Chapter 11

They had spent the entire day and night in Jaxson’s bed exploring each other’s bodies. Shay was impressed with Jaxson’s stamina, sometimes only needing a few minutes before he was hard and ready to again. It seemed like they couldn’t get enough of one another. Shay had never felt anything like this before. She loved how one minute he could be aggressive and feral and then the next he was so gentle and so passionate with her. All she wanted to do was to stay wrapped up in his arms.

At one point they had even jumped in the shower together enjoying a hot and steamy lovemaking session that lasted until the water ran cold. Shay wrapped one towel around her wet hair turban style and used the other to wrap around her body. She went and laid back down on the bed while Jaxson stayed in the bathroom.

“What are you doing in there?” She yelled from the bed. He had been in there by himself for about ten minutes. She had heard the water running and thought maybe he was brushing his teeth, but surely he wouldn’t be doing it for that long. She was about to get up from the bed and knock on the door when she finally heard the water turn off.

She watched the door finally open, and he stepped out of the bathroom, completely naked. But that’s not what had her staring as he walked over and sat down next to her. Her eyes were wide as she examined his newly clean shaven face. He had his wet hair pulled back in a ponytail exposing every angle of his face to her. Shay reached up and trailed her fingers over his strong cheekbones and his jaw. She reveled in the smoothness of his face, letting her fingers trail down to his full set of lips that were no longer hidden behind his thick beard. Jaxson dipped his head down, and he playfully nipped at her fingers. Shay giggled. “You’re so beautiful.” She whispered. “Why did you shave?”

“I wanted you to see me. All of me.” He said lightly kissing her lips. “You hungry?”

“Starving,” Shay admitted. And as if on cue, her stomach rumbled loudly. They both laughed, and he pulled her into the crook of his shoulder, kissing her affectionately on the bridge of her nose. “Well, I guess we better get you fed then.” He said as he jumped up and trotted out of the bedroom. A few minutes later Shay finally got up and strolled into his kitchen naked, wanting to see what he was up too. She stood there watching his naked body lean against the counter. His butt cheeks were so perfect and tight, and his back was laced with muscles as he stood chopping up food on a cutting board. She watched him slide everything into a bowl and turn around.

Shay was smiling from ear to ear when she saw a wicked grin slowly appear on his face. He took a step closer with the bowl in his hands and said, “Now, you know I can’t allow you to wander around my house naked if you don’t expect me to ravish you again.”

Shay laughed and turned, running to his bedroom while he chased her down the hall. She jumped onto the bed and watched him crawl in beside her, laying the bowl down between them. She looked in and saw cut up cheese, green grapes, sliced cabasa, and some strawberries. They both sat there eating until the bowl was empty. She watched Jaxson lean against the headboard and he pulled her into the crook of his arm. She snuggled up closer to him, taking in his scent and just enjoying the feel of his arms around her.

“I haven’t felt like this in a very long time Shay,” Jaxson said not looking down at her.

“Why?” She said looking up at him.

He took a moment before he answered honestly. “It’s just been hard. When Jillian died, I died. My sorrow became anger, and it slowly built to a point where that’s all I knew. I’m always angry.”

“When did she pass?” Shay whispered.

“It will be four years ago this coming September.”

Shay looked at him and pushed herself up, so she was staring directly at him now. She was almost in shock that he had lived like this for so long. So alone. He was such a gorgeous man inside and out and not to share that with anyone was a crime in her books. “Jaxson. You can’t stay angry your entire life. You have to learn to get past it. To move on.”

He looked at her, and all she could see was the pain in his emerald green eyes again when he said, “I don’t know how.”

**

Shay woke to Jaxson’s body jerking up in bed to a loud noise outside. He looked down at her as she opened her eyes. She watched him sit there for a moment listening. Nothing but silence. She pulled him back down and snuggled closer.

“Good morning,” Shay said smiling.

Jaxson moved a strand of hair out of her eyes and said, “Good morning beautiful. How’d you sleep?”

Shay sat up and yawned. “Really good. Did I just hear knocking or was I dreaming?” She asked wiping the sleep from her eyes.

Jaxson slipped out of bed and pulled on a pair of pajama pants that sat low on his waist. “Yeah. But it stopped.”

“What time is it?” Shay asked looking around the room for a clock.

“About 10 am. Want some breakfast?” He offered.

“I should actually get going. Dee will freak out if I don’t give her a call and let her know I’m still alive.” She said getting up and slipping on her sun dress from the day before. She would have to go commando as her underwear had not survived yesterday’s escapades. “Can I use your bathroom?”

“Sure. I’ll make some coffee.”

Shay did her best to tame her wild bed head, running her fingers through the long locks. Despite the intimacy they had shared yesterday, she didn’t feel comfortable using his toothbrush so she just dabbed a bit of toothpaste on her finger and brushed her teeth the best she could. A few minutes later Shay could smell the scent of coffee brewing from the kitchen. She sat down on the bed to put her shoes on when she heard another loud bang. This time it was coming from the front door. What the hell? Whoever it was wouldn’t stop and sounded like they were going to break the door down. She heard Jaxson yell, hang on. A moment later she heard the door swing open and heard a man yelling and then Jaxson yelling back. Shay left the bedroom to see what was happening and stepped into the living room to see Jaxson and another man inches from each other. Much to her dismay, that other man was none other than Jake Hanover.

Shay tried to retreat back down the hallway unseen, but Jake must have caught the movement out of the corner of his eye because his gaze turned from Jaxson to her. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t the new town slut.” Jake snarled. “I see you made your way into my cousin’s bed in no time at all.”

As he spit the last word out Shay watched Jaxson pull back his arm and hit Jake square in the face with his fist. He flew sideways, rolling down the front steps. “Get the fuck off my property!” Jaxson hissed stalking towards him, fists raised.

Shay took a step closer and looked out the front door. Jaxson stood in his pajama pants on the front porch watching his cousin get on his knees holding his nose. Jake finally looked up and then stood. Blood was gushing from his nose down his face. “You fuck! You broke my nose.” He growled and then spat blood into the dirt.

Jaxson held his arm up and pointed towards the dirt road. “Get the fuck off my property, or I’ll do more than break your fucking nose.”

Jake looked at Jaxson and then at Shay. His eyes started to glow amber, and she could see his incisors grow in length.

“Don’t even think about it, Jake!” Jaxson yelled taking a step closer, his own eyes shifting from green to the bright golden hue.

Jake and Jaxson stared each other down, neither wanting to be the first to look away. Blood still dripping down his face, Jake growled, “I want my horses back Jaxson. I know you have them!”

So that’s what this is about. Shay watched in a mixture of awe and horror as both of them held their stance like they were about to attack one another.

“You let your fucking horses run loose again Jake. I’ve had them here for almost three fucking weeks. You’re just now noticing they’re gone?” Jaxson hissed through his teeth.

“You son of a bitch!” Jake snapped. “I want those horses returned today. You hear me?”

“Go Jake. Now!”

They both watched him turn around and begin to walk on down the dirt road. Then he yelled back, “Hopefully you can protect this slut better than your last one.”

Shay watched in horror as Jaxson’s pajamas ripped from his legs and he leaped from the porch taking the steps in one single bound. Before he even hit the ground, he had already shifted into a large black wolf. The same black wolf that had startled her down by the river.

He was bigger than she remembered. Even on all fours his head still rose above hers. His thick body was rippled with muscle and covered in jet black fur that shown blue in the sunlight. He bounded toward Jake, his massive paws making short work of the distance between them.

The scene unfolding before her was like one out of a bad horror movie as Jaxson took the last five feet separating them in one stride. He jumped in mid-air and took Jake down to the ground landing on his back. She watched as Jaxson’s powerful jaws opened and his canines curled around the man’s neck holding him like a vice. Jake was taken off guard and had no time to shift. He laid there helpless as Jaxson pinned him to the ground with the heavy weight of his body, unable to move.

“JAXSON. NO!” Shay screamed and ran down the steps, afraid that Jaxson would kill him. She raced across the grass and stopped beside them both. “You can’t do this Jaxson. If you do, you will be no better than him.” She pleaded. Shay looked down at Jake’s head that was pinned at an award angle towards her and saw the fear in his eyes. She watched as the blood dripped down his neck where Jaxson’s teeth held him tight piercing the skin. One wrong move by Jake and Jaxson would snap his neck.

She lightly laid her hand on his fur. “Please, Jaxson. He’s not worth it.” She whispered in a soothing voice. He quivered beneath her touch, his muscles tight with tension. She continued stroking his fur until she felt his muscles relax and could feel his breathing become more normal as he calmed down in front of her. He slowly released Jake’s neck but not before he hissed at him and exposed his very long and sharp canines as a warning sign. A long low growl emitted from the back of his throat as he backed up to let Jake stand. Shay stood beside him shaking. Her heart pounded at what she had just seen play out.

She watched Jake get to his feet and slowly back up, not taking his eyes off his cousin. He put his hand up to his neck and came away with blood. “You’ll pay for this Jaxson! You just crossed the line.” He spat. He turned and shifted into his wolf form, his clothes shredding on the spot, and ran into the forest disappearing out of sight.

Shay stood there staring into the forest when she felt Jaxson’s muzzle nudge her leg. She looked at him and slid her hand through his coarse black fur along his neck, watching him close his eyes. “You did the right thing Jaxson. Thank you for letting him go.” She said, but now she wondered why Jake’s last words had sent Jaxson into such a rage. It scared her to death, and now she wanted to know how Jillian died.