Fighting Fate (22 page)

slid down her belly to roll over her clit, Logan just about lost it.

“Are you wet?” he asked.

“God, Logan. You’re inside me, of
course
I’m wet. Please, please, harder. I’m going to come.”

He rolled his hips at the same time that she flicked her finger over her clit, and he watched as

her eyes darkened.

“Logan.” A bare whisper, but so filled with awe and need that he could barely breathe.

She was still coming down from the aftershocks as he pulled out of her and lay on his back. He

pulled her on top of him, and she slid down his length, riding him hard. He knew he wouldn’t last

long like this, but damn, he wanted to see her face, have her be in control as he came inside her.

Cailin arched her back, keeping her gaze on his as she palmed her breasts. He cupped her hands,

tangling his fingers with hers as he thrust up one last time, balls rising, coming hard. She slammed

down on his dick and smiled, her body slack as she fell on top of him. He ran a hand down her back

so he cupped her ass, his fingers spreading her so he could fill her up as much as possible.

“We have to do that again,” he whispered, close to falling asleep.

“We will. Don’t worry. We will.”

He couldn’t wait.

Chapter Fourteen

Cailin paced the floor, tugging at her hair. Frustration colored her thoughts having become a

common occurrence in her everyday life. Her family stood in Kade and Mel’s living room, books

scattered around them, the sense of failure lying heavy in the air.

They’d spent the past four days building up their defenses and strengthening their wards. Two of

the Pack members that had stayed behind were witches, mates of wolves in the Pack, and they had

done their best to put as much of their energy as they could into the wards. It didn’t mean they could

keep the demon out—it seemed almost nothing could—but it did mean they could keep out the other

Packs and humans.

It wasn’t that the Redwoods were afraid other Packs would take advantage, but it was always a

possibility. Wolves were secretive creatures, always living in the shadows even when they tried to

blend with the humans. Each Pack lived on its own and had its hierarchy and rules. They usually left

each other alone—the Centrals being the overwhelming exception to the rule.

The Redwoods couldn’t be too careful. Especially with the humans. They had been fighting,

killing, and at war with the Centrals for so long, it was sometimes easy to forget that they were also in

hiding. The wards protected the wolves as a whole from the watching eyes of the humans.

With the growing surveillance and interest in the supernatural, they were lucky as it was that they

hadn’t been found out. Cailin didn’t want to think about what would happen if their existence was

ever made public.

She held back a shudder.

The end of the war was coming; they all felt it deep in their bones. They needed to ensure their

secret was safe from the watching eyes of the people who didn’t understand, who never could

understand.

When her family and the others who had stayed behind, around forty members or so, weren’t

working on the wards and other defenses with Adam, they were looking for a way to take down a

demon.

That was what made her feel useless.

Defeated.

They’d been looking for years.

Years.

Ever since Caym had first shown up on the Central land and had first attacked them along with

Hector and Corbin, her family had been looking for a way.

And they’d still come up short.

It didn’t make any sense. Somehow, the demon had moved between planes and had come to the

human realm, escaping from hell. That meant he could be sent back. There had to be a way. Her

family had found other ways to hurt the demon over time, but it had never been enough.

When Hannah, Josh, and Reed bonded, they’d formed the trinity bond, a special bond between

the three of them that had held enough power to hinder the demon somewhat. Caym couldn’t call forth

other demons to the human realm to help him defeat the Redwoods, which thwarted his other plans.

That had been one point in the Redwood’s favor, but there hadn’t been that much more. Over

time, each of her brothers and their mates had defeated one aspect of the Central’s regime—Josh

killing Hector, North killing Corbin, the others making a mockery of the most gruesome of each of the

Central’s plans—but now they were at the end of it all.

Cailin had to do
something,
or she wouldn’t be able to face herself in the mirror in the morning.

Everyone else had been a part of taking down a piece of the Centrals, yet Cailin had always been in

the background. She should be fated to help with this.

Only she didn’t know what
this
was.

Strong arms wrapped around her middle, stalling her movements, and she stiffened. She didn’t

want to be comforted right then. She wanted to finish working up to a good mad and then stomp off

and find a way to kill a demon. Logan buried his head in her neck and nipped along the mating mark.

Her knees buckled, but he held her up. Only the fact that her brothers and their mates were in the

room held her back from moaning.

Logan knew
exactly
what to do to calm her.

The bastard.

“Stop looking like you’ve done something wrong, princess,” Logan whispered, his words so low

Cailin wasn’t sure her family, even with their keen wolf hearing, would be able to hear them.

Good.

She liked having him to herself even in a room full of people.

Logan’s palm rested on her belly, on the baby in her womb, and her wolf melted. He would

make such a good father. If only Cailin was sure that they’d all live long enough to see that come to

fruition.

“Stop worrying,” he barked softly. Only Logan could bark softly at her—a reprimand coated in

gentleness.

“I can’t help it.” She turned in his arms, resting her head on his chest. His arms came around her,

caging her into his hold, and she sighed. If only it were this easy to feel better, to ensure that they had

a future.

If only…

She’d been thinking that a lot lately.

Tears filled her eyes, and she cursed. “Stupid hormones.”

“I think I cried like every hour when I was pregnant with Brie,” Willow said from the couch.

Her words reminded Cailin she wasn’t alone with her mate, but in a room full of her family and

their watching eyes. She pulled back, wiping her face, and lifted her chin.

“I’m fine,” she lied.

Logan raised a brow, but let her go. “We’re all a bit tired,” he excused.

She bit back a retort. She didn’t want to fight. Not when he was just trying to help. It didn’t

matter that it made her feel weak when she couldn’t hold herself together. That was her problem, her

insecurity.

She’d been doing so much better at it, but clearly not well enough.

Cailin rolled her shoulders, determined to get this demon off her land and back in hell where he

belonged. He deserved to roast on the spit of hell’s flame for all eternity. To have Caym die in their

realm wouldn’t be enough for her. That’d be too quick, too easy.

Her wolf growled, liking this side of her.

Good.

After picking up one of the books she’d scoured before, sure she might have missed something,

she sat down on the floor. Logan picked up one for himself then took his seat right beside her. The

heat radiating off of him steadied not only her wolf but the woman within. From the way his shoulders

lowered after his nostrils flared, inhaling her scent, she knew her presence did the same to his wolf.

That’s why they were mates.

They calmed each other as equals.

The soft knock at the door brought Cailin’s head up, her hackles rising. It seemed she’d always

be on edge from here on out. From the stances of the others in the room, she was not alone in that

respect. She inhaled, scenting the elder Emeline on the other side, and calmed. Logan ran a hand

down her back, soothing her even more.

The man’s hands were a work of art and pleasure.

Jasper opened the door as he’d been the closest of them, letting Emeline in. The elder, who

looked to be in her twenties though she had to be around five hundred years old, drifted into the room,

her eyes wide, slightly…off.

Emeline had lost her mate, no, her potential mate, as the woman hadn’t had the chance to fully

bond with him, over a hundred years ago. The act would have broken some—it had broken her

brother Adam in fact before he’d met Bay—but hadn’t broken Emeline fully. Instead, she’d taken

refuge within the elder circle, effectively cutting herself off from the others and the world.

She was just now becoming one of theirs again and was putting all of her effort into saving the

Pack.

As it was, it had been Emeline who had found the ways to take down the demon and the Centrals

in the small ways they had.

And from the way the woman clutched the book in her arms to her chest and the manic way she

breathed, Cailin had a feeling she might have something more.

Oh sweet goddess, she prayed that was the case.

“What is it, Emeline?” Kade asked, his voice reflecting his new role as Alpha rather than the

brother she’d known. Kade had slowly been shifting toward someone of authority, someone her wolf

would protect with her life.

Though the change meant that her father was really gone, she couldn’t help but be proud of her

brother.

She shook her head. There would be time to reflect over what had happened later. Now she

needed to focus on Emeline and what could be something far greater for the Pack.

Emeline blinked at the sound of Kade’s voice, bringing her back to the present. Or at least that’s

what Cailin thought the other woman was doing. The elder was an enigma for sure, but was slowly

becoming their friend.

“I think I found something,” she said at last, her voice holding that airy quality that reminded

Cailin of fairies and memories.

They all started talking at once, the noise almost deafening. Cailin couldn’t blame them, as she’d

been one of the ones to speak—Logan as well—but she knew this wasn’t helping. They just couldn’t

hold back. Not anymore.

She winced at the sharp sound of Kade’s whistle. Everyone quieted, sheepish expressions on

their faces.

“Take a seat, Emeline,” Kade said. “Tell us what you’ve found.”

“Do you need something to eat? Drink?” Willow asked then glared at Cailin.

Apparently Cailin growled at Willow’s interruption.

Oops.

“Like I was saying, Emeline, do you need anything? You look like you haven’t slept in far too

long, darling. Tell us what we can do for you.”

Emeline opened her mouth to speak but stopped as the door opened again. Growls from her

family cut off as Noah walked into the living room, a covered plate in one hand, a mug in the other.

“I have food and hot cocoa for Emeline,” her ex and now best friend announced as he set it on

the coffee table. He then gently pushed Emeline down into a chair by her shoulders and took the book

from her hand. She reached for it, but he shook his head.

The sight of this twenty-something wolf and doctor caring for Emeline with such a firm hand

made Cailin want to smile.

There might be hope for everyone yet.

“Eat and drink, woman,” Noah said softly. “I was on my way to your place with food because I

know you don’t take care of yourself like you should. I’m your doctor. It’s my job to take care of

you.”

Cailin held back a snort and met Logan’s eyes.

Yes, her doctor. Sure. That’s why Noah was caring so much.

She’d let her friend have his privacy.

For now.

Emeline narrowed her eyes at the younger wolf. “What I have to say is very important.”

Noah nodded. “Then say it while you eat. I made finger foods so you can snack at least. You

wouldn’t have eaten it if you had to stop and use a fork.” He grinned, and Emeline blinked at him.

Interesting.

Noah took the cover off of the plate and gestured. “Eat and talk.”

Emeline bit her lip, looking between Cailin’s brothers.

“You need to take care of yourself, Emeline,” Kade admonished. “I’m sorry for not keeping a

better eye on your welfare.”

The elder took a bite of a stuffed mushroom and swallowed before she began. “As I was saying

when I walked in here, I think I found something. I don’t know if it will work, but it’s better than

anything else we’ve had in the past.”

“What did you find?” Cailin asked, unable to hold herself back.

“I was thinking on what you all told me before. How Caym was brought forth through death, so

maybe life would be the one way end him for good.”

“Life?” Kade asked. “You want us to create life?”

Cailin froze, Logan doing the same beside her. Her hand slowly went to her belly, to the newly

created life resting peacefully in her womb.

The elder met her gaze and nodded, forcing the air out of Cailin’s chest.