Soul Avenged (Sons of Wrath, #1) (53 page)

Zeke’s lips
twitched. “Yeah, easy for you to laugh, asshole.”

“And?” Gavin
asked, brow raised.

“Come on,
Gavin, what does it matter?”

“I’m going to
be enslaved to this woman for who knows how long. It matters to
me.”

“One of the
waitresses told me she was a succubus.” Zeke huffed, the grin
tugging at his mouth enough to make Gavin want to knock the shit
out of him. “Part of me was relieved that she dismissed me, the
other part of me was kind of pissed. So, I told Jimmy to keep an
eye on her.” His expression turned incredulous. “I mean, what kind
of succubus turns down sex?”

Zayne groaned
and shook his head.

With one hand,
Gavin ran his fingers across his eyes and pinched the bridge of his
nose.
Good question. But irrelevant at the moment
. “You’re a
dirty prick, you know that, Zeke?”

“How was I
supposed to know the guy had a hard-on for jerking around the
succubi? He’s asking for it, if you know what I mean.”

“Looks like we
all are now,” Gavin muttered, knocking Zeke in the arm as he passed
him.

“One of these
days, brother, a woman is going to run you through the ringer,”
Gavin heard Zayne say as he strode from the room. “And when that
happens, I’m going to sit back and enjoy it.”

***

Ayden took a
deep breath. “Ah, men,” she said on a sigh.

Her attention
cut back to Logan, lying helpless on the bed, unable to move, and
Calla, who seemed to be keeping her distance from him. Had it all
been misplaced grieving for her brother? It’d certainly passed once
Logan’s attitude reared its head.

Ayden stepped
toward the door but Calla grasped her arm.

“Ayden?” Her
voice still carried a hint of panic. “I don’t … what if he … I’m
not sure what to do.”

“He won’t need
much right now. Just stay with him. If he asks for anything in the
middle of the night, or has pain, try to comfort him. And if it
gets bad, or you don’t think you can handle it, get Gavin.”

Calla chewed
at her lip.

“You’re going
to be fine.” Ayden smiled.
Is it right to make her do this after
having lost her brother?
Ayden had never dealt with grieving
before. Not that she remembered, anyway. She grasped Calla’s hand
in hers. “He really needs you, Calla. You’re the only one who can
help him.”

God, let
him be decent to her,
Ayden thought as she strode from the
room.

Annabelle’s
voice rose from door, as she rattled off instructions, telling
Sabelle where she could find everything that she needed.

So, Sabelle
had decided to stay overnight, after all.

Spotting Gavin
on the top of the staircase in the shadows, Ayden plopped down next
to him. “You okay?”

“Considering I
have a kid I’ve got to track down now, who knows where I live, and
has ties to the underworld, and I almost lost you, my brother,
and
I’m going to be enslaved to a succubus from now until
forever? Yeah, I’m peachy.”

Ayden smiled.
“It’s never boring with you guys, is it?”

“No. It’s
not.” He bowed his head. “Damn, Ayden. I don’t know what I’d do if
I lost any of my brothers. How do you deal with never knowing?”

She shrugged.
“Diamonds are just pretty rocks to a woman who doesn’t know the
value of them.”

He patted her
leg. “Give my offer some thought. I’ll be at the mercy of a
succubus for a while, so you don’t have to worry about me chasing
after you.” He chuckled. “I’m kidding, of course. I know you love
him.”

“I—”

“Love him,”
Gavin said, lifting her chin. “Sometimes, people touch our soul in
ways we wish they wouldn’t. Funny, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“Our greatest
weakness can sometimes be our greatest strength.”

Ayden nodded,
diverting her gaze to the floor. “You’re a wise guy, you know
that?”

Gavin snorted.
“I’m going to get some sleep. You should, too.” He kissed her
forehead and stood up from the stairs.

“Gav? Thanks
again. I owe ya one.” Ayden winked.

“Nah. Consider
it a contract fulfilled.” He wished her goodnight and disappeared
down the hall.

***

When Ayden
returned to her room, Kane lay exactly as Zeke had left him, his
eyes still closed, his chest rising and falling with the breaths
stirring his lips.

She grabbed a
porcelain washbasin from the bathroom probably meant for
decoration. After filling the pitcher with hot water, she slipped a
washcloth beneath her arm and carried them to Kane’s bedside.

Soaking the
cloth into the warm water, she gently stroked it along Kane’s skin.
He didn’t even stir. Some of his wounds still gaped, and Ayden
avoided them, sweeping across the surrounding skin.

He looked so
different from a week before. Stronger. Hardened. She touched her
finger to the long white scar across his cheek, where the lycan had
swiped at him.

Her lips
replaced her fingertips.

So many scars
all over his body now.

She would kiss
every one of them when they’d healed. Grabbing his hand, she held
it to her face, as she pulled the sheet away.

Tears flooded
her eyes. His poor body had been ravaged and beaten. Open gashes
pocked his stomach—those, too, healing slowly.

“God, if I’d
lost you.” She kissed his palm and set it beside him. Leaning down
to his face, she pressed her lips to his, the image of their first
kiss flashing through her mind. “I love you.”

~

The moment Kane
woke, his eyes sought Ayden, his body responding with yearning when
he found her curled up on the chaise.

Rolling over
took him onto all fours, and he prowled across the bed toward her,
before slipping onto the floor. Even the harsh chill of the tiles
couldn’t affect the heat in his naked body as he padded closer to
where she lay.

Crouching
beside the chair, he willed his hand not to reach out to her.

Touch her.

Ayden’s sweet
scent permeated his senses, and he breathed deeply, hoping it would
touch every part of him. His gaze roved each curve of her body
beneath the shirt. His shirt. He hadn’t noticed at first.

A steady purr
rumbled in his chest but he stemmed the growl.

Can’t.

He stood from
his crouch and glanced down at himself. A motley cluster of scars
left deep grooves across his abdomen. He lightly brushed his
fingertips across them and cringed.

So many.

He’d fought so
viciously. Without remorse.

Grabbing the
thick duvet off the end of the bed, he slowly and carefully draped
it over Ayden’s body, satisfaction settling in as she appeared to
sink into it, at contentment gracing her face and freeing it of the
lines of vexation.

He grabbed his
jeans, shirt and boots he found at the end of the bed, and headed
toward the bedroom door. With one hand on the brass knob, he turned
back to her sleeping peacefully.

So
beautiful.

He slipped out
of the room and left.

***

Ayden stretched
out her legs. An odd sensation blossomed inside of her—a serenity
she hadn’t felt before. She opened her eyes and sat up to find
covers sliding from over her body as she moved.

Kane.

Her eyes
scanned the dark room.

Kane?

His bed was
empty.

She scrambled
off of the chaise and searched the bathroom.

No.

She slipped
into her pants and tossed Kane’s long shirt onto the bed then
grabbed one of her own thin T-shirts and jacket. Hopping on one
foot at a time across the room, she pulled on her boots and
listened for sounds in the dark hallway.

Only the
pleasured moans of two women coming from Zeke’s room reached her
ears.

Ayden rolled
her eyes.

A cursory scan
of the hallway left her focused on the front door.

Is Bennett
awake?

Surely, he
would have heard any tinkering with the lock.

She padded
down the stairs, her whip beating at her hips.

As she reached
the door, a smiling Bennett appeared from nowhere, still wearing
his tuxedo. “Good evening, miss.”

“Bennett, did
anyone else leave this evening?” Even she noticed the tremor in her
voice.

“Yes, miss.
Master Zeke left earlier, and has since returned with two women.”
His attention trailed toward the staircase and back. “Master Calix
left earlier but has not yet returned.”

“But … my
guest. Kane. Did he leave?”

Bennett
frowned. “I’d have heard him at the door.”

“I’ll be back,
Bennett. I just want to have a look around.”

“Of course,”
he said, opening the door.

She gave him a
quick nod and a feigned smile, trying not to expose the angst
stirring in the pit of her stomach.

Winter air
stiffened Ayden’s muscles as she stepped outside—not the cold, but
from the sudden desperation that plagued her very soul.

She zipped her
leather jacket up, brushed the dagger she’d taken from Gavin at her
side, and jogged down the stairs.

Which
direction?

Closing her
eyes, she took a deep inhale. When she opened them again, a clarity
that hadn’t been there before helped her see the finer details as
the hunter emerged from within.

She peered
down at the snow, noticing the tracks. Instead of heading toward
the front gates, as she’d have expected, they trailed to the back
of the manor. The woods.

Ayden unhooked
her whip and tossed it into one of the front hedges then quietly
followed the tracks.

She reached
the edge of the woods. The prints didn’t hold as much depth there.
Brisk on her feet, she stayed hidden by trees, listening, studying
every limb and leaf for movement.

Nothing. Kane
was nowhere in sight.

Moon’s light
glistened against the snow as she snaked around trunks with grace
and stealth.

A sound
crackled behind her.

Kane.

She whipped
round, smiling. Her boots sloshed against the snow as she took off
running, loud enough to alert her predator.

Sensing
movement behind, she veered to the right and leaped over a rotted
tree trunk. She panted, desperate to stay ahead. A thud to the
right of her indicated whatever chased her had closed some
distance. She stopped for only a second to gain her bearings, and
her gaze settled on the small cave a few yards up ahead.

One step
toward it, and she froze, as a low, guttural growl tugged at the
hairs along her nape.

She turned
slowly.

Yellow eyes
lurked toward her.

Ayden backed
up a step, the danger she’d refused to consider suddenly very
real.

Had she
enticed the predator in Kane?

Wolves were
one thing, but a powerful tiger was something else entirely. Zeke
had warned her earlier that Kane possessed twice the strength by
himself.

Though, he
held his human form as he emerged into view.

At the sight
of him, she stood tight against the nearest tree, heart pounding in
her chest.

Carnal eyes
stared back, as if he’d gladly devour her. “What are you doing?”
His voice had become deeper with his change, huskier than she
remembered.

Bark scraped
against her palm. “Following you.”

“Go back.”

“No.” Ayden
slipped around the trunk and ran in the direction of the small
cave.

Damn the
adrenaline that rushed through her body and the smile that tugged
at her from within.

She stepped
inside rocky entrance, and turned, backing herself into
darkness.

Kane, forced
to duck at the mouth of the cave, pursued, his yellow gaze fixed on
her.

Cold stone hit
her back. Her breath hitched.
Oh, shit.

Kane stood
silent in the entrance, though his focus never wavered. The human
in him was almost forgettable the way he stalked her. Like a tiger
sizing up a juicy gazelle.

Heart
jack-hammering against her ribs, she shifted toward the right,
scooting along the wall.

The growl that
erupted from his chest went straight to her spine.

He closed the
space between them in seconds, bracing his hands on either side of
her, crowding her with his body. A week ago, she could have broken
him with her own hands. Not anymore. Massive and intimidating, he
stared down at her, his yellow eyes divided by the distinct, narrow
pupil of a cat—a reminder of his wildness, his capabilities, and
she wondered if his claws would shred her skin with the same ease
they had the wolves.

Barely daring
to move, she remained stiff against the rock. “Why did you
leave?”

Silence but
for their merged breaths—then his lip curled. “I don’t belong with
your kind.”

Jaw clenched,
she turned away from him. “I’m sorry. I lied to you, Kane.” Her
gaze slid back to his. “When I told you that I didn’t want you. The
truth is I don’t want the world without you in it. Come back.”

“No.”

“Then, I’ll
follow you. I’ll track you. For the rest of my life, if I have
to.”

Kane’s eyes
shifted wildly, pupils dilated. His grin didn’t resemble the
endearing one she’d come to love. It promised only mocking and
cruelty. “My teeth would rip through your skin.” He laughed dryly.
“Rip
your
throat out.”

“But you
won’t.”

“I have no
control over what I do.” His teeth ground together as he spoke. A
long white canine peeked from beneath his lip.

“Yes, you do.
You’re controlled right now.”

Something
sparked in his yellow eyes, his face, so close, their foreheads
almost touched. “Am I, slayer?”

“I’m not
afraid of you.”

“No?” He
tipped his head slightly and stared intently as though reading her.
“Your body tells me otherwise. I feel your tremors without even
touching you.”