The miles passed and soon enough I was pulling into the parking lot of the resort. It hadn’t changed, though the scenery had as winter set in. It was still a beautiful resort and inside its walls was the man I loved. I’d have to tamp down on that to get through this but I’d do it. Somehow. He’d rejected me but I had to make him listen and I had to control myself while doing it. As long as I didn’t break down crying I’d be happy.
I walked into the resort and the first person I saw was Hale. An overwhelming urge to scream my bottled up pain at him deflated as I saw a haggard man, worn with worry and sorrow stare at me with anger. What the hell, I thought. Why is he angry with me?
Hale took my arm and guided me to his office, a large room with a large desk and a leather couch in one corner. He marched behind his desk and pointed at a chair in front of it. I sat down, staring at him in resentment and disbelief. This bastard had the nerve to be angry that I was there! It hadn’t been enough that he’d rejected me now he was angry too. Fuck him!
I didn’t say that though. I didn’t get a chance to.
“What are you doing here, Tessa?” He asked abruptly, his tone cold.
“Excuse me?”
“Just what I said, what are you doing here?”
“I came to tell you something. Boy, when you are done with somebody you are done! You didn’t even bother to tell me “bye Felicia” and now you can’t wait to get me out of the door. But what more did I expect from you?”
“I don’t know who this Felicia is or why I’d call you that but you’re the one that left without a word. You haven’t even contacted Cora and Kaia! I know because I’ve asked! Not a single word in three months, Tessa!” His palm came down on the desk and I have to admit I jumped.
“That’s a lie! I left notes for all of you and none of you even bothered to text me. My mother had a heart attack and all of you left me to deal on my own.” Months of hurt and anger at all three poured out with those words. “She nearly died and what did I get from any of you? Not a damned thing!”
“What?” Hale looked shocked and hurt.
“I left notes for all of you at the front desk, I didn’t have time for texting, and my mother was dying. I sped all the way home and have since spent every moment at work or with her, trying to improve her health. It’s been a long road but she’s finally improving. And now, well now I have more news.”
“Wait, you left notes? But the clerk said you’d left nothing. I asked him twice. He didn’t remember you.” Hale looked angry again now.
“Maybe he lost them? I don’t know but I left three of them, all basically the same but for yours. It said “I accept but please come to the hospital when you have time. I need you now”. But you never came, no matter how long I waited, you never came. I even put the address of the hospital on the note and you never came!” I was all but wailing by then and Hale came rushing around his desk to console me.
I was blaming my outburst on pregnancy hormones but I knew it was just months of heartache and pain pouring out.
“Shh, darling. It was all a misunderstanding. Hush baby, it can all be fixed. Please, stop. My heart is breaking, please Tessa, just stop sobbing baby.” He held me to him as my body shook with released emotions of all sorts. His suit jacket was soaked by the time I finally quieted down.
“It can’t all be fixed. Not the part where we’re tied together for the rest of our lives whether we want to be or not.” I hiccupped out, blowing my nose on a tissue he gave me. I think I needed another.
I reached for one more as the words started to sink into his brain. I could see the moment realization dawned.
“OH?” He asked, his eyes wide, a grin spreading over his face.
“Yes, oh. A baby.” I smiled at him, kneeling before me with wonder and excitement on his face.
“A baby. Oh. Wow!” I wasn’t sure what I was expecting but his response was endearing and as it sank in even more he just grew happier and happier.
“A baby! Oh my god, Tessa, a baby!” He was pulling me to him once more and as he pulled me to him to kiss me I could hear what sounded like applause outside of his door.
“I think they’re happy for us.” I whispered up to him, my hands going under his suit jacket to pull his shirt from his pants.
“There’s going to be a lot more happiness around here if you’ll have me, Tessa. I still want you here. I waited, hoping, but I let anger take over and that’s my own lesson to learn. You needed to be there for your Mom and I needed to be there for you but I wasn’t. I’ll make up for that now.”
He pulled me to him, nestling me between his legs as he sat on his desk. His hands pulled my clothes away, giving each piece an admiring glance as he did so. I laughed low and sultry, enjoying how his eyes went wide as he revealed my large round breasts, still swollen and tender but better now.
His fingers flicked at them gently and I gasped.
“Um, be careful. Over the last few days I’ve orgasmed just rolling over in bed because of those things.” I told him with a laugh.
“Really? Oh this might be fun.” He said with the curiosity of a little boy with a new toy.
His lips moved down to suck one and then the other. I’d been practicing at this masturbating stuff to learn control and to try to relieve the emptiness I’d felt inside after our separation but nothing compared to the real thing. I watched the muscles flexing in his arms as he took off his clothes and led me to the couch. I stretched out on the leather and pulled him to me, my body craving only Hale inside of me.
As he slid into my wet depths I knew this was home, this was where I belonged. Hale’s fingers found my hidden button at the same moment his lips found a nipple. The orgasm didn’t come as quick as rolling over in bed but it was oh so much better. I came around his hard cock, my body shuddering with spasms of pleasure.
Hale watched, pleased, as my body responded to his sliding touch. He let me rest and then he turned me over, my ass high in the air as he stood behind me.
“Put your right leg up on the couch Tessa. That’s it.” He guided himself into me as I lifted my leg and I couldn’t believe how good it felt.
“Just remember my love, they can hear you out there.” He urged as I moaned in pleasure.
This was another lesson in control. One of many I looked forward to learning. We were tied together now, for better or worse, and as he moved within me, as he stroked me once more to the heights of pleasure, I wanted nothing more from life. I wanted him, our baby, and to live a peaceful life. I came with him once more, his cock surging inside of me, as we moved in time together.
I had no doubts about my looks, nothing to be ashamed of. Only joy at finally being back with my shifter mate. We’d work the rest out and life would be what we made of it. We’d explore his world together and mine, joining them into a blend of what suited us best. Now that we were back together we could make quite a lot of our lives. Because we were mated. Forever.
The End
Part V
Bear Mission
Chapter 1
Kaia Phillips stared out of her friend Tessa’s SUV and wondered just what she’d let herself be talked into. She saw no coffee shops, no clothing stores, no bars or clubs, just a building that resembled an overgrown log cabin with a lot of windows in it. Pretty but not what she thought of as vacation material. But here she was feeling like a lost city girl in the country. She wasn’t going to act like the stereotype, however. She was going to give this place a chance. Even if it might bore her to death. There wasn’t even a daiquiri shop like she’d found in Louisiana. Now that was a vacation to remember. Or not, she thought with a smile as they pulled their luggage out and went into the resort.
Joined by her two friends, Tessa and Cora, Kaia came to the Singing Stones resort in the northern mountains of Georgia for a two week stay. Tessa suggested it as a way of getting Cora’s mind off of her troubles before she gave birth to her daughter, and Kaia had balked but thought it was a good idea in the end. Some hiking through natu
re trails instead of parks might be good for her too. Tessa loved nature so it was a natural choice for her.
Kaia had never really left the city, though. Her parents were from Atlanta, they’d always lived there, and she grew up there. Nature was as foreign as going to another planet for her. The suburbs of Atlanta had been as close to nature as she’d ever come, or wanted to come. Kaia loved Tessa and Cora and knew Cora needed this getaway before the fall semester at the school where they all taught started so she’d agreed to it. Pushing her and Cora’s suitcases into the main office Kaia listened as Tessa dealt with the woman behind the check-in counter.
Kaia caught her own reflection in a mirror over the desk and checked herself before turning away. Still the tall, slim, biracial women with black hair and blue eyes that she’d always been. Even as a baby Kaia had been long and gangly, never quite the small delicate child people wanted her to be. Kaia was built for a different purpose in life but she’d still ended up in teaching. She loved her chosen path and though she had the body of a woman made to be a warrior, without all of the bulging muscles, she was fit and intelligent. Her mind thrived at the tasks she was assigned and she wouldn’t change her job for anything.
Kaia’s brain focused on the conversation going on in front of her and as she heard the rude dismissal of the woman at the desk Kaia felt a sudden urge to climb over the desk and punch the bitch in the mouth! How dare she talk to Tessa that way, telling her to get out just because the dates were wrong on the computer!
Normally a calm woman that settled disturbances by merely raising an eyebrow, the rude way in which the worker was talking to Tessa really flew all over Kaia. She’d taken a step closer to the woman, preparing to yank her over the desk, when a tall man walked up and sent the woman on her way. The man was handsome, very handsome, but he seemed to only have eyes for Tessa.
Kaia stepped back into the background, allowing the man to speak with Tessa. The offer of upgraded rooms as an apology suited Kaia just fine and when she got to the room and seen champagne and an invitation for all of them to come to dinner, Kaia thought the place might have something to offer after all, especially if the other men were as handsome as that fella. He’d said his name was Hale. There was more to the man than he let on, Kaia knew that instantly, but said nothing. She had her own secrets to hide. One of them being that Cora was pregnant, but that was just scratching the surface of it all.
She dismissed her friends’ discussion about shifters as Cora finished getting ready and watched the other two women. A watcher of people by nature, Kaia could come off as cold and reserved but she wasn’t, she just let people talk while she listened. She smiled inwardly as she wondered what would happen if her friends actually met up with real shifters, of any variety. They’d probably faint straight away.
Kaia had already unpacked, showered, and her thoughts shifted to food now as her friends continued to chatter on the way to the elevator. Wondering what kind of food the restaurant might offer, Kaia hoped they had something besides the country cuisine she expected. Barbecue and cornbread were fine at times but she wanted something a bit more elegant tonight. When the elevator door dinged Kaia prepared to step out but stopped. She wasn’t expecting what greeted her when the doors quietly glided open.
Four rather gorgeous men stood there, waiting on the doors to open. Every one of them was a shifter. Kaia didn’t need to be told that, she knew it instinctively, the same way they could sense her own secret. None of them were strictly human, not even Kaia. That was a story for later, though, Kaia wanted food and to learn about these handsome gentlemen. She’d also spend time trying to find out what they knew. That could come later as well.
Taking the arm of the darker man, the one that didn’t swoon for Tessa or Cora, Kaia smiled at the man and introduced herself.
“I am Kaia; it’s nice to meet you.” She offered.
It’s lovely to meet you, sister.” The man spoke low and deep, the words falling into Kaia’s ear. “I am Zed.”
Kaia stood back for a moment, pulling away to look into his watchful eyes. Yes, they were quite similar, she thought. She smiled at the man as he escorted her into the restaurant and sat down beside her at their table.
Zed was the watcher of his friends. Hale was also a watcher but talkative. The other two, Knox and Rhys, were jokers and boisterous, often loud as they vied to hold Cora’s attention. As the night wore on Zed engaged her in very little communication but she was fine with that because she could watch her friends and ensure their safety. Zed did the same but Kaia caught his eyes on her as often as she looked at him.
The man was gorgeous, well over six feet tall, with a dusky skin tone that was either Native American or testament to a heritage similar to Kaia’s. His dark eyes, a dark brown that was almost black, were almond shaped and kept drawing Kaia’s attention. Her own very dark blue eyes seemed to enchant Zed. Kaia would smile at him, perhaps say something about the antics of their friends, and would turn away. She knew she was being obvious about her attraction but couldn’t help it.
She’d met shifters in her lifetime, even people like her, but none had instantly attracted her the way this man had. His strong hands drew her gaze and she imagined how they’d feel on her smooth skin. They weren’t work roughened hands so she knew the gentle glide of his flesh against hers would be sensual and pleasurable. His strong face, long neck, and powerful looking body attested to a high level of activity that would serve him well. His endurance must be high to have that kind of a body.
But even his physical appearance wasn’t enough to draw her the way he had so far. Even his quiet nature wasn’t enough. Kaia looked over at him once more, later in the evening, after dessert and another bottle of wine had been emptied and knew why she was so attracted to him. Seconds upon meeting him her body had made a decision. From the look in Zed’s eyes now, an intense longing mixed with desire, Kaia knew he had made the same decision. They were mates, and no matter what they did now, they would long for each other for the rest of their lives.
Kaia felt a moment of panic as she looked into Zed’s eyes. She wasn’t ready for this yet, she still had several years before she had to settle down. She looked away from him and considered leaving but she could see Cora wasn’t ready to go just yet. Reminding herself that she was a modern woman Kaia took a deep breath and sipped at her wine. She didn’t have to act on anything, she reminded herself further, but Zed was her mate.
“Hey Zed, can I ask you a personal question?” Cora spoke up, breaking into Kaia’s inner panicked dialogue. Cora hadn’t been drinking but Kaia wouldn’t have expected what she asked if Cora was flat-out drunk.
“You may.” Zed answered with a smile.
“What are you?” Cora looked utterly confused as she looked at the man, examining his features closely.
Kaia looked over at her friend with shock, her mouth falling open.
“Cora, you know that’s a very hurtful question. I’ve told you how often I get asked that question myself and how I hate it!” But Kaia looked over at Zed, wondering once more about Zed’s heritage. It was still a rude question though.
“It’s fine Kaia, as you said yourself, people are curious. I think it just comes from a need to understand. It’s not really rude; we just hate answering it so often. The truth is I don’t know what I am. I was placed in an orphanage as a child with no information about me available. I was adopted and have never been able to find anything out about my heritage.”
Kaia looked at him once more, seeing a man with a well-proportioned face, a slim nose with full lips, and silky looking eyebrows. He was handsome but there wasn’t anything that stood out to identify him as one race over the other.
“With the way we’re all mixed now it’s hard to say what I am.” He continued. “It doesn’t really matter, I suppose.” He looked at Cora with a smile and she thanked him for answering his question.
“I’m sorry if I hurt either of you with my question.” Cora said after a moment. “I didn’t mean to,
you’re just so beautiful, the both of you. You’d make beautiful babies.”
Cora looked aghast as the words came out of her mouth but this time Kaia laughed. That did sound like something Cora would say. She usually spoke her mind, even if she didn’t mean to. The trait was one Kaia loved the most about her friend.
Kaia had to fight off a yawn suddenly and even Cora finally looked tired. Kaia stood and when Cora joined her Kaia smiled. They all needed to rest tonight. She turned to Zed, who had stood and smiled as he held his hand out to indicate that she lead the way. Tessa and Hale had disappeared already but Kaia didn’t plan to invite the man into her room tonight. Even if it was the only thing she wanted to do.
Rhys and Knox proved entertaining in the elevator but the noise quietened down as they walked Cora to her room. Kaia stopped at her own room and slid the key through the door before turning back to Zed. He stood there, no expectations on his face but he smiled before speaking.
“It has been a lovely evening, Kaia. I hope we can repeat it tomorrow if you have no prior plans.” Standing there in his dark suit, his eyes burning into her own, Kaia felt a warmth begin to spread throughout her body.
“I’d love that.” She leaned towards him as she spoke, as if drawn to him by an invisible rope. Her breath shook as he leaned into the doorway, his arm braced against the frame.
Kaia thought he’d kiss her then but he only brushed a finger down her creamy smooth cheek, past her lips, and down to her jaw before standing up straight.
“Tomorrow it is then; I’ll see you sometime after lunch. I’ll be busy until then but I’ll definitely see you after that.” Then he walked away and Kaia was left standing in the door, watching him walk away.
Kane (Alexander Shifter Brothers Book 1) Page 84