by Siren Allen
Carved into the wood were the words, Made with love... and lust. From Rhen.
Kaede’s skin heated. A string of smoke curled from his nostrils. That bastard Rhen. That leech was the one who’d been protecting his mate all this time. That ended today. And when he saw Rhen, he was going to rip his fucking head off.
The wood splintered. Kaede let the pieces fall to the floor. His mate wouldn’t be living here anymore. Therefore, she didn’t need this badly built dresser Rhen had constructed for her. Kaede would build her a better one. And he’d build it with Rhen’s bones.
I will burn his flesh from his body.
Kaede nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”
Kaede stared around the room. He’d been prepared to pack some of his mate’s items to take with them. Most of this stuff was probably given to her by Rhen.
Leave it. We will get her new things. Better things.
Even to his own ears, both he and his dragon sounded childish. Oh well. For his mate, he’d be that. He refused to let another male care for his woman. The only thing he’d take from here was a coat and boots. Despite the fact that she was a fire witch, he wasn’t taking her from the warmth of her home without a coat and boots.
And her red scarf. She seems attached to it.
Yes, the scarf and hoodie. He’d take that. If later he found out they were gifts from Rhen...
We’ll burn them.
Indeed. Kaede searched the room for the items his mate would need.
Bring her girly things. Our female cousins always liked soaps that smelled like flowers.
Right. Why hadn’t he thought of that?
Because you’ve never had a woman before.
“Neither have you.”
I pay attention.
“You’ve just been asleep. Things from the past are fresh in your memory. I can barely remember my cousins.”
Kaede found a backpack. It was a nice one. Black, leather, sturdy. She would’ve had to trade something valuable to get something like this. Or Rhen had gotten it for her. A growl rumbled through him.
He’d use it for now and burn it later. He began filling the pack with things his mate may need. Things that would be hard to come by at the compound. For a woman living alone, she had a lot of things.
Luckily, he didn’t find anything that suggested a male lived with her. Had he, he might’ve hunted Rhen down right now and ended him. Kaede shoved a comb and brush into the pack.
Both were hand made of what looked like bones and thorns from the filenlar plant. He shoved that into the backpack also, careful not to damage it. In a different drawer, he found items that she couldn’t have gotten from here.
They must’ve been things she’d had on her when she arrived. Kaede picked up a bracelet. Engraved on the inside of the bracelet were the words, Sisters are best friends you can never get rid of.
Smiling, he placed that item into the pack also, along with the rest of the items that had to have come from the Mortal world. These things would hold sentimental value for his mate. She’d want them with her always. Kaede opened the next drawer and paused.
Those are...
Kaede lifted one of the items from the drawer and stared at it.
Underthings. Those are our mate’s underthings.
Yes, the fuck they were. He knew he shouldn’t... that didn’t stop him from bringing them to his nose and inhaling deeply. They smelled like... soap.
Of course, they do. Her scent would wash off when she scrubbed them clean.
True. Kaede stared toward the bedroom door. If he wanted to inhale her scent, he’d have to go into the other room, spread her legs apart...
Do it.
Tempting as that sounded, he needed to get home. He wouldn’t feel at peace until he had her within the safety of his compound. Then and only then could they become better acquainted.
After zipping the backpack shut, he slung it over his shoulder. Assessing the room one last time, he looked for other important things his mate might need. He found nothing. If there was anything else she needed, he’d provide it for her.
Bag packed, Kaede returned to the living room to find his mate still unconscious. That wasn’t good. He leaned over her to make sure she was still breathing. She was. He couldn’t take her outside like this.
Find her jacket.
“That’s what I was about to do.”
And boots.
“I got this.”
And red scarf.
“Dragon, I know how to take care of my mate.”
She’s mine too.
Kaede paused. His dragon was right. Having his dragon back was going to take some getting used to. He’d grown used to being the only being inside his head. He’d grown used to making decisions by himself.
You’re not alone anymore. You have me. And we have her.
Staring down at his mate, Kaede nodded. All in one night, he’d gotten his dragon back and found his mate. Two things he’d once thought he’d never have, he now had. Blessed, was the only word that came to mind.
Even though he was living in hell, even though he still had a long way to go and he’d probably encounter more pain on the difficult journey ahead, he was blessed. His father’s motto, words he hadn’t recalled in years, drifted through his mind.
Dark times don’t break us, dark thoughts do.
This was a dark time for him. But he could no longer allow his thoughts to be dark. He could no longer allow his actions to be dark. He had his woman. He had his dragon. That added enough light into his world to chase away the darkness.
Soon, his woman would be in his home, where he could keep her safe from the outside world. Where she could meet those close to him, comrades who would help keep her safe. Then he’d have to find a way to protect his mate from those who sought to harm her. The Deciders.
Remember what our mate said about The Deciders? What if she’s right? What if the tasks they’ve given us all these years don’t lead to our freedom?
“That’s something to think about. The team and I will look into it when I return to the compound. Right now, I need to bundle our little lady up.”
Make sure all of her is covered.
Kaede resisted the urge to say, ‘I got this’. His dragon was just as protective of their mate as he was. He’d have to get used to sharing her with his beast. With the two of them working as a team, there was no threat they couldn’t overcome.
If The Deciders wanted this witch, they’d have to go through them.
They will fail.
“Damn right, they will.”
Chapter Nine
LOCATING HER CLOTHING was easy.
He found her coat and scarf hanging in the hall closet. Her boots were seated on the floor of the closet. Her gloves were inside the pockets of her coat. Putting her coat, gloves and scarf on her was no problem.
Putting her boots on her wouldn’t have been a problem, if she hadn’t awakened while he was almost done lacing them up. He finished tying up one set of bootstrings then grabbed her other foot, preparing to tie that set up also.
That’s when he noticed a shift in the room temp. The temp had been warm, cozy. In a split second, it became hot as hell. Squatting at the end of the couch with her foot on his lap, he raised his eyes to her.
He found her staring at him. His beautiful treasure. He’d spend the rest of his existence cherishing and protecting this female. Her beauty almost caused him not to notice the ball of fire she had in her hand.
“Treasure, put that down before...”
She hurled the ball of fire at him. Shit. He quickly shrugged out of his coat. It dropped to the floor just as her flames engulfed him. Within seconds, the blaze covered every inch of him, burning away his clothing.
He inhaled deeply and allowed his body to absorb the fire. His dragon roared, enjoying the feel of the heat. Naked once again, he eyed his mate. Her shocked expression let him know she was surprised he was still alive.
“Did you really just try to kill me? Again?” Kaede
asked, pissed off.
“Fuck you.” She raised her hand and conjured another ball of fire and began chanting.
“Don’t...”
She hurled it his way. Through the fire, he watched her seize up. Her screams tore through him, paining him just as much as her actions were paining her. He rushed to her side and wrapped his arms around her.
All he could do was hold her as she convulsed. Inhaling deeply, he absorbed the fire that had now engulfed them both. Thankfully, her body was similar to his. Fire didn’t harm her. It did, however, burn away her clothes.
He attempted to pat away the remaining flames, ignoring the feel of her breasts as he tried to stop the flames from burning away her shirt. With her convulsing, it was hard for him to keep the fire from spreading.
Like him, her body was a fire magnet. It wasn’t long before the flames were growing once more, enflaming them both. Ignoring the growls of his beast, Kaede placed his hand against her stomach.
Inhaling deeply, he absorbed the fire flaming around them and continued to do so until he’d consumed it all. He could feel her body trying to restart the fire. When he lifted his hand, flames erupted from her flesh, leaping toward him.
Shit. It had to be the spell she’d chanted before her body seized up that was causing this. He didn’t know what type of spell she’d used. Each time he put the fire out, as soon as he removed his hand from her, her body erupted into more flames that came hurtling toward him.
He had no choice but to wrap his arms around her and call on his beast for help. Her body continued to shudder as he held her close. His beast’s growls of anger filled him. Kaede was pissed off with himself also. This was his fault.
Finally, her shaking ceased and she passed out again. Only then did the fire inside her stop roaring and reaching out for him. He released her and laid her back onto the couch that her flames hadn’t touched. Weird. Apparently, they only wanted to harm him.
His beast’s growls rose. Kaede checked her pulse. It was slow but at least she had a pulse. What worried him was her body temp. The room was warm. Yet, his treasure was cold. He placed his hand over her mouth to check her breathing.
Shallow. At least she was breathing. They couldn’t continue like this, with her trying to hurt him only to hurt herself. He had to figure something out, soon. He also needed more fucking clothes and shoes.
He knew he wouldn’t find what he needed here. Kaede wiped the sweat from her brow. She was sweating but she was cold. She was going to end up being sick. It was rare for creatures on this plane to get sick.
Her trying to hurt him repeatedly was causing her so much damage. He couldn’t be angry with her. She didn’t know they were mates. That meant she didn’t know that trying to hurt him would only bring pain to herself.
Scratch that, it brought pain to him. Just not the kind she was trying to inflict. It hurt him to see her hurting. No, he wasn’t pissed off because of her. He was angry with himself for placing his treasure in this situation.
Because of him, she was unconscious. Because of him, she’d experienced pain. Because of him, she was... naked. Kaede stood up and stepped away from the couch. She was naked.
The fire had burned away her clothing, leaving behind tattered remnants of fabric, hiding nothing from his hungry gaze. His beast’s growled louder. This was why his animal had been growling. Not because he was angry.
That too. Mainly, because of this. Because of her. She looks delicious.
Kaede licked his lips. His gaze slowly roamed over his treasure’s flesh. Growls vibrated through him as he took in what belonged to him. And only him. His witch was sexy as fuck.
That feeling of hunger intensified with each second that ticked away. The need to be closer to her clawed at him. Or was that his dragon clawing to be free? Neither he nor his beast had ever craved anyone, anything, the way they were craving her.
Now he was the one perspiring as his heart raced. Kaede took a step back, fighting against his dragon’s pull to move forward. His mate was unconscious, vulnerable. Now was not the time for these feelings.
Yet, even as he thought that, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her body. Her skin was darker than his light brown complexion. His treasure was a darker brown. Like the hot chocolate she’d been drinking earlier.
He was one hundred percent certain she’d taste sweeter than the beverage. He wanted to find out. Everything in him screamed for him to find out. His dragon roared, heating him from the inside out and causing smoke to billow from Kaede’s nostrils.
Need her.
Resisting the urge to move forward, Kaede balled his hands into fists. She was weak from using magic against him. Her temperature was low. He should be worrying about that instead of marveling over the shape of her body.
He’d never seen curves like hers before. And her thighs, he wanted to spread them apart and drop to his knees... fuck! Kaede swiped his hand over his face. He had to snap out of it. What the fuck was wrong with him? A chattering sound brought his attention back to his witch. She was shivering. Her teeth were chattering.
Do something, his dragon demanded.
At least the creature was no longer focusing on her flesh.
Hurry.
Kaede was already rushing to the bedroom to look for more clothes. He found the items he needed. However, this time, when he tried to dress her, she fought him. Unconscious, she moved this way and that way, shoving and kicking at him in her sleep as he tried to clothe her.
Her spell is still at work. She’s passed out, but her spell is still trying to protect her from us.
Which was probably why her body was starting to convulse again and erupt into flames. Shit. This was only causing her more pain.
The spell views us as a threat. Stop being threatening.
How the fuck was he supposed to do that? He stopped trying to put clothes on her and moved away from the couch. The flames returned to her body and she stopped convulsing. She really viewed him as a threat.
She hasn’t had a chance to get to know us. We did try to kidnap her, didn’t we?
“Shut up.”
It was true though. He’d tried to harm her. There was no reason for her not to view him as a threat. And he wouldn’t get a chance to tell her he was no longer a threat until she stopped trying to kill him.
The teeth chattering resumed. Her body started trembling again. She was cold, despite the warmth of the room. Kaede stepped forward then stopped. If he got too close, the spell would only force her to convulse again.
He couldn’t dress her. But he could put a blanket over her. Kaede rushed to the bedroom and pulled the big fur blanket from her bed. Possibly a gift from Rhen. Not important right now.
When he returned to her side, he draped the blanket over her and tucked it in at the sides. Then he stepped away from the couch before his presence caused her more pain. He stood watching until her teeth stopped chattering and her body stopped trembling.
We need clothes.
“Fuck clothes.” He wasn’t leaving her side.
If she awakes and sees us naked, she’ll only grow more alarmed.
Damn it. His dragon was right. There was nothing in her home that would fit him. He searched her closets. He found some of her clothes that would fit.
Our mate is not a stick. She has meat on her bones.
Yes, she did, Kaede thought, smiling. She was perfect. Clad in her gray cargo pants and a black sweater, he returned to the living area to find her shivering once more. He touched her forehead. She was freezing.
Maybe she used up too much of the fire inside her.
“She’s a fire witch. Her fire is part of her. She should have an endless supply, like us.”
Witches are not like us. Their magic isn’t infinite. If they’re weak, it’s weak. If they’re strong, it’s strong. And their spells can wear off. Their magic can become unstable. Her trying to use it on us has made hers unstable. We need to find a way to warm her up.
There was only one way. His fire.
Her magic is going to rebel against it.
“I have to try.”
He couldn’t fit on the couch with her. With no other option, he scooped her into his arms, blanket and all, and carried her to her bedroom where he laid her on the center of the bed. As his dragon said they would, her flames engulfed them, burning away his clothes.
And the blanket. Fuck. At this rate, he wouldn’t be able to keep shit on. The cuffs! Kaede rushed back to the living area and retrieved his jacket that he’d discarded before her first set of flames had engulfed him.
Inside were his syringe and vial of sleeping toxin along with the power dampening cuffs he hadn’t gotten a chance to use on her earlier. They should work to dampen whatever spell she’d activated before passing out.
Returning to the bedroom, he placed the cuffs around her wrists then cuffed her to one of the poles on her four-poster bed. On her side, she faced the back wall, still out cold, still naked, with her back to him.
So much ass. Kaede stared up at the ceiling to keep from leaning across the bed and touching her. What kind of pervert was he for wanting to touch his treasure while she was going through this?
He was ashamed of what he was feeling. His thoughts should only be on keeping her warm. He took another deep breath in an attempt to reign in his desire. It took a few more deep breaths for him to feel in control enough to go look for another blanket.
He found another fur blanket on the top shelf of the closet. This one was black with white stripes. Someone had been hunting. Fuck you, Rhen. He draped the fur over his mate then climbed into bed behind her.
You need to be closer to her than that for her to feel your heat.
Closer? Not happening. His breathing exercises may have gotten his thoughts in check, but his cock was a different story. It had a mind of its own. And its mind was still on her ass.
Kaede stared underneath the covers. Damn, she got a lot of ass. He looked to the ceiling and repeated his breathing exercises. His mate’s teeth began to chatter again. The blanket wasn’t enough.
You need to be closer to her. She needs our warmth.