Taming Jax (First Wave Book 5) (36 page)

Grai held a hand out to his brother. “Sit down! The hunter is a child and although incredibly gifted, her love for Jax, Reven and her sister is absolute. I do not think we have anything to fear from the child.”

“She will be watched, more so because I worry for her safety. The animal that damn near killed Jax was trying to get the location of the child from her mind and Melina has stated before that the man who hurt Jax was the one who captured her and sold her to the Relian’s to begin with.” Grai said, ensuring everyone understood that the child was not the enemy, but a true victim.

Grai and Ivint’s comm’s started trilling that they both had a message. Grai immediately picked it up and roared out a long string of curses as Ivint shook his head sadly and uttered “Damn it!”

Grai looked at the assembled group with furious eyes. “Whoever this is, has declared war on our people. The other doctors have completed the autopsies; the six women found mutilated in the barn, were indeed hybrids. All of them were our people.”

“There were obvious signs of imprisonment, rape and torture. Some of them showed signs of extended captivity. We need answers. Until we get them, I want everyone, at all locations to be on alert for anything suspicious. Anything. This was a message we cannot ignore!” Grai said, looking at the angry and disturbed faces of his new team.

Decano spoke up. “It cannot be a coincidence that they were all hybrids. Or that he tried to kill Jax to get the location of the hunter.”

Everyone shook their heads in agreement while Grai’s mind whirled with the beginnings of a plan.

Chapter Twenty-One

Reven stood and stretched his aching muscles. It had been five days since Jax had been brought back to him almost lifeless, and still she hadn’t awakened. There had been no sign in that time that she ever would, other than the pep talks that Melina and the others gave him regularly.

Although things were looking incredibly dismal, he maintained an unwavering confidence that his strong mate would come back to him. Reven had seen the pitying looks thrown his way by just about everyone who had come to visit Jax.

Even people she had known for years, were giving up hope that she would ever regain consciousness. He knew better, and he wouldn’t stop believing in her. Ever. Even though the bonding strands were gone and had never come back, she was his mate and would always be his.  

If he had to spend the rest of his days tending to her comatose form until she could bring herself back, then that is what he would do, he vowed to himself before picking up her cool hand and rubbing it across his cheek. He placed a kiss on her palm and gently placed it back under the covers.

Looking at the time he realized that Bayla and Melina would be coming from the academy soon, and he did his best to clean himself up before they arrived.

He had been angry and stubborn when Ivint and Sacara had first recommended that he allow the girls to go to the academy during the day, with the other kids. It hadn’t taken him long to realize that waiting day and night beside Jax, with him, wasn’t going to help the children to heal and grow, and he had finally relented after the second day.

He was glad that he had. It gave the children a much-needed break away from the despair that hovered over Jax’s bed as friends came to check on her and grieve her loss. They were fools! Reven thought with an angry growl. Jax was coming back to them. He was sure of it. She just needed more time.

Each school day, Melina and one of the team members would take Bayla to the toddler center before heading to her own class and would bring her back to him at the end of the day.

He loved to see their smiling, happy faces as Melina recounted their day to him and Jax. He did his best to give them twice the encouragement and love, making up for Jax until she could do it herself again.

Grai had moved Jax into an unused room near the stairs that led aboveground. This enabled them to add in furniture for Reven and the kids, like beds, a couch, TV and games. Her condition wasn’t stable enough to go home and since Reven, the kids and the animals had refused to leave her side, there had been no choice but to find a better way to accommodate them.

It had worked out well; Reven thought as he looked around the bustling docking bay. The door leading outside had been propped open and all personnel had been warned to avoid using it. It was guarded from discovery by elite warrior’s topside that were hidden from view of the animals that were using the door as a way in and out to Jax.

Cal and the other animals had been as steadfast as Reven and the girls that Jax would be back and had refused to leave, forcing them to be accommodated. Grai, with the help of Bayla and Melina had gotten all of them medically treated and well-nourished in the last five days.  

Jax would be really happy to see how wonderful they look; Reven thought, looking at the now shiny coats of fur and wings of those in the docking bay. It never registered in his mind that they were all slumped on the ground in various poses.

Reven turned to his mate and smiled, knowing she would be really proud of the children for helping the animals and for the way the others had become so used to their presence, they had begun learning their names from Bayla and Melina.

Squirrels, birds, rabbits, coyotes and even Cal had become temporary substitutes for Jax, and the aliens, hybrids and wild animals had formed a unique bond over their shared love of their fallen friend. Reven had caught several of their people bringing special treats for the animals and stopped their work to pet or talk to one of them.

Out of respect, they gave the animals a wide berth, allowing them to approach when they wanted to or needed the contact and encouragement. It was becoming an hourly occurrence to see a bunny hop over to someone for a pet or cuddle or a squirrel, bird. Even the coyotes and bears were much more emotional than anyone could have expected and required a lot of attention.

It had been like floodgates opening, and more than one person was seen smuggling a new friend home at night. They would bring them back the next day for their vigil with Jax, so no one saw anything wrong with it. The animal was much happier and less sad, and it was obvious that it wanted to go home too.

He smiled as he looked out of the door and there on the floor, his own new friends were waiting patiently for him. Reven opened the door slowly, so as not to scare them, and held it open until they hopped, ran and flew into the room.

“Good Afternoon May, Gam, Sid and Zat.” Reven said greeting his friends with a slight bow.

He propped the door open as Zat flew from the floor to the bed to sit at Jax’s feet, his dark, penetrating stare looking over every inch of Jax. Reven leaned down to pet the others while Zat used his large curved beak, to pull a piece of fluff off of her blanket before dropping it to the floor.

“I didn’t see that. Thank you my friend.” Reven said to Zat as he allowed May to climb up to his shoulder and picked up Gam and Sid to bring them over to Jax.

He joined the large, majestic hawk at the bed and put the two rabbits, Gam and Sid on the blanket and watched them hop up to Jax’s face. May, being much older than the rabbits allowed them their time with Jax. Reven gave the squirrel a gentle pet as she nuzzled his neck.

Reven hated that he couldn’t speak to them directly the way his beautiful mate and child could, but he and the animals had figured a lot out between them over the last five days; he thought with a smile.

He never thought he would say it, but he respected them. Greatly. While some of Jax’s people friends had even given up hope, these beautiful and loyal creatures had been here every day and every night.

He turned to Zat when the bird began to bob his head and give short, throaty screeches. Moments later, he heard the tell-tale sign of small feet pounding quickly towards the room.

“Thank you my friend. I am glad they are back as well.” Reven told the bird as Melina and Bayla came flying into the room.

“How is she?” Melina asked with a bright and shining smile as she carried Bayla towards the bed.

The animals screeched and chittered their greetings to the children, and the girls returned them happily. Bayla swung her arms up and down and screamed at the top of her lungs in excitement.

When everyone settled down, Melina laughed. “It’s good to see you too Zat, May, Sid and Gam. How’s mom and our baby sister doing today?” She asked with a smile as she looked at Reven.

Reven couldn’t help but smile. He always did when she called Jax ‘mom’. Melina had woken up four days ago and had started calling him Dad. He hadn’t stopped smiling about it since then. The children were the brightest spot in his life through these dark days. His new friends a real close second.

Their family was finally complete; he thought as he looked at Wolfen and Cal sleeping together in the corner. All they were missing was for Jax to wake up. He couldn’t help the sadness that overwhelmed him.

Zat nudged his hand with his beak and gave him a throaty grunt-like screech. Reven smiled at the bird, grateful that he had stopped the thoughts that would crush him if he let them. He wouldn’t let those doubts or that sadness, wear away at the hope and confidence; he felt that his mate would return to him. And their family.

Reven turned to answer Melina’s question. “She’s the same little one. She’s still fighting, and more connections become active in her brain every day. Our baby though, is growing very well. Amun said she’s very strong. Just like her mom.” Reven said with a watery smile as he remembered Amun showing him a picture of his new daughter. The only true, original part of Jax he would ever have back.

He rubbed May distractedly as she nuzzled his neck again to try to comfort him. He almost chuckled at how he’d gone from resenting these wonderful creatures to relying on them to help him keep it together for the sake of his family.

Melina smiled at Reven, already knowing Jax’s condition. She turned away to frown, not wanting him to see her concern. Something was wrong; she could feel it in herself and everything around her.

For days now, she’d been feeling a push at her energy, as if someone were trying to find her. To get inside. She had been easily fighting it and hadn’t been too concerned until Bayla told her that she started feeling the same thing last night.

Melina glanced at Reven’s haggard face and tired eyes and couldn’t bother him with it. Not right now, she thought sadly. Besides, she’d gone through Bayla’s energy and knew that the push wasn’t nearly strong enough to bother the baby. At least not yet.

Melina made up her mind to follow the energy the next time it happened and see where it went and who it belonged to. If she found anything serious, then she’d tell Reven, she thought as she looked at Reven and forced a smile.  

He was looking worse every day. He barely ate and never left the room except to stand in front of it to greet and speak to the animals outside and thank them for their strength and loyalty. She was getting really worried for him.

Melina knew that he was continuing to send energy to Jax, even though she didn’t need it, her body was repairing itself. Slowly, but it was. He was even sharing it with his new friends, including Cal and Wolfen.

She shook her head sadly, knowing it was the bonds that he had created with them that was allowing the animals to keep him going. He still hadn’t realized that it was the animals, she and Bayla that flooded him with energy to keep him going. If they weren’t, he would have collapsed from exhaustion days ago, the lack of food, sleep and energy taking their toll on his body.

It couldn’t go on; she thought, but she didn’t know how to fix it. He wouldn’t listen to the doctor or the other adults; she knew he wouldn’t listen to her either, even if she did know how to fix it. Which she didn’t.

She looked at Jax’s pretty face as she sat Bayla next to her. Her mom needed to wake up. She had to fix this; Melina thought, trying to blink away the tears that were forming in her eyes.

“Hey, let’s pick a game.” Reven said, pulling Melina out of her sad thoughts.

Taking a deep breath, Melina pulled herself together and gave Reven a smile. “I get to pick this time, you and Bayla picked the last one.”

Melina turned to the small bookcase in the corner and grabbed a military strategy game that would take hours to play. It was one of their favorites because of Reven’s experience and her unique perspective on combat. She was learning a lot from him and enjoyed the challenge.

It had the added benefit of keeping Reven’s mind on something besides Jax, partially anyway. She’d take what she could get, Melina thought as she started to set up the game on the coffee table.

They spent hours on the game while Bayla played with a sleepy Cal and Wolfen. Someone from the kitchen brought them a huge dinner that none of them were all that hungry for, although she tried to force Bayla to eat.

Reven only had a few bites before he started absently pushing the food around on his plate. Melina found even her appetite was gone after only a few bites, but forced herself to eat more, knowing she needed to.