Lola stared at her best friend, the one person in the world she cared about. She wanted to tell her everything, but how could she explain something that didn't make any sense?
"Lola?" Melissa's voice rang out softly, and her eyes pleaded for an explanation.
"I-"
"It's our fault, really," Ash said, getting in front of Lola. "The bodies outside, the wrecked apartment, the door - Well, that's more my fault," he joked, but no one was laughing.
"The bodies are your fault?" Melissa's eyes flickered between Ash and Lola as she took a small step back out into the stairwell.
"They are, but the good thing is that you won't tell anyone." Ash grinned. Melissa gasped when Ash was in front of her just as she blinked.
He cupped her cheek and leaned her head back. "I'm not?" she whispered.
Ash flicked his tongue and shook his head. "No, you're not because you wouldn't want your mom to meet the same faith, would you now?" Melissa shook her head. Her eyes widened and glistened in fear.
"Ash!" Lola scolded and ran over to them. Jax reached out and grabbed her arm. He pulled her back and kept her from going to Melissa.
"Don't you dare threaten her!" Lola glared at him. Ash looked over his shoulder and rolled his eyes.
"Would you rather I kill her?" he asked as if those were the only options. Her breath got caught in her throat, and she stepped back.
He flicked his tongue and stepped back from Melissa, who turned around and ran down the stairs.
"See, that's the only good thing that those bloodsuckers out there have, that little glimmering thing with their eyes to wipe memories. How come the dumbest species got the cooler powers?" He looked at Jax, expecting an answer.
Lola pulled her arm free. She turned around and saw Jax's glare. A million thoughts spun in her head at the same time. Her first thought was to run after Melissa, but what would she say to her?
The rain wasn't hitting the windows as harshly, and the thundering pats of the drops against metal roofs in the yard had stopped.
"Tell you what, I'll give you two choices," Ash mused and took one step. "You either run after your friend," he said and tapped his finger against his jaw. "Or you pick up that bag, and you run. You leave town and start over somewhere nice, calm, somewhere where you don't have to explain yourself to anyone." He grinned, his eyes narrowed mischievously. He looked past Lola and locked eyes with Jax. "That's what you were gonna do, wasn't it? You were letting her go," he said as a matter of fact.
Jax's jaw clenched, enhancing the sharp lines, and his fingers rolled up to fists.
"What will it be, little one?" Ash pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth.
Lola looked toward the door. She imagined Melissa driving home as fast as she could, slamming the door to her room, and playing the images of today repeatedly in her head.
Her eyes flickered down to the bag on the floor. The leather strap was inches away from her feet.
She leaned down and picked it up, feeling the cold of the leather against her skin.
Ash chuckled. He nodded. "Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!" He tossed his hands in the air for dramatic effect.
"Shut up, Ash." Jax seethed. His chest pushed out, and his breathing grew ragged.
Lola looked back. His eyes were piercing through Ash, and she felt the tension growing thicker.
Her fingers clenched around the leather strap. She looked at the nock where the looters had messily wrecked her bed.
"Goodbye," she said softly. She walked to the door. A sudden gust of wind pulled her hair back, and her eyes flickered when a shadow passed in front of her.
"What are you doing?" Lola asked as Ash stood in front of her. She leaned her head back and tried to create a distance between them. However, Ash only enjoyed the displeasure she felt of being so close to him.
"Did I forget to mention?" he asked and flicked his tongue. "I lied. You don't get to choose." His voice lowered, the bag was ripped from her hands, and Jax's hand came around her face and covered her mouth from behind.
"I'm sorry," he whispered as her body fell unconscious against him.
"Way to go, cous!" Ash threw Lola's bag over his shoulder, and Jax lifted her in his arms. He cradled her closely, growling when Ash offered to take over.
They walked out of the apartment complex and saw the street tidy, and empty of dead bodies. The blood had washed down into the gutter.
"Who-" Ash rolled his eyes. "I wasn't about to leave these rotting bodies for anybody to find. I called in a favor with the family." He grinned.
"You called them?" Jax asked and put Lola in the backseat. He gently let her head down and put his jacket underneath to make a pillow.
"Did you really think you could hide the fact that vampires were roaming around? Paying the help doesn't hide the deed," he reminded. Jax had paid the nurse not to mention the puncture wounds to anyone else. Somehow, the information had gotten out despite his efforts.
He prepared himself for the questions that would be thrown his way the second they returned.
"Why are they here, Jax?" he asked when he got behind the wheel.
Jax put on his seatbelt and shifted the rearview mirror to see the girl lying in the backseat.
"I have no idea. Haven't figured it out yet," he said. Ash turned his head and eyed his cousin, his feed the mirror back. "Haven't you?" The underlying tone had their eyes locking in a silent exchange.
"You don't think it's weird that they just so happened to go after your girl?" He pressed on the gas and turned the windshield wipers on when the rain started again. "Twice," he added.
Jax dragged his tongue over his teeth. He knew the vampires suddenly coming into town had something to do with Lola. He just hadn't figured out what it was about her.
"Six vampires in the last few days. It's more than this town has seen in years. Is all of it a coincidence?" Jax clenched his jaw and fought internally with his wolf trying to see a way to hide the fact that Lola had a connection to the sudden appearance of vampires.
"Fine, let's talk about something else," Ash sighed. He turned his head. His dark eyes shone under the light from the street lamps.
"How about the fact that you haven't told that girl back there that you own her?" He grinned.
Jax growled. "I don't own her."
His hands flew up, releasing the wheel as he scoffed. "My bad. See, I thought the whole you have to marry me, or I'll never rise in charge, and you're also my destined mate added up to you owning her. Especially because she has no say in any of it." He turned his head and pulled his shoulder up to his ear.
Jax focused his eyes on the road and used every ounce of restraint he had to hold both himself and his wolf back.
"I don't own her," he growled.
"I'm not judging. It's hot. She's human, and you're a wolf. Physically and mentally, she will forever be at your mercy. Beneath you, in any way you want," he added a wink and chuckled as he turned up the road to the mansion.