Taming Jax (First Wave Book 5) (20 page)

Niklosi had no idea who the fuck had yanked his knife out of his hand and was piercing his throat with it, but when Balduen started laughing, he knew he was going to be humiliated. Again. Coming so fast on the heels of having his ass handed to him by Lara, his pride was still trying to recover. He felt sure this was not going to help at all.  

Jax and Reven turned at the warning through the Shengari’ and saw their little girl on the verge of killing Niklosi in front of the humans and panicked.

Working perfectly as a team, Jax turned to the startled waitress and began explaining to her about finding Melina in an abusive home while Reven tried to calm the frightened child.

“Melina honey, I don’t know who you think he is, but this is Niklosi. He’s a friend of mine and Jax. He’s a good man. Please put down the knife honey.”

Niklosi sighed and wondered if he should go ahead and thrust his throat on the knife now. He and everyone else had heard about the Prime child, Melina and having his ass kicked by both Prime females, one a mere child, was going to be something he would never live down.

Balduen outright laughing at him, wasn’t helping Niklosi’s mood any at all. The idiot was rolling around in his seat, with tears tracking down his face as he fought to laugh and breathe at the same time.

“I know. I’m so sorry. I saw him raise his knife. I thought… I thought… he’d hurt Jax or Bayla.” Melina said as her hand holding the knife began to shake as if she were fighting herself to keep from driving it into his throat.

Reven didn’t miss the movement of her hand, and he took a chance and placed his own over hers and pulled it away from Niklosi’s neck, surprised at the strength in the child.

The second the knife was clear of his throat, Niklosi bolted from the booth and stood near his idiot friend. Who was still laughing at him. He was tempted to smack the hell out of him, but was afraid of instigating the child further.

“Hey, I have a better idea. Let’s go have a picnic, and you can show me how you did that.” Jax said nervously as she glanced around the diner at the stunned humans and the aliens who were trying to explain away the child’s actions.

Reven placed the knife on the table and helped Jax lead the little girl out of the diner and into the SUV. He’d traveled less than a block before he heard the tell-tale sniffles of a child crying and pulled the vehicle over. Jax jumped out of the door and had Melina in her arms before he had put the car in park and turned in his seat.

“Shhh honey, it’s ok. It is. Niklosi knows you didn’t mean it. So does everyone else. Honey, you were protecting me and your sister, which is an amazing thing for someone so young to do. Trust me, they are not only impressed with your abilities; they are proud of you. So are me and Reven.” Jax said as she looked helplessly at Reven to help her soothe the child.

Reven’s heart broke at the look on Jax’s face and Melina’s tears, and would have walked through fire to make them both happy. He ignored Grai’s order through the Shengari’ to bring Melina to the MedLab immediately and undid his seatbelt.

Leaning forward as far as he could, he hugged both Jax and Melina to him. “It’s alright little one. No one is angry at you for trying to protect us. There is no need to be upset. We are strong and tough warriors, and Niklosi will want to learn how you did that. You were amazing little one. I would also like to see that.”  Reven said as light-heartedly as he could even though he was worried about the little girl.

“They will hate me and fear me now.” Melina said as she began crying harder.

“No! No honey they won’t!” Jax said reassuringly as she hugged the little girl tighter.

Melina just nodded that she believed they would and Jax couldn’t stop the chuckle that bubbled up and came out. Ignoring Reven’s disapproving look, she gently pulled Melina away from her chest until she could look into her pale blue eyes.

“They will respect your abilities. And the more they get to know you, the more they will want to try to learn from you. They may never be as good as you, but they will try to learn. Just as you will learn things from them.”

“I know that’s how it will go; it's how it went for me and lots of the others just like me. And just like you.” Jax laughed for a second before continuing.

“You have no idea how much I felt like a freak when I first got around the others. I was the only one they had ever known of that could speak to animals, and everyone was curious. I thought their curiosity was because they thought I was a freak. But I was wrong. Just as you are wrong.” Jax said with a gentle smile.

Melina looked shyly up at Reven, and he gave her a bright smile. “We are warriors, little one. Like you. We respect that. I think Niklosi is probably jealous too.” Reven gave Melina an exaggerated wink, and she tried to stifle her giggle.

Jax grinned at the crazy man, grateful that he was helping to comfort the distraught child. “He’s right you know. We are all warriors, and your abilities are amazing. I wasn’t kidding about wanting to learn.”

Reven knew he needed to steer them to meet with Grai and pressed the issue he felt would get them there quicker. He had no doubt it would be about the display of power and skill that Melina had displayed in front of the humans in town.

Their gifted children were taught at an early age to hide their abilities from the humans, and it was dangerous for Melina to do so. Any word leaking from a family member to another could easily end up carrying the tale all over and lead to their discovery by the Relians.

Reven knew they had to carefully control their existence and that of their children, but he wasn’t sure it warranted the child being called to their headquarters.

“How about we go to the office? We can grab some lunch there, and maybe you could show us some of those moves in the training room.” Reven suggested, trying to hide how much he wanted everyone to agree so they could get this over with.

Jax shot Reven a curious look, and the stare that he gave her told her that they were definitely being called to the building, most likely by Grai. She stifled her sigh and turned brightly to Melina.

“Seriously, we have awesome food there and everyone is like us, so no one cares if we’re different. Besides, I would love for you to show me how you did that to Niklosi. One second you were near the door the next you had the knife at his throat. That was pretty da… darn cool, honey.” Jax said, trying to censor her language.

Melina looked questioningly at Reven, who knew she needed his approval before she’d feel a little better about going. “I promise; it will be ok. We’ll grab some food, and Jax can show you a few moves that she knows, and you can show us some of yours. If you feel uncomfortable, we will stop immediately.”

Melina nodded slowly, and Jax decided she wouldn’t give her a chance to change her mind. “Scoot over little one!” Jax said as she gave the small girl a push to help her.

She pulled herself in the set beside the girl and closed the door. Turning to Melina, she gave her a genuine smile. “I love fighting with my friends. Just for play of course. But it helps me stay ready and strong. I like knowing I’m always ready to protect the people I care about. Or myself. This will be fun.”

Melina looked at Jax like the woman had lost her mind. She had no need to practice something she was already frighteningly good at. Maybe, she thought, brightening her mood, maybe these people were just like her in that way too. Maybe she wasn’t as different as she thought.

She kept that hope in the back of her mind as they arrived at the building and headed inside. Jax led them past the public areas and into the places where only the hybrids, aliens or human allies were allowed.

Melina was a little surprised at the people they passed. Each seemed very kind and looked at her and Bayla with sad eyes. She could feel their pity for them in their energy and as much as it stung her pride, it made her feel better that they weren’t frightened of her. Only curious. Like Jax said they would be.

She was surprised and a little taken aback when they walked into a boisterous room of varied people. The happy and friendly energy in the room was contagious and Melina couldn’t help the small smile that came over her face as she looked around.

Greetings were called out to Jax and Reven while they moved to the side of the room. Reven grabbed two trays and set them on the counter in front of them.

Bayla babbled happily in Jax’s arms while Melina stayed close by Jax and the baby. Until she saw the food spread out in front of her and gasped, drawing the attention of the man behind her who chuckled.

“I look at that every day and think the same thing. When I was a boy growing up, we barely had any food at all. Some days, you’d find my sister and me eating dirt, just to fill the emptiness in our bellies.” The huge man said quietly to the little girl who looked at him with a sympathy that only someone who had done the same could feel.

“What happened to your sister?” Melina asked shyly.

“When Grai found us on the street, he gave us a home and an education. We were poor, but she was smart. Really smart. Now she heads up an undercover team in Europe. No matter how much we have now; we've never forgotten what it was like when we were young. I am Discorian, but everyone calls me Disc. My sister is Alaina.” Disc said with a gentle smile for the little girl.

Melina looked at the man strangely for a moment, blindly moving along the line with Jax and Reven. Who were quietly arguing over what would be best to put on the trays for she and Bayla. Reven and the staff that was serving the food were apparently winning on what Bayla could and couldn’t have with only two teeth.  

Melina felt strangely compelled to touch the strange man and against her better judgment, she brushed against his hand and was stunned with what she felt. She turned wide, surprised eyes to his and spoke without thinking.

“You’re a spirit walker. But you’re not like the other one. The bad one. Can’t you stop him from finding us?” Melina asked the stunned man.

“What is a spirit walker? Who is the other one?” Disc asked, uncaring that they were drawing the attention of the others near them. Something in the child’s voice and fearful eyes told him that he needed to listen to her.

“The one hunting us. Can’t you feel him? Can’t you stop him?” Melina asked, becoming agitated.

Disc kneeled down until he was eye level with the strange little girl. “Honey, I can tell you right now, if there is anyone hunting you, they will not succeed. There is not a person here that wouldn’t lay down his or her life for you and your sister. Who is this other that you believe is hunting you?”

“The other spirit walker, like you. The bad one who told the others that I was there. He was the reason they caught me. I heard him. He laughed and said that I was his hundredth find. He laughed. Even though he knew what they would do to us. Can’t you find him?” Melina asked, looking hopefully at the man.

“Wait…” Reven began before Disc cut him off.

“Honey, was this man, the bad one who found you, was he one of us? Is that what you’re saying?” Disc asked, sure that he had heard the child wrong.

Melina nodded her head, ignoring the gasps of those around them. “Yes! He said he used his gift to find us for the bad people. The ones who do bad things. He said that we weren’t the ones he was looking for and gave us to them. Can’t you find him and stop him?” Melina asked, ignoring the tears filling her eyes.

Disc tried desperately to contain the rage he felt and placed a gentle hand on the child’s shoulder. “I promise you this; I will do everything I can to help the others find him. When we do find him, we will make sure he is punished for what he is doing to our people. To our precious children.”