Jax's X Game The Axelridge Series Book 2
Chapter 7

(Chapter song ‘Firestarter' by Prodigy)

JAX

It will be a fucking miracle if I survive this tournament with my sanity intact. Audrey knows she’s getting under my skin, but the piss off is I’m letting her. I can’t stop it. She says her little digs on purpose. She know what it does.

Well, I’m not giving her the satisfaction of seeing me sweat. I just need to get through the next three weeks and then it’ll be over. If beat her ass, it will be even better.

Not like that! I know what you’re thinking!

While Cy gets the preparations done for the tournament luncheon tomorrow, I have Alliance duty.

Finn called a council meeting which I don’t want to be at. All I want to do right now is punch something.

I walk into the Hub and pull my bag off my shoulder. Slumping into the chair beside Marcus, he punches me in the arm just as I get comfortable.

“EH!” I scowl.

He throws a finger in my face. “Don’t eh me. Your mace fit tore my bean bag! Ripped the Bullet right in half!” He growls as he throws his hands up

“Not my fault your bullets are weak.” I smirk.

He hauls off and punches me again.

“Watch it!” I warn. “That tickles.”

His eyes narrow and he pushes his chin out. “You owe me a bean bag chair, dickhead. My stuff doesn’t belong in your chick war.” He grits.

“Alright! Stop being a pussy!” I shove back.

He hits my shoulder with his and I push back. As always, the shoving match turns into a chair fight. Basically, the male version of a slap fight.

“Do I need to separate you two?!” Finn leans on the circular table and glares at us.

“No." We both say at the same time as we lean back in our chairs.

He eyes us both. “Behave.”

“Bitch.” I grumble.

“Dick.” He folds his arms and grumbles back.

“You two sure you weren’t separated at birth?” Eddie says just before he tips a chip bag up and devours the crumbs.

“Please. As if I’d ever be related to this loser.” I thumb to Marcus.

“Fuck you, punk! I’d make an awesome brother!” Marcus spins his chair to me and crosses his arms.

“Really, Eddie!” Finn tosses a hand our way and stares at Eddie.

“What?” He holds his arms out as the fighting begins again.

I spin my chair to him. “You are a pain in my ass that I can’t get rid of. We have to share everything, I draw the line at blood.”

He points at me. “We’re having words after this meeting.” He grits.

“Ooo…so scared.” I roll my eyes and turn back to the table.

“You better be.” He warns.

“Can we focus, please!” Finn shakes his head.

Noah tosses his silver ball in the air. “The last PR campaigns are not going over well. People are growing concerned about the lycans declaring war.”

“Smooth it over. Once we get the Intel, we’ll move. We don’t need mass panic if we can quash this before they make a play for the city.” Finn says.

“What about this guy in black I keep hearing about?” Eddie says as he opens a pack of Twinkies.

“First, stop eating in the Hub.” Finn warns.

“Hey, you called meeting during my snack time. If I don’t feed this bod, it gets angry and you don’t want that. Low blood sugar is not my friend.” He cinches his brows.

“Fine. But over there.” He points to the wall away from the computers.

He pushes his chair back and shoves an entire Twinkie in his mouth. “So?” He says with his mouthful.

“Well, I don’t know what you’ve been hearing but there’s no man in black in Axelridge. It’s just a rumor.” Finn reassures.

“He better be or there’s going to be a fucking war inside the city.” I growl.

“Jax, calm down.” Finn waves me off. “As far as the Vinellis are concerned, Vincent can talk all he wants, but so far it’s just that…talk.”

“So, what are we doing about it?” Eddie asks.

Finn places his hands in his pockets. “Double the Enforcer patrols inside the city and I want units patrolling the bridges and border. I also want checks done for any of the lycans living here who may be working for the Vinellis. I don’t want to accuse anyone, but we need to monitor them a bit more closely.”

“Aye.” Griffin says. “I’ll run the algorithms along the network. If they are in communication, we'll know.”

“Ok. For now, keep your schedules open. This could go sideways at any moment. Jax. Good luck with the tournament.” Finn smiles. “Marcus can head up the weapons department while you compete. If we need you, I’ll call.”

“Thanks.” I mumble. I was excited about tournament, but now that Audrey’s ruined it, I’m not.

****

I pick up my phone off my nightstand and the bright light causes me to squint.

11:30pm.

“Ugh.” I throw it back down and rub my face.

Audrey is playing around in my brain and I can’t shake it. She already lived rent free in my head, but now it's even worse. I can’t go five seconds without thinking of her eyes, lips and body. I hate this woman with a passion and all I want to do is touch her.

I must be a masochist. This is ridiculous!

After tossing and turning for most of the night, I figure the best thing for me to do is go for a run through the city.

I get my shorts and tank on and grab my gear. I’ll just get a few blocks of urban running in and my head should be clear enough to sleep.

Once on the street outside, I stretch my chest and breathe in the cool night air. I walk from my pack house to the down town core of Oxford.

Walking through the streets, I glance at the closed signs on shop windows. Liquidation announcements for those closing soon. I see the for sale signs on houses and vacancies on buildings.

I pull my straps as I watch my feet. Slowly, but surly, my pack is dying. Between the lycans and rogues, my people can’t take it.

I feel it. Day after day, they leave me and join other packs. Their bonds with me sever and I’ll never feel them again. Each one takes a piece of me with them. I feel the weakness stab me with every pack reject paper I file.

It's half the reason I’m so angry all the time. What’s an Alpha supposed to do? I wish I had my dad around to tell me, but the lycans took him too. Along with my mother, four sisters, my brother and three quarters of my pack. We didn’t stand a chance.

They descended on us so fast, by the time Axelridge managed to fight their way to us, it was too late. The pack house, along with half the city, burned to the ground. I was left in the rubble. Broken, homeless and emotionally destroyed. For a very long time, I blamed Audrey. I kind of still do.

If she hadn’t of broke my heart a few months before the attack, maybe I would have had the strength to save my people.

“That’s water under the bridge now.” I mumble as I walk onto the Southside bridge. I hang out a bit at the railing. Sometimes, I’ll just watch the water of Lake Ontario lap under bridge. I often think of how things could be different had I just let Audrey play. Then reality checks. Women in general are a weakness most leaders can’t afford.

Sure, having a Luna makes a better pack, but in the grand scheme of things, what good is a Luna who won’t listen to you and fights you at every turn?

She’s a waste of time. That’s what she is. No. My Luna will be obedient and loving. None of this combative behavior. She has to compliment me and bring out my strength. She has to make me want to fight for something. Without that, I’m nothing.

I don’t know how long I walked for, but it had to have been a couple of hours. The change in atmosphere almost perked me up.

Watching the Axelridge fans fill the streets day in and out, makes me wish I had what Finn has. He really does have it all. Kids, a Luna that loves him and a city that adores him.

I’m not that lucky. Every year, I hope that my perfect Luna will be under that moon, but she never is. Twenty years of waiting, I gave up. None of the women I date are Luna material to me and I can’t get over what Audrey did to me so, it’s time to give up the ghost. The Perfect Luna is a pipe dream, Jax. You’ll never have it. Not in this lifetime anyway.

I give my hamstrings a stretch and run down the street. I dodge around folks window shopping for merchandise and jump up on the planters that lined the sidewalks.

I leap from box to stone box then back flip to the walk. I run up stairs and hurdle railings.

Jumping into a somersault, I get up on a stone wall and roll onto the grass. It’s outside an apartment building and I jump from there to a balcony. I climb the outside of the building, using the balconies as a ladder as I jump across and up them.

Once on the roof, I stop to catch my breath. I walk to the edge and look down at the street. The cars honk and I can barely hear the bustle on the sidewalks.

As I look out to the city, I appreciate how lit up the buildings are against the night sky. All the perfect homes and towers on an island made from a single man’s dream. Axelridge really is a beacon of hope. I should use that, but when I’m home I’m faced with the truth. Hope left me years ago and it’s not coming back.

I take out a sport bottle and pound back some water when my ear twitches. Shoes on the dirty roof move and they’re not mine.

I slowly cap the bottle and put it back.

Turning my eyes first, I scan to the right of me.

Standing on the other side, is a figure dressed all in black leather. He’s wearing a black bike helmet and black leather gloves.

At first, we’re both deer in the headlights. Like we both just caught each other and now don’t know what to do.

Not only is it weird that a biker would be up here, but he also has zero scent. He’s probably suppressing it somehow.

I turn my head slightly as I eye him. Taking a step, he moves.

He reaches to his back and produces a silver metal mace with a 12 inch ball full of spikes. Like the photos, it’s exact replica.

I scrunch my brow and raise my finger to it. “Where did you get that?”

He tilts his head and spins the mace in hand like a blade. Impressive. Mines heavy as fuck.

“Answer me!” I growl.

He flips the mace and rests the ball on the roof as he opens a pouch on his belt.

“Come here, asshole!” I snarl as I stomp across the roof.

He quickly holds up something in his hand and throws it at my feet.

It explodes and I’m blinded by a bright, white light. A flash grenade. That dick!

I cover my eyes and then turn back, blinking to get my vision back.

“NO YOU DON’T, YOU FUCKING PRICK!” I yell when I realize his gone.

I run to the roof edge and look around. I see him running across the next roof.

“Son of a bitch!” I back up and run. My sneaker plants on the edge, I jump, somersault across the roof and stop on my knee.

He jumps to the next roof and I take off after him.

I have several burning questions and if I have to pound the fucker into the ground to get them, I will.

I jump to the next roof and chase him. The city below has no idea they’ve been infiltrated by a sicko who apparently wants to be me.

I run by a roof top access and just as I get to the corner, he pops out and slams the but of his mace in my gut.

“FUCK!” I go down as my ribs scream in pain. My eyes meet his visor as he salutes me and runs off.

“Fuck that!” I slam the roof and scramble to my feet. As I sprint to the roof edge, I watch him hurdle over it. I’m over it a few seconds later.

His boots slam on the fire escapes as he acts like a gymnast, swinging down to the next platforms.

I grab the railings, jump over them and turn to land on the next. He jumps to the alleyway at the bottom.

“HEY!” I lean back and jump over the railing to the pavement.

I land and turn just in time to see the spikes heading for my head.

“Fuck!” I hit the asphalt on my stomach and cover my head as the mace hits the wall behind me and chunks of brick hit my body.

I raise my head and he runs to a black bike waiting at the side of the street. I look behind me to see the mace buried in the wall.

My head is on a swivel as I see the biker raise his hand and hear metal hitting against stone behind me.

I spin to the sound and watch the mace shake and free itself from the wall.

“WHOA!” I roll over on my back just as the mace rips out of the wall and misses me by inches. I watch it sail over my head and I flip back over when it’s clear.

He grabs the handle, attaches it to his back and waves.

His bike roars to life and he pulls away, squealing his tires.

“What the hell?” I pant as I scrunch my face in pure confusion.