Chapter 321 Ginny & Jax

Chapter 321 Ginny & Jax
Fennigan and Leela continued to rock in a steady, rhythmic peace, the silver moonlight bathing the porch in a soft glow. The twins were finally heavy in their arms, drifting in that deep, supernatural sleep that only follows a full moon night.
The silence lasted until the crunch of gravel and the snap of a twig announced the return of the pair. Ginny and Jax stepped into the light of the porch lamps, and the transformation was visible in more than just the new wolf-spark in Ginny's eyes. She was practically glowing, her skin luminous and her posture radiating a grounded strength she’d never had before. They were walking close, their fingers interlaced so tightly it was hard to tell where one hand ended and the other began.
Ginny leaned back against Jax’s solid chest as they reached the stairs, looking up at the King and Queen. "I guess we don't know what the long-term effects are going to be yet," she said, her voice sounding richer, more resonant. "Elias is going to start running tests with Veda over the next couple of weeks to see how the Alpha blood and the synthetic stuff have finally settled."
Leela stopped her chair from rocking, a wicked, knowing grin spreading across her face. "So," she started, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "How was it? The first shift, the run, and... everything else?"
Ginny’s expression went through a rapid-fire sequence of emotions. "The shift hurt like hell," she admitted, shuddering at the memory of her bones snapping. "But then the run... and then..."
Her cheeks went from a soft pink to a brilliant, fiery red that rivaled the red fur of her wolf. She couldn't even finish the sentence before she hid her face against Jax’s shoulder.
"Yeah, we heard the howls," Leela snickered, her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. "The whole valley heard how 'successful' the bonding was."
The memory of the "satisfied" howl triggered Ginny’s sense of humor, and she let out a sudden, bright peal of laughter.
The sound had barely left her throat when both Caspian and Briar reacted in perfect, grumpy unison. Without even opening their eyes, the twins made a sharp "No" noise—a tiny, synchronized huff of protest against the loud grown-ups.
Leela immediately bit her lip, and Jax pulled Ginny closer, stifling his own chuckle into her hair.
"See?" Fennigan whispered, looking down at the two tiny dictators in their arms. "The heirs have spoken. If you're going to celebrate the new Wolf's arrival, you've got to do it quietly.
The morning after the full moon was unusually quiet. The "thumping" heartbeats that had nearly driven Ginny mad the day before had settled into a rhythmic, comforting hum. It wasn't that the noise was gone; it was that she finally had the "tether" Leela promised.
Jax hadn't left her side. Even as they sat in the sun-drenched breakfast nook, he was constantly touching her—a hand on her lower back, a thumb brushing her wrist—his inner wolf, Kye, finally quiet and purring now that his mate was fully claimed.
Ginny leaned back, nursing a massive mug of coffee and a plate of Vannie’s biscuits. "I feel like I could run to the border and back," she whispered, looking at Jax. "Is this how you feel every day? Like you’re plugged into the wall?"
"Better," Jax rumbled, his voice still a bit gravelly from the night's howls. "You’re vibrating, Gin. Your aura is so bright I can practically see it."
Leela walked in, carrying a sleepy Caspian on her hip. She took one look at the two of them. Ginny was holding Iggy—but they were practically fused together at the table—and just smirked.
"So," Leela said, sliding into the chair opposite them. "Now that the 'noise' is handled, how long do you think it will be before the High Council realizes the 'dead' experiment is actually eating biscuits in the kitchen. What’s the plan, Alpha?" Fennigan leaned back, shifting Briar’s weight slightly as the toddler let out a soft, sleepy sigh. He looked at Leela, then at Jax and Ginny, his expression grounding the room.
"I don’t think we go looking for them," Fennigan said, his voice low and steady. "Not yet. For the last three months, we’ve been reacting—fighting poison, hiding, and holding our breath. I think we sit back and wait. We start acting like a pack again. We run the borders, we hunt, we eat together. We let the world see the Blackwoods are whole, while Elias and Veda keep the 'science' side of things hidden in the shadows."
Jax nodded, his hand never leaving Ginny’s arm. "They think Ginny is a failed experiment. If we suddenly launch an attack, we confirm she's alive. But if we just... exist? They'll stay confused."
The estate shifted into a period of heavy, domestic peace. The training grounds were full again, the sounds of shifting and sparring filling the air, but the heart of the house was in the sunroom.
Leela was in full nesting mode. She had spent the last two days sorting through piles of soft cotton onesies and tiny socks. She pulled out the newborn clothes she’d saved from Briar and Caspian, stacking them neatly next to the things they’d gathered for Iggy.
Iggy was still a bit of a mystery. He was healthy and alert, but he hadn't quite hit the growth spurt Elias expected. Veda assumed his body was still using every bit of energy to flush out the last of the toxins; once his internal systems caught up, he’d likely double in size overnight. For now, he was their little survivor, quiet and watchful.
Ginny sat on the floor, helping Leela fold a stack of receiving blankets. "I was looking at these tiny socks," Ginny said softly. "It’s weird, isn't it? After everything we went through... we’re actually here."
Leela stopped her hands, her fingers trembling slightly over a yellow sleeper. "I was thinking about that park bench. Remember? Sharing that one bag of chips because we didn't want to go back to our houses? Mine was so full of hate, and yours... you just never knew if the next one would be worse."
"We didn't even have a shared class back then," Ginny whispered. "We just found each other. And now look. We’re literally sisters. Our kids are going to grow up with a family that actually wants them."
The weight of it all—the years of being unwanted, the terror of the Council, and the looming birth of her third child—suddenly hit Leela like a physical blow. She sat back on her heels, her breath hitching.
"Zephyr should be here any day," Leela sobbed, a stray tear splashing onto the laundry. "And I know... I just know the second he’s born, the High Council is going to start their bullshit again. They won't leave us alone. They’ll never stop."
"Leela, hey," Ginny stood up quickly, reaching for her.
"I know I’m being crazy!" Leela cried, her frustration bubbling over. "I know nothing is happening right now, but these hormones are driving me insane. I’m sad, then I’m terrified, then I’m ready to burn a building down."
Leela stood up, but she didn't move. She just stood there, staring at the piles of baby clothes, feeling a deep, heavy sadness she couldn't shake.
Outside, the bright morning sun suddenly vanished. Within seconds, the sky turned a bruised, weeping grey. A rhythmic patter-patter began against the glass of the sunroom, quickly turning into a torrential downpour.
Leela could usually control her elements with a thought, but pregnancy had always made her magic a little more... emotional. The rain didn't ask; it just came, mirroring the storm inside her.
"Oh, great," Leela sniffled, wiping her eyes as she watched the garden disappear behind the curtain of water. "Now the whole pack knows I’m having a meltdown. I’m literally watering the lawn with my feelings."
Through the window, they could see Fennigan and Jax stop their sparring in the distance. Both men looked up at the sudden, localized rain cloud hovering directly over the sunroom, then looked at each other with identical "Sparky is crying" expressions before sprinting toward the house.
Ginny wrapped her arms around her sister. "Let it rain, Leela. The garden needs it, and honestly? So do you. We’ll finish the laundry when the sun comes back out."