Taming the Hellbeast

Ch. 9: But you promised...

Two weeks.

Two full weeks, Jax had ignored her.

He had done his job training the men. With his efforts, he had gotten them into a shape they had never been in before. They had a better understanding and were committed to his training program. Aroes had praised him like a god, and all the reports Santine had gotten had only good things to say about him. How he was patient and caring with the children who wanted to learn, especially Henry. And how he never raised his voice to anybody or demanded more than he thought them capable of.

He was well-liked from what she gathered.

But he had not spoken intimately with her since that day. Jax politely said hi and good night some days if they were in the common room. He kept to himself and only socialized during meals, other than that he went into the woods or stayed in his room. Since that day, he had kept a mental block up so strong she could not penetrate it. He refused to answer her when she knocked on his door late at night, and he dodged any and all chances she took to get him one-on-one.

Santine was dying inside without him. She felt sick to her stomach, dizzy, and depressed. She needed to be near him to calm herself. Cheyenne had been pacing and blaming her to no end.

'Go to him. Apologize. We need him.'

'I don't think he's ready to forgive me.'

'So what? Say you're sorry and then give him time to come around. Right now, you've done nothing to make him forgive you.'

With a deep sigh, Santine left her office and went outside into the bright sunshine, and headed to the training grounds. Cheyenne was right. She had done nothing. Normally, she would have no problems admitting her mistakes and rectifying them if it had been a pack member she had wronged.

With Jax, it was just harder.

It was a warm day, making most of the fighters only wear shorts when training. Jax, however, still had his shirt on and jeans, not shorts. His rigid back showed her he had already sensed her there. Santine tried to communicate with him with the same result as all the other times.

An empty void and no reply.

"Jax, may I have a word, please?" she called to him.

Jax did not even turn to face her. "I'm sorry, Alpha, I'm a bit busy here. Can we talk another time?"

Alpha?

He had titled her and not called her by her name? The hurt she felt was deeper than the loneliness of missing him.

"I'm sorry, Jax. I miss you." Santine sniffled while a tear escaped her eye. She turned and walked back toward the pack house.

'Dude, you're being an ass. We miss her terribly.'

'Say you're sorry back.'

'Nut up, asswipe.'

Jax turned on his heel, looking after her receding form.

'My room, tonight after dinner. I'll be expecting you,' Jax whispered into her mind and closed off again, concentrating on his work.

He did not need her reply. He did not need anything verbal or even projected into his mind. Her ease the moment he had given her the instruction, he easily felt. She was not sure yet, but she had gotten something to calm her by not being ignored.

It was unfair to her. Santine needed and deserved immediate absolution. Jax knew his forgiveness meant everything to her, and she had it. He just needed a little time to figure out what to say to her.