Taming Jax (First Wave Book 5) (9 page)

Once the pilot called back that he was preparing for descent, Reven stood and braced his legs on the floor as he gently held the children in his arms. Jax was wondering what the hell he was doing until she realized that he had stood to absorb the impact of the landing in his legs so the girls wouldn’t be disturbed.

She had one of those brief moments where she thought, ‘awww’, before she shook it off. The guy may have a soft spot for wounded kids and puppies, but he was still an overbearing asshole; Jax thought with a frown.

As soon as the door opened, Grai was waiting for them outside of the craft with a vehicle. He looked at the children with genuine concern and nodded to Reven and Jax to get in the vehicle.

Reven exhaled a sigh of relief when the closing of the doors didn’t wake the girls. He repositioned them in his arms, leaning the older girl’s head on his shoulder.

“Amun is waiting for them.” Grai said to Reven through the Shengari’ as he glanced back at them in the rear-view mirror.

Grai didn’t know what it was about these two babies, but his energy was going nuts, and he felt on edge. Even his beast Death, couldn’t figure out what the problem was, but it kept him prowling in the back of his mind in a hyper vigilant state.

In minutes, he had them parked outside of the closest MedLab to the transport bay. Grai opened Reven’s door while two tech’s held the Lab doors open for him. Jax followed close on Reven’s heels, unwilling to let the little ones out of her sight until she knew they were going to be all right.

Reven followed Amun’s hand gestures to the back of the lab. “Put them on the table and step back.” Amun said, his fingers already flying across his comm to set up the tests to perform.

After several moments, Amun realized Reven hadn’t put them down yet, and he turned questioning eyes to him. Reven stood still and just stared into the sleeping faces of the little ones. He didn’t want to let them go, even though he knew he had to.

Jax placed a gentle hand on his arm and drew his attention to her. “We have to make sure they aren’t hurt. I can’t stand the thought that they may be in pain.”

It was her words that made him gently lay the little ones on the bed. But it was sheer force of will alone that allowed him to step back from them.

“I will treat them as my own, my friend. I promise.” Amun said with sympathetic eyes. He of all people knew what it was like to love someone who had been horribly damaged at such a young age.

Reven stared at the doctor for long moments before he shook his head and turned to Grai. It was time to find out who he owed thanks to for the condition his new children were in; he thought, uncaring if his rage was bleeding through to the others.

“Oh hell yeah baby! I’m with you now!” Jax said, matching his rage with her own when she felt it bubble up in him.

Grai held up two hands to stop the furious warriors from going off half-cocked in their anger. “We are collecting intel now. Traze and Risk are tracing every damn thing, there is. We will find them, and you will get your chance. If there is enough of them, I will join you.” Grai said, allowing them to feel his rage as well so they would know he meant every word.

When Reven still looked like he was going to push past him, Grai stood in front of him until blue eyes clashed with black. “Do not make a mockery of their courage and will to survive by doing this half assed. They deserve better than that. The others we couldn’t rescue from them, deserve better.”

Grai’s words sliced into Reven, and he turned back to look at the still sleeping babies. Turning back to Grai, he nodded his head. “We wait. For now.” He growled through gritted teeth.

“For now.” Grai agreed.

A commotion outside the door drew their attention, and Jax moved into a defensive position in front of the children and Amun, while Grai and Reven stood on either side of the door ready to protect them.

The door was flung open, and someone slid across the floor followed by a panting and highly irritated Lt. David Jacobs.

“Get off me! I told you I needed to be here damn it!” Traze said as he got up from the floor and hid behind his brother.

“I am going to beat the hell out of your brother, Grai.” David said as he stalked towards Traze.

“Shut the fuck up!” Reven growled grabbing hold of David’s shirt and throwing him out of the door. He was reaching for Traze when Amun starting screaming.

“I need help!”

Reven ran to the bed in time to see the little girl clutching the baby to her chest with one hand while she held the other out to him. What killed him was her mouth was open on a silent scream as tears poured down her face.

Pushing Amun aside, Reven grabbed the girls into his arms and turned his back to everyone in the room as if to shield them. He rocked them slowly as they trembled violently in his arms, and he wanted nothing more than to kill Traze for being an asshole.

Jax had rushed to his side and the baby was clutching her hand tightly as she shivered in fear.

“Oh… wow. That’s a new one for me.” Amun said, stepping back slightly as he turned his attention back to the scanner.

“Yes, that is for me too.” Grai said looking at Reven, Jax and the girls.

“What the fuck?” Traze said as David came back into the room and stopped dead in his tracks, mouth agape.

Jax turned to the men behind them, wondering what they were talking about, but could only see Grai without letting go of the baby’s hand. Since the baby was clutching it desperately and leaning into Jax, she had no desire to upset her further by moving.

“You are recording this correct?” Grai asked the doctor, never taking his eyes from the four of them.

“Hell yes…” Amun said with a touch of awe in his voice.

“What the fuck is that? I feel like I should know.” David said as he moved to stand beside Grai.

“Stop staring at them, you idiots, you’re scaring them!” Jax said, trying to quell her irritation at the men as she gently caressed the baby’s hand. She didn’t even mind being pressed up against Reven’s side as long as the baby was calm and not distressed, she thought.

She didn’t know why, but she couldn’t bear to see the children so afraid. She’d rescued many children before, but none of them affected her the way these two did. She could almost see the energy strands that were binding them together, and it was amazing and frightening at the same time.

“Let me see her again!” Traze growled behind them.

“Boy, what the fuck is your problem?” David asked moving to push the boy away from the children.

Traze didn’t even blink before planting his fist deep into David’s groin dropping the man to the floor instantly. Grai was so stunned he hesitated a moment too long before he reacted, and Traze slipped past him.

“What is your problem?” Reven growled dangerously at the boy who stared intently at the little girl.

“What is her name?” Traze asked reaching a hand out to touch her hair when she flinched from his touch and buried her face in Reven’s stomach.

Grai snatched Traze’s arm and was going to pull him out of the room when the boy grabbed hold of his brother’s throat and raised him inches off the ground. Reven thrust the babies into Jax’s arms and went to help Grai control the crazed man-child before he harmed someone.

“Do not think to interfere with my mate!” Traze growled at Reven as he threw his brother to the floor and stalked towards him.

Chapter Five

Grai quickly got up, grabbed the boy and took him out with one punch to the jaw. He stood looking down at his brother in stunned amazement while David tried to pick himself off the floor with the help of two med techs.

“What the fuck was that about?” David asked no one in particular.

Reven looked at Grai and shook his head vehemently. No fucking way. It wasn’t going to happen. Over his dead fucking body, he thought. Jax had her own thoughts that she wasn’t afraid to speak aloud.

“You’re out of your fucking mind if you think that is ever, and I mean ever, going to happen. Not to these babies. Hell fucking no! Get him the hell away from my kids, Reven.” Jax said, holding the now calm children behind Reven’s broad back.

“I need everyone out if I’m going to treat them! Now please, everyone, take this… stuff outside!” Amun said trying clear the room.

“You need to run the test Amun. We have to know if he’s right… if it’s true.” Grai said, shaking his head sadly at his littlest brother. It would explain why he’d felt so restless and strange today; he thought.

“We don’t need a damn test! She’s only a baby! It doesn’t matter! Tell them Reven.” Jax said as she rocked the children gently.

“She is right; they are just babies, and this should not even be discussed right now!” Reven growled at Grai.

Grai sighed, knowing he would get nowhere with the angry new parents right now. How the hell such intelligent and evolved people such as they, could get into so much shit, he’d never know; he thought as he hauled his brother over his shoulder and headed to his quarters.

David just shook his head at Jax before following Grai out of the room. Reven turned to smile down at the girls when he sucked in a sharp breathe.

“Yeah, you should have seen it the first time. It encompassed you as well. It seems to be a defensive mechanism similar to the Earth chameleons.” Amun said with a grin before turning back to his scanner.

Reven stared in awe where the girls should be. In their place was a blur of shadow, but down near the floor, Reven could see the bottom of Jax’s boot. All three of them were perfectly camouflaged with the room.

Reaching out to where he assumed they were, he was surprised when a small hand grasped his own and the three of them came into perfect focus. Pale blue eyes looked up at him as if afraid he might be angry at her.

“Baby girl, you are amazing! That was wonderful! You protected yourself and your sister, and that is exactly what you should do. You’re such a brave girl. I’m proud of you, little one.” Reven said, choking up at how the frightened little girl had included him and Jax in her disguise, trying to protect them as well.

Reven looked at Amun when the doctor cleared his throat. “I must put them to sleep to treat them.” Amun told him and Jax through the Shengari’.

Reven nodded, knowing, by the way, Amun said it that he wasn’t going to like what he would hear. He was surprised when Grai came back into the room and stood to the side followed by Lara and Viper. Shit this wasn’t going to be good Reven thought as he nodded at Amun, who handed him two little medibands.

“I promise you little one; we will be here while you are being treated, we won’t leave you.” Jax whispered as Reven put the medibands on their hands, and they drifted to sleep. The camouflage dissipated as the medicine took over, shutting down their minds and bodies.

“I need to get their treatment started. Please lay them on the bed, Jax.” Amun said softly, anxious to begin healing the children.

Jax glanced at Reven for a moment before gently laying the girls back on the bed. It was harder than she expected it to be when she had to remove the baby’s fingers from her hand.

“If you give me a moment, I’ll get the treatment started, then go over what we know.” Amun said, quickly stepping in front of the children to begin programming the medibands to begin their healing.

Reven and Jax nodded their heads, pretending to ignore Grai, Lara and Viper, who stood on the other side of the room watching them silently.

“I don’t like that they are here.” Jax said to Reven through their private communication path.

Without even glancing in their direction, Reven responded vehemently. “I don’t give a damn why they are here. It will have no bearing on what happens with the children.”

Jax would have loved to believe that, but something told her that they were going to end up in a battle over the welfare of these kids. Normally, she would leave it up to Grai and the others, but not in this situation. Not with these kids, she thought. They were different.

Jax turned from Reven and the others to look at the children, stunned that she was even considering keeping them. She’d never really thought about children before. Hell she never thought she’d ever find anyone that could put up with her, or that she could tolerate enough to even think about it before now.

Reaching out, she gently caressed the little hand of the baby. The one that had held her own so tightly and couldn’t think of anything but taking her and her sister home. Somehow, she knew in her heart that they were meant to be hers.

“All right. Now that their treatments have begun, we can go over the preliminary findings.” Amun said as he grabbed his comm and turned to Reven and the others.

“We’ll start with the older child since she is the one that will need more extensive treatment.” Amun paused to ensure he had everyone’s attention; he had no desire to run through the results a second time. Once would be more than enough for his stomach to take.

“She is thirteen years old, give or take a few months.” Amun began when sharp intakes of breath were uttered along with curses as everyone looked at the small girl who looked no more than a child and certainly not a teenager.

“As I’m sure you noticed; she is severely malnourished. Her stomach contents indicate that the only food she’s had in days is what little she swallowed as she chewed the food for the baby. Which wasn’t much at all.” Amun paused, knowing what he had to say next would be worse.

“Her vocal cords were surgically severed intentionally and will require the most attention to correct. Even after the chords are repaired, her voice will never be what it was before they were cut.” Amun paused again when Grai clenched his fists in rage.

“I don’t understand. Why would anyone sever her ability to speak?” Reven asked, not understanding why Grai was so angry and Jax looked like she was going to cry.

Everyone looked at each other, unwilling to be the one to explain it to him before Jax finally spoke, her voice barely audible as she gently brushed the little girl’s hair out of her face.

“Sometimes when they kidnap children for the sex trade, they sever their ability to speak so no one can hear their screams.” Jax said before choking on her tears.

Reven shook with stunned rage as Amun helped Jax to a chair beside the girls. “No! You tell me we got to her in time! You fucking tell me they didn’t touch that baby!” Reven demanded as he moved threateningly towards Amun.

“Stop!” Lara said, her voice joining with that of the ancient Prime, Abexis. Lara extended her hands and allowed a calming energy to flow from her to the others in the room.

“Allow him to speak Reven, and you will get your answers.” Lara said as Reven, Jax and Grai calmed down.

Amun nodded his thanks to Lara before continuing. “No, they did not touch her. Not like that anyway. Due to malnutrition, her internal organs are damaged, but repairable. As is the muscle wasting and other issues associated with her lack of proper nutrition.”

“At this stage of her treatment, I can assure you that any lasting effects of her captivity would be relegated only to the fact that she will never grow to her full height and remain smaller than the others her age.” Amun said, happy that Reven and Jax appeared more relieved than angry now.

“The baby is healthier than I expected her to be. It appears that when they took her, she was placed pretty quickly with the older child who seemed to take good care of her, under the circumstances.” Amun said before he was interrupted by Grai.

“They are not sisters?” Grai asked with surprise.

“No, they are not related in any way.” Amun said.

“It doesn’t matter if blood runs through their veins or not. They chose to be sisters, and they will remain sisters.” Jax said with conviction. The girl almost gave her life to keep that baby alive; no one would separate them without dealing with her; Jax thought.

“The baby is sixteen months old, plus or minus a week or two. She is a little smaller than normal, but should grow normally with a few weeks of treatment. There is no indication that she will have any lasting physical effects of her captivity.” Amun said to the relief of everyone in the room.  

Amun sighed, knowing he had to get this next part over with quickly. “The older girl is the mate of Traze T’Alq.”

Jax sucked in an angry breath while Grai released a heavy sigh and lowered his head. Reven looked like he was going to explode, so Amun went ahead and finished him off.

“The baby is the mate of Tristan T’Alq.”

Grai looked like he’d just been sucker punched, while Reven headed over to pummel the hell out of him. For no other reason than his son and his brother dared to be mates to his new daughters.

“Stop!” Lara/Abexis said, holding up her arms until all movements in the room stopped. Reven stared angrily at the Prime who easily walked past his immobile form as if he wasn’t even there. Her eerie golden eyes held his for a moment as she passed him before reaching the bed.

“Ahhh, you do not know the treasure you have. But you will. Both of you will.” Lara/Abexis said as she glanced up from the girls to look at Jax and Reven.

“I will tell you what the good doctor cannot, and you can decide your path from there.” Lara/Abexis said as she released everyone from her hold, allowing them movement again now that Reven was calmer.

Reven fought the urge to slap the woman’s hands away from his daughters, when Lara turned glowing golden eyes to him. “Her name is Melina. She chose you to be her new father as she chose the baby to be her sister.”

Jax shivered when those golden eyes moved to her. “You were chosen by the baby to be her mother. The problem you face is that they refuse to be separated and the two of you refuse to reside together, much less form the mating bond required to give them the stable home that they will need.”

Jax bristled in anger. “You have no damn idea what he, and I will or won’t do or what we are capable of!”

“Shhh, it was merely an observation of what the current situation is.” Lara/Abexis said with an unnerving smile.

“It’s an observation you have no damn right to make! Why the hell are you even in here?” Reven demanded as he clenched his fists in anger.

“Reven, calm yourself. I am here because your new daughter is laustio, a Prime hunter. I believe I spoke previously about the unique abilities of our laustio and she has proven to be skilled beyond her years.” Lara said, her revelation silencing the angry man as David whistled low and stared at the unconscious child.