Taming Jax (First Wave Book 5) (14 page)

Jax and Reven breathed out a sigh of relief when Melina nodded her head. Jax didn’t give her time to change her mind either.

“Let’s go! Reven, can you hand me that bag of clothes?” Jax said as she pointed to the large shopping bag in the back corner of the room.

She watched as he picked his way through the flat pack boxes of furniture and almost drooled when he bent down to pick up the bag. That annoying man had the nicest ass she’d ever seen, she thought as she tried to wipe the appreciative look from her face when he turned to hand her the bag.

“Thanks.” Jax said before turning around and heading into the bathroom right across the hall.

*****

Pale blue eyes quickly scanned the new room, noting the various bottles, tubes and containers. All of which could easily be used to kill the man and woman.

“If necessary. Always vigilant, little one. Always.”
The voice whispered through her mind.

Melina nodded to herself, knowing the voice was right. It had saved her life so many times she no longer counted the instances, and it had helped keep her and Bayla in food and shelter until Reven and Jax had found them.

They were nice; she thought. She really liked the couple and wanted so much to trust them. She didn’t want to kill them, but she would do whatever she had to do in order to protect Bayla; she thought sadly. Although, she hoped it would never come to that.

She’d seen other kids, other families and dreamed of having a life like that one day. She dreamed of people who at least cared enough to help, so she could go to school. That was what she really wanted. To go to school. To learn something other than how to kill, hide and scavenge to survive. She wanted better for Bayla than what she’d had to go through.   

Even as her mind was occupied studying the placement of every item in the bathroom, how to kill and maim with each, part of her mind still listened as Jax explained to her about the shower and how it worked.

Reaching out her hand, she felt the falling water as it came from the above faucet and smiled at the feel of it. “It’s like rain.” She said with wonder, ignoring the gentle smile that Jax gave her.

“Yes it is!”

Melina could hear the slight strain in Jax’s voice. She knew the woman wanted her to choose the shower over a bath, but until she knew they were finally safe; she would remain vigilant. Like the voice told her to do.

Still, she was unwilling to hurt the woman’s feelings. Jax had tried very hard to be nice even though Melina could easily feel her nervousness around her and Bayla. The few times that she had accidentally almost harmed Bayla had been innocent mistakes due to her lack of knowledge, not maliciousness.

Which was good because it had kept her from driving the spoon into Jax’s skull before she could feed it to the baby. It had been her first inclination before she’d realized it was unintentional.

She looked shyly at Jax, not quite sure how to deal with people who seemed genuinely nice. “Can I please just take a bath with Bayla tonight? Maybe I can try the shower another time?”

Jax tried to hide her disappointment, but Melina could feel it. She also could feel the woman’s compassion and patience and that really surprised her.

Melina kept Bayla busy on the bright yellow rug while the tub filled with warm water. Putting her hand on the side of the tub, her body translated the heat of the water inside, ensuring it wasn’t too hot for her sister's delicate skin.

She didn’t know if other people could do the things she did, or if they had the thoughts that she had. Melina had wondered about it over the years as she wandered alone from city to city. She had no memories of a life before the streets.

It was as if she hadn’t existed before she had woken that first morning in a dumpster. The homeless woman, Mary, who had found her as she dug through the trash had no idea where she had come from or how she had gotten there.

She had learned much from Mary before she had been killed by another of the homeless for her coat and shoes. Mary had been a truly kind soul. One of the few that she had ever encountered. It was those few who gave her hope that one day she would find where she belonged. A small part of her couldn’t help but wish that she had finally found that place.

“You have. I promise you that I would let no one harm you or anyone you care for.” A strange voice echoed through Melina’s mind. The voice held no anger or malice that she could detect, but she knew to be cautious.

“Who are you?” Melina asked quietly in her mind as she pulled the energy around her like a blanket before releasing it back out with a different agenda.

Melina looked up at Jax and gave her a shy smile. “I don’t feel right being… naked in front of anyone.”

“Oh! Of course! I’m sorry; I only thought to help Bayla with her bath. Just let me know when you’re done, or if you need help.” Jax said before exiting the bathroom.

Melina nodded her head absently and gave Jax a small smile before she shut the door. The moment the door was shut, she raced to the small window. Instead of opening it, she placed her hands on both sides of the wall around the window.

Closing her eyes, she opened her mind and sent out a wave of energy around the house. Within moments, it came back to her with her answer. The shimmering energy re-formed around Melina like a map, showing the location of the trees and other objects outside of the house.

“Who are you and why are you here?” Melina demanded of the voice that had spoken as she saw where he was standing outside of the house, hiding behind some trees.

“Please don’t get mad. Or scared. I swear I would never hurt you. I am a friend. My name is Traze T’Alq.” The voice said softly in Melina’s mind.

“Friends don’t usually hide in the shadows outside, do they?” Melina asked as she put a giggling Bayla in the bath and quickly stripped off her clothes to join her.

She gave a half smile when she heard the voice in her head again. “Yeah, I tend to do things sometimes that get me in trouble. Hanging out here is one of those things. But, I had to know you are all right and safe.”

Melina had no doubt about the sincerity in his voice, and she couldn’t help but wonder why these people seemed to care so much about her and Bayla. Although she’d seen some amazing acts of kindness in her travels on the streets, she’d never been the recipient before, and it was a little unnerving and overwhelming.

“What do all of you want of us?” Melina asked with a hard, compelling edge to her voice.

“Your happiness. I know that must be hard to believe. You probably haven’t known much happiness in your life, and you probably don’t know who to trust. I don’t blame you. But, we aren’t like that and Jax and Reven are good people.” Traze said to her as he slid down the tree he was hiding behind and sat on the ground.

Just being close to her soothed something in his mind that he’d never known needed soothing before. Instead of the restless energy that always coursed through his body, he was now calm and more rational than he’d ever been. He prayed that she wouldn’t be afraid of him and stop talking to him.

“If they are good people, then why are you outside spying on them?” Melina asked as she shielded her and Bayla in the bath, just to make sure the boy couldn’t see them in the water as she quickly cleaned them both.

She was surprised at the small chuckle that echoed through her mind before he replied. “Honestly, I just needed to be near you. To know for sure that you are ok. I would trust them with my life, but I trust no one with yours.”

The vehemence in which he said it stunned Melina. Her whole body and the energy around her pulsed with his words and the truth in them. It made no sense to her, but she trusted her instincts and the energy around her. They were the only things that had never lied to her.

“Why? I don’t understand…” Melina said as she pulled Bayla out of the water and quickly dried and dressed her in some colorful, cartoon pajamas.

“We’re different. All of us. Just like you and Bayla. But you’re special. We were meant to be friends. As your friend, I will always be here for you. If you have questions, need help, or just need someone to talk to, I am here for you.” Traze said with his heart in his words. He wanted her to have no doubt that he meant everything that he said.

Melina was taken aback by the strength of his emotions, and the energy carried with them. Even though she knew he wasn’t lying, she’d been through far too much to blindly trust anyone. She decided to test the boy.

“Tell me about this place? Where are we?” Melina asked as she quickly dressed herself. She couldn’t help but admire the feel of the soft clothes as she pulled them on. And to her surprise, they fit her!

She was so stunned that she stood in front of the mirror and admired the light pink, soft and fuzzy long sleeved top and the bottoms that went all the way to her ankles. She was a little surprised at the boy’s chuckle in her mind, and she bristled with anger.

“Don’t make fun of me!” Melina said, as she stepped away from the mirror in embarrassment.

“No! I swear I am not! I’m glad you like your sleeping clothes, and I’m laughing because you’re a girl, and you like pink. I know that seems stupid of me, but I don’t have many girl friends. You’re my first one. I’m sorry if I don’t really know how to act…” The sadness in his voice as he spoke, touched Melina in a way she had never felt before, and she felt bad for the boy.

“It’s ok. I’m not really sure how you’re supposed to act with anyone, much less a friend.” Melina admitted, wishing she’d said anything but that. It made her sound weak, and she never wanted anyone to make the mistake of thinking she was weak.

“Well… we can always figure it out together. I promise to try not to say stupid things if you’ll forgive me when I screw up?” Traze asked hopefully.

Melina narrowed her eyes slightly as she cleaned up the mess they had made in the bathroom. She stood and pulled the energy towards her again before sending it out. This time when it came back she saw him sitting on the ground behind the same tree he’d been at earlier. She could see that his head was in his hands in the shimmering golden waves and felt his hope… and his fears.

She sighed as she picked up a clean and happy Bayla and used her fingers to clear the energy map from the air around them. “I don’t have any friends to know how to act either so maybe we can try it…”

Melina paused when she became overwhelmed by the hope and excitement that began rushing over her, until she pulled back a little from his energy. She was more than a little surprised at how happy those few words had made the guy.

For reasons she couldn’t seem to name, she was drawn to him. The shy, almost fearful way that he spoke, and the hope he projected were sweet. Melina could see a lot of Bayla’s wounded animal friends in the boy’s behavior and couldn’t seem to push him out of her mind. And realized she didn’t want to.

Chapter Eight

Jax paced around the guest room in between the boxes that were crowding it as Reven stared at one of the instruction manuals that he had pulled out of the crib box.  

“Calm your mind, they are doing well.” Reven said off-handedly as he kneeled down to pull a few wooden pieces out of the box to inspect.

Jax turned to him with a sarcastic gaze. “I’m not worried.”

Reven snorted in disbelief as he turned his attention back to the instructions. “Do you have any of the tools mentioned in here that we need?” He asked as he scratched his head.

Normally, Jax would be incredibly grateful that the annoying man was so distracted and basically ignoring her presence. But in her house, with so much going on around her that was leaving her nervous and on edge, she found it to be almost… hurtful. And that pissed her off.

“I have a ton of tools, because I’m pretty damn good at taking care of myself. Give me those.” Jax said as she walked up to him and snatched the instructions out of his hand. She had no idea he had been holding them so tight, so when they tore completely in half, she kind of lost it.

“What the fuck is wrong with you? How the hell, do you expect us to put this shit together if you tear the damn instructions?” Jax asked as she shook her torn half of the instructions at him.

Reven was stressed enough and not in the mood for her unreasonable emotions. He reached her in two strides. Throwing his half of the papers on the floor, he grabbed her by the shoulders and drew her into his arms before she could argue with him.

He easily fought off her half-hearted attempt to push him away and sat on the floor, pulling her tightly into his lap as he did. With one hand holding her head against his shoulder, he used the other to press her body closer to his.

“Shhh… you are just tired and upset. There is a lot going on and a lot has happened. It is normal to feel a little overwhelmed. Everything will be ok.” Reven said gently as his body reveled in the joy of holding her, even if she did fight him.

He marveled at her muscles as they bunched and tightened beneath her soft skin as she put up a half-fight before she finally relaxed in his arms. He felt like he had won a long, hard battle and crushed the urge to shout his happiness.

“You don’t know everything will be ok.” Jax whispered quietly against his neck as she breathed in the delicious sandalwood scent that he wore. The way he smelled could easily drive the worry and any other thoughts from her mind, she thought as she took another deep breath.

Reven tightened his hands on her and squeezed her gently. “I know there is nothing we cannot accomplish if we try, and we want it bad enough.” He said quietly as he tried to control the urge to take her where they sat.

The feel of her in his arms was driving him crazy, and it was taking all of his self-control to keep his hands from freely wandering her body. Something told him she’d be fighting pretty damn hard if he tried, and he didn’t want to disturb the peaceful truce between them. Or get thrown out.

Jax let out a heavy sigh as she relaxed into Reven’s arms. The man may be the most annoying creature on the planet, but he was also sweet when he wanted to be, she thought as she closed her eyes.

Reven could feel the exhaustion taking hold of Jax’s body and knew that she was much more tired than he was. When Melina tentatively cracked open the bathroom door and Jax tried to jump out of his arms, he tightened them further, preventing her from escaping.

“How was your bath?” Reven asked with a smile as Jax tried to pretend like she wasn’t fighting to get out of his lap.

“It was nice. Thank you.” Melina said as she struggled to keep the squirming Bayla on her hip.

“Good! You guys must be tired. How about you let Jax tuck you in and read you a story while I try to make heads or tails of this furniture? That way maybe you can sleep in your new beds tomorrow night?” Reven asked with a smile as Melina’s face lit up when she looked at the box with the picture of her bed on it.

“Is that really going to be my bed?” Melina asked as she tried to contain her excitement. She’d never had a real bed before and wondered what it would be like to sleep in such a beautiful one.

“Yes, it is. And there’s a matching crib for Bayla. Now you guys need to head off to bed so I can get to work.” Reven said with a mischievous grin as he pushed Jax to her feet and then smacked her lightly on the butt to get her moving.

The look she threw at him would have incinerated a lesser man, but he grinned back at her with such a beautiful smile that Jax was left speechless. She stood there in confusion for a moment as her body tingled from their physical contact and her mind tried to process the rush of feelings that bombarded her.

It didn’t help that Reven stared at her with those piercing blue eyes as if daring her to deny that she felt something for him. Wait… that freaking Neanderthal actually smacked her in the ass! With her emotions feeling like she was being put through a meat grinder, Jax decided to concentrate on the one emotion she could understand. Her anger.

She tried to work herself up into a tizzy over it but with her body humming from their contact and her mind slightly numbed from lack of sleep and the riot of emotions she was going through, she couldn’t seem to do it. What surprised her more was that she didn’t care.

Jax met Reven’s curious stare with a smile and nod before she turned to the children. “Ok guys! We are going to let you sleep in my bed tonight! Only because it is the most beautiful room in the house!”  

Jax tried to pull off excitement, but even she knew her voice sounded kind of flat. The look Melina gave her told her she wasn’t fooling anyone with her false happiness either. She sighed and shrugged her shoulders at the two little girls as she picked her way to the doorway.

“I’m tired guys, cut me some slack. If you think that was bad wait until you hear my stories. We gotta go shopping and buy some books too.” Jax said giving Melina a grin and a wink. That at least made the child smile.

Reven watched Jax intently as she moved to the doorway. Her usually graceful movements were stilted and unsure, as if she were distracted. He wanted to think that she hadn’t yelled at him or even slapped him because she was finally feeling something for him, but he was too afraid to get his hopes up.

He looked back around the room when the girls turned the corner down the hallway and sighed heavily. Even with tools, he had no damn idea what he was doing, and he had a room full of furniture to assemble. If he didn’t do something or get some help, he was going to look like a failure. Not only to Jax but to that little girl hoping for her bed. There was no way in hell, he was going to let any of his girls down.

Reven went to the doorway and peeked out to make sure that Jax, and the girls were in her room. With the door cracked open slightly he could hear Jax telling them something about a princess as she put Wolfen into bed with the girls.

Feeling pretty sure that they were occupied, he crept out of the house and onto the back deck. He could see the light on in Jax’s bedroom from the back of the house and hear her muffled voice as she spoke to the children. He ignored her as he released his breath and took a deep one and nearly choked on it.

In a show of true strength, Reven leaped the back deck railing in one leap and was almost to his target before the boy even knew it. Just as he reached for Traze, the boy held his hands up in surrender.

Laying on his back, on the ground outside of the window with his arms up in the air made Reven think of one of those bugs that got flipped on its back, for some reason. It wasn’t a good look for a grown man; Reven thought with a heavy sigh. Nor was it conducive to staying angry at the boy when he looked so damn pathetic.

“I’m assuming your brother has no idea you are here?” Reven asked the boy quietly, so he wouldn’t frighten the girls.

The boy looked down sadly and shook his head slowly as if he were in great emotional pain. Damn if the kid couldn’t make you feel just awful for him; Reven thought with a shake of his head.

“Do you plan on stalking the poor girl like this?” Reven asked, trying to gather some anger at the boy.

“No. I would never want to scare them. I just wanted to see what she looks like, what color her eyes are… is she going to be ok? They didn’t… they didn’t…” Traze looked up at Reven with tears glistening in his eyes, and his worry and pain for the girl radiated from his energy.

With a heavy sigh, Reven sat down in the grass beside Traze. “I think she’s going to be ok. And no, they didn’t. We got to them in time. Amun said she would heal. She will always be petite, but that just means you will have to learn to be gentle with her.” Reven said warningly while Traze nodded his head sadly.

“I know I have a lot to learn, and I want to. More than anything in this world or any other, I want to learn to be what she needs.” Traze said as his honesty, and his need bled through his energy to Reven.

Both men turned to the sound of David coming out of the woods from behind the house. He walked right up to Traze and Reven and sat down on the other side of the boy.

“You’re here to take me away aren’t you? Why? Why are you doing this? I haven’t done anything to hurt her, and I never would. You know that Reven, you know I’m not capable of hurting her. How can I learn how to be what she needs if I can’t even be near her? Everyone else is allowed near their mate, why do I have to be treated differently? I’m not my father’s son! What do I have to do to prove that?” Traze said as the tears slipped silently down his face.

David and Reven looked at each other over the boy’s head and by the look David gave Reven, he agreed with Traze. Reven looked at the stick he picked up off the ground and tried to think of what he would do in Traze’s situation. The answer surprised him.

“You’ve already spoken to her.” Reven said when it finally dawned on him.

Traze nodded his head. “I swear I didn’t scare her! I just told her I was a friend and that she, and her sister were safe with you and Jax. I didn’t tell her we are mates; she's too little for that. I’m not stupid.” Traze said sadly as he rested his arms on his knees, then his head on his arms before staring up at Jax’s bedroom window.

The three men were wrapped in their own thoughts for a moment before hearing the footsteps that made no attempt to hide their approach. Reven wasn’t sure if he was happy about the new late-night visitor or not. The damn yard was getting crowded.

Lara looked up at the illuminated window before smiling at the three male faces that didn’t look all that thrilled to see her. “The three of them are asleep.” She said before using her left hand to release a stream of golden energy towards the window.

When Reven and Traze tensed, she quickly explained to ease their worry. “I sent them energy to deepen their sleep and prevent them from waking while you build their furniture.”

Reven and Traze both nodded their heads in relief until they saw Grai walking up behind Lara. David and Reven were immediately alert to any attempt Traze might make to run, but the boy just sat there sadly. His behavior was starting to worry Reven, and he looked to David to see if he was the only one noticing it. When he saw David’s concerned look, he knew it wasn’t just him. The boy was really in bad shape.

Grai came into the light of Jax’s bedroom window and there was no mistaking the look of thunderous anger on his face. The look was intimidating enough that he would have cowed a lesser man, and Traze looked crestfallen. Damn if the stupid kid couldn’t get to you, Reven thought with irritation as he began to feel sorry for him.