by KD Jones
Adrian leaned down so that his face was right next to Roberts. Jackie could hear Robert’s heart racing. “You need to find another seat.”
“Step back man.” Robert tried to move away from Adrian, but he turned his head and his eyes were caught up in vampire thrall.
“You will move to another seating without saying another word. You will cheer for Samantha when her name is called. Afterwards you will take pictures with your daughter and be on your best behavior. Then you will excuse yourself from attending Samantha’s graduation party. You will no longer harass Jacqueline again or I will come for you. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” Robert stood up and walked further away to take a seat. He never turned back to look at them.
Adrian took the seat next to Jacqueline. He glanced at her worried he may have gone too far, but the smile she gave him reassured him that she was okay.
“Thank you Adrian.” She reached over and took his hand in hers and didn’t let go.
“Well, it was either that or drain him completely.”
Jackie giggled. “I appreciate your restraint.”
He leaned over and whispered in her ear. “I will show you more restraint later when we are alone.”
Her nipples hardened immediately and she licked her lips. “I can’t wait.” She looked at Mary shrugging her shoulders.
Mary rolled her eyes at her best friend and her new mate. They were like a pair of horny teenagers who couldn’t keep their hands to themselves. She glanced back at Ric and caught him staring intently at her. Her heart raced faster, and she turned back around hoping that he hadn’t caught her looking. Mary looked down at her wrinkled hands, hands that looked older than she really was. She had never felt more inadequate than she did at that moment and she hated it, hated him for making her feel this way. Mary would keep her distance from Ric, no matter what.
✯✯✯
Two hours later Jackie walked hand in hand with Adrian as they headed up the steps to her farmhouse. Samantha was riding with the Alpha and the wolf pack. Jackie and Adrian came home first to get everything for the graduation party set up. Mary had said she was too tired and went home.
Adrian stopped her on the steps and took her into his arms. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” She leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him. Smiling she pulled him toward the front door. “Come on, we might be able to get in a quickie before everyone shows up.” Adrian growled with need, making her giggle.
Just as Jackie’s hand reached for the doorknob she heard a strange sound then there was a bright light followed by heat that was burning her. She was thrown from the house along with Adrian as the house exploded.
When the world stopped moving, she tried to go to Adrian, but she was in shock from being thrown so hard to the ground that she couldn’t get her body to move. Things were fuzzy around her. She didn’t know where she was and what she was supposed to be doing, and she hurt all over. Why was she hurting so badly? She couldn’t open her eyes. She found her body was shutting itself down. Was it sunrise already?
“Mom!” Samantha’s frightened voice cut into Jackie’s unconsciousness.
“Samantha…not safe.” Jackie tried to move but everything hurt. She reached for Adrian. She needed him. “Adrian?”
“Found him! He’s in bad shape.” Ric called from a few feet away.
Jackie tried to open her eyes and realized something wet was blocking her view. She managed to reach up and touch her forehead. Her fingers came away wet and a little sticky. Blood, she was bleeding.
“They need blood to heal!” Ric yelled out.
The Alpha did what he does best, taking control of the situation while Jackie laid there listening to him grateful for it. She was in no shape to give out orders. Neither was Adrian, which was the worst part. Was Adrian okay?
She turned her head to look at his prone body. His arm was on the ground reaching for her. She moved her arm so that she could take his hand. He didn’t wake but she felt his hand closed around hers. He must have needed her touch as much as she needed his. She was so tired. She just wanted to rest.
“Mom! Drink!” Samantha was trembling as she moved her head back and bared her neck. She had never done this before and the last time someone bit into her it was Carter and it hurt like hell, but this was her Mother. She couldn’t let her die.
Jackie shook her head. She didn’t want to drink from Samantha, but her fangs had a mind of their own. They popped down ready to feed. “No.” She croaked.
Samantha was crying now. “Please Mom, drink. I need you to drink.”
Jackie sunk her teeth into Samantha and drank. She began to feel her wounds healing immediately. Evidently werewolf blood was super enhanced. She quickly removed her fangs and licked the bite mark on Samantha’s neck.
“You need more Mom!” Samantha was feeling a little dazed and weak. The bite didn’t hurt but it did leave her a little dizzy. She wasn’t sure if she could stand back up.
“Enough Samantha.” Brock was at her side pulling her away.
“She needs more!” Samantha tried to push Brock’s hands away but he was really strong.
“I will feed her. I won’t let her die Samantha.” Brock knelt on the ground next to her and lifted Jackie into his arms and tilted his head. “She is near to unconsciousness so I am going to have to use my thrall powers to force her to bite me.” He felt warmth at her bite, but he didn’t feel the sexual pull that usually accompanied a vampire bite. Jackie was too far gone for it to be anything but a feeding. He looked over at Samantha and saw her watching them intently. He had this overwhelming need to comfort her. “She will be fine. She is already healing.”
Samantha nodded her head watching as her mother fed from Brock. It was intimate and made her feel very uncomfortable. She wanted her Mother to feed and heal but seeing her mouth on Brock made her feel…possessive.
“Jacqueline!” Adrian was making his way over to Jackie with the help of Ric and the Baker brothers.
Brock stopped Jackie from feeding. “She will be fine. She’s healing already.”
Adrian fell to his knees gathering his mate in his arms. “What happened here?”
Ric spoke up. “I have half my pack surrounding the property and looking for any signs as to what caused the explosion. The other half of my pack is tending to the animals to make sure that the fire doesn’t spread.” He turned as the fire trucks arrived. “I’ll go help the firemen with the fire. I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ll be able to save the house.”
Adrian looked over his shoulder and found Christina standing there. “Sire, allow me to give her more blood.”
“How can I trust you?” Adrian knew that the farmhouse explosion was a direct hit on him personally. The attacks on his businesses were different. Going after Jacqueline and Samantha was a personal attack, one he would not overlook.
“I swear to you, Sire, I only want to ensure that your mate survives. I owe you my life. Let me help save your mate’s.” Christina said sincerely. She knelt beside him and bit into her own wrist, before moving it to Jackie’s mouth and allowing the blood to dribble onto her lips. Jackie soon latched on to the wrist and sucked the blood her body craved.
Brock growled as Rod reached down to help Samantha. “I’ll take Samantha.”
Rod glared at the vampire but nodded his head. He left to help his Alpha with the fire.
Brock held a weak Samantha in his arms “We should take Samantha and her mother away from here.”
Adrian nodded his head. “I agree. Christina, help Ric handle the fire department. Brock, help me get Jacqueline and Samantha to my apartment. I will need to call in more security to guard my apartment.” He looked to Christina who gently laid Jacqueline’s head back and closed her own bite. “Thank you Christina and Brock for helping save my mate.”
“It is our honor, Sire.” Brock spoke for both of them.
Adrian took a deep breath and lifted Jacqueline into his arms. Then with Christina’s help he stood up. “Come lo
ve, I am taking you somewhere safe.”
Chapter 23
Jackie woke slowly. It was unlike any rising she’d had before. She felt disoriented and light headed. What happened to her?
“Hello love. How are you feeling?” Adrian reached for her pulling her into his arms. They were both naked and the warmth of her flesh had his body responding.
“I am doing okay. How are you?” She ran her hands over his shoulders and chest looking for any signs that he was still hurt.
“I am completely healed. Physically I am fine. Mentally and emotionally I am feeling precarious. I thought I had lost you. I could not live if that had happened.”
“I feel the same way about you, Adrian. You were lying next to me unable to move and I thought…” Tears traveled down her cheeks until Adrian reached up and gently wiped them away with his hands.
“Shhh…we’re both alive and safe. That’s all that matters.”
“Samantha gave me her blood. Is she okay?”
“Yes, she’s visiting the wolf pack at the motel.”
“What?” Jackie sat straight up.
“Don’t worry, she’s being supervised by the married couple and I believe Mary is picking her up.”
Jackie slumped back against him relieved. “The farmhouse and the horses?”
“The horses are fine. The barns weren't even touched by the fire. The farmhouse is…I am so sorry love. There was nothing left of your farmhouse.”
She cried silent tears as she thought about all the memories of her parents and grandparents that had been tied in the farmhouse. She had family albums and antiques that could not be replaced, but Adrian and Samantha were alive and safe. That was more important. She wiped her tears away quickly.
“It’s okay. My family is safe and that is what matters. So, where are we?” She looked around at a very sparse grey bedroom.
“This is my apartment above the club. I haven’t really done much to it. It’s been just a place to rest, not a real home.” He looked a little nervous.
She straddled him and caressed his face. “Anywhere you are is home.”
Adrian pulled her down to him and kissed her long and deep. Their bodies undulated. He flipped her over and underneath him, and nudged himself between her wet folds. Just as he was about to push into her his cell phone rang.
“What?” He answered with frustration. “You have them now? I’ll be there in about ten minutes.” He hung up the phone and looked at Jacqueline with regret. “Unfortunately I have to go. My security team has caught a couple of people breaking into my warehouse that they want me to question. They believe these two may have directly or indirectly had something to do with the sabotage to my other warehouses. Maybe they know something about the farmhouse.”
She sat up with him. “Go. Find out who is behind all this. But please be careful.”
“I will. Stay here and look around. Make this place comfortable for you and Samantha. I will hire a construction crew to go out to the farm and we’ll begin making plans to rebuild.”
“Thank you Adrian.”
“Anything for my mate.” He gave her a quick kiss before he got up and went to the bathroom to take a quick shower.
✯✯✯
Adrian stormed into the office of his Blood Corp Warehouse. Brock and Christina were there along with two more of his security. They stood around two human males that were tied to chairs.
“Let us go right now!” One of the humans yelled.
Brock gave him a glare with thrall push and the human shut up. He then turned to Adrian. “Sire, we found these two males breaking into the warehouse with explosives.”
“Explosives?” Adrian turned his attention to the two humans. He pushed thrall on them to make them talk. “Why were you breaking into my warehouse?”
“That is our mission. We have to complete the mission to be rewarded,” the older male said.
“Mission? Your mission is to plant explosives in my warehouse?”
“No, our mission is to get caught,” the younger male said.
“Why would you need to get caught?”
“Because it is our mission.”
Adrian growled at the man’s round about answers. “Who gave you your mission?”
“She said we couldn’t say.”
“She?” Who would want these guys to get caught? “What does the woman look like that gave you your mission?”
“Pretty redhead. I always liked redheads. She wore a blond wig but I could see her red hair underneath,” the older man said with his eyes going glossy.
Adrian felt like someone had stuck a knife in his back. “Elena.” He turned to Brock. “Where is Elena? I want her brought in immediately.”
Brock got on his phone and made calls as he headed out of the office. Adrian looked at the two humans. “Was the redhead named Elena?”
Both men shrugged their shoulders. “Don’t know her name.”
Adrian looked at Christina and his other two guards. “Call the local sheriff and have these two arrested for breaking and entering and attempt to destroy property.”
“Yes, Sire.”
Adrian walked out of the office dialing Jacqueline. He got her answering service. Damn it!
✯✯✯
Jackie heard her cell phone ringing while she was in the shower. Turning the water off she wrapped a towel around her body as she tried to rush out of the bathroom, but she froze just inside the bedroom.
“Hello dear, it’s good to see you again,” Elena said, from her seat on the bed holding Jackie’s cell phone.
“Elena, what are you doing here?” Alarm bells were going off inside Jackie’s head. Everything warned her not to trust this woman. Could this be the threat that Adrian’s sire Lila warned her about?
“I don’t have a lot of time. Let’s get down to business. You are going to write Adrian a note.”
“A note saying what?”
“You are going to tell him that you had second thoughts about being with him, and that you’re going away for a while with your daughter.”
“Where am I going?” Jackie slowly walked over to the dresser keeping her eyes on the other woman.
“Somewhere Adrian will never find you.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“He was supposed to be mine. We should have mated centuries ago. I am his equal in every way. But no, he chose you. That is unacceptable.”
“Did you mess with his warehouses?”
“I helped with that, but it was never my intention to shut his businesses down. I just wanted to get the money that should have been mine. The sabotage was a distraction to keep eyes off of the money, but I wouldn’t have needed to do this if Adrian had mated me like he was supposed to. As his mate all his businesses would all have been half mine.”
Jackie had her back pressed against the dresser. There wasn’t anything for her to use as a weapon. She didn’t know what she was going to do. If only she had Big Bob here.
“So, you’ve been stealing from Adrian a long time then? Did you think you were going to get away with that?”
“Stupid bitch, I have been getting away with it longer than you’ve been alive. Adrian never thinks a woman might be smarter than him, but I outsmarted him in this.”
“Did you blow up my farmhouse?”
“I had someone do it. I thought maybe you would blame him for the loss and leave him.”
“I thought you cared about Adrian. How could you do this?”
Elena snorted. “He has never loved anyone since his wife and unborn daughter died. The closest he ever came to loving someone else was his maker Lila. I tried in vain to make him love me for years, but he doesn’t have it in him.”
“Maybe it was you. He probably knew you were a heartless bitch and preferred to be without anyone than be with you.”
“You bitch!” Elena raised the hand holding the gun, and she fired a shot off.
Jackie dropped down to the ground as the mirror on the dresser shattered around her. Grabbi
ng a sliver of the mirror she rushed Elena taking her by surprise so that she dropped the gun to the floor.
The two of them wrestled on the bed. Jackie’s towel fell off somewhere along the way. She straddled Elena slicing the other woman with the piece of mirror on her face and shoulders. Elena screamed and managed to knock the glass out of Jackie’s hand, but she knew she couldn’t allow Elena up. The other woman was an older vampire and would have more strength as her advantage. So she began to punch Elena over and over.
The bedroom door flew off its hinges as Adrian burst into the room, followed by Brock and two other male guards. Someone snickered and Adrian growled.
Elena shoved at Jackie sending her flying across the room and crashing into the wall. “She attacked me Adrian! She went crazy and started attacking me!”
Adrian pointed for Brock to handle Elena while he walked over to help Jacqueline up. He took off his shirt and handed it to her to cover up. “Are you okay baby?”
“Yeah, Adrian, she’s responsible for everything. The money stolen from your company, the warehouse sabotage, and blowing up my farmhouse. I’m sorry. I know you care about her.”
Adrian took her into his arms. “All I care about is that you are okay.”
“I am now that you’re here.”
“You were doing fine on your own.” Adrian commented.
“Yeah, Elena’s not much of a fighter.”
Jackie looked past Adrian to see Brock and the others drag Elena out of the room kicking and screaming. “What will happen to her?”
“I have enough against her to press charges. She’ll go before the paranormal council. They will decide her punishment. Most likely they will incarcerate her for a long, long time.”
“Good.”
“Are you sure you are okay? I would understand if you want to end things because I brought all this to your doorstep.” Adrian worried over her answer.
“Oh no you don’t. You are not backing out of this relationship. Not after all the shit I have been through.”
“I wasn’t trying to back out. I just thought that maybe you—”
