Jax's X Game The Axelridge Series Book 2

AUDREY

“Will you be quiet!” I stop and look behind me.

“I’m sorry. I not used having Jaxtium metal in my clothes and this leather…is chafing!” Jax throws his arms out as my visor meets his.

I shake my helmet. “You wanted in. Stop complaining. Unless you want to die…Shut up and walk quietly!”

“Fine!” He says with attitude. He adjusts the crotch of his leather biker pants and we continue across the roof of the office building. The New York night life is full of vigor below, so we're stealthily walking across this roof to get a better view of our target.

I crouch and run to the edge of the roof. The cover of night hides our dark costumes.

Jax leans over the edge beside me. “Is that the place?”

Trish runs analysis on the people coming in and out of the bar across the street.

‘Location confirmed.’

“Thank you, Trish.” I lean over the edge, lining up with Jax. “Yes. This is definitely the place.” I nod to the street.

Groups of extremely beautiful lycan women are being escorted into the bar by big, muscular Lycan.

“What did you say this place was again?” Jax glances at me.

“A breeders bar. A Queen needs to go through a claiming ceremony, much like a mating, before any breed prince can touch her. After the competitions, the princes are sized up and bred in order. These places just started popping up across the country in the last 5 years or so. They are skipping the ceremonies and going right for the honeymoon. “ I inform.

“So, what? Queens are getting knocked up by any male?” He asks.

“She still vets them, but the Alphas are being cut out of the deal. She’s deciding who activates her and which seeds she will use.” I watch the Queens walk in and out of the bar with all kinds of men.

“What does that mean?”

“What that means, my dear mate, when these Queens get activated, the pups will come.” I turn to him.

“So like one or two lycans.”

“No. She will birth armies.” I say.

“For how long?” He says with shock.

“Until her lycan can’t keep up, she tires and dies of heart failure.” I tick my head.

“Holy crap!”

“If it wasn’t for her drive to breed, I’m sure most wouldn’t do it. Most Queens don’t live very long. It’s why they have so many. They’re constantly on rotation and usually the Alpha takes care of all that. With Vinnie gone…”

“Open season on the Lycan goods.” He mumbles.

“Unless, we stop it.”

“So we’re what? Liberating Queens?” He asks.

I pull off my mace and kick on my jet boots. “No. We’re killing them.”

“Wait…Rey!”

I step off the building edge and fall feet first to the sidewalk. Before I splat, my jet books activate and soften my landing.

I duck down an alley and watch. Jax lands beside me.

“There’s a back entrance.” I quickly run across the street and Jax follows a few seconds later. I love New York, really. Two masked vigilantes can run across the busy street and no one will bat an eye.

“Rey, stop!” Jax hisses.

“What, Jaxton.” I stop at the corner and peek around it.

He turns me to him. “I really don’t think we should kill them.”

“Why not?” I ask.

“Because I feel like it’s not the same as war.” He motions to me.

“Jaxton. This is war. A small one, but this is a battle. If these Queens remain alive, they can populate the planet!” I emphasize.

He holds up a hand. “Ok. Hear me out. What if we had a solution that would stop the breeding, but not kill potentially nice people who’s only crime is giving into their hormones?”

I cross my arms. “Are you advocating for Lycans now?”

“No! Are you kidding? No. I’m advocating for innocent people not having their brains mashed in. That’s all.” He says.

I shake my head and turn to the door.

“Rey…Rey, Rey.” He stops me and I sigh. “Look, I know you don’t like it, but murdering people is bad. Picking your murder victims wisely is good. Ok. Now, the suppression drug works. What I think we should do is tag and release. What do you think?”

He taps my arm and crosses his arms.

I look to the door and back at him. “It might be easier to pick off one at time then killing a whole bar.”

“Exactly. Easier.” He agrees.

“Won’t be as fun.” I say.

He puts a finger up. “There’s no fun in taking a life. Remember that.”

“No…that’s not what I meant…obviously. “ I mumble.

“Let’s just go back the lab, get a bunch of tranquilizers filled with suppression drug and start a neuter program. Any lycan killing people, then we kill the fucker.” He says.

“Ugh…fine.” I throw my mace back on my back and turn around.

He throws an arm around my neck. “You won’t regret this, Rey. Trust me. People will look at the Black Mace differently and now that there’s two Black Mace, we can up that PR from deadly vigilante to even deadlier superhero.” He swipes his hand across the sky in front of me.

“I don’t want to be a superhero!” I snap.

“Why? Heroes are awesome.” He glances at me.

“Heroes are ego driven morons who are only popular due to commercialism, capitalism and media. There’s nothing heroic about that.” I lift my chin.

“What? Heroes save lives! Of course, they should be talked about and celebrated.” He says.

We run across the street, around the building we were on and to our bikes.

I hop on mine and he hops on his. We both start them. “Celebrated for what decent human beings should be doing all the time. They do it for fame, not for the fact of actually trying to save the world.”

He sits up. “Ok. Clark Kent."

I sit up. “Got the key to the city, numerous exclusive interviews and he had groupies. It wasn’t about heroics.” I cross my arms.

He mirrors me. “Spiderman.”

“He did it for the girls and to raise his social status at school.” I tilt my head.

He points to me. “Ok. Dead pool.”

“Oh, please. Don’t even get me started on that one.” I wave him off. “No. The last thing I want to be classified as is a hero.”

He chuckles. “Fine. To the world you can be the elusive Black Mace, but you’re a hero in my book.”

I flop my arms down. “Awe. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. It’s why I love you.”

“I love you too.”

He pauses and sits up.

“What?”

He puts his hands on his hips. “Ok. You really need to get rid of the Russian, bro.”

“Why? I like it?”

He leans to me. “Because. If I’m going to be working with you, I don’t want to be uncomfortable.”

“How does my accent make you feel uncomfortable?” I scowl.

“I know what you look like.” He says.

“So?”

“So…I can’t picture certain situations with you involved if you sound like that.” He motions his hand to me and crosses his arms.

“Oh my God. Seriously?”

He shrugs. “Sorry. Sounding like a gruff Russian, instant wood killer. Even if it’s fake.”

“You’re unbelievable.” I just shook my head.

“Why? Because I don’t want the fantasies of my mate tainted by a voice scrambler?” I tell in his voice, he’s scowling.

I whip my head to him, rip my helmet off and point to his head that I shifted to. “Dude!” I growl in his voice.

He leans back. “Good point.”

“Let’s just go. We can set up your plan tomorrow. Right now, I want a bubble bath and a massage.” I slam my helmet back over Jax's head and lift my kickstand.

“Anything you want, Queen.” He laughs.

“Shut up.” I grumble as he cackles over the sound of our bikes entering New York traffic.