Chapter 38
Ariana’s mother wasn’t thrilled with the news that her daughter was madly in love with her stepbrother but thankfully she honored her wish and didn’t push for them not to see each other.
They had to leave to her father’s house before they could talk anymore. On the drive she noticed her mother was tense but she put on a smile and brave front. Ariana knew it’d take time for her mother to be accepting but for now this was enough. After visiting with her father the first thing she was going to do was call Jax and let him know how much she loved him and she was in this for the long haul. Much like her mother she was trying to come to terms with everything about Jax’s life but she knew it’d be easier if they were together.
“I’ll be back in a few hours but if you want to come home sooner let me know.” Mary said as they pulled in to her father’s driveway.
Ariana laughed and tried not to let her parent’s dislike of each other sour the mood. “I haven’t seen dad in weeks. I’ll stick out.” They got out of the car together and hugged each other. “What’s Julie’s surprise?” she asked as she wondered what they’d be doing while she was gone.
“Ice skating rink.”
“Have fun.”
“You too mom and thanks.”
That brought a smile to Mary’s face. “For what?”
“For being you.” They hugged again before parting ways. Her father was already outside waiting. “Hey dad.”
“Hey princess, how was last night ringing in the New Year?” he wrapped his arm around his daughter and led her inside.
“Fuck.” Marc swore as the front door shut and they were left trying to figure out this mess. “That’s her father?” he directed the question Jax even though they all heard Ariana address the man as ‘dad.’
Jax’s head was spinning. “I’ve never met him before but all the proof is lining up.” he looked at Jessica. The answers were written all over her face, there was no doubt the man they had seen with Ariana was the hunter. “What do I do?” he thought out loud.
“You mean what do we do.” Marc sighed. “I like the girl but I can’t ignore who her father is and neither can you. I spoke to her for a long time, she didn’t know anything about us so it’s safe to say she doesn’t know about her father either. We need to get out of here and talk more at home.” he was the first to stand.
Jax felt like a zombie as he followed his uncle down the street to where the car was hidden. Ariana’s father was a hunter
Hunters were trained officials who killed supernatural creatures. They weren’t average people who decided to start hunting down the creature like you were used to reading in books or seeing in movies. They were evil. He closed his eyes tight and tried to shake the image of his mother dying and the sound of her screams.
Marc clamped his hand tight onto Jax’s shoulder. “Breathe kid.”
The car ride was quiet, everyone’s thoughts and fears took up all the space. Back at the cabin Marc went to his office to figure out a strategy while Jax stayed with Jessica in the living room.
It was a good five minutes later when she spoke. “I’m sorry for your mate but we have to kill him.”
Jax’s eyes snapped to her face. “Don’t say that.” His heart ached for Ariana, he already made a mess out of her life with his secrets and lies. He didn’t know how to deal her another blow.
“He would’ve killed me and my mom. Do you think he just forgot we got away? Those guys don’t know how to give up. We’re here because he’s going to try to kill us again. It’s him or us.” She was angry, her words were tight and her eyes hot.
Jax hated how lost he felt, it was a feeling he couldn’t run from lately. “It’s Marc’s decision.” They could sit there and argue about it but at the end of the day it was Marc being the alpha whose word would be final. He prayed his uncle figured out a way to get past this with no bloodshed. “I have to get out of here.” He didn’t want to hear anything else she’d have to say.
He wasn’t sure what came next but he feared it. He wanted Ariana to be safe and he was sacred no matter how hard he tried that wasn’t possible.
He walked with his shoulders huddled and hands deep in his pockets. It was freezing out but it was better than being at the cabin where it was tense. He walked down the driveway and turned left down the sidewalk.
“Jax.”
He looked up and saw Andrew, his uncle’s best friend and second in command. “He called you?” he asked about Marc.
“Yeah, a clear perspective never hurts.” Andrew was only twenty four but had a brain like someone twice his age. He was smart, sometimes too smart. Oddly enough in some ways Andrew reminded Jax of Ariana. They were both exceptionally smart and in other ways green around the edges.
“He told you everything, right?” Jax already knew the answer. “How does he usually handle things like this?” Jessica had mentioned death but he didn’t know what his uncle’s solution was. In the past he had been too young to know.
Andrew shrugged. “Best course of action.”
Jax mentally groaned before thanking Andrew for his time and walking away. As he walked he used the time to think. If he could figure this all out maybe Marc would consider his solution.
There were a lot of questions and no answers. Ariana’s father is a hunter, that meant he had to go through a lot of training; he wouldn’t have been home a lot either. Could Mary have known something?
Jax realized who he needed to talk to; his father. It might be time to tell Mary everything and figure out what she knows even if the knowledge was subconsciously.
With all those thoughts in mind and the need to runaway from all the pack’s problems it was no surprise he found himself at home. He never thought he could accept a new home without his mother but this place grew on him. He loved his new family, it wasn’t just the passion he held for Ariana that made it a home. Mary was a wonderful loving woman whom his father loved with all his heart. Mary earned their love and because of that it was far past time to be honest.
Just as he suspected no one was home. Ariana was with her father and Julie was out at the skating rink with Mitch and Mary. He had heard Ariana and Mary talking about it in the driveway of her father’s place.
He ended up in Ariana’s room. He inhaled deeply and took in her scent. He missed her more than he could ever put into words and equally feared what came next for them. Again his heart ached and he prayed for an answer.
Jax went over to her desk and searched the draws. A photo album showed him what he had already seen with his eyes, Ariana with her father. He flipped through the pages and saw baby pictures of Ariana.
A few pages later he saw something else that confirmed his dilemma. Ariana’s father hadn’t bothered to change when he posed for this picture. Ariana looked about eight years old and it was a birthday party with colorful streamers.
The man was kneeling down holding his daughter around the waist. He wore a t-shirt with the Hunters’ logo across his left arm.
Jax sat back in the chair and closed his eyes. He ran past the memories of his mother’s death and poisoning. He went back farther to when he was about the same age Ariana was in the photo he was holding.
His mother had told him about the hunters.
In many ways they were their own private military, they recruited and trained. There were operations to be completed along with tests before you were put in the field. It wasn’t just werewolves that were hunted; it was all types of supernatural races. Many Jax had never heard about before but his mom knew a lot about them. He sat in her lap and asked how she knew so much.
“My father, your granddaddy, knew a woman who trained with them.” she explained softly while stroking his hair. “She hated what they were doing and tried to warn our people.”
“Where is she now?” Young Jax asked.
“I don’t know sweetie.”
“Why do they hate us? Did we hurt them?” he sat across his mother’s lap confused. He didn’t like knowing there were people out there wanting to hurt them. He thought they were like the police but his mommy said it was different. Police waited until you committed a crime, hunters didn’t.
“It’s not right but there are people out there who don’t like anyone different from them. It scares them and they react badly. I don’t want you to worry about it because I will never let anyone hurt you.” she hugged him tight.
He hugged her back. “I’ll protect you too.”
Jax fell back to reality and present time. He opened his eyes and let the tears pooled there fall free. He hadn’t been able to protect his mom. She was killed by a hunter, a hunter like Ariana’s father.
He swore and ran his hands through his hair. He cursed his life for being one big mess.
His hands stilled along with the rest of him. He heard someone in the hallway. Rather then get up and investigate he waited for the person to come closer and as they did he noticed it was Ariana. He knew the sound of her steps and the scent of her perfume as she neared closer.
She hadn’t expected to find him sitting in her room. Her eyes went wide before she smiled.