More Trouble

London

Surprise coloured Jax's heterochromic eyes as he blinked at me. I gently lowered my head, equally surprised at my reaction. I never expected that I'd utter the very words I had just let slip.

Jax took a step closer, tilting his head to get a better look at me. He blinked again, and I found myself growing irritated by the incredulous look plastered on his face.

Feeling stuck, a strained breath left my lips because, knowing Jax, I had an array of questions coming at me, though from the look he was giving me and his awfully long silence that plunged the both of us into a loop of tension and awkwardness, he was preferring to keep them silenced.

I was grateful for his choice because I honestly wasn't ready to have questions thrown my way or questioning eyes peering at me. Jax was incredibly smarter than he looked, so expect one question from him to throw you off your balance.

“If you're ready, we could go now.”

The calmness in his voice surprised me, but I swallowed it down. Clearing my throat, I took a step back from him and looked away, trying to gather my thoughts and process my decision.

My pack was in a delicate state at the moment, and leaving for the southern pack was quite the distance. I wasn't sure if to leave them alone in such a time of crisis. Cane was dead, so we were short of kill machines; Reece was neck deep in handling pack members and trying to sort out requests and situations as much as he could; Vad’nuever was still in recovery and was now one eye short...

It wouldn't be a good decision to just leave when Hades was still out there. Besides, the Book of the Condemned was still in my possession, and I had no doubt Hades was still lurking around, waiting for the slightest opportunity to come for it. Mathias was also another major concern. I have yet to go and see him since his awakening.

All the more reason I was worried because, to be honest, Hades was terrifying. His ability to invade the minds of his victims and weaken them without even having to show himself creeped me out. Taking him alone would be a problem, but I was ready for it, though I knew Fuyu would kill me if he perceived my thoughts. He didn't want me to get involved with Hades, but how was I going to sit still when my wolf had gone incommunicado?

Jax moped at me with squinted eyes, trying to read the thoughts hidden behind blank eyes. His phone suddenly rang, startling him a bit before he took a step back and raised a finger in a way that signalled he was requesting a minute.

I sighed, scrubbing my face in frustration. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake off the fact that a great part of me wanted to see her, even if it was for closure's sake. I just wanted to gaze into those amber eyes and childlike features, even if it was for one last time.

I found my heart hurting at the thought of finality. Why did it ache so much? She wouldn't remember me; that was very obvious from all Jax had said, but then it stung more than it should because she was carrying my babies. I didn't want her to belong to another man, even when I knew I wasn't good enough for her… and that was truly selfish of me. I wanted to eat my cake and still have it.

"What do you mean she's run away? Run away to fucking where? I had left her in your hands, and you fucking tell me that she's run away? Is it that easy to escape a heavily guarded goddamn pack?! Fucking find her else you all meet your death in my hands and I promise you it will be extremely painful!” Jax's deadly tone caught my attention.

I gawked at him with widened eyes, static from the conversation I had just heard. Run away? What the hell was that all about?

She was pregnant with children that were literally like bait to all that sought the throne, void of any memories, fragile, weak, and on her own? How on earth was she supposed to survive out there alone when there was a serious insecurity crisis in the Four Lands? Was Jax fucking with me right now because I would literally rip his throat out if he wasn't?

Jax was breathing furiously, his eyes flashing a dull silver. He was trying not to lose his temper, but he was failing miserably. He turned to me with a guilty look in his eyes and looked away. He didn't need to say it; I had heard a little part of it all, and it said all I needed to know.

My eyes stared at him blankly for a while, my broken arm twitching in the cast that carried it. “Please tell me you're not talking about Blaire?”

The mere thought of her whereabouts being unknown was making me twitch in anger, frustration, and fucking worry.

“I'm sorry s–”

I growled at him, my eyes flashing dangerously at him.

“Don't you dare! I trusted you to keep her safe, Jax. For the first time, I decided to fucking trust you with something as important as the lives of three people. What do you do? You prove to me that I was right about you; you can't handle anything.” I gritted my teeth at him, increasingly infuriated.

“We'll find her.” Jax said.

“Oh?” I rapidly blinked at him, “find her? When's she dead or about to be? Because you just said it yourself that she doesn't even remember her fucking name!”

Jax looked away, remaining quiet at my words, because the gravity of the situation we were in sent a new wave of guilt travelling down his spine. He couldn't bear the fact that something so delicate had gone awry in his care.

“London, I'll find her… I'll search everywhere till–”

My eye twitched as a terrifying growl reverberated in the room, silencing him. I gripped his collar, veins bulging on my body, but paused when I coughed as pain struck my heart, making me immediately drop him as blood seeped from my mouth and spluttered on the floor. I had overexerted myself when my body was still in a fragile state, healing from the injuries that nearly killed me.

Miller had asked me to avoid getting angry at all costs, but look at me now; I was beyond livid. “I'll find her myself. She's my mate… and I shouldn't have given her to you.” I said, breathing heavily at the pain I was currently feeling.

Turning from him, I called for Reece through a mindlink. Funny how I was making use of it these days despite hating my head intruded by voices or anything at all.

“Come in, Reece!”

Reece answered almost immediately, “My Alpha, I was just about to call for you. There's a situation that needs your atten–”

“That is not my business right now. I need you to prepare scouts and dispatch them. I want men scattered around the four territories–”

Reece sighed. “Is this about the Alphas seeking more backup?”

I let out a low growl in warning. His interruption got on my nerves, and I was prickly. “Fuck them; that's not why I need men scattered around. I want men placed in every fucking corner; I want every single nook and cranny searched. Turn the whole four kingdoms upside down; I don't care; I just want ears and eyes everywhere till she's found and brought to me.”

“Who exactly is being searched for?”

I sighed, “Blaire White. She's my mate, and she's carrying. She went missing from the southern lands today. She couldn't have gone far.

Reece went silent for a while, obviously dumbstruck by my revelation. He had a lot of questions, I could tell, and I was glad when he didn't voice them after reading the atmosphere and my anger. He cleared his throat. “Of course, my Alpha. If the status update isn't positive?”

My eyes darkened as red flashed, a low growl resounding in my throat as every cell in my body sent deadly chills down my body. “Then the heavens have mercy on my enemies because I sure as hell won't.”