“Just wondering what life will be like living with a wolf pack.”
“An adventure,” Sasha giggled. “Hell, as long as I’m not in a cage, it will be like heaven.”
Nicole covered her mouth and yawned. “Our pack has witches, vampires, lions, bears, now a leopard. They won’t care what you are as long as you are loyal.”
“I’m a little more than worried. I know you said they all fully recovered, but still … I almost killed two of them.”
“Chris and Sarah will not be your best friends by a long shot, but trust has to be earned, Aaron. Once they get to know you, they’ll love you, too.”
He shrugged, still not convinced. She had a lot of faith in the melting pot she called a family. The seat across from him squeaked and he looked up. His sister was wiggling like a two-year-old who needed a potty break.
“Spit it out, Sasha.”
“Do you have any tiger shifters in the pack, Nicole? You said witches, vampires, which by the way—eeewwww—and lions, bears, now us, but do you have any tigers? I’ve never met one and I’ve always wanted to.” She winked and smiled. Such a tease.
“No,” Nicole shook her head, but did chuckle just a little. “I’ve never met one either. Camila, our vampire slash witch, is nice though … most of the time. You will like her.”
Aaron turned his attention from the chattering of his sister and Nicole and focused on first on Lycurgus or Lee or whatever he wanted to be called. Lee was pretending to sleep, but his irregular breathing pattern was a dead giveaway that he was faking. A little farther to his right, on the other side of the plane, Jason Demakis gazed out the window.
Jason turned and looked him in the eye for a moment and then turned back to the window without a word. One of the eleven Original werewolves and his creator were sitting not more than five feet from him. Two of the most powerful supernatural beings anywhere on the earth.
They were all on a plane to the headquarters of a New York werewolf pack where the Alpha female called the shots and her player of a husband was never to be found. And this had been their standard arrangement for nearly two centuries. Needless to say, they’d yet to have any children, probably because she refused. He couldn’t blame her.
The Vegas pack took in everyone. Humans, witches, lions, bears, awakened latent wolves, and now unbeknownst to them, were about to add two leopards into the mix.
“It’s the beginning a brand new life. Chin up. You need a little more of your sister’s enthusiasm.”
Yeah, well. She didn’t almost murder two of their pack.
No response.
Thought so. Even his leopard knew when to stop arguing. What am I going to do? It’s not like they’re going to turn around and offer me a job doing something in the pack. They don’t even know me. I can’t stand the thought of just being a weight around someone’s neck. Nicole might have grown up with a silver spoon her mouth, but I earn my keep.
Nicole put her hand over one of his knees and rubbed her thumb in a circular pattern. The movement was subtle and she continued to chitchat with his sister about all kinds of things regular girls talk about. Of course, the last time his sister had been a girl was back around nineteen hundred. A few things had changed since then and she couldn’t wait to explore. Her joyful spirit lifted the mood of the whole plane. Even Lee and Jason had joined in with Nicole, regaling Sasha about all the cool things she had to see when she got to New York.
It was good.
Nicole was smiling, not dwelling on her mom.
He was distracted from his thoughts of being a hated agent of the Council, and Nicole’s thumb was lulling him into a deep sleep. His eyelids were heavy. He needed to rest. Really rest. The last full night of sleep he’d gotten was so far back he couldn’t remember it.
“Just remember, I love you, Aaron,” she whispered into his ear.
Their mate bond was broadcasting his emotions loud and clear. Damn magickal connection. Nothing would ever be private again. At the same time, it was a relief. He couldn’t keep things bottled up with a mate to sense them.
Those three little words were just what he needed. The worries slipped away and his mind relaxed. His eyes closed and he leaned his head back against the headrest of the seat.
He would walk through fire for the woman next to him and that was all that mattered right now. He would never be alone again. Taking Nicole from that little cabin in Logan may have been a mistake to begin with, but it’d turned out to be just what fate had in mind.
If she thought his redemption was possible, then maybe it was.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“I need to do this with my sisters.” It took all her willpower to keep from breaking down and letting him go in with her. Sam had asked that it only be family and she hadn’t let her husband Chase go into the cell either.
It was time.
Lee stood by the door silently. Nicole’s sisters were already inside the cell. Her mother’s voice carried through the metal door. It sounded like her mother. But her heart knew it wasn’t.
“I’ll be right here, if you need me, love.”
She sniffed and nodded, releasing the death grip she had on Aaron’s sweatshirt.
Turning back to Lee, she moved past him and pushed open the door. He followed her through and it clicked shut behind them.
“Ah, I wondered if you were too chicken to watch him kill me.” Her mother’s voice cut like a razorblade through her resolve.
“Stop it,” Sam snapped. “We all know it’s not really Renata doing the talking. “If it wasn’t for your all-consuming hatred, this wouldn’t be happening. Instead, you’ve caused only more pain and suffering. I’m sure your lost mate Henry would be so proud.”
Renata stilled behind the bars of the cage. She recovered quickly, though, and a sneer spread across her face. “It doesn’t matter what he would think. He was stolen from me. The love I should’ve had was taken before it could even begin. I was left with this emptiness inside me that even having children couldn’t fill.”
The twins gasped. Nicole placed a hand on either of their shoulders and stepped closer. “It’s not her. She doesn’t mean that. You have to remember it’s not Mom.”
Tess bit her lip and nodded. Hallie just closed her eyes.
“P-please s-start, Lee,” Sam choked out.
The werewolf creator stepped toward the cage and magick poured from his body, filling the room with an electric charge. He chanted something in Greek and then repeated it once more. His eyes closed and his arms stiffened. The chant ran together, faster and faster.
His magick was hot on her skin. The air crackled and sparked, but he was directing it straight at Renata. A howl of pain came from the cage. Her mother started to shift and then back and then to wolf form again. Her eyes glowed gold and then turned as black as her fur.
A snarl curled on her mouth and she snapped angrily at the bars. Then she shifted and was human again. Lee’s chanting stopped and his arms slowly dropped to his sides. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes.
Movement on the floor of the cage caught her eye and she saw her mother grab the blanket off the cot to wrap around her body. The sudden shifting had all but shredded the clothes she’d been wearing.
Lee walked up to the cage and stopped only inches away. “I’m so sorry, my sweet child. You should never have had to suffer the way you did. I am to blame. I shouldn’t have left.”
Renata looked up. Her eyes clear, but glassy with tears. “In my lifetime, I never dreamed you were more than a tale told by the elders. It is an honor just to be in your presence.” She reached a hand through the bars and took his hand. “This was not your fault. We did this to ourselves. I was not the only one who suffered because of royal pride and prejudice.”
“You don’t have long, Renata. You need to say goodbye to your girls.”
Tears streamed down her mother’s cheeks as she turned away from Lee and faced them. Sam sank to the floor and wept, crawling on her hands and knees to the cage. Her
mother reached through the bars and embraced her daughter, weeping in kind.
Tears blinded Nicole, but she stayed still and held back Tess and Hallie. Sam needed this moment more than any of them.
“We needed you so much,” Sam bawled. “Why did you let her take you away?”
“I’m so sorry my sweet Samantha. I can only beg you to believe me when I say that I love you with my whole heart and that never changed. Even when I could no longer say it or show it. I’m so proud of you for fighting the system that destroyed my soul. Your father would be proud of you. Of everything you and the pack have accomplished.”
Nicole wiped the tears from her eyes and the twins rushed to kneel next to Sam. Renata embraced them the best they could through the bars. She whispered sweet words and pulled them close, kissing their foreheads.
“Nicole?” Her mother’s voice spoke her name. “My darling, sweet girl.” She sounded like her mother had so many years ago. She remembered a sweet, caring woman who lavished them with love. The transformation had taken her over so gradually. It was a shock to be sent back to memories from fifteen and twenty years ago. They’d been losing her for so long and didn’t even realize it.
“Can’t we go in?” she pleaded to Lee.
He shook his head. I used the cage as a veil to block her magick. Just as I used the amphitheater back in Greece. She can’t come out and we can’t go in. It will take hours for her wolf to give up trying to go back to her and fade away. In that time, Renata the woman will pass. Her body is too old to support itself without the healing energy of her magick.”
She nodded and hurried to go embrace her mother. Sam moved to the side and Nicole thrust her arms between the bars and hugged her mom, something she couldn’t remember doing in years.
“I love you, my sweet darling. I’m so grateful for this chance to tell you. To tell all of you how much you mean to me.” Her mother hugged her tightly and smoothed her tear-dampened hair from her face. “What I said earlier was untrue ... what she said … Having you girls was what healed my heart and allowed me to fall in love with your father. I fought for s-so long.” She paused and took a deep breath, but managed only a half-gasp.
“Mom,” Sam whimpered.
“I’m s-so sorry I lost. I’m so sorry I stole your father from you in the process. He loved you all so much.”
Renata’s face whitened and she gasped again, releasing Nicole’s shoulder to grasp one of the bars.
“Mom!” Nicole screamed. It wasn’t fair. They deserved more than a few minutes. “Lee! Do something.”
“I love you, my sweet girls. Be good to each other.”
No. No. No.
Nicole choked on her tears as her mother leaned sideways. Renata’s hand slipped from the bar of the cage and her body fell to the concrete floor with a soft thud.
She hugged her sisters and they wept. For the mother they’d lost and for the mother who had been returned to them. It was better to know than to wonder for the rest of their lives. She was glad Lee had convinced them all to come.
CHAPTER TWELVE
A year later …
Nicole sat quietly on the grass, staring down at a black granite gravestone. It read —Renata Antipas Demakis, Beloved Mother. Next to it lay a marker for her father —Peter Demakis, Beloved Father. When she and her sisters had decided to ask Margaret and Scott for permission to bury their mother in the forest near Woodhaven, they’d also requested to have their father moved there as well.
They would have wanted to be together. Even after everything that happened.
She came to visit as often as she could. But busy was the name of the game when you were trying to help an entire society rebuild its governing system. Melinda had been more than happy to give Aaron a place in the New York pack and they had settled in well. She enjoyed the city, but missed the peace and quiet she’d grown accustomed to her at the inn.
Sarah and Chris seemed to have moved past what happened, but Aaron still felt uncomfortable. He avoided them if at all possible. She hoped in time it would be better for him. Guilt still weighed heavy on his heart, even though they were both perfectly healthy, as well as Sarah’s little boy.
Focusing her attention back on the headstones, she smiled. “I wanted to tell you both, you will be grandparents soon. I’ve officially beaten Sam at something.” She laughed. “Aaron’s and my baby is due a month before hers. Chase was so bummed.” A giggle escaped as she remembered her brother-in-law’s face when he heard their news. “I know you would say we are too young, but our husbands aren’t and they seemed perfectly happy with the announcements. You should’ve seen them. So proud. So happy.”
The wind rustled through the trees and she shivered. The snap of several twigs came from behind her back. She turned. Aaron walked up and knelt behind her, pulling off his coat and wrapping it around her shoulders.
“How did they take the news?” he asked, pressing a soft kiss to her temple.
“They were excited.” She stood, knowing he wanted her to come back inside. He slipped an arm around her waist as they walked back toward the inn. “You should hear Dad boasting about how he’s the only one in his family with grandchildren so far.”
“That’s good. I know my parents would be the same way.”
“I’m so happy. Life is good right now. But the werewolf Council is still in shambles and I just have this feeling another shoe is set to drop.”
“Shhh, stop worrying. It’s just an overload of hormones. We have a beautiful home and a baby on the way. One creator is married into your sister’s pack, another is on speed dial, and the Demakis Original lives in New York with your aunt watching over everyone. I think everything is going to be just fine, love.”
“I know. You’re right.” She leaned into his side, relishing his warmth. Their mate bond swirled around her, bathing her in his affection. “How did I get so lucky?”
“Your grandparents sent me to fetch you.”
She punched at one of his arms that encircled her, but he grabbed her wayward fist and leaned down, nosing the coat open to nibble at her neck. His tongue caressed one of the many mate marks scattered across both of her shoulders.
“Pain in the ass. They did not send you. You volunteered to take me.”
He squeezed her playfully. “And I’d take you all over again, as long as it meant you’d end up in my arms as happy as you are today.”
“I love you, kitty cat.”
His fangs scraped lightly along her shoulder, warming her skin and sending shivers of pleasure down her body. “I am not a kitty cat.”
“Meow,” she purred in her best housecat imitation. She was still tired from last night’s escapades, but another romp always sounded like a good idea to her. Judging by the arousal flooding to her through their mate bond, her man felt exactly the same way.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Krystal Shannan goes to sleep every night dreaming of mythical realms with werewolves, vampires, fae, and dragons. Occasional a fabulous, completely human story slips into the mix, but powers and abilities usually crop up without fail, twisting reality into whatever her mind can conceive.
As a child, her parents encouraged her interests in Ancient Greek and Roman mythology and all things historical and magickal. As an adult, the interests only grew. She is a child of Neverland and refuses to ever stop believing in fairies. She is guilty of indulging in and being a Buffy the Vampire Slayer groupie as well as an Angel fan. For those of you unfamiliar with the world of Joss Whedon, you are missing out!
She also makes sure to watch as many action and adventure movies as possible. The more exciting the better. Yippee-Ki-Yay..... If you don't know the end of that phrase, then you probably don't like the same movies.
She enjoys reading romance in all genres, but especially paranormal. Her favorite book is ACHERON by Sherrilyn Kenyon. But really, if it has a 'Happily Ever After', she's on board!
Krystal writes stories full of action, snark, magick, and heart-felt emotion. If you are lookin
g for leisurely-paced sweet romance, her books are probably not for you. However, for those looking for a magickal ride, filled with adventure, passion, and just a hint of humor. Welcome home.
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If you enjoyed TAKING NICOLE, be sure to check more Krystal Shannan books.
Vegas Mates, in series order…
Chasing Sam, Book 1 (Novella)
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
Saving Margaret, Book 2
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
Waking Sarah, Book 3
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
Taking Nicole, Book 4
Pool of Souls, in series order…
Open House, Book 1 (Novella)
Rebecca Carol and Robert Corvin missed their chance to fall in love when Ares, God of War, took control of Robert's career. Rebecca's and Robert's souls have naturally pulled them back together for a second chance, but... How far will Ares go to get his own way?
Intrinsically woven into the fabric of human existence, Aphrodite, Titan Goddess of Love and Passion, dedicates herself to matching soul mates.
Will divine influence create another perfect match or will it tear them apart forever?
Taking Nicole (Vegas Mates Series)(#4) Page 13
