Jesse sat at the table with the rest of the council, but I paced the room just behind her chair, eyeing the guards who stood beside and behind her brother at the other end of the table.
“…the Chief is in on it and he thinks Dad’s double-crossing him. I’ve told him three times that’s not what’s going on, that Dad got scared and he’s hiding, but Chief doesn’t believe me anymore because Dad’s not answering his phone. So he’s said if I’m in charge, then I have to show up with the girls for this election fundraiser he’s doing. He says if I don’t, then he knows Dad’s out there trying to take it all for himself. I can’t dodge this one. I can get the drugs elsewhere, but I need more women.”
Jesse’s jaw was tight and
~ JESSE ~It was naughty, and a little bit risky, but I was so sick of talking in circles, and I knew the males weren’t going to listen to me when it came to war strategy. So I told Cazz I needed a break. He just assumed I was going back to my room. He never asked, so I didn’t lie.I grimaced as I marched through the tunnel with Sven. Who was almost as protective as Cazz and immediately frowned.“Are you okay? I could bring Maya to you—”“No, Sven. It’s good for me to move. It hurts Maya.”“And you as well.”“In a different way. Anyway, this is going to be quick
~ JESSE ~I frowned. “Are you sure?”“Absolutely. Even your combined power takes from you. Even if you both held the power in reservoir for days ahead… no. There’s no question. It’s just too big, and too many people. And his comment that he wouldn’t know where to start is also valid—plus his skull would crack if he tried to absorb that much information in such a short period of time. No, no, you can’t do that. It will fail on several levels.”“Is there any other way? Another type of delving or power use that doesn’t take as much that we could—”“Jesse, as much as I hate to admit it, Cazz is utterly correct about everything you’ve
~ JESSE ~But then Cazz turned his glare on me and clawed both hands through his hair. “Please give me your word that you’ll never do this again. I know this was… well intended. But… next time let me send guards with you, and keep linked up. If nothing else, then for my own sanity.”I sighed and put a hand on his arm. “I really didn’t want to distract you from the Council. I knew you’d have to be there for another couple hours at least. I thought we could kill two birds with one stone.”“And did you?” He asked dryly, one brow arched. “Did this accomplish… whatever it was you were trying to accomplish?”“She was checking to make certain you weren’t being overprotective&hellip
~ CASIMIR ~I ground my teeth, but said nothing as Maya’s gaze grew more knowing—and more smug.“I’ve asked for your advice many times,” I said through gritted teeth.“No, Cazz, you’ve instructed me to care for your mate and son, and you’ve demanded answers about her pregnancy, even deigned to question my certainty in my advice. But about this issue there has not been so much as a yip.”Gripping my hands to fists I reminded myself that Maya hadn’t been hers
~ CASIMIR ~I snapped my mouth closed as my very smug mate winked at me, then started to turn away. But I caught her hand and didn’t let her do it.“Maya… Reeca…” I saidquietly, through my teeth. “Would you leave us alone, please?”‘Cazz…’ Jesse sighed in my mind.‘Wait until we’re alone.’It was a relief when Maya didn’t argue, or try to cut me down, but clucked at the girl and pushed to her feet, groaning about pain in her back, but hobbling as quickly as she could, urging Reeca to join her. I ignore
~ JESSE (two days later) ~‘Now, you take the flows this time and—’‘Cazz! No! I’m not good at this part.’‘There’s only one way to get better. Isn’t that why we’re here?’‘Yes, but… if I get it wrong I could kill the poor thing.’‘Better to kill a chicken now, than an innocent human next week, right?’I hated it when he was right. The truth was, I knew I needed to stop avoiding taking control when we were wielding. But I was already exhausted, a
~ CASIMIR ~Shit.“What… what did I do?” Jesse murmured in a very small voice.“This is why we practice on chickens,” I muttered, turning her away from the little carcass that her eyes were wide and fixed on in horror.“But—”“Jesse, listen to me. Look at me. Jesse, look at me.”I took her chin in my fingers and turned her head around, forcing her to look at me, mentally cursing when I saw the tears welling in her beautiful eyes. But she locked on and I felt the bond thrum as I nodded.
~ CASIMIR ~I’d intended to take Jesse back to the caves for the evening meal, but I knew faltering confidence when I saw it. And I knew if we stopped now and let her rest on the back of that blow, she wouldn’t recover in time for what we had to do.So, much as I hated to do it, I pushed her.Reaching back into the link to find Ghere, I asked him to arrange for food and refreshment to be brought to us, along with some pillows and blankets for comfort so I could feed her without sitting in the dirt. But I didn’t let her know I was doing it. As far as she knew, I just removed the chicken’s carcass from view, then kept her in the power, both of us holding it together, but splitting the four remaining chickens so that she was compelling two, while I compelled the others.
~ CASIMIR ~I was pretty sure if I didn’t get inside her, I was going to eat her alive.Scooting with her in my lap, still straddling me, I got her so both my knees and her back were flat against the wall. Then I flipped open the wide, leather cuffs that had been secured directly to the wall and first lifted one of her hands, to strap it in so her hand was levered above her shoulder, but with her arm comfortably bent so she could relax. Then I did the same with her other hand on the other side.So I straddled the banana-seat, while she straddled me and her hands were secured to the wall behind her.Her breasts rose and fell with her heavy breathing, and her eyes were bright with desire.Overwhelmed again with how much thought she’d put into this, for a moment I just took her face in my hands and kissed her. But that drew us together—my cock pressing against her, and I couldn’t resist rolling my hips, teasing
~ CASIMIR ~“I made a new Den,” Jesse whispered, her hands over her mouth, staring up at me—those beautiful eyes wide, but also a little fearful. “I know it’s not the same, but I got Ghere to help me because he remembered what things you’d had before and… I hope you like it.”Like it? Was she serious?My heart was slamming against my ribs, and I was having trouble breathing.The room seemed smaller than I remembered because the walls were painted a dull black. But the tighter space than what I’d had down next to the Den just made it feel more intimate.There were two lamps, one on each end, and a chandelier high above. Candles everywhere, though she hadn’t lit mo
~ JESSE ~It was Cazz’s turn to plan the monthly date. But I was humming about this one. Things were finally ready, and impossibly, Ghere had helped me successfully pull off the surprise. But I still had to figure out how to get Cazz there without ruining it.He’d taken me out to the meadow again—my favorite date. Though we’d enjoyed several others now too—and we’d just finished eating. He was leaning back against the cab of the truck, looking out at the city lights, his brows a little heavy.“What are you thinking about?” I asked him, though I had a hunch.He had his arm around me and I was leaning on his shoulder. His hand trailed up and
~ CASIMIR ~I came out of the bathing room after a long bath rubbing my hair with a towel, to find my mate standing in the middle of the chamber with her arms folded and looking sternly at my daughter, who sat on the floor in nothing but a diaper, with her chubby legs straight out. She, too, had her arms folded and her lips pursed in the perfect reflection of her mother.The two glared at each other and half my heart went cold, while the other half wanted to splutter with laughter.“Abigail, I have told you—”“No!”Our daughter could only get her tongue around a few words so far, but
~ JESSE (a few weeks later) ~I had just finished nursing Abigail and was holding her on my lap while Reeca sat with me on the couch.Her eyes were bright and she was beginning to smile, so I was tickling her cheeks to see if I could get her to do it. But she was sleepy because she’d just eaten and only yawned and cooed.“She’s a very calm baby,” Reeca commented from the other end of the couch, smiling. She loved babies, and had been so helpful when I was tired—and just for reassurance for me.She was a calm presence in any room, and with Abigail, she showed a lot of delight and joy that she seemed to stifle in other areas of her life.“Reeca,” I said carefully, because I’d b
~ JESSE ~I was too tired to do more than lift my hands to his neck, so I just curled my face into his chest and let him settle us into the chair, cradled in his arms with my ass in his lap.When he’d sat, I had my head resting on his shoulder and my body curled in his arms.“Do you hurt?” he asked quickly.“No, just tired, like I said.”I felt him relax a little then and another chill started in my blood.“Cazz… what’s happened?” I asked quietly.He turned his head to meet my eyes and lifted his hand to comb hair back from my face. His throat bobbed, but his touch was g
~ JESSE (Hours later) ~My dreams were disturbing—my body in pain, screams of terror, darkness, the floor shaking, the mountain falling, humans fleeing and wolves…I tried to break free, tried desperately to open my eyes and to speak, because I knew I was asleep. But all I did was fade… in and out. The nightmares, or nothing.And through it all, his voice.“Heal… live.”My heart ached. My body hurt. My chest didn’t want to expand. It was as if my flesh fought his words, and I didn’t understand.But finally, the dreams faded and I could hear a heartbeat. Little, and quick. And feel warm flesh. And the breath of my m
~ CASIMIR ~I felt the moment the power went out of Jesse. The entire mountain felt it.I howled with triumph and shifted, sprinting towards the room, ecstatic when there was no sense of Maya gripping my mind or stealing anything from me. But of course, there was no power left for her to steal.I prayed and pleaded and ran, Rory and the others coming in my wake. And the moment I broke through that door in my wolf—the only power left to me anymore—everything slowed. Though my body whipped and my mind was singularly focused, it was as if everything happened in slow motion.I caught a bare glimpse of Jesse on the bed, and at first my heart leaped. She was moving, awake, aware,
~ JESSE ~Maya had me sitting up in the bed, curled forward, gripping my knees. Reeca on one side, helping prop me up, a guard on the other.My body was nothing but a conduit for pain. Wave after wave, my entire lower body condensing, contracting, pushing to get this baby out. I could barely think.Cazz was there, so quiet, so distant, but there, calling his encouragement and pushing love at me through the bond.There was a moment when I thought I wouldn’t make it, when I thought my body would give and I would just drift away.But then I caught Maya smiling. Leaning forward between my legs, reaching, grasping, for