by Terry Spear
“No. I thought he was.” Now that really surprised her. Her brother wouldn’t like to hear that.
“He’s not. He was just concerned that the aging process could continue to speed up and all of us of a certain lupus garou age would suddenly turn to dust, like vampires that had lived for centuries being exposed to the sun.”
Her jaw dropping slightly, she couldn’t contain her surprise. Had her brother lied to her? As if he hadn’t already! What if he knew Aidan wasn’t looking for a way to return to their previous longevity? What if he planned to force the doctor to do that research instead?
“He hasn’t found any evidence that it will happen, but he’s trying to learn what changes our bodies have gone through. Right now, as you say, we still seem to be aging less slowly. But will that change in a few years? That’s what he’s trying to determine.”
Jade swallowed the lump in her throat. “Is he making any progress?”
“No.” Again, Rafe was watching for her reaction. “It could take decades for him to learn anything, and he might never know more.”
“Oh.” She felt her heart sink. She wasn’t the least bit sad about the news, but that she didn’t think her brother would believe it. Then again, what if Rafe was lying?
“You look disappointed.”
“I think my brother believes Aidan might be close to having a breakthrough in his research.”
“Well, he isn’t.” This time Rafe sounded annoyed—not with his brother, but with her.
She hated giving him any reason to hate her. But she needed to know that Rafe and Aidan would remain safe if she was able to grab her son and run. “Does your brother have a bodyguard?”
Rafe tightened his hold on her hand. “Why?”
“Some people might think they could profit from his work and want to take advantage of him. Well, what about you, even?”
“What about me?”
“You said you’re worth a lot. You should have a bodyguard.”
“Too bad that isn’t the line of work you’re in. I’d hire you in a heartbeat.”
She rolled her eyes. “Be serious.”
He reached for her and pulled her onto his lap. Her heart beat unevenly. He was looking down at her, his expression dead serious. “I am serious.”
Jade wished they could do something about the heat that was escalating between them, knowing that as soon as he realized why she was truly here, he’d be furious with her and want her gone. Which would put her son at risk. She had to somehow pretend to her brother that everything was fine. She just hoped Rafe’s recommended PI would get the job done without her brother knowing. She had to be gone before he could retaliate.
She wasn’t sure why she brought the next point up. Maybe she wanted to clear the air between them before she had to leave Rafe for good. “You took over my grandparents’ shoe manufacturing business and left them penniless.”
“Your grandparents?” Rafe shook his head.
“Yes. Scott and Martha Manning. My mother’s family. They lost everything they had when you took their business from them.”
* * *
“Wait just a minute.” Rafe couldn’t believe what Jade was saying, nor did he recall any dealings with wolves where he had given them a raw deal. Were she and her brother going after Aidan because of some notion that Rafe had made their grandparents destitute?
He pulled out his phone and did some checking. He couldn’t believe Jade was here because of this. Or that’s why she was so upset. He knew it wasn’t the whole story. But she seemed to want to talk about everything other than the core of the problem.
As soon as she said he and his brother needed bodyguards, Rafe was certain she wasn’t there of her own free will.
“Okay, I bought out the Manning Shoe Manufacturing twenty-two years ago. The building was on prime real estate overlooking a river. Scott and Martha Manning contacted me with a proposition to sell the land and building, to turn it into something that would allow more people to enjoy the surroundings. They were in the red, ready to foreclose, and risked losing everything because your grandfather said he had a problem with gambling and had taken out two mortgages on the place to pay off his debt.”
“Ohmigod, and my brother has issues with gambling.”
“Gambling? This is what it’s all about? Your brother owes a loan shark?”
Tears filled Jade’s eyes. “I think so. To a man named Grayton. So you didn’t just take the business away from my grandparents?”
“No, Jade. They knew I had the means, and they’d seen what I had done with other such projects, so they thought we could come to an arrangement. I paid them a generous amount so they and the long-term employees who had worked for them for decades could all retire in comfort. But if your grandfather couldn’t get his addiction under control, he might have lost it all, and your brother thought I had taken him for everything I could get out of the deal and left them destitute.
“The building was torn down, and trees were planted, walking and running paths added, and jobs created. We made a community gathering spot, and I’ve been able to extend the greening to other areas, with paths from one to the other. I don’t know what your grandparents might have said that was negative about the process, but when we signed the deal, they were relieved to be out from under the stress and strain of a business going under. There’s even a memorial in their name dedicating the site to them.”
Tears filled Jade’s beautiful eyes, and when they spilled down her cheeks, she quickly looked back out the windows and brushed the tears away. “My brother lied about it. He told me my mother said…” She shook her head. “My brother lied.”
Rafe held her close again. “What is this all about?”
“He…Kenneth, my brother…he said Aidan was nearly at a breakthrough in his research. He said Aidan told him this.”
“He isn’t, believe me. I’d be the first to know.”
“Kenneth wants to know where Aidan is doing his research, where he’s living.”
“Okay, why?”
“He says you… Oh, Rafe, he says you and your brother are going to control the cure for our longevity issues, and you’re going to keep the price so high that most of us could never afford it.”
“Which isn’t true. My brother is doing the research to aid our kind. Besides, he’s kind of obsessed that way. This is the first time I’ve seen him so caught up in his research—concerned about how our aging process could spiral out of control and finding a way to stop it. But he wouldn’t deny anyone the cure.”
“But the cost of research…”
“I handle it.”
She chewed on her bottom lip.
“Tell me everything, Jade. I’m not the ogre your brother has made me out to be.”
She let out her breath. “How do you feel about a child that is the result of the union between a human and one of our kind?”
“It doesn’t happen. Or so rarely that it’s not something I’ve ever given any thought to. I would think if the woman is human, the wolf would leave her because the child couldn’t be a shifter unless the wolf turned both of them. I’m not sure how that would work. Would the child then shift only when the mom did? Probably not, because the mom didn’t give the baby the shifter genes.
“If the mother was a lupus garou and had a child with a human, she’d be better off giving it up for adoption. If she was with a pack, pack members would be taking a big risk with shifting in front of the child; the same if the mother did. A child wouldn’t understand that he couldn’t tell others his mother could turn into a wolf. Not until he was older. Even then, he wouldn’t see it the same way that a child who shifts when his mother does. It could be a real mess.”
Seeing Jade’s hurt expression, Rafe frowned at her. “Don’t tell me you have a human child.” Aww, shit. No way had he ever, would he ever have considered the boy could be human. No wonder she didn’t want Aidan testing his blood. Not that their blood would show anything but being human, but her son wouldn’t have their longe
vity either, so no sense in testing for it.
“Yes, and no way in hell would I put my child up for adoption. He’s as much a part of me as I am of him,” she growled at Rafe, immediately trying to leave his lap.
As much as he wanted to hold her, he let her go. He was torn about this new revelation. He’d never known any lupus garou who had a child with a human. He’d thought it was an urban legend. He couldn’t even imagine the ramifications of a human child in a wolf pack. “Aidan said a little boy was clinging to you when he took blood samples.”
“My son, Toby.”
“He’s with your brother now?” Rafe really didn’t believe Jade would have left her son behind and come here unless she was coerced, but what did he know? She could be playing the innocent in all this.
“My brother has taken him hostage.” Her eyes filled with tears, but she didn’t look away. She was gritting her teeth, trying to keep her composure again.
Hating her brother already, Rafe clenched his jaw, trying to get his temper under control, and left the couch to join her. He pulled her gently into his arms and rubbed her back. “Any wolf that mistreats women and children, whether they are lupus garous or human, is worse than despicable and doesn’t deserve to live. Hell, Jade.”
“He’s using me to…to learn where your brother is. Once he finds Aidan, Kenneth will release my son to me and I’ll leave the pack. He’s threatened to kill my son because of what he is. My brother believes he’s a liability to the pack. Just as you believe.”
Not about to comment on that issue, though Rafe did feel his thoughts on the subject had merit, he asked, “What about Toby’s father?”
“Kenneth killed him. I didn’t know until Kenneth took my son and forced me to come here. Kenneth promised if I left Stewart, he would spare his life. He lied.”
Beyond concerned for her safety and her child’s, Rafe rubbed his chin, thinking of a way to get her son out of the predicament without him being injured. “Hell, Jade. Why didn’t you tell me this from the beginning?”
“You were supposed to be ruthless.”
“I am. When it comes to matters like this.”
She pulled away from him.
“Toward rogue wolves, which is what your brother is.”
“I just need to get my son back and take him far away from my pack. I don’t want any harm to come to you or your brother either.”
“How do you propose to go about getting your son back? Besides getting a PI.” He thought it was important to find out if she had any ideas, since she knew her brother and their pack better than Rafe did.
“Do you know anyone that specifically can handle a job like that? I guess not just a PI who could locate him, but someone who could safely extract him?”
“Yeah, I do. But we’ll need more time to locate him. When did your brother think you could discover Aidan’s place of residence?”
“During the ball. Kenneth said your brother usually attends your charity functions.”
“Not always, but this time he is. Okay, we have a few days until then. We’ll pretend we’re just getting to know each other. In the meantime, I’ll have several men looking into it. They’re from the various branches of the military, one a former SWAT officer. All wolves. I’m sorry to hear about your human lover. Had you planned to turn him?”
Rafe didn’t like that Jade had had a child by a human, or the notion she might have intended to turn her lover. And having a child who didn’t understand wolves like they did? Wasn’t one when his mother was? Couldn’t play with other wolves to learn how to socialize? He could imagine that would be a real nightmare both for her and her pack.
“No. I really liked Stewart. But I had no plans to turn him. He cared too much for his family. I never thought I could have a child by him. We don’t. Or so rarely that, like you, I’d never known any she-wolf who had. I left the pack for nearly four years, and then my brother finally located me. He said he’d give us a chance, but I learned afterward that he’d already heard from your brother, who wanted to take blood samples from our pack. I think my brother wanted me for this role and nothing else. Taking my son hostage would force me to see you. I only agreed to return to the pack because it’s hard being a single mother—a wolf with a human child. I thought he really wanted me home. Now I’m ready to kill my brother.”
Rafe let out his breath, feeling protective of the she-wolf and her offspring, even if the child was human. He was still a child, solely dependent on his mother. “Will you turn your son?”
“I want to. He needs to learn to be a pup around others. But…I’ve been afraid to. What if I changed him, and he shifted at any time? He probably would. He wouldn’t have any control over it. I wouldn’t have any control over it. I could envision being in the grocery store, my three-year-old in the cart, and suddenly he’s a wolf pup wearing a T-shirt, coveralls, and cowboy boots.”
“Cowboy boots? Texas, gotcha.” But that scenario was exactly why Rafe seriously believed a human should be raised by humans. “All right, how is your brother keeping track of you?”
“Through texts.”
“No tracking devices?”
“No. Well, if he thought to put some on my clothes, he’s out of luck. I bought new clothes on the trip here. He might have put one on my car though.” She let out her breath. “My phone maybe.”
Rafe was glad to hear she’d been wary enough to think of her clothes. He’d have Edward check everything over. “Has anyone been following you?”
“I don’t think so, but now that I’m here, he may have someone following me to make sure I’m doing what he believes I should be. And he did sneak into the bed-and-breakfast somehow.”
“So that’s who I smelled in your room. Had he threatened you?”
She nodded.
“Damn him to hell and back, Jade.” Then Rafe frowned. What of the men who had been following him? Rafe bet they were with her pack. “To keep your son safe, I understand your need to keep your brother apprised of where you’ll be. So if you’re going to be seeing me—with the notion of trying to locate my brother—we might as well make it look like we’ve really got a thing going for each other.”
She parted her lips to speak.
He pulled her close again and rubbed her back, his mouth brushing her forehead. “Just for show. Just in case he does have someone watching us. I’ll contact my sources to search for your son. Do you have a picture of him?”
“Lots. I have them on my phone. And, Rafe, thanks for being so nice about all this. I was afraid you’d throw me out of here and…” She swallowed hard and looked down at his chest, trying to hide fresh tears.
“When your son’s life is at risk?”
She looked back up at him. “He’s human.”
“He’s a child. Even if he were grown, if a wolf took him hostage, he’d deserve to be rescued.” He rubbed her arms, and she tucked her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around him. “Is there anything you had your heart set on doing before Friday night’s ball? Something that you would like to do if you were truly on a vacation here?” he asked. “To make this look good? Like I’m just courting you and nothing else is going on?”
When she didn’t respond, he pulled away and led her to the kitchen to fix her some brunch. “Seriously. Nothing is out of the realm of possibility.” Before he asked her what she’d like to eat, he got on his phone and said, “Sebastian, I know why Jade is here now. I need you to make some emergency calls, pronto. And tell Edward he needs to check over Jade’s car and other items to see if her things are bugged.”
“They sent a video of Toby playing. I didn’t recognize the house, and it wasn’t geotagged,” she said before Rafe ended his call.
“I’m sending you a video of Toby. Have one of our men look into it, see if he can ID a location, Sebastian.”
“Will do.”
“We’ll find your son, Jade,” Rafe said, trying to reassure her and hating that she looked so anxious. Maybe the video would give them the break they ne
eded.
Chapter 8
Rafe had talked Jade into visiting the Redwood National Park today to get her mind off her son and to show they were courting for Kenneth’s benefit. Though Rafe wasn’t doing it all as a ploy.
He’d been watching to see if anyone was following them and had alerted Edward to be on the lookout too. His personal assistant had also sent a team of ten private investigators in search of Toby Ashton, with orders to be discreet so as not to alert Kenneth Ashton and risk the boy’s life. Rafe had to admit that Jade’s little boy was cute. Blond ringlets, dark-brown eyes, his mother’s smile complete with dimples. Even Edward had said he was a cute kid when Rafe shared the pictures with the PI team.
Edward was following Rafe and Jade today to watch over them. He was a Navy SEAL, a bodyguard, and a certified PI, so he would ensure they both remained safe if Kenneth tried to force the issue.
Rafe had seen a bit of apprehension in Jade’s expression when he told her she might need an overnight bag. He had no intention of seducing her. If he made love to her all the way, she’d be his mate for life. Though he had to admit the idea was appealing, despite the situation and her human son.
Jade was fun to be with, and he hadn’t realized how much he’d missed by not having a she-wolf in his life. He couldn’t imagine going to any of these places with Derek. The redwoods, sure, but they’d done it years ago, and it wasn’t the same as going with a she-wolf. This she-wolf.
And Aidan? All he ever thought of was his research.
“Are we going to hike?” she asked as she took the copilot’s seat.
“Anything you’d love to do, I’m sure I’d love too.”
She was busy with her phone this time as he flew north. Rafe hoped she wasn’t already bored with his jetting her around and was just letting her brother know where she was headed.
“It says we can hike on eighty trails and see all kinds of wildlife, like bobcats, deer, raccoons—”