“Not likely. I’m fucking sick and tired of you laying into me. I don’t want to own you. I don’t want to own anyone.” He laid his hands on her naked shoulders to turn her toward him. “This pull…”
His words died on his tongue as he felt her skin crumble against the palm of his hand. It fell to the floor like scaly snowflakes.
“What the fuck?” he demanded.
“I need water,” she answered weakly. “I’ve tried to find my way back to the lake. But I keep getting lost.”
Abraham stepped back as he pulled his hands away. “Oh, shit. Oh, shit.”
She looked over her shoulder. Her big, dark eyes were a sharp contrast to her pale, cracking skin. “Abe, don’t leave me.”
He searched his room for a few moments and sprinted across it. He grabbed the T-shirt and shorts he’d left on the floor the night before, cringing at the thick smell of sweat. He pulled them each on without briefs and strode across the room to her. He scooped her into his arms with the sheet. He was diligent to touch the fabric and not her flesh. “I’m not. I’m trying to figure out the quickest way to the lake. I’m praying my lazy ass brother, Zeke, hasn’t changed his habits.”
He raced through his cabin and across the camp toward the row of parked cars as he cradled Kai to his chest. She curled up against him. Her breath was swallow as she whimpered. Panic seeped into his heart and set it off in a thunderous rage. Why hadn’t she told him sooner?
Abraham stopped next to a beat-up green truck and balanced her enough to free a hand. With a flick of a wrist, he popped the handle. The door cracked open a bit. A key ring with a glossed enamel palm tree and a few keys hung from the steering column.
Abraham set Kai on the seat behind the wheel and nudged her toward the opposite door. She managed to slide over enough as he climbed in and slammed the door behind him. It was the break of dawn. Not even Roscoe was up yet. The bang would certainly wake someone up. He fired on the truck and sped down the lane before anyone could stop him.
His fingers hurt from the vice grip he had on the steering wheel as he drove the vehicle down the rutted trail through the low lying branches. The limbs smacked the windows violently. He should probably slow down. He glanced out of the corner of his eye across the truck as Kai let out a low, painful moan. Instead of letting up on the gas, he dropped it to the floor.
Abraham pulled along the water’s edge and threw the truck into Park. He hurried to the passenger side to rip the door open and gather Kai into his arms. She left a dusting of scales on the seat where she’d sat. He gripped her closer to him and ran to the lake.
He took a moment to find what seemed to be the deepest point. He confirmed it with a nod and cringed. He held his breath as he tossed her sheet and all into murky water. The sheet floated on top. Kai was nowhere to be found.
He slumped onto the grassy bank as he stared at the lake. He hugged his knees to his chest. He didn’t know how long he sat there, looking for her. He knew he couldn’t breathe. The idea she could be so sick or dead paralyzed him.
He snarled as he felt a vibration against his ass. He must have left his cell in his shorts when he’d gotten home the night before. He rolled himself into a tighter ball as he ignored it. It stopped and started again.
Abraham reached into his pocket and answered it. “What?”
“Where the hell are you with Zeke’s truck?” Josiah demanded. “You want to go on a joyride with your mate? Upgrade your fucking dirt bike.”
“Sorry to disappoint you once again, big brother. My mate was dying, and I needed to get her to the lake as fast as I could. I know dumbass leaves his keys in his truck. Why don’t you yell at him about that?”
There was a moment of silence on the other end. “Is she okay?”
Abraham felt tears burn his eyes. He struggled hard to fight them back. “I don’t know. I dropped her in, and I haven’t seen her since. I guess I’m afraid to find out.”
“Do you need me to come up there?”
Something deep inside him wanted to say yes. He was terrified out of his mind. His pride got in the way and he sure as hell didn’t need a face-to-face ass ripping from Joe. “Not really, no.”
There was another pause. “All right. If you need me, call. I’ll tell Zeke about his truck, and if he needs to go anywhere, he can borrow mine. Be home by dark, okay.”
“Sure.”
Abraham ended the call and dropped his cell onto the grass. He stared at the glistening waves of the lake. They shimmered beneath the sun. He didn’t know how long he sat there. His stomach churned with starvation. He felt his skin burn. He had never had a sunburn in his life. With their change to the beast once a month, it was difficult for any of them to sizzle. But he could feel his flesh radiate heat from his time outdoors, and it was far from pleasant.
Shadows of the trees around him stretched long across the lush green yard of the North Camp. Abraham huffed a sigh as he wiped a wayward tear from his cheek and stood. “Shit. Better get this over with.”
He took a lumbering step or two toward the water’s edge. He stopped short as a body rose from the muddy depths. Tiny crystal scales appeared to fall and disappear on the surface of the water. He bit back a gasp as he gazed into the big brown eyes of his mate. And just like the Hallows, when Kai changed back to her human form, she was stark naked. Abraham struggled to keep his stare locked on her eyes. His cock stiffened at her image. Obviously, it had other plans.
“Where were you going?” she questioned.
“Going to look for you,” Abraham answered. “I wasn’t even sure if you were alive.”
“I’ve been swimming.”
“Thanks for letting me know. I’ve only been sitting here freaking out all day.”
“I’m sorry.” Kai cocked her head to the side. “You’ve been concerned about me?”
“I’ve been worried sick.”
“We’ve only know each other for a little while. Why be worried sick about me?”
“You’re my mate. You’re a part of my life now, one I’m not ready to let go of. And no, that doesn’t mean I want to own you. If anything, it means you own me a little because I can’t live without you.”
Her gaze intensified on him silently for a long moment. It didn’t help his erection any. The little beast was ready to climb right out of his shorts to get to her. Finally, she spoke. “This was the soonest I could come out and be back on land. My body needed the time in the water. I didn’t realize how much I had dried out.”
“This could pose a problem,” Abraham replied.
“All I need is a bathtub.”
He shook his head. “Beautiful, you’ve been in my bathroom. You’ve been in my shower. I know because I lifted you up, pinned you against the tile wall, and buried myself inside you while we were both in it. There is no bathtub. I will figure something out. Let’s get home. Or I need to get home. I’m not sure what you plan on doing.”
She strode to him and wrapped her fingers around his shorts until she caressed his cock through the fabric. “I’ll go with you. But we need to take care of this first. It needs to quench the burning need inside me.”
Abraham chuckled, but his voice was uneasy. “Fuck, Kai, I want to. But I told Joe I’d be home before dark. Not that I give a shit what he thinks, but if we just stay here, he’ll rally the rest of my brothers, and they’ll show up and find us fucking on the grass.”
“And that would be a problem?”
“Do you want them to see you butt naked again?”
She didn’t answered him, but her lower lip popped out in the sweetest little pout he had ever seen. He nodded toward the cabin. “I’ll go and see if my sisters-in-law left any clothes behind.”
“There’s no need.” Kai stepped back away from him and waved her hand. Her tight-fitting T-shirt and tiny shorts reappeared on her body.
“How the fuck?” Abraham questioned.
She gave him a wicked grin. “I have a little magic.”
“Oh. I thought maybe your
clothes tore to pieces like ours do when we change.”
“Are you saying that when you change back to human, you’re naked?”
“As the day we were born.”
“That’s something I’d like to see.”
“Beautiful, if you get in the truck, you can see it as soon as we get back to camp.”
“What are we waiting for then?” Kai let out a sort of maniacal giggle as she wove her fingers between his and led him toward the truck. Abraham stared at her ass dumbfounded as he followed. She was all sorts of crazy, but then again she was a mermaid. He was just hoping she didn’t kill him in his sleep.
He offered his hand to help her into the truck and strode around the bed to the driver’s side. He opened the door to find her perched in the middle of the bench seat. She twitched her finger at him to beckon him to her. With a shrug, he climbed inside and fired it up.
Kai was curled tight against him before the North Cabin faded from sight. Her fingertips grazed the stubble on his chin and dropped to outline the curves of his pec muscles. She tugged on a peaked nipple until it was stiff.
Abraham swallowed hard as he tried to keep his concentration on the rutted path. His voice was long gone, and he was fighting like hell to get it back. “Kai, baby, if you keep playing like that, I’m gonna come before we ever get back home.”
She stared at him in silence. As much as he knew he had to keep his eyes on the road, he’d rather keep them on her. Her gaze kept him so distracted he didn’t realize she’d slipped her hand down his shorts until her fingers were wrapped tight around his erection. She pumped her fist a couple of times.
Abraham moaned. “I’m going to crash this truck if you…”
She must have taken it as a dare. Maybe that was how she planned to kill him off. A car wreck would look less suspicious than murder. She wiggled his shorts down until he popped free. Then she dropped her head into his lap and wrapped her lips around his cock. He was surprised he didn’t bend the steering wheel in two as she sucked, licked, and nipped ever so gently at his flesh. He would have freaked out at any other woman who dared lay her teeth on him there. Whatever Kai was doing nearly pushed him over the edge.
He knew he should have kept both hands on the wheel with her pleasing him like that. He couldn’t stop himself from weaving his hand in her multi-colored locks. He bucked his hips a couple of times and apologized. She never missed a beat as she swirled her tongue around the tip. He felt the tension in his groin tighten until it was a painful knot. His balls clenched at her touch. The thin road that wound between the trees grew hazy, and he fought to keep his concentration on it while the truck bounced along.
Of course, the buzz of his phone distracted them both. Abraham groped for it and answered without looking. “Yeah?”
“The sun has set,” Josiah answered. “What’s going on? I’m getting my keys and heading that way.”
“Don’t.” Abraham groaned as Kai continued her tender assault on his cock again. “We’re on the way back. Kai is fine. She needed the entire day to recover in the lake.”
“You’re going to have to figure something out. You can’t be running to the North Cabin every other day so she can take a swim.”
Abraham sucked in a breath as he felt his cock swell. He wanted to caress her hair, to hold her closer. He was on the brink of release. Why did Josiah call every time he was about to get off? “I will. I figure…”
His voice died off as he came hard. He grunted and groaned as he fought the stars that threatened to blind him. He throbbed, again and again, each time making him more lightheaded. The ringing in his ears almost blocked out Josiah’s voice. Almost.
“What the fuck?” Josiah demanded.
“I…I…” Abraham stammered.
There was a heavy sigh. “Pull over. Do what you need to do. Just try to get home before sun up. And clean up Zeke’s truck before you give him back his keys.”
Abraham managed to get words out. “What happened to get home before dark?”
“I’m mated too, remember? I almost got Sarah and me thrown in jail because I couldn’t wait for the woods. I just hope you two weren’t fucking each other while you were driving. I don’t want to explain to Zeke how you wrapped his truck around a tree.”
“We weren’t fucking exactly,” Abraham replied with a weak laugh.
“That’s more than I needed to know. Lock the doors. Get home soon.” The call went dead. Abraham tossed his cell onto the dash and pulled over the best he could. He shivered at the sensation of Kai’s tongue lapped his tender skin. He turned off the engine and caressed her hair. He guided her face up and caught her mouth with his. He brushed her lips with his tongue and pried them apart.
Kai crawled up to her knees and swung her leg over his lap to straddle him. She pressed her body tight to his as she grabbed a handful of his hair to guide his mouth to hers. He moaned as she arched hard against his cock. If the little banshee wanted to be in control, that was fine with him. But if she kept up her bump and grind, he was going to come again.
“We have the whole seat,” he commented when her lips left his long enough. “I could lay you down.”
“No.” Her voice was a soft gasp of air. “Here. Like this.”
“Then wiggle your fingers and make these clothes disappear again.”
“Unwrap me. Now. I want you inside me.”
“Not so fast.” Abraham unzipped her shorts and glided a couple of fingers into her clothes. He rubbed her nub in circles a few times before he slid them inside her.
Kai whimpered at the invasion. Her eyes fluttered shut as she bit her lower lip. Abraham didn’t even have to move his hand. She rocked against it, pushing his fingers deeper inside. Her hands skimmed her body to shove her shirt up until her breasts were exposed in the fading light of the sun. She leaned back against the steering wheel as she plucked and twisted her nipples.
The sound of her moans and the vision of the beauty riding his handmade Abraham hard as a rock again. He wrapped his free hand around his cock and pumped as he matched Kai’s tempo with the other. His stare locked on her fingertips teasing her breasts. He felt his groin tighten in a knot as her mews grew louder.
“Fuck this,” he muttered as he pulled both hands free.
Her eyes popped open. “Why did you…”
Abraham hooked a finger inside the crotch of her shorts and tugged it over as far as he could. He snaked the tip of his erection inside the leg as much as the cloth would allow. It was the most awkward thing he had ever done but needed to be buried inside her. He needed it more than the air he breathed.
He frowned for a moment as her shorts melted away in his hand. He gripped her waist and bucked his hips up. It took only a couple of hard thrusts to fill her.
Kai grabbed his shoulders and pinned them to the back of the truck seat. She slowly raised herself off him and impaled herself again. Her eyes closed and her lips opened ever so slightly to puff out soft sighs as she did it over and over. Her body clenched around his sensitive flesh as she unsheathed him and enveloped him. Her breasts swayed as she took over, the puckered pink nubs taunting him as she rode him. Her arms kept him from capturing it, from taking control of the situation. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t move his hands from her waist. Some kind of crazy magic locked them there.
She threw her head back against the windshield as she bounced harder and faster. Abraham felt his cock swell in response. He wanted to touch her, taste her, but his hands wouldn’t budge.
Kai’s eyes opened to just slits. “Problem?”
“Let me go,” he answered breathlessly.
“Why?”
“Because if you do, I promise you more pleasure than you’ll get now. Please, Kai. I need to touch you.”
She gazed at him as she drove herself harder against him. The muscles in Abraham’s arms tensed and relaxed, signaling he had possession of them again. He tugged her head to his for a deep, hard kiss. Once they broke apart, he palmed each breast in his hands.
He plumped them together until he could nip and suck on each peaked nipple at the same time. He gazed up at her as he nibbled. Her fingers were buried in her hair as she bucked hard. Her body shuddered as it squeezed his cock tight. She let go a sob as she cried out his name over and over.
The sight of her lost in her orgasm pushed him over the edge. He gripped her hips tight as he stroked hard and deliberate. He cursed and growled as his cock throbbed his release deep into her. He could have sworn he almost lost consciousness. The next thing he was aware of was her stilled weight on his lap.
“Fuck, Kai, what was that? Why couldn’t I move?” he murmured as he watched her. Her hair was a rumpled mess. Her shirt was almost wrapped around her neck. Her big brown gaze was locked with his and shimmered with tears. She seemed anxious as she bit on the nail of her index finger.
Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tight. She buried her face in the curve of his neck. “You saved my life. I wanted to please you.”
He held her close. “You can please me anytime you want. But don’t think you owe it to me. I saved you because I need you.”
Abraham pressed his lips into a thin line. It almost slipped. The “l” word. He had no idea what love was. Did he feel it for Kai? He gazed up at her as he tenderly brushed her hair from her face. He tried to imagine his life before her. A pit in his stomach formed at the idea. He didn’t want to think of existing without her. He wanted her by his side forever. He wanted her to wake up next to him every morning. He didn’t want this to ever end.
A tear slipped down her cheek as she smiled at him. She pulled her shirt over her head and slid down his still rock-hard erection. Her stare only left his to kiss him, her lips soft and full on his, not demanding or bruising but gently tasting his. He laced his fingers between hers and laid them intertwined on her thighs. Their bodies rocked in unison as their gazes stayed locked together. He swore he could see into her soul, that he could see the decades she had lived through in the depths of the ocean.
A violent rush blazed through him as he came with her, her body trembling as she collapsed against him. He shook his hands free from hers and held her close to him. “Let’s go home.”
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