The bitter taste of iron swirled on my tongue. I could feel my father’s anger weighing on me. I knew that with our current resources we had no clue how to find a powerful Sorceress quickly, even coupled with Devon’s vast computer skills. Wolves concerned themselves about wolves. Evil Goddesses, imps, demons, or vamps were completely ignored until a problem arose. Hell, I didn’t even know Selene was real until I saw her in the flesh. I’d only heard rumors, but had dismissed them like everyone else.
If I declined the Queen’s help, I would be going home cold. It could take me weeks of interviews to come up with any viable way to track Rourke. If Selene had multiple lairs, it would take longer. We had her scent, but could only track her accurately on the ground. If she could fly, which I was assuming without a doubt she could—flight being a credential of card-carrying high-level supes—Evil Goddesses included—by then it would be too late.
I knew it in my bones.
If I played this game correctly, I could bind the Vampire Queen to keep her end of the bargain, which would include not killing me. I knew whatever she wanted from me mattered a great deal to her, or we wouldn’t be dancing together right now.
I shuddered, knowing the price might be too steep for me to pay, but if I didn’t try, I would lose my mate.
“What would it cost me?” I asked the Queen.
“Jessica,” my father roared. He turned to me, his fury pinging around the room. “I forbid this!” His command swirled in my blood, teasing me at its edges, but it was a command from the Alpha—not a blood-request from my father—and even though it tried to capture me, to make me obey, it didn’t hold me. It seemed my father and I had entered into a complicated relationship when we had unwittingly swapped blood. His Alpha commands still did not affect me, but as a father he could manipulate our new blooded bond if he chose. But, clearly right now, as a father he loved me, even if his Alphaness was furious with me. I had to hope that as a father he would ultimately understand what it meant to have a mate and what I had to do to get him back.
“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice pleading. “Please forgive me, but I have no other choice. I have to do this or I will lose him. I owe it to him to try.”
“Jessica, there is nothing in this world worth binding yourself to them for. We will find your mate on our own, with our own kind.” My father’s blood danced in my body, rich and angry, but no other command came.
“I will accept that,” I said quietly, dropping my eyes, giving him my full submission. “If you can tell me where Selene is right now. Do you, or any of your wolves, know anything about her? If you know where she is, I will follow you from here without pause. I promise to leave this place and never look back. If not, you must understand I must do this.”
My father grappled with the knowledge that his Alpha command hadn’t taken. The wolves behind us started to become agitated. This would not go unnoticed. I had just defied my Alpha in a very public arena, in front of our enemy.
I had a stark moment of regret.
I was on a very dangerous ground. Everything I’d done so far had screamed something was wrong with me, that I wasn’t a normal wolf. The Pack was already fractured, and I was putting them in danger by showing that weakness to our enemy.
My wolf shot to the surface, growling as menacingly as I’d ever seen her. I know. You don’t have to remind me. This is a cluster-fuck, and we choose Rourke. It doesn’t mean I’m not sorry it turned out this way. We’re going up against our Alpha, my father, in front of the whole damn world. It’s going to come back and bite us, I know it will. No wolf is going to trust me when they know the Alpha can’t control me. It’s a big deal.
She huffed.
I had no other choice. My wolf and my body both demanded I find him. There was no other option. “I can’t explain it”—unfamiliar emotion erupted as I spoke—”but I know Rourke only has a short amount of time. If we take too long, I will lose him. Give me another choice, and I will gladly take it.” Then I said very, very quietly, “There may be some things in this world worth binding yourself for.”
My father ran a hand over his face. He had incredible control, but I could see a faint line of fur erupting on his forearms. He was trying hard to contain himself. I didn’t even sneak a glance at the Queen, who was likely elated with her soon-to-be victory.
The wolves behind us growled and shifted uncomfortably. There was also a low murmur running through the crowd of vamps. They weren’t familiar with our ways, but they knew enough to know that this interaction between us was wrong. It was likely physically impossible for most of the vamps to go against a direct order from their Queen.
My father still said nothing. My eyes pleaded with him to understand.
After a moment, I felt a shift. His eyes flashed a deep violet, and calmness wove its way through me. He’d made his decision. Whatever it was, I’d have to live with it. His voice was strong and final. “Jessica, you leave me no other choice. If you take this path, you will receive no help from us. You make this choice separate from Pack, acting on your own as an individual.” He was giving me an option. He was trying to fix this.