Chapter Eleven

Leora

 

 

The temptation of my mate burned through me the moment I saw him take flight with Haley. I tried to quail the need building within me, however I failed. He smelled my arousal the minute he stepped into the house after I helped Haley get dressed and had gotten her something to eat.

The poor girl was exhausted—bone weary from everything she’d experienced today. She practically fell asleep at the table while eating her sandwich. I hadn’t expected her to help us as she had, but still a welling of pride built within me. Sometimes, these kids needed the perfect opportunity to stand up for themselves. Sure, I would have loved to have seen it in a less deadly situation. Nevertheless, she made her mark. She took back control of her life, and I would be eternally grateful for it.

I had a feeling, from today on, she’d have a sense of confidence she had lacked two days ago, or most assuredly, her entire life. In the end, for me, it was all I cared about—making sure she saw her worth in this crazy messed-up world.

Today also had me pondering a few other truths. Like, did I really want to let go of this kid? Of course, the thought had been circling in my brain for a while now, yet after our experience on the freeway, it seemed like an incessant gnat, flying around my head. I’d seen so much of me in her. I liked her. Sure, she had a smart mouth and sarcasm, in Haley’s form, which had become a second language for her. Those were her endearing qualities to me. I also saw a frightened little girl as well, which pulled at my heart. Unfortunately, until I worked up the muster to talk to Midnight about it, all of my hopes of keeping her with us, were just that; hopes.

“What are you thinking about?” Midnight came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my middle. The strength of his form along with his decadent scent, seeped into my body, pushing away some of my worries.

“Haley,” I answered, afraid to say any more than I did.

He grunted.

“Bad idea?” I had plenty of time to learn what made Midnight tick, including his grunts and sighs, since we were officially mates.

“No,” he replied. “I’ve been thinking about the same.”

He laced his fingers with mine as he led me to our room. “Have you?”

He grunted once more, pushing the bedroom door open. “I wanted to wait till we were in Window Rock; out of all this unrest and danger, so we’d have clear minds.”

I nodded. Adrenaline and fear could make people do and say things they later regretted. “I think we’re on the same page.” I hoped anyway. When Midnight didn’t think I was paying attention, I watched them together. He liked the girl. More so, cared about her and, like me, hated the situation she came from.

He removed my shirt. “You think so?” He smirked, the cocky turn of his lips only enflamed the embers of passion burning low in my belly. “And, what page are we on?” He pressed his lips to my neck, and a twinge of excitement skirted across my skin.

“Haley staying with us,” I answered, trying to slow my pounding heart.

His fingers danced across my flesh before tracing the mark he’d left no less than twenty-four hours ago. “I’d thought about it, too.” He kissed me. His lips parted mine as he deepened it. My worries faded away when I was with him. He washed away the darkness and painted us, in this moment, in bright shades of light.

I sighed, pressing my body to his. Sparks of pleasure enveloped me with each swipe of his tongue across mine. This man could make the world disappear with each touch and tease. When he pulled back, his grey eyes blazed with intent and desire. I could drown in their intense beauty. “What do you think?”

“The paperwork has been filled out. I am technically her father now. When we return to Window Rock, I am sure we can add you as her mother.” The nonchalant way he said those words, had me wondering just how long he’d been contemplating keeping Haley as his own.

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” he answered, not taking his eyes off me.

Joy, love, and excitement coiled within me. “Thank you.”

He shrugged. “No need to thank me. We’re mates. Eventually, we would have discussed this and come to the same conclusion.” Midnight tugged off his shirt. “We can talk about this at length later, though. Right now, I need my mate.”

I yearned for him as well. “Yes.”

The next few moments were a flurry of hands, tongues, and teeth. While we kissed, we undressed, which led to laughter and anxious anticipation. My fingers fumbled on the tab of his too-snug jeans while his made quick work of the clasp holding my bra together. By the time we were naked, I burned for him. For his touch, and his kisses.

He spread me out across our bed like a feast, then settled between my legs. He didn’t enter me at once. Instead, took his time, licking and sucking on my flesh. Midnight wrapped his lips around my nipple and nipped the hard point while his fingers stroked my already throbbing clit. I gasped, arching to him, pressing more of my breast into his mouth.

Midnight groaned. His gaze flashed to mine. The grey of his irises darkened to almost a light shade of mercury, swirling with a tempered storm of arousal. We’d waited too long. I realized it now. The simple touches of his earlier were my warning. This raven craved his mate.

“Don’t stop,” I whispered, giving over to him. “Take what you need.”

The wet tip of his erection, rubbed against my hip adding to the vibrant sensations pinging through me. I was too hot. My skin was too tight. The expectation of what would come next hung in the air. My breath left me in a whoosh when he entered me with one thrust. The prick of feeling too full hit me all at once then morphed into bliss. I cried out as my pussy rippled around him, accommodating his girth and length.

Midnight was beautiful. Long, thick, and uncut. We fit together perfectly, as cheesy as it sounds. He reached places within me, I didn’t know could generate such, raw or powerful responses. A niggle of satisfaction slid through me at the rightness of our pairing.

When he moved... Lord, he took my breath away. Each thrust pushed us closer to the edge of reason. He buried his face in my neck, and the sounds he made only amped up the need growing within me. I know we talked about protection and pregnancy... but this felt natural. Right. I had never experienced anything like this. Been this reckless. But with him, my give a damn walked away the minute his mark had blazed to life on my breast.

Midnight’s thrusts became more insistent. Powerful. He pushed us higher and higher. I clung to him, barely holding on, unable catch my breath or process the force of our coupling. His nails bit into my skin, adding to the pleasure coursing through my veins. Then, the mark flared to life on my chest, and everything coiling within me burst forth in shards of multi-colored lights.

My release slammed through me, stealing my sight and my sense of reason. In the distance, I heard the trilled cry of a raven. It took me a second to realize it was Midnight, in the throes of his climax. He trembled in my arms as we both fought for our breath. Nothing in this world mattered to me, in this very minute, more than my mate and the girl down the hall from us. They were now, and would always be, my family.

 

***

 

We pulled into Window Rock, Arizona at noon. Our point persons, Rashid and his brother, Saber, met us at the weigh station on the border of New Mexico and Texas. It’d been a while since I’d seen both men and boy, were they a sight for sore eyes.

Rashid and Saber were one of the first members of Vigilante Security which later became Psychic Retrieval Agency. They helped a girl, Aislinn, gain her freedom after her parents wanted her to mate and marry a man, five years her senior. She’d only been sixteen. The girl had been adopted by Rashid and his mate, Melody, and renamed Shelby. She now taught at the small school Rapier built behind the orphanage Danielle and Keeley ran.

They were great men and after a quick round of introductions for Haley’s benefit, we were on the road once again. It was also when I noticed she’d pulled away from us some. I could only imagine what was going through her head. We’d continuously told her she’d be delivered to the orphanage, but we’d never corrected her line of thinking earlier this morning. I was beginning to believe we’d made a terrible mistake.

A few times, I’d thought to spring it on her in the car on the remainder of the drive, but something gave me pause. I had a feeling she would have to see the truth still before she’d believe it. Which meant bringing her to wherever Midnight and I would be living together.

As if reading my mind, Midnight pulled up to an apartment complex and turned into the driveway. Once he was parked, he turned to Haley. “Welcome to your new home.”

Haley blinked. “This isn’t an orphanage.”

He took my hand in his. “Well, Leora and I decided we didn’t want you to go to the orphanage. We want you to stay with us.”

Haley’s eyes grew round, and her body seemingly vibrated with happiness. “Really? You want me?”

I nodded. “Yes. When my parents adopted me, they gave me the home I never realized until I was there, I truly needed. Midnight and I, want to give you the same hope and love and family you deserve.”

She shook her head. Haley didn’t say a word, and I worried we’d pushed her too soon. I should have known better. It would have been easier to give her time and show her how much we adored her and wanted to give her a family. Something she could call her own and a place to call home. Sixteen years in the system was a long time. I just hoped it hadn’t broken her completely.

When she raised her head, tears were brimming in her eyes. “I-I don’t know what to say.”

Midnight chuckled. “Say yes, kid.”

Haley smiled. Her eyes lit up with such joy and love, a lump formed in my throat, and I knew we’d made the right decision last night. No one would understand her quite as well as Midnight and I, nor would anyone love her as much as we did either.

“Yes!” Haley cried, swiping away tears as she started to giggle. “Oh, my God! I can’t believe this is happening. Thank you.”

Midnight waved off her thanks. “You don’t have to thank us. Now, come on. Let me show you around a bit before Leora and I have to debrief with Kalkin, Rapier, and Jerome.”

When we had Haley situated in the apartment, and she was content, Midnight and I went to the small storefront in town PRA called its home. It was the same building, refurbished of course, that started this all when it was first named Vigilante Security. Inside, several agents manned the phones while others worked on tracking down children in need, even a few adults. We bypassed everyone and went straight to the office in back. Midnight didn’t knock as we entered, knowing full well we were expected.

Kalkin sat behind the desk while Jerome and Rapier stood behind him. Individually, each man was intimidating. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with, and nary a one of them looked over the age of forty-five. They each waited patiently as Midnight and I took a seat. A niggle of worry raced down my spine, and I wondered if this would become the Spanish Inquisition.

Midnight patted my knee. “You’re scaring my mate.”

Kalkin snorted. “Bull shit. Your mate is one of the strongest females I know. If she’s intimidated by us, then she’s done something wrong.”

I lifted my chin a little. “Not even close.”

Kalkin motioned to me. “See.”

I rolled my eyes. “We did destroy a house, a truck, and left a trail of dead bodies behind us, though.”

Jerome chuckled. “Our cleaning crew wasn’t happy.”

“They’re never happy,” Rapier groused. “They bitch about everything, including the fucking rain, when we get any. Main thing is, you got the kid here. Where is she?”

“At our apartment,” Midnight said. “We’ll be keeping her.”

Kalkin cocked a brow. “Oh, you will, huh?”

“Yes,” I added. “Midnight and I discussed it, and Haley needs us. We’re perfect for her.”

Kalkin rubbed his chin with the back of his fingers. “I thought you didn’t like kids, Poe?”

“Never said I didn’t.” He shrugged. “Some are just a pain in the ass. They whine all the time and are afraid of their own damn shadow. Haley... shit, she’s different. The kid saved my life, and our lives twice. I can’t repay her for her heroics, but I can ensure she has a great life with Leora and me.”

Rapier nodded. “Then she’ll be in good hands. I’m sure Danielle and Keeley will want her to still learn from them.”

“We haven’t discussed it yet with Haley, but I agree,” I said. “It’s the right decision. Haley needs to hone her skills and focus better. However, I think whatever she decides to do with her life starting today, will benefit everyone she comes in contact with.”

“Very good,” Kalkin replied. “Now, what the fuck happened out there?”

For the next two hours, Midnight and I explained everything. I’d wanted to ask who Ghost was and if we should trust him, but a part of me held back. I didn’t think I’d get a straight answer anyway. Kalkin always played things close to the vest where missions were concerned. Most of the time, everything was on a need to know basis, and if he didn’t think you needed to know, you stayed in the dark.

“Ghost had impeccable timing,” Midnight said. “How long had he been following us?”

“A few hundred miles,” Kalkin said. “I told him where you’d be and what the midway point was. He said to tell you, you drive like an old man.”

“Hey,” I snapped. “I was driving.”

Jerome laughed. “It makes it easy to find you. If you’re slow in a crowd or going too fast, you’re spotted. The only thing we can think of, is they found you dilly-bopping down the road, and latched on, hoping they caught the right vehicle. Once they spotted the kid, game over.”

Well, they all died because of it. “Did anyone survive?”

“Fuck, no,” Rapier quipped. “Haley left a trail of barbecue in her wake. I don’t even think there will be anything left to identify them by. I also don’t think Paranormal Bounty Hunters will be claiming them either. The whole op was messy from beginning to end.”

“Speaking of which,” Midnight interjected. “What the fuck is this shit of adding kids to their roster?”

Kalkin shook his head. “Haley is the first case we’ve seen this new team interact with. They’re intelligent, sophisticated, and highly trained. They’ve been groomed to become the perfect, sheep boy as the Japanese call them, or give the full-on boyfriend experience. It’s to lull the kids into a sense of security before slapping a tracker on them and allowing the adults to gain access to our shifters and humans with abilities. I have been informed there is also an all-female team as well.”

“Son of a bitch,” Midnight growled. “None of our kids are safe anymore.”

Rapier sighed. “No. We’re trying to figure out a way to combat this. However, I won’t, and I doubt neither will they, send kids out to do an adult’s mission. There are too many variables to consider in this situation. So, we’re back to square one. All we can do, is our job.”

Rapier had a point. Until we had a better handle on the situation, we as agents of PRA, could only do what was expected of us. We could plan for everything and still miss something.

“Question is,” Kalkin said. “Are you staying with us, or retiring?”

Midnight looked to me. “We’re staying. There are too many kids that need us.”

“I agree.” I took Midnight’s hand. “We’re all in this together.”

Jerome glanced between us. “And if you have kids?”

Midnight shrugged. “We’ll take some leave. I have about a year banked up and twenty-eight rescues. I can slow down.”

Kalkin grunted. “Might want to let your mate decide this. I’ve learned after five kids, your mate is in charge, not you. Leora?”

“I agree with Midnight. We can always take down time. These kids need us and PRA. No way in hell am I quitting.”

“Good,” Rapier said. “Get your new family settled. I have a feeling you’ll be plenty busy soon.”

Midnight and I strode from Kalkin’s office when we were dismissed. Our conversation swirled in my mind. There was so much left for us to do within the Psychic Retrieval Agency. Until every child, human, or shifter with abilities was rescued and safe from PBH, we couldn’t stop. These kids deserved to be free, and I, for one, would be right by my mate’s side, making sure it happened.

No matter what.