"Ethan..." I whispered, my eyes unable to stay open any longer. They slowly came to a close. I felt something pat my shoulder, squeezing it gently.
"It's okay, Christian. Let go. You'll be all good when you wake up, and don't you dare say it. That's why we're a team. You’ll just owe me a smooth drive next time were on a case," Ethan declared and I found enough energy to smile.
It took everything in me to say those two words, knowing Ethan would hate it, but with my consciousness already falling into the dark abyss, I knew it would be a while till I woke up, so I needed to say it now.
"Thank you."
~AGENT SCARLET SINCLAIR~
"Ugh, Jaxson. You're overreacting. I'm allowed to go home today and your overprotective ass isn't stopping me," I snapped, feeling so irritated, I had to fight not to short circuit something by accident.
"I think we're kinda going against the doctor's orders of not riling her up, Jaxson," Junho pointed out.
"Nom nom nom."
"UGH! Michael! Stop biting me. Someone take his sleeping ass to the bed next door," Jax snapped.
"Can't you do it? He's already basically sleeping on you," Ethan mumbled, typing away on his computer. "And Junho's right about the doc's orders. I think I'd like my laptop to survive the power outage Scar will cause if you deny her discharge today."
"She already caused one power outage. Let's think of the other individuals who need electricity to live here," Junho pointed out.
"Nom nom nom."
"Fuck! Fine. Michael, your ass is going in the other room. This is why no one should wake your ass up," Jax complained.
Junho sighed and rose up from the side of my bed. "Scar, we'll be back." Junho gave me a sympathetic look before walking over to help Jaxson carry Michael to the next room so he could get a few more hours of sleep.
I watched the door close and sighed, thankful to have a bit of space from Jax. "He's not gonna budge. He's worse than Kendrick," I mumbled.
Ethan stopped typing to look at me, closing his laptop. "You know, he's only acting like that ‘cause he's scared shitless," Ethan whispered.
I met his gaze, noticing the dark circles under his eyes. I sighed, looking down at Moonlight who was curled up in my lap, having finally fallen asleep after who knows how long of him staying awake, trying to ensure I was safe.
The last thing I remembered was shielding Christian and Moonlight moments before a truck hit our vehicle, sending our car flying through the air and into a spiral roll which knocked me right out. I'd suffered a concussion and had been pierced through my stomach by a broken part of the car door, which thankfully missed all my major organs.
That had been a week ago and I'd been unconscious until three days ago. From Junho's explanation, Michael had been working nonstop to heal me with the aid of a few novice healers for the extra boost.
After I was able to stay awake for longer than an hour, Michael finally gave into his exhaustion and he’d been a mess since.
It was probably due to the hospital being super loud, even with us being in the private sector. But the fire outbreaks hadn't stopped and more people were getting hurt, especially shifters, which lead to them being brought to this hospital we were residing in.
Junho and Ethan had been taking turns watching me around the clock, which left Jaxson having to handle everything that was going on with our current case, as well as a bunch of new ones coming in left and right.
I could only imagine how stressed he was and I knew he was going to be even more firm from here on out, especially considering everything that had just occurred. The group that targeted us had taken a contract with one of Xerxes' head advisors who tipped them off about Christian heading to the site. Thankfully they didn't know anything about me, so Xerxes likely still thought I was dead, which was a relief. But that group apparently had a history with Christian and had come to finish the job.
Junho explained that I'd stopped breathing and Christian had helped me, using the crystal in the same method Michael had during the first challenge. Michael and Junho had then arrived at the scene and had taken me out of the car and to safety before the evil crew arrived. That's when Ethan "flipped his switch," a term the guys used to explain Ethan's other side. I didn't necessarily see it as a split personality or anything, though.
To me, it felt like how I put my mindset into agent mode and got serious, which helped make everything more clear and my mind faster at solving problems and picking up information.
Moonlight had done his loyal duty by scratching the leader's face, distracting him long enough for Ethan to shoot him down. Jaxson had to deal with the cleanup of the incident and was now in charge of five teams who were tracking down anything related to Xerxes and the fire outbreaks, while trying to keep knowledge of the crystals hidden from everyone but Vinzent and Cece.
My bestie had been apparently catching lackeys left and right after she had come to visit. She had just returned from an assignment and heard about what happened.
I knew she normally had a random, dramatic, portal entrance when it came to me being found unconscious or hurt, before she went into a major freak out state, but their current assignment had been so intense they had no source of communication. Junho did explain Cece knew something was wrong and when she did see me, it wasn't a pretty sight, which led to her ordering for me to have the best doctors or she'd wreck shit up. That's my best friend for you.
I felt bad that she and her Vinzent were also working three times as hard to track all these people down, essentially due to us being targeted, but it showed me how much she really cared about my wellbeing and that she wouldn't let anyone hurt me. It made me curious as to why she had been so lenient with Jake, but I guess he just wasn't worth the trouble.
Moonlight hadn't left my sight since, curling up on my lap unless I had to bathe. Then he'd claw at the door of the washroom the entire time until I finally gave in and let him in to sit in the corner of the bathroom. It was like he had to be in the same room as me and within a certain distance or he'd freak out. He even came to three of my scans and had been termed a support animal.
I hadn't seen Christian the entire time, which left me a little worried about his well being. The guys reassured me he was okay, but that he was taking a mental break and resting at home. Kendrick promised me he was keeping an eye on him and I shouldn't worry, but I couldn't feel at ease unless I saw him with my own eyes.
"I know he's worried. I just...don't like being here," I whispered. The plain walls, clean sterile scent, everything about this place reminded me of the times my mother had brought me in to get checked to see if I had psychiatric issues.
Even if it was all part of her plot for us to fit in, it didn't erase the reality I had to experience it and thought there was something wrong with me for many years. Not to mention the weird dreams I was constantly having. After I woke up today I realized they were visions because I’d finally left a sketchbook out and drew many images of what I’d witnessed.
It was rather difficult to get rest when you were in a room where multiple shifters had died and their memories still lingered. I hadn't told any of the guys about it, well aware that they had enough on their plate and were already worried about me. Yet, with my recent lack of sleep and exhaustion beginning to take its toll with the visions at night, I felt staying here was counterproductive to my recovery.
Ethan was silent for a long moment before he responded. "Are you getting visions?"
I didn't reply, focusing on Moonlight as I continued to stroke his black fur. Ethan sighed. "Scar, you need to tell us when you’re uncomfortable or dealing with visions. I know you don't want to be a burden, which you aren't, but it's counterproductive to have you stay here if you’re getting hit with visions when you're supposed to be in deep sleep."
"I don't want to bother anyone. You guys are already stressed," I mumbled, not meeting his eyes.
"Scarlet."
I sighed before I looked up to see his focused green eyes and guarded expression.
I cringed and glanced away. "Alright. I'm sorry. I should have said something earlier," I grumbled. I didn't want to deal with angry Ethan and he did have a point.
"I'll talk with the guys," Ethan announced and I nodded.
"Talk about what?"
Jaxson opened the curtain wide enough to slide through and gave us a curious look. He still looked pissed, which wasn't helping me feel any better, but I decided we wouldn't be able to fix this if we didn't talk.
"Scarlet wanted to talk with you," Ethan declared. I turned to glare at him and he grinned, walking over to pick up Moonlight from my lap, who didn't even stir. He must have been so utterly tired that he would probably be asleep for hours and not notice I wasn't with him.
"I'll leave you two alone. I'll let Moonlight sleep with Michael," Ethan revealed and he leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Don't be too harsh, Scar,” he hummed. Then he kissed me on the cheek and made his way out of the room.
I stared at the white curtain, which hid the pink door of the room from view. I heard it close gently, followed by the sound of a lock.
I rolled my eyes, mentally cursing Ethan for his smooth escape. He even took Moonlight with him. How could he take my support animal away? Where's the support in that?
We were both quiet and I could feel the tension between us. I knew Jaxson was stressed and mad that I was in the middle of this crazy thing, which put me in the line of danger. But he was being an ass about it, and I didn't want to admit that I knew why he was acting that way. Not yet, anyway.
Jaxson finally sighed, ruffling his hair before he walked up to the right side of my bed.
"Can I sit with you for a moment?” he whispered. I gazed up into his amber eyes and noticed a hint of vulnerability in them when I looked past the irritation that was obviously there. As stubborn as I wanted to be, I did miss his touch. I missed everything about him and I figured sitting with one another wouldn’t make matters any worse.
"Okay," I whispered, shuffling over so he could sit next to me on the hospital bed. He took his shoes off and turned his phone off. Then he placed his phone, wallet and watch on the small table to his left and sat next to me.
It was awkward at first, neither of us saying anything, but after a moment he sighed again. "Scar. Can I hug you?" he whispered, and this time he didn't hide the pain in his voice. That was all it took to let my guard down, seeing how much pain he was going through but not knowing what was bothering him.
I sighed."Of course you can, Jax." I shifted my position so I could give him a hug. He sighed into my embrace, lifting me up so I now laid on top of him and was wrapped in his strong hold.
"Fuck, Scar. I was so worried about you...you don't even understand how scared I am,” he whispered. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, knowing he needed to feel me in his arms.
"Jax baby, I'm okay. I'm not going anywhere. You don't need to be scared. I'm right here," I reassured him quietly. We held one another for a long time, long enough I began to drift. It was hard to resist falling asleep in Jax's arms, the scent of his soft cologne that clung to his clothes and the sound of his slow breathing and pulse, which had finally calmed from its once rapid pace.
* * *
When I opened my eyes, I was in a beautiful house. It had a vintage look to it, but it seemed to have been remodeled to keep up with the times. I was in what looked to be the master bedroom, which was decorated in a beautiful combination of pink and white. My eyes landed on Jaxson, who stood in front of the white vanity, holding a picture in his hand. He wore a black suit and though I didn't see his face, it looked like he was in mourning.
I could feel the sadness that leaked off him. The heaviness of the atmosphere reminded me of how one would feel at a funeral. Yet, it was only him standing here in the quiet room with that picture in his hand. As I continued to stand there and watch, I notice him lower the picture to the table, letting out a sigh as he ruffled his hair. I couldn't see the details of the picture, but something told me the woman in the image was someone significant, making me wonder if it was his mother.
We hadn't talked much about his past, but with how he had been acting lately, maybe it was time we discussed it. Maybe this woman was the reason why he was so afraid to lose me.
* * *
"Scar, baby."
I opened my eyes and blinked a few times to clear the hazy image of the vision, which was already beginning to fade. I was right next to Jaxson who was peering over at me. His left arm was beneath my upper back and his right hand was brushing a few strands of hair from my face. I gave him a confused look, unsure when I'd even fallen asleep.
"I...fell asleep?" I asked as if for confirmation.
Jaxson smirked. "Yes. I kinda did too. Just woke up a moment ago, but you looked like you were having a vision, not just sleeping," Jaxson confessed.
"Oh...I guess," I whispered, unsure if I wanted to tell Jaxson about it.
"Ethan told me," he whispered.
"Ethan? About what?" I asked.
"You're having visions when you sleep because of this room. That's why you're so sleep deprived," Jax revealed.
"Um. If you just woke up, how did he tell you?" I mumbled.
He tapped my nose and raised an eyebrow. "Don't change the subject. But to answer you, he came to check on us and noticed we were asleep. He needed to charge his laptop so he stayed back until I woke up. He'll be back again with dinner,” he reassured me.
"Oh..." I paused, deciding I might as well tell him. "Yes, I'm having visions of different shifters who...well, who died here. I didn't say anything ‘cause you are all really worried about me, but I don't think me staying here is going to help... I really just want to curl up with one of you guys...or two...and I miss Christian," I confessed, all of it coming out in a rush of emotions.
I gave him a pleading look. "I know you're worried about me. I get it. I just don't think I can recover properly here. It's just really hard on me, and being here is only adding to my anxiety. I'm worried about Christian, since I haven't seen him since the accident. Sure, you all say he's okay, but I need to determine that for myself. I barely get actual asleep, the food here is gross, and if that female nurse tries to flirt with any of you one more time, I'm gonna get Cece to have a talk with her." I grumbled the last part, really hating the way the female nurse kept trying to hit on my men.
Jaxson snickered before he broke out into full laughter. I glared at him, which only made him laugh harder. He lifted his free hand in a defensive manner. "I'm sorry, just your face near the end. I don't know about the others, but I think you're extra sexy when you're jealous."
"I'm not jealous! She just can't touch what's not hers! Did she claim you guys? No! What makes her think she can try to slide into your phones by attempting to write her number in those reports?! Grr. I should act confused so I can slap a bitch and get away with it," I huffed.
Jaxson laughed even harder. "Perfect alibi, baby. I'll make sure to keep that in mind if I get a call saying that my girlfriend lost it on the nurse for giving us weird seductive looks and slipping her phone number into the files." He hummed in utter amusement.
"You're not taking this seriously," I grumbled, pouting my lips in annoyance. Jaxson finished his laughing fit before leaning in and kissing me firmly on the lips. The action was uncalled for, but made my body thrum in delight.
When he pulled back, I noticed how dark those amber eyes were and how those seductive lips moved up into a boyish grin. "I'm taking your words very seriously, Scar. Maybe I should give you a little reward for putting up with such torture," he whispered. His hand trailed down my thigh before it slid between my legs. Oh shit...
"Jax? Someone can-" He cut me off with his lips. I moaned as his finger slid into me, sliding in and out a few times. Then he added another finger, making me arch my back slightly while I kissed him back.
Even though the hospital gown was hideous, it was beneficial in this moment, since there wasn’t a need for lingerie unless we went down for scans or evaluatio
ns.
"Mhm. Jax…fuck," I mumbled against his lips before he kissed me again, his fingers sliding in and out of me. He increased his pace, which made me moan louder, the sound muffled by his mouth as we continued to kiss passionately.
I felt my orgasm approaching and my left hand clung to Jax's white dress shirt as my body grew rigid. I came fast and hard. Jaxson kept his mouth firmly on mine, ensuring my orgasmic cry was barely heard as I trembled in his hold.
He waited for me to calm down from my pleasurable high, his fingers still deep inside me as my pussy pulsed around them. He gave me one final kiss before he pulled away, my heavy pants the only sounds that could be heard between us.
"Dammit, Jax. You're lucky I'm not wearing that pulse monitor probe." Then I quietly moaned, my eyes fluttering closed as he slowly pulled his fingers out of me. I opened my eyes to see his confident grin, his eyes filled with a level of desire that made me wish we were home so I could ride his cock and enjoy some passionate sex with him.
Instead, I watched him put the two fingers that were coated in my cum into his mouth. He sucked them clean, making me blush while my pussy throbbed with a strong desire to be fucked. Shit...does he know how much that turns me on?
"I agree, though it would be intriguing if that nurse came in to see us having heated sex. Apparently, they aren’t allowed to interrupt,” he explained and winked as my face grew even redder. I could see the glint of mischief in his eyes and I knew he would totally do it if given the chance.
"Oh, no you don't, Jaxson White. Don't think-" I was cut off by his lips. Though the logical side of me didn't want us to get caught having heated sex, the other part thought it would be hot and the perfect payback for that overly flirty nurse.
I groaned as he slipped his tongue into my mouth, and I could still taste the sweetness of me on it. When we finally pulled away, we were breathless, staring into one another's eyes.
Visionary Awakened (Paranormal INC Series Book 2) Page 17
