I hugged Mikael back tighter then. “This is why you were always perfect for me.” He leaned in and kissed the top of my head before I managed to look back up into his sparkling green eyes that so closely matched my own. “I need to go get Willow from the girls. I think my dad wanted to run the possibility of using a decoy by you, so you might want to check in with him real quick.”
“Okay. Are you bringing Willow back here, or should I meet you guys at our house?”
My mom interrupted then, as she passed us to head back inside her house. “Can you bring her here, I wanted to make dinner for everyone. It’s been a while since we’ve all been able to sit down for a meal together.”
“Sure, I’ll be back shortly.”
~*~
When I got back to my parents’ house with Willow, it wasn’t to a warm family dinner and welcoming environment. Instead, everyone looked like someone had shot his or her favorite dog. “So, what’s going on with you guys? Why does everyone look so grave?” I asked as I looked around my parent’s living room, taking in the seriousness that permeated the air. To my surprise, Gabriel-the hunter-was there as well. He stood immediately when he saw me enter the room and didn’t bother attempting to sit back down even after he knew that I saw him. Avery half stood to welcome me into the room too, but I waved them both off at that point. “Seriously, what’s up? I thought you went home?”
“Avery was just telling us that more girls have gone missing from his pack.” My father informed me.
“Well,” Avery corrected, “the most recent was from our pack. Tess called to tell me about it before I left. I figured I’d stay here and fill you guys in on everything she told me. The others were strays we picked up from you when those harem girls were brought over.”
“My eldest, Tessa, was convinced that our attacks might just be copycats committed by a wolf. She actually suspected the one you sent to us, Nicholi. At least she did until she was with him when the last girl went missing. It doesn’t seem as though he’s involved at all.” Avery almost chuckled. “Truth be told, I think she only had him pegged as a suspect because she can’t understand why he gets under her skin the way he does.” My father clapped his hand on Avery’s back as he stood beside him.
“On that note, I’m going to grab some beers.” My father mentioned before walking off into the kitchen.
“I’ll take you up on one of hose, Jameson! Besides, you already owed me for my youngest daughter.”
I quirked up an eyebrow and fought the laughter that was bubbling up. Poor Avery was dealing with two daughters who were of mating age all at once. It couldn’t be easy on him having to let go. It wasn’t that long ago that I got to see firsthand how he doted on them. “So, what do we know about the girls who have disappeared?” I asked while we waited for my father to bring back the beer.
“They’re all the same. Tall, dark hair, light eyes, and when we manage to find their bodies they are drained of blood.” Avery didn’t look pleased to be the one informing of the victim descriptions.
“We already figured out that they are looking for someone that fits my description. You already heard about what we learned from Tamara. There are multiple dark ones responsible for this. They have a specific destination, and they appear to be looking for me. Am I missing anything?”
“No, that’s about the gist.” He turned to his phone then and started speaking. “What do you think is going on with that, Serena?”
“They spoke of draining the girls on a specific site?” There was a bit of static crackling through the phone lines, meaning Serena was probably on the country roads, still headed to wherever her sister Gwyn lived.
“Yes, at least that’s what Tamara thinks she overheard.”
“And they’re looking for someone who fits your description?” Serena directed her question to me this time.
“We think so. Although, when it comes to wolves, I’m obviously not alone in my features.” I shrugged as if she could see me. “It could be someone else. We’re only speculating because of who I am.”
“As you should. It sounds to me that they are doing some sort of blood ritual, and there’s only place near both of your packs that I can think of that they would need a blood ritual to enter.” Serena had everyone’s full attention now. “I’m going to have to consult with my sister on this first, because I don’t know the exact location. If they’ve found it, we need to keep Jessica and Willow safe at all costs.”
“Just what is it you think they’ve found?” My father asked Serena as he passed the last beer in his hand off to Gabriel. At that point, I wished I could have snagged one for myself too.
“The portal between this world and the next.”
“A spirit portal?” Avery sounded shocked.
“I thought they were all sealed up years ago?” Gabriel added his question.
“All but one was sealed completely. That is why I need to speak to my sister before we even worry about that possibility. She will know which one was left open, and what it means that someone may have found it.”
“I guess Gwyn will be doing double duty when you finally get there then, huh?” I mentioned.
“No, it’s not Gwyn I need to talk to about this. I will be needing to speak to my sister, Layla.” Serena said amidst another round of crackling static.
“Wait, the sister who Natalia and Evan worked with in Romania?”
“The very one.” Serena confirmed
“Serena, did you do what I said to make certain you weren’t followed?” Avery asked.
“Evan was already on top of all that business before I could even suggest it.” I could hear the humor in her voice then. “I have not felt the presence of a dark one for some time already, but we will continue to be vigilant as we travel the rest of our route, I promise.”
“So, you’re taking Evan and Natalia to see your sister, Gwyn; and you have another sister, Layla who knows about the portals and where to find them?” My mother was trying to confirm.
“That is correct, Eileen.”
“You certainly have a busy family, Serena.” Leave it to my mother to bring up the fact that Serena’s sisters seem to be involved in all the mishaps that surrounded the local packs.
“Well, there were seven us altogether. I suppose when you have that many witches from a family hanging about for so many years, they’re bound to make ripples here and there.”
“I do wish they had directed their ripples elsewhere,” I mumbled.
“As do I, child.” Serena offered.
I felt a hand rest on my shoulder, but I didn’t need to look to see that it was Mikael standing behind me. I noticed when he, Sierra, and her son came in. One look around the table, and Sierra took the babies upstairs to my old room, so they wouldn’t make a fuss in the middle of our impromptu meeting. The squeeze from Mikael’s hand on my shoulder brought my attention back to focus on the room around me. One thing in particular drew my attention, and that was the fact that Gabriel was still staring at me like I was the greatest thing since sliced bread, or maybe like I was lunch. It was odd, and as much as I didn’t like it, Mikael’s vice-like grip on my shoulder proved I wasn’t the only one to notice.
“Can I help you?” He asked the hunter, but Gabriel just smiled before turning away. “There’s something off about him.” Mikael tucked me further into his arms as he spoke softly. “I don’t want you around him alone, you hear me?”
“You’ll get no arguments from me on that one.”
“Good.”
The front door opened then, and Asi walked in looking a little worse for the wear. It appeared he had news to share too, as he found my father and tipped his head toward the office. Jameson and Avery both followed Asi in, but I was too tired. If they meant for me to hear the news they would bring it back out to the room the rest of us were in, or they would call me back. Until one of those things happened, I was just going to sit still, and hope that some good news actually made it down the pipeline at some point today. I was growing tired of
the constant intrigue, worry, and hope that another devastating kidnapping, maiming, or worse would happen again.
I realized, a little late, that Avery had hung up the phone, so Serena was absent from the conversation now. Actually, I was okay with that, because it was one less person to have to worry about upsetting when I closed my eyes momentarily.
When the men finally emerged from the kitchen again my father was white as a sheet. He nodded to Mikael, and even that slight gesture caught everyone’s attention. “Dad, can you just spit it out, here?”
“Jess, I really didn’t want to add to what you already have to worry about with all this…” he indicated everyone sitting around the living room.
“Listen, I know there’s a point when things pile up and it becomes too much, but I promise, I’m not there yet. So, let me have it. What else happened? Is it another girl? Did the patrols find something?”
It wasn’t my dad who spoke up. Instead Asi came forward, “the patrols found something all right. It seems that those who were confined in the Locks may have had help getting out recently.”
“How in the hell is that even possible?” I questioned.
“Freedman’s pack. Well, what was left of them, aided in the breech. We have men there now investigating things, but I think Mikael and I should be on site as soon as possible to help track down any of the escapees. We’re not even sure how many there may be yet.” Asi answered.
“When do you leave?”
“We should be gone at first light. We have a lot of ground to cover, but we don’t want to start running off on wild goose chases all night. Our men are searching the locks and the rest of the area, trying to get an accurate body count.”
“Fantastic.” I turned back to Mikael then, and pulled on him to get him to walk outside with me. “Is it selfish of me to say I don’t want you to go?” I asked once we were out on the porch by ourselves.
He gave me an admonishing look then. “I would stay if I could, baby, but I have selfish reasons for wanting to go.”
“What? So you can be the hero?”
“Kind of, but not for the reasons you’re thinking. I haven’t forgotten who we locked away in that place. If either of those women get out, you know they’ll be hell bent on revenge for a slew of reasons, and maybe they found a way to make friends down there who could help them. I’m not willing to risk that. I’m not willing to risk you being a target for yet another person. It’s killing me that I can’t take you somewhere and lock you and Willow away with me a safe little bubble somewhere. I just need to know you’ll be okay, and part of that, is going to look for the escapees.”
“I get it.” I whispered, voice too full of emotion to get much more out. “I love you for it, even though I don’t’ want you gone.”
“I know, babe. I promise to be careful though.”
“So, did we manage to find out if anyone actually escaped or who it might have been?” I asked after Mikael went back in to check on things.
“No, we aren’t certain of who got out. We know someone did though, there was evidence of both paw and foot prints at the site. Clearly, a couple of them shifted, and walked out of the area in their wolf form. We’re not sure if the footprints are from people who aided them, from the hunter that was there, or what. That’s why we need to go check for ourselves.”
“Does Ashley know that Asi’s going?”
“He’s on his way to go tell her, Jess.”
“Okay, well, I’m going to head over there to see her once you guys leave then. I don’t think there’s anything else that I can do right now anyway.”
My father walked up about that time too. “I just came to see you and Asi off this morning,” he said to Mikael.
“Thanks, I appreciate it, Jameson.”
“I also wanted to let Jess know that I’m putting a security detail on her and Willow.” He turned to address me directly then. “The detail is to go wherever you go.”
One look at Mikael’s face told me he was in complete agreement with my father. “Fine. Everywhere, but in my house then.”
“Jess...” My father started.
“No. I have to draw the line somewhere. I won’t have a constant invasive presence in our lives. I won’t have my daughter growing up feeling like a prisoner, and I certainly don’t want that for myself either. It gives me the creeps to know someone is watching us, even if it is for our own good. I’ve been caged up one too many times before to want to live with guards surrounding my house inside and out. No. Just no.”
“Fine. They will sweep the house prior to you entering, then. Knowing what we know, we have to take every possible precaution we can.”
Mikael stepped in at that point. “They can sweep the house, just until I get back. When I’m here, they don’t enter for any reason, other than sounds of duress.”
“Need I remind the two of you that Clarissa and Annabelle were both in the locks, and you’re the reason they were put there?” My father questioned. He didn’t stop there though. “Or do you need reminding of the fact that the dark ones are hunting for a woman who looks just like you to drain her on a specific site, possibly to open a gateway between the world of the living and the dead. Hell, the possibilities in that scenario alone are frightening enough.”
“I understand all of that, and still, I’ve been held captive enough times to know I don’t want to do it again. Not even if it is for my own good. Having invited guests in my home is one thing, but a security detail following Mikael, Willow, and I about our daily duties is far too intrusive. We’ve lived through that before, and I won’t stand for it now.”
“Jess,” Mikael began as he walked toward me. “I won’t push you to have them in our home, because I completely understand, but in a way… this isn’t just about you or even me. It’s about the rest of the people we look after, and their safety if you are captured.”
“Uggh, Fine!” I relented. “They can do a sweep before I enter, but then I want them out.” I watched as wordless war was waged between the looks on my father’s face and those of Mikael’s. After a while, they both backed down a bit.
“Jess, you can have it your way, for now. If we feel the need to step up security later, I won’t hesitate.” My father dictated before stomping back into his house.
Mikael and I went back in, and upstairs to grab Willow from Sierra. “I wish you would reconsider allowing the security team to stay closer to you guys while I am away.”
“No. Damn it, Mikael, you know how I feel about that. I might as well be back in Sophia’s cage with Zach leering at me through the bars.” Mikael winced at that, but I didn’t need to make him feel better in that moment, I needed him to understand why I couldn’t be under that close watchful eye. “I won’t be able to breathe like that.”
“I know.” He sighed into my hair as he pulled me into a hug. “I just don’t know what else to do to make sure you’re safe while I’m gone.”
“I’ll have Ashley, Sierra, and little Jack come stay with us if it will make you feel better. I’m sure Ashley will be going stir-crazy without Asi nearby anyway.”
“Okay, that works, and I’m sure Asi will feel better about that situation too.”
“Good, it’s settled. Let’s get our daughter home and to bed, so we can enjoy the rest of our time together before you have to go.”
~*~
“We rock this parenting thing.” Mikael whispered to me as he closed the door to Willow’s room almost all the way shut. “I don’t know what all these parents are talking about when they complain about lack of sleep. She’s awesome!”
“Maybe, Willow knows her mom and dad are stressed enough.” I untied my robe, so that it hung loose on me as we entered our bedroom. Mikael noticed right away, and gave a little tug so that the robe fell down my arms, and clung to my body for a moment before I straightened and let it slip the rest of the way off.
“So, I was thinking…” Mikael came up behind me in one smooth motion, and leaned in to kiss my shoulder. “About that
security detail.”
“What about it?” My answer must have sounded too serious for him because he immediately re-doubled his efforts, nibbling at my neck until he elicited a moan from me.
“I worry when I have to be away from you.” He kissed his way up to my ear, stubble scraping across the sensitive skin around the areas he kissed. “I hate to worry,” he whispered into my ear before he tugged my earlobe playfully with his teeth.
“Is this supposed to be you seducing me into heavier security while you’re gone?”
“No, this…” he kissed along my jaw, until he finally came up just to my lips. “...is me starting negotiations.” He planted the tiniest of kisses on my lips before he pulled back and started to walk away.
“Oh no you don’t! You don’t get to start something like that, and just walk away!” I hissed at him as I turned to see him disappear into our bathroom.
“Technically, I think you started it, disrobing the way you did.” His voice sent chills all over my body, even though he was being nonchalant with his ‘hard to get’ routine.
“You’re a horrible man!” I sat on the bed naked as the day I was born, bottom lip poked out, and pouted. He stuck his head around the corner and laughed. Meanwhile, I managed to toss a pretty nasty glare his way before he sauntered over to me, his lack of clothing now matching my own. The wonderful thing about a naked man was that they couldn’t hide their attraction. He was definitely just as affected by what had already been started as I was. “Oh, this just became too easy,” I mumbled to myself.
“What was that, love?”
“Nothing.” I slithered off the bed, and trailed my fingers around on his chest as I walked right past Mikael to stand in front of the bedroom window.
“What are you doing?” There was an edge to his voice now.
“Well, I figured you might as well get used to me being watched all the time if I am going to have to get used to it too.” I lifted my hair up off my shoulders, basically posing with my back to him, and hiding as much of the window as I possibly could with my body.
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