Chapter 3

Three

"For someone as intelligent as I supposedly am, I have made some less than smart decisions as of late. Worse than that, I have hurt my true mate. If I continue down this road, he may never be able to forgive me." ~Jewel

J ewel flinched at the sound of Dalton's sharp tone. He rarely spoke to her in an angry tone, even when he was frustrated. The man had an incredible amount of patience with her, much more than she'd earned. She wanted to beg his forgiveness. Instead, she pressed her lips together, attempting to keep her consciousness under control. Just a little longer. Once it was done, she could tell Dalton everything, and then hopefully he'd understand. By the Great Luna, I hope he understands.

The silence in the car was a heavy blanket that threatened to suffocate her. Maybe that's what she deserved. Jewel had already committed so many transgressions in this life. Since she'd joined the supernatural world, she'd done things she would have never imagined. How many people had she killed? It didn't matter that she'd been under the influence of dark magic. She could have fought it harder. She was the one responsible for the deaths. What was one more sin? Was she even redeemable at this point?

Jewel hadn't even realized they'd arrived back at the Colorado pack mansion until she heard Dalton's door close. His actions were controlled—too controlled. Though anger radiated off him, his movements did not show it. He even came around the car and opened her door, as he always did. Jewel half expected him to head inside, leaving her behind. It would have been completely understandable. Though Dalton didn't leave her, he also didn't hold his hand out to help her out of the car, as he usually did. Instead, he stepped back, away from her as she got out. He didn't slam the door but shut it gently behind her. She met his eyes and saw the glowing orbs of the wolf staring back at her. A chill ran down her spine. Not because she was afraid of him, but because she could see more than anger there. There was hurt, but worse than that, there was the recognition of betrayal.

He turned from her and started for the house. Jewel made her feet move, though she practically dragged them. She didn't want to have a conversation. She wanted to take a shower and wash off the filth left on her from the shack. Then Jewel wanted to crawl into bed and lose herself to the oblivion of sleep. There, she hadn't betrayed her mate or ripped his heart in two. There, she didn't feel the darkness inside of her. In her dreams, Jewel's life was simple, instead of the twisted web it had become.

As Jewel cautiously entered their room, her eyes immediately searched for Dalton. To her dismay, he was nowhere in sight. A wave of panic washed over her, causing her heart to race and her palms to sweat. She frantically scanned the room, hoping to glimpse him somewhere. And then she heard it—movement coming from their closet. Another surge of fear rushed through her as she imagined him packing a bag and leaving her for good. Frozen in place, Jewel was at a loss for what to do next. How could she possibly come back from this if he decided he was done with her secretive ways? The mere thought of losing Dalton, her true mate and the other half of her soul, sent a sharp pain through her chest.

And then he emerged from the closet. He was indeed holding a bag. The ground seemed to tilt beneath Jewel's feet, and she stumbled forward, barely catching herself on a chair in the sitting area. Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision as the possibility of Dalton leaving became all too real. She knew her heart would stop beating as soon as he walked out that door. Without Dalton by her side, Jewel would be incomplete, an empty husk, blown about by whatever wind might come her way.

Dalton's expression was unreadable as he looked at her, his hand gripping the bag tightly. Jewel held her breath, bracing herself for whatever he was about to say or do. Every second felt like an eternity until finally, with a heavy sigh, Dalton spoke.

"I'm going to contact Dillon and see how I can help with the mess Cain has caused. I don't know when I'll be back."

It sounded more like he was saying he didn't know "if" he'd be back. There was no emotion on his face or in his voice. He spoke to her as if she was an acquaintance, not the woman he'd planned to build a life with. She'd rather he put a dagger in her chest, and she already knew how painful that was. It was still preferable to this.

Jewel opened her mouth, but then shut it without making a sound. What could she say? Did she have any right to beg him to stay? She'd been lying to him by omission for weeks. Her thirst for knowledge drove her to explore the possibility she had discovered. However, she knew Dalton would not be pleased with her actions. No one in her pack would be okay with it and, more than likely, Tanya and Dillon would forbid it.

Dalton stood there, his powerful arms flexed and tense, his broad shoulders pulled back in a show of strength. His chin was lifted confidently, and the fiery determination in his eyes was almost tangible. What did he want? For her to plead for him to stay? Surely, he already knew she wanted him to stay. Did he want her to beg at his feet, tears streaming down her face? Jewel couldn't imagine sinking so low, but she couldn't deny the desperation clawing at her from within.

"Are you going to say anything?" Dalton's voice cut through the tension like a knife.

Jewel straightened from where she had been leaning on the chair. She wiped away the tears that had escaped her control and then bit her lip hard, trying to hold back the words that wanted to escape. She couldn't reveal everything yet. With a deep breath, she composed herself and answered through gritted teeth, "I don't know what to say." The pain in her voice was palpable, but she couldn't let it break her completely.

"You could start with the truth," Dalton growled. "I'm your true mate, your husband. We share a damn soul together. I deserve your honesty. I am the person you should be able to tell anything. I'm the one you should feel safe with. I'm yours and you are mine, Jewel. But you're acting like I don't deserve your honesty or trust. That's what this comes down to. If you feel you can't talk to me, it's because you don't trust me. And by the Great Luna, I can't figure out what I did to lose your trust."

Jewel was horrified by his words. She'd made him feel this way. The complete betrayal in his eyes and voice was entirely her fault. He had done nothing but love her. "I'm sorry." Her voice trembled. "It kills me to hear you say that, for you to think that."

"Not enough." His voice was cold and emotionless, which was worse than his anger and pain.

D alton waited for his mate to tell him he was wrong. He stood there like a fool, hoping she would run into his arms and let him in. He hated to sound cruel to her. He despised the indifference in his voice. But he was at a loss. He thought back to all they'd been through in their relationship. And there'd been a lot of pain already.

"I told you once that you'd denied me the right and privilege to take care of you," he reminded her. "I thought you understood. I told you that there was no longer ‘me,' but ‘we.' We are a team, a partnership. I thought you agreed."

Jewel's face hardened, though her eyes were still full of tears. "Well, if we're going to take a walk down memory lane, then how about this, Dalton Black? You once told me that if I thought you would just walk away and give up on me, then I was a bigger fool than even you." She motioned to the bag that he gripped in his hand. "Who's the bigger fool now?"

Each word she spoke felt like a scorching brand, searing through every nerve in his body. Dalton had thought that losing Jewel the first time had been the worst pain he could ever endure, but now he knew he was wrong. Her cold rejection and constant deceit had been like a relentless onslaught of fiery arrows, piercing his heart and soul. The bond between them, once strong and unbreakable, now felt like a tattered rope that threatened to snap at any moment. This agony was unlike anything he had ever known before, and it consumed him completely. "I am," he said, softly. "For believing that one as young as you could possibly be ready to make the kind of commitment that our kind makes. I know you've been through hell, but I'd thought you'd made progress. Now I realize I don't know as much about you as I thought."

She looked as if he'd slapped her across the face, and he immediately wanted to take back his words. His wolf was pissed at him for saying such things to their mate, but the man was hurt. She'd managed to do what no one else ever had: make him feel insignificant and unworthy. Dalton stomped toward the door, knowing that if he stayed longer, he'd say more things he regretted. He'd do even more damage to whatever bond might be left between them. Dalton had no idea how to come back from this or if they even could.

As his hand wrapped around the knob, he paused as she gasped his name.

"Dalton. Are you leaving me?"

He didn't answer her question. He simply waited. Still hoping she'd trust him, like the fool he admitted to being. After several seconds, he blew out his breath. "If you've cared for me at all, during this time we've been together, at least tell me this. Have you been meeting a lover at these brothels you've been going to?" The entire drive back that night, he'd been thinking about it. As a gypsy healer or witch, she might have a way of removing the scent of another male. Since she'd effectively shut down the bond, he had no way of seeing into her thoughts and memories. He hadn't planned to ask. But if she answered nothing else, he would demand an answer to this.

Jewel gasped. "What?"

"You heard me just fine. Answer the damn question."

"You think I'm capable of that? You think so little of me?" He heard the shock in her voice.

Dalton's chuckle was dark. "Little dove, I have no idea what you're capable of anymore. You've made it clear that you don't really give a rat's ass what I think of you." He waited, his eyes on his hand gripping the doorknob.

"You are the only lover I have ever had." She spoke so softly that a human wouldn't have heard the words.

He opened the door, and just before he slammed it closed, he heard her whisper, "The only one I'd ever want."

Dalton didn't let the words sway him. His steps ate up the floor to the front door. The farther he got from her, the more the pain ripped through him. When he was a good fifty yards from the mansion, he pulled out his phone and found the contact he wanted. He hit the call button and waited. Two rings later, a woman answered.

"What can I do for you, Dalton Black?" He could hear the curiosity in Elle's voice.

"Why is Dalton calling you?" Dalton heard Sorin's voice come through the phone.

"Well, I wouldn't know. You haven't given him time to answer me," Elle told her mate. "Now, where were we? Oh, yes. You were about to explain to me why you're calling me. Is Jewel all right?" The last question was asked with some urgency, as if she had just realized a problem with Jewel would be the only reason Dalton might be calling.

"I need your help. And the answer to your question about Jewel is complicated."

Elle was quiet.

"But I can contact someone else if Fane has you busy on a mission," Dalton offered.

"No, we are in the planning stages at the moment. Why did you choose me?"

"Because I actually need you to bring me Anna, and you're just rebellious enough to do this without letting Peri know. Or anyone else, for that matter. The healers have been around you and trust you."

"What about Gustavo?"

"I expect he's going to want to come."

"I expect a full explanation before I agree to anything. Where are you?"

Elle looked from the building to Dalton. "Why are we standing in front of a whorehouse?"

When she'd asked where he was, Dalton had pictured in his mind the last location he and Jewel had been and had hoped Elle would know the location. She was old after all. Surely she'd seen it at some point in her long life. He hadn't been wrong.

"What?" Anna's eyes widened, and Gustavo pulled her body slightly behind his. It was a fair action, considering the type of supernaturals that frequented places like this.

Sorin shifted restlessly as he glared at Dalton.

Nausea churned in Dalton's stomach as the bile rose his throat. This was beyond humiliating.

"Dalton," Anna said, gently. "We're your friends. We care about you and Jewel. You can trust us. You know that or you wouldn't have asked for us."

"That or we're his only option." Elle raised a single brow at him, folding her arms across her chest. "Spit it out, Black."

"Jewel has been going to these types of places for weeks," he finally admitted.

Elle's eyes widened. "I'm sorry. What?"

Anna was already shaking her head. "She wouldn't. I mean, why would she? Not that she would, but I mean, why ?"

Dalton knew they would have trouble believing him. Hell, he could barely believe it himself.

"You've … allowed this?" Gustavo's voice was confused rather than accusatory.

"Have I allowed my mate to go into a place where supernaturals hook up for uncommitted sex? What do you think?"

Anna held up a hand. "Okay, we get it. We know you wouldn't permit anyone to go in there if you had a choice, especially not Jewel. So, what is going on?"

"Have you been going in with her?"

Dalton made a noise of disgust. "I can't get in, Sorin."

"Why the hell not?"

"I can answer that, Gustavo. He doesn't have enough darkness in his soul. You see, the only people that can enter these dens of iniquity are those that have a strong darkness within them … or have been greatly changed by darkness." Elle cut her eyes over to Dalton. "I imagine that a year ago he would have waltzed right in with no problem. From what I understand, he was pretty far gone when Jewel came along. But through their bond, she has driven the darkness back. Now, the big man here is as pure as the driven snow." She jerked her thumb at the shack. "Places like this are off limits for those filled with light."

"But Jewel is a healer," Anna said in an exasperated voice. "She's good, pure. She wouldn't?—"

"She has," Dalton snarled. "I've tried to stop her. I've questioned her. I've begged her. I've all but tied her to a damn chair and put her in a cage. She won't talk to me. She won't let me tou—" The words got stuck in his throat, but he swallowed down the emotion. "She won't let me touch her, and she's completely shut down the bond."

Anna's hand came up to cover her mouth, her shocked expression only adding to Dalton's anguish.

Both Sorin and Gustavo looked as pained as he felt, as if they could imagine their own mates doing that to them and how it would tear them up. There was no judgment in their looks, which let him breathe a little easier.

"Why didn't you tell someone sooner? We could have helped. We're pack, Dalton. When one of us hurts, we all hurt. Jewel is obviously hurting or going through something that's pushing her to do something so drastic."

"Do you have any idea how humiliating this is, Elle?" Dalton tried to keep the anger from his voice. "To have to admit that my mate has been going to a brothel, and I haven't been able to do a damn thing about it. Once again, failing her."

"No," Anna said sharply. "This is not your fault. Jewel is a grown woman and makes her own choices. Whatever struggles you may face in your relationship, how she handles it is on her. The only person you can control is yourself. And like Elle said, at some point, sometimes you just can't work through it on your own. You need people that love you both to come and support you and offer help, guidance, and wisdom. There is no shame in admitting the need for help."

Dalton bowed his head, and his body shook. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and the strength of Gustavo's alpha power covered him. He appreciated the support, but the only touch that would take away this bone-deep chill was Jewel. And she didn't want to touch him. Damn, wasn't that a kick to the gut?

"You're not alone, Dalton Black." Power radiated through Gustavo's every word. "Whatever you and your female need, we will help you."

Dalton nodded, unable to choke out any words. He had to take a moment to collect himself. The emotions from the confrontation with Jewel were still fresh, making his nerves feel exposed and raw. After several minutes, he finally spoke. "Anna has been touched by the same magic as Jewel. I'm not saying you're evil," he quickly added, looking at Anna and then her mate. "I considered asking Kara, but?—"

"She's pregnant, and Nick would have likely tried to kill you the moment you even suggested it," Elle finished for him.

"That." Dalton pointed at her. "And I think Anna was the closest to Jewel after what they went through."

"You want Anna to go inside?" Gustavo asked. "She was cleansed by the Great Luna."

Dalton felt like a complete and total selfish ass. He was asking too much. "So was Jewel, and yet she can get in."

"Jewel had it worse. The evil didn't just touch her. It was a part of her, whether or not she chose it." Elle gave him a pointed look. A few moments of silence passed before Elle sighed. "But that doesn't mean our little healer here should at least get a chance to go into the creepy, dark brothel. And, if it helps, I guess I can be troubled to go in with her." She glanced back at the building. "It has been some time since I've been inside."

Sorin made a choking sound that morphed into a growl.

"Calm down, mate. I'm only teasing … maybe."

Dalton frowned at Elle. He wasn't in a joking mood. He looked to Anna, hoping against hope the healer would help. The air around them seemed to go quiet, and it seemed to Dalton his entire life hung in the balance. Everything rested on the next few moments.

Gustavo turned to look at his mate. He reached up and cupped her cheek. "I leave the decision to you. I don't want you to go inside there, especially if I cannot join you. But as you said of Jewel, you are also a grown woman. Your choices are your own."

Elle huffed a laugh. "Would you say the same thing if I wasn't able to go inside with her?"

Gustavo didn't take his eyes from Anna, who continued to stare back at him. "No."

Anna smirked at him. "As if I didn't already know that." She reached up and tapped his forehead, indicating the bond—the one they obviously kept open between one another. Then the healer turned to Dalton. "Of course I will go. Jewel is a sister to me."

The large man released a breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding.

"I can alter Anna's appearance," Elle added. "To protect her identity."

"Thank you." Gustavo nodded.

Elle looked at the Spanish alpha and cocked her head to the side. "You're pretty old yourself. I'm sure you've killed many people, and I imagine not all of those kills were righteous. Perhaps you have enough darkness in you to go inside, even with a true mate."

Dalton couldn't hide his surprise that the fae would consider such a thing of Gustavo, but the alpha didn't seem offended.

"I can try," he said simply.

Elle gave a sharp nod. "Let's get this show on the road." She reached over to Anna and placed her hand on top of the brunette's head. Moments later, in her place stood a woman a few inches taller with short blonde hair and glasses. She looked nothing like Anna. Then the fae looked at Gustavo. "If you're able to get in, I think it's best if I hide your appearance all together. If we need to speak to a male in order to figure out what Jewel has been up to, we will have more luck without a prowling alpha wolf attached to Anna's butt."

"Good grief." Anna looked at her mate and gave him a reassuring smile.

Elle rubbed her hands together, looking a little too eager for the mission. She leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to Sorin. "I've got this."

"I know." Sorin's jaw was clenched as he folded his arms in front of his chest as if to keep himself from grabbing her.

"Let's go Anna-Banana," Elle called out.

Anna rolled her eyes but hurried after the pink-haired fae. Gustavo was right on the heels of his mate.

Elle had no problem reaching the door and pulling it open. Anna also had no issues. But Gustavo bounced off an invisible barrier. He snarled at it. Dalton watched as the alpha's skin rippled with fur, but he got his beast under control. Anna looked over her shoulder at him and mouthed, "I'll be okay." Then the door closed behind her.

Now all they could do was wait.