William (12 page)

“Okay…” Katie didn’t like the sound of that, but she was prepared to work with it to get William safe.

“Is this a deal?”

Katie looked at William, at the determination on his face. He wouldn’t abandon her and she had no intention of doing it to him.

“Deal.”

“We’ve got to work quickly. The preparation for your funeral took place last night. You’ve already been dead for twenty-four hours.” Tara moved around the room with speed. Katie watched, wondering what the hell was about to happen to her.

“You ready?” Tara asked her as she pressed a sharp blade into her hands.

“For what?”

“I need you to cut your wings and then hold my hand.”

Katie gazed at the shining blade.

“Will this hurt?”

Tara hesitated. “Yeah, it will.”

Katie shook her head, turning her eyes to William. She began her task.

They stood at her coffin. Sophie was in the room. Katie saw the tears seeping from her eyes. Robert was standing by her side. She flinched away from his touch.

“Can they see us?” Katie asked Tara.

“No.”

“Let’s get this show on the road.”

“Are you sure you want to do this with them watching?”

“Yeah. I always wanted to come back from the dead.” Katie watched Sophie step away from her mate. She saw the agony on Robert’s face, the guilt, and she knew in her heart that it wasn’t right. “What do you need me to do?”

“Lie on your own body and match everything up—fingers, toes, everything.”

Katie moved up onto the table, settling herself inside the cold weight.

“What next?”

“Embrace everything about to happen and close your eyes.”

“Why am I closing my eyes?”

“It’s easier if you don’t tense up and if you think of William.”

Katie closed her eyes and imagined William. The man she was returning to. The one she loved with her whole heart.

She screamed. Tara had pierced her heart with a ceremonial gold blade encrusted with diamonds, and was dipping her fingers into the blood and chanting. She couldn’t hear the words. Katie was being pulled. She felt the thrust of magic consume her and agonising pain as her blood drained into the dead body below her.

Her body, soul and mind were reuniting, becoming as one.

“I’m so sorry Sophie,” Robert apologised again. 

Sophie shook her head. “You should have gone after her when you had the chance. The council…everything else could have waited and now the one person I asked you to keep safe is dead.” Sophie was breaking up inside.

She looked at the corpse of her dead friend, knowing she had failed her.

“What is that?” Sophie asked, moving closer. A red blood stain was appearing over where her friend’s heart was.

Robert stepped forward as well, inspecting the mark.

They both jumped back as Katie lunged forward and screamed, inhaling the deepest breath she’d ever taken.

She panted for several seconds, seeing the vision of Tara motioning her on. “William—where is he?” she asked the two people she had scared. At any other time she might have found it funny.

“You’re alive?” Sophie rushed to embrace her. 

Katie hugged her friend, clambering out of the coffin and jumping off the table.

“Where’s William?” she asked again, holding onto the table, feeling a little unsteady on her feet.

“He’s in his room.”

“No, he’s not. Where would James go?”

“William wouldn’t dream of going after James.”

“Yes, he would.”

Robert looked at Katie and she knew he saw the determination in her eyes, her knowledge of William.

“James will still be at the old mansion picking up the pieces.”

“Thank you.”

Katie didn’t waste any more time. She ran out of the basement and headed for the door. She heard someone yell, ‘Dead witch walking’ before she opened the door and sensed her mate’s anguish.

Taking a deep breath, she knew he was already fighting James. She could feel and sense his pain; his anger and his raw need to be with her.

Closing her eyes, she opened the portal to her magic. Running or driving would be useless, but teleporting would be faster.

She recalled the spell sent down the generations, chanted the few words and disappeared along an invisible path to rescue her mate.

Chapter Twelve

“You knew if you stayed here I’d come back for you.” William had entered the ruined mansion seconds ago. James stood amongst his pack looking calm and relaxed.

“Actually, I figured you’d still be paying respect to the dead witch,” James said, stopping one of his wolves from lunging for William. “Or are you intending to join her?”

“I’m taking you with me,” William announced.

“Just so you know, Emma fooled me as well. I thought Katie was meant for me and my pack but the prophecy didn’t say anything about a witch. I was too impatient. I didn’t want Katie—Emma did.”

James was trying to soothe him. William was not in the mood to be soothed.

“If it wasn’t for you, Katie would still be with me. When you realised what Emma had done you could have sent her back to me. You didn’t. Now you’ll pay the price.” William removed his shirt.

James started laughing. “What are you—”

James was cut off as William went at him, taking him down in a heap. The wolves around them turned, circling their master, waiting for the opportunity to take the vampire out.

William didn’t care. He wanted this wolf’s head.

He kept Katie in his mind. Thinking about her kept her real to him. He was doing this for her.

William struck first, pummelling James’s face with his fist. James reared back, instantly bloody.

William kept hitting the beast until James lunged, his teeth piercing the skin, the deadly strike of animal’s canines going through the flesh to the bone.

The death strike, between wolf and vampire.

William howled in pain but nothing more. He knew he would die soon anyway and the attack had put James at a bad angle.

He sank his teeth into the wolf’s neck, tasting his blood.

What the fuck?

James wasn’t Alpha. James was a fucking half-breed.

Before William could understand what he’d found out, the wolves around them growled, ready to lunge.

“Quiet!” The yell echoed through the hall.

He knew that voice. Moving away from James, he got to his feet and turned to see Katie standing in the doorway.

“You’re dead,” he said.

“Well, I love you too, sweetheart.”

James cursed, obviously knowing his secret had just been discovered. He staggered to his feet, retreat the only thing on his mind.

“This isn’t over Valentine,” he growled, moving away and towards the door.

William scarcely noticed James running away. He only had eyes for Katie.

“Have I died and gone to heaven?” he asked, walking over the smashed glass to her.

Katie snorted. “That is such a bad line.”

“Forgive me, but wherever you are, it feels like heaven.” He stopped before her and just stood there, looking at her.

Katie smiled at him, taking his hand in her own and pressing it against her cheek. “I’m here and alive.”

He moved to surround her with his arms. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of him against her. He smelt so good. She never wanted to leave the comfort of his embrace.

“How can this be possible?” he whispered against her temple, kissing her hair. He ran his hands up and down her back.

“A second chance and a wish from an angel.” She looked up at him, wondering how he would take it.

He frowned. “What does that mean?”   

“I’ll tell you later. You going to kiss me, sugar plum?” she teased.

He chuckled, moving to take possession of her lips. Katie moaned as he invaded her senses and loved her with his lips and tongue. She opened her mouth slightly, giving him sweet possession of her mouth.

“You taste so good.” He pulled back for long enough to speak to her.

Katie smiled, weaving her hands into his hair to pull him down for more.

“I’ve been kidnapped, tortured, attacked and killed by your ex-mate and gone to heaven to be reborn and save you. Don’t stop kissing me,” she ordered before he took control with his lips, showing her how much he missed and loved her.

William moaned as he moved his hand from her face, down her neck, to cover one smooth, firm breast. Katie moaned, thrusting against his mouth. She wanted to feel him on her naked skin, loving her.

A cough interrupted their sweeping passion. Katie buried her head against his chest, her cheeks flushed and red.

“I take it Katie got to you in time,” she heard Robert say.

She knew William was smiling even before she looked up.

“She certainly did.”

“We’ve got much to discuss,” Robert said to them both.

William and Katie shook their heads.

“Not tonight. I’ve got plans tonight,” William said, never taking his eyes from her. Her heart stopped in her chest. Was he going to…?

“What are your plans?” One of the men at the doorway asked.

“I’m going to mate the woman I love with all of my heart and soul.”

Katie smiled and went up on her tiptoes to kiss him. He was the first and only man she would ever love, in all of her life.

Everything else could wait. They would face it together as a team.

* * * *

Tara watched the happy couple. The battle had worked in their favour. They were in love and walking out of what was left of the wolf house, about to start their new life. She breathed a sigh of relief. At least she’d been able to help. She was so pleased she’d been able to keep up the attitude with Katie. When she’d watched the scene play out she’d had to look away, or she knew she would have broken down. She loved happy endings and knew that sending Katie back would do much more good than harm.

After all, William would have been dead and unable to relay his discovery that James was a mongrel to the others. Sighing, she wondered how things were going to turn out. Even an angel couldn’t change anything until it had taken place.

“So, you interfered with the natural order of things. That witch was supposed to stay dead.”

Tara glanced over at Limbo. He controlled the places between heaven and hell.

“You know I didn’t have a choice. I had to help.” Tara pulled herself up to her full height, which was nothing compared to his full six foot six.

“You had a choice but you refuse to allow this miserable planet to go.”

It was common knowledge that Limbo wanted humans and immortals wiped from the earth.

“You will be punished for this,” he said.

“Until then, get out of my room,” she told him, turning her back on him.

Chapter Thirteen

Later that night after the formal mating ritual of William and Katie

Katie was mated. William was carrying her up to his room. They had already started the ritual on that night long ago at his house.

“I can walk,” she whispered against his throat, her spread hand playing automatically with the hairs at his nape.

“I want to feel you in my arms.”

Katie let out a giggle as he kicked his door open. They entered the room and he slammed the door closed with the heel of his boot. He moved to place her on the edge of the bed.

Katie swallowed past the lump in her throat. She wanted William more than she wanted to take her next breath.

“You’re mine now, Mrs Katie Valentine.” He kissed her lips, thrusting his tongue into her mouth.

Katie moaned as he took her mouth, tasting him on her lips.

She pulled back. “Really? Mrs Valentine? I didn’t see a church,” she teased.

He chuckled, sitting next to her on the bed. “Might not have been a church but in my heart you’ll always be my wife.”

The tears came to her eyes. Such sweet and tender words.

He cupped her cheeks between his large palms. “Please don’t cry.”

Katie loved him as he kissed each of her cheeks, then her eyes, kissing away her tears.

“I’m not sad. I’m just so happy.”

“I could have lost you,” he whispered as he buried his face in her neck, absorbing her scent.

She chuckled. “I’m here.”

“But I could have lost you. I
did
lose you.” Katie closed her eyes as she felt him kiss her neck. She had to tell him.

“There are a few conditions to me being here…” she began.

William pulled back, concern instantly written all over his face.

“It’s nothing bad,” she tried to reassure him.

“What is it? Then
I’ll
decide if it’s good or bad,” he said.

Looking away for a second, Katie wondered what would be the best way to tell him. “I struck a deal. Well, not a deal. I was ordered, in a way, to come back.” She glanced at his puzzled expression. “Just hear me out. This will sound completely crazy, I know, but just listen.”

She told him about the angel, Tara, and everything she’d said, about the upcoming battle, finishing with the condition that when William passed away, she would as well.

“I can’t let you do that—” he began to argue.

“I’ve already done it, made the deal. Besides, when you go, I won’t want to stay behind.”

William sat next to her on the bed and grasped her hand between his, kissing the knuckles. “I love you so damn much.”

Katie smiled, enjoying his attention. Soon he moved from her knuckles to the tender, delicate pulse on the inside of her wrist. Slowly, caress by agonising caress, his touch moved up her arm until he kissed her on the neck, nipping the flesh. Her breath caught in her throat. Katie couldn’t move. He made her stomach flutter, her pussy heat as her nipples tightened to unbearable peaks.

Goosebumps erupted along every inch of skin. She knew her pale skin would be showing the blush she felt spreading through her.

“You’re so turned on right now,” he growled, making her jump.

William placed his hand on her thigh, the contrast of the silky white fabric with her smooth, creamy thighs peeking out of the bottom against his large, very masculine hand made her legs shake. Katie didn’t know where to rest her hands, so she leant back against the sheet, watching his hand as his fingers circled the edge of her gown. She waited, watching, wondering what he would do next.