by Tami Lund
“Stop moving,” he said, fury in his voice. “I’m going to kill you, one way or the other. The more you resist, the angrier I get, and the more I’m going to make you suffer before I do it.”
“No,” Carley said with more bravado than she felt. “I’m not the one who is going to die.”
He laughed, a maniacal, booming laugh. If she hadn’t been convinced he was crazy already, she was now. He lifted his sword, holding it before him as he advanced. Carley looked around for an escape route, and discovered she’d backed herself into a corner. Her only option was to run toward where Nona lay on the floor. She hesitated, until the tip of Miguel’s sword was almost close enough to nick her, then she bolted to the left.
The door flew open with enough force to rip it from the hinges, and three animals rushed into the room, a lion, a tiger, and a cougar. Their combined roars rattled the windowpanes. Miguel turned around, but the cougar leaped and caught him in the chest before he could lift the sword in defense. He lost his grip on the weapon, and it clattered against the stone floor, landing a few feet away in pool of water, dirt, and smashed beans.
The cougar shifted into the form of a human, and then Reid grabbed Miguel by the collar of his shirt and hauled him to his feet. “She’s mine,” he said with a growl, and he delivered a punch to Miguel’s kidney that caused him to lift off his feet and knocked the wind from his lungs. The lion and tiger shifted as well, and Tanner and Finn strode over to the two men. Finn grabbed Miguel by the arms and held him so Reid could hit him again. Tanner stood there, arms crossed over his chest, a stony look on his face. He made no move to stop the beating. Carley turned away from the scene and rushed over to check on Nona. She sighed with relief when she felt a weak pulse.
Cecilia dropped to her knees next to her. “Is she alive?”
“Yes.”
Cecilia’s gaze darted to the beating happening a few feet away. “They’re going to kill him,” she whispered.
“I know.” She did not like the feeling in her gut, telling her this was wrong. He killed my babe. He tried to kill me. He wanted to kill Reid. And Cecilia. Yet guilt ate at her, and she considered telling Reid to stop. But if he did, she would still be mated to Miguel.
“Stop!”
Reid paused midpunch and glanced over his shoulder. Carley looked at the doorway, where the king of the lightbearers stood, wearing a deep blue robe that fell to midthigh, a pair of matching pajama bottoms, and a furious look on his face.
“What is the meaning of this?” the king demanded.
“We’re taking care of business,” Tanner replied. “Shifter business. Go back to bed.”
“That man is not a shifter,” the king retorted. “He is a lightbearer. Which means this is my business. Not to mention, you’re in my kitchen. Now I repeat, what is the meaning of this?”
“He deserves to die,” Reid said.
“On what grounds?”
Reid stabbed his finger in Carley’s direction. “He’s tried to kill her multiple times. Remember when she supposedly fell down the stairs in the cliff? It wasn’t an accident. She didn’t fall.”
The king dropped his gaze to the barely conscious lightbearer, whom Finn was still holding upright. “Is that Miguel Santiago?”
“Yes.”
“He pushed Carley down the stairs?” He sounded incredulous.
“Yes.”
“And he was a follower of the Chosen One,” Tanner added. “And he whipped Reid, and planned to kill him.”
“Reid?” the king asked.
Tanner made an impatient gesture with his hand. “Reid. Finn’s brother.”
“Another shifter?” The poor leader of the lightbearers sounded terribly confused.
“She’s my mate,” Reid said. “He has to die. She belongs to me. We belong together.”
The king’s gaze darted from Miguel to Carley, then to Reid, and he shook his head. “That is not how lightbearers mete justice. I cannot allow you to kill this man. I will determine the extent of his crimes, and he will be punished accordingly. But it will not involve death. Not like this.”
Tanner opened his mouth, and the king cut him off. “This is a lightbearer matter,” he said. “This is not open for discussion.”
Finn unceremoniously dropped Miguel’s unconscious body. The king winced. Reid strode across the room and wrapped his arm around Carley’s shoulders.
“Then we’re leaving. We’ll go back to Chicago and live. She’s my mate, and I’m not living without her.”
The king’s eyes widened. “You can’t leave, Carley. Not again. We need you here.”
Carley wrapped her arm around Reid’s waist. “I love him, Majesty. I’m sorry, but I cannot stay, not without Reid.”
“Well, he can stay, too. For the love of lights, the coterie’s overrun with shifters anyway. What’s one more?”
Carley looked at her mate, lying in a heap on the floor. “But I’m mated to another, and I want to be with Reid. I can’t stay. I’m sorry.”
The king rolled his eyes heavenward, before focusing his gaze on Tanner. “This is just like you and my daughter, isn’t it?”
One side of Tanner’s lips quirked into a smile. “Well, we mated first, and Dane is too much of a pansy to abuse anyone. But yeah, it’s similar. And I happen to agree with them. Carley deserves to be happy. They both do.”
“But what about my kitchens?” the king protested. “Mica has disappeared, too. All my good chefs disappear.”
“Mica’s fine,” Carley assured him. “She’s in Chicago, too. Working at the same restaurant where I work.”
“Why should the humans get both of you?” the king grumbled. “How can I convince you to stay?”
Carley glanced at Reid and then shook her head. “You can’t. I love Reid. I have to be with him. Even if…Even if I am mated to another.”
“What if you weren’t?”
Carley gasped. The king had never exhibited violent tendencies in all of his reign. Surely he was not suggesting…
“What if I annul your union?”
“Annul?” Carley repeated.
Reid lifted his hand and cupped her neck, squeezing gently. “As in, abolish it?” he asked.
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
“But—but lightbearers mate forever,” Carley protested, even though, if she could have one dream, this would be it. To have Reid, and to live in the coterie, to take back her position in the king’s kitchens…She could see it already. And it looked nothing like the state of this place at the moment.
“I’m the king of the lightbearers. I made those laws. Well, my ancestors did. And if I can allow shifters into my coterie, and name a half shifter as my heir, I can certainly annul a union that never should have happened in the first place. As of this moment, Carley Santiago, you are no longer mated to Miguel.” He waved his hand in a dramatic fashion. And then he waved it again.
“And as of this moment, you are officially mated to Reid Hennigan, by lightbearer law. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if you were already mated by shifter law.” His cheeks tinged pink as he said it.
Carley looked at Reid. Reid looked at her. They both burst out laughing, before hugging and kissing to seal the deal. Then she pushed him away and clapped her hands.
“Okay, people, you heard the king. This is my kitchen now. And it’s time to clean it up. Hey—where do you men think you are going? This place is a disaster. We need all the help we can get. Cecilia—go get Olivia, so she can tend to your wound, as well as Nona. Reid—pick up that broom. Tanner—summon a guard, to take Miguel wherever he’s supposed to go. And then get back here to help us clean up. Your Majesty—well, you go, um, do your kingly business. The rest of you, let’s get to it…”
This was Carley Hennigan’s kitchen now.
Epilogue
“What do you think?” Reid asked as he stepped to the side to allow Carley to judge whether the framed painting was hanging straight.
“Perfect,” she said with a sm
ile. “And it matches the new color on the walls just like I thought it would.”
Reid looked around the living room of the quaint cottage he now shared with Carley. His mate.
“Are you sure about this? We could have found another house. I don’t want this one to bring back bad memories for you.”
Carley walked across the room and wrapped her arms around him. She slipped her hand under the hem of his shirt and smoothed it up his back. It was still puckered from the scars Quentin had caused, but there were no new scars, thanks to Alexa’s amazing healing abilities.
He didn’t even flinch as her hand roved over the marred skin. The scars didn’t affect him as much anymore. In fact, just last night he’d lain on his stomach and let her give him a backrub. And he no longer leaped out of bed and pulled on a shirt whenever he woke up and discovered he was sleeping on his stomach.
“Is the fact that you’ve gone to work for the king as head of security for the coterie causing you to relive bad memories?” she countered.
Reid shook his head. “Not at all. I actually like this leader, even though I think he’s too soft.”
“Lightbearers are different from shifters,” she pointed out.
“I know,” Reid said. “I’m learning.”
Carley gave him a reassuring smile. “You’ve done a marvelous job of erasing all the bad memories so far. I see no reason why that trend won’t continue. Besides, this house doesn’t look or feel anything like it did when I lived here with him.”
Reid slipped his arm around her waist and guided her into the kitchen. The first thing they’d done, when they made the decision to move into this home together, was to gut the kitchen and start over from scratch. Now, it looked like an amazing replica of the kitchen in Reid’s apartment in Chicago. Including all the utensils and appliances he’d purchased for the specific intention of seducing Carley.
“I love my new kitchen,” she said impishly.
“Me too.”
“I especially like the way you look in that sexy apron I bought you.”
“It’s only sexy because I didn’t wear anything underneath it.”
“Are you supposed to?” Reid asked innocently.
Carley rolled her eyes and lifted her hand to let it rest on her still-flat stomach. “Soon, we won’t be able to walk around naked anytime we want.”
“If you’re trying to convince me that I won’t be thrilled to be a father, don’t waste your breath. I can’t wait.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
She leaned her head back to look at his face. “More positive memories, to wash away the negative ones.”
“Yeah,” he said as he brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face. “Nothing but positive memories, from this point forward.”
“I love you, Reid Hennigan.”
“I love you, too, Carley Hennigan.”
The End
Publisher’s Note
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About Tami Lund
Award winning author Tami Lund likes to live, love, and laugh, and does her best to ensure the characters in her books do the same. After they’ve overcome a few seemingly insurmountable obstacles first, of course. Tami writes both contemporary and paranormal romance. You can stalk her through various social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, and through her website, www.tamilund.com.
