“Well, someone is glowing. I’m guessing your little night out had the desired result,” Aeron said, slugging Jaxon’s arm. He was grinning like a fool, while Hadrien, Haley, and Aeron stood by his side with knowing smirks.

“Yeah, it started a bit rocky but I figured it out.”

“Figured it… What? You didn’t know where to put it in?” Aeron asked, his face looking incredulous.

“I didn’t put it in. He did.”

“He… did,” Aeron said slowly, like he was trying to figure out a mathematical problem.

Hadrien just rolled his eyes,” Blake was the top.”

“Blake was-“ Aeron’s eyes went wide. “Seriously, are you okay, man. Are you sure you should be in practice?”

“For fuck sake. He was bent over, not beaten up,” Hadrien replied, groaning as Aeron seem to study Jaxon for any residue of last night's activities.

“Outside you grinning like a fool, I don’t see anything wrong.”

“Of course not. Superhealing, remember? I thought that it made more sense that I would take it since I could heal up faster,” Jaxon said, not mentioning his little problem with not getting it up when Blake had cried.

“And Nightmane just accepted that. He is an alpha. Male alpha often refuses to submit,” Haley finally pointed out, seemingly curious by the affair. It made Jaxon wonder if he had similar troubles, but considering that Nightmane was more than willing to raise his ass for Blake, rather eager to do it actually, Jaxon doubted that sex was much about submitting anything.

“There was no problem from Nightmane, actually he seemed very eager.”

“The poor guy has lived in celibate for quite a while, maybe he thought it was better than nothing,” Aeron laughed.

Jaxon was about to reply when he noticed that Aeron’s girlfriend was running over. What was her name? Erin Lewis? Her red hair flowing in the wind and the blue eyes wide. Her pale skin was flushed from running, and she keeled over panting between her breathe.

“There… is…. Problems… Blake.”

Jaxon tensed at Blake’s name. “What about Blake?”

Erin took a deep breath, before starting to fidget. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“You didn’t know what?”

“A scary bald guy was searching for Blake, I didn’t really think about it and pointed him toward the art guild. I saw Blake go there alongside that dark arts teacher.”

“Scary bald guy…” Jaxon muttered, trying to recall anyone with that description.

“And… What is the problem?” Aeron asked gently. His eyes were patient and kind. If he only always was like that, then he wouldn’t come across as such an asshole.

Jaxon's eyes suddenly went wide as the image of the witch hunter Lachlan Raine came into his mind. “Shit!”

“He attacked them.”

Barely hearing her words, Jaxon had started to sprint. He could hear footsteps behind him but both he and his wolf were focused on one thing. Blake. He needed to find him. Following the residue of Blake’s sent, he soon arrived at the art guild.

It didn’t take long before he saw him. Blake was struggling in a strangling grip from Raine, whose eyes were glowing as he watched Pyramus Marshall. Pyramus was keeled over, holding his midriff. Blood was dripping between his hands, and his eyes were dark. Unnaturally so as black veins started to pulsate along his body.

Harrison Gladstone was watching the scene with a frown, not doing anything to intervene while holding back his son, Wallace, who was trying to pull free to help Blake.

A rush of anger hit Jaxon, he was unsure if it was from him or Nightmane. Both of them were in agreement. Unconsciously, Jaxon reached for Nightmane, feeling the two of them slowly melting together. Becoming one.

Somewhere in a distance, he could smell the scent of his brother, Elliott, and Ronan coming closer, but Jaxon didn’t care. Time seemed to slow down as he reached for Raine. His hand was no longer human, it was larger, filled with thick, black fur and claws.

An earth rumbling growl escape him, when Blake’s whimper reached his ear and all eyes turned to him. With a speed not normal, he had rushed toward Raine who just barely was able to dodge. If he hadn’t, he would have lost his arm. Jaxon could feel his face prolonging as a row of fangs showed itself and he started to towering over Raine who quickly backed off, only to suddenly be hit by a tentacle of a dark mass protruding from Pyramus.

The mass grew hunting the hunter, feeding on Pyramus blood as it went. Raine dodged a few more steps. Jaxon had lifted Blake, pressing him to his chest. Wide green eyes were staring at Jaxon, wonderous hands rose to stroke his wolf face.

A threatening growl echoed from the scene before Jaxon, catching his attention. Ronan was slamming Raine against a tree, both of their muscles bulging and eyes glowing as they stared at each other. Measuring each other's strength.

Raine's eyes suddenly narrowed as he was pinned to the wall in a flash of dark energy. Pyramus had pierced the witch hunter's shoulder with that vile black energy, shaping it into a spear.

“Blood must be paid with blood, witch hunter,” Pyramus said and Jaxon scented foul magic protruding from his wound. The wound slowly closed up, fading into nothing while Raine let out a groan as it showed up on him instead. “Carry the burden of your actions.”

“What-“ Elliott was on the scene, but he stopped in his tracks. Completely ignoring Raine. His eyes were on Jaxon, wide with wonder and something akin to fear. Jaxon knew why, he saw the different reactions in the crowd. Ronan looked satisfied like this was the outcome he had always wanted. The old man, Harrison, looked at him with awe and greed. To see a legend coming to life before his eyes.

Elliott audible swallowed, “Jaxon…”

“You are an anax.”

*****

Alex stared at Jaxon with complicated feelings. He had never met another anax before, someone who could take the ultimate form of a shifter but… Unlike Alex, Jaxon was a natural one. Someone who could merge with his spirit animal by pure will. A sting of pain flashed through Alex, and he unconsciously searched for Hadrien only to notice that Hadrien was staring at Jaxon, not even noticing him.

Hadrien’s chest was heaving, and his eyes were wide. The eyes piercing and Alex smelled… Fear? Confusion? The rush of feelings from Hadrien was strange and many of them conflicting, like they didn’t belong together.

Alex’s eyes turned once more toward Jaxon who was holding onto Blake like he was afraid he would fade away while actively avoiding his brother’s gaze. He just curled up in Elliott’s office like he feared an attack.

Elliott was staring at his brother from his desk, his face neutral. Not even a scent of emotion escaped him. Their father, Owen, on the other hand, was a ball of conflict. Confusion and… Guilt? Coming of him in waves.

The only one who seemed happy was Harrison Gladstone who was cheerily banging Owen’s back. “I always knew your family would give us an anax in the end. Descending from the four wolves of origin, it would only make sense that you would finally be able to produce the peak of the shifter society.

The four wolves of origin? That would explain the Price family’s strange ability to almost always be chosen by alphas at a young age. There are four old wolf clans, all claiming to be coming from the first wolf shifter. The dire wolves of North America are descendent of the Inuit legend of Amarok. The northern cave wolf descended from Fenrir. The timber wolves of Northern Asia who is descended from the Chechen wolf and the southern clans of cave wolves are descended from Lycaon.

Being a direct descendant of any of these first wolves would already be astounding. Being a descendant of all of them would make the Price family the closest the wolf shifters had to royalty. It was no wonder their word carried such weight in wolf shifter society.

Elliott turned to Ronan who was standing by the side, not saying anything. “Did you know?”

“I suspected. This isn’t the first time. He took an appearance last year very similar to an anax. Mark Rowe along with his goons had attacked the boy,” Ronan nodded to Blake who curled up against Jaxon trying to avoid attention,” and he took the form of a wolf anax. It happened so fast though so Mark and the others thought they had imagined it. That Jaxon had just slowed down his transformation. They told me about it when they worked under me.”

“When you said that someone else should take my place, I assumed you were talking about yourself… But you were talking about Jaxon, weren’t you?”

Ronan didn’t answer, he didn’t have to. Anaxes were the strongest in the shifter society, and it is only natural that they would lead them. That is how Alex has come to rally the other shifters behind him, by them finding out about his Anax form.

“Of course, Elliott has done an admirable job but Jaxon is-“ Harrison was quieted down with a glare from Owen. Power radiated from the old wolf, making sure that no one is making decisions on his territory.

“That is why you didn’t tell us, Jaxon. Isn’t that right?” Elliott finally said, his voice faint. Jaxon glanced up for a second before turning his eyes away. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to.

Alex had assumed he hadn’t said anything because he didn’t want to become the patriarch and that was a part of it, but the reason why was because he cared about his older brother. He didn’t want to steal his spot.

“When did you-“ Owen cleared his throat but it wasn’t Jaxon who answered but Mya instead. She had been quiet this entire time.

“When he was nine years old. Remember the car accident. Jaxon and I were found on the side of the road, he was holding me as I bled. The car door had been torn off and you all assumed it was because of the accident but despite the memory being foggy because of the wound on my head. I still remember being inside the car. I smelled fire. Then I saw a shape and glowing blue eyes. A growl, before the door, was ripped off like it was made of paper. Someone carried me to safety, the next thing I know. My son is sitting beside me, crying.”

Jaxon nodded slowly like he still was unsure if he should tell them. “That was the first time. I didn’t do it anymore after that. Not wanting to-” He cleared his throat. “Then it happened unconsciously again last year when Mark attacked Blake.”

“And this time again when Blake was attacked. Seems like you can only turn when Nightmane and you agree on something. Which often occur when you want to save someone you love,” Alex muttered. Remembering the feeling of uniting with your spirit animal. It makes sense that it cannot be done all the time. It must be unnatural for him to be able to do it.

“God, this is such a mess,” Owen groaned, rubbing his forehead. “Firstly, I’m sorry Jaxon. It was never my intention of making you feel like you couldn’t come to me with this.”

“Or me,” Elliott said. “It was because of me you didn’t and I want you to know that you could have. No matter of what would have happened, I wouldn’t have blamed you.”

“I don’t want-“ Jaxon gulped, finally raising his eyes to meet his father and brother’s eyes. “I don’t want the leader position.”

“Then you don’t have to take it. Frankly, I’m not sure I would have given it to you even if you would have wanted it,” Owen said, letting out a sigh.

“What? But he is-“ Harrison tried, but Owen just raised his hand, effectively quieted him down.

“My son and I know him better than anyone. He is kindhearted, loyal but rash and foolish. There is a reason why I raised Elliott to be my heir. It isn’t just because he is the oldest but because he is the calmest, and most sane of my children.”

“Aren’t you going to argue?” Blake suddenly said to Ronan. “This is what you had planned with Ahriman, hadn’t you? You asked me to help you.”

“Don’t be silly,” Ahriman suddenly popped up beside them, making several people flinch and Harrison let out a surprised shout before clearing his throat, trying to hide his embarrassment.

“We were planning something far more dramatic. I thought locking you up in a tower while I took the form of a dragon to guard you would be poetic,” Ahriman grinned, making Blake roll his eyes. “I frankly didn’t think the damn witch hunter would be stupid enough to attack the gypsy.”

“Besides, I don’t care about Jaxon becoming the leader. I just wanted his identity as an Anax to be known,” Ronan said with a shrug.

“That is not what you thought last year,” Elliott muttered.

“I frankly still aren’t convinced you can be a patriarch,” Ronan admitted,” But having been watching your two brothers closely I can agree with Owen. You are the best choice among the three brothers. I just don’t think it is an overall good choice.”

“Why would my Anax form matter?” Jaxon finally asked, his voice a bit hoarse.

“Anaxes is the strongest of the shifters, and we are facing an Archon.”

“Why would that matter? It isn’t like an Anax could handle an Archon,” Elliott intertwine with a snort before he noticed Ahriman’s smirk. “Can he?”

“Anaxes has been the downfall of archons before. They are a very unique existence, being half of the mortal world and half of the Spirit Realm. That means that they are somewhere in between and can walk both worlds. Most importantly, they have the unique ability to rip up rifts to other realms and close them with brute force,” Ahriman said smirking. “That is how the former world devourers were locked away. In Fenrir’s case, my brother created a prison. An entirely new realm and then he used an Anax to open a rift and pushed Fenrir inside. Looking him away. They did something similar with Apep, but instead of creating a prison they just threw him into the Netherworld and tethered him to it. Ensuring that he couldn’t leave. In both instances, my brother used an Anax.”

“So, we can do the same?” Alex asked, feeling something move inside him. Had his father known? No, it makes no sense. He couldn’t have known about Nemain when he was young. Alex shook off that feeling as it was ridiculous.

“In theory,” Ahriman said. His smile fading. “The problem is that I don’t know how to create realms. Outside the anterion Khaos, only my brother knows how to do it. How he learned about it is beyond me. “

“But we can still lock him away. Your brother locked Apep away, and I’m fairly sure that your brother didn’t create the Netherworld,” Blake said eagerly.

“That is my hope. There are plenty of realms we can tether him to. I am currently trying to figure out how we are supposed to tether an Archon to another realm, but at least I have some idea where to begin.”

“We still need Jaxon to be able to control his form though,” Ahriman continued. “This plan hangs on him being able to rip a hole to another realm and as far as I can see. He can barely control the shift, much less create a rift.”

“Well, at least we have a plan now,” Elliott muttered, “But we also need steal the Khadga.”

Blake suddenly smiled, his eyes twinkling. “Alex told me about that, and I think I have an idea how to do that.”