At Year's End (The 12 Olympians) (17 page)

Caden looked like he hadn’t slept in years.
Jaxon and Caden had bonded over the past month, as both of them, and Kellan, missed the light of their lives. As Nate opened his presents, Jaxon took a long look around the room. It wasn’t the same without Elijah, and everyone knew it.

Nate stood and regarded all the people in the room.

“We’re missing someone today, and it’s just not the same without him. Please pick up your candle and light it for Elijah. Let’s all send good thoughts his way.”

Jaxon pushed off the wall and headed for the back door of the center. He slammed it open and walked into the brisk
Seattle air. The water seemed angry today, crashing against the rocks as the wind whipped at the surf.

“We’ll keep looking, Jaxon.”

Jaxon glanced over his shoulder to find James Jacobs.

“I’m not giving up. I know he’s alive and I won’t stop until I find him.”

“We won’t either,” James walked forward. “You have my word.”

“What I want is Elijah.”

~*~

Maggie and Matty Flynn-Esposito turned one in May. The Esposito twins were walking and talking. Well, kind of. Kane Waters, son of Sam and Dakota, was the new alpha of the created ones and also turned a year old. All three had been born on the same day in Ireland.

Jaxon
was drooped in one of the chairs, staring at the floor. He didn’t want to be here. He didn’t care about anything anymore except finding Elijah, and the longer they went without finding him, the weaker Jaxon became. A tiny hand landed on his leg and he peered up to see Matty eyeing him. Jaxon tried to smile at the toddler.

“Jaxon?” Matty
tilted his head.

“Hey, little man. Happy birthday.”

“Sad?” Matty climbed into Jaxon’s lap.

“Yeah, bud. I am.” Jaxon held Matty close to him. Being the child of a female werewolf with the created line gave Matty the gift of sight
— the gift of seeing the future. “I don’t suppose you could tell me if Elijah’s okay and where he is, huh?”

Matty frowned and tightened his grip on Jaxon.

Jaxon really wished Matty could form complete sentences and give him something — anything to go on.

“
Talk to him
.”

Jaxon almost fell off the chair. His eyes widened at Matty.
The kid had just talked to him telepathically.

“I’ve tried
,” he whispered. “He can’t hear me.”

“
Keep trying
.”

Jaxon squeezed his eyes shut as tears threatened to fall. “
I will
.”

“Hey.”

Jaxon opened his eyes and found Mateo Esposito crouched down in front of him.

“He talked to me
,” Jaxon whispered.

Mateo nodded.

“He’s been doing that more and more now. I’m glad he spoke to you.”

Jaxon handed Matty back to his father. It was cute how Matty looked
exactly like his dad, one of the best snipers in the country and a changed werewolf who preferred to rely on his human skills.

“We’re not giving up, Jaxon.” Mateo tried to smile.

“I never will.”

The end of May brought graduation day. Justice and Jesse sat on either side of Jaxon in the crowded stands of the football stadium. Stone Marinos, Ryder Winters and Dasan Black were graduating today. Elijah would have been graduating with them. A silence fell on the crowd as the headmaster took the podium. A gentle breeze cooled the people gathered to see their loved ones take the next step in life.

“
You all know we are missing a student today. Elijah Newman was abducted in February, and although he is not physically with us today, he will always be in our hearts. Let us say a prayer for his safe return.”

Jaxon bowed his head as they had a moment of silence for Elijah’s safe return.

As the names were called, Jaxon’s heart twisted in his chest. Elijah should be here to accept what he’d worked so hard to achieve. He’d had plenty of credits to graduate, so missing two months of school hadn’t affected his GPA at all.

As Dasan accepted his diploma, shouts and whistles came from Hayden and Jude. The youngster had graduated early. Dasan was smart as a whip and excelled in all his classes
, pushing him to an advanced diploma. Stone’s name was called and Justice and Skylar stood to clap and cheer.

“Elijah Newman.”

Jaxon stood and made his way to the podium. The headmaster handed him Elijah’s diploma. They shook hands and Jaxon nodded to the crowd that was on its feet, clapping. More students made their way up to the podium as Jaxon took his seat.

“Ryder Winters.”

Jaxon closed his eyes as more clapping surrounded him. The only thing he wanted was to hold Elijah again. He held the diploma in his hand a bit tighter and wished for something, anything to help him.

“
I miss you
.”

~*~

Justice kicked the door down and stomped into the bedroom. The curtains were drawn and Jaxon was on his side
, curled up in a ball. He ripped the blankets off as Jesse opened the curtains and blinds. It was the beginning of June and Jaxon hadn’t so much as left his room in the weeks since graduation.

“Get up!” Justice
bellowed.

“Leave me alone.” Jaxon rolled away from his brother and covered his eyes from the light
with his arm.

The sun brightened the dank room and Justice finally got a good look at his brother
. What he saw made his heart break. Jaxon was white as a sheet, black rings surrounded his eyes and his cheeks were sallow. He looked sick and frail.

“Oh my God,” Justice whispered. “What is wrong with you?”

“He’s gone,” Jaxon rasped. “That’s what’s wrong.”

“You have to get up.” Jesse sat down on the bed and placed a hand on his
brother’s shoulder. The skin was freezing cold.

“I don’t want to get up
,” Jaxon said quietly.

“You can’
t stay in here, Jaxon. You’re slowly withering away! I can’t watch you do this.”

“Then don’t watch,” Jaxon shoved Justice. “Leave me alone!”

“I can’t do that! You’re acting like — ”

“I’m acting like what? Like Elijah’s my mate? Well here’s a little secret, Justice
— it’s because he is!”

Justice’s mouth dropped open. “W-what?”

Jaxon stumbled out of the bed and out of their reach.

“I’ve known all along that he’s mine! The minute I set eyes on him at
Camp Pride, I knew! But I’ve heard the story of Wyatt and Preston, and why Preston did what he did in waiting years for Wyatt to grow up before telling him that they were mates. I wanted Elijah to be sure I was whom he wanted, so I backed off. I waited — and now he’s gone!”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Jesse asked quietly.

“Why? So you guys could push me? He was
sixteen
! God, he needed to concentrate at school, make friends, be a
kid
! I wanted to give him time to have some kind of normal life before I dragged him into ours!”

“He’s a child of the
gods, Jaxon. How normal do you think his life was, even without him knowing he was special?” Justice stood up and took Jaxon by his shoulders. “You need to get up and get your ass in shape.”

“We have no idea where he is!
I’m trying to rest while I can so that when we get the right intel, I’ll be ready. In the meantime, with every day that passes, I can feel him getting further and further from my reach,” Jaxon sighed and sat down on the bed. “I can’t
breathe
without him. Every cell in my body hurts. And he’s my mate —
I’m feeling
every single thing he’s going through
!”

“That just tells me you have to get up, shower an
d get your ass moving!” Justice said pointedly, grabbing Jaxon by his bicep and hauling him to his feet. “We’re going to the source.”

“The source?”

“Greece. Mount Olympus. Get your ass ready to go in one hour.” Justice left the room, slamming the door.

“Well?” Jesse narrowed his eyes. “You heard him.”

~*~

By the time they landed in Litochoro, Greece, Jaxon was a nervous wreck. Elijah had been missing for months, months for the rogues to do whatever they wanted to him. The thought made him sick to his stomach.

Previous
intel they had gotten had led them nowhere. Justice got a cab and they found a nearby hotel. Jaxon dropped his bag on the floor and looked out the window. Life was going on for everyone but him. His life had stopped the moment his mate had been kidnapped. The irony was not lost on him. He’d wanted to protect Elijah from this life, and he’d gotten yanked right into the fire.

They’d gotten one tiny bit of info
rmation from one rogue: The kids had all been adopted from an orphanage in Greece, which had led them here.

“Jaxon?”

Jaxon turned to find Jesse eyeing him.

“I’m going to the mountain
,” Jaxon announced.

“Justice and I are going to the orphanage in town.
Please keep your thoughts on.”

Jaxon nodded. He
grabbed clothing and stuffed it into a smaller bag. Justice stood in his way at the door.

“Justice.” Jaxon met his
brother’s glare.

“Promise me you’ll keep them on.”

“I will. Let me know what you find out in town.” Jaxon hugged his brother and opened the door.

“We will find him, Jaxon
,” Jesse assured him.

“We have to.” Jaxon walked out, shutting the door behind him.

Making the trek in wolf form didn’t take long. Mount Olympus wasn’t exactly small
, though, and by the time he reached the summit he was breathing hard and exhausted due to his weakened state. Jaxon shifted and threw on his clothes. He eyed the beauty around him. God how he wished Elijah could see it.

Jaxon balled his fists and looked toward the heavens.

“You guys enjoy pain and suffering, don’t you! Well, Elijah has endured enough! So if you want to pick on someone, pick on me! I am so sick and tired of everyone saying how you are all knowing. You don’t know shit!”

The ground shook beneath his feet and Jaxon narrowed his eyes.

“You really think I care if you strike me down? I’m dead already! You let them take the one thing I can’t live without! So come on! Strike me down! Put me out of my fucking misery, you sons of bitches!”

A crack of lightning hit right next to him and another tremor rocked the mountain.

“Good! I’m glad you’re pissed! Maybe now you’ll get off your asses and find Elijah — or do you not care that your power is in question? Your child, Hephaestus, is gone! Just like that! He was taken by Crius and Atlas.
Right. Under. Your. Nose!
Olympians my ass; you haven’t done jack shit!”

Jaxon braced hi
mself as another crack of lightning shook the ground right next to him. A ball of fire appeared before him and Jaxon put his hands on his hips, snarling.

“You really think I’m scared
of you? The only thing I’m scared of is that Elijah is suffering!”

The ball of fire pulsed, and grew larger and larger. Jaxon kept his feet planted on the spot and readied himself for the anger that was coming.

“He is MY child! How dare you presume to know so much!”

Jaxon stepped forward. “He is MY mate! How dare you allow him to
suffer!”

The ball of flames extinguished immediately and Jaxon found himself staring into
the fiery eyes of a very pissed-off god.

“You dare to come here and speak to us in such a way?”

“If it gets the job done, I’ll call you an asshole.”

Jaxon swore he heard a gasp from above him, but kept his stance. He had nothing to lose.

A ball of fire hit him square in the chest, but the pendant deflected it. Jaxon stood, mouth agape, as the god in front of him actually looked surprised.

“You have been blessed with love.”

“What?” Jaxon stammered. Elijah was gone; the only thing he could hope for was a quick death.

“I’m not going to kill you, idiot
,” Hephaestus sighed.

Jaxon blinked. “You can hear my thoughts?” He got a glare and closed his mouth.

“You are Elijah’s mate, his best chance at survival. Why would I strike down what my boy loves so much?”

“He…loves me?”

An exasperated sigh came from above him.

“Are all werewolves this stupid?”

Hephaestus groaned. “Gaea, not now.”

He turned to regard the werewolf
who had captured his son’s heart. Jaxon Salvatore was indeed a warrior.