After two weeks of being in ICU I had finally recovered. Supposedly, I had been attacked in the woods during a run by a rabid animal that bit me. But after all this time i couldn't quite explain it, my body felt ... off. It was disconcerting to know that I had no recollection at all of that day.
I could not wrap my head around what exactly was wrong. What i knew for certain was that something fundamental in me had changed. Following the events from the day my mother had flown in. Her presence really helped with my recovery.
Wolfgang was a mess; I didn't really speak to him. I just watched him from the corner of my eye. It was nice that he visited but I would never give him the benefit of that piece of knowledge because I had not quite forgiven him yet. We seemed to be recovering in tandem as each day passed.
As for this animal attack story, it did not resonate well with me. The animal for starters did not leave any claw marks on my body. The change within me was an unexplainable side effect from said attack. I felt like I was missing something or someone that was fundamental to my being.
What was perplexing but made sense was that I had bumped my head really hard and that was the cause of the jumbled memories. Someone had found me and taken me to Wolfgang. Wolfgang never said anything about said person. Maybe that person was the boy who I always dreamed of.
If i had no recollection of any of the events that had occurred why did i have a feeling that the person who had found me was a boy i had had visions off? I do not know how I knew his name, but I just did.
Jax.
One syllable, three letters and an entire mystery.
I always saw his frame and build but never his face. My recollection of him was almost like a forgotten memory. Maybe he was a figment of my imagination. Or maybe he was a reprehensible memory that my mind was trying to shield me from.
Some nights I would have nightmares and just see glowing golden eyes. He would stop me from running by using his body. It always hurt and then afterwards he would bite me.
Subsequently I would wake up screaming. Other nights he would be gentle with me and show me kindness. The constant was that I never saw his face. No matter how hard I tried to look.
Last night had been one of the dreams with the pleasant Jax, for which i was grateful. I got up and went to my mother's room in the hotel we were staying in.
"Hey sleepy head", she said smiling up at me.
It had been 3 months since the whole attack. She looked tired and it tore at my heart a bit. She inspected me and once she was satisfied, she informed me that she was going to shower. Having a doctor for a mother had its benefits. I was released from the hospital into her care without any objections from the other doctors who had treated me.
Axel had protested initially but I paid no attention to him.
There was a knock on the door. I hopped off the bed and went to see who it could be. I was praying it wasn't Axel. I did not have the social bandwidth to deal with him today.
As I stood at the door, I looked down at myself and realized I was wearing pyjamas. Maybe I should go and change I thought to myself, momentarily forgetting that there was a person on the other side of the door.
The knock came again becoming more aggressive and impatient, so I had no choice but to open the door. I was curious to see who the rude person was.
Opening the door, I came face to face with a handsome man with cocoa brown skin like mine but slightly darker. He had a huge build and was looming over me. I felt small, which unnerved me a bit.
He could literally had been Odell Beckham junior's twin. I smiled up reservedly at him. He attempted to do the same, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Luna Alexandrite", he said in a weird greeting. I looked at him questioningly. Luna? Why is he calling me that?
"I'm not buying what you are selling", I said attempting to close the door. I had chosen not to try and understand the weird greeting. He looked confused.
"Alexandrite", he paused looking like it caused him physical pain to say my name without the weird Luna part.
Hold up .... say my name? But how did he know it? I was conflicted, I wanted to slam the door in his face but at the same time, I couldn't shake the unsettling feeling of knowing that this man knew more than my name. Curiosity won and I found myself asking him the burning question.
"How do you know my name?".
"Alpha Jax sent me to come and take you back," I gasped. That name ... how did I know this person? All of this was bizarre. The mystery man who I had recurring dreams of.
"Jax", I said testing the name on my lips out loud for the first time. It seemed to roll off my tongue. Sounding natural. I had not dreamt him up, he was real. Which version of my dreams was he though? Was he the kind man or the violent man who hurt me without remorse? Also, how come I could not remember his face or know anything about him?
I looked up at the man before me. He seemed to have relaxed a bit when I said Jax's name. Something was nagging at me, telling me something was off ...
Wait did he just say take me back?
Those words were the issue. Take me where exactly?
"Take me back where? To the place where Jax is? ...I don't know him. Until a couple of days ago I thought he was someone I dreamt up. I don't know anyone by that name well personally," I paused.
"Sorry bruv wish I could help you." I ended deciding I was done with this weird conversation.
I had had enough; my head was spinning. I felt a warm hand behind me and looked back to see my mom watching the man before me with weary eyes.
"Xander baby who is this?" she questioned sounding on edge and alert. I was about to respond then I realized that I didn't know his name. I looked at him for assistance.
"I am a dear friend of Jax, my name is Mercer."
He paused unsure of what to say next. Scratching the back of his head he then continued.
"Jax wanted me to come and assess Alexandrite's health and bring her over for a visit. He heard about the accident she had been involved in." His voice had wavered a bit when he spoke about the accident, but his facial expression remained stoic.
I glanced back at my mom to see how she was taking Mercer's words.
I couldn't explain it, but I felt, after a few minutes of talking to him, quite at ease. The trepidation I had felt earlier had fallen away at some point. He was no threat and looked like he would protect me. Not in a, I love you and want to knock your boots off kind of way.
Rather in a loyal and caring way that had no feelings of romance attached to them. Maybe like a big brother of sorts. Or maybe I was reading too much into a situation that I barely could understand myself.
My mom looked mighty annoyed.
"I don't know this Jax character and Alexandrite Madison Wolfgang is not well enough to leave the house or to receive any visitors. Doctor's orders".
She smiled politely and closed the door before I could say anything more to Mercer.
I was about to get it. Whenever she used my full name I was always in deep shit. She cocked her head to the said and gave me a bitch better start explaining look.
"I um er... so I, " I stammered. I was not sure of whether I should claim these people or not.
The feelings of ease that I felt around Mercer led me to tell her what I probably should not have told her.
"Jax is a good friend of mine mom. We hung out at school a lot with Mercer he was part of the crew." I gave her a sheepish look.
"You never mentioned them though and you seemed to not even know his name that Mercer character?" She responded with her hands on her hips now tapping her foot.
"Mom would you have believed me if I told you that I hang around gorgeous lads like Mercer and Jax? Also, you are the doctor you know the aftereffects of head injuries", I gave her a saucy playful smirk.
Her face seemed to soften at my joking.
"Fine, fine. Have your secrets just be safe and use protection".
The colour on my face drained as mortification flooded me. She laughed and walked away.
I went and took a long bath to try and clear my head. Who was Jax and why was I dreaming about him? And then Mercer why had he called Jax Alpha?
Something told me that I knew the answers to these questions but for the life of me I could not recall anything concerning this Alpha Jax.
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After a couple of days, I forgot all about Mercer and his visit. My mom went back home, to her therapist. She seemed to be really doing well and was back to her old self for which I was grateful. She had not fully recovered and still had some work to do on herself. She had insisted that I stay and fix the relationship I have with Axel because it was important to her to know that I was loved by both set of parents. Sounded like therapy bullshit but I didn't argue with her, there were too many unresolved matters here.
In lieu of that reasoning I moved back in with Axel. Although we had an unspoken agreement, I would live with him on condition that he would let me be. I had distanced myself from everyone. After what I had been through it was hard to be close to anyone because there were too many holes in the story.
Almost as if everyone was aware of one big secret that i wasn't privy to but concerned me.
I would go about my daily activities namely school and getting tutored to try and help me catch up on all the school I had missed.
Before I knew it, the year had ended, and I was done with Highschool. I was not too sure what the next phase would look like. I did want to start my own boutique, but I needed to take some courses to help me get started. I knew that I could get financial aid from Axel when the time comes.
This was a major milestone, to have been able to compete the year with all the bullshit that had occurred. I needed to celebrate somehow as a result of the fact that i had pushed everyone away i would probably celebrate by myself. I didn't want to think about all this whats next stuff i just wanted to enjoy this moment. Alison and Chris had gone to a party that their mutual friends were throwing, even though I had been invited too I didn't want to impose.
I went to a small club called Sumo and found that it was empty which wasn't surprising since it was barely after midday. I was not going to let the lack of a good vibe and celebratory atmosphere interfere with my plans. I was in a celebrative mood and nothing would stop my good vibes. Before i knew it, it was happy hour and the the place began to liven up. The vodka sodas i had been drinking had kept me energized and on the dance floor. I probably looked like a crack head. The music had changed and was making me feel myself more and i was wearing the perfect fit. A short black jumpsuit and my black and white suede Timberlands.
My natural hair was in an afro puff with my edges laid down and my face beat for the gods. I felt as free and wild as my kinky hair. I was gyrating on the dance floor with some of the football players from school who previously never bothered to speak to me but today none of it mattered. The party was probably coming to an end and the twins might just make an entrance. As the night went on, I got tipsier and didn't care about who I was dancing with as long as it wasn't any creepy old men.
Even though my senses were hazy because of all the liquor I had consumed, I felt him before I saw him. Jax. He was here in this establishment.
Somehow, I immediately recognized him. A bone deep wave of familiarity washed over me as I finally spotted him.
He was at the bar chatting up a tall slim girl who was almost the same height as him with her heels. He was a really tall good looking boy, I couldn't help but wonder if he noticed me too. Could he feel my presence and this weird connection and gravitation I felt towards him too? I don't know why, but I felt protective over him. I sauntered over to where they were now making out. Seeing them together lit an inferno of rage within me.
"Bitch!", I spat fisting her blond hair in my hand and dragging her away from him. At this juncture I would like to interject that, I would ordinarily never have behaved in such a tacky manner like this, but it was as if my body was on auto pilot plus i had probably had one drink too many.
She looked like she was about to go H. A.M on me. She was furious and her height gave her an advantage over me. She brought her hand down to slap me, but she missed because I had been pulled back. I looked to see who had saved me and was a bit disappointed when I saw that it was Mercer not Jax.
Mercer who i hadn't seen since that day at the hotel but I instantly recognized him as well. These strangers who I was interacting with as if I knew them on a personal level.
Regardless of my disappointment, I was still grateful. His hazel eyes were trained on my face and he looked disappointed in me.
I shrugged him and his negative vibes off, then searched the room to locate Jax who was still at the bar and chatting up another bimbo.
It hurt me deeply.
Did he not feel the bond between us? I had thought he was a dream I had conjured up until a couple weeks ago. I wanted to get to know him but he did not even seem remotely interested in me at all.
Fuck him! I wouldn't be some needy bitch who would attack every girl his little head told him to make out with. I would forget all about the fact that I had seen him tonight and continue with my celebrations. I went back onto the dance floor after two shots of gin. Gavin, a quarter back from the school team came and started swaying with me.
He was gorgeous, he made me forget about Jax and the spat I had with that girl earlier who seemed to have disappeared. The liquor might have also helped with that regard. Looking deeply into his glowing green eyes, I took a step towards him and linked my arms around his neck.
His hair was slicked back which just made him look suaver. He was wearing tailored navy chinos with white, paired with a white polo shirt that was snug against his huge body. He engulfed my lips in a burning kiss after dancing for a while.
I felt hot everywhere his hands touched. He then moved down to grab my ass and pulled me closer to him. He smelled so good. His tongue traced over my bottom lip and I felt the intensity of the inferno increase. When he let me up for air his lips moved to a new location on my body. They were now on my neck and then he kissed the part where I was bitten by the animal.
I felt my body tense up and cool down, in a single moment the fire was extinguished. This suddenly felt very wrong on many levels. He felt the change in my body, and he looked down at me.
Before he could comment, he was forcefully dragged backwards.