Absolution (8 page)

“Please, please, please.” Kitty had no idea what she was begging for, but hoped Everett would give it to her.

And he did. Kitty bit down hard where his shoulder met his neck. Everett threw his head back and screamed her name. She scratched her nails down his back and squeezed his cock, massaging it with her pussy.

“Kitty. Close. Fuck.”

“Come for me, Ev,” she whispered against his ear.

His body stiffened and his movements became frantic. His chest hair brushing against her sensitive nipples pushed her over the edge.

Everett let go of her ass. She let her legs slide down, but he stayed pressed against her body. Probably a good thing or she would have fallen right to the floor. They both struggled for breath.

“That was—” Everett started.

“Spectacular,” Kitty finished.

Her stomach grumbled. Everett laughed.

“Okay—shower and food.” He put a hand on her stomach and moved from the wall.

It was comforting that he saw to it she didn’t stumble. One more reason she was falling for him—hard. Everett turned on the water and got into the shower, motioning for her to follow.

The water was warm and the bathroom steamy. Kitty grabbed the soap to lather up her hands. She was going to touch Everett all over. She turned to look at him. He was so handsome and all hers. Kitty ran her hands down his chest, taking her time washing all his parts, paying special attention to his lovely, thick, veiny shaft. She tightened her grip and stroked Ev’s dick. She couldn’t believe he got hard again. Kitty wanted to suck his cock, to take him so deep he begged for mercy. Who was she kidding? She wanted it inside her again and again and again. If she had her way they’d stay in bed all day, but there were things to do, like stop shifters from becoming science experiments.

“What’s wrong?”

She looked up at Ev. She’d stopped soaping him up, his hands held hers.

“Sorry. Nothing. I’m just thinking of what could go wrong.”

Ev pulled her close and hugged her tight. “We can’t worry about what might happen. We’ll deal with what
is
happening.” He kissed her forehead, took the soap from her and calmed her with his touch. He made quick work of washing them and rinsing off, but she wasn’t done with him yet.

Kitty knelt in front of him. She wanted a taste and she was going to have it. Ev wasn’t hard anymore and it was easy to fit him in her mouth. She could feel him growing, it was a fascinating sensation. Kitty swallowed around his dick.

“Kitty
…
” Ev ran his fingers through her wet hair. The water was warm against her back. She closed her eyes and sucked his cock, teasing the tip before deepthroating him. Kitty stroked his balls. They felt hot and tight, as if he was ready to come again. He thrust against her face and she squeezed his hips, letting him know he could take what he wanted.

He was nice and thick and Kitty had trouble getting him all down, but she used her hands to make up for it. Faster and faster until he shuddered under her. There wasn’t much cum, but enough that she could taste his salty goodness. They’d have to do it again when he hadn’t just had sex.

Everett looked down at her, tightening his hands in her hair as his shaft slipped from her mouth. “Thank you.”

Kitty just smiled.

Ev helped Kitty to stand so she could step out of the shower and grab a towel. Ev didn’t give her a chance to dry herself off. He took the big fluffy towel and stroked every part of her. It might have been a turn-on, but right then, it was more about comfort. As if he understood that she was a bit freaked and needed time. She closed her eyes and let him finish.

“Thank you.” It was Kitty’s turn to be thankful.

“My pleasure. Now, food before your stomach hurts us both.”

And just like that, the mood changed again. He was everything she never knew she needed. Kitty wrapped her towel around her and picked up their clothes. They should have taken something in with them to change into, but they’d been busy with—other things. She had no idea when the girls would be back, but with her luck it would be any minute.

She passed Ev’s clothes to him. He didn’t have anything to change into—at least not until they moved him in. Kitty smiled. In this moment, everything was perfect. It might not last, but it didn’t matter. They would always have this second in time that was theirs alone. No one could take that from them.

It didn’t take long for them to get dressed. She was hungry so she didn’t dawdle.

Kitty thought back to her parents as she headed to the kitchen and allowed herself to hurt for them, but she couldn’t grieve yet. She wasn’t ready. The reality that her mom hadn’t gone crazy would eventually sink in, but she could deal with that later.

“I don’t have much here. We usually head up to the pack house to eat. I think I have some eggs, maybe. I know I have some bread.” Kitty headed to the cupboards and looked around.

“Kitty.” Ev gripped her shoulders and rubbed them. “Talk to me.”

He must have sensed her unease. Kitty laid her head against his chest, taking the comfort he offered.

“I…it’s just…my parents.”

“Ahh, it’s sinking in that they were murdered.” Ev hugged her. “It’s okay, you know. You’re allowed to be angry and upset.”

“I can’t.” Kitty turned in his arms and pressed her face to his chest.

“Kitty—”

“Later,” she murmured against him before looking up. “We have to fix this first. Then…then I can grieve. But now, let’s eat.” Kitty gave Ev a weak smile.

Ev kissed the top of her head and released her. “Okay, I’ll check the fridge.”

He released her and she watched him walk away. Every part of the situation was homey. Kitty had never thought of herself as domesticated, but it was—nice. Better than nice, it was actually kind of wonderful.

It made her remember her parents with happier thoughts. Her mom and dad had always had a great relationship, which was why it had been so hard to believe her mom could kill her dad. Kurt had taken that away from her, but she wasn’t going to be a victim. Once shifters came out they could find a good punishment for her uncle.

Ev held up the eggs and cheese and wiggled them before coming back to the counter. This she could get used to, making breakfast for the two of them. The girls wouldn’t be around for much longer, not if they were going to go to college, and if she had anything to say about it, they would. It was nice to know she wouldn’t be alone.

Chapter Nine

Everett whistled on the way to the pack house. The sun was shining and all was right with his world. Breakfast had started off rocky, but after the food was done they’d talked about anything and everything—the kind of stuff that might have been learnt through dating. That was one of the great things about mates, usually they were very compatible. It might not be instant love, but that would come. He could see himself easily falling for Kitty. He had a mate and he was going to move in with her.

He opened the back door and ran into Peter. Literally. His cousin looked upset.

“Hey. What’s up?”

“Don’s here.” Peter hugged himself, rubbing his arms as if he was cold.

“Where’s Grey?”

“He went into town with Joy and Valerie. They made Ive tag along and Grey wanted to spend a bit of time with his sister.”

“So—why is Don here?” Everett looked around like he expected Don to jump out at him.

“Stop doing that!”

“What?”

“You’re freaking me out looking all around. He isn’t on the first floor, at least he wasn’t. He’s staying in one of the guest rooms. He’s the new alpha.”

“Your dad?” Everett frowned.

“Forced to step down by Don. I guess things got worse. Mom was in the hospital for a while and Don woke up from whatever spell Dad had him under and realised things were wrong. I think, but I don’t trust him. God, Ev, he—the things he did to look good to Dad—how do I forget that?”

“You don’t.” Ev pulled Peter to him, it was a bit awkward because Peter was a bit of a giant and Ev barely reached his neck, but that didn’t stop him from comforting one of the most important people in his life.

“I need to get out of here.”

“Go for a run and if you want, you can stop by Kitty’s place. I’m moving my stuff over in a bit.”

Everett hoped the run would distract Peter and give him time to find out what in the hell was going on. Last time they’d seen Don he’d been nothing but a shadow following his dad around and doing whatever he said. Poor Peter had taken the brunt of that when he’d come out. That wasn’t how family was supposed to be. Thank God Peter had found him. It hurt Everett to think of the things his cousin had to endure.

“That’s a good idea. Yeah, I’ll go see your mate.”

“Great. I’ll see you over there.” Everett gave Peter one last squeeze before moving around him and into the house.

He would find Don.
This had better not be some trick. If those assholes thought they could hurt my family, they are sadly mistaken
. A coughing sound made him pause on his way up the stairs. Don stood in the hallway looking uncertain.

I can stay calm and talk to Don or I can blow my shit and beat it out of the fucker.
Everett closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was above petty shit. He could be a grownup about this.

“I’m sorry.”

Everett opened his eyes. He had to be dreaming.

“What?” Everett had to have heard Don wrong.

“I’m sorry,” Don whispered.

“Why are you apologising to me?”

“Because Peter isn’t going to let me and…I just—” Don began pacing.

“Why should he? You beat the shit out of him.” And that was putting it nicely. From what Peter had told him it took him a month to fully recover and that was a long time for a shifter. He had been left for dead by his own family.

“Things are different now.” Don stopped and stood in front of Everett.

He looked so pathetic with his sad eyes and his hair standing on end like he’d been running his hands through it for a long time. Everett didn’t want to feel sorry for the bastard.

“Because Daddy isn’t around anymore?” Everett shouldn’t have egged him on, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. The man in front of him didn’t have the attitude of the man Everett had seen those many months ago when he saved Kitty from that awful pack.

“No, I found my mate.”

“And she knocked some sense into you.”

“He.” Don said it under his breath.

“Excuse me?” Everett had to be dreaming. No way had Don just said he had a male mate, not after the grief he and his dad had given Peter when he’d told them he was gay.

“You heard right. ‘He’. His name is Lincoln. Shit, Ev, I was young and didn’t know any better and so jealous of my little brother for having the balls to come out. You know how Dad was, if he knew both his boys were fags—”

“Don’t—,” he began.

Don held up his hands. “Sorry. Just…this is hard, Ev. You were gone and Dad went a bit crazy. I did the only thing I could—self-preservation. Was it the right thing? Hell no. I know that now. I knew it years ago, but by that time it was already too late. I couldn’t leave Mom and I had all of this misplaced anger building inside me, but then he went too far. They were fighting again, Mom and Dad, that is. He took her finger, looked her in the eye and bent it back, breaking it. He started hitting her and it was hard to get him off. I tried. It took five of us to restrain him. I…shit…I had to put him down. Do you know how fucking hard it is to…he was still my dad. Now—”

A short, dark-haired man came to stand beside Don and took him in his arms. The pair looked good together—like they belonged.

“Don, baby, you okay?”

“I’m good, Linc. I—”

Just like that, Everett had changed his opinion. Don was not the same person. Now he looked like the boy Everett remembered from when they were kids.

“Look, I can’t guarantee that Peter will come around. There is too much shit there. But I can talk to him. It might be good for him to see the two of you together, but he might blow a gasket when he finds out you’re gay, Don. I would expect a nice punch to the face.”

Lincoln growled. Everett just smiled. He would’ve done the same thing.

“Don’t go biting my head off there, Killer.” Everett winked at Lincoln. “There’s a lot of history that you—”

“Don told me.”

“Then you know that it won’t be easy for Peter. You need to give him some time. Make sure his mate is with him when you talk. That’d be your best bet. Now that we have that settled I have to get my shit moved out.”

“What! You can’t leave Pete. You—”

“Brotherly concern? How touching,” Peter sneered.

Everett turned. He hadn’t heard Peter come back into the house. Everett stood between the brothers. They weren’t going to have a throwdown in the pack hallway.

“Peter—,” Don began.

“No. You don’t get to take that tone with me,” Peter growled. “And what—you need a bodyguard now?”

This is going to get ugly. Please don’t say it, Don. Don’t do it…don’t…

He tensed, waiting for the fallout
.

“No. Peter, this is Lincoln Black. My mate.”

Lincoln, the poor dense man, held out his hand like they were all ‘happy, happy, joy, joy’ with each other. Peter knocked it away. Lincoln was so short he made Peter look like a giant. No way was he dealing with this alone. He was the only thing between Peter and Don.

“Russ!” He didn’t look away from Peter. “Peter, buddy, you need to calm the fuck down, right now.”

“Ev, he can’t—why is he—?”

“We’ll figure it out, but a fight here, it isn’t a great idea.”

Peter moved to get around him, then took a swing. Everett was able to duck, but the fist grazed Don’s shoulder. Lincoln pulled Don back and growled. Don just looked so sad. Damn him. He was on Peter’s side in this. Don deserved what he got. Peter charged again and Everett wasn’t going to be able to stop him for much longer. He tried to get Peter’s attention, then Peter went still. Everett couldn’t explain the defeated look that crossed Peter’s face. Lincoln held Don up, but Don wasn’t fighting. He would have sat there and let Peter pummel him.