The Axelridge Series Book 1 Finn's Slapshot

Four Years Ago…

Throwing open the door to the Hub, I walk into arguing.

“Listen, Bat Boy, I don’t care what you think. I’m telling you, you change the delivery system and it won’t work!”

“Bat Boy? You gotta a lot of nerve Spooner.” Marcus is pushing on Jax while the rest of the council is sitting down at the computers, watching the show.

“How about I take that bat and show you how to use it?!” Jax growls back.

Jax is big guy. If he wanted to take Marcus out, he could. Being a Lacrosse player, he’s like me. We don’t take shit, we deliver it.

Marcus thinks he’s tough because he can hit a ball. He hold his own in a fight for sure, but scrapping isn’t in his blood like it is with Jax and I. He gets a boost from being Alpha, but that’s it. When you live in an aggressive world like I do, you actually fight to not take things personal and go off.

Nothing will come from this Alpha shoving match. We grew up together so, we know what buttons to push. Ultimately, we’re brothers. We may have short fuses, but we understand each other and are a team. The Axelridge Alpha team. This is our family outside our sports.

I drop my coat over a chair.

“I need the speed to penetrate the skin, yeah? You change the system, we can’t do that.” Jax crosses his arms and leans to Marcus.

“If I tweak the system the guns will be lighter to carry. You won’t lose power in the darts!” Marcus grits.

“I designed that system to specifically carry my darts at a certain rate of speed. Touch my design and I BREAK YOUR FACE!” Jax yells.

“WHOA!” I hold up my hands. “What’s going on?”

Jax runs his hand over his short, curly light brown hair, stomps over to me while pointing to Marcus. “This asshole wants to change the Lycan Tranq guns.”

Marcus turns to us and holds a hand out. “Not change, tweak. They’re too heavy. Eddie can’t maneuver properly on his board.” He points to Eddie who’s kicked back and apparently zoned out.

“Eddie? That true?” I look his way and get no response. “Eddie!”

He looks my way. “Wha? What are we talking about?” His brows go up and he looks around to the five pairs of eyes staring at him.

I shake my head. “Your board.”

He kicks his boots off the table and spins around in his chair. “My boards cool.”

Marcus and Jax lean their hands in the console table and glare at him. “You said you can’t turn properly with Jaxs gun.” Marcus growls.

“I did?” He arches a brow and scratches his head. He stares at them both. “When?”

Marcus and Jax throw their hands up and walk away at the same time.

I scrub a hand down my face. Walking over to him, I want to put this as delicately as I can even though this isn’t the first time I’ve had to address this problem. I lean my hand on the table beside his chair and lower myself down to Eddie’s brown, glassed over eyes. “Are you high?”

He grins. “Maybe a little.”

I press my lips together. “What’s the sign say?”

“Uh…” He looks down and thinks then a light bulb goes off. “No drugs in the Council Hub.” He lifts his head to me and smiles.

“Right. Which means you can’t be smoking weed when we are in session.” I say sternly.

“But…My green’s in the Winnebago, not in the Hub.” He thumbs over his shoulder.

I push my chin out. Flaring my nostrils at the stupidity, I grab his nape and pull him out of his chair. “Go walk it off. When you can think straight, come back.” I push him to the door.

“Alright! God, why are you such a buzzkill?” He scowls.

“Go, Eddie!” I point to the door.

“Fine.” He starts for the door and spins around. “I have some good stuff to take that chip off your shoulder.” He flashes a toothy grin and points at me.

“You have two seconds before I shave your ass off with my skate.” I grit.

“OK. Hey! Anyone want anything? I'll grab the munchies!” He says as he walks backwards.

“I’ll take a dog!” Griffin quickly raises his hand as he types on his keyboard.

“Me too.” Noah has a silver metal ball the size of a basketball and he’s throwing it up in the air.

“Ok. Dogs for everyone!” He spins around and jogs out the door.

I turn to Noah and point. “Stop tossing that! You want it to deploy again?”

He stops. “No.”

“No throwing balls in the council room.” I point to him.

I walk around to my seat, rubbing my forehead.

“What’s with you? You seem extra stressed.” Jax follows me and stops when I sit down.

“It’s this whole lycan thing. It’s getting out of control. Now, the rogues? I need to know what’s going on.”

Marcus sits in the seat next to me. “They killed two more last night.”

“Where?” I ask.

He leans forward on his knees and rolls his eyes to me. “Downtown.”

I sit up. “In the city? How?”

Jax shakes his head. “We don’t know. What we do know is they’re young. Barely wolves. I’m running identification right now. I’ve never seen a rogue this young.”

“We need to know what pack they came from and find out what’s happening there. Maybe the Alpha’s an asshole or something. There should be no reason why a kid would turn rogue.” I flick my eyes between them. “Find out how they got in the city. I need that leak in the border plugged now.”

Marcus nods and Jaxs pulls out his phone.

My phone rings and I pull it out. I smile when I see who’s on the screen. I excuse myself and put the phone to my ear.

“Hey, Benny. What’s up?”

“Um…I can’t find mom.”

He sounds upset and my brows come together. “Where are you?”

“I’m at school.”

I look at the time. It’s 4:45. “Did you call?”

“She’s not answering.” I hear his voice choke.

Panic sets in as I talk to the nine year old boy. “OK. Ben. Sit tight. I’ll come get you. Try mom again OK?”

“OK.”

“Don’t be scared. I’m coming.”

“Thanks, Finn.”

“Anytime, Benny. I’ll be there in 5 minutes.” I lower the phone and hang up. I take a second to think.

I shake my head and put my phone in my back pocket. “Damn it, April.” I growl.

I turn to the guys. “I gotta get the kid. I’ll be back.” I point to them. “Knock off the fighting!”

“With this council? Good luck.” Noah laughs.

I jog out of the Hub and down to the garage of the Axelridge Security Complex.

My mind races as I grab a company car and drive to collect a boy who should be with his mother. Thank God the school’s not far.

I can only hope April’s just stuck in traffic or hurt. She better not doing what I pretty much know she is.

After collecting Ben from school, I drive to the southeast side of the city where the subdivisions are. Standard housing for families. It’s outside the school zone so Ben needs to be picked up and dropped off every day. Normally, it’s his mother and I’m an emergency contact for him. I don’t mind in the least, but under these circumstances, it should not happen.

I pull into the driveway of the two level, tan townhouse. April’s Honda civic is in the driveway. She’s home. She better have slipped in the tub or something.

I turn my Cadillac off and turn around to Ben in the back seat. “Bud, stay here. I’m going to check on mom first, OK?”

His mouth was frowned and I could sense his fear. “OK.”

I reach back and hold his hand. “It’s fine. Mom’s OK.”

He nods.

“Just play your game and don’t leave the car.” I instruct.

He nods again.

I get out and locked the doors to the car as I jog up the walk to the front door. I test the knob and it’s unlocked.

“April!”

I walk down the hall off the foyer to the living room. All the lights are off, but the daylight though the windows lights up all I need to see.

I shake my head and flop my arm to the side. “Shit.”

She’s sitting on the floor with her back against the couch in a long satin nightgown. The one he bought her. Her knees are pulled up, her head is down and her long auburn hair is hanging down, covering her face. Her arms are resting on her knees. In her hands is a glass and a bottle of Jack. I can scent the salt and the alcohol.

“April.” I bark quietly.

She lifts her head to me. Her hair covers half her face, but her cheek is wet. She’s been crying.

She sniffs and I scratch my eyebrow. “Ben’s outside.”

“Damn it.” She slurs. She looks away and puts the glass on the coffee table. She tries to get up, but falls back down.

I slowly shake my head and walk over to her. I squat down and move her hair. “What happened?”

Her drunk eyes glance at me. “The board revoked my license.” She mutters.

I lower my head, rub my forehead and let out a breath. I motion to the bottle. “So this is what you do?”

“I’m sorry, Finley. I’m not as cool as you.” She narrows her eyes and snaps.

I point in her face. “Don’t get nasty.” I don’t want to pull my Alpha, but I will if I need to.

She turns away. “I have no job. I have no mate. I have nothing.” She grumbles and tosses a shot back.

“Hey. You have a kid. A kid that’s in my car terrified because something happened to mom and he doesn’t understand it. You getting drunk doesn’t make your problems go away and doesn’t help Ben at all.” I grit at her under my breath. These houses aren’t exactly sound proof.

“You wouldn’t understand.” She mutters.

“I understand, April. More than you know. You said you’d get help after you showed up at the school drunk. What happened to that?” I lean to her to see her face.

She starts to cry and takes another drink. She shakes her head. “You don’t know what I go through, OK?! You don’t…” She tries to get up again and almost drops the bottle.

I watch her sway as she sobs. I know where this slippery slope is going. “OK.” I take the bottle from her and scoop her up in my arms. “Let’s get you to bed.”

She rests her head on my chest. “I just miss him so much.” She cries.

“I know you do, Honey, I know.” I whisper as I carry her upstairs.

I take her to her room. She cups my cheek as I walk to the bed. “Stay with me?” She starts to nuzzle my ear and leave light kisses on my cheek.

Any other day, I'd be all over it, but never when she’s like this. “I don’t think so.” I say as I put her in bed and cover her up. I pet her head as she quietly cries herself to sleep.

I can’t really understand what she’s going through, but I feel it. I feel her pain and it tears me apart. No one should suffer like this and it seems no amount of counselling is helping. I just don’t know what to do. The only thing I can do right now is pick up the pieces and try to hold this family together like I promised. Some days, it’s easier said than done.

After leaving a note incase she wakes up, I walk out the door, lock it up and jog to the car. Ben is sitting nice and quiet in the back. I get in.

“Is mom OK?” He says not lifting his eyes from his phone.

“Uh…Yeah. Mom’s OK. She’s just really tired and needed a nap.” I grin at him.

His looks up and his face falls. “She’s drinking again, isn’t she?”

Fuck. The kid’s too smart. I turn more in my seat. “Benny.” I try to find the words. “Sometimes adults have problems. Big ones. Some of us can’t really deal with them properly so, we can make bad choices that we think help. Mom’s just going through stuff and not dealing well.”

“It’s OK. I get it.” He mumbles and goes back to his game.

“We'll help her, ok?” I try to see his face.

“Sure.” He grumbles.

I tap his leg. “What do you say, me and you, hit the ice. Let mom sleep.”

His face lights up. “Can I turn the goal light on?”

“Whatever you want.” I grin.

“Cool!” He smiles.

I put the car in gear and drive off to Hammer Stadium. I’ll spend some time with the kid and talk to April when she’s sober.

I don’t know where it all went wrong, but somewhere between then and now, me and April fell apart. It kills me because I’m positive most of it was my fault. I let the one thing I hated invade me and it came out. I wish I could take it back, but I can’t. All I can do is try to make up for it and make sure what happened to me never happens to the boy in the backseat. If I can’t right my wrongs with April, I can certainly make the future brighter for Ben.

Unfortunately, we have a big pile of shit to go through before the roses are even seen.