Chapter Fourteen
Noah
For the past two days, Noah had replayed Jade’s last words to him.
Despite the fact he’d treated her like shit as they’d had gotten to know each other, he hesitated about the thought of being her mate, and accidentally rejected her, she loved him.
Holy shit.
Jade was a beautiful woman, but she had so many other qualities that he would identify with her before her beauty came into play. She loved her family, took care of others before herself, and had the biggest heart of anyone he’d ever met. And her ultimate sacrifice. She allowed him to decide for himself what he wanted, even at her detriment.
How can I not love her back?
And he realized he did.
Although she had trekked hundreds of miles after she left him at Kai and Liv’s, his rejection of her had lessened her life force and she’d stopped because her energy had waned and she couldn’t continue.
For long minutes after he’d found her, she was unresponsive. He could hear her heart beat, although it was weak, and when he nosed at her shoulder, she cried out in pain. Noah noticed then that she was shivering. He maneuvered his huge tiger form against her back and breathed a sigh of relief when she snuggled against his front while he moved his right paw to cover her front. It was almost as large as Jade’s entire red fox form.
He waited until he could hear her heartbeat grow stronger and he could feel the heat of her body against his. Noah still didn’t move away, but monitored close to two hours before he felt it was safe to wake her.
He was taken by surprise how weak she sounded, but at least before she passed out, he told her the truth. He wasn’t rejecting her, and he was sorry, more sorry than she would ever know.
Unable to communicate with the assassins due to the distance and forgetting to bring a cell, Noah carefully picked Jade up by the scruff of her neck and ran with her all the way back to her cabin outside Snowfall. The run had felt freeing, but by the time he shifted back to his human form and carried Jade into her bedroom, Noah was exhausted.
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 you. 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.