“I will.” Rafe crossed his arms and stared hard at her. “But first I need you to answer a question. Who is Kaylie’s father?”
“His name is Rand Blackthorne. He killed my stepsister right after she handed Kaylie to me. I ran. He came after us … and … and caused the accident.”
“I’m sorry, Gretchen.” He blew out a breath. “The Blackthornes are rogue werewolves. They don’t affiliate with any pack because they believe breeding with humans weakens their bloodlines.”
“I know how vicious the Blackthornes can be.”
“There’s only one left now. After his father died, Rand became the only living heir to the Blackthorne legacy. If Kaylie is his child...”
Gretchen shook her head. “I don’t care about werewolf politics. I just need to get Kaylie to safety. I owe Vivian that much.”
Rafe nodded. “All right. Let’s go.”
Gretchen retrieved her purse from the closet and leaned heavily on Rafe as they exited the room. The more she walked, the stronger Gretchen apparently felt. Within moments, she was striding straight and tall without his help. Her fortitude amazed him. She had the strength of a bear—and it seemed, the heart of one. Her dedication to her stepsister’s wishes was commendable, especially when Rand Blackthorne was involved.
Blackthorne owned a couple of casinos and few other more shady businesses. His corruption had gotten him onto the human radar, and he’d been investigated several times by state and federal government agencies. Witnesses tended to disappear, and justice personnel often got transferred or suspended, making it difficult to prosecute him.
In the shifter world, Blackthorne was an outcast. Even if he wanted to join a pack, none would have him—not even the Blood Pack, and that was saying something.
They reached the tiny waiting area, and Rafe’s gaze swept the room. He counted three people—and none of them were sweet old grandparents and a werewolf baby.
“I don’t understand,” said Gretchen. “Where’s Kaylie?”
“Excuse me,” said Rafe, attracting the attention of the nearest woman. “Did you see an elderly couple with an infant?”
“No,” said the tired lady. She gestured to the other two people. “We’ve been in here all day. No one else has come in.”
Dread drop into his stomach like a lead weight.
Kaylie was gone.
10
AUNT LILA, A slim silver-haired woman dressed in a lavender pantsuit, poured coffee for Gretchen and Rafe, who sat at the dining room table. After tending to her guests, Aunt Lila took a seat opposite of Gretchen.
The last three hours had been a hazy tumult of emotion and stress as Gretchen dealt with the aftereffects of medication and guilt. Rafe, who had no vested interest in helping her, had driven straight to Bleed City, promising Gretchen they would get Kaylie back—whatever it took.
Rafe sat next to her. The bear shifter was all kinds of handsome, from his sharp cheekbones and straight nose, to his full lips and the cute dent in his chin. His eyes were a deep brown, the color of melted chocolate. He was the exact opposite of the kind of man she usually dated. Her fear of big, muscled men had become ingrained in her the night Trent and Jacob had tried to rape her. But Rafe’s large presence brought her a kind of comfort she couldn’t quite understand. His nearness gave her a feeling of safety, she hadn’t experienced since she’d left Vivian’s with the baby. And when he said they’d rescue Kaylie, she believed him.
Rafe seemed to sense her distress and reached over to rub her back. It was such a sweet, impulsive way to offer her solace. She had the sudden and disconcerting realization that she could find plenty of things to like about Rafe—not the least of which was the way her skin tingled at his platonic touches. However, the smoky look in those dark eyes left no doubt what he was thinking about her. And nudity. And doing things that made two people sweat and moan and—whoa. She really needed to stop thinking about the way he’d looked her in the hospital room when she was half-clothed. Even now, her blood heated and her heart pounded. The way she felt baffled her. How could she be so utterly attracted to him with everything going on right now? The last thing she should do was think about Rafe Pearson in that way. Her desire for him just added to the guilt pile she’d already accumulated by failing Vivian so completely.
Gretchen clutched the mug and sipped from it. The coffee was strong and sweet, just the right thing to help clear her mind. She couldn’t let her fright for Kaylie or her fear of Rand dissuade her from her purpose. Vivian didn’t want that murdering bastard anywhere near her child, and Gretchen would make damn sure Vivian’s wishes were honored.
Her gaze flicked to the woman across from her. Aunt Lila was the kind of woman who didn’t fill up the silence with inane talk or useless questions, and Gretchen felt better in her presence. She radiated a soothing calm, which lasted until the doorbell rang.
Aunt Lila smiled. “The alphas are here.” She left to answer the door. When she returned, a striking man with impossibly long hair, and a lithe, graceful woman followed her into the dining room.
“This is Grey Burke and his wife, Belle,” said Aunt Lila. “This is Rafe Pearson and Gretchen Myers.”
Everyone shook hands and said hellos, and then Grey and Belle seated themselves at the table. Aunt Lila brought them coffee, too, and then re-settled in her chair.
“We know that Rand has the baby,” said Grey.
“Oh, no.” Gretchen blinked back tears. “I can’t leave her with him. He’s a killer.” She told them everything—from the moment Vivian gave her the note at the hotel to the accident that left her unconscious.
“He must’ve found out about her plan to leave,” said Aunt Lila.
“She was leaving him?” asked Gretchen. “Then why didn’t she come with me?”
“She made the decision to sacrifice herself to save her daughter. Nothing was more important to her than that little girl,” said Aunt Lila.
“A month ago, she came to the Shadows in secret and joined the pack,” said Grey. “She and Kaylie are legitimate members and are entitled to our protection.”
Gretchen put the coffee mug down, though her suddenly shaking hands nearly dropped it. “A month ago?” She inhaled a shaky breath. “She never planned to leave Rand. I won a radio contest for a Las Vegas trip that I had to take this weekend. Believe me, I checked things out to make sure it was legit. But … Vivian must’ve set it all up. That’s how she knew I was at Caesar’s.”
Silence descended. Gretchen felt her throat knot, but damned if she would give in to tears. “Why would she marry a Blackthorne? She—” She stopped short of confessing what Vivian had done to save her. It had been a secret for so long, she couldn’t bear to say it out loud. It would make everything real—Vivian’s death, Kaylie’s kidnapping, the mistake Gretchen had made and could never, ever take back.
“We know what she did,” said Belle softly. Her gaze was kind. “She explained that if she could no longer care for Kaylie, you would be her first choice to raise her daughter.”
“Why?” Gretchen couldn’t stop the tears this time. “I haven’t talked to her for ten years. The last time we saw each other, she … she risked everything to save me.”
Aunt Lila, Belle, and Grey all shared a look. Then the Shadow Pack alpha nodded. “We know she killed Trent Blackthorne. The father of Trent and Rand demanded a blood debt.”
“What does that mean?” asked Gretchen.
“It’s the werewolf version of an eye for an eye. Harry agreed to indenture himself into the service of the Blackthornes, but Vivian couldn’t bear the thought of her father paying for what she did. She offered herself instead, and she was given to Rand as a bride.”
“How long was she married to him?” asked Gretchen, horrified.
“For the last nine years,” said Aunt Lila. “She told us that she had taken precautions against getting pregnant. Rand wanted her to have children.”
“Whatever she was doing to prevent pregnancy either failed or Rand figured out
what she was doing and forced her to stop,” added Grey. “Once she had Kaylie, she knew she couldn’t let her child grow up as a Blackthorne. That’s why she reached out for our help. And we gladly gave it.”
“Her life was awful because of me,” said Gretchen. “If she hadn’t tried to save me from my foolishness, she would’ve never killed Trent. Oh, my God.” She buried her face in her hands and wept.
Rafe’s arm dropped around her shoulders in a protective gesture, and his kindness only made her cry harder. After a while, the sorrow lessened and the tears dried. She was able to once again to face the people at the table.
“What happened was an accident,” said Aunt Lila. “This tragedy befell Trent because he was a cruel, malevolent creature. You were not the first girl he chased into the desert and tried to ravage. Vivian knew his true nature—she stopped him from ever doing it again. She married Rand because he’s the last Blackthorne. She wanted the line to die with him. When she couldn’t ensure that—she made plans to save Kaylie.”
“Are you saying she tried to kill him?” asked Gretchen. “That’s why she wanted me to take the baby. She was going to end it all.”
“It’s only a theory,” said Rafe, breaking his silence. “We won’t ever know what her intentions were, so let’s focus on what we can do.” He looked at Grey. “You have a plan to rescue Kaylie?”
“We do,” confirmed Grey.
“I’ll help.” Rafe looked indecisive for a moment, then he nodded. “In fact, you’ll have the entire Pearson bear clan at your disposable.”
“Excellent.” Grey stood. “We know that Kaylie is at the Mt. Charleston house. Guards have been doubled. He’s probably expecting someone to come after the baby. Our best chance is strike before dawn.”
“Will you kill Rand?” asked Gretchen.
Her question startled everyone.
She looked at Grey, resolve hardening in her heart. “Because if you don’t, I will.”
“You won’t have to,” said Rafe. “I’ll make sure that bastard stops breathing.”
11
RAFE COULDN’T SLEEP. He felt stifled in the small bedroom. He wore nothing but his boxers, but his claustrophobia was unrelenting. He shoved off the covers and stood, walking to the window on the left side of the bed. The guest bedrooms were upstairs in Aunt Lila’s house. Gretchen had taken the one across the hall from his. He wondered if she’d been able to sleep or if worry kept her awake.
Her guilt was eating her inside out. He knew that kind of guilt, it was the same he suffered from when Samantha had died trying to give birth to their child. They’d taken the baby from her womb and tried to revive … him. He swallowed the knot in his throat. His son. He’d lost his wife and his son on the same night. Aneurysm, the doctors said. The baby didn’t get enough oxygen. He’d suffocated in the womb.
A double tragedy—one that could not have been prevented.
Deep in his gut, he always believed that he’d somehow killed Samantha. She was a human trying to birth a bear shifter baby. Her body couldn’t handle the stress. His family had tried to convince him otherwise, and so had the doctors, but he couldn’t … wouldn’t listen to them. Someone had to pay for his loss, and he decided the only person he could punish was himself. He quit the force, moved into the cabin, and relived his pain over and over. Until Wolf found him. She appeared in his backyard when he was chopping wood, and the next thing he knew, he was feeding her and inviting her inside his home.
That was the day his healing had begun.
Even though he couldn’t let go of what happened, the pain began to ease. The memories didn’t hurt quite as much anymore. Combined all that with the efforts of his family, it had only been a matter of time before he would rejoin the world.
Kaylie had been the final push.
He owed that little girl a lot because she’d made him truly feel again.
So, yeah. Rafe understood Gretchen’s guilt. She couldn’t have known Trent Blackthorne would attack her. She didn’t know Trent and Vivian were werewolves, subject to rules she couldn’t fathom. Nor could she see into the future and know that Vivian would have to marry a Blackthorne.
Vivian chose to pay the blood debt, and tried to end the Blackthorne line not just for herself, but for future generations. He’d never known her, but her bravery and honor were apparent. Qualities that Gretchen had in spades, too.
A soft knock sounded at his door. “Rafe?”
He let Gretchen inside, his gaze drawn to the pink nightgown. She saw the direction of his look and pinched the side of the material. “Aunt Lila let me borrow it.”
He could just make out the dusky tips of her nipples poking through the silky fabric, and he had to bite back his groan of unbidden lust.
“I’m so jumbled up inside,” said Gretchen. “I want to stop thinking. For a little while at least. I need…” She trailed off and looked up at him with a luminous gaze.
Rafe pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She sank into his body, and he enveloped her fully into his embrace as he deepened his conquering of her mouth. He scooped her up and carried her to the bed. The mattress dipped beneath his weight as he leaned forward to drape Gretchen over the messy covers before he joined her.
He knew he should be thinking about the way things turned out with Samantha. He should give Gretchen comfort, instead of giving in to their baser needs. But she smelled so good. And dear God, she felt like redemption.
His heart thudded erratically. It had been a long time since he’d made love to a woman. There’d been no one since Samantha. He was nearly overwhelmed by the idea of taking Gretchen, of letting her fill the empty spaces inside him, of giving to her what he had once reserved for another.
But he did so gladly.
The ghost of Samantha faded, and then there was only Gretchen in his mind, in his heart.
The deep coral of her areolas and
Her blonde hair fanned out against the pillows. He picked up a strand and rubbed it between his fingers. It was a cool blonde, the color of winter sunsets. He inhaled her purely unique scent, which reminded him yet again of the sweetness he associated with honey.
Gretchen leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on his mouth, but her hands, her wicked, wicked hands, dipped into his boxers and stroked his cock, which went to full mast in a hurry.
Pleasure clouded his mind. But that was nothing compared to what she did next. She pushed on his shoulders until he lie on his back.
She kneeled between his legs and took off his boxers. The next thing he knew, his cock was wrapped in her warm, hot mouth. Her mouth slid down his length until her seeking tongue connected with his balls, wrapping eager fingers around his cock to stroke it as she licked his testicles. Then her mouth and hand switched places. While her hand cupped and kneaded his balls, her mouth sucked the tip of his cock.
He felt the soft piercing of her tongue in the slit then she was taking all of him down her velvety wet throat. He reveled in the feel of her tongue, her lips, her hands…
“Wait,” he said, his voice hoarse. “It’s been a while for me, sweetheart.”
She stopped her tender ministrations then she stretched out across him. She wound her arms around his neck. “Rafe,” she whispered.
He helped her off with her nightgown, and then rolled her onto her back, covering her with his muscled body. His fingers trembled as he cupped the tender weight of her breast in ones hand. His breath shallow with excitement, he rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. It hardened, the tight bud a wanton temptation.
The deep coral of her areolas and her tight, sweet nipples beckoned him. Grasping one breast, he leaned forward and swirled his tongue around one bud, teasing it with light, quick licks until Gretchen’s soft moans begged him for more.
He took the taut peak into his mouth and suckled.
She cried out, shoved her hands into his hair, and pressed him closer still.
He moved to her other breast, kissing the underside before tasting her areola.
His lips clamped her nipple and suckled it with the same intensity he’d devoted to the other.
His hard cock strained against the welcoming heat of her womanhood. It had been too long. He needed her. Wanted her.
This…
Oh, yes. This.
He shuddered with desire, stalling the deep need to ravish her, to show her right now how much she meant to him.
His cock pressed against her sex—then she was reaching between them, adjusting his position so he could take her.
He moved.
Slowly.
“Oh, God,” he said, “You feel so good, Gretchen.”
“So do you,” she said. “Please, Rafe.” She grabbed his hips and writhed against him, her strokes short, frantic, and torturous.
She bucked against him, her hands fisting against his buttocks.
He felt the rise of his own pleasure, the bare edge of an orgasm threatening. He suckled her nipple, matched her strokes, and enjoyed the feel of her taking him and making him whole again.
Her orgasm claimed her scant seconds before he lost his control. As she milked his cock, saying his name like a mantra, Rafe cried out, his penis jerking hard as he spilled his seed inside her
For long a moment, they held each other, hearts pounding and breathing hard. Rafe rolled to his side, tucked Gretchen into the crook of his arm, and held her close.
“Should we … we talk or something?” asked Gretchen.
“You know, I’m a bear,” he said tenderly, “and there’s one thing we really like after having awesome sex with a beautiful woman.”
She arched a blonde eyebrow. “Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
“Snuggling.” He drew her closer still and she clung to him, giving him as much warmth and solace as he tried to give her. Sometimes, no words were needed.
Soon, they both slept.
12
The Pack Rules Boxed Set: The Complete Series of Wolf, Bear, and Dragon Shifter Romances Page 33
