Loved By Danger

Chapter 17

    Finally the day of the party was here and Creed was reluctant to come but he finally came around to help. All week Creed was throwing small insults towards Jo who just shrugged them off and went about her business in planning the strategy. She told them all of the security problems they would face, but also only the ones she knew about. She showed they were all at the meetup spot in that small grove that her and Aden came to to talk and just get away from everyone. She pulled out the blueprint of the mansion and pointed to a mark on the map that she had placed, "This is where we need to go. This blueprint I have I had a friend steal from my parent's office. This isn't within the archives of the city so this room was made to be hidden.  It looks like it stretches throughout the property like it's a hidden tunnel or something. But this is where we need to go and I'm sure the security will be enhanced in this area so it's unfamiliar territory to me so we have to be on our guard at all times."

    "Yeah, I'm sure we will get a warm welcomed there," said Creed, "I really think your brother has something up his sleeve."

    Yeah well Creed, you think anyone who isn't Aden has something up their sleeve. If he does has something planned then we are in a s**t load of trouble.  But I think for the sake of your pack you need to do this anyway."

    "I agree," said Aden. Creed shot him a look, "I mean what else are we to do Creed?  My dad was attacked and barely hanging on for life and not to mention the council will be here tonight. The meeting is tomorrow we can't show up empty handed. They won't listen to my mother, only me and I have to show them whatever I can to get some help from them."

    "What I don't understand is why is the council coming all of a sudden? Thy haven't been here for years. Especially if your dad is hurt."

    "Well, for right now we will start with this."

    "Okay boys stop bickering. I have a surprise for the both of you.  I figured you wouldn't take the time to get some costumes so I took the liberty of getting some for you.  I chose masks so that you wouldn't really be recognized."

    Aden burst out in laughter once he saw Creed's costume out of the bag, "Very funny," he spat, "you made me a cat?"

    Jo smiled a sly smile, she also was trying to stifle a laugh, "A p***y cat to be exact."

    "Oh you have jokes tonight I see."

    "Well, serves you right.  You have been getting on my nerves since I met you...I figured this could be time for a payback. This one is yours Aden."

    He pulled out a werewolf masks like the ones in the movies. This was far from the real thing as he stared at it, "I wanted you to be a bit more comfortable," she said  trying not to look at him, "I'm going to be an assassin."

    "How come you don't have a mask?"

    "Because I live there and I don't think they would care that I had one or not.  But we have to go right now, I think it should be packed enough by now. The entire school will be there so we should be okay when it comes to trying to blend in. I'm invisible on a regular so nobody will notice me."

    "I don't think you're invisible," said Ade grabbing her hand, "I think you stand out more than you know." Aden walked away and started to head into the direction of the mansion. Creed was there as Jo was grabbing everything from the table. He was giving her this look that made the hairs on her arm stand up.  His menacing gaze started to look familiar, "You think you have him don't you?"

    "No...but I think you do...does Aden know about your feelings for him yet?" Creed turned away from her trying to hide the anger that was starting to weld up inside him, "It's obvious Creed.  You love him and you know that he could never return the same feelings. So instead you follow him around like a lost puppy. I feel for you...I really do...I'm not your enemy Creed, all I want to do is help."

    "You're wrong," he said in a low voice.

    "About your feelings for him?"

    "No...about you not being the enemy." Creed walked away and for some reason his body looked as if it got larger, almost blocking the entrance of the doorway. Jo couldn't understand why she was being so confrontational when it came to Aden...or maybe she did because Amy kept teasing her about it whenever she could. Was this a crush? Or something much more. She could see the boys walking through the window and she took out the drawing she had did of the wolf she encountered. She decided to bring it here because her brother was far too interested in her things, she figured this would be the safest place for it. She wasn't sure what she was going up against with all of this, helping them. What they didn't understand was that her father and brother was ruthless beyond belief and they wouldn't hesitate to kill her either. To them loyalty is everything and if anyone, even family went against that they to could stand between a wall and a firing squad.

    But tonight was not just a night she was helping them, but also taking a stand against them because what they do was wrong. Involving the lives of innocent people both wolf and human alike. Stepping out into the night air she took a deep breath breathing in the freshness because after tonight who knows what path each of them will have to take to survive.

                                                                                            #

    Aden, Jo, and Creed managed to make it to the mansion, each of them dressed in their costumes wasn't too out there because most of the people had on masks or something to conceal their identities. They were all greeted by loud music that you had to yell to be heard. Aden scoped around the party and even though the mansion was huge, there were still bodies everywhere, to the point that they could barely move. He could also see where the undercover hunters were.  They stayed close to the shadows dressed in whatever they decided to be a costume.  They only person in the room who wasn't dressed was Jo's brother.  Once he saw Jo walk in her hopped up from the group of fawning girls and walked over.  He looked to be dressed as a normal high school student.

    "Hello little sister...glad to see that you decided to join us, you normally stay away from these kind of things."

    "I was bored so I figured I would come. What're you supposed to be? I thought costumes were a rule?"

    "Yeah well, I break rules for a living, even my own. But I want you and your friends to enjoy themselves. The live band is supposed to be here an hour ago. I will see what the hell happened considering I paid hard earned cash for those assholes to be here. Have fun little sister and little sister's friends." Derrick walked back to his group and Creed leaned into Aden's ear.

    "I don't like this one bit.  I think we should leave."

    "No," said Aden, "We've come this far, no turning back." The eerie moment passed finally allowing each of their nerves o calm down. Jo took Aden's hand and lead him to the dance floor while Creed looked on in confusion.

    She started to dance around him giving him goofy looks and Aden looked confused as well, "I don't get it."

    Jo laughed, "We have to make sure we are doing something normal so that my brother and his goons can stop paying attention to us. If we come in here not actually dancing or doing something they would be on high alert especially if I'm here." Creed walked over to a wall and leaned up against it as some of the girls who seemed to be drunk out of their mind was trying to peek underneath his cat mask. Aden nodded as he took Jo's hand and tried to move his body to the music.

    "You haven't danced before have you," she teased.

    "You can tell?"

    "Yeah completely obvious...just allow the music to take you.  You can feel it in your bones like when you're running, and you can feel the wind.  You run with it, not against it right?" Jo moved closer to him, her body touching his, she was so close he could smell the forest on her skin. He could get lost in her eyes the more he starred. Instead of moving with the music, Aden decided to move with her pulling her closer so their bodies touched. Her face was so close to his he reached out and grabbed her chin. At first he was reluctant, but once she lifted the part of his mask to expose his lips he leans in, but before their lips could connect a familiar smell wafted his nose. Jo looked annoyed before she realized Aden's demeanor had changed.  The music was still going and the crowd seemed to be in a deep trance still dancing and out of control.     

    Looking around neither one of them could see Creed.  Jo looed to see where her brother was and he was busy focusing his attention on another group of girls. Then there was the signal as Amy was at the very top of the grand staircase in her maid outfit, which she never wore but she felt it was fitting for this occasion.  Jo took Aden's hand once again, and guided him through the crowd. They managed to leave the room without anyone running into them, or trying to question where they were going. 

    Amy closed the door and made sure it was locked and Aden took off his mask glad that he was able to finally breath, "Wasn't there three of you," asked Amy as she starred at Aden, "I see a cutie. No wonder she likes you."

    "Cool it Amy please, what happened out there Aden?"

    "I could smell it...the Lycan we fought. I remember the smell of it because of all the chemicals in it's blood. I think this is all a trap. Maybe another tactic.  I saw Ricky this week and he hinted at something big was coming."

    "Yeah," said Amy walking over to the other side of the room, "That first attack was just a warning. Jo, it's not a coincidence that your brother brought all of those kids here tonight."

    Jo looked at Aden and he could almost see tears weld up inside her eyes, "We have to hurry up," she said.

    "Where is Creed?"

    "At this point we have to let him get out by himself," said Amy as she started to brush her hand up against the wall, she was looking for something.  Then there was a loud click and the wall started to move, "You're parents are away until Sunday. As soon as I found out they were leaving and not taking that psycho with them, I knew something was up then.  We have to hurry up, nobody is supposed to be down here this weekend. We can't stand still for more than a few minutes so we have to keep moving."

    "You think that they don't have any type of security down there," Aden peered into the darkness.

    "Well handsome we will just have to tackle each problem as if comes right?" As Aden walked into the dark corridor he knew that a part of him wasn't ready to find out what was down there.