After opening one of the wipes, Roxie rubbed the inside of her elbow with it before she took off the top of the syringe and stuck the needle into her skin. She pulled out the plunger and filled it with some of her blood. Guessing at what was to come next, Jaden held out her right arm with it turned so the inside of her elbow was facing up. Roxie used the other wipe, then jabbed the needle into Jaden’s arm.
Once she pushed the plunger to inject the blood, Roxie said the words of the spell.
“The magic of the wolf’s blood is now in thee. A wolf you become to run wild and free.
Where once there were two, now only one we see.”
Jaden gasped while Roxie said them. They seemed to resonate inside her. The place where Roxie had injected her started to burn. Then, moving like quicksilver, it swept through her whole body. It felt as if Jaden was burning from the inside out. She bit her bottom lip until she tasted blood to keep herself from yelling out in pain.
When she thought she wouldn’t be able to take anymore, the burning sensation slowly started to ease until it disappeared completely. Shaking with the aftereffects, Jaden took a few deep breaths. Looking at everyone crowded around her, she found her sight was blurry. Jaden pulled off the glasses she no longer needed.
She gave everyone a shaky smile. “It worked. I can’t see through these anymore.”
She put her glasses on the table.
Saskia came and hugged her. “Welcome to the family, Jaden.” She then pulled away from Jaden sharply and gasped.
“What?” Jaden asked, scared that something had gone wrong with the spell after all.
“Your scent is different, and not just because you’re now a werewolf. It’s subtle, but it’s enough for me to smell it.” Saskia’s gaze ran over her face with shock. “You’re scent is similar to Miles’.”
“Are you sure?” Jager asked. At Saskia’s nod, he leaned in to Jaden and took a deep breath. “Holy crap. You’re right.”
Starting to feel uncomfortable, Jaden said, “How can I smell like Miles? I don’t know him, and I’ve never been near him.”
“Jaden, who is your father?” Saskia asked softly.
“I have no idea. My mother never told me. She never spoke of him. After she died, I never found anything in her belongings about him, either.”
“I know who he is. Miles is your father, which makes you my niece.”
Shocked, Jaden asked, “How can you tell just by my scent?”
“Werewolf offspring carry the scent of both their mother and father. It’s something that doesn’t go away, even after they reach adulthood. Because of that, we always know the paternity of our children. I guess being born as a mortal has somehow masked Miles’
scent, but you are most definitely his daughter.”
Learning her father was the man who had taken her mate and threatened to kill him was just not something Jaden needed. She’d always wondered what he was like, but right now, she wished he’d have remained a mystery.
Chapter Eleven
They had all moved out into the living room waiting for Miles to call. No one had been able to sleep. Jaden hadn’t been able to even sit down for any length of time. She’d sit for a few minutes, then have to get up and pace once again. No one said anything about it. There was nothing they could really do to help her. Only being with Leif would end her torment.
Precisely at dawn, Saskia’s cell phone rang.
Jaden crossed back over to stand in front of Saskia, where she sat on one of the couches next to Eli. Saskia flipped open her cell and put it on hands-free. “Hello, Miles.”
“My, aren’t we polite?” he said back. “Have you thought over my offer?”
Jaden listened to the sound of her father’s voice, wishing like hell she could reach through the phone and strangle him. He sounded too smug for her liking.
“Yes,” Saskia replied. “We’ll make the trade. Tell us where and when.”
“Really? You’re willing to hand over the foretold one just like that?”
“It’s the way she wants to do it. She rules the packs so I really don’t have any say in the matter, now do I?”
Roxie silently gave Saskia the thumbs up. They had known full well that Miles wouldn’t believe they were that willing to hand her over. There had to be a pretty good reason behind their decision.
Obviously, Miles bought it, because he then said, “And of course you wouldn’t be able to ignore a direct order from her. Doesn’t that just work out to my advantage?”
“Would you stop crowing about it and tell me where you want to make the trade?”
Saskia snapped.
“Watch how you speak to me, sister dear. I said I would give you Leif if you gave me the foretold one, but I never said in what condition he’d be in when we make the trade.”
Jaden bit the inside of her mouth to stop herself from whimpering. Her mind formed one image after another of Leif bloodied and badly beaten.
“Where, Miles?” Saskia asked impatiently.
“The warehouse that you forced me to destroy. In one hour.” He then ended the call.
Saskia stood. “Roxie and Beowulf, I suggest you go home. And don’t fight me on this, Rox. You’re pregnant and need your sleep. I’ll send Dirk with you two. Even though Miles will be a little busy dealing with us, I still don’t want you unprotected. The rest of us will take Jaden to make the trade.”
Roxie grumbled under her breath, but did as Saskia said. Before she left, she made them promise to call her once they had Leif back. Dirk followed the couple out. Saskia then motioned for everyone else to follow her.
Jaden told herself to take deep, even breaths as she followed the Protectors outside to the detached garage. Once Skylar backed the SUV out, she climbed inside it with Kye, Saskia, Eli, Roan and Ansley. Jager and Daylen were going to ride in Jager’s car. After they had all piled in, they were speeding toward the Golden Gate Bridge.
Sitting by one of the windows, Jaden pressed her forehead to the glass and concentrated on watching the scenery go by. Her hands were tightly fisted on her lap. The closer they got to the city the worse her anxiety became. At the feel of a large male hand closing over her fist, she turned her head to look at Kye.
“It’ll be all right, Jaden,” he said kindly. “You’ll get through this.”
She gave him a wavering smile. Right now, she didn’t feel as if it would ever end. It seemed as if she’d been suffering forever.
When they reached the warehouse district of the city, Skylar drove to a burned out site where an older warehouse had once stood. Jager followed behind them. Once he parked in front of the ruin, everyone got out of the SUV, except for Ansley. Roan gave his mate a quick kiss and told her to stay put.
Walking toward what was left of the warehouse with the Protectors surrounding her, Jaden told herself over and over again that she could do this. It was the only way to get Leif back. She couldn’t let herself think that she would be coming face-to-face with her father for the first time, or how much of a bastard he really was.
Once they had come to what would have been the back of the building, their group stopped a distance away from a smaller one. It consisted of one man standing out in front with two men behind him and off to the side, holding Leif hanging limply between them.
With her much improved vision, she could see he had been beaten. She then forced her gaze to the man who stood in front—her father.
The sun glinted off the same white blond hair he shared with his sister. His looks were similar to Saskia’s as well. The only difference was his violet eyes had a hard, cruel edge that his sister’s didn’t have. Like the rest of his kind, he had a werewolf’s super good looks.
Miles took a step away from his men and held up his hand. “That’ll be far enough.