“Is this her?” Katrina asked Thorn. Her answer was a nod. “Really? Funny, I don’t see the attraction. She’s so…I don’t know what to call her. Frigid, maybe.” That got a light snicker from him. “So you’re the bitch who rejected him.” Katrina looked her up and down. “Wow. Have to say thank you for that I guess. Your loss is my gain.”
The woman stopped mere inches from Katrina. “Who the hell are you?” She looked Katrina up and down then snorted in disgust. “Don’t tell me you laid with him? Don’t you know anything about him? He’s disgusting! He’s tainted with bad blood.’
Katrina didn’t think, only acted. Swinging wide she hit the girl as hard as she could with a closed fist, knocking her down, busting her lip open. “Bitch, that is my mate. You will show some fucking respect or I’ll kick your ass all over this room. Understand?” Slowly Katrina turned and shrugged her shoulders at Thorn who had one eyebrow raised up at her. “It’s the hormones.”
“William Weaver,” one of the men behind Thorn, announced. “You are under arrest for crimes against your own kind.” The others came around Thorn and took hold of William by the arms, getting him back to his feet. “We are here by the authority of the Cabinet, which you will be judged by for your crimes.”
“What?” William gasped. “I haven’t done anything!”
“We have proof you paid to kill families forming a new Cabinet,” Thorn said, low and deadly. “Do you even know what you’ve done? How many innocent males have died because of you?”
William fought with the hands holding him and stood in front of Thorn, narrowing his eyes on him. “I did nothing but protect my family from tainted blood such as yours. You are not worthy to be called a shifter. All things like you do is breed filth! You and that bitch of yours should be put down.”
Thorn quickly grabbed hold of William’s throat with a snarl. He squeezed and William’s eyes got wide. “My family is more worthy of being shifters than any of yours. I may be tainted in your eyes, but my bloodline will live on. What will happen to yours? Who will mate with your precious daughter now knowing that her father is a traitor to her own kind?” He shoved William away and the men dragged him out. His attention then went to Frances who was still on the floor, another female next to her. He said nothing to her just took Katrina’s hand and walked away.
As quickly as he could walk, Thorn headed for the truck. Once he got Katrina inside he breathed a small sigh of relief. Standing next to his own door he watched as William Weaver was taken away. The man still fought, still yelled about pure blood until the door closed on his rants. Once their vehicle left, Thorn got into the truck, started it up and pulled away.
Katrina scooted closer to him, one arm going over his shoulders and into his hair. She kissed his cheek, then his throat. “Pull over,” she whispered in his ear.
Thorn didn’t need to be told twice. He saw a dirt road coming up and quickly turned into it. When he figured they were far enough away from the road he stopped, put it in gear, turned it off and had her in his lap, kissing her deep.
Something inside him snapped. He had to have her right now, and it seemed that she felt the same way. Her hands were all over him. Pulling up his shirt, tugging at his jeans. Thorn also tugged on her jeans, helping her to get one leg at least free of them.
Words weren’t needed right then. The leg free, Katrina straddled him, he moved her panties to the side and she sank down onto him. He moaned into the kiss, closed both hands over her breasts under the shirt and Katrina reached up to the roof and started to bounce on him.
She fucked him hard, fast, panting into the kiss and rocking the truck. Thorn could hardly hold on to his own release and became powerless from stopping it. He came fast and suddenly, moaning against her lips. A few more hard thrusts from her and she also gasped, her sweet body contracting around his still pulsing cock. Before the pleasure was all the way over she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tight, breathing hard.
“This scares me,” she whispered against his neck.”
Thorn wrapped his own arms around her, keeping her still. “What does?”
“How I feel.”
“And how’s that?”
The hold on his neck got tighter. “I think I’m falling in love with you, and it scares me.”
Thorn took a deep breath and forced her to sit up so he could look her in the eye. “Why would it scare you?”
Tears filled up in her eyes and fell down her cheeks. “Because I know it’s one sided and I’m sorry,” she rushed out. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to love me back. I just wanted you to know, even if it makes me look so stupid.”
Thorn put a finger to her lips. “Hush.’
She shook him off. “No, I’m sorry. I know I’ve sort of trapped you with being pregnant and all, and I’m sorry.”
This time Thorn took his whole hand and covered her mouth. “Shut up. For once, just hush.” He removed his hand only to take hold of her whole face, bring her close to his own once more. “You didn’t trap me. And for the first time in my life, I finally know what love is. I love you, Katrina and only you. You are the one woman that I can call my equal in everything and will die to protect. Never forget that.”
To make sure that she didn’t say anymore he kissed her. When the kiss ended, she hugged him again. “Now, let’s go home.”
“Home sounds very good to me.”
Chapter Thirteen
Six months later
The first day of her eighth month, Katrina woke to her water breaking.
Thorn panicked, just like she knew he would. Even Kane was worried. Jada it seemed was the only one in the house who had her head on her shoulders. She helped Katrina get dressed, ordered the guys to get her bag and bring the car around. When she made it outside Thorn was out of the car, rushing up to her, helping her down the stairs and into the back. Kane drove and he drove fast.
Since Kane didn’t care for hospitals or doctors so much, and neither did Thorn, Katrina ended up only having one ultrasound done. She didn’t know what she was having, but did have a small surprise for Thorn and Kane. Only Jada knew what to expect and she was looking forward to it just about as much as Katrina was.
Labor was nothing like she ever thought to expect. The contractions came fast, shocking even to the nurses and doctors how quickly her pains were coming. However, even though the contractions were close her body took its sweet ass time in getting ready for delivery. Six hours into it, she was ready to kill Thorn. Ten hours into it and she was screaming at him. Eighteen hours of it all getting more intense and she wanted to rip Thorn’s nuts off with her bare hands. At twenty hours she was finally ready to push, but didn’t think she had the strength or energy to do so. The long hours of getting to this point seemed to just drain her of everything.
“All right, Katrina, it’s time to push,” the doctor said, sitting down at the foot of the bed.
She shook her head as Thorn wiped her forehead with a wet cloth. “Can’t,” she panted. “I’m too tired.”
“We are right at the end now,” the doctor stated. Her legs were brought up, sheet pushed up and Thorn right by her side. “This is the moment you’ve been waiting for now. I want you to grab the bars on the side of the bed, or grab him if you want.” Thorn frowned at the doctor. “But with the next contraction you sit up and push for me.”
Taking hold of the bars on the side of the bed, she did what he said and sat up, pushing with the next contraction, but it felt like it wasn’t doing any good. With a yell, she dropped back down on the bed breathing hard.
“I can’t do this,” she panted. “It’s not working.”
“It’s working,” a nurse stated.
“A little late for you to be giving up now,” Thorn said. She looked at him and frowned. He shrugged his shoulder. “No one is going to do this for you, so stop being so damn lazy.”
“Dick!” she yelled at him.
“Bitch. Now push!” he yelled back at her.
Anot
her contraction came and with it, she pushed hard, yelling at the same time.
“Good,” Walker said. “Very good. The head is moving down. I want another just like that.”
“I hate you,” she breathed out, resting for a moment. “God, I hate you.”
“Really? Thought you said you loved me,” Thorn said.
“I should cut your dick off!” she yelled right before bearing down and pushing. She finished with a cry, dropping back down on the bed.
“I’ll remember that next time you want to fuck. Now do that again.”
“Yes, Katrina, I want another hard push just like that,” the doctor said.
“I can’t!” she cried out. “I don’t have it in me.”
Thorn got real close to her ear and spoke low so she could only hear. “If you don’t push this baby out, then the next time we do fuck I’ll make sure you don’t come again.”
“You’re such a bastard.” She panted.
“Yes I am, now push damn it.”
She grabbed the front of his shirt, sat up and pushed as hard as she could.
“Don’t stop,” Walker announced. “Head is just about out.”
With a scream, she gave what she had and pushed as hard as she could. Something gave and a rush of air left her lungs as she dropped on the bed. Seconds later, she heard the cry of a baby.
“A boy!” the doctor announced, holding him up for Katrina to see.
She smiled and tears came to her eyes as the baby in his hands let out one hell of a cry. She watched Thorn cut the cord then the baby was handed off to a nurse. Katrina only had a few minutes of relief before the contractions started again.
“Oh shit!” she groaned.
“Time for number two,” the doctor said.
“What?” Thorn was once more by her side. He looked from the doctor back to her. “What do you mean by number two?”
“Oh, forgot to tell you,” she smiled. “We’re having twins. Surprise!”
“Okay, when we get home…” He had his finger pointed at her, but when she cried out, he stopped what he was saying.
“That’s it. I’m cutting your dick off!” Katrina yelled. The urge to push came and she pushed. “This one is coming faster.”
“Yep, they tend to,” Doc said. “Head is right here. Give me another hard one and baby number two will be here.”
Nodding her head, taking Thorn’s hand again, Katrina sat up and pushed. She didn’t know how much longer she was going to be able to go on like this. Her energy had long ago faded, and she wanted nothing more than to go to sleep.
Breathing out, gasping for air and relaxing for a second or two, her eyes caught her new son in the warming bed. He was still crying as the nurse took his vitals. Legs kicking out, fists up in the air. Clearly, he wasn’t a happy camper at the moment.
Another contraction started and she was back up, taking two very deep breaths, holding the third and pushing hard.
“Here it comes,” the doctor announced. “Push, push, push, push.”
With the last amount of energy she had to give, Katrina cried out and pushed. Baby number two came out and she just collapsed.
“We have a girl!’ the doctor said, holding the baby up.
Katrina got a look at the baby then she passed out.
* * * *
“Katrina?” Thorn touched her face, then grabbed her hand to check her pulse. Finding one, he gave a sigh of relief.
“She just passed out,” the doctor said, handing baby number two off to the nurse.
Thorn nodded, bent over and kissed Katrina on the forehead. “Thank you,” he whispered right before a nurse kind of pushed him away.
He went over to the two warming beds. Now he understood why there were two warming beds brought in, and why Katrina got so big and why she went into what he thought was early labor. Twins. A boy and a girl. The girl he noticed was much smaller than the boy, and that had him a bit worried.
“Is she healthy?” he asked one of the nurses who were attending to the little girl.
“She seems to be very healthy, just tiny.” She smiled at him. “Would you like to hold one?”
“One?”
Still smiling, the nurse went over and wrapped up the boy. The girl they were still cleaning up and the boy they had just finished. He was put in Thorn’s arms and Thorn couldn’t help but stiffen, not sure what to do, he was afraid to move. He had never held a baby in his life. Hell, he had never gotten close to one for that matter. He had small cousins, but being around tiny babies like this wasn’t comfortable for him at all. Thankfully the nurse figured out that he wasn’t too comfortable yet holding a baby. She took him back, placing the baby back into the warming bed.
“Don’t worry, you’ll have the hang of it before you both leave here,” she said with a smile.
He stood off to the side, watching everything. When Katrina was cleaned up and changed into another bed, still out cold, he finally left to let the family know. Out in the waiting room, Dannie and Logan showed up. They were waiting with his parents and all stood up the second he came out of the delivery room.
“How is she?” Dannie asked first.
“Passed out,” Thorn said. He smiled and looked at each one of them. “We’ve got twins. A boy and a girl.”
Jada gasped, hands going up to her mouth and tears filling up in her eyes. Dannie shocked him and jumped up in his arms, hugging him tight. Kane stood off to the side smiling and Logan shook his hand once Dannie let him go.
After all of the congratulations were out the group decided to walk down to the nursery and look at the children. They were there so everyone was able to look at each one. An hour later Thorn walked into Katrina’s room. She was still out cold and would most likely sleep until the next morning.
Jada ended up taking Kane back home. He started bitching about being in a hospital and how he couldn’t stand it anymore. Thorn understood why and urged her to take him home. Logan also took Dannie back to the house as well, but Thorn decided he was staying. Alone he sat next to Katrina in the bed, took her hand in his own and just waited for her to wake up.
* * * *
Katrina woke slowly, opened her eyes and got a sight that she never thought in her life she’d see. Thorn in a chair with a tiny bundle in his arms and in a bassinet right next to him was another bundle sound asleep.
She said nothing, just watched him as he rocked and stared down at the bundle. It seemed so right, so perfect that she hated to break up the moment by letting him know that she was awake. However, the baby in the bassinet woke up and started to fuss, taking Thorn’s attention away from the one in his arms, and when he looked away he saw that she was awake.
“Hey,” he said with a smile, “How do you feel?”
“Drained still,” she answered. “You look like a pro there with one in your arms.”
“Well, it seems that this little one here gets a bit fussy when I put her down. She likes to be held.” He gave a small shrug of his shoulder. “And one of the nurses has been helping me some.”
“With what?”
“With learning how to hold them. Never held a baby in my life.”
“You look like a natural.” She pushed a button on the bed and slowly started to sit up. “How long have you been here?”
“Um, pretty much all night.” He stood up, still holding the baby. Thorn came over to her and sat down on the side of the bed, handing her the baby. “I think she looks like you.”
Katrina took the baby and looked down at her. She was sleeping and didn’t seem to fuss at all when Thorn passed her over. “She’s so tiny,” she whispered.
“Yeah, five pounds even. Her brother, I might add, is a nice seven pounds. Kind of explains why you got so big huh?”
“Guess it does.”
“So why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?” She looked up at him and he narrowed his eyes on her, but the corner of his lip tugged upward as if he was trying not to smile.
“Tell me that
we were having twins.”
“Oh, that. Well, um, your face was so priceless. And once in a while you need a good surprise.”
“Not this kind of surprise.”
“What are we going to name them?” she sighed.
“No idea. Being mated had never crossed my mind, and having children was only a fantasy. Now I have both and I’m stumped.” Thorn got back up, went to the bassinet and picked up the other one. He came back to the bed and sat down. “You got any ideas?”
“How about Wolf,” she smiled. “Kind of seems a bit appropriate given his father that is.”
Thorn grinned at her. “And for her?”
“You know, I’ve always liked the name Leah. Like you, having a family was only a dream for me too. One that I’m holding right now.”
“I like Leah.” Katrina smiled at him and Thorn moved to the bed, sitting down next to her. “Wolf and Leah Draeger,” Thorn said with a smile. “Welcome to the family.”
“And oh, what a family it is,” Katrina smiled, looking up at him.
* * * *
David Wycough stood in front of the window, in his home, staring out at the night. Lightning flashed, followed by thunder off in the distance. A storm was coming, one that he hoped would match his mood.
Vintina was dead. Killed he was told by her daughter and now his money was gone. Taken by that damn, filthy animal she let into his world. His daughter was still in the hands of those animals, being forced to lie with it each night. The thought disgusted him. He had to get her back, and kill them all in the process. Not one animal shall live. They all will fall at his feet. Now he just had to come up with a new plan as well as find them. He’d give those things credit. They could hide well, but not forever. He’d find them and, one by one, they all would pay for what they’d done to his daughter and to his own family.
About the Author
Visit Jaden at
www.jadensinclair.com
Other works by Jaden Sinclair
at www.melange-books.com
Untamed Beast Page 15
