by Jana Leigh
They walked out of the building and into the garage surrounded by her Warriors. It was strange to have this many people with her. Jordan felt like a star, or something.
They piled into the black SUV and drove to the airport. Jordan looked out the window and was silent the entire way there. She was leaving the only home she had ever known and flying off to a new destiny. Her mates held her hand and seemed to know that she was having issues with leaving. Blaze talked quietly in the front seat and it was a little comforting that she liked and respected the new people in her life.
They arrived at a small airport and she looked around in surprise. She assumed that they were leaving from the big one, but she was glad that they would not have to walk through the huge terminals with her entourage. That would have been a little conspicuous.
“Ryan and Ariel are on the plane. Jordan, follow Cade directly to the plane. Romy and Larkin, follow your guards.” Blaze ordered briskly, got out of the car, walked directly to the stairs, and stood waiting.
Jordan wanted to bust out laughing at the seriousness of the men but she held it in.
Wow, they were certainly making sure she was protected.
Jordan walked quickly behind Cade and kept her head down. They hurried her up the stairs and she entered the large personal jet that Ryan apparently owned. It was huge.
Nice cushy seats on either side of the plane. In the back, she saw a galley that a woman was standing in, working. Ryan and Ariel were sitting in one chair together, kissing and she laughed when they pulled apart slowly.
“Sorry to interrupt.” She said and walked to a seat across from them. Larkin and Romy followed her, sat on either side of her, leaned over, and kissed her cheek.
“It"s okay.” Ariel said happily and bounced into the chair next to her mate. “We were just talking about a lovely vacation in the mountains that we are going to take.” Jordan laughed at her new friend"s enthusiasm. She was happy they were going with her because she did not think she could do this on her own. The butterflies in her stomach began as they prepared for takeoff. She was actually doing this. Going to Colorado and becoming one of the Chosen.
Once everyone was seated, the pilot announced they were ready for takeoff. Jordan held her mates hands as they rolled down the runway. She let go of the breath she was holding when they were in the air. The woman who had been in the galley started rolling a cart with drinks and food toward them, Cade stood and looked over the food before nodding and allowing her to pass.
Ryan looked at them and smiled. “I love first class.” Blaze pulled a stack of papers out of his briefcase and said, “Okay boys and girls, we need to talk.” They all looked at him and waited.
“So, we have traced this guy"s screen name. He has been all over the place looking for people; I am assuming they think are the Chosen. He was in New Orleans a month ago, that is where the newest member of the Council was located. Her name is Lacy. I sent the papers to Quin and Jaden. They can follow up. As far as I can tell, he is one of the Rogues. We are monitoring him but so far he has not been back online, the last time he logged in was in Denver. Jordan, you are going to have to be aware of people you come in contact with. Cade is monitoring our search and will inform you if we find anything else.” Blaze said and then sat back.
“Now, your natural grandparents are alive and have been contacted. I did a background check on them and it appears they are on the up and up. You have two uncles and a number of cousins. Except for the occasional traffic ticket, they all seem clean. Your grandparents would like to meet you soon. I informed them that you would be in contact when you are ready.” Blaze continued. “I called our construction people. They found these places. They recommended the first one, since it was large enough to build a house for the Warriors also.”
Jordan took the pictures and looked. What an amazing view, she thought. She would be able to have a wraparound porch where she could sit and look at the mountains all day if she wanted to. Now she started to get excited. Larkin and Romy agreed with her and they said they wanted that parcel of land.
Next, they were given choices of homes that could be built for them. Jordan was overwhelmed at the size of the places they were showing her. Larkin and Romy smiled when she and Ariel began talking about the pros and cons of the places. Finally, they chose one that Romy and Larkin had liked the first time they saw it. It was a three story house, with offices for each of them, on the top floor, a huge master bedroom and several guest rooms. The best part was the atrium that was going to be built off the back of the house. Jordan insisted the Warriors have a similar house but with suites for all of them. It would be behind the main house.
By the time they landed, Jordan and Ariel had searched online at the stores that were close where they could furnish everything. The Warriors all agreed since they were unmated that the women could pick out their room furnishings. Jordan almost died when she thought of the cost that this would entail. Romy and Larkin just smiled and assured her that she could not break them even if she tried.
“We are landing.” The pilot announced and they buckled up. Her mates once again took her hands and smiled at her. She felt like she was in a dream world, everything was happening so fast she was not sure it was real. Maybe she would wake up in her home town and be alone again. The thought sent shivers through her spine. She did not know what she would do if they were not her mates. She felt safe, pampered, and loved.
When they finally landed, Ryan told them they would be staying at a hotel in Milliken.
The butterflies were back. She knew that Sid and her brothers were going to be waiting.
She wondered if they were going to listen to their Alpha. She did not want to think about what would happen if they confronted her.
“I"m scared.” She whispered to anyone who was listening.
Romy and Larkin went still and looked at her. Ryan and Ariel also stopped what they were doing, in fact, the whole plane seemed to hear her, and they waited.
“Why, baby?” Romy asked and put his hand on her head and tried to soothe her. The tears started to form again.
“Because, what if I"m not who they say I am?” Jordan whispered again. “What if I"m just a normal human?”
“Baby, there is nothing normal about you.” Larkin said. “And they are not wrong. We have checked it all out. Trust me. But, even if it was all a lie, you would still be my mate.”
“And you would still be a part of my Pride.” Ryan said quietly.
“And you would still be my friend.” Ariel said and smiled.
“You would be Jordan.” Blaze said.
The Warriors all nodded, smiled, and waited. She felt accepted and loved. More than she had ever felt before accepted with her family. They accepted her too, though they had lied to her. These people had proved time and time again that they would tell her the truth, even if it sucked.
Jordan let the tears roll down her face and she smiled and nodded before burying her face in Romy"s shoulder and sobbed. “Oh, baby girl.” Romy said and rubbed her back.
“Too much has gone on this week; I think maybe you need a quiet night with a long hot bath.”
She just nodded and allowed everyone around her to take care of things until she could gather herself together. She was in the SUV before she knew it and they were on their way to Milliken. Ariel and Ryan were in the same car as they were and she listened as Ryan called Quin and the New Council to inform them that she was on her way.
It took one hour to get where they were going. Jordan looked at the mountains and smiled. It was definitely beautiful around here. They all talked about the area as they drove, letting Jordan relax a little. She grew more and more anxious as they drew closer to the town that she would now call home.
Ariel leaned to her and smiled. “Jordan, we will all be here with you. Nothing will happen that you don"t want. Remember that.”
Jordan nodded as they reached the edge of town. They were here. The caravan made its way to the hotel in town. Romy told her that i
t was the only place that they would be able to stay. Ryan and Blaze rented out an entire floor for them. The Warriors were going to be in a fully loaded fifth wheel camper behind the hotel.
When they pulled up to the outside of the building, she saw there was a group of people waiting. She knew most of them. Quin, Jaden and Cami stood in the front of the rest of the Council. She saw Sid, Devon, and Casey to the side. Sid was shifting from foot to foot impatiently. She saw Casey touch his arm gently to help soothe him.
Romy and Larkin turned to her and kissed her gently on the mouth before asking,
“Ready?” She nodded and looked at her friends.
The Warriors all got out of their cars and came to the doors. They lined up on either side of the door so they would surround them when they got out. Blaze got out first and stepped forward. Ryan and Ariel next, and finally it was their turn to get out. Jordan took a deep breath and stepped from the car.
Quin and Jaden stepped forward and smiled stiffly. “Ryan, Ariel welcome to Colorado, we hope your stay here will be pleasant. Jordan, Romy, and Larkin, welcome home. We have a small dinner prepared inside so we can all introduce ourselves.” Well this was going well, Jordan thought as she looked at the people standing before her. Quin and Jaden turned and entered the hotel with the rest of the New Council following. She was not getting the warm fuzzy feeling at all. Well, they would have to get over it, she was not the problem.
With her back straight, Jordan took hold of her mates" hands and marched up the stairs with Cade leading them. She heard some of the wolves" growl as they passed. Great, she thought.
They entered the hotel and Jordan looked around. It was nice and homey. They followed the rest of the New Council as they entered the dining room where some wonderful smells were coming from. A large table sat in the back of the room filled with food.
Sid stood off to the side and Jordan glanced his way. Her brother frowned when she just stared at him without any expression on her face. She wanted to run to him and throw her arms around him and let him comforter her like he had done so many times in the past. But she didn"t. She couldn"t. Right now, she was still sorting out her feelings about all of this. Sid should have told her right when he found out. It pissed her off that this group of people knew about her past before she did.
Quin stepped forward and held out his hand to Romy and Larkin. “My name is Quin; these are my mates, Jaden and Cami. We are the Alphas of the Pack and the New Council.”
Larkin and Romy shook their hands and greeted them politely. Jordan stepped forward and Quin smiled and hugged her gently. Jaden did the same and then Cami stepped forward and smiled. It did not really reach her eyes but she hugged her stiffly.
“Welcome.” Cami said. “I hope that we will be friends.” Jordan nodded and smiled politely. This was awkward. She had the feeling the small Alpha wanted to say more but her mates held her back. A large man stepped forward formally and smiled. “My name is Tey. Jo is my mate and the White wolf of the Pack.” Everyone in the room tensed and Tey pulled a small woman to his side. She looked like she had not slept in a week. Redness ringed her eyes and she looked like she would break down at any moment. Jordan stiffened. This woman"s father killed her parents.
She turned a little and sought out comfort from her mates. They were at her side instantly, held out their hands, and shook Tey"s. Jo stood like a statue staring at Jordan.
“I can"t, I"m sorry.” Jo said and ran from the room.
Tey sighed and looked at Jordan apologetically. “I am sorry, Jordan; this has been very hard on her. Please don"t hold this against her. She really is happy that you are part of the Council.”
Jordan nodded and lifted her head up high as Tey followed after his mate. She saw the look of pity across all of their faces. Gods, they were going to hold this against her.
Jordan felt a spurt of anger. She was the victim here. Her parents brutally killed and her discarded like nothing. How could they blame her? Jordan was on the verge of leaving herself when Ariel stepped forward and took her hand. She felt her friend"s strength flow through her again.
The rest of the introductions went smoothly. When they were at the end, Sid stepped forward and held out his hand to her mates and nodded before turning to her.
“Jordan, I am so glad to see you.” Sid said and pulled her into a hug. She stood stiff for a second and then wrapped her arms around her brother. She sobbed and held on while she let the stress from the last few hours flow out of her.
“It"s okay, little sis. I am so sorry things went like they did.” Sid whispered in her ear.
She nodded her head. “I promise, I will never keep anything from you again.” Jordan sniffed and pulled back. Her mates were at her side instantly, putting their arms around her, and soothing her. Casey came up, grabbed her, and hugged her. “Me too, I am here for you.”
Jordan could only nod, the emotion stuck in her throat. Devon came next. She had always liked the rough man who had mated with her brother. He had a good sense of humor and always made her feel like she was welcome.
“Jordan, welcome to the Council.” The man said gruffly and pulled her into his arms.
She smiled against the large chest.
“Thanks, everyone.” Jordan finally said when she was able to pull back. She looked around the room and frowned a little. She could see the division in the room. It was strange. She felt responsible but she was not going to change anything.
Ariel stepped forward and said, “I am frickin" starving; does anyone care if we eat?” Jordan laughed and felt the tension in the room lessen a little. They slowly got their plates and everyone sat down at a large table to eat. The conversation was light and fun.
Jordan watched the people interact and could tell who was at odds with the situation.
Tey and Jo re-entered the room and sat down quietly after getting a meal. Jo picked at her food and refused to look up.
It was the newest member to the Council who finally spoke up. “You know, I realize that we were told that we should not bring this up. But seriously, there is a huge elephant in the room and I think it needs to be dealt with.” Lacy said calmly and looked around the room.
Quin sucked in a breath and waited for Jordan to explode. He was afraid she was going to leave. Gods, what a mess she had made of all of this. Jordan cleared her throat and said, “Lacy, I think you are right. I realize that you are all walking on egg shells around me. I honestly did not want this to happen. I feel like maybe you see me as a spoiled brat who is just pitching a fit. That is really not my intention. I guess I thought I was the only one who was hurting in this situation. I realize I was wrong.” Romy leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Baby, are you sure you want to get into this now?”
“Yes, Romy. I"m sure. I know what I asked is unconventional. Not living in the compound and being a member of the Pride instead of the Pack. But here are my reasons. I am a human, though wolves raised me. I never really felt like I belonged to the Pack though.” Sid frowned as she talked. “Yes, my parents tried. So did my brothers and I will always love them for that. But I felt like I was on the outside of things. When I met Romy and Larkin things just clicked. They understood me. I don"t want to give that up yet. I am going to research whether I have to be a member of the Pack for the Prophesy to come true. If and only if it harms the Council, I will reconsider.
It has nothing to do with anyone other than me.” Jordan said and Quin nodded and smiled at her.
“I also understand that you are all divided on your feelings. So am I. I need answers. I want to know why.” Jordan continued and looked down the table to Jo who was staring at the table silently. “Jo, I am not your enemy. I know you are caught in the middle just like I am. There has to be a way for us to come to terms with all of this.” The room was silent and then Jo said quietly, “Jordan, I appreciate what you are saying, but I just don"t know what to do. My father, he has no memory of what happened the night your parents died. I have a hard time believing that he did it. He
has never shown any aggression to humans or his subordinates. Trust me, after my past; I would have not had anything to do with him if I felt a hint of violence in the man.” Jordan frowned and said, “What do you mean he doesn"t remember?”
“Just what I said. He has no clue what happened that night. He woke up and had blood on him, but no memory.” Jo said.
“I think I may be able to help with that.” A woman from the doorway said and walked in.
Lacy stood up and said, “Mother, really, I was just getting to that.”
“Too slow my dear. I was bored. I decided that I would make the potion myself, that way if something goes wrong, it"s on me.” The woman said.
Everyone looked confused as the two women argued back and forth. Quin finally whistled loudly and then held up his hand. “Uh, we are all confused.”
“For those who don"t know my bossy mother, this is Adele. Adele, the Council. And apparently a few shifter cats.” Lacy said and everyone laughed.
Her mother glared at her. “Alpha, if I may.” She said and waited for Quin to nod. “Lacy and I were talking about Oliver"s predicament. Now as a witch, we try to make sure we have the whole story before we decide to kill someone. So we thought, why not force his memories? They have to be in there somewhere. Even if a shifter is drugged, the memories are in the background.”
Jo gasped, jumped up and looked animated for the first time. “Really? Will it work?” Adele looked shocked and said, “My dear, if this doesn"t work, I will eat my black pointed hat.”
The room buzzed with excitement and Jordan watched as they all talked around her.
Ryan and Blaze looked at the witch with interest while Ariel raised her hand, like she wanted to ask a question.
Quin whistled and said, “Sorry, Ariel, you don"t have to raise your hand.”