Striking the Heart of the Wolf Pt. 02

Jax smiled to himself, excited about the idea of showing her the places he considered a sanctuary. "Then I'll take you."

"I enjoyed meeting everyone tonight. Russ seems great. That girl not so much." Mia giggled as she recalled the earlier display of pitiful desperation.

Jax just shook his head at the mention of the female pack member. "Jordan and her friends are who we call the 'brat pack.' No one really pays them much mind." He stated matter of fact. "Russ though... he's the closest thing I have to a brother. My mom almost died giving birth to me, my father couldn't risk losing her, so I was an only child. He always felt bad he couldn't give me a sibling. Even though he and Victor were born far apart, they had a close bond. It was something he had hoped to give his children."

Mia shifted her face up towards Jax. "You never mentioned Victor was your uncle."

"Yeah, he was more like a second dad though. Are you close to any of your family? I know you said none of them lived close."

"I don't consider myself to have a family. Just my aunt Camilla and her husband. And my best friend Lilly."

"What about your parents?"

"My mom died when I was young, then my dad disappeared. Sometimes I want to hate him, but he just wasn't the same after her death. It's like a piece of him died with her."

"So, you were raised by your aunt and uncle?" Mia scoffed at the question, solely for Marco's "title" as her uncle.

"My aunt yes. Her husband can rot."

"Must have done something pretty bad to elicit that kind of reaction."

"Nothing I want to talk about." She snuggled her head deeper into the nook between his chest and arm. Jax held her close to him, doing his best to protect her from her demons.

He pushed further in a different direction. "So, you've never met anyone else in your family?" He wanted to know what it was that caused her torment, but he decided against upsetting her any.

"Aunt Camilla was the only one of my dad's siblings he trusted with me. I suppose the rest of his family remained in Italy. I never met any of my mom's family. She was the only one to leave Ireland for the states."

"You've never been to either country?"

Mia let a small laugh surface. "Never even left Florida until now." It was such a sweet sound, he smiled feeling her mood shifting again.

"Maybe I can take you someday. They are beautiful places." It was more of a statement than a question, and Mia pushed herself up slightly to meet his eyes.

Again, she raised her eyebrow at him. "Seems a bit soon to be planning my future travel plans."

This was a challenging woman, but Jax found it almost amusing. He felt more for Mia than for the women of the pack who would so readily submit to him. "Perhaps, but the thought of your smile seeing those places just seems so enticing."

"Well, that does seem like a good reason. Maybe I will let you take me." Mia offered a small smirk before returning to her spot in his arms and resumed admiring the stars, imagining what mysteries the glittering galaxies held.

The ride home was filled with meaningless conversation. Jax was content with the progress he had made and just happy with her presence. Though she seemed to begin to retreat to a darker space in her mind, he couldn't decide whether to address it or give her time to work through it herself. In the end, he chose to let her figure it out, not wanting to push his luck.

Once at her front door, Jax began to dread leaving her again.

"I had an amazing time. Thank you." The look in Mia's eyes as she spoke made Jax want to hold her tight to make all her fears and pain disappear. It was as if she was fighting a losing battle. He would do anything to take it all away.

Going against his better judgment, given the first 24 hours of knowing her, he took a leap to gain her trust. "I don't know what has happened in your past that you hold a secret, and you don't have to tell me till you are ready, but I would never do anything to hurt you." Going all in, Jax prayed she wouldn't bolt in the opposite direction. "You are as mysterious and beautiful as the stars. I want to know every part of you. I know it may sound crazy, but I feel like right now, at this moment, you should be here... with me." Her eyes changed to a look of adoration.

Taking a breath, Mia's voice was small as she responded, "No, it's not crazy, it's the only thing that makes sense to me right now. I don't really know how these things go. I've never let anyone so close this fast. I'm a little scared, but that's my baggage. I'm kind of broken."

When Mia looked down embarrassed at her admission, Jax lifted her chin gently, looking at her with sincerity. "I don't ever want you to feel scared. And you're not broken. Besides, even if I did believe that to be true, I'm really good at fixing things."

"Jax..." Before she could finish, he pulled her in and gently pressed his lips to hers, desperate to take away all her doubts. After giving in to him Mia opened her mouth slightly to allow his tongue to meet hers. What started as soft and reassuring turned into need and desire. As Mia pushed her body to his, quickening the dance between their tongues, Jax grabbed her ass and lifted her before pushing her back to the door. A low growl escaped his chest, his wolf taking control. Reminding his eager other half that she needed more time, he controlled his instinct to take her to her bed and claim her. She wasn't ready to trust him yet, and he would have to take it slow or risk pushing her away. Pulling away from the kiss, his wolf protested in anger, but Jax ignored him.

Lost in the throes of her passion, Mia's breath was heavy with desire. She needed to get a hold of herself before things went too far.

Still feeling their closeness, Mia spoke into his lips. "I really should go get some sleep."

Resting his forehead against hers, she heard him sigh, before slowly letting her down. "That's probably for the best. Would you have lunch with me tomorrow?"

"Lunch sounds great."

"I'll be here at 12."

Jax kissed Mia on the forehead. He already couldn't stand not being near her, but he made sure Mia was inside and the door had been locked before returning to his truck.

On his way home, his mind ran rampant, his wolf full of frustration. He needed to let go, to let his wolf and him be free and relieve some of the pent-up energy.

After parking behind his home, he wasted no time. Jax instantly shifted and ran through the woods, enjoying the thing that made him feel most at ease.

Give her time. We will make her ours.

That night the shadows that haunted Mia's dreams came for her again, but this time she found clearance. When she emerged from the haze she saw wolves with glowing gold eyes in a beautiful magical forest and her mom watching in approval from a distance.

The voice rang clear in her mind as if her mom was whispering it to her, "It's ok, baby, soon everything will be clear."

- - -

Waking up feeling more rested than she had in years, Mia spent the early part of her morning with a cup of coffee at the bay windows in the dining area looking out at the miles of forest and mountains on the horizon. The scene offered her the same peace as the days she spent watching the waves at the beach. She would never have imagined this place would feel like home just as much as Florida, but without the painful memories attached.

After eating a light breakfast, she decided it was probably time to unpack her things. With the money she had saved up, she decided to take a month off before taking on a new client, to spend some time at the cabin and grieve the loss of a dear friend. Living out of a bag would eventually become inconvenient. As she organized her things in the dresser, she picked out her outfit for the day. Not too sure where they were going, she decided on casual but stylish, a form-fitting cotton gray mini dress, her black knee-high boots, and a red silk jacket.

It was almost time for Jax to be there to pick her up for lunch. She took one last look in the mirror, fluffed her wavy hair, and let out a deep breath. The way she reacted to this man gave her butterflies and scared her to death at the same time. Besides, what did a guy like him want with someone as damaged as her?

Right at noon came the knock on the door. The man was nothing if not punctual. She grabbed her small jacket and when she opened it he stared at her in awe.

"You look amazing."

"Thank you. I didn't know where we were going, so I went with cute and casual." Mia did a playful curtsey.

Jax gave a small chuckle. "Smart woman. I like it."

Mia raised her eyebrow when she noticed the devious look in his eyes. "Is that all you like?"

Jax moved in as he spoke. "Not even close." Mia hadn't even noticed she was holding her breath when she had to remind herself to breathe.

His scent painted a vivid image in her mind like she could smell the forest on him. When she closed her eyes she could see the trees, hear the water in the creeks, and smell the smoke coming from fireplaces in nearby homes. It was intoxicating.

Needing to regain control of her senses, she spoke to maintain what little space was left between them.

"Where are you taking me for lunch? I'm so hungry I might wither away here." She was guarding herself, hiding behind her sweet smile. Jax felt her close off again, his wolf groaning at her stubbornness. He spoke to him, reminding they needed to maintain a steady pace. She was like a deer in headlights, any sudden movements and she might bolt.

"We can't have that. I wanted to take you to my brewery. It's pretty much a bar, but we serve food and make our own beer. And the food isn't too bad."

Mia looked offended that he had not offered up that bit of information. "I'm sorry, you own a brewery?"

He responded almost indifferently. "Quite a few actually. Victor left them to me when he left for Florida."

"They were Victor's?" She asked in astonishment. "I don't even know what to do with all this new information."

"I suppose you could stew over it during lunch. Let's go." Jax smiled playfully as he tugged at her hand, before leading her to the truck.

Walking up to the brewery Mia looked like she was searching her brain for something when she saw the name.

Mia played with the words on her lips, speaking to herself as she tried to figure out why that sounded familiar. Finally, it came to her. Saying it louder in resolve as she looked at Jax "Lycaon's Den." She smiled at her realization. "King of Arcadia. Zeus turned him into a werewolf after feeding him his own son."

Jax nodded in approval. "You know your mythology."

"It was my favorite subject, especially Roman and Greek mythology." She beamed with pride. "My aunt still believes in the old gods. She would tell me stories growing up that weren't taught in school."

"Our ancestors immigrated here from Greece. The town's people are descendants of mostly English, Irish, and Scottish settlers." He explained.

Mia smiled, happy to learn more about Gildergreen's history. "Good to know."

Jax walked Mia straight to the bar and pulled out a chair for her to sit, then took the adjacent seat and wrapped his arm around her. The young bartender, Zoey, came to greet them.

Zoey dawned her right smile as she approached. "Hey, boss. How are you guys doing today?"

Jax greeted the young girl with a returned smile. "Hey Zoey, we're good. This is Mia. She inherited Victor's old cabin."

"Hi, Mia! I'm Zoey. Nice to see Jax with someone other than my brother. He takes himself way too seriously." Zoey was vibrant when she talked, it was hard not to smile in her presence.

When Jax sent her a sarcastic glare, Zoey giggled to herself. Besides being Russell's baby sister, Jax adored Zoey. There was no use being mad at her.

Mia seemed amused by the way Zoey regarded Jax. "Well, I guess I'm glad to give him better company. I take it you are Russ' sister then? I can see the resemblance." She was a small female version of Russ, with golden tan skin, and blue eyes, and she kept her shiny, straight, black hair in a short bob cut. It was the personalities that did it though. Russ wasn't quite as bubbly but seemed to equally enjoy getting a rise out of Jax.

"Don't you usually work nights, Zoey?" Jax tried and failed to sound annoyed.

She smiled with mock innocence. "I do. Fortunately for you, I took Phoebe's shift today." Her look then changed to slightly sympathetic, as she elaborated. "One of the twins was feeling a little too adventurous and broke their arm."

"Well, that would be cause to stay home."

"Yeah, she said he's taking it like a champ though, go figure. But I should probably get back to work. My boss can be a real ass sometimes." Her voice laced with sarcastic annoyance. "So, what can I get you?"

Rolling his eyes at the quirky girl, Jax ignored her quip at his expense. "We'll have two of the Mad Calypso ales, and two gyros with the baked feta cheese fries."

"Coming right up." Zoey chirped.

Giving Jax a look of derision, Mia did not seem happy about being ordered about. "That was a bit presumptuous." She eyed him accusingly.

Jax shrugged. "Probably, but I wanted you to try it. Plus, I haven't seen you eat meat since we met. Assuming you aren't a vegetarian, protein is pretty important." He pointed out.

Not entirely satisfied with his response, Mia decided not to argue. She wasn't so sure about being told what to do, or eat in this case. Since she left her aunt's, she had always made her own decisions, deciding she would never let anyone else control her again. She might not have been the most assertive person, but she was not ok with just blindly submitting to a man she had met. Even if he was irresistible.

Mia responded dismissively, "No, I am not a vegetarian, but I am an avid believer in choosing my own food." Her demeanor changed to relaxed as she continued, "Nonetheless, I suppose I will trust you know the food here better than me."

Jax looked at her amused, then nodded in understanding. "Duly noted."

Then as quickly as she went from indifferent to calm, she shifted again. Her face plastered with disbelief, as she whispered to him, "I can't believe you own this place."

"It was Victor who started the brewery. He had expanded to three before he left me to take over. There are now six in total." He explained with modest pride. "The majority are in more populated areas. This one is more of a community spot, but they are all members only."

Mia shook her head, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I feel like I'm getting to know Victor more now than when he was alive."

"Maybe that's why he left you with what he did." Jax offered. "The old man was never one for sharing details about his life. I don't think he was very good at letting himself be vulnerable enough to let people in. Maybe this was his way of showing you what he couldn't tell you." With ease, he placed his hand over hers as he explained his thoughts.

Mia's smile was sweet, if not slightly sad. "That is a beautiful sentiment and I truly hope you are right."

Dragging Mia out of her newfound curiosity Zoey returned with their drinks. "Here yah' go. Food order is in and shouldn't take too long."

Jax thanked Zoey before she bounced her way to the other side of the bar. She truly was a very bubbly person.

Needing a moment to regroup, Mia stood and looked at Jax. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to use the bathroom real quick before the food gets here."

She followed where Jax had pointed to the restrooms. It was fairly busy, being lunchtime, and all eyes seemed to be on her as she walked through the dining area.

After taking a few minutes to herself in the empty bathroom, Mia headed back out to return to Jax. Barely making it five steps out of the door, she was stopped by a slightly older man who looked like he had bathed in grease and had long passed his drinking limit. He made her uneasy immediately.

The man slurred his speech as he regarded her. "Well now, who do we have here? I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you yet. Such a shame too. You're hot as hell. Didn't think Jax had it in him."

Mia almost screamed when he dragged his dirty fingers across her jawline. Frozen in fear, she couldn't move or speak.

As if he was feeling it himself, he sensed Mia's panic. He was already on his feet when he saw Damien touch her face. He growled in fury before racing over to her. Making it there in no time he grabbed the old fool's arm, forcing him to stand face-to-face. The look of pure regret instantly washed over him.

"I think it's time for you to leave, Damien. Wouldn't want you getting hurt after drinking too much." Jax made no effort to hide the threat in his tone. Wanting nothing more than to break off the very fingers that touched his mate, he fought for control so as not to frighten her. Damien would have to face the full extent of Jax's wrath later.

Damien looked at Jax wide-eyed as he stuttered over his words. "My apologies, sir. I didn't mean any harm." Jax reluctantly released him.

Damien looked at Mia with shame. "Sorry Miss." He ran to the door practically tripping over himself.

Seemingly relaxing some as she saw the grimy man exit the room. Jax grabbed her hand giving it a light squeeze and pulled her to his side. "I think our food is almost done. Let's go sit down."

It was suddenly quieter, as everyone tried their best not to be caught looking at their alpha and the woman he had all but announced was his.

After returning to the bar, Jax tried to lighten Mia's mood. She seemed to have perked up some by the time they finished, but the fear that she was trying to hide was still there. Wanting to get her out of there and spend the rest of the day getting her to smile again, Jax paid for their meal and left a generous tip.

Once in the truck, Jax looked at Mia searching her eyes, trying to gauge her thoughts. "I'm sorry about that old dirtbag in there. He's always been a bit of a jackass. I know he freaked you out, but I also know it was more than just him that caused the amount of panic I saw in you." He paused for a moment as he considered his words. "I don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you, but I want so much to take away whatever it is that is tormenting you so deeply." He smiled at her reassuringly, resisting the urge to touch her. "I would do anything in my power to keep you happy and away from harm."

Mia stood silent for a moment. It looked like she was deciding what to do or say. Finally, she spoke. "As you know I was raised by my aunt Camilla and her husband Marco. My aunt was the most beautiful woman, she is the reason for any good in me there is. Her husband, my uncle as he loved to call himself... he is the reason I am so damaged."

Closing her eyes, Mia paused, like she was reliving the past she was telling. "I was young when I first went to stay with them. Marco was so charming to everyone, even my aunt believed he was perfect. But, when no one was watching, he was a completely different person."

Jax listened intently, careful not to interrupt her recollections. It pained him to see her so hurt, but he refrained from his urge to hold her. "I wasn't allowed to be around any boys, and I couldn't go over to any of my friend's houses. He made me tell my aunt I just wasn't comfortable. But it was because he said he knew I would find a way to be a little slut if he wasn't watching me." Mia let out a sigh, stalling to let it all out.

"I didn't work until after I turned 18 because he told my aunt and me, he just wanted me to focus on my studies, but made sure I didn't apply to any college when the time came. After my 18th birthday, we got into a fight. He was always violent, but this time..." she looked away, trying to hide the wetness forming in her eyes.

"I was a virgin when Marco raped me. After he finished, he told me I was his, that no one else was to ever touch me, and if I ever told anyone he would make me regret it. There are times I remember him grabbing my hair and forcing me to swear I would never leave him. It went on for about four years before I packed what I could into a few bags and moved in with my best friend Lilly." Her tears silently fell from her eyes. He couldn't bear to see her in so much pain, to know someone so evil had hurt her in that way. Not wanting her to have to say anymore, Jax gently lifted her face, her eyes still closed, he caressed her face wiping her tears away with his thumb.