Janie's Salvation

by Dawn Sullivan

  Xavier reached up and pulled his hair back, tying it at the nape of his neck. “Yeah,” was all he said, quickly crossing the street to the office building and taking the front stairs two at a time. He had never been late to a meeting before, and he knew he needed to get his head out of his ass, but none of it seemed to matter like it used to. There was only one thing that mattered, and she was in the apartment complex across from his, probably still sleeping since it was the ass crack of dawn.

  Aiden knocked on Chase’s door when they reached the alpha’s office, opening it after they were told to enter. Chase sat behind his large desk talking on the phone. His mate, Angel, stood behind him, one hand resting lightly on his shoulder. They’d just recently had their mating ceremony, which gave Xavier hope that someday he would have his own. Chase had also waited over a year for Angel to accept the mate bond. Unfortunately the circumstances were very different. Angel thought she was doing what was best for her children at the time, whereas Janie had been violated in ways no woman should ever be put through. Just the thought of it had Xavier fighting to control his wolf, who wanted out to hunt down and kill anyone and everyone who had hurt his sweet mate.

  Leaning casually against the wall beside the door, Xavier tapped his fingertips impatiently against his thigh as he waited for Chase to finish the call he was on. A low growl of frustration slipped out before he could contain it. Today was worse than normal. The desire to be with Janie, to slay all of her demons and make her his, was clawing at his insides. Hell, maybe it would be best if Chase did send him on a mission. Who knew what he was capable of in the state he was in right now. He would never hurt his mate, but he did not want to push her into anything she wasn’t ready for, either.

  “Am I keeping you from something, Xavier?” Chase asked quietly, raising his eyebrows in question after he ended his call.

  Knowing he was being an ass, Xavier bared his neck in submission, and as an apology. “No, Alpha.” He kept it short and sweet. The sooner this conversation was over, the better.

  Chase leaned back in his chair, his eyes on Xavier, “Anything you want to talk about, son?”

  Stiffening, Xavier focused on a spot just above Chase’s shoulder. No one had called him son in the past twenty years, and that was the way he wanted to keep it. When Xavier and Aiden were just seven years old, their father became a traitor to the White River Wolf pack. He had been jealous of Chase’s father, wanting the power and prestige the alpha title gave the other man. Because of this, he divulged information about the White River wolves to a rival pack that was trying to take over the Montgomery’s territory. In doing so, he caused the death of several innocent men and women, including Xavier and Aiden’s mother, and Chase’s parents. When Chase became Alpha, his first order was to have Xavier’s father killed. Xavier and Aiden were placed with their aunt to be raised. Aunt Sadie loved them unconditionally, and treated them like her own until she passed away just five years ago.

  Unfortunately, the twins had to live with knowing their father was not only a traitor, but also a murderer. Xavier could handle it most of the time, but no one called him son. He’d had one father, and did not want or need another one.

  “No, Sir,” he responded, once again keeping his answer short. He did not want to disrespect his alpha, and in his current mood he knew he would if he said too much.

  Sighing deeply, Chase reached up and settled a hand over Angel’s. “I have had reports of suspicious activity on the northern region of our property. To make sure that the compound is not infiltrated again, I have decided to set up a patrol unit on all of the outer regions of our land for the next month or two. I sent enforcers to the north, west, and east edges of our property lines and need the two of you to go to the southern edge. You will be gone for two weeks, so plan accordingly.”

  Xavier clenched his hands tightly into fists as he listened to Chase. It was a direct order, one which he had to obey. And in truth, a part of him wanted to go if whatever was out there was a threat to his mate and her child. He just hated leaving her alone for so long, especially at night. They were the hardest for his Janie.

  Lowering his head, Xavier sucked in a deep breath, trying to get control of his emotions. He could feel his nails lengthening into claws, and digging into his palms. He knew his eyes had gone wolf and his fangs had dropped at the thought of a threat so close to Janie and Alayna. It will only be for a couple of weeks, Xavier told himself. Just fourteen days. He would make sure there were no enemies trying to sneak into the compound from the southern border, and then he would come back home to his mate and child.

  “You have your orders,” Chase told them. “I will send someone out to relieve you in two weeks.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Aiden responded. “We will leave within the hour.” Reaching over, Aiden grasped Xavier’s arm and tugged, trying to pull him out of the room, but Xavier didn’t budge.

  “X,” he growled softly, “let’s go.”

  Eyes narrowing on Xavier, Chase rose and walked around the desk, stalking slowly towards him. “Xavier, are you ready to talk yet, son?”

  “I’m not your fucking son,” Xavier growled, raising his head to glare at Chase before turning to walk out the door.

  “Xavier,” Angel called out softly, making him pause and glance back, even though he wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of there. “I promise, I will make sure your mate is safe while you are gone.”

  “And if you leave for a mission?” he snarled, knowing he was walking a thin line, but unable to stop himself.

  “I will be going to look for Jeremiah soon,” Angel told him, “but I will leave four of my team members behind to watch over Janie.”

  “Flame,” Xavier said immediately. “She feels comfortable with her.”

  “Flame will stay,” Angel agreed. “Who else?”

  The tension slowly began to leave him, and his claws retracted, his vision going back to normal as he replied, “I trust you to choose the other ones.”

  “Steele, Storm, and Bane will stay,” Angel decided. “We will give them an apartment in Janie’s building to use while they are here.”

  Xavier swallowed hard, his eyes going from Angel to Chase. “Thank you, Alpha,” he managed to say, before turning and leaving the room quickly. He knew he was being rude, but he wanted to try and catch a small glimpse of his beautiful Janie before he and Aiden left. Something to hold him over for the next long, lonely couple of weeks.

  “Shit,” Chase said, raking his hand through his hair as he watched Aiden follow his brother out the door. “I forgot about Janie. No wonder he’s pissed. Not too long ago that was me. I know how the young wolf feels.”

  He sighed when he felt Angel’s hand slide lightly across his shoulders, then down his back and around his waist as her arms encircled him from behind. “We both know how he feels,” she whispered, kissing the middle of his back. A shiver ran up his spine at the feel of her lips through the material of his shirt. “He’s a good man, trying to put Janie’s fears and feelings first, but I think it is about time he let her figure out what those feelings are.”

  Chase clasped her hands tightly in his own, bringing one up to gently kiss each knuckle individually. “Now, tell me why you are really leaving four of your teammates behind to watch over Janie when you leave tomorrow, instead of just sending one of them in Xavier’s place.”

  Angel chuckled softly, tugging her hands out of his grasp so that she could step around in front of him. Her light blue eyes sparkled with humor as she admitted, “They were staying behind anyway, all except Flame. I can’t take the entire team with me anymore. My plane isn’t big enough. I need to buy a new one.”

  “And you didn’t send one of them with Aiden because?”

  A devilish grin on her lips, his mate responded, “Like I said, it’s time for Janie to decide what she wants. Xavier is almost to his breaking point. I think these two weeks away from her will be just enough to get him there.”

  A short burst of laughter left h
im, and Chase shook his head in wonder. “You never cease to amaze me, woman. Let’s hope you aren’t poking the beast.”

  Angel shrugged. “Maybe it’s a beast that needs poking.”

  3

  Janie sat on one of the benches in front of the hospital, her daughter sleeping in the stroller next to her. She looked lonely, and so damn sad. Xavier wanted nothing more than to go over and comfort her, but he didn’t think she would welcome him.

  His mate was the most beautiful woman Xavier had ever laid eyes on, with her long blonde hair and big hazel eyes. Janie was tiny, and had curves in all the right places. She seemed so innocent and fragile, but he knew there was a hidden strength to her. At first he’d been afraid the bastards had broken her, but after Laynie was born, that strength and determination to love and protect her daughter above all else had shone through . No, she wasn’t broken, but he didn’t know if she would ever be able to fully move on after everything she had gone through.

  “Go talk to her, man,” Aiden encouraged, giving him a light shove. “Just go say hello or something.”

  Xavier shook his head. He didn’t ever want to upset or scare Janie, and he was afraid if she found out about him right now, she would run. “I can’t, Aiden. She needs time to heal.”

  “Go, X,” Aiden insisted. “She’s had a year. I think that’s enough time.”

  “You don’t know that,” Xavier said quietly. “It may never be enough time.” Just then, Janie looked up with a lost expression on her face, tears in her eyes. One escaped, slowly slipping down her cheek. Xavier couldn’t fight the pull to close the distance between them any longer. “Aiden…”

  “She needs you right now, Xavier. Go to her. I promise, I will be right behind you, little brother.”

  Janie shivered, a slight chill creeping into her bones as she struggled to gain control of her emotions. She’d woken up that morning, a sense of urgency pushing at her. She had no idea why, and it terrified her. There was just this feeling that something was going to happen, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. What was it? Was her daughter in danger? Should she leave the White River Wolves compound and go on the run to keep her safe? She knew the alpha had sworn to protect both her and Alayna when she became a part of his pack, but what if he couldn’t?

  Janie was so lost in thought, that she didn’t see the man standing in front of her until he knelt before her and whispered her name. Letting out a soft gasp of surprise, she started to move away, but then stopped when her gaze met his. Gentle, brown eyes stared back at her in concern. Xavier. She let her gaze slowly wander over him, as she tried to get her racing heart under control.

  His long, dark hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck, and shock filled her when she realized her fingers were itching to touch it. Her eyes were drawn to the slight stubble that covered his jawline, and then to his lips, where the bottom one was slightly fuller than the top. Instead of the normal terror she felt when a male got too close, a feeling of peace wove through her, making her want to lean into him and accept his comfort. She had imagined this day for so long, the time when her mate would actually talk to her. Wondering if she would be able to form complete sentences, or if she would be too scared to respond. What she was finding out, was that even though he was just a few inches from her, she wasn’t afraid at all.

  “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” he asked gently, shifting so that one knee was on the ground, while the other was raised with his arm resting casually on it. A gentle breeze chose that moment to blow by, and her nostrils flared as she inhaled that same delicious, addicting smell that was outside her window nightly. Sighing, Janie gave into the uncontrollable urge to touch him, and reached out to gently cup his cheek in the palm of her hand. She shuddered slightly at the feel of his rough, day-old stubble on her skin, something she had never thought she would ever feel again racing through her. Desire. Eyes widening in shock, she pulled back and moved to stand up.

  “Wait,” Xavier said, gently catching her hands in his and pulling her back down on the bench. “Tell me what’s wrong, Janie. I can’t fix it if I don’t know what’s wrong.”

  Janie could not seem to get enough of his expressive, heart-stopping eyes. She did not know Xavier well, but now was her chance to change that. Biting her lip, Janie stared into her mate’s eyes, whispering honestly, “I don’t know. I guess I’m just emotional right now. It’s nothing you or anyone else can fix, I have to do it on my own.”

  Shaking his head, Xavier reached out slowly and gently ran a hand down her thick, blonde hair, pushing a stray piece behind her ear. “You don’t ever have to do anything alone, Janie. You are a part of the pack. We are all family. We lean on one another.”

  Xavier seemed so gentle and kind, like no man she’d ever met before. And that smell…closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply, letting his scent fill her, feeling her wolf perk up and take notice. Mine. After a moment, she opened her eyes again, a small smile teasing her lips. Catching sight of a man standing behind Xavier, Janie stiffened, rising and reaching for Alayna’s stroller.

  “It’s okay, he’s not going to hurt you. I’m Xavier and this is my brother, Aiden.” Gently, Xavier once again guided her back down on the bench before standing up and backing away a few steps. Janie trembled, whimpering softly at the loss of his nearness.

  “We are twins, obviously,” Aiden teased, keeping his distance. “Just remember that I’m the better looking one and you won’t ever get us confused.”

  Raising a delicate eyebrow, Janie surprised herself when a grin slipped free and she replied, “How could I get you confused? You smell nothing alike. Xavier smells so much better.” Her eyes widened as she slammed her hand over her mouth, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment, when both men burst out laughing.

  “I’m sure he does to you,” Aiden said, still chuckling. “I’m going to go pack. I’ll see you at the apartment in a few minutes, X. We need to leave soon.” With a cocky grin toward Janie, and a salute to Xavier, Aiden left them. Janie watched him go with a small smile on her face, until what he had said registered. He must know Xavier was her mate. She wondered who else knew. Shame filled her at the thought of how long she had been trying to deny the mate bond. She’d taken advantage of Xavier, needing him near, but not accepting him in front of his family and friends. Did they all know? And then the second thing he said sank in. They were leaving.

  “May I sit with you?” Xavier asked, watching her closely as he waited for her reply. She nodded slowly, needing him near her, as she moved over on the bench closer to her daughter. When he sat beside her, keeping a small distance between them, she breathed in his scent again, sighing appreciatively. It was so addictive. She swore she could live on his scent alone.

  “It’s early to be out,” Xavier remarked, nodding to Alayna. “Why aren’t you both still in bed?”

  Janie reached over and ran a finger over the soft skin of her daughter’s cheek, before whispering, “I woke early and needed to get out of the apartment.” She didn’t tell him that without him outside her window, she was unable to get back to sleep again the second time she woke from a bad dream. “Alayna was still sleeping, and I didn’t want to leave her alone, so I decided to put her in her stroller and go for a walk.”

  “And you ended up here?”

  Janie shrugged. A part of her had wondered why she’d chosen to stop at the hospital, too, but deep down she knew. “I like it here,” was all she said. She couldn’t tell him the full truth. The hospital was the one place she could go, and know that someone would always be there for her if she needed them. Doc Josie was her rock, the person she leaned on the most in the compound. She’d come here that morning because she was debating on talking to the doctor about this urgent feeling she was having, making her suspect that something was wrong. She didn’t know where else to go.

  “So, tell me, why are you so upset, sweetheart?” Xavier asked softly. Janie bit her lower lip, wanting to confide in him. When he called her sweetheart like that, the way th
e endearment rolled across his tongue, it made her feel special. She wanted to tell him everything and let him fix it, like he said he wanted to earlier. Unfortunately, it was not anything he could just fix.

  “I honestly don’t know what it is,” Janie finally confessed, looking down at her hands that were now clasped tightly in her lap. When had she become such a pitiful, pathetic version of the person she used to be? Until she was kicked out of her old pack, she had been a strong, confident woman. Even after she was forced to leave the only home she had ever known, she was able to take care of herself. She had been proud of the person she was, and even though it was hard living without a pack, she survived. Until the General’s men. “It’s nothing,” she lied.

  Xavier was quiet for a moment before he replied, “Maybe you would feel more comfortable talking to someone else?”

  Janie heard the hurt in his voice, and glanced over at him. The pain in his eyes was quickly masked when they met hers, and she found herself reaching out involuntarily to touch his arm briefly before pulling back and bowing her head. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  “You have nothing to be sorry for,” he told her, raising his hand hesitantly, before letting it fall back to the bench between them. “I need to get going,” he said quietly.

  “Where?” Janie asked, before she could stop herself. Biting her bottom lip, she worried it through her teeth as she waited for his response. When a low growl filled the air, her head snapped up, and her breath caught in her throat at the heated look in his eyes as he stared at her mouth. “Xavier?” she breathed, uncertainty in her voice. She should be terrified right now, but she wasn’t. She was so many things, but scared definitely was not on the list.

  Xavier stood quickly, putting distance between them. “Aiden and I have to go to work.” When he rested his hands on his hips, Janie’s gaze was inadvertently drawn to the thick bulge in the front of his pants. Her heart skipped a beat, and she licked her lips nervously. “Baby, you have got to stop doing that,” Xavier groaned, taking another step away from her.