by Johanna Rae
Zach’s eyes bulged as he stared at Maggie Ross. Feeling a sense of shame, Danny wished the guy had not been sitting right there to witness it. The woman glowered at him from mascara darkened eyes and planted both hands on her hips. “You promised me you would keep him safe!” She yelled. “I gave my baby to you and you promised me you would keep him safe!”
All of a sudden her bravado imploded upon itself and Maggie became a whimpering puddle of tears. Danny held her as he gave assurance that Leon had made it through surgery and she could go him now. Still mopping at her tears, she nodded and allowed him to usher her into the ICU. Danny looked back at Zach.
“If Jodie comes looking before I get back, tell her I won’t be long.”
“Will do!” Zach promised, looking relieved to have a legitimate purpose at last.
JODIE SAT ON THE CUSHIONED bench seat with Rose in her lap, just outside Grace’s room. Visible through the glass picture window opposite, Luke’s older daughter slept peacefully. Beside the bed in an armchair, John had also fallen asleep. Grace had an IV but other than that, it was difficult to envisage the trauma she’d been through. The medication kept her calm, the blankets hiding the horror of her injuries.
Two things came to Jodie’s attention following Grace’s return from surgery, things Jodie would never have thought she’d notice amidst such chaos. The newfound ability that had revealed Summer to be a bear surfaced a second and third time. Though unexpected, the new information gave her something else to focus on. Given the nature of what she’d just learned, Jodie hadn’t made up her mind whether or not it would prove a good thing.
It had happened when she sat down with Grace and gave her a kiss, intending to tell her how much she loved her. The untapped energy of Grace’s beast filtered outward and Jodie’s own energy tried to merge with it. Grace had just one beast and it wasn’t leopard, Jodie could feel nothing but wolf coming from the girl. If she wasn’t Therian, she couldn’t possibly be Luke’s daughter.
The event that subdued the revelation happened when she scooped Rose up into her arms to come and sit outside in the corridor. Jodie’s ability had fired up a second time and merged with Rose’s, though the child remained unaware. Glad of the close proximity of the bench seat to the door of Grace’s room, Jodie staggered forward and fell onto it as the wave of energy and knowledge hit her.
Like Grace, Rose possessed the Lycan trait of wolf that they’d gained from Mara. Unlike Grace however, Rose possessed Luke’s attributes, both of them. If it proved unusual for Luke to be both Therian and Lycan and extremely rare for Danny to be double Therian, what the heck did that make Rose? All of a sudden Jodie wanted to wrap the poor child up in cotton wool and closet her away from the whole world.
“Aunty Jodie?” Rose’s small voice piped up.
“Yes?” Jodie asked, weary as she anticipated questions about what had happened to Grace.
“Who’s that man over there? He keeps looking at you.”
Whirling around in the direction Rose had pointed, Jodie saw Lancaster leaning against the wall. Emotions welling up, Jodie fought to contain herself with Rose watching her. The poor thing had been through enough traumas for one day, Jodie couldn’t afford to lose it now.
Sliding Rose off her knee and asking her to stay seated, Jodie promised to be back in a few minutes. She held no fear in her demeanor walking toward him. Whatever terror he’d imposed upon her, he could do little now that would be worse. She didn’t feel afraid of him anymore, experiencing disgust and little else.
“Why are you here and what do you want?” She asked, her tone scathing.
“I came to see how the kid was.” For the first time Jodie could hear genuine concern in his voice.
“Well, you’ve seen. You can go now.”
“For what it’s worth, I am sorry. I regret that the children have become caught up in all of this.”
Jodie gaped at him. “You’re sorry?”
“You were right about my intentions Jodie; you’re a very perceptive woman. I tried to attain you and Luke for my own purposes, which is not going to change in a hurry. What the two of you have is too valuable to let lie and would be a disaster in the wrong hands.”
Realization dawned on her. “You knew.”
The General studied her for a few seconds as though trying to determine what she spoke of, but Jodie had no doubt he knew what she meant.
“Of course I did, I am of your clan. While the abilities vary from person to person, the energy in each clan is derived from the same source.”
“So you can do what I can do?”
With a rueful laugh he shook his head. “I have no idea what you can do Jodie. All I know is that with the power you and your brother possess, your potential is far greater than mine. I selfishly wanted to use that to my own advantage. If you could learn to control your emotions better you would both make fine ISIC agents, with the appropriate training of course.”
“I’m not sure I want to be tied to you any more than I already am,” Jodie just couldn’t bring herself to trust a single word that came out of his mouth.
Lancaster’s gold tooth winked under the fluorescent lighting as he grinned. “You annoy the hell out of me Jodie but I do like your spunk.”
Frowning and positive she had just been insulted, Jodie crossed her arms. “That is no way to win someone over.”
“Nobody said I was trying to. I’ve given my apology where it was due, I’m satisfied with that. You’ll come to me when you are ready.”
“Like hell I will!” Jodie retorted, indignant at his cocky attitude.
“There are times when your intelligence is a credit to you.” He drawled in bemusement. “...And then there are times when you are more than transparent, such as now. Your curiosity is your biggest downfall.”
“What curiosity?” Her attempt at nonchalance failed to hide the fact she knew exactly what he was talking about.
“You are dying to find out more about what you can do with that ability of yours. I’ll bet you are standing there just hoping I’ll start talking about mine, so that you don’t have to be the one to bring it up.”
“You just did.”
Laughing again, he pushed off the wall and let his hands fall to his sides. “Perhaps I felt generous today. Are you going to ask, or aren’t you?”
“You’re an asshole,” Jodie scowled at him.
“And what are you going to do about it?”
Jodie tucked her hair behind an ear and huffed a great sigh. “I’m going to ask you once and only this once, to tell me about your ability. But I won’t say please because you haven’t earned it.”
Lancaster clapped his hands, “really Jodie, you would make a great agent.”
She responded by narrowing her eyes to thin slits and pursing her lips even tighter together. No, she said to herself. I won’t play this game with you.
“I can remember the scent of every shifter I’ve ever encountered,” he said after a pause. “No matter how long ago it was, if I meet them again or come across their scent I will recall everything I knew about them.”
Jodie’s mouth fell open and she knew in an instant that he hadn’t expected her to show surprise. “Is that everything? Because that’s nothing like what I’ve had happen.”
“You will have some degree of that. Maybe less than what I can do, maybe more. But do tell me girl, if this is such a shock to you, whatever have you been doing in the meantime?”
She didn’t want to tell him but Jodie couldn’t seem to help herself. “I can tell what kind of shifter people are.”
The general arched a brow and ran a thumb across his lip. “That’s not extraordinary. Any alpha with enough power can tell the difference between Lycan and Therian.”
“That isn’t what I meant. I can sense which animal people possess, and if it’s more than one.”
Now she had his complete and undivided attention. “You don’t strike me as the type to invent something as rare as this, nor do you seem the sort to exaggera
te.”
Jodie groaned and rolled her eyes. “Why would I do that with you? Admitting something like this gives you more ammunition against me, it would be ridiculous to exaggerate.”
“It’s a very dangerous skill to possess in my circles. Be very wary of whom you share that information with, it could get you killed.”
As Lancaster’s eyes locked with hers, Jodie felt a chill run down her spine. Peering back over her shoulder she stole a glance at Rose who watched them both with intrigue, the picture of innocence. Jodie felt a heavy burden settle on her shoulders as she envisaged the future Rose would have. She knew the general was right. The less people that knew of her ability the better off she would be. Just as the fewer people knew Rose’s secret, the safer she would be.
With her head turned away, Jodie heard Lancaster mutter something under his breath. Tearing her attention away from Rose, she glanced up to find Danny walking toward them both and he did not appear pleased to see his boss ‘bothering’ Jodie in the corridor.
“Lancaster,” Danny greeted curtly.
Jodie moved away from the general, placing herself at Danny’s side. Their Therian energy interlocked in an instant, bringing great comfort. Lancaster watched them with interest.
“The bond you two have is quite remarkable.”
Jodie turned to Danny with both eyebrows raised as a low growl came from his throat. It was unlike him to allow his temper to surface so fast, but he’d grown very protective of Jodie since Lancaster had taken her captive. Jodie used her hand to rub circles on his back, feeling the Therian warmth even through the soft grey fabric of his shirt. Her movement calmed him as she accompanied it with a flow of energy. It all happened in such a casual way that nobody would have guessed Jodie hadn’t ever done it before.
“I can see my presence is causing trouble here so I’ll go. I hope the girl’s recovery goes smoothly, let me know when you find Fletcher.” Lancaster drawled as he walked away, hands in pockets.
After the general had gone, Danny pulled Jodie into a tight hug. She could feel his relief, so taking him by the hand she pulled him over to where Rose sat watching them. Jodie pulled the little girl back onto her lap after they’d sat down.
“How’s Leon?” She asked, turning back to Danny with a tender, olive-eyed gaze.
“He’s still groggy from the anesthetic but the important part is that he’s awake. His mother arrived just before, so I’ve left him in the capable hands of his family.”
“Matt and Amy are still there?”
Danny nodded. “Yes.”
“Good.” She smiled a little, “he’s going to need some TLC. There’s nothing like having your family around you in a crisis.”
When Danny averted his eyes Jodie could have kicked herself. Those kind of easy-to-forget details always seemed to get her into trouble. She searched for the means to undo her careless words.
“Family doesn’t always mean blood.”
The moment the dimples appeared Jodie knew she’d got off the hook, a sexy smile stretching across his handsome face. “No, it doesn’t and the family we choose to have around us is the best kind.”
Rose had grown sleepy in Jodie’s arms, sucking her thumb as she burrowed into the hug. Jodie smiled and stroked her wispy blonde hair back from her forehead. Thoughts drifting, she looked back up at Danny, her mind rewinding to that of the previous night.
Though her decision to move back into the cottage with Zach hadn’t been influenced by anyone else, Jodie had found it difficult. She didn’t want to tell Danny because she feared he would try to convince her to move in with him.
Much as the idea seemed dreamy and romantic, Jodie didn’t feel ready for that level of commitment. She wanted it very much but needed time first. So she kept the agony of the tossing and turning and reaching for him only to find the bed empty, to herself.
“I want you to come and stay with me tonight.” His words carried a level of command but beneath that an underlying plea. Before she could answer, he started speaking again. “I’m worried they’re going to come after you too and I’m going to go stark raving mad if you stay at your place, wondering every five seconds if you are all right. Please will you stay with me for the short term? Just until we find Luke? I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to you.”
Jodie didn’t have the heart to say no. Aside from the truth in his words, the image of being curled up in his embrace planted itself in her head and she couldn’t shake it. The idea appealed so much that she’d agreed before she even realized the words were going to come out of her mouth.
As he let out the breath he’d been holding, Jodie ached for him. She wished she could take away the pressure he’d been under, the responsibility he had to have felt when Leon got hurt. A duty to make things right, deal with the pigs, and the urgent need to find Luke to restore order of things. Jodie didn’t envy his position at all. It was hard enough from where she sat, so Jodie couldn’t imagine what it would be like for Danny. Tilting her head she leaned on his shoulder, careful not to disturb Rose.
With a soft smile, she murmured, “I love you Danny.”
“I love you too honey. I promise you, we will find Luke.”
“I know,” she said, wishing that it were that easy. Taking his hand, she looked through the window at Grace and her father. Her thoughts shifted to her mother, sleeping off a trauma her mind couldn’t process. Last but not least Luke, the only brother she would ever have, broken inside and lost. Things couldn’t be more of a colossal mess but how ever strange it appeared, Jodie felt calm.
She would have done anything to take away the horrors. If someone had told her she could choose to wake up tomorrow with everything blissful and normal, Jodie would have said heck yes. Unfortunately in the real world that sort of luxury wasn’t an option.
The thing that grounded her and kept her sane was the certainty that whatever happened and however things turned out, she had Danny. If life hurled its worst at her, she wouldn’t have to endure it alone.
Epilogue
Silver chains burned into his wrists, searing the flesh and rousing him from an unconscious state. Luke’s eyelids flickered open and closed a few times before he realized that he had no idea where he was. The darkened room stank of mold and decay, the air damp and unnaturally silent. Struggling to recall how he had come to this place, Luke hurt all over, as though he had been taken to with a baseball bat or worse.
The acrid stench of stale blood floated in, telling Luke that he should either feel lucky to be alive, or fear the worst had yet to come. The pounding in his head hit him so hard it sounded like bells ringing. It felt just like a hangover, though Luke felt positive he hadn’t been drinking.
Have I? Starting to second guess himself, Luke began to wonder. It would have been just like him to screw it all up like that. He tried to move and sharp daggers of pain rocketed up both forearms
Luke had no way of telling what time of day it might be, every minute seemed like an hour. There were no windows in the cell, just a tiny cavity in the mason work at the bottom of the rickety staircase. The light that came from it cast such a dim luminescence over the place that he was shrouded with shadow even during the day.
Without knowing how much time had passed and unable to gage by sunset or sunrise, he didn’t have a clue how long he’d even been here. What is this place? When Luke yanked on his chains in anger; foul smelling steam arose from his flesh as the silver burned through. Falling in defeat Luke sat there still until he managed to fall asleep again.
When he awoke next, he discovered two men standing in his cell with their weapons trained on him. The third had released him from his shackles and though still a bloody mess, removal of the silver had been enough to rouse him. The armed guards looked nervous, guns trembling as they aimed at Luke, leaving him wondering how he’d become so intimidating that he needed three people to ensure he didn’t escape.
His eyes wandered over each man in turn, learning whatever he could in this brief moment he’
d been granted. The two with guns were barely more than kids, he doubted that they’d ever had to kill anyone. I wonder who they’re more afraid of, the abductee or the abductor.
The third man would be the one to watch. With his shaven head and skin overflowing with tattooed expression, his physique didn’t hold the true threat. What could not be seen by the naked eye seemed far more concerning, his energy felt strong. Not as strong as Luke’s from what he could tell, but it didn’t matter a hell of a lot when Luke lay weakened, injured and outnumbered.
“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.” The man forced his gritty voice out between cigarette clenched teeth. Catching the stub between two fingers, he withdrew it and blew smoke in Luke’s face.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but I could give a fuck less.” Luke responded.
There remained little in his life that ran efficiently. He loved the girls, Jodie and his parents though deep down he believed they were better off without him. He’d never choose to abandon them but if something happened to him, maybe it would be for the best. It’s not as if I have much to offer anymore.
“I’m Charlie Hohepa, that’s a name you need to remember since I’m the one you owe loyalty to.”
“I don’t owe you a damned thing.”
Charlie grabbed a rifle off one of the guards, flipped it and bashed Luke across the jaw. The impact split his lip open, throwing him sideways. Luke fell face first into the filth and excrement lining the floor of his cell. He didn’t bother to get up, preferring to move his gaze instead.
“Care to say that again? I’ve got as long as it takes.” Charlie scoffed.
Luke just glared at him.
“Your choice,” shrugged Charlie. “Give him the goat.”
One of the gun toting teenagers dashed out of the room, Luke frowned and kept his eyes on the door at the top of the stairs as he waited for the impending return. Soon the wannabe appeared again with a bleating farm animal, which he thrust at Luke despite its reluctance.
“What the hell is that thing for?”