Taming Jax (First Wave Book 5) (38 page)

Jax squeezed Reven’s hand and gave him a small smile as she looked at her friends. She could feel the worry and apprehension as they moved closer to the bed and wished she could ease their fear.

Amun had been running the scans from outside and already knew of her physical condition. His curiosity was for her mental status, and he ran her through a series of questions that he and Grai had pulled from looking through her files.

She aced every question, including those regarding past missions and team members. There didn’t seem to be any long-term memory loss and Jax had been able to stand and move without any physical problems or limitations.

It was Grai who decided to stop walking on eggshells. “Do you know who did this to you?”

Jax looked up at Grai with gratitude; she was tired of the crap questions. “No, but I can find him. I know his voice, height, weight and his scent. He was a Prime. I didn’t know it at the time, although I think a part of me suspected it.”

Grai wasn’t surprised. Jax had only confirmed what he had already figured out. He was getting ready to ask more when Amun interrupted.

“What is this? Do you know what happened?” Amun asked Jax as he lifted her right arm and studied the new markings on her arm, before turning to look at Reven’s matching marks.

Jax blushed and looked down at her lap. “The uh… old me was gone. Our bonds were broken and couldn’t be repaired… so I chose to recreate them. I didn’t realize the energy would go crazy with the markings though…” Jax said as she hid her hand under the blanket, beginning to feel embarrassed.

Reven’s voice cracked as he asked, “What do you mean; you chose to recreate them?”

Jax looked around at the others and blushed before answering Reven through their new bonds. “I found what little remained of our old bond, and I created a new, stronger bond. The new marks are a representation of the new bond you have with the new me. I thought… you would want that back too…” Jax said, wondering if she had done the wrong thing.

“You’re telling me that we were no longer bound together… that you could have lived your life no longer tied to me?” Reven asked aloud, his heart pounding.

Jax nodded her head and looked at her lap, waiting to see how Reven would react. She was surprised when he asked the one thing she didn’t want to answer with everyone in the room.

“Why?” Reven asked hoarsely.

Jax looked at Grai gratefully when he ushered everyone out of the room and closed the door behind them. She turned to Reven and looked him in the eyes.

“Because the one thing I remember more clearly than anything else, is how much I love you. And how…” Jax paused, trying to get control of herself before continuing.

“When I knew I was dying, my biggest regret, was all the time I wasted fighting it when the happiest moments of my life were the ones with you in them. I know it was selfish, but I wanted that back. I wanted the chance to do it right this time.”

Reven tried to choke back his tears, but he couldn’t do it and didn’t care. He let them fall as he grabbed his mate and held her tightly to him as she wrapped her arms around him.

Jax allowed her love for him to radiate from her energy, hoping he would have no doubt of her feelings for him. She looked into his shining blue eyes and asked, “Are you ok with that?”

Reven chuckled through his emotions. “Yes, I am more than ok with that.” What else could he say? He had never dreamed of having her back, but to know she loved him enough to re-bind them by her own choice was a little overwhelming.

Jax knew that Reven was not only tired, but emotionally fried at the moment. He and the children had been through so much while she had been recovering, and they needed time to sleep and adjust and learn that she didn’t come back much different that she had been before she’d been damaged.

The differences were not something that anyone other than a Prime would notice anyway. At some point, she would explain it to Reven, but for now, she just wanted to enjoy being with her family.

Jax hugged Reven close before asking, “Have you and the girls thought of a name for our baby yet?” She knew they hadn’t, but she really wanted to see them smile.

Reven grinned big, “You know?”

Jax laughed. “Of course, I know! It’s kind of hard to miss her when she’s so strong and determined. She reminds me of someone else I know…” Jax said, staring at Reven with playfully accusing eyes.

Reven laughed; this was definitely his mate; he thought as he enjoyed her teasing. “I think it’s safe to say she is exactly like her mom and her sisters.”

Melina and Bayla giggled when Jax swept them into her arms and squeezed them. “Then you will be outnumbered by us! I almost feel sorry for you…” Jax said with a wink and giggle as Cal and Wolfen tried to climb on the bed with them.

Reven turned serious. “I can’t imagine ever feeling luckier or happier, than I do right now.”

*****

Grai headed with the others back to the conference room, leaving the family to bond together. He was halfway there when Jax spoke to him through a new path he hadn’t realized was there. He was getting kind of tired of being surprised.

“I know what you are assuming, but Lara is not a traitor. She thinks to fight the enemy on her own in order to protect us. She will need our help with him.”

Grai shook his head. That was nice to hear, but he couldn’t keep his people safe with only feelings and assumptions to go on. Since Lara refused to explain, he would do what was necessary to protect those he loved.

With the human holidays coming and their own as well, people will be coming and going, and it will be more important than ever for them to be vigilant. Things were going to change; Grai thought sadly.

Epilogue

Two Weeks Later

Jax woke to the sound of Cal’s roar coming from the kitchen. Rolling over she patted the empty bed beside her and sighed before she sat up. She stood and stretched as the door was flung open and Reven came in with a bouncing puppy trailing behind him.

He gave her a beaming smile before he swung her into his arms and planted a kiss on her lips. Jax sighed as she melted into him and was disappointed when he pulled away.

His eyes twinkled as he spoke. “Cal is demanding breakfast and the girls are awake. I need your help.”

Jax grinned. “What’s on the menu baby?”

“Pancakes!” Reven said as he swatted her on the ass before running out of the room before she could catch him.

Jax laughed, knowing she’d get even with him later. Grabbing her clothes, she headed into the shower in her room. She couldn’t be happier with the new house. Not only did she and Reven have their own bathroom, but they were able to get the only house that was in the middle of the animal sanctuary.

Funny that it was the only house no one else wanted, Jax thought with a laugh, even though it had five bedrooms and three bathrooms. Reven and the kids couldn’t be happier. It seems, while she was recovering, Reven had formed his own, unique bond with the animals. Not only was he accepted as family by them, he loved them in return.

Although he couldn’t speak to them the way that Jax and Bayla could, he had developed his own way of communicating with them. He even had his own fan club, Jax thought as she sent her energy through the house and saw Zat, Sid, Gam and May in the kitchen with Cal and Wolfen.

Like the amazing commander that he was, Reven flitted between the animals and the children, paying attention to each and keeping things running smoothly. Jax smiled at the images in her mind.

By the time she joined them in the kitchen, Reven and Melina had breakfast on the table, while Cal’s bowl (it was a roasting pan that Jax, and the girls had decorated for him) sat on the floor between Melina and Bayla. Zat and May had a place at the table, while Sid and Gam ate between her and Reven on the floor. Everyone had a heaping pile of pancakes, even the animals.

Kintaq had assured them that giving them people food once in a while wasn’t bad, as long as they kept up their regular diet, and Reven’s pancakes were everyone’s weakness.

He used three griddles to make enough for everyone so Jax was a little surprised that Reven had made the effort on a weekday. She gave him a curious smile as he came over to her and kissed the top of her head.

“It is merely a way to start your new job off to a good start.” Reven said, answering her question in her eyes.

Jax growled playfully. “It’s my temporary job until after our daughter arrives. You better remember that.”

Reven laughed and held up his hands in surrender. “I have no doubt you will not allow me to forget it.” He sat down and gave a wink to Melina before continuing.

“I heard the teams are pretty worried. Especially since they have no idea what, if any, new abilities you may have.”

Jax laughed, which was Reven’s intent. “Yeah, yeah go ahead, mock me. But, I can still kick your ass. Well, I could before too… but I can really kick it now.”

Reven grabbed his chest in pretend fear, not the least bit afraid of his beautiful mate. Even though, she really could kick his ass now. He could put up a hell of a fight and get in some good shots, but she had become much faster than she was before and there was no one who could keep up with her. Except Melina, he thought, smiling at his daughter.

A lot of things had changed; Reven thought with a sad smile. Some things, like Jax’s questionable taste in colors around the home, had changed completely and weren’t missed at all. Even by the kids, who finally admitted the previous, annoyingly bright colors were terrible.

Other things were more subtle, like how she would sometimes just stare at someone for long moments. Only a handful of people knew that R2 was pulling the memories from their mind and copying them for Jax, so she could remember their previous interactions.

The one thing that had changed the most was the way she was with him and the children. Jax had always held a little of herself back before, now she was much more affectionate, and she didn’t care who saw it either.  

Reven had been floored when she left the makeshift MedLab in a short-sleeve shirt, showing her new Ator-Ma to everyone who had lined the entrance to cheer that she was back.

Oh, she had some mad skills; Reven thought, beside her speed. Amun assumed that some of her new skills had to do with the mass of energy transfer that Lara had used to heal her.

She seemed to take some of the qualities of the healers, all of them except for Tristan, who was unique and whose skills weren’t based in this realm.

Jax had the energy abilities of Lara, the deadly killing skills of Melina, the compassion and understanding of Tricia and the tracking skills of David. Only copies, but you wouldn’t know it if you watched her in action, Reven thought with a proud smile. She was beautiful and looked as if born to her new abilities.

He knew there were a few she was struggling with, ones that she still hadn’t told him about, but he trusted her and knew she would tell him when she was ready.

Jax grinned, trying not to show how nervous she was. She had heard the rumors and whispers through the Shengari’ and knew that a lot of teams were concerned if she was ready to come back in a combat training role. But, she was more than ready.

Bayla banged on her high chair, drawing everyone’s attention. Jax and Melina started tearing off pieces of their pancakes for the baby when Zat stole one off of Reven’s plate and dropped it on Bayla’s tray.

“Hey!” Reven said with a laugh while Jax and Melina winked at each other.

They finally finished breakfast and were getting ready to go when Cal and Wolfen started acting depressed. Jax leaned down to hug them both while she spoke to them.

“You both know what is out there, looking for our girl. You stay here and protect our home. Keep an ear out for anything and contact me immediately if you think there’s something to worry about, and I will be here.” Jax said before giving them both another hug.

Standing, Jax looked to May and warned, “No letting them out today. You keep that new code to yourself, unless we need it, ok?” Jax smiled when May chittered and shook her long tail in response.

Reven looked at Melina, “Can you finish getting Bayla ready?” When she shook her head, he picked Jax up into his arms and walked down the long hall to their bedroom before dumping her on the bed and following her down.

He pulled her into his arms and held her close to him. “If you’re going to hand out rules, then we have decided that we have a few for you too. No sneaking off on a mission. No trying to do too much on your first day back. And the kids are demanding that you have lunch with all of us today in the main dining hall.”

Reven grinned and continued. “They don’t trust you to listen to rules one and two, so if you agree to have lunch with us and don’t show up, we won’t be too far behind you this time.”

Jax laughed. “I have no intention of sneaking off somewhere. Besides, Grai is still looking for Lara and there are no other leads on the Prime bastard who tried to kill me. So I think you guys are over reacting a bit.”

Jax turned serious and cuddled closer to Reven. “I promise not to scare you guys like that again.”

Reven squeezed her tight and pushed back all the pain and fear he’d felt when he thought she was gone from him. “Well, you better not. I can’t promise that Zat won’t peck your eyes out, or that May won’t chew off your toes. You wore out your fear quota with them already.”

Jax pulled back and kissed him soundly. “I promise to behave.” For now, Jax thought to herself.

She had no desire to scare him further. Especially now that she knew his past and the reason he was so intense about her and the girls. It had been Lara’s gift to her. When she had asked Lara to find out what was in his files, she had never expected Lara to give her the actual memories. But, she was glad that Lara had.

Nothing prepared her for what she had seen. How the young boy Reven, watched as his mother and infant sister succumbed to the virus that had swept the Valendran females. His father had been killed in an accident months before, and Reven was so young. Starving and afraid, he tried his best to care for them, waiting for someone to come and help.

Weeks later, a young Ivint got lost hunting with his father, and he stumbled across the dirty and hungry boy who was trying to dig the graves for his mother and sister, with his bare hands.

By the time that Ivint’s father had found them, Ivint had already decided that they would adopt the boy, and he would become his friend and companion. He too, had recently lost his mother, and he knew how Reven felt.

Impressed by Reven’s courage and strength, Ivint’s father agreed. Reven never forgot the pain, the helplessness that he felt when he had been unable to help his mother and his sister. And being left alone and afraid. Jax never wanted him to feel that way again. She’d put him through enough already; she thought.

Reven held her head in his hands and kissed her lips tenderly before pulling back. “I love you.” Reven said as he looked into her dark eyes, with silver dots that twinkled at him.

Jax thought her heart would burst when she felt the truth of his words as he said them. Reaching up she caressed his face and smiled through the tears that had formed behind her eyes.

“I love you too, my annoying and wonderful man.” Jax said before Cal pushed the door open and knocked into her and Reven.

Reven laughed. “Cal, you never interrupt when I’m about ready to get a kiss!” Reven complained with a chuckle as Melina came in with Bayla.

“We’re going to be late.” Melina complained, excited to get to school and her new friends.

Jax laid back and laughed. This was her life. New combat training instructor, adopted mom, animal wrangler and mate. She couldn’t be happier.

It wasn’t the wrecking of her mind or the new Prime in her brain that changed her mind though. It was the man who never gave up on her, believed in her and loved her. The children who thought she was worthy of caring for them and who loved her unconditionally. And her animals, who would have made any sacrifice to save her.

Jax felt the rush of energy and quickly amended her perfect life to include the strong and determined daughter who refused to be excluded. She placed her hand over her stomach and sent her baby loving energy to soothe her before sitting up.

“Let’s go, my love. Our kids need to get to school, and you have work.” Jax said as she held out a hand to him.

Reven didn’t hesitate and took it, even though he didn’t use it to get up. He leaned down and gave her a kiss before smacking her ass and running down the hall to the front door. “Let’s go, let’s go.” He called out while Melina smiled and rolled her eyes at Jax.

Jax just laughed and ushered the girls out of the room before turning back to Cal. “Don’t break the bed this time.” She said while Cal grunted and turned away guiltily.