Kade

by Dana Archer

  Gasping, I steal a glance at Megan before facing Josh. “He’s stronger than her. That’s why he can break free.”

  “And if he does, Megan will die, and he’ll be released. Then return to the heavens? Bond to another soul? I don’t know.”

  Stepping in front of the sliding glass, I watch my adopted niece, the little girl who ultimately brought Mira into Josh’s life and Kade into mine. Megan touches the snowman’s stick hand with the gentlest of caresses and lowers her head. Her pouted lip and scrunched face builds an ache within me. I know better than anyone what it’s like not to get along with the being attached to your soul.

  “The Ammon shifter loves her, but he is…” Josh takes another sip of coffee and closes his eyes. “He’s an ancient shaman, a brutal and rough killer. Not a warrior. Not even an honorable man. He was a spy, an assassin, and about as sick as they came. He was the man sent to murder his enemies’ babies and gut their women. He had no remorse, no empathy, and no friends.”

  I swallow hard. “And now he’s tied to a child.”

  “Whom he loves.” Josh makes a rough sound. “As much as the spirit of a killer could love anything. We’re hoping he’ll merge with her in the way of an alpha, despite him being a wolf and her a lion shifter. Then, he’ll be a silent sentinel and source of power, conversing with her only on the night of the full moon. Nobody seems to know a safe way to make that happen, however, and he doesn’t seem to have any desire to do so on his own.”

  “Dr. Fairchild might be able to help them. Solidify their bond like he did for me and my…” I glance at Josh. While I’ve told him everything I’ve learned about what’s lurking inside me, this moment feels different. There’s a sense of acceptance I hadn’t noticed before, and for the first time in ages, I don’t honestly believe I’m crazy. I’m a warrior battling my own… “Demon.”

  Josh pulls me into his side, tucking me against him and resting his chin on my head. He doesn’t say anything for a long moment. When he speaks, strength fills me. “Demon or no demon, you’re my baby sister. I love you, kid. No matter what happens, okay? Whatever choice you make. I love you. Don’t ever forget that.”

  My eyes burn. Closing them, I rest my cheek against my brother’s side. “How did you know I was wrestling with a choice?”

  “I know you.”

  The classic Josh response brings a smile to my face. He does know me and loves me anyway. “No matter which choice I make, I’m going to hurt Kade. If not physically, then emotionally, and I don’t want to hurt him.”

  “Then make a different choice.”

  I shake my head on a bitter laugh, my hair swaying over my shoulders. “There is none. Death is the only way I’m going to lose this demon bitch attached to my soul. Kade can’t be a part of me when that happens. We won’t ever get another chance, then.”

  Silence broken only by the ticking kitchen clock descends. Once it becomes apparent Josh isn’t going to say anything else, I peek at him. “Does the Golden Goddess have any advice for me?”

  He shakes his head. “She can’t see the future any longer, but she wants you to know she chose you to be his true mate. Out of all the souls out there, out of all the souls yet to be, she selected yours just as she picked Kade’s to be her chosen alpha. And if there’s anything I’ve learned about the hitchhiker attached to my soul—”

  “It’s that she doesn’t like to be called a hitchhiker?”

  Chuckling, Josh releases me, then bops my nose like he always did when we were kids. “No distractions just because you’re scared of what I’m going to say.”

  “I’m not afraid of anything.”

  Josh gives me a disbelieving look but doesn’t question me. “And if there’s anything I’ve learned about the selfless and wonderful goddess attached to my soul, it’s that she’s a masterful strategist, and the plans she’s set into motion will play out for millennia to come.”

  “And that’s a piece of advice that amounts to a whole lot of nothing. I just want someone to tell me what to do.”

  Josh snorts at the same moment he sips his coffee. He chokes on the liquid, then wipes at his face. “Don’t give me that nonsense. Sure, advice is something you’d listen to and take if it suited you, but you would resent someone telling you what to do, even if they’re right.”

  “True.” I glance at the backyard and stare at Megan sitting quietly on the cold ground in front of her snowman with a look of riveted focus on her face. “So how about you give me the piece of advice you’ve been avoiding, and I’ll give you mine.”

  “Stop letting people tell you what your options are. You’re not stupid, and you’re not helpless. Decide what it is you want to fight for, then fight till your last breath to get it.”

  I touch the glass separating me from the niece I’ve barely spoken to since returning to West Virginia. She’s settled into her life here, while I’ve been on the run from mine, but we’re both facing similar fates—futures we had no say in choosing. Yet we both have a say in the path our futures take. “Megan needs to be more careful about how she acts around strangers. People are watching, and they’re judging her.”

  “She’s aware. Molly is too. They both know they have to act normal around humans.”

  “They need to do better.” I let Josh see the seriousness in my expression. “Stan, the owner of the sporting goods store outside of town, has commented about their weirdness. In fact, he thinks the girls—”

  “Aren’t right.” Josh nods. “I know. Shifter Affairs has been in touch. Apparently, Jerry has been making some comments about me and Mira too since he started working at the bar.”

  “And what is Shifter Affairs doing about it? I don’t like how they were talking about your family.”

  “It’s being handled.”

  “But—”

  Josh squeezes my shoulder. “It’s being handled. They’re being watched, and Shifter Affairs is evaluating what threat they pose, and the steps needed to contain it. Trust me. It’s being handled.”

  I look back at Megan in time to see her unwrapping her scarf from the snowman, then heading to the kitchen door, the other kids who’d been listening rushing ahead of her. Seth and Levi run in, turning their golden-brown eyes that look so much like Kade’s at me and smiling, then they’re gone, chasing after the redheaded girls who taunt them about not being able to catch them. The door slides partially closed. Megan pushes it wide and beams at me, her smile the infectious kind. “Aunt Zoe!”

  “Hey, sweetheart. Did you have fun outside?”

  “Yep. I love story time.” She grabs my hand. “Are you staying? Because if you are, we seriously need to do something about your hair.”

  I touch the loose strands. “What’s wrong with my hair?”

  Megan sighs and shakes her head, then rushes out of the room, her coat and gloves flopping on the kitchen floor behind her. A minute later, she’s back with two ponytail holders held between her lips and a brush in her hand. She drags a kitchen chair out, points to it, and mumbles, “Sit.”

  Biting my cheek to hold in my laugh, I oblige her, sitting and facing my brother, who’s smiling behind the rim of his mug. Rough tugs on my hair widen my eyes, and hard pulls jerk my head to the side, but after a moment, Megan steps back, scrutinizes me, then nods, a look of pure satisfaction on her face. “There. Now, you’re perfect.”

  I touch my ponytails, one set higher than the other, and grin. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.” Megan looks over her shoulder. “I’m going to go check on Mira and see if she’s up from her nap. We’re stacking diapers in the babies’ room today and picking their first outfits out.”

  “Sounds good.”

  At Josh’s affirmation, Megan nods again, then bounces out of the room. I return the chair and turn to Josh. “Well, now that I’m beautiful, I’m heading out.”

  Josh dips his head. “Remember what I said, okay? No matter what choice you make, I love you.”

  I press my lips together. “And I’ll do anyth
ing for you.”

  “Back atcha, kid.”

  Then I’m walking out, determination in my steps and excitement empowering me. I do have another choice, a last-ditch one, but if Kade doesn’t take the option I’ll be laying at his feet, a desperate choice is better than none.

  The moment the door closes behind me, I send the text that’ll seal my fate, one way or another. The notification alerting me to Jarah typing a response pops up almost immediately.

  6 a.m., my house. Be prepared to bleed.

  I cringe, wanting to ask why I’ll be bleeding, but type my reply, confirming I’ll be there.

  Jarah never did mention what it would cost me for our private sessions. Although honestly, I’m not sure I care what it costs me or how much blood I’ll have to spill. I’ll risk everything, including my soul, to ensure Kade doesn’t lose his life, his heart, or the piece of his soul he entrusted me with.

  I refuse to fail any man I love, most of all, the one who can guide me out of the darkness.

  Twenty-Five

  Kade

  “Everything is working out exactly as planned.”

  The surprise in Ella’s voice turns my head. With the grace of someone more accustomed to wearing a dress, she swoops one leg behind the other as she lowers to the ground next to Odin’s bed. With her ankles crossed, she skims her hands over the bristles of the wooden brush in her hand, then drags the soft boar hairbrush over the German shepherd’s back. Ezra’s seeing eye dog stretches his face toward the warmth of the fire as she reaches his tail, obviously enjoying the special treatment.

  “Give it time.” Ezra walks into my office and heads directly to the fireplace without hesitation. My cousin doesn’t need Odin to guide him in places where he knows exactly where every piece of furniture is located.

  “Maybe, but every alpha I spoke with seemed genuinely eager to spend time here in West Virginia.” Ella lifts her hand while Ezra scratches Odin’s neck, then resumes brushing the dog once Ezra stands. “They all agreed to abide by the rules you set forth too. Nobody even batted an eye when I told them of the repercussions the human government plans on imposing if anyone disturbs the peace.”

  Fines matter little to most of the family groups attending. I told the upper level in Shifter Affairs that won’t motivate any of the visiting alphas. The incarceration of random members of their groups in the newly constructed “safe towns” in Alaska should give them pause, however. While I don’t doubt any shifter restrained in those government-run centers would be well protected and provided for, the inability to go where they please, when they please, mimics a prison. Or an internment camp.

  “That’s because they’ve missed the personal engagements and socialization these meetings used to offer our kind.” Ezra moves to the side of the fireplace. “At least that’s what several of the alphas I accompanied to their temporary homes told me. I never attended any in my youth, so I can’t speak personally on the appeal.”

  “I did, and I agree with the general consensus. These gatherings used to be massive occasions lasting at least a week, with parties every night. There was alcohol, good food, willing women, games of strength and wit, and most importantly, socialization, something all shifters value.”

  “Willing women?” Ella glances over her shoulder.

  “There were whores, yes, if that’s what you’re asking, but there were also plenty of high-standing, unmated daughters and sisters being paraded among us. Alphas and dominants brought them along for the purpose of arranging matings that would strengthen their family’s standings in our society.”

  Ella’s narrowing eyes judge me no doubt over my participation in such events. I match her glare. “Arranged marriages were common in human society until not long ago too. Right or wrong, that’s how it used to be. Rest assured, whores will not be on the menu at my alpha meeting. I’ve specifically informed those attending only mated women or committed lovers could attend.”

  “I’m sure that went over well.” Ella drags the brush over Odin’s side, a little more quickly than before, but just as gently.

  “We’ll see once all the alphas arrive at the party. I didn’t require them to bring along their guests to greet me or to register them ahead of time. I didn’t want to pressure anyone. Few alphas allow their women to leave their lands. Some don’t allow them to leave their house. Those who do will be the ones confident in their ability to protect them. Those males will become my contenders, along with Asa.”

  Ella holds the brush inches from Odin’s side and studies me. “For what?”

  The ringing doorbell echoes through the house. Warmth spreads through me. I know who’ll be standing on the other side of my front door. The piece of my soul tied into hers is a beacon I’ll always recognize. The only question is why Zoe thought it necessary to wait to be let in.

  “Kade?” Not quite a demand, but Ella’s insistence I answer is laced into her tone. “Contenders for what?”

  I make my way to the office door, but stop before I walk out and meet Ella’s eyes. “For the title of king among alphas, of course.”

  “King? What are you talking about?”

  Ella’s raised voice follows me down the hall. I hurry to the stairs, taking the steps three at a time. My fingertips itch with the need to touch my true mate, and my soul aches for a piece of hers. I don’t fling the front door open, however. With one hand pressed against the doorjamb, I crack the door, my body blocking the open space, so I’ll have to move to allow my true mate inside.

  My old hoodie covers her, concealing her curves and anything she might have hidden underneath, including the gun she seems to sometimes have on her person. One black and one purple tie secure her hair in uneven pigtails and give an unobstructed view of the face that’s haunted my dreams—dark lipstick, heavy eye makeup, and porcelain cheeks. Rolled sleeves, fingerless-gloved hands, and jeans tucked into black laced leather boots finish the look only Zoe can pull off.

  I take in the uniqueness of my mate, my body reacting to every delicious inch before meeting her eyes. “Can I help you?”

  She nods, her mouth curving into a mischievous smirk. “I’m sure you can.”

  I match her smile. It’s impossible not to. Her playfulness is contagious. “Am I supposed to guess why you’re here? Or should I simply take what I want from you?”

  “No sex. At least not yet.” She pulls two adjustable bands with the logo of a nearby family-owned amusement park from the hoodie’s pocket and steps closer. Her scent, free of any animal coverup, drifts to me and intensifies the reaction Zoe will forever have on me. My body stirs, but I hold still as she fits the cheap disposable band around my wrist.

  Once the bracelet is fitted loosely, she rolls the cuffs of my sleeves until the fabric won’t fold back any more, then glances between our bodies, her gaze touching on my groin. She exhales and looks up at me, her pupils dilated and her cheeks pinker than they were moments ago. “I’m here to take you out on the date I’d planned last summer.”

  I twist my hand. The date that Zoe skipped town is stamped on the “one-day only” ride pass. “I didn’t know we were supposed to go out.”

  “I wanted to surprise you.” Zoe loosens my tie and undoes the top two buttons of my dress shirt. “You were too stressed last summer.”

  “I had a lot going on.”

  “And you’ve got a lot going on now.” Zoe peeks under my outstretched arm and scans the foyer. “Do you have company?”

  “Just family, and they won’t bother us.” As far as I’m concerned, that’s what Ella is—family.

  “Then you’re free for the night?”

  “Yes.” The phone calls I’d yet to make and arrangements I’d yet to finalize can wait, and if I don’t get to them, someone else will handle it. My pride mates are aware of what needs to be done. So is Shifter Affairs and the Shifter Council. I’d spent all evening prepping those loyal to my pride. My allies are ready to support me and mine.

  Zoe cocks her head. “All night? Are you sure? If you
have stuff to do, I’ll understand. I’ve got to get up really early tomorrow anyway.”

  “For you, yes. I have all the time in the world.”

  Happiness glints in her eyes. She takes my hand and leads me forward. “Then you’re mine tonight.”

  I glance from the running ’Cuda to Zoe. “You do know the park is closed during the winter, and even if it was open, it’s well past ten.”

  Zoe opens the passenger door for me, then grips the top of the window and rests her chin on her knuckles. “You’ve never been there, have you?”

  “The amusement park?” At her nod, I shake my head. “No. Why would I have gone there?”

  “Right. Silly me.” Zoe laughs. “Having fun isn’t on an alpha’s agenda.”

  “I have an image to uphold.”

  “In public, sure, but it’s now my job to make sure you let loose in private.”

  A promise is twined into her simple statement. I see it in her eyes. She’s chosen us. Now all I need is for her to voice her commitment. Considering what I’ve arranged for tomorrow night, she couldn’t have planned this better. Hopefully, she’ll still feel the same once I’m done saying everything I should’ve days ago.

  “An amusement park isn’t exactly private.”

  “It is in the dead of winter.” Zoe opens the door wider and motions me in. “Now get in before I say screw it and jump you right now.”

  I loop an arm around her and pull Zoe against me. “I like that idea.”

  Laughing, Zoe shoves away from me, stumbling before steadying herself, then points a finger at the open door. “In. You’re going to have fun if it kills us both.”

  “As long as we go together.”

  Zoe’s amusement dims, her smile drooping and features pulling down, before she turns and makes her way around the back of the car. “Let’s avoid that. Okay? Dying is on the absolute bottom of things I want to do.”

  Knowing what’s attached to her soul, I couldn’t agree more. I get in, buckle, then glance at my true mate. “What do you have in store for us?”