Jaxon Spencer vs. Catherine 'Kate' Stevens
Pix: Our crazy rogue, Jaxon, acted by the gorgeous Brant Daugherty
Video: 'Not Afraid' by Eminem
Dedicated to ijegoexcellent
Cheers!
***
Eighteen years earlier, somewhere in Australia...
The party was in full blast. Music blared, people danced, and conversation flowed as excited party guests enjoyed themselves thoroughly without restraint. There was a lot to eat and drink. If the way the guests looked plastered was anything to go by, the party had been going on for a while.
The host, a giant of a man with bright ginger hair, went around encouraging the guests to drink more and have fun. From how the guests related to him, it was apparent they held him in high esteem. The bright smile that played perpetually around his lips made him appear very pleasant. But upon a closer look, an observant person would notice the sinister expression in his eyes. In the middle of exchanging pleasantries with one of the guests, the host suddenly paused, gave a slight nod, and then excused himself. Then, with long strides, he started for the building near the party grounds.
*
"Leo, Amelia..." The host bellowed cheerfully as he entered his study. "Sorry for disturbing you this evening."
"No problem, Alpha," the one called Leo responded, getting to his feet respectfully. "You summoned, so we came."
"Oh, the little one is asleep," The alpha whispered as he looked at the baby girl sleeping peacefully in her mother's lap. "Where is her brother?" The alpha asked as his eyes shifted around. "I asked you to bring both of them."
"He was asleep when we were leaving home, Alpha," Leo responded. "We didn't want to disturb his sleep."
"That can be handled later," the alpha threw his hand dismissively. "Sit, sit." The alpha took a seat too even as he gave instructions to his goons on their mind-links. "Let me just cut to the chase," he boomed with a smile. "You have made it very clear that you don't approve of my operations."
"Alpha..." Leo began but got cut off by the alpha's raised hand.
"I'm talking, Leo." Although the alpha's smile remained intact, it didn't take away the harshness in his tone. "You have spoken against my recent dealings to the extent that I have been summoned by the alpha of alphas to... how did he put it... Explain the sudden influx of cash into my accounts. As my beta, I expected better from you."
"I just feel it is terrible that you've turned pack members into hired guns, Alpha," Leo rasped. "You are using these young men who should be given better direction, as hit men for humans. That is not..." his words ended in a horrible gurgle sound as his hands shot up to the side of his throat. He slammed forward, his eyes wide in death.
"Luna!" Amelia screamed when she saw the blood gushing from the gunshot wound on her mate's neck. She knew she was next. But before she could even plead, a silver bullet slammed into her head. She went silent, her head thrown back.
The alpha got to his feet, went around his desk, and snapped the neck of the still-sleeping baby in her mother's lap like a twig. "Take the bodies to their bungalow," he commanded as he headed for the door. "At least I explained exactly why he was catching the bullet," he chuckled. "Kill the boy and then burn the house down, Zeke." The alpha addressed one of the three young men in the study. "And remember, it must look like an accident."
"I'm on it, alpha," Zeke responded as he watched the alpha leave to rejoin the party. Then he turned his attention to the other two who already had the bodies on their shoulders. "Just leave them on the porch when you get there," he instructed the young men. "I'll handle the rest myself."
**
In his room, nine-year-old Jack Stewart yawned as he watched a movie. He hadn't been able to go back to sleep after his mother had woken him up to say they were going to see the alpha briefly. So he'd decided to watch a movie on TV. He knew about the party that the alpha was throwing that evening. He'd been surprised when his parents had said they wouldn't attend the party. Clearly, they'd changed their decision.
When Jack heard the front door opening, he run out of his room hoping his parents had brought him some goodies from the party. Everyone knew that the alpha's parties were always the best. Jack came to an abrupt halt when he saw Zeke instead of his parents. His eyes still lit up because Zeke was his friend.
"Hey, Zeke," Jack grinned. "I thought it was my parents and Mimi. Where are they?"
"Hey kiddo," Zeke said as he grabbed Jack's hand and steered him towards his bedroom. "Listen to me very carefully," he murmured as they entered the room. "Your parents are not coming back." He grabbed Jack's backpack and took out his books. Then he grabbed the little boy's trainers.
"Where did they go?" Jack looked up at Zeke with confused eyes as he was propelled out of the room and into the kitchen.
"Wear these," Zeke instructed as he thrust the trainers at the little boy. Then he began to stuff Jack's backpack with some bottles of water, drinks, and cookies.
Jack crouched and began to pull on his trainers. Obviously, his parents had asked Zeke to bring him to the party. "I need to change into something else." He chattered cheerfully. "I can't go to the party in my pajamas."
"Who said anything about going to a party, boy?" Zeke hunkered low and began to tie the laces for Jack. "Your parents and sister are dead. And the people who killed them will be coming to kill you next. So you have to leave this place."
The little boy froze.
"They're dead?" the little boy finally asked, his tone a cross between shock and disbelief.
"Yep." Zeke got to his feet and grabbed the backpack. "Time to go."
"Who killed them?" The little boy asked shakily, looking up at Zeke with wide eyes. "Mimi..." he whispered.
"No time for that, kiddo. You have to go now."
Jack's heart pounded. "Go where?"
"Very far away from here." Zeke turned the little boy around and put the backpack on his back.
"But I don't have anywhere to go," Jack said in a small voice. "I'm just a kid."
"That's why I'm doing this." Zeke pushed Jack out of the door onto the porch. "I am doing this because your dad was a good man who cared about people. If you don't...oh fuck," he groaned when he remembered, too late, that the dead bodies were on the porch.
"Mum..." the little boy whimpered as he stared at his dead family.
"Come here..." Zeke breathed as he picked Jack up and broke into a run.
"Where are you taking me?" Jack asked pitifully.
"Out of the pack land," Zeke responded. "I know you're a smart little boy. I've put some money into your bag. Try and avoid trouble. Take another name. No matter what you do, never come back here, do you understand?"
"Yes." The little boy sobbed quietly.
"Good, because if you're found or it's realized that you're alive, we will both lose our lives."
By the time Zeke eventually put Jack down, the boy's cheeks were wet with tears. He felt sorry for the kid but knew there was not much he could do to help.
"Remember all that I've told you. Don't make me regret this."
"Okay." Jack wiped the tears from his cheeks.
"Act smart out there, kid," Zeke breathed. "Now run!"
And Jack ran!
***
PRESENT DAY...
The well-lit Los Angeles Airport was bustling with activity. People happily welcomed their loved ones whilst others bid farewell to theirs. Amongst the numerous people was a ruggedly good-looking man who looked to be in his late twenties.
About six feet tall, the man had a perfectly sinewy body, thick dark hair with the perfect textured haircut, and the most piercing hazel eyes with flecks of amber. He wore loose-fitting black jeans, a plain black T-shirt, and heavy black boots. Somehow, he made the severely casual combination look damn sexy. His only belongings, which was a black backpack slung on his back, gave a new meaning to traveling light.
"Hey, thanks once again for your help on the plane," an elderly lady called out to the man who only responded with a quick nod as he sauntered toward the parking attendant who had signaled him.
"Your keys, Mr. Spencer." The attendant dropped a key into Jaxon's palm. "Right this way," he said as he led Jaxon Spencer to a black Toyota Tundra.
"Thanks, mate," Jaxon mumbled as he took out his wallet from his back pocket. He'd parked his truck at FOX Auto Park a month earlier when he was leaving the States for Australia.
After giving the attendant a tip, Jaxon opened the passenger seat and threw in his backpack. Then he went around and got into the driver's seat. He switched on the radio and chuckled when Eminem's 'I'm Not Afraid' blasted out. He'd always loved the song. How appropriate for the mission he was about to embark on. He was back to do the needful and he was pumped. As Jaxon eased into the traffic, he allowed the events of the past months to run through his mind.
It had been three months since his encounter with that wanker of a soldier. An encounter that had not only made his ego take a nosedive but also caused the death of Miguel, his self-appointed agent/manager. Jaxon's job was simple. He was usually hired by very wealthy and important individuals or syndicates to steal priceless or high-value items. He was good at what he did. He would steal anything once the right price was paid. And after doing that job virtually his entire life, he had amassed quite some wealth.
He'd been working with Miguel for almost six years. The man had brokered his deals. Although annoying, he had been great at his job. Unlike Miguel, he was not a people person. He knew that his human relations was literally nonexistent. He didn't make or keep friends. The only people he related with were those he had contracts with. But that was just business. He did have a silly habit of helping random people...financially. But he never even maintained relationships with the people he helped. That had been Miguel's job. Now he was dead.
Jaxon had been contracted to steal a highly classified file for his client. As always, he had done that with cheeky ease. He'd however been given another contract on that same job. This time, he was supposed to ensure that a kidnapped fool deciphered the file that he'd stolen. He'd charged five times what he usually took for a job because that wasn't his usual job. Well, everything had been going on nicely until that soldier appeared.
Jaxon still didn't know what had really happened. One moment, the kidnapped man was busily doing his job under the watchful eyes of gunmen; the next moment, all the gunmen had been tied up, and the kidnapped man had disappeared together with his work. Then came his weird encounter with the soldier, who also happened to be a werewolf, confirming his suspicion that some sort of sorcery was involved. He had been furious but more scared for the life of Miguel.
Knowing how powerful and dangerous his client was, he'd called Miguel and told him to inform the client that he was going to wire back every dime he'd taken from him for the job since things hadn't gone according to plan. But even as they spoke, he'd heard the gunshots... Miguel, his wife, and their two kids had been executed. Jaxon knew that if the client knew how to find him, they would have killed him too.
Well, he'd gone after the fool. He'd taken out both the client and his second-in-command who had been dealing with Miguel. But he was still not satisfied. Miguel was a good man who was only trying to get by. He definitely didn't deserve to die. Anyone whose actions had contributed to his death had to pay. And that stupid soldier was going to pay. No one crossed Jaxon Spencer and went scot-free. He always ensured that his enemy felt unprecedented fear by hitting them where they'd feel it the most before he went in for the final kill. It was always a thrill to play with his prey.
In the case of the soldier, his pack was going to suffer. Jaxon didn't care at all if he lost his life in the process. After all, he had nothing and no one to live for. His plan was simple. Make the soldier's life miserable, cause major mayhem in his pack, and then give him the slowest and most painful death to crown it all. He'd gathered all the information he needed in the three months since that fateful day. After the incident, he'd visited the States and gotten all the necessary intel. He knew all that there was to know about the soldier. The squad he belonged to in the Navy, the pack he belonged to...Stanwood, and the dude he was fucking, Stanley Norris.
As typical arrogant werewolves, they hadn't even noticed him lurking because they felt no one was a threat to them. His kind were treated like the scum of the earth and usually killed on sight simply because they didn't belong to packs. But those werewolves failed to acknowledge that no wolf would pass up an opportunity to be in a pack. Most only became lone wolves and went rogue due to circumstances beyond their control...like his. Naturally, after being alone for years, a wolf would get so used to the lone life that it wouldn't want to be in a pack. But the facts still remained that it was not by choice. Well, those arrogant fools were in for a treat from this rogue.
According to his intel, the Stanwood pack were fierce warriors who were not to be trifled with. That made Jaxon hate the soldier's pack even more. As a lone wolf and a rogue by extension, he'd always hated packs because of their superior and entitled attitude anyway. There was only one way to deal with a bunch of assholes at one strike. And Jaxon Spencer was a pro in that area. But before his strategic strike at the pack, he planned on playing with them for a bit. As for the soldier...
"You're going to hell on a fucking full scholarship, Lieutenant Ian Williams."
***
End of chapter one. Want to know about Jaxon the Rogue and his vendetta against Will and Stanwood Pack? Then go on this short journey with yours truly. Please don't forget to vote, comment, and follow!
Jah bless!