Chapter 31

Hayley

Jax scoops me up, hugging me tight, and spins us around in a whirl of laughter. His laugh is deep and hearty, while mine is more of a giggle. When he finally slows down, he sets me back on my feet, his hands cradling my face, forcing me to meet his gaze.

I can’t look away. This is the man I’m going to marry.

My soon-to-be husband leans in, his lips brushing against mine before fully connecting, giving me exactly what I want. Him.

His kiss is filled with passion and love. My world revolves around this one man. Love is an extraordinary feeling, but trust, trust is magical.

I pull away reluctantly, gasping for air, but Jax wastes no time. He buries his face in the crook of my neck, his lips leaving soft, open-mouthed kisses on my skin.

My arms wrap around his torso, pulling him closer until there’s no space left between us. A deep growl rumbles from Jax’s throat at the motion.

Suddenly, I feel Jax’s canines brushing against my neck. Instead of pulling away, I’m filled with a sudden desire to be marked. I want him.

But then Jax pulls away, shaking his head as if trying to clear his thoughts. Does he not want to mark me?

“No, trust me, I want to. I just want it to be special for you,” he says, his hands resting at the small of my back. “So, now that you’ve said yes, when do you want to get married?” His face lights up with a huge smile.

I want to marry him as soon as possible. There’s no one else for me but him, so why wait? Lately, I’ve become so possessive of him.

I can’t stand it when other women are near him, let alone looking at him like he’s a piece of candy. It drives me crazy. Only I’m allowed to do that. “When’s the earliest we could do it?”

“We could do it this Sunday, just two nights away. Tomorrow we can start the preparations. I’ll let the pack know what’s happening. The sooner you become my wife, the better.” I couldn’t agree more.

I’ve grown stronger since I first joined Jax’s pack. I want to help him more, and the first step is to face my biggest fear.

“I’m ready to meet the pack,” I say, trying to sound confident. “Maybe I could come with you when you tell them.”

The thought of meeting them all terrifies me, but I can’t keep hiding. It’s time for a change.

I don’t think I’m ready to be Luna. I can barely take care of myself, let alone an entire pack. But I want to be by Jax’s side.

I want to prove to him, and to myself, that I’m not some weak, useless human. I want to show him how much he’s changed me for the better.

“You can lead this pack, Hayley. You’re destined to be this pack’s Luna. You’re strong enough, you just need to believe in yourself. The pack has been buzzing about you for weeks. You’re the missing piece that makes this pack complete.”

Jax’s words melt my heart.

“If you’re truly ready, I’d love for you to join the meeting. But I don’t want to pressure you—”

“You’re not pressuring me,” I interrupt. “I want to do this.” I’m not used to feeling cared for, or wanted. I don’t understand why he would want me.

He could have had any woman he wanted, but he chose me. I can’t help but feel like a disappointment.

I trust Jax enough to voice my insecurities. I don’t think he’ll judge me as harshly as I judge myself. Or maybe he can read my thoughts. Either way, the result is the same.

“Why would you want to marry me? You could have anyone...” Why does he love me? I don’t deserve him. I’m nothing special.

Jax growls under his breath, his eyes shifting from a deep misty grey to bright golden orbs. Aaron is coming through, and he’s angry.

“Don’t ever talk about yourself like that. You are everything to me. I see your strength, even if you don’t. I know you’re worthy of love, and I know you question whether I truly love you or not.” He takes my hand and places it over his heart.

“This beats for you, and only you. It might take some time for you to realize that, but I’ll be here, loving you unconditionally. I’m not going anywhere.” Tears stream down my cheeks at the sincerity in Jax’s eyes.

He’s not lying. He does love me, and I need to accept it. I shouldn’t run from his love, I should embrace it. Jax deserves to feel loved, just like I do.

“I love you,” I say, leaning up to kiss him. Our lips move together in a gentle rhythm, and in this moment, nothing else matters.

This man, standing before me, has taught me how to love again. He’s made me stronger than I’ve ever been, but he’s also my greatest weakness. I couldn’t live without him.

As I pull back, I see tears welling up in Jax’s eyes. He’s got his own battles to fight, and it’s high time I lend a hand. We’re in this together. “Say it again,” he murmurs.

“I love you.”

“Again.”

“I love you,” I repeat, a giggle escaping my lips.

He lifts me up once more, pressing me against his chest where his heart is pounding. “I don’t think I’ll ever tire of hearing those three words. The moon goddess knows I’ve waited a lifetime to hear them.”

As the shock of everything starts to fade, I remember something important. “I need to go tell Lily!” I exclaim, excitement bubbling up inside me again.

Jax chuckles as I start to leave his office. I turn back quickly, plant a soft kiss on his lips, and whisper, “I love you.”

As I dash out of the room, I hear Jax echo those three precious words.

***

I see so much of myself in Lily. I know what it’s like to feel like an outsider, to feel abandoned.

Even though my mom didn’t have a choice, it’s hard not to harbor resentment, especially since I never got to meet her. It feels like she left me.

I have no memories of her, just the ones I’ve made up in my head. I feel protective of Lily because I see myself in her—a scared little girl who just wants to be loved.

Axton finds me as I’m searching for Lily. I’m guessing Jax mindlinked him. I wish I could do that. I miss being a wolf.

I only got to experience it as a pup, but those were the best times of my childhood. I’ve been feeling Aurora more lately, which I’m guessing is a good sign. I want her back.

You don’t realize how much you miss something until it’s gone.

Ax uses his senses to guide me to Lily. She’s sitting on a swing tied to a tree, swinging gently. But what shocks me is the blood running down her knee to her bare feet.

A lot of blood. Axton and I quicken our pace until we’re standing right in front of her, Axton getting there before me. I crouch down to her level and ask, “What happened, Lily?”

Her eyes flicker from me to Axton and back to me before she slowly shakes her head and whispers, “I just fell over...” I know she’s lying; this is much worse than a simple fall.

I can feel Aurora stirring at the sight of Lily’s tears welling up in her eyes. Both Aurora and I feel protective of Lily, and we won’t stand for anyone hurting her.

I turn to Axton, my hand resting on top of Lily’s. “Could you get the...first aid kit please?”

“Hayley, you know I can’t leave you. The Alpha will have my head,” Axton replies, reluctance in his voice.

“Please, Axton. You won’t be gone more than a few minutes. Jax won’t even know,” I plead, giving him my best puppy dog eyes. He sighs in defeat after a moment of contemplation.

“Don’t move. If anything happens, get Lily to mindlink me,” he says, exasperated.

Axton takes off towards the infirmary to grab a spare first aid kit, muttering, “The Alpha is going to kill me.” I snort at Axton’s dramatics and turn my attention back to Lily.

“Lily, please tell me who did this to you. I care about you, and I hate seeing you hurt. If you tell me who did this, I can help you,” I pause, taking a breath.

Tears stream down Lily’s pale face, pooling at her chin before dropping onto her pink skirt. “Please, Lily, talk to me.”

A choked sob escapes her swollen lips as she looks down in what seems like shame. “It was,” a sob, “just some older kids,” another sob, “from school.”

Her voice is hoarse, and I wonder how long she’s been crying before Axton and I found her.

“They said I have no friends because my mom and dad died. They said I should die too.”

“Well, they’re liars, because you have me, and Axton, and even Jax. We’re your friends, and we’re not going anywhere. I’ll take care of everything. Okay? Don’t worry about a thing.”

“No, you can’t! They’ll do it again! They told me not to tell anyone! They’re gonna hurt me even more if you tell!” Panic flashes in her eyes as she quickly protests.

“Breathe, Lily. Everything will be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll protect you,” I promise.

As Lily’s breathing evens out, I whisper, “Thank you for telling me. I know that wasn’t easy.”

I know firsthand how hard it is to talk about something that hurts you, not just physically, but emotionally too. I pull Lily into a tight hug, trying to pour all my love into her.

Axton returns shortly after, panting heavily. I carefully patch up Lily’s physical wounds, knowing that emotional ones take time to heal.

Axton tries to make Lily laugh with his dad jokes, but I think Lily’s only laughing to spare Axton’s feelings.

She has such a kind heart. Always trying to make everyone else happy. “Come on, bestie, why don’t we go play some Just Dance?” I suggest, hoping to distract Lily from her thoughts.

Lily nods frantically, jumping up and down and clapping her hands. I think she likes the idea.

“I thought I was your best friend,” Axton pouts playfully.

“You’re both my best friends,” I giggle. Hand in hand, the three of us start walking back to the packhouse, ready to show off our dance moves...