Page 78 of Between Imminent Fates
Having focused solely on Aidan, Jax only then realized that Ava, the woman he’d met earlier, was behind him. Her presence was both soothing and puzzling.
It only took him moments to remember that Key had shared his details with someone else in the werewolf nation—the man who was its leader.
The space suddenly felt too small. Part of him was itching for answers, while the other half was wary and guarded. Even before they were fully seated, he asked the question that’d consumed his thoughts.
“Where is Key?” he asked. “I can’t get ahold of her.”
Aidan grimaced. “This may take some time to explain, but I’ll do my best to answer all of your questions. I know you’ve been pivotal to our cause, and I want to afford you the clarity you deserve. Three weeks ago, the immortals fought in a battle against a terrorist group known as theCitizens.”
Nodding, Jax said, “When she left my apartment that morning, I knew something was wrong.”
“I can still smell traces of her, but part of me is surprised she was here.”
Aidan’s honesty threw him for a loop. “Key had been coming here almost every day for months up until three weeks ago. Where is she? Is she hurt?”
For a moment, the werewolf simply stared at him. Though the intensity of that gaze had softened, there was an element behind Aidan’s stoicism Jax couldn’t identify. The nameless emotion verbalized with a heavy sigh.
“Key was wounded during the battle, and we are unsure if she will recover.”
“How?” Jax shot to his feet.
“She’d foreseen the battle, and unbeknownst to us,” Aidan bit out, “Key and two others used their abilities to destroy theCitizensto the point of ultimate sacrifice.”
“Key is in a coma on Oahu,” Ava added. “She sustained severe psychic trauma and has been under intensive care since the battle.”
Stars dotted on the edges of Jax’s vision. He collapsed back into his chair and stared sightlessly at the ground before him. The news knifed through his heart, twisting invisible daggers, as he fought to keep control over his whimpering wolf.
“We’re doing everything we can for Key, you have my word.”
Aidan’s words didn’t cut through his despair, but Jax nodded silently. As if drawn by his pain, Zeus inched his way toward him, gently setting his head on Jax’s lap and whining.
“I want to see her.”
“And you will,” the other man replied. “Part of the reason we’re here today is to bring you back into the fold. As Ava told you before, it isn’t good for you to be without a pack.”
Already numb, Jax challenged, “And you’re going to drag me away from my life here?”
“Never. But we will do everything possible to support you—as much as you’ll let us.” Aidan straightened on the couch. “When we lost all those wolves to theCitizens, I realized that I’d been doing a disservice to my people. Lone wolves commonly turned rogue without a community to support them, and those who were without a pack became prey to bigger predators.”
Aidan shook his head, then continued, “I won’t stand by while my people hurt. You’re one of us, Jax, and I’ll do everything in my power to help you assimilate into immortal society.”
Though there was a reassuring sort of hope behind Aidan’s message, the hollowness inside Jax didn’t let up. He simply couldn’t fathom a future without Key.
“You don’t have to give up your life here,” Ava said, “but if you do want to start clean, we can arrange for your Army service to end immediately and incorporate you into a pack.”
She leaned toward him, paper in hand.
“This list covers each of our major dens in the Americas. If you’d prefer Europe or another continent, we can get you those contacts instead.”
“Is there one on Oahu?”
Aidan’s lips thinned. “No. But Key’s clan is there, and that might do for the short term.”
“I worked in one of theCitizens’kennels. There were wolves at my facility that weren’t rabid,” he said. “I want to see them and make sure they’re alright.”
“Absolutely.”
From what Key had explained, Raeth clans functioned similarly to wolf packs. They were both headed by a leader, alpha and sovereign respectively, and formed a tightly knit community. While Jax hadn’t seen either of them firsthand, he knew that she’d trusted Aidan—and that was good enough for him.
