Forever's Fight (14 page)

With each minute that passed, her eyelids grew heavier. Focusing was difficult, as the need for sleep pressed on her. She glanced at the bedside clock and found that it was just before two in the morning. Whatever Luke had to talk to Patrick about kept him occupied for hours. She had been tempted to find him after she left the lab, but she didn’t want to interrupt.

Promising herself she wasn’t going to fall asleep, she let her eyelids drift shut and tried to run through the possibilities again. Something had to come to her, and sometimes ideas arose just as she was drifting off to sleep. She had very little time left if she was going to come up with a counteragent by the time Patrick and the others departed, but she couldn’t give up hope.

The bedroom door creaked open and she forced her eyelids open to find Patrick standing in the doorway. “You’re still awake?”

“I’ve been waiting for you.” She scooted up in bed and set the notebook aside. “Is everything okay?”

“Luke found some files I needed to look at before we left. If I’d have realized it was going to take this long, I’d have let you know. You didn’t have to wait up.” He stepped into the room and shut the door behind him, surprising her because he normally left it slightly open.

“I was working on LUNA, so it’s fine. Did you find anything interesting?”

“Enough that we’re leaving tomorrow.”

“That soon?” As he came up to the side of the bed, she could see the worry weighing on his shoulders. “What is it?”

“There’s something missing from the files. Luke found signs of something more sinister, but that was it. If he can’t find it, it’s not there. After all, he’s the best of the best. So, we’re moving on the place tomorrow.”

“What signs, what did he find? It’s a work day tomorrow. What about everyone who will be there?”

“Blake, Chase, and I are leaving mid-afternoon, but we won’t hit the place until evening. Andrew’s on the nightshift again so everything will be fine.”

She pulled her legs under her and reached out to lay a hand on his arm. “But you’re not fine. Something’s wrong. Tell me what he found.”

He tensed under her touch but didn’t move away. “You need to get some sleep.”

“The way I see it, we have a lot to do tonight. If you’re planning on getting any rest before you leave on this mission, you’d better start talking.” She took her hand away, pulled back the comforter, and moved over. “Get in here and talk to me.”

Silence and moodiness were draped over him like a second skin, but he untied his boots and slipped onto the bed to lay fully clothed beside her. She scooted close to him, and he lifted his arm to wrap it around her shoulder. Still, he remained silent.

She ran her hand over the thin material of his long-sleeved t-shirt. “We can sit here all night waiting for you to open up, or you can tell me and we can move to the fun portion of our night.”

“Fun?”

She nodded, and when he realized she wasn’t going to say anything more, he sighed.

“You were right about the threats against the children,” he continued. “The files suggest they might have followed through. I’ve got to get into the offices, and find the file that’s referenced in the email. Otherwise, we have nothing. If there had been enough time tonight to get there and deal with the situation before the employees came, we would have, but there isn’t time.”

“They didn’t. Please tell me they didn’t experiment on a child.” Her stomach roiled with the very thought, and she was certain she might vomit. She covered her mouth, forcing down the bile. What gave someone the right to hurt an innocent child?

“We don’t know anything for sure, but if they did, we need to find out what happened to the child.”

“Could they have lived through it?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer to that, but the question had been asked before she could stop herself, and there was no taking it back now.

“I don’t know, angel, I just don’t know.”

She tried to stop her thoughts from heading in a dismal direction, but it was nearly impossible. All she could picture were the shifters in the labs and the tortures that were done to them. How could a child live through that? He told her that shifters were only born, never bitten, but could this child shift if the scientists were able to get things right?

“We don’t know anything about the experiment or the child at the moment. It’s possible that it never happened and was only discussed.”

“It’s unlikely. If I learned one thing about Hathaway Medical, it’s that they like to put fear in people, but they also follow up on the threat if they’re given an opportunity.” She tipped her head up to look at him. “Would the child become like you? Would they even survive?”

“I’ve never tried to produce a serum that would change someone’s physical chemical makeup…and I’m not even sure it’s possible. I do believe that with some time and the proper equipment, a person could be given some of our characteristics. As for surviving the experiment…that would be questionable. More than likely, the first ones that were experimented on would die either from the process or from the changes within their bodies. The impact the drug would have on the body would be the killing factor.”

Her thoughts turned in a new direction, giving her a mixture of hope and fear. “If the child is alive, the family will need protection.”

“If there’s a child who needs our help, we’ll give it to them.” He leaned his cheek against the top of her head. “We need that file, not only to help the child, but also to expose Hathaway Medical for what they’ve done. We can’t stand by and let them hurt innocent children, ruin the lives of families. Do you see now why we must stand up against them? They won’t stop until we’re completely under control. There are too many at risks. Not just shifters, our mates, and children, but also civilization. They have already begun to see if they can recreate us from others. Maybe the goal is to recreate us into something they can control.”

“Every time I think things couldn’t get worse, they do. These actions make me ashamed to be human.”

“Not all humans are bad, just a handful are doing this. That’s the same with shifters. One lone shifter caused this outrage,and now all of us are paying for it.
”
He squeezed her tighter against him and kissed the top of her head.

“We’re going to get through this.” She held tighter to him and tried to banish the fear rising within her. As life became more dangerous day by day, she worried about him leaving on the mission.

“I know, angel.” He ran his hand along her back. “We
will
get through this. But at what cost?”

She couldn’t answer that. Actually, she could but she didn’t want to think about it. She had a feeling the cost would be high. The very thought of all she stood to lose if things went wrong made her stomach roll and heart beat faster.

It dawned on her that in the short week she’d been there, she had come to care about the O’Reillys, but more than that she had begun to fall in love with Patrick. He was the man who’d come to her rescue, and who hadn’t left her side since. He was just like the man she had always dreamed about, except she’d never thought her dream man would be able to transform into a lion. Even now, it didn’t bother her the way she’d thought it would. Love was more powerful than anything, and they’d get through this.
Together.

Clarissa took a deep breath, pushed her nerves aside, and leaned close to him. It was time to show him just how much she cared about him. To live each moment like it could be their last. With the impending mission, no one could guarantee what would happen. She wanted—needed—the mating connection, joining them through all of it. She needed to give in to what her body craved.

She slipped her hand under his shirt and ran her fingers slowly up his chest. She caressed the contours of his abs and dragged through the small patch of chest hair near his heart. She remembered the night he came to her, waking her from the nightmare, and holding her tight. That night, his chest had been bare, and now she wanted to see it again. To see and explore it.

“Patrick, I want you.”

“I have the unfortunate need to ask you if you’re sure.” He tipped his head toward her, and their gazes locked. “Though if you change your mind, I might ravish you anyway.”

“You’d never do that. Unlike some, you would respect my decision.” She pressed her lips to his, kissing him softly before drawing his bottom lip between her teeth and nipping lightly before letting go again. “Ask me if you must, but my answer won’t change.”

“You’re beautiful.” He tangled his fingers in her hair. “I can’t get you out of my thoughts. Nearly every thought I have is about you.”

She could feel her cheeks heat with embarrassment, but before she could say anything more, he closed the distance between them. His lips held just the faintest traces of saltiness from a beer he must have had earlier. Wanting more of him, she let her tongue slip into his mouth. They kissed as he slid his fingers under the hem of her nightshirt, gently pulling it up. When he’d tugged it as far as he could, he broke the kiss and pulled it over her head.

The warmth from the fireplace hit her as he tossed the shirt aside. Now that she was naked, she was more eager to get his clothes off. She started to pull at his shirt, but he stopped her.

“Don’t look at me like that, I’m as sure about this as I’ve ever been about anything,” she said, caressing his smooth stomach.

Seeing her honesty, he hopped off the bed and stripped. She suspected he was also overcome by a deep yearning. She tried to memorize the sight of him naked before he crawled onto the bed beside her. “Eager?”

“More than you know.” He caressed his hand over her hip, ever so slowly sliding down her leg. “I won’t give you a minute longer to question what we’re doing. No doubt allowed because once I start there’s no stopping.”

She stared at him, running her hand down his chest until she found his shaft. She wrapped her fingers around it and rubbed down the length, painstakingly slow. She applied just enough pressure that he arched toward her. She loved the soft moan escaping his lips. “I have no doubt,” she whispered.

“Good, because I’m going to make sure that doubt doesn’t return.” He pulled gently away which forced her to let go of him.

“Get back here,” she ordered, unable to keep the smirk off her face.

“Later. I want to take in all of you. Oh, what a beautiful sight that will be.” When she leaned forward, he placed a hand on her shoulder and lightly pushed her back down against the bed. He pressed his lips to hers with such desire that she moaned around his unrelenting kiss.

When the kiss ended, leaving her breathless, he whispered, “Beautiful. Truly beautiful.” He kissed down her neck and chest until he feverishly claimed her nipple. With that went her last shred of reservation.

“Please…” She reached out, placing her hand firmly on his chest. His shaft pressed tight against her thigh. In his arms, she felt safe and desired for the first time in a long time. She ran her nails over his chest, her need escalating.

He slipped his fingers between her legs, sliding over her clit, pulling the pleasure from her inch by inch. He thrust his fingers into her as his thumb continued to pull more pleasure from her core.

“I need you. Please…”

He rolled over, taking her with him, making her squeal. With her on top, he slid his hands over her hips. “Mmm.” He caressed her clit one last time before returning to her hips and lifting her gently.

“I’m normally shy, and I’ve never…I mean,” she stammered, unsure how to say it. It had been a while since she had been with a man, and even then she had never been on top. Most of the men she’d dated needed to remain in control of every aspect, and would never allow her to ride them like this. Excitement shot through her like an electric current. She was nervous but there was something about being on top that made this extra special.

“I want to see you above me,” he said. “But don’t worry…we’ll take it slow, and I think if you give it a chance, you’ll enjoy it.”

She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and nodded, giving him the permission to continue lifting her gently. Once he got her into position, he slid his shaft along her folds, teasing her until she arched her back and a moan escaped her lips.

“Please!”

Without further delay, he slid his length into her until he buried himself to the hilt inside of her. He kept his hands on her hips, helping her work his shaft up and down. With each pump, she began to find her own way. As she became comfortable, she picked up the pace and drove herself up and down, the pace increasing with each thrust.

He moved his hands away from her hips, leaving the pace up to her, running his hands along her body. He reached up to fondle her breasts, sliding his fingers over the hard buds of her nipples, teasing them.

“Oh, Patrick!” She tipped her head back, growing closer to ecstasy.

He grabbed hold of her hips and drove his shaft into her harder and faster. The frenzy had her moaning until she called out his name and groaned as her climax sent her over the edge. His own followed moments later as he buried himself deep within her one final time.

Kissing her neck, he stayed buried deep within her. “My beautiful angel, Clarissa.” He kissed a line along her neck, working his way to her ear.

“If you keep doing that, we’re going to have a double feature,” she teased.

As if agreeing, his shaft twitched, hardening against the walls of her core. “I think we can arrange that.”

“Mmm.” She moaned, teasing her fingers along his sides. Without moving off of him, she arched her back and looked down at him. “I don’t feel any different.”

“You will.” He put his hands on her hips and gently guided her off of him. When she was stretched out on the mattress, he brought her tight against him and pulled the blanket over them. “It will take a minute while your body begins to absorb my fluid. Then, the changes will begin.”

“Will it be painful?” she asked, needing the answer even though there was nothing she’d be able to do about it.

“No. You will feel a burning sensation tingle through you as your cells are rewritten to slow down your aging to match my lifespan. It will tie us together and you’ll feel my…emotions, I guess is the best way to put it. If you focus, you’ll feel my beast move within, and you’ll sense how it sways my moods. Within minutes, you’ll feel the connection with my brothers and Jade. Then it will be over.”

“You make it sound like there’s nothing to it, when actually this mating is changing my complete cellular make-up.”

He turned his head to look at her. “It doesn’t take away your personality or anything like that. It makes you better. You’ll be tougher, you won’t get sick any longer, but most importantly you will be harder to kill. You won’t age like the average human, but who wants to do that when you can live so much longer. You’ll always be active and full of life. Instead of barely able to get around, in some assisted living home.”

“Oh.” She rubbed her hands down her arms. “Flames. It feels like soft, warm, flames are licking over my skin and there’s a heat burning from within.”

“The heat is from the transformation of your cells. They’re dying and being born again as new ones, stronger ones. It will pass in a minute.” He rubbed a hand down her back.

“It wasn’t until just now that I realized I won’t be completely human, but I won’t be a shifter either. I’ll be in between, not really fitting into either group.” There was no regret in her tone.

“You’ll be a mate, and that makes you one of us. Whether you realized it or not, when you ran from Hathaway Medical you gave up on humanity. They’d have considered you a traitor. It was the first step on your path to me. You chose to make your new life with us, with me, and for that I’ll always be thankful.”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than right here with you.” She leaned closer and pressed her lips against his, giving him a quick kiss before pulling back. “Promise you’ll come back to me?”

“I promise, my sweet angel.”

Patrick dropped his bag by the door where it landed with a thump, and turned toward the main staircase as Clarissa came down. His mate. He still couldn’t believe he had convinced her to tie herself to him for all of eternity, but she was his. For now and always.

The mating had done wonders for her. The exhaustion, the dark circles around her eyes caused by her escape, had dissipated. Her pale skin had a healthy glow as if she had spent time in the sun. She was more beautiful than she had been only hours before. All he wanted to do was take her back upstairs, but he had to leave. He wanted to curse his luck, but he knew there were shifters in Hathaway Medical’s lab that needed his help, and that had to come before his libido.

“All ready, then?”

He nodded and met her at the bottom of the stairs. “Chase is bringing the SUV around so we’ll be ready when Blake is done gathering the explosives he put together this morning.”

“I want all of you to be safe, to come home to me.” She leaned into him as his arm slipped around her waist. “Especially you.”

“We will, don’t you worry. We’ll be back before you know it.” He kissed the top of her head and caught a glimpse of the SUV coming around to the front of the castle. “I hate to leave you while you’re still adjusting to this mating.”

“I’ll be fine. It will take me time to adjust to having the connection with everyone, but it’s not so bad. There’s like a rope connecting us, channeling your thoughts and emotions to me. It was nerve-wracking at first, but now I can see the positives of it.”

“If you focus, you can build walls to help block out some of it. When I get back, I’ll help you learn how to channel it. Until then, I’ll do my best to help block some of it for you.”

She tipped her head back to look at him. “It’s fine, I’m fine. I just want you to focus on this mission, so don’t worry about me. I knew what I was getting into, and I wouldn’t change it.”

“I’m ready.” Blake came strolling through one of the archways into the main living area, with Jade, Luke, and Austin only a few steps behind. “Sorry, need a few minutes?”

“No, we’re just saying our see you soons.”

“See you soons?” Jade leaned against the arm of the sofa.

“To say goodbye would make it too final. My family always believed that you should say ‘see you soon’ instead.” Clarissa stepped back and looked up at Patrick. “Because I know he’s going to come back to me, uninjured.”

“Chase and I will keep him safe.” Blake headed for the door. “I’ll see you outside.”

“I’ll be there in a minute.” Patrick didn’t even turn to him. Instead, he slipped his hand around Clarissa’s.

“By the way,” Blake called over his shoulder, “Welcome to the family, Clarissa.”

“Thank you,” she replied, as he shut the door behind him.

“Don’t worry about the home front,” Austin told Patrick. “You know we’ll take care of things.” He waved his hand toward the door, urging him out. “Luke has everything backed up from the system, and the CEO of Hathaway Medical, along with two others, have opened their email. Their computers are now infected, so he’ll see about gathering more from them while I begin working through the other stuff.”

“I’m here if she needs anything,” Jade said. “We’ll have some girl time while you’re gone.” She gave Clarissa a huge smile. “It’s nice not being the only woman here for a change.”

“I have no doubt that each of you will make my mate feel like part of the family, and will keep her safe while I’m gone.” He looked down at his mate, and for the first time in his life he felt the pain of leaving. “I’ll be back soon, but while I’m gone, if you need anything you let Austin or the others know.”