Jax (Immortals of New Orleans Book 7) (2 page)

Jax cringed as the cry grew louder. Protective, the instinct of the Alpha roared in protest. He crossed the room, ceding to the wish of his wolf. Jax cautiously sniffed at the battered body, investigating the female. Although the faint recognition of a lupine registered in his mind, she was not of his pack.
Don’t fucking do it
, he told himself.
The stray wolf isn’t your concern. You don’t have time.
Near death, she wouldn’t make whatever journey lay ahead beyond liberation.

A whimper escaped into the darkness, stopping him cold. Her pain coiled in his chest as if it was his own, and he sucked a breath. Although his mind told him to run, to leave her behind, his heart disagreed.

Confounded, he sighed and looked over his shoulder to reassure himself that they were alone. The demon would soon discover he was missing. It was just a matter of time before they came for him.

“Please…” the pathetic creature uttered, barely audible.

“Goddammit,” Jax cursed under his breath.

Lifting her chin with his finger, he tilted her head upward. Her platinum blonde hair, stained with dirt and blood, fell back onto her shoulders. A thin streak of light painted across her bruised cheek. At the sight of her blackened swollen lids, his gut teemed with anger.
Fucking monsters.
Jax stilled as he studied her face. Recognizing the little wolf, the one who’d both aroused and eluded him, he rushed to free her.
Katrina.

Jax questioned his desire to rescue Katrina. Twice burned, he’d be a fucking idiot to think the third time was the charm. There was no such thing as luck. Jax knew better.
Cunning. Timing. Strategy.
These were the factors that contributed to success. Making decisions based on the heart, not facts, would lead to misfortune.

Jax closed his eyes, concentrating on his surroundings. Unable to detect the scent of his captor, the injured wolf was the only blood that registered. He tugged at the handcuffs that had bloodied her wrists. Her fingers had turned white from lack of circulation. The only thing keeping her alive was the magick within her lupine spirit. Jax scanned the room for keys to her shackles. In the corner, he spied a desk littered with papers and metal implements. He reached for a crowbar, and shook his head in frustration. Not exactly the right tool, but given the circumstances, he needed to make this fast.

“Please…,” she begged.

“Listen, princess, if you want to get out of here alive you’d better keep it down,” he told her, spreading her hands apart onto the floor.

“I’m a wolf…”

“Katrina, I don’t have time for games. Just hold still if you want to keep those fingers of yours. This might sting…” Jax’s anger boiled up as she countered him.

Jesus Christ
, he thought, wishing he could leave her without a shred of regret. But despite his reputation, sometimes well-deserved, for being a dick, he was a man of honor. Oh, he’d rescue her all right, but he swore to the Goddess that when this was all said and done, he’d return her ass to Philadelphia as soon as possible. If he never saw Katrina Livingston for the rest of his immortal life, he’d kiss the ground.

The loud bang reverberated throughout the room as he smashed the bar against the chains, cracking them loose. Sparks flashed in the dim light, the scent of metallic smoke swirling into the air. Jax cast the tool aside and caught Katrina in his arms as she tipped toward the floor. Cognizant that she’d lost consciousness, he hoisted her small frame over his shoulder. With no time to spare, he shoved to his feet, tore through the hallway and burst through the heavy wooden door to freedom.

Sunlight hit his face, and the rush of fresh air choked his shrunken lungs. Jax swiftly shielded her behind a tree, concerned the predator that had taken him was monitoring the exterior. Several seconds ticked by before he peered into the forest, assessing his surroundings. Celebrating the rise of the Alpha, cicadas sang throughout the thick woods. He reached for the ground and scooped at the dirt. With the earth to his nose, he sniffed and exhaled a loud breath in relief. There was no mistaking the rich soil of northern New York.

Who the fuck would kidnap an Alpha in his own territory, his own State?
Questions spun in his mind as he wondered if whoever had attacked him was an insider. Retribution would come in due time, but today he’d make it his mission to get home, to rebuild.

A snap of a branch in the distance alerted him to the presence of others. Without hesitation, he took off into the brush. His thighs burned as he pressed upward, heading toward the sound of running water. Thorns sliced into the pads of his bare feet and skin. By the time he’d reached the edge of the rushing water, he’d become aware of the staccato beat on his back.
Katrina.

“What the hell are you doing?” he snapped, setting her onto her feet. She stumbled backwards and he reached for her.

“Please don’t hurt me,” she begged, burying her face in her hands.

“Katrina.” Jax knelt to her, aware that within seconds, whoever was following him would locate them. “You have to help me here.”

“No, no, no,” she repeated in a whispered cry. She struggled to cover her tattered bra and panties. “Please…please…”

“Whoever the hell kidnapped us is going to be here in about five minutes. If you shift, you’ll feel better. Let’s go.” Jax stood and stripped off the threadbare boxers he’d been wearing, not bothering to shield his nudity. He closed his eyes, willing his wolf to the surface. Its presence, although sick, snarled in response. As he readied to transform, a whimper distracted him from his task. He blew out a breath and focused on Katrina. “If you’re not going to shift, then we’ve gotta move on foot. Get on with it.”

“I’m a wolf but I…” She cowered to the ground, bringing her thighs up to her chest and shaking her head. “Something…there’s something wrong with me. Something wrong, wrong, wrong…”

“Jesus, Katrina…we don’t have time for this fucking shit. When we get back, I’ll hand you over to Tristan and we never have to see each other again. Let’s go. Just strip and shift.” Jax speared his fingers through his hair, wondering how his instincts about Katrina had been so far off base. She was nothing but trouble with a capital T. Fucked up trouble…the kind you’d find in a back street alley.

“You don’t even know what happened to me,” she screamed at him, her chin still protectively against her knees.

“I saved your pretty little ass, that’s all that matters. But you’re not my pack so if you don’t shift soon, I can’t help you.”

“Fuck you,” she shot back at the Alpha.

“You’d better stand down, wolf,” he ordered.

Jax held his breath, taking in the sight of her battered body. Even though he was tempted to force her to shift, something he knew he could do, it shook him to know someone had beaten her.

“Stay back.” With a defiant glare, Katrina pressed to her feet, trembling as she tore off her clothes. Her voice cracked as she fisted her hands and closed her eyes. “And for the record, I’m not doing this because you’re an Alpha. I’m doing this for me.”

Jax reached for her, having had enough of her antics.

“No, don’t…” Katrina attempted to shift. Her eyes rolled up into her head, and she flickered into a transparent state.

Jax fell forward as his hand passed through the air where she’d stood a moment ago. He stumbled, but regained his balance. Shock rolled through him as one of the monsters who’d kidnapped him came into view, black eyes staring back at him. As quickly as it came, it faded.

Katrina eventually transformed to wolf, but was unable to maintain her animal form. She morphed back to human, rolling into the mud and leaves. Naked and shaking, Katrina coughed up blood, her puffy eyes trained on Jax.

“What are you? What?” he asked, stunned at what he’d witnessed.

“Don’t.” She held a hand up to stop him from touching her.

“Jesus Christ.” Jax bent to the ground and scooped her into his arms. “We need to talk about this.”

“I told you. I’m a wolf. I’m damaged…broken.” A barely audible whisper passed through her lips. “I don’t…my name…I don’t have a name. Just leave me. I don’t blame you.”

“What happened to you, Kat?”

“Alpha…” Her head lolled against his chest, warm breath brushing over his skin. “I only know…I know I’m wolf.”

“Of course you are.” Jax held her tight, cradling her nude body against his.

“You have no responsibility for me…your pack…”

“My pack is not your concern. You may not know who you are, but I do.”

Jax had no time to further evaluate what had happened to Katrina. Whatever trauma she’d suffered had affected both her memory and magick. As her tears rolled down his chest, his heart and mind warred. She’d rejected him once, and as Alpha, he owed her nothing. Yet the explosive heat they’d shared long ago was all it had taken to spark his interest. Never mated, Jax knew one day the wolf who completed his soul would come for him. Second chances were opportunities cloaked in failure and as the victor of many a battle, he’d never needed one…until tonight.

“Leave me.” Her voice cracked. Contrary to her words, she clutched at his neck, holding on for dear life.

Soft lashes swept butterfly kisses over his skin. Her fear resonated through his wolf, and although he couldn’t heal her spirit, Jax refused to let her die. Regardless of
what
she was now, whatever they had done to her, compassion ruled his thoughts.

“We’re getting out of here. Sorry, my little wolf. You’re stuck with me this time.” Jax began running, her body against his. As he leapt over the fallen trees, he took solace in her acquiescence.

From behind, the sound of rustling leaves grew louder and he spied the riverbank to his right. With Katrina unable to run, leveraging nature seemed his best alternative.

“Can you swim?” His eyes darted to the muddy water that swirled downstream.

“What?”

“Don’t let go.” Instinctively, Jax brushed his lips over her hair, and his stomach clenched as he realized what he’d done. Despite everything she’d said about him, accused him of, there was a weakness she invoked that he’d long forgotten.

The scent of his attackers dusted through the air, grounding his thoughts back into focus. Without further hesitation, Jax plunged into the churning river.

Jax had no choice other than to jump into the freezing water. At first, Katrina had shown signs of lucidity, calling his name in recognition, her eyes lowered in submission. But within minutes, she’d again lost consciousness. If it weren’t for his deathly grip around her waist, she’d have drowned. The turbulent ride had lasted more than an hour but they’d eventually settled into a slow-moving current and washed ashore onto a familiar bank.

Trekking the rest of the way by land, Jax carried her until he reached the secluded cabin. He and his beta occasionally spent weekends at the private sanctuary. Although rarely used, the property was closely monitored by pack security. Located in a remote region of the Finger Lakes, it was hours from the city, but Jax knew they’d be alerted to his presence the second he stepped foot through the perimeter’s invisible magnetic security system. Thankfully, the biometric lock hadn’t been tampered with or changed. It responded to his scans, allowing him access.

By the time he’d reached the master suite, their skin was rippled in gooseflesh. As Jax gingerly laid Katrina onto the mattress, he noted her once healthy olive complexion had been replaced by a pale sallow tone. Without the warmth of his body against hers, she began to violently shiver.

Fucking hell
, Jax thought, taking in the sight of Katrina in his bed. He reached for the comforter and tucked it around her, but she continued to shake. His wolf urged him to lie with Katrina, but logic told him to back away. She’d already accused him of trying to force a mating, and he wouldn’t give her reason to do so again. Cautious, Jax set his palm onto her back and gently rubbed his hand in circles until she settled into a calming sleep.

“What happened to you?” Jax asked out loud, aware she couldn’t hear him. He shook his head, hoping like hell she’d wake and give him answers.

Jax estimated he had exactly four hours before someone from the pack showed up to confront the intruder, maybe less if the pack was out running. Given that the moon was new, he suspected not. But with the sun setting and exhaustion setting in, it made sense to lock up and spend the night in the cabin. Regardless of who showed up to greet him, he planned on returning to the city in the morning.

Jax stood and stole another glance at Katrina. He shouldn’t leave her side, he knew, but he needed time to collect his thoughts.
Five minutes. I need a shower.

“Why the hell am I so worried about her anyway? Look at her, Jax. Never forget. She betrayed you.” He raked his fingers through his dirty hair and took off toward the bathroom. “Great, now you’re talking to yourself. Get your shit together.”

As the hot spray hit his face, Jax contemplated who’d taken over the pack. Although his friend, Finn, was a strong candidate, others would challenge him. It was likely his adversaries had sent wolves in to fight for the territory. With his return, Jax expected that he’d be forced to exert dominance, as they’d test his power, probing for weakness.