Chapter 72: Chapter Seventy-One

Visiting the former General Maximus was not what I wanted to do one a Saturday morning but apparently he wouldn’t give his demands if I wasn’t there. I think it was just his way of pestering me.

Ajax’s been dark since yesterday when Rebecca made her demands and poked at Ajax’s past pain. The drive to the secret prison was quiet but I felt his presence because my hand was in his death grip the entire time.

Even now as we walked to the prison cell at the end of the long hall.

“Has anyone ever broken out?” I whispered.

Ajax bore down on me with his intense eyes. “Never.”

A shiver ran up my spine. There was a first for everything but I didn’t want those negative thoughts in my head.

A beta guard opened the cell door. I expected it to smell like urine and rat droppings but it oddly smelled of lemons. I guess they forced them to wash up here.

“There she is. I was looking forward to seeing you, Delanie,” Max said.

Bile rose up my throat but I forced it down.

“Can it Max or this will happen with your eyes closed,” Ajax warned coolly.

“Fine, fine. I don’t want to rot in this prison cell. As soon as Alexandra’s free. I want banishment.”

I looked at Ajax. That sounded risky he could easily come back and attack us but he didn’t have a wolf. He didn’t seem like a threat. In fact the few weeks he spent here aged him quite a bit. He lost body mass and the colour drained from his face. I felt bad for him.

“It’s a deal,” I blurted out.

“Delanie,” Ajax grumbled.

He pulled me aside. “Baby, you don’t just say it’s a deal without ironing things out.”

I raked a hand through my hair. “Oops.”

Ajax turned back to Max. “Okay what do we need?”

“Sleeper dust to quiet the geysers, jet stones to ward off the creatures of Treason Rock and a suit. I’m not going there in this uniform.”

“Fine. Tomorrow night, deal?”

Max smirked and nodded. “Deal. I’m a man of my word, Ajax.”

Something about him felt off. Ajax removed his wolf from him. He shouldn’t be smiling and giving his word. He should be plotting and scheming which is what I thought he was doing. We just needed to keep our eyes open and never turn our backs.

***

We got into the car and Ajax sighed heavily. He looked tired and I knew the exhausted came from within like a disease threatening to eat him up from the inside.

I rubbed his thigh and willed him to look at me but he never did.

“I know you think you’re some sort of monster right now but no monster would save a helpless slave girl and then take her in.”

He rolled his head to the side. His beautiful eyes nearly made my heart stop. He really was a thing of beauty.

“Doesn’t erase what I did.”

“It doesn’t. One time boys from the pack came to our property and messed up an entire cabbage pack. We were going to sell it and be set for months but the damage but us down financially. I was furious because it hurt my Grandmother. I wanted revenge too. So I went to the garbage bins at the Alpha’s house…”

“No, Delanie,” Ajax groaned and ran a hand down his face.

“I created a little trap. Long story short three beta boys landed in a pile of rotten potatoes and cow dung. I was caught and whipped in the end. My point is I didn’t do a nice thing just to get back at people who did something horrible to someone I loved. Does that make me a terrible person?”

He smirked, reached out and dragged me to his lap. He kissed my cheek.

“It’s nowhere near the same thing sweetheart but thanks. I don’t want to hear about you getting whipped either. You didn’t deserve that.”

He kissed my cheek several times then his lips travelled to my lips.

“Hmm you taste so good,” he said between kisses.

“Yeah? What do my lips taste like?”

“Like cherry.”

“Do you like cherry?”

“I love it.”

He reached into my hair and fisted it. The kiss turned fiery and passionate. We haven’t moved from the secret prison spot in the woods. I moaned against his lips and darted out my tongue to taste his. Ajax moved his fingers from my hair to my neck. His fingers stroked my skin before gently closing around it.

I kind of liked it.

“So good,” he moaned.

I pulled back for air. If I didn’t need to breathe, I’d have kissed him until the sun got tired of hanging in the sky.

“Can we finish this at home? In our room perhaps.”

“I’d love that…”

He started the car at least this time he wasn’t so grim. I tried to fill the space with stories but most of my adventures didn’t have good endings. I either got hurt or humiliated. Ajax told me about his childhood with Oscar and his Dad. I realized that Ajax never spoke about his Mother. He told me his Mother was sisters with Oscar’s Mother and it ended there. From his stories it seemed like she wasn’t around or he purposefully omitted her. Those were questions for another day. I just enjoyed the smile on his face as he spoke.

“Who’s here?” I asked, eyeing the white truck parked out front.

“Uh… Ross. He bought a new truck. I’m sure he’s here to show off. Come on.”

So much for our plans! Ajax eyed me a smirked mischievously. He leaned over the console and closed his lips on mine.

“Don’t worry, I’ll still fill you up.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks. “Ajax,” I hissed.

He barked out a laugh. “Let’s go.”

I trotted behind him eyeing the front law. The storm left patches in the grass and the heavy wind blew branches and leaves from all over. It was a mess but the house came out unscathed thankfully.

I walked into the house and wondered why the curtains were closed. I scanned the room...

“Surprise!!!”

I stumbled back and gasped. Someone threw the curtains open to reveal the faces of my closest friends. My only friends really…

“What is this a home invasion?” I gasped.

“You forgot it was your birthday, didn’t you, Del?” Ajax smirked leaning against the wall.

“What? It is not.”

“It’s April thirtieth. You were born today, Delanie”

My face turned red with embarrassment. How could I forget my own birthday? Ajax took me in his arms and kissed my forehead.

“Birthday sex later,” he whispered.

My core blazed with the promise of being in his arms later.

“It’s a double celebration because you finished your medical assistant course!” Shaina beamed and thrust a glass of pink sparkling drink at me.

It’s my birthday one glass won’t hurt.

I received a hug from everyone in the room before Ross shouted the meat was on the fire and the alcohol was plenty. I was overwhelmed with emotions. It was my first birthday without Grandma Amy but my first birthday with the man I love. I still couldn’t believe I was so stressed I couldn’t look at the calendar.

Sometime during the day more of Ajax’s friends came over and the party got even bigger. It was the first party I’d been to where I was a guest and not the help, but I couldn’t help but pick up cups.

“This is a great party. Don’t forget mine next month,” Ainsley said, she was on her second wine glass.

“Ross will take care of everything,” I teased.

Betty and Shaina giggled.

At this point we all knew Ainsley and Ross were dating. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her. Ross brought a sound system and was playing loud music outside where the meat was going.

“I’m going to get a glass of wine from the kitchen and join your guys,” I said, getting up.

I wondered to the kitchen and searched for more of those disposable cups. The non-alcoholic pink wine Shaina brought me finished hours ago. It was dark now and I felt comfortable enough to have one glass of wine maybe two.

“Mate…” Ajax whispered behind me.

Before I turned his arms circled my waist and he kissed my shoulder hard and passionately.

“What’s wrong?”

He tightened his grip around my middle and I panicked.

“Ajax?”

“It’s you… your smell. You smell…”

“I smell!” I gasped.

I turned to meet his eyes. He cupped my face and kissed me.

“Hey… you just told me I smell.”

He threw his head back and laughed. He brushed my hair back and smoothed my cheeks. What’s the matter with him?

“No, you smell different Delanie.” He shook his head but held his smile. “I smell my pup.”