Someone in the room cleared his throat to catch their attention. Jade tried to pull back, but Sebastian held on to her for about five more seconds, then turned his glare to everyone in the room.
“Anyone have a fucking problem with this?” Silence. “Good.” He let Jade go, and then patted her ass. “Grant,” he nodded to the other man, who was standing by the door of his office, his face in complete shock, “ready for that meeting?”
Grant composed himself. “Sure, let’s get started.”
“Did you know about this?” Alex said to Alynna in a stage whisper.
“No,” the brunette shook her head.
“Damn.” Lara sighed in disappointment. “I’d have made a killing in the betting pools.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Daric is definitely being held at the Fenrir Corporation building,” Victoria reported. “That means your link to him is still active, correct? Since you were able to pinpoint his location.”
“Yes,” Stefan confirmed.
“Good. It was too bad those filthy dogs got to our men before they could rescue Daric,” Victoria spat. “But at least that fool Marcus is gone. He won’t be able to reveal more of our secrets.”
“Yes, well, that only means—ARGH!” Stefan suddenly dropped to his knees, his thin, bony hands clawing at his head.
“Master!” Victoria screamed, rushing to Stefan’s side. “What’s wrong, Master? Talk to me!”
Stefan cried out, his body slamming onto the ground, and curling in on itself as he writhed in pain. He let out a blood curling scream, his hands reaching out to scratch at Victoria.
“Stop, stop!” The witch withdrew from him, pressing her palm against the gash on her forearm. “Master, tell me what I need to do to help you!”
A pasty, claw-like hand reached to her, and his body seized, shaking for a few more seconds before he went eerily still.
“Master,” Victoria whispered as she knelt next to him. She cradled his head in her lap. “Master, please, wake up.”
Blood red eyes shot open. “The…the…” he rasped.
“What is it, Master? What happened?”
“Daric,” he sputtered.
“Did he talk to you? Did he discover some information to help us get to him?”
Stefan nodded weakly. “A vision. He has shared a vision with me.”
Victoria gasped. “What did you see?”
“A great…monster,” Stefan said. “Fire. Destruction. A monster that would destroy us all.”
“Are you sure?” Victoria asked.
“A seer’s vision is never wrong!” Stefan spat, pushing away from Victoria. “Daric is telling me something. I saw him. The monster.”
“Who is it?”
Stefan closed his eyes. Then, he let out a laugh. “Fools!” he exclaimed. “Those dirty Lycans don’t even know!”
“Master?” Victoria was confused.
The master mage got to his feet. “Victoria,” he barked. “Gather what men you have. We are hunting down a beast. And, if Daric’s vision is correct, we might be able to kill three birds with one stone.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Two weeks passed since their meeting at Fenrir. What Jade thought was going to be a reprimand was actually a discussion about her ongoing security protocols, and how Grant wanted to expand Creed Security’s role at Fenrir Corporation.
The Alpha didn’t mention anything about her relationship with Sebastian, but at the end of the meeting, he pulled her aside and told her he trusted she knew what she was doing. Nick Vrost, however, warned her to tread carefully.
Lara and Meredith were both waiting for her outside Grant’s office, waiting to give Sebastian the shovel talk. And they proceeded to give him said talk, taking turns detailing what they would do to him if he ever made Jade cry. Meredith ended the conversation with a pat on his shoulder, saying, “Good talk.” Sebastian didn’t get a word in, but despite the serious look on his face, Jade saw just the slightest smile tugging at the corner of his lips. When she was alone with the girls, however, they were both equally excited about her relationship, and they spent most of the afternoon in the lab doing some much-needed girl talk. That night, she and Sebastian had dinner out with Lara and Liam, and Jade couldn’t believe how…normal everything was.
The next day, Sebastian had another emergency with one of his contracts, and this time he had to go on-site. He didn’t want to leave Jade, but he had no choice. She thought about going back to her place while he was gone, but it seemed so lonely there. Her comfy apartment almost didn’t seem like home. So, she decided to go back to his place. Staying there eased some of the loneliness, and she started sleeping in his shirts just to feel close to him and breath in his scent. He came back a few days later, much to her delight, and she welcomed him properly. They didn’t leave the house for two days.
“Sebastian?” Jade called from the living room. “Have you seen my tablet?”
“It’s on the dining room table!” he shouted from his small home office, which was in the far corner of the loft, divided from the rest of the space by partitions.
“How about my hairbrush? I thought I left it in the bathroom.”
“Dresser, second drawer on the right.”
“And my dry cleaning?”
“My assistant picked it up. It’s in the closet.”
“Sebastian!” she shouted. “Come out here! Now!”
“What?” he bellowed.
“Now, Sebastian!”
She heard a heavy sigh, chair legs scraping across the hardwood floor, and then lumbering footsteps that became louder the closer they came.
“What is it, darlin’?” he asked.
“My things. They’re all over the place.”
“Yeah, you’re kind of a slob,” he teased.
“No!” She stalked up to him, crossed her arms over her chest and craned her neck up so she could glare at him. “I mean…my stuff is here.”
“So?”
“So?” she asked in an exasperated voice. “Half my clothes must be here. My books are taking up most of your shelves. My hairbrush, my shoes, my makeup. They’re all here! I can’t remember the last time I was home. Did you trick me into moving in here?”
Sebastian chuckled, and then picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder.
“You oaf!” she cried as the world suddenly turned upside-down. She beat her fists on his muscled back, not that it did anything. He laughed as he walked up the steps to the bedroom, and then plopped her down on the bed.
“Oomph!” The force knocked the wind out of her, and Sebastian dove right on top of her, trapping her lower body with his hips. “Sebastian,” she sent him a warning look.
“I like it when you’re mad,” he teased. “Or pretend to be, anyway. Like that time I picked you up when you fell in front of me in the elevator, wiggling your sexy little ass. You accused me of manhandling you. I guess you don’t mind when I manhandle you now, do you?”
She gasped when his hand slipped between them and under her trousers, teasing the edges of her panties. “Don’t change the subject,” she warned in a breathy voice.
“I also like seeing your things all over my place. And next to my stuff,” Sebastian whispered. “They belong here.” His fingers eased under her silky underwear, tracing her pussy lips. “Are you mad I tricked you into moving your things in here? Or mad I didn’t ask?”
“What?” Her eyes were glazed over.
“I want you to move in here with me, Jade. I don’t like being without you.”
“Oh, Sebastian,” she sighed, wiggling her hips up at him.
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes,” she said. He rewarded her by slipping a finger inside her slick cunt.
Sebastian removed the rest of her clothes, then made love to her slowly until she was begging him for release. When he was done, he rolled her over, planting her on his chest.
“Are you sleepy, darlin’? Tired?”
She shook her head. “No, I ju
st need a moment.”
“Good,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “I’ll give you a few minutes, and then we can get dressed.”
“Huh?” Her head popped up suddenly. “Where are we going?”
“We’re gonna get the rest of your stuff and bring it back here,” he said matter-of-factly.
“What?”
“You have suitcases, right? We’ll take as much as we can carry. I’ll hire a couple guys to bring the rest tomorrow.”
“Wait, you want me to move in now?”
He looked at her like she was the one who was crazy. “What are we waiting for? You said you’d move in, why not now?”
“It’s eight o’clock in the evening!” she declared. “Surely we can wait for the end of the month. I’m all paid up until then.”
“Jade, I’m not waiting, and I’m not giving you a chance to change your mind,” he said in a serious tone. “I’ll take care of the moving and your landlord. He can have whatever he wants. I’ll pay until the end of the year if I have to.” He sat up, hauling her with him. “Now, go get that pretty ass in the bathroom and put some clothes on.”
Jade got up, grumbled something under her breath about obstinate men, and marched towards the bathroom.
***
“I can’t believe you’re making me move out of my apartment in the middle of the night,” Jade exclaimed as they were in the elevator.
“This is happening, Jade,” Sebastian said, smirking at her. “It was only a matter of time.”
As soon as the elevator doors opened, Jade knew something was wrong. The garage, which was normally lit by harsh fluorescent lights, was completely plunged in darkness. The hairs on her arms and the back of her neck stood on end. Quietly, she reached for the phone in her purse, her fingers pressing the tiny button on the back that would send a silent alarm back to Nick Vrost and Alynna Westbrooke. The phone vibrated three times, indicating the alarm worked.
“Jade,” Sebastian growled. “Stay behind me.”
“Well, well, looks like you’re trapped.” It was a female voice, one that sounded familiar to Jade, but at the same time, different. One of the lights flickered and the woman came into focus. Vivianne…no, it was Victoria Chatraine, Vivianne’s twin sister and Lara’s aunt. Stefan’s right-hand woman.
“Good to finally meet you, Dr. Cross.”
“Who the fuck are you?” Sebastian asked in a menacing voice. He reached for her, but stopped when he heard the cocking of several guns.
Victoria tsked. “Uh uh, Mr. Creed. Don’t move any of those big muscles of yours,” she said, tracing a long red fingernail down his bicep. “Now, if you’ll come with me…”
“Leave him out of this, Victoria,” Jade said, mustering all the courage she could. She had to stall them, at least until help arrived.
“You know who this is?” Sebastian asked. When she didn’t answer, he flashed Victoria a hate-filled look. “You’re the one trying to kill her.”
“Oh, smart and handsome!” Victoria laughed. “Almost correct.”
“Let him go,” she said. “I’m the one you want! Stefan wants me dead, right? Or as an exchange for Daric?”
“Close, but no cigar, my dear.” The witch motioned to the men behind her, and nodded to Sebastian. “Get him.”
“He doesn’t know about us!” Jade shouted in a panicked voice. “He knows nothing!”
“What are you talking about, Jade?”
“Sebastian…” She looked at him sadly. His face turned from shock to anger. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Pain ripped right through her chest. Victoria was going to kill Sebastian if help didn’t come soon. “Please,” she begged. “Don’t kill him.”
Victoria let out another laugh. “Oh no, my dear, not at all. He’s much more valuable to us alive. Both you and Mr. Creed.”
“What is going on? Jade!” Sebastian struggled against the three men who grappled him to the ground. They pushed him onto his knees, and then pulled his arms behind him, strapping his wrists together with plastic cuffs.
“No!”
“Now, Dr. Cross,” Victoria continued. “Are you going to come willingly or will we have to restrain you too?”
Sebastian let out a snarl, knocking his head back so it hit the man directly behind him. The goon staggered back, hitting the ground with a loud thud. Sebastian wrenched away from the remaining men who were holding him down, head butting one of them and crouching low to sweep the other guy off his feet. Guns cocked and a shot rang out. Sebastian dropped to his knees, letting out a sharp cry as red bloomed on his shoulder. Two men came forward, holding him down by slamming their boots on his body.
Sebastian lifted her head to to look at her. “Run, Jade!” he screamed.
“No!” Jade screamed. Something inside her was clawing at her, tearing apart her insides and she fell on the ground in pain.
Must…protect…mine…
The she-wolf ripped out of her so fast, she barely had time to breathe before she stood on all fours. She let out a howl, stretching her large head out and then bared her sharp canines. Leaping towards Sebastian, she used her giant paws to swipe at one of the men, clawing him away, while her gaping maw latched onto the other goon’s arm. Sebastian rolled to his side to get out of her way, grunting in pain as his injured shoulder hit the cold cement floor.
“You idiots! Why did you shoot him?” Victoria screamed at the remaining men behind her. “Get the tranquilizer dart! The Master wants them both alive!”
The men behind her scrambled, while Jade’s she-wolf continued to rip through the other man’s arm. She suddenly let him go and howled in pain as a dart hit her back. The she-wolf snarled and then whipped around, stalking towards Victoria, her gray fur dripping with blood.
“Get away from me, you filthy dog!” Victoria screamed. “Put another one in her!”
A second dart hit the she-wolf in the shoulder, but she continued to lumber towards the witch. She could feel the tranquilizer slowing her down, but she fought it. They would die, all of them would die for hurting her mate.
“Jade!” A voice rang out through the garage. She turned her head towards the entrance, where the doors had flown open. Meredith stood in the doorway, dressed in her catsuit, ready to battle. Three wolves, two large ones with brown fur and a smaller black one, stood behind her.
“Lycan scum!” Victoria screamed. “Get them! And get Creed!”
The wolves and Meredith leapt into action, charging the remaining men. There were about a dozen in total, all obviously under the puppet master’s spell as they fought the massive Lycan wolves with no fear.
Using the last of her strength, Jade’s she-wolf leapt on one of the men who had managed to drag Sebastian towards the door. She swiped a massive paw across his face, shredding the skin with her claws. When the man fell down to the ground, she let out a satisfied snort and turned to Sebastian, wanting to see if he was all right.
My mate. Mine.
But, as she looked at Sebastian, she saw something that made her heart sink and gutted her insides. Getting up from his knees, he stumbled back, as if trying to get away from her. He was staring at her, his eyes wide. It was a look she recognized, the very same ones her classmates had on their faces, that fateful day when she shifted in the bus. Terror. Horror. Revulsion. Hate.
She let out of a howl of pain before the darkness took over.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Jade, honey? Are you okay?”
Jade sat up quickly, her body jolting into consciousness. “What’s going on?” she gasped. Looking around her, she saw she was in the back of one of Fenrir medical vans, lying on a stretcher
“Oh, Jade,” Lara wrapped her friend in a hug. “Don’t you remember?”
The memories were fractured, but they came back. The she-wolf! She shifted for the first time since the bus accident. Seeing Sebastian shot tore her apart, and the she-wolf hacked its way out of her body. She remembered the satisfaction of taking those men down, getting her revenge
for…
Sebastian.
The pain came back to her middle, and she doubled over, wrapping her arms around her stomach.
“Jade, what’s wrong?” Lara asked.
“I…I…” Sebastian’s face came back to haunt her. The look of disgust on his face sent the she-wolf inside her howling in agony. Yes, she was there. The animal in her that she thought was gone, that she had pushed down so deep inside, had come back. And it was in pain. No, both of them were. Sebastian had seen what they truly were and he hated them.
“Is it Sebastian?” Lara asked.
“How…where is he? Is he all right?” She had to know. He may hate her, but she still needed to know he was alive.
Lara’s face fell. “Grant and Nick…they took him away. Jade, he’s human. You know they can’t let him go. He saw you shift, and when you shifted back, he was raving and screaming. We had to hit him with a knock-out potion.”
“Victoria!” she suddenly remembered.
“Got away, unfortunately,” Lara answered.
“And what about—”
“You should lie back down,” the witch said. “Dr. Faulkner and the rest of the medical team are caring for the ones who were seriously injured, so no one’s here to look after you.”
“Seriously…injured? Oh Lara, did I—” She sat up, trying to get off the stretcher.
“Shhh…” Lara pushed her back down. “Don’t worry about it.”
“But I hurt them and possibly—”
“You were protecting yourself! Protecting Sebastian!” Lara interrupted. “Just remember that.”
Jade sank back down, covering her face with her hands. She almost had it all. A normal life with Sebastian. She had it in her hands and then it crumbled into nothing before her eyes. Sebastian was repulsed by her, and she hurt more innocent people. A sob escaped her chest, and tears flowed freely down her cheeks.
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