All she wanted was to fall asleep.
“Sleep now, little one, we’re with you,” she heard her grandmother whisper as her eyes fluttered closed.
* * * *
Kaiden looked at his Uncle Tim with more than just shock at what he’d explained of Caleb’s plan.
“A breeder,” Kaiden said a bit too loudly.
“He says she’s the one,” Tim replied.
“But how the hell would he know.” Kaiden had always assumed it would be him who would find his brother’s and his mate.
“Trust me, when you find the one you know it instinctively. It’s a primal thing.”
“You want him to bite her?”
“I told him he has to. It’s part of the deal.”
“She could die from it.”
“I know the risks, so does he, but it’s what needs to be done or she’ll die trying to have your babies.” There was a sad hint to Tim’s voice.
Kaiden’s mom had told them about Diana. She’d been Tim’s girlfriend. He’d been too afraid to turn her when they’d been younger. When they’d found out she was pregnant it was then too late to try. Her human body rejected the fetus, causing an extreme type of toxemia. She and the baby had died. That was thirty years ago, and although Tim had had lots of women come and go, he’d never had a mate again.
Fear now washed over Kaiden. Caleb had found their mate, would change her, and he hadn’t even laid eyes on her yet. What if she died? What if he never got the chance to even meet her face-to-face.
“Tell him to wait.” Kaiden growled.
“Excuse me?” Tim asked, glaring at him. He wasn’t used to anyone talking to him in such a tone.
“Tell him to wait. I want to meet her. I need this, Tim. If she dies before I get the chance…” He let the words trail.
“All right, Kaiden, but it needs to be done before either of you mate with her. Do I make myself clear?” The alpha’s pheromones filled the air. Tim made the demand as alpha, not his uncle.
* * * *
Caleb smelled the blood the second he opened the door. He saw several droplets on the floor, and his heart lurched. He raced up the stairs and then burst into the bedroom. Bloody cuffs dangled from the empty bed. By the looks of them and the bed, she was bleeding bad enough to need medical attention. He saw the phone hanging from its cord. She’d tried to call for help, and smelling the air, he knew no one else had been in there with her. As he ran outside it didn’t take him long to find her escape route.
Caleb ran after her trail as he entered the woods. He used his more heightened senses to keep track of it in the snow. He moved faster than a mundane man could, and he was quickly getting closer as her scent became stronger. The drops of blood in the snow aided his sense of smell. He should have cuffed her ankles to the bed, he thought, and then this wouldn’t be happening again.
Cresting a small hill, he froze at the sight before him. Curled up in the snow, unmoving, was Kitty. The fleeting sound of a woman’s disembodied voice singing a lullaby echoed ever so softly in the air around her. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he rushed to Kitty’s side. Turning her over, he checked her pulse, and to his relief, he found it beating. He scooped her up into his arms and rushed back toward the farmhouse with the feeling of something watching him, fading away as he left the spot he’d found her.
He carried her inside and then stripped her out of her cold wet clothes again. Caleb washed her up and bandaged her wrists. They would heal, but would most likely leave nasty scars. Brushing the hair from her eyes, he was relieved to have found her in time. He tucked the blanket around her naked body after he cuffed her ankle to the footboard. Just in case he never got the chance again, he leaned over and kissed her on the mouth. Soft, silky and warm, her lips felt like heaven caressing his. The brief touch was like a shot in the heart, and he wanted so much more than just one kiss.
He’d planned on
“Sleep now, little one, we’re with you,” she heard her grandmother whisper as her eyes fluttered closed.
* * * *
Kaiden looked at his Uncle Tim with more than just shock at what he’d explained of Caleb’s plan.
“A breeder,” Kaiden said a bit too loudly.
“He says she’s the one,” Tim replied.
“But how the hell would he know.” Kaiden had always assumed it would be him who would find his brother’s and his mate.
“Trust me, when you find the one you know it instinctively. It’s a primal thing.”
“You want him to bite her?”
“I told him he has to. It’s part of the deal.”
“She could die from it.”
“I know the risks, so does he, but it’s what needs to be done or she’ll die trying to have your babies.” There was a sad hint to Tim’s voice.
Kaiden’s mom had told them about Diana. She’d been Tim’s girlfriend. He’d been too afraid to turn her when they’d been younger. When they’d found out she was pregnant it was then too late to try. Her human body rejected the fetus, causing an extreme type of toxemia. She and the baby had died. That was thirty years ago, and although Tim had had lots of women come and go, he’d never had a mate again.
Fear now washed over Kaiden. Caleb had found their mate, would change her, and he hadn’t even laid eyes on her yet. What if she died? What if he never got the chance to even meet her face-to-face.
“Tell him to wait.” Kaiden growled.
“Excuse me?” Tim asked, glaring at him. He wasn’t used to anyone talking to him in such a tone.
“Tell him to wait. I want to meet her. I need this, Tim. If she dies before I get the chance…” He let the words trail.
“All right, Kaiden, but it needs to be done before either of you mate with her. Do I make myself clear?” The alpha’s pheromones filled the air. Tim made the demand as alpha, not his uncle.
* * * *
Caleb smelled the blood the second he opened the door. He saw several droplets on the floor, and his heart lurched. He raced up the stairs and then burst into the bedroom. Bloody cuffs dangled from the empty bed. By the looks of them and the bed, she was bleeding bad enough to need medical attention. He saw the phone hanging from its cord. She’d tried to call for help, and smelling the air, he knew no one else had been in there with her. As he ran outside it didn’t take him long to find her escape route.
Caleb ran after her trail as he entered the woods. He used his more heightened senses to keep track of it in the snow. He moved faster than a mundane man could, and he was quickly getting closer as her scent became stronger. The drops of blood in the snow aided his sense of smell. He should have cuffed her ankles to the bed, he thought, and then this wouldn’t be happening again.
Cresting a small hill, he froze at the sight before him. Curled up in the snow, unmoving, was Kitty. The fleeting sound of a woman’s disembodied voice singing a lullaby echoed ever so softly in the air around her. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he rushed to Kitty’s side. Turning her over, he checked her pulse, and to his relief, he found it beating. He scooped her up into his arms and rushed back toward the farmhouse with the feeling of something watching him, fading away as he left the spot he’d found her.
He carried her inside and then stripped her out of her cold wet clothes again. Caleb washed her up and bandaged her wrists. They would heal, but would most likely leave nasty scars. Brushing the hair from her eyes, he was relieved to have found her in time. He tucked the blanket around her naked body after he cuffed her ankle to the footboard. Just in case he never got the chance again, he leaned over and kissed her on the mouth. Soft, silky and warm, her lips felt like heaven caressing his. The brief touch was like a shot in the heart, and he wanted so much more than just one kiss.
He’d planned on
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