Her Mortal Mate

Chapter Forty Six: Facing The Abuser

Jadea

“Jadea!" Hans cried, a smile on his face. "When I heard you were the other candidate running, I couldn't believe it!" As he approached to embrace me, I stepped back keeping a safe distance between us. I did not flinch. My expression remained neutral. My body language open, calm. I did not give him any indication that I was nervous or uncomfortable.

Hans stopped, his arms slowly dropping to his sides, and even though I saw that look flash in his gaze--the disapproving one that meant retaliation for such disobedience--he kept that smile plastered on his face. "Your mother and I have been heartbroken since you ran away, dear."

Somehow I kept the scoff from escaping and my eyes from rolling. Any reaction was still a reaction. And that's what he was looking for.

A reaction.

“And no reaction is still a response," Blade muttered.

Yes, it was. I would just have to respond calculatedly.

"Look, I know things were bad," he continued. "And, mother and I didn't handle it like we should have. With you, with Benji and Harley. But time ... It does something, Jadea. Losing Benji was hard--"

I bit the insides of my cheeks, forcing myself to remain silent over the way he was speaking about Benji.

"--But losing you was harder." His inflection was impeccable. His act flawless. Just like I remembered it.

A master manipulator.

“I have to give it to the guy. He can talk a good talk," Garret groused.

“Ran away? Hmm. I seem to remember it differently," I stated impassively. "But, we aren't here to hash out the past, now are we?" my gaze moved past Hans to Chance. I wouldn't be guilt tripped. I wouldn't be made to feel bad by this monster because that's all he was. A monster.

"You did run away," he almost snarled, angered by my dismissive manner.

My gaze instantly zeroed in on him. I was no longer under his control. He was no more than a bully. I'd faced worse immortals than him and had come out on top. He couldn't touch me. "If you call being forcefully thrown into the trunk of a car and dumped in the middle of nowhere in the middle of winter as a child by some of your henchmen 'running away', I think you need to take another look at the definition. And, I heard you give them the order, Hans. So please, drop the act. Now," I continued on, the fire in my chest growing as I took a step forward. My spine was straight, my shoulders back. I stood almost as tall as he did in my heels. "I hope you did truly change for the better, but that doesn't excuse what you did to Benji and I. Nor does it right any wrongdoings.”

In my mind, I felt Adam's love engulfing me in a calming and soothing way because he could feel me starting to lose it. And he knew I wanted to remain in control of my reactions and responses. I didn't want to add fuel to Hans' fire. "Take a deep breath, baby girl," he encouraged. I still was holding out on him, blocking part of my mind. But around the edges of that barrier I'd created, he could feel my unease.

I took a deep breath in, counting to five and let it out doing the same.

I saw Hans's meticulous mask fracture and his pretentious expression turned more into a scowl.

“That's it Jadea," Adam encouraged.

"Chance," my attention once again turned to my half brother. "It is nice to finally meet you." I held out my hand. Chance hesitated, his gaze flitting to Hans as if asking for permission.

Hans stepped to the side, allowing Chance to step forward and take my hand in a firm grip.

I had to say I was impressed. I had expected Chance to be weaker, to give a limper handshake because I viewed him as a puppet.

Perhaps he was more than that? Perhaps I was wrong about him? Maybe he was working with Hans and not being forced.

“I've heard a lot about you," he said, his gaze lifting but not reaching mine. "I'm glad to finally meet you as well."

“Good luck," I said, trying to silently encourage him to raise his gaze to meet mine as I released his hand.

"Same to you," he replied.

Hans had a nearly sour look on his face as Lance said something. I wasn't paying attention to anything he was saying though, because my gut was having a hissy fit.

Something wasn't right...

It was in the way Chance shifted. The way he behaved with Hans.

"He's definitely a puppet," Blade agreed. "He's just been groomed to hide it well. Hans probably is holding something over him."

"Blade, find out everything you can on Chance. If he has a mate. A family. A pet. Anything. I want to know what Hans could be holding over him. I want to know what he is using to control him."

"On it Jay."

A hand on the nape of my neck grounded me and pulled me back to the conversation in the room. Lucien stood close to me, his stone cold gaze leveled at Hans as the room was drenched in silence. They were waiting on something. On my response.

I shifted my focus to Lance and realized he had asked me something.

"No. I have no objection to continue moving forward with this debate," I stated. I obviously had my hunches, but I needed hard evidence to bury Hans and whatever game he was playing at.

"Alright then. Both of you will return to your appointed station on either side of the stage. You will not be allowed to converse or interact once you leave this room until you are announced and meet on the stage where you will both recite the oath of truth before shaking hands and taking your place at your podiums. Once the debate is over, you will once again meet, shake hands and exit off the stage where you will not interact until you have left the building entirely," he continued. "We expect both candidates to be respectful and professional. There is absolutely no defamation of character allowed. No false accusations. No name calling. No slander. And that goes for both on and off the debate floor. You both are the official candidates for this seat. We expect you to act accordingly. If there is any indication that the rules stated are broken, an investigation will proceed. If either one of the contestants is found guilty of any misconduct or is in contempt of the rules in place for candidates running for a councilor's seat, that individual will be tried by The Phoenix and her Imperium Guard. Are there any questions?"

Both Chance and I shook our heads.

"Okay," Lance stated, motioning for us to take our leave. "Good luck to the both of you.”

"He should have said: Let the games begin," Garret smirked in my mind.

I rolled my eyes and was just about to turn away when I noticed Chance fall behind Hans to follow him out of the room. Chance tucked his arm behind him, his hand flat and open, palm out towards me. It seemed odd, that kind of motion. It wasn't normal...

And that's when he tucked his thumb into his palm and closed his fingers around his thumb, indicating he was silently in trouble.

I glanced to Lance and my father, hoping I wasn't the only one who noticed that gesture.

Lance's gaze met mine and he nodded, indicating he had seen it too.

"I'll let Alessandra and Ickarous know," he stated urgently. "Continue with the debate as planned, Jadea."

“Guys, we need to make it a priority to get past Chance’s shield. We need to know what they have on him. And if it is safe, we will try to extract him.” I nodded and turned to my father. "Where will you go?"

"I was thinking of joining your pack in the box," he smiled. "And meet this mate of yours."

"Don't scare him too much, okay daddy?"

"You afraid I'll scare him off?" he teased.

"No. I don't think you'd be able to scare him off," I replied after a moment of thought. "It's just, he's been through a lot and he might take things to heart." I was afraid it would mess with his mind because of the games his ex had played. I knew Lucien wouldn't mean most of what he said, I just wasn't sure Adam would take it as a joke.

"Hmm," Lucien huffed. "It's going to be hard not to be scary. He is pursuing my only daughter," he winked pulling me in for one last hug. "You're going to do great, kiddo. Go knock their socks off." He leaned down and kissed my cheek before proceeding me out of the room.

Gathering my bearings once more, I made my way back to the side of the stage.

"Any luck yet on Chance?" I asked Blade.

"Nothing yet."

"And their minds are being shielded?" I asked Garret, making sure.

"Yep!"

"Can you tell where the shielder is?"

"I'm still trying to locate him, or her."

"But he is close?" I asked for confirmation.

"Yes."

Okay.

"Keep your eyes peeled," I reminded them. "Lucien will be joining you, so you'll have an extra pair of eyes and another body for protection."

As I pulled out of their minds once more, I took a moment for myself.

I'd been so caught up on Hans and that entire situation, I hadn't had a chance to focus on the debate itself. However, peeking out onto the stage and looking beyond, I saw the vast amount of bodies and the roar of chatter.

Nervousness sank its claws in deep.

I was better at hunting down dangerous immortals than being the center of attention before a massive crowd.

“Jadea?" Adam asked.

Crap! Did my wall crack?

"I know you have blocked me partially out of your mind. I presume it is for my own good, though. Just know, I'm not as fragile as you think I am."

I wanted to argue, to tell him I didn't think of him as being fragile. Yet, reflecting on how I'd kept him at arms length since talking with Constance, I had to admit to myself he was right. "I don't want to overwhelm you, Adam. Not right now." Not when I had so much to focus on and orchestrate already. I was playing a very intense and dangerous game of chess, I couldn't allow my focus to be split between him, the debate, Hans and the potential Leviathan threat. As it was I was trying to only focus on Hans and the debate. "If I told you what was going on in its entirety right this very moment, I would be more focused on your response and mentality than focusing on what I need to focus on. Does that make sense?"

"Kind of," he admitted.

"I'm not trying to keep it from you per se. I have every intention of telling you everything once we are safely back at the hotel. I promise, I'm not wanting to keep what I know a secret. But for right now, so I can focus on the issues directly in front of me, I cannot be distracted by your fears. And I know you would be afraid if I told you what I know. Because I wouldn't have the time to explain everything in detail. Trust me, Adam. I will explain everything once this is over."

"I do trust you, Jadea." He reassured. "I just want to be your partner. Not another one of your packmates, that is all."

As guilt was starting to creep in, Adam merged fully with me and I saw he wasn't angry or hurt. He was just setting his boundaries and letting me know he was ready to become a part of my world, no matter how scary it was.

"I love you Jadea, we will work on this together because lord knows I have my own issues to work on too when it comes to relationships. It is hard for me to be completely open and to lay myself bare. It is hard for me to rely on others as well." I felt the tenseness in my chest ease some at his words. "No matter what you lay on me, I will still love you. That I am sure of."