by Lynn Veevers
“You look beautiful, Kay.”
She blushed and told him thank you. It was strange to Kaya, seeing him in this light.
“Kenny is a lucky kid.” He put a fatherly hand on her shoulder and smiled with a proud little twinkle in his eyes.
For the first time, Kaya realized Jed saw her more like a daughter than a niece and took real pride in her. She was touched. So now it was her turn to catch him completely off guard.
She closed the gap between them and wrapped him in a tight hug. He issued a sharp, sudden intake of air and then let it out and returned the embrace, cautiously at first and then more securely. He placed his chin on the top of her head when he spoke.
“Di and I have been trying for years to have a baby, so when you came to live with us, I promised her and myself that I would love you like a daughter. I want you to know I do even if I don’t show it often. We are proud of the young woman you are becoming, Kaya.”
“Thanks, Uncle Jed.”
“Pretty women run in this family, for sure,” Jed said, teary-eyed.
The sound of sniffling had Jed and Kaya looking toward the stairs. Di was the source of the crying. She was clearly happy with what had just transpired. Jed walked to Di and took her in his arms.
“It’s OK, Diana. It was a long time overdue.”
Di hugged him and then turned her attention to Kaya.
“You do indeed look beautiful, Kay. Kenneth is not going to know what to do when he sees you.”
Kaya chuckled at the thought. She and Di went to sit at the table while Jed finished his cooking. There they sat for the next thirty minutes or so, talking, laughing, and reconnecting as a family. When the doorbell rang, Kaya’s heart skipped a beat and Di jumped up from her chair and headed toward the door.
“I’ll go let him in.”
A few moments later, when Di led Cole into the kitchen, Kaya was confused. He smiled at her, understanding her confusion.
“I decided to stay for a couple weeks and had my professors email me my work. I didn’t want to leave with all this weirdness happening. Kenneth is just finishing up a few last minute things and asked me to come fetch you. I hope that’s OK.”
She told him it was and he offered her his arm.
“Well then, shall we?”
Kaya nodded, but then paused, remembering she’d forgotten something.
“One moment. Let me just grab my purse.”
She ran up to her room and grabbed her purse with its precious contents, then headed back downstairs. She couldn’t forget what was inside. After all, her heritage demanded traditional needs be satisfied as well.
Kaya hugged Di and Uncle Jed goodbye and let Cole lead her outside to a nice, midnight-blue Camaro. He opened the passenger door and helped her inside. The car still had the new car smell, telling Kaya he hadn’t had it long. She was nervous on the drive to the O’Connell Estate. As they pulled up to the house, her jitters seriously kicked in.
Why am I so nervous? she thought to herself.
Cole got out, walked around the front of the car, helped her out, and once again offered Kaya his arm. He shut the car door and then escorted her up the front steps, through the house, and onto the back patio. There Kenneth stood dressed in a black suit with a dark blue dress shirt and black tie. He was holding a clear box which held a corsage in it. It matched the boutineer pinned to his suit. It was a white rose trimmed with forget-me-nots and just the slightest touch of baby’s breath. He looked at Kaya adoringly.
“I don’t think I have ever seen anyone look as beautiful as you do right now, Kays.”
He opened the box and fitted the corsage to her wrist.
“I know how much you wanted to go to the fall dance, so instead, I decided to have our own private dance here, just you and me. Oh, and Anissa and Josh.”
Over to her far right, they were sitting at a table at the opposite end of the patio. There were two small, round tables placed side by side. They had clean, crisp, white table clothes and blue porch umbrellas. The banister that wrapped around the porch had been strung with white lights. It was simple but elegant at the same time. The tables had square white plates and blue napkins on them where silverware sat glistening in the lights. Slender wine glasses and bottles of sparking grape juice completed the presentation. Owen had a smoked brisket prepared and it smelled simply divine. Kaya’s stomach grumbled.
Kenneth took her hand as he laughed and walked her to the table Josh and Anissa sat at. Neither of them had bothered to dress up. Somehow, Anissa had managed to reclaim her seemingly innocent, harmless, and sweet-natured facade. Every trace of the bad butt, take-charge female Kaya had seen yesterday was gone. She might convince everyone else in Tangent with her little act, but Kaya knew better. Anissa was truly impressive in her skill sets, and Kaya had nothing but respect for the petite, seemingly-fragile young woman.
Kenneth pulled out the chair directly across from Anissa and sat down. Anissa directed a friendly smile toward Kaya and she returned the gesture.
“You seem to be coming along nicely,” Anissa said without a trace of the animosity she’d had toward Kaya the night of Kenneth’s party.
“So we are OK, right?” Kaya asked.
Anissa swatted at the air in a dismissive manner.
“Eh, it’s OK, Kaya. I might have gotten a little over-defensive. I mean, it’s kind of hard to feel adequate with this group.” She gestured with a circular motion over her head to include everyone present.
They sat there and talked for a while about nothing much. Kaya was convinced no permanent damage was sustained where their friendship was concerned. They ate the incredible food Owen had made. There was steamed, butter-smothered asparagus, fresh dinner rolls, homemade mac and cheese, followed up with blueberry cheesecake.
Even though it was supposed to be a private dance, there was not much dancing done. They mostly just sat around talking about the events of the last week instead. It was ten-thirty when Josh and Anissa announced they were going to head out. Kaya gave Anissa a hug and apologized for her prior actions once again, and she again told Kaya not to worry about it. Everyone finished with their good-byes to the pair.
Owen and his oldest two children informed Kenneth and Kaya that they were going to go watch a movie in the family room. The two were left to their own devices in the middle of the back patio. The scents of dinner still hung in the air and music softly floated from the outside speakers. Kenneth came to stand in front of Kaya and when he looked at her, his eyes glowed yellow with passion. The sight made her breath catch in her throat and when he bent to draw a kiss from her lips, he took her breath away.
9
Check Mate
Kenneth’s kiss was always strong in its pull. But this time was different; it was concentrated sensation laced with a primal passion that intoxicated her senses.
He wrapped his right arm around Kaya’s waist and pulled her flush against him. His scent was strong tonight and it set the fire burning within her to a raging inferno. When he finally released her lips, she was gasping for air. She was lost in his eyes with their yellow intensity. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. She read it there in his features. He slowly began moving her across the deck to the beat of the music. He never broke eye contact as he twirled her around the patio. The emotions arcing between them were more powerful than anything Kaya had ever experienced. The music faded and their dancing slowly came to a stop.
“I love you, Kays.”
Before she could say anything, he was kissing her again; on her forehead first, then down the side of her face and down her neck. He lingered along its column and then moved down to her shoulder. He moved the dress strap and it fell from its resting place. The sensation had her feeling lightheaded and just the slightest bit needy. He traced his lips back up her neck to her ear. She felt his breath warm there as he whispered to her.
“Kays, I have no idea what I am doing.”
“You could have fooled me, Mr. O’Connell.”
She�
��d said it more seductively than she’d meant to, but it was all the insinuation he required. He scooped her up and headed into the house. He walked through the kitchen, past the family room door, up the stairs, and down the hall to his bedroom door. He stopped and returned Kaya to her feet.
He raised his hand up to an intricately carved wooden plaque of a wolf standing with the moon at its back. A woman was standing before him, arm extended to touch his face. The woman had the wings of a hawk, and upon closer examination, Kaya noted with a shock the woman depicted in the carving was her.
Kenneth lowered his hand from the carving and took her hand in his. He raised their hands together to the carving, all the while looking at her. When their joined hands touched the carving, it blazed to life with a blinding yellow light and then softened to a golden glow.
“My father approves and gives his blessing. If he didn’t, nothing would have happened and we would be denied entrance to my room together.”
“But then why have I been able to go into your room before now?” Kaya asked, confused.
“That’s because before you came into my room as a friend, not as my intended mate. But now you are, and that requires the alpha’s permission and blessing. It’s a lot like asking a woman’s father for her hand before a man can marry her. In our culture, bonding and taking a mate is essentially marriage,” Kenneth explained.
Kenneth reached down, opened the door, and backed into the room, pulling her with him. Closing the door behind them she reached for the small purse she had brought with her. Kenneth’s gaze followed the movement. Clutching the small purse, she walked over to his bed, and sat down and patted the empty spot beside her. Just the slightest bit unsettled, he sat on the bed next to her. Worry was written all over his face. Kaya let out a long breath of air, reached inside the purse, and pulled out what was inside. Setting the purse aside she stood and held out what she had in her hands.
“Kenneth, this belonged to my godmother, who also happens to be my father’s oldest sibling. She had three sturdy, strong sons, but no girls, so when I came along, I was the first of my generation’s girls. She knew her childbearing days were over and so she passed it to me. In my father’s tribe, my tribe, it is a woman’s right to pick the man she intends to give her heart to. Her right to pick her partner for life, and if the man accepts, this symbolizes the bond. This is a promise to the man that she will always love him and no other. When your heart knows you are looking into the eyes of your soulmate, it is how you know he is the man this is destined for. It’s hard to explain how you know. It is just a feeling. This does not happen for every woman, but for me…it has.”
He reached up and took what she held in her hands and told her he accepted.
“Kays, what is it?” he asked cautiously.
“It’s my family’s courting choker, a symbolic necklace. It was for a woman to give and a man to wear. Times have changed and the act of wearing it has fallen from tradition. So, in this day and age, it is just simply given.”
Kenneth looked down at the native choker with its traditional elements of crafting. He ran his fingers over the turquoise, wooden, and bone beads, and examined the soft leather cording that strung the beads together and tethered the tips of porcupine quills along the bottom edges of the choker. He rose from the bed, walked to his dresser, and laid the choker in front of the treasured picture display Kaya had seen at his birthday party.
He stood there examining all his prized processions, her courting choker sitting among them. The deed was done. Kaya had made her once-in-a-lifetime choice and one day, their daughter would give the choker to the love of her life, to her soulmate. Kenneth left his dresser and came to stand with her once more.
“I love you, Kays.”
Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her feverishly. Moving his hands to her shoulders, he pushed the straps of her dress off of them. As he placed a kiss in the crook of her neck and traced his lips down her shoulder, it made her shiver. She felt his hand grasp the zipper on the back of her dress pulling it slowly down to the sash’s bow as she flushed self-consciously under his attentive gaze. Kaya didn’t think she was particularly pretty, but right then, seeing the unwavering love in his eyes, she felt beautiful and gloriously feminine. “Kays, you are perfect.”
His eyes followed the lines and curves of her body and then came to rest on her face. He cupped her face in his hands and engulfed her in a desire-driven kiss. Kaya reached up and helped him shrug out of his suit jacket and then went to work on the buttons of his shirt. Before long, she had all the buttons unfastened and he deepened the kiss they were already sharing. In one smooth, fluid motion, he swept her off the floor and carried her to the bed. Shifting his weight, he leaned to remove her shoes before straightening again.
Kenneth stood beside the bed, breathing hard and looking as if he didn’t know what to do. After a moment she realized he was as scared and nervous as she was. Walking over to his dresser seemed to distracted his nerves and had Kaya taking notice of the fact that he was tall, and perfectly toned, the result of growing up on a ranch all his life. He opened the top drawer and retrieved a small black box that contained the precautions they both knew they needed. The way he had turned toward his dresser gave Kaya a full view of his back. On his left shoulder blade, there was a tattoo like marking of his family crest she hadn’t known he had. It was beautifully crafted to his skin, as if it was meant to be there. He came back to where she lay on his bed, laid down with her and wrapped her in his arms possessively.
Sometime later, they were both exhausted and lying side by side. His breathing was steady now, but still slightly labored. Both of them were covered in perspiration. They lie there a long time, still and quiet before he finally stirred and when he spoke his tone sounded worried.
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
Not wanting him to feel guilty she told him he hadn’t. It was not as bad as she thought it was going to be and Kenneth had been extremely gentle. When he tried to get off the bed, Kaya reached out and kept him from doing so. She was not ready for him to move away from her just yet. He let his gaze run over Kaya, her hair in complete disarray, his bed sheets rumpled, and told her she was beautiful. Kaya felt loved and she knew in her heart she had chosen right. With a sigh of contentment, he scooted to the middle of the bed, and pulled her to him.
“Stay with me tonight, Kays? Please don’t leave. I need to wake up in the morning and see you here with me in my bed so I know this wasn’t just a dream,” he said in a sleepy voice.
He had his hand in her hair again and drew her in for another kiss. Agreeing to stay, she snuggled against him and fell asleep in the warm, safe embrace that belonged to the man of her dreams.
Kaya woke the next morning at first light…alone, searched the room with her eyes, but Kenneth was nowhere to be seen. On the nightstand, there was a single sunflower, her favorite flower, and a small, folded piece of paper. She unfolded the paper and read:
Kays,
I woke up and didn’t have the heart to wake you. You look so beautiful and peaceful when you sleep. Waking up to you in my arms was like a dream come true. I love you more than anything. Come downstairs when you are ready. I called your aunt; she was a little upset because you did not come home last night. I apologized for keeping you here all night and told her we fell asleep. I think she knows better, but just didn’t say so. I went to your house and picked up a change of clothes for you. They are in the chair by my desk. Thank you for helping me to become a full-fledged man last night. I am honored to be the one you chose to come into your womanhood with. Don’t sleep too long. I can’t wait to see you.
Kenneth
Kaya smiled to herself and crawled out of Kenneth’s bed still naked, and walked over to his closed door where a full length mirror hung. She studied her reflection in the mirror to see if she could see a change in her appearance but could see none even though she felt different.
Her hair was a tangled mess and so she finger-combed and drew it in
to a ponytail. That was when she saw it. Leaning closer to the mirror she realized it was not her imagination. Shock overtook her as she inspected the mark that started behind her ear and stretched almost halfway down her neck, skirting along the hairline.
Kenneth’s family crest was imprinted into her skin.
She tried to rub it off but it was in vain. The mark was still there and had not lightened or smeared in the least bit. Grabbing her clothes from his desk, she dressed in under a minute. She was pulling her hoodie over her head when she reached the stairs and ran straight into Owen. He caught her by the arm and prevented her from tumbling down the steps.
“What’s the hurry?” He chuckled. Then he got a look at Kaya’s face, and every trace of humor left his features. “Kaya, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” he asked, full of concern.
Kaya pointed to the mark behind her ear and through her sobs she finally got the question out.
“Mr. Owen, what is this?”
His eyes traveled to where she had pointed and he sighed.
“So, it is done.”
“What? What‘s done?” Kaya asked, hysterical.
Kenneth came running up the stairs, passed his dad, went straight to Kaya, and pulled her into his arms when he saw her crying.
“Kays, why are you crying?” he asked
It was his father who answered his question.
“Son, you neglected to tell her about the brand of protection before you sealed your bond and made her your mate,” Owen said solemnly.
Kenneth apologized with true remorse in his eyes.
“Kays, I’m an idiot. I got so caught up in what was happening between us that it completely slipped my mind. I wanted so much to give you all of me that I didn’t remember to tell you about the part of me you would carry for the rest of your life. We all have the brand of protection, the Pack Mark. It symbolizes what pack within a clan you belong to and entitles you to the protection of that pack. When we sealed our bond last night, it made you one of our pack, and now you bear the mark. It was the same with my mother when my father took her as his mate, and Blaire with Cole. Females of the pack display the mark behind their right ear and males on their left shoulder. I’m sorry, Kays, so sorry.”