Stone Cold Seduction

Chapter Twelve

Knowing there were two hunters in London was worse than not knowing they existed.

I jumped every time I brushed against another traveler rushing by. Every face looked suspicious. Every voice put me on edge, and as my anxiety increased, they became a blur. I could see why oracles went nuts, trying to locate people. This was exhausting.

“Can I just shadow us through the airport to our next gate? Would that save time?” And stress, I thought, as I looked around.

Teryl looked thoughtful. “Maybe…”

“No.” Jax stopped dead in his tracks. “Bad idea. We don’t know how long you can shadow, and we don’t yet know your limits. Let’s not press our luck.”

“Jax, I’m willing to take the chance if—”

He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward him. “I’m not. I’m not willing to take that chance. Not with you.”

Oh. My cheeks heated with a combination of embarrassment and pleasure. Okay, then.

Still, there had to be a better way to make our gate. This was too much suspense for me. I was worried that a hunter would jump out from behind a garbage can or around a corner at any time.

Teryl took hold of my other arm and tugged in the opposite direction. “Jax is right. No shadowing. Let’s get coffee.”

Jax let go, and Teryl steered me over to a little coffee shop inside the terminal, and pushed me into a seat. Jax stood guard over me.

“We have five hours to kill.” Teryl cringed. “Bad choice of words. We have five hours before our next flight leaves for Inverness. Let’s relax.”

“How close is Altair?” Jax asked, as he scanned the crowd. His eyes glowed silver, and I worried he would attract attention. I wanted to blend in as best we could.

I noticed a blonde woman waiting in line for coffee giving his butt an appreciative once over. She had good taste, but a thread of jealousy began to unfurl in my stomach. Jax was taken. My glare burned a hole in her back. She finally noticed my look and turned away in a huff. Jax attracted all sorts of attention, no matter what he did.

“Elle, are you listening?” Teryl waved a hand in front of my face.

“Yeah, sorry.” I threw one last glare at the blonde and turned in my seat so I could face Teryl.

He put his paper on the table so we could all see it. He pointed to various spots on the crudely drawn map. “Blythe is still at her flat, which is at least an hour from here. Altair is still in the airport. I can’t tell how close. Jax, how does he hunt?”

“Sight,” Jax said. “All phoenix have amazing sight during the day, but his will be the sharpest. And he’ll be able to see our magical signatures.” His words were clipped, and he sounded pissed as he continued to scan the crowd.

“A magical signature,” I repeated. “You mean like an aura?”

“Yes, something like that.” Jax stood up abruptly. “I’ll be right back.”

Watching him walk away, I noticed a pain in my chest. The farther he got, the more painful it was. It felt like my heart was being pulled out of my chest. I rubbed my chest to ease the ache and looked at Teryl when Jax was out of view. “Teryl, is there an actual bond between mates? A physical one?”

“There can be. It’s different with every line. For Clio and me, it’s a mental bond. When we marry and go through our ceremony, we’ll have that type of connection.”

I smiled, despite my discomfort. “You mean you can have secret conversations? Sort of like your own version of ESP?”

He laughed. “That, too. I’ll always know where she’s at and what she’s feeling. Our bond will strengthen our abilities a little. I would guess because gargoyles were born from the earth, so to speak, theirs would be a physical, more grounded bond.”

“But you don’t have that connection until after the ceremony? Or does it start as soon as you know who your mate is?”

“No, it doesn’t start immediately for oracles.” He ran a hand through his hair, making it stand up. “Once we meet our mate, we know it. It’s like a sixth sense. But the connection is established during the ceremony, not before. That’s why the ceremony is so important for every line.”

He stared at me closely, looking for what, I didn’t know. “Why, do you feel something right now?”

I glanced around and didn’t see Jax. With a sigh, I nodded. “Yes. It’s not exactly comfortable. And it just started today. I don’t feel his emotions or anything, just the sensation of my heart being pulled.”

Teryl smiled, so I smiled back. His smile had always been contagious.

“What’s that look for?” I asked, when he kept smiling without speaking.

“I’d say you started the ceremony.”

My smile disappeared. “What makes you think that?”

He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands over his stomach, looking far more relaxed than I felt. “You wouldn’t feel the bond, physically, unless you’d started the ceremony.”

I stopped rubbing the area underneath my collarbone. “It must be indigestion then. Because we didn’t start any ceremony.”

Teryl’s eyes widened along with his smile. “Are you sure?”

“Positive. I went to his apartment, we had dinner, then I fell asleep. Unless take-out is part of their ceremony, I’m sure we didn’t start it.”

“You never know.” His gaze drifted over my shoulder. His smile disappeared in an instant. “Shit.”

My head whipped around, and my heart sank. Jax walked back to our table with someone in tow. Altair. It had to be. I couldn’t see, smell, or taste magic, but somehow, I knew it was him.

Tall and lean, his build reminded me of MacLean. His hair was a dark blonde and had strands that looked like spun gold. It was long and pulled into a ponytail at the base of his neck. He had a sharp, hawked nose, and while he wasn’t handsome in the classic sense, he was striking.

As they approached our table, I saw his nostrils flare and his gaze zero in on me.

I froze. He held me with his gaze, and for a few seconds, I couldn’t move.

As he got closer, I noticed his eyes were the same color as his hair. Just like MacLean. It must be a phoenix trait. He stared at me with an intensity that unnerved me, like he was uncovering my secrets with just a look. I felt emotionally naked.

I saw a flash and spark in his eyes, like a fire starting. One thing I could say about the phoenix and gargoyles, their eyes gave some warning to their emotions. Which was both good and bad. The warning was nice, but seeing it coming didn’t always make it easier to deal with. The fire in Altair’s eyes gave me the impression I was staring at one of the circles of hell.

“Elleodora Fredricks.” His voice rasped in a way that sent chills along my spine. From the power that vibrated along his words, or from my unease, I couldn’t tell. “This is the woman who has caused such a stir.”

I cleared my throat twice, and took a quick sip of coffee before saying, “Not on purpose.” I don’t know why I defended myself. I wasn’t happy Jax had waltzed the hunter right over to us. I hoped he knew what he was doing.

“So Jax tells me. Why should I believe him?”

I fidgeted under Altair’s piercing gaze. Those amber eyes belonged on a huge bird of prey. Not in the face of a human.

I took a deep breath. “I’m trying to find my fate. That’s all. I didn’t take the shadow elf souls.”

He cocked his head and watched me. “What about the others? There are many missing. The lines are angry. Very angry. As is the Council.”

I heard the warning in his words loud and clear, although his expression stayed blank. It seemed to be a trademark of the hunters. Blank face, cold eyes.

“Every single one that I accidentally had in my possession is on its way to the Council.” At least that’s where I hoped MacLean planned to take them.

“Accidentally,” I repeated. “As soon as I found out what they were, I returned them. So, how about you don’t kill me over it?”

Altair was silent for a minute, watching, weighing. His strange, gold eyes flickered. Finally, he turned his head and shifted that intense stare to Jax. “I can’t tell what she is. She smells like shadow elf and more. Something I’ve never encountered. The Council won’t like that. If she’s a danger, I can’t let her leave. You know that.”

When Jax remained silent, Altair exhaled. He sounded a little weary. “Have you gone soft, old friend?”

Soft? What was he talking about? I could personally guarantee that there was nothing soft about Jax. Anywhere.

All joking aside, it made me uneasy that Jax seemed to know so many of the hunters. Were they all old friends?

I sucked in a sharp breath when I heard Jax say, “I know they won’t like it, but I ask for your discretion for the time being. I will vouch for her. I don’t think she’s a danger.”

Altair considered Jax. “What are you not telling me?”

“I’ve told you everything of importance. The rest does not concern you or the Council.” He bared his teeth to make his point.

I noticed his eyes were gray with only an occasional flash of silver. Even so, I couldn’t seem to relax. I caught the undercurrents, but I had no idea what they were really talking about.

Altair offered a closed-lipped smile and slapped a hand on Jax’s shoulder. “I trust you’ll do the right thing, if need be.” Again, his voice held a warning note.

Jax hesitated, then gave him a curt nod.

Apparently satisfied, Altair smiled at me. It was not a nice smile. “Watch yourself, Elleodora Fredricks. I only give my trust once. Don’t abuse it.” And with those cryptic words, he walked off.

I didn’t ask for your trust. I watched his golden head disappear into the crowd.

I released the shaky breath I’d been holding. “What was that all about?” I asked Teryl, who looked just as confused as I felt. He only shrugged, and sipped his coffee.

“Jax?”

He wouldn’t look at me. “Drink your coffee, gem. We have a long day ahead.”

Okay, I’d had it.

“Are you kidding me? You not only bring the hunter to meet me, but you also exchange a few mysterious words with him, then expect to pat me on the head and tell me to drink my coffee like a good little girl? Do you think I’m that much of an idiot?”

Wide silver eyes met mine. “Of course not. Why would you say that?”

“Because you assume I miss the undercurrent of everything you’re not saying. I might not remember much, but I’m not stupid. Stop treating me like I am.” Anger put a hitch in my breath. It was my life on the line, damn it.

Teryl and Jax stared at me as if they’d never seen me before.

“Little gem…”

I pointed a finger at Jax. “Don’t. Don’t you ‘little gem’ me. I deserve to know what in the hell is going on.”

Jax sighed and rubbed a hand along his chin. “There are things you don’t understand.”

I stood up, pushing my chair away with a screech of its metal legs on restaurant tile. I leaned over the table and hissed, “You know, if you bothered to clue me in, maybe I would understand. Maybe you could explain to me why you brought a hunter to me. And here I thought we were running from them! Do you think any of this is easy for me?” I wanted to scream in frustration. “I need some space. I’m going to go for a walk.”

“Elle.” Teryl stood up, too.

“No. Just…no.” I grabbed my coffee and started walking. I didn’t even care where I was going. I needed to be alone.

I was relieved they didn’t try to follow. Then again, if Jax felt even a fraction of the pull that I did, he’d know where I was. With each step I took, I reminded myself to breathe and ignore the pull. My anger provided the distraction I needed. Rounding a corner, I spied an empty bench and sat.

People rushed by, trying to catch their flights. Others greeted loved ones. They rolled their suitcases and herded their children. In the space of a few days, my life had spun out of control, while these people continued on with the courses of their normal lives.

I was being hunted like a damned criminal. The familiar, dreaded pitch of my stomach made me sick, and I closed my eyes. I inhaled slowly through my nose, then exhaled through my mouth.

Luke had hunted me throughout my childhood. Over and over. Whenever I’d displeased my father, which had been nearly every time I visited, Luke had hunted me. Looking back, there had been a number of signs—bright, flashing, neon signs—that highlighted the differences between a normal childhood and what I’d experienced. Even though I now knew my father had tampered with my memories, he’d never been able to wipe out that feeling of being prey.

I sighed and stared at my coffee cup. If anything, being treated like prey as a child had prepared me for today.

Time and energy were in short supply. I needed to get my priorities straight and set the past aside. The hunters were the biggest problem I had to think about. We could account for Maura and Altair. That left Falon and Blythe. One more flight put us in Inverness. I dared to hope we could get to Carys before they found me. If Jax stopped inviting them for coffee, that is.

The saying keep your friends close and your enemies closer made sense in theory. Leading Altair right to me? The reality sucked. I don’t know what Jax had been thinking—or what he was thinking now. My gut instinct told me Jax was hiding a lot more than I’d initially expected. Secrets were poison in a relationship.

I rubbed my finger on the rim of my coffee cup, and stared at my feet. Someone sat next to me, and I automatically shifted to make room.

“Are you okay? What are you doing alone?”

I jerked and spilled coffee on my hand. “Ow! Damn. MacLean. I thought you were meeting us later.”

“Hang on, let me grab you a napkin.” He jogged over to a nearby kiosk and snatched a few for me.

I mopped the coffee up. “You must have been right behind us.”

His warm, cedar wood scent coiled around me, and I felt guilty. I shouldn’t notice another man’s scent. Not even a former fiancé’s. It would always be one of my favorite scents, especially because of my bestselling “Fire” line. But I almost felt like I was…cheating.

“I was able to wrap things up more quickly than expected,” MacLean said. “My plane landed about thirty minutes ago. I haven’t seen Jax or Teryl. Where are they?”

“I needed to clear my head, so I went for a walk.” I didn’t want to get into the details.

His eyes flared bright with fire. “They let you go off alone?”

I shrugged in the face of his growing anger. “I didn’t give them much choice. After Altair left, I—”

“Altair was here?”

Grimacing, I nodded. “Yes, and we saw Maura in Las Vegas.”

MacLean let out a slow whistle. “And here you are. Alone. Jax and Teryl are a*sholes.”

I blinked at his harsh tone. Wait, was that smoke? I inhaled deeply, searching for any signs of flame. The acrid scent burned my nose. I waved a hand in front of my face. “MacLean, stop. It’s fine. I sent Maura away, and Altair left on his own.”

“What do you mean, you sent her away?” He eyed me with apprehension.

“Ah…yeah…I seem to have come into a little more of my magic.”

He looked up at the ceiling. “Damn it. I know I’m going to regret asking. Do I want to know what you did?”

An unexpected wave of humor swept through me, making me smile. “Probably not. But I bet you could help me with one of them.” I wasn’t going to apologize for getting rid of Maura. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

He sucked in a breath, creating a soft, whistling sound. “There’s more than one? Damn.”

Yeah, that fact wasn’t making me do a happy dance either. “My hands were on fire.”

An arrested expression came over his face. “Fire,” he repeated slowly.

“Yes. And I was able to do mind manipulation with Maura.” Along with dozens of other people in the airport.

MacLean leaned back on the bench and stared out at the airport crowd. He was silent for a couple of minutes, processing what I’d said.

I finished my coffee and watched a mother trying to calm her fussy baby. The young woman looked stressed out and exhausted. I could relate.

I looked back at MacLean. Today he had on a pair of gray slacks and matching jacket, and a striped blue and white, button down shirt that gave the impression of a businessman. An attractive businessman. His auburn hair was a little too long and brushed the collar of his shirt. On him, it looked good.

Then again, he always looked good. Even when we’d been kids, he’d looked…

“Elleodora.”

I flinched at my father’s harsh tone. I opened my bedroom door before he could knock again. “Yes, I’m here.”

He gave me the all too familiar look of disgust. “Put on something appropriate. MacLean is here to see you. Do not embarrass me.”

I willed my face to stay neutral, while my heart beat a crazy rhythm in my chest. “Yes, sir.”

He stared at me for a moment longer, trying to gauge my sincerity. “This alliance is important to our family.”

I nodded. He reminded me of that on a daily basis, along with the reminder that I wasn’t good enough, but that I’d have to do. I didn’t really care, as long as I got to see MacLean. But I couldn’t let my father know how I felt about MacLean. And that I wanted this alliance as much, if not more, than he did. For a far different reason.

MacLean was gorgeous. He was nice. And he meant freedom. Once we were married, I knew he’d protect me from my father.

I kept my eyes firmly on the floor. I knew better than to look straight at him. He’d be staring at me with his creepy eyes, waiting for any sign of disobedience.

A full minute passed as he watched and waited. Finally, he turned and walked away without another word.

I closed my door, relieved. Excitement unfurled in my stomach. MacLean was here! Giddy, I ran to my closet and found an outfit my father would approve of. A blue dress, with an elegant and simple cut. It highlighted the color of my eyes, and I wanted MacLean to notice.

Ten minutes later, my father escorted me into the living room, where MacLean waited. He stood as I entered. His father, Cian, was there as well.

“Hello, Mr. Douglas, MacLean,” I said, using my best version of a sophisticated voice.

“Elleodora.” Cian walked toward me and held out a hand. “Lovely as always.” I let him kiss my cheek. “We’ll leave you two to your visit. Your father and I have business to discuss.”

“Yes, sir,” I said softly. My father expected me to be unfailingly polite. With Cian, it was easy. He’d always been nice to me.

I stared at MacLean after Cian left the room. He wore a dark green polo and khaki pants. Very casual and handsome. He smiled, and I felt my face warm. “Hey, Elle. Let’s go outside. They’ll be in there for at least an hour.”

I followed him out to the patio and into the garden, smoothing my dress as I walked. Nervous and excited, I kept quiet, afraid I’d say something stupid. It’d been two weeks since he’d found me in the closet. And kissed me. I didn’t really know what to say.

We walked past a groundskeeper pruning a rosebush. He watched us from the corner of his eyes. No matter where I went, my father had me watched. The pruning shears wouldn’t be the only weapon the groundskeeper had on him.

MacLean waited until we were out of earshot before asking, “How are you feeling? I’ve been thinking about you.” There was genuine concern in his voice.

Who wouldn’t love a man like MacLean? He was gorgeous and caring. Perfect for me. We stopped beside a flowering crabapple tree. It was one of my favorites. Far enough away from the house for privacy, but close enough that we’d be seen and not raise any suspicion.

“Better, thank you.” I took a deep breath and dared to ask, “MacLean, are you…okay with this alliance?” I stumbled over my words because I was so nervous. I’d practiced the question for the last week. I wanted to make sure he wasn’t being forced into this.

“Okay with it? You mean, do I want to be engaged to you?” He smiled. “Yes.”

Yes. Such a simple word, and it thrilled me.

A woman who worked in the kitchen stepped onto the patio and called out, “Elleodora, Mr. Douglas, your fathers want you to join them for refreshments.”

“That was fast.” MacLean sounded disappointed, though I wasn’t surprised. I escaped to the garden when I could, but rarely had less than two employees watching me at any given time. All but the cooks and housekeeper carried weapons. They were an ever-present reminder that I lived in a prison.

I linked my arm through MacLean’s. “Let’s go see what they made.”

He didn’t seem to notice that the groundskeeper had moved closer, pretending to prune a shrub only feet from us.

MacLean winked at me. “Hopefully, real food, instead of those cucumber sandwiches or salmon pate.” He pretended to shudder in disgust.

I laughed as we walked back into the house. “I wouldn’t mind a burger or even—”

“Elleodora.” My father’s sharp voice cut off my teasing.

I dropped MacLean’s arm and instinctively straightened my spine. My father stood in the foyer with a black-haired man who had his back to me. He slowly turned, and his silver eyes caught my attention.

“Hey, Jax,” MacLean called out, raising a hand in welcome.

The memory ended abruptly. MacLean had a hold of my shoulder. “Are you okay? I lost you there for a second.”

I blinked and looked around. I was still in the airport, sitting on a bench. I swallowed hard, wishing I were alone. My voice was thick in my throat. I pushed my hair out of my face with a shaky hand. “I got another memory back.”

He kept his hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Why didn’t Jax tell me he used to work for my father?”