“Yes. Thank you.”
“Jared, I want to know all about the lycans in Canada,” Laurel said. “It could help me find the reason for our breeding problems. But first I need to tell you about Norris before Esme gets back.”
“What is it? Is he dead? Esme will be heartbroken.”
“No, he’s very much alive. He was seen in Aberdeen this morning, and I fear he is once more working with Doctors for a Better Humanity. In fact, I think he knew exactly what he was doing when he turned Esme into a lycan.”
“What?” Jared stood so fast that he knocked the chair over. He needed to get to Esme.
“Calm down, Esme will be fine. Two of the single lycans here in London are trailing her and Granger. No one will get to her.”
“You don’t know her like I do. Norris could convince Esme to do anything. She would go to him in a second. He could call, and she wouldn’t hesitate.”
“Actually, we do know that,” Anton said.
Jared didn’t stop to think. He threw himself at Anton, knocking him to the floor and punching him in the face. “You’re using her as bait, you bastard!” He raised his fist to hit his cousin again when suddenly he couldn’t move. He was frozen.
Laurel leaned down next to them. She placed her hands over Anton’s face and the cut on his lip closed and disappeared. She sighed and looked at Jared.
“Jared, I understand that you are upset and on edge. You don’t know us. However, you know Asena, and you know I represent her. I would never risk Esme. Do you understand? I would never take your mate from you. Now, I’m going to release you. I expect you to behave yourself and listen to what we have to say.”
Released from Laurel’s control, Jared stared at Anton who lay quietly beneath him. “If something happens to her, I’ll never forgive you.”
Anton nodded. “Understood.”
Jared stood up and offered his hand to Anton. Anton took it, and Jared helped him to his feet. It was unnerving. Looking at Anton was like seeing a younger version of his father, except his father’s eyes were blue and Anton’s were gray.
“Now, can we act like civilized adults?” Laurel asked. “I never trusted Norris or believed his explanation for turning Esme into a lycan. I know Norris wanted to cure Esme of cancer, but I think he used lycan DNA in the bone-marrow transplant on purpose. I also think his experiments to try to change her back to a human are also purposeful. Esme, of course, is naive. She has no idea her brother used her for experiments. Norris does love his sister, in his way. However, I’m not sure whether he is grounded in reality.”
“You’re saying Norris is insane?” If Esme knew this, it would crush her.
“I’m saying he is mentally unstable and possibly dangerous to the lycan race as a whole. I’m unsure if he is actually dangerous to Esme, though the organization he is working with has no moral compass and wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice Esme and even Norris if it thought there was a need.”
“That’s not true! Norris would never hurt me. Don’t listen to them, Jared.” Esme stood in the doorway, a bag of groceries in her arms. Granger stood behind her, frowning. Esme put the bag on the counter and ran from the kitchen. Jared followed her up the stairs and to her room. She grabbed a suitcase from the closet and threw clothes into it. Jared rushed up to her and took her in his arms. She burst into tears, her fingers clutching his shirt. “It isn’t true. It isn’t true. Norris wouldn’t hurt me.”
Jared held her tight, fighting his instincts to rip something apart. His heart ached for his mate, and if what Laurel said was true, he would kill Norris before he let him hurt Esme again. She trembled in his arms. He kissed her temple and her cheek. He needed her. Needed to protect her, needed her safe in his arms. “Listen to me, mon coeur. We will find your brother, and we will learn the truth, together. It’s you and me now, Esme. You are not alone. I will be by your side from this moment on. Do you understand? We will figure this out together, bébé.”
Esme nodded, her face pressed to his chest. Her sobs slowly quieted, and she hiccupped. She looked up at him, her eyes still glistening with tears. He leaned down and took her mouth, kissing her with a desperation that surprised him.
Control, he needed control. Esme lifted her hands to circle his neck, and he shuddered. Even as he fantasized about throwing her on the bed and taking her, he pulled back from their kiss.
“I’m so glad you’re here, Jared. I don’t think I could handle this without you.”
“I’m sure you can handle anything, ma petit louve. You’re a survivor. You survived five years of cancer. Don’t forget that. I think we should go down and listen to what Laurel has to say. She cares about you. She would never tell you something she believed untrue.”
“I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to believe it. I can’t. The possibility she might be right terrifies me. My brother would never harm me. I know that.”
“I believe you, bébé. But that doesn’t mean that Laurel is wrong. Your brother could be working for this group of doctors.”
“He hated that group. He knows the members are evil. He wouldn’t work for them.”
“Are you sure? What if they’d been willing to help your brother cure your cancer? Wouldn’t he have worked with the devil to save you?” Jared would have done that if he’d been in Norris’ situation.
“I ... I don’t know … maybe, if he thought there was no other way.”
“Let’s assume that Norris did what was necessary to help you. I’m not going to make a snap decision. I think we both need to hear what Laurel knows about this situation.”
Esme bit her lower lip, looking so damn adorable Jared wanted to gobble her up. “Okay, let’s go find out what she knows.”
Jared led Esme down the stairs and back to the kitchen. When they entered, everyone in the room turned to look at them.
“Esme, I never meant to hurt you.” Laurel rushed up and hugged her. “Your brother doesn’t always see things the same way everyone else does. Come sit down at the table and eat.”
Anton turned away from the stove. “There’s a manila envelope on the table, Jared. You and Esme need to look at what’s inside.”
Jared walked around the hugging women and picked up the parcel. He slipped three photographs out of the envelope. Anton moved a pan off the stove and wiped his hands before coming over to the table.
Granger walked over and patted Jared on the back. “Is she all right?” he asked.
“She will be, once we figure out what’s really going on here.” Jared looked at the pictures and growled low.
Esme and Laurel walked over, arm-in-arm. Anton took the photos and rearranged them. “If you look at the time stamps, you can see this is the order they were taken,” he said. “The first one was taken two hours after the accident. This last one was taken at a petrol station on the outskirts of Aberdeen. You can see that Norris is not injured, nor is he being restrained. The men seem to be talking, but there is no sign of aggression. From what we can tell, they seem friendly.”
“I don’t understand. Why set up the whole kidnapping scenario if Norris was friendly with these people?” Jared asked.
“Maybe the point was to get away from us, the lycans,” Granger pointed out. “Norris employed a lycan driver and worked with lycans. Did you have pack members watching him?”
“It was for Norris and Esme’s protection,” Laurel said, glancing at Esme. “They almost died in Paris when those men sprayed their house with bullets. That’s something else I don’t understand. Why would Norris go back to the group that almost killed his sister?”
“Maybe he feels he doesn’t have a choice.” Jared rubbed his jaw. “Esme, did anything happen lately that seemed weird to you? Did Norris’ behavior change at all?”
“The only thing I can think of was in the car before the accident. He asked me if I could be happy here in London. He’d never asked my opinion before. Then, he talked about a trust fund my parents set up for me and gave me the name of the lawyer in charge of it before
he suggested I take some classes.”
“That’s interesting,” Granger said. “I wonder if your brother tried to leave you with information that would help with your future. Not only did he make sure you felt safe in London, he told you about money you could draw on.”
“I don’t know.” Anton shook his head. “That seems kind of convoluted.”
“Norris knew I would search for him even if he did set this up. I wouldn’t abandon him.” Esme shuddered.
Jared reached and pulled her into his arms. He held her close, his head resting on hers.
“He would expect you to search for him. So we have to assume he wants to be found.” Anton looked from the pictures to Esme. “I wish we knew more. Grigori’s people are keeping an eye on vehicles leaving Aberdeen. To the best of our knowledge, your brother is still there.”
“I don’t like this. It feels wrong,” Granger suggested. “All Norris has to do is call, and Esme would go to him. If he left her here, maybe it was for her protection.”
“I think Granger is right,” Laurel said. “Norris left Esme with us because he knew we would protect her. He’s afraid these men will harm her in some way.” Laurel smiled at Esme.
Jared looked at Granger and saw him nod. No one would harm his mate while he and Granger lived. He brushed his chin against her hair and breathed deeply, taking her sweet scent into his being. “Esme must be protected. I think someone needs to go to Aberdeen and find out what is happening there and, if possible, talk to Norris.”
§
“Jared, I want to go find my brother.” Esme felt like shaking Jared. She paced back and forth at the end of the bed in Norris’ old room. Every time she saw the picture of her and Norris she wanted to howl. How could Jared think she would sit here in London while someone else went to find her brother?
Jared sat in a chair next to the window. “I think you would be safer here. I don’t want to put you at risk. Granger and Pierre will go find Norris. They can call us the moment they learn something.”
“No, you aren’t listening to me.” Esme crossed the room. “I want to go. I need to see for myself that Norris is working for this group again.” That would break her heart, but learning the truth was crucial.
“It will only hurt you, Esme. No, it is better that you stay here. Laurel has asked the English Alpha to provide some of the single lycans for your protection.”
“Don’t you mean guards?” She would have to do something drastic. Jared needed to know she would allow him to dictate to her only when she agreed with him.
“No, mon coeur, they are for your protection. The only one guarding you will be me.” Jared rose from his chair and stalked forward. Esme felt a shiver of awareness. This man was her mate, and he wanted her. She took a step back. A frown marred Jared’s face. “I would never harm you, Esme.”
Esme knew that. She did, but sometimes Jared seemed so intimidating. She lifted her chin and stepped forward. “I’m not afraid of you, Jared. I know you won’t hurt me.”
He stepped closer, searching her gaze for answers. His blue eyes mesmerized her. She could feel the warmth of his body, smell his scent of fir trees and meadows. Her wolf rushed to the surface, wanting to play, to run and chase, until they came together, sharing their bodies as they linked their souls.
There was no safe place here on the outskirts of London. She pushed her wolf back with a twinge of regret. She loved her wolf and missed the sense of power she had when she shifted. Feeling off balance, Esme lowered her head. “I think I should lie down. I don’t feel well.”
“Are you all right? Should I ask Laurel to come back?” Jared grabbed her by the forearms, his worried tone making her wince.
“I’m fine, Jared. I just need some time to rest. I’ll feel better after a nap.”
He gently lifted her face, his hand on her chin. Then, he kissed her nose and her lips. Little butterfly kisses that made her heart ache and her pulse race.
He lifted her up in his arms. “Sleep in here. I will go down and speak with Granger.” He lowered her to the bed.
“Jared, I have my own room and my own bed.”
“I like you in my bed.” He covered her with the quilt lying at the foot of the mattress.
“This is my brother’s bed.” She didn’t fight him though she probably should have. Jared thought he could get away with anything.
“Not when you’re in it, then it’s my bed … all mine.” She stilled. Her body quivered as she looked up at his face, not in fear but in … desire. The wolf was apparent in his gaze, and it was hungry. She clenched her thighs together, hoping to hide her response.
His nostrils flared, and she felt her cheeks warm. He knew. “It’s normal to respond to your mate, ma petit louve. Rest now. We will get to the claiming when you’re ready.” He walked to the door and let himself out.
Ready? Would she ever be ready to give herself to this man?
Chapter Four
Holding a small bag and shoes, Esme crept down the back stairs. She made sure to skip the tread that creaked. Jared planned to keep her here while he sent Granger out to find her brother. Not happening. She was going. Heading out on her own was the one way she could force the issue.
Jared would follow. She was almost certain of it. But in regard to Norris, she couldn’t allow Jared to dictate to her. She owed her brother too much. It was hard to believe that he worked for a group of fanatical doctors. Her chest tightened at the thought. She would prove everyone wrong and clear her brother’s name. She’d free him from this group and bring him back to London. Norris could finish his work with Laurel on the lycan breeding problems, and Esme could breathe normally again.
Esme opened the back door and slipped outside. She ran a few steps and hurried inside the dark interior of the garage. The English Alpha had replaced the limo with an old sedan. She followed the contour of the car until she came to the door on the driver’s side. She pressed the handle and sighed in relief when the door opened. Digging in her purse, she searched for the key that had been given to her that morning.
“Miss Esme, is everything all right?”
Esme slammed her hand over her mouth to stop the scream bubbling up her throat. It was only Pierre. Now, if she could drive away without his telling Jared.
“Pierre, you scared me.” She turned to study the young man who was only a few years older than she. His light-blond hair fell to his collar. His sky-blue eyes looked pensive. Although he was handsome, he wasn’t as tall or as broad as Jared and Granger.
“Should you be out, Mademoiselle? I thought you were supposed to be guarded at all times?”
“I have to go to Scotland and find out about my brother. Please don’t tell Jared.”
“I won’t, Mademoiselle. But you can’t take this trip alone. You need someone to protect you. I didn’t do a very good job of keeping you safe. I should have known something wasn’t right when I passed that truck in the alley. I never thought the truck would purposely ram us. I’m not an Alpha.”
“That’s okay, Pierre. I am an Alpha. Now, get in the car, and let’s get out of here. I don’t want Jared trying to stop me.”
Pierre frowned, then did as he was told. Esme let him take the driver’s seat. She walked around the car and got in the passenger side. They needed to hurry. Jared would check on her soon, and they must be on their way.
Pierre slipped the key into the ignition, and in moments they were pulling into traffic. “Where are we going, miss?”
“Head north. We’re going to Aberdeen.”
§
“I think you should let Esme come with us to find her brother.” Jared started to speak, but Granger held up his hand. “Let me finish. I know you want to protect her. She’s devoted to her brother. She’s an Alpha. She won’t take our word for it that her brother is a traitor to our race. She’ll need to see it with her own eyes. Come on, Jared. Wouldn’t you have the same need?”
“Nothing can be allowed to happen to her, Granger. I have to keep her safe.”
“Yes, but you can’t smother her. If you knew how her brother treated her, you would know restricting her will never work. She rebelled against her brother, and she will rebel against you.”
“I’m not trying to control her. Dammit! You don’t know how hard this is. I want her so badly, it hurts. I’m trying to woo her while my wolf is screaming at me to take her. When she became aroused upstairs, it killed me to walk away from her.”
“Maybe you should have gone for it,” Granger said. “You’ve been making love to her in your shared dreams for months. Are you sure she didn’t want you to claim her? The mating bond works both ways, you know.”
“But that’s it. I don’t want to just claim her. I want to love her, adore her, cherish her …”
“Put her on a shelf, keep her safe and contained.” Granger smirked.
“That’s not true. I don’t want to own her. I’m not an idiot. I know Esme is a smart woman, who is an Alpha. I know we will clash. However, I also want her to know that no matter what happens, I love her. She may drive me crazy, or run me ragged, but there is nothing she can do that would make me stop loving her. Wait. Do you hear a car?”
The front door burst open, and two young men ran into the house. From their scents, Jared knew they were lycans. From their faces, he knew they were twins. They must be the guards the English Alpha sent over. Jared frowned. The boys appeared to be little more than eighteen.
“Esme just left with Pierre. They were heading for the motorway,” the twin with the slightly darker hair said.
“Be careful what you wish for,” Granger commented. “It looks like your mate is on the run.”
§
Jarred couldn’t believe he was crammed into a tiny car with Granger and two young adult lycans. He wasn’t even driving. One of the twins took the driver’s seat. He knew Esme was an Alpha. But there was one person she needed to submit to, and that was her mate.
Jared sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He glanced over at Granger and wanted to growl when he saw the amusement on his friend’s face. Sighing, Jared closed his eyes and leaned against the headrest.
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