by Kenya Wright
For the rest of the morning, I thought about the problem. For Aiden, there was no doubt in his mind that we were mates. All of it would involve marriage and kids. And there would be no divorce. Unlike humans, shapeshifters didn’t play with the idea of till death do us part.
I’ll have to figure this out. We must talk again. All of us—Aiden, Conri, and me.
I left my bed, showered, and dressed. It took forever since my body continued to be sore. My upper body hurt the most. It was like someone had taken a sledgehammer and smashed into the center of my chest, destroying it. Breaking it into shattered pieces that scattered all over the floor in front of me. And it wasn’t just that my heart was broken. I experienced this separation anxiety that I couldn’t describe in words. It just gripped my heavy heart, tightening its hold and threatening to never let go.
Get something to eat. It’ll be better then.
Sounds rose from the kitchen. I figured my sister Harper was in there, cooking breakfast. Slowly, I walked downstairs, making sure I didn’t overwork my aching muscles.
I’ll eat something. That should make me feel better.
Every few steps down the stairs, I touched my chest and breathed through the pain. I didn’t have faith that I would be able to make it to the kitchen.
Aiden. I need him. Why do I need him so badly?
He talked about how bad it would be for him to be away, but I never realized that it would be unbearable for me too.
It took me forever to get to the kitchen. By then the noise had stopped. Harper sat at the table with one cup of coffee in front of her and another in the place that I always put mine.
“Good morning.” I forced a smile as I dealt with the pain and sat down. “How are you?”
Prince sat in Harper’s lap shivering like a lion was right in front of him, ready to gobble the little poodle up.
Harper petted Prince. “I’m confused.”
When I looked at the coffee, thirst took me over. However, when I took a sip, my thirst wasn’t quenched. “You’re confused? About what?”
“Hmmm. I guess you’re right. Why would I be confused?” Harper shrugged and continued to drink her coffee.
Prince whined as Harper put him down, hiding as close to her feet as possible.
“What’s up with Prince?” I studied him. “And what’s up with you? Just spill it.”
“Never mind. I’m sure everything will come to light soon.”
“What will come to light?”
“You just rushed off like a crazy woman with some biker.”
I took another unsatisfying sip of my coffee just to give me something to do. “He’s not a biker.”
“Fine, but he’s definitely something.”
You don’t even want to know, so just drop it, sis.
But it was clear that Harper was not going to drop it. “And while you’re gone, he leaves his lackey with me.”
I kept my expression as neutral as I could. “What do you mean, he left his lackey?”
“The black guy named Zerab or whatever. He remained here after you left.” Harper pointed at her dog. “Prince has been all out of sorts the whole time, pooping and vomiting everywhere. He doesn’t like Zerab or your biker. And dogs are a good judge of character. Prince has been jumping at his own shadow and sleeping right on top of me at night. He’s also pooped in my bed several times!”
“I can. . .help clean up and maybe calm him down.”
“Everything is clean. What I want to know is why Zerab was here the whole time. He was camped out on our property while you were gone. Sure, he was trying to hide it, but I could see his dumb ass in the woods staring at the house all night.”
“Oh. . .I. . .doubt that was him. I mean. Come on. Why would he do that?”
How much can I tell her? I’ll have to ask Aiden. We never got to the conversation of what must be kept secret and what could be told to my loved ones.
“Whatever.” Harper rolled her eyes. “What’s going on? It was like Zerab thought he was protecting me from something? It sounds crazy, but I swore he was guarding me. Every hour he secretly stalked around the house as if checking for an intruder.”
I shrugged.
“Oh really?” Harper crossed her arms in front of her chest. “You’ve got nothing?”
“Nothing,” I whispered.
“So, what’s up with Mr. Biker Guy?”
“Nothing. We’re done. . .maybe.”
“Of course, you are.” Harper snorted.
“We are. Well, maybe we’re not. I have to talk to him before I answer that.”
“Whatever.” Harper sipped her coffee.
I sighed. “Harper, give me some time. Later, I’ll be more forthcoming.”
“You two are not done.”
“We are.”
“Oh, really?” Harper pointed to the kitchen window. “That’s why his entire gang is casually walking outside of our house right now.”
I raised my eyebrows and jumped up from my seat. “What are you talking about?”
“They’re out there like a bunch of idiots.” She rose and gestured for me to come over to the window. “You have to peek out of the side, or they’ll disappear, but look.”
I walked to the window, peeked from the side, and spotted Damian’s red hair down the block. Further on the right and across the street, Blaze whistled and casually looked at a tree as he held a frisbee. On the left, Oliver sat on his bike, listening to music. Big headphones clamped over his ears. With his hands, he drummed out the rhythm of whatever he was jamming to.
Well, they’re definitely not pros at this secret mission stuff.
Harper got to my side. “What the hell is going on, Imani?”
“Nothing. . .really.”
“Bullshit! This is crazy. I don’t want them around. It’s apparently something big that’s happening. Is it a drug thing?”
“Drug thing?”
“Like his gang messed up a cocaine shipment and now the Cartel is coming after them. And they know about you, so the Cartel is going to try and kill you, so his gang is protecting you.”
I widened my eyes. “It’s not drugs.”
“But there is some danger?”
“Let me talk to Aiden, and then I’ll tell you.” I backed up from the window. At my speaking his name, the pain eased. There was almost a full minute of relief, and then the ache returned. It was in that moment I realized that I didn’t know if I could ever not be close to him again. In fact, the thought of my being this separate from Aiden for this long again caused me pain.
I gripped the sink and doubled over. “Shit.”
“Are you okay?” Harper helped me to the chair. “Sis? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I took my time getting back to my seat, sat down, and closed my eyes.
“Damn it. Something is going on. Tell me.”
“It’s too long to explain. Just give me time.”
“Time for what?”
“Please, Harper.” The pain decreased. “I just need to talk to Aiden. Could you get my phone from the bedroom?”
“Why?”
“Because I’ll feel better once I talk to him.” I knew it with every inch of my heart. I had to be around him again. I had rushed off because of fear of being hurt. But there was too much pain from being away from him. And even if there wasn’t the discomfort, the ache, the need, the craving for his touch was even stronger.
“Yes,” I whispered. “I have to talk to Aiden. Please, get my phone.”
“I could do even better than that.” Harper left the chair and shook her head. “Haven’t you been listening?”
“I have.”
She walked to the front door, opened it, and yelled, “Aiden!”
I twisted around. “What are you doing? Stop that.”
Harper yelled again, “Aiden!”
“Are you crazy? Stop. Just get my phone.”
“Don’t you want to talk to him?” Harper kept the door open and walked back to the table to sit down.
The door remained ajar.
“Yes, but he’s not outside.” I frowned. “He’s probably back at his—”
His deep sexy voice filled the kitchen. “Yes.”
I turned back around and rose without telling myself too. “Aiden? You’re here. What. . .what are you doing here?”
Aiden appeared in pain as much as I did. His expression looked strained. He’d formed his hands into fists as if he were holding back the agony he was experiencing. It broke my heart to see him in so much despair.
Before either of us could say anything, Prince looked at Aiden, pooped on the floor, whimpered, and ran off behind Harper.
“I’m sorry.” Aiden smiled at the dog and shrugged. “Dogs aren’t big on me.”
“Why is that?” Harper picked up the shaking pet. “And why are you all outside of our house?”
Footsteps sounded on the porch. Blaze appeared, sniffing the air. Aiden gave him an odd look. Then, Blaze snapped his attention to Harper. “Oh. It’s your scent, not hers.”
Harper stepped back with Prince in her arms. “Excuse me?”
“Dear Goddess.” Blaze inhaled. “You smell so fucking good. Even better than Imani. Much stronger and—”
“I smell?” Harper backed up again. “What the hell is going on?”
Aiden got to Blaze’s side. “You should go outside.”
Blaze drank in Harper. “Can I at least meet her? You promised.”
Harper turned to me. Shock covered my face.
“Hello.” Blaze prowled forward and stopped a foot in front of her. “My name is Blaze.”
Surprisingly, Harper inched forward with intrigue in her eyes. “My name is Harper.”
Blaze gestured at me but didn’t look my way. “You’re related to Imani some way?”
Although Blaze might have freaked her out earlier, Harper drank in the man, clearly liking his frame. She cleared her throat. “I’m Imani’s young and breathtakingly beautiful sister.”
“You’re correct about that.” Blaze extended his hand to shake her.
Their hands met. Energy zipped in the air. Both—Blaze and Harper—shuddered and let go. Aiden pretended not to notice, but I caught the twitch in his jaw and look of shock in his eyes.
O-kay. So. . .Blaze and my sister might be mates?
“Oh my God. I think I shocked you.” Harper stared at her hand and gave Blaze an awkward smile. “That’s so weird.”
“Yeah.” Blaze kept his mouth in a straight line. “No problem.”
An awkward silence fell around all four of us.
I ended the quiet. “Harper, I have to talk to Aiden. We’ll answer your questions later. Let’s go to my bedroom to talk.”
When I touched his arm, Aiden grunted in lust as if I took off my clothes and offered to suck him off.
Blaze spoke, “I’ll stay in here and guard Harper.”
“Guard?” Harper asked.
“It’s a figure of speech.” Blaze studied her.
“Blaze,” I glanced over my shoulder. “Behave.”
Still intensely staring at my sister, he nodded. “Yes, Luna.”
Harper’s voice came next. “Luna? Who the hell is that?”
“No one. I’ll explain everything later.” I guided Aiden’s big frame up the stairs. It was almost comical. This huge guy in my house, trying not to break the railing or bump his head on the low ceiling as we climbed the stairs. Still, he followed silently, gripping my fingers as if they held life in the tips.
He whispered to me, “You can’t explain this to your sister.”
“Did you see Blaze and her? I won’t need to explain it. He will.”
Aiden sighed. “I was hoping Blaze wouldn’t mate with a fatal.”
“Why not?”
“Because you and I have had a rocky time so far. I don’t want this for anyone.”
“I know,” I whispered back. “I’m sorry, but we don’t have to hurt anymore.”
Shock covered his face. “We?”
“Yes. It has to be we. How can I ever be without you now?”
When I touched him, all my health instantly returned. No more pain or ache. No feelings of incompleteness and desperation. My mind went clear. And in my heart, doubt no longer lingered.
We belong together. How did I ever doubt that before?
This one night without him had been the purest form of hell. I couldn’t go through it again. And no matter how scared of his world I was, I refused not to explore what we could become.
Yes. I’m his mate, and he’s mine.
Chapter 21
Imani
I opened the door and led him into my bedroom, wondering what he thought of the pink walls and the old posters of butterflies and art. Sparkling trinkets lay on my dresser. I had a love for antique jewelry, and that was the first thing Aiden focused on as he drank in the view around him.
The door shut behind us.
“You can sit on my bed.” I tried to let go of his hand, but he wouldn’t have it.
“No.” He pulled me to him and breathed my scent in. “What’s wrong, my love? Why did your sister yell for me?”
I molded to him, relishing in the solid feel of hard muscle and satin skin.
“I’m in pain,” I whispered, “Or I was in pain, but now. . .I’m not.”
He quirked his eyebrows. “The bond is affecting you too?”
“Yes.”
He frowned. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It is what is. And maybe I deserve the pain.”
“Don’t say that.”
“I was being stupid.” I embraced him, wrapping my arms around his huge frame. “I was scared that you would break my heart. But you would never do anything to hurt me. I know that you just feel the same pull that I feel. I’m slowly starting to understand.”
“But. . .” He pulled me away and cupped my face into his huge hands. “Are you ready for my world?”
“No.”
He shut his eyes.
“However, I’ll get ready,” I whispered. “I’ll try. I’ll work at it. All I know is that I can’t be away from you, and it’s not just because of the pain. My heart aches for you and even. . .Conri. I love you both. You’re both mine.”
He studied me. “You must be sure. This is your only chance to stay away from me. I’ll never let you leave after this.”
I gulped down fear. “Do you remember the dream last night? Were you there?”
“Yes.”
“Conri was in so much pain.”
He looked away.
I lifted my hand to his chin and brought his attention back to me. “I hated it. I never want to make him or you hurt again. And when he left. . .the whole world went cold. All that was remained was my old life—my house and that normal view of the sky. But I don’t want that anymore. I yearn for Conri and you. Your hearts and those golden eyes.”
Pure, unyielding love radiated off him.
“Please, forgive me for doubting us.” I rose to the tips of my toes and kissed him.
Groaning, he lifted my body and took the kiss deeper, circling his tongue around mine and sucking on my bottom lip.
“Mate,” he whispered.
I swallowed my fear and took a leap toward my unknown destiny. “Mate.”
He growled. In a blur, he swept my body up in his arms and took me to the bed. “Should I explain everything?”
I shouted. “Wait. There’s more?”
“Little by little, you’ll understand that in my world, anything and everything is possible.”
I widened my eyes as he lay me down and rose over me.
“No,” I whispered. “Let’s talk about it later. Just give me all of you right now. The rest you can walk me through at another time.”
“There are some things that must be made clear.”
Impatient, I pouted. “What?”
“I want to fill you with my seed.”
I blinked.
“And once I’ve done that, I want to watch you get bi
gger with our child.”
“Umm. . .okay. We can talk about that later. Now you can—”
“I’m not done.” He pierced me with such an intense stare. Now I knew why he was the Alpha of their pack. “I will always be by your side, especially when you have our child. And when that time comes, I’ll be there next to you, watching you nurse him.”
“Okay.”
“Do you understand?”
Fear crept into my heart. I pushed it away. “I understand.”
He licked his lips. “I crave you. All I’ve thought about is licking between those soft thighs of yours.”
“All I could think about was your big cock, slipping in and out of me.” I moved my hand down to his jeans and unzipped them, sliding my fingers under the fabric of his boxer briefs and wrapping them around his already growing length.
“Oh, Imani,” he moaned as his big, fat cock throbbed in my small hands.
My heart beat faster. I freed his huge length from his jeans. His breath felt deliciously hot against my head. The mushroomed tip twitched in anticipation. A little bit of precum spilled. I rubbed a little on the tip of my finger, brought it to my mouth, and licked.
He groaned in pure hungry lust. Dark words left his lips. “If you try to leave next time, I will cage you.”
“Then, I’ll pretend to leave so you can fuck me inside of the cage.”
His eyes went golden.
“Fuck me.”
“Oh, I will, my love. I’m going to fuck you until you’re exhausted and fall asleep, and then, I’ll fuck you in your dreams.”
I grinned. “Good. I would love to be fucked both ways.”
“And this is the last time we will be separated,” he whispered. “From now on, we never leave each other.”
“Never.”
“We should talk about kids and—”
“I think we should talk about kids later.”
Chuckling, he nibbled on the curve of my neck. “Okay, my love. We’ll talk about it later.”
This time not only did power radiate from him but love too. The sensation flickered all around me. Desire also pulsed between us. I even swore that our hearts beat together, although I couldn’t hear his.
I pulled away from his mouth. “How much are we bonded right now?”
“Each day, it gets stronger.”
“And then what?”
