SWNOVELS Chapter 13: Jaxon
After had replying the text, Jaxon resumed his work in the office. Although he was grieving and mourning for Hanson, Jaxon’s heart was in a better place when he thought of Zia. Spending the night with her was the best decision he ever made. Everyone used to tell him that intimacy came in the form of sex. But in his perspective, holding Zia in his arms, that was intimate enough. Those people who told him sex was the only intimate thing, then they were fools. It didn’t have to be sex. It could be anything to have an intimacy with someone. Guess what, never took advice from unmated friends.
He opened Hanson’s case file. Jaxon was torn apart again when he saw the photos taken. He couldn’t handle this on his own. He had lost enough people in his life.
“Jaxon?” Jain peeked her head into his office before coming in with her big teddy bear, a gift from Hanson for her 10th birthday.
“Hey, peanut.” He helped her to climb up to his chair. “How are you?”
Jain still had puffy and red eyes. She didn’t eat her dinner and barely touched her breakfaast. Jaxon was burdened with the death of their uncle and the wellbeing of his sister but he didn’t show it because someone needed to stay strong for all of them.
She shook her head. “I missed Uncle Hanson.”
Jaxon kissed her forehead as he answered, “Me too, peanut. But Uncle Hanson is in a better place. He’s with grandpa and grandma, looking and protecting us.”
“He’s like our Angel?”
“Yes,”
If only she knew that he had seen Angels by his own eyes.
“Thank you for protecting us, Uncle Hanson.” she murmured causing Jaxon to smile.
At least, Jain was getting better.
“Are you hungry, peanut?”
Jain’s eyes glimmered, “Yes, can you cook?”
“Of course, I can cook.”
Jaxon carried her in his arms as they exited the office. Several Enforcers nodded to his way and beamed a smile seeing his sister was in a good mood today. Everyone here loved his sister although she had a hard time remembering all of their names. Jaxon wanted to keep Jain’s mind occupied by something else other than the death of their uncle. He placed her on the counter in the kitchen and walked to the fridge, taking out several ingredients.
“Spaghetti with meatballs?” he asked her, earning an eager nod. “It is decided then.”
The Alpha started to cook and occasionally letting Jain to help him with it. He knew how much she loved cooking but she was just a kid. He couldn’t let her cook without an adult supervising her. It would be too dangerous to let a kid handling hot stuff like this. This could keep her mind occupied. After they had finished cooking and eating, Jain went to attend her class. She had been homeschooled since two years ago after Jain accidentally hurt a human boy for bullying another kid in her class. She didn’t know the extent of her strength as a werewolf. For her own safety and everyone else’s, Clara decided to get her homeschool like many other pups in the pack.
Jaxon went to check on his Enforcers’ training before Seth came in an hour later to inform him the arrival of Cohen and Mira. He was expecting the whole team was there but he was told that Liam and Brandon were in a different state. That was a rarity for an Alpha to grant his beta and Gamma off duty on the same time. In fact, Jaxon never heard an Alpha ever did that. Whatever made Cohen agreed to let these two away, then there must be something important.
“We’re sorry for your loss,” Mira said, hugging him briefly. “If you need anything, just mention it.”
“Thank you for being here,” Jaxon replied with a small smile. “It means a lot for us.”
He turned to his friend and they shook hands, exchanging a few words before Jaxon led them to the office. Despite being heavily pregnant, Mira still spared her time to visit him. He knew she thought that she owed him and his pack for helping her in the battles but he didn’t think she owed anyone. She had saved the world twice. That responsibility was heavy to be carried by one person. He was glad that he could help her and Cohen.
“How’s Lydia?” Cohen asked after he had helped his mate to sit down.
“Amanda is working on her. Vincent went to help Seth with the funeral.” Jaxon informed them. “Did you have any lead better than I am?”
“Not much at the moment,” Cohen shook his head. “Hanson wasn’t the only one killed in the same way.”
“Five neighboring packs had the same case. Hanson was the twenty-sixth werewolf to die like that.” Mira added before she stood up slowly and headed to the map pinned to the wall. She picked a red marker pen and marked many points on the map. “These marks where the bodies were found.” then she made another mark but with a black pen. “These were where they were killed.”
Jaxon stared at the map and saw that each of the body was killed in a different place and was found in another place. He marked where Hanson’s body was found and where he was killed. Something about those markers trying to tell him because his territory was located in the middle of them. He connected each of the marks and they formed two circles around his territory. What was that supposed to mean?
“Your whole pack is the target, Jaxon,” Cohen said as he stood next to his mate. “The people who did this, they had killed several werewolves in many big packs across the country. They infiltrated silently and by the time everyone knew about it, it was already too late.”
“So do we have any name?”
“Joshua Ashton, ring any bell with that name?” Cohen said with a hint of knowing in his tone.
“Yes, unfortunately.”