Jade

by Valerie Ullmer

  Staying in his human form, he pulled back the covers and got in next to Jade before he covered them both and passed out.

  “Noah?”

  Although he’d been sound asleep, his eyes opened and he searched for Jade, who he found several feet away from him, hugging the edge of the bed.

  “What’s wrong?” His voice scratchy with sleep.

  “Nothing. I woke up here and it took me awhile to piece together that you found me. But I don’t remember how we got back.”

  “I carried you.”

  Without waiting for Jade’s mind to catch up with their conversation, he reached over and pulled her close, capturing her mouth in a kiss that seared his veins when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him back.

  Noah couldn’t remember being kissed like this when he was human, and his human memories were crystal-clear. When Jade broke the kiss, her chest rising and falling with deep breaths, the answer came to him.

  “You were holding back when I was human?”

  Jade threw her head back and laughed. “Yes. I didn’t want to hurt you. Can’t you tell in your tiger form that you have to be more careful than when you are human?”

  “Yeah, I almost destroyed Kai’s house when I walked downstairs, trying not to knock anything over. And Ara’s pissed at me because it took me a few minutes to shift. Do I wanna know what that’s about? And Axel said I’m bigger than he is when I’m in my tiger form.”

  Jade smiled, wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes. “Yeah, it’s not like Kai has anything breakable in his house. He learned when Seth was human and threw open doors and stumbled around, not to have anything nice.

  “Ara is upset because ever since she’d woken up a shifter, it takes her a half an hour to shift into her wolf form. We keep telling her she needs practice, but when she doesn’t have anger controlling her actions, her shifts are notoriously slow. I can see you being bigger than Axel. You had a lot of muscle and after years of training and honing your body to move the way you want it to, I don’t doubt that.”

  Jade sobered for a moment, searching Noah’s gaze for something.

  “Are you a tiger because the man who bit you was one?”

  He nodded. “Liv figures it was his venom that passed through my body first and I didn’t die because your venom left no doubt that we are mates.”

  Jade nodded. “I felt guilty for taking your choices away from you. But when Liv told me to inject my venom into you or you would die, I couldn’t let you die.”

  “I know, baby. I don’t blame you. I was upset at myself and took it out on you when I woke up. When I found you, you were so weak. At first, I thought your heart was going to give out, but the more I touched you, the stronger it became.”

  Ready to take care of this guy? He won’t talk to anyone but Jade.

  Fuck, Kai. I just got her back—can you give her a moment?

  Jade chuckled and buried her face against Noah’s neck. We’ll be right there.

  “Yeah, let see who this guy is and if he’s a spy sent from the other group. Then I can rip his head off for biting you.”

  Noah shivered. “I love it when you get growly.” He moved to kiss her neck, but she pulled back.

  “Remember, he can smell everything.”

  Noah closed his eyes and nodded. They both rose and threw on some clothes. His attention drifted to Jade when she pulled her black hair back into a bun on the top of her head and took a deep breath.

  “Whatever happens, I’ll be right there. I’m not a weak human anymore. If he doesn’t have any information to share, I’ll rip his fucking throat out.”

  Jade reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him. “Thank you.”

  “Anything for you, baby. And I mean anything.”

  Jade, are you okay?

  Silas sounded worried as they closed in on Kai’s.

  I’m fine, Silas, I promise. I’m sorry I scared you.

  Noah, is he okay, too? I heard he was attacked.

  I’m fine, little man. I’m a tiger shifter now so we should go running soon.

  Okay!

  They walked into Kai’s, finding everyone except Liv, Frost, and Silas.

  “They are at my place. We don’t know if this shifter had a tracker. But after four days, I highly doubt it, but we’re not taking that chance.”

  “What’s the plan?” Jade looked at Ghost.

  Ghost sighed. “He won’t talk to anyone but you. We don’t have his name and although he ate a few times, he mainly sits around with his eyes closed.”

  “I’m going in with her.”

  Ghost nodded and they headed downstairs. The other assassins would be lurking around with Ghost, watching over the interrogation.

  Jade didn’t hesitate as she flew down the stairs and entered the code to open the door for the sound-and escape-proof enclosure. As soon as the door opened, Jade clenched her fists and when the man glanced up and gave her a small smirk, she punched him straight in the face.

  “What the fuck?”

  Jade punched him again, and before Noah could step in and hold her back, she reached for a chair and moved it across from the spluttering shifter and sat down.

  “Talk.” Jade’s command was low and deadly.

  “Is that how you greet everyone?”

  Jade showed teeth and the man leaned back in his chair and gulped. “Everyone who goes after my mate and tries to kill him. Yes.”

  “It’s too bad you don’t feel the same about your family.”

  She glanced around before her gaze settled back on the man. “What do you mean?”

  “Why don’t you take off my cap and find out?”

  Not in the mood to play games, Jade snatched his cap off his head and sucked in a deep breath. “What…who are you?”

  “I am your brother, dear Jade. The one you forgot about when you turned into an immortal.”

  Noah squeezed her shoulder and she looked at him imploringly. “She doesn’t remember anything about her human years or her transition. Ghost found her alone in a cabin on the outskirts of Snowfall fifty years ago.”

  “That’s not true.”

  Ghost and Xander stepped forward.

  “I scented her in an abandoned cabin and although she had her birth certificate on her, the only information visible was her first name and birth date. She couldn’t remember anything. She still can’t. Xander is our computer expert and he’s tried every way to track her past, but there’s nothing. There were no Jades who were born on January 21st, 1948 in Colorado or anywhere else in the States.”

  Jade’s gaze hadn’t left the man in front of her since she’d taken off the cap. He looked back at her just as intently.

  “How…do you know I’m your…sister?”

  “I took care of you after you were born. I’m six years older than you. When you were twenty-one, you went to town with friends to go to a movie and you never came back, or that’s the story Dad told me. I searched for you everywhere, asked everyone. I learned you never made it to town, but as good as I was at tracking, I couldn’t find you. You disappeared.

  “I was angry at you. It was you and me against the world and you left.”

  Noah sensed that he was telling the truth. His shoulders slumped in defeat and he understood what it was like to hold onto a grudge for so long that it tainted everything. With quick movements, he cut the man’s zip ties loose with his claws.

  “What’s your name?” Noah knew Jade wanted to ask.

  “I’m Drew. Drew Murphy.”

  “How long ago were you turned?” Ghost didn’t question Noah’s decision to cut him loose, but he stepped closer to Jade to protect her if he needed to.

  “Not too long after Jade went missing. I had been camping in the woods about twenty miles from town. I don’t remember being attacked, just waking up in the snow feeling better than I’d ever had before. When I shifted into a tiger the first time—well, let’s just say it was surprising.” Drew turned to Jade. “I never stopped looking for y
ou. I’m sorry I thought you left by yourself. I knew you wouldn’t do that to me.”

  “What took you so long to find me?”

  “Your scent was unfamiliar to me as a shifter and I’d never come across it throughout the years. But then I heard there was a group of immortals who were based in Snowfall, shifters and vampires alike, and I decided to see if you were part of the group. When I passed you outside your boss’s office and you didn’t recognize me, I was upset.” Drew looked down.

  “Were you with the shifters after us?”

  Drew shook his head. “No. I had been following you when I ran into them. You’re right about them being underground. There is a series of old mining tunnels they reinforced and they live down there. I counted fifteen shifters after your run-in with them when you were shot, and they were able to manage to turn about five more. They aren’t organized, and they have no idea how to fight. They do want power and the Dark Company, if they could get their hands on it. But they still have no leader.”

  “Drew?”

  Drew turned his familiar green eyes to Jade and even Noah could see that he truly loved his sister, no matter what he thought she might have done. But his eyes held remorse as well.

  “Can I…”

  Drew held his arms open and Jade flew into his hold. Noah could hear Jade sob against Drew’s shoulder as he rubbed her back with soothing circles and murmured in her ear that everything would be okay.

  Noah nodded at the rest of them and everyone headed upstairs, giving the newly discovered siblings a chance to get to know each other.

  Once they were seated around the living room, the front door opened and Silas barreled inside.

  Jade has a brother?

  “Yeah, little man. He has the same color hair and eyes, and you can also see it in the shape of their noses and ears. They are definitely related,” Xander said.

  Silas smiled and noticed Noah. He flew into his arms and Noah held Silas close to his chest.

  I missed you, Silas.

  I missed you and Jade. You were gone so long.

  I know, but our next trip won’t be that long and we’ll be back before you know it.

  That’s what you said the last time.

  Everyone in the room laughed. Silas really did sound put out and included him in with his other family.

  I promise.

  So…you are going to stay with Jade forever?

  Yes, I am.

  Again, happiness was pushed out from Silas into everyone in the room.

  “Whoa, what was that?” Drew asked.

  Silas looked over Noah’s shoulder and sucked in a breath at the sight of a man who looked similar to Jade. He stood and without fanfare, ran up to Drew and jumped into his arms. Drew, with fast reflexes, caught Silas with a startled expression on his face.

  Hi, you’re Jade’s brother.

  “Y…Yes. I’m Drew. And you?”

  I’m Silas. I’m a snow leopard shifter along with my dad, Xander—he’s over there with the white hair like mine. And my mom is Frost. She’s about to open the door, now.

  Everyone glanced toward the door as Frost entered, and when she noticed Silas in the arms of the man who was supposed to be their prisoner, she glared at her mate.

  “Xander?” Frost growled.

  “Don’t worry, sweetheart. He’s Jade’s brother.”

  “Really?” Drew sounded confused.

  “It’s a long story. Just know he’s the first baby conceived and born by shifters and if Frost decides to, she could have more.” Jade sounded amused and laughed when Frost rolled her eyes at her.

  Frost scoffed. “Right now I have a handful with my husband and our Silas.”

  “And Silas is the one who pushed the feelings of happiness that you felt just now. He’s special.” Jade nuzzled her face against Silas’s chest as he giggled.

  “Well, welcome to the family.”

  Silas jumped out of Drew’s arms and went to snuggle with Noah as Jade took Drew around the room and introduced him to her family. Noah smiled at how close the two already were, having just met.

  Jade came over and sat on the arm of his chair as Ara took Drew and Silas, who continued to ask Drew questions about his life and where he’d been all this time, into the kitchen to get Jade’s brother something to eat.

  “Are you happy, baby?”

  She nodded. “I have you and my family, including my brother. Everything’s perfect.”

  Noah pulled Jade into his lap and held her close. He couldn’t agree more.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Jade

  “There are three entrances into the mines, all of them reinforced by steel doors. One on the west, southeast, and north. If you jam two of the doors and blow in the third, they won’t have any way of escaping. I would suggest blocking the doors in a way that a group of shifters with more brute than brains can’t push their way out,” Drew explained.

  “How much firepower do you think they have?”

  “None. They think too much of themselves to arm themselves with weapons. They want to fight hand-to-hand.”

  “Fuck, let’s just send Jade in there to take care of them and we’ll clean up the mess after.”

  Noah growled and Jade laughed, wrapping her arm around his waist and pulling him close.

  Jade couldn’t help but reflect, again, on how much her life had changed in the past month. She found and thought she’d lost her mate, she discovered her brother, and her assassin family was safe and happy. So it didn’t bother Jade when Ax suggested she go in.

  “Shut it, blondie. You’re not sending my mate in there alone.”

  Ghost cleared his throat. “Although she could probably handle it, we all go in together.”

  Drew elbowed her and turned to her with a smile. “Just how deadly are you, little sister?”

  “As much as the others. We’re all highly trained assassins.”

  Axel’s laugh boomed around Kai’s living room, where they were planning their raid of the underground shifter lair.

  “She can kick Kai’s ass, and there isn’t an immortal assassin alive who can even get close to Kai, much less touch him. Jade can and she beats him every time they spar.”

  “Fuck off, blondie.” Kai’s words came out a bit playful and Jade threw her head back and laughed.

  “So, one-on-one after the planning meeting?” Drew asked.

  Jade sobered and she shook her head. “I don’t want to hurt you. I just found you.”

  Noah threw his arm over her brother and glanced at Jade. “He’s a tiger shifter. He can handle it—just take it easy on him like you do Reaper.”

  Noah laughed when Reaper’s growl reached his ears.

  “Fine.” Drew laughed when Jade agreed.

  Ghost cleared his throat. “Here’s the final plan. Hunter and Axel will set small charges on the west and southeast. We will go in the north entrance. Jade and Gunnar—”

  “No, I’ll be with Jade.” Noah statement wasn’t questioned.

  Ghost nodded. “Jade and Noah, sweep toward the left, taking out anyone you encounter. Kai and Reaper, take the right. The rest of us, we are backup. Xander and Drew, you will be standing guard at the north entrance to make sure no one escapes. This is a ‘kill-only’ mission. The government is tired of the possible threat to Dark Company and wants everyone eliminated. If they manage to escape, we hunt them down until there is no longer a threat. Understood?”

  Thirteen voices confirmed Ghost’s orders.

  “Dismissed.”

  Drew immediately jumped toward Jade, almost wrapping his arms around his sister, when Noah wrapped an arm around Jade’s waist and pulled her out of the way. Noah growled at Drew and Drew smiled at him. Jade was happy Noah and Drew were getting along.

  “Not in the house.” Kai’s demand brooked no argument.

  They piled out of the house and everyone made a loose circle around the middle, where she stood with her brother and mate. “How do you want to do this?”

  “Firs
t one to land a strike wins?”

  Jade nodded and Drew immediately leapt forward. His hand came close to catching her on the shoulder, but she ducked in time and swept his feet out from under him, sending him sprawling onto his back.

  She surged to her feet as his leg kicked out and with a little push, she jumped and backflipped away from him.

  Kai flashed from her left and this time, she was able to reach for his forearm. With a quick twist, she flung him toward Drew, who flinched when he spotted Kai barreling toward him. Kai tucked at the last minute and landed on his feet a few inches from Drew.

  Without taking her eyes off him, Jade flipped over Axel, pushing off his head and vaulted into the nearest tree. She made sure Noah was safe before she turned to Ara. She felt more than saw the branch underneath her break off, with her ricocheting from branch to branch as Ara snapped them cleanly from the tree. Jade laughed when Ara danced out of the way as she threw a large stick like a javelin.

  Drew, thinking it would be a good idea to go after Noah, learned that going after mates was a big no. Knowing Noah could handle himself didn’t prevent the low but deadly growl from escaping her throat.

  “Don’t…touch…him.”

  Drew backed away with his hands up in a placating manner, but it was only when Noah spoke to her did she calm down.

  He didn’t mean anything by it, baby. I’m okay.

  The red haze dissipated as she blinked at Noah’s calming words. “Sorry.”

  “Since I’ve never had a mate, I didn’t fully understand. It’s okay, I’ll remember from now on.”

  She shook her head and cleared the rest of her anger away, but she’d been too distracted and felt the impact of Reaper tackling her from the trees. She managed to push him off and land on her feet, just in time for Hunter to jump on her in panther form and try to lick the skin off her face. She rolled over before he could get a hold on her and pinned him to the ground.

  “Ah, ah, watch the claws.”