Devi: Matefinder Book 2 (5 page)

                Adrian had just left after retrieving the Alpha blood sample I promised him from Kai. The pack was in the basement training on how to kill vampires; Kai wanted us to start going out on missions and protecting the public. I tightened my grip on the silver stake and taunted Trent, my sparring partner. My cell phone buzzed on the floor mat with a text.

                -Meet at that place?-
It was Dr. T., Dr. Tavern worked for RAIDOS, the secret government branch of humans that studied supernaturals. A few months ago, I had made an alliance with them. I still wasn’t sure they could be trusted. Dr. Tavern didn’t always seem to follow their orders. She went out of her way to warn me of things and so I was pretty sure that I could at least trust her.

                ‘Dr. Tavern texted me. I’m meeting her at the falls,’
I told Kai from across the room and met his gaze.

                ‘I’m coming.’
He told Max something before grabbing his t-shirt and slipping it over his head.

               
‘Dang, I hate it when you put clothes on,’
I teased.

                He grinned at me.
‘Likewise.’

                Kai and I walked out of the house and to the car. He wore a tight black cotton t-shirt and blue jeans. His hair was dark and wild. He looked me up and down. I had my long blonde hair down. It hung halfway down my back. Kai pulled my arm, stopping me. He grabbed the engagement ring that hung from a silver chain on my neck. He was careful not to touch the silver chain, as it would burn him. My witch powers made me immune.

                “Two months,” he stated and then kissed me.

                “Two months,” I echoed.

                I heard approaching footsteps and turned to see Emma running over to us.

                “Are you going into town?” she asked urgently.

                “What’s wrong?” Kai was in front of her in an instant looking at her belly. He was always worried about her.

                “I have a crazy craving for Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland,” she stated.

                I busted out laughing and Kai sighed.

                “You scared me. I thought the baby was hurt.” Kai exclaimed.

                “No, the baby is hungry. Can you get an assorted dozen? Devon is at work and I’m not allowed to leave alone.” Her pale heart-shaped face pleaded with Kai.

                “No, you’re not. Yes, we will bring them back for you.” He patted her belly. “Hold tight, little one. You will have doughnuts within a few hours.”

                I smiled. Was there anything sexier than a sensitive guy that liked babies and pregnant bellies, but could also kill a man with his bare hands? I don’t think so.

***

                We pulled our car up to the entrance of Multnomah Falls. Multnomah Falls was a beautiful public tourist spot in-between Portland and Mount Hood. We had set it up as a meeting place if we ever needed to meet. I had visited the falls dozens of times as a kid. I had hiked the area with my mom and Drake. My throat tightened at the thought of my twin brother. Losing him was the hardest thing in my life. Sylvia had told me Matefinders were always female and always born in a set of twins. The boy twin was her protector. Drake had pulled me from the raging creek to save me from drowning, but in turn had been swept up and drowned. My father started drinking and became abusive after that.

                “Aurora? Where are you?” Kai was peering at me with curiosity.

                “Sorry. Issues,” I muttered.

                He smiled and held my hand as we began hiking up the trail to the falls. It was an easy hike and we passed by a ton of tourists taking pictures. Just before we reached the top, we heard her.

                “Psst!” Dr. Tavern was on a park bench in a small pull out just off the trail. We walked over and she wordlessly began leading us away into a thick part of the trees. We followed her, but my guard was up. She was acting sneaky. I wondered if we were being followed. Once she had led us far enough away, she turned to face us. There was a bruise under her right eye. She had dyed her hair from blonde to jet black.

                “Oh my God, Dr. Tavern. Are you okay?” I knew the signs. I saw them on my own mother’s face growing up. Dr. Tavern was a victim of abuse. She was on the run. She pushed a red button on a disc-shaped tracker. It was some type of signal scrambler. I had seen her use it before.

                She touched her cheek lightly. “Please, call me Alexa.” Her voice was raw, like she had been crying.

                I looked at Kai. His eyes were yellow. “Who did it?” Kai had infused the power of the Alpha into his voice. It would be hard even for a human not to answer him truthfully.

                “One of the guys at RAIDOS. We’ve been dating a while. Things are changing there; he’s not who I thought he was. Anyway, I’m here to warn you. They have gotten word of your wedding. They are scared of the vampires who have been increasing attacks on humans. They’re killing them, draining them of blood, not just feeding from them.” Alexa pulled a blood-soaked shirt from her bag. “Can you smell this? Tell me if it’s vampire?”

                Kai took it, but not before lightly squeezing her hand.

                Kai brought it to his nose and smelled. Then he growled.

                “Vampire. Where did you get this?” he asked.

                “A nightclub downtown. It’s called Pearl. There was a ‘gang fight’ there last night. Was all over the news. Last time I checked, gangs didn’t drain people of blood.”

                I sucked in a breath. “And then again at Safe Haven. These vampires are really pissing me off.”

                Alexa nodded. “I wondered if Safe Haven was also vampires. Look, I’ve left RAIDOS. I’m hiding out at a friend’s cabin in Sandy. I’ll be safe there. Things have changed and I don’t think you should trust RAIDOS anymore. They no longer want to align with the werewolves. You say that you protect humans, but they aren’t seeing it. They want to make sure Aurora doesn’t become fertile and aid the vampires in creating children. I’m pretty sure they will stop at nothing to see that happen.”

                Fur rippled on Kai’s skin. He was having a hard time holding onto his humanity. God, couldn’t a girl just marry the man of her dreams and live a happy life!

                “Well, I guess we won’t be inviting them to the wedding,” I told her, trying to lighten the mood.

                She smiled weakly.

                “Come home with us. We can protect you,” Kai told her.

                “No, they are still watching you. They have drones all over your mountain. They would find me there and I can’t protect myself like you can. I’m just a human.”

                Kai sighed.

                “You’re sure you are safe at your friends?” I asked her.

                She nodded. “She has gone to Europe for three months and RAIDOS doesn’t know of my friendship with her.”

                “Okay, well I want you to check in with me every few days,” Kai told her. A female in need of protection was all it took for Kai to take them in and treat them like pack.

                Alexa nodded and pulled her hood over her hair. “Something big needs to happen, otherwise you won’t make it to your wedding day.” The look she gave me sent chills down my arms. She hit the red button on her device and then jogged away. The backpack on her back looked heavy. A light rain began to fall.

                “Voodoo doughnuts, anyone?” Humor was always my default in tense situations. Kai had a sinister look in his eye. He was mostly silent for the rest of the day.

***

                A light knock at the door woke me up. I looked over to Kai’s side of the bed. Empty.

                “Come in.” I inhaled through my nostrils. Diya, my soon to be sister-in-law.

                She opened the door quickly and then ran toward the bed.

                “You’re not supposed to tell anyone for a while, but I can’t keep it in!” she shouted.

                I rubbed my eyes and put my hair in a big bun.

                “What?”

                “I’m pregnant!” she shrieked.

                Oh. My. God. That was fast. First Emma, now her. Werewolves were serious about their pregnancies.

                “Congratulations!” I hugged her and then moved into the bathroom to brush my teeth.

                “Werewolves don’t waste anytime marrying their mates or getting pregnant, huh?” I pondered aloud.

                “Aurora, you grew up in the human world. I grew up with my mother telling me every single day that our race was dying out and the only good thing I could do for the world would be to find my mate and have children.”

                Wow, if Kai thought we were having a baby right away, he was crazy. I loved kids, but I wasn’t ready to be a mother yet. I was more like the cool aunt.

                “Diya, do they make werewolf birth control?”

                Her eyes widened. “You don’t want kids? Does my brother know?”

                I threw my hands up. “I didn’t say that I don’t want kids, but I’m not a baby factory. So I don’t want to get pregnant the month after we are married. No offense. We are in the middle of a vampire war. You know.”

                “All the more reason to increase our numbers,” Diya added smugly.

                I placed a hand on her shoulder. “You will be a great mother. I will too, one day. I’m really happy for you. So, werewolf birth control?” I prodded.

                She shook her head. “No, our bodies metabolize it too fast.”

                “So …”

                “Condoms.” She stated.

                Oh. Right. Duh. Diya was a mid-wife and would be delivering Emma’s baby. She pretty much knew it all when it came to making babies. She had told me that werewolf deliveries were rough. In an emergency, a C-section couldn’t be done because our bodies healed too fast and would close around the baby. Sometimes the mothers died of blood loss from the baby shifting in the womb and ripping the placenta. I was hoping Emma’s birth would go smoothly.

                I shook my head of those thoughts.