Cade (Alexander Shifter Brothers Book 2)

by Selina Coffey

  “That is?”

  “I can send you back but I can also take his gift from him. His greed has overruled him. He should be fine now, that’s why we took his donors away. He has you and he’s happy but still his greed for blood does not end.”

  “Shouldn’t this be his choice?” she asked.

  “It will be whatever choice you make, because this is also his punishment. He was not careful with that he loved most. He abused you and has almost taken your life. It’s your choice to make now, Stacy. Can you trust him or do you want to punish him?” The Oneness asked.

  “I can trust him; this was my mistake as well, not only his.”

  “Then you’ll be vampire too. That is your choice?”

  “If that’s what it takes, then yes.”

  She woke up in her bed, a feeling of cold filling her body like she’d never felt before. Was it only a dream? Something was missing though, she knew something was different. She listened, she felt and finally she realized it was the absence of her heartbeat that was so strange. Stacy screamed, sitting up and running to the bathroom.

  She was pale, white as a ghost, no colour showing at all on her body. “JOHN!” she screamed again.

  “John! What have they done to me?”

  John ran into the bathroom from the kitchen, looking at her in dread. He’d stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her face, the paleness of her skin.

  “No! No they can’t do this! They can’t punish you for my mistake! They can’t!”

  “It seems they have, darling. What now?” She looked at him, trust in her eyes, hope that broke his heart.

  “I can’t fix it. I simply can’t. This is your life now.” As he spoke, she remembered the words from her dream. The words she’d spoken. She did not blame him but knew she had to tell him.

  “This is your punishment John. You nearly killed me. You have to control your urges, darling. You have to stop your greed for blood. You simply have to.”

  “But I can’t, I need it. I physically need it. You needed food emotionally; it filled a hole for you. This is a deep craving, something I can’t rid myself of. I am weak, powerless to control it. I simply need it.”

  John sank to the floor, miserable and lost now. He suspected he’d also lost Stacy now that The Oneness had decided to punish her. Yet again, she was taking the brunt of someone else’s problem, not her own.

  “But you are my problem John; you became a part of me the day we met. We took each other then, stronger than any marriage or vows, we love each other and cannot break away from each other. You’ve had your answer all along, your cure but you’ve chosen to ignore it. I fill you but you’ve become so dependent on the blood you’ve forgotten you don’t really need it anymore. Your need is purely psychological now. I thought I needed all that food. Dismiss it if you like, I felt the same cravings for food as you do for blood. I was killing myself but I thought I’d die without it. Look at me, darling. Look at me.” Stacy insisted.

  John looked up, tears streaming from his eyes. “I love you” she spoke, “we are in this together. Now, look into my head.”

  He truly felt it then. Where he’d felt a fleeting notion of pain and hurt, he now also felt the full sum of her despair. The hurt she’d felt throughout her childhood, the hurt of her adulthood every time a man used her. He felt her shame, her degradation and utter loneliness. He felt the way food had filled, soothed and hid it all away from her awareness. He truly understood where he thought he knew before. He’d known, but he hadn’t realised the full impact of it all.

  If she can do it, he thought, so could he. He felt the cravings she’d felt, still felt sometimes and the hurt of pushing those urges down. Swallowing them. He also felt how he’d healed her and made her whole again. His own selfishness had almost snuffed out this new bright flame of hope. He saw where he’d gone wrong now. He’d been so focused on her, so determined that his problem would remain unsolved that he’d been blind to his own problem and answer. He had to swallow it, learn to not need the blood. His body no longer needed it to live, like food and breathing he’d only come to use it as a crutch, a lifeline to a life he no longer lived.

  A light filled the room, a form appearing in front of the both of them. The Oneness appeared, only a form, no real features present in the light.

  “That’s it, John. You’ve found it finally, your answer to the question you didn’t even realise you’d had. How do you end it? You simply stop wanting it.”

  “How though? How do I stop wanting it?” John asked, taking Stacy into his arms. Looking at her, her face beautiful in the light, he knew. He just had to make that decision. He did that, taking a deep breath he knew he may not need but still wanted. Like the blood. He no longer needed it, the urge left him as he breathed out. He felt a calm enter his body then, a peace he’d never known before filling him with joy.

  “I shall leave you now. I’ll return in a year, you can give me a decision then. Do you want to stay this way or do you want to return to humanity? It will be your choice, each of you. Your choice cannot be unmade so think on it long and hard. I’ll see you before you know it.”

  The Oneness disappeared then, leaving them to their thoughts. They huddled on the bed, lost in each other, and in their own thoughts.

  “What do we do?” Stacy asked.

  “Well, I think we quit our jobs, I have enough money for both of us. We should travel. See what the world has to offer us, if we want to spend an eternity walking it or if we want to find our way into the obscurity of normal humanity.” John told her, pulling her close to smell her hair now that she was with him, almost alive again.

  “I think that’s a really good idea, the best one for both of us, for now. You’ve lived a lot longer than me. I can’t make a decision without knowing what the world actually has to offer, can I?” she cuddled close to him, running her fingers over his back.

  “We can do whatever you like, my darling. We have all the time in the world, either way we choose. We can grow old together or we can spend eternity looking like we’re in our late 20s. Personally, I am fine with either one, whatever you’d like. As long as I have you, I’ll go anywhere do anything and live however you want to.”

  “What about children? Do you want children?” Stacy asked.

  “No, not really. The world is a hard place for children, don’t you think? And if we were to have children I’d rather adopt one that needs us.” John told her.

  “I’m the same. I wouldn’t want to subject a child to my own fate and I’m not sure I could raise one. We’ll see what happens though, alright? We may change our minds later. For now, I love you and I want my life to be with you, about you and around you. Where you go, I go, that’s just how it’s going to be. You’re stuck with me now.”

  “Alright, well hopefully you’ll be sent a donor because you will need blood the first 50 years or so. After that you should just stop needing it. You’ll also start to notice your flesh heals; you’ll become even healthier, even though your heart isn’t beating at all now. It’s a miracle, but it’s a curse. Hopefully you won’t live to regret it. We’ll make the choice when the time comes. For now, let’s find where we want to go first. I promised you Paris, didn’t I? That will have to be our first stop. Let’s get those tickets booked. I love you darling and I’m sorry this has happened but it looks like it had to. I’m just glad you don’t hate me.” John kissed her nose, picking up her laptop as he did.

  “I love you too, John, thank you for pulling me out of the darkness. I am thankful for you every day. Now, you’re getting first class tickets, right? I’ve never flown first class.”

  Their voices trailed off, The Oneness finally leaving them to their night as it flew back to the sky, settling there to watch over the humans that walked the earth, unaware that their own choices were what mattered most. They had to choose to live or die and sometimes knowing that was the hardest thing of all to know. For now, John and Stacy were happy, laughing as they ran for their coats and John’s motorcycl
e keys. They were leaving on the next flight, two hours from now, straight to Paris. No bags, no clothes, no cares in the world. Only their passports, bank cards and their love for each other. The only items they needed to take with them.

  THE END

  Deleted Scenes

  I slid between my wife and the Alpha of the clan we’d allied with. Allana was beautiful, seductive, and fuckably tempting. I watched her as she stared into my wife’s icy eyes, eyes that now seemed warm instead of cold. Jacqui was interested in Allana, I could see it in the way her tongue darted out to wet her bottom lip, and the way her eyes would go wide when she caught the woman’s scent.

  I didn’t mind if my wife had a fascination with another woman, what man wouldn’t get hard just considering it? No, I didn’t mind it, but I wondered where I fit into it all. Allana was far too interested, I wasn’t too blinded by my wife’s beauty to recognize that. Shifters are forward by nature at times, especially when they want something, but in most cases we are reserved around non-shifters. Even as my wife, especially as my wife, Allana should not be so open with Jacqui. Something wasn’t right.

  The redhead with the swirling green eyes turned her gaze to me, offering an invitation I wasn’t sure I should take for two reasons. The first one was my discomfort at her performance, I wasn’t one to turn away from a sultry gaze but something wasn’t right here. The second was my very pregnant wife.

  “Honey, I think we should head to bed. You’re tired.” I took her arm, sitting up from my stool at the bar in the former monastery we were using as a refuge.

  She snuggled up to me, her gaze flitting to Allana to give her a wink before turning back to me.

  “Mm, that sounds like a very good idea. Shall we bring Allana with us?” Their gazes caught once more, desire a surging invisible wave between them.

  I considered it for a moment, my heart pounding and my dick turning into a rock as images coursed through my brain. The two of them together would be a sight to behold, their pale skin tangled together, blond hair mixing with red as they writhed. Fuck, I can’t breathe!

  “Uh, do you think that’s a good idea?” I whispered it into her ear, the urge to tease her with my lips, just below her ear, too strong to fight. She shivered in my arms, her taut belly pressing into me. She’d been so fucking horny since becoming pregnant, even her increasing size doing little to flatten her need. I glanced at Allana from over Jacqui’s head, her eyes begging for just a moment with us.

  How could I turn that down?

  Allana came behind Jacqui, her arms going around my wife’s waist to cup her full breasts. My eyes glued to those pale fingers teasing at Jacqui’s nipples through her shirt. Jacqui moaned quietly, her head going back on Allana’s shoulder. She wanted Allana.

  I wanted to give her to Jacqui, I so wanted to let her have what she wanted the most at this moment.

  My will crumbled as Allana’s fingers gripped more tightly at my wife’s nipples, making her moan louder and her knees wobbled. I caught my wife staring into Allana’s eyes. There was challenge there, a dare that I didn’t want to turn down. I reached out, touching her silky cheek, my thumb tracing down her cheek to her full lips.

  I’d love to see those lips wrapped around Jacqui’s clit, or her nipples. Or my dick.

  “Please, baby. Just this one time.” Jacqui’s words came out on a shiver, her need making her plead.

  Jacqui’s hand went between us, cupping my rigid length through the tight jeans I wore. The bar was dimly lit, and we were the only patrons in sight so I didn’t care about anyone watching. When Jacqui squeezed me gently, insistently, and purred against the pulse in my throat, my will disappeared.

  I took her lips with mine, my skin already heated and aching for her touch. I did love my wife, after all, and her eager need for sex always inflamed me. Not bad for a woman that came to me as an untouched virgin.

  I grasped the top of her arms with both hands, holding her to me as our tongues twined together slickly. Allana’s hands pressed between us, on Jacqui’s breasts, kneading gently at the tender globes. Oh, how could I say no to this, this erotic entanglement that could spell disaster for us all.

  I pulled away from Jacqui’s seeking tongue, looking down into her eyes.

  The fire in her eyes shocked me, shook me, and I knew I couldn’t tell her no. Allana was up to something, I knew that, but Jacqui didn’t care, she only wanted the woman with a passion that drove her insatiably.

  “Alright.” I couldn’t say anything more because Jacqui pulled my head down to hers once more, her lips fusing to mine with her relief.

  I felt Allana’s hand, so different from my wife’s touch, playing along our lips, and Jacqui pulled away, taking a finger into her moist heat. I watched, entranced as the finger disappeared between my wife’s lips, the image doing its job well. I grew impossibly hard.

  “Let’s go.” I took my wife’s hand, my only thought on getting us all to our bedroom before we lost all sense.

  We were barely out of the bar before I saw my brother, Jacob heading towards me, his face an unreadable mask. At the same time, a chirping noise came from Allana’s direction and I saw her stiffen. She took out a phone and walked a short distance away.

  I watched her as Jacob approached us, still feeling a tingle of doubt in the back of my mind. Jacqui shifted impatiently beside me, her need making her all but dance. I soothed her hair down her back, kissing the top of her head.

  “It’s alright, darling, you know I’ll take care of you.” Jacob reached us and I turned to face him. “What’s up, brother?”

  “It’s Jadrian.” His face, so similar to my own, was now a map of anger. I knew this wasn’t going to be good. “He’s out. Hunting.”

  I swore as Jacob finished, my hand digging through my hair in frustration. I didn’t need this right now!

  “Find him. Watch him!” Jacob nodded in acknowledgment, his eyes looking straight into mine. “Don’t stop him, but keep him out of trouble. We have a very important meeting in a few hours. He can’t miss it. Do you understand?”

  “I do, Cade. He’ll be here, one way or another.” Jacob didn’t say anything more, he just turned and left, knowing I had little more to add.

  I turned around to my wife, her mewl of distress catching my attention. Allana was stalking off down the other end of the hall, heading in the wrong direction. I guess one of her own people needed her. She’d been like a cat in heat and now she left without an explanation. There was a lot going on right now, and I wasn’t the only one with responsibilities.

  “Next time, baby.” The fact that Jadrian was out hunting vampire blood had dulled the edge of my desire but my wife was miserable, she needed release, and right now that was the most important duty I had. “Come on, let me take care of you.”

  She grinned, and I felt relief that she didn’t complain. I was enough for her. Yeah, a bit old-fashioned but for a moment I’d wondered if I’d be able to handle her if I’d refused her plea. I knew now she just wanted the experience, that she would always come back to me and do it gladly.

  “Make me purr, darling.” She begged as we made our way into our bedroom, more a chamber than a room. A large bed filled the room and someone already had the fire going. The rooms here were always cold, even in the heat of summer.

  I left the lights off, letting the fire guide us, and picked my wife up. Sitting down with her in my lap I began to kiss her as she undid the buttons of her blouse, baring herself to me. Her breasts were full, tight, and ready for my touch.

  Tight nipples begged for hot lips and I answered their plea.

  With a gasp she pressed the hot flesh further into my mouth, her fingers grasping at my hair to hold me in place as my tongue teased the puckered flesh. I felt her grind in my lap, her round ass pressing into my engorged cock.

  “Oh, Jacqui, I won’t last long if you keep that up.” I gasped against her skin as she continued her lap dance, teasing me.

  I pushed the length of her long pale green skir
t away from her thighs, seeking out her damp folds. Her heavy breathing told me she only needed a little bit of a push and she’d explode in my arms, and I wanted to give her the release.

  I found her wet and ready for my entry, my fingers sliding into her easily, without touching the most important rigid button yet. My wife, slim and fragile when she wasn’t pregnant, was now heavier and rounder with her pregnancy, but I held her easily as she began to grind faster, fucking my fingers without any aid from me at all.

  She was so fucking ready! I sucked at her nipple harder, my tongue laving over the sensitive skin, as she began to quiver in my arms. Her walls, tight and hot, pulsed around my fingers and I knew she was coming.

  She gasped as her body shook around me, making me ache to be inside of her, to spill myself in her heated confines, but I held back, letting her have this first orgasm unhindered, to take the edge off.

  As she came down, her panting gasps of breath finally turning to even breathing, I fell back on the bed. She climbed over me, her skirt gone now, and started to pull my shirt open but left it on as she slid down my body, her fingers playing over my own nipples for a moment before trailing down to where her tongue traced circles just above the button of my jeans.

  “You were very good tonight, Cade.” Her breathless voice came to me, thrilling my ears just as her fingers undid the button, letting it pop free.

  I was so hard, so ready, that my cock pushed down the zipper and her fingers wrapped around me. I shifted just enough to push my pants away, Jacqui helping to slide them off completely but she didn’t let go of my cock.

  “I so wanted to bring Allana back here so I could watch her suck your cock, Cade.” Her tongue lashed out with each word, swirling, darting, tasting me.

  Her words painted a picture in my head, her tongue filled in the rest.

  “Fuck, Jacqui, baby, you’re so good!” I plunged a hand into her hair, holding her head for a moment as I fucked her mouth, her lips sliding down my shaft before the head popped free, only to plunge back in.