by Layla Silver
“Okay?” he asked, his voice sounding strangled with the effort of being still. His fingers brushed my cheek.
“Yes. Oh, yes!”
“Mmm.” The bone-deep purr was back, and then he was moving, rocking in and out of me in a steady thrusting glide that made my eyes roll back in my head. I tried to match his rhythm, but my body was sluggish with bliss. The stretch was delicious, and I realized I was making noises—absurd, wild mewling sounds—but Caleb didn’t seem to care. He was nuzzling me again, coaxing me on in a rough voice as he kept moving, his thrusts getting choppier as his body, too, began to shudder.
I clung to him, aware that I was spiraling again, too. “Caleb,” I gasped. “Caleb, I think—”
“Yes,” he said gruffly. “Yes, come for me again, beautiful girl. Let me see you come while I’m inside you.” His hips jerked once, twice—and then I fell over that bright, shining cliff again, pleasure sweeping me away. I heard him say my name again, and then he was pulsing inside me, flooding me with heat from the inside out.
My mate, I thought, sagging as every bone melted to goo in the wake of my second orgasm. I found my mate.
I was only half-aware of him easing out of me, settling in next to me, but my body seemed to know what my brain did not, rolling sideways and nestling into him. Vaguely, I was aware of Caleb pulling the blankets over us, wrapping his arms around me, and burying his face in my hair. Warm, content, and exhausted, I slept.
Chapter 15 – Caleb
Gemma was warm and soft beside me, and my heart squeezed as she nestled closer into my side, her head pillowed on my chest. My entire body thrummed with the after-shocks of pleasure. Touching her, bringing her to climax that first time had wound me impossibly tight. Every fiber of my being had pulsed with need by the time I eased inside her. And that—making love to my mate for the first time—had been the best sex of my life, hands down. That she let me hold her now was a joy beyond words.
Contentment tugged my mind toward sleep, but I couldn’t quite drift off. A thought niggled in the back of my mind, refusing to let me rest.
Gemma had escaped a cult. A cult that sounded suspiciously like what little I remembered of the one my own family had fled more than a decade ago. Could it be the same one?
The idea sounded preposterous on its face. What were the odds of that? At the same time, it seemed equally absurd to think it wasn’t the same one. How many polygamous Lion cults that emphasized marriage could there be in the world, let alone our small corner of it? Then again, all cults thrived on the same general structures and methods of control and manipulation, didn’t they? Did it only sound the same because I didn’t remember enough of it to differentiate?
I was so young when we got out. Only hazy memories remained. None of the hard details like name or location that would help me know. My brothers would remember. The oldest few, at the very least. They’d been teenagers when we got out.
I felt a twinge of guilt for not mentioning my own past with a cult to Gemma when she’d confessed hers over dinner. It might have made her feel better, less alone. But there wouldn’t have been much to tell, with how little I remembered. More, I hadn’t wanted to tell her about my brothers’ feeling that they were still being watched by cult members even this long after getting out. Not when she was already so worried about her mother and sisters. She didn’t need to worry about that, now, too. One thing at a time.
Gemma sighed in her sleep and burrowed closer. I smiled and snuggled her closer, breathing her in. Tomorrow. We could deal with cults and the details of what happened now in the morning. For the moment, it was enough to simply enjoy being with her.
I woke to sunshine and the incredible satisfaction of Gemma asleep in my arms. I lingered for a while, watching her sleep. As the clock ticked closer to eight, though, I carefully extracted myself from her. Pulling on my pants, I didn’t bother with anything else. Finding my way to the kitchen, I rifled through the fridge and cupboards. I found decaf coffee and started a pot, then pulled out eggs, spinach, onions, bread, butter, and jam. It was clear from the contents of her fridge that Gemma was following the agency’s recommended shopping and eating plans. I made a mental note to order more groceries and have them delivered for her.
She’d said last night she’d applied for several remote accounting positions, all of which paid well. I had no doubt one of them would snap her up, but it was obvious from a glance around the apartment that she had a lot of making up for lost time to do financially. Even being temporarily between jobs myself, I had stable enough finances that I could help take care of my mate and our baby. More, I wanted to.
Well, truthfully, I wanted us to be together. To share everything—our lives, our finances, our baby. It would be unforgivably pushy to ask her to move in with me after our one date, however, no matter how good the sex was. In the meantime, I could buy her groceries, if only to make myself feel better about waiting.
I got an onion chopped and sautéing in some butter and then poured myself a mug of coffee. Whisking some eggs, I set them aside and shredded a handful of spinach into the pan.
Gemma emerged from the bedroom, gorgeously sleep-tousled and wearing only her panties and a t-shirt. She looked momentarily surprised at the sight of me, then smiled hopefully. “You cook?”
“Not too badly, if all reports are true.” I crossed the small kitchen and leaned down to kiss her.
She tipped her head up, her arms wrapping around my neck as she eagerly kissed me back. She was warm and sweet, and I pulled her in closer, my body already stirring with thoughts of delaying breakfast. But Gemma’s stomach rumbled audibly, and I pulled back laughing. She blushed but laughed, too.
“Have some coffee,” I nudged her toward the pot. “I’ll have the eggs done in a minute.”
I watched out of the corner of my eye, taking note of how she doctored her coffee so that I could do it for her next time. At the same time, I scrambled the eggs and popped a couple of pieces of toast in the toaster.
Gemma got out plates and silverware, and, as promised, I served up breakfast just a few minutes later. Guessing she’d be starving with the baby, I had made generous portions, and I was glad I had when she dug into hers with gusto.
“I’m so glad the morning sickness is mostly gone,” she confided, smearing jam on a piece of toast. “It was awful.”
“Miriam—my brother Chas’s wife—had it pretty badly a few months ago,” I sympathized. “He said it was miserable, and he was just watching.” I thought of sitting in my office, reading her reports, and being endlessly frustrated that I couldn’t help. I could now, but I bit my tongue against the urge to say so.
First date, I reminded myself. First date with a woman who’d come from a background of no choices and who’d never had a boyfriend. I could not rush this. Doing so would risk ruining everything. Still … not rushing didn’t mean I couldn’t take the next logical step, did it?
“I think you’d like her,” I said as casually as I could. “Actually, I think you’d like most of my family. Do you want to meet them? There’s a birthday party for my brother Cayden this afternoon. You could come with me. Meet everyone.” I tried not to sound too hopeful.
“Oh.”
She hesitated, and my heart fell. I’d pushed too hard.
“I would like to meet them,” she said, shaking her head regretfully. “But I can’t today. I have a mid-shift at the cafe.”
Relief seized me. I hadn’t overdone it. “What time are you done? I could pick you up after,” I offered.
“You’d have to leave the party,” she protested. “It’s all right.” She smiled. “You have a bunch of brothers, right? There should be another birthday party soon.”
I chuckled and poked at my eggs, trying not to be too disappointed. She wasn’t wrong.
“Besides, this way, you can give them fair warning before they meet me, and I can get in my hike,” she said cheerfully.
“Hike?” I asked, taking another bite of toast.
�
��I’ve been hiking,” she nodded happily. “To make sure I stay healthy for the baby. There’s a beautiful park at the edge of town, and it’s got this back trail that’s perfect! It’s gorgeous and quiet and just the right level of effort.”
I could feel my brows furrow. “Willowby?”
“You’ve been!”
“I have,” I agreed, carefully, “and I’m not sure that’s the best place to hike. “The park gets decent traffic, but those trails don’t see much use. There wouldn’t be anyone to help you if you needed it.”
“It’s fine,” she brushed off my concerns. “Don’t worry so much. I’ve been going all the time, and I haven’t had a single problem. It’s perfectly safe, and I’m careful.” She slid her hand across the table and twined her fingers with mine. “Just go enjoy your brother’s party, and we’ll see each other again soon, okay?”
I wasn’t sure that it was okay, but she was confident and happy, and I couldn’t bring myself to ruin the mood—and maybe my chances of having her in my life at all—by getting overbearing over a nagging feeling of discomfort I couldn’t pin down. With no other choice, I kissed her fingers and agreed.
Chapter 16 – Gemma
The day was gorgeous and sunny, a perfect fit for my mood. My shift had gone well, and the bus ride to the park was warm and easy. I’d even gotten a call during my shift from one of the accounting jobs I’d applied to, asking when I could start. The pay was excellent, and with that job in place, I’d have both income and stability even when the surrogacy was over.
Getting off the bus, I found almost no one else at the park, and that just felt perfect, too. A light breeze kissed my cheeks as I headed toward my favorite back trail, and I couldn’t help but think how idyllic it was to have the whole place practically to myself. No one else was around to interrupt my thoughts.
After last night, there was a lot to think about. All week, since the shocking reveal that Caleb was my baby’s father, I’d been struggling with the question of what to do. What I could do. What was best for my baby … because in finding out it was his, it also somehow became more mine. All week I’d lived with a weight in my heart because I knew that I wanted this baby. I knew just as well that I might not be the best thing for it. Caleb could offer our baby so much more than I could. More safety, more family, more everything. The least selfish thing I could do would be to let him raise the baby.
But now … now everything was different. Caleb didn’t just want our baby, he wanted me. It was presumptuous to think we could be a happy little family after one date, but he’d invited me to meet his family! The way he’d kissed me goodbye this morning left no doubts that he’d enjoyed the sex last night as much as I had and that he was interested in more. Besides, he’d openly said he believed we were mates.
We hadn’t talked about any of the messy details this morning. We’d need to. Just because he wanted the baby and me in his life didn’t mean he wanted to be together long-term. I couldn’t presume. But there was groundwork. We had to have a chance—
I smelled danger, enough to make my hackles rise, at the same moment I heard the snarl. I stumbled to a stop, my eyes going wide as fear curdled in my gut. “Portia.”
She emerged from the trees at the edge of the path wearing the same outfit she’d been in when I’d seen her before. When I’d stupidly convinced myself I hadn’t. Shit.
I scrambled backward, realizing she wasn’t alone. Shadows appeared among the tree-line behind her. I backed up further, cursing myself for being distracted, for not noticing the warning signs sooner. My blood turned to ice as the shadows resolved into the Elders. They prowled out of the forest, all their sights set on me. My own scent must have reeked of terror because Portia laughed, a cold, mocking sound like the ringing of icy bells.
“You thought you were so smart.” She stalked around me, her pretty face distorted in an ugly sneer.
I twisted, trying to keep her in my sightline without turning my back on the Elders. I couldn’t shift, not without risking the baby, and I’d never be able to take them in my human form. Hell, I couldn’t take them in my Lion form—not all of them. But at least I might have had a chance to get away.
“I know what you’ve been up to,” Portia continued, propping one hand on her hip and lifting the other to wag a finger at me. “Naughty little Lion.”
“What?” I had the horrible feeling I knew exactly what she was referring to, but if there was any chance she didn’t know about my baby, I was going to do my absolute best to hide it.
Portia laughed again, and the sound made me grind my teeth.
“Didn’t you wonder how a place as prestigious and careful as the agency screwed up badly enough to knock you up with a doctor’s sample?” she demanded, arching an eyebrow.
“You.” The word escaped in a whisper as pieces started to come together.
“Me,” she agreed, smugly. “I’ve been working in the lab for years on special assignment. I’m what you might call the ‘off-compound police,’” she bragged. “We keep an eye on deserters and find ways to bring them back. You,” she sniffed, “weren’t important enough to worry about, of course. But once you were at the agency, you were a perfect tool to use against Caleb. I’ve been trying to get him and his family back for years.”
Caleb’s family had been involved with the commune? Confusion washed over me, then dread. They were going to use me, use our baby, to hurt him! I’m sorry, I thought. I’m so sorry.
“Whatever you’re planning, it won’t work,” I said, clenching my fists and trying to sound bold. “Caleb knows about the lab accident. He knows it’s his baby, but he doesn’t owe us anything. We agreed I could keep it.”
“Mmmm,” Portia hummed, an evil glint in her eyes. “Try lying to someone who doesn’t know better, kitty cat. He left his job for you. Not quite what I had planned but convenient enough. Once he finds out we’ve taken you, he’ll come back to the compound like a good little boy. He’ll do anything my daddy and the other Elders say to keep his baby safe. All the Hawthornes are like that.”
Scorn dripped from her words and made my heart hurt. I’d never get to meet them, now, Caleb’s brothers and sisters-in-law. I’d never get off the compound again.
“Enough gloating, Portia,” her father said, stepping in. He put a hand on her shoulder, disgustingly proud of the evil his daughter had wrought. “We need to get her back to the compound before we’re interrupted.” He smiled at me evilly. “I’m sure her family would very much like to see her again.”
No. Resolve shot through me, and I spun blindly on my heel. Diving into the trees, I pelted away from them, darting through narrow openings between rocks and trees, trying to get away. I had to get help. If I could just—
My foot wrenched, and I went down hard, pain shooting up my ankle. I tried to grab a tree to keep myself upright but couldn’t find any purchase. My hands scraped painfully down the bark and came away bloody. I tumbled, a branch slicing at my cheek as I fell. Heaving for breath, I scrambled in the dirt and leaves. I could hear the others behind me and staggered to my feet, determined to keep going. I made it two steps before a fist closed on my hair.
Pain wrenched through the back of my head as I was yanked backward, and I cried out. The sound cut off sharply as I slammed hard into Brother Markus’s chest. I cringed away, but he held me fast, his hands like vises on my arms.
“If Caleb doesn’t come for you, perhaps you’ll be my latest wife after all.” My stomach churned at the heat of his breath on my neck and the way he sniffed my temple, scenting me like a beast about to mark its territory. “I’ll take you and your sister Meaghan. I’ll turn you into the most obedient wives the compound has ever seen.”
I thrashed, and Brother James moved in. He backhanded me, the blow sending my head snapping to the side. The world swam in my vision, and I lost my balance. Then I was moving, my head still swimming as Brother Markus and Brother James each grabbed an arm and dragged me deeper into the woods, away from the trail.
Away from the trail, I thought hazily. Of course, no cars. I hadn’t seen vehicles when I’d arrived, which meant they’d hidden them somewhere so no one would know. They’d take me away, and no one would have any idea what had happened. Not until they used the baby and me as bait for Caleb.
Fury coursed through me, and I fought, snapping and snarling. Brother James hit me again, and even through the ringing in my ears, I could hear the others laughing.
Despair cut deeply, and I blinked against the tears and blurry vision, trying to think. To find something I could do—anything.
“Let her go!”
The Elders jerked to a halt, jarring me. Lifting my head, I stared, certain I was hallucinating. Caleb stood on a rise just ahead, yanking his t-shirt over his head. Around him, seven other men—all every bit as tall, golden, and muscular as he was—were stripping and throwing their clothes aside, too. One was already shifting, the crack of bone ringing through the trees as he transformed.
“Let Gemma go,” Caleb ordered again as three more of what could only be his brothers started to shift.
They were enormous, with the thickest manes I’d ever seen. Unbeaten, I thought. With manes like that, they’d never been bested.
Brother Markus threw me forward, and I landed on my knees painfully, shame washing through me. “You want my soon-to-be-wife, Caleb?” he mocked, peeling off his own clothes as he prepared to shift. “Come take her.”
Roars split the air, and I curled into a ball over my knees, instinctively trying to protect my baby as the fight erupted around me.
The ground shook as the Elders collided with Caleb and his brothers. Roars and snarls split the air, and I gagged as the scent of blood flooded the woods. A hand closed on my arm, and I jerked my head up.
“Get up!” Portia hissed, yanking at me. Her face was livid with rage, and her nails dug into my skin. “I’ve worked too hard for too long to lose now!”
Hate arced through me, and I shoved her, throwing all my weight into taking her off balance. She shrieked in fury, and then we were rolling on the ground. I tried to keep myself angled, to protect my belly while I clawed and swung violently. I needed to hit her, to knock her down, knock her out—whatever it took to keep from being dragged away.
