SWNOVELS Chapter 5: Jaxon
He braked his truck at the traffic and used the small window of time to remember about Hanson.
Hanson Creighton was actually his uncle. He was the youngest brother of Jaxon’s father Riley. Because Jaxon and Hanson were born on the same date in the same hospital, they became best friends. The third-in-command mated to Lydia, daughter and the only child of Riley’s third-in-command, Quintin which was the reason Hanson was appointed as Jaxon’s third-in-command because Quintin didn’t have another child or son to replace him.
At Hanson’s perspective, he didn’t care whether the Alpha acknowledged him as an uncle or best friend. Either worked just fine for him. Jain connected to Hanson faster than she did with the others.
Thinking Hanson was gone, Jaxon felt anger bubbled up in him. Hanson was well-trained and the best Enforcer in his pack. Something made him slipped out carelessly like this. Whatever it was, Jaxon swore he would find out who did this to his family.
He resumed driving to the workshop where Hanson usually spent his spare time. It wasn’t far from Jaxon’s parents’ villa. Hanson had a big interest in carpentering. He had built lots of furniture for the pack mansion and sold some to his other clients.
In ten minutes, Jaxon arrived at the driveway of Hanson’s workshop. There were several other cars parked and his Enforcers were doing a perimeter around the place. When he entered the workshop, Seth was looking to a wall which had a dozen framed photos. His mind link filled with sorrow and sadness. He was grieving.
“Seth,” Jaxon called him.
The Beta quickly wiped his eyes and turned around. The redness in his eyes had proven Jaxon that his Beta cried.
“Alpha, you’re here,” he said sadly. “The body is at the back. The coroner is checking it.”
The Alpha nodded and followed him to the back door. The stench of blood was getting stronger until he saw how Hanson’s body was. The body was hanging on the tree—upside down with his wrists chained to his ankles causing his body to arch backward. His ribs were exposed from his spine. This reminded Jaxon of a blood eagle—an execution-style did by Vikings.
“Get him the fuck down from the tree!” The Alpha commanded with anger.
They quickly unchained Hanson’s body and one Enforcer rushed in with a body bag before they put Hanson’s body inside it. Jaxon was angry they let his body hung on the tree for long. What the fuck they were thinking? They should have respected his body and put him down to the ground.
“All of you do 20 miles running!” he punished his Enforcers there.
They gasped in shock but nodded, regardless. There was no point to argue with an angry Alpha. It would just infuriate him even more.
“Alpha, they were just—”
“25 miles!” he cut Seth off. He turned to speak to the Coroner. “Fill me with the details.”
The Coroner opened his file. “The first bullet went through his ribcage, puncturing his lungs and liver. The second bullet went through his head. They cut his ribs open from his spine.”
“T.O.D?”
“Around 9pm-11pm last night. But Alpha, his attacker didn’t kill him here. There is no evidence suggesting he struggled with his killer.”
“Long ranged kill,” Jaxon concluded. “They killed him somewhere else?”
“Trackers are scouting everywhere,” Seth interrupted. “They would report in for anything suspicious.”
“Where was Hanson last night?”
Everyone shook their head, so the Beta spoke again, “Lydia felt an excruciating pain last night and fainted. Her in-laws rushed her to the hospital, and she gained consciousness about a few hours ago when she suddenly acted violently and got mad at everyone. Hanson’s grandfather went to find him and that was how he found his grandson hanging on the tree. They had to sedate Lydia, fearing that she would harm her baby.”
Jaxon stared at the pale body of his uncle in the body bag. He looked like he was just sleeping. There was no pain clear on his face. It was heartbreaking to think Hanson would never get the chance to know his first child—his first son. The boy would grow up without knowing his father and how great he was. The boy would never get to experience how fun, free-spirited and loving his father was.
“Prepare for the funeral.” Jaxon zipped the body bag unable to look at Hanson’s face anymore. “We will send him to the Afterlife with honor and respect.”
“Yes,” Seth replied before following the Alpha to the workshop.
There was a pin-drop silence between the two men as they stared at the framed photos on the wall. Hanson always told them he loved keeping photos because it was proof the moment was perfect even if the people in it, weren’t perfect. It was their routine to go fishing at the river close to their territory. Sometimes, they caught fishes. Sometimes, they didn’t. But, that bothered none of them because they got to enjoy life—just sitting by the riverbank, drinking beer and talked about anything while they were waiting for the fishes to take the baits. He had lamed jokes but his laughter was contagious. No matter how many hardships they faced, Hanson was always the bright and happy one.
“Did you tell Peanut?” Seth asked after they stood there in silence for a good fifteen minutes.
“I told her at my parents’ driveway. She didn’t take it well,” Jaxon replied, looking at one photo of Jain and Hanson in a pink tutu.
Damn, that man always knew the right ways with kids. All the kids in the pack loved him. Shame, his son wouldn’t get to feel that.
“I will check on Lydia tonight. You coming?”
“She’s my family too. I would come. I need to check on Peanut first.”
“We will find the killer and make them pay for this.”
“I know.” His fists clenched tightly until he could hear his knuckles cracked.
Jaxon would avenge for Hanson’s death.