A Lost Paige (Hidden Kingdom Trilogy Book 2)

by L. Rose

  I cupped his cheeks, then ran my hands up through his hair before meeting his gaze again. “I’m glad, because I love you all the same.”

  His eyes closed. He sucked in a deep breath, and I felt his love pour into me. I gasped, arched up into him, and wrapped my arms around his neck, dragging him down to me to kiss him senseless. He rocked his erection into my hip. A throat cleared, but I was too lost in the sensation, in the scent of Alex and his hard, smooth, wonderful skin while I glided my hands down his back.

  “We should clean before the wolf—”

  A hard, urgent knock sounded on the door. Alex and I froze. In the next blink, Alex clicked his fingers, and all of us were dressed and the bed was made with clean sheets.

  “Enter,” Asher barked.

  The door swung open. A pale Felnick entered. “There’s a problem, my queen.”

  I groaned, rubbing a hand over my face. “Another one? Is it Lucifer on the phone?”

  “No. Our brothers-in-arms, who were sent out into the world, have found Selma. She’s locked herself in a room with a few humans, threatening to kill them, and won’t come out until she speaks with the queen in person.”

  “She’s here?” Thorn questioned.

  Felnick shook his head. “She’s in New York.”

  The door to the en suite flew open, and Nate, only in a towel, stomped in. He pointed at me and snapped, “Don’t even fucking think about going.”

  Bristling, my anger surfaced. I stood quickly with my hands on my hips, only realizing I was dressed in a snowsuit. It had me blinking down at it and then glancing over at Alex. His jaw unclenched enough to bite out, “No one has the right to see your skin after….” After I’d been thoroughly fucked, he left off, and I appreciated that he had. My face heated, while I heard Thorn and Asher chuckle, as Nate snorted.

  It was sweet he was being protective.

  “But a snowsuit?” I pressed.

  “Yes.” He nodded, and I had a feeling he wouldn’t change my outfit even if I wanted him to.

  Sighing, something I hadn’t done in a while, I faced Nate again. “If you weren’t so hot and muscular, and tall, and good-looking with your warm skin—”

  Someone cleared their throat loudly.

  Damn Nate for distracting me with his body. My eyes narrowed even more at his smug smile. “If you weren’t meant to be my bonded mate, I would so kick your ass right now for ordering me.”

  He rolled his eyes. “I’m here to protect you. I’ll easily tie you to the bed if I have to.”

  That had me picturing it. Tied to the bed while he got all growly and bossy and assholey…. Wait, that couldn’t mean I liked his hard-edge moods, right?

  Fuck. I thought it did.

  Still, I wouldn’t let him get away with it.

  “Ah, my queen,” Felnick called.

  “Yes?” I asked, facing him.

  “What should we do about the issue?”

  Right. Selma. Honestly, it wasn’t a decision I could make on the fly. There was so much to consider. I glanced at my men, then asked, “What do you all think?”

  “It’s a trap,” Nate declared.

  “Something is amiss with the request,” Asher said.

  “Why would she leave the sanctuary to then ask to see you or she’ll kill humans? She could have just spoken with you here,” Alex pointed out.

  “Like Nate said, it has to be a trap,” Thorn added.

  Thinning my lips, I nodded. Staring at the floor, I said quietly, “But I can’t risk lives just because I’m worried it’s a trap.”

  “Yes, you can,” Nate boomed. “You’re queen. Your life is worth more than anyone’s. You’re the change for the future. The people need you above anyone here.”

  I shook my head. “I’m not above anyone’s life. Everyone is important.”

  “My queen, if I may?” Felnick asked, his head bowed.

  “Yes?”

  “It is honorable you would even think to risk yourself for others. The way you already protect your people, allowing them to live their lives fully and by taking the harshness that darkens some doorsteps is beyond what some queens would do. You do not see your life more important than any others, so it’s our job to do it for you. Already, I can foretell that if something happened to you, everything would fall into the pits of Hell. People like Odin, Barrett, or the members of the council would take over, would rule cruelly. If you would allow us to care for your life, like you would others, to protect the good you will do in this world, then it is a task we’ll take on happily.”

  If I didn’t think my men would harm Felnick, I would have thrown my arms around him and hugged him tightly. The way he saw me shocked me, but how could I risk my life after that speech?

  “She’s leaking,” Nate clipped. “You fucking made her leak.” He stomped toward Felnick. Thorn wrapped his arms around Nate’s chest and held him tightly, while Felnick backed into the wall. It had me wondering again about how Felnick could be fierce and protective against anyone but Lucifer, during the phone call, and my bonded. Then again, my men were badasses, and I was sure Lucifer could make anyone piss themselves, and I didn’t even know the man, devil, whatever.

  Arms circled my waist. Alex stood at my back before he leaned in to kiss my neck. Asher stepped close and took my hand in his, running his thumb over my skin; both had me sniffing and closing my eyes to compose myself before Nate killed Felnick.

  “Look, she’s fine. Her bonded calmed her,” Thorn told Nate.

  I opened my eyes as Nate glanced our way. He took me in from head to toe first before he glanced to Alex and Asher. Then his upper lip raised at my vampire until Asher stepped back a little, away from Alex. Rolling my eyes, I stated, “And you said I was crazy when it came to claiming and being possessive.”

  He growled low. My clit twinged as if that growl had been just for her.

  If only we hadn’t been interrupted with this new situation, because by now, I would have finished the bond with my annoying and arrogant wolf. Still, it was something to look forward to.

  Sorrow stabbed at my chest.

  Ezra.

  I’d forgotten all about his loss, so guilt twisted my heart painfully.

  “Paige,” Alex whispered. “It’s okay—”

  “Leave us for a moment, Felnick,” Thorn ordered. “We’ll have an answer on what to do soon.”

  He bowed and backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

  “I should feel guilty for forgetting him, right?” My eyes misted again when I looked up at Asher.

  “Fucking hell. She’s leaking again.” I ignored Nate’s mutter and the need to slap him because Alex wrapped me up tighter, right before there was a bright light and a feeling of weightlessness. Next, I was sitting on the bed between Alex’s spread legs. He gently pulled my back against his chest. With a click of his fingers, I was redressed in shorts and a T-shirt.

  My other men approached. Thorn sat on my left, Asher on the right, while Nate stood at the end of the bed with his arms crossed over his chest, glaring down at us. Yet I could still see the concern in his eyes. He hated when I was upset, and knowing he felt something showed me more about the mate he would be. Already I knew he was protective to a point he would tie me up. He could be sweet, happy, and amazing like he’d been whenever he was around Alex.

  Thorn reached his hand out to Nate, whose jaw clenched when he gazed down at it, then stopped. I caught a faint smile before Nate took Thorn’s hand. They shared a look, one that was full of heat and tenderness. One I wanted to witness all the time between every single one of my bonded.

  “Paige?” Alex whispered as his hand sifted through my hair.

  “I’m sorry. For a moment I forgot about Ezra. The sorrow slammed into me, and then the guilt over forgetting took over.”

  “You don’t have to feel guilty, love,” Asher said, taking my hand in both of his. “You’re not forgetting him. You never will. There’ll be times in your day when you’re distracted, where you’ll
smile, laugh, and even feel the best pleasure of your life.” His brows rose, and I couldn’t help but laugh even when tears dropped onto my cheeks. “But the loss of Ezra will always be inside you, and when you feel other things, it only means you’ve pushed it back enough to live in the moment. It means you’re living, love.”

  My bottom lip trembled, yet I nodded. “I know you’re right…. It’s just… when I remember, it hurts.”

  “And it will for a very long time,” Thorn said.

  “But we’ll be at your side to help you through that pain,” Alex mumbled against my temple.

  Nate grunted. When I looked up at him, he nodded.

  “Fate really did the best job in her life when she put us all together,” I told them, smiling softly.

  “I agree,” Alex said. The rest grinned over at me, though Nate’s was more of a smug smirk.

  “Now, what are we going to do about the Selma situation?” Alex asked.

  “I have a feeling if I say I want to go see what she has to say, you’ll all lock me in a tower.”

  “Damn right,” Nate growled.

  Shaking my head at him, I glanced at Thorn. “Do you think your brotherhood could get in there without the humans being harmed?”

  “Vampires are faster, sweetheart. I’m afraid there will be some casualties.”

  That was what I feared as well.

  “I could go,” Alex announced, and coldness washed through me.

  “No,” I cried. Turning, I placed my hands on his cheeks and said again, “No. If none of you will let me risk myself, then I won’t let any of you do the same.”

  His hands landed over mine, and he smiled. “I have skills that some may not even know of. I’m strong, Paige. I was top of my class. Why do you think Asher selected me right out of school? I can do this easily.”

  “I’ll go with him,” Thorn said, and I swung my gaze to his. Tears already pooled in my eyes. I blinked them away and let them fall onto my skin.

  “I’ve already lost Ezra. I can’t lose either of you.”

  Alex’s hand traced up and down my back while I kept them both in sight. “You won’t. Have faith in us.”

  “Why can’t the brotherhood just go in?”

  “There’s a high chance there’ll be fewer casualties with Alex there,” Nate stated. “He’s good at what he does.” Alex preened at Nate’s words, his chest puffing out, and a wide grin overtook his mouth.

  Fear still held me back from agreeing. It felt like my throat had closed off, suffocating the words they wanted to hear because I didn’t want them to go.

  But then… I had to believe in them, in their skills. Before we’d even met, they were soldiers. They did this type of thing every day. Even though I wanted to lock them up in their own tower, I knew I couldn’t suffocate their abilities.

  I had to trust them to come back to me.

  Clearing my throat, I opened my mouth, choked, and then cleared my throat again. Finally, I nodded. “Okay,” I whispered. “I trust you both to come back to me in one piece, or else I’ll find a way to bring you back and make your lives a living hell.”

  Tears erupted in my eyes once more, panic seizing my body. Then Alex dragged me back into his arms, hugging me close. He kissed my head. It wasn’t enough, so I tilted my head and captured his lips with my own.

  “Promise me you’ll stay safe,” I said against them.

  “I promise.” He nodded.

  Looking to Thorn, I reached my hand out to him. He crawled onto the bed and moved my way before hovering over me as I lay back onto Alex’s chest. “Promise me you’ll keep safe.”

  “I vow to you I will do everything in my power to come back.”

  With my hand to the back of his neck, I drew him down and kissed him just as fiercely as I had Alex. My heart raced behind my ribs. I hated the thought of them leaving the community, the safe sanctuary we had here.

  My hands trembled as I loosened my grip on Thorn. He moved back and stood beside the bed, smiling warmly down at me. Alex lifted me, and I was in Asher’s arms. They wound around me as Asher sat me on his lap, and then Alex got off the bed to stand beside Thorn.

  “I’ll walk them out,” Nate said, his voice hard and rough. He disliked this as much as I did.

  However, I nodded. “I want to be updated every half hour until you’re both back here with us.”

  “We will,” Alex said. “No trap will keep us from coming home.”

  “You’d better be right,” I told him.

  They made their way to the door, opened it, and walked out. Nate gave us a look before he closed it after them.

  “Did I do the right thing by letting them go?”

  “Yes,” Asher whispered.

  “Then why does it feel like I didn’t?” My face stung with the number of tears that bombarded my eyes. I bit my bottom lip to stop the tremble.

  “Because you love them, and it will never be easy to watch them walk into battle, but you’re strong enough to know you’re doing the right thing to save all the lives you can.” His hand threaded into my hair, and he tipped my head back with a gentle tug. “It doesn’t mean you have to stay strong behind closed doors when I’m here to catch you.”

  With that, I buried my face into his chest and cried.

  With the bond between Paige and I complete, I finally felt like my feet were firmly set on the ground. I hadn’t realized I’d been floating around the world missing something until the moment Nate claimed me and one foot got placed down. But then, when Paige’s power bonded us together, my other foot solidly got pushed to the ground.

  My life, my purpose, finally made sense. I was theirs and they were mine. I also felt like I belonged to Thorn and Asher. Even with my own family, I hadn’t sensed being wanted, needed, or loved… until now. Until my new family.

  All because of Paige.

  I couldn’t thank Fate enough for choosing me to be a part of something so important, giving me people I would cherish for the rest of my long existence.

  Smiling, I glanced to Nate and Thorn as we stood in the war room with Felnick and twenty other brothers-in-arms. Thorn had just informed them that he and I would be involved in the capture of Selma. Nate had stated how Paige wouldn’t be joining us before anyone else could question it; there wasn’t a chance we’d let Paige out into the world. There was too much at risk. We still didn’t know why the demons had been after her in the first place or who sent them. Or were they working on their own accord?

  Before we entered the war room, I’d voiced my other concerns—ones Nate and Asher would have to keep an eye on. Grace, the coven mistress who had been against Paige’s changes for the community, hadn’t as yet done anything to move against Paige, and even though we’d made sure to keep up to date with Agatha, a witch who was keeping tabs on her coven mistress for us, there was still a risk something could happen to Paige because of that woman.

  Nate, in his grumpy way, told me he wasn’t that stupid. Of course he’d keep an eye on things.

  “Thorn and I will transport to the hotel she’s holed up in and scout the area before entering.”

  “Is it advisable for the queen’s bonded males to go into battle?” one of the guards from the brotherhood said.

  Thorn snapped his gaze the guard’s way. “Just because we’re mated to the queen doesn’t mean we’d sit on our asses and let everything go to shit when we have the strength and the power to help.”

  The guard bowed. “Of course, sire.”

  “Now I understand why Paige is against being bowed at and called queen. I’ll never get used to being called sire,” Thorn grumbled. He moved to the wall of weapons and strapped on some knives and guns. My magic was my weapon. Hands touched my thigh. Startled, I swung my gaze down to see Nate fitting me with a thigh holster.

  My pulse raced. I wanted to smile, to gush even, but that would piss him off. “What are you doing?”

  “Shut up. Just fucking humor me like you did when Asher ordered you to carry one weapon. Know you�
�re strong in magic, Alex, but for my own sanity,”—he shoved a gun into the holster—“you’re taking this.”

  I ran my hand over his shoulder. “All right.” I couldn’t help but grin since he’d never worried like this about me before, but now we were mated, he was a wreck. I didn’t wipe the grin away quick enough. When Nate looked up at me, he growled low and kept doing so when he slowly stood in front of me.

  The room quieted, sensing the rising pissed-off wolf.

  His hand gripped the back of my neck, and he slammed his mouth onto me in a hard, punishing but delicious kiss. He broke it when he sensed Thorn close because in a blink, Thorn crashed into us, and Nate was kissing him too.

  When Nate broke the kiss, his eyes were dark, his wolf there, and he ordered in a dark voice, “Have each other’s back. Come home. Pack first.”

  “Pack first,” I told him.

  “We’ll come back,” Thorn reassured him. He stared at us both before snarling, turning, and walking out of the room.

  “He… the wolf… I’ve never—”

  “Never what?” Thorn snapped.

  The guard blanched. “Never seen a wolf take more than one mate,” he blurted.

  “Congratulations, sire,” Felnick offered.

  Thorn smiled. “Thank you, brother.” I didn’t know much about Thorn, and I needed that to change. What I did know was that he was a respected, good man. One Nate’s wolf claimed without question. And that told me a lot more than anything else. Nate didn’t take people into his pack easily. But it seemed knowing Thorn was Paige’s also made the choice simple. We were now in each other’s lives forever.

  It was definitely time to get to know him.

  With a hold on Thorn, I transported us into a corner of the lobby in the hotel Selma had selected to stay. There were already members of Thorn’s brotherhood in the surveillance room and dotted throughout the hotel waiting for us. I drew in the power that escaped on the transport and then blocked Thorn and our essence. We didn’t want to give away we’d arrived to anyone who was working with Selma.

  “You said you didn’t know much about the vampire, but do you think she would sink low enough to work with demons to trap Paige?” I asked as we walked toward the surveillance room, only to come to an abrupt halt. Snapping my hand out, I took hold of Thorn’s arm.