Kellen's Tempting Mate (19 page)

“Can I eat her now,” Kellen begged Laikyn.

Laikyn knew her face had to be as red as a hot tamale candy, but she had to keep her mate from following through on his threat. “Jennaveve, you really shouldn’t spy on people. It’s rude.”

“See, so easy to mess with you,” Jennaveve tsked. “Once I realized what you were about, I left as quickly as I came,” she snorted.

Laikyn held her hand up. “Don’t say it or I will bite you.”

Jennaveve frowned, but mirth lit her eyes. “You have a link to me, now. If you have need, all you gotta do is reach out, and I’ll be here in a blink.”

Kellen opened his mouth, but before a word came out, the little Fey was gone. “That is freaky as shit.”

She had to agree. “Go on, finish your tasks. I’ll be fine.”

“Who’s the boss here?” Kellen crowded into her space.

Placing her hands on his chest, Laikyn stared up at him. His muscles flexed under her fingers. He truly was too damn sexy for words. With his dark hair and blue eyes, lips that were full and oh so kissable she couldn’t help but lean forward and kiss him. When he took the kiss over, she wanted to remove their clothes and forget all about club and pack business. “You are.”

He nodded, and rested his palms on her hips. “I’ll hurry. Get some rest while you can. I have plans for the next few hours.” Lowering his head, he kissed her hungrily.

****

J
ennaveve shook her head as she watched the Iron Wolves from her treehouse. “Silly men.”

“How was your trip, Jenna?” Nalina asked.

Looking at the Fey who’d been rescued from her abusive shifter husband, Jenna decided to not tell her where she’d been. The younger woman had a lot of healing left to do. Her daughter would help in that regards, but Jenna’s job was to also oversee her charges. Some would say she took her job too seriously, but she was bored. At her age she needed a little excitement, and the call from the wolves was just what she’d needed. At her age, she took what pleasure she could.

“Earth to Jennaveve.”

Fingers snapping in front of her irritated the ever loving crap out of her. “Nalina, do you want to keep those fingers?”

Seeing fear wash over her new friend, made Jenna instantly regret her words. “You know I’d never hurt you. I didn’t mean I’d physically take your fingers away.” She hurried to explain.

“Of course you didn’t” Nalina’s words didn’t match her actions.

With a sigh, Jenna grabbed onto one of the weaker Fey’s hands, showing her the truth of her words. At the same time she poured healing strength into Nalina, something she hadn’t done often because the stubborn woman wouldn’t open up. Now, her mind, body, and soul welcomed Jenna and her healing powers. Like a sponge she sucked in the goodness she offered.

Weak, Jenna fell backward.

“What have you done?” Nalina cried.

Shaking her head, Jenna struggled to her feet. “I just need a bit to recoup. Be a dear and fetch me some coffee.”

Her mouth was drier than the Sahara desert. She couldn’t tell Nalina that she’d taken too much, not when the young woman before her hadn’t realized what she was doing. Poor thing had been through so much.

She made it into her sanctuary, or her bedroom, the soothing gold and red tones immediately calmed her racing heart. The large sleigh bed with the mound of pillows beckoned her. With a thought, her clothes were gone, replaced with a long T-shirt. Her long hair hung loose, but she was too tired to worry about braiding it. By the time Nalina returned with the requested coffee, Jenna had climbed up the two steps to her huge bed, and was snuggled under the covers.

“Thank you, dear.” Her voice sounded older to her own ears.

“Why did you do that?” Nalina held the steaming mug of fresh brewed java out for Jenna.

The sweet scent of vanilla hit her nose. “Give me a drink, child.” Jenna had never called another Fey that word. It tended to make them feel like they were children. To her they were. She was one of the first of their kind. One of the originals. And she was so damn tired. She took a long drink of the heavenly brew, finishing it in two long pulls.

“Sleep, Jennaveve. I’ll be here when you wake.”

Jenna rolled onto her side, intending to tell her to go, but darkness swept over her. She felt him searching, an oily substance with no heart, and no redeeming quality. He wanted more. Always more than what he had. Jenna sent a flash of bright white light into the blackness, a love so pure he had no choice but to recoil. Satisfied she’d be safe and so would her charges for the time being, she let herself take a calming breath. The Iron Wolves would need a Fey or two on their side, like the Mystic Wolves. She only needed to figure out how to break it to one of her charges, or two and send them on their way. Not that they couldn’t come back to the Fey land anytime to recharge. Sighing, she rolled onto her stomach, and finally, once she realized she had several solutions, she slept. Kellen Styles was such fun to mess with. She’d have to make sure she accompanied the Fey she sent.

L
aikyn jerked awake. She had a sinking sensation something wasn’t right, and wished Kellen hadn’t made his office noise proof. Blinking sleep from her eyes, she sat the recliner back up. She’d thought of lying on one of the sofas, but chose Kellen’s chair. With his scent permeating the large leather piece, her wolf had whined as she’d walked past it. If she was totally honest, the woman wanted to roll around in his scent as well.

Now, she wished the man was here so she could be reassured the sinking feeling was nothing but a left over dread from before. The light from the bathroom lit up only part of the space, but her shifter sight allowed her to see clearly. Her enhanced hearing didn’t pick up anything other than her own heartbeat. “Calm down,” she muttered to herself.

Getting to her feet, Laikyn tried to take a step, but the floor, which was made of concrete, became a muddy mess. The feeling of sinking several inches made her yell out, and she tried to launch herself back into the chair, only to find herself surrounded by woods and trees. Panic threatened to choke her. Through their mate link she shouted for Kellen, but came up against a wall.

She looked around her surroundings, wondering where she was. The tall trees looked like the ones near her home, but the thick mud didn’t make sense since they hadn’t had any hard rain in a long while. Even when they did she couldn’t remember a time when it was ever like a mud pit. Then she remembered what the Cordells had said, and tried to picture herself back inside the club.

An unholy laugh had her spinning in a circle. Darkness still surrounded her, but at least she was no longer stuck.

“Ah, you think to get away again, little girl?” A voice with a thick accent came from all around her.

Laikyn’s wolf wanted to come out and run, but in her shifted form she wasn’t as logical. She used the logic that Jenna had shown them, and tapped into the power the Fey had shown was inside all shifters. She’d been a quick study her entire life, and hoped this time would be no different. Closing her eyes, she pictured herself in a room surrounded by friends, and Kellen. The Iron Wolves club expressly. Laikyn did everything she was told to do. When she heard the cackling voice, she almost gave up and started running, but kept pouring all her resolve in the image, until finally she felt the wind blowing past her face. Pain seared her arm, but she kept the image firmly in her mind, even when she saw blood red eyes, and the face of the devil staring back at her.

“You can’t escape me. I’m too powerful,” he roared.

Again, she kept her focus, and then in a blink she found herself in the middle of the dance floor of the Iron Wolves, blood dripping down her arm.

“Laikyn, what the fuck is going on?”

“Kellen,” her voice breaking. All her strength gave out on that one word, and then her world began to spin.

“It’s alright. I’ve got you.” Kellen’s scent and arms enclosed her in their familiar warmth. “Where did you come from?”

She tried to think past the pain in her arm, but the burning sensation became worse than anything she’d ever experienced. “My arm...hurts.”

Her mate looked at the bleeding mess. “Who did this?” He brought his nose close to the oozing wound. A deep growl rumbled from his chest. “I will kill the bastard.”

“Please, take me to the clinic and I’ll show you how to help me.” She couldn’t raise her hand even as she tried to caress his cheek.

“Call the Fey woman back,” Kellen ordered.

In his usual commanding way, the big bad alpha wasn’t stopping to realize he could reach out with his mind. Laikyn wished she had the strength to try herself, but the amount of energy she’d spent getting away from the vampire was more than she had ever used. “Call Damien and Lucas. Tell them he’s here. Please,” she begged.

“Xan, call the asshats. Their numbers,” Kellen stopped speaking.

Laikyn couldn’t see Xan, but through her and Kellen’s link felt the other man reaching out to Kellen. Again, she wished her body wasn’t so weak. Never in her entire life had she been so drained.

“Why is this cut draining me so?” She blinked up at Kellen.

They reached the small area set up for injured members. “I’d say it’s due to you moving from one place to another like you did, the way Jennaveve does. We are shifters with a touch of Fey, so it’s more taxing on us than them. Now, let me look at your wound, and order me around, Mon Chaton. This will be what we call your free pass.” She saw the strain around his eyes, and wanted to ease it.

“I’m going to be fine. Truly.” After pointing out the different things he needed to clean her wound, Kellen and Laikyn sat on the large bed while they waited for Xan to arrive. She explained how she’d fallen asleep in his office, only to wake in the forest.

He cleansed the wound, flinching each time she did, making her aware how much it pained him to see her hurt.

“Close your eyes, baby. Nobody will take you away on my watch.”

Laikyn’s body wouldn’t allow her to, even with Kellen’s large body next to hers. The grating voice and red eyes looming out at her kept her body tense and awake. “I can’t.” She squeezed his hand.

Kellen lay down, pulling her onto his chest. “Open your mind to me. I promise, ain’t nobody or nothing is gonna mind fuck you again.”

The soothing growl, and yes she thought all his tones were wonderful. “I love you.” Laikyn yawned. With her mate firmly in her head, his presence soothing the wounds of her mind, she found it easy to let go.

****

H
e kept his anger hidden behind a wall of steel, being sure only love poured forth, shielding Laikyn in comfort.

Xan’s light steps, along with his mate’s came to him long before they entered. “
Laikyn is sleeping. Did you get ahold of the Cordell brothers?”

“They will be here shortly. They have a private jet.”
Xan’s grunt of disapproval through their link made Kellen smile.

“
They’re old as fuck, of course they have a jet.”
He had no hard feelings toward the twins. Well, not much since his mate didn’t want either man.

“You two can quit talking with your inside voices. I’m awake, and feel much better.” Laikyn looked up at Kellen.

He kept her from sliding off him with a firm hand on her rounded ass, much to her dismay. “Stay,” he murmured.

“Kellen, you have things to do and so do I. We can’t just lay around. Besides, I need to pee.”

Xan laughed. “I don’t think you can do that for her, big guy.”

“I’ll carry you.” Kellen sat up with Laikyn in his arms.

She growled. “You will do no such thing.” Pointing to the door not five feet from them. “I’ll be right through there. What do you think could happen? Besides, I’m awake, and prepared. I know what happened now. I realize why he was able to get to me. It won’t happen again.”

“Breezy, go with her. And no arguments. I know you women always go to the bathroom together, so it’s no hardship.” Kellen let Laikyn slide down his body, ignoring his hard-on. The damn thing was in a constant state of arousal around his woman.

Xan shrugged. “It’s true. We’ve studied the phenomena of you females, and still don’t understand why you go in groups to the ladies room. Now, go on and make it quick. My wolf doesn’t like you out of its sight right now.”

“Aw, you are such a sweet talker. Tell your wolf my wolf says she loves him, too.” Breezy kissed Xan before grabbing Laikyn’s hand.

Kellen shook his head. “Who is the boss of that relationship?”

Looking at the two women’s retreating backs, Xan adjusted his own erection. “Need I say more?”

“Fucking pussy whipped.” Kellen ran his hand over his jaw, feeling the scrape of his beard. “That was some freaky ass shit out there earlier. How the hell do we combat what we can’t see?”

The worry and fear he’d kept hidden from Laikyn poured out of his mouth.

Xan stared at Kellen, then moved closer. “We do what we’ve always done. We protect the weaker ones, then we hunt the motherfucker down, and kill him. Not necessarily in that order. Your mate showed great strength, and knowledge that we all need by moving through whatever way the Fey do. We need to tap into that if we are going to defeat him.”

“It drained her to the point of collapse. The members of our pack who aren’t as strong could die if they used such power. I won’t lose anyone, no matter what their rank is until we know more about this new skill set. Hell, I don’t even know if it’s ours to use. Laikyn is...special. She’s one of the smartest of our kind.” He stopped at the chuckle coming from his best friend.

“You are so pussy whipped.” Xan jumped back as Kellen swiped his fist toward him.

Shaking his head, Kellen began to pace. “You tell anybody, and I’ll beat your ass. But, you know what I mean. She’s always learned things faster than others. What’s that memory called?” He turned back to face his second, seeing Breezy and Laikyn standing in the doorway.

“Eidetic memory,” Breezy answered.

Laikyn gasped. “How the heck do you know that?”

“Everyone knows. Do you know it’s very rare? I wasn’t sure exactly what that meant until watching The Big Bang Theory. One of the main characters has the same thing, only you are nothing like him.”