44. Jax
44
Jax
Neither Jenson nor Amelia said a word after I told them about Bridget. We were on the edge of the woods, no one around for miles, with no one to overhear.
"You killed her?" Jenson asked Anna, who stood just slightly behind me. She hadn't wanted to be here for this, but I wasn't about to leave her alone in the house with Emerson and the other alphas.
"I didn't have a choice."
Balling up his fists, Jenson turned and stalked away. He didn't go far, and I let him have his space. Amelia inhaled sharply. "I knew something was wrong with her. I should have pushed," she whispered. "These past few days, she'd been acting strangely. Did she kill Finn?"
"Finn is in the infirmary. He's healing, but slowly. You'll take over for guard duty with Anna, and I want the two of you to visit him tomorrow and see if there anything else he can remember about the attack. His injuries are being kept under lock and key." I didn't tell her about Lunessa, but she'd learn eventually if the witch approached Anna again.
It was just so damn hard to know who to trust.
Jenson returned, but there were still tears in his eyes. "What do you need from us?" He asked roughly.
"A lot, unfortunately. I can't even risk telling her family that she's dead yet. Amelia will take over bodyguarding duties for Finn while he's healing, but I want you to keep an eye out for anyone who's acting strangely. Anyone who suddenly wants to befriend Anna or get close to her.
Both of you, when you get a chance, go through all the security feeds. I mean all of it. See who Bridget and Dean talk to. See anyone else they might have colluded with."
"She was my best friend," Amelia said woodenly. "Do you trust me?"
I hesitated. "You reported her even though she was your best friend. You're loyal to me. Was there something happening that I didn't know about? Something she was struggling with?
Something that would have made her betray me?"
"Does it matter?" Jenson snarled.
"It does to me."
Amelia sighed. "I think Dean might have been her mate. She never said anything, but she's smelled a little differently these past few months. Like she's been trying to mask it."
"I hadn't noticed," I said with a frown.
"Me either."
"The two of you are mated. You don't pay attention to that kind of thing anymore."
"I am not mated," Jenson said in confusion.
Amelia ignored him. "It doesn't explain why she would have betrayed you. Even a mate wouldn't make her do that."
"Apparently, your mate can influence you to do all kinds of things," Jenson muttered, his eyes trained on me. For a moment, I considered letting it go. He was hurting over Bridget's betrayal, and he needed a target. If he hadn't involved Anna, I might have been willing to be that target, but I could not let him make inferences about my mate.
I pushed a little power in our bond, and he quickly averted his eyes. No apology, but that was fine. We would have a talk about this later.
"Emerson is claiming that wolves sabotaged his car ten miles from the territory. I need you to send Trey and three others to trace his steps. Emerson will expect me to do this, so make sure they realize it may be a trap. See what they can scout out," I continued. "What did Irene have to say about his witch?"
"She doesn't recognize her," Jenson said and then frowned. "But she also said that's not uncommon. She hasn't had much contact with any witches since attaching herself to us. As for being a target of the Darkwyn coven, she says it's possible. They've hunted witches before for breaking their laws.
"All three of them?" Anna asked, her eyebrows raised. "I have a hard time believing all three would leave their den unprotected."
"Only one. The youngest is the assassin."
Lunessa. Well shit. Did that change things? Why would the Darkwyn coven not want Lunessa to roam about if she was a trained assassin? Wouldn't they want her to work with us?
"Anna, do you know how to get in touch with the coven?"
"No, but I bet Irene does. I'll talk to her tomorrow."
"Why?" Jenson demanded. "Because you don't trust Irene?"
I shot him a hard look, but he just scowled. "It is not because of Irene."
"You should tell him," Anna said suddenly. "I don't think she's here to cause problems, but if I'm wrong, he should know. They should know, especially if Amelia is guarding me."
After a moment, I nodded. "Fine, but like Bridget's betrayal, this needs to stay between us, and if whoever hunted Irene finds out, we may all very well be dead. The maiden is here."
Jenson paled. "You said someone is after power. She must be incredibly powerful."
"She is, and if someone drains her, we're fucked. So keep it quiet. Right now, I think we can trust her, but if Irene contacts the Darkwyn coven and discovers that she has a different agenda, then we go on the offensive. Understand?"
"Tell them all of it," Anna encouraged softly. "Even who I am. They need to know."
Frustration welled up inside of me, and I wanted to push back. The more people who knew what Anna could do, the more danger that she was in.
But I trusted Jenson, and I was trusting Amelia to guard her.
So I told them everything. About what the witches said. About what her father wanted her to do. About her connection to Dean and Emerson.
By the time it was over, I felt something entirely different in my bond with my second.
Remorse.
"I'm an asshole," he said quietly to Anna. "I'm sorry."
"There is no need to apologize. I have done terrible things, and I've brought trouble down on your pack. There are days when I think the best thing I can do is run as far away from all of you as I can and just try to disappear."
"I would find you," I said instantly. "You don't get to run away and do this on your own. Not ever again."
She graced me with a brief smile, but I feared that she would run one day. No matter how safe I made her feel. She'd spent years thinking she was better off on her own, and all I'd done was push her away.
I needed to start making a home for her so she would realize that we were stronger together.
"You have your assignments. Get some sleep. The next few days won't be easy."
We went our separate ways. Anna, I noticed, walked just a few steps behind me. Reaching back, I captured her hand and pulled her forward. She resisted just a little but then relaxed.
"You were resistant to other people knowing what you are," I said in a low voice. "What changed?"
"I'm not used to living in a pack, but I know that trust and loyalty are at the very core of its success. Bridget's betrayal is hard, and I can feel you hardening because of it. You need to trust them, especially if you want me to trust them. I needed to see if you could do it. If you could tell them about me."
"You trust that I will keep you safe now?"
"I trust that we all have the same interest, which is staying alive," she said absently.
That stung, but I deserved it and didn't push her. We didn't say anything when we returned to the house, nor did she say anything when she saw the figure waiting for us.
I squeezed her hand and deliberately kept myself between her and Emerson. "Go straight to our room," I said quietly and kissed her temple. When I opened the front door, she practically fled up the stairs.
"I see she follows orders well," Emerson said with a grin. "That must be nice."
I stared at him for a moment, and the friendly grin dropped. "I suppose she's filled your head with lies about me. I thought she might."
"Why would she think of you at all unless she already knew you. She lived a very sheltered life as a rogue."
Caught in his own lie, Emerson chuckled. "Very well. It's not like you would talk to any of the others about this. We both know that they wouldn't believe you. I never considered Dirk a friend, you know. He was a useful tool. Very useful, and all he wanted in return was to rub elbows with power. Fool thought he could be an alpha one day. He had the raw power, I would give him that, but he didn't have the intelligence or discipline."
"And when Dirk murdered one of my own?"
"I wasn't there. Never saw it happen," Emerson said smoothly. "I didn't know of his extracurricular activities. He kept those hidden whenever I was around."
It was a lie. A smooth one, but a lie, nonetheless. Even if Anna hadn't already told me, I would have noticed it. "You knew him before he was an alpha. That information must have been useful."
"You have no idea what that man could find out. I nearly had him killed myself just so he wouldn't turn on me. Lucky you were able to take care of that business for me."
"Why the charade? Why not just admit what you did? Nobody in this house became alpha without spilling blood."
"And admit that I used a rogue?" Emerson shook his head. "My own clan would think less of me. We all think we're better than the rogues because we can be part of a pack. That we're more civilized. In the end, we're all just animals. It scares most of them to think that."
"And yet rogues disabled your vehicle?"
Emerson smirked. "I have no doubt that you've already given the order to some of your guards to investigate."
"If they don't come back alive, you won't leave here alive."
"Now, now. We are here to join forces against a growing darkness, are we not? We most certainly should not be threatening each other." Darkly, he chuckled. "I certainly can't be responsible for whatever happens to your wolves in rogue territory, now can I? Rest assured, I will be leaving here alive, and I won't be leaving here alone."
"You can't have her."
"Oh, but I can. I hate that you touched her first, but in the end, she will be mine. In fact, I'm willing to put very good money on it. Not only will she be leaving with me, alpha of the Blood Diamond pack, but your mate will come with me willingly. Of that, I have no doubt."