KnightForce Tres (La Patron KnightForce Book 3) (23 page)

“Mates can’t hurt each other,” Jasmine said.

“No, not directly. She followed her father’s instructions by luring Silas away from the pack. Her wolf fought her human side every step of the way, but Octavia was bent on having another, and allowed her beast to suffer the betrayal.”

“You say I must destroy her, why?” Jasmine said, her voice strong and clear.

“Because he will seek to save that which cannot be saved. Her world will shrink to her and La Patron; she will seek to destroy his seed, your pups. And that cannot be allowed.”

“Consider the bitch dead,” Jasmine said.

Silas glanced at her clenched jaw and narrowed nostrils.

“It won’t be easy,” the Goddess said, a warning in her tone. “La Patron will try to stop you, it has nothing to do with how he feels about the young bitch, it’s coded in a sire or mam’s DNA to protect their pups at all costs. Just as you would protect your litter, he will do the same.”

His heart plummeted. “I cannot harm my mate, my heart. I won’t.”

The Goddess smiled. “No, you won’t, but you will attempt to save your pup.”

Jasmine turned and looked at him. Her eyes glowed like molten gold. The smell of metals and orchids filled the air. “I told you in the school this is something I need to take care of, you can’t do it. Please, when the time comes, let me handle Elyria. She’ll use you against me and I cannot allow anyone to come between us.”

The conversation twisted his stomach in knots. Elyria use him against her? How? He didn’t know the bitch. “Whatever you need or want, it’s done,” he promised.

“Remember, she’s your seed and has survived all these centuries despite her problems. Don’t underestimate her,” the Goddess said.

Chapter 38

Countdown clock: 23 hours remaining
…

Renee rolled over and stretched. Looking at the ceiling, she inhaled and then released her breath slowly. Had she made the right decision delaying her flight another day and taking off from work? Yes. She needed time to understand this whole alternate world her mom and sister were a part of. If things worked out, she and Mélange would be a couple living under another Alpha. She couldn’t remember his name, Mélange knew it.

Mélange. Renee smiled thinking of her lover…no, her mate. After talking to Jasmine, she returned to her room and they talked for hours. They probably fell asleep talking or listening to each other breathe. She glanced at the bedside clock, it was still early but they wanted to have breakfast together, and then spend the day hanging out. It shouldn’t take too long to dress. Opening her door a crack, she looked down the hall and then waved the security person standing nearby.

“I need a ride to the hotel in town, can you call somebody for me?”

“Yes, Ma’am. How soon do you want to leave?”

“Fifteen minutes.”

His brow rose as his gaze flickered over her exposed arms.

“Seriously, I’ll be dressed in 15 minutes, you can time me if you want.”

“I’ll order the car; it’ll be at the point as before.”

Smiling, Renee nodded her thanks, closed the door and raced to the shower. Fifteen minutes later, she stood downstairs waiting for the car to be brought around. Her cell-phone rang.

“Glad you decided to stay a little longer, have fun today and please be careful,” Jasmine said, her voice groggy.

“They shouldn’t have woken you, I’m sorry about that. But yes, we’re both leaving tomorrow afternoon. Today we’re just …spending it together. I really like her. She gets me and now that I know about her past and the things she’s gone through; I admire the woman she’s become. She’s a survivor, Jazz. That group, the Liege…they should be strung up and shot. How can anyone be treated that way? Experimenting on people is illegal, they should be locked away forever.”

“I agree. Scumballs.”

Renee laughed as she slid in the backseat of the car. “My ride is here, if mama wants to know where I am, tell her you don’t know.”

“Lie to mama? Are you crazy? You’re visiting and won’t have to hear about it every day, love you Sis, but not going there for you. If she asks, I’ll tell her to call and ask you. So make sure your phone’s charged and on.”

Renee grinned, too happy to allow anything or anyone get her down. “Okay, that’ll work. Thanks for everything, I’ll talk with you later.”

Humming, she smiled in remembrance of one of Mélange’s funny stories of when she was a small child. She’d been looking for a ball that rolled a distance and found a snake. Instead of running away, like Renee would’ve done, Mélange picked up the thing and took it home for a pet. Renee laughed at Mélange’s disappointment when her caretaker hadn’t been pleased.

Her cell phone rang. “Hi, I’m on my way.”

“Good, I’ll meet you downstairs. I’ve got a surprise planned for you,” Mélange said.

“What? No don’t tell me, it’ll spoil it.”

“That’s the spirit, how far away are you?”

“Not sure, we’ve been driving for about five minutes. Won’t be long.” She glanced up and noticed the driver watching her in the rear view mirror.

“Okay, see you soon.”

Giddy with excitement, she clasped her hands together in her lap and then looked out the window. They’d discussed the mating process, what it meant, how it would happen, and Renee thought she might be ready soon. Mélange suggested she apply for a teaching position at one of their colleges, and Renee had been shocked when she heard the name of the prestigious university. No one she knew had ever been accepted on their teaching staff, but as Mélange’s mate she would meet the one requirement none of her peers could. The idea of working in a place with such diversity made her drool.

Renee glanced at her watch and then looked at the changed landscape. “Is this a new way? Seems like we should be there already.”

The driver nodded, but didn’t say anything. Sitting back, she wondered what surprise Mélange had for her. She caught a glimpse of the mountains as the car drove up a long road. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell.

“Sorry about the long drive, we’re almost there,” the driver said.

Renee nodded and pushed Jasmine’s number on fast dial. When her sister answered she put the phone to her ear.

“Hey, you’re bored already?”

The driver frowned as he stared at her in the mirror. Instead of speaking, she returned his stare. Something was off.

“I’m on a mountain.” The moment she spoke, the car swerved, sending her sideways on the seat. The phone flew from her hand onto the floor. The car stopped suddenly.

“I told you we were almost there, why’d you do that?” he said as if this were her fault.

She opened and then closed her mouth as the seat belt pushed against her stomach. The phone had slid beneath the seat and she couldn’t reach it.

“No more talking on the phone while I’m driving, it’s not safe. I don’t want to have an accident.”

“What?” Renee gasped.

“You heard me, hang up the phone and give it to me.” He held out his hand.

“I can’t reach it. It’s under the seat.” She eyed the device and prayed Jasmine heard everything.

He slid out the front seat and walked around back to the opposite side. Renee tried to get as far over as she could to avoid any contact with the big man. He didn’t look at her, instead he slid his hand beneath the seat and grabbed her phone.

“Hello?” he said as he closed the passenger door and returned to the driver’s side, talking. “No, I’m here. I had to fix this first and then I’ll finish that job.” He paused. “Why? Because I want to.” He threw her $500 phone away and then slid into the car.

“Now, I said we’ll be there soon. Relax, this will be over soon.”

“What? Who are you? Where are you taking me?” Renee asked, her heart pounding so hard in her chest she thought it’d explode.

“To save a friend. The fates made a mistake, she’s not happy, and as long as you’re around she can’t be free.”

Ice raced up Renee’s spine. This was about Mélange. Her brother? A relative or something? “You know Mélange?”

“Very well, very well indeed. We’re best friends, she’ll be mad for a while, but in time she’ll get over it,” he said, as if discussing her elimination meant nothing.

Swallowing around the ball of fear, Renee couldn’t think, had no idea what to do. The doors were locked and if she jumped out of a moving car, she’d be just as dead. “Can I ask a question?”

The man glanced at her and then back at the twisting road. “As long as it’s not personal.”

That’s odd, Renee thought, but didn’t remark on it. “How’d you get into the compound, that place is like a prison.”

The driver chuckled. “I started at the gate and walked in, changing as I went along. I heard the call for your driver and made my last change.”

Renee stared at him. Nothing he said made any sense. If he wanted to confuse her more, he’d hit the bulls eye. Rather than ask anything else, she thought of her family, her nieces and nephews, and finally Mélange.

She smiled.

“What’s funny?”

“Nothing, just thinking about something someone told me.”

The driver grunted and then turned off a dirt road as several wolves ran behind the car. Renee noticed a few ahead, more and more came from everywhere.

The driver laughed. “Looks like a welcoming party, wonder who they’re here for?”

You, Renee wanted to say, but remained silent.

He pressed the pedal and the car leapt forward just missing one of the wolves. En masse the wolves, their numbers increasing exponentially, chased the car. Howls and growls filtered through to the car.

“Yee-haw,” the driver said throwing one hand in the air. The car swerved.

Renee held onto the top of her seat belt to keep from flying about as the road leveled out. A car laid on its horn as they entered the highway inches away from colliding into it broadside.

Heart in throat, Renee closed her eyes as the car swerved again before shooting down the road. Opening them, out the corner of her eyes she saw a few wolves running alongside the road, although not as many as before.

She placed her palm on her forehead to calm the throbbing in her temples and fight the nausea rising in her belly.

“Stay with me, this is all for you. Pay attention,” the man snapped at her.

Renee’s hand dropped. Blue lights flashed behind them and a few in front of them. Ahead, a large dump truck, workers, and construction barricades were on the road.

“What do you mean?” Was he going to stop? She tried to swallow and couldn’t.

He pressed the accelerator. “I can survive this, you can’t.”

Crazy as a bat in hell, that’s what he was. They sped toward the truck.

Her heart slammed into her chest as if it wanted to save itself and leave her behind. “Slow down,” she yelled.

Staring ahead, he laughed.

Tears ran down her cheeks. The workers ran to the side. The impact would flatten her and the car like day old pancakes.

“Oh God, oh God, help me!” she screamed and ducked.

Chapter 39

Running across the rocky terrain, Mélange followed Renee’s scent. When her mate didn’t answer the phone, Mélange left the hotel. She could find Renee anywhere.

Across the plains, into the desert, Renee’s scent left town and weaved upward into the nearby mountains. Coming up over a hill, the scent grew stronger with spikes of fear from the car speeding toward the construction site.

Adrenaline pumped through Mélange’s blood. With a loud roar, she shifted into her largest form and leapt forward into the path of the speeding car.

The fiberglass dented and flew off as her feet made contact with the right side, causing it to spin and then flip twice before stopping on the side of the road.

Smoke and dust filled the air. KnightForce arrived and cleared the area of the full-blood workers as she inhaled large gulps of air. Standing slowly Mélange shook her head to stop the ringing and walked toward Renee. The driver’s door opened and a male stepped out, shaking his head before his gaze landed on her.

“What are you doing here?” the man asked.

Mélange ignored him and searched for her mate. Renee lay slumped on her side in the back seat, alive and breathing.

She turned to face her enemy. “You took my mate.”

“I know that. I’m giving you your freedom, you don’t really want a human mate.”

Mélange morphed to human. “Elyria?”

He grinned. “You always know.”

“What the fuck are you doing? I told you to leave Renee alone, she’s my mate, my wolf won’t allow you to hurt her.”

He held out his hands in a placating manner as his skin re-knitted. “The fates made a mistake. She’s not your mate, I am. We’re…we’re good together.”

“We were, but that’s over.”

“No!” He pulled the door off its hinges and threw it across the road. It flew through the air like a wingless bird, landing crumpled, useless. Elyria stalked forward, shedding the male persona with each step. “We’re a team. We look out for each other, help each other. You don’t need her.” She pointed toward Renee.

“Yes, I do. She’s my mate. The other part of me,” Mélange said. KnightForce members formed a large, loose circle around them.

Elyria’s hands flew to her head and covered her ears. “No, you don’t mean that. Can’t mean that.”

Mélange looked toward the car and growled at the full-blood checking on her mate. He looked at her and stepped away.

“Go home, Elyria. Leave Renee and I alone.” Mélange stepped toward the car.

Elyria slammed into her, knocking her across the clearing. Mélange shook it off and rolled to the side to avoid another blow.

“You tricked me,” Elyria snarled before jumping and lashing out her foot.

Mélange leaned back, avoiding contact, and then kicked Elyria in the back as she spun. Elyria landed face down into the dirt. Mélange strode toward the car.

“Get Renee, I’ll take care of your playmate,” Jasmine said walking through the crowd to enter the clearing.

Elyria stopped and then laughed.

Jasmine raised her hand and then pointed it at Elyria. The woman’s head snapped back and she stumbled, but didn’t fall.

“That energy’s familiar, feels good,” Elyria said, grinning.

Out of the corner of Jasmine’s eyes she saw Mélange carry Renee in her arms and run down the hill. Elyria leapt forward, claws outstretched.

Jasmine raised her hand.

Elyria slammed into an invisible wall of energy and bounced back several feet. On the ground, she shook her head, jumped up and ran forward again. Jasmine walked to the side a few steps, made a fist and then threw a punch.

The energy blast lifted Elyria off the ground and tossed her back a few feet. Smoke rose from the middle of her chest as she lay on the ground.

“Jasmine.”

“Not now, Silas. We agreed I’d handle this.”

“I know…but, she’s calling out to me, for the first time. I can’t not respond…”

“Shut her out.”
In a few minutes it wouldn’t matter.

Jasmine stood over the woman.

Chest heaving, Elyria met her gaze and then laughed. “He won’t let you kill me. I’m his first born. His special seed, the one to form his legacy. This all belongs to me.”

Jasmine touched Elyria’s foot. Ice cold energy shot between them. Elyria’s body shook on the ground as if touched by an electrical wire.

“Father!” Elyria screamed.

“Jasmine stop,”
Silas said.
“Please for me, stop.”

“I’m doing this for you, for us, for the pack, Silas, because you can’t,”
Jasmine said.

“Father help me!” Elyria screamed, tears running down her cheeks.

Fire flowed through their link, canceling the cold. The slap of energy made Jasmine stumble. Elyria gasped, shook a few times, and then lay pliant on the ground.

“You shouldn’t have done that,”
Jasmine said to Silas and then shut down their link.

Elyria tried to stand. “I told you,” she gasped.

Jasmine placed her foot on her chest. Energy hummed through her as she thought of every life Elyria stole.

“Elyria, you’ve been charged with taking the lives of several pack members for no reason other than boredom. You flagrantly destroyed the life of Armin and Cyndy Bret, Velris Fresm, Anita Trant, two innocent females on the highway, security personnel at my home, and kidnapped Sarita, the daughter of my heart. As La Patroness I judge you guilty and the penalty is death by my hand alone.”

“Fuck you,” Elyria screamed, and then grabbed her head. “No, no, no! You can’ t! Father, stop this bitch!” She tried to push Jasmine’s foot away.

Increasing the pressure, Jasmine released a stream of blistering energy binding her and Elyria. The woman screamed as the energy penetrated every cell of her body, intensifying each second. Jasmine sensed Silas’ presence, heard him speaking in the hum of background noise.

“
You can’t kill me. My father won’t allow it
,” Elyria said through their temporary bond.

“
Perhaps, we’ll see who he chooses. If he saves you, I die
.”

Elyria screamed as the fire inched up her body. “
Kill me already
!”

“
I’m not a wolf, my methods of fighting are different
.”

“
Father, for once be a true father
…” Elyria murmured and then breathed a sigh of relief before looking at Jasmine with a smug grin. “
He chose me
.” She tried to remove Jasmine’s foot and couldn’t.

Jasmine raised her arm and punched downward. Elyria’s body lifted and then slammed so hard into the ground half her body was buried. When Jasmine touched Elyria again, she snatched the air from her lungs and withheld it. Fire raced through Elyria on a loop coming back through Jasmine.

Elyria’s body shook. Her face turned several colors as she gasped for air. She lifted her hand and then dropped it as her heart stopped. Jasmine didn’t move until she knew the heart wouldn’t heal or regenerate.

Livid over the lives this woman stole over the years, Jasmine broke the connection and dispelled the disturbing images she’d just seen. The Goddess had been kind to say Elyria wasn’t right in her mind. Elyria’s twisted mind had turned her into a monster. Mélange had been the only person she cared for enough to spare the depth of her depravity.

“
Asia?
” Jasmine sought her friend.

“
Mistress.”

“Elyria is dead. According to Mélange, that breaks the power of the necklace. Search for a signal and bring my baby home.”

“Thank you, thank you, we’ll find her and return home soon
.”

Jasmine looked over her shoulder. Silas stood with his hands in his pockets, staring at Elyria’s smoking corpse.

Tyrone and Tyrese approached her. “Mom? You okay?” Tyrese asked.

Not really. The separation from her mate bothered her, but he’d crossed a line and even though she understood his interference on one level, she never thought he’d challenge her.

“Yeah, let’s go.” She walked between the two of them and headed toward the car she’d arrived in. Rubbing her arms as the car gained distance from her mate, she hoped they’d be able to repair this breach. “I need to check on Renee.”

Tyrese passed her his phone.

“Go to the hotel, Mélange probably took her there.”

“No, they went to the compound, Matt’s working on her. Dad sent a text,” Tyrese said.

“Good, good.” Matt was a good doctor and her ex-husband’s mate. She closed her eyes, remembering the slap of energy Silas sent, it still stung.

“Mom?”

“Hmm?”

“You okay?” Tyrese asked.

“Yeah, a little tired.”

“Your eyes, they’re still that weird color they get when you go into…whatever mode that is you do,” Tyrone said.

“Okay.” She didn’t care, right now she wanted to curl into a ball and sleep.

“What you did back there, it was different,” Tyrese said.

“I don’t feel like talking,” she said.

“Right. One question,” Tyrese said.

“One.” She opened her eyes and met his gaze.

“How’d you do that cloud thing?”

Jasmine frowned. “What?”

“When you had your foot on her chest, you were wrapped in some type of fog or cloud, the energy flying off you pushed everybody back. Didn’t you notice how much further away we stood when you stopped?”

She hadn’t. “I don’t know how I did it. Like everything else, it comes to me and I just follow my instincts.”

“Well, I just want to say that was the most epic non-fight I’ve ever seen,” Tyrone said. “Who was she? Did you find out where’s Sarita?”

Jasmine hadn’t asked because she knew Sarita would be free with Elyria’s death. “Asia will find her soon.” She didn’t address Elyria’s background. Silas thought it best to allow the secret to remain in place. But that was before she killed his firstborn, he may have changed his mind.

They entered the compound and Jasmine went in search of Renee. Matt walked out of a room and changed directions when he saw her.

“She’s fine. Some bruises and bumps, nothing time won’t heal. I’ve got her on bedrest for the next 48 hours,” he said.

Jasmine released a long sigh and then hugged him. “Thank you so much, I appreciate it.”

Matt patted her back as his mate walked toward them. “She’s okay, then?” Damian asked.

“Yes, Mélange is with her now,” Matt answered, and then looked at Jasmine. “If you want to talk to her, go in now before the medicine kicks in.”

“Thanks again.” She entered the dim room. Mélange lay next to Renee on the bed, her arm draped over Renee’s waist as if tethering her to the bed. When Jasmine entered, Mélange’s eyes opened and then lifted.

“Elyria?”

“Dead.” Jasmine wondered what Mélange knew of Elyria’s background.

“Are you sure? Over the years I’ve seen her survive all kinds of attacks. For someone with no surgical enhancements, she was hard to kill.”

“You tried?”

“No, but others have.”

“Do you know her next of kin?”

“No, that was the one thing she never talked about. I don’t know anything about her family or if she had one. Maybe she’s an orphan.”

Jasmine didn’t respond.

“How’s my sister?”

“Resting. He gave her something, knocked her right out. I’ll tell her you came by.”

“Thanks. Take care of her, she’s special,” Jasmine said, walking toward the door.

“Yes she is, the Goddess smiled on me with her.” Mélange placed a kiss on Renee’s cheek.

“We own a place in Canada, Elyria may have left the child there.”

“What? Where?” Jasmine asked, excited for any information that’d help.

Mélange gave her the coordinates. “If she’s not there, I’ll give you a list of properties we own together. Now that the necklace is broken the child will be scared and alone.”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you,” Mélange said.

Jasmine closed the door. “
Asia. I have the coordinates
.”