Cravings: Alpha City 2 (13 page)

Zoey’s eyes drooped as she finished eating. Her body ached as she shifted in her seat. Maggie and Rose might have healed her wounds, but the soreness and exhaustion were still there and just as painful. She never knew she had that many muscles in her chest and back area.

“Baby, are you okay?” Kayden asked concerned.

Zoey smiled trying to ease her mate’s conscience. She reached over and patted his hand. “Yes, I’m just sore and tired, but that’s to be expected. Don’t you think?”

“It is. Even though they healed your wounds, your body still felt it. It will be a few days before you will be back to one hundred percent. Just rest and get plenty of nourishment,” Rose informed.

It was odd listening to Rose, once thinking she was Kayden’s mate. Now she was curious about her. What was it about her that made her so intriguing? She was beautiful—that was a given—but there was something else.

“I think we are going to go home. I still need to figure out how to tell the pack what is going on without giving out too much information,” Ryder said, and then looked over at his sister. “Do you want us to take you to your cabin?”

Zoey could feel Kayden tense up at her brother’s question. She glanced over at him and smiled relieving the tension that had removed his smile.

“Nope, I’m staying here with my mate,” Zoey breathed.

Zoey knew that Ryder was only checking. She was his little sister after all.

“Congratulations, my friend. I always knew you would be my brother, not only in spirit but when you mated my sister.” Ryder smiled then shook Kayden’s hand.

London and Ryder both hugged Zoey and waved good-bye as they walked out the door. Maggie and Judith were leaving as well. Behind them were Nolan and Brody. Zoey hugged them all. Her body was exhausted. She wanted to stay up longer and talk to Rose, but her body was telling her it needed sleep.

“Come on, baby. Let’s get you in bed. I need to wait up for Thorn and the kids, then I will come join you.” Kayden lifted her up in his arms and walked into his bedroom. She had no clue what he was talking about when he mentioned the kids.

“What kids?” Zoey asked.

“Rose’s siblings. I sent Thorn to Africa to get them,” Kayden answered.

“Why didn’t they come with her?” Zoey was confused now, but they had just got together, and she didn’t know what was going on with Rose. “Wait. Before you answer, let’s wait until in the morning because I’m about to pass out. Is that okay? And then I want to hear all about these kids.” Her eyes drooped as he leaned over and kissed her lips softly.

****

Kayden wanted to kiss her more, but once she closed her eyes, Zoey was already fast asleep. He loved her smell and the taste of her lips. She tasted like cotton candy to him, which made him want to lick her all over. But that would have to wait until later. She almost died today, and she needed to rest and heal. Tomorrow was a new beginning for them, and he planned on making her his mate very soon.

He turned off the light and went in search of Rose who was sitting at the kitchen table.

“I thought I would find you in here,” Kayden announced. She smiled back at him, but he could tell that she was nervous about her siblings.

“What time do you think they will be here?” she asked, worried as she sat fidgeting with her fingers.

“Sometime tonight. The jet is in the air, and there is no way to know the exact time. Are you concerned about something else?” Kayden asked. He could see the shock in her expression. She was going to be a member of his pride, and it was his job to know when something was bothering his members.

“My father and yours. I’m scared what they will do when they find out the kids are here. I don’t want to cause you any problems, Alpha,” Rose replied with fear in her eyes.

“Rose, I will never let him hurt you or the kids. You are in my pride now, and if they come against me, they will not win. Once everyone finds out what’s been going on, our fathers won’t want to bring any more trouble upon themselves. No matter what, I will protect you. You let me worry about the rest.” She nodded resolutely.

“I think your cabin is ready for you to move in, but now that your siblings are coming, you will need a bigger place. I have to look, but I think I have the perfect place for you. It needs to have a family inside of it.” Kayden knew the kids would love his cabin near Pier’s Point. The cabin has three bedrooms and a garage in the back with an attic. He would get Ryder’s crew over there tomorrow to get it fixed for the oldest boy. He would deal with his father later. Right now, his father wouldn’t have a clue they were with him.

“I like your mate,” Rose added. Kayden could see the truth in her eyes.

“I do too. She’s the love of my life.” Kayden laughed out loud. “It sounds funny saying that out loud now. I thought I had messed up with her.  I…” Kayden closed his eyes, then asked, “Do you have a problem with my mate being a wolf shifter?”

Rose’s expression was of shock. “Absolutely not, Alpha. I think it’s great, and it shouldn’t matter what she is as long as she is your mate and supports the pride. Your father isn’t like that. He’s such a hypocrite. Prancing around like he is a great leader and saying he will do what he needs to do for his pride. Yeah, he allowed one of his own members to sell his daughter to him for his own gain. He isn’t a leader, but you are Alpha, and the fact that your mate is a wolf shifter tells a lot about you Kayden.” Rose explained smiling.

“Rose, I think you will make a great addition to the pride. I know Zoey and London are looking for a secretary for their business. I would like to put your name in the hat if you will allow me.”

“Really? Oh, Alpha that would be great. I need a job in such a bad way, and I will need to provide for my brothers and sister,” Rose admitted.

“I will set you up, Rose, and your family. I will give you money, so you can get on your feet. That is what a real pride does. We are family and we take care of each other.” Rose jumped up and hugged Kayden. Her crying let him know that he had made the right decision in getting the kids out before something bad happened to them.

“Thank you, thank you, Alpha.” Kayden allowed Rose to cry on his shoulder knowing she needed to get it out. Her family would be safe for the first time, and that had to be weighing heavily on her.

Rose pulled away, sniffing as she grabbed a napkin off the table. “You’re welcome and remember, Rose, this is what a real pride should do for each other. You can always come to me for help,” Kayden insisted.

Rose nodded her head then sat back down and wiped the tears from her face. Kayden heard the front door opening. He smelled Thorn’s scent.

“They’re here!” Rose jumped up and ran into the living room. Thorn moved aside as a younger man carried in a small girl followed by two other boys. Rose ran to the living room and dropped to the floor hugging them all. Kayden smiled as the little girl woke up and noticed that she was with Rose. Her smile was worth every moment it took to get them here. They all hugged until the little girl noticed him watching.

She moved so he couldn’t see her, which made his heart break. What had happened to her? Did other men look at her, or has someone already done something to her? He needed to put them at ease. Stepping forward, Kayden introduced himself first to the oldest, Titan.

“Welcome to Alpha City, Titan.” Kayden held out his hand and waited until the young man made his decision on whether or not he could trust him. Titan did what all young Alphas did. He puffed out his chest and reached out and grasped Kayden’s hand. His grip had strength in it as he lowered his eyes to him. “I know your sister appreciates how you have held the family together. She speaks highly of you. I look forward to getting to know you.” The young man’s eyes drifted up and stared at him, then nodded at him. Kayden could tell the young man has lead a hard life and doesn’t trust very well, so it would take time to gain his trust, and he planned on starting now.

Kayden stepped over to the other boys and shook their hands as well. He knew it was foreign to them when an Alpha actually shook hands with one of his members. Apparently, his father never did that. He probably looked down his nose at the kids. They were dressed in raggedy clothes that were torn and had holes in them. Tomorrow they would have all new stuff.

Then he got to the last one the one who would make or break whether or not he would succeed at gaining their trust. Getting down on his knees, he smiled at the little girl. Her hair was black in color and messy from lack of brushing, but it was her gray eyes that told her story, and it wasn’t pretty. She looked more than sad; she looked defeated. Nobody at the age of eight should look like this. Her young mind and body had seen more heartache in her lifetime than grown men and women have seen in their entire lives.

One of his goals was to make this family and this little girl happy and proud to be a shifter. His job was to show these kids that he wasn’t his father’s son. He was a different Alpha, and he would show them that every day. She broke his heart as she considered whether or not he was a good guy.

“Hello, Carina. Are you hungry, sweetheart?” Kayden thought he would start with food. Trust was going to be an issue with these young ones, but he would start tonight with giving them something they probably didn’t get enough of.

Her eyes bore into him, inspecting everything about him. If he was a lesser man, he would have squirmed as she took in every detail about him. He wondered if she could see into his soul as she stared at him.

He held his hand out and waited for an answer or a look to show she was hungry. She looked up at her sister who nodded at her, giving her the okay to trust him and hopefully walk with him to the kitchen. The room was deathly quiet as they waited for the youngest sibling to start the bonding. If Carina took this step, then maybe the others would as well.

With no emotion, Carina put her small hand into his and walked with him into the kitchen. Kayden pulled a chair out for the girl, and then went to the stove where Rose had food sitting in containers waiting for her brothers and sister to eat.

He pulled plates down from the cabinet and placed them on the table then put the containers on the table. Rose had cooked enough food for an army. Her army was now here, away from the man who was once a person he looked up to. He was disgusted at what his father had become, and there would be a day when he would confront him on all the wrong he has done to his pride and to this family.

The three brothers followed them into the kitchen, waiting and watching his actions. He placed five plates on the table and popped the tops off all the containers.

Thorn decided to make the first move. He sat down at the table and started filling his plate with food.

Carina sat at the table watching. She licked her lips anticipating the food as Thorn placed the fork into his mouth and groaned.

“You do cook good, Rose,” Thorn replied.

“Thank you, Thorn.” Rose came in and started putting food on the other plates then sat them down at the table. She motioned for the others to sit down. Once Titan the oldest sat down, the others followed.

Carina slowly picked up her fork and quietly placed it in her mouth. Her eyes continued to watch Kayden as she chewed her food. It was as if she was waiting for him to try and take her food away or make one mistake so he would be just like the others she had come across. He only hoped that he had passed the first test.

It was quiet as they sat at the table and ate. Rose sat between Carina and Titan and put more on their plates as they finished until they shook their heads letting her know they were full. They hadn’t eaten that much. Most likely they only ate one time a day, and their stomachs had shrunk.

Kayden wanted them to feel at home and knew that was a long way off, but at least they were finally safe and away from his father and theirs.

“Rose, tomorrow I will have new clothes and other items bought for them. In the hallway closet you should find what they will need for tonight, but I will make sure they are set up.” Kayden spoke with an authoritative tone.

“We will work for our food and clothes, Alpha,” Titan responded. This was his second test. They had never been given anything, and he liked that about the young man. He would provide for his family one way or another.

“As you wish, Titan. I have a cabin on the edge of my property that needs some work done. It needs to be cleaned up along with some much needed yard work. I can pay you to do this, but until then, I will get what you need in return for your work. I need someone full-time doing jobs that I can’t do at the moment and was wondering if you would like to have a full-time job. If you would rather find one on your own then I understand.” Kayden didn’t want to pressure the children. He would have to ease them into school and things he would be giving them.

He could see Titan thinking about this offer, and he even wondered if the young man would be so stubborn as to turn his offer down.

“I agree to your terms, Alpha,” Titan answered.

“Great. You will be helping me out by doing this,” Kayden added. Titan nodded then drank from his glass. “What is it you are interested in, Titan? For instance, playing on computers, working outdoors, or even construction?”

“I’ve never had a computer, so I don’t know about that, but I love the outdoors, and I’m good at making things.” Titan didn’t elaborate and Kayden didn’t expect him to, but at least this gave him an idea on what jobs he could give him.