Trace's Temptation (RARE Series, #3) (15 page)

Pain squeezing her heart, Jade swung her gaze to where Phoenix opened the driver’s side door and stepped out.  Opening the door behind the driver’s seat, he gathered Rikki in his arms and carried her to the plane.  Quickly following them up the stairs, Jade paused in confusion.  “You were with Jinx?” she asked, catching her brother’s scent on Rikki.

“Your brother saved Rikki’s life,” Angel said from her seat at the front of the plane.  “If it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t be here now.”

“She’s different,” Jade whispered.  “You changed her.”

“I had to.  It was the only way to save her.”  Angel responded.  “Although, I didn’t even know that was possible.  I thought only mates could change humans.”

Shaking her head, Jade said, “Alphas can, too.  Strong Alphas.”

‘So I learned,” Angel muttered.  Jade stiffened when Angel’s angry eyes met hers.  “So, tell me Jade.  Did you learn that from Jinx or from your father?”

When Jade didn’t respond, Angel continued, “Because from what Jinx told me, he learned it from your father.  A father that I presumed was not only dead, but had been dead for the past 24 years.”

Jade’s breath caught in her throat.  Seeing the anguish on Angel’s face, Jade was unsure how to respond.  Shaking her head, Angel turned away.  “You know what?  Keep your damn secrets.  I don’t fucking care anymore.”

“Angel,” Jade said hesitantly.  When she refused to respond, Jade slowly walked over to her.  Reaching out, Jade rested a hand on her mother’s shoulder.  Pulling away from her, Angel told her coldly, “Go find a seat, Jade.  We need to get Rikki home.”

Fighting tears at the sting of her mother’s rejection, Jade whispered, “I’m sorry.  I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t.  I’ve never met my father.  All I know is the General didn’t kill him.  He keeps him locked up somewhere like he did me, except the General does experiments on him.  Jinx won’t tell me anymore than that.”

Ignoring everyone else on the plane, Jade slowly made her way back to Rikki.  She’d just lost her mother, which meant she’d probably lost the support of the whole team.  What did that mean with Trace?  Did she lose her mate too?  Huddling up on the floor next to Rikki, Jade pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms tightly around them.  Resting her head on her knees, she let her tears flow freely. 

Hearing a growl, Jade looked up to see a very pissed off Trace.  He’d shifted to his panther form, and letting out a huge roar, he let everyone know how angry he was.  Baring his teeth in Angels direction, he roared again.  Starr stood up and went to his side, standing in front of Angel. 

“You told me earlier that I should stop and think before I opened my mouth when I was upset with Trace.  Maybe you should do the same thing,” Starr told Angel.  “Just hours before you were prepared to defend your daughter, now you are mean and cruel to her?  Why don’t you ask her why she didn’t tell you about her father instead of pushing her away?”  Shaking her head, Starr turned from Angel and went to sit back down. 

Letting out another threatening growl, Trace made his way back to Jade, curling up next to her.  Sliding down, Jade rested her head on Trace’s side and slowly fell asleep, letting go of the emotional misery for now.

A
s soon as the plane touched down in Denver, Nico came to the back and squatted down next to Jade.  Keeping an eye on Trace, he said quietly, “Give her time, Jade.  She just found you not too long ago, then she finds out that the son she thought died at birth is really alive.  And now she finds out a man she used to care deeply for, the father of her children, is being held by the General and being experimented on.  She just needs time.  She’ll come around.”  Lifting Rikki into his arms, Nico stood up and walked down the aisle and out the door.

Jade waited until everyone was off the plane before standing up.  Running a hand through her hair, she tiredly looked down at Trace.  “I suppose you are upset with me, too?” she asked softly. 

In moments, Trace was shifted and tugging her into his arms.  “No, sweetheart, I’m not upset with you.”  Slipping a finger under her chin, he tilted her head back so he could look in her eyes.  “Jade, I have spent my entire life holding secrets inside to protect others.  Believe me when I say, I will never be upset with your for withholding information that could get someone else killed.”

Smiling at Trace, Jade let her love for him shine through for him to see.  She couldn’t believe she’d found a mate as kind and understanding as he was fiercely protective.  Slipping her arms around his neck she touched her lips softly to his.  Pulling back at his low groan, she whispered, “We need to go with Rikki to the hospital, Trace.  And we need to see how Gypsy and Sari are.”

“Yeah,” Trace grunted as he tugged on her hair with a grimace.  “We also need to figure out if I still have an apartment.  And what we are going to do with my mother and sister.”  Reaching up, he opened the compartment above the seat and pulled out some clothes.  “Good thing we keep this plane well stocked,” he chuckled.  “I seem to be going through a lot of clothes lately.”

“You’re moving around easier,” Jade observed as she followed him down the aisle after he dressed.

“The shifting helps,” he said, “but it tires me out.  And my legs are killing me.” 

“The doctor said they would for a while, but eventually you will be fine,” Jade commented as her eyes strayed to his ass.  Damn, it was a nice ass.  Her hands itched to touch it, to caress it.  Feeling a blush steal over her face as he stopped and looked at her, she shrugged.  “What?”

“I don’t know, you tell me,” he growled.  “I can smell your lust and it’s driving me crazy.  I don’t know if we’re going to make it off this plane without me taking you.”

“We have to,” Jade squeaked, taking a small step back.  “They’re waiting for us.”

“Let them wait,” Trace spit out right before he grabbed her and yanked her up against him.  Jade gasped as she felt his hard length push against her thigh.  Moaning, she pulled his lips down to hers, quickly opening her mouth to allow him access. 

“Can you at least wait until we get to the White River Wolves’ compound?” Jaxson asked dryly from the doorway.  When Trace turned a dangerous look his way letting a low rumble work its way up his chest, Jaxson held up his hands with a smirk and backed slowly away.  “We’ll wait in the SUV for you,” he said on a laugh.

Letting a small smile escape, Jade said, “Maybe we should get going.”  Reluctantly, she pulled back from Trace and gently pushed him toward the door, giggling at the pained expression he threw her way.

Leaving the plane and making her way down the steps outside, Jade glanced up and froze when she caught Angel’s gaze.  Making herself continue, she hesitated when she reached the pavement below, glancing in Angel’s direction again.  Forcing herself to hold back her tears as her mother turned away and got in the first waiting SUV, Jade followed Jaxson to the second one.  Ryker sat in the passenger seat with Sophia and Starr in the very back, so she slid in the middle row with Trace.  The ride to the compound was a quiet one, everyone preoccupied with their own thoughts. 

When they reached the hospital, Chase was waiting for them on the front steps.  As they exited the vehicle, Jade was once again engulfed in fear.  Would her Alpha make her leave since she had managed to piss off his mate?  God, she growled to herself, when did she become such a pansy?  She’d lived her whole life without an Alpha.  If Chase sent her away now, it would be no different.  However, the ache in her chest said it would be. 

Stopping in front of them, Chase glanced over to the other SUV where Doc Josie insisted on looking Rikki over before moving her into the hospital.  Angel looked over, her eyes landing on Jade, before coldly looking away.  The tension between the two women was obvious. 

Looking back at Jade, Chase lifted an eyebrow inquiringly.  Stiffening her shoulders she told him, “Angel just found out my father is still alive.  I kept it from her because I was trying to protect him, and because Jinx told me to.  The General has him.”  Her voice catching she finished softly, “She doesn’t want to be around me because I have too many secrets.”  Holding her head high, her bottom lip quivering, she waited for Chase to tell her to leave.  Instead, he stepped forward and gently touched her shoulder.  Jade sighed, her whole body trembling when she felt his power seeping into her.  “I’m sure she just needs time to digest it, Jade.  Until then, you are more than welcome to stay here.  Both of you,” he said, including Trace.  “Your family is welcome, too, Trace.  I have two open apartments.  When everyone is ready, I will have one of my enforcers take you to them.”

“Thank you,” Trace said gratefully, shaking Chase’s hand.  “Thank you for making my family and mate feel welcome.”  Jade didn’t miss the glare he sent in Angel’s direction. 

“Jade’s pack,” Chase responded.  “She will always be welcome on my lands.”  With one last gentle squeeze of Jade’s shoulder, he was gone.  Jade watched him head back to his office.  He looked so alone.  Sighing deeply, she laced her fingers with Trace’s and they followed Sophia and Starr up the stairs and into the hospital. 

Starr refused to be separated from her mother, so the nurses took them to the same room to wait for the doctor.  After being held by Perez for the past couple of days while waiting for Trace to show, Trace insisted they be seen by Doc Josie.  He knew his father hadn’t been easy on them.  The dark bruise on Starr’s face was proof of that.

While Sophia and Starr were waiting to be seen, Jade and Trace went to Gypsy’s room.  She was sound asleep.  “The poor woman hasn’t woken up yet,” a nurse said from the doorway.  “It’s almost as if she doesn’t want to.”

“Thank you,” Jade said to the nurse.  As soon as the nurse left, Jade turned to Trace.  “Let me see what I can find out,” Moving to the foot of the bed, Jade gently placed a hand on Gypsy’s ankle.  Closing her eyes, she slowly dropped her shields partway and let herself feel the emotions that were pouring out of Gypsy.  Fear, pain, and confusion were at the forefront of her thoughts. 
Come back, Gypsy,
Jade whispered into her mind. 
Come back to us.

I don’t want to,
Gypsy said. 
Please don’t make me.  It hurts too much.

Sending waves of peace and calm into the frightened woman, Jade responded,
You need to come back, Gypsy.  Sari needs you.

Sari?
Gypsy asked in confusion. 
Who’s Sari?

Sari, your sister.  You do remember your sister, don’t you?
Jade questioned gently.

I don’t have a sister,
Gypsy said. 
At least, I don’t think I have a sister.  I...I don’t know.  I can’t remember.  I don’t remember anything.

Breathing deeply, Jade slowly connected with Gypsy, but all she saw was a lost, scared woman.  Gypsy wasn’t lying.  She had no idea who Sari was.  She had no idea who she was.  Slowly easing back out of Gypsy’s mind, Jade whispered,
Come back to us.  There’s no reason to be afraid.  I will give you all the answers you are seeking.

Opening her eyes, Jade looked at Trace.  “She has no idea who she is, who Sari is.  She’s so scared.”  Moving to the head of the bed, she placed a hand gently on Gypsy’s swollen face.  “Come back to us, Gypsy,” she ordered softly.  “It’s time for you to come back.”

As she watched, Gypsy’s eyelids began to flutter.  After a few moments, Jade was looking into her dark, pain filled gaze as tears streamed down her cheeks.  “She needs more pain medicine,” Jade told Trace, not taking her gaze from Gypsy’s.  Trace went to the door and hollered for a nurse. 

“Can I help you?” the nurse asked as she entered the room.

“She needs more pain medicine,” Jade told her.  When the nurse didn’t move right away, Jade growled, “Now!”  Jumping, the nurse ran from the room.

Trace moved forward to stand by Jade’s side, slipping an arm around her waist.

“Do you remember me, Gypsy?” Trace asked quietly.  Gypsy shook her head no, grimacing slightly at the pain the movement caused.  Trace’s hand tightened on Jade’s hip.  “What’s the last thing you remember?” he asked.

Jade watched in sympathetic silence as Gypsy fought to remember.  After several moments she whispered, “Nothing.  I don’t remember anything.”  Looking up at them, she whispered, “Why can’t I remember anything?  Why do I hurt so much?  God, everything hurts.”

Jade pushed more calming vibes Gypsy’s way to try and keep her calm.  “It’s okay, Gypsy,” she said with a small smile, “your memory will come back.  You’ve been through a lot and you just need some rest.”

Nodding weakly, the frightened woman lay back against her pillow, gazing around the room uncertainly.  “Where am I?”

“You’re at the hospital and you are safe,” Doc Josie said as she made her way into the room.  “I’m Doc Josie and I’m going to take care of you.”  Glancing at Trace and Jade, the doctor gestured towards the door, “Why don’t you go and get some rest.  Sari’s asleep right now and will be for some time.  I’m going to talk to Gypsy for a few minutes and then she’s going to get some rest, also.  You can come back tomorrow if you would like.”

“Are they going to be alright, Doc,” Trace asked as he let go of Jade’s hip and took her hand in his. 

“They will both be fine after some time,” Josie responded.  “We can discuss it at more length tomorrow.  Don’t think I have overlooked the fact that you have pushed yourself to the limit, Trace.  You are obviously in pain and exhausted.  Now go get some rest before I admit you back into the hospital.”

“I’m going, Doc,” Trace agreed tiredly, “but we have to wait for my mom and Starr.”  When they reached the doorway, Jade turned back.  “What about Rikki?” she asked.  “Is she going to be okay?”

“She’s alive,” the doctor said, “but I’ve never heard of anyone doing what your mother did.  We will have to wait to see how it turns out.”

Nodding, Jade slipped her hand in Trace’s and they went to the waiting room to rest while they waited for Sophia and Starr.  Jade sat in a chair by Trace, leaning her head against the wall.  She was so exhausted.  Letting her eyes drift shut, she slipped into a light sleep feeling overwhelmed by everything that had happened in the past few days.