“Dad . . .” Etti prodded. “What should you have known?”
“That Esme had ulterior motives. When you were born, I found out that she was only protecting us because she believed you were who she’d been searching for.”
“And who was that exactly?” Etti asked.
“A legend foretold of a child, the Fin-Malédi, who would one day come to break the curse of the hunt and free generations of witches that have lived in fear of the wolves that drove their magic from their ancestral home.”
“But I wasn’t that child?”
Mohe shook his head. “No, but when Esme met you, she saw she hadn’t been wrong, only too soon. For when she tasted your blood, it sang of a promise to come . . . that you would bear the Fin-Malédi, and he would finally free Esme.”
“She,” Etti whispered, protectively rubbing her belly. “My child is a girl.”
Mohe paled. “A female?”
“Women are as strong and capable as men,” Etti growled, pulling a despondent smile from her father.
“That I know, my darling daughter,” Mohe replied. “That I know.”
Grey felt his mate growing more and more agitated. He placed a hand on Etti’s shoulder, willing her to relax, but her breath was coming quicker and he could feel her heart and Izzi’s pounding much too rapidly for his liking.
“Mohe,” Grey started. “You’ve giving us a lot of information. If there’s anything else we need to know please share it, because I’d like to get Etti back home to rest. This kind of stress isn’t good for her or the baby.”
“Of course,” Mohe replied. “I’ll make this as short as possible.” He turned to face Etti. “Darling, I kept Esme from you because she would only try to exploit you to further her own cause of destroying the hunt so she can return to rule the French Quarter.”
“But I want to end the hunt too! It’s the only thing that will save my daughter.”
“And now that your goals have aligned I think it is time you meet.”
“But we already went to New Orleans and we couldn’t find her anywhere,” Etti said.
Mohe’s brow furrowed. “You went to New Orleans?”
Etti nodded.
“Etti, you must be careful. Esme is very cunning.”
“Am I supposed to trust her or not?”
“I believe she will help you if it suits her needs, but there is always a price.”
“Fine, I’ll pay whatever it is if it keeps my daughter safe. But we need your help to find her. We searched all over the French Quarter and she’s nowhere to be found.”
“She hides to protect herself from the hunt, and there is only one way to summon her.”
“What is it?” Grey asked.
“Only Ama knows.”
Chapter 6
Etti
“They kept me alive as an incubator, Grey. How am I supposed to react?” Etti roared as they sped toward home.
“Your reaction is justified, Etti, but it’s not doing you or Izzi any good. I can hear your hearts pounding from here. Please try to calm down for me.”
Etti blew out a frustrated breath, knowing Grey was right. She tried to take a few steadying breaths to calm her nerves, but her father’s words were echoing through her mind like some sort of horror movie.
Her long-lost aunt was a voodoo queen, her baby was being hunted by rouge shifters, and the only person who knew a way to possibly stop all of this insanity was the one person who refused to help Etti—her mother.
“What the hell are we going to do?” Etti asked.
“The only thing we can do,” Grey replied. “Keep going until we get the answer we’re looking for. We have Esme’s real name now. We’re one step closer.”
“Yeah, but you heard my father. He doesn’t know how to contact Esme, only my mother does and she won’t help us.” Etti shook her head begrudgingly, fighting to keep her anger at bay. “I’m sorry, Grey,” she choked out.
“Sorry about what, babe?”
“That you got stuck with me as your mate. My whole family is insane. And I’m even more terrified to be a mother than ever.”
“Etti . . .” Grey murmured.
“No! Did you not just hear the absurdity my father was spewing? All the women in my family are crazy. My aunt is a voodoo queen! My mother is a shifter who hates her kind so much she tried to kill her own daughter, and I’m just a moody incubator housing a supposed curse breaker!”
Etti dissolved into a sobbing mess, sucking in ragged breaths. She didn’t need to look in the mirror to know she’d erupted into a full blown ugly cry. This was precisely why Etti tried to avoid crying at all costs.
Greyson
Grey had seen about all he could take of his mate’s distress. He pulled the car off the road and parked. He turned it off and pulled Etti to him. She tried to rein in her tears but Grey knew she’d been holding them back for entirely too long where her family was concerned.
“Let it out, babe,” he instructed, rubbing circles on her back.
He held her like that until her choking sobs and full body shakes finally subsided. But he still didn’t let go. He selfishly loved feeling so close to Etti. He missed their intimacy. Pregnancy and stress of the hunt had kept Grey and Etti from indulging their physical connection for too long.
Grey felt the calming effect he had on Etti as he held her in his arms. He decided right then and there he wasn’t going to let her push him away anymore. She needed him as much as he needed her. But first, he wanted her to let go of all the fear she was still holding on to. He could scent it lingering even though she was all cried out.
“Listen to me, Etti. I know you’re afraid, so why don’t you just get it out. Say what’s scaring you so I can help you deal with it. Because I’ll tell you right now, there isn’t anything we can’t conquer together.”
She looked up at him, her dark eyes shining. “What if I turn out like all the other women in my family?” she whispered. “What if I’m a terrible mother?”
“You could never be a terrible mother,” Grey replied.
“I don’t want to be, but maybe I won’t have a choice. Maybe my DNA is cursed or missing the maternal gene.”
“Etti, you’re nothing like your mother and you’re barely related to Esme Laveau. You get to decide who you are and what kind of mother you’re going to be.”
“I’m sure that’s what they thought too. But there are things we don’t have control over and I think a damned destiny might be one of them.”
“Etti, since when have you ever believed in that kind of shit?”
“Since I met you.”
Grey’s brow furrowed. “Me? I don’t believe in magic or destiny, or any of that other nonsense.”
“I know you do,” Etti replied. “You believe in our mating bond. I see it in your eyes. I feel it every time we make love.”
“Yes, I believe that the shifter mating bond allows us to connect on a deeper lever than humans can ever fathom. But what we have . . . it’s still a choice, Etti. We decided to choose each other.”
“What do you mean?”
“Not every mating bond is perfect. The universe does its best to bring the right people together, but we always have a choice. Even as shifters. You can reject your mate if you don’t feel it’s a good fit.”
Etti stared at him, looking like she wanted to believe. He took her hand. “Babe, we make our own way in this life. And you are the strongest, most selfless woman I’ve ever met. I have no doubt that you will be any kind of mother you choose.” He wiped away her tears. “I’m always going to support you, Etti. We will decide how to raise our child, not some curse or legend or any other threat the world throws at us. You will always have a choice, and so will she. Do you hear me?”
Etti’s throat bobbed but she nodded her head.
Grey took her hand. “Good. Because I’ve had enough of all this supernatural bullshit stressing out my girl. Now I’m taking you home, giving you a bath and making love to you until you pass out. Got it?
”
Etti
Etti had never experienced this domineering side of Grey before. She had no doubt of his strength or ability to get things done—she’d seen him in action fighting against the hunt to protect her. But seeing it and experiencing it first hand were two different things.
Once he’d gotten her home he made good on his promise, painstakingly bathing her aching body in their large tub. The feel of his hands sliding slowly over every curve and valley of her body ignited a want in her like nothing she ever felt before.
She was practically panting by the time he’d dried her and set her on their bed, spreading her bare before him. Her mouth went dry when he dropped his towel and his glorious length sprang to attention. Suddenly she wanted to run her hands along it, wringing pleasure from him until he moaned for her. But as she lifted herself up on her elbows to move toward him, he pounced pushing her flat on her back.
“No,” he growled. “This is about you,” he whispered in her ear. “And you are going to do exactly what I say.”
Etti couldn’t even respond if she wanted to. Her words vanished as he wrapped a swath of silk cloth around her head, blindfolding her.
“I want you to stop thinking and start feeling how perfect we are together.”
“I know we’re perfect together.”
“You think you know,” he responded. “But when I’m done with you, you won’t have a doubt in your mind that you are mine. And Etti, I take care of what’s mine.”
Grey kissed her deep and hard and Etti’s blood responded, singing with pleasure as her tongue chased his with equal desire. He caressed her tender breasts, working her into a quivering mess with nothing but his tongue. When he pinched her nipples, pleasure unfurled deep inside of her and she could scent her mate’s satisfaction.
He moved lower, kissing and sucking his way down her body, teasing until every sensitive cell in her body stood at attention ready to respond to her mate. By the time he reached her hips she was so slick with want for him she couldn’t stay still. Grey pushed his mouth between her thighs and spread her wide. She almost begged as his tongue stroked her toward release. When his fingers traveled lower to join his teasing tongue she couldn’t hold on any longer. She fisted the sheets, barely clinging to consciousness as her body shook from the force of her release.
But Grey didn’t even give her time to catch her breath before he rolled her onto her side, cradling her from behind, his chest and throbbing length pressed hard into her back. She gasped as he eased into her slick channel. She clenched around him, still coming down from her release. He growled in satisfaction and sheathed himself deeper and deeper, until Etti could only moan into the pillow as every excruciatingly blissful inch of her mate filled her.
Grey moved slowly, gently building the ache in her all over again. He slipped his hand between her slick thighs and caressed her, igniting her passion all over again. Grey always knew how to touch Etti and she panted his name, pushing back hard against him. He growled his approval and quickened his pace until Etti could hold on no longer. She threw her head back in ecstasy, crying out Grey’s name as he finally unleashed himself entirely, filling Etti with his release.
And as he’d promised, Etti felt her body and mind give itself entirely over to her mate’s love and protection as she slipped under the dark, quiet veil of sleep.
Chapter 7
Etti
The sun was scarcely up and already Etti's cleavage had devoured her last good bra like it was breakfast. Another poor soul lost to her ever expanding cup size. She shouldn't be surprised. At this point, wearing a bra was like trying to harness cantaloupes with dental floss. The bra never stood a chance. Etti felt the fabric shiver as it gave up the fight and with a sigh she unhooked the damn thing and let herself free.
But not even a broken bra was going to get to her today. She’d gotten her first night of good sleep in months and after her night of bliss with Grey, she finally felt like her old self again. Being close to her mate made her feel like everything would work out as long as they faced it together.
The smell of breakfast simmering in the kitchen made Etti finish dressing quickly. She stuffed her legs in a pair of leggings that still had working elastic. It was like shoving a watermelon into pantyhose—possible, but not pretty. She glanced at herself in the mirror—not bad.
Grey’s large flannel shirt was warm and cozy, plus it hung down low enough to hide the overworked waistband of her leggings. She braided her hair to the side and smiled at her reflection. Her cheeks held color for a change and she rubbed her belly, smiling at Izzi’s incessant kicks. “Okay, okay. Breakfast time.”
After breakfast, Etti gave Grey a kiss before heading down to open the Painted Wolf. His shift at Horney Wolfe didn’t start until the afternoon so he planned to do some research on Esme.
As Etti readied the tattoo shop for business she still couldn’t believe her good mood. She had been stupid to push Grey away the past few weeks. And she was grateful her mate knew her well enough to ignore her stubbornness and give her what she needed—his sexy ass body.
She still grinned at the memories from last night. Nothing was going to get her down today. She had the love of a good man and faith that they would weather this storm, carving their own destiny.
Etti hummed to herself while she went through her opening checklist.
Music blaring—check!
Register open—check!
Neon signs on—check!
Door unlocked—check!
Pants wet—check!
Wait . . . that wasn’t right! What the hell?
Etti stared at the puddle at her feet, warm liquid still trickling down her legs.
“Seriously?” she grumbled. “And I was having a good day!”
She couldn’t believe how awful pregnancy was. Why had no one warned her that she’d lose complete control of her bladder? She’d just peed five minutes ago and was floored that she hadn’t even realized she had to go again before making a mess on the floor. At least no one had been there to witness her embarrassing moment.
Etti headed toward the backroom to get something to clean the floor with, but with each step a new gush trickled down her legs. After spewing a string of expletives, Etti stopped dead. “Oh shit!” She hadn’t pissed herself. Her water broke!
“Oh my God,” she whispered.
Etti had spent the last few weeks praying for this day to come, but now that it was here she felt completely unprepared. She wasn’t ready. She thought she’d have a few more days to figure out a way to protect her baby. And until she did, Etti preferred to keep Izzi right where she was—safe and warm and protected in her womb. But as a sudden spasm of muscles gripped her, turning her stomach into hard muscle, Etti realized Izzi had other ideas.
“Not yet, Izzi,” Etti begged uselessly. She knew her time was up, but she still begged nonetheless.
She tried to get to her phone to call Grey, but another spasm of muscles gripped her. It was like someone was tightening her stomach from the inside out.
“Shit!” Etti gasped, momentarily forgetting how to breathe.
She was near fainting when Grey burst through the door that led to their apartment. Fear danced in his eyes and he lunged for Etti, catching her before she fell to her knees.
Greyson
Grey scented Etti’s fear from upstairs, racing down to find her about to pass out. He’d been in the shower and only had time to jam himself into a pair of jeans before rushing down to find Etti. His dark hair was wet, dripping onto his shoulders and chest, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was getting Etti to the clinic.
He carried her to the car and laid her on the backseat before getting in and speeding toward the shifter clinic. “Breathe, babe,” Grey instructed glancing in the rearview. “We’ll be there in a minute. Just keep calm.”
“I’m trying,” she growled through gritted teeth.
Grey dialed Cali while he drove. She picked up on the first ring. “Cali! Etti’s in labor, w
e’re on our way to you.”
“Okay. How far along is she?”
“I don’t know. Her water broke.”
“That’s good. Do you know how far apart her contractions are?”
“No. Do you want to talk to her?”
“No, just drive safe. I’ll get a room ready for her.”
“Okay.”
“And, Grey?” Cali said. “Everything’s gonna be fine. Just keep her calm.”
“Thanks.”
Grey ended the call and glanced back at Etti. Her forehead was covered in beads of sweat and he could practically taste the panic coming off her. “Babe, remember what we talked about last night. Everything’s gonna be fine. We’re in this together, okay?”
“Okay.” Etti hissed through another contraction. “But you need to drive faster and call Wes and Marc. Somebody needs to open the shop, and warn them about the mess I left.”
“On it,” Grey said grabbing his phone to call Wes. He got voicemail. “Wes, it’s Greyson. Etti’s in labor. We’re headed to meet Cali at the clinic. She’d like you or Marc to open the shop today, but wanted to let you know there’s a spill on the floor she didn’t get to clean up. Thanks. We’ll keep you posted.” Grey hung up and glanced back at Etti.
Her eyebrows were raised. “A spill?”
Grey laughed. “Dudes don’t want to hear about pregnancy fluids.”
Etti couldn’t contain her smile. “You just called Wes a dude.”
“So?”
“You always call him something rude.”
Sassy Ever After: Sassy Ink 3: The Hunter's Curse (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 3