19. Chapter Nineteen

As we came to the Rochester airport, I let Heath and Gwen go head inside to find us a route into the country. Heath had an intimate knowledge of where the Russian werewolf pack spent most of their time, a large compound deep in the wilds of Siberia. A smart place to go since very few lived out there to get in the way.

But I knew someone.

During the drive, I had debated calling Hasan back. He probably thought I was in danger. I knew once I called Mischa, she would let him know what was happening, but that was good enough for me. I didn't want to test my will to get back at the werewolves against Hasan's will to keep me safe and out of trouble. She could tell him what I was doing without me needing to cross his path again.

I hit her name and dialed her cell phone, wondering if she would have reception where she was. Since I had gotten into regular contact with my family, I noticed Mischa was hit or miss. She would go a few weeks at a time without having reception wherever she was. I think she liked it that way. It was her escape.

"Jacky?" Mischa yawned. "Why are you calling?"

"Hasan hasn't gotten to you?" That was surprising.

"No…should he have?"

"I figured he would. I called him and told him I killed some werewolves, and I'm in Minnesota." I took a deep breath. "I need your help getting to the Russian werewolf pack."

"Why? Jacky, what did you get yourself into? And why am I or anyone just finding out something is happening? You couldn't give anyone a courtesy call before you killed werewolves?"

"It's a long story. I didn't expect to get in this much trouble when Everett called. He had a human show up in his territory. Thanks to Heath, I knew there was something going on with werewolves in the region, and suddenly, everything was connected, and there was no getting out. Not if I wanted to be able to sleep at night, anyway."

"I think I need to hear this story from the beginning."

"Yeah. So…" I launched into the story chronologically—Devora, the events at the hospital, my sister making it to Everett, and Heath and me flying up and getting pulled into everything because the Russians knew we were involved now. "Then the hospital decided they were okay with the Russian werewolves killing the staff as a trade. You know it's blackmail."

"Revenge for silence," Mischa agreed. "When did you finally decide to call Hasan? You should have the moment you realized your…twin was involved." Something about the way she said twin made it clear she had her opinions about Gwen, and they weren't positive. Was she upset I still had a human family? Was she angry I was risking my life for that human family?

"I called him right after the hospital shut my plan down, and we learned the Russians were leaving the country," I explained. "But we didn't get to finish the call because the new Alpha called us and…" I swallowed. "He took hostages."

"Who and what are his terms?"

"My parents, Gwen's kids, and her ex-husband. They all lived in Minnesota, close by. Gwen was here in Rochester, and the terms are simple. If we release the information on the pack, they kill my family. If I keep it, they keep my family. Or I trade. They get what they want, and I get my family back."

"Your family," she murmured.

"What?"

"What do you need from me?" Her tone was frustrated, angry. Maybe I was used to people being angry at me and took it as a sign she didn't want to help.

"Mischa, he threatened to Change a little girl." I saw red at the thought. No longer physically ill, I only felt rage. I clenched my jaw to keep from Changing to attack whatever I could as my control slipped. "My niece. I need you—"

"I know what the Russian pack does, Jacky. I don't need an explanation. I've known for years. I'm asking you what you need from me to take these motherfuckers down for daring to take humans who belong to you," she ranted, a growl punctuating more than one word.

"Oh. Well, we're headed to Russia. Heath knows the location of their main compound, where they'll probably take my family for safekeeping. I…"

"You need multiple things, then. You need a place to stay, backup, and more information. That compound is their main hub, but they have three small towns around it, all under the radar, where more of their wolves and humans live. Beyond that, they have pockets of population all over the country and several others. Jacky, do you know Genghis Khan?"

"I've read a history book."

"Good. This pack was started by him. It covers most of the ancient area he once ruled. When his human empire failed, the werewolves were still strong, but they went into hiding and worked under the human world like the rest of us. When we were at war with the werewolves, they owned the entire region. It took me four hundred years to convince werecats to move back into the region, and even now, I have to keep them from going too close to the wolves."

The sense of scale I was confronted with almost scared me. It would have if I didn't go into a blind rage every time I thought of my niece. I held onto that anger. I needed the rage.

"So, what else do you know about the pack?"

"I'll text you coordinates where to meet me. They'll probably fly directly into their compound, which puts you behind. Fly to Tokyo and pick up Hisao's jet. It's small, and I have a runway at one of my homes that can support it. I'll meet you there. Hisao can fly, so don't worry about needing a pilot."

"Perfect. What's the travel time?"

"From Tokyo to me will be eight hours. I don't know how long from where you are…" I heard fingers on a keyboard. "If you leave out of Rochester, it's fifteen hours to Tokyo, including layovers…There's a flight you need, leaving in an hour. Talk to me when you get to Tokyo. I need to get moving if I want to meet you and Hisao at my runway."

"Thank you," I said, grateful for such a supportive family. If it weren't for that, Gwen and I would have to take the deal from Sergey and hope he wasn't lying. Thanks to Mischa, I could do what I needed to do.

"Never forget, I would do anything for you. No thanks required, little sister," she said softly, then hung up.

I won't.

I shoved my phone away and ran inside to find Heath and Gwen. They were looking at flights when I caught them at a kiosk.

"We need a route to Tokyo. Mischa says there's something leaving in an hour…" I looked at the flights as Heath pulled out his phone and started searching.

"Did she give a total travel time?" he asked.

"Something like fifteen hours."

"Then we're flying to Chicago first, then to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. That'll have to do."

"What am I buying?" Gwen demanded.

"You aren't paying. Move." I gestured for her to step aside, which thankfully, she did. I found three tickets for the next flight to O'Hare and bought them all. It was still early in the morning, and I jumped on the chance to grab the seats in the empty first class. The flight was just over an hour and would most likely be empty.

"Heath, buy our flights to Tokyo. Gwen, do you have a passport?"

"Yeah. I keep it on me…"

"Good." I grabbed my go-bag off the cart Heath had found and looked through it, making sure I had one of mine—specifically, one that matched the credit cards I was using. "Heath, is anyone going to give you any trouble for leaving the country?"

He looked up from his phone. "Like who?"

"The BSA, the NAWC? CPS?" I rattled off every acronym involved in his life.

"No." He shook his head. "I invest my money all over the world, and before moving into your territory, frequently traveled by myself. The NAWC will find it odd I'm on an international flight with you, but they won't ask. Not immediately, anyway. You worry about you and your sister. I'll worry about the other werewolves."

But I want to worry about you. You're my werewolf. You're only here because I am, and that means so much to me. Let me worry about you.

I kept my eyes on him, wishing I could say what I was thinking, but I couldn't. It was too public, too possible for a supernatural who might catch our scents or recognize us.

Tickets bought, we all raced through security. We would be separated on the flight to Tokyo, but we would at least get first-class together to Chicago.

* * *

I was neversomeone who enjoyed long flights. There was a reason I never offered or considered visiting my siblings or Hasan once I moved into my own territory. Even as a human, I tolerated flying just to see new places and enjoy a vacation on the rare occasion. As a werecat, they made me itchy. I was getting better each time I got on a plane, but there was something to say about being wealthy. An empty plane was much more relaxing than a crowded one.

After the short flight to Chicago, we quickly found our flight to Tokyo. I didn't ask about our guns, knowing they had been left behind in Rochester. That didn't worry me because both Hisao and Mischa would have small arsenals in their territories.

We didn't speak at all as we got onto the second flight and found our seats, barely able to see each other over the heads of all the humans around us. I looked for my sister, making sure she found a good spot. I was grateful we had time in Rochester to let her wash out her hair and get some of the noticeable blood off her. It was something I hadn't thought about, but Heath had. Now on the second flight, I wished I had let her do more in her own home, like take a proper shower, grab several changes of clothes, and more.

While my sister was behind me, Heath was toward the front of the plane. He had picked the seat, so he could smell any supernaturals coming onto the plane in case someone came after us. He'd be able to warn Gwen and me before there was any chance of an enemy reaching us.

My phone dinged, and I checked it, trying to block the screen from the person beside me.

Heath:Wish we could sit together. I can smell you up here.

I chuckled softly,shaking my head as a small smile formed.

Jacky:After the night and morning we've had, you pick right now to try to be cute?

Heath:We're stuck on a plane. We have a moment to breathe. There's nothing we can do for anyone until we get to your siblings.

My smile grew a little more.I was lucky enough to get a window seat, so I could lean on the side. It wasn't the most practical seating for safety or danger, but I liked it.

Jacky:Thank you for sticking with me. I couldn't do it without you. I hope this doesn't blow back on Carey or Landon.

Heath:Leaving you to do this on your own wasn't and will never be an option for me.

I played with my phone,then put it away as the plane started to move. He was so committed, and I didn't understand why. He had a family to protect, a reputation, and he was walking a dangerous road, betraying his own species by helping me. Sure, the North American Werewolf Council had given him the token job of working with me when the need arose, but I was pretty certain they never intended it to go this way.

As the plane took off, I looked back at my sister again, making sure she was okay. Pale, she gave me a thumbs up from the back of the cabin. I knew she hated flying even more than me. We didn't grow up traveling the world, and our first flights were in undergraduate school when we went abroad for a week. We went together, but nearly twenty other students had gone on the trip, so we spent most of it hanging out with our own friends. Instead of a normal spring break, we were in Spain on a field trip and ignored each other.

I couldn't remember the fight we'd had that time. It felt like we had always been fighting back then.

An hour into the flight, I pulled my phone back out and took it off airplane mode. I looked at Heath's texts, trying to take my mind off my sister.

Jacky:Why?

He didn't answer immediately.I looked up to see him looking back at me, a frown on his face, his head tilted to the side in confusion. When he turned away, I knew to expect an answer and looked back down at my phone, hoping he could explain.

Heath:Your sister admitted to what she did, yet you told me to go because you worried about my family. Your family has been taken, and you're still worried about my family. You've always considered the safety of my children and helped me protect them.

You've taken risk after risk for me. You've tried to give your life for Carey on more than one occasion. You are selflessly driven to do good things and fight for what you love and for what you think is right. It's my honor to help you.

I'm not in the business of breaking my honor by abandoning you to protect your own family.

I heldmy phone to my chest after reading those words. He was too good a man, Heath Everson. He was going to get himself hurt, and it was going to be my fault. When my phone buzzed on my chest, I pulled it back down.

Heath:And why the hell would I leave a woman to fight on her own when I want to be with her? You convinced me to make that stupid decision before, and it's never going to happen again. I care about you, and there's no reason for you to be alone anymore.

My thumbs hoveredover the keyboard. How did I reply to any of that? The words touched me and terrified me. I typed out something and stared at it without hitting send.

I care about you too.

Then I deletedit and tried again.

I'm grateful to have you in my life.

Delete.Type. Delete. I didn't know what to say. After long enough, I put the phone down.

I could have done a number of things to pass the time. I could have tried to contact Sergey about my family, but I didn't want to antagonize him. He gave me seventy-two hours of safety before I had to make a decision. If I called him just to try to talk around his options, he would know I was planning something, and the timeline could accelerate. I knew why he wanted seventy-two hours, or I could reasonably guess. He was also on a plane, heading for Russia, and it would take some time for him to handle pack business once he landed. He knew we would follow him because he could dictate the meeting area and held the more valuable bargaining chip.

I didn't know why I felt so confident in my judgment about Sergey. Something about him seemed just as human as anyone I went to school with. His behavior was logical, I could make sense of it. Just like I could look back at Lani and make sense of her.

"You were always good at this."

"Good at what?"

"People."

Was I? I leaned back in my seat and opened my window shade to stare at the clouds. It was a long flight, and I had time to think.