“You had to do the cooking,” Meg said. “Why?”
She squealed when Lachlan picked her up and hugged her to him. He kissed her deeply, making sure his erection dug into her stomach as her held her tight. “I love you, my mate,” he said. Then whispered in her ear all the things he planned to do with her later that day.
“I can cook,” Brody said softly, “and I also have exceptional hearing.”
Meg banged her head against Lachlan’s chest as she gave an exaggerated groan. “Save me.”
“Save you from what, baby,” Prescott said. He took Meg from Lachlan and took a seat at the kitchen table with Meg perched on his lap.
“I was only kidding. You already saved me,” Meg said. She turned and kissed Prescott on the cheek. She smiled at Lachlan and he felt his heart clench. “Brody, why did you have to do all the cooking?”
Brody poured his cake batter into a tin and placed it in the oven. He was still red in the face, and fidgeting. “Well, sixty years ago when Jayce left me with the wolves, he told me to make myself useful.” Brody straightened and swept the straight blond hair from his eyes. “It was cook or get thrown out. So I cooked.”
Meg tried to get off Prescott’s lap, but he wrapped his arms around her and growled. “It’s too soon, baby. We’ll hurt him. We won’t mean to, but our cats won’t let another man touch you.”
Lachlan went over to Brody and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “This is a hug from me and Meg.”
“You are free to do nothing at all whilst you’re a guest of my pride,” Caleb said. He moved from the kitchen doorway and cuffed Brody on the chin gently with his fist. “I’m going to enjoy this delicious-smelling food before Prescott inhales it all. Thank you for looking after Lexie.”
“Thank you. You’re all being so kind.” Brody seemed both embarrassed and surprised. It made Lachlan wonder what sort of life Brody had with the wolves and resolved to ask Aiden when he got back to Pine Falls.
Caleb put the TV on for Lexie, who was thrilled to find they were subscribed to the Disney channel. When Lachlan was sure Lexie was sufficiently distracted, he decided to see what the demon could tell them about the threat Nicholas posed to their Meg.
“Have you encountered creatures like Nicholas before?” Lachlan saw Meg swing her head around to him.
“You know what Nicholas is?”
Lachlan had forgotten that Meg was sleeping when Caleb had shared Aiden’s information with the pride and he quickly told her everything they knew. It didn’t take long because they knew precious little.
“I still don’t see why Aiden sent a demon,” Meg said. She smiled at Brody. “I’m glad you’re here. I want you to stay forever, those wolves sound awful. But why a demon?”
Lachlan stroked his hand down Meg’s face. She really was a special sort of person. So precious that he’d even let her keep the demon if he wanted to stay. “That’s what we need to ask Brody. We’ve told you everything we know.”
“You know that Nephilim are born from the one angel parent, well, demons are born from two.” Brody looked at each of them. When no one spoke he continued. “Two fallen angels, specifically. When an angel sins, they can’t go back to heaven and are earthbound.”
“But then wouldn’t you be an angel, too? Demons sound like they’re evil and live in hell,” Prescott said. “No offence.”
“No. I am what I am. They call us demons, or the devil’s spawn. But we’re not all evil. It’s our choice how we act. It’s the same with people and Nephilim. Everyone has the free will to choose their own path in life.”
“So Nick wants to take my soul so he can live longer?” Meg said.
“That’s right,” Brody said. “They use the souls of humans to extend their lives. They become increasingly more powerful and evil, each time they do so. The more pure the soul, the more powerful the effect on them.”
“But after this morning I’m not pure.” Meg’s cheeks colored and she looked to Caleb for help. “Aren’t I of no use to him now?”
“No, baby. We thought of that, too,” Caleb said.
“Your soul is really all about the sort of person you are,” Brody said. “You’re worth a lot to him. I can see what attracted him to you.”
“What if I kill someone? I’ll be bad then and he won’t want me?” Brody raised an eyebrow and stared fixedly at Meg. The air grew charged around them, and Lachlan rubbed at the hairs rising on his arms.
“Who in this world do you really think you could kill?” Brody said.
“Nicholas Thomson,” Meg said firmly. She straightened her spine and returned Brody’s stare. She lasted about two seconds before she sagged back against Prescott and sighed deeply. “Well I wouldn’t be very sad if someone else killed him.”
Lachlan watched a shimmer flow through the air and felt the charge drain away. Brody smiled and walked to the coffee pot then returned and poured them all some more coffee.
“Do you think I could trouble you for a lift back to my car?” Brody said. He sat down and stared at his hands. “I ran out of gas a few miles down the road.”
“You drove here?” Prescott said. “Can’t you travel like Nicholas? Just step here from wherever you were before.” Brody shook his head but didn’t look up. “Then how are you supposed to help protect Meg?” Prescott shouted the last words, making Brody jump.
Meg elbowed Prescott in the stomach. “No offence.”
“Why don’t we all go into town and get Meg and Lexie some clothes?” Lachlan said. “Brody can tell us all about himself on the way.” From the display of power Brody had exhibited with just a stare, Lachlan suspected there was a lot more to the man than met the eye.
* * * *
“Do it again, Brody. Please.” Caleb laughed as Lexie bounced in her seat and giggled. It was about the tenth time she’d asked, and Lexie didn’t seem to be tiring of the latest talent Brody had revealed.
Brody held up his hand with his fist closed. He snapped it open to reveal a tiny ball of light. The light travelled to Lexie and she poked it with her finger to have it pop like a soap bubble. The car windows rattled with the boom of the small explosion.
“We’re nearly there now,” Lachlan said. “Better not do that in town.”
Caleb had felt the same as Prescott, that Brody was going to be of no help to them, but he should have trusted Aiden’s judgement. Brody was a powerful creature despite his unassuming and gentle nature.
He’d explained he couldn’t use his powers to travel unless he’d seen the place he was travelling to, otherwise he’d have no destination. It also meant Nicholas couldn’t just appear out of the air as they’d feared. He’d have to track Meg using her scent, which gave them a little time to try and mount some sort of defense.
Brody could also sense when other demons or Nephilim were close by, so they also had an early warning system. His personal arsenal of weapons came from his ability to manipulate molecules, as did his power to travel.
“So Nicholas can manipulate the air to travel across long distances, like you do, but he doesn’t have any other powers?” Meg said. She was sitting between him and Brody in the back of the truck and Caleb stifled a growl as she leaned closer to Brody as she asked the question. He gently pressed her against his side with the arm he had draped across her shoulders.
“He can only travel that way at all because he’s already gained power from the lives he’s stolen.” Brody’s lip curled in disgust. “I won’t know what else he’s capable of until I meet him in battle. But he’ll never be as strong as a demon.”
“Are you stronger than vampires? We have a nasty one hunting Kaitlyn. She’s my best friend and Aiden’s mate.”
“We can evade them, and burn them. But we aren’t as physically strong as vampires or shifters, so we aren’t able to kill them.”
“We’ll take any help we can get, Brody,” Prescott said. “If you set one on fire, I’d wager it would slow him down enough for one of us to catch him. Then we can take his head.” Prescott
had placed his hands over Lexie’s ears, but Lexie’s exclamation of disgust showed she’d heard him anyway. “Sorry, Lexie,” Prescott added.
Lachlan parked right outside Pine Falls’s only department store. It wasn’t a large town, but the store had everything Lexie and Meg would need. Caleb couldn’t guess when they’d be able to move their belongings up here and he wouldn’t even consider it until Nicholas was dead.
“I need to check in at the station,” Lachlan said. “I’ll arrange for more leave for Prescott and tell them I’ll be back at work tomorrow.”
Caleb smiled as Lachlan gave Meg a kiss worthy of a farewell that would last months, not minutes. They all loved Meg, and Caleb would have to talk to his brothers about proposing to her. He wanted to see their ring on her finger, a mark that the human population could recognize as meaning she belonged to them.
“Why are you growling?” Meg said. She took his hand tentatively, her eyes wide, her scent bitter with fear. “Are you going to get jealous if I kiss one of your brothers?”
He dropped her hand and wrapped her in his arms. He tilted his hips to make sure she didn’t miss how hard his cock was as it pushed against her stomach. “Does that feel like I’m jealous, baby?” She shook her head, but her scent remained bitter.
“I was thinking about you being ours forever. I know there are times we will all be together, and times when we need to have you all to ourselves. There was no jealousy, Meg.” She nodded and her smile was genuine. Cats were incapable of lying to their mates, and he hadn’t. He just hadn’t wanted to propose to her in the main street of town, so he just avoided the word marriage.
“Thank you, Caleb.” She pulled his head down and kissed him chastely on the cheek. The contact still made his cock twitch and she rubbed against him in reply.
“Saucy wench. Go and plunder this store for everything you need. Prescott and I are going to guard the entrances.” He kissed her, doing some plundering of his own with his tongue.
“Make sure you get whatever toys you need, Lexie,” Prescott said. He picked up the small child and kissed her on the cheek. “I’d like another picture if you feel like coloring one for me.”
“I do,” Lexie said. She kissed his cheek and hugged him before squirming to get down.
“It’s a long way down, pumpkin,” Meg said. She took her from Prescott and put her on the ground. Prescott held Meg to him and kissed her until Lexie pulled her away by the hand.
“Shopping, Meg. They kiss too much,” Lexie said. She took Brody’s hand and pulled him into the store as well.
“How the hell did we get so lucky?” Prescott said. “I’ll guard the back.”
Caleb positioned himself inside the front door to watch Meg and Lexie as they shopped. I’ll feel a lot luckier when Nicholas Thomson ceases to exist.
* * * *
Meg and Lexie didn’t take long to find everything they needed, and then they got to work on what Brody needed.
“I can’t buy anything.” Brody looked down at his tattered sneakers. “I don’t have any money. There, I said it.”
“Don’t the wolves give you a wage for doing all their cooking and cleaning?” Meg saw the look of confusion on his face and ground her teeth together. “Just a roof over your head. Nothing else.”
“Your clothes are all baggy,” Lexie said. She poked her finger through a hole in the knee of Brody’s jeans.
Meg suspected everything he was wearing was old clothes that the wolves had thrown away. Brody was never going back there. She’d make sure he loved it here in Pine Falls and decided to stay with them forever.
“You’re working here to protect me. That’s your job now and I’ll talk to Caleb about what he’s going to be paying you. Then you can pay him back for the things he’s buying you today.”
“I own a security firm,” Caleb said. Meg jumped at his sudden appearance by her side. “We pay two hundred dollars a day to bodyguards. Plus expenses. Here’s an advance on this week’s wages.”
He disappeared again and Meg looked over her shoulder to see him back by the front door. His sexy smile made her heart rate increase. When she turned back to Brody, he was gaping at the wad of notes in his hand.
“I’ve never even seen this much money before. This is too much.” He tried to put the cash in Meg’s hands but she moved them behind her back.
“It’s a fair wage, Brody. It’s your money though, if you don’t want to get yourself some clothes and personal items, it’s your choice not to.”
“These are pretty,” Lexie said. She was holding up a pair of black socks with bright colored spots.
“I’m getting some for my mates, Lexie. They are pretty.” She turned back to ask Brody his opinion when she felt the air around her start to tingle and burn her skin.
“Lexie?” Meg had time to reach for her sister before Brody wrapped them both in his arms, taking them into the deep cold of complete darkness. Lexie’s scream of terror was the only sound she could hear.
Chapter 11
Prescott saw the dark-haired man approach him and his cat put him on alert immediately. The man was wearing a suit and tie, not the normal attire for Pine Falls. Prescott let his claws slide free, arming himself instinctually.
When the man was six feet from him and Prescott still detected no scent, he moved at preternatural speed to intercept the creature he was now sure was Nicholas. In the next breath, Prescott found he was on the edge of a cliff, only the toes of his boots on the rocky scree at the edge. He waved his arms trying to balance and slipped straight off the cliff. He grabbed wildly for the edge managing to catch it with his clawed fingertips.
“You smell of her. Her scent’s all over you.”
The voice dripped with menace and a hint of madness. Prescott looked up into the sun and saw the man from the alley leaning over the ledge. “Nicholas Thomson.”
“I might have let you lived if you hadn’t touched her. But I warned her. She should have listened to me.” He stomped down on Prescott’s hands with his shiny black shoe.
* * * *
Caleb heard Lexie scream and ran toward her as Brody wrapped both Lexie and Meg in his arms and vanished. Caleb skidded to a stop and collided with Brody as he reappeared in the exact spot he’d vanished from.
“You have to go back,” Caleb said, his fear and anger making his command all the more compelling. They’d previously discussed that Brody would take Meg home if Brody sensed danger, which meant she was currently unprotected, as they were all in town.
“I came to get you. There’s a Nephilim near.”
“I have to stay here, Brody.” The demon didn’t say another word, he simply disappeared, and the air around him stung Caleb’s exposed skin with the electrical charge of the demon’s power.
Not wanting to waste time, he pulled out his cell phone and called Landon as he ran to the back of the store. “Landon, Meg is at home alone, how long until you can get to her?”
He exited the store and found the back alley empty. His cat roared in rage and fear. “Prescott has been taken. Organize someone to get to Meg.” He didn’t wait to hear what Landon planned. He trusted the bear to send the best, and nearest, help he could find to Meg.
He ran from the alley and headed for the sheriff’s station. He needed Lachlan. He didn’t know what he’d do if Prescott had been killed. They’d all faced the real possibility of Meg dying when she’d been injured, but this was something new. He’d have to endure centuries of pain if his brother died. Centuries of feeling Meg’s pain if she lost one of her mates.
“I won’t let him have you, Prescott. It won’t happen.”
* * * *
Lachlan was just leaving the sheriff’s station when he saw Caleb approach. His brother was running at full speed, invisible to any humans, something he would never risk in town unless something was terribly wrong. His cat roared to life, its need to defend and fight almost overwhelming Lachlan.
Forcing his cat to the back of his mind, he fought the need to shift a
nd walked to his truck and opened the passenger door for Caleb before walking around the truck to get behind the wheel.
“Brody did his demon shit and took Meg and Lexie home,” Caleb said, closing the passenger door and pointing to the ignition. Lachlan started the truck and pulled out into the light traffic on the main street. “Nicholas was there and he’s taken Prescott.”
“Fuck, where do we even start looking for him?” Lachlan’s usual ability to reason calmly had deserted him. “Should we go home to Meg?” His emotions were in turmoil.
“Brody is with her, he can take her away if Nick finds her at our home. I’ve sent Landon there for reinforcement. We need to get out of here and shift.”
Lachlan could see why Caleb was Alpha, despite his innate desire to go to his mate, he was still able to function. Lachlan was barely hanging on. His every instinct was telling him to protect their mate.
“Prescott will kill us if something happens to Meg while we’re off looking for him.”
“The best protection for her is having Brody by her side. That’s all we can offer until Aiden brings us a weapon we can use to kill the Nephilim,” Caleb said, his expression grim. “Do you want to abandon our brother is we might be able to help him?”
He took his eyes off the road for a second and glanced at Caleb. He scented of both rage and fear. He’d never scented fear from his brother before. It made his blood freeze in his veins.
“You think he’s already killed Prescott?” Caleb’s expression was pained as he nodded.
Lachlan pulled the truck over at the rest stop marking the Pine Falls city limits. The forest surrounded the small parking area, the ponderosa and white bark pines pressing into the area as though they would soon swallow it up. The five minute drive had seemed like an eternity and both of them threw open the doors and shifted as soon as the truck stopped.
As anxious as Lachlan was to find Prescott, he feared that if they found Prescott they may also find the Nephilim, and they may not be able to defeat him. Their deaths would condemn sweet Meg to death only a few hours after their mating. His rage at the injustice of it all made his shift even more rapid and painful. A pain he wished to re-gift on the Nephilim who threatened them all with his selfish avarice for life at whatever cost.
Fighting Heaven for Love [Pine Falls 2] (Siren Publishing Menage Amour) Page 8
