Taming Jax (First Wave Book 5) by Mikayla Lane

his stomach to take.
     
    “She is thirteen years old, give or take a few months.” Amun began when sharp intakes of breath were uttered along with curses as everyone looked at the small girl who looked no more than a child and certainly not a teenager.
     
    “As I’m sure you noticed; she is severely malnourished. Her stomach contents indicate that the only food she’s had in days is what little she swallowed as she chewed the food for the baby. Which wasn’t much at all.” Amun paused, knowing what he had to say next would be worse.
     
    “Her vocal cords were surgically severed intentionally and will require the most attention to correct. Even after the chords are repaired, her voice will never be what it was before they were cut.” Amun paused again when Grai clenched his fists in rage.
     
    “I don’t understand. Why would anyone sever her ability to speak?” Reven asked, not understanding why Grai was so angry and Jax looked like she was going to cry.
     
    Everyone looked at each other, unwilling to be the one to explain it to him before Jax finally spoke, her voice barely audible as she gently brushed the little girl’s hair out of her face.
     
    “Sometimes when they kidnap children for the sex trade, they sever their ability to speak so no one can hear their screams.” Jax said before choking on her tears.
     
    Reven shook with stunned rage as Amun helped Jax to a chair beside the girls. “No! You tell me we got to her in time! You fucking tell me they didn’t touch that baby!” Reven demanded as he moved threateningly towards Amun.
     
    “Stop!” Lara said, her voice joining with that of the ancient Prime, Abexis. Lara extended her hands and allowed a calming energy to flow from her to the others in the room.
     
    “Allow him to speak Reven, and you will get your answers.” Lara said as Reven, Jax and Grai calmed down.
     
    Amun nodded his thanks to Lara before continuing. “No, they did not touch her. Not like that anyway. Due to malnutrition, her internal organs are damaged, but repairable. As is the muscle wasting and other issues associated with her lack of proper nutrition.”
     
    “At this stage of her treatment, I can assure you that any lasting effects of her captivity would be relegated only to the fact that she will never grow to her full height and remain smaller than the others her age.” Amun said, happy that Reven and Jax appeared more relieved than angry now.
     
    “The baby is healthier than I expected her to be. It appears that when they took her, she was placed pretty quickly with the older child who seemed to take good care of her, under the circumstances.” Amun said before he was interrupted by Grai.
     
    “They are not sisters?” Grai asked with surprise.
     
    “No, they are not related in any way.” Amun said.
     
    “It doesn’t matter if blood runs through their veins or not. They chose to be sisters, and they will remain sisters.” Jax said with conviction. The girl almost gave her life to keep that baby alive; no one would separate them without dealing with her; Jax thought.
     
    “The baby is sixteen months old, plus or minus a week or two. She is a little smaller than normal, but should grow normally with a few weeks of treatment. There is no indication that she will have any lasting physical effects of her captivity.” Amun said to the relief of everyone in the room.  
     
    Amun sighed, knowing he had to get this next part over with quickly. “The older girl is the mate of Traze T’Alq.”
     
    Jax sucked in an angry breath while Grai released a heavy sigh and lowered his head. Reven looked like he was going to explode, so Amun went ahead and finished him off.
     
    “The baby is the mate of Tristan T’Alq.”
     
    Grai looked like he’d just been sucker punched, while Reven headed over to pummel the hell out of him. For no other reason than his son and his brother dared to be mates to his new daughters.
     
    “Stop!” Lara/Abexis said, holding