“Oh shit,” Violet gasped when she crept down the stairs and saw the tiger’s body. Jax felt awful. It was a grisly scene, and not something he wanted her to see, but it was important for her to know that her nightmare was over. Anton was dead.

The tiger’s massive body was lying still in the middle of the floor as thick dark blood oozed out of its neck. The inside of the firehouse was trashed with broken furniture everywhere, cracked tiles, broken windows, claw marks along the walls, and if that wasn’t enough, it was all covered in splashes of blood.

It had been a hard fight, but it was over.

“Your body,” Violet said, rushing over. The deep gashes sliced across Jax’s body were already starting to heal but they were burning like fire. He looked in bad shape—covered in blood, bruised and battered—but he knew it wouldn’t last long. The large cut along his chest had stopped bleeding and was already slowly closing up.

“We need to get you to a hospital,” she said, starting to panic as she looked him over.

“It’s okay,” he whispered in a reassuring voice. “It will be gone in an hour.”

“An hour?” she asked, staring at him in disbelief.

Jax winced as he reached for her. “Maybe two.”

“Come sit down,” she said, guiding him to the couch. They walked around the broken glass on the floor as Violet helped steady him with an arm around his waist. He was surprised to find his legs shaky and his balance off. That tiger put up more of a fight than he had expected.

“Just relax on the sofa,” she said as they slowly walked across the room. “What’s left of it.”

The cushions were all sliced up with the padding sticking out like little clouds. Jax grunted as he collapsed onto it in a seated position, grimacing as it reopened a gash on his side that had just healed.

“Where’s Benji?” he asked as she knelt down in front of him. He actually missed the kid and wanted to see him.

“He’s in his crib,” she said, swallowing hard as she looked at a deep cut on his thigh. “He’s fine. Thanks to you.”

She looked so nervous with the way she kept blinking rapidly and looking around with short, jerky movements. Her hands were trembling and she was biting at her bottom lip as she kept glancing over her shoulder at the dead tiger lying in the middle of the room like she was expecting him to get up at any second.

“He’s dead,” Jax said in a voice that was final. “He’s not going to hurt you again.”

Violet was holding her breath as she turned back to him. Her eyes wanted to believe him, but she still didn’t look sure.

“He heals,” she said in a trembling voice.

“Not from that,” Jax said, trying to reassure her. “A shifter can heal from almost anything, but once we’re dead, we’re dead.”

“And you’re sure…” she said, her voice trailing as she glanced at the tiger one more time.

Jax gently took her chin in his hand and turned her head until she was looking into his eyes.

“It’s over,” he whispered. “You and Benjamin are free. I told you that you two are under my protection now, and I meant it. No one is going to hurt you again.”

“Oh, Jax,” she whispered, taking his hand in hers. She leaned down and kissed his knuckles. “Thank you. For everything.”

Both their heads whipped around as a familiar looking pickup truck pulled into the driveway.

“Who’s that?” Violet said, jumping to her feet in a panic.

Jax squeezed her hand and pulled her back down. “It’s okay,” he said as the truck parked and the engine shut off. “They’re friends.”

He watched through the window as Zane, Axel, Gwen, and Hadley jumped out of the truck with smiles on their faces. Axel and Hadley were back from Philadelphia and Axel had a new Phillies baseball jersey on. Jax shook his head and chuckled when he saw the big foam finger on his hand.

Zane and Gwen looked nice and tanned and relaxed. The bear shifter had a big dorky sun hat on and was wearing a flowered Hawaiian shirt and shorts. The happy couple kissed and Gwen disappeared into her muffin shop as the other three casually walked over, laughing as they came.

Axel was in first. “Surprise Jax!” he shouted as he opened the door. “We’re home a day earl—what the hell?!?”

He dropped his bag, staring in shock at the trashed room that was covered in blood. His eyes widened to the size of baseballs when he saw the dead tiger lying on the floor.

Zane was laughing as he pushed past him. “What did he make a mess or—oh my God!” he shouted as his face dropped when he saw the grisly scene.

“What is it?” Hadley asked, trying to see over their large frames.

“Stay outside, babe,” Axel called back to her. “I don’t think you want to see this.”

“Welcome home,” Jax said, waving with a smile on his face.

Both the shifters whipped their heads around and stared at him in shock for a second before turning to Violet. They looked flabbergasted.

Jax grinned, loving every second of this. That surprised look on their faces alone was worth all of the painful injuries he had received from the fight. It was quite a scene to walk into after a relaxing vacation. He was sitting naked on the cut up sofa with a strange girl in the trashed room with a massive dead tiger on the floor.

It was no wonder both of their jaws were hanging open.

“We leave you alone for five minutes,” Zane said, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Who’s that?” Axel asked, pointing at the tiger with his large foam finger.

“Who was that is more like it?” Zane corrected. He turned to Violet who was standing nervously beside the couch. “And who is that?”

“This is my mate,” Jax said proudly.

The look of shock they both gave him was full of even more surprise than the one when they had first walked into the firehouse.

“Mate?” Axel said, shaking his head as he tried to understand. “You?”

Jax wrapped an arm around her waist and smiled. “Yeah. Me.”

“But you need to have a soul to have a mate,” Axel said, staring at them. “And no offense Jax, but I didn’t think you had a soul. Wait… Is she a robot?”

“I don’t understand,” Zane said, squeezing his eyes shut like his brain was hurting. “I go away for five days and all of the laws of the universe change. How can you have a mate?”

“Guys,” Jax said, grunting as he stood up. “Meet Violet.”

She did an awkward little curtsy as her cheeks reddened.

“What is going on in there?” Hadley asked as she opened the door and came in. Her eyes widened and her face paled when she looked from Jax’s naked cock to the broken TV to the blood on the walls to the dead tiger on the floor. “I’m going to go help Gwen unpack,” she said in a shaking voice as she backed away slowly.

Jax laughed as he watched her hurry out the door and run across the driveway into the muffin shop.

“But who the hell is that?” Zane asked, pointing at the tiger. “I feel like you’re leaving out some crucial information here.”

Jax sighed as he wrapped his arm around the woman he loved. “It’s been an eventful couple of days.”

“I can see that,” Zane said as he rubbed his bearded chin.

“It’s all good, boss,” he said. “Let me get some clothes and I’ll explain everything.”

Zane blocked his path when he headed for the stairs. “You sure you’re okay?” he whispered, looking worried.

Jax slapped a hand on the bear shifter’s shoulder. “Better than okay, Zane,” he said, pulling him in for a hug.

Zane’s body stiffened in shock as the lion shifter squeezed him in a hug. They were the closest thing to family that either of them had, and they had never hugged. Until now.

“I love you, brother,” Jax whispered in his ear. “Thank you for always having my back.”

Zane’s body relaxed and he hugged him back.

“Awww,” Axel said, dropping his bag of cheap souvenirs as he rushed over. “Let me get in on this.”

He threw his arms around the two shifters and Jax laughed as he hugged him too. “I love you too, Axel. Sorry I’ve never said it before.”

Axel wiped a tear from his eye. “This is the best day ever,” he said, sniffing happily.

“Don’t get too excited,” Jax said, grinning as he pushed him off. “You’re helping me clean this up for the rest of the day.”

“Anything for my brother,” Axel said with a sniff.

Jax rolled his eyes and laughed. “Oh, man. What have I done?” he muttered.

“She’s really your mate?” Zane whispered, stealing a glance at the beautiful girl with the black hair who was standing there awkwardly looking at the ceiling.

“She is,” he answered with a grin. “And believe me that’s not even the most shocking part. I have someone else I want you to meet.”

* * *

“No way,” Zane said, staring at Jax in shock as he walked down with Benjamin. He was covering the little guy’s eyes as he motioned to the two stunned bear shifters to follow him.

“Somebody grab that kid before Jax tosses him out the window!” Axel shouted in a panic.

Jax laughed and pushed Axel away as he leaped on him, trying to save the kid. “Will you relax? It’s okay.”

“Okay?” Axel said, following him out. “What are you going to do with that kid?”

Jax removed his hand from Benjamin’s eyes when they stepped outside. The kid was laughing, thinking it was a game.

“A lot has changed since you guys left,” he said, clutching the boy to his chest like he was the most precious thing in the world, which he was.

“You’re telling me,” Zane said, staring at him in disbelief. “You’re holding a kid. You’re holding a kid and you look happy. I don’t believe it.”

Violet followed them out and smiled as she took the baby from Jax’s arms. She kissed Benji’s chubby cheek and smiled as she leaned on her man. “Jax is a real natural with kids,” she said, nodding.

“A real natural disaster,” Axel muttered under his breath.

“Is everything okay?” Gwen asked as she rushed out of the muffin shop. “Hadley said there’s a dead tiger in the firehouse?!?”

“It’s true,” Hadley said, following her. “A big one.”

“Zane?” Gwen said, waiting for an answer. “What’s going on?”

Zane threw his hands in the air and huffed out a breath. “I don’t know anymore,” he said, shaking his head. “Jax is holding a baby and saying that he loves us. There’s a dead tiger inside. I’m wearing a Hawaiian shirt. Everything is all messed up. I think we need Draven back.”

“It’s all good, Gwen,” Jax said, feeling as relaxed as ever as he walked over to her. He gave her a hug, leaving her with a stunned look on her face. “Let’s just have some lunch and I can explain everything.”

A little while later, they were eating pizza in Gwen’s shop after Jax explained what had happened over the past few days. The women were on the floor, playing with the baby who was loving all of the attention.

“But I still don’t understand,” Axel said as he took a bite of pizza. A strand of cheese was hanging from his chin as he chewed. “You actually like the baby?”

Jax rolled his eyes and laughed. He was done talking about this and it was time to get the conversation off of him and Violet.

“How did it go in Philly?” he asked. “Did you meet Hadley’s family?”

Axel shifted in his seat as he swallowed the pizza. “I did. It didn’t go great.”

“Why not?” Jax asked, feeling concerned for his friend. “Everybody loves you.”

He shook his head as he took another bite. “Apparently they weren’t so happy about a stranger knocking their daughter up and then being the cause of her moving across the country.”

“What a shocker,” Zane said with a laugh. “You’ll grow on them.”

“It’s true,” Jax said with a nod. “Like a big annoying wart, you’ll grow on them.”

“Thanks, Jax,” Axel said, looking thankful. “It means a lot. I’ll make them love me one day.”

Jax smiled. “I’m sure you will.”

“So,” Zane said as he grabbed another piece of pizza. “Any word from Draven and Gunner?”

Jax shook his head. He was so busy dealing with Violet and Benjamin that the dragon shifter had slipped his mind. “Nothing.”

The three shifters looked at each other with serious expressions.

“Are you guys thinking what I’m thinking?” Zane asked.

“Yeah,” Axel nodded with a somber look on his face. “We should have ordered a ham and pineapple pizza too.”

“Okay,” Zane said, rolling his eyes. “I guess we’re not on the same page. We can ask Thorn if he can send some boys over to handle the firehouse for a few days. We should go help our alpha. We should have left with him in the first place.”

“Yeah,” Jax said with a nod. “We should have.” He really didn’t want to leave Violet and Benjamin. It had been so long until he had found a piece of happiness and now that he had it, he really didn’t want to let it go. Even for a few days.

“But we don’t know where he is,” Axel said, voicing what they were all thinking. “Europe is a big place. There’s like at least six countries in it.”

Jax shook his head. “Where did you go to school?”

“I was homeschooled,” Axel answered, scratching his head with a look of confusion on his face. “Why?”

“No reason,” Jax answered. He turned to Zane. “What do you suggest, alpha?”

Zane took a deep breath as he watched the girls as they played with Benjamin on the floor.

“I don’t know. Maybe fly into London and hang out there until we see some fires breaking out on the news or something else that would give us a hint?”

Axel’s face lit up. “Don’t they have a big Ferris wheel in London?” he asked.

“I’ll go under one condition,” Jax said, shaking his head. “I get a separate room from him.”

They ate the rest of the pizza in silence, contemplating what to do. Draven, Gunner, and Aleida were facing the two mated dragons who were left, and they were definitely going to need some help.

“So what do we do?” Axel asked as he tossed his dirty napkin into the pizza box.

“We go back to the firehouse,” Jax said with a grin. “And we clean that mess up.”