by Jade White
“You say wife, I say whore. Po-ta-toe, po-tah-toe.” He got up from his seat, slowly striding up the flight of stairs to his rooms.
“Get your ass down here, and fight!” Mason bucked his friends off. “Or are you too afraid to get your ass handed to you again?”
Kane turned around, looking down at Mason from the top of the stairs. “I am a lover, not a fighter. Unless it suits me to kick your ass, I won’t even try.” He bowed before Mason, lowering his head almost as low as his knees.
“Get your ass back here and fight like a man.”
“Ahh, you see, men do not fight, we converse. Children and adolescents fight. You are acting like both, and therefore are a waste of my precious time. Time I could be using to sleep.” With that, he turned back in his original direction and paced away.
*
She didn’t know what else to do. Katherine had done so much of her power to the fetus and to the egg in hopes of helping it grow, and cracking it. Nothing was working anymore. She was so tired, and barely had enough strength to keep herself standing.
She hadn’t seen Mason all day, and she yearned to tell him what was conspiring on inside this room. Her phoenix wouldn’t allow her to. Every attempt she made in telling him about the egg, about the baby, had failed miserably. She either got so tongue tied she couldn’t speak, or her memory would be momentarily wiped away. It flustered Katherine, and made her want to scream out in agony.
Though she finished, and was allowed to return to her and Mason’s room―courtesy of her phoenix―she feared the idea of seeing him. He had been so angry with her lately, she hardly slept in their bed. Katherine didn’t want to be at the receiving end of his wrath, she had seen what he could do and she feared what would happen to him, and that was if her phoenix actually woke for something other than the egg.
Tonight, Katherine was trying her best to stay calm. She could sense how on edge he was, and didn’t need him to yell at her. All she wanted to do was hug and kiss him, but she knew he wouldn’t let her do that. Not anymore. He was so distant with her.
She sank her body further into the warm, bubbly water. Katherine lounged back in the bathtub, trying to soak away all her troubles.
She didn’t know when the egg would hatch. She didn’t know if it would hatch. She didn’t know if Mason would approve of the egg and what she did to the room or if he’d even want to be a part of the baby’s life once it hatched.
You don’t need him. The phoenix cooed to her, trying to ease away her troubles. Lately, the phoenix had been her only companion. Her mate hardly endured her company any longer.
With what felt like hours in the water, and after scrubbing off layers of ash soaked skin, she finally removed herself from the tub. Her body was practically glowing, and she hated when it did that.
She dried herself off, and wrapped her hair in a towel. Katherine could never recall the day her black locks grew back, or how they grew back. All she knew was her wings were sprouting again because of it, and she felt like a new woman.
Katherine put on a pair of pajamas before removing her towel from her head, and slowly crept from the bathroom. She searched around the area. Mason was outside on his balcony, his back bare. She could see the peak of his bear claw tattoo, the same one that marked her right shoulder. It had been the first time she’d seen him without an article of clothing on in a while. Katherine forgot what his body looked like underneath his many layers.
She turned her head from him. Katherine knew better than to approach him, especially after today. One of his men challenged his authority, and he blamed her for it. Maybe he was right, but he had no right to point fingers at her. He had been the one to buy her. If it was anyone’s fault, it was his. Not hers.
Slowly, she crawled onto the bed, making sure she kept to her side. Katherine didn’t want any problems tonight. All she wanted was to get as much sleep as possible before she had to return to that damn room. Katherine pulled the sheets up over her head, and tried to force herself to sleep. She couldn’t though, and she hated it.
Mason had been the one thing that helped her sleep at night, no matter how badly they argued. He calmed her down at night and soothed her nightmares when they were at their worst. He made sure she felt safe, and relaxed, and she missed that from him. She missed being wrapped up in his arms, and being able to completely sleep without having to worry. Can I tell him?
NO! The phoenix snapped at her, shaking its head. No one can know. Not even him.
How do you expect further help to protect the baby? Katherine wrestled with her pillow, trying to re-fluff the fluff that was never there. Mason had always been her cushion.
We will do it. It folded its arms over its chest, pouting.
You’re a child. Katherine rolled over on her side, and caught Mason in the corner of her eye. He had come back inside, but refused to get on the bed. Instead, he sat back in a chair, and watched her. It was unnerving. “Do you see something you like?”
“Only something I used to.” He leaned back in his chair, his expression everything but friendly.
“Then why am I still here? Why am I wasting both of our time?” She sat up, pushing the covers off her body. It was a shame. She was finally getting comfortable.
“Because, I want you here. I don’t want you anywhere else.” His eyes darkened, and she shivered at the intensity of his gaze. “I don’t want you with anyone else.” There was jealousy in his voice. She admired him for it, but hated him for it at the same time.
“Do you want me, or don’t you? Make up your mind.” Katherine threw her feet over the edge of the bed, forcing herself to stand. If this was how their night was going to go, then she would simply leave and never sleep in his bed again. She’d sleep with her egg. It needed her protection anyways.
“Where are you going?” He sounded angry, angrier that he ever did. His movements were quick. It didn’t take but a second or two for him to be in front of her, his hulking body dwarfing her. Caging her in. “You’re not leaving tonight.” He reached out to touch her, but she flinched at the extent of his hand. “Don’t be afraid.”
“I’m not afraid,” Katherine replied, trying to push Mason out of her way. She was very unsuccessful. “Will you move please? I clearly don’t belong in this room. You’ve made that apparent the past few nights.”
“No, I haven’t.” His eyes glowed red, a shade she had never see in them before. It made her want to turn away and run. “You’ve left me in this room, alone. What for? Is there another man in that room? Is that what you’re hiding?” His nostrils flared, and that red tone turned to black. His beast shifted beneath his skin, staring her down through Mason’s eyes.
“No!” she rushed out to answer, looking at him confused. Katherine’s brows furrowed together, and her lips slightly thinned. How dare he accuse her of such a thing! How dare he assume what she does in that room! How dare he try to speak of infidelity when Katherine gave him so much of her time! Jealousy was not a good suit on him.
He closed the distance between them, getting in her face. “Are you sure?” He cocked a brow at her.
“You should know I haven’t been with another man. I haven’t been touched by a man for almost a week.” Her expression softened with guilt and confusion. She would make him feel bad for his accusations. “You want to know what I do in that room? Fine!” Katherine grabbed his hand, and pulled him out of the room.
No! The phoenix screamed, trying to stop her in her tracks. It couldn’t, she was to determined. NO! Precious! It bucked and roared, slamming itself against the walls of Katherine’s mind.
“What are you doing?” Mason asked as the two of them rushed down the long halls.
Katherine pulled a key out from her pocket, unlocking a pale wooden door. She pushed it open, shoving Mason inside. She followed him. “This is what I’ve been doing.” Katherine briskly walked to the nest at the edge of the room, her body language softening.
Gentle. She told herself as she picked up the egg from the nest.
Katherine held it in her arms, cradling it the same way she would a baby.
The fetus inside was gazing back at her, smiling with contentment. It swam to get as close as possible to Katherine, and she felt pride from the gush of warmth on the inside. The baby was a phoenix, without a doubt. Perhaps it held no connections to its bear-shifting father.
Mason got a little closer to Katherine and the egg, but stopped as soon as the fetus eyed him down with hungry, golden eyes. “What is that thing?” It gnashed a pair of sharp fangs at him, and Katherine smiled.
“A baby.” Katherine sauntered to the broken bed. She had dismantled it so much, all that was left was the mattress. “Our baby.” She looked at Mason to see his reaction. He was gobsmacked. There were no other words for his expression.
“That’s not a baby. Babies grow inside of you.” He reached to remove the egg from her arms, but both Katherine and the fetus hissed at him. “That thing is a monster.”
She frowned at him. “I know how babies grow, but she’s different.”
“So it’s a girl?” he snarled at her.
“I don’t know what it is yet. I feel like the baby is trying to choose what it wants to be still. Or doesn’t want to let me know.” Katherine stroked the leathery casing of the egg shell. She smiled up at Mason.
His expression was still cold. He didn’t look like he wanted anything to do with the baby. Sure enough, he sat down beside her, trying to be as gentle with the egg as she was. His body seemed to soften. “Have you picked any names yet?” He looked at her, and there was something in their green depths that made her heart beat uncontrollably.
Her jaw dropped, but only momentarily. She shook her head. “I want to be sure of what it is. I can’t name the baby without knowing what it is.”
“Sure you can.” Mason took one of her hands in his, putting it just over the head of the fetus. The baby moved towards their hands, cuddling up to the two of them.
Katherine giggled, shaking her head. “Maybe you can, but I can’t.” She picked the egg up, walking back to the nest. She could feel Mason’s presence behind her as she slowly laid the egg inside. Katherine lit the cinders on fire again, and she could hear the fetus practically purring with contentment. It was happy. It liked the warmth.
“This is what you’ve been doing?” Mason snagged an arm around her waist, turning her around and pulling her in close. He kissed the top of her head. Then her nose. Her lips. “If I had known, I could’ve helped you.”
“I didn’t know myself until after I started this mess.” She looked around the room. There were so many fragments, so many splinters and so much ash that covered the walls. Katherine didn’t know what she was thinking.
Mason tugged her out of the room, sweeping her up on her feet. For a moment, she was blissfully happy again. Her mate was happy, and the tension that was between them disappeared the moment he opened himself up to the fetus.
“Katherine the Disgrace,” and all too familiar voice called out from the first floor.
“An even bigger disgrace now,” a second voice chimed in.
She looked up at Mason, and the smile that had been growing on his face was gone now. He pulled her in closer to him, as his beast shifted beneath his skin.
“We should’ve known you’d end up as someone’s bitch.”
Katherine gazed down to the first floor, frowning at her sisters. They were not welcomed here, and Katherine would be the first one to tell them.
CHAPTER NINE
Having one phoenix in the household was a pain in the ass enough. With the possibility of another one hatching shortly, and now these two, Mason was clearly outmatched. He would protect his woman though. The two sisters had already done enough to Katherine, he wouldn’t let anything else happen to her. Not while she lived with him.
Still, as stubborn as ever, Katherine pushed Mason aside and stared them down. She looked like she was ready to fight them, or worse. Apart from having to clean up their remains, Mason wouldn’t have minded if she decided to kill them. If anything, he would’ve helped her.
“What do you want?” Katherine folded her arms over her chest, scowling at the two women.
They were beautiful, and petite, but Mason had learned never to underestimate a woman. Especially if they were small.
The one who looked like the eldest was just as thinly built as Katherine was. She was slender with a pale blonde mane that fell in delicate curls, just above her breasts. Her eyes were big and brown, and they were perfectly centered on her cherub face. Her skin was nearly as pale as her hair was, and almost translucent. She courted a plaid flannel, and ripped blue jean shorts, they were far too short for her.
The second was a bombshell. She had just enough curves to tempt a man, and enough ass and breasts to caress. Her skin, though as sun kissed as Katherine’s, was covered in tattoos. Crude drawings painted both her arms, and two on her collarbone. She had the words “Bite Me,” scribed across her chest. A fall of lavender hair fell down her back in the same way Katherine’s did, and a duo of hazel eyes stared him down. She was dressed in a pair of leather pants, and a plain white tank top. She clearly wasn’t wearing a bra, giving no care to prying eyes.
The two women made him wonder how Katherine was related to them. None of them looked related, not even in the slightest bit.
“We could ask your friend here the same thing,” the blonde one said, licking her lips.
Katherine didn’t seem all too pleased by the advance. She stepped in front of him, growling. “He’s mine.”
“Oh please,” Bite Me said, shoving Katherine out of the way. The two women scrambled to him, petting him. Invading her personal space. He wasn’t very fond of it. “I’m sure he wants someone a bit more fun to play with.”
Mason looked to Katherine, and she looked like she was ready to commit murder. He grabbed the two girls by their hair, and turned them around. “Neither of you were invited. Leave.”
“Actually, we called them here,” a sleepy Erik said. He looked the women up and down, shaking his head. “Katherine needs to stop her behavior. They offered to help.”
“That’s right, baby sis.” The two women squirmed in his grip, the blonde one practically purring. “Your man here is going to have to be a lot rougher than this if he wants me in his bed.” She fluttered his eyelashes at him, giving him a sultry smile.
“I don’t like used toys,” Mason replied, releasing the girls. He motioned for Katherine, and she happily came to him.
She jumped into his arms, giving him a head lightening kiss. Katherine tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling him in close. He had to stop her before she started something he wasn’t prepared to finish there and then. She gave him another kiss, then scowled back at her sisters. “He especially doesn’t like ones that have been thrown away a thousand times.”
“Do you want to fight?” Bite Me growled.
“I’d be happy to.” Katherine’s eyes glowed with an ominous red, and he knew he’d have to stop her. She started towards them, a fire sparking with every step she took.
“Don’t. We have more important things to waste our energy on.” Mason pulled her back, and he felt the intense burn of her flames.
“You wouldn’t be talking about the new life that’s growing inside of one of your rooms. Would you?” Blondie asked.
Both Mason and Katherine growled in unison.
“I can smell it from here. That’s why we’re here aren’t we? Because you don’t know how to clean up your mistakes?” Bite Me’s eyes twitched as her lips pursed together.
“A child is not a mistake.”
“It is if it isn’t pure bred.” Both sisters started towards the stairs, but Katherine got in their way. She shoved them back down the stairs, putting her arms out to the sides to ward them away.
“Next time you try and come up here, I’ll kill you.” Her nostrils flared as she peered at both her sisters, then at Mason. He shook his head to her.
“We’d like to see you try,” the girl
s said in unison. They had no idea what they were getting themselves into. Katherine was a deadly force not to be reckoned with in her moments. Mason wouldn’t even want to get in a fight with her, for fear of what she could do if threatened enough. Death was not on his to-do list.
“She will,” Lucca boredly said, tossing a dagger up and down. He seemed so unenthusiastic, as always.
The blondie pulled out a pair of daggers, and Bite Me removed a pair of pistols from her back pocket. None of his men even bothered to remove their weapons beforehand, or even check them for weapons. It was like they wanted Katherine dead.
Now was not the time or place for their bullshit. Now was definitely not the time for her to be fighting with her sisters. This was not the place either. Katherine had offspring nearby, and if something happened to her egg, she would rampage.
She looked at both of her sisters. As beautiful as they both were, they were lethal, especially with weapons at hand. If Katherine was smart she would have let them pass, but that would defeat the purpose of protecting the egg.
“If you want to get up here, you’ll have to go through me.” Katherine would try not to make this easy for them. They had advantages though. For one thing, their wings hadn’t been clipped. They could have flown to the second floor and get to the room before Katherine could complain. They didn’t though, and that had Katherine lost for words.
“That shouldn’t be difficult,” the blonde Willow said, chucking her daggers at Katherine’s head. She barely missed.
She heard the safety being removed from Isabel’s pistols, and her fingers gliding to the triggers. Katherine was quick to move, speeding off to the room ad locking herself inside.
She barricaded the door shut, hoping it would be enough to hold back her sisters. It wasn’t. They burned through every wooden item like it was paper, entering the room and staring her down.