The Alpha and his Mate
Chapter 5

Annabelles POV

There was something about this Jax guy that made me feel...funny, I contemplated as I lay in the bath that he had run for me to get myself all cleaned up. He was treating me nicer than I had been treated in such a long time and I didn’t even know the guy.

Mate! The voice in my head whispered again and I sighed. I had no idea what that meant but I knew I was going crazy if I was starting to hear voices. Not surprising really when I haven’t had anyone to talk to in such long time, I’d need an imaginary friend to stay sane. Even someone like me needed some company every now and again, and if a voice in my head was all I conjure up then that was fine with me.

I sighed again as I laid back in the nice warm water, leaving my feet hanging out the edge of the tub so that the cuts didn’t sting to much from the soap. I had already emptied and refilled the tub once so that the water wasn’t so filthy, I hadn’t realised how dirty I had gotten until I saw clumps of mud swimming around me.

I also now I understood why Natalie would always spend so long in the bath, they were just so relaxing, to be surrounded by nice warm water. I wasn’t allowed hot water in the Leften’s house, it was too expensive to heat up and apparently, I wasn’t worth the money. I was only ever allowed a ten-minute cold shower once a day and they said that was only for their benefit so that they didn’t have to smell me.

As I sank further into the water, I started to drift off to sleep, feeling relaxed by the calmness that surrounded me. I hadn’t been this relaxed in I couldn’t remember how long. I was just about to drift off to sleep when I heard a soft knocking noise come from the bathroom door that made my heart speed up for a split second, reminding me where I was.

“Sorry to bother you my little mate but we really should be getting off to the hospital soon. The doctor wanted to make sure she hadn’t missed anything when she came to look you over earlier. She also wanted make sure your elbow was reset correctly after you shifted and that can only be checked with an x-ray” Jax murmured, his voice muffled due to the door that was between us.

I nodded, even though I knew he couldn’t see me, before slowly making my way out of the bath and over to the corner of the room where the towels were. I went to grab one of the huge, warm, fluffy white towel to wrap around me that had been resting on the towel warmer and sighed at the comforting feeling of warmth and softness. I was living the life of luxury.

I slowly hobbled towards the bathroom door, limping as I put slight pressure on my many open cuts and a twisted ankle. I rested my hand on the doorknob for balance, proud of myself for making it this far, before I opened it and took in the bedroom to pinpoint where Jax was.

He was sitting on the sofa on the left-hand side of his room and when he heard me coming he looked up from his phone with a huge grin on his face. He held out a pair of his tracksuit bottoms and another one of his t-shirt to me but I frowned at him in confusion, not quite understanding what he meant. I still wasn’t completely comfortable using my voice around him and so I just stared at him with a confused look on my face, hoping he would understand my confusion. I learnt my lesson pretty quickly not to speak unless spoken to at the Leftens and even then it didn’t guarantee that my voice wouldn’t anger them.

“These are for you” he explained as he continued to hold them out to me. “I’m sorry but they are the smallest things that I have in my wardrobe at the moment. I will have someone run out first thing in the morning so that you can have something to wear tomorrow that will actually fit you” he explained, holding out the clothes for me.

I inched forward as I made my way towards him, scared it was some form of trick, but when he didn’t snatch the clothes away from me I took them from his outstretched hand with a grateful smile and turned around to get changed.

“I’m just going to umm...go and stand outside for a second” he muttered, rubbing the back if his neck with one of his hands. Why did he look so nervous all of a sudden? He didn’t seem like the type of person who would be nervous around people.

I nodded my head in understanding, waiting for him to leave the room so that I could change. Once he had left I quickly dropped the towel to the floor and put on the bottoms and shirt that he had left me, silently laughing at how big they fell on me. The t-shirt he gave me was more like a dress on my small frame and I had to roll the trouser legs up a fair few times before my feet could finally peek through the bottom, giving me the ability to walk without the fear of constantly tripping up.

Once I was fully clothed, I took a seat on the unmade bed as I waited for Jax to come back from wherever he had disappeared to. As I sat my eyes started to wander around the room as I took everything in. The room had a very masculine feel to it, with black and beige being the main colour scheme that ran throughout the entire room. The king-sized bed dominated the room as it sat on the far wall opposite the door to the bathroom. It was flanked by two solid wood bed side tables, both with matching golden lamps on them, and an alarm clock rested on one with bright red backlighting, telling me the time.

My eyes shifted to the black leather sofa that Jax had previously been sitting on and then further along to the left where I saw an old looking fireplace. It didn’t look like it was in use and hadn’t been used for many years, it looked more like a decorative piece than a practical addition to the room as I continued to observe it. Before I knew it I was on my feet again and hobbling over to the fire place where, on the mantelpiece, there were dozens of pictures all in different sizes, framing faces of happy smiling people.

There was one photo in particular that drew my eye. It was one of Jax with two other people, a boy and a girl, laughing with each other as they had their arms wrapped around each other in a field somewhere. The photo radiated happiness and I felt a pang of jealousy for never having that feeling in my life, one that I could really remember anyway. I’m sure when my parents were alive we did stuff like this all the time, but I was too young to really remember much about them.

A lone tear slipped down my cheek at the realisation that I had left my one and only photo of them back in my old room in the Leften’s house. I would never see their faces again, not if I couldn’t get that picture back anyway.

“Are you okay little mate?”

I silently screamed, not realising that Jax had come back into the room and dropped the photo frame due to shock. I watched in horror as it slowly tumbled towards the floor and broke into several pieces, the glass shattering all over the fireplace hearth and the soft carpet beneath our feet.

I stared at the mess in horror, not believing that I had done something so careless and stupid, before my brain kicked into gear and I started to panic. Getting hit by any of the Leften’s family hurt, but Jax was bigger and most definitely stronger than all of them and I dreaded to think about what kind of damage he could do if he got angry.

I gasped again at the realisation that I was just standing there, staring open mouthed at the mess I had made, instead of doing my job and cleaning it up. I must clean it up, the quicker the better, to avoid more punishment then I would already get for breaking something. I immediately got on my hands and knees, not caring about the fact that the glass was slightly cutting into the skin on the heel of my hands and my knees. The only thing going through my mind right now was that I must clean this mess up and quick, before things got ten times worse for me.

I hadn’t noticed that Jax had also dropped to his knees in front of me until after he had taken my shaking hands gently in his, effectively stopping me from completing my task. I froze as I stared at my tiny hands in his much larger ones, frowning at the slight calming effect his touch had on me. I had never been comfortable with people touching me, especially since moving in with the Leftens, so why all of a sudden was I okay with his touch? It was like my body was trying to tell me something but for the life of my I just couldn’t figure it out.

“It’s okay Annabelle” he calmly said to me, his voice soft like silk “it’s only a picture frame”. He smiled reassuringly at me but I just stared back at him with wide eyes, not knowing how to react in a situation like this.

He sighed before standing up slowly with my hands still gently cradled in his. I stood up with him, cringing at the weight I unintentionally put on my injured ankle, before limping back over to the bed. I could tell that Jax wanted to carry me, that me walking and cringing at the pain it caused me made him uncomfortable, but I’m glad he didn’t. I never had any independence at my old house, so I was going to hold onto whatever control I did have for dear life.

“You don’t have to be scared of me Annabelle” Jax whispered as he kept a hold of my hands in his, gently stroking the top of my left hand with the pad of his thumb. “I will never, ever hurt you and I promise to you right now that I will spend the rest of my life making sure that you are never to be hurt by anyone else ever again” he stated with conviction.

I stared at him in shock, not really knowing how to respond to such a statement. My heart was going a mile a minute but this time I didn’t think it was in fear like it usually was. A blush was slowly creeping its was up my neck and onto my cheeks as Jax continued to stare at me with such faith I couldn’t help but believe him. I think I believed him when he said he would never hurt me...but why? Why did I believe the words of a stranger when I had no reason to?

Mate! The voice came again and I sighed in frustration.

Not now imaginary voice I huffed now is really not the time I muttered back with a mental eye roll. Thankfully I didn’t hear anything back and sighed in relief.

“Are you ready to go to the hospital?” Jax asked as he brushed a strand of still slightly damp hair that had been hanging in front of my face and tucked it behind my ear.

I shrugged before nodding my head, as ready as I’ll ever be. I went to stand but as I cringed again at the pain the still fresh cuts brought me Jax sighed before turning to me. “Can I please pick you up my little mate? It is killing me watching you put yourself through this pain when there is something I can do to stop it” he begged as he looked pleadingly into my eyes.

I thought back to all the times that he had already touched me, to all the times that he has already picked me up and gently held me. None of them had been in a threatening or malicious manner and every time he touched me he always made sure that I was aware of it and to be as gentle as he possibly could. His touch calmed me and as much as it confused me it had to count for something.

Could I do it though? Could I let this strange man, whom I’d just met not hours ago, pick me up and take away the little bit of control that I had left in my life? I frowned at the thought before taking a tentative step towards the door but cringed in pain again as my ankle gave way. Thankfully Jax was there to catch me before I fell to the floor which, knowing me, probably would have resulted in more injuries and promptly settled me back on my feet.

I sighed as I realised I’d have to let him carry me if we wanted to get to the hospital any time soon. It would be stupid of me to decline his offer of help when I was obviously in desperate need of it. I nodded my head slightly, giving him permission to carry me to wherever the hospital was.

I heard Jax sigh in relief before he slowly bent down and picked me up bridal style, probably not wanting to scare me with any sudden movements. I clenched my fists into the fabric of his top but otherwise didn’t make any noise as Jax silently exited the bedroom and walked down the stairs.

I didn’t get a chance to see much of the downstairs part of his house but what I did see made my eyes widen in shock. His house was huge, how did one person live in a house this big? I mean presuming he did live alone that is. It was extremely elegant looking and I shuddered at the thought of having to polish the glass that cover one of the walls in the living room, giving the room a gorgeous view of the forest.

At my shudder Jax slightly tightened his hold on me, probably thinking that I was chilly seeing as it was dark out and I was only wearing a pair of joggers and a t-shirt.

“I should’ve gotten you one of my jumpers as well” he whispered near my ear as he slowed down to a stop outside the opened front door. “Would you like me to get one for you?” He asked as he looked down at me.

I shook my head but otherwise didn’t say anything. I wasn’t even that cold if I was being completely honest, Jax was like a space heater and with him next to me I was more than warm enough.

After staring at me for a second, probably making sure that I was telling him the truth, he nodded his head as he continued to make his way over to what I’m presuming was his car.

The door was unlocked and Jax shifted me easily into just one arm, freeing up his other to open the passenger door and place me into the front seat.

“Annabelle can I just know one more thing about you?” Jax muttered as he started to do up seatbelt for me.

I could tell by his tone that he didn’t expect me to say yes and the fact that he looked so sad about it nearly broke my heart. I took a breath of courage before nodding my head slowly.

A grin spread across his face as he took in my small nod but after that we remained quiet. I didn’t really know what to say and it wasn’t like he had asked me anything specific.

The sound of an owl in the distance broke the silence between us and Jax sighed as he ran his hand over his face before looking back up at me. He was still crouching in front of me as I sat in the front seat of his car and I couldn’t help but stare at him expectantly as he looked back at me.

“Please Annabelle, anything at all.” He smiled up reassuringly at me but I just remained silent as I stared at him, unable to think of a single interesting thing to tell him. After all I’m just me, apart from being able to cook and clean there was literally nothing else that I could do.

I stuttered as I tried to come up with something but still no sound came out, thankfully Jax relented and smiled reassuringly at me before starting to stand back up. Even though I could tell that he wasn’t angry at me for not saying anything I still felt an unwelcome feeling bubble in my chest. It was a feeling I hadn’t felt in such a long time that it almost shocked me that I could even feel something other than sadness and pain, I felt upset that I had let him down.

I went to grab his hand as he started to close the passenger door and froze as I felt his skin connect with mine. There it was again, that overwhelming feeling of calm as I looked at my hand in his. We both stood there for a second, marvelling at the feeling of our hand in the others, a connection that for once I had initiated.

I took a calming breath before looking up at Jax’s awe struck eyes, still staring at our joined hands. I could do this, after everything he had done for me the least I could do was give him a little information about me.

“Nineteen” I whispered, flinching slightly as I watched Jax’s eyes snap back to mine. “I-I’m nineteen” I repeated, making sure that he understood what I was telling him.

It was silent for a moment, the only noise coming from the owl as it continued to hoot in the distance. It wasn’t long thought before Jax released a smile so bright I was afraid it would crack his face. He looked like a kid at Christmas from one of those adverts on the television.

“Thank you my angel” he smiled before leaning down to place a small kiss on my forehead. It was probably the most innocent thing in the world but as his lips connected with my skin a little shiver ran down my spine and I blushed a deep red. What was going on with me? I looked up through my lashes to see that Jax had frozen as he stared down at me with a fearful expression. I’m guessing he was fearful of my reaction, that he was worries that he had gone a step to far and I was now going to have another panic attack.

I waited for the panic within me to bubble to the surface, but when I felt nothing but a slow warmth blossom throughout my chest, I blushed. I had no idea what these new feels meant, all I knew was that Jax had made physical contact with me without my knowledge or permission and I hadn’t panicked.

I looked in my lap as I fiddled with my clothing, suddenly replaceing the fabric of the shirt I was wearing very interesting. Did he know what was going on with me? Everything was so new to me right now I was having a hard time figuring out what I was supposed to be feeling. I risked one sneaky look up at Jax and froze again as I came face to face with his grin that was plastered back on his face. He knew, he knew and he wasn’t telling me.

I frowned as I felt Jax slowly get up and make his way around the front of the car and towards the driver’s side, still not uttering a single word. He silently put the key in the ignition, starting up the engine with a purr and proceeded to backup out of his driveway. There was a soft hum of music that played through the speakers but it was too quiet to hear, I had never heard anything like it. It was soft and strong all at the same time and I found myself placing my hand on the speaker by my feet as I felt the vibrations tickle my fingertips.

“You like classical music?” He asked, not taking his eyes off the dark road that stretched before us. We were weaving our way through the trees on a country road as the leaves fell around us. the branches acted like a tunnel that blanketed us from the moon and the leaves falling like snow as they drifted silently around us. It was very rare for me to experience something as simple as being in a car and even then I was never allowed in the front seat, always the back and hidden away from everyone else. Like I was a dirty secret that they refused to air.

I remained silent as I closed my eyes and just immersed myself in the music that had now turned into a soft melody, almost matching the hum of the engine perfectly as they continued their musical duo. I smiled as Jax turned the volume up slightly so that I was able to hear the notes, it was almost magical.

We said nothing else as we continued our short five minute drive and it wasn’t long before we made our way to a clearing with a lone building standing proud in the middle of it.