Kari was moving before she realized her legs were running. She raced toward the transport tunnel. She flew up the tunnel to Level Six, leaving Nigel to escort Declan behind her. She pushed her way through the crowd. Warrick was facing off against another man.
"Andre, you do not want to do this," Warrick said.
"No, I do not have to, but I am enjoying it. Father gave me a message. He said to tell you that you have been disowned. We do not want your kind in our family."
"Kind?" Warrick asked.
"Of course. Not only did you mate a shifter, but you mated a male one. You are not able to pass on the DuBois gift to another generation. You have polluted our pure bloodline."
Kari saw that Avery was shaking behind Warrick. He was clutching the back of his mate's shirt.
She stepped forward, growling low in her throat. "What is going on here," she demanded.
Andre turned, a smile on his face until he saw her expression. He looked at his cousin who stood almost seven feet tall and then to her, and he took a step back. "Nothing that concerns you, female. I hear you have whored yourself out to Prince Magnus for your quick promotion. No wonder my father is upset that my cousin mated the likes of your mongrel brother."
Kari inhaled at his words. But before she could reach out to choke the life out of him, Declan moved. He was a blur at her side before he raked his claws down Andre's chest. The vampire howled and clutched at the wound. Kari stepped around them to reach Avery. Warrick moved so that they were both behind him. Avery wrapped himself around her as they watched the scene before them.
"I will have you detained warrior! This is assault!" Andre cried.
Declan looked at him in disgust. "Quit whining, you useless sack of shit. The scratches are already healing. You're lucky I didn't return the favor your father paid me. You would be laid up in the infirmary."
Nigel walked over and took his place in front of her. Neil was next to him in front of Avery, creating another barrier between them and the threat. "Yeah! You're lucky!" Nigel yelled. "Yeah!" Neil echoed. Both men stood slightly behind Warrick glowering at the vampire.
Andre hissed up at Warrick. "You are forbidden to return to our level or to interact with anyone in the family. You are completely cut off."
Warrick straightened his back. "I feel your father has done me a great service. I want nothing more to do with you."
Andre eyed Kari and Avery with an evil glint in his eye. "If the shifter has an accident and dies, you can come home." Andre licked his lips. "Or I am sure we could find a different use for him."
Kari blinked and almost missed it. Warrick stepped forward as he swung his right arm back. On the second step, he landed an uppercut that sent Andre flying. Kari realized that when one is almost seven feet tall an uppercut can go very, very high. Andre flew off of his feet and into the air. When he landed, everyone heard something snap. Nobody moved; they were shocked by Warrick's red eyes and his long black claws. "You go near my mate and I will rip you apart!" Warrick growled. When he received no response, Nigel edged around the crowd over to Andre and nudged him with the toe of his shoe. He looked up. "He may or may not be dead. I'm not quite sure. I don't want to get close enough to look." Declan walked forward, reached down and grabbed Andre's shirt, and pulled him up. "He's still breathing." He dropped him back onto the floor.
Warrick sniffed. "Too bad."
Declan eyed his friend. "You do not want to kill your cousin, Warrick. You don't want to give Avery the grief of losing his mate. It wouldn't have been in self-defense."
"Who is to say it was not self-defense?" Old man Richter called out from the crowd. Mumblings of agreement sounded off all around them. Declan pinched the bridge of his nose. Kari felt tears gather. The people around her were supporting her and her brother. Kari ran a hand over his hair, trying to ease his shaking. "It is okay, baby boy, I am pretty sure that no one would be stupid enough to face your mate to get to you."
Warrick turned at her words, his eyes fading back to his normal color. He raced forward and dropped to his knees, and very gently, he pulled Avery away from Kari.
When Avery looked down at him, they were almost the same height. Warrick took both of his hands and kissed them. "I swear to you, I swear I will not let anyone hurt you." Avery just nodded. He lifted their hands up and began rubbing his cheek across Warrick's knuckles. Warrick looked at Kari as if asking permission. She rolled her eyes and nodded.
Warrick stood, scooping Avery up into his arms. Only then did Avery's trembles begin to dissipate.
"What in the hell have you guys done now?" Doc asked, hurrying over.
Declan looked around confused. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a camera. He reached to his belt and grabbed his walkie-talkie. "Menace, did you send Doc?"
"Sure did, Simba," Meryn's voice came back.
"Thanks." He knelt beside Doc who began evaluating Andre's injuries. "I think he got his brain rattled a bit."
"What did you do hit him with, a steel bat?" Doc asked.
Declan jerked his thumb toward Warrick. "No, he punched him."
Doc looked all the way up, taking in Warrick's height. He turned to Declan. "Next time, you hit him with the bat; it might do less damage. Is this the DuBois boy?" he asked.
"Yep," Declan said grinning.
"Great. Just great." Doc looked around and stood. "You and you"--he pointed to Etain and Micah--"get this blockhead to the holding cells."
"Holding cell? Not the infirmary?" Declan asked also standing.
Doc shook his head. "I think he will be better off next to his father; he isn't dying or anything."
Declan grinned openly as Etain grabbed the back of Andre's collar, and Micah grabbed his pant legs. "Thank you for coming."
They nodded. "It's not like you needed us," Micah grinned. Together, they floated Andre from Level Six to Level One.
Doc waved. "You know the saying, 'When it rains, it pours.' They weren't kidding. I have gone years without returning to Noctem Falls, yet here I am on my third call this week." Shaking his head, he also walked over and jumped down the tunnel.
Declan headed over to Kari and took her hand. She appreciated the gesture. She felt like her emotions were racing out of control.
"Come on," he said, pulling her hand.
Kari hesitated, looking over at Avery. "You okay?" she asked.
He nodded blushing. "Warrick takes care of me."
"He better." She gave Warrick the evil eye. He nodded at her.
"You know"--Declan wrapped himself around her--"it's like I have my own personal tunnel escort."
"Do not get used to it. You know I will be busy with Magnus."
"How about you and I play hooky? The interviews are done, and we finished earlier than we thought. I could show you your new home."
"Really?"
"Of course, it is your home too."
They stepped into the tunnel and landed on the Unit Level. When they reached his house, he opened the panel on the back of the mailbox and punched in a code. "Give me your hand." He placed it on the biometric sensor and added her profile. "Now you can get in anytime you want."
They walked in. At first, she was a bit confused. The only thing she had seen of his house the night before was the foyer. She looked around, expecting something medieval given that it was a castle, but it wasn't like that at all. It looked warm and kind of rustic, almost like a cabin instead of the castle. Declan had decorated using log furniture, thick rugs, and dark colors.
"You could show me the bedroom," she suggested.
"Yeah?" he asked, his face brightening. "Does that mean I don't have to sleep on the couch and you won't deny our mating?"
She frowned. "You probably were not going to end up on the couch anyway; you were acting too adorable to stay mad at. But where on earth did you get the idea I would deny our mating?"
"You said 'no claiming'."
"Oh, Declan, I just meant that we would not be having sex because I was mad at you at the time. Ther
e is no way we can claim each other without sex."
"So bedroom?" asked his, eyes darkening to a dark honey color.
"Yes, but I am letting you know right now. I am not sleeping in that bed with you if you slept with any other woman there."
He shook his head quickly. "No, no one."
"I find that hard to believe, you did say you have been here a long time."
He shrugged. "It's the bro code."
"The what?"
"It's the pact all of us made. If a fellow unit warrior finds his mate, the first thing the unit does is to arrange for a new mattress. So I knew I didn't have to worry about it and could concentrate on you."
"Who did that for you?" she asked.
"Grant."
"So in the midst of everything happening, he arranged for a mattress to be delivered to the city estate and had set it up for you?"
"I'll do the same for him someday."
"He has access to your house?"
"All the guys from the Eta Unit do. Now, you and Avery."
"I seem to be getting access all over the place."
Declan looked at her. "What do you mean?"
"Magnus gave me access to Level One, including the infirmary, the gardens, the communications hub, the lab, his quarters, the guest quarters, and the Council quarters."
Declan whistled. "Look at my mate being all important."
"He is probably going to add you to all that as well considering that your brother will be staying here a little bit longer, and you have accepted an advisory role."
"He's only here for the trial," Declan countered.
"Whatever you say." Kari knew better than argue. Declan was too stubborn when it came to his older brother.
She looked over at the bed; it was huge. She walked closer and looked at the frame. "Did you do this?"
Declan nodded. "It took me about a decade."
"Declan, this is all hand carved."
He shrugged blushing. "It was something to do."
She walked over to the bed, taking in every detail. "How big was the tree that this came from?" she asked. She couldn't find any fittings. The pieces were not joined together; there were no screws, nails, or glue. The entire bed frame was one solid piece. "Declan, this is beautiful," she whispered. This kind of attention to detail and loving care spoke volumes about his character.
"Thanks, it's a hobby."
She shook her head and stood. "No, Declan, this is art. It is so beautiful, I am afraid to touch it."
"I wanted something special for my mate."
"And yet you brought other women here?"
He shrugged. "I never had sex with them in the bed," he stopped and looked up at the ceiling as if counting. "No not in the bed. Against the bed, one under the bed, one on the nightstand, in the closet, on the bathroom floor, in front of the fireplace..."
"Okay, I get the picture. If this is a custom made bed, where did Grant get the mattress?"
"After the bed was made I had a few extra made and put in storage. Every ten to fifteen years I replace them."
"How old is this one?"
His face became serious. "A couple months old."
"Good timing," she joked, but then stopped. The look on his face bordered on tragic. "What is it?"
"Did you dream before you came here?"
Kari looked at him. "What do you mean?"
"I had dreams before you got here. I could almost see a woman's face. She's screaming for me behind a locked door. I watch her burn to death through a small window."
"There is a fire?" She inhaled sharply, nodding. "I have had that dream. I thought it was just a nightmare. Are you the one I am calling out for?" He nodded. She went to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "In my dreams, I knew that if whoever was on the other side of the door could just get to me, I would be okay. I just wanted to touch him one more time; that I would give anything to touch him one last time." Her voice broke, and he cupped her face with his large, warm hands.
He leaned down and kissed her gently. "You have me now."
When she opened her eyes and looked into his, they had shifted to a molten honey color. "Kari Delaney, would you allow me to mate with you?" he asked.
"Of course, you impossible man." And she meant it. There was no other path for her; there was no other man who could give her the sense of home and solace that she had been looking for most of her life. She knew she would crave Declan for the rest of eternity. Not even death could absolve her of this addiction. And she wasn't going to torture either of them by denying him a second longer.
She stepped back and pulled her sweater up over her head. She reached for her waist and unzipped her skirt's long zipper. Letting it pool at her feet, she stood in front of him in just her stockings, panties and bra.
He swallowed hard, looking at her. The emotion in his eyes made her feel bold and loved. It didn't take him two seconds to rip his clothes away.
"You might have wanted those pants later, now look at them," she teased.
He growled low in his throat, stalking forward. She thought he would pounce like his lion, but he didn't. He very gently picked her up and set her on the bed. He joined her there and looked down. Starting with her foot, he rubbed his cheek against her inner leg. He smiled. "Your stockings are silk," he stated.
"What?" she asked distracted by the feel of his warm hands on her legs.
"Silk. Your stockings are silk."
"Yes," she said closing her eyes.
Gently, he reached up to her upper thigh and began to roll them down her leg. He left the garters in place but removed her panties. He ignored the juncture of her thighs and turned his attention back to her legs again. His stubbled cheek scratched and teased her. Now that the stockings were gone, she could feel his touch that much more. He made his way up one thigh, and just as she felt his breath on her mound, he switched legs and began rubbing his scent on her again.
He worshiped every inch of her legs. By the time he settled between her upper thighs and grasped her hips, she was a trembling mess.
"Please," she begged, wanting more.
"We haven't even gotten to the good part yet," he teased, gently reaching between her legs to spread her wide. He grinned and then bent his head. A second later, an orgasm took her by surprise as it ripped through her. His tongue felt like a thousand rough bristles. It bordered on painful but not enough to tell him to stop. Every time he caressed her, she jerked and moaned. He kept her on edge between one orgasm and the next. He flattened his tongue and licked her from her opening all the way to her clit. Over and over again, like a kitten with cream, he licked, nipped, and buried his tongue deep inside her.
When his coarse tongue stroked the inside of her channel, she became unglued. Never before had she experienced something like this. She buried her hands in his hair and tried to pull him closer. His hands came up under her ass and gripped each cheek. He went wild, alternating between gentle and primitive. When she finally didn't think she could handle anymore, he plunged two thick fingers deep inside her. The speed and the unexpectedness of the action drove her over the edge. She screamed again. He leaned up, licking his lips. "Are you ready, my love?" he asked.
"I think you have killed me," she replied, breathing heavily. He chuckled--the masculine sound of a lover who knew he had satisfied his partner beyond measure. "I do not know why you look so satisfied. I am the one who is perfectly sated." She reached out both arms. "Come to me," she said simply.
He reached down between them and guided the thick head of his cock deep inside her. After the wild abandon he'd shown her before, this was surprisingly gentle and tender. He took his time and seemed to be in no rush. His eyes never left hers, staying locked as he plunged deep and pulled out slowly. Gently, inch by inch, he penetrated her only to withdraw and slam back. He was taking his time and learning her body, what she liked, what she didn't.
He leaned forward, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She wanted as much skin touching as possible as he slowly bu
ilt the fire again. The longer they made love, the larger the head of his cock seemed to get. He stretched her, filled her, and rubbed over that one elusive spot that seemed to drive her crazy.
"Close," she whispered. She thought he would pick up the pace and send her out of control but he didn't. He continued a slow and steady grind, keeping her orgasm just out of reach. She pulled his body close, her fingers digging deep into his back. "Please," she begged. He stopped and gently kissed her on the lips. When he plunged deep inside her, he exposed his throat. She struck, sinking her fangs deep into his throat. Her feeding broke his control, and he snapped his hips repeatedly, driving her into the mattress. She was as deep inside him as she could get, and he was as deep inside her as he could get. His yelled out her name in a hoarse voice over her head, and she felt as if her body simply exploded.
No one could experience that much pleasure and live. Every drop of sweat merged them together, every drop of blood fused their hearts, and every wave of pleasure mixed and mingled their souls together. The core of their beings rose up out of their bodies like a mist. There was no Kari without a piece of Declan, and there was no Declan without a piece of Kari. There was now a new Kari and Declan. The new soul divided in half and returned to their bodies. When she licked the holes on his neck closed, he slumped to one side.
She never knew mating could be like this. She was no longer just Kari, she would never be just Kari again. She couldn't help it; she burst into tears.
Concerned, Declan immediately sat up in bed. "What did I do? Did I hurt you?"
She shook her head and covered her hand eyes with her hands. "No, it was perfect. I will never be alone again," she whispered.
"Of course not." He pulled her close. "Get some rest, we can lay here until dinner."
They dozed together for a couple hours before Kari woke and turned on her side. She ran a hand up and down his chest, from his collarbone to his abs, enjoying the freedom to touch him. "Can I bring up something without you getting angry?" She didn't to spoil the afterglow of their mating.