Chapter 125 Game Time Is Over
979words
I stood on the wooden deck in front of the cabin with my hands on my hips, watching Alpha Jaxon's men shuffle inside and haul our bags out to the black trucks. I had searched the entire cabin multiple times, but the notebooks still hadn't surfaced. I couldn't shake the growing dread in the pit of my stomach, knowing I would probably never see those notebooks again. I sighed and felt Sophia drape an arm over my shoulders. "Really? Was this necessary?" she asked, rolling her eyes dramatically as we watched the enforcers pass by and roam inside the cabin.
"Maybe something happened. I'm not sure why Jaxon is demanding we leave so abruptly... or maybe he got into another spat with Alpha Christian over a special someone," I told her, sticking my tongue out playfully. A warm smile tugged at the corners of her lips, and her cheeks tinged a soft pink. "I don't get it, Addie. I'm turning eighteen tomorrow. I'll finally be able to find my mate! Yet he still treats me like a little girl," she admitted. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Sophia; I knew what it was like living under a microscope, as if you weren't capable of making your own decisions.
I rested my head on her shoulder and sighed. "You know...it's going to get better. What if Alpha Christian is your fated mate?" Sophia's giggles echoed in my ears, and I heard her heart begin to pick up pace at the thought. "No way. He's too dreamy. I'm not that lucky, Addie. Maybe it'll be someone from our pack. Ugh, I just can't wait. I want to feel free. Free of obligations and living under someone else's rules for once," she replied.
My head shot up when I saw a large, muscular figure approach the cabin from the tree line. My body relaxed when I recognized the man as Jaxon. He wore a scowl warning both my wolf and me that whatever had just happened had him on edge. "Let's go," he demanded as he got closer to the cabin.
"Alpha Christian's Beta said I'll be traveling with him," Sophia said, stepping forward to Jaxon and crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.
Jaxon's eyes flickered a chilling onyx color, and his aura was so overwhelming that the enforcers stopped what they were doing and dropped their gazes. The small muscle in his jaw twitched, sending my wolf spiraling to stand by her mate, clawing and hissing inside. "You will be returning with your Alpha and Luna back to your pack territory, Sophia. That's fucking final," he scowled, his fists clenching at his sides as he headed toward the black SUVs lined up in front of the cabin.
Sophia groaned and rolled her eyes. "See what I mean?" she protested. "As if he hasn't known Alpha Christian his entire life. It's not my safety he's worried about, it's just his egotistical Alpha personality." I reached for Sophia's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "There's got to be a reason, Soph. Just try to go easy on him," I said reassuringly.
Sophia and I climbed into the backseat of the black SUV. I couldn't deny the pang of abandonment when I noticed Jaxon had chosen to sit in the passenger seat beside the driver. The two of them were deep in conversation about potential routes to take back to Midnight Moon and estimating arrival times. I sank into the backseat, staring out into what felt like endless fields as the vehicle began to move.
I must have been deep in my own thoughts because I didn't even notice how much time had passed until Sophia piped up beside me. "Jax, I'm hungry," she whined.
"Too bad," he replied sharply.
"Jax, I need to let my wolf out," she insisted.
"Should've thought about that before we left," he scolded.
"Jax, I need to fucking pee," she shot out, and I watched as Jaxon turned to her and gave her a stern look before telling the driver to pull over on a winding dirt road. Sophia climbed out of the back seat, and I followed closely, feeling a hoard of butterflies dancing in my stomach.
"Five minutes. Don't make me come find you," he instructed, and Sophia huffed before disappearing behind a tree.
I leaned against the black SUV and pushed my head back against the hot metal, soaking in the blistering sun beating down on me. I heard the passenger door shut, but I didn't bother lifting my head, already sensing Jaxon's scent linger as he stepped out of the car.
"Are you going to apologize?" I asked, crossing my arms across my chest.
"Apologize?" he questioned, stalking forward toward me.
I lifted my head from the car and pressed my lips into a tight line. "It would be helpful. You came to the cabin with smoke practically fuming from your ears, and you've been nothing but a complete alpha-hole to Sophia. I'm not even going to mention that you decided to ride shotgun," I confessed.
I didn't miss the chuckle playing on Jaxon's face as he locked me between his body and the hot metal of the SUV. "Hmm, my little mate misses me already?" he taunted, pressing his nose to the mark on my neck. I couldn't resist the moan that escaped me but still fought my body not to give in to my mate.
"I'm serious, Jaxon. Not cool. What happened this morning?" I asked, pulling my head back and denying him further access to my neck.
The intensity of his amber eyes stole my breath as he towered over me and glared down. "The Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes. There must be a reason why she paired the two of them. At least every fiber of my existence hopes there's a damn good reason," he replied.
