Free Jax (A Neveah Short Story) by Angie Merriam Page B

always loved her. She was his
best friend. His sister. She knew all there was to know about him
and he about her. They shared everything. He knew she was his
light. His link to morality. Now looking at her through his sixteen
year old eyes, she was different.
    He had failed to notice all the changes. Her
face was a little more mature, and her body was slightly curvier.
He felt that when he was tickling her. Annika was becoming a woman.
How had he missed that? Did it happen overnight? He realized that
he was becoming a man as she became a woman. That explained all the
rapid heart rates and butterflies but why did his heart suddenly
feel like a fist was squeezing it tightly when he looked at her?
Why did he feel queasy and excited at the same time? Why did his
lips want to feel hers? Then he did it. He didn't think. He just
felt.
    They had both stopped laughing, and Annika
was no longer squirming. She looked at him in defiance but saw
something different in his eyes. When his head lowered to hers and
his lips touched hers, she did nothing to stop it. This was a first
for both of them. She knew that. She loved him. Of course, her
first kiss would be with Jax. It felt wrong though, like kissing
her brother, so she stopped.
    “Jax, I'm sorry but this isn't right. You're
like a brother to me, closer than a brother. You're my best friend.
It doesn't feel right.” He saw remorse in her eyes and felt his
heart break in two. Her rejection did things to him he never
thought
    were possible. Created feelings deep down
that were foreign yet familiar. As though they had always been
there, lurking, waiting to appear. Her eyes though. Her sweet,
innocent eyes forced those feelings away. Well, almost. He felt his
body tremble involuntarily and he quickly jumped off of Annika and
backed away. She just watched him, frightened but fascinated.
    She watched his transformation. His body
quaked. His skin stretched, and his face twisted then seconds later
he was a lion. He roared loudly when he looked at her. Her eyes
wide, frozen in shock. She always thought Jax was a beautiful
person, but he was breathtaking in lion form. She stood and walked
to him, carefully. This was the first time she'd seen him shift and
knew she had to be cautious. He stood in place, waiting for her.
When she stood before him, she reached her hand up and rubbed his
head. He leaned his head into her touch, and she smiled at him.
    “Wow, you're beautiful, Jax,” she said with
admiration. He nuzzled his head closer to her, and she giggled.
Almost as quick as his transformation to lion happened, he
transformed back. “Wow, that was pretty amazing huh?” He said, a
little breathless and tired. “I need to sit down.” She followed him
to the edge of the pond and sat beside him. “Tell me about it,” she
said. He looked at her, sadness in his eyes mixed with the
excitement of what had just happened. She was sorry that she was
the cause of that sadness.
    “Well, it was great,” he began excitedly and
the sadness fell away. In that moment he made a decision. He would
marry Annika, as their parents expected. He knew he loved her. He
saw the admiration in her eyes when she looked at him in his animal
form. He wanted her badly, even at his young age, he knew. He would
wait for her. They had time. She would come around. She would
realize they were born to be together. He just had to wait, and he
knew she was worth it.
    “The feeling, oh Annika, the feeling was
crazy. Like all the blood began racing through my veins at top
speed. I could feel every muscle contract and my skin tighten
around them. My heart was beating frantically then I felt the
prickles on my skin when the fur began to grow. It was powerful.
Absolutely powerful.” He was smiling wide, and she was happy for
him.
    They sat by the pond for hours talking about
his ability, her ability, and their daily lives. He enjoyed every
minute with her and would have stayed there forever if it were
possible.
    “Jax, you said