Mates: Jax's Story

Chapter 3

~Shanice~

“Wake up!” My body is shaking. I jerk awake, forgetting where I am. I take a look around and breath. I’m in the car with my sister, who’s shaking me awake. We left our pack and are trying to start a new life.

“Are we finally at Summit Mountain?” Janice looks at me and rolls her eyes.

“No, we are in a human city outside of the pack. Even if we had made it, why would we show up in the middle of the night?” I sigh and look out the window. It may have just been my sister and me for a while, but we aren’t super close. There are many times when I truly wonder how we are related. “We will check into this motel. I’m not sure how long we will stay here. I don’t even know how long the process will be to get into the pack.” That makes sense. We will have to be vetted, and that could take a while. The issue is the vetting process; how far will they take things? We don’t want our former pack to know where we are. They will be searching for me, especially.

I unbuckle my seatbelt and open the car door. Janice is already in the hotel, securing our room. I hope we won’t have to stay here long. This place looks seedy and beat up. I guess that’s to be expected when you have to stay under the radar. I grab my duffel bag and head in to find my sister.

~Janice~

I swear if I hadn’t made a promise to my mom, I would have gone without Shanice. As it is, I had to wait until she finished college to be able to leave, and everything cost double since I was escaping with two people as opposed to going alone.

It isn’t that I hate my sister because I don’t. I just don’t like how she’s always been coddled and spoiled. I went through a lot in the Onyx Pack, some of which were in place of my sister. I had to endure things you should never have to simply so Shanice could be spared. Don’t get me wrong; I’m no victim. I did what was necessary sometimes and learned how to use certain assets to my advantage. I wasn’t as lucky as Shanice, though. I didn’t have mom breaking her neck to give me different advantages, and I didn’t have an opportunity to leave the pack.

Mom always told me we had to make sure we looked out for my sister. She made me promise that I would always do what I could for her, no matter what. I foolishly made that promise, and now, I’m trying to create a new life with my sister in tow. I don’t even know why we had to do so much for her, and with mom gone, I guess I will never find out.

We make it to the room, and I flop on the bed. I’ve been driving for hours, and I’m exhausted. I can’t wait to make it to the pack so I can start fresh. “Why are we going to Summit Mountain in particular? You never told me.” Of course, I didn’t tell her….it’s none of her damn business. I pop my head up and look at my sister.

“Does it really matter?” She maintains eye contact for a while before turning around and entering the restroom. Honestly, it’s all about a man. I plan to put myself in a spot that will ensure that no one can make me do anything again. I will only do the things I want to do, not things I have to do to survive.

*Flashback*

“Who is that?”

“Girl, who?” I point toward the door. This gorgeous man walked in with two other people, and I’m stuck. He looks to be about 6’1 and is built like a linebacker. His blonde hair is messy in an effortless way, and his blue eyes are bright and remind me of an ocean. His jaw is strong and covered in light stubble, only adding to his sexiness.

“I don’t know, but if you don’t want him, I will go for him myself.”

“F**k you! He’s mine.”

“I didn’t even know you were into white guys.” None of that matters to me; I’m into hot guys! I walk over to the man and give him my best smile. I’m so glad that tonight is my night off. I tend not to like the men I date to see that I dance for a living. I like to tell them myself and get their reactions.

I employ my best flirting techniques, and they work. He and I strike up a conversation. His name is Jax, and he’s not from here. He had to handle some business which brought him to the area, and he is just out to blow off some steam.

We talk for a few more hours before I join him in his hotel room, and he makes my toes curl for a while. I'm smitten.

*End of Flashback*

That was six years ago. Jax and I met up a few times since, but I haven’t seen him in at least three years. The more time I spent with him, the more smitten I became, and I DO NOT get smitten with people. Men are dealt with for a purpose, not for fun. Jax….Jax was for fun, and we had a lot of it.

He would talk about his pack often. I knew he was the Beta and unmated. I never told him about my pack or the issues I had to deal with. I didn’t want him to know or feel sorry for me. He told me that I deserved the world, and I realized that he was the one to give it to me. Why not be a Beta female in a reputable pack?

When it became clear that I needed to leave my pack, I knew I had to find Jax. I could set my sister up anywhere and go live my life. So here we are, so many miles away from home. I’m going after my man and plan to start a new life.