Charity Received (33 page)

Unfortunately the same could not be said for the two bouncers, Mark and Doug. As the warlock turned his attention to the other two shifters, they began to change form. And chaos ensued.

“He’s trying to cause a diversion! Don’t anyone lose him in the crowd. And keep
vigilant. Raym could be here.”
Charity heard Remy’s orders just as sure as if he had been standing beside her and not halfway across the club.

Doug raced toward the back door while throngs of club-goers rushed the exit, Mark nipping at their heels. The warlock attempted to disappear into the frenzied crowd, but Zeke rushed the bastard, dagger in hand. Charity watched as the warlock, a wild look in his eyes, lunged forward and impaled himself on the outstretched blade.

He stumbled back, the sickening slurp of skin wrenching free from steel.

Blood poured from behind the fingers covering his abdomen, and with maniacal laughter, his gaze swept the room. “You are too late.” The warlock staggered and dropped to his knees as his complexion turned pasty. “You’ve lost honor. You cannot stop my master.”

Remy stepped behind the warlock, sword raised, and Kash shielded her from the view. Burying her head in her mate’s chest did not block out the gurgling sound of one choking on blood or the loud thump of a body hitting the floor. Charity clung to him, relief filtering through her, the fright the warlock had caused only a vague memory. But the same could not be said for Kash. He pressed his lips against her temple, holding her tightly in his arms as he trembled against her.

She raised her head and tried a reassuring smile. From the corner of her eye, she could just make out the now headless warlock prostrate on the floor. The carnage would have sickened most, but through the eyes of a wolf, it was only a mildly disturbing scene. Then she realized something wasn’t right.

“Where are Penny and Hope?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Faith took off running toward the back of the club.

“God damn it, Faith! Get your ass back here!” Bale demanded, chasing after his mate when she refused to obey his command.

Zeke took several steps, his intent clearly to follow the pair, when he came to a sudden stop, his gaze falling on Kash.

“Go,” Kash said. “Arak, you too. Keep Bale’s mate safe. We’re covered here. The warlock is dead, the threat to Charity over.”

A look of relief spread across Zeke’s face. Then he flashed from the room. Arak cast a questioning look at Remy, and at their leader’s nod, he disappeared also. Then Remy focused his attention on Charity.

“Kash, take Charity home. Jet will go with you. The rest of us will repair the damage done by the wolves shifting and clean up this mess.”

Kash didn’t stop to contemplate the order or ask how Remy planned to go about accomplishing any of that. But Charity was curious. And she wanted to know what happened to Hope and Penny. Instead she was dragged from Club Dominus and shoved into the backseat of her SUV, her questions left unanswered.

* * *

The wind whipped about the cloaked figure standing atop the building across from Club Dominus, watching Kashdejan guide Charity to a vehicle. Never once did he glance up, misguided in his belief that the skies were safe. Foolish warrior. Safety was an illusion.

But orders were simple: keep an eye on the shifter and the abomination she carried.

It had been easy, really, infiltrating the tight group. Faith had trust issues—she trusted far too easily. With that accomplished, it was just a matter of time. The word would come eventually. Either the shifter or the child—or both—had to die.

* * *

Back at the abbey, Charity felt the need burning inside Kash. She stood in the middle of the bedroom, eyeing him warily as he silently watched her. He slowly removed his weapons and laid most on the dresser, but his sword he set on the floor next to his side of the bed. Then, with narrowed eyes, he returned his focus to her.

“Take off your clothes,” he ordered hoarsely.

But Charity didn’t move a muscle. Instead, with uncertainty, she wrapped her arms around her stomach, her gaze glued to Kash’s face.

“Take off your clothes, Charity, before I rip them off you,” he repeated, taking a step toward her.

After grasping the edge of her top, Charity slowly drew it over her head. She wasn’t scared Kash would hurt her, but this dominant, assertive behavior was something new in him, and she didn’t know quite how to react. Without a bra, her swollen breasts bounced freely with her movements, drawing a groan from Kash. Stepping forward, he then cupped one in his hand as he stared down at her.

The nipple puckered against his palm, and his massaging grip caused her back to arch. He lowered his head and traced the areola with his tongue before sucking the pebbled bud into his mouth. A soft cry escaped her lips as he drew on her flesh, and Charity raised her hands to cradle his head against her breast, but Kash brushed them away.

As he lifted his head, he said hoarsely, “Get rid of the skirt, chérie, and get on the bed.” Then he stepped back from her and began to strip, the entire time his eyes fixed on her.

Charity swallowed nervously before sliding the long skirt slowly over her hips. The flesh between her thighs grew wet and swelled under her mate’s piercing stare, the possessiveness calling to something deep inside her. She took a step back toward the bed, but Kash’s demand stopped her.

“Panties too.”

Charity shed her last article of clothing, then crawled onto the bed. On her hands and knees, she glanced over at Kash, waiting for his next instruction. But his gaze was pinned to the glistening curls between her legs.

“Just like that,” he whispered, slowly approaching the bed. He fondled her ass, then traced the line of her spine. As he cupped the back of her head, he gently pushed her cheek onto the mattress. Then the bed dipped, and Charity felt his hot breath on her sensitive flesh.

The sound of him inhaling deeply sent a new trickle of wetness from her. A whimper rose from her throat at the feel of his fingers there, capturing her essence. Murmurs of appreciation caused her to draw a sharp breath, which turned into mewling, followed by a cry as his lips and tongue caressed her slowly, licking her swollen flesh.

“Kash!”

“Don’t move, chérie.” He dug his fingers into her hips, holding her in place as he slid his tongue through her folds then devoured her with quick, sure strokes.

Charity arched her back, her wolf preening under their mate’s dominance. When she tried to thrust back, needing a little more pressure to careen out of control, a sharp smack on the ass had her growling softly.

“I said don’t move. We do this my way, little wolf.” That was her only warning before he sucked her clit into his mouth.

Her thighs quivered, and Charity grabbed fistfuls of the bedding. Her body was tightening, preparing to spiral out of control. She tried to move away from the extreme pleasure, but Kash wrapped his arms around her hips, pulling her closer to his suckling lips, and increased his efforts.

Charity buried her face into the quilt, sobbing as he forced intensely sharp shards of delight through her. Then he slid two fingers into her pussy and fucked her quickly as, with tips curled, he found her G-spot with each thrust. A scream left her lips, the explosion beginning deep in her womb and spreading through her body.

Kash was immediately there, his cock slamming into her. His hands on her shoulders held her down as he draped over her back. Charity felt helpless, her body totally under his control, and he continued to hammer into her, prolonging the orgasm until she thought she’d go insane from the pleasure. Her eyes rolled back, whimpers forced from her lips, one orgasm rolling into another and then another.

Kash tightened his fingers on her, his back arching as she felt him spurt deep inside her with a howl. Then he collapsed on top of her, pushing her deeper into the mattress.

Kash rolled to his side, pulling her limp body with him and curling around her. He immediately moved his hands to support her abdomen, his fingers then caressing the taut skin as his panting breaths blew softly against her ear. The heat he produced stemmed the cooling of her skin, causing her to snuggle deeper into his embrace.

The light, sucking kisses that rained across her neck and shoulder were not meant to stimulate, but to cocoon her in love and security. Charity sighed, weariness settling over her, and her eyes slid closed.

“Go to sleep, chérie,” Kash whispered in her ear. “All will be well, my little wolf, so just sleep now.”

If Charity had heard anything in his tone that belied his words, she might have ignored his request. But all anxiety had faded, replaced by a sense of peace. And she latched on to the feeling of well-being, forgetting Hope and Penny. Ignoring the fact Raym was still out there. In Kash’s mind, the warlock’s death meant her safety. And as sleep claimed her, Charity knew she and Kash had everything they needed—each other and their child.

Charity sat at the kitchen table, shaking her head over the “What’s Happening”

section in the
Seattle Times
. A whole paragraph was dedicated to Club Dominus and the paranormal occurrences that seemed to be happening there of late.

“If you want to see the truly bizarre, Club Dominus is the place to be. Bartender Thalia Panellenios, University of Seattle film student and self-proclaimed Wiccan, has been using the club to film several apparently realistic scenes that have sent many club-goers flooding the streets in panic.” Charity shook her head and rolled her eyes. A film crew. Humans were willing to believe any lie that explained the things they wanted no knowledge of. She sighed. Oh well, better that than the truth.

The truth was, that night hadn’t ended so well for them either. Penny was missing, and Hope had been found in Faith’s office, going on hysterically about two men—one who had stabbed Penny and another who had stolen her from Hope’s arms and disappeared with her. No one really understood what had occurred that night except Hope, but the trauma had triggered her Transfiguration, and after enduring the horrific process that had turned her into a vampire, she couldn’t remember much.

Two days later, as Jet returned to the chapel after a night of hunting, he had stumbled upon Penny’s sword buried halfway into the ground. It was their way.

Since, like demons, the bodies of the fallen just disappeared, they had begun burying the swords of their deceased around 1180 AD. No one wanted to consider how her sword had gotten onto the abbey grounds, but Charity knew the consensus was that Raym had returned. Truly, it made no sense to her. He could return to bury a sword but had been forced to resort to abducting Faith from outside Club Dominus?

Charity set the paper on the table, turning toward the doorway as footsteps traveled up the staircase. Kash should have been returning from the paint store, and she was excited to get started. Hope was the first to turn the corner, a huge smile lining her face. She raised an arm, showing off the gallon of paint she was carrying.

“You got it?” With some effort, Charity attempted to stand, her hand moving to support her ever-growing abdomen, as if that would makes things easier.

Kash rushed to her side and pulled her upright. “Yes, we got it. Seafoam green.”

Charity clapped her hands in delight. Today they were going to paint the nursery.

Or, to be more specific, Kash and Hope were painting the nursery. Kash, the
What
to Expect When You Are Expecting
expert, had announced that paint fumes could be harmful to the baby, so she wasn’t allowed in the room until after they were finished and it had been aired out. It wasn’t as if they weren’t having a half shifter-half fallen angel infant. Paint fumes. But sometimes it was easier to just nod than argue with him.

But she couldn’t wait until the small room off their bedroom was finished and she could begin decorating it for their little pip-squeak. She had two quilts picked out—

one for a little girl, the other for a little boy. Though she still hoped for a girl, she was a realist. And she was beginning to suspect Kash secretly longed for a boy. She could be wrong, but she thought the small, blunt sword he’d made was a pretty damn good giveaway.

“Well, come on, duckie.” Hope flashed a teasing grin at her before turning and heading up the second flight of stairs.

With a snort at the new nickname Hope had begun calling her in recent weeks, Charity turned to Kash. “You know, I blame you. She’s your friend.”

Kash laughed, pulling her close, and she smiled into his shoulder. She wouldn’t have survived her confinement within the abbey—and she was quite certain Kash would not have survived her foul moods—if Hope hadn’t been keeping her busy. She was Charity’s entertainment and companion when Kash was occupied, and Charity didn’t know what she would have done without Hope to lean on. Probably lose her mind.

She snuggled into Kash’s embrace as the child in her womb demanded attention with a sudden kick. Kash chuckled, and he reached between them to soothe away the sting. She might turn into a nutcase, but at least she’d be a happy one. Because with Kash and their child, she’d gotten everything she’d ever wanted. All her dreams had come true.

Loose Id Titles by Madelyn Ford

THE WATCHERS Series

Faith Revisited

Charity Received

Madelyn Ford

In 2006, a dear friend gave Madelyn a copy of Laurel Hamilton’s
Guilty Pleasures
, and she was stunned that books about vampires were actually being published.

Where had she been all these years? Lost somewhere in the land of the Little Mermaid, most likely. Suddenly insanity hit and she thought, “I can do this!”

Well, sadly for her husband and three children, sanity never did return and now Madelyn spends most of her days immersed in a world of her own making. The stories and characters are clamoring to get out of her head; filling her days (and nights) putting pen (yes pen) to paper in the effort to silence the voices (he he).

While she tries desperately to ignore the ever growing mounds of laundry and the children screaming for dinner, the stories just keep coming.