by BE Kelly
They had shown up at the reservation that morning, as promised, to question the school teacher who last saw Ash playing on the playground. The poor woman was beside herself with worry and grief over losing one of “her kids” as she liked to call her students. That was the point where Kaiah had almost lost her cool and told everyone at that school that Mary took her son. But, Aylen talked her down again, saying that they needed to play this smart. What if Mary was hiding her son from his father, there had to be a good reason and until they figured that out, they needed to play things cool.
Kaiah’s days were filled with pretending to try to find Ash—questioning practically everyone on the reservation and her nights were spent dreaming about where Mary was keeping Ash. Last night she found where Mary had Ash stashed in a little hunting cabin that no one used on the edge of the reservation’s lands. The only question that remained was would she risk trying to find the place in broad daylight? And, if she decided to go on her secret trek, how would she escape Gray’s watchful eye?
Two days ago, Aylen walked into the cabin that she and Gray shared and handed Kaiah a brown paper bag. All Ay said was, “Here,” and she turned and walked back out of the cabin. Kaiah had told her sister that she was a few days late but she was too much of a chicken to take the test. Hell, she was too much of a coward to even go and buy the damn test. Kaiah opened the bag to find a two-pack pregnancy test and the message her sister was sending was loud and clear. Kaiah’s abilities might have been spotty at best but Aylen’s had been dead on lately. Ay was the whole reason Kaiah hadn’t gone to Mary. Her sister saw what would happen to them—all of them, and Kaiah trusted her sister’s visions. The only way to stop what Aylen had seen was to choose a different path. Running to Mary and confronting her was what Kaiah wanted to do and now, her path involved dodging Jace’s questions and speculative stares while Aylen came up with an alternative plan. She knew that they were running out of time. Jace was starting to question their abilities and sooner or later, he’d either toss them all off his reservation or worse—she just didn’t want to think about that alternative.
Gray had found her standing in the bathroom, staring at the pregnancy test box as if it had wronged her in some way. They hadn’t talked about her possibly being pregnant after that night they shared her vision and saw Mary take Ash. Things were just so busy that she honestly didn’t give a baby much thought which was laughable since she was damn near obsessed with the possibility just days prior.
Gray had prompted her to take the test and she decided to take both, for good measure. When they both came back positive, Kaiah wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. Gray had convinced her that this baby was a good thing but she also knew that the timing sucked. She needed her gifts now more than ever but she wouldn’t trade their baby for anything. But, since finding out that she was carrying his pup, Gray went into alpha overdrive, following her around, not letting her out of his sight. It was like having her own bodyguard. That was nice but if she wanted to sneak off to the old hunting cabin where Mary was keeping Ash, she would have to ditch her old shifter security detail because Gray would never agree to let her go out there alone. Hell, he wouldn’t agree to let her go there with him. But, showing up at Jace’s with Ash might just be the way to change their outcome and free them all to go home.
Lake had all but been help captive out at the reservations since the night he agreed to stay on her and Ay’s behalf. Every night they would promise to return the next morning and every night, Jace would need some kind of collateral to make sure that she and Ay kept true to their word. She was so thankful to Lake for giving up his home and basically, his freedom for her and her sister but it was getting old that Jace refused to trust them. They remained true to their word, showing back up every morning to question more people who had nothing to do with Ash’s disappearance. The one person who did have any knowledge about where Ash was, kept herself locked away in her bedroom, feigning fatigue, and mental anguish over losing her son. In her nightly visions, Kaiah saw that Mary would sneak out a few times a week to see Ash, after Jace had gone to work for the day, believing that she’d be spending the rest of her day in their room. She’d almost felt bad for Jace but then she’d remember how much she couldn’t stand him and his backward attitudes about shifters mixing with others who weren’t their kind. Yeah—she hated Jace. But, that little boy didn’t deserve to be all alone up in that run-down cabin, worried that he had been abandoned and missing his life back home. He had to be terrified and Kaiah wondered if Mary might be blowing the whole thing out of proportion. Would Jace hurt his son for not being one hundred percent shifter?
Kaiah sat on the front porch wrapped in a blanket, sipping her tea. Crackers and tea were about all she could stomach most mornings. She slipped out of the warm bed and as soon as her feet hit the floor this morning, she felt nauseous. Kaiah tiptoed down to the kitchen and found her stash of teabags and saltines that Gray had bought her. Aylen warned that she had some vicious morning sickness with Ryker and as soon as her old wolf heard that, he high tailed it to the closest convenience store for supplies. It was sweet really—the way he wanted to take care of her. He wanted to announce not only that she was pregnant but that she had agreed to marry him but she convinced Gray to hold off on sharing their happy news until they could figure out what to do about Ash. He grumbled something about not wanting to hide how happy he was from everyone and she laughed. Telling him that when he grumbled under his breath like that, he didn’t sound very happy at all. She agreed that he could tell Rios, not bothering to mention that she had already told Aylen and Rios probably knew. She couldn’t wait to call her mother and grandmother to share the news but that could wait.
“Hey,” Gray whispered to her. “You’re up pretty damn early.” He looked around as if proving his point since it was still dark out
“Before the sun this morning,” she said. “I’m regretting it now with this morning sickness.” Gray sat down next to her and she cuddled into him. “Feels like it could snow,” she said.
“I hope it does. I have to say that I miss the snow living in New Orleans,” Gray said, wrapping an arm around her body. “Sorry, you’re sick again.”
“It’s fine. Ay said it will pass with the second trimester—at least that’s how it worked for her. Besides, the tea and crackers you got me seem to help.”
“Good,” he said, kissing her forehead. “You had a vision, didn’t you?” Kaiah wasn’t sure if telling Gray that she saw where Mary was keeping Ash, was a good idea but they had made the promise to each other never to keep things from the other—no matter what. She knew that Gray wasn’t going to like that she wanted to go to the cabin where Ash was being kept. He’d try to stop her but she had to try. If she could show back up to Jace’s house with Ash, claiming to have just found him in the hunting cabin at the edge of the reservation, maybe he wouldn’t find out that Mary was involved.
“I know where Mary is keeping Ash,” she said. “It’s an old hunting cabin on the outskirts of the reservation. Not many people know about it. She takes him food and water but she’s leaving that poor little boy all alone—he’s only seven.” She remembered that one of Gray’s daughters was only seven when she was killed by hunters and Kaiah knew she wasn’t playing fair, but it might be her only way to get him to agree to her plan. “Wasn’t one of your girls seven when—” she didn’t finish her question. Gray growled and stood, pacing the wooden porch in front of her.
“You know damn good and well that she was, Kaiah. If you’re going to use what you find in my mind against me then I take what I said earlier backstay the fuck out of my head or play fair.” Kaiah instantly regretted using Gray’s daughter to get what she wanted.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “It wasn’t fair of me to say that—you’re right.”
“You want to go after him, don’t you,” Gray asked.
Kaiah nodded, “I do. I also know that you’re going to try to stop me from going, aren’t you?”
“I will,” he said. “I won’t have you putting yourself and our pup in danger to save a kid who might not need saving, Baby Girl. He was taken by his mother and we have to trust that she’s doing what is in his best interest—Mary’s his mother, Honey.”
“I know that and I want to believe that she has his best interest at heart but that poor kid is all alone and from what I can tell, he’s afraid. She just leaves him out there and he’s worried she won’t come back. How could a mother do that to her kid?” she sobbed. The idea of leaving her child alone and scared tore her heart out and her baby wasn’t even here yet.
“Maybe she’s keeping him from a fate that’s worse than leaving him alone in the woods at an old abandoned hunting cabin,” Gray offered. Kaiah knew he was probably right but they couldn’t be sure. They had spent the better part of a week with Jace and every second she was around the guy had her counting down the minutes until she could return to Echo’s little cabin that they were living in.
“I have to know,” she almost whispered. “I need to confront Mary or at least get Ash out of there but I can’t just leave him there. My visions aren’t strong enough to know what will happen if I do either of those things but I can’t sit back and pretend anymore—I won’t.”
“Have you talked to Aylen and Rios about this yet? Does Ay know what you’ve seen?” Kaiah shrugged. She didn’t know what her sister had seen but she did know that Ay’s abilities were getting stronger by the day since having Ryker. Her sister might have seen exactly what Kaiah had and would try to keep her from going out there, just like Gray.
“I have no idea,” Kaiah said. “But, she’ll try to stop me like you are, and then what? We just keep sitting around waiting for it to snow?”
“Aww—come on, Baby Girl. It’s not so bad up here,” Gray teased. She could tell that he wanted to stay in Canada when this thing blew over. Gray liked the cold and honestly, she didn’t mind it either. She didn’t care where they lived as long as they were together and she got to see her family every so often. She also had the added perk of being able to communicate with her grandmother, mother, and sister in their visions and that would help her to feel less homesick.
“I’ll make you a deal,” she said, standing and letting her blanket drop to the porch. She was completely naked underneath, not bothering to put on clothes when she slipped from the bed as not to wake Gray. He looked her body up and down and smiled. She could tell that her old wolf was looking forward to negotiating with her.
“What kind of deal are we talking here?” he asked. Kaiah shivered against the cold air that caressed her body, puckering her nipples and covering her skin with goosebumps. “Shit, Baby Girl,” he growled. “You’re cold.” Gray covered her body with his own, sharing his warmth. Being a shifter, he was always warm and she cuddled up to him like he was her personal furnace.
“I’ll consider moving up here and freezing my ass off if you will consider getting dress and going with me to find Ash at that hunting cabin,” she said. Kaiah let her lips brush across his neck, loving how his hot skin felt against her cold lips. “Please,” she whispered.
“Fuck,” Gray grumbled. “You don’t play fair,” he said.
“No, I don’t,” she agreed.
“How did you know I want to move up here?” he asked. Kaiah smiled up at him, silently giving him her answer. “You putting on clothes wasn’t what I was expecting in this deal of yours, Baby Girl.” Gray swatted her bare ass, making her yelp. “You promise to obey me if I tell you to get this hot little ass back into my truck?” He squeezed her fleshy globes and she moaned and pushed back against his hand, suddenly regretting not making him the deal of staying naked and in bed all day.
“Yes,” she stuttered.
“Liar,” Gray accused. “This is serious, Kaiah, and I need for you to take it that way. The first sign of trouble and you get behind me and let me do the talking—got it?”
“Yes,” she said. She framed his handsome face with her hands. “I promise, Daddy,” she said, knowing just what her calling him that name did to him. He wouldn’t be able to tell her no and that’s exactly what she was hoping for.
“Fine,” he agreed. She held off on her celebration, knowing that squealing and clapping in triumph would only piss her old wolf off. “Get dressed and be ready to go in ten minutes. I’m betting your sister will get wind of what we’re doing and I don’t want to deal with her or Rios right now. Your sister’s wolf can be mean when she wants to be,” Gray complained causing Kaiah to giggle.
“I’ll be AIS in ten,” she agreed. Gray looked at her like she had lost her mind.
“AIS?” he asked.
“Sure, Ass in Seat,” she said. “You never heard that one?”
“No,” he said, shaking his head at her. She loved it when he was amused by her; his sexy smirk firmly in place.
“My mother used to say it to Ay and me all the time, that way we wouldn’t accuse her of cussing even though she technically was,” Kaiah said. Gray laughed and wrapped the blanket back around her shivering body.
“Fine—have your AIS in ten, Baby Girl,” he said, walking past her and into the cabin. It was time for them to figure out what the hell Mary had to gain from keeping Ash in that cabin all alone. One way or another, they were going to get to the bottom of this so they could get on with their lives. She and Gray had a pup to get ready for but first, they needed to find a place to settle down.
Gray
Gray drove Kaiah out to the reservation as the sun came up and he didn’t give a shit that she didn’t want him to alert the others about their little trip, he sent a quick text to Rios letting him know where they were headed. He told Rios that Kaiah had a vision and had a few questions. He didn’t share the rest of the details but he sent Rios the coordinates to the hunting lodge that Kaiah directed him to. Sending secret text messages behind her back would usually land him in hot water but now that her powers were off because of the pregnancy, he didn’t have to guard his mind so heavily.
“You sure we’re in the right place?” he asked looking around the forest. There had been a fresh snowfall and he loved how pristine it made everything look. Kaiah jumped down and trudged through the snow and he thought for sure she had lost her mind. She was walking straight towards the cliff. “Kaiah,” Gray shouted. “Don’t get too close to the edge.” She smiled back at him and shook her head.
“There’s a path right down here that leads back to the old cabin,” she insisted. “How about a little trust,” she teased.
“Yeah, yeah,” Gray grumbled. “How about slowing down so I can keep up?” Kaiah giggled and reached back for his hand. He took hers and walked down the path with her, spotting the little hunting cabin as soon as they turned the bend.
“He’s just ahead,” she said. “I’m sure of it.”
Kaiah took off for the cabin, tugging him behind by his hand. “You can’t just go running in there, Baby Girl. I need to make sure that the kid is alone. Give me just a minute,” he ordered.
“But,” Kaiah tried to protest.
“But nothing,” Gray growled. “You promised to follow orders and do what I say to keep you and our baby safe. You going back on your word?” He knew that phrasing it like that would piss Kaiah off enough to have her giving in to his request.
“Fine,” she said. “But don’t scare the kid, Gray.” He wanted to tell her that he was good with kids and that he had been a damn good father but she’d figure that out soon enough.
“Wait right here,” he said, pushing her up against the front of the little cabin. “Don’t come in until I give the all-clear.” Kaiah nodded and he disappeared into the cabin through the back door. If someone was in there with Ash, Gray didn’t want any surprises. It was dark inside the cabin and the place smelled like peanut butter and not in a good way but like grade school cafeteria used to smell like when he was a pup. That felt like ages ago—he almost couldn’t remember being a kid. Kaiah was right, if Ash was all alone in the cabin, he had to be scared to
death.
He found Ash sitting in the corner of the cabin, reading a comic book in the dim candlelight. “Who’s there?” Ash asked, searching the dark corners of the room. Gray pulled his cell phone from his pocket and turned on the flashlight app, not wanting to scare the kid.
“My name is Gray,” he said. “I’m a friend of your moms.” Well, that was partially true. He wouldn’t call his relationship with Mary friendly. He was usually lurking in the corner of the room, watching his girl while she questioned Mary. He had gotten to know the woman some and wasn’t sure if he liked her or not. Hell, he needed more information before he’d form his judgment but he believed that Mary was afraid of something or in her case, someone.
“My mom sent you?” Ash asked getting pretty excited. “Do you have any food? My peanut butter and jellies ran out yesterday and I’m hungry.” Hearing that the kid had gone hungry pissed him off. What kind of mom would let her kid go hungry?
“Your mom hasn’t been out lately?” Gray asked.
“No,” Ash said. “I think it’s been like four or five days now. I lost count. You have any food?” he asked again.
“Not with me but I can take you for some,” Gray offered. There was no way that he was going to leave that little boy sitting in the hunting cabin a minute longer. He’d take him to get some food and then, he was going to take him back to Echo’s place so they could figure out what to do with him. This whole thing was turning into one giant cluster fuck and he was done playing by Jace’s rules. It was time for Mary to come clean about what she did and stop playing the grieving mother. It was time to put a stop to all this nonsense and get back to life with Kaiah—whatever that might look like.
