Forbidden Mate: Awakening

It was a week into the search and progress hadn’t been made. Adrian was still in jail, and my mom prohibited Sarah and I from moving around too much since we were in “trying times.”

On the other hand, rumours had spread fast that some werewolves from our grove had been involved in a secret meeting with some unidentified vampires. I literally didn’t know where and how the rumour started spreading but it was a particular day Sarah and I were playing cards in our room, and she brought it up, I came to know of it.

“A secret meeting?” My voice rang.

“Yeah. I heard Don went for it too and that’s why he’s been missing. They say it’s been happening for months now, somewhere hidden in the woods, away from any of our kinds’ prying eyes.”

Don had gone missing. So that’s why I hadn’t seen him for such a long time. But why did noone talk about him and just – forget and pretend like he never existed? This was getting stranger than I could divulge.

“But who attended those meetings?”

“Werewolves and vampires. That’s why it’s been nicknamed as the ‘forbidden meeting’.”

“I know but who exactly?”

“How do you expect me to know?” She hissed.

I sighed, my thoughts pacing to Jaxon. I hadn’t told anyone about Jaxon helping that vampire. He hadn’t revealed to me why he did so nor give any kind of information to me about his strange and reclusive behaviour recently. This news of a strange meeting made me wander, was it possible Jaxon was an attendee of such a meeting?

No, I was thinking too far. He would never. But at this point, what else could I think? His silence said so much, and it was proving his fallacious ways.

That same day, I decided to confront Jaxon again.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was gravely wrong, so I met Jaxon again with nothing more than the rumours which spread around. I found him in a quiet spot in the training area, his safe space.

“Jaxon, we can’t keep on living like this,” I said firmly.

He seemed surprised and worried as he looked up at me. “What’s up now, Lily?” he asked, sounding tired.

I stood in front of him, ready to dispell his defences. “Have you been hearing the rumours? Of secret meetings with werewolves and vampires? Secret alliances? One of our own was caught and beaten last night, and you were there to see it too,” I said shakily. “If my suspicions are right, I believe you attended them. Why would you go to that meeting without telling me?”

Jaxon glanced between the gate and me, his face tense. “Why would you be suspicious of me?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?!” I lost it, “For godsake Jax, you’ve been acting so weird lately. Like, why haven’t you been wanting to talk to me? You’re afraid I’ll bring up the jail break matter?”

“Because I’ve told you multiple times you saw wrong that night!” He yelled back, and then restrained, “I’m sorry.”

My eyes got teary, “Jax, please. I’m begging you. Whatever it is you’re going through, just tell me. Please, I won’t tell anyone. Please, Jax, you can trust me. You know you can. Just tell me.” I already sat beside him and searched his eyes to see if I was getting through to him.

He looked like as if he was in much thought. He sighed and finally admitted, “Okay, Lily. You’re right. I was there in that meeting.”

I felt disappointed but held my tone. “Why, Jaxon?” I asked, my voice shaking. “Why didn’t you tell me about it? What were you doing at the meeting?”

He hesitated, clearly torn. After a moment, he took a deep breath and looked me in the eyes. He sounded remorseful and desperate as he spoke.

“Lily, I didn’t have a choice,” he confessed. “They threatened my family.”

I couldn’t believe it. “Threatened your family? Who?” I asked, my mind racing with possibilities.

Jaxon looked down, his voice barely audible. “There’s a group, Lily, like an underground rebel faction or something. They have connections, and they found out about my family. They warned me that if I didn’t go to the meeting and gather some information for them, they would harm my loved ones.”

My heart broke for Jaxon, realizing the immense pressure he had been under. Anger swelled inside me, not towards him, but towards those who had threatened and manipulated him.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone, Jaxon?” I asked. “We could’ve protected you. We could’ve found a way to help.”

Jaxon looked up, guilt and regret in his eyes. “I was scared, Lily. Scared for my family, scared of what they might do. I thought if I kept quiet, they would leave us alone.”

Tears welled up in my eyes as I understood the weight of Jaxon’s burden. I had been quick to judge and failed to consider the tremendous pressure he might have faced.

“I’m so sorry, Jaxon,” I whispered, filled with regret. “I didn’t know. We’ll find a way to protect you and your family. I’ll tell my dad about it.”

“No!” He held my hand, “No, you can’t. That’ll be too risky. I told you they have connections.”

“I know, but we have to let someone know. Someone who can help.”

“Not someone in high authority. I can’t trust anyone, well except you.” He swallowed hard.

I felt a flinch of hurt, “Are you saying we can’t trust my own father…”

“No, no…that’s not what I mean. I…I just don’t want to let people get involved.”

“Well, now I’ve involved myself and we need to find a way out.”

“I was avoiding that…”

A question still flickered in my mind, “Is that why you helped the vampire escape?”

He hesitated before he answered me, leaving me shook.

Jaxon’s eyes softened through his weariness. “Lily. I never wanted any of this. I just wanted my family to be safe.”

We sat there for a moment, both burdened by the predicament he was in. Despite the betrayal I felt, my sympathy for Jaxon couldn’t be suppressed. He did this for his family. He could’ve told me earlier on, but I understood he feared his actions would cause his family more pain. Jaxon’s family here was his junior brother, a kid who was brought in years after he was and he trained, and Aunt Cecelia, the woman he considered his mother. I understood why he did what he did.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

As we went our separate ways that day, my mind buzzed with more questions. I would have to find a way to help Jaxon. I would have to help him find out the identity of that group and why they were targeting him to use him as a pawn for their plans.

••••••••••••

I sat in my room, still thinking about Jaxon’s confession. I still felt that something was wrong and off about the way Jaxon presented everything. I couldn’t place my finger on it but I was sure something was definitely wrong. I decided to talk to Sarah about it. Maybe getting Sarah’s perspective on the situation would help me finalise the decision I would make.

I called Sarah to our room and we sat down to talk.

“Lily, what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Sarah said, concern etched in her voice but in a playful demeanor.

Without wasting a moment, I began. “It’s Jaxon,”

Sarah’s eyebrows furrowed, “What about Jaxon? Is everything alright? Is he alright?”

I told her everything. I had told her about Jaxon’s claim that there was an underground group threatening him to do things to sabotage our pack. I had also told her that Jaxon said he helped the vampire escape to delay their plans.

“What? He was the one who helped the vampire escape?”

“Shhhh, Sarah. Yeah…I was shocked when I saw him myself that night. He finally admitted to doing it to throw his threateners off.”

“Woah, this is a lot. Why are you just telling me now?”

“Cus he just told me like a few hours ago. I told you he’s been ignoring me.”

Sarah was surprised to hear this and couldn’t believe there could be such a thing going on under our noses in our pack. Sarah also doubted Jaxon’s story and felt that something was missing too.

“But why would he help and interact with a vampire? It’s like one of the taboos of being a werewolf hunter.” Sarah said.

“Exactly, and the way I saw it that night, he was discussing with the vampire. It’s like he knows him before.”

“Imagine Jaxon of all people talking to vampires.”

I remembered Adrian and quietly shook my head.

While we were discussing our doubts, there was a knock on the door. Sarah went to open it. It was Jaxon.

“Hi,”

“Hi…is anything wrong?” I heard her say.

“Who’s that?” I called out.

“It’s Jaxon.” She answered back and I blinked rapidly.