The Lost Lyken (10 page)

Breathing heavily, Evan wrapped his arms around her. Lowering his mouth he licked the wounds he’d placed upon her beautiful skin. Smiling when she jerked against him, her head whipped up when his howl was answered. “I told you he sent backup.”

“Did you see them?”

“No, but they can’t hold back answering when an Alpha takes his mate.” Laying her down to the bed, he slipped in behind her resting his arm over her waist.

“So now they know they blew their cover?”

Evan chuckled. “Yes, but they still won’t come out and approach me, that would be going against Drake’s orders.”

Kasey smiled softly, her eyes fluttering. “I saw you as a child. You were a troublemaker, Evan Roven.”

Evan leaned over as a soft giggle escaped her sweet lips the moment before she drifted off to sleep. Kissing her temple he drew her close as he brought the covers up.

* * * *

Evan bolted upright, his senses alert as he tried to figure out what had woken him up. The cabin was quiet. Glancing down he noticed Kasey sleeping peacefully. He barely turned his head in time to miss the missiles that targeted him. “Kasey!” he yelled as he grabbed her by the waist and rolled to the other side of the bed and onto the floor. “We’re under attack,” he stated when she woke up stunned. “Stay down.”

“By who?”

His nostrils flared. “Your mother,” he answered as three silver projectiles flew over his head.

“I told you to stay away from her!” Kisha yelled as she jumped on the bed.

Kasey’s eyes widened at the sight of the woman leering down at them and moved in front of Evan when she struck out with her silver tipped fingers. Kasey was not a fighter, but she was not going to stand there and watch someone hurt him without trying to stop it. Crying out from the pain, Kasey met her gaze. “You leave him alone!”

“What’s he done to you, he’s mated with you? You allowed this filthy beast to fuck you?” she screamed.

Kasey’s blood ran quick through her, the silver she’d absorbed bringing her body to life, giving her a power she hadn’t felt in a long time, and this time she wasn’t afraid of what was happening to her body. When Evan yelled for her, she turned as she stood, noticing her eyes had changed to a bright silver color in the mirror above his head. “Get out of here,” she whispered before turning, deflecting her mother as she jumped for Evan. Kasey tossed her back across the cabin. “I said leave him alone! He’s my husband!”

“You mated a fucking Lyken!”

“I mated the man I love!” Kasey yelled, standing in front of Evan. “Who the hell are you to come here and attack us?”

“I am your mother.”

“You are not my mother! You birthed me and then wanted me dead!”

“That was a mistake. You’ve grown.”

“Into what?” Kasey yelled. “Something you want to use? Well forget it, lady! Evan, go get my grandmother.”

“Oh yeah, go get the old bitch so I can kill her where she stands.” Kisha laughed.

Kasey jumped in front of her again when she went to rush Evan, hissing as Kisha’s nails scratched down her arms. It hurt but Kasey knew the more silver she took in, the stronger she would be. “I will not let you hurt him!”

“He’s nothing. I’ve found the man you will be with. He can provide us with power, Kasey, a power like you’ve never felt before.”

Kasey’s eyes narrowed, so that was her angle. “What’s wrong, Mommy dearest, he’s not interested in an old hag, so you thought to toss me at his feet? Well sorry, not interested.” Her eyes widened when a spear of silver came at her. Gasping, she looked up as Evan covered her with his body, taking the spear to his back. “Evan?” Her whisper drew his eyes to hers.

“You’re not strong enough to take her on, Kasey. Go get help, now.” Shoving back he reached around and yanked the spear out, partially transforming.

“I won’t leave you.”

Evan turned his head, enough to catch her eye. “I said go, woman, now
go
!”

Kasey ran out the door not caring that she was naked and started for the house. Stopping, she yelled, “Help! Evan needs you, Lykens! He needs your help!
Please
! I know you’re there, please help him!” She sobbed to the sky, turning when howls sounded from all directions. Kasey whipped around when a bang sounded to see Evan flying through the cabin wall. “Evan!” Grabbing a branch off the ground she ran, striking Kisha in the side as she went to attack Evan. She yelled out as her body jerked with a stinging sensation. Her mother’s nasty smile as she raked her silver lined nails across Kasey’s stomach and sent her flying back was chilling. Kasey gasped for breath as she landed sideways against a tree.

“I’ll pump you so full of silver that if you have a Lyken bastard in there, I’ll kill it!”

Glancing down Kasey watched as silver projectiles melted into her body, crying out with the gut wrenching pain. Kasey watched as Evan came from the side tackling her mother to the ground. “Evan! Evan!” she shouted as he roared with pain, knowing if he took too many of Kisha’s hits it could kill him. Just then a dozen large wolves emerged from the wood line as her grandmother appeared. “Grandma!”

“Stay back, Kasey,” Whitney said as she stepped between Evan and Kisha.

Kasey struggled to her feet and ran to Evan as her mother and grandma started fighting. She could see him gasping for breath as several of the wolves changed to human form. “Help him,” she cried as one of the men took a needle from a pouch and stuck it between Evan’s collarbone and heart.

“He has too much silver in him. He took too many of her hits.”

“Do something, damn it!” The hot tears ran down her face as she lifted Evan’s head. “Evan, don’t you die on me,” she cried as the man injected another needle into him on the opposite side. “You shouldn’t have taken those hits, I told you not to,” she sobbed as she hit his chest. “I told you not to.”

“Ah, my lady, you’re crying silver on him, that’s not going to help if it gets in his body.”

Kasey jerked back as she remembered that she could reject silver from entering her body, what if she could take it into her from his wounds, drawing it out if his body? Laying her hands over the open gashes on his abdomen, she saw the silver in the wounds start to draw her way. “Turn him to his side, I have an idea.” Placing one hand on the large wound on his back from the spear and the other over his chest, Kasey closed her eyes in concentration. Her lips parted as the silver started drawing from him into her. Her hands shook, but she didn’t let go.

“Ma’am, you need to stop, you’ll draw the antidote into you as well, and that could kill you.”

Kasey knew she was transforming as the silver rushed through her. When the Lyken tried to pull her away, her eyes whipped open to see everything in a silver light. “Back off!” she growled.

“But, my lady?”

“You make sure after I pull off him you hit him with another needle, got it?”

“Yes, my lady.”

Kasey closed her eyes. The drag of the silver was one thing, but when the antidote started hitting her system it was as if she was burning from the inside. Crying out, she could hear someone yelling at her to let go, and felt as though she was floating when strong arms grabbed her from behind, yanking her from Evan. Turning she saw a large male standing there and bared her teeth, hands raised to defend.

“I’m his brother, I’m Drake! You need to go help Whitney now! I’ll take care of Evan, now go!”

Her entire body shook with the amount of silver she’d drawn in. Taking the needle from the other Lyken she glanced over, everything was happening as if in slow motion and she saw Grandma go down. Her mother stepped up with an evil smile and a wooden spear, thrusting down. “No!” Kasey yelled as she stepped forward and the next thing she knew, she was standing in front of her mother, stopping the attack. “You will not touch her! You want me, mother, then you can have me!” Tossing the lance she ran to her mother, wrapping her arms around her as she grasped her wrists, holding them down behind Kisha’s back. “Fuck with me now you bitch!” With the feeling of a tidal wave rushing through her, Kasey disengaged all the silver in her body. Crying out with the strength of the reversal, she didn’t let go until she felt every last drop leave her and stumbled back.

“You stupid worthless bastard!” Kisha yelled and started laughing. “Don’t you know the more silver I have makes me stronger?”

Kasey grunted from the force of the hit as she flew back rolling on the ground, looking up when she felt hands on her to see Grandma. “Not so stupid,” Kasey murmured as she wiped the blood from her mouth. “Are you feeling it yet, Kisha?” she asked watching as her mother’s eyes went wide. Kasey rose, stumbling to her mother, and lifted the syringe she’d hid away. “Feel it now!” Lifting the needle, she stabbed her mother right in the chest, pumping the antidote straight to her heart. She backed up as Kisha started glowing.

“Kasey, back up!” Whitney yelled.

Kasey stood right in front of Kisha, her gaze never wavering as her mother started turning grey. Her hand lifted toward Kasey and she moved out of its way. The sound reminded her of a fire crackling and she stepped back when lava-like red points started oozing from Kisha’s skin. Gasping, she turned to run when someone landed in front of her, tossing her to the ground and covering her with wings. Glancing up she saw a woman with huge red wings standing with her back to Kisha. Suddenly, there was an explosion that sent pieces flying all around them. Then everyone was yelling to take a head count. “Thank you.”

“No problem, kid. I’m Mari, dragon shifter and protector extraordinaire.” Mari smiled.

Kasey took the hand Mari offered and stood up, feeling a bit shaky. She chuckled as Mari grabbed her by the arm. “Nice to meet you, I’m Kasey.”

“Oh yeah, kid, we know who you are.” Mari smiled as Winn walked up.

“Christ, Kasey, you made a hell of a mess out here, there’s bits and pieces of Silver Alchemist all over the place.” Winn smiled.

“Winn…” Kasey gasped when she heard Evan’s deep voice. Turning, she ran as he was being helped off the ground by his brother, Drake. “Evan!” Kasey didn’t care, she slammed right into him rocking them back a bit as she wrapped her arms around his waist. “Are you alright?”

“Fine.”

Kasey met his gaze when he grabbed her by the upper arms, moving her back.

“Don’t you ever do something so stupid again! When I tell you to run, I mean run damn it, not stick around and play ‘let’s see how much silver I can absorb’!”

Kasey jerked back with eyes wide as he continued to yell at her. Tilting her head, her lips thinned as she lifted her hand and poked him in the chest. “Don’t you stand there yelling at me, Evan Roven! Maybe you should have taken your own advice and ran when
I
told you to!” Poking him again she didn’t let up as he shut up. “I’m not the one who went up against a Silver Alchemist bitch from hell with no back-up, and I’d be damned if I was going to let mommy dearest put you six feet under! I’ll jump in where and when I have to! I’m not a fighter, but I’ll be damned if something’s going to happen to you when I can help or prevent it! You’re my husband damn it, and don’t you forget it!” Her chest heaved as she poked him once more. Everyone in the clearing stood in complete silence.

Evan grinned and pulled her to him, landing his lips on her hungrily.

Kasey sighed as she burrowed into him, her arms going around his waist as he held her close.

“You do realize you’re naked, right?”

“Shhh, don’t remind me.”

Evan chuckled as he took a coat from Winn and draped it over Kasey’s shoulders. “I love you,” he whispered in her ear as he kissed her temple.

“I love you too.”

* * * *

Kasey smiled shyly as she glanced up at Evan from beneath her lashes. She’d left her job at the paper and moved with Evan to Alston shortly after the fight with her mother. She took a research position within the Roven pack with their historians. Sighing, her smile grew. Her gaze followed him as he taught his niece Livi, her gaze moving to the left as Marabell chased a grasshopper. Instead of taking up residence in Roven Manor, his once former home, he’d had a home built for them not too far away, but far enough to give them privacy. When the lesson turned to play, she chuckled. “Evan Roven, I have something to tell you,” she called out, laughing as they both turned and Livi ran up.

“What is it, what’s he in trouble for now, Auntie Kasey?”

“Trouble, why am I always in trouble?” Evan chuckled as he picked Livi up hanging the thirteen year old upside down by her feet.

Their laughter had Kasey grinning as she leaned back onto her arms, the warm grass sliding through her fingers. “It’s a good trouble, Livi.”

“Oh yeah, good huh, of course I did it. What’d I do this time, babe?”

Kasey shook her head as she met his gaze. “You gave me a baby,” she said, watching as he stopped messing around with Livi and they both stared her way.

“I gave you a what?” he whispered.

“A baby, we’re going to have a baby.” Kasey jumped up when one of his legs went forward. “Evan, don’t drop her!” she yelled as Livi somersaulted and landed on her feet. Her heart beat a mile a minute, it would take her sometime to get used to their abilities.