Her Mortal Mate

Chapter Thirty One: Love And Mercy

Jadea

He didn't have enough time to react, let alone shift.

I slammed into him, my teeth sinking into flesh, wounding him just enough so his pack would focus on him instead of me, and then I was racing towards the edge of his property. If I could just make it past his property line, there would be a smaller likelihood of being caught and dragged back.

I raced against time. My lungs were burning, my legs a blur. I was pushing myself harder than I ever had, because I knew what Hans was capable of and I knew Harley was just as bad, if not worse. I knew they would never stop until they had me.

While they may have wanted my entire pack, I knew if it came down to it, they would settle for me. I was the one they truly wanted. I was the one who had survived and gone and made a name for myself. I'd become a powerhouse despite their efforts to cripple me.

I knew Hans would be irate over it. So much so, he wouldn't care what or who stood in his way when it came to reining me in and breaking me. No. I wasn't going to just stand by idly while he and his empire tore my world apart piece by piece.

There was no way I would bring my pack into this, because if I did, he would undoubtedly use them against me.

He might have initially stated he wanted to use my pack to gain his fortune, however I knew better. He would never allow me to actually hunt with my pack, especially since he knew how great we were. If he allowed us to go on the hunt together, without having some kind of 'leash' on me, he knew he would lose me. My pack and I were very bright and fast on our feet. We knew how to hunt, and we knew how to survive and get ourselves out of sticky situations. Even if Hans did force extra wolves to be in our ranks, he knew there was a high possibility I would still escape with my pack intact.

If I had to guess, he would make us feel 'secure' before forcing the others in my pack to become indentured servants. I couldn't say what he would do exactly to them, however if I had to go off of how he had treated me--his own flesh and blood--they wouldn't last long. They would be tortured for fun, hurt for amusement, abused in every aspect just to degrade them and make them feel less than they were.

And I couldn't let that happen.

Especially not to Blade and Briar. They had once been in a situation like that before. Blade might be able to survive both mentally and physically, however I highly doubted Briar would be able to go through that kind of trauma a second time.

No. Taking my pack was out of the question. They deserved better than to follow me into this, even if they were willing. They didn't know my family like I did. Hell! I couldn't even say that in its entirety since I had repressed so many memories from that time in my life. Only the feelings I experienced had remained.

Keeping my resolve, I pressed on. I had survived Hans once. I knew I could survive him again.

I would rather give myself up to my biological family, and face their wrath alone than see anyone else hurt or murdered.

Their disregard to life was disturbing. Usually, 'sane' immortals wouldn't go after innocent animals--unless they needed to feed. And even then, many of them only took their fill and left the animal alive.

In instances of a wolf pack needing sustenance, a large game animal would be taken down.

But for a pack to murder an entire stable of horses...

My mind slipped back to when I'd faced off with my brother, Harley, at the warehouse. His eyes had been cold, but clear. He hadn't lost himself to the darkness that immortals tended to fall into. Him and his pack were evil, but they weren't disturbingly evil like Valdis had been. There was a difference between the two kinds of monsters. Those who fell into the darkness couldn't help themselves. They didn't know right from wrong. There no longer was a hard line in the sand for them. To them, the world was very simple, almost like black and white. They had no capacity to feel anything anymore. They were dead inside. And they would do whatever it took to fulfill whatever it was they wanted. In most cases, whatever their obsession was, it would remain the same. Their focus wouldn't shift from one interest to another.

As for those who were just evil, and weren't part of the fallen, they knew societies rules. They understood what was technically right and wrong, but they just didn't care. The world wasn't black and white. It was grey. And, in my opinion, they were the ones who needed to be feared the most. Because, they still had souls. They still had a heart. However, they continued to choose to be evil. They chose to hurt and kill and abuse those who were weaker than they were. And, if they came across someone like me, they didn't hesitate to play dirty to get whatever they wanted.

Unfortunately for them, I understood their games.

I knew it was going to be a rough road ahead, but I knew I could survive them and eventually escape them. Plus, I knew my pack wouldn't give up on me that easily. I knew my father, Lucien, wouldn't allow me to just disappear. There would be an army following me--

I saw him out of the corner of my eye, but it was too late to dodge his attack.

Blade's sleek form lunged for me, his teeth raking into the skin above my shoulder. His body ramming into mine with such force it took me right off my feet. His snarl was furious as he stood between me and the last several yards to my freedom.

How had he snuck his way out of my commands?

Lance!

It had to be him!

The damn controller must have unwoven my spells!

"Stand down!" I commanded.

"No," he snapped. "You are not doing this, Jadea. We can face the Campbells together. You do not have to face them on your own."

"You don't understand, Blade," I broke, panicking. The others were closing in quickly.

"Then make me understand why it is okay for you to abandon us," he growled, giving me a chance to explain the predicament we now found ourselves in.

I didn't hesitate, I opened up my mind to him and showed him exactly what I could remember about my biological family. "Don't you see, if they get a hold of you, of my pack, they will hurt you and use you much like you and Briar were abused. And they won’t provide an opportunity for any of us to escape.”

I saw the conflict in Blade's eyes. The desperate need to protect himself and his sister from suffering such abuse. However, there was also a resolve. "I understand your logic, Jadea. And I understand why you think this is the only way, but it isn't. Together, we can find a way out of this. Together, we can overcome them. In order to do that, though, we need you. Please, don't abandon us. Do not run head long into danger and leave us defenseless. Do not leave us behind. Do not put your mate through that kind of torture and torment. Not again. Never again."

"Leave Adam out of it!"

"He's a part of our pack now, Jadea! He became one of us the instant you claimed him last year!"

"I never claimed him! I never initiated any bond--

"But you didn't let him go!" he roared into my mind and I was both impressed and annoyed by Blade's backbone in this instance. As much pushback as he gave, he had never stood up to me like this. It wasn’t like I never encouraged my pack to speak their minds. Honestly, I loved hearing their opinions and thoughts, especially when it affected all of us. But this instance was different. "You held onto him. You immersed him into our world with the intent of making him one of us!"

Damn it! He was right...

I felt my walls breaking down, my resolve cracking.

As I contemplated my options, the others bounded in from both sides and ensured I couldn't escape.

"You are not alone, Jadea. You do not have to face them alone," Garret added as he struggled to keep everyone's minds connected.

Sighing, I reached out and relieved him of that burden. I was the one who had made the blood bonds with each and every one of my pack mates. Connecting us was far easier for me than Garret. However, at least they had been privy to what I had already shared with Blade. They fully understood why I had acted they way I did, even if it hadn't been the right thing to do.

"Let's try to find a different way," Briar encouraged, as she rubbed her face against my shoulder and ribs. Touch was soothing and calming for her. I turned my face into her neck and licked her, helping to ease the fears and hurt I’d caused.

"And if after ... Lets say three months? Then we will reassess and go from there. If, when that time comes and goes, you still feel that your best option is to surrender yourself to them, then so be it. But, please," Blade continued, "Let us as a pack try first."

"We love you, Jadea. Let us fight for you for once. Allow us the opportunity to return the favor," Derrick added.

My tear filled gaze met each of theirs before I relented.

Dropping my head, I could feel the tears as they soaked into my fur. Not even a heartbeat later, I felt each one of them as they surrounded me. Rubbing me. Nudging me affectionately. Showing their support and love, even after I had been a terrible alpha.

"You're not terrible," Garret chided softly. "You were only doing what you thought was best. It may not have been the right thing to do, especially biting Lance like you did, and not allowing us to have a say in the matter, but we understand why you did what you did."

"Speaking of Lance... You should probably go and apologize to him," Briar stated gently.

Yeah. I needed to. What I'd done had been uncalled for.

"And then you should really think about making a bond with Adam, even if it is a temporary one. It might help him understand better what is going on and what kind of pressures you are under," Garret suggested.

It wasn't a bad suggestion. I had thought about it before. But, I wasn't sure if right now was the time. He was already overwhelmed--

"Stop making excuses!"

"And stop assuming for him, Jadea," Garret scolded. "He has every right to choose."

Yes. He did. "Well, lets get this over with, shall we?" This was already embarrassing enough.

"Ah, so they did get to you in time," Lance announced as I was escorted back to the little clearing in the garden. He was sitting down, his arm already bandaged up from where I'd ripped into him.

My pack stopped as I continued to move closer to my dear, childhood friend. My heart hurt from the pain and regret I was feeling. He deserved better than how I had treated him.

"Don't go giving me that look, Jay," he teased, opening his arms when I stopped just out of his reach. "Hell! I'm sure this was just some long overdue payback for the relentless teasing and s**t I did to you back at the stronghold."

My laughter filled his mind as he eased the tension between us. "I am sorry, though. There was no excuse for that."

"There's always one Jay, however yours is a decent one if I say so myself. Now, will you just come here!” Rolling my eyes, I padded into his embrace and as he held me close he whispered, "I forgive you. If there's one thing I know and understand it is the dramatic complexity of family."

Yes. He would understand that better than most due to his own family drama—mainly between his half sisters and their shared father. I pressed my wet nose into his cheek in thanks before retreating.

"Well, since that's all done and out of the way," he stated, pushing himself up off the ground, "I'm going to go make dinner while you," he looked at me pointedly, "need to have a chat with your mate."

Turning my gaze to Adam, I saw his confused, hurt filled expression. I had never wanted him to look at me like that before, like I was some kind of monster, but there was no helping it now.

"Adam," Lance paused by his side. Laying a hand on my mate's shoulder, I felt Lance weaving a spell. "This won't last long, but it should help you connect better with Jadea."

"W-What do you mean?" he stuttered.

"I have a feeling she would rather stay in her wolf form for a bit. She's having a rough go of it at the moment and, being in her wolf brings a different kind of comfort and security. Something, hopefully, you will soon understand." Something that a blood bond, or whatever kind of connection Lance was making, would explain without words having to be spoken. "I know she wants to talk to you about what just happened and, you most likely have questions for her. So, in order to help both of you bridge that ... communication gap, I'm helping."

Lance was just like his sister. Those Erickson's didn't understand limitations. While they were controllers and deemed 'sorcerers' because they possessed more than just one kind of superpower, they hardly ever stuck within the limitations of the labels they were given. Lance being able to somehow find a way to connect Adam's and my mind, to help 'bridge that gap' without blood ever being exchanged was unheard of.

"H-How are you going to d-do that?" Adam asked uneasily. "D-Do I have to do anything?"

"Nope, just sit here," he pushed Adam down into a sitting position on the ground, "and look pretty. I can do this without anything extra from you or Jadea."

Right after he said that, I felt Lance in my mind and there was almost like a pull on my mind as well. It was an odd feeling, like my subconscious was being pulled tight and then stitched together with someone else's subconscious. How strange.

"Where did you learn how to do this?"

"Are you seriously asking me that question right now?"

"Did your sister teach you?"

"Not necessarily," he stated. "There was talk once upon a time about her trying to do something like this, but she was unsuccessful."

"Yet, you were?"

"Not when she needed it to be, but the thought was there and I started practicing."

Moments later, I felt Adam's mind hesitantly brush mine and all the emotions suddenly washed through me.

"How long does this usually last for?" I asked, ignoring Adam's uncensored commentary for the moment. This was his first mind meld, he wouldn't know how to control his subconscious and conscious thoughts from speaking their minds.

"A handful of hours at most."

"Why are you doing this?" I asked him, confused by his continued show of support and forgiveness. "I just intentionally hurt you."

"You know Jadea, there is one thing I have learned from my sister and that is to love hard and unconditionally. There have been times when she could have shown anger, but she extended mercy and love instead. She was always one who said you can do more with love than with anger and hate. And I truly believe her, because I have seen her accomplish the impossible. Where others have always failed, she has thrived. And, the only difference I can see is her ability to love."