Her Mortal Mate

Chapter Thirty Seven: Strategizing

Jadea

Adam and I barely finished breakfast when Nikolai arrived.

After the introductions were made, everyone save the alphas and betas of every pack, and Adam, stayed seated around the kitchen table. It was just easier that way and less crowded.

I could feel Adam's unease. He was rather intimidated by the Russian alpha. He had done his best to hide it, but we were all aware of how uncomfortable he was. And the worst part was he knew that we knew he was nervous, because he could see it all so clearly and plainly in my mind.

"This is turning out to be quite entertaining," Garret smirked at Adam's predicament.

"You're lucky this is a professional and serious kind of meeting," I said in a sing song annoyed voice in his mind.

"I'm not afraid of you."

"Stop messing around," I snapped, the alpha voice tearing through his mind. Even though it had been aimed at Garret, Adam was the one who winced, unaccustomed to the alpha inflection and power. "Sorry, Adam," I soothed his mind. "I'm not used to having a non-wolf mind attached to our group. I'll try to be more mindful."

"It's okay," he responded as he physically massaged his temples.

Briar and Derrick had worked with Adam on communicating properly while we had eaten breakfast. I had to say I was rather impressed by how far he had come with just that little bit of practice.

"Who says old dogs can't learn new tricks?"

I forced my expression to remain neutral, even though I wanted to laugh aloud at Adam's comeback.

Garret, however, couldn't hide his priceless expression. In the back of my mind, I felt as the others sniggered.

"What? No reprimand for him!?" Garret shot.

"You know better."

I felt his lighthearted grumbling.

"Alright, lets get down to business, shall we?" Nikolai announced.

"To defeat the huns!"

"Did they send me daughters."

"When I asked for sons!"

"They really don't shut up do they?" Adam asked as Garret and Blade went at it again, duetting the popular Disney song.

"No. Not really," Derrick replied as I kept my focus on Nikolai, ignoring the banter of my pack mates in the background. I was used to ignoring their commentary. And, if it got too bad, I could easily drop the connections. "But I feel like they are laying it on extra thick."

"Did Allen make it to the ranch?" I asked and instantly everyone was quiet and focused.

"Yes, he did about an hour ago. He and the others cleared the area. Most of your horses were slain."

Most.

My heart leapt into my throat as hope gripped my heart.

"They found two foals wounded, but alive."

My shire babies! Tears pricked my eyes as relief and joy washed through me.

"I've told Allen to stay there until you and your pack can retrieve them, which I presume will be some time after the rally."

I nodded. "I'll have Blade inform our hired help." I reached out to my gamma and he was already pulling up the necessary programs and whatnot to release them from the safe room in the barn. "Put together a list of what we will need for the foals," I ordered Derrick. "Briar, start making another list for what we want them to pack for us from the main house. When we land in Wyoming, it will only be to swing by, secure the area and then make haste for Montana."

"Yes ma'am!"

I felt Adam's awe at how I was able to have several lines of conversation going while still giving orders and keeping everything straight.

"What of the warehouse?" I continued. It felt a little odd that he was allowing me to take point in this conversation. Yet, then again, this was my area of expertise. Nikolai and his pack weren't hunters. He was probably trusting me to know what to ask and to know what was important.

"It has been cleaned and inspected. Since we already know one of the alphas, I believe it is safe to say that the Campbells are indeed behind the attacks. As for what was in the warehouse itself, there wasn't much, other than one dead body tucked away in a corner." Nikolai's mind opened up to mine before I had a chance to prepare Adam for the potentially gruesome image. Beside me, I felt Adam tense as the memory was displayed in our minds. I felt bad for not preparing Adam for this, but this was a part of the immortal world. It was part of the hunting world. Forcing my attention away from Adam and back to the image of the deceased, I recognized the familiar, yet very mangled face of Jericho Williams.

"He was the one in charge," Adam noted.

"What happened to him?" Garret asked as my thoughts zeroed in on just a handful of possibilities.

My brain mulled over what I knew about my birth family, what I had seen at the warehouse and before, when I'd been tracking Adam's scent.

"You know why he was killed." Nikolai stated.

"I have a theory. He made a mistake," I stated gently. "When we were tracking Adam's scent the night we received the phone call, we came across two phones. Adam's smashed work phone, and his intact personal one. I presume Jericho was supposed to make sure there wasn't anything that could compromise the mission. His overlook of checking Adam for cellular devices would have been a big mistake. And if there's one thing I know about Harley is that he doesn't tolerate incompetence."

"Lance told me that Allen had tracked them, and was able to pick up on their scents. Was he able to find the boat?"

"They didn't necessarily find the boat, but they were able to glean the information from someone. They paid someone to be available to them. And no, they don't know any more details."

Damn!

From the sounds of it, there was very little to go on. However, with the information we did have, it was enough to subject Harley and the other alpha to serious repercussions. Though, I doubted that's what Nikolai wanted. If I had to guess, he was wanting to go after the head of the snake: my birth father, Hans.

"Adam," Nikolai's unnerving gaze met his. "Will you please tell us what happened to you?"

Shakily, Adam began his story. After a minute or so, he had relaxed into his story of events. My pack and I already knew what had happened to him, for the most part. With the help of Sargent Moore, his team and my pack, we had been able to piece most of it together.

When he started to become withdrawn and anxious, my pack and I reached out to him, comforted him. His gaze met mine, startled. This was new to him, being embraced and supported in such an intimate way.

I reached over and took his hand under the table in support. Sometimes, just having that physical connection helped too.

Nikolai nodded as Adam finished. "I'm truly sorry for what has happened to you," he said empathetically. "I'm glad you have Jadea and her pack to help you. As well as her father's pack."

"I'm glad he sent me to you and Lance," I added. "Thank you for all of your help and support."

He nodded before continuing. "It's not over yet."

No, it wasn't. There was still a lot left to do. I had agreed to help Nikolai catch everyone behind this blatant show of lawlessness. I intended to keep that promise. "Chance is our best bet," I stated. "I believe he might be being used and forced to run for the position. I don't think my father would place someone he couldn't control in that kind of power position." Which was why he hadn't placed Harley, or someone like him, in that position. While Harley sought for Hans' approval, he was too strong willed and hot headed to be placed into such a position of power without concern. "Since they had shielders protecting their minds against me, they will most likely have the same shield, or a different one, protecting Chance's at the rally."

"Yes. We will have to be creative," Nikolai mused. "I think I can get Alessandra and Ickarous involved."

Alessandra was the infamous demon shield who could cast shielding spells into an individuals mind. Most shields have to be present in order for their gift to work. Alessandra was different. Plus, she was a very strong shielder. She alone had kept the demon's stronghold hidden for at least a century, if not longer.

Ickarous, on the other hand, was a very strong mind reading archangel. Even the best of shields had a hard time keeping their thoughts protected from him. Which was why he had been drawn to Alessandra in the first place. "They can't be seen," I stated. "If they are, Chance and the others might just be spooked enough to flee."

"They are a part of The Imperium Guard," Nikolai defended.

"Are they supposed to be at the debate?"

"No."

"My point exactly." Before Nikolai could argue, I pressed, "Trust me, crooked individuals like Hans prefer freedom and will abandon even the most eccentric and best laid out strategy if they for one second believe they have even been minimally made. This could be as simple as someone who wasn't supposed to be at an event deciding to show up. Hans, and Harley, are meticulous. They will know all the major players who are coming, and those who shouldn't be there. If you want to get close enough to Chance, to get even a shot at invading his mind without tipping off anyone else, you cannot make it known that Ickarous and Alessandra will be there."

I knew what Nikolai was wanting to do. He was hoping to use Alessandra to inconspicuously block out the shield the crooks were using while Ickarous--through Alessandra--would have infinite access to Chance's mind and thoughts.

Nikolai relented. "Okay, I'll have them teleport in just before the event starts and keep them hidden nearby. During the debate, when Chance will be hard pressed to leave, I'll have them work their magic."

Perfect!

"All we have to do is get solid evidence that Hans is involved," Nikolai continued. "Once we have that, we can proceed with arrests and incarceration. If we just arrest those we know, Hans--or whoever is truly behind this deception--can easily slip through the cracks because he can claim un-involvement."

"We will have to assume Harley, or others working for him and Hans, will be nearby," Garret started.

"Which means I will need all of you to protect Adam, regardless of what happens," I finished, already knowing this.

"I don't like it," Blade interjected.

"I'll talk with Lance. I'm sure he wouldn't mind being my backup."

"I would feel better if he and his pack were there," Garret agreed. "I wouldn't put it past Harley to try and make the most of the crowded rally and distractions that come with it."

I sighed heavily. Yes. I wouldn't put it past him either.

"What do you think they want, Jadea?" Nikolai asked. "Why is Hans doing this now?"

"My presumption: for power and money." He had indicated wanting to use me and my hunting pack to gain a fortune. Plus, he had wanted a hefty ransom for Adam.

If I remembered correctly, Hans had been stingy with his money but he hadn't been poor by any means. Either, he was getting greedy and was rather upset I--his discarded and abandoned daughter--was worth billions, or he had run out of funds.

"Or it's a combination of everything," Blade suggested.

Yes, it could be that.

As my inner monologue clicked in Adam's mind, I felt his imminent shock at my worth.

"Oh dear. Sticker shock," Garret teased.

"When are you planning to be in the underground city?" Nikolai's voice broke through the separate conversation I was having.

"We will be there early the morning of."

"Good." He stood up, indicating this was the end of this little meeting. "If anything changes, please let Lance know. He will know how to get a hold of me."

I stood up, shook his hand and let Lance and the others see Nikolai and his pack out. Adam's hand was clutching mine with a strength I hadn't known he possessed. I was amused by it.

"You okay, vanilla?"

"You're a billionaire?" he stated in shock.

"Yep. It's just money. It doesn't change anything. It doesn't change who I am. It doesn't change who you are."

But it was important to him. He had lived in poverty. His ex-wife had used money to control him. When he'd left her, money had been an issue too. The lack of money was what led him to me and my pack in the first place last year. It was why he had taken the job for us initially.

"I need you to take a deep breath, Adam," I soothed, my free hand stroking the side of his face. "Reach into my mind, vanilla. I want you to see, to know I will never use money to control you. You are mine. What I own, what I have... It's now yours too."

"I-I need a few minutes," he whispered, standing up to stumble away.

As much as I wanted to be present in his mind, I made it a point to stay out. I chose to respect him and give him the distance he asked for. I wouldn't stay away for long, but I would give him a little bit of time to digest everything.

Keeping my mind open to him, so he could reach out to me, to sort through my mind at will, I made my way towards the living room. My pack mates and I had some things we needed to discuss and figure out for both the coming days and the day of the debate.