An image of Ethan’s face materializes in my mind’s eye. Looking in his gaze, I’ve never known such comfort or contentment. Since I first met him, I’ve felt a connection, a bond growing between me and him, which only grew stronger in the house when he offered his protection.
A sensation of falling makes my body jerk, and my eyes spring open.
“You okay?” He brushes some stray hairs out of my face.
“Yeah.” I nod and do a mini stretch. “I must’ve dozed off.”
Now alert, the source of the steady cadence in my ear—his heartbeat—makes my body warm with a full-on flush.
“Sorry.” Lifting my head from his chest, I reposition my upper body and sit erect.
Moisture coats my lips. Oh, God, did I drool on him? A renewed heat warms my cheeks.
An inspection of his shirt reveals only the dry material of the fabric.
“How long was I out?” I cover a yawn with the back of a hand.
He glances at the watch on his wrist. “About four hours.”
“My clothes.” I leap from the couch.
“Already dry.” He points to a folded stack of garments.
My bra sits on top of the display, offering a glimpse at the elastic band outlining the cup.
Great. Just what I needed—a guy fondling and folding my undies.
Ethan shifts on the couch and reaches for my arm.
His grip, firm but gentle, makes me acutely aware of just how much hotter his skin feels against mine.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.” He coaxes me on to the cushion next to him. “Ask away.”
“Your body temperature, it’s hotter, right?”
“Not too much higher, but yeah. It runs around 99.5 to 100.”
“What about your heartbeat?” I draw my legs on to the couch under me and slip my toes between the cushions. “Faster or slower?”
He takes hold of my wrist and places my palm inside his shirt.
“Faster. But I can consciously slow the beat, especially during transformation.”
“Cole, too?”
“Yes.” The steady beat of his heart reduces speed and intensity.
“Does it hurt when you change?”
“No. Not really.”
His eyes trail to the left, indicating he’s thinking or recalling a memory—or so my biology teacher had said last week.
“I can feel it, but nah, it’s not painful.”
“Do you stay you”—I lock gazes with him—“when you change?”
“Of course. It’s not as if I shift into a different person.”
“No. That’s not what I mean.” I skim the tips of my fingers along the curve of his neck and follow the line of his jaw. “Do you retain your humanity?” The fine stubbles tickles. “Do you remember who you are now and your thoughts?”
“Yes. Transformation doesn’t alter the person I am, it only changes the form I take.” He sniffs the air. “But it does heighten the senses of my inner beast.”
“Senses?”
“Namely smell and sight.”
“And in this form?” I touch the messy strands of hair covering his left temple. They slide like silk through my fingertips. “Are they heightened?”
I’m drawn to the bow of his lips and left wondering what a kiss would feel like.
“More than those of a human.”
“Earlier, you stated you could smell me—my arousal.” A warmth heats my cheeks.
“I did.” His tongue skims across his lower lip.
“So, what do I taste like?” I lean in and he meets me halfway.
“I’ll let you know.”
His lips, warm, firm, and skilled, claim my mouth. He toys with my lower lip, nipping on it, and then his tongue dances around mine.
“God,” Ethan whispers in my ear. “What are you doing to me? Since I met you, you’re all I think about.” He reclaims my lips.
I wrap my arms around his neck, lacing my fingers through his hair.
His body stiffens, and he springs to his feet, breaking contact.
I place a hand against my tingling lips. “What’s wrong?”
He holds a finger to his lips. “Shh.”
The door handle jiggles.
A bone-chilling howl pierces the night.
“What the hell was that?” I scuttle off the couch. “Is it one of those things?”
The front door swings open, and a gust of wind chills the air.
A man with piercing, amber-colored glowing eyes looms in the doorway. “Where is she?”
Ethan steps in front of me. “What’s going on, Keegan?”
“Is he wolfing out?” Okay, Keegan is a bit intimidating. Well, a whole lot intimidating.
More howls funnel in from outside.
Keegan enters, followed by Cole, who shuts the door.
“The clans have gathered as you can hear.” Keegan approaches. His eyes, a deep cobalt blue now, offer a sharp contrast against his olive complexion. “They want the girl.”
Blue-black hair hangs around his face. His features, sharp and contoured, exudes masculinity with an underline predatory sense.
Fear bubbles inside me, making the muscles in the pit of my stomach twist. “I don’t understand.”
I’ve read countless books and watched enough movies about werewolves and other creatures to know, at this moment, Keegan’s the hunter, so that makes me the prey.
Hell, I’ve seen my fair share of National Geographic and know what an alpha member of a pack looks like. I might not know how wolf clans work, but I sure as hell know how wild dogs fight for supremacy in the wild.
There’s pecking order, and from what I can see, Keegan sits on top of it.
“W-why me?”
Is this situation any different than out in the wild? Are lupines?
“Because you’re Kindred,” replies Keegan.
“What the hell is that?” The word slams into my mind a few times but the meaning remains elusive.
“Come here.” Keegan extends an open hand.
Is he addressing me like a dog? What the fuck?
“Uhm. Nope.” I shake my head. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m good over here.”
“That’s not a request”—Keegan’s words utter a tone of warning—“it’s an order.”
Keegan sniffs the air. His eyes narrow, and he ushers a deep, throaty growl.
He turns dark eyes upon Ethan. “What the fuck have you done now?”
I take a few steps back, then stumble.
The bathroom comes to mind. But can I reach it before he catches up with me?
Keegan covers the gap between me and him and then shoves Ethan out of the way.
A new wave of terror creeps the length of my spine. I pivot on the balls of my feet. My soles smack the cold tile. First one step then another.
“Not so fast.”
Grabbing hold of the T-shirt I’m wearing, he stops me dead in my tracks, and then drags me to his muscular frame.
“Did he stake a claim to you?” His hot, minty breath blows across the side of my face.
“W-what? Please.” Fear wells deep inside my belly. “I don’t understand.”
“Did he bite you?” Keegan turns to Ethan. “I can smell you on her along with the lingering aftermath of lust. So, did you mark her?”
“No.” Ethan shakes his head. “I didn’t because she doesn’t understand what it means. But I do stake a verbal claim to her now.”
“Fuck,” Keegan says under his breath. “Son-of-a-bitch. Do you know what you’ve done? What you’ve both done: you by coming here”—his eyes cut deep into my soul—“and him for latching on like a suckling whelp?”
“Where does this leave us?” asks Cole. “Already, the heads of the other clans are talking outside the house.”
“What does that even mean?” Red glowing eyes wash through my mind, and I shiver. “Why me?”
“They’re demanding her release.” Cole stays standing in the entry.
�
��Wait.” Fear rips through me. “Are you turning me over to them”—I point to the mob outside the window—“or to those beasts from Roman’s house?”
Keegan growls, again. “You may be young and ignorant to our ways, to our brethren, but that doesn’t mean you’re exempt.” He drags me closer to the door. “And let’s not forget, you and Ethan killed two Kweo scouts.”
“What are you talking about? What’s a Kindred?” I struggle against his hold, trying to free myself. “And we were protecting ourselves.”
“You don’t know what a Kindred is?” Cole rises to full height, towering over me. “You’re fuckin’ kidding, right?”
“No,” I say to Cole. “I’m not. I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You’re half lupine and half witch—an elemental—a female at that, which is rare. Therefore, you’re what our brethren calls Kindred.” Keegan wraps a hand around my wrist. “And as for the lycans you two killed—”
Half lupine, half witch, the thought swirls around. Which one comes from my grandfather?
“But I was defending myself.” My gaze travels from Cole to Keegan. “We both were.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Keegan tightens his hold. “You spilled blood on hallowed ground. Therefore, law requires justice.”
“But that glowing-eyed bastard attacked me first, and the other went after Ethan. If I hadn’t shot him, he would’ve killed me.” I struggle to free his hold. “And who are you to sit as judge and executioner?”
“The council will decide your fate, not me.”
“Let go.” I grip his fingers with mine and try to pry them off. “I should’ve never come to this shit hole.” Tears stream down my cheeks.
Ethan growls and steps forward.
“Don’t.” Cole shoves his brother back.
“Stay put, Ethan. You’ve done enough.” Keegan points an accusing finger at him. “I’ll deal with you later.”
Keegan drags to me a window and pulls the curtains all the way back.
“Stop it.” I stumble, then regain my footing.
“Do you see those men?” He shoves me closer to the windowpane.
“Yes.” I fight to remain in control of my emotions, which right now, have me on a rollercoaster ride I can’t seem to stop.
“They’re here because of you.” Keegan motions to the window.
“But I’m nobody.”
“Nobody? You. Are. Kindred.” Keegan pauses, allowing silence to suffocate the breathable air. “Because of you, before morning, there’ll be more of them. Already, the Shoshone, Black Foot, Lakota, and Kweo have each staked their claim.”
“What? To me?” It makes no sense. “I’m a person, not livestock.”
Outside, droves of men and a few women dot the twilight landscape.
“No. You are Kindred.”
Keegan loosens his hold and leans closer to the window. The irises of his eyes take on a reddish-amber glow once again.
Is he using wolf-a-vision? The thought tumbles around.
“What are you doing?” I stare out into the darkness. “What do you see?”
Bet it’s better than night vision goggles. Oh, my God. What the fuck is wrong with me. Focus already.
“Son-of-a-bitch.” Keegan shakes his head, then sighs. “Fuck.”
“What?” I search the darkness again, but my eyes only pick up on masses moving in the shadows.
Cole approaches the sill. “What’s wrong?”
“The Formilia coven has arrived, which means other Wiccans aren’t far behind.” Keegan focuses on movement in the yard.
“Wiccans?” I strain my eyes to gain a better view. Wish I had souped up eyes. “Hold up. Do you mean witches?”
“Yes.” Keegan’s response is short and clipped.
Keegan’s and Cole’s eyes both glow a golden, coppery color, and the slits of their pupils look more canine than human.
“When you and Ethan killed the lycans from the Kweo clan, it brought discord to the doorstep of my kin, the Shoshone clan.”
“I didn’t mean to cause trouble.” The words pass my trembling lips. “I didn’t mean—if I could take back last night, I would. But I can’t. So, what will happen to me—to us?”
“Now that it’s known you’re Kindred”—Keegan’s words soften in tone—“your presence facilitates war.”
“I didn’t ask for that. I just wanted to come home—to my grandfather’s place. Maybe even learn about him.”
“None of that matters now.”
“Maybe not to you, but it does to me.” I scrunch my brows together, thinking. Was my mother a wolf or a witch?
Keegan releases me.
“As the alpha, the leader of my tribe, I’m being called out to release you to the chair heads of the Council of the Clans, to which I’m a member of, a head member at that.”
I rub the red, angry flesh of my wrist.
Cole stands, arms crossed over his chest. “You’ve brought witches and warlocks to my soil—those from the Formilia coven.
“That means only one thing.” Keegan turns his gaze on Cole.
“What now?” Ethan makes a move to approach.
“The Order of the Covens’ Creed isn’t far behind.” Cole intercepts Ethan. “Sit your ass down.”
“You can’t turn her over to the Council of the Clans or to the Order.” Ethan stands toe to toe with his brother.
“What if I don’t want to go?” I slide past Keegan.
“Like you said”—Ethan rips free of Cole’s hold—“she’s an innocent in all this.”
Keegan steps in front of me, reclaiming his hold on my wrist and keeping his body as a barrier between me and Ethan.
“Do as your brother ordered.” Keegan points to the couch. “Sit. Your. Ass. Down.”
“Come on.” Ethan stands his ground. “She didn’t even know she was Kindred.”
Keegan grabs Ethan by the neck with one hand, and then shoves him against the wall, all without relinquishing his hold on me.
“The laws are clear.” He lifts Ethan’s feet off the floor. “I’m to turn her over to the proper authorities because our clan doesn’t have an explicit claim to her.”
“Wait. What was my grandfather, Roman?” I twist my arm back and forth, trying to loosen Keegan’s iron grip. “A witch or shifter like you?”
“Lupine.” Keegan breaths the single word.
“What clan was he from?” I struggle to stay in control of my emotions.
“Shoshone.” Keegan shakes Ethan. “Stop moving, whelp.” He turns his attention back to me. “He was alpha before he named me.”
Keegan releases Ethan, who crashes to the floor, coughing and gasping for air.
“Stay down.” Keegan’s words come out as a growl with a primal undertone.
“Then doesn’t that make me part of the Shoshone clan by birth? Part of your kin?”
“No. Because you are Kindred,” says Keegan, “And as a Kindred, you’re born without a clan, which is why they sent you away.”
A rap at the door makes me jump. “Don’t give me to them. Please.” My eyes fill with tears. “Ethan, do something.”
Ethan, still coughing, rises. He takes two steps.
“Can’t let you do that, little brother.” Cole grabs Ethan, stopping him dead in his tracks.
The door swings open, revealing a woman with red hair and skin void of color.
“I am Agartha MacLauchlan, high priestess of the Formilia coven and the head of the Order of the Covens’ Creed. I demand a word with the Kindred female, Sadie Reed, and an audience with Keegan and the Cotter whelps.”
“No,” Sadie’s voice quivers. “I don’t want to go. Please.”
Ethan lunges forward, ripping free of Cole’s hold. “Sadie.”
Cole wrestles Ethan to the ground, restraining him. “Stay down.”
Keegan holds out a hand and motions to Cole. “Release him.” He glares at Ethan. “Control your wolf, or I will take you down.” Turning around to face the floating woman,
he demands, “Why are you here, witch? I didn’t invite you into the home of my kin, my brethren.”
Agartha shuts the door. “Send the others to another room, and let us talk, you and me.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Ethan rubs his neck and coughs. “This is my house.”
I place a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. He wraps an arm around my waist, leaning against me for added support.
Agartha raises a brow. “Very well.” She looks between me and Ethan before turning her attention to Keegan. “What I say now, must never leave these walls.” She pauses. “I’m here on behalf of the Kindred, whom is of blood relation.”
“Relation? How?” Keegan squares his shoulders. “Explain.”
“I’m the girl’s paternal grandmother, which you would be wise not to repeat.” Agartha holds up a hand to silence the room.
“Zachary?” The name flows from Keegan’s lips.
“No. My illegitimate son, Augustus, a high septon of the order, sired her.”
“That breaks not one but several laws of the ancient Wiccan and Lupine treaty.” A low-tone growl etches Keegan’s words.
“Yes. And for these crimes, the septons executed him—with extreme prejudice.” Her face remains emotionless. “For sixteen years, I upheld a secret truce between myself and one of your kin.
“Roman Novak.” Keegan holds her gaze.
“It was his daughter, Kimberly, who carried the half lupine and half Wiccan offspring. Sadly, the mother died giving birth to the Kindred, so she never got to go to trial to plead her case on behalf of the child.” She draws in a deep breath.
“I don’t understand.” A dizzy haze clouds my vision. “If I had a family, why was I sent away? He didn’t want me? You didn’t—” Tears well in my eyes.
“It wasn’t a matter of want but survival.” She floats closer. “Roman and I swore an allegiance to protect you, the infant, which we did by binding your powers right after birth.
“Binded? What’s that?” Confusion creases the inner folds of my thoughts. “And why?”
“To keep you hidden and safe. And it worked, that is until Roman’s recent death.” She walks over to the couch and sits down. “Come. Join me. All of you.”
“No.” Keegan opens his stance, then crosses his arms over his chest. “I will stand.”
Cole takes a seat in the recliner, keeping both the widow and the door in full view.
Sadie Page 6
