Prince of Fate (Lions of Pride Island Book 2) (7 page)

He knew she wouldn’t come find him, even as he got to his room. He got on his bed and looked out the window at the moonlight streaming through. She would need space to deal with what had just happened between them. Time to think.

Hell, maybe he did, too. Because everything in the world now seemed small and insignificant compared to winning her over as his mate.

T
he next morning
, Brenna’s body felt wonderfully relaxed. She’d spent the night with Cain.
Cain
.

It was still like something out of a dream, but it had been very real. She could still smell his masculine scent, feel the smooth, hard strength of his muscles, see the reassuring look in his smoky green eyes as he’d watched her.

It had all been so hot.

Yet getting up and facing it all in the sunlight made her wonder what the hell she was doing. They hadn’t made any promises. Cain would probably be gone tomorrow if some race called.

Or at least he hadn’t said otherwise. That was her biggest fear. Having to watch him leave again and maybe not returning due to being dead.

Everyone had to die, it was true, but one didn’t need to tempt it by doing things like racing at two hundred miles per hour along hundred-foot cliffs.

But she also couldn’t imagine Cain just walking away on her at this point. Not with the way he was looking at her… like he was coming to love her.

There was more between them now than just the flirting. After last night, she was sure of it. They were both developing much deeper feelings.

And for her, at least, it was uncomfortable.

She walked down to the kitchen while it was still early, already changed into a pair of soft capri pants and a tank top with a jacket over it. She slipped on sandals as she prepared to head out for a walk.

She often took walks into town when things were worrying her, just to clear her head.

“You going out?” Bee asked quietly, making Brenna jump. She hadn’t seen her grandmother sitting by the fireplace with a cup of coffee in hand.

“Yes,” Brenna answered, feeling guilty for no reason. She had a right to go out in the morning. Sure, she was kind of avoiding Cain, but just for a little while. Just until she got her bearings back and her legs stopped melting at the thought of going to him for more.

“You should take Cain,” Bee suggested.

“I’ve always been fine,” Brenna said. Which was true. She’d never had problems on her way to town. Any visits she’d had from Barker had been in the evening, and it was still early.

She’d be right back.

Plus, she knew Cain loved a certain sweet roll they still made in the village, and she was hoping to bring some back to surprise him. She’d come back with a clear heart
and
a nice treat. Win-win.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” Brenna said. “Don’t tell him.”

“Like hell I won’t,” Bee said.

Brenna gave her a kiss on the forehead and laughed. “I have my phone. You take care. When I get back, I want to hear all about your visit with Theresa.”

“Mm-hmm,” Bee said. “Sure thing.”

Then Brenna was out the door, and the hot, early morning sunlight shone down on her as she walked the long dirt road into town.

Trees rustled on all sides, and she enjoyed their quiet whispering, the chirps and calls of birds overhead.

Very peaceful. Very quiet. And she couldn’t help thinking it would be nicer if Cain were there.

What was happening to her? She could already picture him just being right as a part of her life.

She shook those thoughts from her mind and continued into town. She said hi to neighbors she recognized and then went to the shop where they sold the buns Cain had loved.

When she was done there, she headed out. Just as she was leaving the edge of town, she heard footsteps behind her.

She sped up, casting a quick look over her shoulder to see who was following her. She saw a few men wearing old suits and grinning at her, hands in their pockets as they lazily followed.

Should she shift? Perhaps they could, too. It was hard to know how much lion blood anyone on the island had. Nothing was apparent at first sight.

“Wait up, girly,” one of them called out as she quickened her pace.

She ignored them and kept walking, severely regretting going out on her own. Were these Barker’s men? Their suits seemed to imply as much.

“Brenna? That your name?”

She winced. So it was someone after her specifically, not just a woman in general. She wasn’t sure if that made it worse or better, but her heart pounded as she tried to walk fast without breaking into a panicked run where she could trip.

She just had to get back to Cain. This whole thing had been stupid. She doubted he would be comforted by the buns if something happened to her.

Maybe she now understood just a little bit how one could do something dangerous when one was trying to escape.

Suddenly, she heard the click of a gun and froze.

“Turn around,” a deep voice demanded. “Drop what you’re holding and turn around with your hands up. I’m not playing.”

She bit her lip. She didn’t want to do what he said, but she didn’t have a choice. She turned slowly, facing the three men, and dropped her bag on the ground.

Then she raised her hands.

The guy holding the gun on her waited until his cronies got close to her, each taking one of her arms, and then put his gun back into his holster.

She struggled, and he reached for the gun again, giving her a warning glare.

She stopped.
Stupid gun.

“Now we just need to talk for a minute. We were paid to come talk to you, and I mean to do just that,” the main guy said. He had black, oily hair and dull blue eyes, a stocky build, with small, hairy hands.

She recoiled as he approached.

He pulled out a cigarette and lit it as the guys next to her secured her hands and feet, setting her on the ground with her hands zip-tied in front of her and her feet zip-tied together.

She looked up at him defiantly as he knelt in front of her.

“Now, now, we aren’t going to hurt you. But we need to make sure you aren’t going to run. You see, we have a proposition for you.”

His cronies nodded.

“I know where you can stick your proposition,” a low voice growled.

She looked up to see a gigantic lion appearing out of the shadows to the side of the road.

Tall, magnificent, with a long golden mane and powerful muscles. More than twice the size of a regular lion.

The goons looked like they were going to pee themselves. The main guy held more of his composure, standing with folded arms to face the lion that was nearly on them.

The green-eyed cat glared at them. “Two seconds to run,” he said, and they nearly tripped over their own feet trying to get away.

They ran off into the other side of the woods, kicking dust up behind them.

The boss reached for his gun, and Cain leapt forward, pinning him to the ground, his claw grazing the other man’s neck.

“I should kill you for touching my mate,” he said in a low voice, glancing over at her. Anger flashed in his eyes as he noted her bonds. “Give me one reason I shouldn’t. Tell me who you’re working for.”

“Barker,” he choked out.

Cain’s claw grazed his throat again, drawing a thin line of blood. “What does he want with her?”

“He just wants her. Damn, man, I don’t know,” the guy said. “Let me go and I’ll get out of here. You won’t see me again.”

“Where’s this Barker?” Cain asked.

The guy shook his head. “I don’t know. We got our orders by phone. I swear, man. Come on.” The guy was dripping sweat, and he looked over at Brenna. “Come on. Tell him to get off.”

“Cain,” Brenna said, not wanting to see anyone a killer. She believed the guy when he said he wouldn’t be back. He looked ready to vomit at any moment. And she was just eager for this all to be over.

Cain reluctantly pulled his paw back, retracting his claw, and let the other man escape into the brush, following his comrades.

Brenna blinked over at Cain, who sighed and began pacing around her. Great, now she had a huge alpha lion all pissy with her. His green eyes studied her as he slowly circled, and she braced herself for whatever he was going to say or do.

Was he going to chew her out for leaving without him? For getting in trouble? Tell her it was her fault?

She gasped when he lunged forward, pressing his head up against her, nudging her into his mane. His whole body sagged in relief.

His paw came down, one claw coming out to quickly cut her ties, and she wrapped her arms around him.

“Thank goodness you’re all right,” he said. “When I woke up and found out you were gone, I had a bad feeling. Mate instinct maybe. I don’t know.” He shook his head. “I just know I never want to see a guy hold a gun on you again.”

“You saw that?” she asked.

“Yeah, I snuck up just as he pulled it. I couldn’t jump out for fear it would startle him into pulling the trigger. I don’t think I’ve ever been as afraid as I was at that moment.” He leaned in against her, and she stroked his mane. Despite his huge size, she knew he was incapable of hurting her.

The lioness in her totally approved.

“Your lion is gorgeous,” she said, stroking him.

He looked at her in amusement. “I’m glad you think so.” Then his eyes went serious. “I don’t care as long as I can protect you.”

She looked over his huge form. “I think you’ll do.”

“I’m going to have to go home like this,” he grumbled, resting his chin lightly on her shoulder. “It’s too far to walk naked.”

She nodded. “It’s okay. I can walk with a lion.”

“You could shift, too,” he suggested.

“You just want to see me naked when I shift back.” She shoved his massive shoulder.

“Maybe.”

She swatted at him, and he jumped back.

He noticed her dropped bag and nudged it with his nose. “What’s this?”

She scooped up the package. “Something for you. But I refuse to feed it to you in cat form.”

He cocked his head. “For me?” He sniffed the air. “You didn’t.”

“I did.” She smiled and started back toward the house. Her legs were still a little shaky, but now that he was here, she felt completely safe. Her fear was gone.

He strode alongside her, his gait smooth, his tail swinging as they walked home in relative silence. Then he looked up at her as they got close to the house.

“I want you to go somewhere with me,” he said.

“Where?” she asked.

“It’s a secret,” he said. “But we’re going tonight.”

“I don’t know.” She folded her arms. “How am I supposed to agree if I don’t know what it is?”

“You’ll just have to trust me.”

She bit her lip. Did she? She supposed she did. “Okay, fine.” She took a deep breath. “And thanks for rescuing me.”

“We have to have a talk about you going out without me, but sure,” he said. “I’ll always rescue you.”

She nodded.

“I wish I’d been here to do it sooner, but I’m not going to let you down now.”

“Thanks,” she said, “for not being too hard on me.”

“Hey… I know what it’s like to do dumb things because you don’t want to think too hard about it. But yeah, have me go with you into town next time.”

She bit her lip. “Okay.”

“Um, and one other thing. Do you think you could run in and get me clothes so I don’t have to scandalize Bee by walking in naked?”

She threw her head back and laughed. “I think I can do that.”

“And then I can have my sticky buns,” he said, sitting back on his haunches, licking his lips, looking like a cat waiting for tuna.

She laughed as she walked into the house.

Lion? With her, he was more like a lap cat. And that suited her just fine.

T
he day went quicker
than Brenna had anticipated. After she got Cain his clothes and he shifted, they’d gone in and eaten the sticky buns and caught up with Bee on her visit with Theresa.

Bee surprised them by saying Theresa was coming over to pick her up again in the evening.

Brenna had to admit it was a good match. Theresa had lost her husband a few years back, and the two women seemed to keep good company. Still, she felt guilty if Bee was just feeling like she had to get out of the way.

But the older woman assured her she was just having fun and that Brenna should go have fun, too.

But what was Cain planning tonight? He kept looking at her with that secretive look in his green eyes that made heat coil inside her.

Was it a sexy surprise or something else? He’d told her they wouldn’t be heading out until it was dark, and she knew he’d gone into his room for several phone calls over the course of the day.

But she had no idea what he was doing.

After Bee was picked up, Brenna took some time alone to work on some design for the first time in a long time. It came even easier than she remembered, and she quickly lost herself in it until a knock sounded on the door.

She looked up, realizing outside her window, the moon was up.

What could Cain possibly have planned for this time of night?

She stood to open the door and saw him standing in a tee and swim trunks. She took a moment to admire his perfect calves and feet and then perused her way up his body, remembering the night before.

“My face is up here,” he teased.

“I know,” she said, taking her time.

He laughed, and she finally looked up at him with folded arms.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked.

“Get on a swimsuit,” he said cryptically. “You’ll want one.”

She harrumphed. “You’ll have to give me more than that.” But excitement was already buzzing through her.

“Nope,” he said. “All I can tell you is we’re going on an adventure. You haven’t had enough adventure in your life.”

She realized how much she’d missed this. Spontaneity. Fun things. Someone to take care of her. Someone to push her outside her comfort zone.

It was hard but in a good way.

“An adventure, huh?”

“Get your swimsuit,” he said, leaning his tall, muscular frame on her door and making it creak.

“Fine,” she said. “Get out so I can change.”

He frowned, but she shoved him out and shut the door so she could pull on her swimsuit. A cute red two-piece with a skirt.

So they’d be swimming, but where? She didn’t know of any good spots within walking distance.

She quickly pulled on a dress over her swimsuit and stepped out of her room. At the entrance to the house, Cain was waiting for her, a backpack in one hand and a leather jacket in the other. She walked up to him, and he handed it to her.

“Take this. You might need it for the ride,” he said, leading her outside and taking her keys to lock the door to the house as she pulled on the jacket that was several sizes too large.

“What do you mean ride?” she asked as he strode down the path leading away from the house.

As she turned to follow, though, she saw what Cain was heading toward. About ten meters from the house was a black motorcycle, clean chrome and dark paint gleaming in the moonlight. As she approached, he handed her a helmet and strapped the backpack onto the rear of the cycle, then helped her get on before straddling it himself and turning on the engine, revving it a few times. The engine roared to life, and Cain kicked off the stand and put it into gear, making the motorcycle lurch forward with incredible speed.

Brenna had never been on a motorcycle before, much less with her daredevil best friend, riding through the night to an unknown location. As the cycle picked up speed, she wrapped her hands tightly around him, grateful for the jacket that shielded her from the cool night air as it swirled all around her on their ride.

Before they reached town, Cain turned off on to a rarely-used road that led to an unpopulated corner of the island. But Brenna trusted he knew what he was doing.

There was something about being on a motorcycle that was exhilarating, maybe even a bit scary if she hadn’t had unshakable confidence in Cain’s riding prowess. Nothing but open air and moonlit darkness surrounded them on all sides. The hum of the engine purred and sped them forward. Almost like running through the forest in lion form but even faster.

After driving for miles, Cain pulled off the road onto a packed dirt trail, following it for a short distance before coming to a stop in a small clearing. He killed the engine and kicked the stand down, then got off and helped her off, taking her helmet and strapping it to the hog.

“So here we are,” he said with a grin.

“Where exactly are we?” she asked hesitantly, still riding the adrenaline high but always a little leery of new places.

Surrounding them on all sides was wide expanses of lush forest, the towering trees standing high above them as moonlight streamed through small cracks in the canopy to the earth below. The clearing they were in was grassy and soft, littered with small patches of wildflowers.

Then ahead, Brenna saw a hill with a river trailing down it, its gentle slope ending suddenly thirty or so feet above the ground, sending water cascading into a quiet pool a short distance from them.

It was the most serene waterfall she’d ever seen. Like something from a painting, the soft moonlight casting a white glow over everything it touched. As she admired it, Cain pulled out two towels from the backpack and laid them on the ground, then pulled off his shirt, revealing his impressive musculature.

So midnight swimming?” she asked.

“Yup, last one in is a rotten egg,” Cain said playfully, tossing his shoes to the side and running for the pond, turning to look at her over his shoulder before diving headlong into the water.

A second later, he emerged, his long, golden hair whipping back and creating a long trail of water droplets like something from a model shoot. But when his gaze locked on hers, she saw her adventurous, fun-loving childhood friend, albeit now standing six-foot-something and with model-good looks and the body of a professional athlete.

“Come on, Brenna. Join me,” Cain said with a wave of his hand.

“I don’t know,” she responded. Maybe it had just been the events earlier, or maybe she’d always just been the one to put caution first.

But as he smiled back at her, eager to have her join, she could feel her worry melting away.

In just the past few days alone, she’d allowed herself to live more than the past few years combined. Allowed herself to feel and experience new things she’d never imagined possible.

And as long as Cain was by her side, she wanted to keep exploring and feeling until she’d experienced it all.

She pulled off her dress and tossed it aside and quickly slid off her shoes before coming toward the pond and hopping from an embankment into a deeper part of the water, rather than stopping to test the temperature first.

Thankfully, the pool was cool, but not too cold. Instead, it was a refreshing contrast to the warm night air around them.

“That’s the spirit!” Cain exclaimed, gliding through the water to pull up beside her as she brushed her errant curls out of her eyes.

Not far from them, she could hear the rhythmic cascade of the waterfall, the steady sound mixing with occasional calls from nocturnal wildlife in the forest around them.

“It’s good to see you letting loose a little. Letting your hair down, so to speak,” Cain added, standing beside her in the water.

“Literally or figuratively?”

“Both,” he said with a grin.

Even though the pond was probably only five or so feet deep, it was just barely too deep for Brenna to stand in. Seeing she had to tread water, Cain wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. The feel of just being out here with him, just the two of them, was as relaxing as it was sexy.

“So how do you know about this place?” Brenna asked, curious but quickly becoming distracted by the feel of his warm, hard body against her, his hands at her sides.

“It’s land my family has owned for generations. Nobody wants to get rid of it for obvious reasons, but we rarely get a chance to use it since it’s so far from the palace,” he said.

“Oh, so nobody lives around here?” she asked, the idea of a midnight rendezvous becoming more tantalizing by the second, in that forbidden, reckless kind of way.

“Nothing for miles,” he said, flashing a rakish smile that caught the faintest hint of moonlight.

Cain was still wet from diving in earlier, and his hair hung loose around his face in waves. Small rivulets of water coursed down the contours of his chiseled face, only further accentuating his defined, handsome features.

Acting on complete impulse, Brenna reached a hand around the back of Cain’s neck, and she pulled herself up to kiss him, long and hard. At first, he gave out a muffled sound in surprise, then held her more tightly than before, lifting her to meet him so she didn’t have to hold herself up.

For a long moment, everything around her melted away, only the quiet drone of the waterfall behind them punctuating the serene silence that surrounded them as they kissed. When his tongue teased the edge of her lips, she gave him entrance, getting caught up in the perfect way he swept inside her and stoked the hot coals of desire burning deep within her.

If lust could be compared to a storm that overtook you, then Cain was a hurricane.

Brenna had no complaints when Cain’s kisses moved from her mouth to the base of her neck, right in the little crook that sent tiny shivers of anticipation running through her at light speed. And when his lips trailed lower across her collarbone, she undid the halter of her bikini, allowing the fabric to fall loosely into the water around them.

The moment his tongue met her nipple, pleasant pleasure became white hot, shooting through her. The cool water seemed to heat around her, her temperature rising more each second. He kissed her again, this time pressing her nipple lightly between his teeth and lower lip, and she arched back against him.

Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around him, pressing herself against his hard muscles and already thick member. One of his hands held her at the small of her back, supporting her as she lay back in the water to grant him better access. The other hand cupped her ass, squeezing as he continued to lavish her with pleasure.

Somehow, she could feel herself moving even faster than the previous night, her body responding more dramatically. Maybe he just knew her better now. Maybe she was better at relaxing and letting him take control. Whatever it was, she was falling fast in more ways than one.

It didn’t help that the wetness surrounding them only further intensified each kiss, each lick, each touch of his hands or fingers. The silence, the emptiness around them was almost erotic, as only the sounds of the waterfall or her own moans being drawn from her could be heard. The darkness around them only further punctuated the experience, everything that wasn’t lit beyond the clearing disappearing into blackness, giving the sense of isolation. Just her and Cain, all alone, as if they were the only two people in the world.

As he continued to lick at her breasts, he reached one hand between her legs, coming under the hem of her swimsuit and rubbing slowly against her clit, his finger gliding effortlessly over her in the water.

Brenna bit down on her lip, grasping Cain’s shoulders, but the pleasure was too great. In mere seconds, he had her flying over the edge of her limits into an incredible orgasm, a free-fall of pleasure that made her vision blur. He held her closer, her anchor in the water, as wave after wave of release crashed over her.

But even as the feelings ebbed, she was still aware of an emptiness, a need to have him inside her, completing her as he had last night.

Cain reached underwater into a pocket on the leg of his swimsuit and pulled out a small foil packet.

“Brought it just in case you were wanting an encore performance,” he said, carefully gauging her reaction.

“Thinking you were going to get lucky, hm?” she teased, already so wet and wanting to have him inside that she could hardly wait another second.

“I got lucky the day I laid eyes on you and knew you were my mate,” he replied sincerely, his eyes catching the light of a moonbeam, causing them to glow like emeralds.

Mate
. There was that word again. Yet hearing it felt so much different now than when he’d first walked through her door only days ago.

But as right as it sounded, as much as her lioness roared in acceptance of the proclamation, she could only focus on one thing at a time.

And right now, she wanted him so badly she could taste it.

She nabbed the small packet from Cain’s hand, catching him off guard, then tore it open as he undid the opening of his swim trunks. She slid the condom on, enjoying the feel of how hard he was, how much he wanted her like she wanted him, then let her hands find his shoulders as he slid off her swim bottoms, then held her in his arms, positioned directly over him.

As Cain lowered her onto him, the pleasure was instant this time, slick and hot and filling all at once. He grunted in response, and she could feel his muscles tense as they joined together at the hips.

There was nothing else that compared to having him inside her. Everywhere, her body responded to even the slightest movement. Everywhere felt like it was on fire, the cool water around her a contrast that only made the sensations more powerful.

Once Cain lifted her, she moved down to meet his thrusts. She felt light as a feather, held by him in the water, making moving onto him all the easier and all the more satisfying. And with each thrust, her body thrummed to the tune of his rhythm, just the right pace to send her on the course to another incredible release.

Brenna let her hands do whatever they wanted, trying to distract herself from the tension rising in her. One hand entwined itself in his soft, damp locks. The other ran along the bulge of his pec, firm and unyielding, then along the outline of his broad shoulder.