I am Jade

by Victoria Danes

  “Few hours.” She shrugged. “But then your boyfriend came and he took off.”

  “Stephan is not my boyfriend.” I finally corrected her.

  Something sparked in her eyes.

  Hope.

  Ah, there it was.

  That’s what she wanted.

  “He’s not your boyfriend? I’m sorry.” She smiled and finally finished drawing my blood.

  After removing her gloves and tossing them into the trash, she put a sticker over the vials with my name on them and then wrote something down on a small piece of paper and handed it to me.

  “Can you maybe give him this and tell him to give me a call sometime?”

  Unbelievable.

  “Stephan is not…never mind. Sure.” I agreed.

  “Thank you.” She smiled sweetly. “The results should be back by tomorrow morning. Feel better,” she said walking toward the door.

  “Thanks.” I muttered.

  Officer Kincaid had my attention now. I remembered the accident, the glow around me…the kiss?

  Stephan came back into the room carrying a paper coffee cup and a brown paper bag.

  I decided not to mention the doctor’s mishap about me being a lycan.

  The smell of the meat was absolutely delicious. I tore the bag open and bit savagely into the dripping burger.

  Instant gratification.

  “Hungry?” Stephan asked with a chuckle.

  I chewed fast and took another bite before answering with a nod.

  “So, I’m assuming we are eating things with a face now?” he asked lightly.

  I wasn’t sure how to even answer that. I had been a vegetarian since the ninth grade.

  I swallowed another big bite. “I think my body just needs protein.”

  He smiled. “Whatever you say, Duchess.”

  “My nurse seems to have an interest in you,” I said after another mouthful. “I can’t blame her though. You are cute…when you are sleeping.” I handed him the small white note with her number on it.

  He rolled his eyes and shoved the paper in his pocket.

  “You plan to use that?” I quizzed.

  He shrugged. “Suppose I throw it away in here and she finds it? Would that not hurt her fragile little feelings?”

  “Point taken,” I said finishing my burger and wiping my mouth. “Hey, you met the officer that was in my room last night?” I asked.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Did he say what he wanted?”

  “Not exactly.” His eyes studied me for a moment. “Again, why?”

  “Just curious as to why he would sit in here and watch me sleep for a few hours. That’s not very typical if you ask me. Creepy, you know?”

  He stood up, walked over to the bed and cupped my face.

  “Don’t read too much into it, Duchess. He was the responding officer on the scene. That’s all.”

  I nodded, but that didn’t mean I agreed not to pursue it further. “Okay. Now, about Seth.”

  Stephan’s face paled. “Maybe we should talk about that later,” he said.

  “No. I need to know.”

  “Jade, please.” He touched my face.

  “No. I want to talk it about it now,” I said. “Have they found anything? Anyone?”

  Stephan was quiet. His expression careful.

  “Tell me.” I urged again.

  Stephan nodded and gave me a kiss on the forehead. “Okay, Duchess,” he whispered. “But you won’t like it.”

  Chapter Seven

  Brace for impact

  Stephan sat beside me and took my hands. I wanted to hide them from view because they were already trembling, but I didn’t. I let him hold them.

  “Seth went to visit Dracula’s castle and…it’s a steep climb, Jade. No one has ever been successful in reaching the top. I mean from what I heard, the thing is crawling with vipers and falling rock…and apparently he fell.”

  “What do you mean he fell?” I clenched my teeth. Anger simmered in my blood.

  “There was a local man with him guiding him to the castle. He said they both fell off the path while climbing. The man managed to cling to the branches and bring himself back up. He ran to the cops, but they…”

  He stopped, and I knew he couldn’t finish because he feared my reaction.

  My heart knocked hard against my bruised ribs.

  “He’s dead?” My voice was tight. I knew the answer to that question, but I needed to hear it.

  A scream was clawing its way up my throat, I held it back, but it was building.

  Stephan nodded, very gently. “They haven’t found his body yet. I’m so sorry, Jade.” His own voice was thick with emotion.

  There it was.

  The scream.

  It ripped through me and out of my mouth like a wailing siren.

  I began pulling the needles out of my arms and tearing at the white tape strapped to my chest. “I have to get out of here!” I yelled and ripped at the cords attached to me.

  “Jade…wait.” Stephan tried to wrap his arms around me.

  “Leave me alone, Stephan. I have to get out of here!” I kept yelling and pushed him away.

  Stephan stumbled backward but didn’t fall. His eyes were wide when he looked at me.

  “Jade, your eyes…they’re glowing.”

  “Get away, just get away!” My voice was feral.

  I was pulling the last of the cords when I heard the alarms going off at the nurse’s station.

  They barged into the room in a rush and scrambled around me.

  “Stephan, tell them not to touch me. Please, don’t let them touch me!” I screamed.

  I knew when I was emotional, I couldn’t control my power, and I would see horrible things if they touched me.

  Horrible things they’ve done or horrible things that have been done to them.

  A male nurse grabbed hold of me and pinned me to the bed. I instantly got a flash of him striking a female in the face and then taking advantage of her.

  The guilt and shame of what he had done tore through me.

  I screamed and kicked at him.

  Stephan was on him in a second. He gripped his shoulder, turned him around, and with a tight fist to the jaw, he knocked him out cold.

  “Don’t touch her!” Stephan shouted at the other nurses. “Just give me a minute, dammit!” He pushed away the remaining female nurses. I could hear men, most likely security, hollering in the hallway and the sound of heavy feet running in unison.

  A nurse approached me with a syringe in her hand and aimed for my leg.

  I leaped over her head and landed on the bed on the balls of my feet.

  She was afraid but persistent. When she was close enough I gripped her forearm and growled low in my throat. “If you touch me with that, I’ll break your fucking neck.” I hissed and then shoved the woman away.

  Stephan came toward me slowly with his hands up in surrender. “Easy, Duchess.” He coaxed.

  I fell into his arms with a sob. “Don’t let them touch me, Stephan.” I cried against his chest.

  “No one is going to touch you, Duchess.” He spoke softly against my temple. “I swear it.”

  Chapter Eight

  Officer Kincaid

  Dr. Cranston was less than pleased with Stephan and me for our disturbance, and he happily signed my discharge papers the next morning.

  “We will mail your results. Good luck to you, Miss Sinclair,” he said. “I sincerely wish you well.” Fear was hidden beneath his words. Almost as if he couldn’t get rid of me fast enough.

  Stephan was not permitted on hospital grounds anymore unless he was being escorted inside either in handcuffs or on a gurney.

  He drove me to pick up my rental car before heading to the club he owned downtown.

  When I got home, I climbed into bed with Seth’s sweatshirt wrapped tightly in my arms. It smelled like him. I held back my tears and slowly summoned my clairvoyance.

  There were flames all around me, flames that sin
ged my flesh and poisoned my air. I couldn’t breathe past the smoke. I couldn’t scream. I could see nothing but the fire.

  As I sat panting on the bed, my phone rang.

  “Hello, Jade.” Madam Stella’s soothing voice greeted. “How are you feeling, sweet child?”

  “I feel overwhelmed, but I am taking it one day at a time,” I answered. “I’m trying to see Seth, but all I can feel and see is fire. What does that mean?”

  “I do not know.” She confided. “Perhaps the accident has altered your power. You suffered a head injury after all.”

  “Could an injury do that?”

  “Perhaps. Let me do some research. I will be in touch.”

  “Okay,” I said.

  “Jade?”

  “Yes?”

  “The officer that saved you, have you thanked him?”

  “No. Why?” I asked, curiously.

  “Maybe you should.” She urged and hung up.

  Until that moment I had pushed out Officer Adrian Kincaid from my mind, but maybe she was right. Maybe it was time to seek him out and find out why he stayed with me. What did he want? Did he know anything about the case Faust was working on?

  Perhaps if I buried myself in work, I could be distracted enough until the authorities in Romania returned my phone call about Seth.

  I took in a deep breath and looked around my bedroom. It felt empty. It held memories I didn’t want right now. Slowly, I got out of bed and headed for the shower. The steaming, hot water running down my body helped loosen my tight muscles and protesting joints.

  After my shower, I brushed my teeth and the feel of the toothbrush on my tongue made me wince. It was sore. I tried to find the culprit by looking in the mirror, but all I could see was a healing bruise. Inspecting myself in the mirror I took in my reflection for the first time in days. The bruises on my cheeks were gone, and the brown in my eyes seemed lighter – almost golden. Like caramel.

  I got dressed in faded blue jeans, white t-shirt, and black ankle boots. I wrestled my hair into a messy bun and grabbed my black faux-leather jacket and walked out the door.

  It was time to visit Officer Kincaid.

  ***

  Officer Ryan Duran was a young rookie eager to be on patrol, but his ties to the chief kept him safely tucked behind a desk for now.

  “Jade!” he said with a grin as I walked into the station. “I’m so happy you’re okay.”

  “Thanks, Ryan. I am here to see Faust. Is he in?”

  “Actually, he is out right now. Is there someone else that can help you?”

  I shook my head. “Nope. I need him.”

  “Oh. I’m sorry,” he said. “I can have him call you when he gets back.”

  “Yes, do that, please.”

  He smiled again. “Anything else I can do for you?”

  “Actually, yes. I’m looking for Officer Adrian Kincaid.”

  “Ahh, the head of the M.T.U,” he said.

  “The what?”

  “Adrian is head of the Monster Tactical Unit. He should be finishing up his paperwork. Down the hall to the right. You can’t miss him.”

  I should have known he would be part of a different division. Their uniforms are not navy blue like the rest of the officers.

  “Thanks, Ryan.” I gave him my best smile and headed in the direction he suggested.

  The station was quiet as day shift finished up and night shift emerged.

  I walked into the room and noticed only one officer sitting in a chair with his back to me. He sat up straighter as if he could sense me but didn’t turn to meet my eyes.

  “Excuse me,” I said softly.

  He stiffened in his seat.

  “I’m looking for Officer Kincaid.”

  He turned and looked at me with those bright green eyes, but it wasn’t their hypnotic color that threw me. It was the way he was looking at me. Like I was the only thing he could see. His dark brows gave him a near-permanent scowl on his golden-tanned, stubbly face. His raven hair was tapered on the sides with a slight quiff on top.

  “You found him.” He reported. “I’m Adrian Kincaid.”

  He stood up, towering over me.

  “I’m Jade Sinclair.” I offered my hand.

  Hesitantly, he took it and the moment we touched, it was like a jolt of lightning through my core. My knees buckled and my heart accelerated, but he pulled his hand away too quickly.

  His brows narrowed briefly. “Miss Sinclair…” He avoided my eyes. “I hope that I have not…”

  I nodded. “May I see you outside, Officer Kincaid?”

  He thought for another second. “Of course.” He agreed with a bogus smile. The gesture brightened his face and gave him a certain appeal. Okay, a lot of appeal. I can admit that.

  I lead him through the emergency exit near his desk and out of the building.

  When I heard the door shut behind him, I tightened my fist and struck him square in his jaw.

  “What the fuck did you do to me?” I snarled.

  Chapter Nine

  That night

  My blows were not weak but not strong enough to do the damage I had intended. “Jade—”

  “Don’t say my fucking name like you know me!” I cut him off and shoved both fists into his chest. I might get arrested for assaulting an officer, but I didn’t care.

  Not tonight. I started walking toward my car.

  “I’m sorry, please…”

  “Tell me what you did to me!” I turned around enraged as I got to my car.

  Whatever he did ruined me. Total inconsiderate son of a bitch!

  “I didn’t do anything.”

  “Bullshit!” I rejected impatiently.

  “What do you think I did?” he asked.

  “You don’t get to ask any questions, okay? You bit me!” I screeched.

  “Only because I wanted to save you because I love…look, I can’t explain it. I can’t tell you why. I just needed to keep you alive.”

  “And biting me would ensure you of that how?” I asked outraged. “What makes you think I wanted to be saved anyway?”

  His eyes widened at my question. “Why would you say that? I couldn’t let you die, okay? So I did the only thing that came to mind.”

  I gritted my teeth. “I could have you arrested and killed now. You realize that? You really want to play that fucking card?”

  “I can’t stop you if you want to press charges. I wish I can explain why I reacted that way. I hate myself for being weak,” he said, sincerely.

  I should have told him what I saw. Should have told him about Seth, whatever exchange that happened between them while I was lifeless.

  “So now I’m going to become some kind of dog, is that it? Can you reverse it?”

  He backed away from me. “I’m not a dog. And, no. I can’t.”

  “You mean you won’t.” I corrected.

  “No, I mean I can’t. Don’t you think I would have reversed it long ago if I had the power? This is not a life for anyone.” He gave me sympathetic eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  I pushed him away from me. “Don’t bother, just get away from me.” I ordered and turned to open the driver side door of my car.

  He put a large hand over the window and forced the door shut again.

  Tsk. Tsk.

  Temper, temper.

  “Please, let me try to help you.”

  “That’s your way of correcting what you did to me?”

  “I didn’t…” Adrian groaned. “Whatever I did, it was to try to help you. To protect you.” His voice was velvet soft. His hands reached to my face but stopped short. The loving look in his almond-shaped eyes infuriated me.

  “You don’t get to look at me like that!” I yelped. “I don’t need your protection or your help.”

  He lowered his head and gazed down at me. He had me pinned between his body and my car.

  My pulse was in my throat and I did my best to calm it. But something inside me wanted him closer. Wanted a taste.

  �
�I saved your life,” he said in a very low voice. His breath brushed against my lips as he spoke. “Isn’t that worthy of something?”

  “Did you? Because I’d say you ruined my life. Thanks.”

  Tears were there, but I didn’t let them go. I blinked them back. “You should have let me die,” I whispered.

  Adrian blinked at me with surprise. His hand traced my cheek gently. “You can’t mean that, Jade.”

  I shoved him away. “Keep your fucking hands to yourself!” I fumed as I opened my car door again and then took off with screeching tires.

  Son of a bitch.

  I knew she was near the moment she got out of her car in the parking lot. I knew eventually she would come to seek me out, but I didn’t anticipate the speeding pulse inside of me when she crippled me with those caramel eyes. Now, without the bruises and the marks of the accident splashed across her smooth face, she is even more beautiful. With those big, brown eyes, pointy nose and full lips, she would have had my attention even before all this. Not to mention, in those jeans, she had more curves than a Corvette. I had to keep my composure. When she touched my hand, I felt a jolt down my spine. It was too intense. I had to pull away.

  I didn’t expect she’d strike…again. She is bold and quite aggressive. By all accounts, she is infuriating, yet all I could think about was tasting those ruby lips. Her scent wrapped around me like a blanket. She smells like coconut and jasmine and just beneath that cocky surface, I can smell her wolf. Muscles in my body nearly melt when she is near, and I don’t know if that’s because my beast wants her, or because I do. Someone needs to fix this. Whatever happened, it needs to be corrected. Clearly these feelings aren’t mine, and I want to be rid of them. ASAP. Love was not on my menu.

  Adrian

  Chapter Ten

  Busy day

  Throughout the night I know I woke up twice. Sleep evaded me, but when I could catch a snooze, I was plagued by dreams of phantom girls in wedding dresses running barefoot through dense forests. The missing girls. Their faces were a blur, but I knew it was them.