Mated to War (9 page)

“Don’t worry about them. We will
make sure that they need for nothing together, okay?” He received a beautiful
smile and a nod from Charli. “But, kitten, if you have the urge to gamble
again, I want to know straightaway. I won’t have you going through that alone.”

Before she could respond, a
little bundle of joy came springing onto the bed. As Charli greeted her little
sister, her gaze held his. She nodded, silently agreeing to his request. It
made his heart feel lighter. She had handed over herself and her protection
completely to him. And it was time to get out of bed so he could show his girls
where their future lay.

Chapter Fifteen

Charli looked across the uneven
terrain of the pride lands. The golden ground was splattered with the
occasional smudge of green. To say that the land appeared almost barren was
true, yet Charli still couldn’t accuse it of being without character. Boulders of
all sizes were scattered as far as the eye could see, offering perfect hiding
places for the children of the pride. The shadows they formed added to the
allure, enticing with the mystery of what lay within the darkened areas.

Yet still Charli could concede
that she had never felt safer. The lands inhabited by the pride were set inland
away from prying eyes. The knowledge of its existence was limited to those in
the know. On the drive over Judge had explained that some of the younger pride
members chose to live away from the pride, but the majority of the older
generations preferred the company of others of their kind.

Stone houses blended in with
their environment, keeping their presence a secret. Judge had shown her his
house. It was larger than the others but still held a homely feel to it. She
could envision both herself and Emily living there. In fact she had already
seen part of the house in her erotic vision—Judge’s bedroom.

Emily had already expressed her
joy in the pride lands. On the way over they had stopped in at the school to
show her around. It had been recess. Charli and Judge had lost her within
seconds to the playground and the many children. Then, on meeting her teacher,
she’d been invited to stay for the day, which she accepted without a thought.

Judge explained that he’d
mentioned Emily to those in his pride that worked at the school. That included
several of the teachers as well as the principal and assistant principal. The
pride doctor was also aware of her condition and was currently waiting for
Emily’s records to arrive. Though he knew not to hold too much stead in what
was in them.

“Well hello there. You look a
little lost,” a voice said from beside her. “I’m Travis.”

Charli looked back to where
Judge was currently talking to his beta, Andrew. He appeared so deep in
conversation that Charli felt silly disturbing him because this man made her
nervous. She turned back to Travis and did the polite thing.

“I’m Charli,” she said,
accepting his offered hand.

Instead of shaking it as social
protocol demanded, he brought it to his lips and kissed her hand. “Such a
beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”

Trying to extricate her hand,
she said curtly, “Thank you. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to speak to
someone.”

“You could speak to me.” Still Travis
held on to her hand, tightening his grip.

“Get your hands off of my mate!”
Judge demanded from behind her.

Charli had yet to hear such
menace from Judge, and she couldn’t have been happier. Travis dropped her hand
at Judge’s order and she fought the need to wipe it on her jeans. Stepping away
from the man, her body hit a solid mass. Judge’s arms came around her, pulling
her further into his body.

“I’m sorry, Alpha. I didn’t know
she belonged to you,” Travis replied, though his words didn’t sound sincere.
“You should keep a closer eye on your mate. Such a stunning creature would no
doubt draw all the single men out of the woodwork.”

“She’s mine! Keep your hands
off!”

“She doesn’t bear your mark,
Alpha,” Travis challenged. “She’s fair game!”

Charli was barely following the
conversation, but she didn’t like its direction. She may not wear Judge’s mark
yet, but he had guaranteed she was safe because she bore his scent. Nobody
would be game enough to approach her, according to him. But it would seem that
no one had told Travis that.

“Since my scent all over her
wasn’t enough of a clue for you, let me remedy that,” Judge growled.

His anger turned to tenderness
as he gently moved her hair from her shoulder. He kissed her neck softly. Her
body turned to goo at his touch, her legs to jelly. He held her firm against
his chest as his lips traveled down her neck. Then he struck.

She felt a slight sting as if
she had been bitten by an insect. Then the sensation turned into pure bliss.
Her skin tingled and blood boiled as her juices flooded her underwear. Tiny
explosions erupted within her as light filled her closed eyelids. She was aware
of someone screaming in the distance but was beyond caring. As quickly as it
started, it stopped.

Her eyes opened and her gaze
landed on Travis. Gone was the charming smile. A look of pure fury was aimed
directly over her shoulder. Without a goodbye, he turned and walked away. Once
he had disappeared from her sight, she turned to the man behind her.

“I’m sorry about that, kitten.”
Judge was smart enough to look coy as he delivered his apology. It pulled her
completely out of her hormone-induced ecstasy and dropped her into the
embarrassing reality of the pride lands.

“So you should be. Do you have
any idea how embarrassing that was?” She could feel her cheeks flaming at the
thought of what had just happened.

“Embarrassing or not, I couldn’t
stand back and allow him to touch you like that,” Judge replied gruffly.

“You coming to my rescue is not
what I’m upset about,” she responded, confused. She pushed against his chest,
needing to put some distance between them.

“Then what?” Judge’s hands went
to his hair. She’d learned over the last few days that it was a sign of
frustration on his part.

“You made me … you know.”

“No, kitten, I have no idea what
you’re talking about.” The slight turning up of the corner of his mouth told
her he knew exactly what she was talking about. The bastard! “You need to
explain it to me so I can understand.”

“You made me orgasm!” she said,
punctuating each word with a jab of her finger to his chest.

Judge grabbed her finger and
brought it to his mouth. “Kitten, I intend on making you come all the time. Why
would I be sorry about that?”

“But not in public!” How could
this smart, ancient man not see the problem with that?

“Public, private, I’ll take you
anywhere you allow me to. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever had the
privilege to witness.”

Her anger dissolved and her
knees weakened at the smile he was sending her. His green eyes sparkled as he
perused her body from head to toe. He left goose bumps in his wake. He was the
most potent creature she had ever met. How was she going to survive a lifetime
with the man?

Shaking her head, she forced the
fog from her brain. Something wasn’t adding up and for the life of her she
couldn’t put her finger on it. Going back over the conversation she’d just had
with Judge, clarity was gifted along with confusion.

“If you weren’t sorry for making
me orgasm in front of strangers, what the hell were you apologizing for?”

“Kitten, I must warn you, Gabby
is on the warpath when it comes to certain words. She doesn’t want the babies
being exposed to bad language. You might want to watch your tongue.”

While she appreciated the
warning, Gabby needn’t worry about her language. She expected the same rules to
be followed around Emily as well. But that wasn’t the point of this
conversation and she would be damned if she was going to allow Judge to change
the subject.

“Judge, the apology?”

“Fine, but I’m not sure you’re
going to like it.” Again his hands went to his hair.

“Spill!”

“I just gave you the first of
the mating bites.”

“And?” she asked. It wasn’t as
if it was never going to happen, and Judge knew it, so what could possibly be
the problem with that?

“One thing I haven’t told you about
the mating bites is that all three bites must be given before the next full
moon. That’s in just under two weeks.”

“Two weeks?” She walked over to
a small boulder and sat on it, relieved to get off her weakening legs.

“Yes, I’m sorry. I know I
promised to go slow,” Judge said, coming over and crouching down in front of
her. “I had every intention of abiding by your condition, but when that young
want-to-be touched you, even with my scent all over you, and then challenged my
claim over you, instinct took over.”

Instinct. The same thing that
had helped keep Charli and Emily alive these last two years had sped up the
mating process. It wasn’t like she was never going to mate with Judge. If her
recent vision hadn’t already highlighted the fact that she had made up her mind
about the mating bond, she had since made the conscious choice to mate with
this gorgeous man. How could she not? The more she got to know about him, the
more she craved his company and attention.

The question was, had instinct
done her a favor? Speeding up the mating process meant venturing further into a
physical relationship with Judge. She’d already opened her heart and mind up to
this man, but did she have the courage to hand over her untouched body to him?
If the fact that her hormones came alive whenever Judge was near was anything
to go by, then yes she was. Fear was holding her back. Fear of the unknown.

 
“I’m a little scared, Judge,” she admitted,
staring into his eyes. Though everything in her wanted her to drop her gaze in
embarrassment, she couldn’t. Her stubbornness and need to be an equal in this
relationship wouldn’t allow her a moment of weakness.

“I understand, kitten. I can
only promise that nothing will happen between us that you’re not ready for.”

With those few words and simple
vow, Charli found it easier to fight her anxiety over the unknown. Thankful of
the information Nikki and Gabby had shared, she now had enough knowledge of the
mating bond to know that once it was complete their need for each other would
grow beyond anything either had felt before. If ignored, pain followed. Judge
would know this too, yet still he had put her needs above his own discomfort.

“You’re a special man, Judge
Martin,” she declared, bringing her hand up to his stubbly cheek.

“Only for you, my mate,” he
replied, turning his face into her hand and kissing her palm.

As she took in the many people
who roamed the pride lands, she doubted he even saw the lie in that statement.
The respect that resided in every person’s eyes when they looked at Judge spoke
of their true feelings for their alpha. They cherished his leadership skills
rather than feared them. He was the leader of their pride and head of their
family. He was special to each and every one of them, just as he had become
special to her.

Chapter Sixteen

By the time they left the pride
lands, both Charli and Emily were exhausted. Charli had met a number of the
pride members, each one welcoming her with open arms and most of their names
already lost in the jumble that was her mind. Emily had spent the day making
new friends and acting like a normal six-year-old girl should. Every time
Charli heard Emily’s sweet laughter and squeals of excitement the bindings
around her heart loosened, offering her hope for their future.

Emily seemed to find her soul
sister while at school. Katie welcomed Emily immediately. They’d been attached
at the hips all day, according to their teacher. But they weren’t alone.
Katie’s older brother had spent the day following them everywhere, watching
over them and keeping them out of trouble.

“What’s Bobby’s story?” Charli
asked once Emily’s breathing had evened out, announcing that she was asleep.
Her own eyes threatened to close and remain shut.

“He’s had a hard life from what
we can gather,” Judge explained, his gaze never leaving the darkened road. “He
only joined the pride a couple of months ago. His first nine years was spent
with his abusive mother. She’s human but knew about us. She grew up around here
but left when she found out that she was pregnant. She wasn’t Jason’s mate and
knew there was no future for them.”

“How awful for both Bobby and
Jason. Being separated for that long.” Charli sat forward, forcing her
weariness to the back of her mind.

“More so for Bobby, I’m afraid.
Jason had no knowledge of his son until Gabby introduced them.”

“Wait, Gabby? As in Nikki’s best
friend, Gabby.”

“Yes. After Bobby had
transformed around his ninth birthday, his mother dumped him on the land next
door to our pride lands, knowing it was owned by someone who disliked our kind.
What she didn’t realize was that he had died and left the property to his
granddaughter. Gabby found Bobby curled up in her cabin, petrified. They
developed a bond in the few days they were together, and she helped connect him
with his father.”

“That’s so sad. How could his
mother just leave him like that?”

Judge reached over, covering her
intertwined hands with his free one. “Unfortunately, I remember her. Jason was
blind to her true nature. She was happy to screw him but never accepted what he
was. It wasn’t a surprise to us that she would keep Bobby from his dad and then
dump him as soon as he showed signs of not being completely human.”

“I wonder if that’s why he’s so
protective of Katie and Emily. He knows how evil some people can be.”

“That and if you remember, Katie
was the young girl who was nearly kidnapped last week. I think he feels that he
let her down by not protecting her when she was grabbed. He was walking with
her and some of the other kids from the pride when it happened.”

“But that’s silly. There’s no
way he could have prevented that,” Charli argued, feeling affronted for the
boy.

“We’ve all told him that, but he
still carries the burden,” Judge said as he maneuvered the car around a sharp
bend.

“What did he have to endure at
the hands of his mother that he takes such a responsibility at such a young
age?”

“Neglect. He was left to fend
for himself most of the time.”

“That poor boy,” she whispered,
slumping back into the soft leather seat as a single tear rolled down her
cheek.

Judge gently squeezed her
tightly knotted hands. “I can feel the tension coming from you, kitten. Why
don’t you relax and enjoy the rest of the drive. And I want you to remember
that Bobby is now in a happy environment in which he’s loved. If anyone can
help him it’s Jason, Maryanne, and the girls.”

Nodding, she followed Judge’s
advice. Closing her eyes, she thought of everything she and Emily had endured
throughout their lives. No matter what, neither one could claim to not know the
love of a mother. Both women had done everything within their power to protect
their daughters. Emily’s mom had given her life in the struggle.

As fatigue settled into her
bones, another sensation glimmered to life. A vision was coming and she
welcomed it. Delgado hadn’t been far from her mind since her discussion with
Iris. She had been hoping she would be gifted with his whereabouts without
having to push for the vision. Even though she no longer experienced seizures,
there were still side effects of having to force a vision. Exhaustion, nausea,
and headaches generally followed. She’d been laid up for nearly twenty-four
hours after the ordeal with Nikki. Pain that was well worth it to help her
friend.

Darkness
swallowed her sight, blinding her completely. An ominous feeling hung over her
head, and soft whimpers could be heard. A chair scraped along the ground in the
near distance. It came to a halt to her right. Opening her eyes, she tried to
gain some insight into where she was. Blackness filled her view. It was then
that she felt something across her nose. Why had she been blindfolded?

More
whimpering sounded as hot air wafted past her cheek. Shying away, she
discovered her movement was limited. Her arms and legs were bound to the chair
she sat in.

“Shut
the noise, kid,” a man said from beside her as her arm was grabbed. “I was told
not to hurt you, but a little slap here and there wouldn’t do much harm.
Especially if you keep on with that sniveling.”

“I
want Charli. Where’s Charli?” sobbed Emily.

“You’ll
be back with her soon. As soon as the boss gets what he wants.”

That statement had her being
catapulted out of the vision. Sitting up straight, Charli took in her
surroundings. No longer was she engulfed in darkness. Bright neon lights lit up
the sky, announcing her arrival back in Las Vegas.

A hand landed on her leg.
“Kitten, are you okay? Did you have a nightmare?”

She remembered where she was and
why she was there. Quickly turning in her seat, her gaze fell upon her sleeping
sister. Air rushed from her lungs. Emily was safe. Then the foreboding words
followed.
For now
.

She turned her attention back to
Judge. “Yes, a nightmare, only this one was a living, breathing nightmare in
the form of Delgado.”

“What is it?” Worry was evident
in Judge’s voice.

“I had a vision. Delgado’s found
us. He had Emily tied to a chair. We have to take her back to pride lands now,
where she’ll be safe,” Charli said, her heart pounding against her ribs at the
very thought of Emily being in danger.

“Calm down, kitten,” Judge tried
to cajole, keeping his voice low. “Take a look at Emily. She’s safe, sleeping
soundly. No one will be getting to her tonight, or while I’m around. Now I need
you to calm down just until we get her into bed and then I want you to tell me
every detail about your vision so we can ensure that it doesn’t come true.”

“But how can you guarantee that
he’s not going to get her?”

“Because every aspect of our
trip up to our quarters is protected. No one can get into our parking lot or
the private elevators up to our living areas. She’s safe. I promise.”

Nodding, she sat back in her
seat again, her back still ramrod straight. Judge pulled into the undercover
car park, quickly pressing a button on the dash to open the tall gates to the
cordoned-off area reserved for himself, Devil, Viper, and Chaos. She kept her
eyes peeled, looking for any shadow that didn’t belong, only relaxing once the
gates had shut behind them.

As she stepped out of the
low-slung car, her muscles made themselves known. The tense ride had taken its
toll. Forcing herself to move, she stepped away from the car. Judge was
currently folded in half, gently extricating Emily from her car seat while
trying not to wake her. Charli moved behind him, her confidence in their safety
still wavering.

Once the lift doors had closed,
locking them in the tiny cubicle, she slumped against the mirrored walls. Emily
was safe in Judge’s arms. No harm would come to her this evening. Needing to be
near her little sister, Charli took her from Judge as soon as they walked into
the quarters. She set about putting Emily to bed.

Placing Emily on the bed, Charli
gently woke her. “Come on, honey. You need to go to the toilet before going to
bed.”

“Okay, Charli,” came the weary
response. “I had fun today.”

Watching her half-asleep little
sister stumble through to the bathroom, Charli felt a flicker of guilt pinpoint
her heart. It was true that six-year-olds did need to empty their bladder
before sleeping the night away, but Charli had an ulterior motive. She needed
to erase that Emily’s scared voice from her memory.

Still unable to let Emily go
just yet, as soon as her hands were washed, Charli had her back in her arms.
Carrying her through to the giant bed, she placed her little sister into the
middle and tucked the blankets around her. She didn’t know how long she had
remained at Emily’s side, playing with her hair, but when she entered the
lounge room she noticed that they had company.