Kai caught the shimmer of her skin like the scales she normally wore just before the explosion consumed her. She screamed out Abraham’s name as she embedded her fingernails in the flesh of his chest.
Abraham bucked his hips violently beneath her as he gripped her ass and held her down on him. He growled like a feral animal and muttered a few curse words. She felt him pulse inside her as he filled her.
She gazed down for a brief second before he lifted her off him. The room blurred as he tossed her beside him onto the mattress and scrambled to his knees. She didn’t have a chance to raise on all fours before he grasped her hips and plunged hilt deep into her again.
She clawed at a pillow as he rammed into her over and over. His snarls filled the room. She buried her face in the soft cotton and whimpered. The blaze in her core flamed into an inferno once again. She couldn’t protest if she wanted to. She wanted him to do whatever he wanted to her. She wanted him to possess her heart and soul. He could devour her if he wanted to.
All tethers to Neptune were gone. Abraham Hallow was her master now.
He let go of her and braced himself on the bed on either side of her. Then he molded his body to hers and used it to nudge her belly down onto the bed. His thrusts never slowed. If anything, he drove himself deeper inside her. He nudged her hair from her face and took a handful to guide her head to the side. He nipped, licked, and kissed up and down her jugular.
Her cries drowned out his grunts as her orgasm tore through her again. The pleasure left her lightheaded. She didn’t feel part of her body but instead a member of the celestial heavens. His tempo sped up, slamming her repeatedly into the mattress. He lifted himself as he stiffened. She felt his cock throb deep in her core. It sent one more shiver through her.
He gathered her into his arms as he slumped to his side, yet he never left her body. His erection didn’t soften either. His hands grazed every pore of her flesh. His fingers flicked where their bodies joined and fluttered across her belly. He caressed her breasts as his lips trailed over her mouth, her cheeks, her neck.
“Fuck, Kai. Fuck. Never leave me. I can’t live without you,” he murmured against her ear.
She answered as she caught his mouth with hers. “Never. Abraham?”
“Yes, love?”
Her lips spoke before her mind thought. “More. Please. I need more of you.”
Kai groaned as he slid himself deeper into her slowly. Somewhere through the fog of lust she heard him whisper, “Always.”
»»•««
The gauze-like white cotton nightgown flowed over Kai’s skin as she rose from the bed. She forced her feet to shuffle from the bedroom to the living area. There was a small kitchen attached to it and inside one of the few drawers she was certain she could find the tool she needed.
She couldn’t look at Abraham as she closed the bedroom door. She spent nearly all day fornicating with him. She’d lost control of her thoughts. All she could comprehend was the primal need to mate. Not that she objected in the least. She craved him with a desire she’d never felt before. The only thing better than the sex with him was falling asleep wrapped tight in his arms. She was his now. She didn’t know when the tie to the king was severed but she couldn’t feel it any longer.
However, the bastard still had a way into her mind. He made it clear he was aware that he’d lost possession of her, and he was furious. He filled her nightmares with the torture he would put her family through. For all she knew, he was already abusing them.
The message was clear. She needed to finish her mission or he would kill them. There was no alternative.
She blinked back tears as she made her way to the kitchen and pulled open the drawers. She stopped as something silver caught her eye. She gripped the handle of the butcher knife and pulled it free.
She glanced at the bedroom door and heaved a sigh. She couldn’t start with Abraham. The thought of his bloodied, lifeless body made something inside her churn like a hurricane. She choked back a sob. She couldn’t live if he was dead.
Was that Neptune’s plan all along?
She wiped her tears with the back of her other hand and hurried from the cabin. She’d start with the other brothers in the camp. Then when she was finished and had the amulet in her hand, she would figure out Abraham. Maybe she would find the courage then. Or maybe she would fall on the knife herself.
Kai hopped up the steps to the cabin next to Abraham’s before she twisted the knob on the door. She concentrated her thoughts on her path. She had to be silent. No one could detect her.
The layout of this cabin was the exact same as Abraham’s. It made finding the bedroom that much easier. At this hour, all the Hallows should be sleeping so they could change and hunt once the full moon rose. She snuck through the open bedroom door and stopped.
Abraham’s brother lay splayed naked across a pile of rumpled cotton sheets. A purple and black swirled comforter was piled in a heap on the floor. If she remembered correctly, this one was Ezekiel. He owned the truck Abraham had stolen to save her but didn’t get angry.
Maybe the brothers weren’t as horrible as Neptune made them out to be. They were a family, just like hers in the ocean.
However, at the moment, hers was in danger. And killing the Hallows was the only thing that could save them. She lifted the knife to strike and took a step toward the bed.
Every muscle in her body froze in place. She struggled against whatever held her fast. It didn’t relent one inch. She conjured every charm and spell she knew. Nothing worked. Her eyes widened in panic. If this brother woke up and found her there, who knows what would happen to her.
She focused her mind on her hand to relax her grip on the knife. It fell to the floor and clattered under the foot of the bed. Suddenly, her whole body relaxed. She raced from the room and out of the cabin without checking to see if all her muscles worked.
Kai stood in the middle of the camp as she studied the buildings around her. The summer breeze warmed her through the thin cotton and the lush grass tickled her feet. Whatever magic had taken control of her was stronger than anything she possessed or even seen. And it protected the Hallow brothers.
She shook her head as the tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn’t protect her family. They were good as dead. Her gaze stopped on Abraham’s cabin. She stared at it for a long moment and ran to it. Her gown evaporated as she climbed into bed beside him. He wrapped a strong arm around her in his sleep and hugged her tight. She snuggled close to him as she cried herself to sleep.
Chapter Nine
The next six days were the best of Abraham Hallow’s life. While he and his brothers were secluded away from the rest of civilization, he had mind-blowing sex with his mate. What was better was that when he awoke just before twilight, she was still by his side. She didn’t run off into the woods or disappear from his life, causing him to worry. When his eyes opened, she was gazing back at him.
Her eyes looked puffy and her cheeks tearstained almost every time. He could have sworn she’d been crying. But before he could ask her if she was all right, she would scramble on top of him and sheath his cock in that sweet body of hers. It was hard to talk about their feelings when she milked the hardest orgasm he ever had in his life out of him. By the time they were done, all he could manage was a quick kiss goodbye before he raced out the door so he could change.
Even the relationship with his brothers was better. They stopped teasing him because he was the baby. They compared notes with him on the whole mating ritual. Caleb was less of an asshole when Abe had something in common with him.
The only odd thing that happened the entire week was when Ezekiel found the butcher knife under his bed. Even then, it was nothing but a curiosity. Ezekiel was such a goofball he probably lost it doing fuck knows what. Not much about good old Zeke made sense.
It was the morning after the last full moon. The other brothers were long gone, getting Momma, Meg, and Eve. Josiah and Sarah were more than likely on their way back. If things w
ent according to plan, Sarah would be good and knocked up. Abraham bit back a growl. Hypocrite. Josiah could lecture him about having sex with Kai during the full moon, the only time the Hallows were fertile. He chewed Abraham’s ass about the consequences of bringing new life into a world on the brink of a paranormal world war. Yet, they could have a baby. What made Sarah more important than Kai?
Abraham stopped dead in his tracks as he strode alone across the camp. Woah. Where did all the baby thoughts come from? He was barely an adult. Was he ready to be a father? He bit his lower lip as his imagination ran rampant. He could see Kai rocking a baby at her breast wrapped tight in a lime-green blanket. Their baby. The image made his heart race. He smiled.
If Kai was somehow magically pregnant, he’d be okay with it. But the chances of a mermaid and a werewolf conceiving? Highly unlikely.
Fortunately, the sex was mind-blowing. That right now was more than enough. The growl of his stomach reminded him of his mission. He was starving, and it was time for breakfast. This morning he’d be dining alone. Kai had disappeared before he woke up. She had stayed in his bed for six nights in a row. He could give her one morning. Besides, she knew his family was on the way home and they tended to make her more skittish than one of those yippie Mexican dogs that Littlefoot kept as a pet. She’d warm up to the family sooner or later. The other mates had. Why wouldn’t she?
He caught a flash of color coming from the window of his mother’s bedroom as he ascended the steps to the door of the kitchen. He frowned and glanced to the clearing where the cars were parked. Micah’s Jeep and Ezekiel’s truck were long gone and none of the other cars had returned. He was the only one there.
He cursed under his breath. Fuck. The vampires must have figured a way here. He glanced up at the burning sun overhead. It was morning. From what he knew they couldn’t exist in the sunlight.
He shook his head as he hopped down the stairs and stalked to Momma’s cabin, cursing with every step he took. If there was any danger, he’d have to improvise. He was the only one to protect the amulet.
He opened the door inch by inch so not to make a sound. He crept through the living area to the bedroom and stormed into the bedroom.
There was a shriek and the clatter of metal hitting the floor. The place looked as if a tornado hit it. The comforter and sheets were strewn all over the place. Dresser drawers had been overturned. Jewelry boxes had been dumped.
Kai stood in the middle of it all, a box clenched in one hand. A familiar chain dangled from between the fingers of the other. Her whole body trembled as her skin turned ashen pale.
“What the fuck is this?” Abraham demanded.
Kai waved her hand around her. The scattered items flew back into their spots. She stared at him with wide eyes.
“That didn’t answer my question, Kai. What the fuck is going on in here? Why are you trashing my mom’s room?” Abraham repeated. He glowered at her closed hand and shook his head. “So that’s why you’re here. That’s why you stayed with me. You only wanted the amulet.”
Kai’s eyes welled with tears. “No, Abe. It’s not like that. You don’t understand.”
“Then explain it to me. Make me understand why you have that in your hand. No one else would understand what the fuck it is. To the rest of the world it’s a worthless antique. If you’re holding it, you know what it can do.”
Kai stood rock still as tears cut trails down her cheeks. Abraham felt his temper peak as his heart twisted with betrayal. His brothers were right. This fucking mating thing was a curse. Unfortunately, his rage was fueling rather irrational thoughts at the moment.
He near shouted at her. “Talk to me, Kai.”
“He’ll kill my family,” Kai mumbled through her sobs.
“Who?”
“Neptune. He captured them and imprisoned them. He’s connected with me through my thoughts every morning to show me that he’s torturing them.”
“So when you’re staring out the window in a trance every morning after you’re in my bed, you’re having a little heart to heart with your fishy boyfriend?”
Kai huffed as she rolled her eyes. “He’s not my boyfriend. Why do you have to act like such a child?”
“Sorry. I don’t appreciate sharing what is mine. I don’t play well with others.”
“Excuse me? What belongs to you?”
Abraham growled low. “So, his royal underwater majesty demanded you bring him the amulet? Is that it? Then why the tears?”
Kai bit her lower lip nervously. “He wanted more.”
“And what would that be?”
Her glare locked with his. “He wanted me to kill the Hallows. Every last one of them. And bring him the Heka. But I’ve convinced him that is impossible so he’ll settle for the amulet and the Hallows dead.”
“So, when Zeke was babbling on about the knife in his room, that was you?”
Kai nodded without a word.
Abraham continued. “You tried to kill my brother? You tried to kill me?”
“I could never hurt you, Abraham. And I don’t think I can kill your brothers either. Some sort of power stopped me and wouldn’t let me go when I tried.”
Abraham stormed across the cabin to her. He took her fist and pried her fingers apart. Then he took the amulet from her grasp. He opened the jewelry box it was once in, dropped it inside, and let the lid slam shut.
He grasped her wrist and led her out of the cabin. He felt her resist as they descended the steps of Momma’s porch and crossed the camp toward the family building.
“Where are you taking me?” Kai begged.
“For the record, that’s a fake. You want the real one? I’m taking you to it.”
He fumed as they ascended the steps of the family building. He slammed the door open, leaving it flattened against the side of the structure. He let her go at the doorway of the gym and strode to the last bag. One roundhouse kick brought it down to the mat.
He plunged his hand into the stuffing of the bag and rummaged around. With a snarl, he pulled out Momma’s amulet. He returned to Kai and dropped it in her hand.
“There. Now. Mission accomplished, sort of. I mean, I’m still alive and kicking. Let’s go.”
He nudged her to the open door of the family building and escorted her to his bike. He swung onto the seat and silently glared at her until she did the same.
The leaf-strewn floor of the forest made his bike slip and slide as they bounced along the rutted paths. Part of him watched for Josiah and Sarah, even though he knew he would never see them come back. Joe was too much of a control freak to think that the rest of the brothers could get Momma and the mates home safely. At least there was a good chance the cabin was finally clean.
He skidded the bike to a stop right next the lake. Even though he was furious, he offered her his hand to help her off the bike.
He pointed toward the water. “It’s been nice knowing you.”
“Why are you doing this? Why are you throwing me out?” Kai pleaded.
Abraham took her hand and held the amulet up to her. “I’m protecting my family just like you are protecting yours. Get off my property.”
He stomped his way back to his bike. He battled himself not to turn around and stop her from escaping. It wasn’t his mind warring with him. It was busy imagining her fucking that bastard Neptune. She’d just confessed she was only with Abraham for the amulet. She could burn in hell for all he cared.
He stopped when he heard her whimper. He turned slowly to snarl at her.
“What are you waiting for?” he questioned. “Do you need me to kill myself for you? I might as well. Joe is going to tear me apart for giving that to you.”
“I can’t go,” she murmured just loud enough for him to hear.
“What more do you want from me?”
Kai tossed her head, her long, wavy locks, a rainbow in the sun. “He’s going to kill my family, Abe.”
“Then go.”
“I can’t go.”
“Why
not?”
“Because I love you.”
Abraham gaped at her. He could have sworn his chin was buried in the long grass. Kai continued as she walked to him. “I need to stay with you. I couldn’t kill you because the thought of you being hurt made me sick. Neptune doesn’t have the connection with me anymore. It broke the first night of the full moon. It’s only you. No one else.”
She stopped short of him and laid the amulet in his hand with a sigh. “Please don’t throw me away.”
He stared at the amulet for a long moment and stuffed it into his pocket. “I love you, Kai. But you betrayed me. An hour ago, you were tearing apart my mom’s cabin to look for this. You tried to kill my brother. How can I trust you?”
“I haven’t given you reason to. I know that. But when the image of my mother’s blood staining the water around her was forced into my mind, I was desperate.”
“And you’re just walking away from that?”
Kai shrugged. “It might not be true. In the past hundred years or so since Neptune has been in power, he’s coerced me to do things I didn’t want to do just like that. Then, when I was through, I would find out it was just a fantasy.”
“He’s a fucking bastard to do that to you.”
She gave him a small smile. “I couldn’t agree more.”
He pointed again to the water. “If my family were in danger, I’d go to fucking hell to save them. You’re choosing my family over yours?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
He shook his head as he slipped his cell phone from his pocket. “It just doesn’t make sense, but I don’t have time to debate this. If you’re not taking the amulet to Fish Breath, I need to get home and stash it before everyone gets back.”
He mounted his bike and gazed at her. “Are you coming with me or staying here?”
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