Her Mortal Mate

Chapter Eleven: The Campbells

Jadea

The underground city hadn't changed one bit since my pack and I were here for our trials.

It was a very large—several mile radius—hollowed out underground cavern with several apartments carved into the walls. Large, natural support columns scattered around the different levels. Lanterns, multicolored magical lights and candles lit the spaces. Shops and homes littered the space, reminding me of Guanajuato with their bold, colorful fronts. There was barely space to move between buildings, and sometimes no space at all. Some small shops even hung from the ceiling for those who could fly. Towards the center of the cavern, larger buildings stood and at the heart a towering white courthouse rose imposingly. Its stoic presence looked so out of place amongst the rest of the city. Pathways curved through the buildings and shops and immortals of every race and size bustled around.

It was far too crowded down here for me. I was instantly anxious and claustrophobic as we moved into the masses and worked our way toward the courthouse.

Lance took my hand to ensure I didn't get separated from him. Garret took my other hand, more for emotional support than anything else. We wove our way into the depths of the city and finally mounted the pristine granite steps. Lance didn't pause at the front desk. He waved at the receptionist, who smiled back at him, before continuing down a series of hallways until he got to a specific door. Knocking once, he didn't wait for an answer before barging inside.

"Uncle?" Lance called out.

When I got into the room, I noticed it was rather large with many cubicles and another smaller room at the very back.

"Lance?" Nikolai responded, stepping out from the back room. Others popped their heads up over the cubicles. Presumably his packmates. The Russian alpha was exceptionally handsome. Light blond hair with silvery highlights. Dark, stormy grey eyes. Russian features. He was tall, leanly built and sinewy muscle.

Nikolai's face split into a smile. Walking up to Lance he embraced him. "It's been a while kid. How are you?"

Lance shrugged. "Same ol, same ol."

"Whose your friend?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Lance chuckled. "You don't recognize her?" he teased.

Nikolai's perceptive gaze moved over me with a little more speculation. "You're Lucien's kid. Jadea, isn't it?"

"That's me," I smiled, surprised he remembered me. I hadn’t seen him since I was but a child.

"You're one of the two candidates for his position," he stated. "I presume you aren't here for that, since it’s still a week out. What can I do for you?"

"Well, it is about the campaign, unfortunately." I said, my tone taking on a serious edge.

"Oh?"

Before I could get into it, Lance interjected. "Could we speak in private?"

Nikolai nodded. "Of course. This way." He led us toward the back. Instead of going into the adjoining room, he took us through another door. Then another. And another. Until we were in a small room with comfy blankets and pillows laid out on the ground. All of us took a seat. "Alright, what’s going on?" Nikolai opened.

I started from the beginning, giving a small preview into Adam's and my relationship before we'd parted, then the call I received earlier the night before. I told him what we found out and shared the recording with him. Throughout the exchange, I saw his countenance growing darker. "I was hoping your tracker, Allen, could help us find Adam and save him while my pack and I distracted the main group."

"I would be more than happy to aid in the recovery of your mate," Nikolai replied, and for the first time since I'd received the terrible call, I was able to take a full breath, like a huge weight was lifted off my chest. With his help, I was confident we would be able to recover Adam. "However, I will expect you to do something for me in return."

"What would that be?" I asked a little hesitantly, curious to know what he thought I could do to help him.

"You are going to help me find out who is behind this threat, because they are a threat to this democracy, we have so carefully built. This kind of exploitation is outlawed, and we cannot take this lightly."

I sighed in relief, glad it wasn't something more personal. "I can do that."

"Good. First, do you know who your competition is?"

I shook my head. "I haven't really been keeping up on it, to be honest."

Nikolai smiled. "I wouldn't expect anything less from Lucien's children. You all have this tendency to keep to yourselves. A trait I admire, by the way," he added, ensuring I knew and understood he wasn't attacking my character. "His name is Chance Campbell."

"Campbell?" I asked, my heart dropping into my stomach, suddenly sick as memories from my early childhood flooded my memories. Garret's hand was instantly squeezing mine, trying to draw me back out of the dark hole I was being dragged into.

"Jadea?" Lance asked, concerned. I had to be white as a sheet. And I was woozy to boot.

"You know him?" Nikolai prompted.

I shook my head. "I don't know who Chance is, but I know the Campbells," I responded weakly.

"How do you know them?" the Russian alpha pressed.

"Reita and Hans Campbell were my birth parents," I said after a moment of composing myself. "My father took several mates." Which wasn't necessarily uncommon in old fashioned werewolf packs. The alphas tended to have harems back in the olden days to ensure their bloodline and certain specific traits were carried on in the bloodline. And, it was one way to secure allies and protection. "I was one of the undesirables," I said weakly. An undesirable being someone who was made sterile and cast out or killed.

Nikolai nodded in understanding. "Your rise to power and fame must have infuriated Hans. Do you think he is behind this?"

"I wouldn't put it past him to do something like this, but I don't think he would do it outright," I confessed. Hans, while mean and vicious, didn’t have the drive to come up with this grand of a scheme.

Nikolai nodded. "Then we will have to capture and glean as much information from the wolves they have sent to collect you and your mate. And then, we will go after Chance."

"Do you think I should advertise I am backing out of the race?" As much as I didn't want to do this, if Nikolai believed it would be wise to do so, then I would in a heartbeat. Adam and his life were far more important than any title could ever be.

"No. Not yet. Let’s give Allen twenty-four hours to find your mate. If that time passes and Adam has not been found, we will proceed with rumors of your impending drop out." He stood up. "As for now, the rest of my pack and I will stay with you at Lance's. There are too many ears here in the city." Campbell spies.

"Thank you!" I said gratefully, relief washing through me rising to my feet as well. The beginnings of a plan were in place. There was hope my mate would be found, and my pack and I would be part of a rather unique hunt to find those who were behind all of this. If I had it my way, I wouldn't stop until all of them were brought to justice for this terrible act.

"No Jadea, thank you. Without your bravery, there would be a snake in the council," he smiled at me and I was instantly put at ease. "There are a few things I have to finish up here before I can leave. Why don't you head back to Lance's and once we are all there, we will formulate the rest of our plans."