71. Jax

71

Jax

"I just don't understand," Jenson growled as he stared out the window. "How could so many people know what was going to happen and no one lifted a finger to stop it. Witches. Cults. The fucking Fae. Any one of them could have slit Maeve's throat, and we wouldn't be here."

I knew the reason. Every single one of them blamed Anna and not Maeve. If anyone had known what she was, they would have killed her, but Maeve? What was the point? In their minds, another evil would have simply risen and taken her place. They were too busy searching for the weapon rather than concern themselves with who would use the weapon.

"That doesn't matter. The only thing we need to concern ourselves with is fortifying the territory. We've cut off Maeve's ability to use Irene or her kids. London has agreed to start attacking shipments earmarked for Indigo Peak to try and force her to step down."

"She won't," Jenson said quietly. "I have no doubt that she would rather her pack starve to death than give up her power."

I thought the very same thing, but if her own wolves revolted against her, then we stood a better chance.

"I could leave," I said in a low voice. "You're more than capable of taking over the pack. Anna and I could leave."

Jenson narrowed his eyes. "You're powerful, Jax, but Anna's identity is out in the open now. Anyone who recognizes her will kill her without hesitation. You can't always be with her, and as much as I hate to admit it, I don't want to see Anna dead."

"We can change her looks…"

"They'll recognize you, Jax. Your power. Maeve has a pocketful of rogues, but the rest of the mountain knows what's happening. The safest place for her is here." Turning, Jenson frowned. "And Black Diamond won't give you or her up so easily. Ironic since a year ago, everyone here was chomping at the bit for you to kill her. Now, when it might save everyone's life, they won't touch a hair on their head."

"She's incredible," I said in a low voice. "This is definitely the first time anyone has recognized how amazing she is. Not just because of what she has inside of her, but because of who she is."

He stared at me. "She'll put herself in front of an enemy and this pack every single time. If you try to keep her closed off, it will backfire, and you know that, so why isn't she here planning with us?"

Luckily, before I could answer, the door swung open, and Amelia tumbled through. Even if I couldn't see her panic, I could certainly feel it. "Finn," she gasped.

Shit, Maeve? Lunessa was so certain that the spell would work.

"He's making a run for it. He's going to kill Maeve!"

"That would solve a lot of problems," Jenson shrugged.

I snarled. The idiot was going to get himself killed. "Where?" I snarled.

"He's heading for the Northern border. There's the new rule that no one is allowed out or in." Her eyes filled with tears. "They'll kill him if he doesn't back down."

Swiping the radio, I barked an order to detain but not harm. Shifting, I hit all fours and raced from the office and out of the house.

Every time my wolf made contact with the land, I could feel the chaos of the surface. Diamond Black had never been so united in protecting my mate, but there was fear and chaos. Uncertainty of the future.

This was when they needed me, and for the first time ever, I didn't know what to do.

But I would sure as fuck save Finn.

I heard the roars before I broke the tree line and saw my guards surrounding the wolf. I smelled blood, but everyone appeared to be standing. At my snarl, the circle broke, and I stalked in and faced Finn.

His wolf lowered his head in challenge, and for a second, I thought he was going to charge me. Any move he made against me right now could be seen as a formal challenge. Was Finn ready to be an alpha? More importantly, was he ready to bring me down?

I advanced, and to my relief, Finn took a step back. I pulled hard on our bond, making my wishes clear.

Shift.

He didn't. Turning, I snarled at the circle, and they retreated. When I turned to face Finn, I could see the calculations in his eyes. I growled, but he banked left and tried to race past me. Leaping on him, we both tumbled on the ground. Claws and fangs came out, and pain ripped down my side.

Fucker.

His power came ripping out of him full force, and I knew the moment he lost control. Before his wolf could make a move, I pinned him and placed my teeth at his neck.

Instantly, he stilled, and his flank quivered. Backing off, I shifted, and he did the same. "What the fuck are you doing?" I yelled. "Have you lost your mind? My people are poised to kill anyone who disobeys. That means you, Finn!"

"This is your solution? To hide out here until she strikes again? She needs to die!"

"This is not the way to do it. You're pissed and you're scared. I get it. It doesn't have to be a suicide mission!"

"Are you so fucking naive? I'm not getting out of this alive. Neither is Anna. Neither are you. The list of people who are going to die is getting greater and greater until someone kills her. Get out of my way, Jax."

"I am your alpha, and I am saying no."

Finn's eyes narrowed, and I saw the fight still in his eyes. "And if I challenge you, then I challenge you for the pack?"

"Yes, and you're not ready, but you want to take a go at me? I'll give you a pass. This once. Just to show you that you aren't ready."

"And if I win?"

"Then the pack is yours."

"I don't want your fucking pack. I want to be able to do my own thing, like kill my mother. I win, I go."

"No. You win, you take the pack, and then you can do whatever you want."

Baring his teeth, Finn climbed to his feet. "Release me from your bond. I'll be a rogue again."

"No."

In a fury, he launched himself at me. He straddled me and got one good punch before we rolled, and I pinned him. "Let me go!"

"No."

His fist landed on my side, and we rolled. In the dirt, we fought until he realized that we were both done. When he stood, the anger was still there, but he was done. At least for the night. "I hate you for this," he said hoarsely. "I don't understand why."

"Anna loves you. If you die, she will never forgive herself."

"You think you're doing all of this for her, but you'll just lose her. Before Maeve even gets her hands on her. Anna has spent her whole life in a cage. This was the only freedom she has ever known. You're stripping her of that."

A knot tightened in my chest. "I'm keeping her safe. She's carrying my child."

"Yeah. You seem delighted," he said sarcastically. "Worried she's carrying the next evil spawn?"

"Insinuate anything like that again, and I will rip you goddamn head off your shoulders. She is not evil."

"Strange how you said she's not evil but not her child. Your child? She would have had to conceive when she was with Emerson. I mean right after, right?"

"Emerson never touched her. She said so."

"Yeah. It's not like she has had years of trauma and can compartmentalize, black out, or even lie to keep her sometimes unhinged alpha boyfriend from flying off the handle."

Everything stilled inside of me. "Anna doesn't lie to me."

"Looks like she's not the only naive one around."

Bleeding, Finn shifted and raced off, thankfully toward his home. I limped to a stash of clothes and changed. By the time I made it to the house, the shirt was soaked in blood.

Stopping, I stared up at the light in my bedroom. It was well after midnight. Anna should have been asleep. Especially since she was pregnant.

Fuck, was Finn right? Was Anna's child not mine? I thought about what Broderick said again. No child of mine would harm his mother.

But Emerson's?

A child was a child. Blank slate. I could never insinuate that the child might be Emerson's. If Anna had blacked it out, she would break.

It didn't matter whose child it was. The fact that a prophecy said it would kill her ripped me up inside. I needed to tell her.

And explain to her that I wasn't keeping her in a prison. I was keeping her safe.