Pursuing Paige (3 page)

They stopped in the
doorway of what would be her bedroom. The chamber was pitch
black.

“So you’re a hunter and
protector from the...Magica. You’ll have to explain those to me a
bit more. What does Jarek do?”

“He is one of the
leaders of our community.”

“What do you mean, like
a politician?”

“No.” His lips twisted
as he tried to find a way to explain. “He’s more like a policeman,
a peacekeeper, judge, jury. He passes judgment and punishment on
those who have transgressed.”

“Yikes.”

“He’s fair and a good
man.” He flipped on the light.

Paige’s eyes widened
and she took a few steps into the room. “It’s beautiful.”

He walked into the
room. “We had a lot of time to prepare for your arrival and we
wanted your room to reflect just how much we cherished you from
afar.”

Silently, she stepped
around the room with a dancer’s grace, running her fingers over the
hand carved pedestals of the enormous bed and the sheer curtains
that hung from the canopy. A huge, heavy wardrobe dominated one
corner of the room. She opened it and gasped at all the clothes
within. She cast a look over her shoulder and raised her
eyebrows.

“Hand crafted for you
alone by the village seamstresses. I hope you like them. We judged
your style from watching you through the veil. All the fabrics are
soft and loose. They will let you breathe and move freely.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course. There are
shoes, too. We found out your size from your sister. Toiletries are
in the bathroom.” He pointed at the darkened doorway to their left,
then at the large fireplace. “We will be happy to start a fire for
you anytime you wish. Our power comes not from magick, like the
Magica, but from wind and solar. It’s mostly reliable, but we still
often use fire to supplement the home’s heat.”

“Wonderful, thank you.
I wondered how you had electricity way out here in the middle of
the woods.”

She’d walked over to
stand near him. That was not a good idea. He could scent the faint
perfume on her skin and imagine the way her hair would feel between
his fingers. Standing this close to him was as dangerous as a
gazelle standing close to a hungry lion.

He diverted his
attention to the door. If he didn’t look away, he would pounce on
her. “The lock is here.”

She looked at the door
and smiled. “That silly lock would never keep you out, would
it?”

He grinned. “You have
nothing to fear here, Paige. Feel free to take a bath before bed,
if you wish. We’ll see you in the morning.” He had to get out of
there before he did something he’d regret, something that would
make what he’d just said a lie.

She reached out and
laid a hand on his arm. He stiffened and went still. She had no
idea the danger she was courting with even such an innocent move.
“I don’t understand why or how I’m here, even though you’ve told
me, but thank you for being so caring, Kaiden.”

His name coming from
her lips was the last straw. He couldn’t take it anymore, so he did
the thing he’d been dreading. He hoped he could limit this, control
himself, but he needed a taste. He reached out, caught her in his
arms and pulled her up against his chest, lowering his mouth to
hers.

* * * * *

Paige gave a little
yelp when Kaiden grabbed her and pulled her close. A ravenous
expression had clouded his face and she suddenly realized just how
hard he’d been fighting to hold himself back from her. His arms
were like tree trunks with muscles. There was no way she could pull
away from him. Although after her initial surprise, she wasn’t all
that sure she wanted to pull away.

He dragged her up
against his warm, hard chest, and she melted. It had been a long
time since a man had touched her and she’d forgotten what it felt
like, what a man smelled like. It was nice. Especially since for
all the force and brawn that Kaiden possessed, he was gentle.

His warm mouth
slanted over hers,
lips working
her lips, slowly sipping and tasting her. The action tightened her
stomach, made it flutter, and affected areas of her body just
south. She drew her hands up from his wrists, over the bulges of
his arms, all the way to his broad shoulders and rested
there.

Ecstasy
. Unreserved and complete.

His hands trailed down to the small of her
back and pressed, making her body arch into his. She gasped into
his mouth at the gentle, commanding force of it and her knees went
weak. God, what would this man be like in bed? She couldn’t help
but fantasize that he would show her right now if she desired
it.

She liked this way too much.
Way too
much.
She shouldn’t even
be kissing him. She barely knew him!

The kiss grew deeper, banishing all those
annoying thoughts.

His lips slid across her mouth like silk,
rubbing sensually. He nipped at her bottom lip and gave it a slow
lick, then pulled it into his hot mouth. With a sexy little growl
in his throat, he enveloped her in his arms, tilted his head to the
side and slanted his mouth over hers. His tongue feathered across
her lips and she opened for him. He swept inside.

Oh…hell, she was done for.

The man could kiss. There was no doubt about
it. He tasted like coffee and smelled like soap, clean and manly.
His stubble rubbed her soft skin. She noted the sensation, but
hardly minded it.

She couldn’t
think
!

His tongue rubbed up against hers and his
lips worked over her mouth, tasting, nipping, devouring. The room
fell away. The whole world, whichever one this was, just
disappeared. She floated among the stars. He caught her lower lip
between his teeth and tugged gently. Then he slanted his mouth
across hers once more and plundered again.

Finally he set her away from him. Her knees
felt weak. Her lips were swollen and achy. Her mouth felt empty.
She staggered back and blearily opened her eyes. She’d never been
kissed like that before in her life. She should be angry. Too bad
she only wanted more.

But he was gone and the door was closed.

“
So, wait, let me get this straight. The
Magica
bio-engineered
Jarek and Kaiden?” Paige was sitting in the front yard with
her sister, trying to get a handle on the moment.

“
Well, no, not Jarek and Kaiden
specifically. They bio-engineered the Lycaon race millions of years
ago.
The Magica never expected for the Lycaon to be able to
procreate and produce offspring, but they were able to do that. The
original Lycaon were dire wolves and many remain so, like Jarek and
Kaiden.”

“Dire wolves,”
Paige echoed, touching her aching head. The crystal bracelet that
had been Kaitlyn’s birthday gift winked in the afternoon sun as her
sister gestured as she spoke, trying to get Paige to understand.
Kaitlyn had found the box in the grass yesterday, after Paige had
fainted.

She kind of
felt like fainting again now.

Rafian and
Lucas had arrived that morning beside Kaitlyn. Paige had almost
swallowed her tongue looking at the four men in the kitchen
together. They were like Greek Gods made real. All the men had gone
for a run—in dire wolf form, she imagined—while Kaitlyn explained
all of this to her. She wasn’t ready to see Jarek and Kaiden—or
anyone, for that matter—turn into a werewolf yet.

Paige held up a hand.
“Okay, let me see if I understand. The Magica once lived over
there, in our reality. Millions of years ago, they created the
Lycaon to be soldiers and protectors, but then lost control of them
because the free will of the Lycaon proved too strong. A long and
terrible war broke out, one that still rages even today, millions
of years later. Initially that war lay to waste all of human
civilization, causing humans to start over again. The Powers That
Be, whatever they are, forced both the Magica and the Lycaon
through the veil to this reality, called
Selaryica
, where
they’ve been living and warring ever since. But some of the Lycaon
and Magica were left behind on Earth and their DNA was carried
through the evolution of man, showing up in a few people like
you...and me.”

“And
Caroline.”

She drew a steady
breath. All of this was really hard to believe. They had alien DNA?
“And Caroline. But the Lycaon fertility rates are really low and
they produce more males than females. There is a magical component
to the fertility of the Lycaon, as well, that they call the mating
bond. It links most compatible males and females, no matter where
they may be, and draws them together. If a mate is beyond the veil
separating our realities, it pulls that mate through.” She paused.
“Like you and me.”

“That’s it. That’s why
I disappeared so suddenly.”

She put her hand to her
mouth and blinked back tears as the emotions from the past year
welled inside her. “Can you imagine how Caroline will feel when she
realizes I’m gone too?”

Kaitlyn bowed her head
and dragged her fingers through the lush green grass. “It kept me
awake last night.”

She swallowed hard.
“It’s so cruel.”

“It is. It’s also out
of our hands. There’s no way to cross over except by the will of
whatever forces control the veil. I hope that by the end of these
two weeks you will find love in your heart for Kaiden and Jarek,
just as I did for my mates. I hope eventually that maybe Caroline
will be pulled through too. Maybe we can all live here
together.”

Anger flashed through
her and she bolted to her feet. “And my dancing? Don’t you care at
all about that? I have a career, something I’ve dedicated myself to
since I was five years old, Kaitlyn. How can you wish for me to
give all that up?”

She looked up at her
with emotion brimming in her eyes. “You bring your dancing with you
wherever you go, Paige. Love,
true
and
everlasting
love, comes rarely. Give it a chance.”

She gave an exasperated
breath. “Where is the surly, down-on-love Kaitlyn I used to
know?”

Kaitlyn smiled. “I’m
still your sister. I’m just happier now.”

“Ugh! I don’t even know
them!”

“You know them better than you think. If it goes
anything like how it went between Rafian, Lucas and I, you’ll be
surprised by how much.”

She sank down next to her again. “They scare me.
Kaiden kissed me last night and I thought I would lose my mind, not
to mention my underwear.”

Kaitlyn laughed. “These are very potent males.”

“I don’t want to lose myself in them. They’re
overwhelming.”

“But their way is gentle. They are very much men, but
they won’t dominate you.” She blushed. “Unless it’s in the bedroom
and you want them too.”

“
Oh, my god.
”

Kaitlyn cleared her throat. “What I’m saying is,
you’re not going to end up barefoot and in the kitchen. These men
might be very masculine, but they’re not cavemen. This culture is
actually really female-oriented. We wield a lot of power here.”

“Oh, really? How?”

“Come into the village sometime and I’ll introduce
you around. Most the people who set the rules and govern here are
strong, respected women. Little girls, the few there are, are
cherished, but they’re also taught to be strong and one day take
leadership positions.”

“And they’re all shapeshifters, right? I just can’t
get my head around that.”

Kaitlyn went silent, gaze down, swiping her hand back
and forth over the grass.

Paige frowned at her, wondering at the strange look
on her sister’s face, then it dawned on her. “Oh, god, please don’t
tell me. If you and I have Lycaon DNA, does that mean we can
shapeshift too?”

“Uh, yeah.” She looked into Paige’s face. “I’ve
already done it. Er, do it. Turns out I’m a hawk shapeshifter.”

Paige’s eyebrows rose. “A…hawk?”

Kaitlyn’s cautious demeanor broke and a smile lit her
face. She turned and grabbed Paige’s hand. “Oh, Paige, it’s so
amazing to fly! I love it. It was really hard at first, not so much
the flying, but the shifting, but now it’s no—”

“
Whoa. I’m still back on hawk. My sister can change
into a
hawk.
”

“Maybe you can too. Or maybe you change into fox or a
wolf or a—”

“Uh, you’re getting way ahead of me here,
Kaitlyn.”

“I know. Sorry. It took me a while too. I’m just so
happy you’re here!” Kaitlyn squealed and tackle hugged her.

Paige laughed, hugging her back. It was so good to be
with her again, to know she was all right—whole, healthy, and so
very happy. That went a long way to easing her anxiety. “In a super
strange way, I’m happy to be here too.” But she was also very
worried about Caroline. “At least when I go back, I’ll be able to
tell Caroline you’re okay.”

Kaitlyn pulled away. “Paige.”

“I’m not falling in love with these guys and changing
my entire life for them. I’m glad you’re happy, but this” —she
motioned to the trees around her— “this is not for me.”

Kaitlyn just smiled.

“What?”

“You say that before you’ve felt the full force of
the mate bond.” She nodded so wisely that Paige really wanted to
knock her in the side of the head. “You say that now. So did I.
You’ll soon change your tune.”

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Whatever. The most I might do is use these guys for sex. They
obviously want to use
me
for
sex, so why not make it reciprocal?”

Kaitlin shook her head. “It’s not like that. Sex with
them will go far deeper than what you’re imagining. Even though
you’ve just met them, you share an intimate connection—and I don’t
mean intimate in a physical sense. You’ll understand soon
enough.”