Kaid didn’t want Daniel to go charging into the bathroom after he had promised Lilah that she was safe here. He knew she and Daniel had already had one confrontation and didn’t need them to have another. Not to mention, he wanted Lilah to know that he would always keep his word to her.
He waited no longer; he stepped around the corner to the entrance of the bathroom. Delilah turned to look at Kaid, said nothing, but stepped into the bathroom and addressed Avaleigh. “Okay, you may show me the shower and lotions.”
Avaleigh showed her briefly how the water controls worked and removed the lids to several bottles and held them out to Delilah to sniff. She turned her nose up at all of them except one. The shampoo that Kaid used. “This one. I like this one.”
“But, this is Kaid’s. You’ll smell like Kaid. Why don’t you use one of these, they’re Janie’s. This one is strawberry, and this one is coconut.”
“No. I wish to smell like this one.”
Kaid grinned to himself where he stood in the hallway, loving that his Mate wanted to smell like him.
Avaleigh gave up, “Fine. You want to smell like a man go right ahead. Kaid, you got this? I’m out.”
“I got it, Ave. Thank you, Baby,” Kaid answered Avaleigh.
Delilah swung her attention to Kaid, glaring daggers through him.
Kaid waited for Avaleigh to start down the hall before turning to Delilah, “You need anything, Lilah?”
She shook her head no as she reached to turn on the water.
The sudden chill in the bathroom was palpable.
“You okay, Delilah?”
She nodded, once, straightening to reach for the strawberry shampoo that Avaleigh had showed her.
“That one’s not mine; that one smells like strawberries,” Kaid told her.
“Yes” is all Delilah said, and with a bit of tone to it, too.
Kaid sniffed the air; pissed off. She was pissed off. He snarled a little, looking around behind himself, trying to determine what had pissed off his female.
“Do not snarl at me, Bear.”
Kaid with eyebrows raised to his hairline, hands out to his sides, “I didn’t snarl at you, Lilah. I was snarling at whatever made you angry.”
“You made me angry.”
“Me?! What did I do?”
Delilah shot him a look, but didn't answer him, just turned back to the shower and held her hand under the water to make sure the temperature was right.
“How much time am I allotted?”
“What do you mean, Baby?”
She turned to face him so quickly that even he almost missed the movement, and he had a split second to think what the fuck is her Beast that she can move like that before she lit into him.
“I am not Avaleigh!”
Okay, this was confusing as hell, “I know you aren’t Avaleigh.”
“Then why do you call me her name?”
“Lilah, Baby, I didn’t call you her name.”
She pointed her finger right at the tip of his nose, “There! You did it again! Leave me! I will shower alone.” She turned her back to him, arms crossed waiting for him to leave the bathroom.
“I did not call you, Avaleigh. Please tell me why you’re upset, Lilah.”
She stood there in silence, not saying anything to him.
Finally after a few moments, he gave up, “I will wait outside the door. Take as long as you like. There is no limit on how long you can take, Baby.”
She hissed at him, and he paused for just a moment to look at her where she stood, her back still to him.
“I’ll wait outside. You’re safe here. Just enjoy your shower, Lilah.”
When still she said nothing, he said, “I’m sorry I’ve upset you. I would never upset you on purpose. I never want to give you anything but smiles and happiness, Lilah,” then he left the bathroom, pulling the door closed behind himself.
Lilah immediately stripped off her clothes and stepped into the shower. A constant argument going on in her head between herself and her Beast. But her arguments were more rudimentary than most, they consisted more of growls, hisses and nuances than actual speech. Her Beast was just as she had described it at the dinner table, a Monster. There was no speech that it cared to participate in. All her Monster knew was pure emotion and action. Rage. Anger. Resentment. Destruction. These were things she understood. Kindness, family, happiness, love. These were just words and completely unsettling to her. Any action that was vaguely pleasant was just meant to be snatched away later to hurt them even more. That was a lesson they’d learned well; do not ever show an affection for anything. Not even a pillow. It would be taken if you didn’t give in to all demanded of you. Her thoughts returned to Kaid and how her Monster had become outraged when he’d called Avaleigh Baby. Why would her Beast become so angry? She didn’t particularly like it herself, but her Beast had been outright enraged! She had to stand with her back to him, refusing to look at him or interact with him so that she could maintain her control on her Monster. Rarely did her Beast wake, but when she did, she was almost impossible to control. And then there were times like earlier today when she tried to call on her to help protect Avaleigh before she knew that she was mated to the Dragon, and the Beast just sat back on her haunches in her mind, refusing to cooperate. She didn’t understand her Beast, and her Beast apparently didn't really give a damn. She had, in fact, insisted on sleeping until Kaid had entered the bathroom; then, she’d gotten angry. Ridiculous Beast! She thought. And for the first time ever, her Beast spoke. Well, more like growled, but spoke nonetheless…, MIIIIINNNE!
Kaid stood outside the bathroom. Leaning against the wall opposite the door. Going over what had just happened in his mind. He still wasn’t sure what he’d done to upset his Lilah. Call Avaleigh Baby. Only Mate Baby! He stood up straight, “Really?” he thought at Bear. Mate mad you call her Avaleigh name. You say Baby, not Avaleigh. You call Avaleigh Baby, Mate jealous! Good Mate. Know we hers!
Kaid smiled to himself, son of a bitch! His Mate didn’t want him to call Avaleigh Baby. That had to be it; it was the only thing that made sense. He hadn’t even told her she was his yet, but it had been mentioned a few times, and surely she’d heard it though she hadn’t reacted at all. Maybe her Beast knew Kaid belonged to them even though Delilah seemed oblivious. Speaking of, what the hell kind of Beast did she have?
He was still standing there lost in thought when the bathroom door opened. There standing in front of him was a soaking wet, dripping Delilah. She was fucking stunning.
He stood there, frozen, just staring at his Mate.
She looked at him for a moment before her eyes shifted from violet to ice blue.
“MIIIIINNNNNNE” her Beast said on a long, slow, drawn-out snarl.
“Yes,” he answered.
Her eyes immediately shifted back to violet, and she looked around as though surprised to find herself in the doorway. She looked down at her naked, still wet body, “I have nothing to wear.”
“Will you wear something of mine until we can get you to the store tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
Kaid went to lean into the doorway of the bathroom and snatch a towel off the hook just inside the door, but his sudden movement startled her, and she jerked out of his reach. “I will not ever hurt you, Lilah. Never.”
“We will see.”
“No, there is no ‘We will see.’ I will never hurt you.”
“Because I do not give you permission?”
“No, Baby, because you are my Mate. I will never, never hurt you.”
Her eyes narrowed at Kaid as she regarded him, considering his words, then out of nowhere, “Avaleigh is NOT Baby.”
“Okay,” Kaid answered, grinning. Loving that his Mate was possessive of him.
She looked at him a moment longer for good measure, eyeing him to get her point across firmly. Then she shoved her elbow out at him and said, “You have my permission to take me to your clothing,” raised her eyes to the doorway she’d have to walk
through and waited while Kaid gently wrapped a towel around the stunning, confusing creature that was his Mate and tightened his hold on her elbow to take her to his room to get her clothing.
Chapter 6
Kaid pulled clothes out of a dresser drawer. A pair of boxers, a tank top and a thick, fluffy pair of socks. He could hear the sounds of the house winding down and knew most everyone had headed off to their respective beds for the evening. After Delilah slipped his clothes on, he took the towel from her and walked around behind her. He gestured to the foot of the bed, “Sit, Lilah. Let me dry your hair a little.”
She was hesitant to turn her back to him, but after a moment she sat on the corner of the bed, ramrod straight, where she could watch him out of the corner of her eye. He took the towel in hand and started squeezing the ends of her hair firmly to get the water out, but gently, so he wouldn't hurt her. He smiled to himself when he realized that she did indeed smell like him. She had chosen his shampoo after all. He patiently worked his way up the long lengths of it to her scalp where he changed the area of the towel to a dry spot and started massaging her head. It only took a moment for her to realize the pleasure he was giving her. She relaxed, dropping her head back on her shoulders to give him better access. He took full advantage of the trust she gifted him. He slowly dropped the towel to the floor and replaced its warmth with his own hands and fingertips. He massaged her scalp, her temples, her neck, her shoulders, relaxed her so much that finally she was leaning against him as he ran his fingers featherlight over the soft smooth skin of her neck and shoulders. She must have fallen asleep because suddenly she startled and jumped to her feet, spinning to look at him.
“It’s okay, Baby. You drifted off. Why don’t you climb in bed and get some rest.”
Delilah looked at the bed, then back at him, “I don’t like to sleep. If I am sleeping, I cannot be prepared.”
Kaid’s heart broke a little more at all his Mate had lived with, “This is my bed, Lilah. My home. My clan. No one here will ever hurt you or even be the least little bit unpleasant to you. I don’t know how else to get it across to you. You are safe here. I know that it will take time for you see that, for you to believe, but I promise you, you are safe here.”
“Will you watch over me if I sleep?”
He regarded her for a moment not sure of how much he should press for; his Mate was unlike anyone he’d ever known. She had literally no social skills. No interactions with people in general and the last thing he wanted was to make her afraid of him if he pushed too hard. He sighed, deciding to just be honest with her. Pretending he was something or wanted something he was not and did not, would only confuse her more in the end. “I planned on sleeping with you.”
Her eyebrows raised, but she said nothing.
“You are mine. I am yours. Your Beast knows I’m yours. I’m safe, Baby. I will sleep with you; I will hold you all night. You will know you are safe with me.”
She snorted, “You know nothing of my Beast. She is a Monster. Even I cannot always control her.”
He considered her admission, “Maybe so, but she has claimed me. I’m sleeping here tonight.”
All of a sudden the acrid scent of fear filled his bedroom, and he realized she was afraid.
“We will only sleep, Lilah. I will not touch you in any way that you do not invite. Tonight, it’s only sleep. When I touch you like you’re thinking, it will be because you want me to.”
“Truth?”
“Truth.”
He walked to the head of the bed and pulled the covers down. Delilah didn’t even hesitate; she climbed under the covers, and he pulled them up to her chin, tucking her in nice and tight. “I’m going to leave the light on while I go jump in the shower, okay?”
“Yes, Alpha Kaid.”
“Please, just call me Kaid or Kincaid. Alpha is my position, but it’s not my name. Especially not to you.”
“Kaid,” she whispered as she pulled the covers tighter around herself.
He pushed her hair back off her face and then went to take his own shower.
When he got back into his room, she was sleeping. He slid into the bed behind her, gently wrapping her up and pulling her back to his front. His Bear sighing in delight at the feel of their Mate in his arms. Kaid laying chaste kisses on her shoulder from behind. Snuggling even closer to her, completely lost in the feel of his Mate, he was surprised when she spoke to him, “You lied.”
“What? I lied? I’ve not lied to you.”
“At the dining table you said this was my house, my table, my food. Here in your bedroom, you said it was your bed, your house, your clan. It cannot be both. Which is it?”
Kaid started chuckling, ended up laughing. “Both, Baby. This is my clan, my house, my bed, but every single thing I am, have, will ever be, will ever have is yours. I didn’t lie.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why is everything that you have mine?”
“Why do you think?”
“Because I am your Mate.”
“Yes, because you are my Mate.”
She was quiet for a few minutes.
“Mates are bad. They hurt you. They take everything.”
“No, Mates are good. They complete you. Make you feel whole. Their only thought is to provide for their Mate, to protect them, cherish them, love them. If you’ve ever experienced different, then they weren’t your true Mate.”
Delilah didn’t say anything, so he just snuggled her closer. “Thought you were sleeping, anyway.”
“I am a good pretender. It is a good talent I have, yes?”
“You are very good in every way, Lilah. I’m sure you have many talents,” he kissed her shoulder again. He didn’t want to know why she would have to pretend to sleep. He just wanted her to know that she didn’t have to do that anymore. He moved his hand up to her hair and started running his fingers through it. Gently rubbing his fingertips against her scalp as he had done before. She started a steady rhythmic rumble, almost like a purr. It wasn’t long before his Mate had fallen asleep in his arms. He snuggled against her, inhaling the intoxicating scent of her mixed with his shampoo. He knew he had a long way to winning her over, to even getting her to the point that she would consider him safe. But her Beast already knew him as hers, and that was half the battle. He smiled, that empty, longing feeling that had plagued him was nowhere to be found. She was here; she was in his arms. He couldn’t believe how truly blessed he was, and he fell asleep peacefully for the first time in a long time.
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No, no, no, no, no!!!!! She had to be here!! He’d gone through so much to be sure that she’d accept him and gratefully at that! “Delilah!!” he called out as he ran through the compound searching for her. She had to be here somewhere. She’d never been anywhere else, so surely she’d be too afraid to wander too far. Damn! I shouldn’t have left her without food for so long, he thought. Maybe she got too hungry and decided to go find food. Yes, that had to be it. He hadn’t meant to starve her, just to make her think that he would, so she would be more accommodating when he returned. He’d put up with so much shit from that asshole Lurin that he deserved a reward. The Bear and his clan had taken care of the Lurin problem for him. But when he’d returned to claim his reward for all his years of service, the uppity little bitch refused to accept him. To see him as her savior, which he most certainly was. He’d come back to feed her, hadn’t he? To give her water? To ensure that she wouldn't die of starvation, alone in her cell? Of course he had. And she’d spat at him and hissed when he came close to claim what was rightfully his. Lurin had allowed him to play with her a time or two, but never enough for his liking. Still, he’d managed to get a taste here and there. If you don’t feed someone, they’ll do just about anything for food. At least she used to. But this time, she’d gotten loose. Now he had to find her and teach her a lesson about who her new master was. Maybe he’d put her in the Bear’s cage and turn on the electricity for a day or two. He smiled
his sick, twisted smile. Yes, the Bear’s cage. That’d be fun and teach the little bitch to respect him as she should. “Fuck!” he shouted as he finished looking around the property. She wasn’t here. Maybe I missed her in the garage, or in another of the cells. He scurried back to the garage, headed to the basement where the cells were, and just as he lifted the door hidden in the floor, he saw it. Or rather, didn't see it. The Bear’s motorcycle was gone. “Nooooo!” he snarled. He hurried over to the place it once stood, moving tarps, tossing them left and right. It was gone. Fucking Bear had come back for his motorcycle and had stolen his reward, his female. He threw his fat, sweaty head back as far as it would go on his stubby neck and let out a screech that was meant to be threatening, but truly was only irritating to the ear. “I will have mine!” Slatterly shouted as he ran towards the house, in a hurry to get his things together and head back to Louisiana. He fully planned to return with his female in tow. He refused to allow the Bear to take what he’d worked for all these years. He’d be smarter than Lurin had been. He’d sneak in undetected, then sneak out. Then he’d bring his reward back here to where it all started, and he’d put her ungrateful ass in the Bear’s cage until she begged him to forgive her.
Chapter 7
The sun woke Delilah, and she tried to arch her back and stretch. She was hindered by a hot, heavy pile of male wrapped around her. She had a momentary surge of adrenalin before the events of the previous day and night came surging back to the forefront. Kaid, this was Kaid. Her Beast chuffed, and whispered, Mate. Delilah thought about this for a moment. Mate. Mate’s hurt. They control you. They hurt you. They force your submission and have no concern for your welfare. At least that’s what she knew of Mates. But Kaid had said the opposite. She rubbed her cheek on the male’s arm experimentally. It felt nice. Her Beast immediately started purring. The sound woke Kaid just enough to have him wrap her up closer, kissing her temple. “Morning, Baby,” his gravelly morning voice told her.
Kaid's Queen Page 5
