Page 83 of Alpha Jax

As Theo and I head for my truck, joking back and forth, a sense of calm washes over me. Like the storm has passed. Like somehow, beyond all odds, all is going to be right in the world again.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Quinn

I’m bounding down the stairs when the front door of the packhouse swings open.

“Oh good, you’re back,” I chirp as I meet my brother’s gaze. “Are you…”

My voice trails off and I nearly trip down the last few stairs when I see who steps inside behind Theo.

I see his eyes first. Pale, blue-grey eyes, intense and penetrating. My own are drawn to them like a magnet and my breath catches in my throat as I grab onto the handrail to steady myself. His face has healed- there isn’t a trace of the cuts and bruises Theo put there last night. He’s as handsome as ever with his rugged features, square jaw, and five o’clock shadow. Dark blonde hair somehow looking tousled and messy yet perfectly placed.

As Theo steps aside, Jax comes fully into view. He’s dressed in a simple black t-shirt, the fabric straining against his thick biceps and broad chest. It does little to disguise his impressive physique underneath- the dips and curves of firm, hard-earned muscle. His jeans sit low on his hips, a perfect fit. As I drag my gaze back up to his face, I see that he’s checking me out, too, raking his eyes over my body. They pause and linger on my bare legs- I’m in a loose, long-sleeved navy cotton dress, and while it’s not the cutest thing I own, it’s comfortable as hell. From Jax’s hungry gaze, he seems to approve.

“Wha…?” I start to ask my voice trailing off. What I’m seeing in front of me right now is not computing in my brain. The last time these two were together, Theo was beating Jax’s face in. Now he’s inviting him into the packhouse like nothing happened? And what the hell is Jax doing in Summervale, anyways?

I descend the last few stairs, smoothing my hair back as my feet hit the floor. I’m still staring at Jax in disbelief and the only thing I can muster is a feeble “hi”.

The corner of his mouth turns up in a devilishly handsome half-smile. “Hi.”

“What are you…” I start, but again fail to find the words. It’s like my brain has suddenly left my body.

His eyes are still fixed on mine. “I was hoping we could talk.”

“I, uh…” my gaze flickers to Theo, then back to Jax.

Theo rolls his eyes, like this exchange is the most ridiculous thing he’s ever witnessed. “Damn, just go talk already.” He waves a hand like he’s shooing me away, and honestly I’m just confused as hell right now.

I tilt my head, studying Theo.So now he’s suddenly on board with this? What gives?

“But you…” I stammer, dazzling the boys with another broken sentence.

Theo gives a little shake of his head, stepping toward me. “I’ll learn to live with it. Just go deal with your shit.”

I heave a sigh of relief, closing the gap between me and my brother and throwing my arms around him. I hug him tight, his arms immediately closing around me, too. It somehow feels both foreign and ordinary, yet so damn comforting. By the time we both let go, my throat’s raw.

“Thanks,” I whisper, blinking up at Theo.

“Don’t mention it,” he drawls, patting me on the shoulder before moving past me to the stairs. “Just don’t fucking lie to me again,” he warns, giving me a stern glance over his shoulder before he starts ascending the stairs two at a time, heading up to find Brooke.

“I won’t!” I call after him. When he hits the top of the stairs, I look back to Jax, clasping my hands in front of me. “So…”

Jax takes a step closer. Then another. His familiar scent hits me and emotions crash over me like a wave, the feelings I’ve pushed away flooding back in.

“You wanna get outta here?” he asks, his deep, velvety voice soothing my frayed nerves. “Go for a ride or something?”

I blow out a breath, chuckling. “Yeah. A ride sounds great.”

Within minutes, I’m pulling on my knee-high leather boots and climbing into the passenger seat of Jax’s truck, looking over at him as he backs out of the packhouse driveway. My wolf is close to the surface, thrilled to be back in Jax’s proximity- especially since the two of us are alone. She’s rooting hard for some raunchy make-up sex, and I can’t say I’m opposed to the idea.

“So you and Theo…?”

I don’t need to finish the question- Jax already knows what I’m asking. He shrugs, casting me a sideways glance. “I think we’re good. We talked it out. Honestly, he was way more understanding than I thought he’d be.”

“We’ve got Brooke to thank for that,” I remark, watching out the window as Jax turns at the end of my street. “She’s his voice of reason, keeps him from going off the rails.”

“She’s good for him,” Jax agrees. He rolls up to a stop sign, looking around before deciding to turn left.

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