Red Moon Rising (23 page)

“Stop it, both of you!”  Bree’s voice broke through his
cloud of rage, and James whipped around to stare at her.  He sighed harshly at
her white face, and the way her body was shaking with fear.

“Bree, honey, I’m sorry.  Don’t be afraid.  I – “

“I’m not afraid!”  She snapped at him.  “I’m angry.  I don’t
belong to you James.”

He blinked in surprise and behind him, Kaden snickered
loudly. Bree turned on her brother.

“Nor do I belong to you Kaden.”  She spat.  “I’m an adult,
and I can make my own decisions about what or who I want.”

“Bree – “

“Be quiet Kaden!”  She shouted and he took a step back,
staring at her in astonishment.

“I’ve had enough of both of your ridiculous behaviour.”  She
glared at them.  “I understand that you both are looking out for me, but that
doesn’t give you the right to argue like spoiled children over how I will live
my life.”

She turned to James.  “I would like to speak to my brother
in private.”

He frowned.  “Bree, that isn’t a good idea.  He – “

She shook her head.  “James, he’s my brother.  He’s not
going to hurt me for the gods sake.  Please, give us some privacy.”

James hesitated and her face softened at the look of hurt on
his face.  She cupped his face.  “Do not look at me like that my love.  I will
join you shortly.”

He took her hand and squeezed it almost painfully.  “Do you
promise?”

She smiled at him.  “Of course I do.”

She stood on her tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on his
mouth.  He kissed her back and gave her a brief, hard hug.  “I love you Bree.”

“I love you too.”

He continued to stare at her, holding her tightly against
his body, and behind them Kaden snorted disdainfully.  “Go on Lycan, you’re
dismissed.”

James tensed against her and she scowled at her brother. 
“Stop it Kaden.”

With a final glare at her brother, James turned and left the
room.  Kaden smiled at him impudently as Bree walked towards him.  She shoved
him hard, and he winced as he stumbled back.

“I said stop it Kaden.”  She hissed at him.

He gave her his own look of hurt.  “Bree, what’s happened to
you?”

“Nothing has happened to me Kaden.  I won’t be treated like
some object for the two of you to fight over.”

He glared at her.  “The Lycan treats you like you’re his
property!  He told me himself that you belong to him, that you’re his – his
mate.  Are you honestly okay with that?”

She sighed.  “Kaden, the Lycans are different from the
humans.  They can be overly protective and possessive of their loved ones. 
James knows that I do not actually belong to him.  It is just his way of
letting others know that we are together.  When James calls me his mate it
means only that he loves me, that he – “

“Loves you?  Bree, the Lycans are incapable of love.  You
should know that better than anyone!”  Kaden ran his hand through his hair in
frustration.  “You spent two years being tortured by Lycans, and yet now you’re
professing your love for one?  Have you gone mad?”

She squeezed his arm lightly.  “You cannot paint all Lycans
with the same brush Kaden.  These Lycans are not like Draken.  They are good
and kind, and they love their family the same way we love ours.”

“I do not believe that.”

She gave him her own look of frustration. “Now who has gone
mad?  These Lycans risked their lives to save me from Draken.  Sophia offered
herself as a bargaining chip.  James and Avery saved your life for the gods
sake!”

She shook him lightly.  “When I first came here, I was like
you.  Even though James had saved my life, I didn’t trust any of them.  I tried
to run away.  I was attacked by faeries in the woods, and they risked their
lives to save me.  They have been nothing but kind to me since the moment I met
them.”

“Bree, he was only being kind to you because he wanted to
sleep with you!”  Kaden shouted.

She laughed a little. “You’re wrong Kaden.”

“I am not!”  He snapped.  “You are young and naïve to the
ways of men.  The Red wanted what you had to offer and like a fool, you gave it
to him.  Gods Bree, he is a Lycan!  Every time he takes you to his bed, he
could kill you!  Did you ever think of that?”

She paled and stepped away from him like he had slapped
her.  He knew immediately that he had gone too far, and he gave her a pleading
look.  “I’m sorry Bree.  I did not mean that.  I’m just – I’m tired and I’m
confused, and I don’t understand how you can trust the Lycans after everything
they have done to you.”

She crossed her arms over her torso and stared silently at
him for a moment.  “Listen carefully to me Kaden.  James would never hurt me. 
Not in his bed or anywhere else.  And before Draken showed up, James and the
others were devising a plan to rescue you.  They were going to go to Draken’s
home and save you – a man they had never met – because you were my brother, and
because they think of me as part of their family.  I did not ask them to rescue
you, they volunteered.”

He gave her another look of confusion.  “It doesn’t mean
they have your best interest in mind.  I’m your brother – I love you and I want
to keep you safe.”

She smiled at him.  “James loves me too Kaden.”

“Please Bree, we cannot stay here.  It isn’t safe.”

“Yes it is.  Draken is still alive.  He will come after us
again.  You know he will.”

“Which is why we should leave.  Draken knows where we are.”

“And where would we go?  I only have a little money, and you
have none.  How long will we survive on our own?”

“We did just fine on our own before.  I kept you safe, did I
not?”  He said quietly.

“Aye, you did.  And I will always be grateful to you for
that.  I know how difficult it was for you to care for me after our parents
died.  I know that I would be dead if it wasn’t for you.”

“Then trust me and leave this place with me Bree.”  He
pleaded.  “I will take care of you.”

“I won’t leave him Kaden.”  She said softly.  “I love him
and cannot live without him.”

“So that’s it then?  You’re choosing him over me?”

“I’m not choosing anyone.  I love you both equally.”

He tried one final time, desperation evident in his voice. 
“Please Bree.  If you love me the way you say that you do, then you will leave
this Lycan and come with me.”

She smiled sadly at him.  “If you love me, you will not ask
me to make such a choice.”

He felt a rush of shame and stared down at the floor.  “I’m
so tired Bree.  I’m tired of being afraid.  I’m tired of being hungry and cold,
and worried that the only person I care about is going to be hurt.”

She put her arms around him, and he bent and buried his face
in her neck.  “I’m so sorry Bree.”

“I know honey.”

He raised his head and stared gravely at her.  “I can’t stay
with the Lycans Bree.  You know I cannot.”

She sighed sadly.  “I know.  But will you do me a favour?”

“What?”

“Stay for a few weeks.  You’re tired and starving, and you
need to rest.  Take some time to regain your strength before you leave. 
Please.”

 “You want me to see that the Lycans are good and can be
trusted.  You believe if I stay here I will become friends with them like you
have.” 

An image of Sophia, her dark eyes full of pain and fear staring
up at him as he urged her to breathe, flickered through his head.  He shook his
head to clear it and stared at his sister.  “It will not work Bree.”

She smiled at him and rubbed his arm gently.  “I’m asking
you to stay awhile because you need rest, and because I have missed you.”

He bent and kissed her roughly on the forehead.  “I will stay
for two weeks and then I’m leaving.”

“Alright.”  She sighed resignedly.  “I love you Kaden.”

“I love you too Bree.”

James sighed with relief when Bree entered their room.  He
had told her brother that Bree would never leave him, but there was a small
part of him that was filled with doubt.  He gave her a nervous smile as she
closed the door and leaned against it.

“Are you alright little one?”

“Yes.”

He gave her another nervous look and she smiled at him. 
“I’m not leaving you James.”

He couldn’t hide the relief on his face as she crossed the
room and wrapped her arms around his waist.  “I love you, and I want to be with
you.”

He kissed the top of her head before resting his chin on
it.  “Did you convince your brother to stay?”

She didn’t reply and he stared down at her, his chest
tightening at the look of sorrow on her face.  Tears glinting in her eyes, she
shook her head.  “He said he would stay for a couple of weeks but then he was
leaving.”

“I’m sorry.”  He rubbed her back soothingly as the tears
started to slip down her cheeks.

“Me too.”  She sighed.

Feeling guilty, he tightened his grip on her.  “Maybe once
he sees how happy you are with us, he’ll want to stay.”

“I doubt it.  My brother hates the Lycans.  I knew he did
but I was hoping that he would – “

She shook her head.  “It does not matter.  He’s made his
choice and I’ve made mine.”

“Bree, I don’t want you to regret – “

She put her hand over his mouth.  “Stop m’lord.  I will
never regret my decision to stay with you.”

He suddenly lifted her until she was eye level with him. 
She smiled and stroked his face softly before kissing his nose.  “I love you.”

“I love you too.”  He hesitated and then gave her an earnest
look.  “Will you marry me Bree?”

She blinked at him, her mouth dropping open a little, and he
hurried on.  “I don’t have a ring and I guess I should be down on one knee but
I – “

He set her on her feet and smacked himself on the forehead.
“Gods, I’m making a mess of this aren’t I?”

He startled her by suddenly dropping to one knee and
gripping her hand tightly.  “I love you Bree.  Will you marry me?  I’ll buy you
the prettiest ring I can find, and we’ll have a big wedding and I’ll take you
into the city to buy a wedding dress.  Or you can wear pants – I don’t care.  I
just want you to be my mate, I mean, wife.  I promise I’ll take care of you for
the rest of my life and – “

“James, stop.”  Her cheeks were still wet with tears but her
eyes were filled with delight.  “Yes, I’ll marry you.  And I don’t need a ring
or a fancy wedding.  I just want you.”

She bent and kissed him hard on the mouth, and he scrambled
to his feet and picked her up.  She squeaked in surprise as he spun her in a
circle.  “I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy Bree.  I promise you.”

“You already make me happy James.”  She kissed him and
smiled.  “Let’s tell your family.”

“They’re your family now too Bree.”  He grinned like a small
boy, and whirled her around once more before setting her gently on her feet. 
“Come, we will tell them over breakfast.”

* * *

“You must be the young Bree’s brother then?”

Kaden looked up at the older man who was coming down the
center aisle of the barn.  After his conversation with Bree, he had escaped the
house and went to the barn.  He had lost his appetite and he knew the Lycans
would soon be gathering for breakfast.  He had been petting the large black
stallion the Lycans had given him to ride, when the man came clomping out from
the other end of the barn.

“Aye, I am.”

“You don’t look like her.”  The man eyed him up and down
before wiping his hand on his pants and holding it out.  “I’m Ian.  I work for
the lord Tristan.”

Kaden sighed with relief.  The old man was a human then. 
The Lycans would never have one of their own kind working for them.  He shook
the man’s hand.  “I’m Kaden.”

“Good to meet you.”

Kaden was pushed forward by the nose of the stallion, and he
grinned a little and turned back towards it.  He petted its head roughly and
the stallion butted him lightly in the chest. 

“The others will be eating breakfast soon.”  Ian said
conversationally.

“I’m not hungry.”

“Well then, make yourself useful and brush Samson.  Tristan
has so many horses now that I’m having trouble keeping up with the work.”

Kaden took the brush Ian was holding out and began to brush
Samson’s shiny coat.  “Aye, the lady of the house mentioned that to me.”

“Did she now?”  Ian had moved into an empty stall across
from him and was shovelling out the old hay and manure.  “Tristan has been
promising me an extra man for weeks now but he’s been a bit preoccupied as of
late.”

Kaden grunted in reply and continued to brush down the
stallion.  Ian kept up a steady stream of chatter as he worked, and Kaden was
surprised to realize that he found the old man’s chattering to be soothing.

“How did you come to work for the Lycans?”  He asked when
Ian paused to draw breath.

Before Ian could answer, the door to the barn opened and
Sophia stepped in and smiled at Ian.  “Breakfast is ready Ian.”

Ian leaned his shovel against the side of the stall and
wiped his hands again. “Is it?”

“Aye, and Marian said she wasn’t bringing it out to you. 
She said it was time for your weekly visit to the house.”

Ian laughed.  “I guess I’d better go then.”

He nodded to Kaden and stopped to give Sophia a brief hug. 
“I’m glad you are okay sweet Sophia.”

She smiled and kissed the old man’s cheek.  “Thank you Ian. 
Please tell the others to start without me.  I’ll be there in a minute.”

He nodded and gave Kaden a friendly wave before leaving the
barn.  Kaden stepped out of the stall and latched the door carefully before
joining Sophia in the middle of the aisle.

“Hello Kaden.”

“Hello Sophia.  How’s your shoulder?”

“Much better.”  She frowned when he reached up to put the
brush on a shelf on the wall and flinched.  His hand rubbed at his side.

“Are you hurt?”  She took a step forward and reached out to
touch his side, before she thought better of it.

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s obviously not nothing.”  She replied.  “I saw you
flinch.  Is it from the stabbing?”

“No.”

“Show me.”

“It’s fine, I said.”  He glared at her and she glared back
at him, her dark eyes flashing fire.

“Let me see your side human.”

“For the love of the gods…” He rolled his eyes and lifted
his shirt briefly to show her the dark bruise on his side.  “A little gift from
your oafish brother.”  He rubbed the bruise, his gaze darkening as he
remembered how the one named Nicholas had kicked him in the ribs.

“I’m sorry.”  To his surprise she actually did look sorry. 
“My brothers can be… protective.”

“Aye, I’ve seen the way your brother
protect
s my
sister.”

She frowned.  “What do you mean?”

He gave her a dry look.  “He treats her like she’s his
property.  Like he owns her.”

“It isn’t like that.  James loves Bree and would do anything
for her.”

“As long as she does what he tells her, is that it?”

She blew her breath out in a frustrated snort.  “No. 
Perhaps you should not make snap judgements about people until you actually get
to know them.”

“You’re not people – you’re Lycans.  And apparently, you’ve
all fooled my sister into believing that your brother is good for her.”

“He is good for her.”  She said steadily.  Her cheeks were
flushed, and her nostrils were flaring as her anger with him grew.  “And
perhaps you don’t like my brother’s possessiveness for Bree because it reminds
you of yourself.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”  He glared at her as she
stepped closer to him.

“You know exactly what it means.”  She said softly.  “You’re
more similar to my brothers than you care to admit.”

“Now who’s making snap judgements.”  He grunted.

She grinned.  “I know men like you Kaden.  Hell, I live with
three of them.  You would be just as protective of your woman as my brother is.”

“There’s a difference between protective and controlling.” 
He snapped.

“And my brother knows the difference.”

“No he doesn’t.”

She stepped closer and glared daggers at him.  “Yes, he
does.  He loves Bree and only wants what is best for her.  Sleeping in fields,
starving, and hiding from Lycans like Draken is no way for her to live.  But
that seems to be the best you can offer her.”

His temper snapped and he pushed her back against the barn
wall.  He cupped her head tightly in one hand, and lowered his face until it
was only inches from hers.  “You should be careful what you say to me Lycan. 
I’ve killed your kind before.”

“Aye.”  She spoke breathlessly, but he saw no fear in her
eyes.  “You keep reminding me of that.”

His hand tightened in her hair and his gaze dropped to her
mouth.  Her lips were pink and full, and he watched fascinated as her tongue
slicked across the bottom one.  He could feel her breasts pressing against his
chest and her warm breath on his face.  Lust was growing in his belly, and his
hand tightened in her hair as his gaze flickered back to her eyes.  The dark
lust in them matched his own and his cock hardened in response. 

He pressed his pelvis against her, trapping her between the
wall of the barn and his hard body.  She inhaled sharply when she felt his cock
against her, and her hands came up to rest against his chest.  Perhaps she
meant to push him away but at the first touch of her hands, his pelvis thrust
against her again and her fingers curled into the material of his shirt.

He bent his head until his mouth was nearly touching hers. 
“Why are you here Lycan?”

She licked her lips again, and it was sheer willpower alone
that stopped him from kissing her.  “I wanted to say thank you for saving my
life.”  She whispered.

When he didn’t reply she took a shuddering breath. “Thank
you for killing that Lycan and for helping me control the shift.  I would have
shifted if it had not been for you.”

Sophia frowned a little.  She wasn’t sure the human had even
heard her.  He was still staring at her mouth and she squirmed against him. 
Her movement made his erection brush against her abdomen, and she was helpless
to stop her soft moan.  He smiled at the sound and her heart thudded fiercely
in her chest.

She should be pulling away.  He was a human who hated Lycans
and he had threatened to kill her.

He also saved your life remember?

Instead of moving away, she tilted her head and parted her
lips in silent invitation.  His nostrils flared and his mouth dropped down onto
hers so suddenly she gasped.  His tongue plunged between her lips, seeking out
hers, and she moaned into his mouth and sucked hungrily on his tongue.

He groaned and pressed his body against hers.  His hand moved
to her ass and he squeezed it tightly before sliding down to her thigh.  He
lifted her leg around his hips, pressing his cock against her as she dug her
hands into his broad chest.  He kissed her hard, his mouth demanding a
surrender that she willingly gave him.  He explored her mouth with hot licks
and swipes of his tongue before nipping at her full bottom lip.

His hand left her thigh and wormed its way under her shirt. 
At the first feel of his callused hand against her bare breast, she cried out
and arched her back.  His fingers traced her nipple, and he moaned hoarsely when
it hardened under his fingertips.  He pulled her head back and kissed the
column of her throat.

“Kaden.”  She gasped out.

At the sound of her voice, he stiffened and then abruptly
pushed away from her.  He turned away, his hands clenched into tight fists and
his shoulders hunched.

“Kaden, I – “

“Leave me.”  He muttered.

“I’m sorry I should not have – “

“Leave me!”  He shouted.

She hurried to the door of the barn and opened it.  She
hesitated as the cold air washed over her.  She risked a glance behind her and
her breath caught in her throat.  Kaden was staring at her, a combination of
lust and anger boiling over on his face, and he was squeezing the top of
Samson’s stall so tightly his knuckles were white.

“I’m sorry Kaden.”  She whispered.

He continued to stare at her and she swallowed nervously. 
“You should have my mother look at your bruise.  She can heal it for you.”

She left the barn, closing the door softly behind her, but
even then she could feel his hot gaze burning into her back.

* * *

“A toast!”  Nicholas stood and raised his glass.  “To James
and Bree.  May they live a long and happy life together, and may their marriage
be full of love, laughter, and many children.”

“To James and Bree!”  The others in the room echoed before
clinking their glasses together.

Bree stared around at the people gathered in the kitchen. 
In only a few short weeks, they had become like family to her and she could
feel her heart swelling with love and gratitude for them.

“Mama, I’m going to need a new dress for the wedding!”  Dani
crowed excitedly to Maya as Leta, with Tia in her arms, skipped up to her
father.

“I’ll need a new dress too papa!”

“Will you now Leta?”  Tristan lifted her into his arms and
gave her a mock frown.  “And how will you get this new dress?”

“You’ll buy it for me.”  She replied sweetly, and Tristan
laughed and kissed her on the forehead.

Avery stood next to Bree and stroked her long blonde hair
gently.  “I’m so happy for the both of you sweet Bree.”

Bree stood and hugged the Red.  Avery returned her hug and
then kissed her on the cheek as Bree smiled hugely at her.

“Thank you Avery.”