by Jana Leigh
She wished she could grab onto that second, stay in a cocooned world where nothing could touch her, it hurt too much to think about it again. Damn it, she had already grieved. She felt a tug on her hand and looked at her partner. How could she tell him that what she felt was pain for the boy she once knew, pain for the sweetness he brought into her life, but not pain for a true mate. Fuck, looking at the damn picture she felt the pull, more than she had ever felt for her sweet husband, how in the hell was she supposed to say it aloud? This was Josh she was talking about, and she was going to have to utter the words that would completely destroy her. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and whispered.
“Wexford is my true mate.” Jewel opened her eyes and looked at her partner, who was staring at her in stunned silence. Then he began to shake his head.
“How, no, Josh?” Vander sputtered.
She sighed painfully and looked at her friend with tears in her eyes. “Damn it, I was never going to tell you, tell anyone.”
“Tell me what? Jewel, what the hell is going on? I mean, I look at this picture and it looks like Josh, but see, where there should be a scar from when we fixed that engine and I accidently dropped the wrench on his forehead and it left a mark. It is not there, this is not Josh, so how is it possible that our suspect looks like him?” Vander whispered. “What were you not going to tell me?”
“Shit,” Jewel said and took a deep breath. “Josh was not my true mate.”
“Huh? True mate, he was your mate, you told me, you both told me,” Vander said confused.
“To a shifter, finding your true mate can take years, some may not even find theirs, and I know a lot of wolves who have chosen their mates, like I did with Josh. I loved him, and so I chose him as a mate,” Jewel said, looking at her partner.
“Wait, so what if Josh had lived and you discovered this other guy who you think is your true mate?” Vander asked.
“I would have been drawn to Wexford, the pull would have been too much,” Jewel said slowly and then looked out the window and whispered, “It would have been a mess.”
“So will he know?” Vander asked.
“Oh yeah,” Jewel laughed abruptly.
“Fuck a duck,” Vander murmured. “So what are we going to do?”
“Gimme that file,” Jewel said with a steely tone, she could fall apart later when she was alone, and not in a fucking bullet flying through the air with a hundred strangers.
The file stated that Retten was the Alpha of the New York Pack. He has ruled since his father retired fifteen years ago. The New York Pack owned several companies that made them probably one of the richest packs in the world. She was once again not impressed; if the man were guilty, she would take him down, mate or not.
She couldn’t understand why the killer was dumping the bodies at Wexford’s sites, unless the killer thought he was above the law. Wexford would not be the first Alpha she met who thought he could do what he wanted, and damn the human laws. Fuck, he was an Alpha, another thing for her to worry about later.
They need more to go on to charge Wexford for these murders. Being owner of the sites didn’t prove anything. It was only a piece to the puzzle. The file stated that Retten was into BDSM. He liked his women to be on the submissive side. He was a very dominant male that liked some type of restriction (bondage) with his female counterpart. She was anything but submissive; she wondered for a moment what it would be like to be claimed by him. Shit, she needed to focus. There was no way, she just let the thought pass through her mind. It was crazy. Shaking her head, Jewel focused back onto the folder in front of her.
Wexford’s mother was out of the picture, hmmm, maybe a woman issue buried there. His father was retired but helped Wexford if he needed advice.
His father was now an Elder of the Pack. She read more of his background, looking at several pictures that were included. Nothing to raise any eyebrows, just the normal boy, speeding tickets, etc. What the hell would make an Alpha from such a large Pack be involved in murder? The facts didn’t add up, but then if he was a psychopath, they wouldn’t. Jewel could feel herself getting wet as she stared at the man wearing a tuxedo shirt. He was fucking hot. She needed to stop looking at his picture. Nobody has ever made her feel like that except Josh.
Jewel flipped open the file of the good Captain Doyle. She felt the same shiver of awareness, damn it, what the fuck was going on with her? Maybe Wexford wasn’t her true mate if she was feeling like this about the Captain, yeah, that was it. She felt her wolf growl at her and frowned, none of this made sense. She couldn’t feel like this toward two of them.
Vander took over Wexford's file and they were silent as they both continued to figure out what the hell was going on. She knew her partner would back her up with any decision she made.
She continued to read as if she wasn’t sopping her panties. Stellar record, she mused and read, he moved up the chain of command quickly. He must have been doing something right. She needed to focus, flipping the folder closed and putting it away, Jewel leaned back into the seat and closed her eyes. She felt the plane bump and vibrate, well shit, turbulence wasn’t going to work for her.
Jewel heard the flight attendant announce to everyone that the seat belt sign was now on. Jewel looked over at the relaxed Vander, she wanted out of this fucking plane. Her wolf started pacing. Jewel didn’t like being boxed in a tin can with no way to get out. In addition, with the whole arousal thing, she was about ready to come out of her skin.
Vander looked over at her and saw her grabbing the armrests of her seat. She had her eyes shut, her breathing was ragged. “Jewels, are you okay?” Vander asked. She felt the touch of her best friend and relaxed a little. She didn’t know what she would do without him—she hoped she never would.
“I hate to fly,” Jewel whispered as she breathed in more air, beginning to relax. “You know maybe you should think about finding someone to settle down with.”
“Whoa there, sister, WTF, we are not going there, like ever. Is this because of all of that mate talk shit?” her friend protested and then frowned. “Did I ever tell you about my mother? You know she left me with my Aunt Marian.”
She frowned and looked at her partner closely. Vander never talked about his mother, she only knew that his aunt raised him. She was startled that he was bringing this up now. Staying quite, Jewel waited for her friend to continue.
“My birthmother was a beautiful woman; however, she was a terrible mother. I loved her though; I would pray at night that she would return to get me. Now don’t get me wrong, my Aunt Marian was great. Of course, you know that, you have met her. She was the best. She never let me down.” Jewel’s breathing slowed down as she was listening to Vander talk about his mother.
“You see, my mother loved men, any kind of man, well, all except me. She needed to be with them to make her life whole. She couldn’t breathe without one in her life. She is still like that. I hear from her some, but I couldn’t care less if she ever called me again. I don’t even think of her as my mother any more. Marian has been a mother to me more than she ever could understand. Aunt Marian is probably the best person I know except you.” Jewel looked at Vander with tears in her eyes. She wished he had told her before this moment when she was in an airplane. She knew what he was trying to say to her, he would not settle down with a female until he was certain she would not leave. There were never any guarantees in this world—she should know—and she hated to remind him of that. He needed to put himself out there, find someone who would calm his nerves.
“Hey, don’t cry, Jewels. Please, I can’t stand to see you cry. It breaks my heart.” Jewel reached up, wiping the tears from her eyes.
“Well shit, what do you expect, dropping crap like that on me when we are in a tin box? Hell, I wasn’t crying for you, I was crying because I can’t get the fuck out of here.” Jewel laughed and pushed him with her shoulder. “Seriously, you are the best person I know. You have stayed with me through the worst time in my life. I can’t repa
y you for being there for me. I don’t even know where to start, but if someone breaks your heart? She is gonna get her ass kicked by me.”
“Okay then, well, you can stop crying, because we have a lot more time to sit in this little tin box, as you call it. If you are worried about me finding a chick, well, maybe we can hit the bars while we are in New York.” Vander teased her.
“Or hey, I say we call the pretty flight attendant over and use our first class privileges and get drunk, maybe she will think you are cute once you have some alcohol in her. What do you say?” Jewel giggled, knowing that she needed a drink and so did Vander.
***
The seat belt light went off and Vander motioned for the flight attendant.
“Hello, beautiful. How about bringing us some drinks. We want the Tequila. Hey, do you have any limes?” Vander used his charisma and smile, winking at the flight attendant, who blushed at his flirting. However, it worked and she brought the little bottles of Tequila to Vander with the limes. She leaned down toward Vander, showing her cleavage, then she handed him the saltshaker.
“Thought you might need this, too.” The flight attendant winked as she handed it to Vander. He smiled back and skimmed her hand with his fingers as she handed him the shaker. Jewel shook her head and laughed.
“Dude, I thought you needed help, and looky there, you are about to have her panties off and on the cabin floor in about a second.”
Vander laughed. “It is not the meeting them I have a problem with, it is the keeping them where I have an issue.”
“We can work on that,” she laughed and then pointed to the bottles. “First, we need to have a bit to drink.”
After the fifth shot, Jewel was feeling a nice buzz, as was her partner since he seemed to get friendlier with the flight attendant as they drank and murmured to each other quietly. Speaking about a murder case on an airplane could lead to people asking weird questions.
“So what the hell are we going to do first in NYC?” Vander asked and grinned as the flight attendant walked by. “Possibly, we will take the night off and reconvene in the morning.”
Jewel looked up at Vander as if she was considering his comment or she was thinking about how to throw Vander off the plane. “Well you know, my friend, I do need a good lay. However, I have the luxury of having BOB, you, on the other hand,” then Jewel started laughing. “Shit, get it, other HAND!” Jewel slurred.
“Oh shit, that is the best you can come up with? I’m not drunk enough to ask who the fuck is Bob. As for my hand? I have been told these magic fingers are one of my best features, well, that and you know, my cock. But I can’t show you that, you will be ruined for any other man if you see mine, and I just can’t do that to my best friend.” Vander leaned over and put his head on Jewel’s shoulder.
“Well that sucks, when I can’t see the first cock, in like ever, from the biggest manwhore I know. And BOB is my vibrator, you know Battery Operated Boyfriend.”
“Damn, you are worse off than I thought. I say we get the billionaire to give you some.” Vander laughed at himself. Jewel almost sobered up when he said that, it hit a little too close to home to her thoughts, she could feel her wolf pushing against her again.
She pushed Vander’s head off her. “What did you say? Are you crazy, Vander? He is our suspect.”
“Look, Jewels. Something tells me that Wexford isn’t the killer. He doesn’t look that dumb to me,” Vader said and shook his head. “I can tell, I have the vibe for things like that.”
“Shit, vibe? Where the fuck do you get this shit? Besides, I would never mess with a suspect.” Jewel turned her head then leaned her seat back, closing her eyes.
Her partner looked at her closely, she could feel his eyes staring at her, then he snorted, and leaned back, shit, he knew. She was never gonna hear the end of this, unless she had gotten him too drunk to remember. She let out a sigh, she wasn’t that lucky.
Jewel felt a hand touch her arm telling her to put her seatbelt back on, that they were about to land.
“Hey. We are landing.” Jewel stretched, it had been a quick trip. “I need to use the restroom when we get off the plane, I am not getting up in this death trap. Shit, if I lose my balance, I would end up with a blue ass. That would be my luck at this point.”
“Okay. Who is picking us up at the airport?” Vander said, rubbing a hand over his face.
“I don’t know. Captain Marks said to look for them after we get our luggage. He never gave me a name,” she said and then laughed when the plane lurched and Vander groaned.
Chapter Five
It had been too long in between kills. His thirst was growing fast; it was something he would not be able to control for much longer. During the flight, he thought about what his next move was because he needed to get his mind off the woman who haunted him.
The Redeemer wanted to feel her blood between his fingers, she needed to die and by his hand. Dammit, he waited too long to rush this, he needed to have patience. However, it was not always his strong suit once he made up his mind. When he thought of this plan a few years ago it was simple, his eyes on the prize. Taking his place as Alpha, and getting his vengeance on the bastard who sired him.
He wanted to laugh aloud, but there were too many people around, he would draw attention to himself when he shouldn’t. He felt the descent of the airplane and grinned, almost there. He hoped everything was ready for him when he arrived. So many things to plan and so little time.
The flight attendant walked by and smiled at him, he wondered for a moment if it was her he should be taking next. She looked like she had plenty of men, he wondered if she had a mate, or as the humans said “a husband.” It didn’t matter to the Redeemer; his mission was to rid the world of whores. So far, the human women had been the lucky ones to receive his attention. However, they were practice for the main show. Hmmm, a female shifter would need to be taken; he had to make sure he could control her and himself before he took the final prize.
He knew just who he was going to take, the Redeemer always did his research, she was one who he knew cheated on her true mate, and he knew because the bitch was waiting for him in his hotel room right about now. His source, who helped him find his birth family. She had been so excited to tell him he was royalty. Of course, he knew it, but she had confirmed it.
Thinking ahead, he leaned back and closed his eyes to plan what he was going to do. It would be simple to get her to where they needed to go, she should have the keys already, just like for every other site he used. Now, she would show him her final resting spot.
Taking a female shifter would be different, he knew they healed faster than humans and were hard to kill—this would be fun. She would last longer than the weak females he took and practiced on. He could savor the kill, the blood, it could take him days to torture her, letting her know she was about to be killed, and carving her body up, only to teach her another lesson about mating.
He could feel himself getting hard thinking about it. Raping her would be impossible when talking about a whore, especially one who turned on her pack and her mate for a chance to have a piece of his glory. She would have been killed anyway. He would never let her share anyway, it was not in his nature to be proud of a whoring bitch.
Preparations must be made; he would make phone calls when he arrived. Other things needed to be prepared; he could not afford to be caught before he was ready. He wanted to play with his prey first. His vicious little prey didn’t know what he had in store for her. He saved something special just for her. Only she would appreciate his brilliance.
As the wheels touched down in New York City, the Redeemer knew what he had to do. His plans had only just begun, no one could stop him.
Chapter Six
Jewel and Vander exited the plane and headed to the area ahead to get their bags. She looked around and tried to find someone who looked like they were searching for them. Damn it, maybe they would have to get a rental car, too. She grimaced and pulled her partner around the
corner.
“We have to either rent a car, or take a cab, it looks like our welcoming party is not so welcoming,” Jewel commented.
“Let me turn my phone back on and see if someone texted me,” Vander said.
“Hell, I thought you had it on to get the flight attendant’s telephone number.” She laughed and continued to walk.
“Nah, she gave me her card,” Vander laughed as he followed. Jewel heard a stressed tone in his voice that had not been there before, she wondered for a brief minute if he was pissed about the whole mating thing or something else. He seemed fine on the flight; she would talk to him when they got to the hotel about all of this. They went through security for their weapons and then waited for their bags to be checked and released.
Jewel pointed at her bag as it came around the luggage belt. Vander grabbed both their bags then pointed to the bathroom. “I’ll wait out here for you.” Vander sat their luggage down and got his phone out, and checked his messages while Jewel used the bathroom. He smiled and then pressed the call key on his phone, he only had a few minutes to call, and he hoped it would be enough.
***
Lex and Retten waited for Campbell and Collins to exit their gate. They arrived late because of traffic. Lex looked around but didn’t see anyone. He walked up to the counter and asked if their flight had arrived.
When he walked back, Lex said, “Damn, they arrived five minutes ago. The lady behind the counter said that if they were carrying weapons they would have come through the security line over there.”
Retten and Lex walked quickly to security, both men pissed they were late. The damn traffic around New York was getting worse, and then to get permission to go to the gate had taken them longer. Thank God, his Commander had smoothed the way, not that it mattered, they were going back to security. This was a cluster fuck.
