SWNOVELS Chapter 7: Jaxon
His hands tucked inside the pocket of his jeans as he watched Clara talked to Lydia’s parents about something in the room. Jaxon had been watching the interaction between the two families through the glass wall. The doctor had to sedate Lydia and controlled her with a certain medication to keep her going through until her labor. Nobody wanted to risk her going violent and stressed out while her baby would be born in a few weeks. They had no choice in her situation. Losing a mate could do many things to someone. He remembered Cohen went through the same thing. Not to mention he was Alpha blood, and it made the situation worst.
Medication could only control someone for so long before it stopped working. Jaxon was just hoping the medication would continue its effect until Lydia gave birth to her baby. He could assure everyone the baby would receive all the treatments he deserved. He was a Creighton and they would treat him like one.
“The funeral would be in two days,” Seth told him as they stood there. “I’ve informed Alpha Cohen, Zachariah, and Nathan about it. They sent their condolences.”
Jaxon nodded. He had nothing to say at the moment. He lost his uncle and Jain was pushing him away because he did not protect Hanson. Being a failure wasn’t something an Alpha would like to do. It tore them apart when someone said they were a failure to the pack. Jain refused to talk or look at him when he came back from the crime scene. It hurt him so much that his sister shut him out, but there was nothing he could do. Hanson was like her own father too. They were best friends.
He had to think how he would console his sister through this situation. He didn’t want to hurt her with the news, but what choice did he have? If he kept his mouth shut about it and she found out from someone else, she would hate him even more.
Jaxon scratched his head in frustration before excusing himself. He needed time and space to think on his own. He was an Alpha. He should have handled this situation better, but he could only hold for so long before his own emotions took the best of him.
He left the hospital before driving to the bar. Maybe a drink or two could ease his mind for tonight. Everything seemed to screw up in his life. He found his mate on the same day he lost his uncle. Now, he couldn’t focus on anything else. Not even to the murder case or his mate.
“Bourbon,” he requested from the bartender.
“Coming right up,” the bartender replied before pouring him a glass of bourbon.
From the moment he stepped into the bar, his presence had caught up several girls. If it wasn’t because of what was happening in his life, he would have reciprocated their gestures. But tonight, he wasn’t planning to sleep with any girl. Not when he had found his mate. Even his mother complained all of his nightstands were crazy women.
Jaxon requested another glass of the same drink and the bartender was happy to oblige. This place was his usual hangout whether he was alone or accompanied. It didn’t matter. He was a man of a nightlife. He lived for this kind of things.
“Put that in my tab,” someone spoke.
His body shuddered by the sound of the voice. On his right, Zia was sitting on the barstool with a drink in front of her. She was wearing a crop top shirt which showed her pierced bellybutton and toned abs matched with black denim jeans and boots. Jaxon looked around and saw other men were looking at this beauty next to him. He felt jealousy bubbled up in him.
“We meet again.” she smiled to him, turning her entire body to his direction until her knee brushed against the side of his thigh. “Bad day, Jaxon?”
If only he could make her scream his name in pleasure, it wouldn’t be such a bad day for him.
“Something like that,” he replied, keeping his eyes focused on her while his hands ached to punch those guys for looking at her. “Thanks for the drink, although I could have paid it.”
He wasn’t the guy who would accept free drinks from a woman but tonight; he had to make an exception. Otherwise, the two of them would argue about it. He would rather argue with another man.
“You paid for my groceries. I could buy you a couple more drinks if you would like.”
He chuckled, “I’m not planning to get drunk but I keep that in my mind.”
They didn’t speak much afterward. Jaxon never turned this speechless but with all the things happened today, his mind went blank for anything else. Without him noticing his own action, he grabbed Zia’s hand.
“Let’s dance.” he pulled her towards the dance floor.
He wanted those men to realize this girl wasn’t theirs to look at. He didn’t mind starting a brawl. Maybe that could take his mind off.
“Hey, I don’t think—”
He put his hands on her hips. “Please? Just one.”
Zia bit her lip much to his despair. If he didn’t discipline himself for a long time, the action would have snapped his control instantly.
“Distract my thoughts,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around her small body. “I had a bad day and if you could distract my thoughts for me, I would be grateful.”
She nodded and curled her arms around his neck, pressing their bodies together as they moved to the music playing in the background. Jaxon closed his eyes and placed his forehead on hers, inhaling her intoxicating and delicious scent of strawberry.
“I’m sorry about whatever happened to you today,” Zia said, looking up to him. “It must be hard.”
He hummed, “It is. I’m feeling better with you here.”
He opened his eyes just to see hers looking at his lips briefly. Standing this close to her was making him questioning any of his disciplines. Would it be wrong to kiss his own mate even though she didn’t know they were mates?
“What kind of spell have you cast on me?” Jaxon whispered to her ear. He felt her body shuddered. “Making me wanting to kiss you senselessly.”
“You want to kiss me?” Zia tried to speak calmly, but he could sense nervousness in her tone.
Jaxon stared at her lips briefly. “Would you hate me if I kiss you?”
“N-No,” she stuttered.
That was the last confirmation he needed before he pressed his lips on hers. Her hand buried in his hair as she pulled him closer, letting their lips danced in a symphony for a while. He pulled away to let them to take a breather. Even in the dimmed light, he could see blush was creeping into Zia’s cheeks.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured softly, caressing her lips with his thumb.
He was a goner at this point.