by Lacey Thorn
“We all were,” Tah informed her.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“You needed answers,” Tah said. “I get that, but I won’t lie to you. My first instinct was to send Reno after you to bring you back. Vic chewed my ass out, demanding I give you the time you needed. Abby agreed with her, reminding me I gave everyone the option of leaving Colorado with us or not.”
“You sent Reed and Dusty after me,” Kenzie reminded him.
“Funny thing about that,” Tah told her. “When Reed called me, you and Holt were the ones he asked about specifically. No one else. Had you been in touch with him?”
Kenzie shook her head. “No. Holt never mentioned speaking to them, either.”
Tah nodded. “I understand he and Dusty helped prevent you from being taken and possibly Holt from being killed. Good thing they were there.”
Kenzie had no idea what to say. “Holt was shot in the arm.”
“Trying to get to you,” Tah agreed. “Imagine if he’d been alone with no one covering him. We would have lost both of you.”
Gabriel’s chest rumbled, and Kenzie glanced at him. She could see the beast reflected in his gaze, see the animal’s reaction to the thought of losing her.
“Time for bed,” Gabriel stated, holding out his hand to her.
She stepped away from Murphy, taking Gabriel’s hand.
“Find me when you wake,” Tah told Gabriel.
“I plan to,” Gabriel assured him. “There are things I’d like to discuss with you before you call the others.”
Tah nodded. Kenzie pulled from Gabriel and headed toward Tah. He opened his arms before she even realized what she planned to do. He hugged her, and she picked up on so much in that touch. His worry for her, relief that she was home and love. Gabriel was right. She’d gone searching for her family when she’d been with them all along.
“Welcome home,” Tah said. “It’s good to have you back with us. Now, go get some rest. We’ll talk about everything later.”
“Thank you,” she said, and he glanced at her for a long moment before nodding. She had little doubt he understood the depth of her thanks. Two words that conveyed so much when spoken.
She turned back to Gabriel and let him lead her away. She wondered how exhausted he was. She wanted him again. Hell, she always wanted him again, usually within thirty seconds of catching her breath after orgasm. She was in love with her mate and fell even harder with each new revelation she discovered.
She’d listened to him and his friend Adrian earlier when they’d thought she was asleep. He’d been worried about Gabriel. She understood. It sounded as if her mate hadn’t cared if he’d lived or died. She knew that had changed, now. She felt the change inside him and knew he’d never be so callous with his own life again. Because if anything happened to him, she would never recover.
He opened a door that looked like a closet and reached in to flip on a light switch, revealing a staircase, instead. He urged her up before him, pulling the door shut behind them. She stepped into a loft bedroom that was unapologetically masculine. From the huge bed that dominated the room to the sparse furniture and decor, it reflected her mate.
The door clicked behind her, and she turned to see him leaning against it as he flipped the lock. He reached down to unlace his boots enough to kick them off. His eyes glowed when they met hers, and she swallowed as desire pooled deep in her belly.
“Strip,” he ordered, already jerking his shirt over his head as he stepped away from the door.
“I thought you were tired,” she murmured as she bent over to remove her shoes. She glanced up at him through the curtain of her hair and caught her breath. He’d unfastened his jeans and now held his cock in one hand. His fingers gripped the hard stalk of flesh and stroked it from tip to base while a rumble rose from his chest.
“I’m hungry,” he said. “Starving for the taste of you. I’m going to bury my head between your thighs and make you come again and again. Then I’m going to lap your sweet juices up and do it all again until I finally eat my fill.”
She stood, nipples tight and juices already spilling at his vow. “Then?” she whispered the question as he stepped closer.
“Then I’m going to fuck you over and over again. By the time I’m done, neither of us will be able to move,” he promised, leaning in to nip her jaw while his fingers moved from his cock to the hem of her shirt.
In contrast to the way he’d removed his, he eased her shirt up slowly, fingers skimming over her flesh. He tossed it aside when it cleared her head and ran his hands up her arms, over her shoulders and down her back, finding the catch of her bra and releasing it so that the cups eased their hold on her curves. She moaned in anticipation as he slid the straps down, watching as it fell away to land at their feet. His gaze zeroed in on her hardened nipples, making them tighten further, making them ache for his touch.
“So beautiful,” he told her, licking over his lips while he touched her with nothing but his eyes.
“Gabriel,” she begged, reaching for him.
“Shh,” he crooned. “Let me undress you.”
“I want you to touch me,” she said, arching her chest toward him.
“I will,” he swore. “Let me get our clothes off, first, or they’ll be shredded on the floor.”
He dropped to his knees before her, sending another keening moan rippling up her throat. His fingers dipped beneath the waistband of her jeans, pulling the material away from her belly as he popped the button and slid the zipper lower. He shoved the material wide, revealing her panties and leaned in to press his nose against the black lace. She caught her breath as he tugged the jeans off her hips and pushed them down her thighs. His face remained nuzzled against her, and she had to lock her knees when his tongue came out to lick over the pulse of her clit through the lace.
“Gabriel!” His name was a cry this time. “Please.”
He ripped off her panties as his control seemed to break. He lifted her up, tearing her jeans free of her legs as he did, and carried her to the bed. He tossed her on it then finished stripping himself before joining her. He caught her hips in his hands, spreading her legs wide around his shoulders and dropped a smoldering kiss at the top of her sex as he made himself comfortable between her thighs.
“Hold on, mate,” he warned her. “I’m going to make you scream.”
Chapter Thirteen
Kenzie held her breath as her mate touched her.
“So wet and ready for me,” Gabriel crooned, tongue flicking out to glide through her folds until he hit her swollen clitoris. He swirled his tongue around the bud then kissed it softly. She pressed closer, rubbing against his lips.
Two fingers teased her opening while his mouth continued plying her clit. She moaned and pushed into him with wanton need, but Gabriel took his time, tempting and tormenting her until she was thrashing beneath him. She demanded. She begged and pleaded until finally he gave in, fingers thrusting and stroking while his lips wrapped around her and sucked.
She came with a harsh cry, head thrown back as fiery pleasure washed through her. He eased off, softening his touch as she came down, and she expected him to rise, thinking he’d cover her and sink deep. Instead, he stayed where he was, and when she caught her breath, he began working her up again and again and again. She was wrung out, overdosed on him, when he finally moved up her body with a string of sucking kisses. She was boneless and unresisting as he turned her until she lay on her belly. He jerked a pillow and stuffed it under her, lifting her hips up the slightest bit.
He came over her then the crowned head of his shaft bumping her pussy and sliding through the folds to tap her clit. She moaned, fisting the sheets as she fought to pull in oxygen. Her body trembled, already needy and eager for him again. Just when she was ready to snarl at him to fuck her, he plunged deep. As if the first thrust had released the beast, he rode her hard and fast, hands gripping her hips tight as he held onto her.
“Yes!” she screamed. “God, yes
! Gabriel!”
“So good,” he grunted as he pumped. “Like heaven on earth, Kenzie. Like a fantasy come to life.”
She came again, expecting him to follow, but he tugged free, ripping the pillow away and turning her onto her back once more. Holding her gaze, he plunged his cock into her again, hooking her knees over his elbows to open her wider before leaning over her and bracing his hands at her sides. Pleasure stole her breath again, and still he took her, and that’s when it finally hit her. He was afraid.
She closed her eyes, opening herself up to his feelings, his emotions. She felt his uncertainty, his fear. Not just of Adrian’s words about danger and enemies with the faces of friends, though she was sure that played on her mate’s mind. She thought this had more to do with her being back with the family he’d reminded her she had, and him wondering how he’d fit in. He was trying to show her that she needed him, that her body needed him. She realized just how much of a shield he’d managed to keep between them emotionally. It was gone now, and she felt everything.
“Let my legs down,” she said, tapping her hands against his forearms.
He released them one at a time, thrusting deep and holding himself buried there while he freed her legs. She immediately gripped his shoulders and lifted her face toward his. He bent closer to meet her, and their lips touched. She’d expected a hard kiss, a claiming of her mouth the way he’d claimed her sex, but he surprised her with tenderness. He didn’t move again until they broke apart. Then it was with a gentle rocking of his hips, a slow and easy loving.
“Gabriel,” she said and waited until his gaze collided with hers. “I’m yours. For now and always. Nothing will ever change that.”
“Mine,” he agreed with a growl, but there was still uncertainty in his eyes, and it broke her heart.
“I know where I belong,” she whispered and moved her hand to caress his cheek. “With you. At your side. Always.”
He leaned into her palm and closed his eyes. “You’re home now, back with your pride.”
“You’re my pride,” she stated.
“Kenzie, I…” He broke off, but she knew what he wanted to say.
“I love you, Gabriel.” She gave him the words she knew hovered on his tongue. “You’re not just my mate. You’re my heart, my soul.”
“I love you,” he said. “So much it scares me.”
She tugged him closer until he dropped his forehead to hers.
“I forgive you,” she vowed. “I know why you left. Laura’s life depended on you.”
“I left my mate.”
“I forgive you. Besides, Gideon explained that to us. You’d mated me, but I hadn’t been able to complete our bond. Now that I have, it won’t happen again.”
“No, it won’t,” he swore.
“I know,” she assured him. “I love you. Love doesn’t come without forgiveness, without acceptance. I know who you are, and I wouldn’t want you any other way.”
“No matter what we find, who your parents were, what was done to you in that lab. None of it will change what we have.”
She nodded and watched his eyes widen as a tear slipped down her cheek. He wiped it away with his thumb.
“Why are you crying?”
“Because my heart’s overflowing,” she murmured.
He kissed her again then lifted, offering her the spot on his chest where she longed to taste him again. She leaned in closer, running her tongue over it, kissing it softly then sucking the flesh against her lips and humming. It wasn’t enough, not until she finally gave in to the need to bite, to take. She let her teeth pierce his skin and shuddered as another orgasm went through her.
He growled, his hips jerking as he switched from fast and hard to slow and deep then back again. She released him reluctantly, licked over him then dropped to the bed, turning her head over her right shoulder and lifting her left to him in offering. He bent, scraping her skin with his teeth before striking. His bite sent a wave of small orgasms coursing through her, making her inner walls clamp and ripple around his shaft.
He came with a roar, holding her to him until the last splash of his seed filled her. She wrapped her arms around his back and held on until he went boneless on top of her, pressing her tight against the mattress.
“Give me a sec,” he panted.
“I like having you like this,” she told him.
He stayed for a minute, maybe two then rolled off her with a groan to land on his back beside her. He immediately reached for her, not satisfied until she was curled next to him, her head resting on his chest. She closed her eyes, focusing on the steady thumping of his heart under her cheek and let the sound lull her into sleep.
When Kenzie woke, Gabriel was gone, the spot where he’d been cool to her touch. The clock said it was late afternoon, which meant she’d slept most of the day away. Gabriel had retrieved their bags at some point and brought them up to his room. No, their room. He’d set the bags just inside a large closet, leaving the door open for her. She eased out of bed and glanced around until she spotted a closed door. Crossing her fingers, she headed toward it and sighed in relief when she opened it to reveal a bathroom.
It was larger than she’d expected—huge garden-style Jacuzzi tub with a separate shower stall. Double sink with a big, rounded mirror over it. No clutter on the counter. No clutter anywhere. She took care of her more pressing needs then turned on the shower and stepped inside. She’d planned to do this when they’d first arrived, but Gabriel had thoroughly distracted her. Just thinking about him made her smile. He loved her. He’d spoken the words, and she’d heard how much he’d meant them.
She’d noticed a change in their bonding while they were traveling. She was having trouble connecting with him when he wasn’t within her line of sight. She worried it had something to do with the calming of her animal. She’d planned to discuss it with Gabriel, but every time they were alone, she found herself distracted by his touch and lovemaking. The man was insatiable. Besides, at the rate they were going, hopefully, it would correct itself soon as she was exposed to more and more of his unique shifter genetics. His beast had already begun to call hers out of hiding. She could only trust it would continue despite whatever setback she was noticing.
She took her time in the shower, washing her hair and letting the hot water work the kinks out of her muscles. She hunted until she found his razor and, biting her lip, used it. If he didn’t have another blade, she did in her bag. She should have thought to grab stuff before she headed in. She finally turned off the shower and went about drying her skin and blotting as much water as she could from her hair. She wrapped the towel around herself and stepped back into the bedroom where Diane sat quietly waiting for her.
“I’m glad to see you’re finally up,” Diane said, standing and striding across the room to meet Kenzie. She hugged her tightly, and when Diane stepped back, her cheeks were wet.
“I’m sorry,” Kenzie said. “I should have called you.”
“You had a lot going on,” Diane said. “I knew that. Tah and Vic made sure I knew what was going on.”
“How are you? The baby?” Kenzie asked, shooing Diane to sit on the bed once more while she rummaged through her bag for clean clothes.
“I haven’t needed my first dose of Zane’s blood, yet,” Diane said. “Health wise, I seem to be doing okay so far.”
“But?” Kenzie prompted, sensing there was more as she put on clothes.
“Emotionally, I’m a wreck. Happy one minute and bawling my eyes out the next. Once I make it through this pregnancy, Zane may never touch me for fear it’ll happen again,” she admitted with a groan that made Kenzie laugh.
“Yeah, I can’t see that happening. I seem to remember he couldn’t keep his hands off you once you two finally gave in and mated.”
“Speaking of mating,” Diane said, and her voice went hard and cold. “How are things with Gabriel?”
Kenzie grinned, coming over to sit next to Diane so she could pull on her socks and shoes. “Terr
ific.”
“You worked things out?”
Kenzie nodded.
“What if he leaves you again?” Diane demanded.
“He won’t,” Kenzie assured her.
“Damn right he won’t,” Diane grumbled. “He hurts you again, and I’ll kill him. Or I’ll have Zane do it. I already warned Gabriel.”
“You’ve seen him?”
“Yeah, he’s downstairs talking with Tah, Reno and Logan. Logan got pissed about something and took off. I’m not sure what that was about.”
Kenzie was pretty sure she did.
“He checked on you a couple times then took Tah, Abby, the professor and me to show us the medical facility he has set up here.”
“He has a facility here?” Kenzie asked.
“State of the art,” Diane said, looking excited. “Everything we need. Plus, he said there are a few doctors who travel and check back in here. I can’t wait to meet them.”
“So what do you think of Gabriel?” Kenzie asked.
“He brought you back to us,” Diane said. “I give him credit for that, but I also blame him for you leaving. So I chewed his ass out.”
“Over me?” Kenzie asked with a touch of surprise.
“Yes, you,” Diane stated. “Also about his father. I don’t like Isaac. He seems to go out of his way to make things difficult. He doesn’t want us here and doesn’t mind making sure we all know.”
“I like his father less and less the more I hear about him,” Kenzie muttered. “Don’t worry though. Gabriel will take care of his dad.”
“He said the same thing,” Diane said. “I hope he does a better job of it than his brother.”
“What’s Daniel like?” Kenzie asked.
“Not as big as Gabriel or Zane. Closer to Logan’s height. Blond hair without all the streaks Gabriel has. Pale blue eyes.”
“What’s he like?” Kenzie asked again.
Diane shook her head. “Happy-go-lucky. Always smiling. He pacifies his father, trying to smooth things over in a way that keeps Isaac happy. Still…”
