Breathing hard, Mika slowly changed back, still staring at Jim. He came out of the house and ran toward his fallen son.
“He beat my mate,” Mika said between breaths. “And lost the challenge.” Jim dropped down to Kurt’s body and placed his hand on his son’s head. “You know the penalty of this challenge.” Jim said nothing, only nodded his head in silence, not looking up at Mika. “Bring it to me by midnight. I’ll inform the Cabinet.” He turned and walked away, not giving Jim another look.
Mika didn’t waste time. He left and went back to the house to clean up as fast as he could and put fresh clothes on. Packing a bag for Kaley, he left and ended up stopping at the closed door to Lora’s room.
Turning the knob, he walked in slowly, eyes going over everything. So many new emotions hit, so many new feelings, and none were directed to Lora or her things, or the memory of her. He could almost see Lora sitting at that table, fixing her hair. In fact, he used to sneak a peek and watch her.
“You’re going to break his heart, aren’t you?” Kaley said to Lora.
Mika pressed his ear to the cracked door, listening to the sister, not really understanding what they were talking about. Maybe it was him.
“What do you care what I do? He’s mine, not yours.”
“He shouldn’t be yours,” Kaley’s voice trailed off, but he could still hear it.
“What, you want him?” Lora snorted in a short laugh. “Mika will never be yours. He’s a man, and you’re nothing but a child.”
“Never said I wanted him. I just know he’s not right for you.”
“I want him, Kaley, and you know what that means.”
“Yes, I do.” He heard the shift of the bed and the feet coming toward the door. “But one day, Lora, there is going to be something you want and you just won’t be able to have it. No matter what Mother does or says.”
“Stop sounding like a jealous little bitch. It’s an ugly color.”
“You would know, Lora.” Kaley jerked the door open and Mika didn’t move away fast enough. They met, eye to eye. “You’re making a mistake, Mika. I wish to hell you would open your eyes and see it before it’s too late.”
“I saw it, Kaley,” he whispered to the empty room. “Just took me longer than it should have.”
Turning, he walked out of the room, making up his mind.
The drive back to the hospital took longer than he wanted it to take, but he couldn’t help it. One thing he didn’t think would happen was that there would be traffic on the road so late at night.
Thankfully, the hospital was quiet. Mika went right up to Kaley’s room and had to smile at seeing her still asleep. Whatever they gave her to rest was doing the job perfectly.
Putting the bag down on one of the two chairs, Mika went over to her, bent over, and kissed her lightly on the forehead. “I’m back.” She didn’t stir.
“Mika.”
Mika looked up, and coming into the room quietly was Stray and Vesper. Mika got up and went to them, going out into the hall. He looked at Stray closely then at Vesper.
“You okay?” he asked, and she nodded. “And you?” he asked Stray.
“Her brother’s dead,” Stray said.
Mika saw Vesper tense up. He opened his mouth to say something and she cut him off.
“It’s okay,” she said low. “What was my brother died a long time ago. How’s Kaley doing?”
Mika looked over his shoulder at Kaley. “She’s going to be okay. Her shifter blood will kick in soon and heal her up quickly.” He looked Stray in the eye. “Kurt is dead. He lost the challenge and the Cabinet has been informed.
Stray sighed loudly, shaking his head, looking down at the floor. “With his father acknowledging the challenge, he is now losing it all.”
“I’ll have all titles to his property within the hour. That got Stray to look back at Mika. “And I’m giving it to you.”
“What?” Stray blew out, struggling to keep his voice down.
“What’s wrong?” Vesper asked, her voice shaking a little.
“Nothing bad,” Mika said. “I’m giving you two a home. I don’t need it, but you two do.”
Vesper’s mouth was open and Stray explained it better, still looking Mika in the eye. “In our world, if you challenge another family for a wrong done, and that family accepts as well as loses, then the one that did the challenge takes everything away. Mika challenged Kurt for what he did to Kaley and he lost. Now Mika gets everything the Stockton household has and he’s giving it to us.”
“What?” Vesper breathed out this time, covering her mouth with both hands, eyes wide.
Mika smiled at her. “You are family, and family look out for each other. Besides,” he said and shrugged, “maybe a house will stop the ass-kicking I know he wants to give me for being such a blind dumbass.”
Stray snorted. “Hell no. I’m giving you that kicking with pleasure.”
Mika smiled. “And I deserve it.”
“Okay, you two need to really stop talking in this strange code of yours. It’s very confusing,” Vesper said, moving around Mika and going into the room. “So confusing.”
Mika and Stray watched her walk in, taking the seat next to the bed that Mika vacated. “You know, I like her,” Mika said.
“Yeah, she’s amazing,” Stray said.
“Have you told her yet?”
“Told her what?”
“That you love her.” Mika gave Stray a light slap on the belly with a smile. “It’s written all over your face.”
Stray seemed to light up. His lips parted and one hell of a big smile spread out. “Yeah, I told her.”
“Good. Don’t be a hard-headed dickhead like me and be stupid.”
“Does that mean that you’ve wised up?”
“Yeah, Stray. I’ve wised up big time.”
“Almost sad to hear that.” Stray patted him on the shoulder, moving around him also to go into the room. “I kind of liked the way she ripped your balls apart every other day.”
“Oh, I’m sure that won’t stop anytime soon.”
Nine months later
Kaley stood from a point on top of the hill overlooking the house. She watched as things were being taken from the house and put into a big moving truck, and she wondered why she didn’t feel anything about it.
The day was nice and warm, perfect for moving anything out or in. Kaley had awakened early, put on a jean skirt and tight tank top, no shoes, and left the house. She couldn’t be there when they came for the stuff. Didn’t think she could watch it, and now here she was doing what she felt she couldn’t.
“Still running away?” Mika came up quietly behind her, his arms going around her body, head in the crook of her shoulder and neck. He held her tight and she loved it. Made her feel safe and protected. Even loved.
“Didn’t think I could handle watching it all go,” she said, leaning back against him.
“Out with the demons and ghosts,” he said, kissing her on the side of the neck.
Everything that belonged to Lora was packed up and put in that truck. All seemed so unreal.
“How’s Margret taking it?” she asked.
“Good. Thinks it should have been done long ago. She’s humming and thinking already about what to do with the room. You don’t want to know her ideas.”
“I think I can guess,” she said and smiled.
“Have I told you that you look good enough to eat today,” he said, his voice soft, the nudging at her neck increased, and then lips closed on the mark, sucking it hard. She gasped and he moaned. She felt the swelling behind her and rubbed her ass against the hardness. “Such a minx.”
Kaley giggled and turned in his arms, her own going up to his shoulders. “So where are Stray and Vesper?”
“I’m not sure, and I really don’t care at the moment.” He grinned, slowly walking her backward toward a big oak tree. Once her back touched it he picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. “I think I must tell you something.”
“Now you want to talk?”
“No, now I want to tell you something.”
“Ordering then?”
“Shut up for once and listen.”
“Fine.” She sighed. “What?”
“I think for the next year or so, stop wearing the panties.”
“What?” He reached under the skirt, grabbed them and ripped them right off. She cried out in shock. “What the hell!”
Mika gave her a big tooth-filled smiled, “That’s why. I have no problem, mate, in ripping off each one of them to get to you.”
“You rip my panties off, then you better get down on your knees and…”
Mika cut her off with a deep kiss, one that took her breath away and had all protest just slipping away. “Oh, I will get on my knees,” he said against her lips. “And have you begging—no, screaming—for more.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” He kissed her again, hand rubbing up and down on her pussy. She moaned. “So hot.”
“Mika?’
“Hum.”
“I dare you.”
He stilled, looked her right in the eye then growled low. “Oh, you are so going to regret that, mate. I’ll make sure Margret hears that scream before I’m done with you.”
Vesper walked alone down the quiet hall. Her steps made an echo sound with each one she took. Doors opened and closed, making their own kind of loud sounds, and still she walked, keeping her head up until she got to the one room where there was a line of chairs and between each one a thick glass with a phone.
Vesper came to see her father.
She sat down at the one the guard indicated and waited. Time stood still. Her heart pounded, fear threatened to surface, but she kept it down.
More doors opened and out came the one person she thought she never wanted to see again in her whole life. He came out in a full orange jumper with cuffs on his wrists. His hair was buzz-cut, face shaved, but the eyes are what she found herself staring at. Thomas Cooper looked old, beat down, and even a bit brutal. No longer the hard-core man with a fist that could make little girls cry and little boys curl up in a ball or kill mothers.
He sat down, the cuffs were taken off, and the two of them stared at each other for a long time. So many things went through her at seeing him again. She hadn’t laid eyes on the man since the day of the trial, but she knew that Hayden had. It explained why her brother turned.
Taking a deep breath, Vesper reached for the phone and picked it up. He did the same.
“This is a surprise,” his said, the voice rattled with his age. “You look good.”
“I didn’t think I would ever come here.”
“Why did you then?”
“Thought I should tell you to your face.”
“Tell me what?”
“Hayden’s dead.” She watched his eyes, saw the play of emotions and how he tried to hold it in but failed. “Wow. You do have a little bit of a heart after all.”
“I know I did you wrong.”
“Wrong,” she said. “You beat the hell out of us all. You killed my mother with your bare hands,” she hissed.
“And I’m sorry for that. You don’t think I have regret over it?”
“No, I don’t.” She took another deep breath, getting herself under control. “I know he came here to see you. Can only imagine what bullshit you filled him up with. Or how you infected him with that rage of yours.”
“He was my son, and you’re my daughter. I regret every damn day what I did.” She shook her head and had to look away. “How did he die?”
“He was killed for taking me,” she said low.
“So…” Thomas slumped back as much as he could in that chair. “What he said was true then. You’ve become a whore to an animal. Just like your mother.”
“Leave her out of this. You’ve done enough.”
He moved fast, so fast that the guard behind him took a step closer. “She found one of them also, did you know that?” He spoke low now, maybe so the man behind didn’t hear him. “Was going to take you kids from me. You are my kids. Mine!”
“I might have your blood in me, but you’re not my father. A father protects his children, doesn’t beat them down.” He opened his mouth and she cut him off. “I didn’t come here to have this out. I know what you did. I lived through it. I just came to tell you that he’s dead and won’t be coming to see you anymore. This is also the only time I will come. After I walk out of this prison, I no longer have a family. They’re all dead. You’re dead to me.” Saying what she had to say, Vesper hung the phone up, stood, turned and walked away, not giving him another glance.
Unlike when she came in, she felt lighter while walking away. Each step she took she grinned a little more, until she was smiling big when she walked out.
Stray waited for her outside. He was leaning against the truck, arms crossed over his chest. Seeing her he smiled and pushed away, meeting her halfway. She closed the distance, jumping up into his arms.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Never better.” She pulled back and kissed him. “I’m free of him.” Another kiss. “Let’s go home.”
“Sounds great to me.” He kissed her and swung her around before setting her back on her feet. “I love you, mate.”
“Humm, I love you too. Now get me home. I have plans for you that require a bed.”
“Never have to ask me twice.” One more kiss and Stray pretty much carried her to the truck.
Driving away from the prison, she looked at it one more time. Yep, starting over felt good, felt right, just like Stray felt right, and Mika and Kaley. She had a family again, one she cared about and who cared about her.
For Vesper, living in the shifter world couldn’t be any more perfect…but would it last?
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About the Author
Jaden Sinclair lives in a small town of Kansas with her husband, two boys and a few pets that keep her hopping. Between sports and the animals, it's a wonder at times how she is able to keep the flow of her writing going. But she does. She has many series in the works and out for your enjoyment, and is most know her for the Shifter series. Between werewolves, vampires, scifi, new worlds or simple romances, one never really knows what will come out next.
Website: www.jadensinclair.com
Blog: http://authorjadensinclair.blogspot.com
Also by Jaden Sinclair
With Melange Books
Bloodmates Series
Julian’s Farewell
The Guardian’s Embrace
A Nobel’s Love
Carissa’s Redemption
Forbidden Tales Series
Forbidden Temptation
Forbidden Rapture
Forbidden Innocence
Forbidden Lust
Tales of the Forbidden Box Set
I Get What I Want Series
Vinny’s Vow
Dozer’s Downfall
Stacy’s Sacrifice
Planets Series
Interplanetary Passion
Outerplanetary Sensations
Solar Seductions
Novels
The Proposal
S.E.T.H.
S.H.I.L.O.
Love at
First Sight
Toy Soldier
Fate of the Gods
Short Stories
Pirate’s Hellian
Raided Pleasures
Awakened Animals (A Shifter Novel Book 15) Page 16
