Bound by The Moon (The Bound Series Book 2) (3 page)

Chapter Two

Jaden walked into the front room. Running a hand over his race, he looked around him, his mind blank.
How the hell was he going to sort this mess out?

He looked from Balin, who was still sat at the bottom of the stairs. To Sam, who broodingly watched Helena from the fire place, where he stood. In the armchair Helena sat sedately, looking innocent, with her legs crossed; which was baloney. Especially as she'd just torched a body, only seconds after looking at Sam as if she wanted to devour him whole.

Jaden frowned, then pushed the thought away again with a shudder

"Okay, I've had a thought," Jaden said to the room at large. Feeling like a bug under a microscope, as all eyes turned to him. Clearing his throat, he tried not to make eye contact with anyone. He wasn't happy about having to ask for help, but for Maya he would do it.
God, she was going to be so pissed with him over this
.

"So, as you know, it's our binding ceremony this evening." He listened to murmurs of confirmation.

"Well, I've just realised that with the other two shifters still on the loose, I'm going to need help keeping Maya safe. I can't protect her and…" he cut off what he was going to say as Balin coughed. As Jaden looked to him, his eyes cut to Helena, who was watching him from slit eyes. Her mouth was pinched with displeasure. Jaden grinned as he realised what both she, and Balin, thought he was going to say.

"As I was saying. I can't protect Maya, and perform the ceremony at the same time, it's not possible. I also need to make sure she can shift, then let her run for a while. He heard Helena suck in a startled breath, raising a querying brow, he looked towards her.

"You're going ahead with the complete ceremony then?" Jaden just nodded, then turned towards the others, carrying on.

"I need help. I wouldn't ask if I didn't think it was important. I know Maya won't like it, but I'll deal with her ruffled feathers later, because her safety is more important than her modesty." he told the room at large, even though he wasn't too happy with the situation himself.

Jaden ground his jaw at the thought. Tonight should be private, just for them, not something to be witnessed by anyone else.

"Yes, so as I was saying I…" he was cut off mid-sentence as there was a knock on the door. Balin looked towards him sheepishly. Then got up off the bottom stair, moving towards the door. Sam took his eyes off Helena, and moved closer to the living room door. Trying to see who was there, as Balin answered.

"Jesus, open the door," came the wolf's rough Scottish brogue on the other side. "I haven't got all night. My Aggie said I was to get back here to show you," he said, as he stepped into the hallway. Balin locked the door behind him again, as he followed him into the front room. "You need to come with me to see this," Douglas told them. He then made his way through the kitchen, and out into the back garden.

Jaden looked towards Balin, who stepped back. He plonked himself back down on the bottom step, as Sam followed in their wake.

"I'll stay here, and fry anyone who comes through that door," Helena said sweetly.

"See, hot. She's so fucking hot when she talks like that," Sam groaned. Jaden just shook his head in bewilderment. He felt like he'd stepped into the middle of the twilight zone. Then worried about what else could go wrong?

Was he ever going to be able to set up the extra help for tonight, or were they going to have to let it go? He would not have Maya's life put at risk, which it would be if he couldn't guarantee her safety. He'd rather forfeit his immortality, than risk her life.

"Hang on Douglas, exactly what is it I need to see?  I'm trying to sort out mine and Maya's binding ceremony," Jaden told him, as he caught up.

"You'll be needin to see this," he said cryptically. Pulling open the back gate, he moved into the treeline, and Jaden sighed as he followed him. Sam was right on his heels.

They walked about a hundred yards, under the cover of the trees. There, Douglas stopped before something. Jaden heard him sigh, his head bowing, as he muttered under his breath.

"What is it?" Jaden queried, as he came up behind him. He then recoiled at the sight that met him, as he looked down. Sam whistle behind him.

"Jesus Christ, what the hell," Jaden said. Looking from the gruesomely torn up female body, then back towards Douglas. His mouth flattened as he realised who'd done it, and Douglas seemed to guess his thoughts.

"Aye, it be those bloody cats, check the body," he told Jaden.

Jaden hesitantly stepped forward, then crouched down to get a better look. He felt sick to his stomach at the state of her. They'd gone to town on her, they really had. She was a mess. So badly torn up was she, that she wouldn't be easily recognisable. The only distinguishing feature was her height, and her shoulder length dark hair. They couldn't even tell exactly what colour that was to be honest, due to it currently being dirty, and soaked with her own blood. Her naked body was pale. Marred with dark smudges, and bruising as well as the damage they'd done. On closer inspection he realised the area around her was clean. There were no signs of a struggle, nothing. She was naked, but there was no ripped clothing, or blood spatter.

He stood up, walking around the perimeter to double check the ground, but found nothing there either. They'd obviously killed her elsewhere. Then dumped her close enough to their property, to ensure they find her.

"Have you seen the warnin?" Douglas asked. His Scottish brogue becoming thicker in his agitation. He pointed to the torso, or what was left of it. Jaden again crouched besides her, jaw clenching. He swore viciously, as he ran a hand over his mouth.

"Jesus, I really need to catch these sick fuckers," he snarled, scratching his head. Digging his hands into his thighs, he pushed himself upright. He walked back away, as he couldn't look at the body any longer. It was sickening.

"Any idea who she is?" he asked Douglas, who nodded.

"Aye, tis Elenor. Elenor Mathers, she works as a freelance writer for a few trash papers," Douglas informed him grimly, and Jaden sighed at the news.

"We need to contact the authorities; this is going to cause us problems."

"No, you can't be doin that lad. This is for us to deal with," Douglas pronounced forcefully. His stance widening as he shook his head at Jaden, his face taking on a mulish look.

"But surely someone will miss her. You can't just have her disappear, and not expect it to not raise questions," Jaden told him. He was perplexed by Douglas's attitude.

What the hell was going on
? Jaden crossed his arms, and planted his feet. Then raising a brow, he waited silently for an explanation. Douglas just stood with his own arms folded, and widened stance, as he stared back at Jaden, refusing to back down.

"Aye you can. We have vamps and witches in town. With their help, perceptions can be altered, and stories corroborated. We take care of our own. It's the only way we stay hidden," Douglas informed him sternly.

Jaden sighed, realising he still had a lot to learn about their kind.

"What the hell did they use on her?" Jaden murmured. Letting the worry over reports and authorities go. He looked back at the body in disbelief, feeling bile rise in his throat.

"I'd say claws, teeth and a nice carving knife by looks of it," Douglas said, looking down at her again.

Jaden turned away, it was sickening that someone could do that to another. Her throat had been torn out, and her chest had been ripped open. She also had an eye missing. There were deep gouges in the flesh of her arms, with some missing and broken finger nails. She'd obviously fought her attackers. The one eye that was still intact was staring wide, and fixed, into the distance. The message cut into her skin though, was pretty telling.

'You know who's next!'

"Was she targeted for a specific reason, or just to send us a message?" Jaden asked. He was still struggling to get his head around the depravity shown.

"Elenor was a bit of a busy body, and trouble causer. She liked to stick her nose in other people's business, always looking for the next big scoop. I guess she either said, or saw something that shouldn't have. Tis a shame. She paid a high price for snooping, but nothing we can do for her now. Well, apart from make sure the cats pay for her murder." Douglas shrugged, then turned. He practically fell over Helena, who'd managed to creep up on them; without making a sound.

She'd stood behind them a couple of feet away. Eyes wide, with a hand over her mouth and nose, then her eyes lifted to Jaden. Her hand dropped to her side, balling into a fist, as her mouth tightened.

"That sick fuck will pay for this," she said to Jaden. "You make sure he pays for this, before I torch the bastard?" she stared hard at him, until he inclined his head. Nodding, she stepped forward, pushing up the sleeves on her jumper.

"Okay then. Step back gentlemen, let's do a little clean up. We can't have the authorities getting wind of this." Douglas looked towards Jaden, with an 'I told you so' smirk.

Helena shook her head sadly, looking upon the torn up woman.

"He's always been a sadistic fuck, but Jesus. Then again he also thrives on the attention his actions receive. Craves it even, but he's not getting that satisfaction this time. No one will know about this, apart from us. I have a few of my own party tricks to bring to the table now. I will not allow him the satisfaction, this time. Sam can you check around, make sure he's not hiding and watching from somewhere will you."

"What happened to staying back at the house Helena?" Sam growled, as he moved by her, before shifting to his animal form. Using the heightened senses of his black jaguar, he searched out for anyone nearby. Once he'd done a quick perimeter check, sifting for any signs of their scent, he shifted back. Happy they'd long gone. He now stood towering over Helena, hands on his hips as he waited for an answer to his earlier question.

"I got bored," Helena admitted, without remorse. "Maya's sleeping, and Balin is watching over her," she shrugged. "Plus, I wanted to see exactly what was going on." Sam crossed his arms across his chest. His brows lowered over his eyes, as he frowned at her.

"You know what curiosity got you?"

"Yeah, it got the cat killed, but I'm not a cat, cat boy. I'm a fucking phoenix. Now shift your fine arse away from the firing range," Helena hissed at Sam, making him grin at her slip, as he stepped back. He winked at Jaden, then stood beside him, grinning at her like a lovesick school boy. Jaden shook his head, as he watched Sam's hands cross over his groin. 

"Freak. How can you find her ability to roast shit a turn on?" Not wanting to catch Helena's attention, he whispered out of the side of his mouth.

"Man, look at her, what's not to love?" Sam whispered back. "Beautiful and deadly, a fucking fabulous combination," Sam winked at Jaden.

They stood quietly, in awe, and watched as her hands came up and out. The orange flames appeared, at her finger tips, before leaping, like a living entity. Landing on the body before them, then the flames turned white, consuming and incinerating her in seconds. Once the flames vanished, there was nothing left. Only a pile of ash, where her lifeless, torn form had once been. The strangest thing though, there wasn't even a scorch mark left behind. Nothing, apart from ash, and an area of flattened grass where she'd lain. It was as if the flames only burned their intended target, weird.

"Okay, all done." Bowing her head, Helena said a silent prayer for the soul of the woman, who'd lost her life so gruesomely. She then crossed her arms, rubbing her hands up and down them, as if she were cold. Shuddering, her head moved around, as if she could feel something. Jaden nudged Sam, who looked towards Helena, his mouth pinched, as he watched her searching their surroundings. As if trying to find the reason or her reaction. Shifting, he sloped off into the trees, to take another look around.

"Come on Helena, let's go. I'll make you a nice cup of tea while we wait for Maya to wake up." Jaden told her, placing an arm around her shoulders.

He walked with her by his side, back towards the house. Matching his longer strides to hers, so she could keep pace with him.

They were all sat around the kitchen table, drinking tea, when Sam strolled back in through the door. Jaden looked up, and Sam shook his head, mouth pinching.

"Bastard had been there, not too far away either. He must have turned up, just after I'd done the earlier search. There was no new scent of either of them then. There was only one of them, and he'd been sitting in a tree. Not on top of us, but close enough that he could observe what was going on. There were claw marks in the bark of the tree, vicious slashes. I'd say your secret is out Helena," he sighed running a hand over his close cropped curls. "Bastard had had even scent marked the tree, then raked the lower stump too. There was also signs of torn up vegetation, and a dead troll, Larry Smith. He'd had his head crushed and heart removed, so you'll need to do clean up there too," he told Helena. "I'd say he's well and truly pissed off now. A dangerous thing for a rogue. We now need to be extra vigilant, especially over tonight."

"I need to call it off. I will not put Maya's life in danger," Jaden said, then frowning he looked towards Sam.