Her Mortal Mate

Chapter Thirty Eight: Bending

Jadea

"I want to leave by mid afternoon," I stated, taking a seat in between Garret and Blade on the couch.

"Do you want me to book rooms? Or would you rather us all stay at Adam's?" Briar asked.

"Book one room. That way two can be on site and two can be resting." The four of them could rotate through the shifts. Therefore, all of us could get some rest. "I still have to talk to Adam about what he wants to do with his apartment." If I had it my way, I would hire a moving crew and have everything of his taken directly to my ranch in Wyoming. But, that was his decision to make. He might not be comfortable enough to give up the apartment until we'd had some time together, to ease his mind, worries and fears about us being able to make it work.

If that was the case, I would make sure everything was paid for. We would only pack what he needed for an extended stay in Montana. If there were things he or his children needed, I would be more than happy to buy them.

"I'll call Sargent Moore and let him know we have secured Adam and set up a date and time to meet with him," Derrick offered.

"Thank you. Blade, how is everyone doing at the ranch?"

"The hired ranch hands are all doing fine. A little shaken over the brutality and loss," he admitted. I infiltrated my packs minds, embracing each of them. We were all suffering from this devastating blow. Each one of them had been a part of tending to those majestic creatures. We had loved them. This loss was hard on all of us. "The foals are more scratched up and scared than anything. The ranch hands are seeing to their needs now, tending to their wounds and setting up a stall for them. Allen and the other wolves who were with him are handling the corpses."

"Thank you, Blade for handling that." Pausing just long enough to take a breath, I turned to his sister. "Briar, where are we at on that list?"

Both my phone and Garret's pinged with an attachment. We each opened up the document as Briar said, "I've got necessities for everyone listed and extras we will need as a group."

"I'll look it over," Garret volunteered as he raised his gaze to pin me with a stern look. "You need to go talk to Lance."

"In a minute I will--

"What do you need to talk to me about?" Lance asked, seeming to appear out of nowhere.

Speak of the devil... "I'm not quite ready."

He shrugged. "Mind if I join you?"

"It is your house. You don't have to ask."

"Testy," he smirked, taking a seat on the carpeted floor.

I shook my head and continued on. "We need to talk about the day of the debate. Garret, I'll need you to take point while I'm in the hot seat. I want Adam protected on all sides. No one is to leave the unit for any reason. Any reason," I reiterated when he went to argue. "Not if I am in trouble. Not if Harley shows his face. There are no buts or exceptions, do I make myself clear?"

He nodded, his lips pursed in displeasure. However, he understood. "Good. The nice part is that there will be a small box off to the side where a handful of my guests can stay. I would prefer to have you all there--

"You don't want them there," Lance interrupted. "Not if you want them protected."

"And why not?" I growled.

"Because, if Harley is there and is planning on attacking, he will expect you to use the designated box to keep your mate and pack safe. You need to place them somewhere else. Somewhere it will be easier for them to escape."

I couldn't stop it, the immediate thought that popped into my head the instant he finished. My mind and thought process was starting to settle back into that hunting mentality. Out of the box ideas and strategies to capture the bad guys were trying to utilize the environment and situation to its fullest.

I immediately shut down the thought before any of my pack mates could catch onto it and run with it. It wasn't a bad idea. It would help in the long run. But, I was not comfortable with it.

As my mind was coming back to the conversation at hand, and the possibilities of where my pack and Adam would be safest, I felt, more than heard Adam's presence enter the room. My stomach bottomed out because it was then I realized that while I'd been able to keep those thoughts from my pack, Adam had witnessed them.

"Jadea," his voice pierced the room. My gaze swiveled to him as he took a stand under the entranceway. In my chest, my heart started to pound out a rhythm I was unfamiliar with. I was consumed with dread and nervousness, afraid I was about to be crucified for my unfiltered thoughts. This wasn't the Adam I was used to. I wasn't used to this confident, demanding man. "I want to do it."

"No," was my instant reply.

The others looked on in confusion. Except for Garret. He reached out with his gift and was instantly in the loop. His eyes went wide and he looked away uncomfortably because he knew this was going to be a fight to the bitter end. My mind was made up and I was as stubborn as they came, especially when it came to protecting what was mine.

"Damn it, woman! I want to help! I know I'm just a mortal! There isn't much else I can do, because of that. Please, I want to catch these asshats as much as you do, if not more." Because of the terror and threat they had posed to his children. To the pain and suffering they had put him through. To what they had done and would continue to do to me as long as they remained free. "I know it isn't much, but I can at least do that."

"What is he talking about?" Lance asked as an aside to Garret.

"I'm not budging on this, Adam," I stated, choosing to ignore them as I stood up so I could fully face him. My expression and stance conveyed my unwillingness to give on this. "I will not risk your life like that." I was surprised my voice came out calmer than I’d expected.

"My life is mine to do with as I wish!" he fairly growled as he stalked further into the room. "No one, not even you, can dictate what I do."

"I'm not trying to control you, Adam. There's a difference between a safe risk and a suicidal risk. And this one is the latter! I'm not just thinking about you, I'm thinking about your children as well!" I snapped back, the alpha within baring her teeth at his continued defiance on the subject. "I cannot place you in such danger because of them! If something goes wrong, and you die..." I didn't want to be the reason for their father's death. I couldn't be the reason they became orphans.

"Jadea, I accepted that fact when I chose you. I accepted the possibility that my children could lose me and you. Hell, that there was even the possibility they could perish as well because of this world! I chose you because our lives mean more with you! Because having you in our lives is far more beneficial and meaningful than not having you in it! But what I cannot accept is taking such risks laying down!" He roared. As he'd spoken, he had slowly and continually stepped closer until he was nearly nose to nose with me. His blue eyes sparking with rage. "I accepted all of these risks and still chose to be with you. Do not muzzle me. Let me fight for my family, Jadea."

"Hot damn!" Garret's voice ripped through all of our minds in the silence that stretched between Adam and I. He fanned himself with his hand. "Is it just me, or is it getting hot in here?"

Blade leaned over and slapped the back of Garret's head.

"What is your problem!?" Briar hissed.

Oh, there definitely was a problem. And Garret had been the first to sense it.

A soft, red blush crept up my neck and stained my cheeks because throughout this whole altercation, I was getting turned on. Even though I knew it wasn't appropriate. Even though I knew this conversation was serious. But something about Adam holding his ground and standing up to me like that, with little regard to my alpha status, just set my insides ablaze.

His confidence and defiance was intriguing.

At first, Adam didn't understand what the blush was for. Until he eased into my mind and felt my emotions and saw my confused thoughts.

As we continued to glare into each other's gazes, I couldn't take his fierce and intense stare anymore. I couldn't take what it was doing to me in this very critical moment.

Snarling, I was the first to break away.

I felt my packs shock as I bent to his will and for once in my life showed compliance.

As I paced away, it took Adam a few moments to comprehend and understand the significance of everything that had just happened.

Standing in front of the window, I pinched the bridge of my nose as I forced the rage within to calm down. As I forced myself--and every wild emotion--back under control.

"Jadea," Adam's voice hesitated and I felt his uncertainty bleeding into his mind and heart.

"Don't," I snapped, spinning around to pin him to the spot with a ferocious glare. "Don't you dare apologize. Not for this. Not for standing up for yourself. You have a voice, you have an opinion. I'm glad to see you using it," I stated. And truthfully, I was glad to see him unafraid to stand up to me.

I didn't have to like it, but he had a voice. He deserved to be heard.

He deserved to be able to fight for his family.