Beastly Desires (13 page)

Sighing, Kaisal finished putting up the door then tested it to make sure it would be sufficient until he could get Naresh a new one. The broken pieces that couldn’t be salvaged were placed outside near the Dumpster and then he found himself washing his hands and pacing. There was lots and
lots
of pacing. Kamali was rightfully his as of now and vice versa. He and his pride would claim Callum, and if anyone challenged that, they’d know what the wrath of the gods felt like. That wasn’t unreasonable at all, right? His feelings were completely just. His mate and his son—because essentially that was exactly what Callum was—would be protected. They’d be welcomed. They’d
stay.

To say Kaisal didn’t want a war would be a lie. He craved it,
lusted
for it. Because it would lead him to Nico, it would lead him to the start of Kamali’s pain, the start of Callum’s. Passing up the chance to rip the motherfucker’s head off and toss it about like his favorite ball wasn’t in him. He wasn’t strong enough to walk away from the temptation, the call. He needed to wipe him from the Earth, to erase him from the book of life. It was instinctual behavior, a primal root that could
never
be snatched up. She had to understand she was safe with him, that she would
always
be safe with him. Kaisal needed Nico dead, needed to bring the lion’s lifeless body back to his mate as an offering—a show of his prowess as a hunter.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, bringing his thoughts to a halt. Naresh’s image appeared on the screen, his body hanging upside down from a tree while Basanti stood by with a stick. Kaisal had snapped a few pictures this morning for his own twisted amusement while his cousin beat his brother repeatedly.

“Yeah?”

“I believe it was
I
who said that boisterous, rather violent fucking would be taking place on my property—which of course means that whatever you’ve broken, I’d like to be compensated for,” Naresh stated from the other end of the line.

“That’s an option,” Kaisal replied, walking toward the kitchen. “
Or,
I could just refrain from sticking my hands inside your chest and playing air hockey with your intestines.”

“I’m sorry but from my understanding sex is supposed to make one pliant and agreeable.” His brother’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Was this one of those instances that ended in the words, ‘
I swear…this has never happened to me before’?”

“No but
this
can be one of those instances that ends with the words, ‘
Will the defendant please rise
,’” Kaisal growled. “What. Do. You. Want?”

The younger tiger made a noise that imitated a housecat screeching. “One is touchy at the moment.”

“
Naresh
.”

There was a sigh. “I called to tell you that Baz and I are looking after the young prince. He’s having a sleepover with some of the other cubs and hopefully no maiming takes place in the process.”

“There’s cocoa involved, isn’t there?”

“Yes,” Naresh said. “I was afraid of what may have happened to me if I didn’t give it to him. He frightens me when he doesn’t have it.”

“I’ll mock you later for that statement.”

“That’s if you can miraculously learn to speak with Kamali sitting on your face.”

“You son of a—”

“The cubs are asking for me to roar at them again!”

The line disconnected and Kaisal briefly imagined himself making Naresh into a balloon animal and then popping him.
Bastard.

Instead of continuing to think up different ways to harm his sibling, he set about preparing food for Kamali. He wasn’t sure if she’d had a chance to eat earlier in the day but as shifters their metabolic rate was a lot higher than humans because they had to accommodate the diet of a completely different species. Chances were, she’d wake up hungry and in a mood.

He puttered about until he found the basic ingredients for cabbage soup and fresh flatbread. As a cub, if he wasn’t helping herd prey toward his mother and father to bring down then he was watching them blend two completely different cultures in the kitchen.

Along the way, before he’d enlisted, Kaisal had picked up just enough to get by, and upon returning to Morrison he’d learned quite a few tricks to keep himself occupied, to keep himself calm. Cooking was one, listening to classical music was another, and if neither of those worked then he ran…
a lot.
Despite a shifter’s natural affinity for being in shape, if they weren’t careful their bodies could begin to repress the athleticism inherit to them.

Running gave his beast the freedom to unleash itself for a brief period of time every day and kept him on the same strict regimen the Navy had. Either way, it was a win/win. But running had been used for another purpose today. It had been used to chase down Kamali who, in those few minutes, seemed to be unaware of anything else aside for her desire to be caught. She’d purposely bumped the glass around his tiger and teased it into lunging. Then she’d laughed and the sound—the sweet, lyrical tone her voice carried—spurred him and he couldn’t stop, didn’t want to. The second he entered her, savored the taste of her perfect dark skin, he’d been lost. And like a kitten with a new home he loved, Kaisal didn’t want to be found.

Piling water, cranberry juice, soup, the flatbread, a few hunks of cheese, and a bowl of mixed fruit onto a tray, Kaisal attempted to stop the slight tremor in his hands and focus on his goal. Making sure Kamali was fed and warm and content.

He silently padded back to the bedroom and found her balled up beneath the comforter, the wild curls of her hair the only thing in his line of sight. Smiling, he set the tray aside and slowly crawled onto the bed. Kaisal reached up and tugged at the comforter but Kamali pulled back, grumbling.

Grinning like a loon, he pulled again and she groaned. “
If
¹
,
give Mama just ten more minutes, okay? Then I swear, I’ll come play with you.”

His brows winged and he leaned over her to whisper, “Will you keep that promise to come play with me even if I’m not Callum?”

She stiffened just a bit before the blanket was lowered, revealing narrowed eyes. “Kaisal?”

“Hmm?”

“Why are you in my bed?”

“Umm…” He angled closer. “Because we couldn’t sleep on the door.”

Blinking owlishly, Kamali pulled the comforter back up. “Go. Away.”

He was right to assume she’d be in a mood. “I brought you food.”

The comforter slipped. “Food?”

Kaisal tried not to laugh. “
Good
food.”

She made a face. “How good?”

“Basanti makes me cook for her.” And seeing as how his cousin was finicky and terrifying, that spoke
volumes.

Some of the skepticism faded from her gaze. “I’m not seeing this good food. Why aren’t I seeing this good food?”

Demanding little thing, wasn’t she? Standing, Kaisal gathered the tray and laid it out before her, complete with utensils and napkins. He settled down next to her and picked up a spoon. Scooping some of the cabbage soup into it, he offered it to her. She eyed it for a bit before taking it. The way her eyes closed seemed to be his stamp of approval.

Lips twitching, Kaisal broke off a piece of flatbread that he’d flavored with chilies, onions, and salt then fed it to her. Eventually she started to give him pieces in return. At least until she realized what she was doing and stopped midway.

“How do you
do
that?”

He put a grape to her mouth. “Do what?”

“Make me forget that I’m supposed to be mean to you.”

“Why would you want to be mean to
me
?” He batted his lashes. “I’m so pretty.”

Kamali closed her eyes and leaned backwards. “This is what my lioness chose to be locked to forever.
This
is what she wanted.”

“Yes,” Kaisal slowly agreed. “Because I’m
pretty.
Was this not understood the first time I said it?”

“I understand you’re insane.
That’s
what I understand.”

“And that’s overlooked because I’m—”

She slapped a hand over his mouth. “If you call yourself pretty again I’m going to change the proof of that.”

Peeling her hand away he said, “Actually, I was going to say it was overlooked because I’m an amazing fu—”

That hand returned. “Kaisal do you enjoy being able to pee while standing?”

He nodded.

“Good.” She removed her palm. “Very,
very
good.”

“Do I need to find cocoa in order to calm this violent streak of animosity?”

Kamali snorted. “That’s Callum’s addiction, not mine.” Her eyes suddenly went wide. “Callum!”

When she scrambled to get up, he pulled her back. “He’s
fine
.” She stopped and he brushed a palm over her shoulders. “He’s in the middle of a hot-chocolate-induced sugar high and practicing how to roar with Naresh and several other cubs.” Massaging the tense muscles there, he watched her slowly relax. “I can almost swear my brother will be covered in small bruises and teeth marks tomorrow—which will bring me great joy.”

He reached her mark and allowed his fingertips to play on the healed-over skin that had already knitted together and closed.

Kamali’s breathing changed and she caught his hand. “I’m a
really
bad mother.”

Kaisal paused. “What would make you say something ridiculous like that?”

“Perhaps the fact that I ran off into the woods with a man and let him rocket-bang me through a door? Or the way I dropped into a coma, just to wake up to said man
and
food and didn’t once think about—”

“Stop,” he quietly demanded and she quieted. “I’m not very sure what type of man would sit and listen to you bash yourself without reason but I’m not him, sweetheart. Callum is safe and warm and pulling chunks of my brother’s precious hair out. You’re safe and warm and basking in the glow of my stunningly beautiful body. I’d say all parties here win…except for Naresh but I couldn’t really be bothered to care.” Pushing her hair away from her face, he brought them nose-to-nose. “You don’t get to do that in my presence. You don’t get to call yourself less than you are. Understood?”

She swallowed. “I’ve gotten really lucky and I don’t know why.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” Kaisal brushed his lips across hers. “It’s clearly because someone thought you were deserving of my glory.”

When she smiled, he found himself completely and totally at a loss to any other feeling except the need to have her under him again.

Kamali’s stare turned wary and she slipped out of bed, seemingly feeling modest if the sheet she held to her chest were any indication. “Shower. Need it.” She backed away, still watching him as if she knew where his mind was.

He didn’t make any sudden moves. If she ran, she’d set off his instinct to chase, and they’d break something else. “Kamali?”

Stopping, she waited.

“You know you’re not alone anymore, right? Every one of your issues now belong to me also.”

“I know,” she softly answered before turning toward the master bath.

Kaisal could hear her through the door when she whispered, “And that’s what I’m afraid of.”