“I can’t!” Jazz said.
“A name!” Jake shouted.
“I said I can’t-” Jazz said, shaking her head.
“Give me a fucking name,” Jake shouted.
“I don’t-” Jazz stammered.
“A fucking name! Now!” Jake roared.
“It’s Ach-” Jazz started to say the name when the familiar pain seized her throat. She started to gasp and choke as blood started to fall from her mouth. She grabbed her neck, trying to breathe. She looked at Jake, her eyes wide as he ran over to her. She stopped trying to say the name and the pain vanished. She coughed out the remaining blood in her mouth as Jake placed a hand on her cheek. He gazed at her intensely, looking deep into her eyes.
She looked back into his eyes and she knew that he finally understood.
Chapter 9
Jake
It had been a week since the thief had tried to steal the ruby. Jake had barely slept or eaten during this time. He had been revamping the security, including even more charms and guards. He had spent hours studying how the thief broke in and had done everything to make sure that it didn’t repeat.
Fortunately, none of the injuries had proved fatal. The soldiers that died were the ones that were directly attacked by the fire beams. Jake had personally gone and apologized to every soldier’s family. He had included their names in the honored soldiers of the past and had vowed in front of his clan to never forget their sacrifice.
The investigation with the girl had been stalled. They had gotten as much out of her as they could. It was clear to Jake that she never really intended for so many people to suffer and that she had no idea that the man who hired her could be so dangerous.
Jake had given up on finding the name of the man. He knew that some curse or spell prevented Jazz from speaking about it. Which meant that the clan was still in danger. The man knew everything about Jake and his clan, but Jake knew nothing about the man. Without any information, all he could do was beef up security so that no one could break in again.
He hadn’t visited Jazz since that incident, and he finally decided that he should visit her and make a decision about what to do with her. He didn’t plan on killing her, but he couldn’t let her go free either. He wasn’t sure he trusted her yet.
He nodded to the guards as he approached her cell, and they opened the door. He walked in to find her sitting on the floor, her face buried in her knees. The attraction that Jake felt whenever he was around her instantly reignited, burrowing deep into his body.
She looked up when she heard him; her beautiful eyes looked tired and dull.
“Are you alright?” Jake asked her, softly.
“You know, I have been a thief all my life. Ever since I was ten,” she whispered. “I never hurt anyone. I never stole from the poor or anyone needy. I never killed or hit anyone. If there was any chance of me getting caught, I just ran.”
Jake walked over and sat next to her on the floor, turning to look at her.
“I am just wondering where I went wrong,” she whispered.
"Why did you become a thief?" Jake asked, looking into her eyes.
"My mother was a member of Yahing Bear clan. She was the daughter of the leader of the clan, and since the Yahing clan doesn’t allow females to become clan leaders, she had to be wed off. The mate her father selected for her was cruel and vicious. He was abusive and manipulative, and her father did nothing about it because that is how their traditions are,” she said, leaning back against the wall.
“That sounds horrible,” Jake said.
“My mother ran away soon after I was born. In fact, she ran away the very next day after giving birth to me. I guess having someone to protect gave her the courage to finally take the step,” Jazz whispered. “But they caught her. She managed to hide me with an old woman who had offered to help and then she was caught. They killed her for treason. The old woman raised me; I called her Grammy.”
Jake remained silent, his heart slowly twisting in pain as he heard her story.
“She raised me as best as she could. But she was often sick and poor. I started stealing when I was very small so I could buy her medicines. It’s why I accepted this job. I would have enough money to take Grammy out of here and get her treated. Because I would be free of this poverty and never-ending stealing.”
“I am sorry,” Jake said. “I had no idea. I wish you didn’t have to go through all that.”
She looked up, their eyes meeting. “You know what the worst part is? I never wanted to. I tried to earn a living legally, you know. But people are more willing to pay for a crime than for honest hard work. To survive in the human world, you need schooling and degrees, and I had nothing,” she said. “No bear clan would accept a random outsider like me. No clan would trust me!”
She grabbed his chest and looked at him with desperation. “Who am I?” she asked. “I am not a human, even though one raised me. I am bear by birth, and yet I have no clan. Where do I belong? What am I? Where is my family? Why am I alone?”
