by BE Kelly
“You’re drunk,” she accused.
“So,” Jace spat. “I’ve started a little early.”
“It’s not even eight,” Aylen said. “But, that’s not why we're here. Can we come in?” she asked.
“Sure,” Jace said, making a ridiculous grand sweeping gesture with his hands. “Make yourself at home.”
“Mary here?” Aylen asked.
Jace looked back to his bedroom and shrugged, “Sleeping,” he lied.
“We know that’s not true,” Kaiah challenged. She was done stepping on eggshells around the guy. She didn’t care how Jace felt about her not being a full-blooded shifter or the fact that he wanted to hurt her and Ay because of who they were. She was done being afraid.
“You know that she’s dead, don’t you?” Aylen asked.
Jace’s eyes grew to the size of saucers, “I didn’t kill her,” he said, waving his hands around like a crazy person.
“I know,” Aylen said. “I saw how it happened. I’m just wondering why you didn’t report it. Where’s her body?”
Jace sneered at her, “I buried her in our family plot,” he said. “I didn’t report her because I didn’t want the cops sniffing around asking me questions about how it happened. I’ve been through enough since losing my son. Maybe you should find him instead of sticking your nose in where it doesn’t belong.”
“Why did Mary kill herself?” Kaiah asked. If Mary kidnapped her son and stashed him away, why would she end her life? If no one else knew where Ash was, she’d be putting the person she was trying to save in danger. Things just weren’t adding up.
“How do you know she killed herself?” Jace asked.
“Like I said, I saw it,” Aylen said. Kaiah was starting to wonder if Aylen was seeing things correctly.
“What exactly did you see, Ay?” Kaiah asked.
“A container of rat poisoning laying by Mary’s body. She collapsed on the kitchen floor just days ago,” Aylen’s voice faltered and Kaiah took her hand again.
“Why would Mary take her son and hide him only to turn around and kill herself? Why would she leave Ash to fend for himself out there?” Kaiah asked.
Aylen gasped, “She wouldn’t. You—you gave her rat poisoning,” she said to Jace, pointing an accusing finger at him. Kaiah didn’t know if he was too drunk or just plain stupid to hide the fact that Aylen hag guessed correctly. His smile was mean and Kaiah pulled Aylen back from Jace.
“Well, looks like Nancy Drew solved the case,” he said, slowly clapping his hands in front of her face, mocking them both for their efforts. “You still don’t know where my kid is though, do you?”
“We do,” Kaiah said. “I found him this morning. I’m guessing Mary sent me the vision so I’d find him.”
“Where is he?” Jace slurred.
“Safe and someplace you won’t be able to touch him,” Aylen said.
“He’s my son—I demand you bring him home to me. The cops will put you both in jail for kidnapping,” he spat.
“Let’s call the cops, shall we?” Aylen asked, pulling her cell from her pocket. Jace slapped it out of her hand and took a menacing step toward them.
“Why did you do it?” Kaiah asked, trying to distract him. She could feel Gray getting closer and they just needed to buy a few more minutes.
“She finally came clean,” Jace shouted. “I caught her trying to sneak off and I knew—she was the one who took my son. But, she refused to tell me where she hid him. So, I got rid of the bitch.”
“You killed her,” Aylen shouted back. “You left your son abandoned and hungry because you killed his mother.”
“She told me about her human lineage,” he said, stumbling over that word. “She tricked me and when she told me that Ash might not ever shift—well, she deserved every ounce of that rat poisoning I forced down her throat. I’ll do the same to you two and no one will ever know,” Jace spat. Aylen let go of Kaiah’s hand, giving her a shove back. She knew her sister was going to shift and she crouched in the corner, not wanting to be in the middle of the fight. Aylen shifted into her beautiful brown wolf and looked back at Kaiah as if checking to make sure that she was okay.
“I’m good, Ay,” she said. Aylen turned back to stare down Jace who she had knocked to the ground when she shifted. He was so close to her that the force of her body knocking him to the floor, knocked him out cold.
Gray’s wolf stood on the front porch and Kaiah went to him, knowing that he’d want to see that she was all right. “We’re safe,” she said. “Jace killed Mary.” Gray shifted back to his human form and pulled her against his naked body. “Ay will see you,” Kaiah scolded.
“I hate to tell you this, Baby Girl, but your sister sees me naked all the time. Hell, I’ve seen her naked. We’re a part of the same pack and that’s how this shifting thing works.” Kaiah frowned at him causing him to laugh.
“Your clothes are in the pick-up,” she said. Gray walked to his truck and found the clothes that she had packed for the guys on the backseat. Kaiah watched as Gray pulled on his clothes and the wolves that were with them stood guard. Rios shifted to human form and Kaiah turned her back on him while he stood by Gray’s pick-up to get dressed. She didn’t care if it was a shifter thing and she was technically half shifter—she didn’t want to see her brother-in-law naked.
Rios walked past her and flashed his wolfish grin, even having the audacity to wink at her. Kaiah giggled and shook her head. “I’ve got him now, Honey,” Rios said to Aylen’s wolf. He pulled her down and kissed her furry forehead. “You go and see if there are some clothes in the truck that will fit you.”
“I’ve got an extra set of my clothes on the back seat, Ay,” Kaiah offered. Aylen’s wolf walked out of the house, barely fitting through the front door and went over to the pick-up. She shifted and Gray threw her Kaiah’s clothes and headed back to Jace’s cabin.
“She knocked him out cold,” Kaiah said to Rios as he secured Jace’s limp body. “He admitted to killing Mary. He’ll kill Ash too if we let him.”
“Well, we just won’t let him now, will we?” Gray asked pulling her against his body. “You okay?” he asked. Kaiah nodded. “The baby?” he asked. She smiled up at him and nodded again. Aylen ran back into the house and wrapped her arms around Rios.
“Good job taking him out, Baby,” Rios said.
“He threatened to kill us—fucker,” Aylen swore causing Rios to chuckle. “Well, I can say that because Ryker isn’t here,” she insisted.
“What do we do now?” Kaiah asked.
“Lake went back to his place and called the cops with Echo,” Gray said. “Told me to tell the two of you that he’d meet you back at Echo’s place with Stardust—whatever that means.”
Aylen blew out her breath, “It’s not a what but a who and she’s blond and needs more clothing.” Rios seemed to perk up at the mention of a blond that needed more clothes and Aylen slapped at his chest.
“Hey,” he defended.
“You just keep the stargazing to a minimum,” she said.
“Stardust,” Kaiah corrected.
“I know what I said, Sissy,” Aylen sassed.
“The cops will be here any minute and we need to get the story straight. They won’t believe Jace’s word over ours. The cop coming out is a friend of Echo’s and he’s been working Ash’s case since the beginning. They know how much trouble Jace is and if we four have the same story, we’ll be good. Besides, from the smell of him, his blood alcohol level will be off the charts and anything he says about today won’t hold up.”
“And, that story is?” Kaiah asked cocking her eyebrow at Rios.
“Well, we can’t tell the cops that Ay is a wolf and knocked the guy out shifting. So, we’ll need to tell him that Gray and I were with you the whole time. Jace confessed to all of us that he killed Mary because he found out that she was the one who kidnapped Ash,” Rios said.
“That’s perfect,” Kaiah chimed in. “Then we can tell them that Jace attacked us and you
knocked him out.”
“Why can’t we say that I knocked him out?” Gray complained. “Why does the younger guy get to play the hero?”
“I think we’re missing the point here—a woman is the hero who knocked him out,” Aylen said. “But, I think I can stick with the story if it will get us back to Ryker quicker.” They wrapped up the final details of what they were going to tell the cops just as they arrived. They gave their statement, telling their story and told the cops that Ash was safe and sound back at Echo’s place. They took Jace into custody and Kaiah felt a sense of sadness for Ash. In just a week, he lost his whole family and was all alone in the world.
When they were ready to head home, Gray took her hand and kissed her knuckles. When Kaiah looked up at him he smiled and she knew he was up to something—she just wondered what it was. “I have an idea,” he whispered. Kaiah groaned because when her old wolf said stuff like that, she usually ended up naked or pregnant. He bobbed his eyebrows at her and she giggled. “That’s an idea for later,” he said as if he could read her mind.
“I’m afraid to even ask,” Kaiah said as Gray helped her into his truck. Aylen and Rios climbed into the back of the cab.
“How about you keep an open mind and I’ll explain when we get back to Echo’s place. I need to check out one more thing and then I think I’ll be ready to tell you my brilliant idea,” Gray said.
Kaiah giggled, “Well now I’m sure I don’t want to know what it is,” she teased.
Gray
They got back to Echo’s and the police were already there for Ash and Gray worried that they were too late. He wanted to get to the kid and run his idea past him privately but that might not work. He parked his truck and turned to Rios and Aylen. “Can you guys give us a few minutes?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Aylen said. She pulled Rios along and Gray was thankful for the few minutes alone with Kaiah.
“You trust me?” he asked. Kaiah didn’t hesitate.
She nodded her head, “With my life,” she said.
“I never said that life with me was going to be easy—hell since you’ve met me, I’ve tried to turn you into a shifter and got you pregnant. We’ve been on the run more times than I care to count—”
“And, you got me through each of those times safely, Gray. I wouldn’t trade being pregnant for anything—well, maybe the morning sickness and as for trying to turn me, I’m already half shifter and maybe that wasn’t even possible, to begin with,” she interrupted.
“Let me finish,” he insisted. Kaiah smiled and nodded. “Ash is all alone now—he has no one and if we let him walk out of Echo’s and let them put him in the back of that car, he’ll be put into a system that won’t even care about him. Hell, I know I just met the kid this morning but I care about him, Kaiah.” Gray’s voice broke and she reached out to frame his face with her hands.
“I care about him too, Gray,” Kaiah agreed. “I have since I started seeing his little face but how can we do this—just take him in? He’s already lost so much—his mother and father. Now, we’re going to drag him down to New Orleans and away from his pack and the only life he’s ever known?”
“What if we don’t?” Gray asked.
“I don’t think I can just let him rot in the welfare system, Gray,” Kaiah insisted. He smiled and pulled her in for a quick kiss.
“Not what I meant, Baby Girl,” he said. “What if we don’t move him down to New Orleans? How about we stay up here? Listen, I’ve had Echo check into some properties for sale around here. I thought it would be cool to build a little cabin to retreat from the heat to—you know, like a summer home?” Kaiah vigorously nodded her head causing him to laugh. “How about we move up here and start our lives?”
Kaiah looked over to where Aylen and Rios stood on the porch with little Ryker. “What about our family in NOLA?” she asked.
“How about I promise you can see them any time you want?” Gray asked. “I’ve never kept it a secret—I have more money than I’ll ever use. I promise to fly you down or them up whenever you want?”
Kaiah’s smile nearly lit up his truck, “Deal,” she squealed. “But, none of this will work if Ash doesn’t agree,” she said.
“How about we go ask him?” Gray offered. He got out of his pick-up and rounded it to Kaiah’s side to help her down.
“She said yes?” Aylen asked.
Gray shook his head at Kaiah’s sister. “You need to stay out of my head, Ay,” he grumbled. “Seers.”
“Hey,” Aylen protested. “I wasn’t in your head. I saw it when we shifted. God, it was all your tiny brain was thinking about. Well, that and my sister,” she said.
Rios nodded, “I knew too if it makes you feel any better. So, did she say yes?”
“She did,” Kaiah said. “But first, we have to ask Ash how he feels about it.” Kaiah walked into Echo’s cabin past the cops that stood by the door and Gray followed her.
Ash was sitting in the corner and he looked like he had been crying. As soon as he saw Gray he shouted his name and ran to him, wrapping his arms around his waist.
“The police said my mom and dad are dead—is that true?” he asked. God, the kid was breaking his heart in two.
“Yeah, little man,” Gray said. He sat down on the sofa and pulled Kaiah down next to him. Ash climbed up into his lap. “I’m sorry.”
“What will happen now?” Ash asked. “Can I go home? My Legos are there,” he said.
“I know and we’ll make sure you get your Legos, Ash—promise,” Kaiah said. “But we have an important question first.” She nodded to Gray and he cleared his throat.
“How would you like to stay with us? We’re going to build a house up here and we’ll have lots of space—you can even have your room,” he offered. He was hoping that Ash wouldn’t catch on to how nervous he was or how much he wanted the kid to say yes.
“Don’t you have kids of your own?” Ash asked.
Gray swallowed past the lump in his throat and shook his head. “I used to have two girls but they’re gone now.” Kaiah took his hand and he squeezed hers. “Kaiah and I will be having a baby in about seven months, so I can’t promise there won’t be a lot of crying.”
“You think your baby will like me?” Ash whispered. Gray pulled him in for a hug.
“I think our baby would love you, little man.” He let Ash go and ruffled his hair. “So, how about it?”
“I think I’d like to live with you Gray. You too, Kaiah,” Ash said. Kaiah pulled Ash against her body and kissed his head, unshed tears spilled down her face.
Echo was talking to the group of cops who stood by the front door and he shook their hands, as each left and then crossed the cabin to sit down next to Kaiah. “I spoke with my buddy, the one handling Ash’s case, and he said that if you both agree to follow the proper procedures, Ash can stay with you.”
“How did you know?” Kaiah asked.
“Your sister told me. Said that I needed to step in and make it happen,” Echo said. He laughed, “I guess she is a lot like me after all—bossy though, just like her mom. We good?” he asked Kaiah. She nodded and took his hand, “We’re good, Dad,” she said.
Echo stood and held his hand out to Gray, “Welcome to the family, Gray,” he said. He stood and took Echo’s offered hand, pulling him in for a quick hug.
“Thanks,” Gray said. “This doesn’t mean that I have to call you dad, right?” he asked. Kaiah giggled at the face Echo made and Gray knew that he had finally found his home—the family that he had lost and longed for and the woman to call his own. Kaiah was his Baby Girl and he’d forever be her Daddy.
Kaiah
Four Months Later
Kaiah knew she was pushing her luck but all she wanted to do was get things ready for the twins. Her sister called it “nesting” but since she and Gray moved to their perfect little cabin in the woods, just outside Montreal, all she could think about doing was making sure they were ready for the babies. They had found out that they were having boys a
nd although Gray said he’d be happy with a boy or a girl, she could tell that he was over the moon about their news.
Ash had settled into their little family and was thrilled that the twins were both boys. He told Kaiah that he didn’t want to live with girls and when she pointed out that she was a girl, Ash told her that she didn’t count. Each day, she and Gray lost a little piece of their hearts to the kid and every day, he became more a part of them. He had been going to court-ordered therapy for a few months now and Kaiah and Gray had even attended a few sessions. Ash had said that he would like to be adopted by them and the therapist was going to make that recommendation to the court. If all went well, Ash would be officially theirs before the babies were there.
Moving to Canada was easier than she thought it would be. New Orleans wasn’t ever her home—not like it had become Aylen’s home. Her sister made Rios cross his heart and hope to die swear that she could come up to visit when the babies were born. Kaiah was sure that her sister would kill him if he reneged on his promise, making his heart crossing gesture seem unnecessary. Gray also promised that he’d take Kaiah and the boys home every chance they got but right now, it was best for her little family to lay low. They made peace with her father’s tribe and it didn’t hurt that she and Aylen had saved the chief’s son with their abilities as seers, sealing the promises made between them and the pack.
They still had the human hunters that she saw coming for them. Their truce was going to be short-lived and she knew that sooner or later, they would start looking for her and Aylen again. Their powers were too strong for the hunters to pass up, no matter how much Rios and Trace believed they had brokered peace—the hunters were going to be coming for them. She saw flashes of what was to come in her nightly visions but she also saw something else—hope.
Aylen had gone back to New Orleans with Ryker and Rios, tired of running and ready to stand their ground to take on whatever came at them next. Ay promised Kaiah that with the pack behind them, they couldn’t lose but she wasn’t so sure. Her sister said she had a vision and help was on the way but Kaiah had seen nothing. She felt blocked since getting pregnant but her sister said she had the same issue when she was carrying Ryker. Still, she was getting bits and pieces of what was to come and from what she saw, Canada was the right place for her little family to be living—that much was clear to her.
