His eagle woke up just at the thought of his mate’s name, desperately urging Jax to go find her. Resisting the urge to chuck his guitar at the wall, he stood and placed it in the stand. Casting a longing glance at his drums, he walked out, jogging down the two flights of stairs from his attic room, heading to the barn where the fighters trained.
He longed to play his drums right now, as he did whenever something pissed him off. Or when, like right now, he felt an emotion so strongly, he had to have an outlet. Which, if he was honest with himself, was almost any time he thought about Piper. But it was late, and Shelby, Ian’s daughter, was already in bed.
All shifters had a special gift, something they were inherently good at. Some had mental gifts, but some were physical. His was music. He could play any instrument set in front of him like he’d taken lessons from birth, and composing came easily to him. He mostly played his guitars, and sometimes his saxophone. But the drums were his emotional outlet. And he wanted to drum so badly right now, but he couldn’t wake the house. So fight training it was.
Not bothering to wrap his hands, he walked up to the punching bag and started going at it. Hit after hit, kick after kick, trying to work some of what he was feeling out. But when sweat was pouring down his body and he finally started wearing out, he was still feeling everything too intensely.
“Thinking about Piper?”
Groaning at Ian’s question, he let his head fall against the bag for a moment. “Bringing up her name isn’t going to help.”
“Want to talk about it?”
Huffing a breath, Jax turned around to glare at Ian. “Do I ever?”
“Maybe you should.”
“No.”
Ian huffed his own breath, his bright blue eyes exasperated. “I know it’s been hell on you. You and your animal have been miserable for the last eight years. But a lot has changed since then. If she’s coming back—”
“Nope. Don’t fucking go there, Ian. I’m not risking her,” Jax said shortly, walking past Ian to the door, shedding his clothes as he went. He had to shift. Now. Or he was going to tear shit up, starting with his best friend.
“So much is different, Jax!” Ian called after him.
Not bothering to reply, as soon as he was clear of the barn Jax bent at his knees and launched himself into the air, shifting as he went. He knew most shifters felt pain when they shifted, but he didn’t. Just a weird and hard to explain shrinking feeling, and pricks over his skin when his feathers sprouted.
Soaring into the air, he circled Rocky River a few times, and then flapped his wings, changing direction. He knew where his eagle was heading, and Jax wasn’t going to fight him on it. He wanted to go there, too. He flew for a bit before town was visible, and once there, he circled above the bakery once before heading to the Mansfield’s house. Although he guessed it was Piper’s house now. At least until she sold it and hightailed it back out of town.
It didn’t take long to get there, and he saw the backyard from a good distance away, with his enhanced eagle vision. There was the yard he and Piper spent so much time in as kids. The gazebo they’d spent so much time making out in as teenagers. So many memories, just in the yard.
Beginning to circle the old Victorian, he stalled in the air as he spotted the car in the driveway. It was only when he started freefalling through the air that he started flapping his wings again.
Piper was back.
Motherfucking hell, Piper was back.
>
There were so many emotions coursing through him, he couldn’t even begin to separate them. But despite it all, if he could have smiled in this form, he would have. She’d done it. She’d gotten her dream car. As far back as he could remember, she wanted a classic Mustang. He couldn’t help the pride he felt at her realizing her dream.
He flew above the house until the lights went off inside, disappointed that he never caught a glimpse of her. But maybe it was best he hadn’t. He might not have been able to control himself if he had, and an eagle landing in front of her and changing into a totally naked man might not have gone over well, since she didn’t know what he was.
The flight back to Rocky River went fast, and he landed by the barn, immediately shifting back to human form and pulling his clothes on. He headed to the porch where he sat down in his usual chair, enjoying the quiet night and thinking over what Ian said.
He was right about all of it. Everything was different now. Most of his colony was gone, scattered all over. His asshole dad was dead now, so problem solved there. But it was his grandfather who always posed the biggest threat, and he was still alive and kicking.
There wasn’t much his grandfather could do now. Back when Jax lived here as a kid, his colony was lead by a committee, with his grandfather as chancellor. He was powerful, and everyone, committee included, bowed to his wishes. The committee was more or less worthless, and just there for tradition and formality. Everyone knew Harlan St. James ran the colony, and with it, Eagle Creek.
But he was old and feeble now, and his minions had fled Eagle Creek. He had no muscle to back up the threats he’d leveled against Piper eight years ago to get Jax to break it off with her. Leaning over, Jax planted his elbows on his knees and steepled his fingers together. Tapping them against his mouth, he thought hard, but came to the same conclusion he always did.
There was no way he could risk Piper. Ever. It didn’t matter that most of his colony was gone, or that his grandfather was old and powerless. Jax still couldn’t take the chance. His grandfather was a wily old bastard, and he was never one to give up on something if he felt strongly about it. If anyone could find a way to get what they wanted, it was his grandfather. No, he couldn’t risk it.
Mate, his eagle whispered mournfully. His eagle’s yearning and sorrow matched his own, and the dual emotions would have been enough to bring Jax to his knees if he’d been standing.
He’d give his soul if he could have Piper here with him right now. But he’d cut his own heart out before he ever put her in danger.
The next morning, Piper opened the back door to let Snickers back in, and then made sure he had water and kibble before she headed back upstairs to take a shower. She was determined to lock her emotions up tight and go to the bakery. She needed to take stock of everything there so she could figure out what she was going to do.