Chapter Thirteen

Arion glanced out of the bedroom window just as the sun set and heard vehicles approaching. Parking in the driveway was a large and shiny pickup truck, a Jeep, and, lastly, two motorcycles.

Jax joined him at the window, his back pressed into Arion’s. “No fucking way.”

“Do you know them?” Arion watched a burly guy get out of the pickup then man-hug Kalen.

“Most of my life.” Jax kissed him on the cheek. “Meet the Everharts, pumpkin. They’re bear shifters. It seems my dad called in backup.”

“Because of me.” Arion watched the guy get out of the Jeep and give Damon and Jaytee a quick hug before the two on the motorcycles joined in the happy reunion.

“Because of family, babe. I guess my dad got tired of all the bullshit and wanted reinforcements. Those men down there are the best backup you could ask for.”

Jax sounded as if he really wanted to join them. The front yard cleared out, and then Arion heard the ruckus inside the house. “You should go say hi.”

His mate frowned. “I’m not going anywhere until Elvine wakes up, hon. As good as it is to know they’re here, my mates come first.” He cupped Arion’s cheek. “Talk to me, pumpkin. Why do you seem so out of sorts? Is it Elvine?”

“I just don’t feel like I belong,” he admitted. “Elvine was already here when we met. She’s established, and so are your friends downstairs. I’m a newcomer who w asn’t welcomed when I first got here.”

“And my dad, as well as everyone else, made it clear you’re a part of the family. I’ve made it clear, Arion,” Jax replied. “But I get it. I honestly do.” He ran his warm hand over Arion’s back, helping to calm his nerves. “The last guy to join always feels like an outsider. But that still makes you a part of the family, babe. Quinton and his sons are going to accept you just as easily as they’ll accept the other mates as their extended family.”

“Did Elvine feel like an outsider?” Arion really wanted her to wake up. While Jax made him feel protected, Elvine made him feel wanted. Not that Jax didn’t. He went out of his way to let Arion know he mattered. But it just felt different with Elvine. Maybe because she was a female and had a softer touch.

“Elvine?” Jax snorted. “ Have you met our mate? I told you I caught her snooping in our living room window, but she ended up reading me the riot act. Then she stormed in the house and scared my dad. He threw a cast iron frying pan at her, and she ended up adoring him. Then she pretty much renamed all of us.”

Arion grinned. “Mr. Nippy Nose.” Holy shit! He just now got it. “Jax Frost.”

His mate snarled. “Don’t start with the jokes, sweetheart.”

Hiding his grin, he asked, “Mr. Scratchy Crotch?”

Jax chuckled. “When she was peeking in the window, she saw Damon scratching his crotch.”

“Eww, gross. I know she calls your dad Papa Frost, but what does she call your other brother? The other twin.”

“Beefy tattooed giant.” Jax grinned. “Jaytee told me she hung off his arm when he met her. She was trying to drag him away from Raidh.”

Arion could honestly see her doing that.

“I thought his long beard was full of crumbs from snacking on small people.”

They snapped their heads around at the sound of Elvine’s voice. She was sitting up in bed, staring at them. “Why do you feel like you don’t belong, honey bunny?”

That was exactly what Arion was talking about. That feeling right in his chest now that she was awake and they were a team again.

“Because his angel was sleeping too long,” Jax answered as they sat on the bed. “How do you feel, ma petite ?”

Her face erupted in rage. “That parasite snuck up on me like a creep in the night!”

Thief in the night?

“I’m going to rain down heck on him! The slimy son of a mother is going to feel my wrath.” She threw the covers back as Arion heard thundering footsteps heading their way. Jax cracked the door open, but Arion still saw everyone out there, including the family friends.

“I’m going to teach him about ripping a lady’s shirt!” The house began to shake as Elvine’s wings shot out and she flew up toward the ceiling then paced. “I’ll dip his testicles in boiling oil while I beat him black and red!”

“Black and blue,” Damon said from the hallway, and Arion could hear him smacking the back of his hand over his palm. “It’s black and blue, brat. And stop shaking the damn house. You’re making baby Casimir jiggle around in my gut.”

“You are the strangest guy I have ever met,” one of the newcomers said.

The house stopped shaking as Elvine flew to the door and ripped it out of Jax’s grasp.

“Elvine, no!” But Arion’s warning was too late. She saw all the men gathered in the hallway but ignored them as she flew right to Damon. “I’ll paddle your bum black and blue if you keep correcting me.”

Casimir let out a low growl. Elvine turned to him with a scowl. “Sip it, warrior!”

“Zip it,” Damon groaned.

He and Elvine had a glare-off, and no one said a word. Arion wasn’t sure if he should intervene or back just a little farther away. He’d never seen her on the warpath before, and it was kind of scary and arousing.

At the same time, Elvine and Damon burst out laughing.

“Whoever she is, I like her,” the same newcomers said. “She’s got fire!”

Jax growled as Arion hissed.

“Dude, she’s mated and impregnated,” Damon said. “You might want to back down before you get a beatdown, and why am I spitting rhymes?”

“I’m what ?” Elvine squeaked then her mouth dropped open as her brows slowly hiked upward. Arion was peeved that Damon had told her before he and Jax had had a chance to talk to her. That had been their news to share.

“I don’t think they had a chance to discuss that, nékah ,” Casimir said in a strained singsong voice.

“Shit. My bad, guys. I didn’t know she was still in the dark.” Damon held his hands up, palms out, deep regret in his eyes as he looked Arion’s way. “Sorry,” he mouthed, which reminded Arion of when he’d said the same thing to Casimir the night of the attack in the forest.

“I’m what?” Elvine repeated, seeming dazed. Maybe he needed to rub her ears so he could turn her back on. Then Arion watched her zip into the bedroom and glance in the mirror. She shrieked then flew back out, dancing in the air. “Mr. Baby Belly, I’m Mrs. Baby Hump!”

“Baby Bump,” Damon chuckled. “It’s good to see you up and around, brat. Don’t scare us like that again.”

Arion grinned so wide his cheeks hurt, happy his mate was this excited. Honestly, he was scared to death. What did he know about babies? And was it his or Jax’s? Did it matter? Maybe a little, since he still didn’t feel as if he belonged.

You just have to get over your insecurities. This family wants you, despite your rocky start. Arion was going to keep telling himself that until he believed it, but knew in his heart only time would help. Though he could honestly say, he never cared more about anyone in his life than he did about his sweet little Tinker Bell and his Big Bad Wolf.

They had changed his life in such an epic way, and now he was going to be a daddy. As terrified as he was, Arion was also the happiest man alive.

“Is she on caffeine or something?” one of the other newcomers asked. “And it’s so weird seeing her dance in the air.”

Her smile fell as she whispered, “Oh no, they’re here.”

* * * *

“Stay with the other mates,” Jax said to Arion before he and the others raced downstairs. He knew sooner or later Akai would show up, but why did it have to be the moment they were celebrating such good news?

For that alone Jax was going to kill the son of a bitch.

“Nice to see you,” Hyett said. “Cool mate.”

“Mates.” Jax clapped him on the back with a huge grin. “Next time you flirt with her, I’ll gut you.”

Hyett laughed before they stormed out the back door with everyone else. While the bears shifted and took off, Jax, Jaytee, and their dad stood on the back porch and surveyed their backyard and forest.

Jax could smell the stench of vampires and knew they were close by, but he couldn’t tell how many. Would it be another horde, or would Akai be foolish enough to bring only a handful with him?

“Stay sharp, boys,” Kalen said then shifted, moving slowly around the house.

“Wish we’d had time to study our enemy.” Jaytee glanced around. “Be real glad when we can go back to just being a family without the outside interference.”

“Was just thinking that earlier,” Jax replied.

The two were bumped aside as Casimir walked onto the back porch, his hair tied back like he was ready for battle.

“You could say excuse me.” Jax grunted. “It’s rude to storm outside and barrel through someone.

The side of Casimir’s mouth curled into a smile. “ Metkíenkár, nyzants .”

They watched the warrior walk straight into the forest before he disappeared. “Did he just say met key on car? What does that even mean?”

Jax shrugged. “I understood brothers. That was it. I think he might have been insulting us.” He ran his hand over his beard. “I still want to know what he said to Damon before he left for the Unseelie realm.”

“Why?” Jaytee grimaced. “Plan on saying that to Damon yourself?”

“Say that again and it’ll be me and you out there fighting,” Jax growled. “If it’s that sexual, I want to say it to my mates, jackass.”

“Just saw movement to my left,” Jaytee said in a lower tone. “Vampires must’ve spread their scent around to throw us off their trail then circled back.”

Jax caught the blurred movement before a man suddenly appeared standing in their backyard. The stranger was tall, lean, with flowing black hair and would have been gorgeous if not for his cruel, calculating eyes.

“You mutts don’t stand a chance, so just hand over my father’s pet and we’ll leave you in peace.”

“I think you meant pieces,” Jax corrected, descending the steps, suspecting this was Akai. Jaytee followed closely behind but didn’t interfere.

“Why don’t you go home and tell daddy to do his own dirty work, little boy.”

“You know nothing about my family.” Akai hissed.

Unfortunately, Jax knew more than he wanted to about Akai's family, thanks to Elvine joining their hands.

While he could understand the pain of losing a mother—he still felt it deep inside himself and knew it would never go away—he couldn’t comprehend torturing an innocent person in an attempt to ease the suffering.

“Your father killed your mother and tore apart your family that night, along with his son’s trust and love,” Jax stated, noticing a slight narrowing of Akai’s eyes. “And since then, he’s been giving you whatever you want just to avoid facing the fact that, on that same night, he also destroyed you mentally and emotionally. Am I close or at least in the ballpark?”

“Arion talks too much.” Akai replied with a malevolent gaze toward Jax. “If your life is so perfect, where’s your mommy, mutt?”

Every shifter around Jax growled in response. “Hunters killed her,” he answered truthfully with a slight ache in his heart.

“Humans,” Akai spat with disgust. “Worse than filthy mutts.”

“You’re just a bundle of joy.” Jax sneered. “But I have another theory. Tell me if this one fits you better. Your father thinks your mind broke that night, but if you ask me, I think it was actually set free. Am I right, little boy? The monster has always been inside of you. You just did a good job of hiding it.”

A slow, sinister smile spread across Akai’s face. “You are the first person to figure that out.”

It wasn’t difficult. The man took too much pleasure in inflicting pain on others.

He was willing to bet Arion wasn’t his first victim. If anyone had bothered to check, they would have found centuries of this vampire’s atrocities scattered in his wake.

Jax was sure of it.

There was no hope for Akai. He was broken on such a deep level that not even the fires of hell could cleanse him.

Akai’s laugh was chilling. “Your family is just as broken as mine. “They will abandon you the moment you become an inconvenience for them.”

Jax wasn’t sure if the vampire was born this way or if it was nature, but there wasn’t any doubt the guy’s parents had a hand in creating the monster Akai was today.

“No,” Jax said calmly as he shook his head. “Let me educate you, Akai. This family knows how to stand side by side, knows how to be loyal.” He gestured toward the shifters all around him as his tone grew hard and biting. “A family who will throw down to protect each other. I will go to war to protect every single person in this house. Can you say the same about your family? Would you willingly lay down your life for your father? I would, without hesitation. My family is all around me right now, while your daddy is waiting for you at home.”

The bears and Jax’s family slowly moved in, but so did the other vampires, as if they sensed the impending battle and were getting ready for it.

“Arion is now a Frost, Akai. This family may not be perfect, may fight amongst ourselves, and feel like, at times, life beats us down, but my family will never let me fall. They will always have my back. And now Arion is a part of that.” He walked farther into the yard, seething at what this man had done to Arion for over a decade, how Akai had brutalized Jax’s mate for nothing more than his own sick pleasure.

“You are about to find out what true torture feels like,” Jax ground out. “I’m about to exact a pound of flesh from you for every…single…scar…you left on him.”

“I tried to offer you peace, mutt.” Akai’s soulless eyes lit up as a gleeful smile spread. He was truly one sick son of a bitch and Jax wanted to vomit knowing he’d had those cruel hands on his sweet Arion.

“And I’m offering you death.” Jax attacked. The other vampires emerged from the woods but just stood there and watched like they were waiting to see who the stronger opponent was: Jax or Akai.

Using his inhuman speed, Akai moved around Jax, slicing cuts into him with his sharp nails. His fighting skills were sloppy at best. He’d probably never been challenged because of his father, but Akai was playing with the big boys tonight.

All Jax had to do was anticipate his next move, then he clotheslined the idiot. Instead of flat-out killing him, Jax went for blows, giving Akai the beatdown that was way overdue. His family and the bears would watch his back while he gladly dealt out revenge on Arion’s behalf.

The vampire tried to fight back, even tried to defend himself, but Jax’s rage was relentless.

“Attack them!” Akai shrieked at his men, while trying to use his speed again, but every time he made that move, Jax countered it with a well-placed punch.

He slugged Akai in his mouth, shattering his fangs. “You want to torture a defenseless man, you sick fuck?” A fist to Akai’s throat. “Terrorize someone weaker than you.” A punch to his gut. “Send him to find Casimir so the warrior would die.” One kidney shot, followed up with an uppercut. “Unlucky for you, Arion has a huge-ass family to protect him now.”

A punch through the chest so Jax could rip out his heart. “Now you’re educated.”

Gross. He dropped the beating muscle. Yuk.

Frowning, Jax glanced around at the two dozen vampires who hadn’t lifted a hand to help their coven leader’s son. No one had moved, not even the shifters. They had all just stood by and watched Jax brutalize the vampire.

“You better kill his father too,” one guy said. “Because he will come after you, and no doubt kill us for letting his monstrous spawn die.”

“Hated living under the fear he would take one of us to his torture room next. Freak is a psycho,” another one snarled with murmurs of agreement all around him.

“Look,” a third one chimed in, “we’re not a bad coven. We just got strapped with a crappy leader and his psychotic son. I’m not saying we’ll become friends, because that will never happen, but we also don’t want a war over Arion. I like the guy. He’s a funny dude.”

“Arion has done a lot of us solids. It’s his uncle you should kill,” yet another guy said. “If you ask me, Alonzo is even worse than Ozel.”

Still confused as hell, Jax watched the vampires use their inhuman speed to leave the property.

“That’s what kindness gets you,” Quinton said as he watched them leave. “Loyalty. I saw your mate upstairs, but I’d love to actually meet him, Jax. He sounds like one hell of a guy.”

Jax still stood there, waiting for the vampires to turn around and attack. That’s what he was used to them doing, but no one returned. The only threat to Arion now was the coven leader, and possibly his uncle.

“Go get cleaned up,” his dad said with pride in his eyes. “You did really good, son. I’m proud of you.”

Still standing there dumbfounded, Jax asked, “Did they really just walk away?”

“What have I always said to you guys?” Kalen asked.

“Always help, never harm,” Jax answered. Then it dawned on him what his dad had just said a moment ago. It didn’t matter to Jax how old he was, hearing his father praise him would always make him feel like he was on the right path in life. Kalen’s opinion of him mattered, and Jax could only hope to be half the man his father was.

“Arion lived by that code and gained friends he never knew he even had.” His dad grinned, pride once more glinting in his eyes. “You have one hell of a mate.”

“Two mates,” he corrected.

Jax knew the real reason his dad smiled like that. He’d looked at Elvine as a daughter and now she officially was, but he’d also gained another son.

Now, if Jax and Elvine argued, his chances of his dad siding with him instead of the brat equated to a fat snowball chance in hell. And Jax wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Damn. I was hoping for a good brawl,” Killian complained. “You guys had me all excited for nothing.”

“Poor baby,” his brother Ryker teased. “Though you don’t stand a chance in hell of winning, you could always brawl with me. I’ll even keep one hand behind my back.”

Killian flipped him off. “You’d only squeal like a pig if I punched you.”

Ryker growled. “Only the men I screw squeal, jackass.”

“Got a tavern in town?” Hyett asked Jax, clearly ignoring his brothers. He was used to hearing them quarrel and learned how to tune them out. Just as Jax had with the twins. “Wouldn’t mind tossing back a few while scoping out some tail.” He wiggled his brows. “I’m happy that you’re mated, but damn, I’m gonna miss going on the prowl with you at my side.”

Jax chuckled, thankful a war hadn’t broken out tonight. It still might if his mates heard what Hyett had just said. He was ready to go upstairs and check on them then screw their brains out. “Fearless Fox. But be warned, a wolf shifter owns the place, and he doesn’t put up with anyone’s bullshit.”

“And you really don’t want to piss off Sheriff Harper,” Jaytee interjected with a grin. “Though he might go easy on you considering he’s a bear shifter.”

“What do you say, Kalen?” Quinton asked, eyebrow arched. “Since your single like us, ready to have some fun?”

Jax wouldn’t miss the bachelor life. Not when he had a fugitive mate and a badly scarred one that were wrapped tightly around his heart. And maybe soon, he would be a father.

But if things went in the opposite direction, they would deal with it, mourn as mates, and bring each other comfort. The three of them still had a long way to go, but Jax had all the confidence in the world they would be just fine.

They were Frosts, after all.