Page 79 of Bad Blood Wolf

Chapter 30

When they got back to the compound, Adele was already asleep in Tristan’s old room. Brody and Jasmin went in to check on her.

“How’s she doing?” he asked.

Tristan shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said, looking worried. “That last blast of power… I don’t know how much damage she’s done to her brain.”

Jasmin saw the heartbreak in Brody’s eyes. “She shouldn’t have had to do that,” he muttered. “Fucking Bastian.” His hand closed over Adele’s thin one. “I’m sorry, Ma,” he whispered.

Jasmin slid her arms around his shoulders and leaned her cheek on his hair, his heartbreak hurting her too. There was nothing she could say to make him feel better. All she could do was be with him.

Rachelle, the dark-haired snake-horse woman, said, “Brody, you need to let us take her.”

Brody shook his head. “You can’t take her. She’s wanted by the Council. They’ll put her down.” He looked up at them, eyes burning. “You can’t tell them you found her.”

Rachelle and Tristan exchanged glances. Rachelle raised her eyebrows in a question.

Tristan sighed. “Your mate’s not gonna like it, Raven. You know how he is about everything being open and above-board.”

“You let me handle Kane,” she said, with a little smirk. She turned to Tristan.

“I know some people,” she said. “They have a small experimental treatment program for shifters with powers they can’t control.”

Jasmin growled deep in her throat. “They’re not experimenting on her.”

Brody shook his head. “No way.”

Rachelle put a calming hand on Jasmin’s arm. “I know what you all have been through. Jesse told me,” she said. “I’m a member of the Silverlake pack.”

“You don’t look like any wolf I’ve ever seen,” Jasmin said.

Rachelle smiled. “Nope, definitely not a wolf.” Jasmin noticed she didn’t say what she was. She spoke to Brody. “I would never let what happened to Jesse, and to this crew, happen to your mother. This isn’t like that.” She exchanged another glance with Tristan. “It’s not strictly legal, but no one is harmed. I can swear to that.”

Brody bit his lips. “I’m supposed to take care of her,” he said. “I can’t just send her away.”

Jasmin sat on the bed beside him and took his chin, turning his head so he looked into her eyes. “You did everything you could for her, babe,” she said. “More than anyone could have ever expected. But you can’t help her any more. If there’s someone who might be able to, don’t you owe it to her to try?”

She added, “Tris is one of us. If he’s willing to vouch for Rachelle and her people, then you can trust them.”

Brody took a deep breath, closing his eyes, and then let it out. “Okay,” he said finally. “Okay.”

Tristan gripped his shoulder in approval, and Rachelle smiled. “You’ll be able to come and visit her,” she said. “But I think we should get her there right away.” She turned to Tristan. “Did I hear something about a private plane?”

Lissa ended up having her Waltons Christmas after all. Or at least, as close to it as the Bad Bloods were likely to come.

On Christmas Eve day, they saw Brody’s mother off on Timber Jenkins’ private jet, heading out to meet Rachelle’s contacts. Rachelle and Tristan went with her, Tristan promising to come back soon for a visit.

Then Lissa insisted that she and Tank had to take Brody and Jasmin shopping.

“I know for a fact you haven’t bought any Christmas presents at all,” she said to Jasmin. “And there will be no Grinching at my tree, or blood will be spilled.”

“Merry Fucking Christmas,” Xander muttered in passing.

Jasmin had never bought a Christmas present, so this year was no different. “I’m cooking,” she complained. “Isn’t that enough?”

Lissa just gave her the slitty-eyed glare.

But once at the mall, she had to admit the shopping trip was a good idea. Buying presents seemed to take Brody’s mind off his mother. He helped Jasmin pick out presents for everyone, declaring they’d be from both of them, and he seemed easier with himself afterward, as if he’d reconciled himself to giving up the care of Adele to someone else.