by Kari Thomas
But Gavin was right.
Comforting her would have been the last thing on his mind. And he didn’t need the complications. Not with everything else he had to deal with. “Damn it.” He growled low in his throat, angry at himself. Angry at Gavin. Angry at Kira. “She’s too tempting.”
“If you need an incentive to resist her then just think of Kyle, “ Gavin reminded quietly. “It works for me every time my thoughts stray to—’’
Aiden sighed a weary moan. His body was hard and aching, and he was not going to get any relief for what ailed him. At least not that night. Not with Kira sleeping down the hall.
With an act of brotherly commiseration he clasped Gavin on the shoulder. “Care to join me for a run?”
It didn’t matter that the storm raged on, that rain pelted his fur as they ran into the wind. As the two males ran through the trees, Aiden desperately fought a temptation that was getting harder to resist. Deciding to operate on his illness using the sharpest of knives, he headed toward the clearing; the place of his brother’s murder.
If seeing that, remembering the pain, didn’t give clarity to his rampaging desire, then nothing would.
Chapter Eight
Kira paused in the middle of restless pacing and glanced at the clock sitting on the small desk. It showed that is was almost midnight. She could hear that the storm hadn’t quieted. The wind still howled like a mad banshee, the rain beat against the windows and sides of the house. She couldn’t resist glaring at the ceiling childishly, directing her dissatisfaction toward the heavens. She felt trapped and it made her tense, edgy, nervous, restless.
Aiden’s room was down the hall and she wondered if he was sleeping. Spitefully she hoped he was awake and as restless as she was. “It would serve him right,” she muttered, dropping into a comfortable leather upholstered chair by the bed. “He just had to give me that ‘look’ when he said goodnight.” Those hot, gleaming eyes of his were lethal. Desire throbbed through her with that heated glance. “I think I need a charm against his charm!” Too bad it wasn’t that easy.
She couldn’t deny she was attracted to him – she’d never felt this way about any man before – but she refused to admit it was anything more than attraction. The most feminine part of her responded to his pure male enticement. Everything about him – his smile, his look, his smell, his essence –called her, dared her to explore her feelings a bit more, push herself a bit further.
But acting on that impulse simply wasn’t an option.
She flat out didn’t trust him. She would bet her last dollar that Aiden Calhoun had ulterior motives for everything he did.
What better way to get her to give up seeking sole custody of Marissa than by seducing her? Once she was besotted with him, he probably thought she would do anything he asked. The tiny voice in the back of her head whispered, Then why did he let Gavin stop him? Bet it was just a test. Anger surfaced. “Well, you can just think again, Mr. Aiden-Calhoun-Big-Kitty.” She had every right to have a shot for custody of Marissa, and he knew it.
Seduction wasn’t going to change her mind.
She wandered around the room, absently touching the knick-knacks in various places. Even down the hall from him, she felt his presence. She forced her thoughts to move in another direction, away from the heat that simply thinking of him brought on, to one less dangerous to her peace of mind but no less dangerous for her aching heart.
Her sister, Sonia.
Kira was frustrated that Sonia hadn’t reappeared since that first night after Kira had arrived at Lena’s and Uncle Warren’s. She’d waited, prayed that Sonia would return and, if she wouldn’t tell Kira exactly what had happened, she would at least give her some hint, something to work with.
Kira needed more information. Why did Sonia think something was going to happen to Marissa? How could Kira stop it if she didn’t know what it was? And going back to the scene of Sonia’s crimes hadn’t been helpful. That strange black aura remained potent, resisting any incantations either she or Lena could devise, at least without using some serious magic. That would be their very last resort.
But It refused to reveal either its source or purpose. She’d never felt such a strong malevolent essence. Powerful. Evil.
Wrong.
And that baffled her most of all.
Sonia had never been that strong, that focused, with using her powers. So, obviously, she’d had more than a little help. That thought alone caused a sick feeling to settle in the pit of Kira’s stomach. Who would perform such a heinous act? It went against everything she knew, everything they had been taught. She had discussed it with Lena but she was as confused as Kira. There had been no rumors through the grapevine of black-arts practitioners in the area so they had no idea where to even start looking. Surely Sonia wouldn’t have become involved with anyone walking that path. She’d have known that path led to misery and grief. Devastating destruction tended to be the outcome.
Or could that have been what happened? Had Sonia had helped, tried something that went horribly awry? No! Kira’s mind wouldn’t accept that Sonia would ever take that path, make that choice.
But an unquiet remembrance hovered, a niggling in the back of her mind that she couldn’t quite grasp. Going through the days since she and Lena had visited the clearing, she tried to recall when she had encountered a similar presence. When it came to her she almost fell off her chair. It had been when she’d helped Riana through her pain.
The evil she had encountered had been identical to the threatening aura they’d encountered in the clearing. She shook her head, confused. How could it possibly be the same? Had she been careless and somehow allowed It access to her mind the last time they’d tried to disperse Its remnants in the clearing? Could she have placed Riana in any type of danger when they had been connected? Kira prayed that one had nothing to do with the other and vowed to perform a cleansing ritual on herself during the next waning moon.
She had a premonition it might not bode well for anyone to ignore the incidents. A window-rattling thunder boom echoed across the skies, as if in warning, and Kira jumped to her feet. It was time for her to leave this house, by whatever means necessary. She needed to be away. Away from confusion, unanswered questions about the murders, the possibility of wild animals hiding around every corner of this eerie house, away from...far away from…Aiden.
The possibilities of encountering wild animals were only slightly more frightening than meeting up with Aiden. As she snuck into the semi-dark hallway a shiver of fear crawled up her back, and she almost reconsidered leaving the safety of her room. Quietly muttering under hr breath, she crept down the dimly lit hallway. “Okay. One step at a time. Go downstairs. Get my purse. And leave. One-two-three.”
She had reached the top of the stairwell when she remembered that both Riana and Gavin had backed up Aiden’s warnings about the roads, and the extensive storm damage. But maybe they had been exaggerating, trying to scare her. After all, how bad could the road be? She’d driven over hurricane-damaged roads before. It was true there had been times she had been forced to creep over them, but she had always been careful.
Surely this can’t be any worse.
Shadows flickered on the walls, floors, and ceiling as she inched down the wide staircase. It didn’t help her jitters when her gaze jumped from corner to corner, doorway to hall. A tingling sensation caused the hairs on her arms to stand up and she held her garnet stone close, the edges biting into her palm. She crept across the slick floor on shaky legs, soundlessly intoning a plea for protection as she aimed for the front door. It seemed miles away.
Her heart sat at the top of her throat, seeming to jump a little higher with every sigh. Goose bumps covered her skin and it seemed forever before she reached the entry hall. The moment she picked up her purse she breathed a sigh of relief. A few more moments and she’d be in her car, and on her way home.
Free.
Ominously slow, as though it had all the time in the world to reach her before she cou
ld escape, the sound of an animal’s heavy, clawed paws echoed on the tiled floor.
Click. Click. Click. Click.
Kira froze. Terror shoved her heart from the top of her throat to her toes, closing her throat tight as if to hold in any errant noise, demanding utter silence. Horrifying dizziness threatened as she realized she couldn’t even scream for help with her throat clenched closed in panic. She forced in small wheezes of air before slowly turning to face her worst fear.
The Calhoun ‘guard pet’, the large, white wolf that had frightened her so badly that first day she had come to visit, stood with his limbs braced, his stance threatening. His coarse fur stood in a ridge along his back while his razor teeth gleamed in the flickering light and his eyes never moved off her colorless face. Kira would have sworn that his mouth wore a feral grin, as if he were laughing at her fright. Though mere moments had passed, they felt like an eternity as Kira’s mind wandered from her terrifying predicament, past the ridiculous onto the surreal.
Would he attack? She prayed her death would be mercifully swift. Images of the last time she’d been faced by a wild animal, and the results of its devastatingly deadly attack, flashed through her mind, numbing her from head to toes.
The wolf made a low warning sound in the back of his throat and Kira’s heart raced, uncertain what was happening. She saw a shadow separate itself from a corner of the hallway and watched in a daze as it paced from the entryway into the foyer. A shuddering scream lodged in her throat as its form became more substantial, more defined, the pelt of the huge mountain lion glittering in the fainting light from the family room. The wolf growled menacingly and moved toward her at an angle as the big cat glided toward her, as if having all the time in the world.
Kira’s mind was in a turmoil, arguing with itself. Death by canine or feline, what difference did it make? She blinked rapidly in an attempt to clear her vision but her view had not changed. Roiling nausea threatened to add to her situation, the bitter taste of bile barely held in check.
Afterwards she was sure it was a mixture of debilitating fear and oxygen deprivation that caused her hallucinations…because she would have sworn she heard a voice, low and harsh, mutter in her mind ‘Don’t move, or you’re dead’.
When the wolf placed his body in front of hers, in a caddy-corner position, then watched the slowly advancing cat, Kira heard herself reply, “Does fainting count as moving?” just before the clash of teeth and claws as the lion sprang straight at her with a ferocious roar and...was met in mid-air by the defending wolf.
Kira stumbled against the locked front door. Her legs threatened to buckle as she watched the wolf slam the cat with such force that bones should break. A blur of motion, they tore each other’s flesh. Razor teeth held fast, tearing and biting. Claws shred thick pelts as they attacked and counter-attacked, rolling and tumbling over the wide expanse of the foyer. She wanted to close her eyes and look away but couldn’t.
The incredible sight, the to-death-battle of well-matched adversaries, was unnerving. She held her breath, waiting. She realized this moment in time would be frozen forever in her memory. Or, at least, in the short time she had left.
Because either victor meant her death.
The night was split by a ferocious roar of mind numbing rage that broke through the deafening noise of the fight. A massive black cougar — the other Calhoun ‘guard pet’ ─ joined the deadly battle, landing with a bone-crushing lunge onto the back of the lion, slamming him into the tiled floor just as the wolf slid free. As the onslaught continued, the trio formed a strange tableau. Kira stood frozen, uncertain which animal she should be cheering for in this take-no-prisoners altercation.
Before she had time to take in the timely savagery of the powerful cougar, she heard a thundering noise, as if a herd of small horses were headed through the house. Looking up from the battle, she saw a brown bear racing down the stairs, and straight toward her. She barely had time to choke out a small gasp before the bear skid to a sliding halt. It turned its back toward her, facing the battle, acting as a protective shield between Kira and the fight. Whenever the entangled, fighting mass of two cats and wolf tumbled too close to her locale, the bear stood up on its hind legs and roared out a warning. With each warning it backed Kira a little closer to the door until it had wedged Kira between its furry back and the solid wood. That was when she knew that none of it was real.
It couldn’t be.
She was caught in some ghastly nightmare, in the midst of an awesome, chilling, blood-curdling illusion. She wasn’t really standing in the middle of the Calhoun hallway, watching three wild animals tear each other to pieces, battling to the death while an enormous bear protected her. There was no other explanation. At least not one that made any sense. She was asleep and this was a nightmare.
She pinched her arm. She prayed to wake up.
The insistent, undulating waves of dizzying nausea roiled in her stomach. It was real. Honestly, truly, they-will-think-I’m-crazy real.
An agonizing roar of pain sliced through the barrage of snarls, snapping teeth, ripping claws, and painful grunts. Following it, dead silence reigned.
Eyes wide with shock and awed terror, Kira tilted her head and carefully peered around the girth of her furry protector. She stared in horror at the bloodied mess on the tiled floor. Her wide eyes turned to the limping wolf and growling cougar standing over the dead lion, their chests heaving with their labored breathing, blood dripping from their panting mouths onto the once spotless tile. They were covered in scratches, some deeper than others, and their blood trickled with incessant, loud drips onto the floor.
Kira felt paralyzing hysteria rising and tapped it down, praying for a measure of calm.
If she started to scream she’d probably never stop, and knew that wasn’t going to help the situation she was still in. She thought about closing her eyes and willing it all away but didn’t think that would work either. Nothing was ever going to erase this night from her memory.
Ever.
The bear crouched onto its back legs and slowly turned around.
Kira’s breath hitched again, nearly choking her, as she closed her eyes, determinedly waiting for what she was sure would be her instant death. When nothing happened she opened first one eye and then the other. Afraid to breathe too deeply, she looked up and stared into the warm, brown hue of the bear’s gentle eyes. Confusion swamped her over-wrought senses, for there was no trace of threat in the animal’s eyes, no aggression in its stance.
Kira shook her head. Was that…compassion…shining in that unblinking gaze? She knew she was definitely past hysterical. Delusion had kicked in, on top of everything else.
An emotion, an almost human expression, on the…sympathetic…face of a bear?!
The bear lowered its head in a strangely submissive manner and lay down onto its belly. With a little wiggle, it inched closer to Kira until its paws were touching her feet. With the solid door behind her back she had nowhere else to retreat so she just stood there, frozen, waiting. The bear made a sound, almost like a purr of encouragement, and lifted its head to snare Kira’s gaze. In that suspended moment of time Kira felt a sudden, curious melting in the numb region of her overly rapid beating heart.
It shocked her.
For the first time in her adult life she felt no fear of an animal. She was prepared to convince herself that she really was dreaming when the bear lifted a large paw and gently patted the top of her foot comfortingly.
Just like a human would do!
Kira’s legs refused to hold her up any longer. With her back still pressed against the door, she sank to the floor. This position brought her face mere inches away from the bear’s face and she forgot to breathe.
Again.
The bear appeared to study her just as intently and Kira had the crazy notion it was trying to tell her something. Heeding the unspoken invitation, she slowly raised her shaking hand and touched the side of the bear’s head. A long purring sound of contentment rumbled
softly from the animal’s chest and vibrated up against her palm.
Kira couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry. She was petting a bear!
“Kira!” Aiden’s deep voice was rough with raw emotion as he rushed to her side. “Are you alright? Were you hurt?”
Kira glanced up, the oddity of the friendly bear forgotten the moment she saw his familiar face. The dark, handsome, savage intensity of his fleeting expressions would have normally made her wary, but, at that moment, it was a comfort. She was vaguely aware of servants scurrying around the foyer, removing evidence of the bloody battle, but she didn’t care. What was going on around them seemed just another part of her dream, shadowy and irrelevant. Nothing was more important to her than the man standing in front of her. She couldn’t…wouldn’t tear her gaze from his concerned face.
He didn’t give her the chance to respond and gathered her into his strong arms, lifting her from behind Riana. Once clear of his sister’s large girth, he set her on her feet, gently holding her upright. She swayed as if buffeted by an invisible breeze. He bit back crude expletives. His eyes sought injuries and found none. He didn’t bother hiding his relieved sighs, and his hands shook visibly as he ran them over every inch he could reach. The first pass skimmed her, but each one that followed touched a little firmer, poke and prodded a little deeper. Despite the fact that his touch was matter-of-fact, in no way sensual, her body reacted involuntarily to the stark emotions, the panicked vibrations swirling around them. Her eyes traced his darkly handsome features, soft fingers caressed muscles flexing in his jaws. She saw the concern in his gleaming eyes. But Kira’s senses were saturated and she was quickly reaching the end of her sanity tether. She leaned into his chest, resting her head over his beating heart, absentmindedly listening to the sound of life flowing through his body while his hands continued their clinical exploration. Aiden knew she wasn’t hurt but…damn it…she was in shock. Anyone would be after seeing what she had seen.
He couldn’t stop touching her, had to reassure himself she was fine, in one piece. Unharmed. He was enraged, beyond furious. He wanted to pick her up, lock her away, keep her safe. She’d almost been killed! Someone was going to pay for this and he’d make damn sure of it.