Kalkin (Apache County Shifters Book 1)

by Tl Reeve

  With the help of the other nurse, they got her into bed. The first warm blanket chased away the cold. The second helped even more. Her eyes floated closed as the heat seeped into her too cold body and sleep clawed at her. Keeley fought it hard. She didn’t want to sleep. She had to see Danielle. She had to make sure her sister…

  Her eyes grew heavier. A different darkness took her. One promising of tomorrow and forever. Try as she might, she couldn't push against it. She drifted there, caught between being awake and slumber. A big hand wrapped around hers.

  “Sleep, sweet cheeks,” Kalkin murmured. “I’m right here and I’m never going to leave your side. Ever.” He pressed his lips to her forehead. “You’re the love of my life. My happy ending. My heart. I love you.”

  A small, sleepy smile tugged at her abused mouth. "I love you, too, Kalkin." She fell into the darkness, this time knowing no matter what when her eyes opened, the man she'd do anything for would be by her side. Always.

  Epilogue

  Six weeks later…

  Keeley stared through the window of Danielle’s hospital room. It had been touch and go for several days after the incident. She started calling it such after the first surgery her sister endured. To call it anything else gave Simon and Hazel power over her and her family.

  Unfortunately, right now, her sister still battled through it.

  This morning when she woke up, she decided it was time to help her sister come back to them. She hadn’t cared what the neurologists said or the fact that they didn’t seem to believe her sister would open her eyes until she was ready, not when Keeley wanted her to. But, she had to. Things were falling to shit around there.

  Kalkin kicked Caden out of the house. Her mate blamed his brother for the whole thing. If he’d only listened…Keeley realized a Raferty didn’t listen until they were kicked in the balls and left sprawling. Until then, Caden wouldn’t listen to Kalkin and vice versa. Which put her directly in the middle.

  “The test shows everything is normal. Brain function is steady and well within satisfactory range. Heart and lungs are clear and working appropriately,” Danielle's doctor whispered. “Sometimes the trauma is too much for the soul and the person can become catatonic. It's not because the person wants to be this way, it's their body's way of healing.”

  He pursed his lips, as though not sure what to say next. “Did she tell you about being pregnant?”

  Keeley stumbled backward, shocked by his question. “What?”

  The doctor nodded. “She shouldn't have been able to keep it. Her injuries were grave at worst, critical at best. She should have miscarried due to the trauma; however, the child is stubborn. We won't know if there will be any lasting effects done to him or her until later when we can get a better picture of him or her. Until then, this state she is in might be for the best.” He sighed. “She is healing, Mrs. Raferty, albeit slowly.”

  He touched Keeley before leaving her side. Catatonic? How? The connection between them hummed with energy, so she couldn’t be completely unresponsive. When the doctor left the door, she entered and went to the side of the bed. She sat down in the spot she’d carved out for herself.

  She took her sister’s hand in hers. “I’m back. Surprise.” Her bottom lip trembled. Though she wasn’t as pale as she’d been a couple of weeks ago, it bothered Keeley.

  The moment her sister had been shot passed through her mind several times. She’d been trying to protect Kalkin from Hazel. He and Simon were locked together in the grips of a fight the likes of which she’d never seen before. Hazel had her pinned to the ground, unable to move. She hadn’t seen Dani or where she’d come from, but when Simon shot at Kal giving her the split second to knock Hazel out, her sister had thrown herself in front of them. The bullet missed Dani’s heart by millimeters. But the damage it had done cost her.

  “I know you’re enjoying your nap, but I could use your help.” She grabbed her sister’s hand and laid it low on her belly. “I wanted to wait to tell you when you woke up, about the twins, but I think you should hear it now.”

  She’d started feeling sick a week after the incident. She hadn’t said anything because she’d figured it had to do with the fact her sister lay in a hospital caught between life and death. Plus, the crap with Kal and Caden hadn’t helped. The pack still operated around her as well, and she had a job to do.

  Until she passed out.

  Kalkin rushed her to the hospital fearing she’d died… She could laugh about it now. In the middle of it, she’d been freaking. She didn’t understand what could be wrong with her. Then it struck her, as she lay in the bed, her mate pacing the room waiting for the doctor, she could be pregnant. She’d been late, but again with the stress and the upheaval…she didn’t think twice about it.

  “Kal smelled me.” When she said those words, her mate looked at her like she'd lost her mind, but he had in fact done it.

  He loomed over her, bent his head and breathed in her scent. Twice. Then a third time. The dark growl of his made her heart stutter. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  His question had thrown her for a loop. “Why didn’t you smell it sooner?” she’d countered, crossing her arms.

  Before he could answer, the doctor came in and gave them the news. He also did an ultrasound to make sure everything was moving right along, especially after she had passed out. In less than five minutes, they’d gone from a mated couple to a family of soon to be four. It sent her world spinning. When they returned home, Kal took her to their room to rest and she started building a connection between her babies.

  “Twins, Dani,” she whispered and gave a watery laugh. “Twins.” When she concentrated, she could hear the flutter of their hearts. They were strong. They, though a bundle of nerves and cells and beginnings, were her children. They were her babies. Shifter or human, special or not. However, she already believed both of her children would be a combo of her and Kalkin, and one would be more dominant than the other.

  She took a shuddering breath while caressing her sister's hand, which she'd placed on her belly. She couldn't believe the news when the doctor confirmed Kalkin's assessment. For the first few days after she found out, Keeley walked around in a haze—when she could walk around. Most of the time, Kal carried her everywhere.

  “We bought land, too. The parcel you picked. The large one. Kal wants to build a house. I think it would be nice. We’re going to lay grass and put in play equipment. It’s going to be amazing when it’s done.”

  Yet, none of it meant a damn thing if Danielle didn't wake up and join them. She had to wake up. “God, Dani, I need you. I can't do this on my own.” She wiped away her tears, allowing herself the moment she needed with her sister. To be vulnerable. To be broken. Her breath hitched. “He's so angry at Caden. Kal blames his twin for you being here. For you almost dying. He hates his brother and I feel responsible, too.

  “Caden is broken.”

  She'd seen it the minute Danielle jumped in front of Kalkin. He screamed. God, she'd never forget the sound he made for the rest of her life. He took every hit Kalkin threw at him after Kalkin killed Simon while she'd taken care of Hazel.

  She asked herself the same questions over and over again. What if they didn't show up there? What if they picked another town? What if she'd told Kal everything when they arrived? Would it have saved everyone this turmoil? Would Caden and Danielle have mated already? Well, the last question seemed a little obvious if her sister was pregnant.

  “I know your secret,” she murmured. “I promise I won’t tell anyone. When you’re ready, I’ll be by your side.”

  She meant it, too. No way in hell she'd give up Dani's secret baby, not after everything between her and Caden. Not after the way he backed away from her. If he wanted to be a part of her sister's life now, he had to grow a set of balls and prove it.

  “Aiden is growing. He misses you. The poor little guy cries himself to sleep and has reverted back to staying in his puppy form. I’ll bring him tomorrow. I promise. You
need to see him and he needs to see you.

  “I met another orphan, Nico Lopez. He’s a good kid. Very nice. Very charismatic. He’s helping me with the younger kids, and Bodhi is spending time with me, too.”

  She didn’t know what else to tell her sister, other than to wake up, which she’d done. So, she sat there. Listening to the heart monitor. Silently wishing Dani’s finger would twitch or her breathing would change. Something to tell Keeley her sister still resided in the body lying on the bed.

  “I’ll be back tomorrow. I promise. I’ll bring Aiden with me.” She squeezed her sister’s hand before placing it on the bed.

  As she went to stand, the monitor jumped. Keeley didn’t think anything about it. Dani’s heartbeat skipped once again, and she thought she’d hit one of the leads. Keeley turned to leave when a hand wrapped around her wrist.

  “Kee-ley?”

  She screamed. Keeley’s free hand clutched at her chest as she whipped around. Danielle’s eyes fluttered open. “Dani?”

  “Y-you’re preg-nant?”

  Tears streamed down Keeley’s cheeks as she rushed to her sister’s side. “So are you.”

  The corner of her sister’s mouth lifted in a rueful smile. “Surprise. Do-n’t tell anyone. Need to be…safe.”

  “I won’t,” Keeley whispered. “I missed you.”

  Danielle’s lip trembled. “I missed you, too. I was so scared.”

  “Shhh, there’s nothing to be afraid of now. We’re together. We made our stand and we won.” Determination filled her voice.

  “Si-mon…Hazel?”

  “Dead,” she murmured. “They’ll never bother us again.”

  Kalkin Raferty sat at his desk, filling out the last of the reports for the government and going over the initial findings from the arson investigators. According to them, the door to Simon’s room had been rigged with an IED of sorts. The minute anyone opened it, it would blow. The funerals for his fallen deputies had been held at the local cemetery and had been a quiet affair. They never knew what hit them and Kalkin took solace in that tidbit of information.

  The Psychic Bounty Hunters had the nerve to show up in his town two weeks later after he swore to kill every one of them. Instead of fighting, they apologized, and he learned the long sordid tale of Simon English, AKA Simon Geithner.

  He and Hazel met his first year with the PBH. She had several abilities and he knew he should have turned her in; instead, he teamed up with her and convinced the director to use her instead of experimenting on her. Everything Simon and Hazel did from that moment on had been without a governmental directive.

  The holding cells, the procreation trials, all of it. By the time the director found out about it, he’d been too late. Everything was out of control. The director resigned, and Hazel and Simon were disavowed, not suspended like his record showed—another trick the asshole had learned from watching Keeley.

  Yes, after he’d been terminated, he went on to kill the son of the senator who’d blown the whistle. Yes, they tried to capture Keeley and Danielle for five years. And yes, they always had agents in the field actively looking for the pair.

  Blackhorn.

  By the time the new director left, Kalkin relaxed. The PBH would never bother his family or his county again. As far as the government was concerned, nothing happened. They knew nothing about Keeley and Danielle, and Kalkin would keep it that way.

  Which led him to another problem. Caden.

  The asshole still wouldn’t go see Danielle. Kalkin forced him out of her house. If the fucker didn’t want to atone for his mistakes and transgressions, then he didn’t deserve to be anywhere near her or their family. Which, with Keeley being pregnant, she didn’t need the stress of his twin either.

  He glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed. Noon. She'd be at the hospital again, trying to wake her sister. Six weeks had come and gone and he worried she'd never wake. Though the doctors assured his mate, Keeley's fear of losing her sister grew stronger every day she didn't wake. She'd end up doing something stupid soon if Danielle didn't open her eyes.

  “Is Kalkin Raferty in?”

  Kal glanced up at the man standing in front of Loraine. He didn’t recognize him. At least a few inches taller than him, with about thirty pounds on him, the man towered over his dispatcher. His aquiline nose matched his full lips and blue eyes. Kalkin tipped his chin up and inhaled, opening his senses to taste the air.

  Lion and wolf?

  He hadn’t heard of a pride being around there. Couldn’t have been on his pack lands or near them, either. Why the fuck would a lion be here? He stood, then sauntered over to the door of his office. Crossing his arms, Kal leaned against the door frame. “I’m Kalkin Raferty, what can I do for you?”

  The man turned to face him, exuding power and rage. Tons of it. What the fuck? He strode toward Kal, his hand extended as he grew near. He didn’t shake hands, but something told him this guy might be worth breaking a habit for. He couldn’t place it or figure out why.

  “My name is Rapier Dryer. I’ve been sent to see you,” the man stated. “Is there somewhere we can talk privately?” The deep rumble of his voice denoted his animal’s constant presence within him. Like man and lion walked together instead of one at a time.

  “Sure,” he answered, hitching his thumb over his shoulder. “Loraine, call Jace and let him know he’s in charge right now.”

  “On it,” she replied, grabbing the radio.

  “What can I do for you?” Kalkin questioned after he closed the door behind them.

  “I’ve been told you can help me…us.”

  He tilted his head, not expecting the words Rapier spoke. The man didn’t seem to need any help. If anything, he appeared able to hold his own. “Depends. What do you need?”

  The man curled his lip and let out a snarl. The flash of his lion's appearance through his gaze surprised Kalkin but didn't scare him. “My lands were taken.”

  “What?”

  The man grew uncomfortable. His scent changed. His body language became closed off. “You heard me. It wasn’t much. My family. My brothers. We lost everything. That bastard Raymond Quincy did it.”

  Kalkin jerked. “Raymond Quincy?”

  The man nodded. “Hence, why I’m here.”

  “Why did Quincy’s pack go after your lands?”

  The man snarled again. “We have someone he wants and I refuse to hand him over.” Rapier sat forward. “Look, this would go a hell of a lot easier if you’d now follow me out to my truck.”

  Why the fuck did he feel like he’d been thrust into the middle of a Twilight Zone episode? “Uh…okay.”

  The man grunted. “We’ll need somewhere to stay, too.”

  “We have a hotel,” he answered, following the guy out of his office.

  “Permanent,” Rapier stated.

  “I don’t know you and I’m not sure I want Quincy shit on my pack lands.”

  The man laughed. “You’ve already got issues. Trust me.” He sighed. The scent of his anger dissipated, replaced by worry and fear. “I took a look around your town. My brothers and I work construction. We can help you fix up buildings, construct new ones. We don’t want a free ride, we just need a new home.”

  Kalkin stared at the man a moment. He was Alpha through and through. He'd be remiss in not worrying about his status as pack Alpha or this man in front of him trying to take his pack. Yet, something, he didn't know what, said he could trust the guy. He pushed opened the door and stepped out into the late summer heat. “I have a project. It's massive. My mate will want to supervise. Anyway, you prove to me you can follow my rules and laws and you can stay here.”

  The man eyed him. “What is it?”

  “An orphanage,” he answered. “We already have the land, we just need the house and landscaping done. We have a local architect who has made up the blueprints and I can get the supplies here within a week.”

  “Let me get this deal straight,” Rapier said. “We build an orphanage. Your mate wi
ll supervise, and if we can build it, and follow the rules, we can stay?”

  He nodded.

  “You’ve got yourself a deal.” He motioned him toward a truck parked nearby.

  The sun glinted off the windshield of the old beat up pickup. The bed of the truck had been filled with tool boxes and plastic bags. Probably everything the man owned. Kal frowned. When he shielded his eyes, he saw a man sitting in the passenger seat, but he could only make out his form, not his features.

  “Who do you have with you?” Curiosity got the better of him.

  “Well, I had a reason for coming here. He led me here. Said you were a good guy. Pain in the ass of course, but you could be trusted with what we would need,” Rapier answered.

  What the fuck? He stepped closer to the vehicle. Still with the darkened interior, he couldn't make out the figure inside. What he could see, the man had shoulder-length hair and a wiry build. He stuck his arm out the open window, then pushed the button on the door handle, opening it.

  The man stepped out. His head had been bent so his hair fell in front of his face. Why was the guy being so secretive? Then, he caught a hint of the man’s scent. No. No fucking way. He died. Had to have. There was no way. The man turned his head and Kalkin forgot how to breathe. Rapier grabbed him, holding him steady as the man came at him.

  Piercing blue eyes narrowed as the same broad nose, full lips and square jaw he saw in the mirror every day stared back at him. Mackenzie. His brother had a limp now, and his face held a few scars, but it was his brother. He didn’t know what to say. Fifteen fucking years. Fifteen! They thought he died. Royce had accepted it. He accepted it. So had his brothers.

  “Mac?”

  The man snorted. “Well, don’t just stand there, boy, give your brother a hug.”

  Shit. Hug him? He worried he’d fucking crush him. He looked to Rapier, who’d busied himself doing other things, while he dealt with his long-lost brother. “How is this possible?”

  “I’ll tell you over some lunch. We’ve been on the road all morning and I’m hungrier than hell.” The man standing before him wrapped his arms around Kalkin and he didn’t want to let go.