The Broken Barrier (Shadow Claw Book 4)

by Sarah J. Stone

  Suddenly, as though he was just made aware of the other presences in the room, he waved his hand and commanded, “Be gone now! Ammara and I need to be alone!”

  His voice boomed and echoed in the small den.

  Ammara, however, placed a hand on the fairy king’s chest.

  “Nina is in danger. I must go see her.” Her eyes were filled with concern, melting the king’s heart.

  He held her hand and pressed it to his lips. “Whatever you say, my love.”

  They paused again, staring at each other before the voice echoed, filling the den, “Take us to Nina!”

  A few moments later, three figures walked into Nina’s room.

  Kevin had been lying down next to her, holding her close, hoping the feel of her would drive his loneliness away.

  Gael cleared his throat, and as Kevin looked their way, all three of them noticed his tear-stained face.

  “What are you doing here?”

  The question was directed at everyone present in the room. Surely, this was an odd trio. A vampire, a king and a….

  He looked at her in confusion. “I’m sorry, who are you?”

  She sighed at his worried face and walked over to sit beside him.

  “Don’t you recognize me?” She paused, causing him to stare at her harder, racking his brain. Who was this woman?

  “I…I don’t know.” Something about the woman was soothing him.

  “I’m the light that saved your baby.”

  There it was again–the same wide-eyed, mouth agape look that Ammara had become so familiar with at that point. Kevin was at a loss for words, his mouth going dry.

  “That’s right, my dear,” she remarked, waving her hand in the air.

  Looking past him at the slumbering witch, she smiled and commanded, “Awaken, Nina. Your bear misses you.”

  Tear glistening and grateful eyes stared at her once more, and just like that, Nina’s eyes fluttered open.

  Her hand immediately shot up to feel her bump–the baby.

  “The baby’s alright,” Kevin said, kissing the back of her hand and helping her up.

  “She’s still weak,” chanted Ammara. “I have been transferring my strength to her. Thank god, Abigail and Samuel were here just in time to stop you from getting rid of my light.”

  “Ammara?”

  Nina’s voice came out timid, and the Caillagh immediately rushed to her side, holding her hand.

  Her eyes seemed to take a while to adjust to the beautiful face that stood before her.

  “I feel…,” Nina struggled. It was hard for her to speak properly just yet. Nevertheless, she had to get her words out. “I’ve been f-feeling something t-terrible in the a-air. S-s-something horrible i-is coming.”

  It took her a few moments before she completed the sentence, and Ammara waited for her patiently.

  “I know, dear Nina. I have felt it, too. That is why I have returned to you.” She was now looking at everyone in the room, making sure they knew she was addressing all of them.

  “But Nina,” she continued, her eyes fixed on her once more, “the life growing inside of you is very strong. That is the reason you’ve grown so weak. I am constantly channeling my power into you, and it keeps absorbing every little bit of it. You must rest, for the baby is about to come, and you need all the energy you can get.”

  She smiled now, gazing upon the fragile, yet stunning, figure that lay on the bed.

  “Want to know a secret?”

  Nina nodded in response.

  “Your child…,” she paused for effect, “is going to be one of the most powerful witches to ever roam the Earth.”

  Chapter 5

  It had been just a couple of hours before Cassie was called back to Nina’s room. This time, Luke’s presence was asked for as well, and they couldn’t help but wonder what problem could have befallen that required the alpha pair’s attention.

  “Do you know why they asked for us?” The alpha looked at his mate desperately, hoping to get some answers out of her.

  “Did you not see my face when I was on call with Kevin? Did I not look surprised?”

  She was beginning to get annoyed, and he sensed that.

  Taking his cue, he walked up behind her and held her by the waist, resting his head on her shoulder blade.

  “I just thought that since you spent all morning there, you’d have a little idea.”

  She sighed and turned around. “I don’t. But it sounded urgent, so we better get going.”

  ***

  Ten minutes had elapsed between the phone call and their arrival.

  Cassie gasped as soon as she entered the room. Nina’s eyes were open, and she was smiling at something Kevin had said. Cassie’s heart said a small prayer for her.

  She looked happy, but weak.

  Cassie went over to her bed and stumbled upon it, not noticing anything or anyone else in the room.

  “How are you feeling now?” Her voice was a low whisper, and she felt Nina’s bump before she continued. “Is the baby alright?”

  Nina smiled at the alpha. She loved how caring and thoughtful she was. She placed her hand on top of Cassie’s, which still rested on her belly.

  “I’m fine now, thanks to Ammara.” Her eyes beamed.

  “Ammara…isn’t that–”

  Kalen cleared his throat, causing Cassie to glance around the room for the first time since she’d gotten there and fought to contain her embarrassment.

  “Well, isn’t this a crowd?” she chimed, hoping that humor could take away how stupid she felt.

  “This,” started Kalen, gesturing to his left, “is Ammara, the first Caillagh.”

  The same reaction replayed once more as the alpha pair bowed their heads in respect and knelt to the ground.

  “You needn’t do that.”

  “You deserve our respect,” insisted Luke matter-of-factly.

  The Caillagh blushed at his comment.

  “Pardon me if I’m intruding,” Cassie directed her attention to Ammara, unable to hold her question back, “but how are you here?”

  It took Ammara five minutes to explain the entire situation to Cassie, who listened intently, hanging on to every word of hers, wondering how it was possible for any living creature to exude that amount of grace.

  “We are honored to have you among us,” she said finally, after Ammara was done with her explanation.

  Kalen smiled sadly, and Cassie noticed how he struggled to keep his calm.

  “You know,” she started again, “we’d love to host you. Maybe we could give you a place to stay–”

  Kalen raised his hand to stop her, looking offended, and Cassie wondered if she had said something wrong.

  “Ammara and I already have a home,” declared Kalen, causing the Caillagh to give him a confused look.

  She didn’t understand why he’d said that, but she trusted him and decided against saying anything. If he said they had a home, then they surely must have one.

  “Oh,” Cassie mumbled, “I wasn’t aware.”

  “Well, now you are. Your blunder is forgiven, so don’t bother asking for an apology.”

  The fairy king was starting to get on her nerves, but then again, that was his trademark of sorts.

  She glanced at her mate in annoyance.

  “Alright then, we’ll be taking our leave now,” Kalen proclaimed.

  Ammara threw him a puzzled look, but nodded anyhow. Walking over to Nina, she whispered, “Will you be okay? Or do you need me to stay?”

  “You’re so kind, Ammara,” Nina muttered. “I’ll be fine. You should go and get some rest, too.”

  She laughed at Nina’s comment. “Dear, I was dead for centuries. Rest is the last thing I need.” She ran her hand over Nina’s head. “Rest well, dear. I’ll see you soon.”

  Taking their leave, Kalen wrapped his hands around Ammara, and they set off to see their new home. They walked in silence, feeling each other’s presence for a while before Ammara finally spoke up.


  “Kalen…”

  Ammara’s voice was soft. It came as melody to his ears. He thought of how much he had yearned to hear her speak once again, and now that he gotten what he wanted, he never wanted to let her go.

  His loving gaze set on her now, taking in every detail of her gorgeous face, which now hung low and was filled with sorrow. Suddenly aware of what she was thinking, he held her softly by her shoulders and looked into her eyes.

  “I just wanted to say–”

  He cut her off with a light touch of his finger to her lips. “Shh, my love. We needn’t talk about any of that now.”

  “But–”

  “But nothing.” He landed a soft peck on her cheek. “I am seeing you after centuries. Do you have any idea of the joy that I am feeling right now? My heart is soaring high above the clouds. It is knocking at the gates of heaven to thank whomever is up there. I want to thank Him for returning you to me.”

  Moisture had gathered at the corner of his eyes now, and Ammara buried her face in his chest.

  He sighed.

  “Don’t speak of the past. It pains me. The only thing that matters is that we’re together now. I have you to hold right here. I want to live in this moment. I want to cherish it. I want to hold you close to me. Whatever happened in the past should stay behind us.”

  Ammara nodded, not sure of what she should say.

  They walked in silence for the next couple of minutes before they stopped in front of a mahogany-colored cabin. “We’re here,” he whispered, leaving her side to open the door for her.

  She looked at the house that stood two-stories tall in front of her.

  Taking in a deep breath, she took her first step into her new home and gasped. “You didn’t!”

  Kalen chuckled in response. “I had a lot of time on my hands and could think of nothing except you.”

  Ammara was the one to stare in disbelief this time.

  She walked slowly, running a hand over most of the things that she came into contact with, growing more overwhelmed by the second.

  The same mahogany color that lined the exterior of the house traced the walls inside. The floors were covered in a deep cedar-colored wood. A majestic chandelier hung from the ceiling in the middle of the room. One corner held a gigantic stereo, and a cord dangled next to it. She noticed how the floor was a little more slippery in this part of the room compared to the rest of it.

  “You always loved dancing,” he said with a shrug.

  She climbed the spiral staircase to the top floor. Instead of being divided into different rooms, the upper portion in its entirety was just one room. A king-sized, circular bed was placed in the middle of it atop a circular piece of wood that was about eight inches high.

  She let her body loose and jumped on it, sighing deeply. She noticed the ceiling for the first time. Somehow, Kalen had managed to make it look exactly like the nighttime sky. It was beautiful.

  “They’ll glow in the dark–the stars,” he said, lying down next to her.

  She kept staring at the ceiling, fully content.

  “If I weren’t concerned for Nina’s well-being, I would’ve never left this place,” she remarked. “It’s perfect. Just like I’ve always wanted my home to be.”

  He contemplated whether what he was about to say would affect her mood. Nevertheless, there was no proper time to bring it up, so he said, “Nina…she’s one of your own, isn’t she?”

  He turned to his side to look at her, and she kept her lips pursed. Both of them were aware of the fact that the answer was already known.

  “Ammara?”

  She sat up on the bed, and he followed suit. “I’ve been wanting to say something to you. I was thinking of waiting for the proper time, but now I realize that there is none, and I can’t wait any longer.”

  She stared at him, confused, searching his face for answers or clues as to what he was about to say next.

  He paused, drawing in a sharp breath.

  “Ammara, you know I love you. I’ve loved you ever since I laid eyes on you the first time all those centuries ago. You know I will continue to love you as long as my heart beats.”

  “I feel the same way about you, too. You know that.”

  He smiled. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  Taking her hand in his, he kissed it. “Ammara, I want to build a life with you.”

  “Kalen, you–”

  He cut her off. “Let me continue, please.”

  She nodded, tears streaming down her face this time, which he kept wiping off.

  “I want a life away from here. Away from all this magic and mayhem. I want babies. I want to raise them in a nice house just like this one.” He sniffled and stopped for a moment. “I want it all with you, Ammara. No one else. It has to be you.”

  “Kalen, listen to me.” She was kneeling at his feet now, looking up at his tear-stained face. “You know our destinies are written. They cannot be changed. No matter how hard we try. It is not possible.”

  “No! Don’t say that!”

  “But it’s true.” She placed her hand on his face.

  “We can change our destinies.”

  She got up and excused herself to the bathroom. She had to be away from him right now. Thinking the feeling of water against her skin would do her good, she turned the knob. She closed her eyes and felt its warmth. She felt it soothe her, and she started feeling a little better already.

  Meanwhile, Kalen withdrew to the kitchen to prepare some food for Ammara. He knew she lacked energy and needed to fuel up. She was in the bathroom–he could hear the water running–and after setting the food to cook over a low flame, he returned to check up on her.

  The door to the bathroom opened just then, and Kalen looked up to see her hair and shoulders glistening with water droplets and a too-small towel wrapped around her torso.

  “I’m…I’m sorry,” Kalen stammered, turning around to leave, but Ammara could feel something within her growling, hungry for something more than just food.

  She said, “You can stay.” Kalen paused and turned his head slightly, looking at her over his shoulder as she said, “I don’t mind you if you stay. In fact, I think I’d like it if you did,” just before she dropped her towel.

  Kalen stared at her unblinkingly, unable to tear his eyes from the sight of her naked body: her delicate shoulders, her large full breasts, her narrow waist, and wide, curved hips. Kalen wanted nothing more than to run his hands over every curve, but he stood rooted to the spot. She stepped closer and still, Kalen couldn’t move at all; only his nether regions were responding to Ammara’s advancements.

  “I…I shouldn’t be…,” he started to say, but he couldn’t finish when Ammara pressed her lips against his. Kalen found himself weaving his fingers into her long, damp waves and kissing her back as hard as he could, pressing his body against the length of hers. She threw her arms around his neck, and suddenly, he lifted her by the waist.

  She wrapped her legs around him as he tossed her on the bed, and she fell with her legs still around him, pulling him in toward her.

  He straightened up and said, “No, I can’t do this.”

  She lay back and stretched her arms over her head, tilting her head and looking at him with her large, hazel eyes, blinking at him flirtatiously.

  He shook his head, and then bent and picked up the restraints that had bound Ammara previously and said, “I’m gonna have to tie you up,” he said.

  She smiled and sat up as she said, “Kinky.” She offered her wrists to him.

  He grinned and tied her wrists to the bedpost above her head; she leaned back, and Kalen bit his lip, looking at her like that with her arms in the air and her breasts rising up to greet him. He sat on the bed with one knee on either side of her and leaned in as she slowly extended her neck, and he bent down to lightly lay a kiss on her collarbone.

  She closed her eyes and parted her lips, and Kalen slowly put his hands on her waist as he kissed her neck, then her jawline, and then her chin. She l
icked her lower lip and tucked it into her mouth and then Kalen placed his thumb on her lip and pulled it out of her mouth, taking it into his instead. She smiled as he kissed her, and he found himself smiling right back.

  “Are you gonna take your clothes off? Because I sure can’t do it for you,” she said, nodding toward her bound wrists, and Kalen pulled his shirt off his head.

  Ammara tried to move forward, but she was restricted by the ropes. Kalen moved closer, and Ammara ran her tongue across his chest, biting his shoulder hard. He unzipped his pants, and Ammara gave him a playful smile as his hard-on became clearly visible.

  Ammara pulled her legs open and threw back her head as Kalen moved to position his erect penis against her wet vulva, just pressing against the entrance, teasing her until Ammara moaned and writhed. She wrapped her legs around him again, pushing her feet against his backside, pulling him into her, and Kalen moved his mouth down to her breasts, sucking on her nipples hungrily as she gasped and moaned.

  He pushed into her, feeling his penis slide into her wet and welcoming vagina, and Ammara arched her back and pulled against the headboard so that it banged on the wall, but the ropes were unrelenting. He moved faster inside of her, letting his hands roam all over her, tangling in her hair as he pulled at it, grabbing her shoulders, spanking her bottom, and cupping her breasts as he thrust back and forth.

  She threw her head back and rocker her hips violently, trying to force him deeper into her as she gasped, “Faster, faster,” and her breasts bounced. Kalen grabbed her waist and pounded her as she screamed with pleasure.

  With a huge, shuddering gasp that seemed to run through her whole body, she came, moving so violently that Kalen had to hold her down, and then he felt himself close as he closed his eyes and moved faster and faster.

  Just as he was about to climax, he pulled out, coming on her stomach instead. He quickly moved to clean it, but she said, “No, leave it,” and he hesitantly climbed off and lay next to her. She looked spent as she tried to catch her breath, her chest heaving rapidly and her arms still tied above her head.

  “Look, if I untie you…” he started to say.

  Ammara laughed as she said, “Trust me, I’m not going anywhere. Plus, I don’t think I’ll get very far without my clothes.” Kalen smiled uncertainly and then untied her. She stretched her arms out in front of her and then lay down properly, gently wincing as she rubbed her wrists.