Stone Cold Seduction

Chapter Six

It’s amazing how two days can change a life. My employee was now claiming to be my mate. My best friend was scared of me. My mother was possibly not who or what I thought she’d been. And when it came down to it, I was freaked out.

Who, in their right mind, wouldn’t be? I didn’t ask to be a shadow elf or, even worse, my father’s heir, his royal heir. I didn’t want any crazy abilities. I didn’t want to travel to Scotland, at least not for the purpose of seeing an oracle. And I didn’t want MacLean around, antagonizing Jax.

A sudden thought hit me. Oh, crap, the stones!

I hurried back to my bedroom. I uncovered the gems and stared at them. My hands were shaking as I slowly touched one. Without taking my eyes off of them, I backed up to my dresser and grabbed the phone. I dialed and waited for Teryl to pick up his cell.

“Hey,” he answered. “That was fast. I just left. What’s up?”

“Teryl,” I croaked. “The gems. What if they’re souls?”

His curse was muffled by static on the line. Then I heard him say, “You need to tell Jax about them.”

“Are you crazy?” It was a long, convoluted story.

“Damn,. I’ll call you back in a minute. I have to find someplace to park.” He hung up.

I’ve been stealing from my father for a little over a year. To date, I’ve skimmed an antique mirror, artwork, jewelry, first edition books, and the gemstones. Jedren likes to collect things. His house is like a museum. I’ve never understood why he needs to be surrounded by priceless things, inanimate objects worth a ridiculous amount of money. But now, knowing he’s a king, it makes more sense.

Teryl has been able to track shipments—via the accounting records, or so I’ve assumed—of the occasional item we knew we could sell with little problem. Like I’ve said, the money went to families affected by my father’s greed or anger. I’ll give you a few examples.

Robert Sheridan had been my father’s tax attorney for fifteen years when he decided he was ready to retire and spend more time with his wife and grandkids. Jedren wasn’t ready for him to retire, because Robert knew too much. Within three months, Robert’s investments had tanked in value and he’d had a stroke. Sure, it could have been coincidence, but I don’t believe it.

Then, there was Marybeth Chandler. She’d been my father’s housekeeper when I was a child and teen. She’d kept my secrets and had even helped me a time or two. Shortly after I turned sixteen, the cook found her at the bottom of the winding staircase, her neck broken. Not one person voiced their suspicions. It was months before a maid let it slip she’d gone to my father to confront him about how he treated me.

Jedren had killed her to make a statement. As if that weren’t bad enough, Marybeth’s husband is disabled. Confined to a wheelchair, caught in the vicious grip of multiple sclerosis. He had needed her in more ways than one, and in an instant, Jedren had forever ruined two lives.

Those are only two of the victims I secretly help to support. There are a dozen more, and I expect the list to continue to grow. I help them with medical bills and whatever I can. It’s never enough. How do you compensate someone for an irreversible medical condition? For a life?

You can’t. But that doesn’t stop me from trying. Every time I see their faces, their gratitude, I’m even more motivated to stop him.

My mother, Robert, and Marybeth deserve that much.

I’m stealing. I know I have a good reason, but I also know not everyone will see it that way.

My phone rang and I picked it up. “I can’t tell him. If Jax knew what we were doing, he might try to stop us.”

There was silence on the other end of the line.

“Hello?” I didn’t hear any static, so I didn’t think Teryl’s reception was bad.

“I think you do need to tell me.”

I closed my eyes in shame. Dumb, dumb, dumb. “Jax. Hey. I, uh, thought you were Teryl.”

“I gathered that. We’ll have time to talk on our flight. I was calling to tell you it leaves at seven, tomorrow morning. I’ll pick you up at five o’clock.” His cool tone made my shoulders slump. We had a long flight ahead.

“Great,” I mumbled. “See you then.”

A few seconds after I hung up, Teryl called back. “Sorry, I had to park the car so we could talk. I really think you should tell Jax. He might have ideas and—”

“Teryl,” I interrupted his rant. “He knows something’s going on.”

“What?” I could hear the confusion in Teryl’s voice.

“Yeah, he just called. I thought it was you and…” I needed to start using my caller ID.

Teryl laughed. “I haven’t even been gone fifteen minutes, and you’ve already got yourself into more trouble.”

“It’s a talent,” I muttered. A talent I seemed to perfect at every turn.

“Well, that solves one problem.” He sounded cheerful.

“Speak for yourself. How am I going to explain the stealing, Teryl?”

His voice was gentle when he replied, “Try the truth. Give Jax more credit and tell him the truth.”

I sighed. He was right. I knew he was, but it was still going to be an uncomfortable conversation. “Okay. By the way, our flight leaves at seven and Jax is picking me up at five, if you want to just come here.”

“That works for me. I’ll call Cassie tonight. She’ll be grateful for the hours.”

Crap. I’d completely forgotten about the shop. “That’d be great, thanks. And Teryl, Jax said I could make a custom scent for the token. Is that really a good idea?”

“It’s as good as any. Once you meet Carys, you’ll understand. She’s something else.”

“What would she like?”

“Ah, something that smells good?”

I rolled my eyes. Men. They have no clue when it comes to the power of the right scent.

“Can you at least give me a clue about her personality?” I could develop the scent using her personality as a reference point. And working might help get my mind off of everything, even for an hour.

“In a word? Intense. Carys is very intense.”

I frowned, mentally running through my recipes. “Like flowery intense? Spicy intense?”

Teryl made a sound between a cough and laugh. “No, she’s scary, powerful intense.”

Okay. That would be a challenge. But I could figure something out. “Well, that gives me something to start with, thanks. I’ll let you go. I have to pack and make the token.”

“It’s going to be okay.”

“Famous last words, Teryl. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I set the phone back, carefully wrapped the gems up, and tucked them away. My shop was calling, and I was more than willing to get to work. The creative process of making bath products had helped me get through my mother’s death, and it was a great escape now. The comfort of my normal routine was exactly what I needed.

I trudged down the stairs, unlocked the door, and went straight to the radio and flipped it on. The sound of thumping dance beats filled the air. My hips automatically began swaying. Humming to myself, I shimmied my way over to my mixing counter in the back. Two bamboo screens blocked the view from prying eyes. The foot traffic outside my shop was busy in this neighborhood, and the huge window in front didn’t give me much privacy on the days I was closed and in creative mode. The counter was full of bowls, beakers, fragrance, and mixing tools. It looked like a workstation belonging to the Iron Chef, Martha Stewart, and the mad scientist from Frankenstein.

I snagged the apron hanging on the edge of the closest bamboo screen and twirled around before tying it behind me. I picked up a bowl and began setting out my spoons, measuring utensils, and spatulas. I figured I’d make a fragrance and matching body cream. It seemed like a safe bet. And I could go wild with the scent.

Intense, Teryl had said. Scary, powerful intense. I tilted my head to one side as I considered my scents. Patchouli was considered to be an intense scent. It was a good seller, but I’d never liked it. The smell burned my nose, and I’d always been tentative to use it. Too pungent for my tastes.

I let my fingers glide over the small, amber bottles. Rose, lavender, cinnamon…I grabbed cloves, anise, and vanilla. Twisting the lids, I took a careful sniff of each.

Nope. Too spicy.

I put them back and tried again. Jasmine, vanilla, and a hint of sandalwood. I took a test sniff. “Hmm…” I grabbed a dropper and carefully measured a few drops of each into a beaker. I sniffed again and added more vanilla and sandalwood. Kneeling under the counter, I opened the cupboard and grabbed a bottle of distilled alcohol base. Humming along with the music, I stood and swayed my hips as I carefully measured and mixed the ingredients before slowly pouring them into an atomizer.

I gave it a test squirt on my wrist. I danced around, letting my spine relax and move with my hips. After a few minutes, I smelled my wrist and a smile of pleasure curved my lips. Perfect. It was smooth, mysterious and a little intense, without being overwhelming. I took another sniff and decided I’d make this a new line and call it “Fate.” I scribbled the final recipe down on an index card and tucked it in my recipe file.

I loved my job.

Next, I had to make the cream. I debated about the base, but knowing she was in Scotland made it easier. Lots of moisture there, so I opted for the lighter base. I pulled out the silky lotion, scooped some into a mixing bowl, and began adding essential oils until the scent was just right. I took a small, plastic spatula and smeared a bit on my arm.

The beat of the music changed, and I twirled around, rubbing the lotion into my skin. I closed my eyes and let the soft scent swirl around me as I moved to the music. My shoulders softened, and I released a breath. What a weekend. What a day. Getting back to my simple routine, even for a moment, was exactly what I needed. I let my feet carry me around the store as I stopped to rearrange a few bottles on one shelf and adjust price tags on another.

I brought my arm close to my nose to see if the scent still worked with the base. The fragrance had softened, which was typical in a lotion base, but it was just right. I loved it, and I hoped Carys would appreciate it.

The song changed as I slowly danced my way to the front of the store, engrossed with checking shelves and making sure everything was stocked. I didn’t want to leave Cassie with empty shelves. Little tasks like this comforted me and reminded me why I did what I did. I stopped at the basket of soaps by the front door and knelt down. I made a mental note to grab a few more “Serenity” and “Sweet Cheeks” from the back, when a movement caught my attention. Still kneeling, I turned my head and cried out when a large shadow shifted on the other side of the frosted glass door.

I landed hard on my butt as I fell back and tried to scramble away from the door.

The lock clicked, and the door opened.

“It’s me.”

I stopped the ridiculous crab walk and let my hips drop to the ground. “Jax? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

He stepped in and shut the door behind him. “Sorry. I couldn’t leave you alone today.”

My panic began to subside, and my breath slowed down. He was dressed in black jeans and a white T-shirt. His hair was a little damp, so I guessed he’d just gotten out of the shower. My fingers curled, because I really wanted to run my hands through that damp hair. His scent enfolded me, and I felt my heartbeat slow. I wondered if all mates found instant calm with each other. Somehow, Jax had that effect on me.

“You could have called. You can’t go sneaking around like that.” There was no heat in my words. I was happy he was here.

“I wasn’t sneaking.” He held up his key. “I work here.”

“Not on Sunday nights,” I muttered. I let him help me to my feet.

He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed. “I wanted to check on you.”

I snaked my arms around his waist and squeezed back. “We need to clarify a few things.”

He pressed a kiss to my lips. “Like what?”

“This is a relationship.” I made it a statement and tried to stay relaxed. I needed to get this out in the open. There were too many unanswered questions in my life right now, so I needed to be certain about him and about us.

Jax went very still. Finally, he stepped away, so he could look at me. “This is a relationship. You are my mate.”

I sighed. “Yeah, about the mate thing. Teryl told me about the ceremony and how it’s different for every line. I—”

He shushed me by placing a finger to my lips. “I won’t rush you into anything. I know you’re not ready.”

“Thank you,” I whispered against his finger. Relief brought a smile to my lips.

His eyes flashed silver a moment. “Don’t forget, you are mine. I have all the time in the world to give you, little gem. I will wait.”

I swallowed a few times, so I could speak around the sudden lump in my throat. “Jax.”

He leaned forward and kissed me. Just the soft press of his lips to mine, and I was weak-kneed. Jax pulled back, and I felt slightly dazed. “Why do you call me ‘little gem?’”

That sexy, slow smile spread across his face. “You really want to know?”

I could only nod. His deep rumble of a voice was so distracting, in the best kind of way.

“Because of the gemstones you stole.”

I was staring at his mouth, watching his lips move, and it took me a second to comprehend his words. Shocked, I lifted my gaze to his eyes. He was serious.

Well, this was awkward.

“You knew about the stones all along? I assumed you thought you’d caught me empty-handed. Why were you following me that night, anyway?”

His answer was matter-of-fact. “You’re my mate. I wasn’t about to let you attempt something so dangerous without protection.”

“So, you’re not going to turn me in?”

His voice remained calm, but I saw a spark of amusement in his eyes. “No, I’m not. Why would I turn my mate in?”

I squirmed. “Because it’s illegal? Because MacLean is investigating me?”

That got a reaction. “You believe I would turn you in to the phoenix?” His voice had deepened and his fists clenched.

I dropped my gaze and shrugged. When he said it like that, it did sound dumb.

“I will never hand you over to him.”

I caught the double meaning in his growl, but it didn’t make me feel better. “I need you to know why I do it.” When he remained silent, I spoke in a rush. “I sell what I take to help pay for medical bills and food and rent. Whatever they need.”

“Who?”

I was uncomfortable with the topic. These stories weren’t necessarily mine to tell. “His victims.”

When he spoke, his voice was soft and careful. “I could put you in contact with many more.”

There was a note of controlled fury in his voice that stopped me cold. “What did he do to you?”

“That is a story for another time. Suffice it to say, I will not notify anyone of your activities. I will keep you safe.”

“Thanks.” I didn’t know what else to say. But I did know I would ask him about his story in the future. “Do you want to see what I made Carys?”

He raised a brow. “See? Yes. Test? No.”

I laughed. I was always asking Jax to smell or test my products. Three weeks into his employment, he had put his foot down and said he would no longer test anything that smelled like “fruity flowers.”

“Just see and smell. You’ve met her, so you might be able to tell me if I did okay.”

He trailed behind me as I walked briskly back to the mixing counter. His athletic shoes were silent on the concrete floor, while my sandals made a soft, slapping sound. I wondered if all gargoyles moved with such stealth. I grabbed the bowl of lotion and held it under his nose.

Jax took a cautious sniff, making sure not to come too close to the cream. The corner of his lip lifted. “I don’t know Carys well, but I think she will like that. You are very talented, gem.”

Pleasure shot through me at his praise, and I smiled back at him. “Are you sure you don’t want to try it? I could put some on your arm,” I teased.

He took a quick step back.

I laughed and turned away, then walked to the shelves which held empty bottles, containers, and packaging. I selected a small antique bottle I’d scavenged from the farmer’s market and began transferring lotion into it. The vintage bottle had turned purple with age and sun exposure, and the light lavender hue was beautiful. They were difficult to find, so I snapped them up whenever I found them. I had a tiny stash I saved for special occasions.

When I was done filling it up, I sealed the bottle and attached my signature Emmaline’s ribbon and tag, then gave it a pat. Lovely.

“Could you grab me a gift bag?” I asked Jax over my shoulder. After I placed both in the bag Jax handed me, I tied more colorful ribbons on the handle.

“Voila! How does it look?” I presented the bag for Jax’s inspection. He was watching me with an unreadable expression.

“Beautiful,” he said. “It looks beautiful.”

“Thanks.” I flashed him another smile and set the bag on the counter. I untied the apron and hung it on the screen. I checked the clock. “I’m done for the night. It’s almost six. Do you want dinner?”

Silver streaked across his eyes. “Yes.”

I walked over to shut off the radio and lights. “You coming?” I called over my shoulder, but he was right behind me. I threaded my fingers through his, and we walked upstairs. Just a few hours ago, Jax had almost taken me on the stairs. Now, we were holding hands, and it somehow felt even more intimate.

Once we were in my kitchen, I gestured for him to take a seat. “What are you hungry for? I’ll find something easy to whip up.”

“Anything is fine.”

“Easy guy to please, aren’t you?” I teased. “How about chicken, wild rice, and a salad?”

“That’s something easy to whip up?”

“What, you thought I was going to make boxed macaroni?” I opened the small cupboard that doubled as my pantry, and grabbed the wild rice and a few jars of dried herbs for seasoning. “Not in my house. Cooking is a hobby. But I try to keep it simple and healthy. Get used to it.”

He was quiet while I put the chicken in the oven and started the rice. When I started pulling out veggies, he came to stand by me. “I can chop.”

I handed him a knife, and we worked together in easy silence. After tossing the salad, I served us both a bowl, and we sat. “Thanks for coming back, Jax.”

He raised a brow in question.

I picked at my salad. “I thought I was looking forward to a quiet night alone, but…I’m glad you’re here.”

“I told you, I’m not going anywhere.”

When he said it like that, I could almost forget the craziness of the past few days. “I believe you.”

And I did. It felt so good to trust someone else. To know I wasn’t alone in this moment. “Want to see the stones?”

He arched a brow at the quick subject change, but humored me. “From last night?”

“I’ve got to figure out where to sell them. I don’t know much about gemstones, but these are gorgeous. Be right back.” I ran back to my room and grabbed the small sack. I untied the bag as I walked down the hall, then set them on the dining table in front of him. “Give me a second. I need to check on the rest of dinner.”

I hummed to myself as I pulled the chicken from the oven and scooped the rice into a bowl. I grabbed plates and silverware and took them all to the table.

Jax was sitting motionless, staring at the gems.

“So, what do you think?” I asked, as I set a plate in front of him. I surveyed the food, a little distracted. What was I forgetting? I snapped my fingers. “Drinks. Sorry, what can I get you?” I rummaged in the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water.

When he didn’t respond, I stood up and looked over the fridge door. “Jax?”

“Elle.” There was a strange note in his voice. “Call Teryl.”

“Teryl?” I frowned at him.

“Call him now.” He lifted his gaze, and I was alarmed to see pure silver.

I grabbed my phone and dialed Teryl’s number. He picked up on the second ring. “Hey, I’m packing right now.”

“Ah, okay. Jax is here and he…” I trailed off when Jax held out his hand for the phone. I silently handed it over. I had no idea what was going on, but I had a feeling I’d made a big mistake.

“Teryl,” Jax said, in a deceptively soft voice. “You’ve been having Elle steal the souls? What in the hell were you thinking?”

I’d touched souls? My stomach bottomed out, and I grabbed the back of the chair for strength. I stared at the sparkling gems in horror. They were the color of the Caribbean. A deep, turquoise blue, ranging in size from a half carat to ten carats. There were souls in there?

I sat down heavily in my chair. I could hear Jax’s angry voice, but wasn’t paying attention to his words. My brain continued to trip over the fact that there had been souls in my closet. I wasn’t just a thief, I was a soul stealer.

No wonder Luke was back. I shuddered and put my head in my hands. Fear and guilt beat at me. I didn’t want to know what my father wanted with souls. I just wished I weren’t involved in his shady dealings. He was such a bastard.

Jax hung up and set the phone down. “Elle, are you listening? We need to call MacLean.”

Panic shot through me. “Why would we call MacLean? Won’t he take me in? I’ll go to jail. Or do they have a special shadow elf jail?”

I was worried for myself and the people I would no longer be able to take care of. And who I might encounter when they took me in. “Who would guard me? How do you guys keep something like shadows in a jail cell, anyway?”

Probably with more shadow elves. I’d experienced a form of captivity before and didn’t want to repeat the process. I would jump off a cliff before I ever knowingly went near Luke.

Jax’s face was unreadable, but his eyes were still silver. “No, not jail. We don’t operate by the same laws. MacLean’s a hunter who deals with these things.”

The term “hunter” wasn’t reassuring, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell Jax about my history with Luke. I didn’t talk about it with anyone. My hands were clasped together tightly, and I stared down at them. I didn’t want to ask, but I had to know. “What will happen?”

Jax stared at the gems. “These are gargoyle souls.”

Bile rose in my throat. “Jax, I…I’m sorry. I didn’t know, I swear.”

“I know. I believe you were set up. What concerns me is why.”

Set up? I had been set up? I racked my brain, thinking of all the items I’d taken over the last year. How many had been souls? “I still have more. Not gemstones, but a mirror and…”

“Where?” His voice was tight.

“In the basement.”

“I’ll go check.”

I watched him leave as a new layer of disgust toward my father revealed itself. My father had set me up. Undoubtedly, he’d planted the info for Teryl to feed me, leaving each item unguarded to tempt me. He’d wanted me to steal souls from him. Just when I’d thought he couldn’t get any more depraved, he’d proved me wrong.

By the time Jax got back, I hadn’t moved. The food sat on the table, getting cold, and my appetite was long gone. Jax walked in with a thunderous expression. “The mirror and the books are souls. Light elf and oracles.”

“How can you tell?” I was eyeing the gems on the table, wondering what I wasn’t seeing.

Jax let one hand hover over the stones. “They give off energy. When you come into your magic, you’ll feel it. Had Teryl seen them, he would have known. Elle, we need to put off Scotland for another day.”

“Wait a second. I thought finding my fate was the most important thing?”

“MacLean will meet us in the morning at Pioneer Square, and we can let him deal with the souls.”

My phone rang. Jax answered it and listened quietly for a few minutes, giving one- or two-word answers in a tight voice.

I was numb as I stared at the table. Teryl and I had started stealing from Jedren after my mother’s death. He and Clio had just become engaged, and he’d wanted her out of Warlow Imports. While Teryl worked to find a way out for Clio, I’d kept my father distracted with the thefts.

I chewed on my bottom lip and considered everything. One thing I hadn’t questioned was the legitimacy of my father’s business. But now I wondered, what really went on there? Why would Clio have been transferred? Not once had I considered that my father had been antagonizing Teryl on purpose, in order to manipulate the situation. This was getting deeper by the second. How far did it go?

My head started to hurt as I racked my brain for information. Large pockets of memories were just gone, such as what Warlow Imports actually imported. And what my father’s role was, aside from boss. I waited for Jax to hang up.

“What does Jedren really do at Warlow?”

He stared at me for a few heartbeats. “I don’t know. I only have suspicions, but nothing concrete. We can worry about it later.”

“Am I in immediate danger?”

His expression became closed off, but he said nothing. I might not have his talent of becoming stone, but I could do quiet and still pretty well, too.

I waited.

Jax sighed and scrubbed a hand across his face. “My first priority is your safety. You’re not in immediate danger, but sticking close to the souls would be unwise.”

I remained silent.

His eyes flashed silver before he groaned. “Damn it, Elle. Warlow Imports really is an import business. Jedren has a division that specializes in what most people would call blood diamonds. There is also speculation that he deals in the black market for a number of things. What worries me the most are the rumors about slave trading.”

That was not what I wanted to hear. “Slaves? He deals in slave trading?”

“Yes,” he bit out, his voice deepening. “But as I said, I have no proof. Yet.”

A cold chill snaked down my spine. How could one person be so vile? I closed my eyes and looked inside, deep, searching for a little courage. “Is there more?”

“When I first heard about the missing souls, I suspected Jedren. I think a number of us did.”

I opened my eyes and watched him.

His T-shirt stretched tightly across his chest when he shrugged one shoulder in an abrupt motion. “We had no proof. He knows how to cover his tracks. He’s also very powerful. Not a person you would accuse of anything without substantial evidence. And now that we know he was feeding the souls to you…” Jax bared his teeth in a parody of a smile. “I will kill him for putting you in danger.”

I crossed my arms to help ward off the cold that enveloped me. “Jax, I can’t handle violence. I want him stopped, but he needs to be brought to justice. You can’t just kill him.”

“I told you, we don’t operate by the same rules.”

“What rules do you abide by? Explain that to me. If he’s been doing these things and a few of you suspected him, why has no one done anything yet?” I picked up the silverware on the table, needing something to do.

“We have investigators who operate in the best interests of our world as a whole, instead of for each separate line. MacLean is one of them. He primarily works with the light elves and the phoenix. Because each line has had at least one theft, MacLean is investigating all of it. And he’s not the only one,” Jax finished softly.

I froze. “There are more people looking for me?”

“No, there are more investigating you.”

I held a fork in a white-knuckled grip. Not only was I some freak with unknown abilities, but now my father was setting me up, and I had a group of otherworldly investigators watching me? “At least my weekend is ending on a high note.”

Jax crossed his arms and considered me. “You need to know what you’re up against. And this is also why I want to leave.”

“What I’m up against? You make it sound like I’m waging a war and need to plan my battle strategy.” I knew I was whining, but this whole situation sucked. “I didn’t ask for this, Jax. I know I did the wrong thing when I stole from my father, but all the rest? It’s a lot to take in over one lifetime, let alone one weekend.”

His eyes softened. “I know, and I wish we had more time. But you need to understand, the Council is furious.”

“Who, or should I say, what is the Council?” I could hear the edge of hysteria in my voice, but I couldn’t help it.

“Each line has members they appoint to the Council. You could call them our government, but that wouldn’t be quite accurate. We police ourselves when the need arises, but the Council’s job is to deal with matters that affect us all. So, when the lines started dying out, the Council stepped in. When the children of doomed partnerships had problems, the Council stepped in. And when the souls of the most powerful from each line go missing, the Council steps in.”

I didn’t like where this was going. “So, what does that mean for me?”

He leaned forward and held my gaze. “It means they’ve sent their best investigators to find the guilty party and bring them in.”

The room began to spin as the blood drained from my head.