Bridged by Love (17 page)

Nic had been five when she’d died. He didn’t have too many memories of her, save one. “You slept in separate bedrooms.”

His dad snorted. “Yeah. Don’t get me wrong. I spent time in your mother’s bed every night, but the only woman I slept with was Agatha.” He dropped his head on the pillow. “Soon, I’ll see her again.”

“I’m not following the path you did.” Nic waited for his dad’s narrowed eyes to meet his. “I won’t accept the spirit of our pack. I’m leaving with Riley. I plan on living out her life and following her to the grave.”

A long moment passed before his dad asked, “What of our pack? Their safety and happiness is more important than its alpha’s wants. If it hadn’t have been for my responsibility to the pack spirit, I too would’ve joined my Agatha in heaven years ago.”

“I am grateful for your endurance and sacrifice, but I’m not strong enough to do the same. Sean will accept the spirt wolf. He will continue the Kagan legacy.” Nic hoped, at least.

Silence stretched. Finally, his dad leaned forward. “I want him to challenge me. Please, son, I want to leave this world with honor and go to Agatha with a clean conscience knowing I did what was right for my pack. She’ll be waiting for me. I know she will. True mates always find their way back to each other.” A small smile flitted across his face. “She’ll make my afterlife a living hell, though. I deserve it, but I’ll spend my eternity groveling at her feet for one of her kisses.”

Nic covered his dad’s hand. “Sean would be honored.” And he would no matter how much it hurt to strike the blow that ended Nicholas Kagan’s life. Nic knew Sean too well.

“Good. I’ll have the protectors guard me, form a wall around me until I get into the circle. Whatever needs to be done. And you better love Riley every damn day. Tell her. Show her. Don’t ever let her feel unwanted, no matter what time does to her body.”

A tear slipped free. Nic didn’t bother wiping it away. They’d passed some point tonight. No longer shifters, they were men…no more, no less. “Of course. It’s her soul I love, not just her body.”

His dad nodded, then looked expectantly at him. “And Hannah?”

“I’ll do my best for her.”

“That’s all I ask. She’ll figure out her own way. She’s a smart girl.”

Nic half considered telling him about the crazy plan she had, but didn’t. There was no point in worrying his dad when Nic didn’t even know the details. Besides, neither of them could stop her. “I need to go, Dad. Riley’s waiting for me.”

“Okay. Good-bye, son.”

Nic wrapped his arms around his dad and held him for a long moment. “Bye, Dad.”

With that, he turned and walked away. No other words were necessary.

Chapter Nineteen

Riley knew the moment she woke Nic had left her. Sadness rushed up, and the first sob thickened her throat. She fought it. Deep breaths cleared the tightness and eased the burn behind her eyelids. There was no room for the crippling emotion.

Nic loved her.

Strength and determination replaced the doubt that had plagued her for years. Nic’s actions and unspoken words told the truth. She also suspected the depth of his commitment. He’d follow her to the grave. It wasn’t an outcome she wanted for either of them. She prayed it wouldn’t come to that. Yet…it was the fate they’d share if he were human too. A lifetime—that was all she had to give any man. She had chosen Nic to be the one she wanted to grow old with.

She sat up. A yellow piece of paper caught her attention. She snatched the note from her nightstand and read. A smile spread.
And he’s chosen me.

Her breathing quickened, and her heart swelled. More tears filled her eyes, happy ones. She hopped from the bed, grabbed her cell and dialed Hannah.

“Did you talk to the shifter couples for me?” Riley asked before Hannah could say hello.

“Yes. I talked to them yesterday and asked all the questions on your list, but I don’t know how it’ll help you. You need to focus on winning Nic’s wolf, and time is running out.”

Riley ground her teeth. “Which is why you set me up yesterday.”

“Of course. You need to trigger Nic’s instincts, and there’s only one way you can.”

She curled her fingers into a fist. “By making him feel protective of me.”

“Exactly. If he saw you cry—”

“Whatever, Hannah.” Riley blew out a rough breath. Arguing with Nic’s stubborn sister only wasted time. “I don’t want to talk about what I walked in on yesterday. Did you get the details of the infertility treatments the couples tried?”

“Yes. Come over, and I’ll give them to you.”

“No need. Just answer one question.” Riley licked her lips. Her whole plan hinged on it. “Did the shifter female’s eggs die when removed from her body?”

“No, but her human mate’s seed wasn’t able to penetrate the egg.”

Riley’s heart beat faster. “What about donor shifter sperm? Did they try that?”

“Yes. It was partially successful, but the embryo didn’t implant. I have the list of everything they tried.” Hannah’s sigh sounded overly loud. “I can email it to you, but I don’t know what good it’ll do. From the looks of it, they tried everything.”

Her stomach knotted. She hoped not everything. “Please do. Thank you, Hannah.”

Riley ended the call and opened her email program. The moment Hannah’s name popped up, Riley clicked on the message. She read through the details. Her heart raced.

No, not everything.
She jumped to her feet and did a little dance.

All the traditional methods were tried, but the one that mimicked a natural conception hadn’t been utilized. She wasn’t surprised. Gamete Intra-Fallopian Transfer or GIFT wasn’t common, but it should work—biologically speaking.

If a shifter’s donated egg and Nic’s sperm were inserted into her Fallopian Tube during the night of the full moon, conception and implantation would occur naturally. It would essentially turn her into a surrogate. Of course, like the other procedures the human-shifter couples had attempted, it might not work, but it was worth a shot. She just needed to find a mated shifter female willing to give Riley her eggs.

Well, she also needed Nic’s wolf to accept her, something that might never happen. If she allowed the thought to take hold, it’d cripple her.

One obstacle at a time.

She dialed Jenna.

“Hello?” Jenna’s sleepy voice filled the line.

“I’m sorry to wake you, but I need to talk to you.”

“What’s wrong?” Worry laced Jenna’s alert response.

“Nothing. Everything might finally be all right. Will you come to the house?”

“Of course. I’ll be there in five.”

Jenna clicked off, and Riley ran to the bathroom. A quick shower later, she paced the length of her living room. After what seemed like forever, the door opened. Jenna walked in, hair in tangles and concern etched on her features. She rushed forward.

“Talk to me, Riley. What’s happened?”

Riley caught her bottom lip between her teeth. She’d been so caught up in her excitement she hadn’t given any consideration on how to approach the subject of her relationship with Nic. She blew out a breath and gave Jenna the truth. “Nic and I love each other. He tried mating me four years ago. His wolf stopped him.”

“Oh, hon. I’m sorry.” Jenna laid her hand over Riley’s arm.

Riley blinked more tears away. “No, don’t pity me. Help me.”

“I can’t. You need to leave the pack. Nic’s mate—”

“Is going to be me.” Riley raised her chin. “I think I’ve found a way to fool biology and give Nic an heir.”

Jenna shook her head. “That’s impossible. If you’re thinking some kind of fertility treatment, it won’t work. Human eggs and shifter sperm aren’t compatible.”

“I know. Just listen to me.” Riley explained her plan, then turned imploring eyes on her friend. “I know it might not work. I also know it won’t matter unless Nic’s wolf accepts me, but…”

“But?”

Riley took her friend’s hand and squeezed it tight. “If Nic did mate me, I’d need a mated shifter female willing to give me her eggs.”

Jenna held her gaze. “You’re asking for mine.”

“Yes.”

Jenna pulled her hand free and walked toward into the kitchen. Riley followed. Jenna crossed the room, stopping in front of the patio door. An endless moment passed while she stared at the quiet background before she sighed. “If Sean is willing, I’ll do it.”

Riley went to her and wrapped her arms around Jenna’s torso. “Thank you, Jenna. You’ve given me hope.”

“I don’t know if it’ll be enough.”

“You’re right. I need Nic to take a chance on me.”

Jenna glanced over her shoulder. “Not Nic. His wolf.”

Riley sighed. It all came back to the animal spirit sharing Nic’s body, and she was once more left with the same question—how could she win over a primal wolf who considered love unnecessary?

She turned away. “You’re right, and I don’t have an answer.”

All she could do was love both Nic and his wolf. She had nothing else to offer them.

Nic paused in the doorway to Sean’s house and waited for his wolf to surface. The animal had to know what Nic planned. Yet, it remained silent. It had all morning except for when it whined in his dad’s presence. Did the beast finally understand what length Nic would go to in order to love Riley? He wouldn’t know until he tried to finish mating her, but hope rose. He let the feeling strengthen him and entered Sean’s home.

“I’m in the living room,” Sean called out.

Nic walked toward it and found his friend, dressed in khakis and a button-down shirt, on the sofa. A computer sat on his lap and several folders were scattered on the seat next to him. In his outside life, Sean was the face behind Kagan Industries, a conglomerate of companies owned by the Kagan pack and run by humans. Every couple of decades, a new shifter took over as the contact position that toured the business and sat in on video conferences with buyers and clients.

There were other pack members who’d taken positions in accounting and human resources, but all those jobs were easily completed via computer. The electronic world had helped the shifter community as much as it had hurt them.

Sean motioned to the recliner. “Sit and talk to me. You look troubled.”

Nic hadn’t bothered guarding his expression. What was the point? Sean knew too much of Nic’s personal issues to begin with. Soon, Sean would know everything.

Nic shook his head. “I’m not here to discuss my problems.”

Sean set the laptop on the coffee table and leaned forward, elbows propped on his knees and hands clasped in front of him. “Then why are you here?”

“I’m leaving the pack with Riley in a few hours. I want you to accept the spirit wolf and take my place as alpha.”

Sean held his gaze. “You’re serious.”

“Yes. I can’t live torn between love and responsibility. If my wolf won’t come to accept Riley as my mate, I’ll follow her into death.”

Sean squeezed his eyes shut. He breathed deeply for several minutes. All the while, Nic’s wolf watched him through his eyes. He fisted his hands, ready to tighten his hold on the animal, yet it didn’t react—aggressively, at least. It waited with what Nic could only describe as eagerness tensing its body. His earlier thought surfaced, and he was more certain than ever of the truth of it. His wolf had accepted Nic’s love for Riley as being the only thing that would heal him.

God, he couldn’t wait to get Riley alone to test his theory.

“Well?” Nic asked. “Are you going to do it?”

Sean cracked his eyelids. “Yeah, I’ll take over the pack.”

Nic’s pent-up breath escaped in a rush. “Thank you.”

“Is your dad onboard with the plan? We’re going to have to come up with some story to explain why you’re late or something. Maybe I can—”

“He wants you to challenge him.”

Silence stretched while Sean held his gaze.

Nic ran a hand through his hair. “He’s dying. He wants to leave this world a true alpha. I know it’s a lot to ask, but it’s his only wish.”

Sean cursed. He pushed from the couch and strode toward the fireplace. He picked up a picture of Sean, Nic and his dad from years ago. They’d gone fishing and stood in waders with their catches proudly held up. “He’s like a father to me.”

“I know, which is why I’m asking you to do this.”

Sean sighed. He placed the photo on the shelf and faced him. “I’ll make it quick.”

Nic gripped his shoulder. “The Kagan pack will thrive under your direction.”

“And I hope you find what you seek.”

Nic turned his back on his friend. “I already have, and it’s time I make it permanent.”

Because he was surer than he’d ever been about his wolf’s stance. It had accepted the truth.

Riley was their true mate.

Their one.

Chapter Twenty

Riley paced the length of her living room for the second time in a matter of hours. The note Nic had left her along with its unspoken promise no longer comforted her. Lunchtime had come and gone, and Nic hadn’t showed. She’d tried calling him. His cell she’d found in the hallway with his wet pants, and nobody answered at his house. Riley had left messages on both his home phone and Hannah’s cell. Neither had been returned. She wanted to ask the other pack members if they’d seen him but couldn’t. Unless she used his dad as an excuse, she had no legitimate reason to seek him out, in the pack’s eye at least.

For years, she’d been forced to keep her love for Nic a secret. Some days it had been incredibly hard to be in the same room with him and not gravitate toward him or follow his every move with her gaze. Her indifference had been the only thing that had allowed them to be together.

She completed another circuit around the room and cursed. Had she misread him? If so, what more could she do? There were only a few hours left before his pack stole him from her.
Before Maria claims him.

The front door opened, stopping her sob from forming. She spun. Nic stood in the opening.

“Nic.” She locked her knees to stop herself from running to him, her thoughts a moment ago making her hesitate. “You came back.”

He kicked the door shut. “For the last time.”

Her heart dropped. “So this is it?”

“Yes.”

He strode toward her, the bulge in his loose sweats growing more evident with each step. For the first time, the knowledge he desired her didn’t satisfy her. It left her feeling empty.
No, Riley. Don’t overreact. Find out the truth, then tell him your idea.

He reached for her. She stepped back. “Why are you here?”

“To finish what I started.” He looped an arm around her and pulled her against him. The thick length of his cock pushed into her belly.

She pressed her palms against his chest, holding him at bay before her lust took over completely. They needed to talk. “And that is?”

Hunger flared in the soft glowing depths of his eyes. Like last night, blue overtook the white area of his orbs. The sight tore a gasp from her. He tensed. “What, baby?”

“Your eyes. They’re completely blue.” She might be a pack doctor, but she didn’t know all their secrets. “Except for last night, I’ve never seen yours change.”

“Last night.” He grinned. “When we made love?”

“Yes.”

He closed his eyes and chuckled. “You did it, angel.”

“Did what?”

“Fixed me.” He bent and took her mouth in a slow kiss before she could ask what he meant. Her thoughts scattered under his skilled touch. He twined his tongue with hers and ran his hands over her back. Each caress weakened her and tore what little resistance she had down. She curled her fingers into his shirt, holding him closer, and gave herself up to the emotion he urged her to feel.

On and on, he kissed her. Each brush of his lips added to the reverent stroke of his fingers over her body. He wasn’t kissing her good-bye. He was offering her a promise, a future and a love to last a lifetime. The certainty radiated within her.

“Nic.” She breathed his name against his lips, hoping he understand everything she couldn’t say.

“Yes, Riley.” He skimmed his parted lips to her ear. “I’m yours.”

Her heart raced. “What are you saying?”

He swung her into his arms and strode from the room. Caught off guard, she yelped and looped her arms around his neck.

“Nic, what are…” He focused glowing blue eyes on her. Her question died on her tongue at the realization of what his solid eye color meant. His wolf had risen, and he watched her as intently as the man.

“I’m saying you healed me.” He pressed his lips to her forehead. “There’s only one question left to answer.”

She leaned close and trailed her lips over his neck to his ear much the way he’d just done to her. “And that is?”

Instead of answering, he cupped the back of her head, holding her in place, and carried her down the hall. A click, and the door to her bedroom closed. Her back met the mattress a moment later. It dipped with his weight. He crawled over her, propping his bent arms on either side of her face, and stared into her eyes. For several moments, he only held her gaze. Emotions showed in his expression, from carnal to sensual ones, but it was the look of possession on his face that sped her pulse and flooded her sex with arousal.

“You love me.” Certainty laced his voice.

She nodded. “With all my heart.”

“For eternity. You’ll love me forever, won’t you?”

She skimmed her hands under his T-shirt and over his back. “Yes, Nic. In this life and the next.”

He dropped his head to her shoulder. His breath teased her skin, sending sparks along her nerve endings. “I don’t deserve you, Riley.”

She tightened her hold on him. “Didn’t we have this conversation already?”

“You’re right. No more talking, angel. It’s time for me to love you and make you mine.”

He sat back and swept his gaze over her. Her skin burned under his intense perusal. His hands followed the path his visual caress had taken and her nipples pebbled under his touch. She held her breath once he reached her stomach and waited for him to pop the button on her jeans. A long moment passed, but he didn’t slip his fingers lower. He unleashed a single sharpened nail and reversed his teasing path, slicing her shirt on his upward stroke. The cloth parted, revealing her bra. He dragged his nail over it, and the silk parted, freeing her achy breasts.

Her breath escaped on a shaky sigh. She gazed at him. The tips of his fangs showed in his open mouth. She rubbed her thumb over the corner of his lips. He turned his head and nipped the tip of her finger. The small bite of pain whipped through her, tightening her body.

He grasped her wrist and pressed it into the bed. With the deadly curved nail he’d used to rip her clothes, he traced her areola. A flick of the hard tip, and she shuddered. He squeezed her heavy flesh, rubbing the erect bud into his palm and skipping more tingling awareness down her spine.

Her quickened breaths turned into rough pants that lifted her chest, pushing her breast into his hand and intensifying the sparks spreading over her skin. She squirmed with the desire to escape his teasing, but knew escape was the last thing she truly wanted. She desired the fulfillment of the promise she saw in his eyes.

He was going to mate her.
Or try to at the very least.
Her rational mind tagged on the qualifier, but the intensity of his wolf’s gaze focused on her through Nic’s eyes pushed the debilitating thought aside. For once, both man and beast were on the same page.

I fixed him. Healed his broken soul.
Love swelled her heart. She arched her back, offering herself to him. “Again, Nic. Do that again.”

He straightened his fingers over her tender skin. His nails lengthened, transforming his firm hold on her breast into a dangerous caress. Desire gripped her. She’d always loved being at his mercy, trusting him with her body and pleasure.

He repeated his squeezing massage. Nails dented her skin. She writhed for him, and he moved with her, adjusting his body to stimulate hers. His leg brushed over hers, and he pushed his knee against her jeans-covered groin. Sparks skipped from her clit to her womb. She moaned. He ground his knee a little harder into her and bent his head to her free breast.

The wet swipe over her nipple tore breathy whimpers from her throat. He dragged his flattened tongue over the erect tip while caressing the sensitive bud of her other breast. Combined, the stimulation pushed her pleasure higher.

She yanked her hand free and tugged on his sweats. He might be intent on worshipping her, but she wanted him pumping into her and sending her up in flames.

“Want you inside me. Fucking me. Loving me. Making me wild.”

She gripped his bare ass, digging her nails into his firm butt cheeks. A growl crawled up his throat. The sound whipped from where he was latched on to her breast to her fingers and toes. She writhed under him, and the stinging pinch of his nails on her skin turned her pleasured moan into a soundless gasp.

Ecstasy replaced the tiny bite of pain. He laved her breast, dragging his tongue over and around her nipple and dipping the tip in the valley between them. He sat up and pushed her breasts together. His groan and the drowsy look of hunger on his face brought a smile to her lips.

He’d always loved her curves. She didn’t doubt he liked the slighter fuller figure she’d developed over the past couple of years. Shifters loved all types of women. It was their strength they fell for, not the packaging. In that, she respected their customs. Why wouldn’t she? The way Nic worshipped her filled her with pride. No matter how time aged her, he’d love her with the same intensity.

“Do you like my body?” she asked.

“Every inch.” He bent his head and lapped at her nipples, the swell of her plump flesh and the dip between them before peeking at her from under her lashes. “It’s mine, baby. No other male will ever see you naked. Only me.”

She licked her lips, hating what she was about to ask but knowing it had to be said. “Does that mean you’re not taking a mate?”

Again, he ignored her question and turned his focus on her. He popped the button on her jeans and dragged the zipper down. A tap on her hip, and she lifted her bottom, following his unspoken command without hesitation. He pulled her pants off and dropped them on the floor. Her panties followed. The scent of her desire reached her. She shifted her ass, tempting her wild lover to dip his head and feast, despite wanting him to answer her. She couldn’t help it. They both loved his lips on her clit.

Nic’s gaze zeroed in on her bare cleft. He brushed his knuckles over her wet lips. Another hungry sound rumbled his chest, but he didn’t lick her. He lifted his gaze to hers. “Oh, I’m claiming a mate today. I won’t let the opportunity pass.”

Pain tightened her chest. She shoved it back. The uncertainty had no place in her heart. She knew better. Nic’s love was stamped on his face. The memory of the last time he tried to tie them together hung over her, though. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be quite free of it.

And I shouldn’t let it go. Not completely. It’s made me who I am, a woman who loves a flawed man.
Right or wrong, she knew his soul and loved the purity she’d experienced in that brief moment when they were one. She wanted it again.

“Who, Nic? Tell me who will get the honor of loving you.”

He slipped his hands under her back and lifted her, holding her against his chest with one arm. With the other, he stripped the remaining fragments of her shirt from her body and tossed them. He laid her down and climbed off the bed.

His clothes ripped in his haste to get them off. He let the pieces fall and faced her. His cock stretched to his belly button, a long thick length she’d become addicted to along with the man. She swept her gaze over him in much the same way he had to her. He stood still under her focused study. She forced herself to glance into his face.

The smile he wore gave him a wicked aura. She gripped the sheets, needing something to ground her. He stepped closer. “Do you like what you see, my mate?”

Her breath rushed out. “Me? You chose me?”

He placed one knee on the bed, then the other. In a fluid crawl, he closed the distance between them, forcing her to lie down with his approach. He lowered his hips until the head of his cock brushed her leg. The sensation tore a shuddering moan from her. She panted while awareness skipped through her core and her arousal flowed. She waited for him to join their bodies.

After an endless moment, he shifted closer, his cock skimming along her inner thigh. The head of his cock poked at her opening. A tilt of his hips, and he joined them on a steady push that stole her breath and her sanity. Her eyelashes fluttered closed. He dropped his head to the crook of her neck, his rough breaths matching hers.

She linked her arms around his waist, holding him close. “Nic, please. Tell me. Did you choose me?”

“I chose you before I knew anything, not love, not friendship, not power or strength.” He kissed from the bite mark he’d left on her across her shoulder to her throat before nibbling on her earlobe. “I chose you the moment you gripped my hand and said ‘mine’ when we were toddlers. I just didn’t know it.”

“I did. I knew it. You’ve always been mine, just as I’ve been yours.”

“I’m glad. One of us needed to understand the depth of our bond, and know enough to fight for us.” He eased back and held her gaze. “You’re my true mate, Riley, the one God intended me to love. Few shifters find their partners or recognize them when they do. You did and helped first me to see it and then my wolf.”

Tears collected on her lashes. “He’s accepted me?”

“He knows I’m keeping you. He watched while I gave my pack away without fighting me.” He rolled his hips, driving the head of his cock against the mouth of her womb. Tingles spread outward. He groaned while she sucked in a shaky breath. “And I feel him. He’s one with me, right here and now. He feels peace.”

“I do love him too, Nic. He’s a part of you.”

“And soon he’ll be a part of you.” He dragged his erection back and pushed forward on an agonizingly slow thrust. A low groan escaped his lips, the rush of air heating her skin. “So damn tight, angel. You’re perfect. My perfect mate.”

“You’re mine. I love you. More than anything.” She sifted her fingers through his hair, toying with the strands and tugging. The jerking of his cock and low grumble in his throat rewarded her. She grinned and lifted her ass, pushing against his forward stroke. “But I need you to move. I feel edgy. Ready to combust. I want you to make me come, and I want you to keep it going until I can’t think beyond the utter ecstasy you make me feel.”

“Umm…as your mate, it’ll be my honor to see to your needs, baby.” He slipped his arm under her, held her against him and set a slow pace. “You want to see heaven, I’ll bring it down for you. Wrap it around you. Make it so it’s yours alone.”

“Yes, Nic. I want that.” She massaged his scalp. His hair tickled her hand. Energy danced along skin, connecting them. From her fingertips to her toes, she came alive. Every drag of his cock ignited her, pushing her higher. Heaviness built low in her womb. Her breasts grew achy. And her heart swelled on a combination of lust and love only Nic could evoke within her. She fisted his hair and yanked, forcing him to meet her gaze. “And I want you to join me.”