“Can we have a bath now?” Meg said. She licked Prescott’s bite and kissed him before turning to smile at Lachlan. “I think I need a soak.”
“You’re too adorable when you blush like that,” Lachlan said. He stood to go run the bath for her when Caleb stopped him by clearing his throat. He knew what Caleb was going to say. The look of love on Caleb’s face said it all.
“Meg, I know you’ve already mated us, but we’d be honored if you’d consent to become our wife as well.”
Prescott sat up, taking Meg with him, and wrapped her in his arms as she started to sob.
“Is it too soon, baby?” Prescott said, looking helplessly at Lachlan.
“No, it’s not that,” Meg said between small hiccups of tears. “I’ve brought so much trouble to you all. I feel so selfish for being as happy as I am.”
“We wouldn’t have it any other way, Meg,” Caleb said. He reached for Meg and took her from Prescott’s arms. “The choice is we would never have found each other and Nicholas would have killed you. That would have sentenced us to a long and lonely life. Does that sound like it would’ve been better for us? For any of us?”
Lachlan pressed himself tight to Meg’s back and cupped her face, gently tilting it up until she met his eyes. Her bright blue orbs shone with tears and it broke his heart to see her sad. “We love you, Meg. You and Lexie have made our lives complete. I couldn’t be happier.”
“I am happy for the first time in my life, Meg,” Prescott said. He wrapped an arm around Meg’s shoulders and kissed her until she gasped for air. “Don’t ever doubt how happy we are that we’ve found you.”
Her smile healed the pain in Lachlan’s heart. That scourge to existence will regret the day he was born for hurting my beautiful Meg. “We’ll work it out together, Meg. Then you and Kaitlyn can raise babies and grow old together, right here in Pine Falls.”
She smiled and snuggled closer to Caleb as Lachlan went to run the bath. He knew that to make his promise a reality he had to fully embrace a world he never even dreamed existed. A world that had beings so perverted by their greed for power that they would take that power at any cost. Even if that cost was Kaitlyn and Meg’s lives.
Chapter 14
Meg ran outside to greet Lexie as Cynthia and Albert pulled up in their truck. She was wearing some of her new clothes, but the light shirt she wore was too thin for the cold evening air. She rubbed her hands over her arms in an attempt to warm up.
“I rode a horse all by myself, Meggie,” Lexie said. She ran from the truck and Meg scooped her up as soon as she was close enough. She inhaled deeply, searching for Lexie’s sweet vanilla scent under the strong smell of horse.
“Are you sure you didn’t just roll all over the horse? You stink.” Lexie laughed and pulled from Meg’s arms as Meg tickled her. She loved Lexie so much.
“You can either get thrown in the stream behind the barn, or take a bath,” Caleb said. He swung Lexie round in a circle and the air rang with Lexie’s laughter. All her men were wonderful. They had readily accepted Lexie as part of their family and she felt like crying again, she was so happy.
An hour after her mate’s parents had left, Meg stood in front of the refrigerator and sighed with despair. Brody was right, there was no food in this house. Their shopping trip had been cut short by Nick’s arrival and even though Brayden had kindly delivered all their clothes and Lexie’s toys, they hadn’t gotten to the grocery store.
Meg jumped a foot in the air when Brody appeared next to her. “Sorry, Meg. I didn’t know you’d be standing in the fridge.” The demon was smiling widely, his deep green eyes bright with happiness. He held several paper bags in his arms.
“Tell me you brought food,” Meg said. “They have nothing but milk, eggs, and butter.”
“I have everything I need for a lasagna and peach cobbler. Stand aside, woman, and let me create.”
“I can help, Brody. You’re not going to be a slave here.”
“I’ll accept all offers of help, thank you, Meg. It’ll be fun to have company while I cook.”
Prescott walked into the kitchen and swept Meg into his arms. He kissed her hard on the lips before sitting her on the counter. Meg felt a little dizzy. Prescott’s kiss had her body tingling with arousal. I’m a damn sex maniac. We just spent all afternoon naked.
“So where are the bears?” Prescott said. “Did you drop them in Tibet?”
“I’ll remember that if they ever piss me off. Thanks, Prescott.” Brody smiled and continued unpacking the groceries. “They’re working, but they’ll be here when the Tavern closes.”
“Speaking of working,” Prescott said, “I have to patrol.” He kissed Meg again and growled as her juices leaked. “You’re killing me, baby.”
Meg smiled as he adjusted himself before walking out the door. Mating was fun. She looked over at Brody and saw his cheeks were red. “Sorry. I can’t help it.”
“After this afternoon I fully understand the intense feelings shifter mating bonds provoke.” She watched Brody shudder. “I’m not going to be rushed though. I want to get to know them before I make any sort of a commitment.”
“Is the mating for life with bears? Like with cats.”
“Apparently, and I’m it for them. If I say no, then they don’t get anyone.” Brody looked at Meg and tears swam in his eyes. “I’m not good enough for anyone, Meg. I’m just not.”
“Those damned wolves did this to you. Them and your stupid brother. What was he thinking leaving you there alone? You’re a wonderful person, Brody. I was going to keep you after knowing you for five minutes, and now I love you. Those two bears are lucky to have someone as kind and sweet and strong as you.”
“She’s right, Brody,” Lachlan said. “You stood up to Caleb today and beat down a Nephilim to save us all. You’re one scary dude. Those wolves were crazy to treat you like they did. You could unleash serious pain on them.”
“Yes. I could, couldn’t I?” Brody took a deep breath in and put Lachlan and Meg to work on preparing the dinner.
He seemed a little happier and surer of himself after that, which in turn made Meg very happy. Lachlan is going to be glad he was so nice to Brody. Meg’s stomach flipped over as she thought of ways to reward Lachlan. The scent of his arousal told her he hadn’t missed the smell of her own rising excitement.
* * * *
Caleb banged on the laundry room door, trying to stop smiling. “Dinner’s on the table if you two are finished doing the laundry.”
He hadn’t needed Brody’s help in finding his mate and brother, the scent of sex was thick in the air. His cock throbbed in his fatigues as he inhaled deeply and savored the smell of his mate’s musky sweet cream. He growled as he pictured her spread out before him while he devoured that cream.
“Is Meggie coming to dinner now?” Lexie said. “Brody said she should hurry up and come.”
Caleb choked on a laugh at the demon’s double entendre as Lachlan opened the door.
“She’s right here, pumpkin.” Lachlan held Meg’s hand and led her from the laundry. Her cheeks were scarlet and her hair was a mess.
“I’m going to have you for dessert, Meg,” Caleb whispered, as Meg chastely kissed his cheek.
Caleb’s plans for the evening were derailed by the arrival of Meg’s best friend Kaitlyn and her mates, Sean and Aiden. They arrived just as Meg came back downstairs after reading Lexie her bedtime story. Although Meg was happy to see Kaitlyn, she felt guilty for ruining their honeymoon.
“I still wish you hadn’t had to come back so soon,” Meg said. Caleb pulled her tighter against him where she perched on his lap.
“It was worth it just to see you so happy, Meg. Let alone to bring you something to kill the sleazy Nick with.” Kaitlyn shuddered and snuggled deeper into Sean’s big chest. “He always made me feel uneasy. I just never knew how evil he was. You should have told me what he was doing to you.”
“You had a new job, and then you had all that trouble with the vam
pires after you,” Meg said. “I just couldn’t. I didn’t want to add to your problems.”
“Have any other vampires turned up?” Sean said.
“Nothing on that front, luckily,” Caleb said. “Do you know if Brody can scent vampires?”
“Aiden said they wouldn’t be long. He and Brody are just checking around town for Nick,” Kaitlyn said.
“I can scent vampires,” Brody said. Kaitlyn jumped as the demon appeared beside her. “No sign of Nicholas in town.”
Aiden appeared on Kaitlyn’s other side, making her jump again. “Miss me?” He leaned down and kissed her. “I missed you, my Kaitlyn.”
Caleb scented Meg’s pain and regret. “Do you think she would rather you were killed so that she could have a longer honeymoon?” He murmured the words into her ear, hoping the room full of supernatural creatures wouldn’t hear him. If any did, they were polite enough to ignore him.
“Are you going to show us this weapon?” Lachlan said, entering the room with a tray of coffee mugs.
Aiden pulled a small parcel from the back waistband of his jeans. He unbuckled the worn leather pouch and shook it gently until two cream-colored daggers sat on the leather flap. The hilts and blades were fashioned from the same material.
“They look like they’re made from ivory,” Caleb said. “Ivory will kill a Nephilim?”
“Not ivory, Caleb,” Aiden said. “The daggers are carved from the bones of vampires. It’s one of the few weapons that will kill a Nephilim.” He looked up at Brody. “Or a demon.”
Brody must have really trusted Aiden because he didn’t look scared that the vampire held something in his hand that would end his life.
“Why vampire bones?” Kaitlyn said. She had leaned away from the weapons as though they were toxic.
“Vampires are toxic to Nephilim. It’s like we repel them somehow. Maybe because our souls are no good for them to harvest.”
“You and Kaitlyn are both affected by those bones,” Sean said. He took the pouch from Aiden and held one of the daggers in his hand. “I can’t feel anything.”
Kaitlyn scrambled from Sean’s lap and went to stand with Aiden. “They’re so cold. They make my bones ache with how cold they are.” Aiden wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her back close to his chest.
“I can’t hold them,” Aiden said. “The leather pouch kept them from harming me. One of you will have to get close enough to use it on the Nephilim. Brody can’t wield it either.”
“Where did you get such a weapon?” Caleb said.
“Vampires and the angels have been at war for thousands of years. Such weapons are valuable. The angel-born has sought out and destroyed as many as they could find, but a few have survived. As you can imagine, it would take a particular kind of artisan to create such a weapon.”
“Indeed,” Caleb said. If vampires, angels and demons couldn’t make such a weapon, did that mean shifters had made them? Or something else?
Lachlan walked to Sean and picked up the other dagger. “I can’t feel anything either. Do we need to stick it any place special?”
“The heart,” Aiden and Brody said together. Meg shuddered in his arms.
“We just have to get him to stay in one place long enough for us to put one there,” Lachlan said.
Caleb pulled Meg close to him and breathed her scent into his lungs. He had no idea how to fight a being with the type of powers the Nephilim had. Brute strength was not going to be the deciding factor in this battle. He needed to utilize his feline cunning to win this time. Losing was not an option. He would not lose Meg.
Chapter 15
Meg woke from a fitful sleep to find Lexie curled into her stomach and the bed otherwise empty. She touched the sheets and pillows, but they were cold. She could smell the reassuring scent of her mates, but they’d been gone for a while.
The evening before had been the cause of Meg’s lack of sleep. She’d imagined Aiden would bring them a weapon that would easily defeat Nick and rid him from her life. She should have known better. If anything the weapon brought more danger to her men as they had to stand right next to Nick in order to use it. It seemed hopeless.
Without a clock in the room, Meg had no idea what time it was. There was no light coming through the curtains, and the air in the bedroom was cold and still. Lexie was sound asleep, her little body providing the only warmth Meg felt. She felt cold to her core.
“Do we take the small one as well?” The question was whispered, but Meg heard it clearly.
She turned her head and saw why she’d been so cold. It wasn’t despondency, it was the cold air coming in the open window.
“It’s awake,” said the man climbing in the window.
Meg’s mind caught up to what was happening and she screamed Brody’s name. She needed the demon to take her out of here.
“Too late, girly,” said the man she’d seen at her window. He picked her up by her waist and she kicked him in the stomach as hard as she could. He released her with a grunt and she fell to the cold, hard dirt on her ass. The air rushed from her lungs but it didn’t stop her from shifting. She reached for her cat and ran from the barn.
She didn’t recognize the barn, or the yard outside, but she saw pine trees and she ran for them. She needed to try and hide. Hide her cat and her scent so they couldn’t track her. She was a small leopard, but she was still fast, and fear for her life had her running faster than she’d ever run before.
She had to stay alive. Nicholas Thomson is not going to kill my mates.
* * * *
Brody heard Meg scream his name and he pictured her room in his mind. Thoughts travel at roughly the speed of light, so he was in Meg’s room an instant later. He was glad he hadn’t let the bears talk him into sleeping naked. They’d tried.
The bed contained only a sleepy-looking Lexie. He heard Landon and Elliot roar from Lachlan’s room and he gathered Lexie in his arms and went back to them before they broke the house.
“Meg’s gone.”
Landon roared again and stopped pulling up his trousers to look at his brother. “One of us needs to shift and tell Prescott.” Elliot ran from the room, giving Brody a very distracting view of his fine ass.
Landon finished dressing and looked to Brody for directions. Brody had never been asked for his opinion with the wolves. He was simply told what to do and generally pushed around. He squared his shoulders and tried to look like he knew what he was doing.
“It was a Nephilim who took her, but it wasn’t Nick. Can you get Albert and Cynthia here to look after Lexie?” He handed Lexie to Landon and she wrapped her arms around the bear’s neck as she quietly cried. “I need to go and see if I can get some idea which way they went. I’ll be back.”
Landon had his mouth open in obvious protest when Brody pictured the area he’d memorized to the north of town and left. He and Aiden had planned for this. He had landmarks all around Pine Falls to go to. He could do this. With Nicholas injured, Brody guessed he would still be close and decided to search the locations twenty miles away and work his way in from there.
He inhaled deeply from the top of the cliff where Nicholas had previously taken Prescott. “No one here.” He would find Meg. She was the reason he now had a new home and pride, a pride that loved and respected him. She had brought him love. He never thought he’d ever feel it, but he did. He loved his mates. He wouldn’t let anyone down. “Next.”
* * * *
Caleb ran for the house as soon as he heard Meg scream. He refused to believe something bad could have happened. I was just in the barn for ten minutes. He met a naked Elliot as he barreled out the front door.
“She’s gone. Landon sent me to shift and tell Prescott.”
Elliot had nearly completed his shift before Caleb had recovered enough to continue to run upstairs. He found Landon sitting on their bed with Lexie sobbing in his arms.
“Brody has gone to look for her,” Landon said. He stood and put his hand on Caleb’s shoulder in reassurance,
Caleb nearly collapsed under the weight. His legs were shaking and weak with his anguish and fury. “Brody will be back as soon as he finds the trail. He said it was a different Nephilim who took her.”
Caleb shifted, shredding his clothes and roaring out his pain. Landon squatted and held Caleb’s head in his massive hands. “Trust Brody. He’ll find her and take you right to her.”
Caleb knew Landon was right. He needed to stay here and wait for the demon to do his job.
“Prescott, has Elliot contacted you?” Prescott’s roar rang out as answer. He knew Meg had been taken.
“Lachlan, are you still patrolling south of the property?” Caleb said. He’d let Prescott get his shit together for a few seconds longer.
“Yes. Do you want me to come home?”
“No. Both of you go to the nearest rendezvous points we arranged with Brody. I’ll send him to get you as soon as he finds her.”
“You trust him that much that you don’t want us searching for her ourselves,” Lachlan said. Caleb felt his pain through their link and felt equally helpless, but Brody and Aiden were the only ones who could detect the Nephilim. They needed to trust their new pride members.
“They didn’t think Nicholas would be sufficiently healed enough to be a problem this soon,” Prescott said. “What if we’re wrong to trust that they’re right with everything else?”
“It wasn’t Nicholas. He has brought in another Nephilim to help him.” Caleb looked at Landon. There was rage coming from the man, but he didn’t fear for his mate’s safety. Landon trusted Brody. “Go to the nearest arranged meeting point and tell me when you’re there. I will send Brody to you.”
Fighting Heaven for Love [Pine Falls 2] (Siren Publishing Menage Amour) Page 11
