by Bryce Evans
“I think your cabin is ready for you to move in, but now that your siblings are coming, you will need a bigger place. I have to look, but I think I have the perfect place for you. It needs to have a family inside of it.” Kayden knew the kids would love his cabin near Pier’s Point. The cabin has three bedrooms and a garage in the back with an attic. He would get Ryder’s crew over there tomorrow to get it fixed for the oldest boy. He would deal with his father later. Right now, his father wouldn’t have a clue they were with him.
“I like your mate,” Rose added. Kayden could see the truth in her eyes.
“I do too. She’s the love of my life.” Kayden laughed out loud. “It sounds funny saying that out loud now. I thought I had messed up with her. I…” Kayden closed his eyes, then asked, “Do you have a problem with my mate being a wolf shifter?”
Rose’s expression was of shock. “Absolutely not, Alpha. I think it’s great, and it shouldn’t matter what she is as long as she is your mate and supports the pride. Your father isn’t like that. He’s such a hypocrite. Prancing around like he is a great leader and saying he will do what he needs to do for his pride. Yeah, he allowed one of his own members to sell his daughter to him for his own gain. He isn’t a leader, but you are Alpha, and the fact that your mate is a wolf shifter tells a lot about you Kayden.” Rose explained smiling.
“Rose, I think you will make a great addition to the pride. I know Zoey and London are looking for a secretary for their business. I would like to put your name in the hat if you will allow me.”
“Really? Oh, Alpha that would be great. I need a job in such a bad way, and I will need to provide for my brothers and sister,” Rose admitted.
“I will set you up, Rose, and your family. I will give you money, so you can get on your feet. That is what a real pride does. We are family and we take care of each other.” Rose jumped up and hugged Kayden. Her crying let him know that he had made the right decision in getting the kids out before something bad happened to them.
“Thank you, thank you, Alpha.” Kayden allowed Rose to cry on his shoulder knowing she needed to get it out. Her family would be safe for the first time, and that had to be weighing heavily on her.
Rose pulled away, sniffing as she grabbed a napkin off the table. “You’re welcome and remember, Rose, this is what a real pride should do for each other. You can always come to me for help,” Kayden insisted.
Rose nodded her head then sat back down and wiped the tears from her face. Kayden heard the front door opening. He smelled Thorn’s scent.
“They’re here!” Rose jumped up and ran into the living room. Thorn moved aside as a younger man carried in a small girl followed by two other boys. Rose ran to the living room and dropped to the floor hugging them all. Kayden smiled as the little girl woke up and noticed that she was with Rose. Her smile was worth every moment it took to get them here. They all hugged until the little girl noticed him watching.
She moved so he couldn’t see her, which made his heart break. What had happened to her? Did other men look at her, or has someone already done something to her? He needed to put them at ease. Stepping forward, Kayden introduced himself first to the oldest, Titan.
“Welcome to Alpha City, Titan.” Kayden held out his hand and waited until the young man made his decision on whether or not he could trust him. Titan did what all young Alphas did. He puffed out his chest and reached out and grasped Kayden’s hand. His grip had strength in it as he lowered his eyes to him. “I know your sister appreciates how you have held the family together. She speaks highly of you. I look forward to getting to know you.” The young man’s eyes drifted up and stared at him, then nodded at him. Kayden could tell the young man has lead a hard life and doesn’t trust very well, so it would take time to gain his trust, and he planned on starting now.
Kayden stepped over to the other boys and shook their hands as well. He knew it was foreign to them when an Alpha actually shook hands with one of his members. Apparently, his father never did that. He probably looked down his nose at the kids. They were dressed in raggedy clothes that were torn and had holes in them. Tomorrow they would have all new stuff.
Then he got to the last one the one who would make or break whether or not he would succeed at gaining their trust. Getting down on his knees, he smiled at the little girl. Her hair was black in color and messy from lack of brushing, but it was her gray eyes that told her story, and it wasn’t pretty. She looked more than sad; she looked defeated. Nobody at the age of eight should look like this. Her young mind and body had seen more heartache in her lifetime than grown men and women have seen in their entire lives.
One of his goals was to make this family and this little girl happy and proud to be a shifter. His job was to show these kids that he wasn’t his father’s son. He was a different Alpha, and he would show them that every day. She broke his heart as she considered whether or not he was a good guy.
“Hello, Carina. Are you hungry, sweetheart?” Kayden thought he would start with food. Trust was going to be an issue with these young ones, but he would start tonight with giving them something they probably didn’t get enough of.
Her eyes bore into him, inspecting everything about him. If he was a lesser man, he would have squirmed as she took in every detail about him. He wondered if she could see into his soul as she stared at him.
He held his hand out and waited for an answer or a look to show she was hungry. She looked up at her sister who nodded at her, giving her the okay to trust him and hopefully walk with him to the kitchen. The room was deathly quiet as they waited for the youngest sibling to start the bonding. If Carina took this step, then maybe the others would as well.
With no emotion, Carina put her small hand into his and walked with him into the kitchen. Kayden pulled a chair out for the girl, and then went to the stove where Rose had food sitting in containers waiting for her brothers and sister to eat.
He pulled plates down from the cabinet and placed them on the table then put the containers on the table. Rose had cooked enough food for an army. Her army was now here, away from the man who was once a person he looked up to. He was disgusted at what his father had become, and there would be a day when he would confront him on all the wrong he has done to his pride and to this family.
The three brothers followed them into the kitchen, waiting and watching his actions. He placed five plates on the table and popped the tops off all the containers.
Thorn decided to make the first move. He sat down at the table and started filling his plate with food.
Carina sat at the table watching. She licked her lips anticipating the food as Thorn placed the fork into his mouth and groaned.
“You do cook good, Rose,” Thorn replied.
“Thank you, Thorn.” Rose came in and started putting food on the other plates then sat them down at the table. She motioned for the others to sit down. Once Titan the oldest sat down, the others followed.
Carina slowly picked up her fork and quietly placed it in her mouth. Her eyes continued to watch Kayden as she chewed her food. It was as if she was waiting for him to try and take her food away or make one mistake so he would be just like the others she had come across. He only hoped that he had passed the first test.
It was quiet as they sat at the table and ate. Rose sat between Carina and Titan and put more on their plates as they finished until they shook their heads letting her know they were full. They hadn’t eaten that much. Most likely they only ate one time a day, and their stomachs had shrunk.
Kayden wanted them to feel at home and knew that was a long way off, but at least they were finally safe and away from his father and theirs.
“Rose, tomorrow I will have new clothes and other items bought for them. In the hallway closet you should find what they will need for tonight, but I will make sure they are set up.” Kayden spoke with an authoritative tone.
“We will work for our food and clothes, Alpha,” Titan responded. This was his second test. They had never been given
anything, and he liked that about the young man. He would provide for his family one way or another.
“As you wish, Titan. I have a cabin on the edge of my property that needs some work done. It needs to be cleaned up along with some much needed yard work. I can pay you to do this, but until then, I will get what you need in return for your work. I need someone full-time doing jobs that I can’t do at the moment and was wondering if you would like to have a full-time job. If you would rather find one on your own then I understand.” Kayden didn’t want to pressure the children. He would have to ease them into school and things he would be giving them.
He could see Titan thinking about this offer, and he even wondered if the young man would be so stubborn as to turn his offer down.
“I agree to your terms, Alpha,” Titan answered.
“Great. You will be helping me out by doing this,” Kayden added. Titan nodded then drank from his glass. “What is it you are interested in, Titan? For instance, playing on computers, working outdoors, or even construction?”
“I’ve never had a computer, so I don’t know about that, but I love the outdoors, and I’m good at making things.” Titan didn’t elaborate and Kayden didn’t expect him to, but at least this gave him an idea on what jobs he could give him.
Kayden made eye contact with the others and smiled. “Well, I guess we can see what you guys may want to do. School starts back in two weeks, so you will have something to do then, but now I want you to think of this house as your home. We are getting your home fixed up, and Rose is in the process of looking for a new job. There are five bedrooms upstairs, and they are yours for as long as you want them.” Kayden got up to go and be with his mate. He could tell they were watching his every move wondering if he would take back the job opportunities he gave Titan.
He turned around before he left the room. “Welcome to Alpha City.” Then he turned back around and left the room without another word.
Chapter 25
Zoey had woken up a few minutes ago and listened to Kayden talk to someone in the other room. It sounded like he was talking to a kid because of the softer tone he was using.
Her curiosity got the better of her, so she quietly went to the door and peeked out to see who he was talking to. She was right, his tone was softer, and she could see why. Three young kids and one young man stood in the living room. Her heart broke as she looked closer at what the kids were wearing. The older one had on blue jeans that were too short for him, and the shirt he was wearing was dirty and had holes in it. His hair was long and needed to be cut, but she could see how good-looking the young man was. The girls would love him, she thought.
The other kids’ clothes weren’t much better. It was the little girl’s clothes and appearance that brought tears to her eyes. Her little dress was dirty, and the pattern of flowers that were sewn on it had faded, leaving no color left in the dress. Their shoes were worn out, and she could see that the older one’s shoes had duct tape holding them together.
Watching her mate take the time and patience needed to gain their trust made her love him even more. When Kayden held his hand out to the little girl, she knew that he would do what ever he needed to do to help them. This was her family, and by the looks of them, they had been through hell.
Whatever it took, she would be by her mate’s side helping this family have a better life here in Alpha City. Silently, she closed the door and crawled back into bed.
She laid back thinking of all the things she had gotten in her life and comparing it to Rose’s family made her want to cry. She was lucky and knew it, but what she did with that wealth and knowledge would be what made her the person she knew she was. She had never been so desperate to help others who weren’t so lucky.
First thing in the morning, she would help Rose get a job. Her business was looking for help, and London had already said that Rose had experience as a secretary. Then she would make sure those kids got the things they needed. It was disgraceful at how they had been treated. Her pack would never allow kids to go without, and neither would Kayden’s pride.
She understood what Ryder meant when she was younger. Alpha City was special. It wasn’t like the other cities and towns where shifters lived. They ran everything differently here. Helping each other and allowing their members to be a part of it was the key. We are all family, and we must cherish the young and the old. Zoey knew mistakes had been made, but nothing like this. She had never seen or heard of packs and prides treating their kids like this. The culprit would have been taken outside and challenged to the death for treating children this badly. There were no excuses for hurting kids. She hoped she got to meet the one who did this to them. She would challenge him herself.
Knowing that she couldn’t do anything tonight, she willed herself to close her eyes. Her body continued to ache, and she knew she needed to get her strength back if she was going to help that family and find a way to fight Claudia Blackwood. Zoey closed her eyes again and fell into a deep sleep.
****
Kayden stripped down to his boxers and crawled in bed with Zoey. All he wanted to do was pull her lush body up against his, and go to sleep. He was tired from the past week’s events. Now was the time for him to be on his A game. Claudia Blackwood was out there somewhere, and they needed to find her and fast before she succeeded in killing someone. Inhaling Zoey’s scent calmed his panther like nothing else. Her scent was like no other.
He pulled her closer to his body, inhaling deeper, needing her near him. She had had a close call today, and he never wanted to relive that moment again.
They had a lot to do tomorrow, but tonight, he would sleep peacefully knowing that his mate was with him and the kids were finally safe. He shut his eyes and tried not to think about how hard his mate was making him as she snuggled closer to him in her sleep.
Chapter 26
Zoey could feel his hardness pressing against her butt as she slowly woke up. She could tell he was trying to let her sleep, but his hands were rubbing all over her.
She turned around in his arms so she could face him. He had the strangest look on his face. “What’s wrong, Kayden?”
He sighed. “I thought I had lost you. I couldn’t have lived if that had happened.” Kayden’s voice trembled.
“But you didn’t. You saved me. You got to me in time. Remember we are not going to look back on this day with what ifs. We are going to start our life together,” Zoey replied, then reached down and touched him. His pupils dilated as she traced her fingers up and down the lines of his taut muscles. She knew she was teasing him, but she wanted to touch, taste, and smell every part of him.
His scent was pure musk with the added scent of the outdoors on a rainy day. It was the freshest scent she ever had smelled. Then she pushed him on his back and straddled him. Without warning, she leaned over and licked him. Kayden watched her every move as she licked and sucked on his nipple. She had his hands pinned down. She knew she couldn’t hold him down, but for now he was allowing her to be in charge.
“Zoey, baby, we can’t. You need to heal more. Your body has been through a traumatic event, and it needs to rest.”
She didn’t allow him to finish speaking when she grabbed ahold of his cock through his boxers. The hiss that left his mouth was worth the wait. She couldn’t and wouldn’t wait another moment to mate with him. Too much time had already passed.
“I’m fine, and I want you now, Kayden. We have waited long enough.” Zoey groaned then sucked and licked around his nipple; she then proceeded to nip her way down past his stomach. Finding the spot she was looking for, Zoey pulled his boxers down and off, then smiled up at him. His eyes had already started to glow bright green. She knew that she had him now, and she planned to make him forget about every woman he ever had in his life. She wanted him to only remember one person, and that was her.
Her lips licked around the head, then without giving him time to stop her, she opened and sucked him deeply into her mouth. Without ever experiencing this before, she wa
s glad when she heard the hissing coming from between his teeth and felt him grabbing her hair.
“Fuck, Zoey. What are you doing?” Kayden asked surprised.
Zoey released him with a pop. She looked up with tears in her eyes. Her heart was pounding, and she was scared that she had done it all wrong or hurt him some way.
“I’m sorry. I know I’m not like the others.” Zoey got up from the bed and hurried into the bathroom shutting the door behind her and locking it.
You’re just no good at this, Zoey. Her thoughts were running rampant inside of her. Again the words Jena and the other girls teased her with came back full force.
“Zoey, open up the door, baby. You took what I said the wrong way.” Zoey listened to Kayden, but she knew he was a good man and would say what needed to be said to get her to come out.
“It’s okay, Kayden. Really. I’m fine. I know you have a lot to do today with the family, and I’ve got to get to work early. I’ve got a lot to do too. If you don’t mind, I’m going to take a shower and leave for the office,” Zoey answered. Her voice was harsher than she meant it, but she needed for him to leave her alone for a while. She was embarrassed enough.
“No, Zoey. You open this door right now. We are not running away from each other. Zoey, come out now, or I will break the door down.” Kayden’s voice shook from anger.
Zoey moved away from the door and sat on the toilet. She put her head in her hands wanting it to just stop. “Why can’t things be simple for me, just once?” she whispered as the sting of tears she was holding escaped down her cheeks. She hated the way she felt all the time. No self-esteem wasn’t an excuse, she told herself. This had to stop.
Zoey was scared of mating for the first time in her life. She felt humiliated all over again, and this was her own doing. She just didn’t know what to do. She was inexperienced and was afraid to tell him.