Jax (A Neveah Short Story) (2 page)

“No matter what happens to us in the future,
you'll always be my Annie. My best friend. Always. I'll always need
you.”

“Ahh, Jax. You'll always be my best friend
too. I can't imagine my life without you. I better get home.” She
stood, and he kissed her on the cheek before walking her home.

Over the next weeks and months
,
they saw less and less of each other. They made a point to spend
time together at least once every few days but their time together
was shorter and shorter. Annika was blossoming into a beautiful
woman and every time she walked away from Jax he felt the crack in
his heart widen. He missed his best friend terribly but ached for
the woman she had become. He knew she was busy. With her parents
being the rulers of Neveah, he knew the world would be left to her
one day and that came with responsibility. She had a lot to learn
so he would be patient. At least, that's what he told himself. He
would hold their brief visits close to his heart and be thankful to
see her at all. The knowledge that she would be his wife in the
future was enough for now.

After Jax's first transformation, he'd found
something he craved almost as much as Annika, shifting. He spent
his free time in The Dark Forest perfecting his craft. The place
was forbidden. All Special's in Neveah knew that it was home to
fearsome and dangerous creatures. Many great stories were told
between children and adults alike. Not one Special in Neveah could
actually say they had ever actually gone into the forest or seen
any of its inhabitants. Jax could. He felt a tinge of fear the
first time he wandered into the darkness but felt an enormous sense
of power in the darkness. He felt at peace there, at home. He
looked forward to going there. It was the only place he could go
and forget about all the missed time with Annika.

It was in The Dark Forest that he met
Akayleah, Queen of The Dark Forest. He was perfecting his dragon
transformation when he first laid eyes on her. She was standing at
the edge of a small clearing, watching him. She was stunning with
her olive skin, long black hair, and piercing dark eyes, and she
didn't seem to be afraid of him, just curious. He shifted back to
his human form and walked over to her.

“Hello. Are you lost? This is a dangerous
place, maybe I can help you get home,” he offered and was taken
back when she laughed at him.

“I'm sorry but it is I who should be asking
you if you are lost. After all, you're in my forest,” she replied,
the smile never leaving her face.

“Your forest?”

“Yes, I'm Akayleah and I am the Queen of this
forest.”

“But, you're beautiful,” he stammered still
confused by her and annoyed that she made him feel inferior.

“Well, I am sure most Special's in Neveah
would be disappointed to hear that the Creature's and Special's
that reside in this forest are not bad. Some may look frightening
but they are all very gentle,” she explained before finding a large
stump to sit on, patting it in Jax's direction. “Come sit by me.”
He did without question. He was mesmerized by her and eager to hear
her speak again. Her voice was slightly deep and scratchy but
lovely.

“Let me explain a few things to you. While
most of us are gentle and loving, we live here for a reason. The
stories and legends of The Dark Forest keep many of us safe. We
like that Special's don't come here. We like our privacy. Do you
understand what I'm saying?”

“No, not really. Why would someone like you
be hiding out in this place?”

“It doesn't matter. What matters is that you
are here. You have been coming here for a while now. I've been
watching you. You have an impressive gift but as I said we like our
solitude. We don't want anyone thinking this is a safe place.”

“Ahh, I understand. You don't want me
bringing others with me.”

“I don't want you coming at all,” she
countered. Her smile was gone and her soft face was hard.

“But I won't tell anyone. If my parents found
out I was here, they'd kill me and I only have one friend and she
would never come here, not even if I begged her to. You can trust
me. Please, this is the only place I can go where I'm not bothered.
The only place I can practice my ability. Beyond that, I feel at
home here. I can't explain it but I like the darkness, it gives me
peace.” He finished, waiting for her response. He would come here
regardless, but it would be easier to do if he had the blessing of
those that lived there.

“What's your name?” She asked, surprising
him.

“Jax Androni,” he replied and offered his
hand in greeting. She shook it and the smile that dazzled him
returned.

“How old are you?”

“17,” he replied happily.

“Wow, so young yet you have such a handle on
your ability,” she said.

“So, if I promise to keep my visits to
myself, can I continue coming?”

“Something tells me that you would come
regardless.” Jax laughed a bit this time. She seemed to have him
figured out, at least, she thought she did.

“Well, your blessing would be preferred but
yes I would come anyway. I don't really listen to what I'm told. My
parents can confirm that.” They both laughed and sat in silence for
a few minutes.

“If you don't mind me asking, how old are
you? I mean, you look to be about my age but you say you're the
Queen and that you've been here for a while.”

“I'm 20 and no I don't mind you asking. I
also don't mind if you come here as long as you keep your end of
the deal, only you.”

“Deal,” he replied and they shook hands
again.

“I like you Jax Androni. I think we could be
friends.”

“Yes, I think we could,” Jax responded and
felt an urge inside. It wasn't a foreign urge, he'd felt it for so
long but only Annika was able to make him feel it. It was strange
to feel it for another girl. He liked it.

After his meeting with Akayleah, Jax came
back as much as he possibly could without arousing suspicion.
Akayleah didn't always show herself to him, but he always felt her
watching. He liked that she watched him. It gave his ego a boost
and pushed him to shift into spectacular things. On the days when
she would show herself, they would sit and talk for hours. They
became friends quickly, and Jax looked forward to their time
together. She was his only friend outside of Annika and her brother
Denali. Jax liked having something that was his own. His secret.
His own friendship that he didn't have to share with anyone, Annika
included.

He tried sharing his accomplishments with
Annika, but she was unimpressed and most of the time frightened.
She had been working on her calming ability and used it regularly
on Jax. He worked on shielding that as well. He didn't know why.
Annika's ability to alter feelings usually left him feeling
peaceful and happy, but lately it just irritated him. She was
changing, and he didn't like it.

He rarely saw her after their 18th birthdays,
and he missed her greatly. Even his time with Akayleah in the
forest didn't fill the void of Annika Levannah. They were both in
adulthood now and would be expected to settle down soon. He knew of
their parents plan for them to marry, and he was anxious to make
her his.

Weeks had passed since their last visit, and
Jax was missing Annika
.
He wondered if she missed him as much. He wondered what she was
doing that would keep her away from him for so long. Their time
between visits had grown, but this was the longest he's ever gone
without seeing her. On a whim, he decided to pay her a visit. He
would surprise her.

His heart sank when Mrs. Levannah told him
that Annika wasn't home, and she didn't know where she had gone.
Jax walked away feeling low. His mind spun a web of scenarios about
where she could be and who she could be with. One such thought
stuck in his head, was she with another man? Just the idea made
Jax's blood boil and stirred feelings that he was careful to keep
hidden deep inside. He couldn't keep them repressed this time. The
idea of another man stealing her away from Jax was too much and
without thinking he went looking for her.

He had no idea where to start, where to look.
Annika was adventurous. That was one of their favorite things to do
together, go on adventures. They hadn't gone on one together in so
long. They were older now, more mature adults, but he knew Annika,
and she would always look for her next big adventure.

He couldn't say if it was luck or fate or
just coincidence that he found her in the nearby Healer’s village.
He was just wandering through the tiny town, thinking about her,
when her white hair caught his attention. She was smiling, laughing
even, and he was about to call out to her when Jax saw him. James
Mender. A Healer. He took it all in: her hand in his, her permanent
smile and her giggle every time he spoke, the way he leaned in to
talk to her and the look of admiration in her eyes. It wasn't
difficult to conclude that Annika had been spending her time with
another man, and he was clearly more than a friend. The kiss he
gave her broke something inside of Jax. Not his heart, as she had
already broken that but something else. He didn't know what it was,
but he felt any ounce of good in his body had disappeared, and
those dark feelings were taking residence.

The anger he felt was nearly uncontrollable,
and he felt his body tremble. He had to get out of there before he
shifted and did something he couldn't take back. He ran as quickly
as his human legs would carry him with tears burning his face. As
soon as he was a safe distance from the village he gave into the
urges and shifted into his lion form. He felt most comfortable in
this form. As though the feelings he tried to suppress could roam
freely in the body of a lion.

He ran to the only place he knew he could be
himself. The only place he could release the rage that took over
his heart without hurting anyone. He ran to The Dark Forest. He was
almost to his spot when he saw her. She was standing there, still
as a statue, as though she were waiting for him. As quickly as he
shifted to lion, he shifted back to man and ran the rest of the way
to her on his human legs. He stopped just before her and knew he
should have felt the shame of the tears that stained his face, but
he didn't. He was broken in more ways than he could count. He saw
the look of concern flash across her face, then without thinking he
grabbed her face and kissed her.

It wasn't the tender kiss he had just
witnessed between Annika and James. No this kiss was full of fury
and passion and need. She kissed him back, matching his intensity
but pulled away after a few minutes.

“Jax, what are we doing? What happened to
you?” He looked at her, breathless. He wanted her so badly. Wanted
her to erase his pain. He wanted her to make the memory of Annika
disappear. He wanted her to make him feel sane. He wanted to say
all of this, but he couldn't. As soon as his mouth opened the words
got stuck, and he began to sob.

She wrapped her arms around him, and they
sank to the forest floor. She held him as he cried. She brushed the
hair from his face. She kissed the top of his head repeatedly. She
squeezed him tightly whenever the sobs became too hard. After some
time went by the quaking of his body slowed, and the quenched sound
of his heartbreak quieted. He finally found the words to speak. “I
saw Annika with another man.” He was proud he had said the words
without breaking into another crying fit yet he didn't move from
her embrace. He felt safe in her arms. Secure. Wanted.

Jax had told Akayleah all about his love for
Annika and his plans to marry her. It was the reason she had not
acted on her own feelings for Jax long before. Though she felt
sorry for the man that lay in her arms, she was secretly pleased.
She had been waiting for him to come to her, and he finally had.
She would heal him. She would show him love.

“Come with me Jax,” she urged as she stood
and held her hand out to him. He took it and stood beside her. She
didn't release it when he stood instead pulled him behind her.

“Where are we going?” He asked quietly.

“To my home,” she responded before they fell
into a comfortable silence.

He followed her willingly deeper into the
forest, no words needed to be spoken. He was a broken man who
needed mending, and she was the woman to do it. Once they reached
her home, she led him inside the giant tree trunk and directly to
where she slept. She turned to look at him. He was so handsome.
Even with the pain etched into his young face his beauty was
there.

“Jax, I'm not going to be anything but honest
with you okay?” She said, and he nodded in response. “Okay. You are
such a glorious man. I've been watching you since you first came to
The Dark Forest. When I first saw you, you were trying to control
your shape-shifting. You were so young and naïve, yet strong and
intelligent. I wanted you that first day. I've watched you every
time you visit and I'm in awe of you.” He stood before her, shocked
and confused. How many times had he wanted to hear those exact
words from Annika's mouth. Too many to count. Now he was before a
beautiful woman. One he thought very highly of and his body reacted
to, but he didn't love her. Could he be with her without love? In
doing so, would he lose any piece of goodness he had left? Did he
really care anymore?

His body was screaming for her touch but his
heart was shredded, beating only for Annika. He sat on Akayleah's
bed and she took the place beside him.

“I don't know what to do,” he began. “Seeing
her with him did things to me I never thought were possible. I
wanted to kill him. The urge was overwhelming. Then I ran. I ran to
you. I didn't know that's what I was doing but I did. And you were
there. I've never let anyone see that side of me, not even Annika
and we've been linked since birth. The thing is, my body wants you
but my heart is telling me different. This was supposed to happen
with her,” he said quietly, his head hung.