Her Mortal Mate

Chapter Thirty: One Way Or Another

Jadea

As I raced back to Lance’s, I merged my pack’s minds, so we all knew what was happening.

Derrick and Briar weren’t far behind us as they drove back as fast, and as safely, as they could.

Blade had our video feed of the ranch up, using every computer in Lance’s residence so he didn’t have to take the time to switch over to different cameras and possibly miss something as he tracked their movements.

“Talk to me,” I demanded.

“They all made it to the hidden room under the barn,” he reassured me. While there were several hiding places we’d built both inside structures and outside, scattered across our property, that room in particular had been made to withstand both force and heat. Therefore, if the building collapsed or a giant force was exerted—including most blasting spells—it wouldn’t cave in. And, it could withstand a fire without cooking its occupants or melting. Plus, there were several days’ worth of rations and water. “I’ve disabled the panel so no one can get in or out.”

“Perfect!” That’s what I liked to hear. Blade made it so the controller had to have a two-way authentication to get in and out. Plus, we could remotely access it. “And what of the trespassers?”

“They are now just approaching the barn. They are breaking off into four groups. Three of them are going directly to the house. Possibly to see if we are there.”

The tires screeched as I veered into Lance’s driveway. He already had the garage door open and I didn’t hesitate to pull right on in. The instant the car came to a stop, I slammed it into park and burst out of the vehicle not caring if the keys were left inside.

Adam was hot on my heels as we made our way inside. I felt bad because he looked a little lost and worried. I made a mental note to ask him at some point if he would like to make a blood bond so he could be involved in our telepathic conversations.

“Were you able to access the mics?” I asked aloud as I fairly ran into the kitchen where Blade was set up.

“Yes, but it’s not going to do us any good seeing they are all in their wolf form.”

“For now,” I grumbled, hoping that an opportunity would arise. Leaning in closer to the screen, I was able to pick out the very familiar looking white alpha. “These are our guys,” I confirmed.

“They went southward,” Lance stated, joining us in the kitchen. “Nikolai messaged me not too long ago with the news. Allen tried following their scent but lost the trail. I just got off the phone with him, alerting him to the situation at hand. He is sending Allen that way now.”

“Thank you Lance.” I really truly did appreciate him and all his help with this case. I honestly didn’t know what would have happened had he not been here at the right moment and time.

“Of course.”

“Well, we know where they are at now,” I murmured.

The wolves slunk around the barn and house, their forces split as they continued their search. Perhaps they were hoping I would have returned home already? Or my hired help would be readily available and easy pickings?

Whatever the reason, the fact remained they were trespassing and I didn’t want them there.

We watched as they followed the fresh trail leading to the safe room. One of them shifted and tried breaking the code but realized we disabled the panel. They sat in a circle for several minutes deliberating, I was sure.

If they tried to break into the house, they were in for a rude awakening. We had several fail safes in place, especially around the main entrances.

They came to some conclusion and slunk into the barn.

My heart rate picked up as a bad feeling washed over me. What were they going to do? “Lance, you need to get Jadea out of here,” Blade stated suddenly as he slammed the first laptop shut and was in motion shutting them all down. Trying to prevent me from seeing what was on the screens. When I tried merging my mind with Blade’s, he had deliberately closed his mind.

What had he seen that I missed?

Were they going to start a fire?

Frantically, my gaze shifted to the other screen that had a view of the inside of the barn. And what I saw made my blood run cold and a blood curdling scream left my lungs.

“No! No, my babies!” I wailed as I saw them open each stall door, terrorize my prized horses and kill them. Each one I raised and trained from infancy. Each one meant so much to me and more.

Lance’s arms banded around my upper body, circling my arms and chest as I tried to struggle free. They failed to kill Adam and his children. They’d failed to break me in the worst way possible. However, they knew what was nearly just as debilitating. They were sending a clear message to me: one way or another they would hurt me, hunt me and use those around me to sway my decision to fall and become one of their indentured servants.

“Blade, don’t!” I ordered when he went to close it. My alpha’s command making it impossible for him to disobey. “I need to know,” I whispered brokenly as I intently watched the far-right corner, to see if they went after the twin foals my mare had given birth to months earlier.

When Garret’s hand slammed the laptop closed, that’s when I completely lost it and Lance forcibly picked me up and went outside where he plopped me on my feet and took a few steps back. His stance was open, even as he indicated for me to engage him. He could feel the anger, the desperate need to get all this fury, pain and hurt out.

“I have to go to them,” I whispered brokenly, the unshed tears audible in my voice. “I need to go back home.” I reiterated a little numbly because I was in shock.

“It’s too dangerous, and you know it. They are expecting you to go back. To want revenge. They’ll be lying in wait for you to return, angry, emotional and distracted. That’s when they will strike.”

“But I can’t—

“They are dead, Jadea! There isn’t anything you can do for them now.” He bit, knowing I needed to hear the harsh truth.

My teeth clenched and I paced. Why had they needed to go after innocent animals? They were just there. And simply being something I loved and cared for made them a target.

My gaze moved from Lance to Adam and my pack. Who else would they try to go after? Who else would they take from me? Looking at each one of them, I couldn’t bear to lose anymore. I loved them all too deeply.

“Jadea,” Lance warned, seeing that look in my eye. “Don’t fall into their trap.”

It was far too late for that.

“Take care of Adam and his children for me,” I ordered Garret. “You’re in charge while I’m unavailable.”

“Jadea?” He asked, understanding where I was going with this. “You aren’t leaving.”

I wove a quick spell into their minds, telling them not to follow.

“Damn it woman! You will not do this!” Garret fairly seethed as their hands were now bound. “Jadea, you will release us. Now!”

“Garret, they won’t hesitate to keep finding different and new ways to hurt those around me. If I give myself to them, alone, they won’t have any reason to come after you, Adam or anyone else I care about.”

“Until you decide not to do something they want. You know they wanted your entire pack, Jadea. Not just you.”

“I’m not going to allow them the opportunity to—

“That is enough!” Garret snarled, his teeth bared as he stepped towards me, frantic, afraid. “You cannot push us away like this. Not even for this! We are in this together! We are a pack! We are a family! Don’t you dare break us up.”

“I’m not breaking anything up. It’s only temporary.”

“You know that isn’t right. You don’t have any intentions of returning, because you know what they will do to you,” he seethed as he read my mind and more. He was so intently focused on me, he was being able to pick apart my mind. It didn’t happen often, but I couldn’t say I wasn’t annoyed by his sharp ability. “You aren’t in the right frame of mind. Normally, you wouldn’t do this.”

“Normally, we wouldn’t have psychopaths up our asses, Garret! I know what they are capable of! I cannot lose any of you! I cannot bear to have any of you tortured or killed because of me!”

“Don’t do this Jay.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, tears streaming down my face as I reinforced my spells.

Turning towards Lance, it was now just him and his pack I needed to escape from and that was going to be a lot harder to do. He was a controller. He could overpower my mind if I fell to him. He could easily force my compliance and make me stay—which wasn’t an option anymore.

“Jadea—

Before he could say anything else, I lunged at him, shifting mid-air, taking the element of surprise and using it to my advantage.