Taken by the Beast (16 page)

Elijah growled fiercely, his face inches from the older man’s. He shifted, the sight of it still so strange to see, so against all laws of nature.

“Elijah,” Kayla cried.

He ran to the door, closing and securing it before he freed Kayla. He took her into his arms and held her and she wrapped hers around him, crying with relief.

“I thought you were dead,” she said. “He said you were dead.”

“Are you all right? Did they hurt you?”

“No, you were in time.”

“Rachel?”

“In the safe room.”

“Brother,” came the quiet voice from inside the cage.

Elijah looked over at him, but took a minute to pick Eric up off the floor and dragged him along to the cage.

He held Eric with ease. “Where the hell is the key?” he asked Eric.

Eric shook his head.

“Here, try these,” Kayla called out, tossing a set of keys to him.

Elijah caught them, starting with the first one. It took six tries but eventually, the heavy lock turned and Marcus burst from the cage, taking Eric immediately from Elijah.

“Collin?” Marcus asked, never taking his eyes from Eric’s now-trembling form.

Elijah shook his head. “He wasn’t supposed to do it,” he said.

“I’m going to kill you slowly. I only wish I had eight years to do it,” Marcus said.

“He’s not worth it, Marcus. Kill him now, let’s go. Rachel’s been waiting a long time.”

Kayla didn’t miss the emotion that first softened, then hardened Marcus’ eyes.

“Take her and get out. I’ll be behind you,” he said. He was only looking at Eric throughout.

Elijah put a hand on his shoulder. “Brother,” he said.

“He stole eight years, Elijah. After murdering our family.”

Elijah nodded.

“Kayla,” he said. She walked over to him and slipped her hand into his. Together they walked out without looking back.

* * *

Kayla watched Marcus come toward them. He walked with purpose, his face hard, his eyes wild. He climbed into the back seat of the SUV and Elijah drove.

“Where’s Rachel?” he asked immediately.

Kayla turned to watch him.

“She was in the safe room. They came last night, in the middle of the night. They had a tracking device on you, Elijah,” she said. “It wasn’t the car at all.”

“I know, Collin told me.”

“When they came, we went to the safe room and I made Rachel go in. I didn’t want them to find out about her…” she said, turning back to meet Elijah’s eyes.

He opened his mouth, but decided not to say what he was going to say.

“It was the only way, Elijah. You know that. They wouldn’t have stopped looking for me.”

“Go on,” Marcus said from the back seat.

“She locked herself in, then they brought me here.” She suddenly remembered the explosion. “Collin?”

“His cage was rigged with a bomb. Maddox’s plan was for me to kill Phillip and, as we suspected, come here with the hope of finding my brothers. He set it up for me to find Collin first. He thought Collin would be too weak to speak, but he wasn’t. He’d been fooling them for a while.”

Marcus smiled, as if remembering. “He acted weaker than he was.”

“He shouldn’t have done it. He’d be here with us now.”

“There’s no way he could have survived it?” Kayla asked.

“I don’t think so, Kayla.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, taking one of his hands and holding it. “Is it over?” she asked Elijah. “Are we free now?”

“I think so. Phillip and Eric are dead. I’m not worried about the soldiers. They’ll disperse. We’ll go back and get Rachel, set up another safe house somewhere for her.”

“Tell me how she is. Has she… met someone?” he asked, his voice wavering, unsure for a moment.

“She’s good,” Elijah said, looking in the rearview mirror. “And no, she’s alone. I think she’s been waiting for you all this time.”

Marcus’s eyes filled with tears as he half-smiled and shook his head. “She always was a stubborn one,” he said.

“Tell me about the eight years,” Elijah said.

Marcus looked out the window, his expression one of anger and sadness again. “No, brother. There’s no power in it, no understanding. They murdered our families and stole our lives. We have a second chance now and I won’t waste another moment of it on them. I want to see Rachel.”

Kayla watched Elijah take this in, then nod once. She turned forward, keeping her hand in his as they drove back to the house.

Epilogue

They’d rebuilt the mountain house and expanded it. Elijah and Kayla had been living there for the last six months. She was putting the finishing touches on dinner and Elijah was due home soon.

Elijah had filled in the gaps about her father and his family. It was bittersweet though, to know it all and to know she could still never fill the loss of her past. Marcus had needed to be alone for a while, to process the last eight years. He’d not been able to grieve for his family like Elijah had. He’d not been able to grieve for the lost years. His reunion with Rachel had gone differently than anyone had expected. The two were in love, that was obvious, but Marcus had made Elijah promise to take care of her until he could do a proper job of it himself. Kayla had known how hard it had been for Marcus to walk away and how hard it was for Rachel let him go, but they’d done it. She marveled at their strength.

The door opened and she turned. Elijah was early.

“Hey,” she said, wiping her hands clean and walking toward him.

“Hey,” he said, taking her into his arms. “Smells good.”

“No, it doesn’t, I was a little late to take the meat out of the oven.” They walked to the kitchen where the bird lay charred on one side.

“Potatoes look…good,” Elijah said, hesitating for a moment before picking one up and sticking it in his mouth. Half were black and the other half a pale yellow.

Kayla watched him chew, smiling when he tried to keep his expression level.

“They’re delicious,” he said, pushing the pan away. “We’ll get you some cooking lessons after the baby’s born,” he teased. She was only coming up to her third month of pregnancy and Elijah babied her, going overboard in his care of her.

“At least you don’t have to worry about getting fat,” she defended. She knew she couldn’t cook to save her life. He teased her about it all the time.

“I’m not hungry for food anyway,” he said, picking her up and carrying her to the couch. He set her down. “I don’t like you in too many clothes,” he said, pulling her dress over her head to find her naked beneath. He smiled. “Naughty girl,” he said, taking in the sight of her. He placed a hand on her slightly swollen belly and kissed it. “You’re so beautiful, Kayla.”

She smiled and reached up to kiss him.

“And horny,” she said. She hadn’t been sick at all, but it seemed she was constantly aroused these days.

He smiled a wicked smile. “Kneel,” he said. “And don’t speak unless I ask you a question.”

She obeyed, dropping to her knees before him. She loved this, loved when he dominated her like only he could.

“I’m going to get the clamps,” he said. “I’ve been neglecting your breasts for too long.”

She remained where she was while he went into the bedroom and returned with the clamps, a simple set with a silver chain between them. Although she liked the clamps, she didn’t like when he tugged on the chain.

He sat on the couch and started with one, screwing it on just tight enough. Her nipples were already ultra-sensitive, any attention to them registering directly with her clit. With the pregnancy, they’d become even more so and she had to moan when he screwed on the second clamp.

“That’s better,” he said, looking at her as she knelt up before him, knees wide, thighs sticky, nipples clamped. The fact that he was still dressed only made her hotter.

He pulled off his shirt, his eyes only leaving hers momentarily. He then took off his jeans and sat back, grasping his cock.

“Touch your clit,” he said.

She placed one hand over her clit and pressed against it.

“Now pull on the chain with your other hand.”

Her eyes grew wide at that and he smiled. “Go on. Rub your clit while you do it.”

She gently tugged at the chain, gasping at the added pressure on her nipples, but the pain was quickly overcome when her fingers worked her clit.

“Don’t come, Kayla. And keep your eyes on me.”

She did.

“Good girl. Now dip your fingers inside your pussy and show me how wet you are,” he said, while massaging the thick length of his cock.

Kayla had to close her eyes for a moment when she did it, sliding two fingers inside herself once, twice, before lifting them to show him.

He sat on the edge of the sofa and spread his legs. “Rub them on my cock before you suck it.”

She let go of the chain to do as he said.

“No,” he said, taking hold of the chain himself and tugging harder so that she had to lean forward to avoid the worst of the pain.

“It hurts,” she whispered.

“No talking,” he said. “Suck.”

Her pussy throbbed with his words and she licked her lips before closing her mouth around his cock. She sat on her heels and brought her hands to the floor. She slid her mouth along the length of it, lifting her ass as she sucked, knowing he liked looking at her.

Elijah let go of the chain, groaned, and gripped her head with both hands. “You suck good cock,” he said, pulling her closer. She loved it when he talked to her like this.

Kayla opened her mouth wider, licking, lubricating, sucking, knowing he would take the back of her throat soon. Elijah rose to his feet, keeping her close to him, her mouth on him. She met his eyes.

“I like you like this,” he said. “Naked, on your knees, and sucking my cock.”

She made a sound and opened wider when he held her still and thrust into her mouth once, twice. She liked the feel of him filling her, any part of her. Her pussy was wet as she tasted him, the salty warmth tasting good.

“Ass or pussy tonight, Kayla? Where do you want me?” He pulled out of her mouth and she made a sound of protest, trying to take it back. When he wouldn’t allow her to, she settled for laying her face against his belly.

“Both,” she said, meeting his eyes.

Over the last months, she’d become much more vocal about what she wanted.

He pulled her to her feet, still gripping her hair with one hand. With the other, he brought her face to his, his mouth closing over hers. “Your mouth tastes like me,” he said.

“I like how you taste,” she answered.

“No talking,” he said. “I’ll tighten these so you remember.” With that, he tightened both clamps infinitesimally, but it was enough. She squeezed her legs together as he pulled her to the back of the couch and bent her over it.

“Keep your head down,” he said, pushing it into the seat of the couch. He pushed her legs farther and gripped her hips. “I haven’t spanked you in a while,” he said, rubbing her cheeks. She wiggled her ass in invitation. He slapped a cheek, not hard, but hard enough to make her jump. He repeated it several times. “That’s better, a little pink,” he said, before taking hold of her buttocks and spreading her open, kneading the flesh in his hands. He knelt behind her and she arched her back, offering herself to him. “You’re dripping down your thighs.” He traced the path up the inside of one thigh with his tongue before teasing the swollen lips of her pussy. “Tell me what you want,” he said.

She moaned when he spread her farther and licked, dipping his tongue inside and circling, the feel of it soft, teasing.

“Tell me or I’ll stop,” he said.

“I want you to fuck my pussy first,” she said.

He moved one hand to find her clit. “Go on.”

“Then I want you to fuck my ass. I want to feel you come in my ass.”

He growled and rose to his feet. Holding her spread, he thrust his cock deep inside her pussy in one hard thrust.

She exhaled and gripped the seat of the couch.

“Put one hand on your clit, Kayla. Play with yourself while I fuck you.”

She didn’t hesitate, the tips of her fingers caressing his cock as it pumped in and out of her and she rubbed her clit. “I’m going to come,” she said.

“Not yet,” he told her, pulling out of her pussy. He slid the now-slippery member up to her asshole. “Hard or soft?” he asked.

She looked over her shoulder at him. “Hard. Fuck me hard.”

“God, I love you, woman!” he said, pushing his cock into the tight passage. Although he went slowly at first, he didn’t let up until he was seated deep inside her. He then moved just a little.

She tightened her muscles around his cock. “I’m going to come,” she said again, her fingers still rubbing her clit.

“Come, Kayla. Come with my cock in your ass.”

His words sent her over the edge and her first orgasm came on just as he reached beneath her to release her nipples of the clamps. She made some sound, then stiffened the muscles of her legs and arched her hips higher, knowing he must feel her pulsing around his cock. He thrust into her hard as she came, fucking her like she wanted, hurting her but filling her at the same time, feeling so good that on completion of her first orgasm, a second one engulfed her. She looked over her shoulder at him, watching him watch his cock as he fucked her. She let go of her clit, everything hyper-sensitive now.

“Come inside me,” she begged.

With a roar, he thrust one final time and she felt the heat of his stream pump into her as his eyes went soft and golden. His hands on her hips squeezed her tight while he emptied himself and when it was over, he lifted her, holding her to him, his cock slipping out of her as she turned into his embrace and kissed him.

“I love you, Elijah,” she whispered. “There’s nowhere I want to be but with you, ever.”

“Good, because I plan on keeping you by my side forever.”

He held her for a long while until her stomach growled.

“Why don’t I make something we can actually eat?” he asked, settling her on the couch.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I thought you said the potatoes were ok,” she said, sitting back when he lifted her feet onto the ottoman.

“I lied.”