Twisted (Rogues Shifter Series Book 3) (18 page)

I met his gaze with my pain-blurred vision and nodded. I could do this.
I looked at William. “I’ll be fine. We’ll get her back.”

I doubled over
from a hard thump in the gut and Liam supported me to keep me from collapsing. “Bathroom…fast,”  I croaked out. Will grabbed my arm and raced me to the toilet where I threw up what little I had left in my stomach from dinner.  I felt a hard smack against my ribs as if I’d been kicked and I collapsed onto the tiled floor. Will took a wet washcloth and wiped off my face and held me close to him, whispering soft words that I couldn’t make out over the pounding pain.

It went on for another minute
and then it was over. William rubbed my back as I continued to cling to him. Liam returned, putting his hand once more on my forehead. ”Sinc has packed some things for you. You’ll be traveling through the lines with Garrett and me. I can take you both. We’re going directly to the last site we searched. Go to your room and get ready. You need to dress in warm clothing, hiking boots and a warm jacket with a hood. We will be moving quickly and you can’t slow us down.”

“I won’t slow you down
. If I do, I’ll shift and you guys can carry my shit.” I was mostly pissed at Kennet for hurting Jackie so badly, but Liam was getting to me too. He smiled and nodded, amused by my defiance.

William supported me enough so I could make it to my room, then
Sinc helped me change into sweatpants, a tee shirt, a hoodie, hiking boots and a jacket with another hood. I felt like an idiot because it was late July, but we’d be near the shore and the mountains weren’t far. It would be cold at night.

I came out of my room and looked around at everyone. Sinc hugged me and kissed my cheek. Heinrich gave me a little bow, Sasha smiled and said “No whining.” That made me smile back. William wrapped his arms around me and kissed me in front of everyone. I felt like some superhero going off to battle the evil enemy
. Well—I kinda was. At least I was going to help the others find him so
they
could battle him.

Garrett
took my hand, draped my backpack over his shoulder and said to Sasha, “Call the others to come home. Sinc, get Ethan and Kyle on a private jet from the nearest airport. Brina will want to go back to Faerie, but she can get them to the airport. Keep security tight, Rick."

"Good luck, Garrett." Sasha squeezed his shoulder. Garrett smiled at all of us, then nodded at Liam who accepted
Garrett’s hand in his. Instantly, we were traveling through the burning power of the ley lines.

Chapter Thirty-four

Garrett: 3:00 AM Friday

We arrived at the last place we’d searched, to find Aedus and Samson already waiting for us. Samson greeted each one enthusiastically, especially Bridgett who seemed happy to see him too. Liam spoke quietly to his brother in Fae about what had happened and then we started north. The storm had passed over, but the ground was wet and strewn with debris so it was hard going, especially for Bridgett. Liam gave her a few stern looks and she did her best but in the end I threw her on my back. She was still sore from the beating she'd received, her connection to Jackie a mystery to all of us.

I was concerned that because of the storm I wouldn’t recognize the clearing. The loganberry bushes might have been uprooted or the
fallen logs covered in debris. But it wasn’t the look of the clearing that would help us find it.

Samson started to bark
excitedly, then ran off, the rest of us following him as quickly as we could manage, our hearts pounding with hopeful anticipation. The clearing opened up before me like an illustration from a favorite story. I was shocked to see that it was exactly as I had remembered it. I wondered if Isaiah had been clever enough to show me the clearing as it would look
after
the storm so I would be certain to recognize it.

I sat down on the ground where Jackie and I had made love and
breathed in slowly. Although vampires have an amazing sense of smell, I gathered that Samson had been drawn here by his canine fae blood. Liam and Aedus spoke together quietly, working out how to begin their search. I could detect none of her scent, the rain having washed it to ground, but memories of her loving words and her faith in me and also in Isaiah's training gave me a jolt of confidence.

The moon was three quarters full and beams of light made their way through tree branches to the floor of the forest around us. Liam, Aedus and Bridgett had also settled themselves around the clearing to relax and regroup. No one spoke for a few minutes. Finally, Bridgett stood and started to take off her coat. “Are we sticking around here for a while?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“I’m hungry and I need energy. I’m going hunting. I’ll take Samson if that’s ok
ay with you guys. When I get back, Garrett can feed from me, ‘cause he’s as cold as a corpse right now.”

As annoying as
Bridgett could be at times, her quick mind seemed to grasp the seriousness of the situation. Having ridden part of the way on my back, she'd sensed that I needed to feed very soon. I’d been stupid not to feed as soon as I'd gotten home, before I got involved in the drama of Bridgett and Will and then the pool games. I was heading out the door when Bridgett had her seizure, so that had been the end of that. As she stripped and threw her clothes into a pile at her feet, I thought about what this young woman had been through in her life and admitted to myself that she had more strength than we gave her credit for.

She took off in cheetah form with Samson barking and running happily beside her. We watched in admiration as her graceful cat leapt over a fallen branch and bound off into the brush. I looked at the two bro
thers as her ringed-patterned tail disappeared around a tree.

“She’d be easier to take if she stayed in cheetah form.” Aedus, always the logical one, never wasted words.

We laughed. “I agree.” Liam said, nodding.

“She’s growing on me. I see more and more of Jackie in her.”
I added.

Liam looked at me as if I’d sprouted horns. “She’s nothing like Jacqueline.”

“She has the same courage and determination. She’s much stronger than we know.”

“She couldn’t keep up today.”

“She was never encouraged by the wolves to work out or even eat healthy food. A shifter needs a different diet than a wolf. She may be vitamin deficient." I shrugged.

“She’s—
puny.” Aedus arched an eyebrow as Liam and I laughed at his word choice.

“You
’re over six and a half feet tall, Aedus. Most people are puny compared to you." He graced us with a rare smile.

“So how are your families?” I looked from one to the other.

“Our father and mothers are well.” Liam answered formally.

“
And your lovely redhead?” I asked, remembering what Jackie had told me about their conversation.

He laughed. “Kellaine
is very well, as is Aedus’ lady.”

“Ah, the mysterious lady that you ke
ep hidden away. Who is she?” I asked, smiling.

“
She would never permit me to hide her away. She is as much in the eyes and the hearts of Cascade as I am. But Garrett, you know that it is customary for the heir to
play the field
, as the humans say. It has been made clear by the Elders that I should not tie myself to one female.”

“But
that isn’t your way is it? You’re already tied to her, aren’t you? “

Aedus frowned. “
Philladre and I have been together for many centuries. That information is known only to a few of my close friends. If I hear that you've spoken of it, I will yank out your fangs.” He remained cool and calm as he threatened me with something he was quite prepared to do.

“Ouch. You fae are such a violent lot.”
Liam laughed, but Aedus only allowed his mouth to twitch. "I knew it was Philladre. The way you look at each other, you might as well hand out the binding invitations tomorrow. I'm sure everyone knows." I looked at Liam and he nodded. She was the daughter of Lady Dinestri, an Elder, and Lord Howett. She was at all the same functions as Aedus, so they were thrown together in public over and over.

After a few seconds
, his normally cool expression morphed into a grin. I found myself grinning back. It felt good to think about someone else's happiness for a change.

"And we t
hought we were being discreet."

"You can't peel your eyes away from
Philladre when she's anywhere nearby. And if another male approaches her, he's often asked to enjoy a sparing match with my brother. Guess who wins?" Liam teased.

We heard Samson
's bark in the distance, so we changed the subject and talked about how to proceed. The best course was that Aedus and I would start searching again, using the clearing as the center point of our grid, and leaving Liam to watch after Bridgett while she slept. Her cheetah appeared fifteen minutes later, looking well fed. She shifted and dressed and came to sit next to me. When she lifted her wrist, I shook my head and pushed it away.

“Jackie’s the only person that I drink from. I take energy ano
ther way from shifters. I just need to hold you, if you’ll permit me.”

“Sure.”

She fell asleep almost immediately, so when I finished, I laid her down on a dry spot under a tree and moved her hood up to act as a pillow.

“I see
that you care about her.” Aedus’ look was curious.

“Jackie loves her. She traded herself for Bridgett’s sake. I need to kee
p her safe.”

“
Jacqueline was whipped because she would not give in to his demands.”

I nodded. “I told her to let him take her, so she wouldn’t have to go though anything like t
his. I was being selfish. To ask someone to submit to rape is unconscionable, but I want her back alive."

“
Perhaps submitting would be worse for her. She would feel ashamed and think that she betrayed you.” I glared at him and he responded with a frown. “I’m only mentioning what she
might
feel, not that she
should
feel that way. She is still fighting him and not giving in. She keeps her self respect, which sometimes is all we have left.”

I nodded. “Let’s go.”

We searched the area during the final two hours before dawn. There was no sign of Kennet or Jackie or even Isaiah, the mysterious voice in my head. I found a spot not far from the clearing which was thick with trees, where very little light would escape to the ground, and crawled under some even thicker brush. Liam and Aedus covered it with more leaves and an opaque tarp, making it secure from the light. This was the major drawback of life as an undead. I closed my eyes and prayed for a dream about my dear mate.

Liam stood guard while Aedus, Bridgett an
d I slept. Aedus relieved Liam four hours later. Unfortunately, I didn't dream.

Chapter Thirty-five

Jackie: 1:00 PM Friday

I’d eventually fallen asleep after making some progress on the block, although I’d fought to stay awake. My body’s needs overpowered my will to escape and I drifted into a dreamless sleep.

When I woke up, I saw that food
had been laid out for me. After some thought, I ate. I’d considered a hunger strike, but then my body wouldn’t be at its best. I’d also considered the idea that Kennet might have drugged the food, but I couldn’t smell anything
off
about it and so far he hadn’t drugged any of my other meals. I ate.

The doctor reappeared to take off the bandages and check my wounds. My skin was perfect, with only a tiny bit of redness where the deeper cuts had been. Part of me wondered if I’d been permanently disfigured would Kennet have let me go, but I knew in my heart that he would never release me now. He would ke
ep me here to torture or rape, or he’d make me his ‘Lady’ so he could torture and rape me in a fancier environment. Even if I gave him his heir, he would want another, just in case. Then, when he was done with me he'd kill me as he had his other ‘ladies’.

The doctor left silently, both of us agreeing not to speak to the other.
I rested on the bed and went back to working vigorously on unlocking Kennet’s block on the lines. Kennet would be here soon and I'd have to survive the pain of his torture again. I allowed my secret gift to flow through my veins and give me just a little extra strength to get through what was to come, but then hid it away when I felt the cold energy of Kennet's return. My decision was made and I accepted the fact that I may not survive the next hours.

He looked me over and smiled. “Jacqueline, you’ve fully recovered, I see. Your healing powers are strong.”

As soon as I saw him standing next to my bed, I started to tremble. Adrenaline shot through my bloodstream in such large amounts that I couldn’t speak as my fear choked me. My throat was sore from screaming so I croaked out, “Kennet, you should let me go. I’ll tell Lord Caelen and the other Elders that you were kind to me. Please. I’ll tell them whatever you want.”