The Alpha and his Mate
Chapter 17

Annabelle’s PoV

When Jax had first suggested going outside to see the pack grounds I was nervous to say the least. I was never really allowed outside before I ran away, but I was always envious of those who could come and go as they pleased.

We were currently sitting on a blanket in a field surrounded by wildflowers as Jax offered me more food. Apparently whilst I was getting ready, he had called up the doctor and asked about my diet plan, asking if I was allowed more substantial foods. She’d said I still wasn’t allowed proper solid food but I was allowed thicker soup and food that had been blitzed up. Basically baby food.

I laughed slightly as I watched Jax get a spoonful of soup from my container and held it out to me, I don’t think he understood the meaning of the words I’m full. After turning down the offered food he shrugged and put it back in the basket. Thankfully he didn’t push the subject to much.

I looked over at Jax and took in his relaxed frame. He had denim jean shorts on paired with a bright white t-shirt and vans on his feet, sunglasses covering his eyes as he lay on his back to take in some of the sun’s rays. He looked so relaxed, like he didn’t have a care in the world and I found myself envying him. How he didn’t have flashbacks every time he saw or heard something that reminded him of his past.

I was currently sitting upright with my knees drawn to my chest and my arms wrapped around them with my eyes darting around at the slightest of noises, making sure it wasn’t the noise of someone approaching us. I may trust Jax to keep me safe but old habits die hard.

“Just relax Annabelle, I have told everyone not to come into this part of the territory” Jax muttered “no one’s going to approach us” he continued to reassure me.

I looked over at him and found when I saw that he had thrown his arm over his eyes. Somehow he knew I was tense without even looking at me.

I sighed and tried to relax by lying down next to him but after a few minutes of trying my body still wouldn’t relax. I groaned in frustration and sat back up “How are you so relaxed?” I questioned him, annoyed that he could do it and I couldn’t.

He shrugged, still not getting up from his position on the ground. “I don’t know, you just have to clear your mind and only focus on the here and now. Focus on the wind in the trees, the sound of the birds, the smell of the grass... everything” he muttered.

I tried again but I just became bored and fidgety very quickly. “Let’s play 20 questions” I suggested, giving up on trying to relax. Hannah had introduced it to me whilst we were shopping, she said it was an ‘ice breaker’ whatever that meant. I’m hoping that the conversation will distract my overactive brain at least a little bit so that I could enjoy the warm sun without jumping at every twig snapping.

“Okay sure” Jax smiled, suddenly sitting upright and in front of me “you go first”.

“Umm okay... what’s your... favourite colour?”

Jax laughed, “That’s the best you’ve got? I thought you’d be a little more imaginative then that”.

I just shrugged and looked at my knees, hoping he didn’t see the blush creeping onto my cheeks.

“Orange”.

I looked up when he answered my question with a slight frown “why orange?”

He shrugged “I don’t know, there’s just something about the colour. It’s so warm and light, you could never feel cold or sad looking at the colour orange” he muttered. “That and it’s the colour of a sunset, I love a good sunset. Okay my turn...what’s your earliest memory?”

I smiled as a memory flickered through my mind. Unlike most of my other memories that were filled with fear and pain, this one always made me smile. “It was probably when I was around four or five. Me and my parents went to the park one day, I don’t remember why or what we really did there, I just remember being really happy” I smiled. I sometimes felt sad thinking about my parents, about what my life would have been like if they had never disappeared, but I tried not to think like that. If I got sad after every time I looked back at my parents I’d have no good memories left.

I suddenly felt a comforting hand rest on my bent knee and I looked up into Jax’s reassuring eyes. “Can I ask what happened to them?”

I shrugged, not really having an answer for him. “No one really knows, they went out for some fundraiser or gala or something and just never came home.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that Annabelle” Jax muttered as he pulled me into his chest so that I was sitting in his lap. His touch was so comforting, and I loved the sound of his heartbeat as I rested my head on his chest. There was something so soothing about the repetitiveness of it.

Just as I was about to open my mouth and ask my next question someone came stumbling into the clearing, sweat visibly dripping from his face as he panted to catch his breath. “Sorry to bother you Alpha but we didn’t know what else to do, you had shut off your mind link and no one could get a hold of you” the poor guy gasped.

I shrunk into Jax, not liking being so close to a stranger.

“This better be important Jason” Jax growls as he holds onto me slightly tighter, feeling the nerves radiating off me in waves.

“Yes Alpha, we have an issue at the border, Alpha Parker is here and is demanding an audience with you”.

I frowned as I felt Jax tense slightly, whoever this person was he wasn’t invited.

“Do not allow any members of the Rising Dawn pack to enter our territory” Jax growled as he gripped onto me tightly. “Annabelle I am going to have to go and deal with this situation quickly, I want you to go with Jason back to our house until I tell you that it’s safe okay?” His voice had gotten softer as he spoke to me, but I still couldn’t help the small frown. I didn’t want him to go. I didn’t know this man, what if something happened?

“But I want to stay with you” I whispered, not wanting Jason to overhear. I didn’t feel safe with anyone else yet, apart from seeing the doctor I hadn’t been apart from Jax since I got here, and I didn’t feel comfortable leaving him now.

“Please little mate, you don’t want to be caught up with this guy... he’s not safe” he pleaded.

“W-who is it then?” I stuttered, fearing the answer.

Jax sighed and ran a hand through his hair “he’s... well he’s the Alpha to the pack you used to live in” he whispered and held my chin so that I as looking into his eyes as he said it. So that he could see my reaction.

I thought I would be scared, terrified even, to hear that someone from my past had come back to collect me, but for some reason I couldn’t manage it. Knowing that I had Jax by my side and a wolf somewhere in my head to protect me, okay a wolf that I can’t get to right now but not the point, it made me feel oddly brave, an emotion I hadn’t really felt before.

“I want to come with you” I stated, looking into his eyes to show that I really meant it. “I want to meet this Alpha person that has blocked my wolf from me”.

“No Annabelle” Jax growled and I was momentarily stunned that he had growled at me and even more surprised that it didn’t actually scare me. Yes, it made me a little hesitant and uncomfortable but I trusted him not to hurt me.

“Please Jax, I want to see the man who has done this to me” I muttered.

He contemplated it for a second before Jason piped up again “Alpha sir, please, he is causing quite a commotion and the patrol warriors on scene are worried that if we don’t make our way over soon he will try to breech our parameter by force”.

Jax growled at him, not liking being rushed, before sighing in defeat and running a hand down his face. “You promise to stay with either me or one of my guards the whole time?” He questioned as he looks down at me expectantly.

I nod my head and smiled slightly, trying to show him that I was fine and that I wasn’t frightened, which was only partially true, I was definitely frightened.

“Fine” he sighed “you can come with us, but as soon as things look like they’re heading in the wrong direction I want you escorted out of the area without a single word from you okay?”

I just nodded again and went to stand up as Jax released me.

“Okay let’s go and see what this monster wants” Jax muttered as he led me into the forest.

As Jax and I made our way towards the border of his land we started to hear the commotion. The more steps we took into the forest the louder the shouting became and I instantly regretted begging to come with him. Was I even ready to look into the eyes of the man that had basically stolen my life away from me? Could I even bring myself to look at him after everything he had put me through?

I froze as a scent hit me, a scent that for some reason I recognised. I couldn’t quite describe it, almost chlorine like with an undertone of burnt plastic and fake pine wood. Why was I suddenly catching that scent amongst everything else out here?

“Are you alright Annabelle?” Jax asked me as he felt me stop behind him.

“Do you smell that?” I whispered, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention to myself. I didn’t know how close we were to this Alpha Parker person, but I didn’t want the risk of him overhearing our conversation.

“Smell what Annabelle? There is nothing out of the ordinary here... well apart from the people at the boarder but they’re few hundred feet off yet and even then your nose shouldn’t be able pick them up”.

I was confused, what was I smelling? “That chemical smell...you don’t smell it?” my grip on his hand tightened in nerves and my body started to react in fear at the smell. What was going on with me?

“You smell that?” Jax asked and I looked up at his face to see a look of bewilderment in his eyes.

I just nodded as I struggled to keep my bodies natural reaction in check, if Jax knew I was frightened he would order someone to take me home in a heartbeat. This smell brought up so much suppressed anxiety I felt my palms begin to sweat. Where had I smelt that smell before?

“Annabelle that’s Alpha Parkers scent, he wears this stupid type of aftershave to mask his natural scent. He says it’s to stop his mate finding him as he doesn’t want to be weakened and tied down to a single person. Ridiculous if you ask me, but still” he shrugged.

I frowned “how am I able to smell Alpha Parker? My sense of smell has never been that strong before.”

He shrugged with a slight smile on his lips, “maybe your body is finally accepting your wolf. Your senses are heightening and getting stronger, who’s to say you won’t be turning into your wolf very soon”. I could tell that he was exited, the grin on his face spoke volumes, but if I was being honest, I was more worried than anything. I finally had the chance to fit in somewhere, to be a part of a family, but I didn’t want to hope in fear that didn’t happen. Who’s to say that once I turned into my wolf Jax’s pack didn’t accept me, or what if Jax or his wolf didn’t like my wolf and rejected me. I whimpered at the thought and shook my head, no point in dwelling on it now.

Jax was oblivious to my inner turmoil and leant down to kiss me on the cheek before taking my hand in his and proceeded to lead us closer to Alpha Parker. I smiled as my fingers grazed where Jax had kissed me. My cheeks felt hotter than usual due to the slight blush from the kiss he had just given me and my cheeks only reddened at the reaction my body had to him.

“When we get to him I want you to let me do all the talking okay Annabelle?” The humour and playful Jax had gone and in his place was what I could only describe as Alpha Jax. His shoulders were back, his head held high and he had an air of authority floated about him that just couldn’t be ignored.

My eyes widened at the sudden change in him, how could he go from cute and playful to serious and poker faced so quick?

“This is a dangerous man Annabelle and I don’t want to give him any more reason to come after you then he already thinks he does. Myself and my pack, our pack, will protect their Luna with their last breath but I don’t want there to be any confrontation until you are fully connected to your wolf, understand?”

I nodded my head even though I know he wasn’t waiting for an answer. I didn’t want any confrontation either, the last thing I wanted was for people to die for me.

We remained silent as we continued our walk through the woods, if it was any other morning I’d say this would have been a nice relaxing stroll through the trees. The thing that gave our situation away though was the stiff posture of Jax and the shouting going on close by.

“Stay behind me at all times Annabelle”.

I just nodded, having lost my voice again after hearing the violent words that were being thrown back and forth just past the bushes in front of us.

“I will skin you alive if you touch me you worthless mutt, do you really think you could take me on?” The voice snarled as we cleared the last of the bushes that were obscuring us from their vision.

Once we entered into the mess of people all eyes turned to us, well more like Jax and by default me, as they felt another Alpha’s presence. I noticed the people on our side of the territory line had relaxed slightly at the sight of their Alpha but the man that was yelling had tensed, obviously not liking the fact that we had interrupted his insults.

“What is the meaning of this Alpha Parker, you know it is against the sacred oath of the wolf coven to turn up unannounced at another packs boarder without serious cause” Jax growled. He was definitely not happy with the way Alpha Parker was talking to his pack members.

“I apologise for the intrusion Alpha Jax” the intruding Alpha growled, sounding anything but apologetic as he continued to glare at Jax. “I tried to ring ahead but your Beta said that you were not available for the foreseeable future and this issue was to important to wait”.

Alpha Parker was a short stocky man with a bald head and tattoos running up both of his arms and a jagged scar stretching down his face from the corner of his eye to the corner of his mouth across his cheek. I frowned; this must have been the guy who had forced me not to shift.

“And what is this so-called emergency?” Jax growled as he squeezed my hand, reminding me to stay quiet and hidden behind him.

“A girl, a human girl, has run away from her family that live on my pack lands and I fear for her life. She was last seen a few nights ago stumbling through these woods with just a thin nighty on and no shoes”. He’s a good actor I’ll give him that, the only thing giving him away that I could notice we’re his eyes. They were cold and emotionless, like the girl he was talking about meant less to him then the gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe. To be honest I probably did mean less to him than that.

“And why do you believe that she has crossed into my land? I assure you that if we had found a human girl in the woods saying she was lost and needed to get home we would have helped her by now.”

“It’s not that simple” he continued “you see she is delusional and without her medication she can become quite dangerous to both herself and those around her”.

I frowned and looked around at the other wolves in the clearing. None had backed down or relaxed in the slightest, in fact if anything they had tensed further. It was as if they all knew Alpha Parker was lying and was just waiting for the moment when this simple exchange of words would turn into a blood feud.

“Understand, I will keep a look out for any human girls and if we spot anything I will make sure to inform you” Jax growled and nodded his head towards Alpha Parker, obviously a sign that this meeting was over.

I hadn’t missed the fact that every time Jax referred to the girl Alpha Parker was looking for he would emphasise the word human. You could tell that the other Alpha had noticed too as he had lost a split second of control on his wolf as his golden eyes shone though.

As soon as his eyes changed colour a memory hit me hard, harder than a tonne of bricks and I had to grip the back of Jax’s shirt to stop myself from swaying.

All of a sudden, I was a little girl again, standing at the door as a man in a police officer’s uniform towered over me and told me that my parents had gone missing and that I was to go with him.

The next flash back was the policeman walking me to a stranger’s house with a tight grip on my shoulders, almost as if he was anticipating me turning around and running away.

The last memory was of the same policeman, this time out of his uniform, sitting in the living room in the Leftens house. He was talking to Natalie and Tony as I hid behind the door, making sure I stayed completely out of sight.

“She can never know what she really is...do you understand me?” The policeman growled at Tony as he shook in fear. “Do this and you will be greatly rewarded”.

It was then that I realised why I had recognised Alpha Parker’s scent, why he looked so familiar to me. Not only was he the Alpha who took my shift away from me, he was also the policeman that had taken me from my childhood home and dropped me off at the Leftens all those years ago. Back when I was just a frightened seven-year-old orphan with no family and no home.

I gasped at the realisation and stumbled backwards and away from the man. I had to get away from him, I had to get out of here. Unfortunately, I had forgotten that he couldn’t see me from where I was hidden behind Jax so all I accomplished was bringing everyone’s attention to me, everyone’s including Alpha Parker’s.

“There you are Annabelle” he snarled as he started to make his way towards me.

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