Dark Moon (19 page)

“Kaden, I’m so sorry.  I – “

“Go on, Sophia.”  Kaden said quietly.  “Leave us alone, please.”

Nicky pulled on her arm.  “Come with me, Sophia.” 

She nodded, her face pale and sick looking, and allowed her brother to lead her from the common room.

Kaden rubbed Dani’s back soothingly.  After a moment she lifted her head and stared up at him, her eyes wide and wet with moisture.

“Is it true, Kaden?  Have you slept with Sophia?”

He sighed.  “Aye.  I have.”

“You told me it wasn’t because of her.”

“It isn’t.”  He said truthfully.  “Sophia is not the reason I am not attracted to you.”

“I don’t believe you.”  She sighed.

“It is the truth.”  He insisted.  “I’m sorry, I know you have a crush on me but I don’t feel the same way.  It has nothing to do with you.  You’re sweet and beautiful, and you’ll make someone who isn’t me very happy someday.”

She laughed a bit bitterly.  “Aye, perhaps.”

“You will.”  He said firmly.  “Besides, I’m leaving soon.”

“Are you?  Even after sleeping with my cousin?”  She asked quietly.

“I am.”  He nodded. 

“Does she know that?”

“Aye, she does.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way but I’m glad you’re leaving.”  She said suddenly.  “It hurts too much to have you here, knowing that you’ll never love me the way that I love you.”

“You don’t love me.”  He said immediately.

“Aye, I do.  As does my cousin.”

“Sophia definitely doesn’t love me.”  He said dryly.

She laughed, a short sound full of genuine amusement.  “I may be a human but I’ve been around Lycans my entire life.  Her need to make sure other females know you belong to her is not because of lust.  A Lycan does not feel the need to claim someone unless they believe the person is their mate.”

Kaden stared silently at her and she shrugged and walked towards the door of the common room.  “Like it or not Kaden, she loves you.”

* * *

“Dani?”

“What is it?”  Dani didn’t turn around as Sophia entered her bedroom.

“I’m so sorry, honey.  I shouldn’t have said what I did.  I don’t know what came over me.”  Sophia said earnestly.

When Dani didn’t reply, she sighed sadly.  “Please, Dani.  I’m so sorry.  I do not want this to come between us.”

“Come between us?”  Dani turned and frowned at her.  “You have never thought of me as anything more than your silly little human cousin.  What do you care if you’ve hurt my feelings?”

“That isn’t true.  “Sophia replied.  “I love you, and I do not believe you’re silly.  I think you’re sweet and wonderful, and I feel terrible for hurting you the way I have.”

Dani stared in surprise at Sophia.  The Lycan’s tanned face was pale and she had tears in her eyes.  In her entire life, Dani didn’t think she’d ever seen Sophia cry.  She sighed and walked to her cousin.  She put her arms around her and hugged her roughly.

“I know.  I’m sorry too.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about.”  Sophia’s voice was muffled against her shoulder.

“Yes, I do.”  Dani replied.  “I knew how you and Kaden felt about each other, and yet I still tried my best to seduce him.  I wanted him to be with me.”

“If you believe that he’ll be happy with you, I will step aside.”  Sophia said softly.

Dani laughed loudly.  “Bullshit, cousin.  You nearly ripped my head off for putting my arm around him.”

Sophia gave her a miserable look.  “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.  I feel like I’m going crazy.”

Dani wiped the tears from Sophia’s face.  “You’re in love.  Isn’t it great?”

“Aye, wonderful.”  Sophia replied sarcastically.

Chapter 17

Someone was climbing the ladder to the hayloft.  He tensed, knowing it was her even without turning around.

“Why are you here?”  He asked.

“I came to apologize.”  She replied softly.

He didn’t answer and Sophia took a few steps forward.  She wanted to touch his broad back but she could see the tension in his body and so she clasped her hands together instead.

“I’m sorry, Kaden.  I should not have said what I did.”

“It’s not me you should be apologizing to, Lycan.  It’s your cousin.”  He said shortly.

“I have already apologized to Dani.”

He stayed silent and she sighed.  “Kaden, will you please look at me?”

He turned around and glared at her.  “You knew she had a crush on me and you still rubbed it in her face that we had slept together.  Why?  I didn’t take you to be cruel.”

“I don’t know.”  She said honestly.  “I saw her arm around you and I – I just…”

“You just what?”  He demanded.  “Just had to lay your claim to me?  I don’t belong to you, Lycan.  I am not weak like my sister, and I do not need someone to take care of me.”

“Your sister is not with James because she’s weak and needs someone to look after her.”  Sophia snapped.  “She’s with him because he loves her and she loves him.”

“Aye.  But if she did not, it wouldn’t matter would it?  James has decided she belongs to him and that’s all there is to it.  And now you’re trying to do the same to me.  I am not a Lycan, I’m human and I don’t need you to protect me.”

“I know that, Kaden.  Lycans are – well, they are protective and possessive of – “

He shook his head.  “I know exactly what you are.  You take what you want without thinking about others.”

Her temper flared and she glared at him.  “You weren’t complaining two nights ago when I saved your ass from the wolf and then let you fuck me.”

He scowled at her.  “I would have been just fine, Lycan.  The only reason I was out there was because you were dumb enough to go into the woods by yourself.  Have you forgotten that Draken is still out there?  Have you forgotten that he’s determined to have you?”

“No, I haven’t forgotten!”  She snapped.  “But I am more than capable of taking care of myself.”

“Aye, because you did that so well the first time Draken took you.”  He said mockingly.  “If it had not been for me, you would have died that day.”

Her face flushed red and her hands clenched into fists.  Her eyes flashed dangerously at him.  “You may have saved my life that day but it doesn’t mean I need your protection.”

“Of course not.  You do just fine taking care of yourself.”  He muttered.

She arched her eyebrows at him.  “Tell me human – what bothers you more?  That I don’t need you to protect me or that you like the idea of belonging to me?”

She’d forgotten how quick he could be.  He had crossed the room and pushed her roughly back against the wall before she could react.  He stared angrily at her as he pressed her against the coarse boards of the barn wall.

“I don’t belong to you.”

“You do.”  She argued.

He made a snorting noise of displeasure and leaned forward until his face was only inches from hers.  “I will never be a Lycan slave again.  Do you hear me?  I won’t let you try and control me.”

A look of astonishment, mixed with hurt, crossed her face.  “Is that what you think I’m trying to do?”

He shrugged.  “Is it not?”

“No!”  She scowled at him.  “You honestly still believe that I would keep a human as a slave?”  She gave him another hurt look.

“What do you expect?  You keep telling me that I belong to you.”  He replied.

She shook her head in disbelief.  “I know you’re not stupid, human.  Why do you keep pretending you are?”

His hands bit into the soft meat of her arms and he gave her a little shake.  “The gods help me, little Lycan.  I will spank you.”

“You mean you will try.”  She said quietly.

His gaze drifted down to her breasts, his hands squeezing around her arms, and she lifted her head to his ear.  “When I say you belong to me it does not mean I think of you as my slave.  It means that no one else, including my pretty human cousin, gets to touch you or kiss you.  It means that my mouth is the only one allowed to suck on that thick cock of yours.”

He groaned and she quickly undid her pants before reaching up and taking his hand.  She spread her thighs and pushed his hand inside of her pants.  His face flushed and he shoved his hand between her legs, cupping her pussy before sliding his middle finger into her.

She moaned and wiggled on his hand.  “It means that only you’re allowed to touch,” she leaned forward and licked his face with her warm, wet tongue, “to lick, and to fuck my pussy.”  She ground herself against his hand and his control snapped.

He yanked at her pants and underwear, tearing them down past her boots and ripping them off her feet.  Her shirt was next, yanked over her head so quickly that she heard the soft purr as the collar ripped.  Wearing only her boots, she stood in front of him.  His eyes raked over her body and he pulled his shirt over his head, dropping it to the floor before unbuttoning his pants and pulling his cock free.  He pushed her back against the wall and grabbed her thighs in his large hands.  He lifted her easily and she gave a soft hiss of pain when the bare skin of her back scraped across the rough boards.

He ignored her hiss of pain and shoved his cock deep inside of her as he gripped her ass tightly.  She wrapped her limbs around him, her fingernails digging into his back as he thrust back and forth.

He stopped and she gave a little moan of need.  “Kaden, please.”

He stared at her.  “Perhaps it is you who belongs to me, little Lycan.”

“Aye, I do.”  She agreed immediately.  “I’m yours, Kaden.”

He stared at her in surprise and she leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips.  “I belong to you and you belong to me.  Say it.”

“I belong to you.”  He whispered.

She gave him a smile of such sweetness that his heart opened to her fully and completely.  She tightened her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders and kissed him again.  He returned her kiss and carried her to the bed.  She clung tightly to him as he lowered her to the mattress and propped himself on his elbows above her.

“Sophia – “

He hesitated and she kissed his neck.  “What is it, Kaden?”

He smiled at her.  “You’re so beautiful.”

She blushed and he kissed the tip of her nose before moving slowly within her.  She moaned softly, her eyes drifting shut as he plunged in and out of her in a steady, slow rhythm.  She squeezed her inner muscles around him and he gasped, his hips thrusting against her.

She opened her eyes and smiled at him.  “You make me feel so good, honey.”

He kissed her hard on the mouth, his tongue stroking hers, before he buried his face in her neck and lost himself in the sweet warmth of her body.

* * *

“Bree?”  Avery knocked worriedly on the bathroom door.  “My love?  Are you okay?”

Bree opened the door, her face pale and dark circles under her eyes.  “I’m fine, mama.  Just a bit of the stomach flu, I think.”

Avery frowned and took her hand.  “Come with me.”  She led Bree to the common room and sat down on the couch.  She opened her arms and Bree cuddled into her.  Almost immediately, she felt better and she rested her head on Avery’s shoulder.

“Thank you, mama.”

“You’re welcome, my love.  You should have told James you weren’t feeling well.  He would have healed you before he left with his father on watch.”

Bree shrugged.  “He did hold me for a while this morning until I felt better.  I guess he didn’t hold me long enough.”

Avery stiffened against her.  “James held you earlier?”

“Aye, he did.  But the nausea came back after a couple of hours.”  Bree sighed and snuggled in closer.  Her stomach was no longer nauseous but she was incredibly tired.  She closed her eyes as Avery stroked her long, blonde hair.

“Bree, how long have you been throwing up for?”

“I don’t know.  Off and on for a few days.”

“When was the moon full for you last?”  Avery suddenly asked.

Bree frowned up at her.  “What?”

Avery smiled.  “Sorry, after years of living with Lycans I’ve picked up more than my fair share of their phrases.  When was the last time you had your period?”

Bree thought about it for a moment.  “I – I don’t remember.  I haven’t been very regular over the last two years.”

Avery sighed.  Of course she hadn’t been.  She was nearly starved to death.  It wasn’t surprising the way it had affected her body.

“Why are you asking me this, mama?”  Bree sat up and stared curiously at her.  “What do my monthlies have to do with…”

She trailed off and stared wide-eyed at Avery before glancing down at her flat stomach.  “No, I can’t be.  It’s not possible.  We’re not even married yet.”

Avery grinned a little.  “You do not need to be married to have a baby, Bree.”

Bree stood and paced back and forth in front of the fire.  “I - what will James say?  We’ve never even talked about children.  What if he’s angry?”

Avery stood and pulled her to a gentle stop.  “Bree, you’re being silly.  James loves you.  He will be thrilled.  Trust me.  The real question is – how do you feel about it?”

Bree placed her hands on her belly and looked up at Avery.  “I’m having a baby.”

“Aye, my love.  You are.”

“I’m having a baby!”  She nearly shouted it and then hugged Avery impulsively.

Avery laughed and hugged her back.  “I take it you are pleased then?”

Bree nodded.  “I – yes, I am.  I mean, I’m surprised and it doesn’t feel real to me yet but…”

She stopped and then gave Avery a wide, beaming smile.  “I’m having a baby, mama.”

“You must tell James right away.”  Avery smiled at her.

“Tell me what?”  James, a glass of water in one hand and the leg bone of a rabbit in the other, entered the common room.  He stared curiously at Avery and Bree before taking the last bite of the smoked rabbit meat.  Tia was dancing around his feet, her tail wagging excitedly at the sight of the rabbit bone, and he tossed it to her.  She pounced on it and carried it to a spot in front of the fire.  She began to gnaw at the bone as Avery dropped a kiss on Bree’s forehead.

“I will talk with you both later.”  Her face lit up with happiness, Avery kissed James on the cheek before leaving the room.

James glanced at his mother’s retreating back before moving across the room to Bree.  “What’s going on with mom?”