Pride Before the Fall

by JoAnna Grace

  For now, she just wanted to look at him, see the life in his eyes, feel his heartbeat. "I want you to do something for me."

  "Anything, baby. Anything in the world."

  "Tell me how much you love me and how quickly I get to go home to our bed."

  "More than life and as soon as possible."

  Vivian leaned her head against the pillow and shut her eyes. "Sounds perfect."

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  It was another couple days before Vivian could stay awake for more than an hour. Time seemed to drag on, but she had a steady flow of visitors. Nearly every member of the Pack had come by at least once. Those who didn't come were friends with Jake or Helena. Not that Vivian gave two shits about them.

  Kasey had been distant and his mind always seemed to be on the oddest things when he was around her. It was hard to read him. His thoughts were guarded, his body language stiff, and when she caught him staring, he always looked like he wanted to cry.

  On the last night of her stay in the hospital, Vivian sent everyone away but her mate. Not even a nurse was allowed in the room. Kasey sat on her bed, holding her hand and knowing damn well his time was up.

  "Just get it out, Kasey," she demanded. "You've had something on your mind for days, and I know I'm not going to like it. But I refuse to go home the way we are right now."

  He touched her golden cheek, kissed her forehead and took a deep breath. "I had to sit through the interrogation of my aunt this week. Helena told Sampson that I was a fool and that I'm ruining the Pack by integrating all these different species. She said my father would have been appalled at what's happening around here. And then," Kasey said, rubbing his forehead, "as if the insults couldn't get worse, she starts to tell me how Alias should be alpha and how he's the one who would have kept our Pack in line and kept the... whores out."

  Vivian hissed, remembering her conversation with Alias. His opinion had been pretty clear that night after the party. She remembered how he'd been waiting for Kasey to throw Vivian away like a cheap plaything.

  "That's exactly the verbiage Helena used," he replied, reading her thoughts. "So I began to wonder if Jake and Helena were really the masterminds behind all of this. It's too much of a coincidence that all three of them used the same words, expressed the same attitude towards you and the Pride. Sure enough, it took Sampson, Ian and three soldiers to apprehend him. Alias locked himself in his house, shot two of my men when they came peacefully to the front door. Broke Sam's arm when he finally tackled him. He shifted, fought dirty and Sampson had no choice but to..." Kasey trailed off for a second. "Let's just say Alias won't be making any more trouble."

  Vivian didn't know how to react. Dread filled her heart. "Kasey, you know I didn't go in that room to dance, don't you? They were trying to set me up and I'd finally had enough. I was going to tell the bastard to take a hike. But I didn't take his money or dance for him. Is that why you're so upset with me?"

  Kasey's face reflected his absolute surprise at her statement. "You think I'm upset with you?"

  "You've been so distant since I woke up and I figured it didn't look too good, me in that room with Jake, cash all over the floor."

  Kasey wrapped his arms around her so tightly she couldn't breathe. "Oh baby, no, no, no. That's not at all why I've been distant. I know you didn't dance for him, Bristow told me everything." He pulled her back and kissed her. It was just the kind of kiss Vivian needed: hot, passionate, and full of his love. When he finally pulled away, he was breathing hard. "God, how I love you, kitten."

  "Then what is it? What has you so sad when you look at me? You act like I've done something terrible and I just want to know what. I'm sorry and I know all this is my fault, but I never wanted people to die—"

  "It's not that." Kasey stopped her words with a finger. He looked into her hazel eyes for a long time. "I had to make a decision, Vivian. It's the hardest thing I've ever done and I didn't want to hurt you, bu—"

  "Are you..." Vivian could barely voice what she was thinking. It hurt worse than any gunshot wound. "Are we done? You chose what's best for the Pack, is that what you're saying?"

  "Hell, no!" Kasey took her face in his hands. "When will you get it through your thick feline skull that you belong to me? Now and forever. Please, let me get this out. It's hard enough with you putting the wrong words in my mouth."

  Vivian nodded, her eyes filling with unshed tears of relief. If Kasey wasn't breaking up with her, she could handle anything.

  He took a deep breath and his brows crinkled. "When Jake shot you, he hit your uterus, Vivian. He destroyed it. The surgeon tried to repair the damage, but you kept bleeding and every time he fixed one laceration, he would find another. Charles asked me what to do. It was either take it out and stop the bleeding or take our chances." Kasey's jaw tensed and his eyes gathered moisture. "I couldn't lose you. The thought of never holding you again, never seeing you smile or hearing you sing—" His breath caught and he fought to gain his composure. "I told him to take it out. They did a full hysterectomy."

  Vivian found the next words excruciating to say. "I can't give you children?"

  That was her fear. Not for herself. Vivian had never wanted children for herself. She and Melissa had often joked that Mel got V's share of the maternal instincts. But when she looked into Kasey's blue-gray eyes and thought about never seeing them passed down to his sons and daughters, it tore her heart in two. She looked away from him and closed her eyes.

  Alias, Jake, Helena, they'd all been right. She wasn't the right mate for Kasey. All along she'd hoped she could prove them wrong, change into a respectable woman, bear Kasey's children and then maybe, just maybe she'd be worthy of him. Now she couldn't even do that.

  "Damn it, woman. You're going to make me do this the hard way, aren't you?" Kasey stood up and went to the door. Conall was still stationed there. "Don't let anyone in." He nodded and closed the door.

  Vivian could see the animal in his eyes, and she wondered what the hell he was going to do next. He shifted into a massive wolf. The coloring reminded her of a chocolate and caramel sundae. He was creamy white on his feet and legs all the way to his underbelly. Black and brown swirled over the top of him and on his head. Kasey Blackburn was as gorgeous in his wolf form as he was in his human form.

  "What are you doing?" Vivian asked as he jumped up on the hospital bed.

  Remove the gown. Get on your stomach, Kasey commanded in her head.

  "Why?" Even as she questioned him, she lowered the bed so she was lying flat. Then she rolled over on her stomach, removing the paper-like hospital gown. The wolf came to rest his body over hers. He licked her neck and shoulder. Vivian giggled at the sensation of his warm fur against her bare back and his rough tongue on her skin. Her eyes widened with clarity when he kept licking one spot at the junction of her neck and right shoulder, as if to clean it. "Kasey! You don't want to do this!" Vivian tried to roll over, but a rumbling growl stopped her.

  You are my mate and I'm making damn sure you never question it again.

  With that said, the wolf angled his head and bit into her neck, marking her as his own.

  Vivian hissed as his teeth pierced the flesh of her neck. He drew blood, had to. Usually, marking was accompanied by intercourse, but the doctor had been explicit in his instructions. No sex and no complete shifting for another week.

  Kasey proudly licked at the marks he'd made on her skin.

  "Are you done, caveman?"

  Mmm, I think I could lick you for the rest of our days, lover. He continued cleaning her. My wolf wants to lick you somewhere much more intimately.

  "Well, I can't shift, so he's going to have to cool his jets or let the human side of you take over."

  Kasey shifted right there on the bed, his body blanketing her. Instead of licking her wounds, he now kissed them from shoulder to ear over and over again. "I love you, Vivian."

  "I love you too. And when I can shift, it will be my turn to mark you."

  Kasey and Vivian
faced each other in the bed. "You need to know something," he said, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I don't want to live a life without you even if we can't have kids. I'm okay with that as long as I have you. Melissa and Ty will have a house full and we can spoil their kids, then send them home." They smiled at each other. "I didn't want to risk losing you. From the first moment I met you, I knew you were mine. When you performed, I was utterly seduced by your voice, your eyes. Life is complete with you by my side."

  "But do you truly understand what this means? You won't have an heir, Kasey. Your legacy ends with you."

  He nodded, pain on his face that he couldn't deny. "I know. I've had a lot of time to ponder this. But I'm not worried. Ezekiel has the scent of an alpha. He's growing into a fine man and I can train him to take my place when the day comes."

  "Well, then there is something you have to do," Vivian said resolutely.

  "Anything, Kitten."

  "Marry me."

  Kasey barked out a laugh and kissed her. "Leave it to my mate to be the one who proposes."

  "Well? Will you marry me?"

  "God, yes!"

  Kasey took her mouth with force and moaned into her lips. Vivian couldn't believe how much she loved his kiss. The taste of him was exquisite. She wrapped her body around him and loved him as best she could.

  On the way back to the alpha house Vivian touched Kasey's arm and pointed to a furniture store. "Stop there."

  "Huh? Why?" Confused, he pulled into the shopping center.

  "I have to buy a chair."

  "A chair? V, are the pain meds getting to you?" He shifted the car into park and turned off the ignition.

  Vivian tugged his lips to hers. "It's something permanent... for our bedroom... in our home."

  Kasey knew the significance of such a purchase. Neither Vivian, nor any of her Pride, had ever purchased something as simple as a brand new piece of furniture. They moved too much, their life changing from one moment to the next. She'd never had stability until now. Kasey let his fiancé pick out any damn chair she wanted because Vivian's days of running were over.

  His tigress was finally home.

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