Stone Cold Seduction (19 page)

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 assholes.”

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?”

Chapter Thirteen

I watched MacLean’s expression go from worried to guarded in an instant.

“We need to talk.” The deep voice came from behind me. I didn’t turn around.

I laughed, the sound devoid of humor. “No, Jax, we don’t. We have about an hour until our flight leaves, and that’s not nearly enough time for us to talk about everything we need to.”

I wasn’t interested in having an audience, either, when I asked Jax about meeting him when I was a powerless teenager, but I didn’t want MacLean to leave me yet. He made me feel comfortable.

“Elle.” Teryl stepped around the bench. “We can talk about anything that’s bothering you, but you can’t take off like that.”

I kept my voice low, but fury ripped through my words. “Nothing’s what I think it is. Not anymore. And none of you seem to appreciate I’m running blind here. I have a grand total of two memories now. That’s it. I’m developing abilities that I don’t know what to do with, and all of you talk over my head like I’m too dumb or too fragile to handle it.”

“I don’t think that,” Teryl said, using his most reasonable voice. “But I do think you’ve had a lot dumped on you these last few days. People want you dead. If you weren’t freaked out, then I’d be worried.”

I wasn’t interested in reason. I wanted honesty.

Jax’s deep voice held steady as he walked around the bench to stand in front of me, but his eyes were turbulent. “This is a discussion I would prefer to have privately.”

MacLean spoke in a business-like voice. “You don’t have time for heart-to-heart talks with anyone. Right now, you have to get to Carys. Bottom line. I called a few of my contacts. Your mom was a demigod.”

Well, that derailed my righteous indignation. It also made it easy to ignore Jax and give my full attention to MacLean. “How do you, or they, know that?”

MacLean’s copper eyes softened for a moment. “They knew her before she had you. I wish I could tell you more, but they asked to remain anonymous. And there’s more.”

“Wait. Give me a second here. My mom was a demigod. What does that mean?”

“It means your maternal grandmother or grandfather was a god.”

Great. I could only imagine how screwed up that family dynamic would be. I hadn’t heard one good thing about these gods yet.

I had to learn to roll with these revelations, but my mind was going in circles. With each development, I had more questions than answers. It was time to make a decision. “Until I talk to Carys, I just don’t want to know any more.”

“Elle.” Teryl said my name like he was gearing up for a lecture.

“No, Teryl. I mean it. So far, what you have and haven’t told me has given me nothing but a headache.”
And heartache
, I thought. I ruthlessly pushed the thought from my head. “Unless my life is in immediate danger, keep it to yourselves.”

“Your life
is
in immediate danger,” Teryl replied quietly.

Irritation tightened my shoulders, and I bit the inside of my cheek.
Deep breath in. Big breath out.
“Let me clarify. Unless a knife, bullet, or nuclear bomb is inches from my head, don’t tell me. Even then, don’t tell me. I need to talk to Carys. Until I talk to her, there’s not a damn thing I can do about any of the rest of this.”

I put two hands on MacLean’s forearm. “My mom is dead. I appreciate your looking into her demigod status for me, but I really can’t do anything with that information. I’m not about to look up her family, for obvious reasons.” And I highly doubted we’d start exchanging Christmas cards or doing family picnics.

I refused to look at Jax. He was at the top of my shit list right now. I got up and tossed my empty coffee cup in the garbage and brushed my hands on my pants. “Jaxon West, I respect your secrets and your past. But when they directly impact me, as your
mate
”—I let the word drip with sarcasm—“I expect you to be honest and tell me.”

MacLean didn’t give Jax a chance to respond. “I understand. I wanted you to know about your demigod status because…”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. I’m a demigod, too? How does that work? I mean, I really couldn’t be more than a quarter-god, could I?”

None of the guys laughed. They just kept their stony faces and their secrets.

“Guess no one is going to answer that one, either, huh? That’s okay, I don’t need to know right now, anyway.
Carys
is my priority.”

The problems piling up outweighed my curiosity and desire to know more. By a long shot.

What I desperately wanted was a hot shower, twelve straight hours of sleep, and, more importantly, a little breathing room.

The memory of meeting Jax had brought up one other uncomfortable reminder: how much I had cared for MacLean. And it hadn’t been a school girl’s crush. MacLean was my first love.

Could the timing be any worse? Probably not.

“Now if you gentlemen will excuse me, I need to wash my hands.”

I needed to get away from the scent of MacLean, the weight of Jax’s stare, and the knowing eyes of my best friend. The ladies room seemed a good place to avoid men.

If Maura showed up this time, I would happily handle it myself.

§

By the time we boarded our final flight, I hadn’t spoken another word to any of them. It was a matter of hours until I met Carys, and a feeling of calm and foreboding settled over me. It was an odd combination. I was calm because at this point, my only other option was hysterics. I was too tired for that. However, I also felt uneasy. I knew that meeting Carys would change my life irrevocably. The question was, for better or for worse?

Despite my misgivings, I tried to catch a nap before we touched down in Inverness. MacLean was to my right, Jax to my left. I did my best to ignore them both. It was brutal. I could smell Jax’s icy, clean scent and the warm, spicy scent of MacLean. I had to work to remember I was pissed at both of them.

I wanted to turn to them for comfort and advice, but I couldn’t. This was my problem, and I wasn’t sure if they were part of the solution. They were starting to feel more like part of the problem. What bothered me was my complicated history with MacLean, and the fact that I’d met Jax when I was a teenager. He’d taken me to bed this weekend, but he hadn’t trusted me enough to tell me he used to work for my father, or what kind of history they shared.

I slipped in and out of a fitful sleep. Brief, fractured dreams invaded my rest. Images of MacLean touching my cheek, Jax holding me, Luke hunting me.

I couldn’t wait to get off the plane by the time we touched down in Inverness. It was Thursday night, and I was starving, but that sense of urgency to meet with Carys was strong. I found my luggage and turned to Teryl. “How long will it take to get to Carys’ house?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

My mouth dropped open. “She lives that far away?”

“No, we can’t go until tomorrow morning.”

“Um, no. That doesn’t work for me. We just flew all the way across the world to meet her. I’m not waiting.” I gripped my suitcase tighter and lifted my chin.

Jax came to stand beside me, suitcase in hand. “If you want a good chance at receiving your fate, you will. Carys will expect you to follow tradition. You will approach her in the morning and offer your token. Not before.”

“Argh!” I tilted my head back and stared at the terminal ceiling. “This is ridiculous. Your traditions suck.”

I don’t know why I’d expected this part of the trip to suddenly get easy.

Wishful thinking?

“Why don’t we drop off our stuff at our hotel, and then get some dinner?” MacLean suggested. I rolled my shoulders in a semblance of a shrug, but didn’t say anything. No way was I waiting until tomorrow morning to get my fate.

I followed behind MacLean and Teryl, with Jax bringing up the rear. Weary to the bone, I kept my eyes on the floor in front of me. A blast of icy wind nearly knocked the breath out of me when we stepped outside.

Jax inhaled in appreciation. “I love the fresh air here.”

Apprehension kept me from taking too deep of a breath. I decided to stay quiet and wait while Jax went to get our rental. As I shivered, I wished Carys could have lived somewhere like Hawaii or the Caribbean. My body and brain could have used a boost from the sun. Things might not have seemed so bleak.

I paid little attention to the drive to the hotel. Teryl kept up a running monologue and didn’t seem to notice when no one joined in. Jax was his usual, quiet self, and even MacLean seemed preoccupied.

I tuned in long enough to hear Teryl say, “We should take time to find Nessie.”

“Nessie?” I asked.

“Yeah, the Loch Ness monster.”

I rolled my eyes and stared out the window. Mind carefully blank, I watched the passing buildings in a blur. Because it was night, they were little more than dark, hulking shapes. Stifling a sigh, I leaned back against the seat and closed my eyes.

Teryl’s next words got my attention fast.

“I’ve heard Carys has a cottage on the Isle of Skye.”

Jax made a sound of agreement.

Teryl went on. “I know she’s got quite the reputation with the locals. Some love her, some fear her. But everyone knows her.”

Skye. I had to get to Skye.

Jax maneuvered the car through the streets and pulled up in front of an impressive stone building. The Royal Hotel. I’d guessed we’d be staying in a small bed and breakfast, but this place was huge.

I walked into a grand foyer with a huge, curving staircase. I heard MacLean whistle under his breath. Teryl echoed the sentiment. We all gawked while Jax checked us in. An exquisite glass chandelier hung above us, with thousands of sparkling crystal drops.

I heard the lilting Scottish brogue coming from muted conversations around the lobby. Personal crisis aside, I was impressed.

Jax walked over with two keys and handed one to Teryl. “Our rooms are on the second floor. You and MacLean are in room fifty-two. Elle and I are in room fifty-one.”

MacLean’s eyes sparked and I braced for an argument. But he surprised me and turned to Teryl. “If there are bunk beds, you get the top.”

The corners of my mouth twitched. He’d always had a great sense of humor. Which was a sobering thought. Twelve years ago, there hadn’t been anything about MacLean that I
didn’t
like.

Just then, I noticed Jax watching me, with a strange look on his face. “I’m ready,” I said, gesturing toward the staircase.

Without a word, he walked off, leaving me to follow behind. That suited me just fine. I watched him stride up the stairs. Desire fluttered in my stomach. No matter how much he frustrated me, Jax was gorgeous. What that man did to jeans…

Our room was opulent. A large, four-poster bed dominated the room. Two antique dressers and a floral, antique chair gave it an old-fashioned feel. Thankfully, the bathroom was modern. I set my suitcase next to the dresser on the far side of the bed and sat down in the chair next to it.

“We can eat in the lounge downstairs,” Jax said, his deep voice soft.

“I’m not very hungry.”

“You need to eat. Tomorrow—”

“I want to go to sleep,” I interrupted. A big yawn caught me by surprise, but the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. “Jet lag is catching up to me.”

Jax sighed, and set his suitcase aside. “I’ll bring you something, then.”

“Do I need to worry about the hunters?” I wanted to make sure. If they showed up in the next few hours, I’d be dead.

Jax shook his head. “No. On the drive here, Teryl said they were all in or near London.”

Maybe I should have paid more attention to Teryl’s ramblings on the drive here. At least I knew I had a little time. “Okay, well, I’m going to get some rest.” Another yawn cut off anything else I might have said.

Silver eyes flared for a moment. He seemed to be waiting. I wasn’t ready to have any sort of serious conversation. Not now. Not before I lost my nerve.

I wanted him to leave, but didn’t dare try to use mind control. No matter how angry I got, I wouldn’t resort to that.

“Rest well, little gem.” It was a whispered caress. I avoided his gaze, and listened as the sound of his footsteps took him out of the room. When the door closed behind him, I hopped up and ran over to listen.