Kellen's Tempting Mate (9 page)

“Hey, girl. Where did you two disappear to?” Lyric’s voice had a note of fear.

“Put it on speaker,” Kellen ordered.

Laikyn didn’t know if he meant her or Lyric, but did as he said.

“Where are you guys?” Kellen entered his address into the GPS, watching the screen on the dash.

“We’re sitting outside your place. Y’all just sort of disappeared on us. We thought maybe you were taking her around the back of the property and would meet us around the front. What’s going on?” Rowan kept his tone level.

“We were about a half a mile from my turn off when some heavy fog came in. I had my eyes peeled for the road, but couldn’t see shit. I’m at a crawl, man, but my wolf is itching to get out. The only reason I ain’t is cause this rig is the safest place for Laikyn with me in it.” Kellen reached for her hand.

“I’m going to call up her doctor friends. This doesn’t sound natural. What did he say about that vamp across the hall?” Rowan asked.

Her body threatened to shake apart. Could vampires control the weather? “I don’t know who he was. To my knowledge I never even met him,” she swore.

“Calm down, Lake. We will figure this out. I’m going to call the twins on my phone while I keep you on this line.”

Laikyn rattled off Damien’s number, praying he’d answer an unknown call. The seconds that passed seemed like hours.

“Hello, wolfey. What’s going on?” Damien’s smug voice rang loud and clear.

“I will shove my wolf paw up your ass, spikey,” Rowan growled.

Damien laughed. “Not my thing. How about you tell me why you’re calling me?”

“Damien, it’s me, Laikyn. Kellen and I were driving when fog rolled in so thick we couldn’t see. It separated us from Rowan and Lyric, and it’s not normal fog that much I can tell you.” She hurried to say before Rowan and Damien got into a pissing contest.

The sound of her ex-partners voices whispering had her on edge. Kellen continued driving, although where they were going she wasn’t sure. From the GPS, it seemed they were a good three miles away from the road they should have taken.

“I know this is going to sound strange, and your mate is not going to like it, but you will need to listen and allow me to take over, Lake. Kellen, if you can hear me, which I’m sure you can, I am going to follow the path that is open through this call and find you and Laikyn. I would use you, but I fear you are too strong, and the struggle too great. What I’m saying is I can be there through Laikyn. She will still be there as well, but I can help. I will be able to see what is creating the fog, and possibly counteract the spell. Once it is done, I will retreat, and leave your mate unharmed.”

Laikyn looked at Kellen, the automatic no written on his gorgeous face. She put her fingers over his mouth, then motioned to the fog that kept getting thicker by the moment. “If we continue, we could drive off a cliff.”

“Do it, Damien. However, if you harm one hair on her, I will hunt you down and you’ll pray for death before I’m done with you.”

“I don’t doubt that for a moment, Alpha. Now, Laikyn, I need you to open your mind and relax as best you can,” Damien murmured.

She closed her eyes, concentrating on breathing in and out. She even brought up a mental picture of Damien and his smirking face. A flood of power filled her, making her shrink into a ball at the back of her mind. “
Kellen, I think Damien is in my mind or whatever.”

“Yes, Mon Chaton. You’re very brave. Stay calm, and we will get us out of here.”
She felt a ghost touch, like his fingers stroking down her cheek.

“Damn, I hate taking over a woman’s body. Alright, let’s see what we got here. P.S. keep the line open cause baby bro is watching my body and listening in, in case I need assistance.” Damien spoke through Laikyn’s body, sounding like himself.

––––––––

K
ellen wasn’t one to freak out, but hearing a man’s voice come out of his mate nearly did it for him. “Alright, do your thing and make it quick.” He didn’t care that he sounded ungrateful. The fact Laikyn was not present in the front of her mind was not something he or his wolf liked.

“This is definitely the work of a vamp, and not a young one either. I can’t sense his presence, which means he is doing this from afar. Damn! Let me focus. You need to stop the vehicle, though. There is a drop-off around the corner, and I’m pretty sure you’re not seeing it on the GPS thing properly, but I can see it.”

Damien shoved the image into Kellen’s mind. The invasion another thing Kellen wasn’t happy with. He pulled to a stop, immediately noticing the swirling mass of smoke surround them. “Do your magic quick.”

Laikyn’s hands came up, moving in a fast pattern. Kellen looked back to the road, then at her hands. Minutes ticked by as silence reigned over them. His wolf rose to the front of his mind, needing to protect their mate. He wanted to reach out on their path and connect with her, wishing he’d claimed her properly, but promised himself they’d correct that oversight when this was over.

The grey smoke-like fog began to recede. Almost looking like tendrils of ropes, or ghostly fingers reaching for them, until finally the road was clearly visible. Laikyn’s hands dropped, but the eyes staring out were the black orbs of Damien.

“It is done. Luke and I will search for him in Kansas City, but I fear he is on the hunt for you, and Laikyn. Somehow he has caught her scent the same as my brother and I did. The big difference is, we have honor. This being doesn’t. He was testing you both. I can arm you, so you will be able to sense when he is near, but you will need to trust me.” Damien turned to stare at Kellen through Laikyn.

Knowing the immediate threat was gone, he reached for his mate in the back of her mind, wanted to reassure them both they were indeed fine. She appeared calm, but he sensed she wasn’t at all.

Kellen nodded. “What do you need to do?” He wasn’t going to agree to anything without being informed.

An image was thrust into his mind. Kellen allowed the invasion. The powerful hybrid filled him with more knowledge, which he was aware Laikyn was getting as well. Being able to sense an enemy was a must when they were used to being the predator. He created a link with Damien, the thin tie back to the other being, one only he would know about, until the time came he’d need it. Kellen had a feeling they would need it in the coming battle.

“Magic such as we use is passed from generation to generation. My family is old, and from what I just undid, I can attest that we are far older than he. However, that doesn’t make him less dangerous. Actually, it makes him unstable. For a vampire to be so focused on a female to such an extent is very dangerous. Had she been marked, I’m sure he’d have left her alone. But that is no longer something he cares about. Even if you were to mark her as yours, he will think she was open game. Meaning, he will take what he felt was his first.”

“Thank you. You may leave my mate’s body now, vamp.” Kellen wanted to touch Laikyn, but not while another possessed her.

Laikyn’s head bent in the regal way, then the black eyes blinked, becoming the green of hers. She shivered, running her hands up her arms. “That was way creepy.”

He had to agree. “Let’s get to my place and set safeguards like the vamps showed us. Did you catch all he said and pushed into my mind?” Kellen made a turn in the middle of the road, the maneuver taking several attempts to get turned around.

She nodded. “I did, although it was as if I was watching instead of being there. Definitely not something I want to do again.”

Kellen saw goosebumps on her arms, wishing he could erase the last half hour.

“You realize I’m still here, right?” Damien’s voice came over the phone.

“Motherfucker,” Kellen growled.

“I’m sure I’ve done that a few times,” Damien agreed, then sobered. “You both will need to be vigilant. The being will now know you had help, and maybe even rethink his pursuit.” Kellen pictured the elegant man shrugging.

“I don’t think any of us think he will actually do that, do we?” Kellen reached the road to his home, happy to see Rowan and Lyric waiting for them.

“Unfortunately I don’t think we’ve seen the last of him. But, since you so conveniently created a link with me...yes, I felt that, Alpha, you will always be able to contact me. Just try to knock first. I do like my privacy. Feel free to share what I taught you with your pack. Knowledge is power, wolfman.” Damien ended the call before Kellen could say another word.

“What does he mean you created a link?” Laikyn asked.

Not wanting to discuss the vamps with her, he hit the opener to the garage door and pulled inside. Once he had them secure, Kellen pulled her onto his lap, kissing Laikyn as if he hadn’t done so in days instead of hours. He didn’t like to admit it, but the vampire attack worried him. If they hadn’t had Damien’s assistance, he wasn’t sure what would have happened.

“You would have saved me,” Laikyn said against his lips.

Her faith in him made him feel ten feet tall. “I’ll always protect you. You come first, middle, and last in my world. My every waking breath will be filled with your scent. I need you, Laikyn.”

“We should help Rowan unload the trailer into the barn for the night.” Laikyn nuzzled against his neck.

She fit him. He called her his kitten, and the way she was rubbing up against him, the soft little sighs, he truly thought the name appropriate, even though they were wolves.

“Alright, let’s get it done, so I can make you mine properly.” Kellen opened his door, climbing out with Laikyn in his arms.

“It’s a good thing you’re such a big man, Kellen.” Laikyn wrapped her arms around his neck.

He looked down at her. “Why’s that,” he asked letting her slide down the front of his body.

“You’re always picking me up, and I’m far from a small chick.” She stood on her toes and kissed his beard stubbled chin.

Kellen gripped her ass, bringing her flush with his hard-on. “Thank god for that. I love how you fit against me.”

Banging on the door had him growling. “Damn that Rowan.”

She laughed. “He is probably wanting to get home and practice making babies.”

“Boy needs to figure that shit out,” Kellen mumbled striding to the door.

At the door Rowan and Lyric stood with worried expressions. Rowan held his hand up, ready to knock again. “I know how to make babies. I just enjoy the practice. Tell her we are ready to do the making and it’s game on. Now, what the fuck happened?”

They spent the next few minutes getting the trailer in the barn, then Kellen ushered the couple into the large log home. After he shared the information Damien had given them, Rowan began to pace.

“How do we protect the entire pack if he decides to pull the same shit on them that he did on you two?”

“Forewarned is forearmed, man. Besides, I can share with everyone at once.” Kellen kept his tone level.

Lyric stood in front of Rowan. “He’s the alpha, remember.”

“So, do you send out a call or text?” Humor laced Rowan’s voice, but Kellen saw through to the real worry.

Kellen nodded. “Something like that. I believe a mind-fuck some might call it, but I will do a little love tap first. I hate to bombard everyone at once, however it must be done now. I’m going to give Xan a heads up first.” Kellen gave Laikyn a kiss. “You will have to ignore his snarly attitude.”

“What do you mean?” Laikyn blinked up at him.

“I don’t plan to keep you out, so when I tap on Xan’s mind, he’ll more than likely be snarling back at me. Ignore him.”

Within minutes Kellen and Xan were mind-speaking, luckily he and Breezy weren’t in the process of doing the deed, making the snarling minimal. As Kellen’s second, Xan would help Kellen funnel the information throughout the pack.

“I say we use Rowan and his link with Lyric as well. He’s a strong alpha, not to mention a force to be reckoned with,” Xan suggested.

Kellen looked at the big man. “You want to help spread the information, and reinforce the barriers?”

Rowan stood taller. “Absolutely.”

****

N
igel Watson fell to his knees. Wielding that much power cost him dearly, especially from so far away. He’d tried trailing the wolves, but they’d left before he’d risen, making him curse the fact he couldn’t walk in the day like those bastard twins. “I should hunt them down and kill them for their interference.”

“Master, do you have need of me?” One of his feeders asked. The petite human knelt next to his sleeping chamber, head bent, exposing the pale column of her throat.

His teeth ached to bite into the flesh, take what he needed and to hell with the consequences. Modern day technology kept him from following through. Instead, he motioned her forward. She stood gracefully, the long silver gown one he’d chosen for all his feeders moved with each step she took. He swung around, spreading his legs and watched as she fell to the hard stone between his knees. The sound of her blood flowing had him tugging her head to the side. Her soft moan had his cock springing to life, but he ignored that hunger until the other was sated.

Nigel swiped his tongue over the marks, making sure no signs were left behind. It wouldn’t do him any good to have the world know of his existence. Although, he had contemplated pointing the police toward the Cordell brothers for a string of murders, but they were hybrids. Damn daywalkers could go out in the sun, something he hadn’t been able to do since his turning in the early nineteen hundreds. He was made, unlike them as well. Born vampires thought they were better than those who were created, but Nigel had killed his maker years ago, taking his powers into himself. In his mind that made him equal to those that were born.

A grin split his lips. He’d not stopped at taking his own maker’s head. Hell, he’d lost count of the number of vamps heads he’d taken, making him one of the strongest, and seemingly oldest of their kind. He now craved something else. A woman who loved him above all others.

“Do you require more of me, Master?”

Blue eyes stared up at him. He liked having his people below him. At only five feet eight, most men and some women towered over him. He nodded toward his lap. She stared at his erection. Again, he hated having to use his powers, but he made her want him. His mate would not need to have such things done to her mind. He’d seen the bond when a vampire found his Hearts Love, and wanted one for himself. When the female shifter had applied for residency in his condo building, instantly he’d recognized she was different. However, it wasn’t until the hybrid twins began sniffing around her, he’d realized she could be his one.