Blood Doesn't Decide (Coalition Training Academy Book 2)

by Stephani Hecht

  It took Jax a couple of beats to realize Alvus was teasing him.

  “I could ask you the same thing. I took you down a few times, too,” Jax countered.

  “Yes, you did. I’m proud of you.”

  Jax smiled. That simple compliment made him feel amazing. He let out another yawn before he closed his eyes then fell asleep.

  Chapter Six

  Jax already knew there would be guards going with them to the movies. He didn’t expect them to flank him like he was the frigging president or something, though. He would have been more annoyed by the move had he not been so excited over finally being able to get out the building.

  They decided to walk to the movies since it was only a block away. Jax could tell the soldiers weren’t too happy with the idea, but they let the teens have their way. Jax noticed the only guard who wasn’t stuck by his side was Kira’s brother. He chose to walk by her, his gaze going everywhere as he looked for possible danger.

  Once they arrived at the theater, the soldiers paid for all of their tickets then they went inside. Jax immediately went to the concession stand. He was a sucker for popcorn, and the smell drew him in like a beacon. Mitchell had sent more than enough money for Jax to splurge.

  “Do you want to share a bucket?” Alvus asked.

  Jax noticed Erin roll his eyes over the suggestion. No doubt, he thought Jax and Alvus were acting a bit sappy. Jax didn’t care, though. He was too happy. They were even seeing a horror flick, which was his favorite. Nothing could spoil the moment for him.

  “That would be great,” Jax said.

  They got their treats then found some seats in the theater. Alvus sat on one side of him, while Kira took the other. She grabbed Jax’s hand then gave it a brief squeeze.

  “I’m so happy Mitchell let you come today,” she said.

  “Thanks for asking him for me,” Jax replied.

  “It was no big deal. I know you really needed this. Besides, it wouldn’t have been fun without you. You’re part of the gang, and I don’t leave anybody behind if I can help it.” She winked at him.

  Before Jax could say anything more, the movie began. He settled back in his seat and enjoyed the show. To his surprise, Willow hid her eyes during all the scary parts. He would have thought she would have been the bravest of them all, given her mouth, but she even let out squeals of fear at certain points. She buried her face in Brad’s shoulder and held onto his hand. Brad just shook his head in return. Jax did notice he didn’t shove her away, though.

  All too soon, the movie was over. They gathered outside. Some of the others had to use the bathroom so they had to wait for them before they walked back. There was a metal railing along the front of the building. Jax leaned against it then looked out at the city.

  Flint really wasn’t that big, yet to Jax it felt like a distant world. He used to take the bus to school, but that was the extent of his wandering. He really never had a chance to check out the city and see what it had to offer. He knew it had its fair share of crime, but the adults really seemed to love the place. It made Jax want to learn more about it.

  That wasn’t meant to be, though, at least not for a while. He would be going back to the Academy, and he had no idea when he would be getting out again. While Mitchell may have given permission for one outing, there was no guarantee he would do it again, not with that damn hit still being out. Once again, Jax couldn’t help but feel a little bit like a prisoner.

  Alvus came over and joined Jax. For a moment, neither of them said anything. They just stood there in a comfortable silence as they watched the traffic on the nearby street.

  “Once it’s safe, I’ll take you out and show you all the sites in Flint,” Alvus said. “We can start with the mall. Then I’ll take you to a nice restaurant. Don’t worry, you won’t be stuck in the Coalition building forever.”

  “How did you know that was what I was thinking?” Jax asked, not bothering to hide his surprise.

  “Because I would be thinking the same thing if I was in your position,” Alvus replied, still looking at the road.

  “I hate my dad for putting me in this position,” Jax admitted. “I don’t want to feel that way about him, but I do. I know it’s wrong of me. He’s my father, and I should be able to forgive him, but I can’t. Does that make me bad?”

  “No, it makes you normal. He’s a jerk and doesn’t deserve your love.” Alvus’ eyes glinted with anger. “I hope they catch him soon, so you can get on with your life. You don’t need him, you have us now, and we won’t let you down.”

  “What do you think Mitchell will do to my parents once they’re captured?”

  Alvus shrugged. “I don’t know. He’ll probably lock them up. There’s a jail in the basement of the building.”

  “Really?” Jax asked, his voice a little high-pitched from shock. “There are criminals living in the same place as us?”

  “Don’t worry, there’s no chance of them ever getting out. I heard the place is so full of guards that a flea couldn’t slip through. Mitchell takes our safety very seriously.”

  “Hey, are you two done dawdling?” Erin called. “Some of us would like to get going.”

  A heat came over Jax’s face. The rest of the group had come out of the building, and he hadn’t even noticed. He’d been too caught up in his conversation. He was finding out he was easily distracted when he was with Alvus.

  “Coming,” Jax called.

  § § § §

  The rest of the weekend passed by in a blur. They managed to get in a ton of episodes of American Horror Story. Jax had to admit the females had been right, the show was great and addicting. He got so caught up in it, he completely forgot about his books. The only time he left the television was to eat or sleep.

  Speaking of sleeping, he and Alvus shared his bed every night. Every time Jax woke up in the morning, he found that Alvus had already left. Even though the instructors wouldn’t be coming in to wake them up, Alvus still set his alarm. He said it was better for them to play it safe, and Jax agreed.

  Jax was still in the lounge when Ava came back. She went in there to find him. She gave him a surprised look as she came in then sat down.

  “I never thought I would catch you slacking off,” she teased.

  “This show is amazing,” Jax replied.

  She glanced at the screen. “Oh, yeah. I used to watch this every week with Daddy Shane.”

  Logan came into the lounge. Jax sat up in surprise. The instructor never came there, so something had to be up. Then Logan glanced over at Jax and crooked his finger. Jax let out a soft gasp as fear shot through him. He began to worry he and Alvus had been found out and that they were in trouble, but Logan was only calling Jax so that couldn’t be the case. That thought should have made Jax relieved, but it didn’t. The unknown was more unsettling, which was what the situation had just become.

  Jax got up then slowly made his way over to Logan. When the leader motioned for Jax to follow, he got even more nervous. Jax glanced back over at Ava. She just shrugged in response, but he could tell she shared his concern.

  “What’s going on?” Jax asked as he trailed after Logan.

  “Mitchell needs to see you. There’s been a major breakthrough in the hunt for your parents,” Logan replied.

  Jax brought a hand to his stomach. While he did want to see his father captured, Jax worried about having to face the male again. He didn’t want to hear anything his dad had to say. Jax knew there would be no apology coming his way, so the scumbag would only have hateful things to say. Jax would just as soon never see his father ever again. It would be better if Mitchell just took him straight to the prison.

  “Is he here?” Jax asked.

  “Your dad?”

  “Yes.”

  “No, but Mitchell thinks we may be close.” Logan stopped then turned to Jax. “What are you so upset about?”

  “I’m fine,” Jax fibbed.

  “You can’t lie to me about that. I can smell the fear and anxiety rol
ling off you,” Logan admonished.

  Damn, it. Jax hated it when the older shifters did that. It felt so intrusive. It wasn’t like Jax could control his emotions, so he would like to keep them private. Since Jax realized he couldn’t deny them, he decided he would just get to the bottom of things.

  “Do I have to see him once he’s captured?” Jax asked in a near whisper.

  He only hoped Logan didn’t think it made him look weak. A true soldier would stand up for himself. Instead, Jax wanted to cower away and not face his dad. It wasn’t exactly warrior behavior.

  “Nobody is going to force you to talk to him,” Logan replied in a soft voice. “It’s perfectly normal for you not to want to see him.”

  “So, you won’t be disappointed in me?”

  Logan put his hands on Jax’s shoulders and smiled down at him.

  “Never. I think you’ve acted amazing, given your circumstances. I’m proud to call you my student,” Logan said.

  Dang if that didn’t make Jax’s bottom lip quiver. He quickly looked down at the ground so Logan wouldn’t see the tears forming in his eyes. Jax wanted to kick himself for his stupid reaction. He should be basking in pride, not breaking down, but he couldn’t help himself. What Logan had just said made Jax feel so relieved and happy, he was overwhelmed.

  “Thank you,” Jax said, still gazing at the ground.

  “We better get going. We don’t want to keep Mitchell waiting.” Logan gave Jax one last pat before he began to start walking again.

  Jax let out a small sniff before he followed. The rest of the way there, he tried to pull in his emotions. He didn’t want Mitchell to see him all sappy and weepy. Good thing Jax was able get ahold of himself. He guessed it was all the years of pretending to be the perfect son in front of his father. It had taught Jax how to carefully school his expressions when need be. Now all he needed was for Mitchell not to start sniffing away and things would be fine.

  When they walked into Mitchell’s office, the leader smiled at them. Once more, Jax was amazed at the sheer size of the Jaguar. He even managed to put Logan to shame when it came to muscles and tallness. Mitchell’s hair was brown with lighter speckles of color spread throughout. He didn’t dye it, though. It was all natural. At least that’s what Ava said, and Jax wasn’t about to ask the leader to confirm that fact.

  “Take a seat.” Mitchell gestured to the chairs in front of his desk. “We’re just waiting for Vapor to come in, and then we can get started.”

  “Vapor is one of Mitchell’s best trackers,” Logan explained to Jax. “If he’s on the case then the break must be huge.”

  Jax nodded as he took a seat. A few moments later a tall, menacing, dark-haired male came into the room.

  “Vapor, thanks for coming back,” Mitchell greeted the newcomer. “Why don’t you tell Jax everything?”

  Vapor glanced over at Jax. For a moment all Jax could do was squirm nervously. The male was pretty badass looking, and Jax had to admit he felt a bit scared. Then he remembered he was with Mitchell and Logan. If they trusted Vapor then so could Jax.

  “What happened?” Jax finally managed to ask.

  “We located your uncle,” Vapor said.

  Jax drew back in confusion. “I’m sorry, but you’ve made a mistake. I don’t have an uncle. In fact, I don’t have any other family at all.”

  “I’m afraid that was another lie your father told you,” Mitchell said. “You have an aunt and an uncle. They are both your father’s siblings.”

  Jax slowly shook his head. Just when he thought he finally was getting a grasp on things. He gripped the sides of the chair tightly as he tried to digest the new information. All he could manage was to be shocked and unsettled. He was really getting sick of being two steps behind on stuff.

  “Why did he lie about that?” Jax wondered.

  “Your father’s family has never been stellar members of the Coalition. They’ve always caused trouble, and I eventually had to ban them. Only your father maintained a place here, or at least he did until recently,” Mitchell said.

  “It would seem that they haven’t changed their ways, either. When I raided Reaper’s home I found all kinds of illegal stuff,” Vapor added. “I managed to capture him, and he’ll be stewing behind bars for a long time.”

  “Reaper?” Jax echoed. “That’s his name?”

  Vapor smirked. “It’s his nickname. He’s been using it since he was twelve. His real name is Fredrick.”

  Logan gave a slight nod. “I guess I would use a nickname, too, if I was stuck with that moniker.”

  “It’s not that bad,” Mitchell said, before giving a sigh. “Can we get back on topic, please?”

  “When I was going through Reaper’s place, I found evidence that Jax’s father had been there,” Vapor said.

  “What evidence?” Logan asked.

  “I found both of your parent’s cell phones,” Vapor replied, although he was now talking to Jax.

  “Are you sure?” Jax asked.

  “Yes, I’m positive. Carson even traced them for me. I also found some of your family photo albums,” Vapor replied.

  “So, they were there,” Jax said, his heart breaking just a bit. “Do you know where they are now?”

  “Not yet, but it’s only a matter of time. They didn’t leave Reaper’s that long ago. Plus, they left behind most of their belongings. I think they realized I was getting close, so they took off in a rush. They couldn’t have gotten far. Plus, they have to be running out of money. Once that happens, their options are going to be very limited, leaving them more vulnerable,” Vapor stated.

  “Oh,” was all Jax could say.

  “Thanks for the information,” Mitchell said.

  “No problem,” Vapor replied. “I have to get going. I only came back so I could drop off Reaper. I need to get back out there while the trail is hot.”

  Vapor nodded at Jax. “Don’t worry. It shouldn’t be long now, and then you won’t have to worry about that damn bounty anymore.”

  “You said I have an aunt, too,” Jax asked. “Have you captured her, too?”

  “Not yet. That’s where I’m going next,” Vapor said. “Like I said, your parents are running out of money. They’re desperate now, so she may be the only one they can turn to.”

  Jax let out a sigh. While he was happy that Vapor was getting close to capturing his parents, he couldn’t help but wonder what life was going to throw at him next. Jax only hoped he would be strong enough to handle it.

  Chapter Seven

  Jax didn’t feel any better the next morning. As he headed down to breakfast, he briefly debated asking to meet his uncle. Maybe the male would be able to answer some questions for him. While Jax couldn’t give a damn about his father, he still worried about his mother.

  Sure, she may have betrayed him by leaving, but he still loved her. She was in such a fragile mental state, too. That had been before all the crap, too. Jax didn’t even want to think of how much of a mess she might be since she had to be on the run. She always needed stability and rituals. It must be killing her with everything being so off.

  In the end, Jax decided against talking to his uncle. It would only be rubbing salt into his already raw emotional wounds. Jax didn’t need any more grief in his life. Besides, he didn’t think he could stand there and hear whatever insulting things his uncle might have to say. Jax had no doubt that would be what would happen too. After all, he was his father’s kin.

  He found his friends then sat down. Thankfully, they were already deep into some other conversation, so he didn’t have to face any questions. Instead, he just ate in silence.

  “I’m surprised Alvus let you out of his sight,” Erin said.

  Jax shot him a surprised look. “What do you mean? He never comes to breakfast.”

  “He never stays here on weekends, but that all changed. Didn’t it?” Erin challenged.

  Wow, that comment came as a surprise. Erin was almost acting as if he were mad at Alvus or something, which d
idn’t make any sense at all. Jax had been with Alvus almost every moment the past two days, and he hadn’t exchanged any harsh words with Erin. Erin shouldn’t have any beef with the Jaguar at all.

  “He had homework to do,” Jax replied.

  “Then why didn’t I see him crack a book at all?” Erin asked, raising one of his brows.

  “He did...it was when…” Jax trailed off as he realized that Erin was right. Alvus hadn’t completed any studying.

  “Alvus is just being a little protective of me, because of the attack,” Jax said. “That’s what friends do for each other.”

  Erin rolled his eyes. “Is that what he told you, that it’s just because you’re friends?”

  “Yeah,” Jax said, seeing no harm in telling the truth.

  “Don’t be so gullible,” Erin scoffed.

  Jax gaped at him. Anger burned through Jax as he fought to come up with some snappy reply, but it was no use. His brain was so fixated on being pissed, it had ceased to function properly.

  “You don’t know shit,” Jax finally snapped.

  “How about we talk about something else?” Kira cut in with an overly bright voice.

  Soon the conversation had turned to classes and the various instructors. Jax only half listened as he finished his food. He was too mad to really add anything, so he just kept silent. All the while, he continued to stew inside. He couldn’t believe the way Erin had disrespected Alvus.

  Alvus had been so kind and understanding with Jax. He always made time for others who needed extra help in training and never complained about it. He’d been the one who’d worked with Jax all those hours so he didn’t make a fool out of himself in front of Logan. Jax owed Alvus so much, and he hated to hear Erin say such mean things.

  Jax hurried up to finish. He just wanted to get away from the table before Erin said something else, which was odd. Usually they were lucky if Erin spoke a single word during breakfast, so why he suddenly was becoming a chatter box was a mystery, one that Jax wasn’t in the mood to figure out.