(Chapter song ‘Where The Dark Things Are’ by Kerli)
DEACON
The entire ride home after my spat with Jenny, gave me a bit to think about. I may have pushed a little hard, but when she pushed back, I felt I had a better grasp on how concerning the situation was. It’s not that I think she’s incapable of handling herself, I would never think that. I believe she may be trying to avoid embarrassment by not fully admitting something’s wrong with her. I don’t love her any less for it. The opposite actually. I love her more. She’s my baby. I can’t not love her because she may have a medical condition. I’m not a complete dick. I do want her close, though. I think she’s fighting that part.
I understand she wants to live alone, I get it, but I’m telling you. There’s some next level shit going down and I don’t like it. I feel like Jenny’s health is in real danger. I don’t know why, but even my wolf feels it when we’re close to her. There’s something in her energy he picks up on and he’s been letting me know ever since the first night she walked.
Well, I’ll give her the space she wants. I do have to apologize for being an asshole to her. I don’t mean to come across as another dad, but Jenny’s the type that you can’t help it. You don’t want the world to touch her and corrupt her spirit. Unfortunately, for us Alpha males, we tend to take that thought and crush the spirit anyway. For that, I have to apologize. I came at her all wrong.
At home, I tried to get through the stack of pack applications, but all I could think about was the anger in Jenny’s voice.
I lean back and scrub my face. I take a deep breath in and let it out as I drop my arms to my chair. I look around my office then pick up my phone. 6pm. I should go see her before she heads up to her apartment.
Grabbing my keys, I leave my office. I shout to Alex that I’m stepping out and hop in my car.
I run my apology through my head as I turn onto her street. I will be calm and understanding. I’m going to make a sort transition plan with her. A slow one. She stays at my place, I stay at hers. Something like that. That way I’m always with her without the anger and control. As far as Phoenix goes, I’m going to have to think real hard on that one. I can pretty much say, Jenny won’t be traveling there anytime soon.
I get to the store and I parallel park in front of the door. I have to do a double take as I slowly undo my belt.
I open my door and step out, barely take my eyes off the front door of what used to be Jenny’s Bookshop.
“What…the…Fuck?” I slam the door and walk around my car to the sidewalk.
The front door is open slightly, but the glass is broken in the door and the display window.
The place is dark, but I see sparks from electrical wires inside.
My heart jumps into my throat as I shake away my shock and clue in that Jenny might be hurt in there.
“JENNIFER!!” I rip the door open and rush in. I get a few feet and have to stop. “Holy shit.”
My eyes scan one side to the other.
Book ripped and shredded. Shelves smashed, toppled and ripped off the walls. Ceiling with gaping holes in it. Burn marks on the walls. Mounds of debris all over the floor. Live wires snapping and sparking.
“Jenny!” I quickly look around the debris for her. My wolf is going insane and so am I as I toss books and broken wood.
“What do we have here?”
I stop instantly, with a handful of broken covers and paper. My head turns to the back alcove. I drop what I have, straighten and tilt my head. I raise my hand to a point as I see a door in the shelving that was never there before. I stumble through the garbage to it. It was half open and I pushed it the rest of the way.
My eyes open and my mouth falls. “You’ve got to be shitting me…”
“My aren’t you just a yummy snack.”
My eyes turn to my girlfriend sitting on a table in a bra and black business skirt. Her long legs are crossed as she leans back on her hands. Her hairs a mess, but fuck, if she doesn’t look damn hot.
I give my head a shake. Not the time Deacon.
I rush to her. “Baby! My God. What happened?” I check her over.
She smiles. “Oh…a little of this and a lot of that.” She looks at me like I’m Angus Beef. She runs her hand across my face and smiles this sexy smile I’ve never seen before.
I grab her hand and look her over. Overall, she looks alright, aside from being half naked, but somethings off. “Are you ok? What’s wrong?”
She tilts her head up at me. “Nothings wrong. I’m absolutely perfect.” She smirks. She’s sounds like she’s not sitting in the middle of her dream burning to the ground.
I shake my head. “No…Something’s wrong. You…You’re hurt or something.” I look around. “What is this? What’s going on? What happened to the store and why aren’t you freaking out about it?”
She giggles and hops off the table. “Deacon. There’s more important things than silly books. I just…reevaluated my priorities.” She walks past then spins around. Her hair flailing out around her.
“No…You’re acting weird.” I say cautiously.
She seductively walks up to me, running her hands up and down her body. “Is this weird to you?” She says in a sultry tone before grabbing my head and bruising my lips. Her tongue commands entrance and pushes past my lips. I grab her hair as she claws at me and tries to eat me alive. Even though this is fucking hot and the pressure in my pants became painful, my insides are freaking out. This is not the girl I’m falling for.
I push her off. “No. Jenny, I think there’s something really wrong here.” I stare into her eyes as she wipes her lips.
“There’s nothing wrong, Dea. This is the new me.” She shrugs.
“You have a concussion or something from whatever the fuck happened here.” I push her back to the table and make her sit on it. “I’m getting the Doc. Stay here.”
She narrows her eyes. “You just don’t like that I’ve changed. I don’t want to be the sweet, innocent, pathetic librarian anymore, Dea. This is my beautiful self. The real woman you want.”
She grabs my shirt and tries to kiss me again. I rip her hands off and point in her face. “I’m getting the doctor. Stay…here.” I demand. My eyes show I’m dead serious.
“Yes, Alpha.” She crosses her leg and bounces it as she leans back and smirks. I’m really starting to hate this smart ass persona she has.
I give her one last warning look. “Stay.”
She raises her hands in surrender and chuckles.
I’m not laughing.
I trip my way out of the store. Once on the street I open the link. ‘Doc. I’m picking you up. Something’s happened.’
‘Yes, Alpha.’ He responds.
‘Alex.’
‘Yo.’
‘I need Enforcers down to the store. Jenny’s…hurt.’
‘Shit. OK. On it in 10.’
I get in my car and drive as fast as I can through my city’s rush hour traffic to the downtown clinic. Hopefully, he can determine what’s wrong with Jenny. If she’s been poisoned or something, he can find it. She wasn’t bleeding, thank God, but that doesn’t mean there’s not internal damage.
The pack doctor gets in and I drive back to the store. “I don’t know, Doc. I’ve never seen a concussion do this, but there must be something wrong.”
“Don’t worry, Alpha, I’ll help her.” He reassures.
I turn down the street and my fucking eyes bug out. Both of our jaws hit the floor.
“I thought you said she was here.” He says as he looks out the window.
I put the car in park and just stare. My heart is crashing against my ribs and my brain can’t even register this at all. My skin is on fire and my wolf slams his body against his cage.
I stumble out of the car and my hands grab my hair as I look at the gaping hole where a three story office building was a few minutes ago.
“Wha? It’s was…I left…Fucking how?!” I yell as I rush the sidewalk. I look at the foundation of the missing building and the bricks fall from building it was attached too. The concrete base was cracked and crumbling. Water pipes are ripped open and spilling water into the basement of the bookstore. I fall to my knees at the edge of the hole and search frantically for Jenny. There’s no sign of her anywhere.
“Alpha.” The doctor starts. “What’s going on?”
“I have no fucking clue.” I shake my head and fall back on my calves. I raise my head to the sky where there should be windows and brick. I turn to him. “Absolutely no fucking clue.”
The streets fill with sirens as I try to process that it appears that someone took my girlfriend and the whole fucking building she was in.
****
I pace the street after letting the doctor go and letting the Enforcers investigate. After, they had no more answers than I did.
I stare at the hole and think. This has to be a cosmic thing. One of those douchbags took my woman. There’s only one person I can think of that would be able to find out for me.
I take my phone out and dial. The other side answers. “…Cass…I need your help, man…Someone took a building from my pack…A three story building just disappeared out of my town and I need your help!...OK.” I hang up, put my phone in my pocket and turn.
Cass and Ember are standing on the street.
“Man, thanks for coming.” I rush him and pull him into a bro hug.
“No problem….Um…” He pushes past me and tilts his head.
“Why are we staring at a hole?” Ember arches a brow.
I point to it. “Because 8 hours ago, there was a three story building there. Now, I know one of those cosmic assholes did this and I need you two to go up there and drag the fucker down here so I can rip his cosmic throat out.” I growl loud.
Cass raises his hand. “Ok, Dea. Calm down.”
“Calm down! My girlfriend was in that building!” I yell. I shoot looks of pure anger as I aggressively motion to the hole.
Ember steps forward and places her hands in her pockets. “Cosmics didn’t do this.”
I squint my eyes. “How would you know?”
“Because taking buildings is not really a cosmic thing. If they wanted a woman, they would take her, not the whole building.” She says.
Cass and Ember turn to the hole.
I pace around them.
“Girlfriend?” He asks.
“Yeah. Jenny. Remember the librarian I told you about meeting?” I say.
He nods and I throw my hands to the hole.
Cass rubs his chin as he stares. “I have so many questions, but only one is burning right now.”
I stop in front of him. “What?”
“You were dating a sexy librarian and you didn’t tell me?” He arches a brow.
“She’s not a sexy librarian. She sweet, kind and….Ugh! That’s not the point!!” I motion to the hoke yet again. “She’s missing and I need to know who has her.”
He holds up a hand. “OK. Run it by me again. What happened?”
I stop and point at him. “First, I’m not an asshole, OK. I just wanted her to know me and I just wanted to protect her. Let’s get that clear.”
“OK. You’re not an ass.” He smirks.
I narrow my eyes at him. “Anyway. I was being pushy. I admit that. We got into a fight and she kicked me out. Later, I came back to apologize and the place was trashed. I mean massive tornado trashed.”
“What happened?” He cinched his brows.
“I don’t know, but something was wrong with Jenny. She just came on so strong. It wasn’t her. I told her to stay here and left to get the doc. When I got back…” I motion to the hole.
“She was attacked?” Cass asks.
I shake my head. “No. Cameras were knocked out in a three block radius and there was no sign of anyone around the building.”
Cass turns to Ember. “Maybe it was magic. Artemis?”
Ember shakes her head. “No. Artemis doesn’t have that skill.”
“Michael.” Cass says.
“Again, no magic.” Ember confirms.
“Besides, Michael’s in prison.” I state.
“No, he’s not.” Cass says.
“Excuse me?” I raise a brow.
He nods. “I’m surprised you haven’t heard. He escaped.”
“What? How?”
Cass shakes his head. “No one knows. It looks like an inside job, but it also looks like a jailbreak. Oliver is investigating.”
“Fuck, that dick probably let him out.” I growl, turn and rub my forehead and face. I place my hands on my hips and look for anything to make sense.
Cass joins my side. “Oliver’s a dick, but he wouldn’t help someone escape from prison. It wouldn’t make him look good and he’s all about looks. He won’t even give his brother the time of day.”
“Well, OK. So, Michael’s back on the board. That’s good to know. What about Jenny?”
He crosses his arms. “What about Azriel?”
Ember joins us. “A sorcerer has the skill to do this.”
“But why would Azriel take a building from my pack?” I look confused.
Cass shrugs. “Maybe it’s a council thing. They had to move it for some reason and Jenny was just wrong place, wrong time.”
“OK. I need to get to the council. I have to find her. If anything happens to her, Cass. I’m going to fucking…” I growl and slam my hand on my nape as I push my wolf down.
He catches my attention and places his hand on my shoulder. “We'll find her. Just keep it together.”
I press my lips together and nod.
He turns to Ember who’s on the phone. “We need a lift to Phoenix. Right now.”
“We can’t. We have to go to Chicago.” She says as she hangs up.
“What? Why?” Cass asks.
“Because Puck just told me that’s where we’ll find the angel.” She says.
“Excuse me?” Cass looks at her like she has two heads.
“The angel for the angel feather we need?”
“No. I heard you, I just don’t fucking believe it. Angels? Are you kidding me?” He crosses me.
“They’re real.” I say as I fold my arms and tick my head.
“What?” He turns to me.
“Angel’s are real. Nala told us.” I confirm.
“No shit!” His eyes widen.
Cass looks between me and Ember.
I motion to him. “You go. I’ll call Azriel, get him down here and hopefully he can help.”
“OK. If you need anything, you call.” He says as he grabs Embers hand.
“I will.” I give a half smile and they blink out of existence. I have the weirdest friends ever.
I pull out my phone and dial it again. The other line answers. “Uh…Hi, Faith…” I pace around the sidewalk. “I was wondering if I could steal Azriel for a bit.” I stop in front of the hole and scan the emptiness. “It’s urgent.”