, you just have to tread water," I told her as I pulled her into my lap. "Talk to me."

"Two of our wolves are dead, and Maeve can reach me anytime she wants. I know it's not easy for her, but she can still do it. We have no idea how much of Irene's blood she has. She held Irene long enough to bleed her over and over again."

"She can speak to you, but she can't use her magic or Irene's. And she's being watched to make sure she doesn't sabotage anything or go anywhere sensitive. Finn and Kenzi are leaving tomorrow to gather more information, and this will end. Soon."

"Poor Irene. I can't imagine what she's going through. Knowing something could take you over at any minute." She glanced up at me. "How's your wolf?"

"That was a virus," I reminded her. I didn't like thinking about how my wolf had lost control. "And he's fine. Truth be told, when you nearly brought me back from the dead, I think you cleansed him. He's never been stronger."

Anna frowned. "What do you mean, cleansed?"

This wasn't something I wanted to discuss with her, but time and time again, she'd opened up about her darkness. I didn't want to hide anything from her. "I don't think my wolf has ever experienced failure until you came into my life. He's had a pack to protect, but you mean everything to him. So, every time you're hurt, he feels like he's failed you. I feel the virus amplified all that anger and misery. Amplified those dark thoughts. He didn't just look like a monster. He felt like one too. Even when the physical affects were reversed, he still felt that way."

"Now he doesn't?"

"Your magic…it brought him peace, Anna. I don't know how else to explain it."

At that, she snorted. "Right. Like anything from me can bring peace."

Knowing I couldn't change her mind right now, I kissed the top of her head. "Are you still trying to create your forcefield?"

Anna sighed. "Yeah. I've got nothing. At least earlier I actually caused some fire. I can't even make the ground smoke right now."

I didn't want her to fail, but I was a little glad she wasn't going to burn my house to the ground. Of course, if that's what it took to make her feel like she was in control, I could always rebuild.

"Is the Crone helping you or hindering you? I'm still happy to kill her for you if you'd like."

At that, she relaxed just a little against me. "I think she's helping, but it's clear she doesn't understand my magic. If she doesn't know how to help me, I'm probably a lost cause."

"She's powerful, Anna, but she's not all-knowing. You're something new. It's good that you're working on this on your own. You'll figure it out."

"Your confidence in me is unnerving," she said with a sigh as she climbed off my lap and stood. "My wolf's been at the surface all day. Think we can go for a run first and then have a late dinner?"

"Absolutely."

Her relief was evident. "Great. Let me just put the fire extinguisher away. I'll join you out back."

"Do you want a private run? There will be a lot of wolves out tonight to honor Michael and Jay. We can drive out further if you want some privacy."

"No. I feel like you should be available to the wolves."

And so should she. Now that she'd accepted the mating bond, she was the same source of comfort to them. I walked to the front and shifted. My wolf was mournful and a little agitated, but when Anna returned, he relaxed.

She bent down and kissed his nose. "Hello, handsome," she whispered as she ran her hands across his head and over his ears. He nuzzled her hand, and I rumbled in pleasure from within. "You ready to run?"

He wagged his tail, and she laughed. The pure and easy sound shot straight through me. When was the last time I'd heard such an easy laugh from her? I'd wag my tail every night to hear that sound.

After quickly undressing, she shifted. It no longer surprised me to see how quickly she could change shape, but I was always in awe. She shook her fur and stretched before rubbing up against me. I disappeared a little more within my wolf to give him some privacy as he greeted his mate.

Then, we ran. Along the dirt trails, with no trees or roots to slow her, we could reach top speeds. I did slow since she was so much smaller, and soon, wolves were emerging from the woods to join us. We ran as a pack, barking in joy and romping.

I kept a close eye on Anna to look for any signs that she was uncomfortable. Nobody crowded her and everyone treated her with reverence. Soon, she even stopped swiveling her head around and just focused on the path in front of us.

When she suddenly veered off, there was no warning. I sought her out through my mating bond and found a rush of adrenaline coursing through her.

I turned with her and snapped at anyone who tried to follow. Slowing down, I tracked her path through the woods, feeling that adrenaline building through her.

Adrenaline and panic.

I smelled smoke first. By the time I reached her, there was a funnel of fire around her. Immediately, I started the change back. If needed, I would reach through the fire and yank her out.

Shifting took far too much time, and by the time I was a functional human again, I was panicked. "Anna," I bellowed and hurled myself through the fire.

To my surprise, it didn't burn. Anna's wolf sat in the middle of the fire, focusing all of her energy on it. The heat grew hotter and crackled around me, but then it started to dissipate. Slowly thinning more and more until there was no smoke. The earth wasn't even scorched. Not a single plant was harmed.

For a second, I thought I'd hallucinated the whole thing, but when I looked at Anna's wolf, I knew.

She'd just successfully created her barrier.

Anna's wolf could do magic.