by Tigris Eden
“Well, come on child let me get a good look at you. He’s already marked you. It’s too late to take it all back now.” She stood in the middle of the kitchen with her hands on her hip and gave Jes a no nonsense look. Hesitant at first she stood there, most likely assessing the situation.
“My daughter gave me that same look once. We had it out. I won.” Her voice was strong, shoulders squared. His mate was preparing for battle. Even after everything in her past, she was still a force to be reckoned with whether she knew it or not. You are strong love.
Mara ignored her comment and shrugged. His mother was still waiting on her to respond to her request. Jes looked to him for assistance and Draven gave a brief nod in his mother’s direction. He couldn’t interfere. Wouldn’t. Shoulders up and chin high Jesminda stepped closer to his mother.
“Well, she’s got good child bearing hips. All your cubs will be full breed.”
“Excuse me?” Jesminda asked.
“Don’t talk to my wife in that manner human. Mother of my son’s cub or not, you will not be addressing the Luna that way.”
“I’m not a child, and I was not being disrespectful.” Jes snapped at his father. “We came here for help, and if you’re just going to have your paw up your ass, well, you can just shove it.” His father stood dumbstruck. Tony always had something to say. At the least, he would always be on the defensive. Both he and his animal waited in caged silence. When challengers came knocking on his door, Tony always threw down the gauntlet. Always. Jesminda had escaped his wrath.
She stormed from the kitchen, making a beeline for Faith.
“When this is over,” he said to his father. “You will owe my mate an apology. Pray she accepts.” He walked over to his father and stood chest to chest, nose to nose with the alpha of House Canidae. With direct disapproval, he whispered. “Because, if she doesn’t I walk.”
Draven followed her quietly. Before she reached Faith, he drew her to a stop and turned her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head. Needed her touch just as much as she did if not more. She was skittish and he knew she’d planned on leaving him after the mission was over. He needed to convince her it was a bad idea on all fronts. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms in a soothing motion. Her body was stiff, but as he rubbed further she slowly thawed little by little.
“My father’s an ass, don’t worry my mom will deal with him, alright?”
She let out a long breath “Okay.”
* * * *
Jes looked down at her sleeping daughter and sighed. She was still in Draven’s arms and she felt safe protected. It was the first time in a long time she’d felt anything for a man. Back at the motel and the forest counted as feeling something. She knew that. It was mostly due to her body’s needs, not her. Whatever helps you sleep at night. He was trying to wear her down, one hug and soft lingering kiss at a time. Her mind rebelled at the thought of starting something with him. Her heart....or was it her libido felt something else. Her body tensed, she wasn’t ready for this type of relationship. She would never be ready for anything. Maybe he would just accept her body and not her heart, her soul. She knew he wanted more, a small corner of her brain understood it. But when faced with the day-to-day challenges she had where men were concerned she couldn’t follow through. He’s already planted the seed. It grew when she wished it wouldn’t.
Draven inserted himself into their lives, her heart. It paralyzed her with fear. She’d let it happen. His emotions were attuned to hers; even that first night, he’d known what she needed, and gave it to her without question. All except for a name and number.
He tipped her chin up with his finger and bent his forehead to hers. His eyes were penetrating. X-ray vision to her emotional core, he picked past the dirt and grime as it burrowed further into her body and saw the real her. Why did he have to be so damn consuming right now? She needed to get her head in the game and he wasn’t helping her when it came to matters of the heart. Matters of the heart? She pushed his chest so she could take a step back. He wouldn’t let her, there was a slight rumble in his chest, and she realized he was growling his dislike as she tried to step back.
“It’s not easy, baby. I know, but please trust me when I say; I will take care of this. Us. We’ll get through this. Our daughter will be safe, and then we can start working on building our life together.”
No no no! Her mind panicked. There was no relationship! Didn’t he understand that! Too broken, she was fucked up. She’d by-passed the seven rings of hell and landed straight into eternity. There was no coming back. Wading through the shit, taking it one day at a time, loving Faith with everything she had. That, would be her only survival from here on out. There wasn’t any room for him. She wanted to believe him, desperately, but things had a way of not working out in her case. Bleak was her future and nothing else, bare existence at its best when it came to her own well-being.
“I’ll teach you how to protect yourself, so you will never have to worry about losing control. You will be in control of your life. If I can’t do anything else I will do that.” His voice was determined, hard. “I know you don’t understand what’s happening between us, but I promise you this, I didn’t recognize it before but I do now. You and Faith belong to me. I will do everything in my power to see this through till the end.”
That sounded more like a pledge not a declaration of love. She relaxed at bit. She didn’t want him declaring love. That would be worse than death. Was she expecting, a declaration of sorts? No, you were preparing for it, not wanting it. That was true. She’d prepared herself. Her body had begun tensing for the verbal slap, which normally was followed up with a blast of pain.
His lips a feather caress, tugged her forward, deeper into his embrace. She could feel the hard length of his arousal pressed tightly against her stomach. She really didn’t have time for all this. She needed to rest, regroup, and figure out what their next move was. She knew he was trying to console her, soothe her into submission, but she was too tense for that. She was hard wired for pain. Words that should have made her smile and bloom into the perfect wife and doting mother were harsh to her ears and tore flesh from her skin. To hear them was agony.
“We need to get back to headquarters and meet up with Royce and the others.”
“I know baby, let me go talk to my mother, Faith will be safe here, I promise.”
He dropped another kiss to her lips and walked towards the kitchen. Jes pulled the blanket tighter over Faith’s body and knelt down beside the couch. She couldn’t take her on this leg of the journey; it wasn’t a safe place for a five year old. She touched one of her daughter’s curled strands of hair and took a deep breath. She’d be safe here and Marcus and that man would never find her. She’d gut anyone who tried to lay another hand on her daughter.
Draven walked to the front of the house and his mother was next to him, a look of concern on her face. She managed a smiled when she noticed Jes was paying close attention. Jes stood and his mother took a steady step forward and hugged her, arms squeezing her tightly. What side of the coin is this?
“I bid you welcome to our family,” his mother said in a formal voice. “I will protect my grandchild with my life and so will her grandfather, you have my word.” She walked over to the couch and scooped Faith into her arms and disappeared into the darkness of the house. Jes felt the solid warmth of Draven’s hand return, his fingers threading with hers. She wanted to know about Oliver and Solon. She needed to see what was right in front of her. There was more to it. What had been presented in the beginning was elaborately constructed.
Chapter 19
Headquarters was dark when she and Draven entered the doors. The secretary who’d been there the first day was no longer manning the desk. It was quiet inside and the normal hustle and bustle she expected wasn’t there.
“Shouldn’t there be people here, especially this time of night?”
“They’re here baby, don’t worry. I can smell them. Everyone is right where they’re
supposed to be. They’re all waiting to watch Ronin and Royce’s interrogation. It’s somewhat of a spectacle here among us.”
Draven tugged her to his side and they took the elevator down to the sub level. The walls were stark white, soundless. Not a hum or buzz of electrical items doing their job to support the building. It was too quiet. She wasn’t worried if they’d be attacked, but the silence put her nerves at attention, made her twitchy. There were only a few doors lining the walls and each of them was slightly ajar with no lights. The door at the end was closed. He steered them towards it. His steps light. He was all predator.
“Let’s go in there and get this taken care of. I want to go home and be with our daughter.” Her nerves settled, resolution would come, she could feel it. Soon it would all be over. He nodded and pulled her into his side. He kept touching her, over and over every time he got a chance. At the beginning of this trip, he was abrupt, standoffish. Now he maintained skin-to-skin contact, at what seemed like all times. He kissed the top of her head and pushed open the door. True to his word, everyone she knew from the Unit was there as well as the secretary. Guess she didn’t want to miss a good interrogation either. There were a few other people she didn’t know but there was no mistaking the sharp intake of breath as the others saw her walk in holding his hand.
It was none other than his ex-girlfriend. Newly ex. So not the business, Jes thought to herself. They were here on real business. Melissa was probably here to start some trouble. She was sitting in the front of the room. Wearing a skimpy ass outfit and some fuck me boots. Seriously? Women and their insecurities always got the best of them. The whistle on your teapot is blowing. Had them doing things they wouldn’t normally do if they really took the time to think about it. Guilty. Hadn’t she done the same with Marcus? She wasn’t going to focus on his ex, wasn’t her problem. Should she feel bad for Melissa? Hell no! The incident in the cafeteria pressed forward in her mind, she quickly killed the feeling. She wouldn’t feel bad for Melissa. Jes wasn’t the type of women to shove hurt into another woman’s face, so she quickly untangled her hands from Draven’s and looked for a placed to sit.
They were inside an observation room. Royce and Ronin were inside with Solon and a conscious Oliver. She spotted Bells out of the crowd and her friend rose to her feet when their eyes met. There was silence as Melissa stared at her. Maybe she under estimated the other woman’s cool. Melissa’s eyes were glowing and it looked like her mouth was over-stuffed with food. She was actually attempting to change. Right here? Right now? Draven’s arms wrapped tight around her, extricating the breath from her lungs. He let her go immediately when he realized he was hurting her. It wasn’t on purpose. Calm down. He was reacting to his ex. His eyes were large and unsure when he saw her rubbing her arms. It wasn’t his fault and she let him know by placing her hand on his chest. A low snarl slipped between his lips, and for a microsecond, she thought it was for her. She froze; Draven’s hand massaged her shoulder. He raised her head to meet his concerned green gaze.
“Never would I hurt you Jes. Never.” He said passionately. Melissa let out a growl and that got the attention of everyone in the room. She watched as Melissa forcefully pushed a chair out of her way, headed in their direction. Draven held her still, and for the first time in a very long time, she didn’t feel the need to bolt. His arms were back around her in a show of protection.
“Sit the fuck down, Melissa.” Draven growled. Melissa looked between Jes and Draven. The calculation in her eyes was clear; she’d already planned her next course of action. Melissa slumped her shoulders and turned. Carefully she sat back down, body rigid and racked with heavy breathing. She didn’t look defeated, but patient. The rest of the men in the room said nothing, but were on guard. They were each tense and ready to spring into action without preamble. Dravaggio cleared his throat; everyone in the room put their eyes back on the window.
“Now that we’ve got everyone’s fucking attention.” Ronin drawled. “Let’s get this party started.” Ronin looked over at his twin, stood and nodded in his direction.
“Brother, if you would be so unkind as to do the honors.” He splayed his hands to encompass everyone on the other side of the glass. “The people want to see us work our magic.” Ronin said with a genuine smile. Jes felt a little uncomfortable. Ronin seemed very happy about the entire process.
He looked at everyone on the other side of the window, smiled right at her. There was lust in his eyes. It wasn’t for her; clearly, he got off on interrogating people. Freaky.
She knew he could read her thoughts and Ronin grinned even wider, all teeth. “Ah, honey, you’re hot, but not my type.”
Ronin looked at Bells. She bristled in her chair and averted her eyes in the opposite direction. What was that all about? She could see the vein at the side of Royce forehead tick in frustration. She looked at the two men strapped to their chairs, hands, feet manacled. Solon gave the brothers the evil eye. She saw the utter look of defeat on Oliver’s face. Or was that calm? He didn’t argue or struggle just looked straight ahead. He knew what was going to happen to him, as did everyone on the other side of the window. He’d worked with these men, they’d trusted him, and now he was a traitor. That couldn’t bode well for him in the least.
Ronin walked over and stood in front of Oliver’s chair. He braced his hands on the back of the chair’s headrest. Bent his head low, he got all up in the other man’s breathing space, and sniffed.
“I know you know the drill Oliver, you piece of shit.” Ronin spat. “But in all fairness, I promised the good people a show. Captain gave me the go ahead to get sadistic on your ass.” Ronin looked over his shoulder to the observation window and grinned.
“Royce and I have ways of making a bastard talk but we save the special treatment for the traitors, so if you have a weak stomach I suggest you bounce.”
No one moved. Ronin shrugged his shoulders and turned back to Oliver. Can’t be that bad. She thought. She watched closely as Ronin’s already large body grew larger. There were audible gasps from their side of the window and low murmur’s. She heard things like “I didn’t know the bastard could do that.” And the collective, “What the fuck!” Didn’t they know what he was? Or had they thought what she had assumed? That he was some sort of shifter. But not after the blood exchange. She’d wanted his brother in a way that was feral, primal. The baser part of her brain had tuned to him on in a single-minded level.
“That’s right doll.” He turned to look at her through the window and winked. Everyone still stared at Ronin who now looked like the incredible hulk times ten minus the green. His hands were tipped with claws and there wasn’t any fur. Oliver tried to sit further back in the chair but his head banged against the headrest, cracking the wood. Ronin spoke; his voice was deeper, stuffed full of fangs.
“You, go nowhere.” He said, dark threads of silk wrapped around her throat and pulled. His voice was somnorific. Jes looked to the other women in the room. She wasn’t the only one affected by Ronin’s voice. His hand shot out to Oliver’s neck choking him. His face bent forward until he and Oliver were face to face. He took a couple of deep breaths. Was he trying to inhale the other man? She chanced a look over to Solon who sat still. He didn’t seem afraid, it was like he didn’t really care either way, but he still looked on, expectant.
“I smell fresh mouthwatering food.” A moan slipped from his mouth as he got closer. He was all animal. Royce walked over to his brother and placed a hand on his back. “What did I tell you?” Ronin grunted. “We always play with our food.” Royce slapped Oliver hard across his face.
“Why were you at the cottage where Jesminda’s daughter was being kept?” Royce asked lazily. He took his hand off his brother’s back and causally leaned against the wall, lit one of his red cigarettes and waited.
“I was checking out the house, it looked suspicious.” Oliver quipped.
“Wrong.” Ronin said. He took his clawed hand to Oliver’s cheek and tore open the skin. He wasn’t nic
e in his actions. He hooked his fingertip and pulled. The blood was thick, congealed. It didn’t drip down his face but slowly oozed. Oliver was still in service to the Royal House. He didn’t look like a healthy House member. His blood should have been a bright red not black. He needed blood and fast. He was dangerously low.
“Again, I ask why you were at the cottage.” Royce said on a bored sigh. He put his cigarette out on the wall and walked over and glared again.
“Whoever is blocking his thoughts is doing a pretty good job.” Royce walked around the inside of the room. He passed by Solon and kicked the back of his chair and grinned. Solon took the shot unmoving. The two of them were having way too much fun.
“Won’t matter when I get inside there.” Ronin roughly jabbed his finger into Oliver’s forehead.
Oliver whimpered, but didn’t answer. So Ronin scored his nail down his chest. His chest opened up. The sound of skin giving way as Ronin’s nail slid down Oliver’s chest made Jes’s feel sick to her stomach. It was a sick wet zipper sound that left Oliver’s insides on display. She’d had never seen anything like it. He was empty on the inside, his organs missing; there wasn’t even a beating heart. All Oliver had was a skeletal structure underneath. All Regs and royals had insides right? Everyone in the room looked between each other. There were murmurs and grunts. The others obviously hadn’t seen anything like that either.
