Forged of Fire

by Stacy Von Haegert

  She was sure Jax felt the same and she rushed to his cottage in hopes of them helping each other find a way out of this. She was so sure he didn’t want to marry her any more than she wanted to marry him. She ran into Jax, literally, on the way to his cottage. “Whoa, Annie, what’s the hurry?” He caught her, with a laugh in his throat. “Oh Jax,” she cried. “Have they told you? They plan for us to marry! How could they?” Jax backed away, looking slightly shocked. Annika was much too distraught to notice the shock reflected in his brown eyes. He ran his hands through his jet black hair, trying to process what she had said.

  “Of course Annie, of course we are to be wed. My parents told me about the deal they made with your father all those years ago. I couldn’t be happier Annie. I love you. Don’t you love me?” His words pulled her back to reality. What was he saying? He loved her? Was he out of his mind too? She stepped back, looked into his eyes, and whispered, “No Jax, I can’t marry you. Of course I love you, like I love Denali, like a brother.” She could see Jax’s face redden and his jaw clench. She knew all too well the temper he possessed.

  Many times Annie had to use her power to calm him in order to keep him out of fights and out of trouble. When Jax was angry he shifted into a lion, not by choice, it was as if he had no control. Annie had only seen this once herself, and swore she would always calm him, so she would never have to see it again. His body looked as if it could rip open at any moment revealing the lion inside, but his face was twisted in agony.

  “Don’t try to calm me Annika it’s not going to work this time. I can calm myself.” He shook a little but took a deep breath continuing, “I’m sorry if I scared you, but that’s not really what I was expecting to hear from you. It’s okay though. We have time. You will learn to love me. We will be happy Annie,” he said. His words were strained and full of hurt. She knew in her heart she could not marry Jax and though it tore her apart to see him hurt this way, she had no other choice. “I love someone else Jax. He asked me to marry him today and I said yes. You see, I can’t marry you.” She tried to touch him, to offer an apology, but he pushed her away. “Please Jax, understand, I had no idea you felt this way. You can’t be angry with me!”

  “Have you lain with this other man Annika?” Jax demanded.

  “What? What difference does that make?” Annika asked, appalled that he would ask her something so personal.

  “It makes a huge difference to me. Have you?” He grabbed her shoulders hard. She knew lying to him was useless, he knew her too well. She was furious he would even ask her.

  “Yes, today after he proposed. Are you happy now Jax?” The words flew from her mouth and were there, floating between them, before she realized what she had said. His grip on her shoulders relaxed, she was trying her best to calm him. He stepped back, looking at her. He looked disgusted, repulsed by her. His bronze skin had gone crimson with anger. “You whore,” he spoke in a growl before spitting at her.

  “I am not a whore! I have never lain with another man. I love him. We are going to marry and I am so sorry if that hurts you, but you cannot and will not speak of me that way nor will you disgrace me with your spit!” She was visibly shaking now, furious with him. “This conversation is over Jax, go home, calm down!”

  Just as she turned to walk away, he grabbed her from behind, wrapping his arm around her neck. “Not so fast Annika. This is far from over.”

  “Stop it Jax, you’re hurting me!” His grip tightened. She grabbed his arm, attempting to calm him with her touch. It wasn’t working.

  “Don’t fight it my love, you can’t calm me. I have spent many years shielding your calming power and now have it perfected.”

  “What? Why, Jax?” She asked with fear laced words.

  “I guess anticipation, self-protection, who knows? I knew it would come in handy one day and looks like that day has come,” he replied, sounding sinister.

  “Please Jax, let me go,” Annie begged.

  “Oh no, Annie, you are coming with me.” With that he threw her over his shoulder. “Jax put me down. Where are you taking me?” She was fighting him back with fierceness. She bit down as hard as she could into his shoulder, drawing blood from his leathery skin. She felt his body quiver under hers, yet he remained a man, not a lion. He was moving with the speed of a Jaguar in the direction of the Dark Forest. Jax carried her into the depth of the darkness as though he had walked through the place a hundred times. Although most of Neveah was peaceful, and many creatures were able to co-habitat, the Dark Forest was off limits. The creatures within never left the shelter of the forest. The people of Neveah never ventured in, until now. Jax marched into the shadows as if the land were his. Little known to Annika, Jax had been visiting the forest frequently as of late.

  He had found the inhabitants more afraid of him than he was of them. Visiting the forbidden place was exciting for Jax. He knew exactly where he was going that day. Near the center of the forest stood a tree large enough around to house a family of rhinos. Jax spent a lot time in this tree. He was working on his ability. He was perfecting his craft. He had taught himself to control the urge to evolve when his anger aroused. He now could evolve into a lion at his own choosing. Jax, ever so smart, had also conditioned himself enough to transfigure into anything he might choose. He had been so proud and couldn’t wait to share the news with Annie. Then she ripped his heart out.

  He picked up the pace and was now running with her lying across his shoulder. He could feel the sting and blood dripping where she had bitten him. The thought of her biting him made him smile. He had kept this side of himself so well hidden all those years. She had no idea of his sadistic abilities. She would know soon. He sat her down at the tree, looking smug. She looked terrified and her cheeks were tear stained .. She spit in his face. “How dare you Jax! What the hell do you think you’re doing? You take me home!” She was screaming through her shaken voice. He just laughed, wiped her spit from his face, and then slapped her hard across the cheek. Her face instantly stung, but she spit in his face again. His body was trembling, her mind racing. “You are my best friend Jax! What are you doing?”

  “I’m just getting started.” He shoved her through the opening. She stumbled back, landing hard on the ground. “On the ground, just where I want you.” Inside the trunk, the tree was dark. The ground where she lay was damp and the smell of Jax was burning her nostrils. A wild scent of man and animal radiated through the tree mixed with the moss that she felt beneath her hands. She tried to get up, but he knocked her down again. Her power was useless on him.

  “Lay down whore, you have been tainted and it's time you learned a lesson.” She begged him to stop, but her crying only made him stronger. He took his time. He slapped her again, just because he could. He ripped her dress down the middle and was shocked to see that she wasn’t wearing any under clothes. This infuriated him more, leaving her feeling shame and humiliation. He slapped her breasts this time before taking them in his mouth. He sucked and bit until she bled. Every time she screamed or begged he became more aggressive. She stopped, lying there, as if she were dead. He continued his rampage on her body using his mouth to bite her neck, breast, belly, and between her thighs before shoving his face between her legs. He bit her in her most sensitive spot, but yet she did not cry. She prayed his rage would end before he entered her. She could endure all the slapping and biting, but she didn’t want Jax’s rage mixed with her love. Her lifelessness enraged him, he pulled his head out from between her legs and latched onto her nipple, twisting and pulling until she could take no more and cried out for him to stop. That’s when he entered her. He took her angrily and violently. She could feel the seed of James burying itself inside her womb. Then, she lost consciousness.

  Annika woke feeling groggy and sore. She sat slowly, trying to remember where she was. There was a light shining through an opening revealing that she was inside a giant tree trunk. The rays of light were faint but still hurt her eyes. She lifted her hand to shield them and felt a lump
under her right eye. She slowly explored her face with her hands feeling lumps springing up under her skin. Curiously, her hands drifted down to the other spot of pain, her breasts. She ran her hands over them she felt dampness. She looked down, finding her dress stained with blood. Her hands started to shake as the events of the night before flooded her mind. Much to her horror she found her dress was also torn down the middle. He must have tried to cover her after he’d had his way.

  She stood trembling and felt an ache between her legs. She was too afraid to look down, as she knew what was to be seen, more blood. She steadied herself, and closed the front of her gown as best as she could. She walked to the tree opening, peeking out. Though the forest was shaded by giant trees, she could tell by the placement of the sun, it was morning. She slowly walked out, looking out for Jax. He was the last person she ever wanted to see again. He didn’t seem to be here anymore. She felt slightly relieved until she remembered she was in the Dark Forest, where dangerous creatures lived. A new terror ran through her bones. Just as she was ready to run, she noticed a note nailed into the tree.

  Dear Annie,

  I am sorry if I hurt you, but the pain you feel now is nothing compared to the pain in my heart. You betrayed me. That will never happen again. Your beloved James is dead, I killed him. You should have seen it. He called your name over and over. It really was touching, knowing his love for you. I told him you were dead too. His pain was amusing to me. I am making arrangements for our wedding. You will be my wife, I think after last night you know better than to cross me. We will announce it tonight. Go home Annie, clean up. See you soon.

  Love,

  Jax

  He killed James. Her mind couldn’t get past the one line of the letter confessing his murder of James. She wandered aimlessly through the Dark Forest only mildly aware of the eyes watching her. She didn’t care. Her love was dead, and she would now have to marry Jax. In her heart, she knew she would rather die than marry him. She tried her best to think of a way out of this but her brain just wouldn’t function. It was clouded by the thought of James being tortured by Jax, of James being gone, of Jax raping her, of the child