by Anna Santos
By the end of Kayden’s story, Barbara was asleep with her head next to his shoulder. He watched her for a while. His fascination with this woman grew stronger every minute. He had no clue why he was so drawn to her. She was beautiful, no doubt, but she was also Jason’s sister, and he wouldn’t have a fling with her no matter how fascinated he was. She was a brave woman and wasn’t afraid of working and doing what needed to be done around his home, despite being a city girl.
“Jason…”
It would have upset Kayden to hear another man’s name escaping from her lips if he didn’t know it was her brother’s. She probably had a bad dream. It didn’t matter how pleasant and peaceful it felt being next to her, watching her sleep. He needed to take her in his arms and put her in her bed.
The thought of holding her made him tense as if she was too sacred to touch. It was absurd. She was just a woman—smoking hot—but a female who wasn’t even his own species. Her auburn hair looked soft, and her skin seemed ivory. She had the face of a doll and plump and sinful lips. It had been too long since he saw and touched a woman because he was losing his mind with this one.
“Kayden, what’s wrong?”
Her voice startled him, and he stared into her vulnerable green eyes. “You fell asleep. I was deciding if I should wake you up or take you to bed.”
“Take me to bed. I’m so tired, I can barely move.”
Kayden blinked, unsure if he had heard her correctly. For a moment there, his urges had taken the best of him. Leaning forward to put his arms around her fragile figure, he tensed when he felt her lips touch the corner of his mouth. Gazing down at her innocent gaze, he gulped when she closed her eyes and rested her head against his neck.
“Thank you for saving my brother.”
Smiling, he reached under her legs and took her in his arms. He headed to her bedroom to tuck her into bed. She weighed less than nothing to him but felt better than anything he had ever touched. His heart raced and clenched at the idea of letting her go. Yet, he must. His bed was waiting for him, cold and empty. For the time being, he needed to let Barbara rest. They would have a busy day ahead of them.
Tucking her hair behind her ear and brushing his fingertips against her cheek, Kayden mumbled ‘good night’ and left her bedroom.
Chapter Twelve
BARROW, ALASKA
Barbara walked into the living area, feeling refreshed and ready to face the world. “Good morning,” she chirped as she glanced around. “Where’s Kayden?”
“The blizzard stopped. He’s outside, taking care of the animals,” Cody replied.
“Cody, have you seen my new boots?” Charlie arrived from his bedroom still buttoning up his blue shirt. Cody was wearing a grey sweater and camouflage pants.
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” he said next to the door.
“You are wearing them!” Charlie accused him.
Cody sped outside.
“Kayden, Cody stole my boots!” Charlie ran after his brother.
Barbara poured herself some coffee as she listened to the twins fighting and shouting for their older brother. Eventually, Kayden showed up and ended the commotion. He acted like their father and not their brother. A bit like Jason, she thought. Sadness overcame her. She still had no idea where her brother was.
“Are you okay? Did you sleep well?”
Her eyes lit when she saw Kayden coming inside in his work clothes.
“I’m fine,” she replied. “Hungry?”
“I could eat something.”
Smiling, she began searching for the ingredients to make pancakes. “Where are the twins?”
“I locked them in with the horses and cows.”
She gazed up at him. “You are joking.”
Kayden smiled, and it brought red to her cheeks. “They’re pilling some wood until they cool down and stop acting like children.”
“One of them still needs to take me to town, so I can buy more clothes.”
“And proper boots.”
“That, too.”
“But I’m going to do that myself while they go talk to the clan.”
Happiness flooded her heart, and she beamed at him. “Are you afraid I might get lost?”
“I’m afraid of what would happen if Cody were to lose himself in the bar and neglects his duty of protecting you. I’m going, and I’ll get more supplies for the winter. The blizzard was a warning that it will get colder in the next few days. We need to get more provisions before the roads are too dangerous to drive.”
“Do you like pancakes?”
He removed his coat and hung it behind the door. “I guess.”
“Great.”
“I’ll have a quick shower while you prepare them.”
“Okay.”
Kayden left while she concentrated on making the best pancakes she had ever made. She also had to make many because as she had noticed the previous day, dragon-shifters ate a lot.
Shopping in the city was easy. There were few stores and only one to buy clothes that were suited for the cold weather of an Alaskan winter. They had gone straight to the AC Value Center where Kayden got his supplies. It was a variety store and allowed Barbara to shop for clothing.
The clothes weren’t fashionable. All the warm coats had fur and flower patterns. Eventually, she decided to buy three pairs of jeans, underwear, two shirts, two knitted sweaters, a pair of leather gloves, boots, and an overly expensive sheared mink stroller.
After shopping, Kayden took her on a guided tour around the small city that looked more like a temporary settlement surrounded by the sea. There wasn’t much to do there, and they ended up in a coffee shop away from the center.
Despite the unwelcoming greeting that Barbara had first received when she met Kayden, once he had accepted her, they were getting along exceptionally well. He was smart and easy to talk to. She was more and more charmed by him.
After parking next to the sea, Barbara turned on her cell phone and called the number Jason had given her. She wanted to tell her brother she was okay and had done what he had asked. The phone kept ringing without anyone picking up.
Kayden’s hands on her shoulders were the only things that soothed the pain. She rested her head against his torso, looking for comfort. His hands rubbed down her arms and snaked around her waist, bringing her closer. They stood there, in silence, with the ocean as their view and the cold breeze on their faces.
Her mind wandered to the time she and her brother shifted in the woods of Colorado. When their parents taught her to hunt, and Jason took it upon himself to show her how to fight and defend herself. Tears fell down her cheeks.
“What’s wrong?” Kayden’s warm breath caressed her face as his fingers entwined against her stomach.
“What if he’s dead?”
“Jason is the toughest soldier that I know. He has survived worse than a couple of goons of a clan leader.”
“You saw the news. Sir Baldwin has a lot of connections and money to spend. He won’t stop until he grabs Jason and gets the dagger.”
“Once the twins talk to our clan leader, he’ll offer you and your brother protection. You can move to the settlement and…”
“I have no intention of hiding. If you don’t want me in your place, just take me to the airport, and I’ll take a plane to London or wherever the headquarters of the secret organization is.” Barbara separated from his arms and turned around to look at him.
“What can you do all by yourself against a powerful water dragon and his men?” Kayden retorted as he bent down to face her.
“You have your dagger. Do whatever you want with it. I’m going to look for my brother.”
Storming to the jeep, she opened the door and tried to grab her bags. Kayden went after her and forced her to turn around.
“You aren’t going anywhere. You’re my responsibility now, and I know Jason will come here. He knew they would come for you whether you had the dagger or not, so he sent you to me. I’m not going to let you do so
mething reckless that can end your life.”
“And why not? You didn’t even want me here in the first place!”
“That was before I knew…”
“What?”
“That you were Jason’s sister.”
She tried to evade his touch. “Well, I don’t need your protection. I can take care of myself.”
Kayden held his ground and didn’t let her leave his side. “Stubborn woman. You are going nowhere!”
Barbara frowned at his angry face and commanding tone. “I’m not one of your siblings for you to boss around.”
Kayden stepped back. “Fine. Do whatever you want. If you want to leave, then go. I’m not stopping you.”
Barbara swiped at the tears that poured from her eyes. “I just want to find my brother.”
“And I want to keep you alive,” he spoke softly.
“He’s my only family.” She sobbed as emotion overtook her body and made her shiver with nerves and grief.
Kayden brought Barbara into his arms. She hid her face against his chest, inhaling his scent and relaxing against the warmth of his embrace.
Chapter Thirteen
Kayden and Barbara arrived at the cottage after Charlie called, warning them that they were going back home.
They gathered around the coffee table to listen to what the twins had to say.
“Our leader agrees that this is a serious situation, and we need to handle it carefully. He wants to have a gathering with all the other leaders and wants Kayden to talk and show them the weapon.”
“I can do that,” Kayden agreed, looking at Charlie. “What about Barbara?”
“He said it wasn’t our problem and if she was being chased, she should go look for protection with her people.”
“Well that’s supportive,” Barbara muttered as she tucked her hair behind her ears. Looking at Kayden, she added, “You should have let me leave.”
“We are not going to talk about that again,” he said with a serious face. “If our clan doesn’t want to protect you, you’ll stay with us.”
“Agreed,” the twins said in unison.
Charlie added, “They are too cowardly to protect someone who brought us the dagger, but we aren’t.”
“Did you ask the clan elders to keep quiet about us having the dagger?”
“We did as you told us.”
Resting his back on the sofa, Kayden folded his arms. “Let’s see how it will play out now.”
Barbara got up and fixed her jersey. “I’m going to have a bath and unpack my new clothes.”
Kayden watched her leave. It was becoming painful to stay away from her. There was a constant pull that made him want to protect and bring a smile to her lips. Watching her cry had been one of the worst sensations he had experienced in his life.
“Is she okay?” Cody asked when he heard her door closing.
“Just worried about her brother.”
“You’re being nicer to her,” Charlie said as he got up and opened the door to the fridge. He grabbed a beer, opened it, and drank from the bottle.
“I like her brother.”
“You spent some time last night talking after we went to bed,” Cody said.
“We talked about my time in the army.”
“She cooks, cleans, and seems to like it here,” Charlie said.
Kayden arched an eyebrow. “Where are you going with that talk?”
“You like her. Cody and I want to move out, you know that. We want to open a bar in the city with a game theme. The idea of leaving you here alone isn’t appealing, but if you had a wife…”
Kayden moved uncomfortably in his seat. His body temperature rose every time he thought of her or heard her name as if his dragon wanted to come out. Any other time, Charlie’s words would have upset him, but when thinking about the feisty lioness, his heart fluttered, and his body ached with desire.
“Barbara has her own life in New York. She has a successful career, and she’s an independent woman. This isn’t the place for her to settle down.”
Cody raised a brow. “Then you’ve thought about it?”
Kayden got up. “Enough of this prying. I need you to get some wood from the shelter. I brought a few pizzas, and we can heat the oven and have them ready for when Barbara gets out of the bathroom.”
Charlie smirked as he sauntered past Kayden to the door. “You can always move to New York.”
Barbara had hoped that a hot bath would make her feel better. Instead, it made her feel more restless. Closing her eyes only made her fantasize about Kayden and the day they had spent together. Being in his arms had been amazing. She had never felt so safe, vulnerable, and peaceful before. Yet, she was feeling ashamed for acting like a spoiled child. He only wanted the best for her, and there wasn’t a lot she could do to save her brother. Kayden was right. Jason had sent her here because he knew Kayden could keep her safe.
When she returned to her room and was combing her wet hair, her cell phone rang. First, she wasn’t sure of what to do, but she ended up picking up.
“Barb, is that you? Are you okay?”
“Jason! Oh my God! I was so worried about you! I’ve tried calling you earlier today, and you didn’t pick up.”
“I was on a plane. Are you okay? Tell me you managed to get to Kayden.”
“I did. I’m at his house.”
“Are you safe? What is his clan doing about the dagger and Sir Baldwin?”
“I’m not sure. They are planning to have a meeting to discuss it.”
Jason warned, “He has spies in the other clans.”
“I’ll tell Kayden, but he seems to know how to handle the situation.”
“Did they hurt you?”
“Who? The dragons?”
“No, the goons chasing you.”
“I’m fine,” Barbara assured.
“I’m coming for you, okay? We’ll figure this out, and you’ll be able to get back to your normal life, Sis. I’m sorry for dragging you into this, but I needed you far away and safe.”
“I know. I understand. I’m okay. The twins are friendly and Kayden…”
“He can be rough around the edges, but he’s a good man.”
“I know. He told me how you two met.”
“I have to hang up now. I’ll call you from another payphone whenever I’m in America.”
She probed, “Are you coming here?”
“Not yet. I need to meet with someone from the society who will help me. I need to be careful. I’ll call you tomorrow. Stay safe.”
“Jason…” It was too late, he had hung up.
Barbara looked at the phone. Her breath caught in her throat. She didn’t know if she should feel relieved or not. At least, she knew he was alive.
Kayden’s voice followed by a soft knock on the door. “Barbara, I’ve made pizza. Do you want to join us for dinner?”
Throwing the phone on the bed, she rushed to the door and opened it. “Jason just called me,” she said out of breath, forgetting about the fact that she was just wearing a towel around her body.
Kayden’s eyes locked with her expectant gaze as he stepped inside and closed the door. “Did he sound normal or in distress? Did he ask any questions about where the dagger was? Did you hear any voices besides his?”
“Why?” Barbara blinked unsure why the questions and the worried frown.
“He could have been captured and work under coercion.”
Her hand flew to her mouth in distress. “That idea never occurred to me. But he didn’t seem different. He seemed worried about me… He didn’t want to talk much and said he would come get me.”
Kayden’s eyes fixated on her figure and blood rushed to her cheeks for being so exposed. She held the towel with embarrassment. “I’ll get dressed and meet you in the kitchen.”
“Right.” He turned around as if to give her privacy. “Don’t take too long, the twins will eat everything on their own.”
“I’ll just take a minute.” Her voice came out throaty.
Kayden put his hand on the doorknob. “The twins are going to town to return the jeep to Farmer and have a couple of drinks in the bar. If you want to join them—”
“No, I would rather stay here with you,” she said before he finished his sentence.
“Great. I have something I want to show you.”
“Okay.”
Kayden left.
Barbara took a few steps backward, and dramatically fell on the bed. Blowing the hair that covered her face, she opened her arms wide. “I’m going to go insane.”
Chapter Fourteen
Kayden was restless. He had an idea why he couldn’t stop thinking about Barbara. It was not just because she was easy on the eyes or her personality drew him and made him respect her. There was something more, and he was keen on finding out what that was.
The twins were leaving to go party. Either because they wanted to give him privacy with the hot redhead or because they wanted to swim in the Elson Lagoon, the fact was that it was providential. Who knew when he would have another chance of being alone with Barbara? His gut told him that danger was coming, and he had to play tough to protect her and the dagger.
After speaking with her brother, Kayden noticed that relief had blanketed Barbara. He hoped that his friend hadn’t been captured. The lion-shifter was smart, but he was on his own. The leader of the Water Clan had many resources and friends in high places. He wasn’t afraid of breaking the rules. Kayden needed to know who from his own clan was on the Water Dragon’s payroll. Not every dragon in his clan was happy with living in seclusion amidst the snow.
Yet that night, he had plans of his own. Kayden had a lovely time with Barbara in the city. She had an easy smile and a kind soul, making him feel alive. For a long time, he had been numb and felt hopeless. There were myths about it. It was unusual, but it happened. He felt the pull every time they looked at each other. His body craved hers. His soul ached with the thought of her suffering. His dragon wanted her.