Leifs Surrender rp-3

by Marisa Chenery

  “Leif said something about Roxie being able to turn me into a werewolf. Then get her to turn me. That way I won’t smell like a mortal.”

  “I don’t know, Jaden. Once you’re turned, it can’t be undone. You have to know that we live a very long time. You would be living as a werewolf for at least a couple of thousand years.”

  “But I would be living those years with Leif as my mate, right? And I would be a lot stronger than I am now.”

  “Yes.”

  “Then I want it. Call Roxie and do whatever you have to do to get her to turn me.”

  When Saskia hesitated, Roan said, “I think we should let her. She and Leif are mated. If he sees his mate put in danger, he’ll be that more protective of her. He’ll claw through Miles and whatever men he has to get to her. Nothing will hold him back, especially after being separated from Jaden for so long.”

  Saskia sighed. “All right, you have a point there. But what if there is a slim chance that Miles has seen Roxie from a distance? Jaden and Roxie have similar builds even though they aren’t the same height, but Jaden’s hair isn’t the same. She wouldn’t be able to fool him even from a distance.”

  Ansley cleared her throat. “That’s where I come in. Remember, I’m Roxie’s hair stylist. I can color Jaden’s hair to match hers and cut it the same way. It may be a tad shorter, but it won’t make that much of a difference. As for the glasses, Jaden just won’t wear them.”

  “I really can’t see all that well without them,” Jaden said.

  “After you’re turned you’ll have perfect vision, I’m sure,” Roan assured her. “Since she was turned, Ansley’s eyesight and hearing are now as acute as any born werewolf.

  The same will happen with you.” He looked at Saskia. “Well, sis, what do you say?”

  Jaden looked at Saskia expectantly as did Ansley. Finally, Saskia nodded. “All right, we’ll do it. Let’s just hope Leif doesn’t kill me afterwards for putting his mate in danger.”

  * * *

  After one quick phone call, Roxie was on her way to the mansion with the Protectors who had been with her. Roan had taken Ansley out to an open late drug store to buy the hair coloring kit needed to dye Jaden’s brown hair to Roxie’s golden brown. They arrived back a short time after Jager and Daylen had returned home.

  While waiting for Ansley to get back, Saskia had done her best to answer any questions Jaden had. She now had a better understanding of werewolves, as well as what being mated to one entailed. She still couldn’t get over the fact that Leif had known she was his mate from her scent right on that first day she’d seen him. After what Dirk had said about Leif being a lady’s man, it also didn’t surprise her to learn he’d fought the mating urge to claim her as his. It also explained why he had been so desperate to have her that night he’d come to her place.

  Jaden wasn’t bothered that she hadn’t been given any choice when it came to their mating. Leif was the man for her. Her feelings for him had grown deeper faster than she’d ever experienced before. And now that she was separated from him, she realized she never wanted to live without him.

  Ansley had died her hair, and Jaden had just come down from showering out the color when Roxie, Beowulf, Dirk, Skylar and Kye arrived. Everyone had congregated in the kitchen while Ansley set to work cutting Jaden’s hair. The men and Saskia had moved to one part of the kitchen while the other women had moved to where Ansley worked.

  Roxie pulled a chair up across from Jaden and met her gaze. “Are you still sure you want to go through with this, Jaden?”

  “Yes, I’m sure.” To distract herself from the rollercoaster of emotions she was almost constantly feeling because of not being with Leif, she asked, “How is the spell done?”

  “It’s pretty simple. I inject you with some of my blood, say the words of the spell and then you’ll turn. That’s why I brought these with me.” Opening a paper bag, Roxie pulled out two small packages holding rubbing alcohol wipes and a new syringe, one that looked like the kind diabetics used.

  “I can handle that.”

  “Now I’m not going to lie to you, Jaden. Once I’ve said the words, it’s going to hurt like a bugger. But it doesn’t last for very long. Right, Ansley?”

  “Roxie’s right,” Ansley said in return. “It only lasts a matter of seconds.”

  “Just remember what the outcome will be,” Daylen said. “Once the pain is over, you’ll be Leif’s mate in every way.”

  “I should be able to handle it then.” Jaden listened to the sound of Ansley’s scissors clipping away for a few seconds before she said, “While on the phone with Saskia, Miles called her sister but called Leif her brother-in-arms. Wouldn’t Leif be his brother too?”

  Roxie shook her head. “The Protectors may call themselves brothers and sister, but they all aren’t natural siblings. Roan, Jager and Skylar are the only true siblings. They have been living together for centuries, so they’ve come to think of themselves as one big family. Saskia’s grandmother was the one who brought them all together, basically forming their own small pack with Saskia as pack leader. Miles is Saskia’s real brother and, at one time, was one of them until he went bad.”

  “I get it now. And Miles needs you so he can rule the packs?”

  “Basically. I rule them now since I’m the foretold one. Saskia’s grandmother had the sight and was the one who saw my coming, hence the title of the foretold one. Saskia also has the sight, and recently, we unfortunately learned Miles has a bit of it as well. That’s why he’s been able to keep one step ahead of the Protectors.”

  “If he has the sight, why hasn’t he been able to see you in one of his visions?”

  Saskia, who had come to join them, said, “That’s a good question. I haven’t been able to figure that one out. I had the vision that led me to Wulf’s Den where I knew the foretold would be found, but Miles obviously hasn’t been able to pick up on you.”

  “Well,” Roxie said, “I may have an explanation for that. You know I’ve been playing around with my magic to see exactly what I can and can’t do. One of the things I’ve been doing ever since that night at the club, when you said how you found me, is to use my magic to shield myself. When you told me about Miles, I’ve been kind of specifically directing it to deflect him.”

  “You’ve been doing it all this time and you never told me,” Saskia said.

  “I didn’t know if it was actually working or not, but I have a feeling it must be.”

  “All right. Let’s do a test. I know I can pick up your location if I concentrate hard enough, and a vision will come to me. Include me in this direct shielding you’re doing for Miles.”

  Roxie closed her eyes for a few seconds, then opened them. “Okay, done.”

  Saskia got a faraway look on her face. A full minute passed before she shook her head and smiled. “Well, I’ll be damned. I’m getting nothing but a blank.”

  “Then I guess it’s working,” Roxie said with a large smile.

  “At least we don’t have to worry about Miles learning your identity through a vision.”

  Ansley put down her scissors and picked up the hairdryer. “I’m all done. Once I style it, it should look exactly like Roxie’s.”

  Jaden closed her eyes as Ansley dried her hair. She’d let the others’ conversations wash over her. It was taking almost everything she had not to go out and look for Leif, even though doing so would be a complete waste of time. Miles had him hidden somewhere in the city. It would take an army and more hours than they had to be able to find him.

  Shutting off the hairdryer, Ansley put it on the table and took off the cape she’d put around Jaden. “What do you think?” she asked the women.

  “Perfect, as always,” Roxie said. “From a distance, Jaden will pass for me.”

  Jaden opened her eyes. “I guess it’s spell time.”

  Roxie met her gaze. “Are you ready for this?”

  The men joined them as Jaden nodded and put her glasses on. She wanted to be able to see e
verything Roxie did. “Let’s do it.”

  After opening one of the wipes, Roxie rubbed the inside of her elbow with it before she took off the top of the syringe and stuck the needle into her skin. She pulled out the plunger and filled it with some of her blood. Guessing at what was to come next, Jaden held out her right arm with it turned so the inside of her elbow was facing up. Roxie used the other wipe, then jabbed the needle into Jaden’s arm.

  Once she pushed the plunger to inject the blood, Roxie said the words of the spell.

  “The magic of the wolf’s blood is now in thee. A wolf you become to run wild and free.

  Where once there were two, now only one we see.”

  Jaden gasped while Roxie said them. They seemed to resonate inside her. The place where Roxie had injected her started to burn. Then, moving like quicksilver, it swept through her whole body. It felt as if Jaden was burning from the inside out. She bit her bottom lip until she tasted blood to keep herself from yelling out in pain.

  When she thought she wouldn’t be able to take anymore, the burning sensation slowly started to ease until it disappeared completely. Shaking with the aftereffects, Jaden took a few deep breaths. Looking at everyone crowded around her, she found her sight was blurry. Jaden pulled off the glasses she no longer needed.

  She gave everyone a shaky smile. “It worked. I can’t see through these anymore.”

  She put her glasses on the table.

  Saskia came and hugged her. “Welcome to the family, Jaden.” She then pulled away from Jaden sharply and gasped.

  “What?” Jaden asked, scared that something had gone wrong with the spell after all.

  “Your scent is different, and not just because you’re now a werewolf. It’s subtle, but it’s enough for me to smell it.” Saskia’s gaze ran over her face with shock. “You’re scent is similar to Miles’.”

  “Are you sure?” Jager asked. At Saskia’s nod, he leaned in to Jaden and took a deep breath. “Holy crap. You’re right.”

  Starting to feel uncomfortable, Jaden said, “How can I smell like Miles? I don’t know him, and I’ve never been near him.”

  “Jaden, who is your father?” Saskia asked softly.

  “I have no idea. My mother never told me. She never spoke of him. After she died, I never found anything in her belongings about him, either.”

  “I know who he is. Miles is your father, which makes you my niece.”

  Shocked, Jaden asked, “How can you tell just by my scent?”

  “Werewolf offspring carry the scent of both their mother and father. It’s something that doesn’t go away, even after they reach adulthood. Because of that, we always know the paternity of our children. I guess being born as a mortal has somehow masked Miles’

  scent, but you are most definitely his daughter.”

  Learning her father was the man who had taken her mate and threatened to kill him was just not something Jaden needed. She’d always wondered what he was like, but right now, she wished he’d have remained a mystery.

  Chapter Eleven

  They had all moved out into the living room waiting for Miles to call. No one had been able to sleep. Jaden hadn’t been able to even sit down for any length of time. She’d sit for a few minutes, then have to get up and pace once again. No one said anything about it. There was nothing they could really do to help her. Only being with Leif would end her torment.

  Precisely at dawn, Saskia’s cell phone rang.

  Jaden crossed back over to stand in front of Saskia, where she sat on one of the couches next to Eli. Saskia flipped open her cell and put it on hands-free. “Hello, Miles.”

  “My, aren’t we polite?” he said back. “Have you thought over my offer?”

  Jaden listened to the sound of her father’s voice, wishing like hell she could reach through the phone and strangle him. He sounded too smug for her liking.

  “Yes,” Saskia replied. “We’ll make the trade. Tell us where and when.”

  “Really? You’re willing to hand over the foretold one just like that?”

  “It’s the way she wants to do it. She rules the packs so I really don’t have any say in the matter, now do I?”

  Roxie silently gave Saskia the thumbs up. They had known full well that Miles wouldn’t believe they were that willing to hand her over. There had to be a pretty good reason behind their decision.

  Obviously, Miles bought it, because he then said, “And of course you wouldn’t be able to ignore a direct order from her. Doesn’t that just work out to my advantage?”

  “Would you stop crowing about it and tell me where you want to make the trade?”

  Saskia snapped.

  “Watch how you speak to me, sister dear. I said I would give you Leif if you gave me the foretold one, but I never said in what condition he’d be in when we make the trade.”

  Jaden bit the inside of her mouth to stop herself from whimpering. Her mind formed one image after another of Leif bloodied and badly beaten.

  “Where, Miles?” Saskia asked impatiently.

  “The warehouse that you forced me to destroy. In one hour.” He then ended the call.

  Saskia stood. “Roxie and Beowulf, I suggest you go home. And don’t fight me on this, Rox. You’re pregnant and need your sleep. I’ll send Dirk with you two. Even though Miles will be a little busy dealing with us, I still don’t want you unprotected. The rest of us will take Jaden to make the trade.”

  Roxie grumbled under her breath, but did as Saskia said. Before she left, she made them promise to call her once they had Leif back. Dirk followed the couple out. Saskia then motioned for everyone else to follow her.

  Jaden told herself to take deep, even breaths as she followed the Protectors outside to the detached garage. Once Skylar backed the SUV out, she climbed inside it with Kye, Saskia, Eli, Roan and Ansley. Jager and Daylen were going to ride in Jager’s car. After they had all piled in, they were speeding toward the Golden Gate Bridge.

  Sitting by one of the windows, Jaden pressed her forehead to the glass and concentrated on watching the scenery go by. Her hands were tightly fisted on her lap. The closer they got to the city the worse her anxiety became. At the feel of a large male hand closing over her fist, she turned her head to look at Kye.

  “It’ll be all right, Jaden,” he said kindly. “You’ll get through this.”

  She gave him a wavering smile. Right now, she didn’t feel as if it would ever end. It seemed as if she’d been suffering forever.

  When they reached the warehouse district of the city, Skylar drove to a burned out site where an older warehouse had once stood. Jager followed behind them. Once he parked in front of the ruin, everyone got out of the SUV, except for Ansley. Roan gave his mate a quick kiss and told her to stay put.

  Walking toward what was left of the warehouse with the Protectors surrounding her, Jaden told herself over and over again that she could do this. It was the only way to get Leif back. She couldn’t let herself think that she would be coming face-to-face with her father for the first time, or how much of a bastard he really was.

  Once they had come to what would have been the back of the building, their group stopped a distance away from a smaller one. It consisted of one man standing out in front with two men behind him and off to the side, holding Leif hanging limply between them.

  With her much improved vision, she could see he had been beaten. She then forced her gaze to the man who stood in front—her father.

  The sun glinted off the same white blond hair he shared with his sister. His looks were similar to Saskia’s as well. The only difference was his violet eyes had a hard, cruel edge that his sister’s didn’t have. Like the rest of his kind, he had a werewolf’s super good looks.

  Miles took a step away from his men and held up his hand. “That’ll be far enough.

  Send over the foretold one.”

  Even though the distance separating them would have had a mortal shouting to be heard, Jaden had no problems hearing what Miles said.

>   “Give us Leif first,” Saskia said back.

  Miles motioned back toward his men and Leif. “I’m afraid Leif isn’t in any condition to be walking at the moment.”

  “What did you do to him?”

  “Nothing that will cause permanent damage. I just gave him something to keep him asleep. No more stalling. Send her over. Now.”

  Before Saskia could say anything more, Jaden moved up behind her and tapped her shoulder. “I’ll go.”

  Saskia turned back to Miles, blocking his view of Jaden. “I don’t like the idea of sending you out there alone. There’s no telling what Miles will do.”

  “You said that you recognized me as his daughter from his scent on me. He’ll be able to tell as well. Let’s hope his meeting a daughter he never knew he had distracts him enough for you to get Leif free.”

  Saskia silently searched her face. “It may work. Miles definitely won’t be expecting that. Leif may be drugged, but I don’t think he’ll stay under when he scents you. You being Leif’s mate will be another surprise for Miles when he finds himself confronted by an enraged mated male. His two men won’t be able to hold Leif back.”

  With a nod, counting on everything Saskia said to be true, Jaden straightened her back, and with her head held high, she slowly made her way toward her father. Just before she reached him, the wind shifted direction so it was no longer blowing in her face, but at her back.

  She knew the instant Miles smelled her scent. His brows drew together in confusion, then his gaze locked on her. He seemed frozen in place as she closed the distance between them and stopped to stand in front of him.

  “Hello, father,” she said, meeting his gaze.

  “Sarah,” Miles whispered.

  Hearing him say her mother’s name so reverently, Jaden resisted the urge to slap him. He had no right to say it like that. He obviously had abandoned her mother when she had needed him the most.

  Reining back her temper, Jaden shifted her gaze to Leif then back to Miles. “I’ve come for my mate.”

  “Your mate?” her father asked dumbly and reached out a shaky hand toward her.