by Vella Day
“I’m in a new mood.”
“Good. I hope you’re also in the mood to be ravished,” Kalan said.
“Bring it on.”
Kalan laughed, and Elana smiled, but a second later, her lips formed an O when he swiped his tongue across her opening. Waves of desire carried her to a place where worries ceased to exist. She scooted her hips closer, providing her better access to his shoulders and upper back. If she’d been able to reach his ass, she’d be squeezing those tight orbs right now.
Kalan lifted his body slightly, just enough to slip two fingers into her opening. The slight pressure on her sensitive spot had her heels digging into his back. “That feels amazing.” Words were always so inadequate in times like these.
“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” he said.
He continued pressing, thrusting, and twirling his fingertips, escalating her need. When he leaned over again and drew her clit into his mouth, Elana lost it. Not wanting to wake the kids, she swallowed her scream as her climax consumed her.
Kalan leaned back when she panted. In a quick move, he disengaged her leg hold and climbed on top of her. “I need you.”
“I need you more,” she said, her eyes no doubt glazed over with lust.
Their kiss seemed more passionate than it had been in the last few weeks. When their tongues finally entwined, it was more joyous and desperate, their need for each other that intense. Connecting on such an elemental level magnified their urgency. Probably because Kalan didn’t want to cut her with his sharp teeth, he broke the contact and dragged his lips down her chin and across her throat.
Nothing turned her on like a man who knew what he wanted and took it. But Elana could only hold out for so long. It didn’t matter she’d already climaxed, since the second one always came faster than the first. She reached down to grab his cock, but all she managed to grasp was the tip.
“Uh uh,” Kalan muttered. “I’m kissing your neck to help me calm down before I take you fully.”
She loved it when he talked dirty. Hoping to derail him though, she lifted her hips and pressed her pussy against his huge erection. “Is it working?”
He grabbed her sides and tickled her. If he wanted war, she’d give it to him. Elana lifted her face and licked his cheek. That made him stop, and she grinned.
“You are in trouble now,” he said.
When it came to Kalan, his kind of trouble was the best. He nudged open her legs and drove into her with one full thrust, her mind splintering into pieces. Her back heaved. Elana dragged her nails over his scalp through his thick hair, loving the silky texture. His lips found hers, and they kissed hard at first and then slowly let up on the pressure. Their rhythm slowed for a bit probably to give both of them time to calm down. Shifting while making love would have been bad on so many levels.
Kalan broke the kiss and then flipped them over so that Elana was on top. Oh, how she loved it when he gave her the control. “Watch out,” she said.
“I’m ready,” Kalan said as he clasped his hands on her waist.
As she slowly lifted up and then dropped back down on him, she bent over, her nipples two inches from his mouth. Like an animal after its prey, Kalan lifted his head and nabbed the taut tip, fully extending it before letting go. Pinpricks of delight scattered over her breast.
He moved one hand from her waist to her breast and palmed it while he kept sucking on the other one. Alternating between a hard tug and a soft lick, her need built exponentially. When Elana was with Kalan, she was able to push aside all of their troubles and focus on the here and now. If only they could stay in bed forever, she’d be the happiest woman alive.
Swamped with erotic lust, she lowered her lips to his neck as she pumped her hips up and down. Kalan returned his hand to her waist and held her still as he drove up into her. Just as they were developing this sensual rhythm, he changed positions once more. He flipped her onto her back while still staying inside of her. Kalan then lowered his face to within an inch of her lips.
“Are you ready?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.
“Always.” Elana wasn’t positive what he was referring to, but she was game to whatever he had in mind.
Kalan slid his hands up to her breasts and then kissed her. When he eased out and then slid into her again, she felt complete. She dragged her palms up his face, enjoying how the stubble on his cheeks thickened under her touch.
Their tongues tangled, and their teeth sharpened. Kalan increased his speed and grunted. Breaking the kiss, he lowered his head and hammered into her, taking her someplace special. The colors in the room seemed to change, and the air became harder to breathe. When he hammered into her once more, her climax swooped in. Elana dug her nails into his shoulders and let out a silent scream. The last thing she needed was for Aiden to come in and ask if something was wrong.
A moment later, Kalan’s cock exploded and stretched her wide. They were together as one at last. Exhaustion took over quickly, and she sagged against the bed. “I needed that,” she panted.
“Me too.” Kalan rolled them to the side, and Elana promptly fell asleep.
Chapter Ten
‡
“You can’t go into work today,” Elana said. “It’s too soon.”
“I think I proved to you last night that I am in perfect condition.”
“I know, but what will the men say? As in your totally human coworkers? You were shot in the back and almost died. A human wouldn’t recover that quickly.”
Kalan stroked her face. “No one needs to know where I was shot. I plan to say the bullet grazed my shoulder and that my recovery was swift. However, I’m not going to the office today. We have reason to believe that Sean might be held captive in the Changeling bunker.”
Elana finished scrambling the eggs, acting as if he hadn’t even said the word Changeling, something that he understood caused her emotions to soar. “I thought the old headquarters had been abandoned,” she said with as little emotion as she could. Too bad Kalan could sense the anger rolling off her. After all, those bastards had murdered her parents.
“It probably has been. However, what better place to keep Sean? They’ll think no one will look for him there.”
Aiden padded out from the hallway looking sleepy and adorable. “Fine, but I hope you aren’t going alone,” she said.
“Of course not. Not only will Kip, Dalton, and Sam be with me, Jackson will be sending his drone over the area first to see if they have any guards stationed there.” He leaned over and kissed her.
“Be careful,” she said.
“Always.” Kalan swooped up Aiden. “I want you to be a good boy today. Mommy has had a few hard days. Can you promise me that?”
“Uh-huh.”
Kalan didn’t believe it for a minute, but it was nice that his on had agreed. “I’ll see you tonight.” He leaned over, kissed his mate, and then his son before setting him down.
Grabbing his jacket, he hurried out. Brr. While no snow was on the ground, the air had a bite to it. He hopped in the car, happy as always that it started. Kalan had made plans this morning to meet everyone at McKinnon and Associates, figuring he was less likely to be spotted on the far side of town.
All during the trip, Kalan had to work hard to push aside the memory of their amazing lovemaking from last night. Elana and he had connected like they never had before—or rather like they hadn’t in a long time. For now, though, he needed to forget his lustful thoughts and concentrate on the task at hand—that of finding Sean Treacher.
Once Kalan entered the McKinnon and Associates building, he found everyone in the main room, drinking coffee and eating donuts. Dalton must have brought them. How his partner never gained weight was still a mystery.
“Hey, what are you all doing?” Kalan said. He thought they would be working on a master plan instead of joking around.
Their chatter stopped, and Dalton looked up and smiled. “Just waiting on our great leader.”
Kalan huffed out a laugh as he gave
his partner the finger. “Did Jackson find anything with the drone?”
His brother must have seen Kalan drive in because Jackson walked into the room. “I did not find even a single Changeling. There were no heat signatures anywhere near the bunker. From what I can tell, even the paths to it are fairly overgrown.”
Kalan grunted. “I don’t think we should assume it’s abandoned. I wouldn’t be surprised if the devious bastards put cuttings on the ground to disguise their on-going operation.”
“Or maybe they are wearing jackets packed with ice to disguise their heat signatures,” Kip said.
“I’m sure you’re kidding, but I wouldn’t put it past the bastards to come up with something devious like that.”
“I was.” Kip pushed back his chair. “But there’s only one way to find out for sure. Go there, but in all seriousness, I believe the place is abandoned. If that’s the case it will be an easy in, easy out exercise.”
“Would the Changelings give up so easily, though, just because a few of their leaders died?”
“That’s the big question,” Dalton chimed in.
Kalan turned back to Jackson. “Did you distribute the Coms to everyone yet?”
Jackson pulled out one from his pocket. “All but yours. You are all set to go. Should you need backup, we’ll be ready. I’ll send the drone out again and do a wider sweep in case your presence alerts the Changelings.”
“Thanks.” Kalan placed the bud in his ear and then turned back to his crew. “Let’s go.”
*
Once on the edge of the forest that housed many of the Changelings, Kalan, Kip, Dalton, and Sam made their way through the woods toward the old bunker.
If the Changelings were there waiting to attack them, Kalan, Dalton, and Sam would shift, leaving Kip to hang back. His purpose was to disrupt any security systems if need be, not fight.
Kalan tapped his earpiece that was connected to Jackson on the other end. “Has the drone picked up any life forms on the outskirts of the Changeling territory?” Kalan asked, keeping his voice low. Sound traveled far in the woods. Add in shifter hearing, and their enemy could probably hear them breathe.
“Negative, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they have cameras stationed close by that are being monitored from a remote location. If your team is detected, they might send in reinforcements.”
“Roger that.”
Kalan disconnected and then motioned they continue forward. While he wasn’t a full-time member of McKinnon and Associates, he knew how they worked. As they neared the bunker, Kalan didn’t spot any sentries, but that didn’t mean the Changelings weren’t aware they were there. Jackson was right about the path being unused.
If the Changelings had abandoned this site, he’d loved to learn where they were now holding their secret meetings. To date though, he hadn’t heard any rumors of any gatherings.
Even though their main leaders were dead, the fact one of their own had figured out a way to find their precious stone in the realm of Tarradon implied the Changelings had not disbanded. They needed the sardonyx to steal a Wendayan’s powers, since it was the only way they could regain their magic.
Kalan motioned them to circle up. “Kip and Dalton, go around the back to see if there are any surprises. I will try to get inside while Sam keeps watch outside. He’ll be able to erase the minds of the guards should they come running. Keep in contact, though I’m not sure my Com will work once I’m inside. Stay sharp.”
They took off. Kalan kept expecting the Changelings to jump out of the bunker or charge out from the woods, but nothing happened. The door to the bunker was locked, but he’d expected that. An expert at picking any lock, Kalan was inside in less than a minute. The interior was pitch black and smelled of mold and disuse. If they had stashed Sean there, the interior wouldn’t have smelled as bad, but Kalan wasn’t going to give up until he’d checked every nook and cranny.
Even though he had excellent vision, Kalan needed some light to see. Because the Emergency lights were off, he clicked on his flashlight and then went door to door.
“Sean? I’m Kip’s friend. Are you here?” Because he wasn’t being remotely quiet, Kalan figured he had nothing to lose by calling out.
No answer.
After searching all of the rooms, Kalan had to conclude that Sean Treacher was being held somewhere else. He was still convinced the Changelings were behind his kidnapping though. From the inside, Kalan tapped the door to let Sam know he was about to step outside.
“I take it you didn’t find anything?” Sam asked once Kalan emerged.
“Nope. I even called his name, as well as looked in all of the rooms.”
“There could be hidden chambers,” Sam said.
“I didn’t sense any shifter signatures. Sean might not be a shifter, but I can say for sure there were no guards inside.”
“Damn.”
Kalan tapped his earpiece. “Nothing’s here. Let’s meet back at the forest edge,” he told Kip and Dalton.
The trip back to McKinnon and Associates was rather solemn. Kalan didn’t sense any of the men were upset because they’d spent a good portion of their day looking for Sean, but rather that Sean would have to continue to suffer because they’d failed to find him.
At the office, Jackson was waiting for them. “Sorry that the bunker didn’t pan out.”
“Me too.”
Kalan grabbed a cup of coffee and dropped down onto one of the chairs around the communal table, waiting for the others to grab a snack. Once they were all seated, Jackson addressed them.
“I flew the drone over every square inch of the mountain. Yes, there was a lot of heat signatures, but I didn’t notice anything out of line with families living in homes.”
Kalan sat up straighter. “Anyone have any idea where we go next?” He looked around, but no one offered anything.
“We have to do something,” Kip said.
“I agree, but what? We’ve looked in all of the usual Changelings’ haunts. All we can do now is to casually ask around. Kip, do you have a recent photo of Sean we can show to folks?”
Kip shook his head. “My friend was skittish around cameras, though I could probably scrounge up a photo of him from when he worked at the law firm. The problem was back then he was clean shaven and had short hair. I doubt anyone would recognize him now.”
Kalan snapped his fingers. “You said he went to U-Save to shop twice a month, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll ask for some surveillance videos. He’ll show up somewhere. Maybe you can point him out.”
Kip nodded. “I can do that.”
With no other leads to follow, Kalan thanked the men. Needing to keep a low profile, he headed home while everyone else promised to continue to search. To his delight it was still light out when he walked through the front door. Elana was in the kitchen. She turned around and smiled.
“I didn’t expect you back so soon.” Thankfully, she sounded excited that he had returned.
“We struck out finding Sean, but the rest of the men are still searching.” He looked around. “I don’t hear the kids. Where are they?”
She blushed. “I asked your mom to watch them for a few hours since I wanted to make you a special dinner.”
He stepped behind her. “That is so sweet of you.”
“Normally, I wouldn’t have bothered, but I figured there was no way you would be called into work tonight.”
Kalan smiled. “You’ve got that right.” He moved closer. “We have some time before we eat, right?”
“Yes. What do you have in mind?”
“I want to romp in the woods with you. We’ll stay close to home, but there is nothing more special that being in my bear form with my mate.”
She grinned. “You are the sweetest man.” She tapped his nose. “I like the new you. Maybe getting shot put some sense into you.”
That implied that he wanted to stay away from his family, which was the farthest thing from the truth. “Cut me so
me slack, my sweet mate. I always want to be home, but the job demands my time. What matters now is that I am home alone with you.” He patted her butt. “Let’s see what kind of trouble we can get into after we splash in the stream, and I chase you through the woods.”
“I can’t wait.” She practically giggled.
She started to unbutton her blouse, when Kalan stopped her. “I can’t see you naked. If I do, I won’t make it outside.”
Elana planted a hand on her hip. “What do you suggest?”
“Meet you out back?”
His mate laughed. “Deal.”
Kalan rushed into the bedroom and stripped. Once naked, he stepped out back into the cold. A second later, he was in his bear form and happier than he’d been in a while. As soon as the glass sliding door opened, he turned his back, not wanting to see her for fear they’d never make it to the woods.
“Ready?” he telepathed. Large paws hit his back, forcing him to take a step forward. Kalan turned around. “Is that how you want to play?”
Elana roared and took off. Kalan chased her, though he had no intention of winning the race. He wanted Elana to be the one to find her perfect spot to play, and it didn’t surprise him when she lumbered toward the lake. Both of them loved the woods and fields around the area. He would have suggested they take a swim, but it might be hard to completely dry off before they returned home. Should anyone see them, it would be shifters, since humans didn’t live around the lake. If by chance any humans did spot them, they’d believe he and Elana were merely bears in the woods.
When Elana entered the pine forest near the lake, she scurried up a tree. “Bet you can’t catch me,” she telepathed.
Kalan could see she’d meant for him to fail. He was much larger in size, and the thin, brittle branches of the tree she’d picked wouldn’t hold him. “I bet I can’t either. Come on down and give me a chance at something else.”
Elana hung out of a branch for a minute longer before climbing down. The moment she was on the ground, he tackled her.
“What are you planning to do with me now that you caught me?”