He removed his teeth from her flesh and continued to lick and kiss the marks until the bleeding stopped and his canines receded. She would carry his mark for all lycans to see. Esme collapsed beneath him. Jared continued to blanket her, needing their bodies connected for as long as possible.
As their heart rates slowed, Jared reluctantly pulled away from her. She moaned, her tone expressing feelings of loss. He chuckled as he rolled off her and gathered her in his arms. “Are you all right, mon amour? I’m sorry if I was rough.”
Esme snuggled back against him. “I’m fine, Jared. Better than fine.”
Jared searched her mind, taking note of any soreness. “You should eat something. You never ate lunch.” His wolf would demand he take her again.
“In a while. Right now I don’t want to move. I feel so relaxed.”
“Esme …”
“Not yet. I want to enjoy this feeling of being well-loved.”
“I can assure you it’s a feeling you will enjoy again. However, since you don’t want to move, I’ll take care of feeding you.” Jared reluctantly released the warm bundle that was his mate and crossed to the door that joined their room to Granger’s.
“Shouldn’t you put on some clothes?”
“Nakedness is common with lycans, ma petit. Granger won’t be surprised.”
Jared opened the connecting door and was startled when he heard female giggles coming from Granger’s room. Granger leaned against the wall next to the outside door, and smiled at a young woman as she pushed a cart into the room. The smells coming from the cart made Jared’s mouth water and his stomach growl.
Granger said something to the girl, and she blushed. She pushed the cart fully into the room, when she looked up and saw Jared. Her eyes grew wide as she noticed he was naked. Jared felt his face warm. Esme was right. He should have put on some clothes. Granger walked over and stepped in front of the girl, effectively blocking her view of Jared. Jared took the opportunity to walk back into his room and close the door half-way.
He grabbed his pants from the chair. The girl giggled again in Granger’s room, and the outside door closed.
Granger opened the connecting door and smiled at Jared. “Dinner is here. You put on quite a show for the lady. I’m not sure whether she wanted to run or attack you.”
Esme sat up in bed, holding the sheet tight to her breasts. Had Granger heard them making love? Jared growled as Granger’s gaze traveled to Esme. Jared pushed Granger back into his room, and Granger winked at him.
“We’ll be there in a minute after we get dressed.”
“Anything you say, Alpha.” Granger held his hands up even as his smile grew wider.
Jared wanted to punch him. Instead, he slammed the door in his face.
§
Esme enjoyed watching her mate walk to the door connecting the two rooms. The man’s behind was a work of art. Her fingers itched to feel every inch of him. When the door was opened, she could hear Granger murmuring to someone and a woman giggling. Esme smiled. It sounded as if Granger was busy. When the woman gasped, Esme frowned. What was going on in there?
Jared hurried back inside their room and grabbed his pants. Esme smirked. Nudity might be normal for lycans, but it was still a big deal to humans.
The door opened wide, and Granger said something to Jared. The smells of hot food wafted into Esme and Jared’s room. Esme’s stomach growled, and she suddenly realized she was starving. She stretched and yawned and sat up in bed.
Jared slammed the door and turned to look at her.
“What’s the matter?” Esme said. “Did something happen?”
“Why did you let Granger see you like that?”
“Like what? I held the sheet up. He didn’t see anything. Besides, I thought you said nudity was normal for lycans. I know it’s part of the shifting process. No one ever made a big deal over it when we were shifting at the English Alpha’s estate.”
“I don’t like that Granger saw you. In fact, I’m sure I don’t want anyone seeing you naked.”
“Jared, you’re being silly. They’ll have to see me naked when I shift.”
“Just humor me, okay. I don’t know why I’m being unreasonable. Just trust me when I tell you it’s better to go with it.” Jared held up a terrycloth bathrobe.
Esme climbed from the bed and let him wrap her in the garment.
“You’re mine, Esme. Only mine. I don’t share. I would never hurt you, although I can’t say I wouldn’t hurt anyone else trying to come between us.”
“I don’t want anyone else, Jared.”
“I know, mon amour. I know.”
§
Norris walked into the lab. The woman introduced as his assistant, Nurse Campbell, smiled and stood up from the stool where she’d been sitting while looking through a microscope.
“Good morning, Doctor Fortescue. Did you sleep well?”
As if he could sleep well with this group watching his every move. “Fine. Are the patients ready for their allogeneic bone marrow transplants?” Might as well get this done. Turning humans into lycans was distasteful, at least cancer wouldn’t steal their lives. Somehow, he would have to help them escape and get to a pack. Maybe the English Alpha would take them in.
“Yes, doctor. They’ve all been prepared as you requested. The stem cells you provided are waiting.” He’d harvested the stem cells from Esme and Pierre. Was Esme missing him?
“Excellent, shall we get started then?” Norris led the way through the door and down the hall that led farther into the complex.
“Which patient would you like to see first?”
“I think we’ll work on the females first. Miss Adams and Miss Scott, isn’t it? They’ve all gone through two cycles of chemotherapy?” He knew the patients had been chosen because they didn’t have a family to depend on. All of the patients had been in the military until cancer took over.
“Yes, doctor, as you requested.” He smirked. Yeah, everyone jumped through hoops now. Funny how they could go from threatening to kill your loved ones, to treating you like a superstar. He sighed and shook his head. He didn’t think he would make it out of this alive. Even if he did, he would end up putting Esme in jeopardy. He’d have to disappear forever.
“The patients are in isolation? I don’t want to risk infection.”
“Yes, doctor. You and I are the only ones authorized in this part of the building.” They walked up to a set of double doors that were key-coded. The nurse stepped forward and swiped her card through the electronic lock before entering a four-digit code. “We can change in here.”
Norris walked to the sink and began washing up.
“How quickly do the cells begin to affect the patient?” The nurse joined him at the sink.
“Almost immediately, once they take hold. There is pain in the joints and bones that spreads throughout the body. Medication doesn’t seem to help, though we can give morphine and try to knock out the pain. It all depends on the patient. I have seen this procedure only one time, remember?”
“And the shifting? When will they turn into wolves?” the nurse asked as she handed a set of scrubs to Norris.
“Within five days is my best guess. The body is in such a weak state that the shifter cells will want to shift to save themselves.”
“Are they like parasites then?”
“No, from what I’ve seen they are like any other stem cells, only the DNA is different. The cells divide and slowly spread throughout the body, allowing the body to shift its shape, in this case into a wolf, because the cells were harvested from a wolf shape-shifter.”
“Are they mere animals after they shift?”
“No, they keep their human intelligence and reasoning skills.”
“Excellent.”
“You haven’t told the patients, have you … ” Norris said.
“They were told the treatment might have some side effects, and if it worked, they would be cured of cancer. We didn’t lie to them.”
“What exactl
y do you want the five of them to do once they are cured?”
“What they were doing before, serve in the military as an elite group of soldiers,” the nurse said.
“Except instead of the government giving them orders, it will be Doctors for a Better Humanity.”
“We’re fighting a battle here, Doctor. If we are going to change the future of the human race, we need an army to do so. Most of the world’s governments may not agree with our methods. However, once we’re finished with our research, we’ll have a human population immune to disease. Just think of it. No more cancer, no more AIDS, no more disease of any kind.”
“Who will decide these things? Will you offer to turn the whole population into wolves?” With this kind of thinking, they could control world populations or destroy them.
“Of course not. As we study their DNA and learn the secrets of their blood, we will be able to make a serum that will allow for healing and not shifting. The shifter class will be our soldiers and police force. We will take the best qualities of their DNA for our future race.”
Norris shook his head. These people were as mad as Hitler, trying to make a super race. Didn’t they know they would end up destroying diversity? He’d have to be careful not to let the fanatical doctors know he doubted their grand plan. At least, they didn’t know that Esme was a lycan, or they would have kidnapped her as well.
“Let’s get started.”
§
“Jared, we have a problem. The sedan has been stolen.” Granger stood in the doorway to the adjoining rooms. “This morning, I went downstairs to go to the train station and pick up our bags, and the car was gone. I sniffed around and thought I caught Pierre’s scent, but that could be because he’d been in the car. Do you want me to contact the police?”
Jared frowned and glanced toward the bathroom where Esme finished her morning shower. They both had been out of control last night, their wolves taking over to assure the mating bond was complete. After making love to her several times, he figured she was sore. He put temptation aside and sent her in to shower alone. Something he regretted as he pictured water running down her delectable form. “Can you call the English Alpha and tell him? It’s his car. I don’t know if he wants us to call attention to him and his pack. We’ll have to see if there is a place we can rent a car. Maybe the hotel staff can help us. I heard planes coming in last night. I don’t think we are far from a small airport. If we can’t get a car, maybe we can catch a flight to Aberdeen.”
“All right, I’ll speak with the staff and see what I can figure out. Do you want me to order breakfast or will we eat in the dining room downstairs?”
“I think Esme would like to go downstairs. She made a remark about my keeping her locked away. She needs to eat before we continue our trip. Last night exhausted both of us.”
“I’ll meet you downstairs, then. Does the T-shirt I bought for you fit okay?”
“Yes, thanks for getting me something clean to wear, and thanks for the toiletries too.”
“Well, you’ve been locked in your room since yesterday afternoon. I figured I’d better do something about our clothes situation. Now, if we can get to the train station and pick up our bags, we can at least have clean underwear.”
“I thought you went commando,” Jared said.
“I do. I meant for you.”
“Now, you’re being mean. Go on. Esme and I will catch up with you in the lobby.”
Granger smiled and headed for the door. Jared shook his head at his best friend.
Now, what would he tell Esme about the car? Everything seemed to be conspiring against them finding her brother. If only Jared could convince her to let her brother go and come to Quebec with him. Granger could find out what was going on and report back to them.
It looked as though Norris didn’t want his sister coming with him to Scotland. He might have had a very good reason to leave her behind. Unfortunately, Esme wouldn’t stop looking until she discovered what was happening with Norris. Whether he wanted to or not, Jared would have to take Esme to find her brother. He hoped he could keep her safe while he did so.
“Did I hear Granger?” Esme asked as she walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her head. She wore a pair of jeans and a pink T-shirt. Her feet were bare, and Jared remembered how he’d kissed and teased her toes a few hours ago.
“He’s going to meet us downstairs. Here, let me help you with your hair.” Jared reached for the comb sitting on the side table. “Sit down, and I’ll comb it out for you.”
“Jared, you don’t have to …”
“I want to. I love your hair. Come here, ma petit louve.”
Esme sat down on the end of the bed.
“Turn around,” Jared directed before he took the towel in his hands and finished squeezing water from her hair. She smelled of lemons, like the soap in the bathroom. He picked up one strand of her dark hair and slowly worked the comb down to the ends before he picked up another lock and repeated the process. He loved the softness. Her hair felt like the finest silk against his skin. Everything about his mate was sensual. He wanted to forget the missing car, and Norris, and take her to bed for a week. Sighing, he worked the comb through the last few strands before laying the final lock on her shoulder.
“Is something the matter?” she asked, looking back at him.
Jared leaned down and kissed her neck near the mark he’d left on her skin. She trembled. “The car is missing. Granger thinks it was stolen last night.”
“What? Stolen? Who would want an old sedan like that?”
“I don’t know, mon coeur. But we won’t be able to get to Aberdeen without some kind of transportation.”
“Oh, dear …”
“Precisely. Come put on your shoes, and let’s go down to eat. You said you wanted to get out of the room. Hopefully, Granger will have some answers for us by the time we arrive.”
Chapter Six
Esme held Jared’s hand as they entered the hotel restaurant. She couldn’t believe he’d finally made love to her in reality, not in a dream. She blushed, and glanced around the hotel. Could the people around them know?
Jared gave her hand a little squeeze. She didn’t know how to act. Part of her wanted to shout for joy. After all, Jared was a wonderful lover and was now hers. Another part wanted to run away and hide. Her wolf seemed content, and Esme wasn’t experiencing that driven feeling anymore. She signed in relief. Maybe things would be okay after all.
Esme and Jared picked Granger out of the crowd and joined him at a table. “Breakfast is buffet style. Go help yourselves,” he suggested while biting into a sausage. “The Canadian bacon is great. They have lots of pastries to choose from, Esme, and plenty of fried eggs and meat for you, Jared.”
Fried eggs? In Paris, Esme normally ate a light breakfast. She looked at the plates around her, and her stomach lurched. There was no way her stomach would handle a heavy breakfast. She hadn’t realized that Norris always made sure there was light fare in the house.
Jared tugged her toward the buffet line and handed her a plate. While he started loading his plate with meat, she wandered down to the end of the buffet and found some small chocolate croissants and bread rolls with butter. She picked up two croissants and poured herself a glass of juice before heading back to the table.
Jared sat beside her. He glanced at her plate and frowned. “Esme, that isn’t enough to feed a bird. Lycans need to eat more. We have a higher metabolism. You should have some meat or eggs, some kind of protein.”
“I never eat a heavy breakfast, Jared. Wait. What are you doing?” Jared forked up one of his eggs and several sausages and put them on her plate.
“You need to eat more. Now you can.” He took a bite of egg as if the discussion was over.
Esme sighed. She noticed Granger watching the interaction. This was embarrassing. “Jared, you aren’t listening to me. I don’t want sausages or eggs.” She picked up a croissant and took a bite, chewing slowly. A waitress walked by, a
nd Esme asked for a cup of tea. Café au lait would be too much to expect.
Jared and Granger ate with gusto, both going back for seconds. Esme continued to sip her tea and nibble on the croissants. When she finished, she pushed her plate away, leaving the food Jared had given her untouched. He glanced over and opened his mouth, but Granger interrupted whatever Jared intended to say.
“I contacted the local car rental establishment, and they won’t have a car available until this afternoon. They suggested we take a train either to London or Aberdeen. However, the English Alpha can have a car here in two hours. If you still want to drive to Aberdeen, we can do that. Pierre escaped from Donny and Adam’s car when they stopped to get fuel. Pierre may be the person behind the theft of the car though I’m not sure why.”
“Two hours?” Jared asked, glancing at Esme.
Esme didn’t feel the urgency to find Norris that she’d experienced before. Could cementing the mating bond have something to do with that? She cleared her throat. “I guess the logical thing to do is wait for Grigori to send up a car. Returning to London to rent a car would probably take just as long. There are some interesting sights here in Luton. We could visit the Mossman Carriage collection, or the Luton museum, or a casino.” Why not do something fun while they waited?
“A casino? That might be fun. I have a few dollars to lose in the slots.” Granger winked at Esme.
“I’ve never been to a casino.” Esme shifted in her chair. It sounded exciting.
“Would you like to go?” Jared asked her.
“I’d love to see the inside of one. I’ve seen them only on television,” Esme admitted.
“Well, let’s lose some money then.” Jared pushed back his chair.
“I’ll make arrangements for the car, get Esme’s bag and check us out of our rooms,” Granger said, rising.
“Are you ready to see your first casino?” Jared asked, holding out his hand to her.
“Of course. It sounds like fun.”
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