Chapter Six
“Jade! Shut the music off!”
The faint sound of pounding on the door was enough to jar Jade out of her trance. “Music, off!” she commanded to her voice-activated assistant. The music immediately ceased, and she shot up from her desk and stomped over to the door, flinging it open. “What?!” she exclaimed.
“Really, Jade? Metallica?” Meredith asked, her arms crossed over her chest.
“It helps me think!” she said impatiently. “What do you want?”
“My, aren’t you grouchy?” the other Lycan smirked.
Jade tapped her foot impatiently. “Well?”
“Aren’t you done yet? Don’t you wanna go home?”
“No, I’m not done. It’s only…” She looked at the clock. “Eleven p.m.?”
“That’s right. You’ve been locked up in here for over 12 hours! That’s the longest yet this week!”
“I have important work to do,” Jade huffed.
“Well, you’re not going to be doing much work if you’re fainting from hunger and exhaustion. Now, let’s get you home.” Meredith tugged at her arm. “No one else is around to take you back, and I need to return to my cell and get my beauty sleep.”
Jade winced inwardly at the word “cell.” She sometimes forgot Meredith was practically a prisoner at Fenrir. That was partly why she let the former thief bully her and take her shopping. Of course, the other Lycan did deserve the punishment for trying to steal from Fenrir, but after getting to know her, Jade realized Meredith was a good person and she actually liked her. She’d been meaning to ask Alynna if it was possible to move Meredith out of her cell at Fenrir and maybe to The Enclave, the New York Lycan’s headquarters and home base where most of the clan lived. That way, she could feel less like a prisoner.
“Fine,” Jade said with a sigh. “Let me close up, okay? And I am kinda hungry. How about burgers and fries at the diner on 3rd Avenue?”
The blonde’s eyes lit up. “Alright! I’ll check in with security and let them know where we’re going. I’ll be downstairs.”
Jade gave her a faint smile and went back to her desk. She reached up over her head, feeling the muscles in her back stretch. Lord, had it been over 12 hours? Did she even move? Her stomach gurgled. Her last meal was lunch.
She gave another sigh as she saved her work and turned off her computer. Work was the only thing that helped keep her occupied. To keep her from reliving that night. She drove herself to exhaustion each day so her mind was too tired to think. It hurt too much, thinking about Sebastian’s rejection. The bastard didn’t even look at her, and then ran away.
Jade wished she could talk to someone about it, but it was too humiliating. Besides, she had to move on. Maybe it was better for her to concentrate on work and forget about sex and men. She had been right all along—emotions just muddled her up and were too complicated. She should just live the rest of her life surrounded by her books and experiments and data. At least she could rely on them.
“Jade!” Meredith’s impatient voice rang out.
“Coming!” she replied, grabbing her purse.
Meredith was waiting by the foot of the stairs. “C’mon, those burgers aren’t going to eat themselves!”
“Yes, yes,” Jade said as she took the steps two at a time. “Let’s go.”
They locked up the lab and went straight to the elevators. The Fenrir lobby was quiet this time of night, and they waved to the lone guard sitting at the reception desk as they left the building. They walked east, heading towards the diner on 3rd Avenue and 358h St.
“What’s going on, Jade?” Meredith asked as they walked along the quiet streets of Midtown. The area was mostly offices, so at this time of night, there weren’t a lot of people around.
Jade was dumbstruck by her question. “What do you mean?”
“Look, I know I’m not Lara,” she said. “But, you can…talk to me, you know?” She gave Jade a small smile. “I didn’t have female friends…or any friends growing up. And well, I’d like to think we’re sort of…I mean, kind of…friends.”
Jade stopped and looked at Meredith. She never asked about the other Lycan’s background or what her childhood was like. All she knew was Meredith was designated a Lone Wolf, which in the Lycan world meant she had no clan and had to wear a mark to show her status. There weren’t a lot of Lone Wolves, but it was sometimes necessary. Some clans were too small and eventually died out since Lycans didn’t reproduce so easily. If there was one or two left in a clan, they either had to join another clan or become Lone Wolves. Most clans were eager to accept new members, but it wasn’t always easy.
“Jade?” Meredith frowned.
“Yes. I mean, yes, we’re friends,” Jade declared.
Meredith gave her a big smile and linked their arms together. “Great! Now, will you tell me what’s going on with you?”
Maybe it would help to talk. “Fine. But let’s get some food first. I’m famished!”
They laughed and continued to walk with Meredith chatting away as Jade listened. As they rounded the corner near their destination, Meredith suddenly stopped.
“What’s wrong?” Jade asked.
Meredith’s eyes turned dark and then began to glow. Jade froze and as she held onto her friend’s arm. With her own enhanced senses, Jade could hear what set off her friend. Footsteps getting louder. Several sets of feet, but how many, Jade couldn’t say.
“Jade, listen to me carefully.” Meredith’s voice was barely a whisper. “When I say run, you run, okay? Head back to Fenrir and alert the security team. They’ll know what to do.”
She held onto Meredith’s arms tighter. “I’m not going to leave you.”
“I can handle this,” she assured Jade. “But, if you get cornered, you give them hell!”
“What?” she blinked in confusion.
“You know…shift into your badass she-wolf and protect yourself. Don’t let them take you again.”
Fear gripped her, and her body froze. “Meredith, I can’t,” Jade cried.
“Yes, you can,” Meredith said. “Don’t worry. The clan will take care of everything if someone sees you. One drop of confusion potion and our secret stays safe.”
Jade shook her head. “That’s not what I mean. I can’t shift.” And there it was. Her dirty little secret.
“What?” the other Lycan exclaimed. “What…shit! They’re here!”
Half a dozen men wearing black fatigues approached them from up ahead. They moved slowly, in unison, their heavy boots pounding on the pavement like thunder as they moved closer.
“Fuck!” Meredith cursed. “Run back to Fenrir! I’ll hold them off!”
“But Mer-”
“Go!” Meredith pushed her away, and then she advanced toward the group of men. “Run, Jade!”
Heart pounding in her chest, Jade swung around and ran as fast as her two legs could take her. The sound of heavy boots coming closer was like drumbeats hammering in her ear, and her lungs burned as she tried to suck in more air.
Despite having lived in New York for two years, the city confused her. She never left midtown, and she only went to work, her apartment, and the surrounding areas. She thought she was smart, trying to lose her pursuers by weaving up and down the nearly empty streets of Manhattan; however, Jade realized she was lost. The large, unfamiliar buildings loomed overhead, and as she turned a corner and walked down a dark alleyway, she saw a tall, chain link fence ahead. Her heart suddenly stopped, and her brain registered the direness of her situation. She was trapped.
The footsteps grew closer and louder. As Jade made an about-face, she saw a man in black stalking towards her.
God, she was pathetic. She spent years denying her she-wolf, pushing it deep down inside her until she could no longer hear it or feel it. Tears sprang to her eyes. Jade had betrayed her wolf, and now when she needed her, she couldn’t even summon a whimper or cry.
Jade gasped in pain as he grabbed her arm and pushed her to her knees, her skin scraping against the rough concrete. She bowed her head down and felt cold, hard steel press against her temple. Dear Lord, the mages weren’t going to kidnap her. They wanted to kill her.
The gun cocked, and Jade took a deep breath, waiting for the blackness of death. Her enhanced hearing could pick up everything. The man’s breathing, the pressure of his finger on the trigger, the sound of approaching footsteps.
Suddenly, Jade fell over, a heavy weight pushing on her as her back hit the ground. She screamed and rolled away, then scrambled up onto her feet.
Two figures were struggling on the ground, their arms over their heads as they fought for the single gun. They were moving fast, and Jade was confused. One of them grabbed at the other’s shoulders, pushing him down as he grabbed the weapon.
She let out another scream as the man on top brought the gun down on the other, clocking him on the head. Her attacker didn’t make a sound, but instead, rolled his head back and went still.
The other man cursed and got to his feet. He swung over to Jade, and began to walk towards her.
“Stay away from me!” she hissed.
“Ma’am, no!” The man shoved the gun into his jacket and then held his hands up. “I’m here to help you, Dr. Cross!”
“Who sent you?” she said, scrambling to her feet. “And how do you know my name?”
“My boss! I mean, our company was hired to keep an eye on you, ma’am.” The man stepped closer, and Jade squinted to try and make out his features. He was tall but young, probably a couple of years younger than her. His head was shaved, and he wore a black leather jacket and jeans.
“Ma’am.” He put his hands down. “Are you hurt?”
Jade shook her head. “I need to go home.” She started shivering, and she rubbed her arms to try and keep warm.
“Dr. Cross,” he began. “I think you’re in shock. We should go to the hospital and have you checked out.”
“No!” she cried. “I’m fine. I wasn’t hurt.”
“Your knees, Dr. Cross.”
She looked down and saw the bloody, torn skin of her knees. She didn’t even realize she was hurt, but now that she had seen it, the pain began to creep in. “Argh,” she cried out and stumbled forward.
The man caught her. “Dr. Cross, can you walk? Do you want me to carry you?”
Jade shook her head. “I’m all right. I just need to get home.”
“I can’t do that,” he said. “My boss’ll have my ass if I don’t bring you to a doctor.”
“I am a doctor!” she lashed out.
“The hospital, then.” He put an arm under her armpits and helped steady her. “If you can walk, we can go back to the street, and we can take a cab to the nearest hospital. Or I can call an ambulance.”
“No, I—Meredith!” She struggled to get away from him. “My friend! She might be hurt, too!”
As if on cue, she heard a familiar voice call her name. “Jade!”
“I’m over here!” she replied.
The blonde Lycan ran toward them, her arms reaching out to grab the man.
“No! Meredith!” she cried. “He helped me! Stop!”
Meredith skidded to a halt, crouching low to stop her momentum. She narrowed her gaze at him. “Is that true?”
The man nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I was sent here to watch over Dr. Cross.”
“Who sent you?” Meredith barked.
“Your boss! I mean, your boss, Mr. Anderson, hired my boss’ company. Creed Security, ma’am.” He turned to Jade. “I was there, Dr. Cross. The night we rescued you from that warehouse. I gotta tell you, you got some scary guys after you.”
Jade was speechless. The Alpha hired Sebastian Creed’s company to guard her? Why didn’t he say anything?
“Oh my God, Jade!” Meredith was staring at her knees. “You! What’s your name?”
“Zac, Ma’am.”
“Zac! Go get us a cab and we’ll head straight to Fenrir. And stop calling me ma’am!”
“I can’t do that, ma—I mean, Miss,” he shook his head. “I need to take Dr. Cross back to the hospital.”
“We have a doctor back at Fenrir. He can patch her up.”
Jade suddenly felt dizzy, and her knees buckled under her.
“Jade!” Meredith made a grab for her friend, but Zac was too fast. He scooped up Jade into his arms.
“Ma’am,” he began. “You can go home or follow me. But I’m not leaving you alone. I’m taking Dr. Cross to the hospital now.”
“I’m fine!’ Jade snapped. “Let me go, or you’ll regret it!”
The young man gave a chuckle. “I don’t think what you’ll do to me can compare to what my boss’ll do to my balls if I don’t take you to the hospital.”
Jade crossed her arms over her chest. “Fine.” Damn Sebastian Creed. He can’t even leave her alone while staying away from her.