chaos. All around him men were shouting and fighting. He watched as Nicky wriggled free of the man holding him around the neck, and punched him hard in the stomach. The man collapsed and Nicky, grinning ferociously, grabbed the bartender who was cowering against the wall and pulled her against him.
He dipped her with a flourish and kissed her hard on the mouth before pushing her to safety under one of the tables. He made a sound that was half-laugh, half-howl, and then dove at the group of men who were piling onto his brother.
Kaden groaned loudly and followed.
Chapter 9
“Gods, what a night.” James muttered. They were standing in the hallway of the hotel and he stretched and cracked his back.
“We need to be on our best behaviour tomorrow, Nicky.” He said sternly.
Nicky shrugged. “They started it.”
“Yeah, well you’re just lucky the bartender was willing to vouch for us with the lawman.”
“It’s because I kissed her. The women can never resist me once they’ve had a taste.” Nicholas laughed loudly.
James rolled his eyes and punched him on the arm. “Quiet, Nicky.”
Nicky, weaving unsteadily, turned to Kaden and clapped him hard on the back. “You know, for a human you’re pretty good in a fight. Thanks for your help back there.”
He slung his arm around Kaden’s shoulder and squeezed roughly. Kaden winced and James tugged on Nicholas’ arm. “C’mon, Nicky. Time for you to get your drunk ass to bed.”
“I wasn’t too drunk to save your ass back there, was I?” Nicholas snickered a little and then grabbed Kaden’s head and planted a loud kiss on his cheek. “Welcome to the family, Kaden.”
Singing softly under his breath he meandered down the hallway to his room. James and Kaden stood uncomfortably in the hallway for a moment before James nodded to him.
“Good night, Kaden.”
“Good night.”
They were asleep when he slipped silently into the room. There was only one bed but Sophia had made a bed of blankets and quilts on the floor in front of the fireplace for him. He stopped next to the bed. Leta was burrowed under the covers, he could see just the top of her head poking out, and he gazed at Sophia’s face for a few moments. A thick strand of her dark hair was lying across her cheek and he carefully brushed it back, making sure he didn’t touch her soft skin.
She didn’t move and he sighed and moved to his bed on the floor. He took his shirt off, wincing at little at the bruising and swelling on his ribs, and crawled under the thick quilt. He rested his head on the pillow and carefully touched the swelling under his eye.
James had offered to heal him but the idea of being hugged and touched by his future brother-in-law was a little too awkward for him. He had declined with a rough thanks. He sat up and peered at the bed again. He could just make out Sophia’s face and he stared at her for a few moments before lying back on the blankets. He rolled on to his side and stared at the glowing flames.
* * *
Sophia opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling before sitting up and looking to the fireplace. Kaden was in his bed on the floor. His back was turned to her and she checked quickly on Leta before sliding out of the bed.
She guessed it was close to dawn. The room was dark and cold, the fire had died down to embers, and she wondered if Kaden was warm enough. She wasn’t cold, even in her thin nightdress, but Kaden was a human. They didn’t seem to retain their body heat the way Lycans did, and she moved quietly to the fireplace. She would build the fire up so that he didn’t catch a chill.
She knelt on the cold stones of the hearth and glanced at Kaden. His arm was over his face but she could see the dark bruising on his ribs. She leaned in and ran her hand lightly over the bruising, frowning to herself. How did he –
His arm came off his face, his hand gripped hers,
He dipped her with a flourish and kissed her hard on the mouth before pushing her to safety under one of the tables. He made a sound that was half-laugh, half-howl, and then dove at the group of men who were piling onto his brother.
Kaden groaned loudly and followed.
Chapter 9
“Gods, what a night.” James muttered. They were standing in the hallway of the hotel and he stretched and cracked his back.
“We need to be on our best behaviour tomorrow, Nicky.” He said sternly.
Nicky shrugged. “They started it.”
“Yeah, well you’re just lucky the bartender was willing to vouch for us with the lawman.”
“It’s because I kissed her. The women can never resist me once they’ve had a taste.” Nicholas laughed loudly.
James rolled his eyes and punched him on the arm. “Quiet, Nicky.”
Nicky, weaving unsteadily, turned to Kaden and clapped him hard on the back. “You know, for a human you’re pretty good in a fight. Thanks for your help back there.”
He slung his arm around Kaden’s shoulder and squeezed roughly. Kaden winced and James tugged on Nicholas’ arm. “C’mon, Nicky. Time for you to get your drunk ass to bed.”
“I wasn’t too drunk to save your ass back there, was I?” Nicholas snickered a little and then grabbed Kaden’s head and planted a loud kiss on his cheek. “Welcome to the family, Kaden.”
Singing softly under his breath he meandered down the hallway to his room. James and Kaden stood uncomfortably in the hallway for a moment before James nodded to him.
“Good night, Kaden.”
“Good night.”
They were asleep when he slipped silently into the room. There was only one bed but Sophia had made a bed of blankets and quilts on the floor in front of the fireplace for him. He stopped next to the bed. Leta was burrowed under the covers, he could see just the top of her head poking out, and he gazed at Sophia’s face for a few moments. A thick strand of her dark hair was lying across her cheek and he carefully brushed it back, making sure he didn’t touch her soft skin.
She didn’t move and he sighed and moved to his bed on the floor. He took his shirt off, wincing at little at the bruising and swelling on his ribs, and crawled under the thick quilt. He rested his head on the pillow and carefully touched the swelling under his eye.
James had offered to heal him but the idea of being hugged and touched by his future brother-in-law was a little too awkward for him. He had declined with a rough thanks. He sat up and peered at the bed again. He could just make out Sophia’s face and he stared at her for a few moments before lying back on the blankets. He rolled on to his side and stared at the glowing flames.
* * *
Sophia opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling before sitting up and looking to the fireplace. Kaden was in his bed on the floor. His back was turned to her and she checked quickly on Leta before sliding out of the bed.
She guessed it was close to dawn. The room was dark and cold, the fire had died down to embers, and she wondered if Kaden was warm enough. She wasn’t cold, even in her thin nightdress, but Kaden was a human. They didn’t seem to retain their body heat the way Lycans did, and she moved quietly to the fireplace. She would build the fire up so that he didn’t catch a chill.
She knelt on the cold stones of the hearth and glanced at Kaden. His arm was over his face but she could see the dark bruising on his ribs. She leaned in and ran her hand lightly over the bruising, frowning to herself. How did he –
His arm came off his face, his hand gripped hers,
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