Taken (17 page)

“Not yet. We should let her get some rest before we do that again,” he said. His voice sounded tired too.

“I don’t think I can wait that long.” The mere smell of his mate had him aching to be buried inside her again.

“I don’t know if she’d survive round two so soon,” Caleb said with a light chuckle.

“Well, we won’t know unless we try.”

“Let her sleep.” He growled.

His brother was right, and he gave up trying to convince Caleb to let him wake her up. As he lay beside her, his brother snored. After nearly an hour of trying to fall asleep, he was about to get up when Kitty moved closer to him.

“You awake?” he whispered.

“Mmm, yes,” she said. He smiled as Kitty’s hands traced over him. Her touch had him hard and ready in a matter of a few moments.

He pulled her over on top of him and gritted his teeth as her pussy enveloped his cock. She leaned down and tenderly kissed him as she moved slowly over him. Heat raced over him as her tight core gripped him. Kitty was already close. He could tell just by the smell of her body, and as she bit his lip and trembled, her cream trickled over his pelvis as she moaned deeply.

Kaiden glanced over at his brother. He was thankful he was asleep. He wanted Kitty to himself right now, and he pushed his hips up to meet hers. He could tell she’d come soon. A soft growl fled from her and her gaze locked with his. The scent of her body had changed just as she started to climax again. It sent his beast into a near frenzy to have her full of his load. Ripples raced over him. It was more intense than any feeling he’d ever had before as his seed ripped from him and he pumped into her. Never before had he climaxed so hard or forcefully. A flood washed into her, and he knew instinctively he’d just impregnated his mate.

As she collapsed across his chest, he held her, his fingers trailing through her silky hair. Tears formed in his eyes and he batted his lids to keep them from falling. Kitty nuzzled her cheek against him and her breathing changed as she drifted off to sleep while they were still joined as lovers. He lay there, letting all the fears of having a family race through his mind, and fear was something Kaiden wasn’t used to.

* * * *

Caleb awoke to the smells of pancakes and coffee. His tummy growled quietly. He was famished. Looking over, he saw his brother curled up in the blankets and their mate was nowhere to be seen. He assumed it was her in the tiny kitchen, cooking. But for some reason Kitty didn’t strike him as a girl who’d ever had to cook something for herself.

After pulling his jeans on, he gave Kaiden a shove to wake him up. His brother grumbled and pulled the covers over his head more.

“Come on, I think Kitty is trying to cook breakfast,” he told him, giving him a harder shake.

“Kitty can cook?” Kaiden asked from beneath the covers. He sounded shocked.

“Ah…somehow I don’t think so.” Caleb chuckled and headed for the kitchen.

A he stepped into the tiny galley-style kitchen he saw his mom standing beside Kitty, showing her how to flip a pancake. Quietly, he watched as Kitty tried it and the pancake landed half on the stove and half in the frying pan.

“Oh shoot,” she declared.

“Don’t fret, dear, it takes some practice. Let’s clean this up and try again, okay?” his mother told her. Caleb smiled as he saw the one good pile of pancakes on a plate and beside it several failed ones.

Caleb heard his brother behind him and turned to see he mirrored his own expression of amusement that he had to be wearing at the cooking lesson taking place.

“Well, it smells good,” Kaiden said. Both women turned to look at them. Kitty’s face flushed red as she bit her bottom lip.

“Don’t worry, boys, she’ll learn,” their mother stated, sounding determined.

“Well, we already know how to cook so it’s not a big deal,” Caleb said as he gave Kitty and then his mom a kiss.

“But I want to do this for you guys,” Kitty told him, and he smiled more. The thought of her wanting to be there with them was like a blessing finally being answered.

“You have all the time in the world to learn how to cook, baby,” he said as Kaiden stole the plate of pancakes their mother had clearly made.

The four of them ate breakfast together and talked about the plans for the day. Both he and Kaiden had to meet with Ashton and his coven to finalize the accord between them. He had full intentions of stealing some time alone with Kitty. He, Kaiden and their mother had to meet with the lawyer about their dad’s will, and it would take a good portion of the afternoon to do just that. But afterward he had plans on taking Kitty somewhere he could have her all to himself.

After they were ready to leave, they both kissed Kitty. Last night had left her looking a little tired.

“Take it easy today. Just relax and we’ll try to be home before it’s too late,” he told her.

“Yeah, you’re going to need your strength for tonight,” Kaiden added, giving Kitty’s bottom a squeeze.

“I’ll bring supper home so don’t worry about cooking anything,” Caleb told her, and she flushed a little.

“All right, I’ll just clean up and maybe watch some TV or read. Do you have any books?”

Both he and Kaiden looked at each other. The kinds of books they had Caleb already had had the good sense to throw out. Somehow he couldn’t see Kitty liking them looking at those kinds.

“Ah, well, no, not really. But we can pick you up some. What do you like to read?”

“I like murder mysteries if you can find a good one,” she told him, looking a little crestfallen.

“Hey, it’ll be okay. Soon you won’t have to worry about being stuck here, and you’ll be out and about,” Caleb said, trying to soothe her obvious discomfort at being cooped up yet again.

After leaving, he felt a little lost. This stuff needed to be done, but part of him hated leaving her behind. The meeting with Ashton was first, and by the time they’d finished their talks everyone was happy with the arrangements. The lycans and the Night Watchers would work together, help one another and be allies for the first time since the crusades. By the time they’d gotten to their second meeting Caleb was antsy to get home. He could tell his brother had the same problem as him as they sat with their mother, listening to their father’s will being read.

The entire time they sat in the lawyer’s office, he barely heard a thing the man said, his mind was so focused on Kitty. Now that they were finally back at the flat, he couldn’t wait to have her in his arms. As he and Kaiden stepped inside, the quietness of the flat was all they heard. Kitty was nowhere to be seen, no note or message nor any smell of anyone other than themselves and their mother lingered there.

“Where the hell is she?” Kaiden growled, and both of them rushed back downstairs to go search for their missing mate.

* * * *

Kitty showered and then got dressed before she pulled the necklace out from under the pile of folded towels. She slipped it around her neck and then grabbed her shoes and coat before heading out the door. A need to be somewhere gnawed at her. As she walked along the sidewalk, she surveyed the buildings. This wasn’t someplace she’d ever foreseen herself living. The streets were cluttered with old cars parked along the sides as traffic drove down the street.

The buildings were very old and in dire need of maintenance. As she eyed a few people, she knew they were homeless by the looks of their tattered, worn clothes and the bags they carried with them. They gave her weary looks as she passed them, and she wished she had money to give to them. She felt for them. She hoped they would find a place to sleep for the night out of the rain, which started to come down in a near freezing drizzle.

The farther she walked the poorer the area became, and soon she was in a place that made her feel nervous. Still she felt the need to be somewhere and she mindlessly followed the compulsion. The old brick buildings were littered in different layers of gang graffiti and most of them looked devoid of any life. Several of them were boarded up and a few had condemned signs posted on the doors. There was little traffic there, and no one else was out walking in the freezing rain other than her.

A sign caught her eye over one of the buildings, which had lights on. It said “The Liar’s Den.” She stood for a moment. The pull to go inside filled her and she walked into the darkened alley beside it. There was a door off to the side and she saw a security buzzer pad and a listing of apartments. Kitty pressed the button for apartment one and waited. The door made a strangled buzzing sound, and she opened it and walked inside.

She made her way up the stairs and held her breath as the first wave of the stench from the dingy stairwell threatened to make her sick. The very first door to her right at the top of the landing had a one on it, so she knocked on it and it opened. The tall, pale handsome man looked at her. His icy-blue eyes held hers in their gaze and she felt a pull to do what he wanted overcome her.

“Well, hello,” Ashton said. His voice, deep and rich, pulled at her. He moved to one side, and she stepped in.

“Take your coat off,” he demanded. She undid the buttons to her jacket and let it fall to the floor as his gaze held hers.

“Return it to me,” he said, and her fingers undid the clasp of the necklace before she passed it to him.

“Good girl. I knew I could entrust you with it.” His cold fingers glided over her cheek and then down toward her neck. With a light brush of his fingers, he swept the hair from the side of her throat. “Now would you like me to taste you?” His sultry, silky voice was like a trance, and she arched her head to one side, elongating her neckline.

“Yes,” she told him. His lips brushed her skin. She growled deeply, part of her demanded she rip him apart, but another side of her wanted to let him do as he pleased.

A sudden flood of pain caused her to yelp as his fang buried into her throat. A moment later, a wave of pleasure filtered over her from the very same spot Ashton sucked hungrily on her neck. He groaned deeply, his arms encircling her, pulling her closer. He drank from her. She heard him swallowing her blood as it pumped from her, filling her senses. The intense pleasure built to uncontrollable levels. She shuddered just before her knees gave out.

* * * *

Kitty blinked her eyes and looked around. She sat in a bus shelter across the street from The Broken Cue. Kitty didn’t remember even leaving the flat or how she got there. As she stood, she saw her mates across the street as they walked inside, and fear flowed over her. Her hand went to her chest. A feeling of missing something washed over her, and for the life of her, she couldn’t fathom what it was.

Kitty rushed to get back to the flat. Fear of being seen and recognized had her moving much quicker than she normally would. As she flung the door open she was nearly run over by her mates.

“Where the hell were you?” Kaiden growled as he gripped her into his arms in a tight hug.

“I…I just needed to get some air,” she lied. It wasn’t what she’d wanted to say, and again for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why it’d come out like that.

Her mates took her upstairs, and Kitty felt safe again once she was alone with them. They were her family, they would protect her, love her, and she’d do the same for them. Both men were different, but both had shown her their love and given her their hearts. As they snuggled beside her on the couch, trying to warm her up from being out in the freezing rain, she felt more for these two men than just cardinal lust.

“I love you, Caleb,” she said and kissed him tenderly on the lips. Turning to Kaiden, she smiled. “I love you, Kaiden.” He growled deeply at her, sending a needful want over her. She kissed him softly and quieted his beast.

“I love you too,” he said.

“I love you more,” Caleb told them, and she laughed.

This was all she’d ever wanted. To love and be loved unconditionally, and it was how the three of them would always be. Kitty finally had what she’d been longing for all her life, and to think it was all because Caleb had kidnapped her.

Epilogue

Zanagan sat in the pub, reading the paper. The image of the woman from Caesar’s panic room was on the front page. Apparently, she was an heiress who’d been kidnapped and was now presumed dead. He knew differently. His body was riddled with scares the bitch had inflicted on him. Never had he seen a more aggressive werewolf. There was something strange about her, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

The clatter of glasses made him look up. A smile played on his lips as he watched an awkward young lady with a tray of beer and pretzels. The soul spark was there. As she set his beer in front of him, he read her name tag. Primrose. An unusual name, he mused.

“Can I get you anything else?” she asked meekly.

His nostrils flared, the scent of a virgin filled his senses. Pity he needed her to stay that way, he thought. He would like to enjoy breaking her in.

“No, that’s good for now.” He handed her a ten-dollar bill. “Keep the change.”

“Thanks.” She beamed. Her smile reached her eyes. So naive, he thought.

He imagined how pretty she would look with her throat slit from ear to ear. Soon, but not there. This wasn’t the best place to slaughter someone for their blood as Muse Capet had just walked in. He saw her give him a steely, hateful glare. The changeling was another one not to mess with. She could very easily kill him, and he had no wish to die today. He pushed his beer to one side and got up and left. Plans were already formulating in his mind. As he walked down the street, he knew Aston was not there. If he was, he would have sensed him.

The girl inside The Liar’s Den was a component he needed. Her blood was the most potent of anyone else’s in the world. A soul spark could only exist one at a time. There was no other on the planet, and Primrose would soon be bleed to feed the soul held captive in the medallion. That is once he got his hands on it again.

The End