4: Jack - In The Pack (16 page)

But, truth be told, I was pretty sure that Giselle could find us. I half expected her to be waiting when we got off the plane in Vancouver.

Honestly, when I’d first started rummaging through the clothes and saw the gift, I’d thought
Hood
. Then I panicked a little that I might have to explain how he knew she was there with me, and all that.

But, now that I think about it, I don’t think he left the stuff. He had to have been busy leading the hunt--away.

Maybe sent a messenger. But who? Kayty? As you can see, I kept turning over the same evidence. I’d thought, a going away present? But when the smell of Giselle was on the coat...I didn’t think she’d be so sloppy as to leave her scent on something, unless she wanted us to know. There were sprays for that.

The bag had definitely been from Hood. The traveling papers were something I had only discussed with him. So who was Hood confiding in?

Or who was sneaking behind his back? I considered the possibility that the bag had been left by Hood, earlier and I just hadn’t noticed it, and the coat by Giselle. Oh, it was crazy. I couldn’t think. And that was probably because Fera was so close to me. All I wanted was to get her safe. I knew, now that we’d been together, she could suffer consequences for her affiliation with an unnatural. I had put her life at risk. My improved nose could smell
me
oozing from her pores. Like I had put my mark on her, from the inside out.

I wondered, very briefly, if Hood could have been setting his sister up for some reason. I dismissed that. Shame on her would be shame on him. Wouldn’t it? The wolf pack seemed to be about honor and respect. Or so I’d gathered at Lobos.

Fera was searching my face, still waiting for an answer to her question. Like I would know who could be watching us. Was that...because I knew Giselle? I said, “Why don’t you tell me what you think, Fera?”

Her mind was working, swift and sure, I could see that by the way her eyes glazed over. She was replaying conversations she’d overheard, things she’d seen.

More and more, I was thinking that Giselle had to be a key component to this fear factor we were experiencing. “What do
you
know about Giselle?” I leaned even closer and asked, “Why would she leave you a coat?” And, “Why does her name scare you to death?”

Fera had secrets. I could see that. Buried bits of info that she’d put out of mind. Tiny keys to hidden locks. She never answered.

Our first flight was a double change over to Vancouver, British Columbia. Yeah. Kind of an odd place to send us for the first leg of a honeymoon. That’s what I preferred to call it. Why the hell there?

“We are going someplace cold, aren’t we?” We’d stowed the coats in the overhead compartment, but she looked up, so I’d be sure and get her drift.

“This time of year? Yeah. I’d say it’s cold there.”

Fera’s voice stuttered. She swallowed hard. “Giselle once told me that she’d send me to hell one day.”

I fought a grin, since that had echoed my previous sentiments. I wanted to tell her
honey, we’ve already been to hell.
God, I hate O’Hare.

She shivered. I put an arm around her and drew her close. She let me. I said, “Well, I think it’s as cold as hell where we’re going.” O’Hare hadn’t been all too warm.

I was definitely settling on Giselle as a primary suspect. What she was playing at, I wasn’t quite sure, but I knew I had to get Fera to tell me what she knew about the lady.

You know what I know about her. Damn frolicking fucker. No inhibitions that I could see.

But what was that she’d said about the shake? Which made me wonder...is she a pawn of Hood’s or a victim? Ah, I was so frustrated that I couldn’t stand it. And, believe it or not, I hated rethinking my time with her.

Hood had left her to educate me on garou, Lobos, etc.--before her disappearance. Had she been under the influence of something, like I had? Wait. She hadn’t had any trouble turning off the furnace when I’d been bitten, had she? So, maybe her comment about the shake had just been to make me think she was a victim? No. She had been under the influence of something. What was in that capsule he’d given her? Besides clean-out meds?

I looked around the plane. It was double-decker. We were upstairs in an airy cabin. I just hoped Fera didn’t have to go to the bathroom before the flight was over. I didn’t think she’d manage that tight little compartment without help. Maybe not at all.

She could get mad. Go crinos and rip the door off, punch a hole in the wall. Not that she’d shown those tendencies, but I’d seen too many bitches in crinos at Lobos not to be nervous. We’d been offered drinks, but I refused them for both of us. No more drinks and eats that I didn’t hunt down myself. I wasn’t trusting anybody. I sure as hell didn’t want to end up with another stint at Lobos. Drugged, waking up different places--or, God forbid, not knowing where Fera had disappeared to. That was bullshit.

We weren’t on a private jet, either. No. We were flying Lobos International.

It stands to reason that a world organization would run its own travel subsidiaries. And, they had their own cruise line--go figure. I’d seen some ads for it at Lobos, but had spaced it. Now, the irony of wolves running a water-based business...I had to wonder if that wasn’t so they could dispose of their unwanted problems with the old cement shoe gig. I was seeing mob moves and espionage in every corner. I kept looking around, and down the aisle--to see if anyone seemed to be staring. The answer is...not obviously.

I reconsidered where we were going. We had tickets to board an Alaskan cruise once we reached Vancouver. I’d thought
that
was odd, when I’d first seen them. I mean, until I’d remembered that Lobos owned the cruise company, but putting Fera on a boat when she’d barely gotten her legs, it seemed very...tight. Claustrophobic. At least we had first class cabin tickets on the airplane, but she wasn’t doing too well with the tight space, and the sure knowledge that she was backed into a corner, so to speak. No. Fera was definitely feeling vulnerable up there. And I was glancing at my watch every five seconds.

I hadn’t argued about the travel plans because, at the time that Hood had mentioned them, and only briefly then, he said it was all up in the air, but he’d see that the tickets were delivered. Well, they had been, the morning that he wanted me to go get Fera. That had been my tip. They’d been slipped under my door.

I hadn’t really taken time to consider the ramifications. I mean, I thought it was odd, but didn’t dig deeper into why we were taking a boat. Ya know?

My mind was rambling, and Fera was watching my face the whole time. I kind’ve shook the thoughts and said, “You better tell me about your history with her--Giselle.” Then I cautioned, “We need to get up to speed, Fera, and share a little information, or we’re going to end up dead.” I kept my voice low. I didn’t want anyone overhearing us. And I’m sure Fera picked up on my covert glances.

She groaned. “Ah. I wish you could mind-talk.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know, communicate in our heads. Without speaking.”

If I had known about this capability, which I may have mentioned earlier, I had forgotten it. Too much going on. Ya know?

“Who does that...mind talk?” I can tell you right now, I didn’t want to know. Psychic freaking werewolves? Did it ever fucking end?

Maybe she sensed that. She said, “Doesn’t matter. You can’t do it.”

“But you can?”

“Yes.”

“After I took you from Pack City, did you mind talk with anyone else?”

“No. Yes.”

“Who?”

She frowned up at me. “My brother, why?”

“Did you tell him you were with me?”

“No. But he kept asking me to answer him. I finally told him that I could hear him, and I didn’t like him invading my head, that I thought he had better things to do. I asked him if he’d found you.”

“What did he say?”

“He just growled, told me to stay put, and not to trust anyone because it was a bad night.”

“How far away from each other can you get, and still do this?”

“I have no idea. A few miles, maybe.”

“He can’t communicate with you like that from anywhere else in the world? Like when he goes to work?”

“I don’t think so. He never has.”

It was like pulling teeth. A very slow process.

“Can you tune into other mind-talkers?”

“Who would I talk to up here? I don’t know anyone.”

“I’m just trying to figure out if you have, maybe unwittingly. You need to try and block your thoughts, Fera. I’m afraid there are--spies.”

She wrinkled her nose. “What are you not telling me?”

“Look.” I whispered in her ear, “We’re flying Lobos International. What’s that tell you?”

Fera slapped her lips together and refused to say another word again until we stepped off the plane, cleared the airport, and I’d hailed a cab to take us to the port. Not trusting the cabbie, I had him drop us at a restaurant. I knew I was starving, and was damn sure she had to be.

Fera’s like a child in some respects. Everything delights her, or scares her. I chose an upscale restaurant that had private alcove style seating. A place I’d been to before. Thought I’d test the credit card at my disposal, although, I knew that it would allow Hood to track us.

I ordered for her. A big, rare steak. There were trimmings, but she wasn’t really into the other stuff. Oh. She liked the French onion soup, and the gravy on her potatoes. I had to cut her meat for her. Her eyes were as big as saucers while she waited.

“Kayty bought me a sandwich, and it was good, but it is very different to eat with...hands.”

She didn’t know even the basics. How to spread her napkin, so I did that for her. Or to wipe her lips. So, I did that for her, too.

But more than what we ate, we had an opportunity, away from prying eyes, to talk openly. I decided to dive right in, and tell her about my experience at Lobos, how I’d been bitten, and all that had transpired. I even told her that I had not killed an animal, or anything else.