“Seems we are lucky, Mother has offered us her protection,” Aibell stated to no one.
Three different floors, and after moving up each one, the creatures got more nightmarish and dangerous, but not one of them moved to interfere with their progress.
“I don’t care if they are family. Damn it, Mom, they had no right to bring us here,” Willow growled, her voice carrying to him. Alton smiled as Baal snorted in front of them.
“Looks like my daughter’s doing okay,” Baal glanced back at him, smiling.
***
Feeling scared was now a new emotion that was top on her list of things Willow didn’t like at all. The family that sat before them in some disgusting thrown room couldn’t be part of her family as they were saying. But what was worse, was the room they were in. Impaled creatures hung dead around the room, which stunk enough that Willow and Tamara had lost their lunch twice already.
If it hadn’t been for her mother surrounding them in a fresh scent, Willow and Tamara would still be on the ground. But right now Tamara was behind Willow and Laurann. “Drink, you need to feed,” Willow told her sister, holding out her wrist.
Her sister shook her head. “I don’t think I can right now,” Tamara told her, as the older woman frowned at them.
“She’s not feeling well?” the woman asked, her voice scratchy and loud.
“No, she’s pregnant and being in this stink hole does not help,” Willow growled at her. “If you were going to bring us here, you should have thought ahead at least concerning Tamara. If you are really family, you don’t want her to lose her children.”
The woman stood off the throne of weird bones. She was tall, had eyes that were gray-blue and full lips. She was stunning and graceful. Her husband, a warrior of old days, moved to her side, watching them carefully. “She carries more than one child?” the man asked.
Willow rolled her eyes, and her mom smacked the back of her head. “Don’t be rude,” she growled. “My daughter Tamara carries at least two, maybe three children. Why is this important?”
The man didn’t say a word but walked around them, studying each of them like they were specimens on one of those stupid science dishes. She stepped forward, but her mother grabbed onto her arm, holding her. “Don’t,” she snapped. Her hand, half clawed, her eyes were now those of a cat and her hair was stripped as was her skin.
That is when she felt them, her men. Willow took a deep breath and tears threatened to fall. Never had she been so needed it was almost embarrassing.
“That’s because you haven’t been mated before,” Maxim snarled. “And we feel the same way, Little Kitty.”
Willow turned slowly, looking up as her family stepped into the room. It was like a weight was lifted off her chest. She held out her hand and helped Tamara up, moving to her men as Lars and Gage surrounded Tamara.
Alton surrounded her with his arms, while Maxim stepped up behind her, hugging her from behind. “I’ve never been so happy to see someone. I hate getting sick,” she mumbled into Alton’s chest. “Take me home.”
“We can’t leave yet, I’m afraid,” Maxim kissed the side of her neck, before turning to greet Aibell’s parents.
“You called father, mother?” Aibell asked, bowing her head to her parents.
“Did you forget your promise, daughter?” Vaulau said as Willow’s son, Dylan appeared in his arms.
“No!” she snarled, and Willow shifted right there, ready for her attack, when Alton or Ral, the warrior inside him, wrapped his arms around her, stopping.
She screamed and turned to glare at him, but he held onto her. “You will allow your grandparents to deal with this,” Alton ordered.
“Mom?” Dylan squirmed in Vaulau’s arms, till he put him down and allowed him to run towards her. She shifted, kneeling and holding out her arms for him.
“Explain why you would do this and frighten my grandchildren! You go too far, father,” Aibell snapped and the room shook.
“Control it Aibell, or I will take it away, and you know I can. Agares, if I would have known it was your children that would bridge the gap, I would have sent someone else to rein in those that are out of control.” Vaulau glanced over his shoulder and pointed to the spot at his feet.
At once Shald knelt down, her head resting on his thigh. “All that you see here is the beginnings of the different doors out there. This place is the like the train station for all the worlds out there. But there are always others out there waiting to take over. It’s one of the reasons I make sure those around me are protected.” Vaulau reached over and touched Aibell’s cheek.
“You are so like you mother, but I made my daughter promise she would inform me if she had any children, so I could make sure they weren’t hunted.” His gaze moved to Tamara and then to Willow.
“My granddaughters will be hunted as will their children, I’m afraid.” Vaulau knelt down before his wife and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. “I knew Shald was my mate, my love slave and my soul, but her family refused to allow us to join, so I took her.” He smiled and looked towards her.
“You could say it was like one of those silly books my wife likes to read from your world. Anyway, a few years later, I heard the only reason he allowed us to get away was because he believed our children couldn’t produce the Sarfas. It seems he was wrong.” Vaulau stood and pulled his wife up with him. “Agares, you are free from your world. I’ve sent someone else to take over. You will be needed to protect what comes your way.”
“Willow, come here child, and bring your men,” Vaulau order.
She glanced up at Alton, and he nodded. Both Maxim and Alton stepped forward with Dylan in her arms. Vaulau studied Alton, then Maxim, before nodding. “Your men both have warriors that have dealt with the Tarrs, which is good. So does your son. I’m happy you have the added protection. I see it is the same with Tamara. They will target her and Dylan. Your children and women of my daughter will be sought.”
“If I may ask a question?” Alton said, but Willow knew it was really Ral asking, his voice was deep, and different.
“No, it’s not Shald’s family that has sent these things, but once her family had announced that the Sarfas had been born, they would hunt them down,” Vaulau explained.
“So they’re not just coming here to take the human woman?” her father, Baal, asked and Vaulau shook his head.
“Oh, they will take the women too, I have battled them in the air and on land. Grandson, how many daughters do you have?” Vaulau asked her father, who actually looked embarrassed.
Her mom laughed and slipped her hand into his. “He has no idea, seems children are popping up all the time, why?” Her mom asked.
“Because his daughters will be prized beyond anything else. At least…” Vaulau stopped and turned to stare behind her. “Come her child.” Vaulau held out his hand.
Willow turned to see Storm sigh and step forward, rolling her eyes. Her father glared at her and Storm glared back. “What?”
“You are not mated yet?” Vaulau ignored them all, staring at Storm.
“I don’t need any man and I can take care of myself,” Storm said, earning a groan from Bane who had followed her up.
“For once, be quiet,” her brother hissed.
Willow couldn’t help but laugh as did her mom. “Yep, so much like Willow.”
“She might be like Willow, but she has no one. Langut, you will be assigned to my granddaughter, so prepare to meet her on Earth.” Vaulau said to a man Willow hadn’t noticed until he stepped away from the wall.
“Chameleon?” she whispered, earning a smile from the man who was over seven feet tall and built like a damn tank. He had no hair, and his eyes were almost pure white, but Willow could see a hit of gray in them.
“I need no babysitter,” Storm hissed.
“But you will listen to him, won’t you,” Vaulau stated so quietly that even Willow stepped back, afraid. Both Maxim and Alton touched her and reassured her.
“Fine, but i
f he gets in my way, I’ll deck him, and I hope he likes the ocean,” she growled.
Vaulau laughed. “Oh, this is going to be fun to watch. On another serious note, and why I summoned you all here now, it seems we have family coming and they will expect to see all of you.” Vaulau stated, once more turning his gaze on Willow. “You, Tamara especially, will be here, but I believe Storm needs to stay away. I don’t trust Shald’s father not to take her back with him.”
Aibell moved to her mom. “How much damage can your family do? Never once have you mentioned them to us, or at least not within my hearing range.”
Her mother looked up at her mate, and he nodded. “My father is just as powerful as your father. For the both of them to go to war would destroy everything you know.” Her mother reached out and touched her cheek. “Your man, Agares, is like this. It is why your father placed him below. He needed to learn to control his gifts. Let’s hope there will be no other mess-ups, because there are no second chances. I’ve missed you Aibell, so many grandchildren and I haven’t gotten to see any of them,” she said, a tear of blood rolling down her cheek.
Willow stepped forward. “Your daughter, all of us really just found out about each other. If you are allowed, we would love for you to join us anytime you want. My home, or our home…” she glanced over at Maxim and Alton, who smiled, nodding.
“We’d be honored to have you visit us. You could get to know Dylan, but I’m afraid this place is too much for him,” Maxim took Dylan out of Willow’s arms.
“I agree. Our own quarters are not like this.” Vaulau glanced down at Shald. “Your mother has been very lonely with all her children gone and I have been negligent in my duties to her. But that will change. We would be happy to join you one day. But for now, I think it’s time for you to take that little one home for a nap.” Vaulau placed his hand on Willow’s cheek.
“You have been through so much, all of you have. I’m sorry I didn’t see this before.” He smiled. “Maybe I should have listened to my mate and diverted some of the duties to others.”
Shald snorted and reached over, hugging Willow. That’s when she felt the difference. “This isn’t your natural form, is it?” she asked and her grandmother shook her head. “I think all of you have seen enough. In time you will learn about others, since it will be jobs to guide the different species. It’s just too bad you must prove yourself before this happens.”
“I’m sorry, prove ourselves?” Ral spoke again.
“Yes, this is why this new threat is coming. One that I did not approve of, but couldn’t stop. Her father is still angry at me for taking his daughter. I’m afraid all of you will have to prove yourselves to them and everyone else. You could say Earth will be the site of battles and the rest of the universe will be watching.” Vaulau told them right before they appeared back in the hotel living room, except for Aibell and Agares.
“Give us 30 minutes and we’ll be back. Tamara needs to eat and clean up,” Lars said.
Alton nodded, but followed her into their suite, where she started to strip out of her clothes, feeling gross. It was if there was a slime covering her skin.
Willow didn’t know if it was from when she hugged her great grandmother or just the place itself. “Maxim, Ida is waiting in the kitchen for Dylan, she’ll get him cleaned up.” Willow yelled over her shoulder, moving to the bathroom in their room.
“She already has him,” Maxim said throwing his shirt off as Alton did.
“Guys, I need a shower bad,” she said stepping into the enclosure.
“And we need to make sure our woman is okay, to hold her and check every inch of her body. To reclaim what is ours, since we can’t have our heart be hurt.” Maxim growled as both men stripped to join her.
“I’m your heart, am I?” she asked as they started washing and doing what they had said they would.
Alton knelt before her, his gaze captured hers. “Heart, soul, life. If we lost you, there would be no more us. We are too old to continue on without you. We would join you.” He leaned in as he pushed her legs apart, sinking his fangs into one side of her inner thigh as did Maxim to the other.
“What the hell?” she squealed and tried to move, but they held her, still drinking and marking her. That is when she heard the words in her head.
“One heart, one soul,
We are joined together in the physical world and in the next.
You are ours from now to eternity.
No stars, no worlds will separate us,
Where you go, we go.”
“No wait!” she tried to get away again, but they refused to budge when the bond took over, sealing their fates.
“What have you done,” she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks as she stared down at the two men between her legs. So many questions, but none of it mattered now.
Chapter Eleven
Alton placed a kiss on his bonding mark and stood, wiping the tears from Willow’s face. “Why? What if we have children?” she asked, but right now he needed to be in her.
He covered her mouth, before she could speak again, lifting her up. “Wrap your legs around me, Little Kitty, let me in,” he ordered devouring every inch of her mouth.
She was intoxicating to him. Her skin smooth, she always seemed to smell of Lilacs and the jungle. Her hair was thick, full and beautiful enough to grab hands full hand hold onto.
Willow lifted her legs and Alton slid into her, while behind her Maxim started to lube her ass for him. Right now they both needed to be inside her, to hold and scent her.
“Hurry Maxim,” he said.
“I have to prepare her,” Maxim growled, but slowly worked his cock into Willow. Her little meows were music to his soul. He reached between them and lifted one of her heavy breasts and sucked her nipple into his mouth, watching her squirm when he started to bite down on it.
When he had seen the way Shald had went to her knees next her man, everything in him wanted that with his woman. But it would take time and patience, to earn that kind of trust from her.
Her claws dug into his shoulders and Alton smiled, releasing her from his bite at the same time Alton inched slowly out of her tight hole.
Maxim reached around, his fingers going down between them, finding her little nub, teasing it at the same time he rubbed his cock; he inched back in slowly, knowing it was driving Willow crazy.
“Faster, harder,” she growled and tried to move, but they didn’t allow it, holding on to her, teasing.
He grabbed hold of a handful of her hair and pulled her head back, exposing her neck to them. Alton ran his tongue over her lips, down her chin, nipping it before trailing down her neck, nipping as he went.
“Please,” she begged.
Alton met Maxim’s gaze and he nodded, thrusting back in as they both started to give her what she craved. Faster, harder Maxim and Alton moved in perfect sync watching their Little Kitty fly apart in their arms.
Her orgasm, her pussy squeezed his cock to a point he could hold back no more. He pushed her head to his neck. “Feed,” he ordered as Alton released his seed inside her, hoping to create a child, needing a child inside her belly.
Her glare had him holding back a smile, but slapping her bare ass. “That was not nice,” he grumbled while she fed.
Maxim cupped her breasts and pinched her nipples, which sent a shiver through her. “Soon these will fill with milk for our child,” he told her.
“No, they won’t,” Willow kissed the spot where she feed and squirmed to get down, but both of them were still inside her and they didn’t budge.
“What do you mean, ‘No they won’t,” he asked. “You don’t want our children?” The last part of his question a little bit snippy, but he was pissed.
Willow sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. “I really don’t want to get into this here and now, but if I must. I’m not ready for children right now. We’ve just joined, I want time with you two, and I want you bonding with Dylan before we bring any other child into this fami
ly. As for why, I can’t get pregnant easy. I had an IUD put in and made mom perform some of her magic so it would work while I shifted.” She glanced up at him. “Plus, there is the fact we have some real nasty shit coming our way and I, for one, do not want to be pregnant while the fighting is going on.” She placed a kiss on his cheek.
“Now please let me down?” She asked.
“You have an IUD and you didn’t inform us of this?” Maxim growled, and pulled out of her, giving her the means to escape his hold.
“When have we had the time to talk? You two have just plowed ahead with whatever you have wanted to do without even saying boo to me, so don’t even go there.” She moved out of the shower, grabbing a towel. “Plus it has been inside me for a while before you were even in the picture.” She hollered over her shoulder heading out of the room.
“Willow!” Alton growled and followed not caring if he was wet and naked. “We will discuss this,” he ordered.
“Get dressed. Dylan is coming,” she said, slipping on a pair of jeans and tank top. It seemed that Alton and Maxim didn’t like her attire, so another summer dress replaced her outfit.
“Damn it, I want my jeans!” she snapped, when Dylan came into the room, and stopped. She glared at them, before moving to Dylan. “Hi baby, let’s go see what Ida has cooking for dinner. Plus, I want to check on Marsha,” she told her son, picking him up and going out the door, ignoring them.
“Well the hell,” Maxim snarled. “What do you want to do? I can remove it, but we’d risk...” Maxim glanced at the door.
“No, leave it for now. Maybe this trip we are planning will help. She is right, we haven’t confided with her in our plans, especially me. I also have a feeling we will have to keep a real close eye on her. I got the impression she was just waiting to meet this other set of grandparents, and not in a good way. We don’t need her starting a war when they visit.”
“Agreed, well let’s go see what our woman is up to now, because I have a feeling we will have to keep a tight leash on our Kitty,” Maxim growled, but smiled, producing a nice long leash.
The Forgotten One: Book Three of the Surrender Series Page 13
