“Hôpital Américain de Paris,” Josie told the driver.
“I can’t believe you saved us,” Susan said. “I knew we were going to meet again. I do that sometimes, know things. Too bad I didn’t know that man was a thief.”
Josie was glad to see color coming back to Susan’s face.
“It was so stupid of us to follow him into the alley. He said he needed help getting his son to a hospital. Jack offered to help lift the boy. It was all a ruse to get us off the street, and we fell for it.”
“Don’t feel badly. It was an easy mistake. You are so caring. It was natural for you to want to help someone in distress. You helped me today with your care and advice,” Josie said, patting her friend’s hand.
“I see you took my advice. I almost didn’t recognize you. You look amazing,” Susan said. “I’m sure your fiancé will flip over those thigh-high stiletto boots.”
He’ll flip when he gets the bill… “I hope I didn’t mess up the heel when I kicked the knife out of that guy’s hand.”
“Is it loose? It looks okay to me,” Jack said, his smile strained.
“Are you all right?” Susan’s voice trembled, and she patted her husband on the knee.
“The adrenaline is starting to wear off, and to tell the truth, it hurts like hell.”
“We’re almost there, Jack,” Josie assured him. “Only a few more minutes. They speak English at this hospital, so you’ll easily be understood.”
They pulled into the soins d’urgence entrance, and Jack was soon rushed inside. Josephine followed Jack and Susan in and sat down in the waiting room. Her stomach rumbled again, but she wasn’t going anywhere until she knew how Jack was doing. Her thoughts went to Valerii. Where was he? What information had he discovered?
Forty minutes later, Susan walked up to Josie, a relieved look on her face. Josephine put down the magazine she’d been reading.
“Jack is going to be fine. They’re finishing things up now. He was right. He did need stitches.” Susan sat down in the chair beside Josie’s. “I am so glad you saved us, Josephine. I can’t believe how you came out of nowhere.”
“I heard your scream and came to investigate. I would have helped anyone in that situation. I’m glad I was able to repay your kindness by being at the right place at the right time.”
“I’m going to take Jack back to the hotel and order room service. I think our sightseeing is done for today. Do you want to come with us? I would gladly buy you dinner.”
“That’s very kind of you, Susan, but I really need to call my family. I got a little carried away with shopping this morning.”
“You look great. When are you going to see your fiancé? I would love to meet him.”
“I’m sure he will be turning up soon,” Josie said, just as her stomach gave another large growl. She rubbed at her middle, wishing it wouldn’t be so loud with hunger. “Excuse me, I didn’t eat lunch.”
“You must be starving. Come back to the hotel. I’ll have food sent up to the room.”
Should she go? Susan and Jack had been kind to her. Traditionally, the pack gathered at Café de Luna Bleu in the evenings. She could make her grand entrance there. Glancing at her watch, she decided there was plenty of time. “All right, I’ll come to the hotel.”
***
“Valerii, I have that information you asked for on Boucher and Fortescue,” Grigori said.
Valerii shifted his phone to his ear while waiting in line for a taxi at the train station. He smiled and waved when Louise Bontecou got into her taxi and drove off.
“Valerii?”
“I’m here, Grigori. Just a minute. Let me give the taxi driver the address I took from Sanxay. ‘Rue d 'Épiais les Louvres, Le Mesnil-Amelot, Seine-et-Marne’,” Valerii said, as he climbed into the back seat.
“Where are you going? Is Josie headed to the airport?” Grigori asked.
“No, Boucher’s laboratory is at that address. Josephine said there was a fire the night of her escape. I want to see if anyone has rebuilt. What information did you find?”
“Michon Boucher is listed as deceased, killed in a fire five years ago. He was the founder of a group called Doctors for a Better Humanity.”
“What does that mean, a better humanity?” Valerii asked.
“I’m not sure,” Grigori said. “The corporation still exists and has a sizable amount of capital. The list of board members is quite impressive. Most of the men are known for their humanitarian activities, including two Nobel Prize winners. Dr. Norris Fortescue specializes in gene therapy and works for Hôpital Necker. He’s rumored to be a genius, the youngest man to receive his doctorate, and has several awards to his credit. He’s scheduled to speak at a conference at the Hilton Paris La Defense Hotel this week. I can’t find any connection between Fortescue and the corporation. Fortescue isn’t listed in any of the corporation documents.”
“That’s convenient, considering he sent mercenaries to pick up Josephine and bring her to Paris.”
“If this group is experimenting on lycans, it needs to be stopped. Our existence has always remained a secret for the safety of our race. Even witches don’t admit to their differences, and those are much smaller than ours.”
“Witches?”
“Oh, I forgot. Brencis’ mate, Melody, is a witch. Those old rumors of a witch’s council are true. If these doctors have information on us, both of our races could be in danger.”
“I hear you, Alpha. Give me some time to figure out what is going on here. Oh, before I forget, can you move some of my funds into my checking account? Josephine is out shopping, and I’m afraid I am going to need it,” Valerii said, a smile flirting with his face. He could feel the joy that trying on new clothes gave Josie. A small luxury he could afford to give her.
“Never turn a woman loose with a credit card. No, lyubov moya, my love, I wasn’t speaking of you. Melisande! I have to go, Valerii. Call me when you find something out.”
“Will do, Grigori,” Valerii said, chuckling at his Alpha and friend. Grigori’s mate was pregnant, her emotions swinging from light to dark in an instant.
Chapter Five
The smell of smoke and ash clung to several bulky rocks near the edge of the large hole in the ground Valerii was walking around. If this had been a secret laboratory, it was indeed destroyed five years ago. He could easily see scrape marks along the ground from the bulldozer that pushed dirt into the hole.
He couldn’t pick up a scent of anyone. The smell of airplane fuel and exhaust, as well as hot metal and oil, drifted into his face. Frustrated, he knelt and peered into the hole as a jet took off from the Charles de Gaulle Airport only a couple of kilometers away.
Valerii glanced around to see if anyone was nearby. The cab driver, his cap over his face, appeared to be dozing. Valerii stood, then leapt four feet down into the hole. His feet sank into moist soil when he landed.
He scanned the ground, looking for clues while walking away from the road toward what must have been the back of the building. It appeared no one had been here for a very long time. Weeds growing out of the floor caught at his pants’ legs. By the end of the summer, they would grow to the level of the road. He had almost given up looking when he saw an iron bar sticking out of the dirt at an angle. Squatting down, he ran his hand lightly over the surface.
Grigori’s mate could read impressions from objects and had been working with him on learning the process of psychometry. Valerii could feel two different vibrations coming from the rod, both caused by strong emotion. The first impression came from...Josephine. He would recognize the feel of her energy anywhere. He gripped the bar harder. Her fear and rage vibrated from the iron bar as if something had hit the surface, causing the rod to ring. His canines lengthened as his wolf rushed to the surface. Fur began to push through his skin as lights began swirling around him. While pushing his wolf spirit back, he dropped the bar as if it burned. Shifting here would be foolhardy.
He sat perfectly still, staring at the iron ba
r until control returned and his form was once more anchored as a man. When he touched the bar again, he would have to get past Josephine’s emotions to the other vibrations lingering on the rod’s surface.
Taking a deep breath, he put his hand lightly on the bar. He pushed past Josie’s feelings and tuned into the other vibration. This one was male. Horror, compassion, then determination swirled together into triumph and freedom. This man had helped Josephine escape. Was this Fortescue? Why would he hunt Josie now, when he helped free her before? Valerii didn’t feel evil emanating from the other vibration.
Valerii released the iron bar and stood. None of this made sense. He summoned his lycan strength. He took two running steps before he sprang to the top of the hole and landed in a crouch. Dust covered him. He stood, brushed off his pants and shirt, and shook his head, trying to remove the worst of the dirt. The cab waited by the side of the gravel road.
One more address to check out before he could go claim his mate. His heart ached for her. He kept encountering that barrier when he tried to link minds with her. When he got his hands on her he was going to...kiss her senseless. Maybe then, she wouldn’t close her mind to her mate.
“Les Jollières, La Ventrouze,” Valerii said, climbing into the cab and slipping the driver a 100 euro bill as a tip for waiting. The cab driver grunted and started to drive. Would he find a clue at the next address?
***
Josephine walked into the Hilton Hotel La Defense with Susan and Jack. The lobby was several stories tall in the enormous steel and glass structure. Natural light poured into the building from upper-level windows. Large flags, hanging from the upper floors, announced the coming conference, the annual meeting of the International Society for Gene and Cell Therapy. A picture of the keynote speaker hung on the side of the lobby near the elevators. Josephine froze when she recognized Norris Fortescue. He was coming here to this hotel.
“Josephine, are you all right? You look a little pale. Come on, our room is up on the sixth floor,” Susan said, pushing the elevator call button.
Josie rushed forward, glad that the elevator doors opened quickly. No one looked her way as she grabbed Jack’s other arm and helped Susan maneuver him inside. Josephine sighed with relief as the doors closed and leaned against the back wall. What if one of Fortescue’s men saw her?
“As soon as we get to the room, I’ll order us some food. We have a little mini-bar if you need a snack before it arrives,” Susan said.
“I think I’ll have some juice and lie down. Will you girls be okay without me?” Jack asked.
“Sure, honey. Josephine and I can chat while you rest,” Susan replied, smiling at Josephine.
The elevator stopped on the sixth floor, and Josephine followed close on the heels of Susan and Jack. As soon as the room door was open, she rushed inside. Jack glanced sharply at her, then slowly walked into the bedroom area and closed the door.
Susan sank onto one of the cream couches with a sigh. “I never thought something like this might happen to us.”
Josie began to pace in front of the window. What should she do? Was she putting her friends in danger by being here?
“Josephine, is everything all right? Here, let me order that meal I promised you.” Susan reached for the phone.
Josephine’s stomach ached with hunger, but now, knowing about Fortescue, she wasn’t sure she could eat a bite. Still, under his very nose would be the last place he would expect to find her. Staying with Susan and Jack might very well be the right move. The pack wouldn’t arrive at the Café de Luna Bleu until later in the evening.
Not knowing for sure whether she’d made a wise decision, Josephine crossed the room and sat down next to Susan as she finished ordering a light repast.
“It will be coming right up,” Susan said, hanging up the phone.
***
Valerii felt his stomach clench and realized he was hungry, but not this hungry. He reached for the mating bond with his telepathy and gently let it lead him into Josephine’s mind. She was starving and worried. She sat with a woman a few years her senior. When he tried to figure out what worried her, he came up against finely honed shields. Only a strong telepath would have shields this strong. Could his little mate be so skilled? Another secret she was keeping from him?
His heart ached at this betrayal, even though logically he knew she protected herself and her pack. Would she ever confide in him? He was her mate. Their minds should fit together like two pieces of a puzzle.
Valerii? Are you hurt? Her voice flooded into his mind. Did she feel his disappointment?
No, malyshka. Are you safe? What worries you so? He wouldn’t burden her with his problems. He didn’t want her to run from him again.
I made a friend on the train, and her husband was injured during a mugging. I am fine... for now.
Perhaps she didn’t realize he heard that last thought.
I met a member of the Paris pack on the train. They normally meet at the Café de Luna Bleu, he sent to her, hoping that she would begin to trust him.
Yes, I plan to go there later this evening.
At least she told him that much.
I will meet you there. Grigori wants me to offer his greetings. I miss you, Josie.
Valerii, I...
Their telepathic link was cut, and Valerii opened his eyes to see the taxi driver take the highway around to the south of Paris. He tried to reconnect with Josephine, but her mind stayed firmly closed. Why did she push him away like this? His jaw clenched with anger and frustration. What could he do to get through to her?
Shaking his head, he pondered the problem. Would cementing the bond keep the door to her mind open to him?
***
A sudden knock at the door startled Josephine and brought her mind back to where she was—with Susan in the Hilton La Defense.
“Where did you go just then? You seemed so far away, I wasn’t sure you were listening to me.” Susan moved to answer the door.
“Sorry, I was thinking of my fiancé,” Josie answered ruefully. What had they been talking about?
Susan opened the door, and Josie was surprised to smell the musky scent of lycans.
“Are you Susan Greene who works for the Assisted Reproduction and Gynecology Centre in London?” a female voice asked.
“I am. How can I help you?”
“I’m Laurel Volkov, and this is my husband, Anton,” she said. “I was wondering if you had some time to discuss the issue of using gene therapy to help infertility in males. I am working with an unusual subject group. I hoped you might give me some insights. If you aren’t available now, can we set up an appointment to meet later? I can meet you in London if you don’t have time while here in Paris”
Volkov? As in the Siberian Alpha? Josephine’s pulse quickened.
Josie rose and moved toward the door. A small red-haired woman stood in the doorway, her face animated as she spoke. She wore a golden medallion that lay over her green silk blouse near her heart. Josie was too far away to make out the design clearly, but it looked like a wolf. There was something about Laurel, an aura of power. It wasn’t disturbing; it was peaceful.
Behind her, a tall man with shoulder-length brown hair stood protectively over her. His silver-grey eyes kept moving, looking for hidden dangers. His hand rested gently on the woman’s waist. His nostrils flared, then he winked at Josephine. He knew she was a lycan. When she peered at the couple using her second sight, she could clearly see the golden mating bond glowing between them.
“Well, I’m speaking on our latest findings for the conference... ”
Susan was here for the conference? Did she know Fortescue? Josephine wrapped her arms around her stomach.
“Yes, that was one of the reasons I’m here. Please, this is important,” Laurel said, her tone inching higher with her emotions.
“Let them come in, Susan.” Josephine suggested. “They can join us for tea.”
“Oh, all right. Please come in. This is my friend, Josephine,” Su
san said, stepping back and waving the couple in.
“Thank you so much for your time.” Laurel walked into the sitting room. She sat down on the small couch. Her husband, Anton, shook Susan and Josephine’s hand before following Laurel and sitting beside her.
Josephine moved to one of the two chairs in the room, Susan trailing behind her.
“I ordered tea. It should be arriving any minute,” Susan said, as she sat down.
“That is very kind of you. Thank you for including us,” Anton said.
Are you from the Siberian Pack? Josephine used her telepathy to ask.
We are. How do you know this woman, little sister? Anton’s voice came flooding into Josephine’s mind.
***
Valerii studied the area around Fortescue’s address. The dirt road led to a tall stone structure that looked like an old manor house. Near the back of the building was a line of trees that seemed to go on forever. A forest?
The taxi driver pulled into the drive and rolled to a stop in front of the door.
“Wait for me. I need to return to Paris.” Valerii handed the driver another wad of euros.
Valerii walked up to the front door and rang the bell. He listened intently, but the house appeared to be empty. Walking back down the steps from the stoop, he decided to investigate further. He noticed the basement windows were barred. Was Fortescue afraid of being robbed?
He walked along the edge of the house. Taking deep breaths, he tried to decipher the scents on the air. He made it around to the side of the building when he caught a sweet scent with a hint of musk. A female lycan? Was Fortescue still doing his experiments?
Valerii backed up, trying to find where the smell was coming from. But the scent was gone. Stairs led down to a door into the basement. He descended and tried the door. It was locked. Shaking his head in bewilderment, he continued along the side of the building until he made his way back to the front. To learn more he would need to get in the house. That would mean coming back after dark.
He looked once more at the trees leading into the forest and felt his wolf yearning to run. Soon, he promised, shaking his head. Wondering if he was lying to himself, he got back into the taxi. “Café de Luna Bleu, Boulevard de Clichy.”
A Siberian Werewolf in Paris Page 6