Jaci walked down the gangway that led to one of the five terminals belonging to Heathrow airport. She felt exhausted and ready for bed, though the morning was only half over in London. She had gained eight hours because of the time zones. Hopefully, she would be alert enough for her evening meeting.
Zephyr had agreed to meet her at a pub that he said was off the beaten path, frequented by his kind, and not one known for spreading gossip or rumors. He said he would find her, and she should just wait in the back corner booth.
Jaci's spine tingled as she ran the instructions over and over through her brain. She was anxious, slightly scared, and feeling very alone.
As she grabbed her suitcase from the baggage claim, she questioned her own sanity. Whatever possessed her to start traveling to foreign, unknown places all by herself? No wonder she had been attacked and nearly killed several times. All of her common sense seemed to leave her when supernatural things were involved.
As she stepped out of the terminal and out to the curb, she was thankful for the damp, cloudy atmosphere of the city. At least she wouldn't have to deal with being sleepy and squinting her eyes because of the sun. That would end up in a quick trip to dreamland.
She flagged down a taxi and gave the driver the address Zephyr had sent her. He had made all the arrangements for her stay, saving her valuable time. She was thankful, of course, but very worried about not knowing anything about her visit here.
She tried to take in the sights of the grand city of London as the driver took her down major roads, busy streets, and finally some dingy alleyways.
"'Ere," the driver called over his shoulder.
His manner and voice were gruff and a bit unnerving, but Jaci pasted on a bright smile and handed him her card, which he quickly swiped and shoved back to her. As soon as the transaction cleared, Jaci hurried to grab her things and leave the car. It sped off without even a glance from the driver.
Jaci looked behind her and saw a large, gray stone house, rising up three stories into the sky. This was no hotel. She frowned and compared the number by the front door to the number on her note and saw it was indeed the right place. At least the taxi driver hadn't dropped her off at some nefarious crime-ridden club.
Jaci grinned at her own ridiculous imagination and walked up the stone pathway to the large mahogany door. She looked for a doorbell or buzzer but didn't see one. Instead, the door was outfitted with a large brass knocker.
She dropped the knocker three times and then stood back to wait for someone to answer. It felt like an eternity passed before the door slowly swung open, and a man dressed in a light blue dress shirt, pastel green tie, and khaki slacks looked at her with a cold look. However, his expression quickly warmed as he stood aside and welcomed her in.
"You must be Miss Aigle. Lord Zephyr told us to expect your arrival. Please, come in."
Jaci stepped inside and felt like she had been sent through a time warp. Centuries old tapestries lined the walls. Heavily patterned rugs covered the main areas of the dark wooden floors. A grand mahogany staircase was situated right in the middle of the far wall, walkways branching left and right from it at the top.
She stood in awe as her eyes scanned the lavish, if a bit outdated, furnishings.
"My name is Aydan. I'm Lord Zephyr's assistant. If you need anything, there is a call button in your room. Josie or I will answer right away. Ah, Josie is the cook. She makes all of the meals. Lunch is to be served at noon sharp, and tea at four. Dinner is at seven-thirty, though I believe Lord Zephyr said you would be dining out this evening."
Jaci felt paralyzed at the sudden info dump Aydan had poured on her. She would have to ask him to repeat it again later. Perhaps after a quick nap.
They had ascended the stairs while he spoke, heading to the left and then to the right to another long hallway. Stopping at the second door, he opened it and walked inside. Jaci followed and was surprised to find herself in a large room, floor-to-ceiling
French doors that led to a sizable balcony, and a very inviting four-poster bed decked in white satin bedding.
That was just the highlights. White trim and crown moulding were complimenting the light mint green walls. The wooden floor was covered in luxurious area rugs of gray and white, helpful in muting the echoes that might have occurred. Pale mint overstuffed chairs and a loveseat were situated in front of a stone fireplace.
Jaci felt like she had just entered a palace, though she knew this was clearly not a palace. She stood dumbfounded, slowly turning around as she took in every detail.
"Your en-suite bathroom is through the door next to the fireplace. Towels, toiletries, and anything else you should need are in there. We desire to make your stay quite comfortable. So, feel free to let us know if anything is lacking."
Aydan turned to Jaci and smiled warmly. He seemed quite young now that she got a good look at him, but he definitely had an air of mystery and authority about him.
"Will there be anything you might need while I'm here?" His bright blue eyes were in stark contrast to his chestnut colored hair.
Jaci smiled and shook her head. "I don't think so."
"Very well. I'll let you get settled in."
Jaci watched as he walked towards the door and then she had an afterthought.
"Ah! How do I get a taxi to help get me to the pub this evening?"
Ayden stopped, turned halfway around, and smiled. "I'll be driving you. No worries."
With that, he left Jaci alone in her new room. She let out a sigh of disbelief and walked over to the loveseat and sat down. It was very comfortable and she found herself snuggling down into it and letting her eyes close.
As she drifted off into sleep, a familiar presence brushed through her mind, bringing with it an image of a broken-hearted man, with piercing black eyes, and jet black hair.
* * *
"Hm, I don't remember this airline being so automated last time we flew." Sunny looked cautiously at the robot steward rolling down the aisle offering drinks and snacks to the passengers.
"Yes, but that was twenty years ago, babe," sighed Taehyung, leaning his seat back as far as it would go. He was in the middle seat, between Sunny and Jungkook.
"I suppose a lot of things have changed," mused Sunny quietly.
Jungkook sat in the window seat, his eyes looking out at the clouds rolling underneath the plane. Although he knew the plane was going hundreds of miles an hour, it felt like it was crawling. Time was going so slow, and he was growing more impatient. It was bad enough the flight had been delayed due to a flat tire for over an hour. That hour meant so much to him right now.
Hoseok had been a true friend and agreed to watch over the pack while Jungkook was away, though he did make him promise not to be gone for too long.
"A pack without its true Alpha will devolve into chaos. Power has shifted, and I can only hold them together for so long. Do what you must, but hurry back."
He had gripped Jungkook in a tight hug and gave him what little info about Zephyr that he had.
"So, you were going to tell us what Hoseok said about this mystery guy once the flight took off," said Taehyung flatly. His head laid against the seat but faced Jungkook, expecting information to be forthcoming immediately.
Jungkook sighed softly and his jaw flexed as he recalled everything Hoseok had said.
"Ga-Eun was an assistant of Zephyr's while she studied at a small werewolf college in London. You had to get a special scholarship to attend it at all. Of course, being the intelligent amazing woman she was, got in with no problem. Zephyr immediately noticed her potential and kept her close. They worked together on various projects and she helped edit some of the textbooks he was writing. He may have been a two hundred-year-old werewolf, but he still looked like a young man and he had the normal desires of a younger man. But Ga-Eun had the utmost respect for him and never saw him as anything other than a mentor. After her studies, she made plans to come back to Korea. She had heard our pack was starting back up and she saw it as a chance to take all she had learned and help a struggling pack get back on its feet. When she arrived, she came to the pack and we met. Instantly, our wolves reacted to one another. and we knew it was meant to be. We got to know each other as much as we could before our wolves insisted that we seal the deal. Not long after, Zephyr showed up insisting he loved her and that she was his fated mate. Of course, we knew the truth, and Ga-Eun politely rejected him. He flew into a rage and attacked me, but she stepped in and talked him down. I've never seen someone so angry. Anyway, he went back to London and we never heard from him again. At least that's what I thought, but maybe she had contacted him for tough questions. I don't know. Either way, be careful, Kook. He's a loose cannon, in my opinion. If he's still around, he's nearly three hundred now. He's probably very strong. Don't do anything stupid. Okay? Just stay away from him if you can. And whatever you do, don't tell him my mate is dead."
"Wow..." sighed Sunny. "We're flying to the territory of a super intelligent, centuries old werewolf with a grudge, in order to save a girl who doesn't know what she is, what to do about it, or where to go. I'm beginning to question my life decisions."
Taehyung grinned and grabbed his wife's hand, raising it to his lips for a tender kiss. "Babe, you've got me. Why worry about anything? I'll protect you."
Sunny blushed as his lips brushed against her hand as he spoke.
"Ugh. Get a room," teased Jungkook.
"Oh, we will as soon as we land. And no, you can't stay with us."
Jungkook curled his top lip and went back to staring out the window.
* * *
"I'm sorry, sir. But we only have one room available."
"Why?" demanded Taehyung, glaring at the staff member behind the front desk.
"Sir, you're lucky we have one available. There's a big soccer game this weekend, and the entire city is booked solid!" The exasperated staff stared at Taehyung in disbelief.
"Looks like we're gonna be roomies again!" grinned Jungkook.
Sunny grinned and shook her head. "We'll take the room, sir. There are two beds, correct?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Very good," she said with a wide smile. "Alright, gentlemen, let's drop off the luggage and track down our wolves!"
Taehyung frowned and glared at Jungkook. "I cannot believe this. The universe is playing a very twisted joke on me. I swear it."
He walked behind Sunny like a petulant child. Jungkook laughed a little, but his mind was struggling to stay in the present. His thoughts were full of worry for Jaci. He desperately wanted to find her. He had no regard or trust for this Zephyr guy, and he worried for Jaci's safety. She was just too trusting.
* * *
Jaci awoke from her nap with just enough time to prepare herself for her dinner meeting. She wondered why the guy couldn't just meet her at his house. Unless he had a reason to keep information from his staff. It didn't make sense to make her go to a pub to meet him when she was staying in his own home.
She freshened up and grabbed her bag. Stopping at a full length mirror just beside the door, she took in her appearance. Her eyes travelled from her head to her feet. Nothing had changed.
Her eyes landed on her neck where her scar had gone from silver to a light pink. Her eyebrows furrowed as she studied it, leaning closer to the mirror. When her fingers lightly touched it, a zing of pain shot down into her shoulder. She winced and withdrew her hand. She had thought it had healed completely.
But that was when she was with Jungkook.
"It doesn't even hurt anymore. I really don't even know it's there." Jaci smiled widely at Jungkook, pulling her t-shirt collar to the side so he could see it.
"It looks amazing! I'm so glad it's healed. It had me worried for a while."
"Yeah, but for some reason, whenever I'm around you it stops hurting."
Jungkook moved closer and gently tugged her collar back into place. "Maybe being with me so much lately has helped it completely heal then."
"Maybe," she murmured, her eyes scanning his face. His dark eyes were locked onto hers, while his lips parted and he inched slowly closer.
Jaci smiled regretfully as she recalled how Jimin had startled them apart when he came looking for Jungkook for some reason. He had apologized profusely, but the moment was never reclaimed.
Her heart stung as her mind focused on Jungkook and all she had left behind in Korea.
"I'll get my answers," she murmured aloud. "I'll get them and then I will decide. I'll do whatever is best for me, for him, for everyone."