by Sayde Grace
“All right then. Let’s go see what hell lies in this abyss.”
At the bottom of the stairs, Jasper growled. Five cages lined one wall while a table with straps sat in the middle. The table had straps at the sides where one’s legs would go. Between the leg straps was a strip of padding, the exact spot where a man would place his knees while thrusting into a woman.
Sidda’s voice broke behind him. “Damn. I’d hoped he’d artificially inseminated. I really didn’t wanna be a rape baby.” Blaming the deaths of those babies on herself was not going to help. Her birth was not the cause for Dane Velham’s behavior. “None of this is your fault, Sidda. Don’t ever forget that. The fault lies with someone trying to be God.”
“File cabinets.” Cole’s footsteps echoed against the cinderblock walls. “They’re locked, but give me two seconds, and they won’t be.”
Cole didn’t lie. By the time Jasper had stepped across the room, the filing cabinets had been unlocked. They held files and files of numbered experiments. Each folder contained a number and initials. The first he picked up read Blue Moon Female 3. Jasper sucked in a breath, his beast surging forward. Where were the files for Blue Moon Female One and Two? The folder crinkled under his grasp, and Sidda’s fingers laced in his.
“We need these. Let me have them. I’ll box up all the files and folders while you and Cole look over the cages.” She pried the folder from his fingers. “Jasper, it’ll be all right. Let’s get this and go. Velham will have realized that one of your father’s pups survived and that’s who is leading the Blue Moons. Come on.” She ran her warm, soft hand up and down his arm, comforting not only him but his wolf. Slowly his rage turned from a bonfire inside to a smolder. He’d get Velham, and soon enough, but his mate was right.
Ten minutes later, the cages had been searched and nothing found. He’d scented them, and yes, his mother and one other Blue Moon female had once lain in those cages.
“Was it my mother?” Sidda’s voice snapped his thoughts in two.
“Probably, your scent and the one in that cage has a close base scent. You’ll recognize her scent with a little more practice. I’ll tell you my theory when we get back. There’s someone else we gotta talk about too. Let’s get the hell outta here and get back to the house.”
“Yeah, you’re gonna need to lock her up,” Cole mumbled before turning and striding out of the room.
Shit, Cole had to run his fucking mouth. Beside him, Sidda stiffened. “Later, as soon as we get home, I promise. I’ll tell you everything I know.”
Whether she’d accept it and still want him was another thing. But he damn sure wasn’t letting her go. Even if he did have to lock her up, he wasn’t letting go.
Chapter Fourteen
Sidda hated the way Jasper’s voice grew slightly higher pitched than normal when he tried to hide something from her. He didn’t realize he did it, and most people didn’t either, but she knew. She knew almost everything about him. And he was right. Tonight she’d know everything, and if his ass blocked anything from her again, it’d be hell to pay. Alpha or not, he’d tell her everything.
The long, paved road leading to the large log Pack home which was hidden in the forest, reminded Sidda of the road leading to the cabin near her house. She’d felt so safe and loved there, not like how it felt to be in the Pack’s home. There, she seemed out of place. Everything belonged to Jasper’s mother, a woman who would no doubt be mad as hell for her son to be dating the daughter of the bastard who’d killed her mate, possibly her sons, and raped her.
The stone circular drive came into view as did a large white SUV. Sulfur filled the air before Jasper’s phone began buzzing.
“Is that who I think it is?” Jasper growled.
The black haired man glanced their way.
“Jasper?” Sidda shot a glance between the two wolves. “Who do you think that is?”
Jasper just shook his head. Sidda’s heart raged inside her chest alongside her wolf. Her mind raced. Who was this guy? She’d been hoping they would have a few days to get used to everything before the big guns showed up. But this threw a kink in that plan. Nothing like jumping in headfirst.
Jerking to a stop, Jasper growled when he flung the truck door open. The wolf’s eyes flicked to Jasper before Sidda opened the other door and eased out of it. She grabbed Jasper’s hand, hoping to calm him. They didn’t need an early fight.
His eyes met hers, and she fought not to look away. The odd violet color would have been stunning on someone not as hard-jawed or violent as him. His square jaw and broad shoulders tightened. He held her gaze, his eyes turning from a light violet to a nearly black purple. He flicked a glance down at Jasper’s fisted hands before he marched to them. When he came within inches, his large frame leaned toward her to inhale deeply.
“Stephan, back away from my mate before I rip your throat out right here on my lawn.” Jasper’s harsh tone had her cringing.
Stephan cocked his head toward Jasper before inhaling deeply once again. In a movement so fast her eyes barely followed, he jerked her shirt to the side to gaze at her Marking Bite. Beside her, sulfur radiated from Jasper just a spilt second before he snatched Stephan’s hand away from her.
Jasper stepped between Sidda and the strange wolf, shaking with anger. His wolf neared the surface, and his need to shift to fight for her surged to her through their bond. She placed her hand on Jasper’s back, sending calming thoughts to him, hoping he’d sense the need to not start a war at this moment.
“Touch my mate again and you will not see the next second.”
“Your mate?” Stephan shook his head. “Just because your Visioner spoke of one of the Gandillion pups mating with a pup from Scarlett Dowery doesn’t mean this one is the right pup. In fact, she’s rightfully my mate, and I will have her.”
This bastard was just trying to start something, and she knew it. She hoped and prayed Jasper would see through his talk.
A smug smile tugged at Stephan’s lips.“If I recall, you already marked Vivian Dowery.”
Jasper growled, his body radiating hatred. “Sidda is mine. She is the head of the female Alphas.”
“You’re right about one thing. She’s the strongest female of all the packs. No one else would try me the way a head female Alpha would, but she is not yours. How could she be when you already marked another mate before her?”
Sidda sucked in a lungful of burning air. Had Jasper done that? Was that what he’d been keeping from her?
Stephan strode past them. “This one is mine. I suggest you go find the sister your father boasted to the Packs about. The female you created a union with when you marked the first Dowery daughter.” Stephan’s eyes held Sidda’s. “I’ll be seeing you soon.” His smile took Sidda by surprise. It was warm, welcoming, and genuine.
For a second she forgot he’d threatened Jasper, forgotten he’d said Jasper had another mate, or that he made it sound like she might have a sister. “Wait. What the hell are you talking about? I don’t have a clue who you are, nor do I want to know. And who are Scarlett Dowery and Vivian Dowery?”
Stephan’s eyes flashed black, sulfur rolled in waves from him, and his lips thinned. “You’ll learn not to speak unless spoken to, mate. Now collect your things and be ready in the morning when I get back here.”
So much for the smile. “Fuck you. I’m not going anywhere with you, dipshit.” Her rage began to boil even as her wolf tried to cower. This wolf in front of her was strong, very strong, but Sidda wouldn’t back down.
“It’ll be fun breaking you, mate. But first, address all your questions to him.” He flicked a glance at Jasper. “Then tomorrow we will begin the breaking process.” A sadistic smile quirked his lips.
“Try it now, jackass, and see what happens,” Sidda snarled.
A bitter laugh rose from Stephan. “Your eyes burn as bright as your mother’s when she’s angry.”
Jasper growled and lunged, but before he hit Stephan, Cole tackled him. Sidda thanked god bec
ause they had some serious business to discuss, and that bastard had made one very important comment about her mother. First, though, she had to know about Jasper being with someone else.
Without glancing back at them, Stephan got into his SUV and drove away. Jasper flung Cole a good ten feet away from him coming up in mid shift. His hair had sprung all over his body, his hands now paws.
But Sidda didn’t care. All that mattered was that he explain what had just been said. “Jasper! What the hell was Stephan talking about? You marked someone else?” Sidda stomped to him, stumbling over an uneven stone on the drive.
Trembling all over, Jasper’s fur receded as his paws turned back to hands.“I’m gonna kill him.” He grunted out. “Yes, but not—”
“Yes?” Sidda reared back and punched him so hard he fell flat on his ass before she stormed away.
“I was a kid. Calm down, Sidda.” Jasper instantly regretted telling her to calm down. She spun around and landed a second blow just as hard as the first.
“Don’t tell me what to do. You don’t have that right, asshole.”
Maybe if she hadn’t hit him the second time Jasper would have let her go cool off, but instead his wolf raged. She was his, and he was her Alpha. He had every right in this world to tell her what to do.
“Stop. Move again and you won’t leave our room for the rest of the night.” He growled.
“Try it, you cheating mutt. Oh, wait, I guess you’re not a cheating mutt as you never really had a right to claim me.”
“Sidda, I’ve wanted…” Fuck. He should have told her a long time ago what had happened.
“Shut up. God, I can’t believe this. All the time I stayed around waiting for you. I could have had a normal guy, one who wouldn’t have brought out these feelings and led me on. How could you? Shit, I love you, and now I find out I can never have you. Well, fuck you. I don’t want your ass.” With tears streaming down her face, her sulfur nearly choking him, she spun away to storm off, but he called on his Alpha powers. The hum of energy crackled within him.
He rushed and caught her before she hit the ground. Her eyes met his.
Her voice lowered to a broken whisper.“I hate you for this.”
He’d kill Stephan one day soon. Jasper had wanted to wait until that night when they were alone to tell Sidda about Vivian. He knew she’d react badly, but this was worse than he’d figured. Damn Stephan.
Chapter Fifteen
Jasper stared as Cole tried to rise on trembling legs. Cole shook his head to stare at him. “Shit, man. She’s gonna kill you for sure when she wakes up.
Jasper nodded. “She’ll try,” he whispered before turning to face Cole. “You all right?”
Cole brushed a piece of grass from his shoulder. “Yeah, but that guy was an ass. I almost let you have him.”
“That’s what Stephan was hoping for. He figured he’d start the fight right off, that way tomorrow when he shows back up with Velham, he’ll be able to justify going after us. At the time my head wasn’t listening though.” Jasper reached down and scooped Sidda up.
Damn it, he had some explaining to do, but she wasn’t going to make it easy. He’d have to find some chains or something to block the door. Maybe he’d take her to the training room to tell her everything. Doc could lock them inside.
“Thanks.” Jasper shifted Sidda to one arm while he stuck out a hand to Cole. “I remember now why you were All-American.”
Cole shook Jasper’s hand, and some of the tension between the two of them slowly faded. “Felt good to take you down a notch. You were getting a head on you. I mean I don’t blame you. Sidda’s grown up real nice but…” Jasper growled, causing Cole to laugh and stride off toward the front door.
“Dipshit.”
But Jasper’s attention turned back to the stunningly brave she-wolf in his arms. God have mercy on him when she woke up.
He inhaled her scent and rested his forehead on hers for just a moment. “Jesus, I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. You’re gonna kill me when you wake up.” Jasper spoke softly to her, knowing she was out cold.
“You’re right about that. From the front door we could hear everything and you are in so much trouble. When she wakes up, it’s your butt, young man. What were you thinking?” Ms. Joy stood in the doorway with her lips pursed into a sour frown.
“First, let’s get inside. How’s everything around here?” Ms. Joy opened her mouth to tell him but stopped as Ms. Angela ran from the house.
“Oh thank god!” She rushed toward them, eyes brimming with tears.
“Ms. Angela, what’s wrong?”
“Besides my daughter knocked out cold in your arms?”
Jasper hung his head. Even though he knew Sidda wasn’t biologically Ms. Angela’s, he couldn’t get over the guilt they both made him feel when they gave him the look. It was the one look where they narrowed their eyes as they brimmed with tears. It nearly ripped his guts out.
“Or that… that bastard showed up here demanding Jared let him in or he’d kick the door down and kill everyone inside. He was outraged when Jared didn’t budge, saying he only took orders from his Alpha.” Ms. Angela hugged her arms around herself.
“Doc did just what he was supposed to do.” Jasper swelled with pride over Doc’s actions.
“I know, but that monster could have harmed Sidda, Cole, or you. And the people have been calling all day wanting to know who was back in the house. I didn’t even realize the phones worked until the calls started.” She turned to head back inside. “Now get inside. We need to talk about this.”
With a “yes, ma’am,” Jasper followed her into the house.
“I’m going to lay Sidda down in the room. We need to make this meeting quick, and I suggest everyone find a place to hide in a few hours because once she wakes up it’ll get bad.” He sucked in a breath of air. “Real bad.” He muttered the last to himself before striding to their room and laying his sleeping goddess down. She really was going to be pissed.
He needed to read those files and go over what Stephan had said to Doc before they’d gotten there. Later he’d go over it with Sidda.
“Thank goodness. We’ve been worried sick about the three of you.” Ms. Joy grabbed Jasper, hugging him tightly when he strode back down the hall. “That dang phone won’t stop ringing, and I have no clue what to say, so we’ve started to let the machine get it. Which just says ‘Leave a message.’ Well, that isn’t what those people are wanting to hear.”
She flopped down on the sofa across from where Jasper settled.
“First things first. Let’s go over what we learned today.” Jasper leaned forward to flip the lid off of the box containing the folders they’d swiped.
Cole straightened.“Yeah, first things first,” Cole said. “Let’s discuss the fact that Stephan not only said you were supposed to be mated with one of Scarlett Dowery’s pups, but that you’d already mated. Or what about that comment about Sidda’s mom and Dane’s whip? That means she’s still alive, right?” Cole glanced around the room, taking in everyone’s shocked expressions
Jasper stilled, his hand midway to the box. He turned to Cole.
“Stephan could be just playing Sidda, but I don’t think so. From what I’ve heard, he doesn’t play games.”
“So that Scarlett lady he was talking about is Sidda’s mom and is still alive. I’d bet money she’s not the only one alive.”
Jasper’s mind ached with possibilities. There could be so many she-wolves alive and being held captive or there could only be one. If he had to guess though he’d say Sidda’s mom and his were still very much alive. No wolf on the planet would kill a powerful Alpha female. Especially one who had already birthed three male pups. No, Velham would want to keep them alive and keep them breeding strong-blooded and powerful sons for his ruling. Ones that would obey their father without question.
Jasper shook his head. No pup born to either his mother or Sidda’s would obey Velham without question. He pushed those thoughts awa
y and opened the file he’d been reaching for.
“Flip to the last page. The farther back in the file the father back the date. We need to find out when this wolf was taken.” Doc sat down beside Jasper.
Jasper opened his file. “He’s got them numbered. Blue Moon Female 3. Knowing what I do of Velham, I believe he’d number them based on their power and strength. My mom at the time being the most powerful female would have been labeled Blue Moon 1.”
Jasper stopped and looked over at Doc. “You should be made aware that Sidda is without doubt the most powerful she-wolf in our Nation. Today she showed more wisdom and courage than any other wolf, even me. When I wanted to start the war with Stephan, her calmness eased my rage and cleared the fog of anger. She is your Alpha if anything at all happens to me, understand?”
Doc’s eyes widened before he dropped his shocked gaze. “Yes, I understand and would be honored to have such a highly regarded she-wolf as my Alpha.”
“Good. Now my time is running out. We need to get through this quickly because I don’t want to put you all in the line of fire when she wakes up.”
“And I sure as shit don’t want to be here. I think we might all head to the movies.” Cole’s gaze landed on the others in the room who took the hint and nodded.
“Maybe I’ll join you,” Jasper whispered.
“Hell no, I want to see the battle scars tomorrow.” Cole’s voice was filled with a half-joking, half-hopeful tone. Jasper could sense Cole still didn’t believe he hadn’t mated with Vivian.
“Anyhow, there aren’t but ten different females listed in these folders.” Doc rummaged through the box of papers, pulling out each folder out. “Here, everyone take one or two. Flip to the first page and check for DOD’s.”
Cole held his hand out for a file. A frown creased his forehead. “DOD? What’s that?”
Jasper stiffened. Reality barged its way back in. DOD—Date of Death. Damn, that wasn’t good.
