As Hope and Promise Fade

Chapter 25 Fin

Chapter 25

Epilogue

6 months later…

Jax was seated on the floor of his bedroom a shell of his former self. There was nothing anyone could do or say that could ease the loss he was dealing with. If he wasn’t seated alone locked away with his memories he was searching for his lost mate. Hal’s house was empty and put up for sale. Mary Jane didn’t know where her ex-husband could be hiding but Jax still pestered her with questions every week.

With Ariana gone and in the hands of a mad man and his merry followers they sat Mary down and told her everything about what Hal did for a living and the truth inside Ariana’s DNA. Jax had stood back that night and let Marc do the explaining because he was trying to ease the woman into the truth whereas Jax didn’t care. He didn’t care about anything except finding Ariana.

Someone knocked before stepping into his room, this time it was Marc. Over the last six months everyone had come to pay him a visit in hopes of cheering him up. Shelby even came and offered him her cookies. That one had made him smile but once the little girl left his room he was hallow again with loss.

Marc came and sat across from Jax on the floor. “We’re getting a new housemate.” Jax looked up to give the alpha his attention but said nothing. “Her name’s Christina and she’s a cousin of Jessica who’s fallen on some bad times back home. I wanted to tell you so if you run into her if you ever leave this room.” his voice held a bite he had been trying to control over these last few months but everyday the bite was getting harder and letting his anger show. After all Jax wasn’t the only one who lost her.

Jax ignored his uncle’s attitude and asked, “Has Andrew found anything new?”

Marc sighed and leaned back against the wall. “Every scent is cold. It looks very unlikely that Hal is still in the city with Ariana.”

Jax flinched at the mention of her name. “The hunters are an organization, if we find one they should know where Hal could be held up.” he knew he wasn’t saying anything Marc and Andrew hadn’t thought of already but it was something and anything was enough for Jax to hold onto hope.

“We’re looking.”

“I should be looking.”

“You’re suffering through too much and if you go out there and hurt someone it could send them all into deeper hiding.”

A thick layer of anger and hate settled on top of Jax as he stared at Marc. “How can you be so relaxed and cold? She’s your true mate.” It was a low blow; he knew that before he said the words and seeing that flash of hurt in Marc confirmed it. That’s what he wanted; some reaction that could make Marc hurt the way he was hurting.

“One of us has to be level headed and it’s my job to be anyway. That doesn’t mean I don’t care.” He stood from his spot on the floor. “I want you downstairs in an hour to meet our new pack member.” He left before either of them said something else harmful or maybe too honest.

Jax could careless about some new member but he was apart of his uncle’s pack and had to make himself known and follow any order he was given. It was something so small it’d make no sense to anger Marc over it. In an hour he could go downstairs for a quick minute and then maybe leave the cabin to search around for a hunter. He knew if he made enough noise and caused enough damage one would come after him.

She stood with her back tight and ridged, her hands clasped behind her back, and her stare emotionless and straight ahead.

“Ariana?” The commander carried a deep voice of authority only the stupid would question.  He didn’t appear to be much older than her twenty-one years but all his experience made him superior to everyone except the unit chief Hal Ellis.

“Yes sir?” she was standing in line with three other trainees waiting for their final evaluation. She had gone through weeks of pure hell for this moment.

“You’re up next.”

With a curt nod Ariana began forward to the office. Her boots were heavy and sounded as such in the silent room; everyone was on their toes barely breathing in front of the commander. The air inside the office was no better. Unit Chief Hal Ellis was seated behind a very old looking desk wearing a stern expression. He wanted his pupils to fear him and so far he was doing a hell of a job at achieving that.

“Have a seat.” He motioned to one of the few chairs positioned across from him. She wasted no time sitting. “Have any new memories popped up?”

“No sir.” Ariana wasn’t sure how she felt about that. She didn’t remember her life before Hal took her to train as one of his elite team members seven weeks ago. Being there gave her a purpose; she was strong now and with each passing day her focus laid with the hunters and not the memories she couldn’t grasp no matter how hard she tried. If she thought about it too long she’d work herself into an excruciating headache and still knew nothing about how she came to be there.

Hal had been kind enough to fill in some blanks about the family who had abandoned her and left her with this curse she fought everyday to master. She no longer shifted during a full moon and could call upon the beast when she chose. It was a big feat Hal had explained.

Hal nodded and wrote something in a file that had her name written across the top. “We’ll continue to give you the drug regimen and hopefully those memories will return in due time. How are you feeling about your position here?”

“Grateful sir.” She had only met Hal Ellis a handful of times but she was internally thankful for the help he’s given her when he didn’t have to. She could be wondering the world with no idea about where she came from and with no control in hurting others. When he explained she could give back and stop other shifters from being hurt and cursed as she was there with no question that’s what she was supposed to be doing. She trained the hardest, woke the earliest, and gave twice as much as the other recruits.

“That’s what I want to hear.” He gave her a small satisfied smile that reminded her of a father figure she couldn’t remember. “With your progress and scores there’s no doubt you’ll be fully pledged to the union. You’ll be hitting the field first thing tomorrow morning.”

Jax was seated at the bottom of the staircase when Jessica arrived with her cousin. The rest of the pack stood to greet the woman and welcome her into their home. Christina’s smile was nervous as she shook one hand after another. She looked to be the same age as Jessica or maybe a year younger at twenty.

Ten minutes earlier Jax had dragged his butt down the stairs to get this over with and now as he sat there watching her he wasn’t rushing to get pleasantries out of the way and rush back up to his room. He watched as her long blonde hair swayed around her shoulders and down her back. She wore a tight fitting t-shirt and a pair of denim shorts that had her long tan legs on display. She had the body of a female wolf who favored running often.

Her eyes were all dark like a shimmering heat at the bottom of a warm depth. She was looking at him now and her nervous smile faded away to be replaced by what looked like confusion.

Jax’s brain started to work and he remembered something his uncle told him once many months ago. You haven’t found your true mate and I hope you never do because I wouldn’t wish this conflict on anyone. Think of your first shift and the lack of control you felt through every part of your body, it’s like that Jax.

His heart bottomed out and the hallow space filled with dread. He didn’t need this right now, he didn’t want this. Ariana was the woman he loved, had always and would love, and would always be his mate. This beautiful woman named Christina could never take her place and he resented his wolf for thinking she could.

He stood and turned back toward his room to sulk in the shadows where he felt the most comfortable. He was going to find Ariana if it was the last thing he ever did.