Moon River

Jaxon’s POV. (Warning Trigger Points)

The two and a half hour drive to the Dark Forest pack was pain stakingly boring, watching tree after tree pass by as he gazes out the driver side back seat window. “So why were we invited to Dark Forest for dinner again” His Beta Ashton asks him from the passenger seat. Alpha Jaxon replies in an unenthusiastic tone as he looks at his Beta. “Supposedly to discuss a possible ally treaty. Apparently Dark Forest is to weak to take care of themselves.” He rolls his eyes and turns back to stare out the window lost in thought. Jaxon was eighteen years of age when his parents Alpha Vincent and Luna Julieanne stepped down, making Jaxon the Alpha of Shadow Moon. He was twenty two now and had still not found his mate yet, which caused him to doubt that he ever would. He let out a heavy sigh as his wolf Havoc spoke to him in a deep but hopeful tone inside his head. “Maybe we will find her at Dark Forest.” Jaxon replies sadly. “Doubtful Havoc.” A few minutes later his driver announces that they have arrived. “About damn time.” Jaxon says as the driver parks the black SUV in the driveway of the pack house. His Beta Ashton emerges from the passenger side donning his dark grey suit. He flips his sandy blonde hair from his face as his cool grey eyes scan his surroundings. He walks around the vehicle to the driver side back door opening it for his long time friend and Alpha. “Well here we are.” He says jokingly as he holds the door open with a big grin on his face. Jaxon raises a brow at his Beta wanting to knock that stupid grin off his face as he sarcastically replies. “Oh joy! Let’s get this over with.” Ashton shakes his head as he chuckles. Jaxon climbs out of the back seat, standing to his feet. He glides his fingers through his jet black hair then straightens his tie and brushes off the front of his midnight blue suit. While doing so he feels as if he someone is watching him. His cobalt eyes dart to a large bay window seeing the curtains quickly be jerked shut. Before he could investigate the front door of the pack house opens and Gabriel the Alpha of Dark Forest greets them. “Welcome to Dark Forest Alpha Jaxon and Beta Ashton.” He allows them both to enter the pack house shutting the door behind them. “ I’m glad that you have agreed to come all this way to discuss my proposition on such short notice.” Alpha Gabriel continues to say in his deep raspy voice. Jaxon snorts. “If I would of known it would take so long to get here, we would have just discussed your “proposition” as you call it over the phone.” Beta Ashton tries not to laugh at his Alpha’s response. He knew that Jaxon was not at all enthused to be there. Alpha Gabriel just brushes the comment off and shows his important guests to the dinning hall. They were joined in the dinning room by Alpha Gabriel’s mate Luna Rhea and his Beta Marcus. As Jaxon takes a seat at the table a alluring aroma of sweet apple pie fills his nose heightening his senses and making him that much more alert. As his cobalt blue eyes scan the room for the source of the delicious scent his eyes fall upon a thin, young girl with long braided raven hair. She was wearing a beautiful knee length teal dress with lace sleeves that came to her elbows. As she rolls in a cart of food dishes Jaxon couldn’t help but watch her and wonder who she is. His wolf Havoc’s voice rings out excitingly in his mind “MATE!!” Jaxon shakes his head. “No, that can’t be. She would be scenting us out if that were the case. There has to be another logical explanation for the smell.” He looks over the cart of food the girl is taking dishes off of and notices the cinnamon apple pies. “Ha! See there. You are just smelling the pie Havoc. I told you she couldn’t be the one” Jaxon tries to explain to his wolf. Havoc huffs in a deep annoyed tone. “And you are an i***t! You will see that it’s not the pie we are smelling. I know she is our mate!” With that statement he doesn’t give Jaxon time to reply as he retreats to back of his mind. Jaxon sighs and continues to watch the girl intrigued and curious about her. He wasn’t even listening to Alpha Gabriel as he spoke about the treaty. He watches her as she fills everyone’s glass with red wine, noticing how uneasy she is when she pours Gabriel’s Beta’s glass. “Hmm” he thinks to himself. Finally she was standing next to him reaching over to pick up his glass and fill it. Jaxon takes in her fragile frame as his eyes look over her body and down to the worn out shoes she is wearing. He couldn’t help but feel sorry for her, obviously she was a slave. That was something he wouldn’t allow in his pack, but he knew several packs had slaves. They were usually orphans from other packs that had been captured during attacks. As he notices her shift her feet nervously he reverts his gaze back to her face and looks into her soft hazel eyes with an empathetic look. She slowly holds the glass of wine out to him, he smiles and as he takes the glass from her his hand brushes against hers. Sparks of electricity shoot through him immediately causing his body to stiffen, but before Jaxon could regain his composure the girl had left the bottle of wine on the table and ran off to the kitchen. “I told you so.” Havoc says simply. Jaxon couldn’t understand it, if she was his mate why didn’t she know he was hers. “She doesn’t have her wolf yet stupid.” Havoc had a point there. If she didn’t have her wolf she wouldn’t have known or felt anything yet. Jaxon stands from his seat and looks toward the kitchen door that she had gone through. His Beta Ashton stares up at him unaware of what is going on. Alpha Gabriel asks him in a concerned tone. “Is something wrong Alpha Jaxon?” Jaxon doesn’t even answer his question, instead he asks his own question and demands an answer for it. “That girl, how old is she and what is her name?” Alpha Gabriel looks dumbfounded by his question then starts to answer when Luna Rhea cuts him off replying to Alpha Jaxon’s question in a soft sweet voice. “Her name is Katalina, Alpha. She is seventeen, I found her all alone in the forest when she was just a pup.” Jaxon nods. “Katalina” he whispers to himself as a smile forms on his lips. Ashton mind links him. “What is going on with you Jaxon? Why are you asking questions about the girl?” Jaxon turns to his Beta and says aloud for everyone to hear. “Because she is my mate!” Everyone in the room gasps. Suddenly Havoc is yelling frantically in his head. “Something is wrong! Find our mate now!!” Jaxon doesn’t waste anytime as he leaps over the table swinging the kitchen door open he barges into the room. When his cobalt eyes fall upon the Beta of Dark Forest hold his mate off the floor strangling the life out of her his eyes go pitch black and he loses all control. He moves so fast that he’s across the room in a matter of seconds. He rips Beta Marcus from her throwing him forcefully across the room. His body collides with a cabinet causing its contents to crash to the tile floor. Jaxon’s suit shreds as his coal black wolf breaks free letting out a deep primal growl. Havoc lunges at Beta Marcus as he stands to his feet. He catches Marcus off guard with an upward s***h. Havoc cuts him from navel to throat. Marcus let’s put a squeal as he slumps to the floor holding his neck. Havoc is ready to finish him off when Alpha Gabriel, Luna Rhea and Beta Ashton hastily enter the room having heard all the commotion. Luna Rhea let’s out a shriek of horror when she sees the scene before her. Havoc’s head whips around seeing nothing but red he rushes toward the Alpha and Luna ready to attack. His Beta Ashton tackles him to the floor attempting to stop his raging wolf from massacring them all. “Jaxon you have to talk your wolf down and take back control before he kills us all.” Ashton yells at him trying to get through to him. Havoc growls, thrashing to get free from him. “Our mate needs us Havoc. Look at her.” Jaxon tells his wolf trying to calm him. Havoc stares over at Katalina laying on the floor. He stops trying to fight back and breaths deeply. He eventually allows Jaxon to regain control of his adrenaline filled body. Ashton releases him and helps him to his feet. Jaxon quickly goes to where Katalina lays on the cold tile floor. Kneeling down beside her he gently lifts her into his strong arms. She weighed practically nothing. He cradles her small fragile body to his warm hard chest. He could see her eyes growing heavy, leaning his face closer to her neck and inhaling her lovely scent he whispers in a deep alluring tone. “My Mate.” As the word pass though his lips Katalina’s body goes limp and she blacks out. Jaxon panics as he looks down at her, he strokes her raven hair softly as he pulls her closer. He quickly carries her out of the kitchen, through the dinning room to the front door. His Beta was hot on his heels following closely behind him. Luna Rhea runs after them as Alpha Gabriel goes to aid his Beta who is slumped over in the corner still bleeding from his wounds. Luna Rhea catches up with them. “Where are you taking her?” Jaxon stops dead in his tracks turning to face her. “With me!” He says harshly, then he gets up close her ear and whispers in a dead serious tone “And I promise you this Luna, if she dies. so will all of you. So I dare anyone to try and stop me!” Luna Rhea shutters at his harsh words and tone but doesn’t dare to say another word. Jaxon backs away from her glaring, his eyes darkening. “Jaxon! Let’s go.” Ashton shouts to get his attention as he opens the front door. Jaxon turns away from Luna Rhea, carries Katalina out to the SUV and climbs into the back seat with her still in his arms. Ashton goes around to the back lifting the tailgate. He pulls out a pair of red basketball shorts and tosses them up to Jaxon. “Put them on.” Ashton tells him. With everything happening as fast as it did Jaxon didn’t even realize or care that he was still naked from shifting earlier. He grabs the shorts and attempts to slide them up around his waist. He shifts Katalina around in his arms refusing to let her go even for a second. He gets the shorts pulled up the best he can. “Good enough, let’s go.” He pulls his door closed as Ashton gets into the passenger seat. Within seconds the driver is driving away from the pack house at top speed. Ashton turns in his seat to look back at Jaxon. “So are you going to tell me what the hell happened back there?” He asks him. Jaxon strokes Katalina’s hair, admiring her beautiful face. He doesn’t take his eyes from her as he replies to his Beta. “Later.” Ashton nods. “Ok then.” He turns back around in his seat. Jaxon sighs. “Ashton I’m not trying to avoid the question. I just want to get her to the hospital, so Dr. Hossler can care for her first. She is my main priority right now.” Ashton glanced back at him, then looks down at the girl in his arms and nods. “I understand my friend.” He then turns to the driver. “ Step on it, The Alpha is in a hurry.” The driver nods and presses on the gas burying the hand of the speedometer. As they drive onto their pack’s territory Ashton mind links Dr. Hossler in a tone of urgency. “Quinn, we have and emergency. Meet us outside the hospital in ten.” Dr. Hossler replies to him with concern in her soft voice. “What kind of emergency? Is Alpha Jaxon injured?” She quickly gets up from her desk grabbing her white lab coat and rushes down the hallway towards the main entrance of the hospital. Ashton finally replies back to her. “No Doc, Alpha Jaxon is fine, but we had some unexpected things happen during our visit at Dark Forest. Jaxon will explain everything in a moment. We are pulling in now.” Ashton then cuts off the mind link. Dr. Hossler stands in the main entrance doorway waiting for them to arrive. She pulls her long red hair up into a messy bun. When she sees the SUV pull up, she runs over to the vehicle. Ashton gets out and quickly goes around to open Jaxon’s door. Jaxon emerges from the back seat still holding Katalina’s limp body in his arms. Dr. Hossler’s sea blue eyes scan over the unconscious, fragile, bruised body of the young girl her Alpha cradles close to his chest. She also takes in Jaxon’s appearance as well. “You shifted. What happened? Who is this young girl?” She asks him with concern on her face and in her voice. “Quinn, she’s my mate. She’s been unconscious for hours. Please, I just found her. I.. I can’t lose her.” Jaxon explains as tears form in the corners of his cobalt eyes. Her eyes go wide with shock. “Carry her inside.” She says with concern in her voice as she moves so he can carry his mate inside the hospital. Ashton and Dr. Hossler follows closely behind Jaxon through the hospital doors. “Lay her down here Alpha.” She instructs him. Jaxon lays Katalina down on a hospital bed, gently brushing her raven hair from her face. He look up at Dr. Hossler. “Please tell me you can save her.” She looks at him, then down at the girl on the bed with a sympathetic look in her eyes. “I’m going to do everything in my power to help her Alpha. I promise.” Jaxon nods then leans down and gently kisses Katalina’s forehead softly. Then softly whispers in a loving tone. “Everything is going to be ok now. Doc is just going to take you to do some tests to make sure you’re ok. I will be right here when you wake up. Please wake up Katalina.” Dr. Hossler places her hand on his shoulder reassuringly. “I will take good care of her Jaxon. When I finish with my tests and examination, I will let you know how she is doing and if I find anything abnormal.” She gives his shoulder a calming rub then motions one of her nurses to come over to assist her to pull the bed down the hall. Jaxon watches as Dr. Hossler and the nurse turn the corner at the end of the hallway, before he walks over to a chair in the waiting area and sinks into it running his hands down his face. Ashton comes over and takes a seat beside him. “So while we wait, do you want to tell me what happened in the kitchen at Dark Forest before I had to tackle your rampaging wolf?” Jaxon looks over at Ashton with a heavy sigh and nods before he begins to explain. “Havoc could smell her when she walked into the dinning hall. He told me she was our mate. I kind of just brushed it off. I told him that he was just smelling the apple pies on the cart. It wasn’t until I touched her hand when she handed me my glass of wine.. I felt the sparks Ashton. That’s when I knew Havoc was right about her being our mate.” He sighs “But by the time I realized it, she had already ran to the kitchen. Scared I guess..” he looks down shaking his head, pinching the bridge of his nose he lets out another sigh before he continues. “Then while I was trying to get information about her from that bastard Alpha, Havoc started going ape s**t in my head saying something was wrong with her.” Jaxon pauses for a moment. Just thinking about all that happened was starting to make his blood boil. He takes a deep ragged breath. “That’s what made me jump over the table and barge into the kitchen and that’s where I found the piece of s**t Beta holding her off the ground. He was strangling the life out of her Ashton. All I saw was red after that until you tackled me.” Ashton looks at him in shock then shakes his head and let’s out a sigh. “I’m sorry man” Jaxon looks over at him “I would of killed everyone there at that point if you hadn’t of intervened. Thank you for that” Ashton smiles. “Hey that’s what I’m here for.” He chuckles a little. Jaxon nods and gives him a slight smile. They then sit quietly for what feels like forever waiting. Jaxon was deep in his own thoughts shaking his leg impatiently when Dr. Hossler comes into the waiting room. Jaxon jolts up from his chair as soon as she enters. Ashton stands as well and brushes off his pants. “So?” Jaxon asks wanting to know his mates prognosis immediately. Dr. Hossler speaks in a sophisticated yet soft tone. “So, I ran a few tests Alpha. She is malnourished, more then likely caused by being fed very little to nothing for a long period of time. They X-rays showed several old broken bones that have fully healed. The bruising on her arms, wrists, neck and face on the other hand are more recent.” She pauses for a moment, clears her throat and continues, as Jaxon listens to everything she reports. “I’m going to assume that the trauma I found to her neck and throat was caused by strangulation, which happened very recently. But this isn’t the first time this has happened because she also has some bruising that has already began to fade.” Jaxon’s hands were shaking now, hearing everything that his beautiful mate had been through made him want to destroy the entire Dark Forest Pack. Dr. Hossler stops and looks down sadly. “That’s not all Alpha.” Jaxon looks at her. “What are you not telling me Quinn?” She looks up at him and shakes her head. “You might want to be sitting down for what I have to tell you next Jaxon.” He raises an eyebrow and glares at her as he clenches his jaw. “Tell me right now Quinn!” He demands through gritted teeth. Ashton grips Jaxon’s shoulder, he could tell he was about to explode. “Go ahead Doc tell him.” Ashton gives her a reassuring nod to tell her he had him. Dr. Hossler swallows a lump in her throat. “Umm.. Ok.. Well.” She takes a deep breath. “Seeing all the sighs and.. and seeing all the abuse she has endured, I decided to perform a preliminary pelvic exam.” Tears fill the doctors eyes and stream down her face. “Alpha.. I.. I’m sorry to inform you of this, but your mate has been sexually..abused and it started at a young age..” Dr. Hossler quickly jumps back when a deadly feral growl erupts from Jaxon’s throat. “You should of let me kill him! It was the Beta who did this to her! ” Havoc yells out in rage as he try’s to take full control. Jaxon’s cobalt eyes were black now and claws extend from his fingertips. He lunges at Dr. Hossler before Ashton tackles him from behind locking him in a strong bear hug. Ashton half shifts into his grey wolf Amarok for extra strength to hold Jaxon’s wolf back. Jaxon thrashes in his arms, clawing at his Beta’s flesh trying to break free from his hold. They both fall back into the wall with a crash. “Jaxon stop! Listen to me man, You have to calm down! We will deal with Beta Marcus at a later time, but right now you need to think about your mate. When she wakes up she is going to need you the most.” Ashton exclaims firmly still struggling to hold Jaxon so he doesn’t kill anyone you gets in his way. Dr. Hossler tries to intervene to try and help. “Alpha, please listen to Beta Ashton. He is telling you the truth. Jaxon when your mate wakes up she is going to be frightened and confused. You will need to be calm or your just going to scare the poor girl more. Please Alpha think about it.” Jaxon glares at her, but then what she says starts to sink in. His eyes slowly start to change back to their normal shade of cobalt. He takes ragged breaths trying to calm himself as his wolf lets out a deep growl of disapproval. “Havoc they are right. We have to be strong for Katalina. She is what is important right now, Our mate.” Jaxon explains to his wolf. His body was still shaking with anger, Havoc growls. “And what about the Beta who did this to our mate!?! I know it was him and I will rip him apart for what he’s done!”Jaxon nods“ Havoc I know and we will take care of him in due time. Marcus has it coming. I promise you that, but our mate comes first.” Havoc sighs. “Ok.. Your right.” He let’s Jaxon reclaim control of his body and retreats to the back of his mind. Ashton finally releases his hold on Jaxon then gets to his feet and sits in a chair, his body shaking from the adrenaline coursing through him. The wounds that Havoc had inflicted with his claws were already starting to heal on Ashton’s arms. Jaxon closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose still sitting on the floor shaking. He slowly opens his eyes and looks up at Dr. Hossler with an apologetic look for the way he had reacted. “I’m sorry Quinn. I will pay for the damages.” She gives him a small smile. “I understand Alpha, I figured you wouldn’t take the news well. It’s ok.” Jaxon nods and looks back down at the floor. “When can I see her?” He asks. Dr Hossler holds her hand out to him to help him to his feet. He stands and looks at her waiting for an answer. She smiles softly. “You may go in and sit with her. She’s in room 110.” She points down the hallway. Jaxon nods, then walks down the hall to Katalina’s room. He opens the door slowly and walks inside. He pulls a chair over to her bedside and sits as he looks down at her sweet face. Gently he strokes the soft raven hair as he whispers. “Everything will be ok now my beautiful mate. I’m here and you’re safe now.” He takes her hand in his and softly plants a kiss on her silky smooth skin. Ashton quietly enters the room. “You good now man?” Jaxon looks from Katalina over to his Beta. “Yeah, I know I got a little out of control back there. If it wasn’t for you and your wolf I would of hurt Doc.” He notices Ashton’s disheveled appearance, seeing the bloody claw marks on his arms and his ripped suit Jaxon sighs deeply. “Did I do that?” Ashton closes his eyes and nods. “Damnit Ash, I’m sorry man. Did I hurt you badly?” Jaxon goes to get up from his chair to go examine his friends wounds, but Ashton holds up his hand to stop him. “Jaxon don’t, I’m fine. Quinn took a look and they are already nearly healed. It’s just one of the many luxuries of being a werewolf you know, rapid healing. ” He chuckles. “And besides I was just doing my duty as your Beta and friend.” Jaxon nods “Thanks Ash.” Ashton smiles. “Well you seem to be calmed down now. So I’m going over to the pack house, get cleaned up and then inform the others of what has happened. I will send Callum over incase you need someone to stand guard if you have to step out.” Jaxon looks back at Katalina laying in the bed. “I don’t think Gamma Callum will be needed because I have no intention of leaving her side. But you can send him over to stand guard outside the door to insure nobody bothers us.” Jaxon says as he gently rubs Katalina’s hand with his thumb. Ashton nods slightly. “If you need me for anything Jax just mind link me and I will be here.” With that being said Ashton leaves the room shutting the door quietly behind him. Jaxon lays his head on the bed next to Katalina, not letting go of her hand. He watches her chest rise and fall as he inhales her soothing apple pie scent until he drifts off to sleep.