by Balik, Shea
Suddenly, Mila tugged hard on his hand. Kassian glanced at her to see raw terror staring back at him. Then her hand disappeared and she took off running out the front door.
Whoever had been heading upstairs must have heard her for a soft curse was spoken. Confused and unsure what was happening, Kassian came out of hiding just as he saw the intruder leap down the steps with the grace of a cat and chase Mila.
He had only gotten a glimpse but it had been all he’d needed. His mouth opened and an ear-splitting scream filled the air around him.
“Hey, it’s okay. I’ve got you,” a deep voice rumbled near Kassian’s ear.
Wait. Huh? That hadn’t been what happened. Kassian tried to clear his head, but he found it impossible to do.
“That’s it, sweet bunny. You’yre safe. I’ll protect you.”
The nightmare of the past still had Kassian tightly in its grip and he wasn’t sure where the voice was coming from or whose arms were holding him. A part of him instantly wanted to sink into the embrace because it felt so damn good.
But that wasn’t the part of Kassian that was controlling him. For he smelled the one scent that scared him above all others. The one aroma that had destroyed his entire life.
Cat.
Clawing and kicking to get free from the hold on him, Kassian finally managed to scamper away. The moment he was got to his feet, Kassian ran for all he was worth. Racing as fast as he could through the overgrown fields that used to hold hundreds of cattle, Kassian pushed his legs and lungs to their limit in fear of being caught.
In his mad dash to get away, he hadn’t been paying attention to what was in front of him and tripped on something causing him to summersault and land hard on his back. He heard himself give an “oomph” as all the air was pushed out of his lungs by the hard ground.
Snow filled his coat and boots and he soon found himself shivering as he continued to lay there too afraid to move. There was a good chance he’d broken something as pain lanced through him, but more importantly, he didn’t know if the man who smelled of cat had followed him.
Not that it mattered if he had. Kassian hurt too much to try and get away now. He might as well lay there and let the beast kill him. Kassian just prayed it would quick. He may not deserve it after what happened to his sister, but Kassian would never be as brave as Mila had been that night seventy-three years ago.
“Don’t move.” The deep voice was so rich and soothing, it was hard for Kassian to not allow the warmth it brought him seep into his bones.
Once more he found himself surrounded by the alluring aroma of flowers and fresh cut grass. It called to his bunny and made his dick twitch and his body yearn for things he didn’t understand.
Eyes he hadn’t even realized he’d been squeezing shut, flew open when warm arms encircled him, lifting him off the ground as if he weighed nothing more than the animal he could turn into. But he wasn’t a bunny. Kassian was a man and no one should be able to carry him with such ease.
His gaze landed on eyes so blue they reminded Kassian of a cloudless summer day at the small lake that he and his sister used to play in as children. A smile curled on the man’s lips causing Kassian’s heart to speed up and his breath to hitch.
“Beautiful,” he murmured, sure this had to be some sort of hallucination. There was no other explanation. He hadn’t seen another living soul on his family’s farm since he’d turned eighteen and a lawyer had come to the farm for him to sign some papers turning the property and his parents’ bank accounts over to him.
He knew someone had bought the old town his family used to frequent, but Kassian had plenty of signs posted to warn others away. Even when he’d heard more people arriving, they had all respected his wishes to be left alone.
No. This had to be some sort of dream. Or maybe he had managed to hang himself and this was what heaven felt like.
That one thought brought Kassian back to his senses. For he knew there would be no heaven for him. He didn’t deserve it. Which meant, to his horror, this was very real.
This man, who was doing things to his body Kassian had never felt before was actually there. Worse. This man, who made him want to curl closer to his body and stay there for the rest of his life was…
Kassian locked eyes with the man who seemed to be trying to reassure him and glared. He may be handsome. He may even be offering kindness at the moment. Kassian’s own body may be betraying him by wanting to get closer, but it didn’t change anything. For this man was the enemy. This man couldn’t be trusted. This man was a cat.
CHAPTER 4
Hudson had pushed himself to the limit. His paws ate up the ground that flew beneath him. His heart raced as fear clawed at his guts. He had no idea what he was racing toward, but he knew if he didn’t hurry, he would be too late.
He came upon dozens of signs that warned trespassers would be arrested or shot depending on the wording. There were also some signs cautioning attack dogs roamed the property, which he knew to be false since he couldn’t smell any hint of dog. But he did scent a shifter.
He stumbled for a step or two when the full aroma hit him. Intoxicating was the only word to describe the sweet lavender that got stronger the further he ran. Need thrummed inside of him, pushing him faster.
It was as if he’d been given a shot of pure adrenaline. His paws hardly touched the snow covered ground as his stride lengthened and his ears tucked back to his head.
This wasn’t like him. His training to be a cold-blooded killer was screaming for him to slow the fuck down, but instinct drove him, shutting down that voice that warned of using caution. He might be walking into a trap, but there was no stopping him.
A rickety old barn that appeared at least as old as Miracle, but in a little better shape than the storefronts had been appeared on the horizon. Hudson wasn’t sure of the reception he’d receive after ignoring all the no trespassing signs, but every cell in his body screamed for him to get inside that barn.
Less than a minute later he heard a scream so raw and terrified that set Hudson’s hackles on end. Leaping through the doorway he growled menacingly, ready to fight to the death if necessary. He may not know what foe was terrifying some poor innocent child, but he recognized the scream of someone too young to defend themselves.
A man sat curled up on the floor near a toppled over ladder that Hudson instantly knew was no threat. He turned in a complete circle but didn’t see anyone else. Not even the child who’d cried out.
He whirled on the man again as the most terrifying sound came from him. It was filled with soul sucking fear mixed with pleas to not make him see it again. Hudson had no idea what was going on but his mountain lion was whining to make it stop.
He padded over to where the man lay in a fetal position, gently rocking as if trying to soothe himself. His eyes were squeezed shut tightly, his lips moving. At first Hudson thought he was silently praying but when he got closer he could hear the man begging for it to stop.
He didn’t know what was going on, or why a grown man was talking like he was a child. All Hudson knew was his heart was breaking at watching this man falling apart. His very soul cried out to help, but Hudson had no idea how.
Shifting, he did the only thing he could think of. He sat on the cold ground, not caring that he was naked with no clothes to change into. Then, gently, he lifted the way too skinny man into his arms and held him close.
“Shh, it’s okay. I’ve got you.” He didn’t know how long he’d whispered reassuring words before the man heard them. Hudson nearly sagged in relief when he felt the man come out of the nightmare he’d been stuck in.
He didn’t know why he hadn’t been prepared for the pretty man to run. It seemed logical now, but Hudson had been surprised when the guy kicked and clawed his way free. Mentally berating himself for not considering how scary it would be to come out of a nightmare to find a naked stranger holding him, Hudson followed when the man ran.
He’d been stupid but Hudson wasn’t about to let the guy
hurt himself by running blindly in fear. Hudson kept his distance, hoping the man would think Hudson hadn’t followed him. That was until the guy tripped and fell. Walking barefoot buck assed naked wasn’t exactly something Hudson had planned to do, but he also wouldn’t allow the adorable man to get hurt on account of him.
He approached slowly, so as not to appear too intimidating. Just as when he’d entered the barn, the man’s pretty gray eyes were screwed shut tightly as if that would keep danger away. Hudson wasn’t sure what had happened in the past to this man, but it was obvious by the way he was acting, he’d suffered something intense in his childhood.
It was also clear the guy had given up. Whether it was because he’d hurt himself in the fall or just didn’t think he could get away, he was ready for Hudson to kill him. A low growl rumbled through him at the thought of this man dying.
He’d never allow it to happen. Hudson would protect him with his life if necessary. For this cutie with a mop of curly brown hair that shone strands of reds and golds in the sun, who had already managed to steal his heart, was Hudson’s mate.
He didn’t know how it was possible when Hudson had committed as many sins as he had, that he would ever be granted a mate. Fate had most likely made a mistake but now that Hudson had found him, he wasn’t ever letting him go.
When his mate finally opened those gray eyes to stare up at him, Hudson felt his heart wobble. There was so much fear in that gaze that Hudson’s mountain lion was pushing to shift so he could kill whoever had put it there. Too bad Hudson was fairly certain it was him. At least part of it was. The nightmare his mate had been reliving in that barn had nothing to do with Hudson.
“Who are you?” His mate’s voice was a hoarse whisper most likely from all the screaming he’d done.
“Hudson Martin, enforcer for Alpha Edrick Rapp of the Miracle Pack.” He bypassed the barn and headed to the steps of the nearby house.
The wide porch that surrounded the house had a few holes in it where it needed some repair, but it felt sound as he walked across it to the door. “Would you mind opening the door?” he asked his mate.
Hudson could have done it himself, but he hoped the request might actually put his mate at ease. Sometimes performing simple tasks gave a person a sense of belonging and purpose.
His mate did as he asked without hesitation. “What are you doing here?” he asked.
Hudson entered the home and went to the couch that was set up before a good sized fireplace. Careful, so as not to cause his mate more injury, Hudson laid him down and went to work building a fire. There was plenty of kindling in a small wood bin next to the hearth, but there was only one small piece of wood to keep it going.
“Do you have any more wood?” Hudson asked without having answered his mate’s question. It wasn’t that he was ignoring him exactly, but Hudson wasn’t sure how to explain that he’d felt something inside of him demanding he come there.
It would seem weird. Add to it that he believed in ghosts and his mate would most likely end up laughing his ass off.
His mate blinked at him. His gaze then moved to the fireplace and saw the small piece of wood and then to the empty woodbin. “Out the back door and under the overhang next to the house.”
Hudson moved quickly, afraid his mate would use his absence to try and run again. Grabbing an armful of thankfully dry wood, he went back in, relieved to see his mate still reclining on the couch.
“You didn’t answer my question,” his mate said when Hudson filled the wood bin and placed another log on the perfectly stacked kindling he’d built.
There were matches nearby. Seconds later he had a fire started, but it would take several minutes before it chased the cold away from the room. Seeing a blanket stacked neatly on a rocking chair, he picked it up and shook it out before placing it over his mate.
“Is there a reason you don’t want to answer why you’re here?” His mate tried again.
“Yes,” Hudson finally answered. “I don’t want you to think I’m crazy.” He stared into those gray eyes and desperately wanted to lean forward and kiss his mate’s lush lips.
Knowing that wouldn’t be a good idea, especially since the man didn’t seem to know they were mates. It didn’t help that they didn’t know anything about each other. “What’s your name?”
“Kassian Parish.”
That was all Hudson needed to hear. He leaned forward and brushed his mouth against Kassian’s. A spark arced between them and Hudson was lost.
CHAPTER 5
Kassian froze for a moment at the unexpected sensations swamping him when Hudson’s lips touched his. He’d never been kissed, well, not like this. As a small child his parents had kissed him good-night, but that wasn’t the same thing. Not even close.
A spark went between them igniting Kassian’s body and flames of heat consumed him hotter than the fire in the fireplace. There were so many new feelings erupting from him all at once and Kassian didn’t know how to deal with them all.
First and foremost was the softness of Hudson’s lips on his. Kassian had seen his parents kiss often when he was younger and remembered thinking it was gross. As he got older, he started to dream of finding someone who would look at him as his father used to stare at his mother. His sister Mila used to say their father thought their mother hung the stars and moon.
At the time, Kassian thought she was crazy. How could anyone think a person was responsible for putting the stars and moon in the sky? It didn’t make any sense to him.
Now, as his mouth was being licked and tasted as if he were a treat, Kassian was beginning to understand. Was it possible for Hudson to one day look at him like his father had looked at his mother?
A growl rumbled up from Hudson’s chest causing Kassian to shiver at the feel of the vibrations that went through his body and straight to his dick. Their kiss deepened. Kassian was sure Hudson was intent on devouring him. He was a cat after all.
Kassian froze.
How could I forget that?
Kassian mentally slapped himself silly for being so stupid as to allow a cat into his home. He pushed hard against that broad chest but it was like trying to move a wall of steel.
Hudson was just too strong to move. Before he knew what he was doing, Kassian’s fingers curled into all that warm flesh he was touching. It felt so damn good to have someone so close, holding him. He couldn’t seem to stop himself from stroking the hair covered flesh. All that strength right there beneath his hands was like a dream come true.
One Kassian hadn’t even known he’d wanted. Hell, he hadn’t even known it possible. The only two people he’d ever seen kiss were his parents. There had been a few mated couples in town, but Kassian had never seen them do anything more than hold hands and even that had been rare.
His fingernails scraped over Hudson’s nipples causing the man to growl again.
Wait.
Kassian patted his hands against all that bare skin truly realizing that he was in the arms of a naked man. How had that happened? Sure, he’d understood Hudson had no clothes on as he’d watched the sexy man make the fire, but somehow it hadn’t clicked until this very moment.
So, why was he naked? It would only make sense if he’d come here in his shifted form…His cat!
Fuck. How do I keep forgetting he’s a cat?
“Stop,” he cried out forcefully as he ripped his mouth from Hudson’s.
Hudson’s hands instantly came off him, even if his eyes held reluctance to do so. Not wasting any time, Kassian scampered across the room as far from temptation as possible.
The pain of having to be separated from Hudson had him biting down on his lip to stop from crying out, which didn’t make any sense. Hudson was a cat. Cats were bad. They did evil things. Except…
Try as he might, Kassian couldn’t come up with one thing Hudson had done since arriving that would be considered anything but kind. He’d even pulled Kassian from having to relive that horrible moment from so many years ago. If it hadn’t just
occurred, Kassian would have never believed it possible. For he’d been sure it was his penance to bear.
“Please go,” Kassian pleaded. If Hudson didn’t leave soon, Kassian was going to do something stupid, like crawl back onto the man’s lap and kiss him again. It had felt so damn good and his body was craving Hudson’s touch once more.
What is happening to me?
Sure he was losing his damn mind, Kassian breathed a sigh of relief when Hudson got up off the couch and headed for the door. But when he tugged, the door didn’t move.
A soft giggle echoed in Kassian’s ears. A shiver of dread raced down his spine as he prayed with everything inside of him that he’d just imaged that sound.
But when Hudson whipped around, his eyes scanning every inch of the room, that dread turned to ice cold fear. “What was that?” Hudson demanded.
Kassian didn’t want to answer. He should be comforted that he wasn’t crazy by imagining his dead sister was talking to him. He should be, but he wasn’t. Actually, that wasn’t entirely true. He was happy to know he wasn’t crazy, but somehow the thought that he wasn’t special enough to be the only one who could hear her, made him feel depressed.
Confused with too many emotions tumbling around inside of him, Kassian didn’t bother to censor himself. Hell, at this point, he wasn’t sure if he could have even if he wanted to. What was even weirder, he was beginning to realize, when it came to Hudson, he had no desire to hide anything.
“It’s my dead sister, Mila laughing at us.” Kassian gave a snort of derision. “It’s her way of tormenting me for letting her die.”
“Ow.” He scowled as he rubbed the top of his head after he felt a sharp sting. It was the same as when they were younger and Mila used to pull his hair when she was mad at him. “Not fair,” he said to the air, since he hadn’t been able to see her. “I can’t fight back.”