The Truth About Kadenburg

by T. E. Ridener

  Presley growled. She could feel her skin heating up and the fangs she struggled to keep at bay were starting to elongate.

  No, no! She pleaded internally as her fingertips dug into the wooden frame of the bookshelf. He’s just trying to make you lose control. You can’t do this right now!

  “Look at you,” Luke spat bitterly. “You’re trying to control the beast that so desperately wants to be free. Is that a rule of your supposedly great god?” He asked. “Can you not indulge in the joys of being a powerful animal? How pathetic.”

  “Shut up,” Presley said through clenched teeth as a loud pop sounded in her ears. What was that? A bone? She felt the sharp pain surging up her spine as she attempted to pace her breathing. “Just shut up.”

  “Awww, what’s the matter, little bear?” Luke mocked as he tugged at the chains restraining him. “Are you scared? Come now, Presley, embrace your true form. Give into it. It’s the best feeling in the world.”

  “No!” She cried, doubling over as the pain intensified. She gasped, feeling as the bones in her fingers began to crack and tremble. She couldn’t change right now, and most definitely not because he was taunting her. She squeezed her eyes shut, listening to the rhythm of her heartbeat as it thundered in her ears.

  “Your mother isn’t afraid to bear out,” Luke added after a moment. “Especially when she’s desperate for a good fuck.”

  Presley released a shrill cry of agony as she fell to her knees, her vision blurring. It felt like her head was going to explode. Her brain was swelling, or something. God, she wanted it to stop!

  Two strong hands grabbed her from behind, and before Presley knew what was happening, she was being pulled out of the room. Her back hit the hard wall and warm palms cupped her face as she lifted her eyes to meet brown hues.

  “Calm down,” Lorcan whispered as he rested his forehead against hers. “He’s only trying to get you riled up, Presley. You can’t let him get the best of you.”

  Hot tears flooded down her cheeks as she felt the bear within roar in anger. She lifted her hands, gripping at Lorcan’s forearms. “I don’t know how to stop it,” she sobbed. “I don’t know how to control it!”

  “Just breathe, baby,” he whispered, exaggerating his own breaths as he pulled her against his chest. “Just breathe.”

  Despite the thoughts running through her mind and the overwhelming need to kill, everything seemed to vanish when she realized Lorcan had called her baby. She stared up at him, her eyes wide as her mouth fell open. She did as he requested, breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth as her grip on his arms relaxed.

  “That’s it,” Lorcan nodded. His voice remained gentle and calm as he gazed at her. “Just like that. You’re doing perfect.”

  “He was talking about my mother,” Presley whispered. She closed her eyes, burying her face against his chest as she felt his hand rest gently against the back of her head. “Is it true? Is she with them?”

  She heard Lorcan sigh, and then listened to the deep rumble of his voice as he spoke. “I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “No one’s seen your mother in years, Presley. We don’t know what happened to her.”

  “I know what happened to her!” Luke called from the other room. “You’ll see tonight, little bear. Perhaps you can have a nice little family reunion before we kill all of you.”

  Presley felt Lorcan tense, and then he was pulling away from her. She immediately missed his embrace as he stalked back into the furthest corner of the basement and she heard Luke grunt, excessively. She could hear the sound of fists making contact with flesh; he deserved every punch he was getting.

  Your mother is a traitor, her bear announced. That is punishable by death!

  I don’t give a damn about my mother. Presley frowned, hugging her arms around herself. She hasn’t given a damn about me in a very long time.

  Lorcan returned after a few moments. He was flexing his fingers as he lifted his eyes to meet hers, and his gaze immediately softened.

  “Come on,” he said as he offered his hand to her. “Let’s get you back upstairs. I don’t even know why you were down here anyway.”

  Presley placed her hand in his, but as he moved up the first step, she pulled him back down. He turned to gaze at her. His brows furrowed as he gave her a questioning stare, but all was soon answered as she moved her free hand to the back of his neck and pulled him down until their lips could meet.

  Fireworks exploded in her head. Heaven’s choir started signing joyously as their mouths molded together. The entire shebang of everything wonderful seemed to happen at once as Presley wrapped her arms around his neck to keep him close.

  She’d only meant for it to be a kiss of gratitude….

  She felt as Lorcan returned the kiss. Before she knew it, her back was against the wall and Lorcan was lifting her away from the floor. She let out a harsh breath through her nostrils, tilting her head slightly in an attempt to deepen the hungry kiss. Sweet Heaven above, where did this man learn to kiss?

  How did this even happen? She wondered briefly. Weren’t we going to go upstairs?

  Oh, screw it. She didn’t care about going upstairs at the moment. Lorcan’s mouth was on hers, his tongue was touching against hers, and his hands were exploring her anxiously. She felt like a damn virgin as she trembled against him, gasping as he sucked at her bottom lip. He tugged at the tender flesh before releasing it, only to claim her mouth again in an earth shattering kiss.

  Yes! Her bear crowed excitedly. This is what we have been waiting for.

  Presley couldn’t be bothered with listening to her bear’s inner monologue right now. She was far too busy with listening to the sounds of her shallow breathing and the growls of hunger escaping Lorcan’s hot mouth as he nipped at the flesh of her neck.

  “This is crazy,” she gasped, trying to keep her heavily lidded eyes open. “Lorcan, we shouldn’t be doing this.”

  Perhaps they shouldn’t have been doing it, but her body most certainly wasn’t complaining. She tangled her fingers in his thick hair, tugging at it as his teeth teased over her heated skin again and again.

  “I can stop,” Lorcan offered as he kissed his way up to her lips again. “Just tell me to stop.”

  “No,” she replied, locking her legs around his waist as she pulled back a little to stare at him. “No, don’t you dare stop.”

  “Thank Urseth,” Lorcan sighed as he gave her an irresistible smile. “I don’t think I could stop.”

  His mouth crashed against hers again and Presley whimpered softly. It was so sudden, yet it felt like everything had been building up to this moment for years.

  Maybe it had been.

  Lorcan’s hot fingers slipped beneath her shirt, splaying over the soft flesh of her stomach as he nipped at her chin. Tingles shot through her abdomen and settled between her thighs as he touched her here, there, and everywhere.

  “This is so crazy,” she repeated before a moan escaped between her kiss swollen lips. “Lorcan, what are we doing?”

  “We’re doing what all ursithropes do when they find their mate,” he replied. His tongue traced over her collarbone as he pulled the fabric of her bra away from her breasts. She sighed, allowing her head to fall back against the wall. “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for that kiss.”

  “A long time?” Presley wondered aloud, though it was hardly the time to be debating over such a thing. All she could think about was his hands and mouth as the fire inside her grew hotter. She squirmed against him, biting back another moan as his lips attached themselves to a throbbing nipple. “Oh…”

  Presley had no idea how they’d ended up in this situation, nor did she understand why she was so enthused to take part in a make out session with him. All she truly knew in that very moment was how happy and complete she felt. She couldn’t be bothered with thoughts of her mother. The worries of an impending battle vanished from her mind as it was consumed with Lorcan and Lorcan alone.

  “I love you,
” Lorcan whispered huskily. “I have always loved you.”

  A lazy smile slid across her lips as moisture gathered in her eyes. Presley hugged her arms around him a little more tightly, resting her cheek against his shoulder as she sighed. “I don’t know..what to say…” she admitted softly.

  “You don’t have to say it back right away,” Lorcan murmured as he popped open the button on her jeans. “But I want you to know how much I love you. Will you let me show you?”

  Oh yes. Yes, yes. She wanted him to show her how much he loved her; several times if he was up for it. She pulled back to gaze at him again, searching his face. “This is going to sound even crazier, but yes,” she nodded gently. “Show me, Lorcan. Please.”

  As Lorcan’s lips met hers again, Presley prepared herself for whatever was going to happen. It didn’t matter what was going on above them; all that mattered in this very moment was that Lorcan loved her, and she was confident there was a part of her that had always loved him, too.

  She dusted kisses against his neck and jawline, tasting the small droplets of salty water that glistened on his skin as he freed himself from the restraint of his jeans. She dropped her gaze between their bodies and her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. Holy shit, she thought as the ache between her thighs grew stronger. Urseth most certainly blessed him.

  She reminded herself to thank Urseth later as Lorcan lined himself up with her entrance. One deep thrust and a stifled moan later, and he was buried inside her.

  He stayed perfectly still for several seconds, his broad chest heaving with shallow breaths as he rested his forehead against hers. He met her gaze, smiling faintly as he traced his fingertips down her jawline. “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life,” he whispered. “I have waited for you for so long…”

  Presley felt her chest tighten, in a good way, and her heart swelled with adoration. Why hadn’t this happened sooner? Why had she left Kadenburg in the first place? How had she not seen this glorious man for what he was before now?

  “I’m sorry I kept you waiting,” she whispered in response. She blinked back the tears in her eyes. Why were there tears in her eyes?! She was so overwhelmed with everything she was feeling. How stupid.

  “I would’ve waited forever,” Lorcan promised as he slowly rolled his hips into hers.

  Presley gasped, biting back the moan that so desperately wanted to escape. She buried her face against his neck instead, breathing in his scent as he made love to her in a way she’d never experienced before.

  Sure, it was happening in a basement; against a wall; with an unconscious werewolf on the other side of the room, but what did that matter? So what if they both had the capability of shifting into bears? And so what if they were going to war with werewolves at any moment now? What mattered was what she felt as Lorcan pushed himself deeper inside her. It wasn’t just the pleasure he gave her, but the happiness, too. The promise of a better tomorrow, should they survive to see it.

  “I love you,” Lorcan repeated as his thrust grew sporadic. He let out a low grunt, his powerful hips moving forward and up as he gripped her thigh possessively. “You never have to say it if you don’t want to, but I will do my best to make you happy.”

  This is crazy, she repeated over and over in her mind. This shouldn’t be happening! Yet it was, and she loved it. Maybe it would never make sense how she ended up having sex with Lorcan Bamey in his basement, but at least she would always remember what unadulterated bliss felt like.

  She would never forget what it felt like to be truly loved.

  –––––––

  Nothing was going to ruin how elated Lorcan felt in that moment. He was determined not to let anything diminish his happiness as he walked, hand in hand, into the living room with Presley. What had taken place in the basement was a milestone achievement, and something that only happened once in a lifetime for an ursithrope.

  He knew Presley was new to the ways of their kind, but there was no denying she felt the connection, too. Even if he never heard those three words leave her lips, he would always know how she felt about him because she’d shown him with her body, and he’d felt her heartbeat against his very own.

  A human being would’ve been confused with how quickly things escalated between them, but that was just how love worked for ursithropes. It was a mighty powerful thing, and it was more overwhelming than any other feeling in the world. He’d found his mate and she’d finally allowed him to show her just how much she meant to him.

  She loves us, his bear reassured him as he tightened his fingers around Presley’s. He stole a glance and took note of the smile on her lips as he laced their fingers together securely. She will say it back.

  She doesn’t have to say it back, Lorcan replied. I have felt it. And he could be happy with that. He could live out the rest of his days quite contently as long as Presley continued to allow him these small moments. The moments of gazing into her eyes, holding her, and telling her exactly how he felt. He didn’t need a piece of paper stating they loved one another. He didn’t need her to take on his last name to prove what they felt was real. All he needed was for her to continue existing.

  “There you are,” Mrs. Bamey said as she approached them. “Oh, thank goodness. I was getting worried.”

  Lorcan smiled at his mother, watching as her eyes dropped to their hands. She blinked and then met his gaze again. There was a look of hope in her eyes and the worry she’d been sporting seconds earlier disappeared. “Oh, children,” she whispered happily.

  “We’ll talk about it later, Mom, okay? I promise,” Lorcan said as he released Presley’s hand, only to wrap his arm around her shoulders a few seconds later.

  “You bet we will,” she nodded. “Right now, we do have something else to talk about.”

  “What’s going on?” Presley asked. She lifted her eyes to meet Lorcan’s as she frowned.

  No one had to answer her as the stench grew stronger. It wasn’t just one, either. No, it was many.

  “They’re here,” Mr. Bamey announced as he gripped his shotgun firmly between his hands.

  Lorcan watched as Davey distributed a gun to every available ursithrope in the room. Colin was examining his closely with a frown on his lips, and Greg was anxiously pacing in front of the door as his finger traced over the trigger of his own firearm.

  “Be ready,” Davey instructed as his eyes began to glow. “This ain’t gonna be pretty, folks.”

  “Presley,” Arnold Goult said as he stepped in front of them. “I need you to do me a favor.”

  “What is it, Uncle Arnold?” She asked, peering up at her uncle as her face paled.

  “I need you to go with Mrs. Bamey,” he said softly, reaching out to touch her cheek. “She’ll keep you safe.”

  “What?!” Presley exclaimed. “No, I’m not leaving you,” she turned her head to gaze at Lorcan. “Tell him I’m not leaving, Lorcan.”

  Lorcan pursed his lips together, giving her an apologetic frown as he pulled her against his chest and kissed the top of her golden hair. “You have to,” he said softly. “We have to protect you.”

  “No!” She pulled away from him as if his touch burned her. “No, I’m not going to hide. That’s bullshit. You can’t make me!”

  “Presley, please. We don’t have much time,” Mrs. Bamey said urgently. “Sweetheart, it’s the law of Urseth. We aren’t supposed to partake in battles. Those are up to the great warriors of our kind. We are meant to be protected. We have to remain hidden and safe.”

  “No!” Presley repeated as she shook her head. “No, that’s bullshit! I’m not going to hide while you put yourselves in danger,” she looked back and forth between her uncle and Lorcan.

  Lorcan felt a stab of pain in his chest as he gazed at her. What was he supposed to do? What could he say to convince her it was the right thing to do? Presley was hard headed and extremely stubborn. He knew that she would ultimately do whatever she wanted to. That was one of the many things that made her
so wonderful, after all.

  “I’m not going to run,” Presley stated as she moved towards the gun rack. “I am tired of running.”

  Lorcan watched as she pulled the last remaining gun out and though it seemed far too big for her, she held it proudly in her grasp as she turned to face them.

  “If you’re going to fight, then I will fight with you,” she affirmed.

  And before anyone could stop her, she was running out the back door to meet the prodigious pack of blood thirsty werewolves hell-bent on their extinction.

  Everyone stood there in stunned silence as the screen door slammed shut. No one really knew what to say to that. How could they tell her no now? They couldn’t.

  Lorcan released a small breath as he glanced at his father. “What are you waiting for?” He asked with a quirked brow. “You heard the lady.”

  He was out the door in an instant, leaping off the deck with no regards for the steps as he followed after Presley. It didn’t take him long to catch up to her. She’d stopped at the edge of the field, breathing heavily as her eyes scanned the wooded area.

  He stood beside her, and proudly so, as he listened.

  “They’re in there, aren’t they?” She asked softly. “Just waiting.”

  “Yeah,” Lorcan nodded. “Breslin likes to play games. At least that’s what my dad says.”

  “Well I’ve got a game he can play,” Presley promised as she lifted the gun in her arms, resting the butt against her shoulder as she aimed it towards the trees. “He’s the one that killed my dad.”

  “Don’t shoot yet,” Lorcan instructed quietly, gently. “He probably wants that, Presley. He wants to use our emotions against us. He wants to use your father’s death against you. You have to keep your head clear, do you understand? Werewolves play dirty.”

  “Dimitri doesn’t play dirty,” she whispered. “He’s different.”

  “He is,” Lorcan agreed as he licked his dry lips. He could feel the others joining them in the field, and he turned his head to see the big red wolf standing near his mother. He smiled faintly. A part of him was grateful that Dimitri was on their side. He was grateful that the wolf had loved his brother so much that he was willing to fight with them. He would have to remember to thank him properly later.