Cravings: Alpha City 2

by Bryce Evans

  Turning around, Kayden walked toward the restaurant as he picked up her scent. It was faint, so he knew she had been there maybe an hour ago. He turned around and closed his eyes again allowing his panther to guide him to their future mate. Kayden turned the corner, and her scent grew stronger. He was heading in the right direction. He smiled when he came to the doors where the arcade was located. Zoey loved playing video games as a kid and as an adult. He should have known that she would be in here.

  Opening the door, he scanned the area until he saw Johnny Ringo with his hands on his mate’s hips. Zoey was on top of a motorcycle game. His protective instincts kicked in as he stalked toward her. Before he knew what was happening, an enforcer came out of nowhere and had him against the wall.

  “What do you want?” the enforcer demanded.

  Looking the wolf in the eyes, Kayden showed him that he wasn’t just any kind of shifter. He was an Alpha and would rip his head off if he didn’t get his hands off him. Watching the Alpha hold his mate’s hips made his panther surge forward.

  “I’m going to get your Alpha’s hands off my girl.” Zoey and Johnny both turned around when they heard all the yelling.

  “Get your hands off me before I rip them off,” Kayden growled out. The enforcer could see he was an Alpha, but made no move to remove his hands from the threat to his Alpha.

  “Kayden? What are you doing here?” Zoey asked. Her voice was soft as she stared at him like he was crazy. He could see the shock in her eyes as she stared at him.

  “I need to talk to you, Zoey,” Kayden replied. He was about to let his panther out when he watched Johnny Ringo push his mate behind his back blocking him from her.

  “Johnny, stop. That is Kayden Lynn. One of the Alphas in Alpha City,” Zoey tried to explain as Johnny continued to hold her in place.

  “Let me go, Johnny. Kayden is my brother’s best friend. He wouldn’t hurt me or you.” Zoey pulled away from Johnny and went to stand beside Kayden. Zoey placed her hand on Andrew’s arm. “Andrew, please let him go. He isn’t going to hurt anyone.”

  “He said he was going to go and get the Alpha’s hands off his girl. I thought you were…You’re not mated, are you?” Andrew questioned her like she had been lying.

  “No we’re not mates, but even if I was, what business is it of yours or his?” Zoey pointed toward Johnny.

  Andrew nodded and let Kayden go.

  “Kayden, your panther is too close,” Zoey warned as she scanned the area to see if anyone noticed. He could tell that his eyes had already turned and his face started shifting.

  Placing her hand on his arm, Zoey rubbed her hand up and down his arm trying to calm him.

  Immediately, Kayden’s breathing slowed down. Once he was breathing normal and his eyes had changed back, she released his arm and faced Johnny Ringo.

  “Alpha, I had a wonderful night. I appreciate everything, but if you will excuse me until tomorrow, or I should say later in the day, I will go over all the plans with you then. Right now, I need to find out what is going on. Kayden won’t hurt me, so don’t worry.”

  “But Zoey, I don’t think you need to be alone with him,” Johnny blurted out.

  “Of course I won’t hurt you,” Kayden scoffed. He shot Johnny a dark look for even suggesting it. Kayden and Andrew both started to say something when Zoey held her hand up stopping them from talking anymore. It shocked him and the others as they watched this little wolf tell three Alpha males to be quiet.

  “Now, like I was saying. I need to talk to Kayden, and that will be in private. I will talk to you tomorrow.” Zoey turned and walked out the door. Kayden and the others watched as Zoey didn’t even look back to see if he was following her.

  “What did you do to her?” Kayden asked, and then ran out the door to catch up with her. He caught up with her just in time to squeeze through the elevator doors.

  “Can’t you wait a minute? What’s going on with you?” Kayden demanded.

  Zoey marched up to Kayden and got right up into his face and pointed her finger in his chest, backing him up against the wall. “What is going on with me? I’m here conducting business, and the question I should be demanding from you is what the hell you are doing here in Las Vegas? Why did you just try to attack the Alpha of the Las Vegas Pack?”

  “You didn’t look like you were conducting business, Zoey. It looked like the Alpha had his hands on your ass while you were riding a toy motorcycle!” Kayden shouted back.

  “Well for your information, smart ass, I was going for the championship before you ruined it, and no, he didn’t have his hands on my ass. He was trying to make sure I didn’t fall off. He was being a gentlemen and has been since I got here, unlike you,” Zoey scolded.

  “I call bullshit when I see it, sweetheart, and I saw the Alpha enjoying having his hands on your ass. I didn’t like it,” Kayden smirked then leaned up against the elevator wall.

  “So what if he did? What is it to you, Kayden? I mean really, what is it to you?” Zoey demanded. He could feel the anger coming off her as she glared at him.

  Kayden didn’t know what to say as she called him out demanding an answer, and he froze with fear of rejection from saying anything to her. He had never felt this way about anyone. She was it. The one. It hit him like a ton of bricks. Zoey was his mate.

  “Just like I figured.” The elevator doors opened. Zoey glared at Kayden and then walked out. He was scared to death for the first time in his life. He needed her like the air he breathed, and he planned on getting her if it took him a lifetime to show her how he felt.

  Kayden ran off the elevator and got to her just before she closed her hotel room door. “Just go, Kayden. I’ll be home in a few days once I get this deal signed. I don’t know what’s going on with you, and really, I just don’t care right now. I’m too damn tired. I can never have a little fun before someone ruins it and stops me by saying I’m too young, or I don’t know what I’m doing. It gets old quick. When I get home you can go back to dictating, but right now, I just want you to leave.”

  Kayden couldn’t believe what she was saying. He planned to tell her how he felt, and she was kicking him out of her room. The woman walked over to the door and opened it waiting for him to leave. Hell no, he thought. She is at least going to hear me out.

  “Zoey, close the door. We need to talk. I’ve been so stupid.” Kayden walked to the door and closed it for her. She wouldn’t even make eye contact with him. He could see how tired she was. Her eyes showed defeat. This wasn’t what he wanted. The look in her eyes was just like she had when she was in high school. It was never his intention to make her feel defeated. She needed to hear what he had to say.

  Slowly, Kayden picked up her hand and pulled her softly to her bedroom. Pulling back the blankets, Kayden gently sat her on the edge of the bed and pulled her shoes off. Her eyes drooped, and he knew that she needed to rest first.

  “Get in the bed and scoot over.” Zoey looked up at him. He could still see a little bit of defiance lingering behind her eyes. Instead, he picked her up and put her in the bed. Kayden kicked off his shoes before he climbed in with her and pulled her against him. She didn’t fight him but snuggled up against him making him immediately hard as a rock, but he wouldn’t take advantage of her. She was too tired and needed to sleep. Tomorrow he would explain everything.

  Would she even remember snuggling up against him when she woke up? Would she even remember him crawling in next to her when she woke up?

  Kayden felt more at ease than he had in years lying beside this woman. If he ever had any doubt that Zoey was his mate, this night cleared it up. Miss Malone was his mate, and he would prove that to her.

  Chapter 8

  Claudia Blackwood sat around the circle with her coven. Her anger would help when she cast the locator spell. She knew her daughter was still alive, but her location was a mystery. Her contact inside Alpha City told her that the Sentinels had her in a prison, and her magic had been taken from her.

  She
had plans already in progress, and she needed Metilda’s help to get them started. She could get her magic back. She knew that, but she needed to find her first.

  “Put her hair in,” Claudia growled out. Her eyes narrowed as the witch dropped her daughter’s hair inside the circle. Black smoke billowed up to the ceiling as the coven chanted the spell trying to locate Metilda. The prison moved constantly. They would need to act fast when they located her to get her out.

  The coven’s chanting got stronger as the witches swayed around the circle. Claudia searched the smoke looking for anything that would guide her to the prison.

  “Nooothing!” she yelled. The walls shook as her anger vibrated around the room. The chanting ceased as the witches stopped and bowed their heads as their leader fumed in anger. Fear filled the air as their leader’s rage flashed before them.

  “I will kill them for what they did to her. I will kill them all,” Claudia threatened.

  ****

  Ryder opened his eyes reaching out with his wolf trying to find the threat. Something jarred him awake. He sat up but couldn’t find anything. Looking down at his mate, London moaned in her sleep. She had been having nightmares every night since the Tree of Life took Metilda Blackwood’s magic. Me-Len explained that once the Tree of Life took the magic, it was placed inside of London making her forever connected to the Blackwood Coven.

  “London, baby, wake up,” Ryder whispered trying not to scare her. She didn’t move, so Ryder got a little louder, “London.” Her eyes popped open, but something was wrong. Her eyes were black as coal. “London. Wake up,” Ryder’s voice was anxious as London blinked a couple of times returning her eyes to their natural gray color.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” London leaned up quickly.

  It killed him to see the fear in his mate’s eyes.

  “You were having another nightmare, baby.” Ryder pulled her body close to his trying to take the fear from her, and if he was right, he was trying to take it away from himself too. Me-Len expressed what could happen if Claudia Blackwood ever got wind that London could prowl around inside their coven without anyone knowing. She might use it against us and make London her puppet.

  “I saw the Coven,” London whispered in Ryder’s ear. Ryder squeezed a little harder trying to calm his mate as he listened.

  “What were they doing?” Ryder asked.

  “A spell of some kind, but it didn’t work. I could hear someone yelling. She was mad because the spell didn’t work. I think it was Claudia Blackwood looking for Metilda.”

  Ryder sighed, “I will contact Jackson tomorrow and let him know that she is trying to find her daughter and to be on the lookout for her and her coven. I don’t like this, London. Please be careful being in her head, and don’t let her know you’re there.” Ryder looked over at her with wary eyes. He knew he should try and hide it from her, but he didn’t know how. She needed to be careful because Claudia Blackwood was not only crazy, she was also vindictive and dangerous.

  Chapter 9

  Zoey felt like she was burning up when she woke up. Her whole body was pushed up against something, and it was putting off a lot of heat. Opening up her eyes, she remembered what had happened and where she was. Any other time she would have been jumping for joy, but not today. Why of all days when she was having fun and someone was actually interested in her did he make his move? Why now?

  She wasn’t stupid. It had to be because she wasn’t falling down at his feet making him think he was the god he thought he was. Damn Alphas. They couldn’t stand a little competition. Well, she would show him the new Zoey, but of course her body was betraying her. Kayden felt comfortable pushed up against her. She could feel his thing pushing up against her butt.

  “Have you had enough sleep?” Kayden asked.

  Great. He’s awake. She was hoping she could have gotten out of bed and dressed before she woke him up and told him to leave.

  “Yes!” Zoey spit out between her clenched teeth. “Please let me go so I can get up,” Zoey demanded.

  “Why, so you can run away like you did before?” Kayden laughed when Zoey tried to break his hold on her.

  “Kayden, what is wrong with you? Why are you even here? I’m not fucking twelve years old!” Zoey was getting pissed off now. He thought he was going to control her, but he had better think again. She wasn’t going to take this from him.

  He leaned over and whispered in her ear, “You’re going to listen to what I’ve got to say before you get up and run again,” Kayden said in a voice that allowed no argument.

  “I don’t need to hear what you have to say. Tell me, how is your mate doing? What, you just left her at home while you ran off to get your kicks in Vegas?” Zoey joked, but she wasn’t joking, she was mad as hell. Now, he was here in bed with her. “Why are you in bed with me?” Zoey muttered.

  “So I could be near you,” Kayden whispered.

  Zoey froze. What did he just say to me? Zoey turned around in his arms, so she could see his face. “Kayden, why are you here and in my bed?”

  Kayden paused and looked in her eyes. “Because, I couldn’t stand to be without you another second. Watching you with Ringo pushed my buttons to the point I thought I was going to rip his head off, and I thought you might get mad at me if I ruined your chance at getting his account.” Kayden smiled, but she could tell he was being serious.

  “But why? You are going to be mated to someone else. Why would you come here and ruin what chance I have to find someone? Don’t you have enough?” Zoey whimpered as her throat tightened until she forced herself to swallow before she cried. This was just too much. He was teasing her now.

  “No, Zoey, I’m not going to be mated to anyone but you,” Kayden insisted when he lowered his mouth to hers.

  “This can’t be happening,” Zoey repeated to herself. But it was.

  The kiss was soft as his mouth found hers. He didn’t push her or demand her to open her mouth. He just lightly touched her lips as if he was about to slowly devour her. She needed to stop this before she couldn’t.

  Pulling away from the kiss, Zoey stared at Kayden not knowing what to say.

  “But you don’t care about me like that. That’s what you made me believe,” Zoey whispered. Her voice was trembling as he stared at her.

  “I know, and I’m sorry I made you doubt yourself. I thought that my pride wanted me to marry among my own, but I’m not like my father, and I want to marry for love. You, Zoey. I love you. I have for a long time.” Kayden blew out the breath he had been holding as he tried to explain what a fool he had been.

  “You love me?” Zoey was blown away. Not in her wildest dreams did she think he would tell her he was in love with her. Was he bewitched? Did someone cast a spell on him? Was he telling her the truth? A million questions ran through her mind as she stared at him.

  “I love you, Zoey Malone. I always have loved you; even before I knew it myself, I loved you. My panther knew. He always knew. He waited for me to finally realize that you were the one. Please tell me you feel the same way, Zoey.”

  She had fantasized about this moment for most of her life, but now she didn’t know how to take this. She was scared to death. Shaking her head she wondered if she was dreaming. Zoey reached over and pinched her arm. “Ouch.” Nope she wasn’t dreaming, but maybe Kayden was under a spell. Maybe Claudia Blackwood cast a spell on Kayden, and she was using him to get to me somehow. Zoey couldn’t believe this. It was just too much.

  Kayden exhaled loudly waiting for her to respond.

  “Have you? Maybe you have a spell on you, and it’s making you believe you love me. Because to be honest, I’m having a hard time believing you right now.” Zoey laughed softly, except nothing was funny to her. She knew he had to be under a spell of some kind because he couldn’t love her.

  “Zoey Malone, I love you, and I’m not under any kind of spell. I just finally realized it, baby. I’ve known it for a long time, but I was just too scared to say it. I thought that the pride
wouldn’t approve of you. Thought they wanted me to mate with my own kind because of what my father drilled into me since I was a cub. But, I’m not my father, and I don’t care what you are because you are my mate, and I love you, baby.” Kayden didn’t wait. He kissed her hard before she could respond. This time the kiss was demanding. His tongue slid across her lips slipping inside until she responded. Fantastic kisser, she thought, but then again, she only had one other person to compare it with. But this man, he did it for her. Her body tingled from his kisses. She could feel herself getting wet between her legs as he took from her. Licking and sucking on her lips and tongue. She was going into sensory overload as her body heated. All she wanted to do was strip and wrap her legs around him. Just from one damn kiss.

  Pulling back, he looked in her eyes. She could see how much he wanted her. Kayden didn’t stop there. He peppered her face with butterfly kisses then pulled her into him giving her another deep kiss. This time she responded as she tried to pull him closer into her.

  If he is under a spell, then I’m going to enjoy this until he wakes up. Zoey responded this time, stroking her tongue against his, pushing her hands through his short hair. She could feel her body embrace his touch as he ran his hand up and down the sides of her body.

  Zoey’s dream was finally coming true. She was going to have sex with Kayden.

  Knock, knock, knock, the pounding on the door was loud. She jumped thinking the door was about to come off the hinges.

  “I will go to the door,” Kayden commented. Releasing her, Kayden got up.

  “No, Kayden. Please don’t cause a scene. Please!” Zoey pleaded. She jumped up from the bed and stood between him and the door. It was like a cold bucket of water hit her square in the face. Reality of what was happening mingled its way inside her thoughts. She couldn’t understand what was going on and how fast it was happening. Could it just be he is jealous because someone else was interested? Self-doubt hit her hard as she looked up into his eyes.