by Leela Ash
“Are you all right?” Kane asked gently, his face drawn with concern.
“Yes, I’m fine,” Lia said, her voice hushed. It was hard to get the words from her throat. To speak to a man this handsome was surely punishable, somehow.
“Good. I should check your wounds,” he said, averting his gaze. They both seemed uncomfortable with this, considering how difficult they were to find with Lia’s shirt on, and so she simply nodded and slipped the soft shirt off without another word.
Kane sucked in his breath as she bared her body to him, and she felt a sudden tension between her body and his. Still, he didn’t betray his feelings by the look on his face, and seriously examined the cuts under the light of the moon.
“They smell fine,” Kane said, his voice relieved. And yet, there was an edge to it. What was he thinking?
“I didn’t know you could tell such a thing just by scent,” Lia said, unable to conceal her smile.
“Yes,” Kane said quietly. “There are many things my people are able to do that humans aren’t capable of.”
“I know,” Lia said softly, gripping her hands together tightly. She wanted so badly for her body to be pressed close against his firm chest, just as it had been earlier in the day. She had never felt such comfort in her life.
“Here,” Kane said, gently placing the bandages back where they were originally. The soft brush of his hands against her clavicle made her shudder, and again, Kane’s body seemed to grow rigid, his eyes flashing with need.
When she caught his eye, his longing for her was unmistakable, and nearly overwhelmed her. Without another word, his fingers were suddenly tangled in her hair, and their faces just inches apart. She could feel his soft breath on the nape of her neck, and sense the wolf deep inside him; an animalistic drive to take her right then and there. Only he wasn’t doing it. He was holding himself back. For her? Because of her age?
“I want you so much,” Lia whispered. “I don’t even know what to do with myself.”
It was the truth. Being a virgin, she had never experienced such a powerful longing for anybody. Not once in her life. And now, with Kane beside her, his lithe, muscular body so near to her own, it was as if something deep inside her had been suddenly awakened. All she could do was breathe him in and wish for him to be closer.
“You’re just a kid,” Kane growled, still doing his best to keep the wolf inside him at bay. “You don’t know what in the hell you want.”
This rubbed Lia the wrong way, and she frowned, suddenly agitated with him.
“Don’t tell me what I want!” Lia exclaimed, poking him in the broad chest. Kane’s face went from agonized to bemused, but his eyes remained dark. “I’m not a child. I know my body better than you do.”
“Is that right?” Kane asked, and a full-body shiver suddenly overpowered Lia as his hands gripped her by the shoulders and Kane’s lips were pressed hotly against her own.
The sensation was explosive, and she closed her eyes as her body was rocked with pleasure as Kane’s tongue flicked inside her mouth, caressing her sweetly until she could scarcely breathe anymore.
“Well, then,” Kane said, clearly losing the battle with the wolf inside. Lia recognized it from the fight earlier that day, when Kane’s eyes had grown intense and deeply focused. He had claimed her. She somehow knew it as well as she knew how to spell her own name. She was his now. “I’d best give the lady what she wants.”
15.
Kane hated himself. He hated himself for wanting Lia so badly. He hated himself for seeing all of the sweetness in her eyes, and the fullness in her lips, and the attractive pink flush in her cheeks when she was trying to hide her feelings.
But what he hated most was his own powerlessness. The way he was able to so easily taste the sinfully delicious flavor of her lips; feel the curve of her soft thighs against his hand, her soft breasts against his chest.
He knew he would probably hate himself more if he didn’t surrender. The wolf had good instincts, and would beat him up for years if he didn’t give in to the overpowering urge. The wolf hadn’t led him astray yet. He could only hope that this time would be no different. He was too far gone now to turn back.
Kane ran his hand down the soft skin of Lia’s abdomen, fixated on the purity of Lia’s skin and the sexy way she was biting her bottom lip as he explored her. She was fucking beautiful, with her powdery blue eyes and golden hair; her body was enough to kill a man.
She gasped quietly as he touched her gently, doing everything in his power not to awaken the wolf to the point that he would take her fully. They wouldn’t be able to afford that. Stonybrooke was counting on him.
For being a girl with no sexual experiences whatsoever, Lia was both unbelievably shy and completely at ease, at the same time. She trusted Kane, a mistake she might eventually regret come morning, but more than that, it was obvious she had wanted him, just as much as he had wanted her. It was such a stupid situation, Kane knew, but what could he do about it? He had already come too far to stop now. The throbbing against his thigh was enough indication of that.
“Kiss me again,” Lia pleaded, her body squirming deliciously under Kane’s touch.
He lifted her carefully in his arms, blissfully tasting her again. She writhed beneath his touch, responding to every slight movement of his body. Kane ventured to slowly slide his hand down her back, taking in her soft skin, and down to her firm but supple ass. Lia gasped in pleasure and closed her eyes, whimpering as Kane massaged her between her legs. She was so beautiful. How had he been able to resist for so long?
The blood rushed to his groin and he growled, longing to be inside her. It was wrong. They both knew it. But how was he going to stop himself? It felt utterly impossible.
A soft moan against his arm stilled Kane’s doubts as his body was filled with the fire of longing. He carefully untangled himself from Lia’s arms and tugged her snug jeans down, peeling them from her legs and depositing them on the floor. She shuddered at the sudden exposure, and Kane kissed her stomach lightly, his chin hovering just above the sensual mound of her middle.
Lia moaned softly at the feeling of his breath above her, and another fierce bout of longing nearly undid him. But he had to be strong. Not just for Lia’s sake, but for the future of Stonybrooke. And so he tugged Lia’s soft lace panties off and slipped his tongue inside of her.
Lia cried out, arching her back in sudden pleasure. It was one of the sexiest things he had ever seen, and she managed to catch his eye in the darkness, the raw desire etched on her face undeniable. He had to look away before he plunged himself right inside of her, gratifying them both. Instead, he went to work more furiously, basking in the sweet nectar of her insides, until, with a force neither of them had expected, she came.
He was more than willing to leave it at that, but when Lia caught his eye, she held him closely, panting into his broad chest for a few moments to recover before looking up into his face, her eyes shining.
“Can I…” she said, then trailed off, clearly embarrassed. She wanted to see him. All of him. Maybe even touch him. Kane swallowed hard and nodded. Fair was fair. She might as well know what a real man looked like.
He stripped himself down to spare her the trouble, and looked at her steadily as she studied his body, the air around them growing thick with another round of her desire. She was curious but timid, and simply stared, until Kane reached down to put his jeans back on. He didn’t want her to think he had any expectations of her. He could just as easily take care of himself.
Before he finished dressing, though, he cried out in surprise as Lia’s soft hand wrapped itself around his member, giving it a sudden, sensual tug. His entire body was consumed by desire now, and he closed his eyes to steady his breathing. She guided him by the hips back to the bed beside her, and he uttered a low growl as Lia’s soft hands roamed him, up and down, sending jolts of hot electricity coursing through his body.
He was shocked when her lips suddenly enveloped the head of his cock,
and they fell into a quick and steady rhythm as Lia explored and tasted his body, just as he had explored and tasted hers. It felt better than anything he’d ever experienced before. His wife had refused to give him head, and he wasn’t the kind of man to insist.
But here was this sexy, intelligent girl, a virgin, making him feel things he had forgotten his body was capable of.
After several long, intense minutes of Lia’s curious exploration, a familiar tingling began in his abdomen and Kane hissed in pleasure.
“You might want to move,” he gasped. Lia backed away, her pale blue eyes wide, watching curiously as his cock erupted in a powerful climax.
And then, to his surprise, she smiled sleepily at him and curled up on her pillow. Just a few moments later, she was sound asleep.
16.
When Lia woke up, again, she was alone. Her naked body was wrapped up comfortably in the sheets, and the night before felt like a distant dream. She could hardly believe what she’d experienced.
How was she ever going to be able to look Kane in the eye again? This engagement was supposed to be a sham. They weren’t actually going to get married or anything. What good was it for her to go and complicate things by getting physical with a man twice her age who would probably hate her guts if he knew who her family was? She had to be crazy.
Lia showered quickly and dressed for the day. She wanted nothing more than to blow off class after what had happened with Max.
Oh god. Max. Kane had gotten his revenge for her kidnapping right before her eyes. It had been the most horrifying event she’d ever witnessed, but if he hadn’t, she would have been killed. Still, it was strange that her school schedule would no longer include the stuck-up narcissistic jerk. On the plus side, though, she would never have to deal with his unfair grading scale again. Maybe it was better to count her blessings.
“Good morning,” Kane said, surprising Lia as she came into the living room from Kane’s bedroom.
“Oh, hi,” she said, trying to still her beating heart. For some reason, she had been afraid Courtney had come home early from her weekend with Eric. How would she ever be able to face her friend again after what she did with Courtney’s father? It was too messed up for words.
“I made breakfast,” Kane said, leading Lia into the kitchen. “I think we should talk.”
“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea,” Lia said with a sigh, slumping down onto one of the kitchen chairs. Kane pushed a plate of pancakes and bacon toward her and she smiled weakly at him. Everything that had happened had left her less than hungry, but the thought was really nice.
“About last night,” Kane began almost immediately after she took her first bite. “I’m so sorry. It should never have happened. And it cannot happen again.”
“I completely agree,” Lia said, unable to meet Kane’s eyes. “It’s not right. Courtney would flip. And besides, you’re old enough to be my dad.”
Kane’s eyes narrowed, but he nodded slowly.
“That’s true.”
“So… let’s never do that again.”
“Right,” Kane said.
“Right,” Lia agreed.
They spent the rest of the morning eating quietly together, until finally, Kane sighed and stood up to stretch.
“I’m going to have to talk to Franklin about Max. But considering all we know now, it will really tell me a lot about whose side he’s on, depending on how he handles this.”
“Do you think he’s going to disqualify you for killing Max?” Lia asked, worry tinging her voice. She had read the guidelines over and over again, hoping for some sort of loophole. Unfortunately, there had been none. The rules were clear.
“Well, those rules would only apply to a fellow wolf shifter,” Kane said darkly. “Max was hardly the typical case. I should probably talk to the council as well.”
“But you don’t know how many of them might actually be on the council. You couldn’t even tell he was a bear shifter! You probably just smelled another wolf.”
Kane opened and closed his mouth, stunned by the thought. Apparently, she had a point. Though, it was probably one of the only times in her life she didn’t want to be right.
“It’s not the kind of thing I can just keep to myself,” Kane said quietly. “But you’re right. If there are hybrids infiltrating the council, it would probably be best that they don’t know just how much we learned about them.”
“I’m afraid it will already be too late,” Lia said. “We left one alive, remember? He’ll know who we are.”
Kane nodded decidedly. “Then I’ll just tell the truth. As I always have. I didn’t know the hybrids were possible, but now that I do, everybody else has the right to know, too. I’ll discuss the best course of action with Franklin on Monday afternoon. We have another meeting scheduled.”
“All right,” Lia said. The whole thing was making her nervous. But they were going to get through it, one way or another. So far, it had been a hellish ride, but Kane didn’t have any other competition in the running to lead the school. Not without Max.
“What do you think his real name was?” Lia wondered out loud, suddenly remembering that the hybrids had gone by similar names.
“We probably will never know,” Kane said with a shrug. “And good fuckin’ riddance to the guy anyway.”
Lia had a feeling that if they weren’t inside right that moment, Kane would be tempted to spit on the ground to drive the point home. Max wasn’t a good person. She shouldn’t keep thinking about him. The whole situation had just been very extreme.
“Kane, can I tell you something?” Lia asked suddenly. “It’s been bothering me for a while.”
“Sure, kid,” Kane said, munching on a piece of toast. “Tell me anything. Except that you want to have sex. Because that isn’t going to happen. At least not with me.”
Lia grinned and threw a piece of crust at him.
“No, nothing like that. I just feel like now that we have, you know, gotten a little closer, you should know about my family.”
“Your… okay…”
Lia sighed. “Courtney told me you’re not a big fan of humans. Because of the war. And I just want you to know that I’m related to some not so great humans. They’re my parents, actually. They contributed to the war effort.”
Lia looked down at the table grimacing. What was she thinking, just coming out with something like that over a breakfast that Kane had made so carefully for her? It would probably be like a slap in the face to him.
To her surprise, Kane studied her as if he were puzzled.
“So what about it?” he asked, as if he didn’t see the point. “Aren’t most humans related to some anti-shifter humans? They’re everywhere. It’s a global problem.”
Lia was taken aback for a moment. This had been one of the biggest reasons she had tried talking herself out of her feelings for Kane. And he was acting like it was no big deal. What the hell was going on?
“I don’t know… I just thought you should know. In case that changes anything, I guess.”
“There’s nothing for something like that to change. We’re not actually getting married, you know,” Kane said, suddenly agitated. “Nothing we did meant anything. If you take it too seriously, or tell my daughter about what we’ve done, you’re going to end up regretting it.”
“Are you threatening me?” Lia asked. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It was almost like a switch had been flipped and Kane was acting like a completely different person. It was bizarre, really.
“I’m just saying,” Kane said, his low voice dark. “That you should really know more about what you’re messing with before you mess with it. You play things like you have been, keep your head down for the rest of the time this stupid engagement shit is happening, and everything will work out in your favor. If not, then you don’t want to see what I’m capable of.”
And with that, Kane left the room, leaving Lia, feeling deeply bewildered and hurt, behind him.
17.
; Kane took off on his motorcycle toward City Hall, where the Council was having an open meeting. So Lia was related to some of the human scum responsible for killing his wife. And not only that, but they had nearly ruined their chances of liberating Stonybrooke from this accursed hybrid infestation.
It was chilling just how close he’d come to destroying everything for her. He might even be disqualified because of what had happened to Max. It would depend on what Franklin said.
“Kane Desmond, what a surprise,” the elder, Thern Harold, said with a low bow. The other elders followed suit, and then Kane, as was custom.
“Good afternoon, Council,” Kane said, sniffing the air deeply. The hybrids did smell more like wolves, Lia was right. But they also had a sort of after-scent. Maybe he would be able to tell if there was anybody infiltrating the council without actually saying anything.
“What can we do for you, my boy?” the elder asked, sitting creakily down in a chair that was even older than he was.
“I’ve come to learn more about the new reform,” Kane said quickly. This was true enough, they wouldn’t sense a lie from him. But the truth was much deeper than he intended to let on.
“Ah yes,” the elder said dismissively. “What do you need to know?”
“Well, as you know, I am a university professor at SU, and I thought it might be pertinent to my class to understand all of the nuances of the bill that is being proposed.”
“Well, there’s a copy available to all who ask,” the elder said, gesturing to the lobby. “You can make copies and hand them out to the students.”
Kane smiled, hoping the elders wouldn’t see it falter, and bowed.
“Thank you, elder,” Kane said.
But he could say no more about the hybrids, because it suddenly became clear to him that, sitting on the council, at least half of the men had the shocking, mysterious secret that Max had.
The corruption had gone deeper than Kane ever would have thought. And he wouldn’t have even realized it if Lia hadn’t pointed it out. She was a smart girl. It had felt so natural to talk to her about the shifter politics. He hadn’t been able to speak with anyone like this since Ava had been killed.
