Remi nodded. “You have two that I know of here you can trust. Jaycee, can you show him who they are without such force?” He rubbed her back, as she nodded.
Black sighed. “The other two with me?” He asked, frowning.
Jaycee shrugged. “They hid their thoughts, but the one man … Jerkins, I believe his name was. The one with the tattoo on his hand?”
Black nodded for her to go on.
“He has some involvement with the snake people and he was also involved in …” Fresh tears slipped down her face.
Remi pulled her back and wiped the tears. “He was there when my brother was killed. It seems Guy told him where he would be. When this is over, Black, Guy is mine.”
He stood and paced the room. “So, more or less, I can only trust three of the Council members that I've brought. That leaves eight others I have no idea about at home. There has to be a way for me to find out …” He stopped and glanced at Jaycee.
“No! She is not going near any of your Council. I won't risk her life, or that of our children.” Remi stood and growled.
“Could she do it from another room? The other eight are arriving here tonight to meet with these freaks. It took them longer to get here since they are flying in from all around the world. Remi, if I can at least know who I can trust, we can monitor the rest of them.”
Jaycee's small hand wrapped around his wrist. “Remi, it's the least I can do. We need to know who will be coming after us. You could have them come up here, and I can be in the bedroom. Dane or Mark can be in the room with me.”
Remi glanced into her eyes. “Jaycee, you know what's going to happen if one of them is evil. Look at what happened tonight.”
She gazed down at the floor. “That's because I saw something else from him.” She turned to go into the bedroom, but he grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. He lifted her chin and studied her. “You're blocking something from us, why?” She trembled and her lip quivered.
“It's from the time I was sixteen.” She released the image and crumbled in his arms. “He watched them rape me, Remi, and did nothing.” Jaycee cried. “I had no father or mother.”
Marsha came into the room, followed by everyone else. She kneeled down next to her and pulled her face towards her. “You are my daughter, and Ben is your father. If it makes you feel any better, there is a ritual we can do to make it real. It won't change who you are, or effect you, or the babies. All it will do is connect us, as a parent feels connected to his child. It will also break your connection to your father. Right now, you have a blood bond with your father …”
Marsha turned to look at Remi. “He could use that against her, Remi. This ritual will erase it, but give Ben and I parental attachment. It will also help protect her somewhat.”
“Damn, I forgot about the blood bond, and he's been doing research on it too. He wanted to know why some couples couldn't bond with their children.” Mr. Black growled. “And I just gave him the tool.”
Remi glanced at Jaycee. “This is up to you, Jaycee. Dane, Mark, and I will protect you the best we can, but if this will protect you further, I think you should consider it.” He kissed her cheek. “Marsha is already your mother in your heart and Ben is also there.”
Jaycee wrapped her arms around Marsha. “I would be proud to call you ‘Mom’.” She laughed. “Well, I already do.”
She got up and walked to Ben. “Are you sure? You already have such a big family I don't want to add more problems to it.” She lowered her head.
Ben wanted to pick her up and hold her. She was so vulnerable right now. He smiled and pulled her into his arms. “You don't need to ask, daughter. Ever since Bo found you in the woods, you've been part of our family. You have done all of us proud, and I'm sure the rest of the family will agree.”
Marsha turned to him. “I'm going to do the ritual now, Remi. I don't like the fact he's playing with things he knows nothing about. Also, when we do the ritual, the three of you are going to feel it. In a way, you will also be our family. It won't take away from your parents. We'll just be able to enhance to mother nature's way of letting her children know they're our children.”
She turned and frowned at Mr. Black. “I'm afraid Guy's going to know the instant it's done. So be prepared, and have him watched. Even though he won't be able to do anything, he's going to be desperate.”
Black nodded. “Hold on, let me call one of the Council members that we know I can trust and have him watch Guy. When this is done, take her into the next room. I can feel three of the eight here in the hotel now. I'll have them come up to meet me here. Is that okay?” He glanced at Remi and Dane.
Remi looked over at Dane, and he nodded. “I'll be in the room with her and Mark. We won't let anyone hurt her.” Dane growled.
“Marsha, do it now, please,” Jaycee begged.
* * * *
Ben pulled Jaycee to the center of the room and held her hand as Marsha took her other hand. She glanced up at Remi, and he winked at her, making her smile.
“Mother Nature, here our plea: Let this daughter of the heart join our family and take her out of his way of harm. We pledge our faith, love, and hearts to her and to you. Guide us and protect us from the evil that surrounds this child, a gift from you only. As all children should be cherished, this one has known nothing but pain. Let her see the light and be happy for once in the life you have given her,” Marsha sang.
The balcony door blew open, wind surrounded them, and embraced them. Jaycee's blood chilled, and she would have fallen if Ben hadn't wrapped his arm around her. As soon as her blood chilled, though, it warmed. Wolves in the distance cried, cats screamed, and birds awoke, singing to them.
She jerked her head up, glancing out at the balcony door; her father's scream of denial and promise of retribution shook the room. Jaycee whipped her head towards Remi. “Kate and Sam, Remi.”
Mr. Black ran for the elevator. “They're busting the door down now. We'll get them. But we can't bring them here, just in case. Until this is over, they will be protected and guarded. I'll be back in a few minutes.” He pushed the button and descended to Guy's room.
“It will be okay, Jaycee. They'll protect her.” Ben hugged her. “Can you feel the connection to your brothers? Bo is cussing up a storm right now. He was on a ladder trying to get something down for an older couple when we did this. Needless to say, he fell flat on his ass.” Ben laughed with Marsha.
Shelly busted out laughing. “Good, maybe he'll know a little pain in the ass for once.” She grinned and came up to Jaycee, hugging her. “We better get in the bedroom before the others get here.” She tried to pull her into the room, but Jaycee wanted to talk to her mates alone.
“Go on Shelly, take Mom and Dad. I want to talk to my mates for a minute.” Shelly nodded as Ben escorted Shelly, Jack, and Belinda back into the bedroom. Marsha smiled up at her. “She's given you something, hasn't she?” Marsha asked, a twinkle in her eye.
Jaycee laughed and nodded. “I need to talk to them about it.” Marsha patted her arm and walked into the bedroom, as her mates surrounded her touching her.
“Okay, what did you get and from whom?” Mark asked, eyeing her. Jaycee giggled as they frowned at her. “Mother Nature of course, but she didn't only give me the gift. You three now have it too. Look inside and see.” She stepped back and watched.
Remi gazed at her, then looked down at himself, black fur rippled over his skin, but it wasn't a wolf that formed. His gaze shot to her. “A bear?”
She glanced at Dane who started to shift into a panther. “A cat.” Jaycee laughed and nodded, and then glanced at Mark.
Feathers replaced skin, and he transformed into an eagle. All three of them gazed at her and shifted back.
“We can all shift into the four animals now, when the need arises.” She frowned and glanced down at the floor.
Remi stepped up to her. “What?”
A single tear slipped down her cheek. “She told me the ground will shake and to be prepared. That
there will be tough times ahead, but in the end, we will survive. She warned me that many will die over the next ten years, and when this is over, things will be different for our kind. Guy is no longer with us either.”
“What do you mean Guy is no longer with us?” Dane wrapped his arm around her and lifted her chin.
“She took him. That was the scream we heard. He will suffer much until she is done with him. He won't be hurting me anymore.”
The elevator dinged, announcing someone's arrival. Remi pushed her through the bedroom door. “We'll talk about this later. Keep our gift a secret, Jaycee. We might need it later,” Remi said, as Dane and Mark closed the door behind them.
Dane grabbed her and placed her in the chair. “I'm going to be right with you, Jaycee. Concentrate on me. Mark will be there too, watching, just in case something happens. We'll see what you see.” He kneeled on one side of her while Mark kneeled on the other. Each of them held one of her hands.
Jaycee closed her eyes and blocked everyone out of her mind as she concentrated on the other room. She could see Mr. Black, Remi, and three others and one woman, Sara. She was expecting a child too. She smiled and nodded. She was fine.
Jaycee turned to the men in the room. Sara's husband was a strong psychic and recognized her immediately. Dane squeezed her hand but she shook her head and relaxed as he allowed her access. She grinned and thanked him.
Dane growled next to her, but she concentrated on the next male, which caused her to suck in her breath.
Go to the next. We have all we need to know. Dane pushed her away from that one, and she moved to the next man. His mind was blocked from her until she heard. You risk death for this intrusion, little one, but come see what you must. He opened his mind and she gasped. He was clean, but powerful, almost as powerful as Remi. He laughed. We are equal in some areas, but you are right, your man is a powerful one and I'm glad he's on our side.
Jaycee shook her head and glanced down at Dane and Mark, who snarled and stood up. “I swear, I don't know if it's worse having a man look at you, or flirt with you in your mind,” he snapped.
She laughed and tugged on his hand. “Dane, you know I'm yours and only yours.”
He turned his gaze on her and grinned. “Yep, sure do, and if you ever think a man is cute, like you just did, I'm going to show you how much you are ours. Didn't you hear Remi's growl.” He laughed. “You're in so much trouble.”
“Hey, I can look as long as I don't touch. You guys look. Don't think I didn't catch Remi staring at Sara out there,” she snarled.
Marsha laughed behind her. “She has a point, Dane.”
“Mr. Black has sent the one man downstairs to wait for the other five. He wants us to come out,” Dane said, but Jaycee was already walking out of the bedroom.
“Damn it, Jaycee, wait for us,” Dane snapped behind her.
“Well, get moving, slow poke.” She yelled over her shoulder and ran straight into Remi's wide chest. He wrapped his arms around her.
And I wasn't looking at her as a man looks at a female. I was seeing how far along she was.
“Like I believe that. Now, move, so I can meet our guests.” She smacked his chest, but he didn't budge.
The guy who talked to her in her mind coughed, and her face heated. “Damn it Remi, you're embarrassing me.”
He growled and picked her up, moving into the bathroom with her. “Why would you be embarrassed? It doesn't matter what any male thinks, just us,” he snapped, pushing her up against the bathroom wall and slamming the door.
Jaycee frowned and stared into his eyes. Anger and jealousy surged through him. “Remi, look at me. Really look at me. I love you, Remi, only you, Dane, and Mark. No other man interests me. I was embarrassed because well … I was picturing your cock and thinking no man was bigger. He kind of saw that.” She ducked her head as he laughed and set her down on the ground.
“Oh baby, you are too much. So, you think I have a big cock?” He rubbed it against her and captured her mouth. His tongue pushed into her mouth, dueling with hers, while his hand squeezed her breasts, teasing her.
“Um, excuse me, but I have to use the bathroom.” Shelly poked her head in.
Jaycee laughed as Remi growled. “I can't wait until tonight in our own bed.” He pushed her into the living room.
Dane, Mark, and the three Council members talked while Sara picked at the buffet table. Jaycee rubbed her stomach, remembering she hadn't eaten yet and headed straight for the table.
“Hi. My name is Jaycee. Mind if I pick at the food with you. I'm starving.” Jaycee got a plate and started piling on the food.
Sara glanced at her husband, who nodded. “Hi, I'm Sara. I'm afraid I'm always hungry lately,” she laughed.
Jaycee laughed too. “I'm afraid you're not the only one,. You just can't tell yet.” She laughed as Dane came up to her and put another piece of ham on her plate. She rolled her eyes and Sara laughed.
Mr. Black walked over to her with two other gentlemen. One wrapped his arm around Sara. “Jaycee this is Daniel, Sara's mate. They are from our European division. And this man next to him is Clayton, he is from our Southern division.”
Jaycee smiled and reached out to shake his hand, but Remi pulled her back into his arms. She smiled and rolled her eyes again, sending Sara into giggles.
Clayton smiled and nodded to Remi. “I take it there is a reason your mate was trying to probe our minds?” he asked.
She fidgeted in Remi's arms and glanced down at the ground. Damn.
Remi's arms tightened around her, and he scraped his teeth across her neck. “We were asked by Black to help him. It seems you have traitors in the Council. So far, Jaycee has spotted four, but one is gone and won't be back.” Remi confronted the other man.
Jaycee sighed. “Remi, enough, for Pete's sake! I'm not going to fuck him. Give it a rest, will you. Jeez.” She ducked under his arms, balancing her plate and walking over to the couch, plopping down on it. She stabbed the piece of ham and took a bite, glancing up. Everyone stared at her.
“What? Don't give me that look. I mean. Come on. You look at women all the time. So what if I look at a man? But no man holds my heart in his hands as you three do, and never will, Remi. You know this.” She sighed and put her plate on the table, suddenly not hungry anymore. “Others are coming. I can feel them, Dane!” She grabbed her stomach and ran towards the bathroom.
“Son of a bitch. I knew this was a bad idea.” Remi yelled.
“Stay. We'll go. Just keep them out of here.” Dane yelled, shutting the bedroom door.
Chapter Thirteen
Remi turned and snarled at Black. “I told you this wasn't a good idea. Damn it.”
Clayton frowned and stepped in front of him. “What's going on?”
I'm fine, Remi. Please, you're the only ones I want. Don't let this hinder you. I love you. Jaycee was crying, and he could see her tears.
He sighed and turned to the elevator. “Every time she's close to something evil, it affects her. Her father, the snake people, that's how we found out she could read other's from a distance. It seems more of your Council is coming and one of them is bad enough to make her sick. The only one who did that before was her father, and he won't be bothering us anymore.”
Black stepped in front of him. “What do you know about his disappearance?”
Remi glared at him. “He didn't disappear. She took him for what he did to Jaycee.”
Black laughed. “There is no woman powerful enough to take him. Who are you protecting?”
Remi laughed and then the balcony doors blew open again. Mr. Black glanced at the doors, and then back at Remi.
“Jaycee is Mother Nature's daughter and she is protecting her. Be careful, Black. She watches her now, as we all do.”
The elevator's doors opened and five other Council members stepped into the room. Remi knew instantly which one had made his mate sick. His hair was slicked back, and he was wearing a two thousand dollar suit. His aura was black as n
ight, death. Clayton moved next to him and nodded, as did Daniel and Blackwell. All five members stopped in front of them frowning.
Remi, he's got her and we can't stop him! Dane yelled! Remi shifted ready to attack, but he didn't get the chance. A bright green light entered the room and hovered in front of the man. He hissed and screamed as his body snapped in half, disappearing from the room.
The green light shifted, turning into a beautiful woman. She nodded to Remi and glanced at the others in the room.
This room is clean from filth. Remi, your mate will be fine, but there are many others still out there who will attack. I've helped where I could, taking the worst from your world. That is all I'm allowed to do. The rest is up to you. She nodded to everyone in the room. Choose rightly. We will be watching.
Remi stood there as she shifted, once more going straight through his body. He threw his head back and roared as heat surged through him. One minute he was on fire and the next, nothing. He shook his head and gazed around the room.
Mr. Black and the others stood there, just gazing at him.
“Now, do you believe me?”
The doors to the bedroom opened and Marsha helped Jaycee out of the room. Dane stood next to her, holding her up.
He rushed to her side and cupped her cheek. “Are you okay?” She smiled and nodded to him.
“Just a little weak, but I'll be fine. So what did she give you?” Jaycee squeaked all excited. Marsha laughed and Dane shook his head.
Mr. Black walked up to them and stared at them. “She gave you something?”
“Oops, sorry.” Jaycee ducked her head and tried to pull out of their arms, but Dane held her tight.
Running In Fear: Coming Home Page 13