Rise to Embrace [Rise of the Changelings, Book 3] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) (17 page)

* * * *

Dorian sat next to Rick as they slowly made their way to Indiana. He didn’t think it possible, but he missed Benito and Miguel. Life on the road was hard enough, having familiar faces around him made living this way a little easier to deal with.

“You’re thinking too hard,
gatito
.” Rick gave a light squeeze to Dorian’s hand. “We’ll be out of the vehicle soon and sleeping in a bed.”

“Do you really think Sasha betrayed you?” Dorian asked as he glanced over at his mate. He would never tire of looking at Rick. The man had come to mean the world to him.

It didn’t hurt that the man was drop-dead gorgeous, either.

What bothered Dorian was the fact that it seemed everyone they thought they could trust was turning traitor. He would have never guessed in a million years that Sasha would have sold Rick out.

The man didn't seem like the type to do something like that.

But then again, neither had Graham.

“All the evidence is pointing to his betrayal,” Rick answered with a bitter tone. “But I’ll find out what is going on when Nate brings him to me.”

Rick had been through enough and Dorian hated to see him in such a sour mood. If Sasha betrayed them, Dorian was going to shoot the leopard himself.

Brooke sat on the bed, patting Kell’s bottom as the infant’s eyes began to droop. He could hear the shower being cut on and knew Willow would be a minute. Brooke just wasn’t sure leaving Kell in his care was the smart thing to do. He had an overwhelming fear he was going to drop the baby.

Deluca was spread out on the other bed, sound asleep. He had done most of the driving, and Brooke knew that driving could wipe a person out, so he didn’t bother waking the other man for help when Willow handed him Kell.

Besides, he could handle a six-month-old infant.

“We got this, right?” Brooke asked Kell as the infant shoved his small fist into his mouth. He glanced up at Brooke, his brilliant green eyes reminding Kell of Willow’s. Never before had Brooke seen eyelashes so thick. If Kell kept them, he was surely going to have all the ladies. He had a feeling Kell was going to have them anyway if his looks took after his mother.

“Just treat them right,” Brooke said. “Woman are very precious, Kell.”

A small smile spread across Kell’s face, and then it was gone. The fist was shoved further into Kell’s mouth until Brooke thought he looked like a chipmunk.

“And you can’t let the fact that Garrett is your biological father hinder you in any way. You are about to have a very big family who would kill to keep you safe, remember that.” Brooke felt a bit odd talking to a baby who couldn’t answer him. He just wanted the infant to know he was loved.

Deluca shifted around on the bed, which drew Kell’s attention.

“That’s your pappy, Kell. He may be a big kid at heart, but trust me, listen to him when he is teaching you something. The man is smarter than he gives himself credit for.”

Kell turned his head, glancing back up at Brooke…and then the green in his eyes bled out until there was nothing but bright green filling the orbs. Brooke stilled. Was that a normal trait for a changeling infant? He watched Kell watch him, as if studying Brooke.

“You okay, kid?” Brooke asked. He wasn’t expecting Kell to answer him, but for some odd reason, asking the question out loud made him feel a little better. He gasped when Kell removed his fist and two tiny canines slid from his gums.

Now
that
wasn’t normal. The baby didn’t have any teeth except for the two bottom ones that were just breaking through the gums. Kell began to babble, swinging his small arms up and down. Brooke was terrified he would shove his fist back into his mouth and hurt himself. He was afraid Kell would close his mouth and do some damage on the inside with those sharp-looking teeth.

“Okay, buddy,” Brooke said. “Let’s put those sharpies away.”

Just that fast the teeth slid back into Kell’s gums and the green receded until the color only dominated the irises.
What the hell?
Anthony Oswego had called Kell Garrett’s prized project. Just what in the hell had he done to this infant?

He needed to ask Willow if what Kell had just done was normal. If it was a changeling thing, Brooke knew it wouldn’t matter to him that his son was sprouting teeth when he had none.

But if what Kell had just done wasn’t normal, Brooke wasn’t sure what he would do. Taking the baby to the doctors was out of the question. Changelings were being captured. Brooke wasn’t foolish enough to believe that they weren’t being either killed once caught, or experimented on.

He had heard that the scientists had confirmed that lycanthropy was a disease. Brooke didn’t think it was a disease. If nature hadn’t meant for them to exist, then the changeling species wouldn’t be here. He just wished others felt the same way. Who couldn’t look into Kell’s eyes and not melt on the spot?

The shower cut off, and Brooke wondered if he should say anything at all about what Kell had done. If it wasn’t a changeling baby thing, then he really didn’t want Willow to panic.

Did changelings have their own doctors? They had to have them. There was no way these species had existed this long and not had their own physician.

The bathroom door opened, and Brooke sat there mesmerized. Willow was so damn beautiful that Brooke wondered how in the hell he had gotten so lucky. She had mated him and Deluca, and Brooke still couldn’t believe she had wanted him. He glanced at the towel wrapped around her head, hiding the gorgeous mane of hair she owned. Small tendrils had sprung loose and framed the side of her face, making her look like a sexy siren.

She was wearing pajama shorts and a tank top, not leaving too much for the imagination. Brooke quickly brushed the thought aside as Kell turned to look at Willow.

“Did he give you any trouble?” she asked as she strode over to the bed, smiling as she ran her finger over the bridge of Kell’s nose.

“None,” he replied. As much as he wanted to spare Willow the pain, Brooke had to know. “Is it normal for a baby changeling to have his irises bleed out and his canines grow?”

Willow stilled, her eyes flickering between Brooke and Kell. “He did that?” The question was a quiet whisper, and Brooke had his answer.

It wasn’t normal.

“Babies can shift once they turn a year old, but their canines don’t emerge unless they have teeth.”

“And the eyes?” Brooke asked.

“I’ve never heard of the irises bleeding out.” Willow might be speaking calmly, but Brooke could see the panic and concern filling her eyes. “Changeling eyes take on a yellowish hue and glow slightly when their emotions are running high, but I’ve never, ever heard of the irises taking over.” Okay, Willow’s tone was edged with horror as she pulled at Kell’s top lip, her eyes darting around.

“They went back in when I asked Kell to put them away.”

Willow’s eyes snapped over to Brooke, her dark red brows lifting high on her forehead. “You
asked
him to put them away, and he listened?”

It sounded strange as hell even to Brooke, but that was what had happened. Willow’s lithe fingers trailed over Kell’s top lip before she let her hand drop. He knew her mind was working overtime to try and figure out why an infant would possess the ability to let his canines slide down when he didn’t have any teeth.

And the iris thing was just plain bizarre.

“What did that monster do to my baby?” Willow asked as she turned, placing her arms over her stomach. “We have to go back to that orphanage and see if we can find Kell’s files. I have to know what they did.”

“As soon as Rick gets here I can grab a few men and go back, but I don’t want you anywhere near that place. It’s just too damn dangerous.”

“I agree.”

Brooke was a little surprised Willow wasn’t screaming to go with him. She was very adamant about taking care of the ones she loved. It only showed that she trusted Brooke and Deluca to get what they were going after.

Willow sat down on the bed Deluca was sleeping on, staring at Kell. “He hasn’t done anything else strange?”

“Nope,” Brooke answered as he stood and placed Kell on Willow’s lap. “Other than those two things, Kell seems like a normal baby—although he slobbers an awful lot.”

Willow laughed and Brooke was relieved to see the tension ease from around her eyes. “Babies tend to do that when they are teething.”

“Can’t you tie a cup under his chin or something?” Brooke wiped his hands on his jeans, trying his best to get Kell’s slobber off of him. He’d do anything for the little guy, but wearing his spit was just too much for Brooke.

“Bibs usually do the trick. But Peanut used to soak hers in a matter of minutes when she was teething. It’s just something you have to get used to.”

“I’ll make you a deal. You change Kell’s diaper and wipe up the river he has running from his mouth, and I’ll teach him how to shoot and hunt. Sound fair?”

Willow scowled at him, and Brooke knew he wasn’t getting out of diaper duty. He had to give it a shot.

“No deal, Brooke. I can teach him how to hunt just as well as you can.”

“Oh, yeah,” Brooke said as he grinned, “I forgot about the changeling thing.”

“Here.” Willow handed Kell back to Brooke. “Go teach him how to bathe, he-man.”

Brooke held Kell up and stared into his eyes. They were just normal baby eyes as they sparkled at him. “Did you hear your ma? She wants me to give you a bath. I’m not sure she realizes the danger in us getting near water together.”

Willow’s laughter filled the motel room as Brooke took Kell for a bath.

* * * *

Brooke woke to someone kissing the side of his neck, and he prayed like hell it wasn’t Deluca. Opening his eyes, Brooke saw Deluca in the other bed, Kell wrapped tight in a blanket, both sound asleep.

“Now this is a very nice way to wake up,” Brooke replied as he slid a hand over Willow’s dry hair. The soft tresses slid through his fingers like silk as he tilted his head and let her have her way.

“We have to be very quiet,” Willow said as she placed another series of kisses along Brooke’s jaw. “Can’t wake the baby.”

“Are you talking about Kell or Deluca?”

He felt Willow shaking with laughter as she leaned her face into Brooke’s neck. “Kell.”

“As much as I love sharing you with Deluca, I must say, having you all to myself is nice.” Brooke pulled Willow against his chest, feeling her bountiful breasts press into him. She was warm, curvy, and so damn beautiful that he wanted to sink into her cunt.

She had told him that the bond would grow between them, but Brooke had never suspected it would run this deep. He could almost feel her desire for him as he cupped her ass, massaging the pale flesh beneath his hands.

“Ass or pussy?” Willow asked boldly. Brooke’s cock thickened to an impossible length at her erotic question.

“Lady’s choice,” Brooke replied.

Willow pushed from Brooke’s arms and lay on her back, spreading her legs open to show him her sweet and pretty pussy. He moved over her, his lips taking hers, his tongue plunging forcefully into her mouth.

Her small hands gripped his shoulders, pulling Brooke down, closer. He knew they had to be quiet, and Brooke knew he would miss her wild screams, her passionate cries.

But as long as he had Willow under him, with him for the rest of his life, Brooke knew he could wait until next time.

“Fuck me,” Willow begged as she broke the kiss. “Please, I need you inside of me, now.”

Brooke grabbed her legs and threw them over his shoulders as he gripped her hips and slid her down to him. He gave her one long, lust-filled look before thrusting deep inside of her hot, tight pussy. He suppressed the shout of ecstasy at feeling her juices coat his cock as he plunged in and out of her.

Willow slammed her hand over her mouth, her eyes rolling to the back of her head as Brooke took her, claimed her, and tried to ease the fire of passion burning inside of him.

Willow hitched her hips, driving Brooke’s shaft deeper into her pussy. The walls of her channel gripped him tightly as Brooke curled his hips faster.

Brooke grabbed her ankles and spread her legs wider, watching the erotic sight where their bodies came together. His cock looked so damn good plunging in and out of her cunt.

“I’m close, sugar,” Brooke whispered just as Willow arched her body, her back coming off the bed as her pussy clamped down around his cock.

Brooke growled softly as he drove into her one final time before his seed was ripped from his body, erupting inside of her. Brooke bit hard into his bottom lip in order not to shout. He could taste his blood and knew he would have woken everyone in the motel had he not stopped the sound from leaving his lips.

Willow panted beneath him, her eyes closing as a smile played at her lips. “God, that was just what I needed.”

Brooke gave a low chuckle as he pulled his softening cock from her body and lay down beside her, pulling Willow into his arms. “Anytime, sugar.”

They both jumped when a knock sounded on the door. Brooke was out of the bed, throwing his underwear on. At the same time, Deluca was creeping toward the door, gun in hand.

“It’s Rick,” the alpha called in a deep voice.

“Shit,” Brooke said as he tossed the blanket over Willow and pulled his jeans on. “Tell him to hang on.”

Deluca glanced at Willow and Brooke, and Brooke knew the man wasn’t going to open the door until she was dressed. Willow slipped from the bed, grabbed her clothes that were folded on the dresser, and hurried into the bathroom.

Brooke gave Deluca a nod, and then his best friend opened the door. The alpha was standing there, Dorian at his side. “I just wanted to let you know I was here and I rented the room next door.”

Deluca gave a nod. “Thanks for telling us.”

“I’ll see you men in the morning.”

Deluca closed the door and turned. “I guess we have a meeting with him in the morning.”

Brooke shook his head as he walked to the bathroom and opened the door. “You can stop dressing. He’s gone.”

Brooke undressed and got into bed. Deluca set the gun on the nightstand and crawled back into bed, wrapping his arms around Kell as he fell back to sleep.

Brooke closed his eyes, feeling Willow crawl in beside him. He wrapped his arms around her and was asleep in a matter of seconds.