In The Roar(13)

He hauled her into his arms, hugging her tightly and kissing her lips. She opened her mouth in an invitation. He’d get a chance to show his mate to his mother before she left.





ELEVEN



Liv dressed in a rush. She shoved clothes in a bag, half asleep and unsure what she was doing was sane. She didn’t follow men. That wasn’t her thing. She’d heard of women who left everything for a man, and she’d shaken her head and wondered what got into them. Yet here she was, doing it too.

Karel left to get his own belongings, saying there would be a car coming to get them in a few minutes. She should be worried. She just met him. What if it was some kind of ploy to kidnap her and sell her on the black market? Was there a market for big girls in the sex trade?

She picked up her cell phone and sent Gerri an email letting her know she was leaving with Karel to visit his mother and be back in a few days. She wasn’t sure how far his mother lived. He’d been evasive about it, just saying it was far.

It was the concern in his voice and fear in his eyes when he mentioned his mother that got her. Maybe she was a softie, but meeting a man this close to his mother was unusual for her. Not a man who was clearly alpha with a commanding presence. He was no mama’s boy, but he clearly loved his mom.

Liv didn’t get a chance to be with her parents as a kid. Her mother and stepfather, along with her baby sister, died in a car crash when she’d been small. Her sperm-donor father didn’t want to be in her life, so she ended up depending on her grandmother.

Life could be brutal. She’d been saved from the crash because she’d been spending the day with her grandmother. But living didn’t mean she got love. She’d always longed for a warmer family. Her grandmother was not a nurturing person. She’d always made Liv call her by her name instead of grandmother. All she’d wanted in her life was that perfect family some of her friends spoke of. Even Monica’s mother seemed nicer, but she’d only met Monica a few years back, and at thirty-six, a lifetime had happened before they were introduced.

* * *

Karel and Liv followed a man after going down the world’s longest elevator. She sensed Karel’s worries, but the fact he held her fingers entwined with his reassured her that he was happy she was with him.

Surveying the strange environment, she started to think they were going to an underground train, until they reached a giant, brightly lit hallway with a bunch of doors. They stopped at the one with G. Wilder etched into the wood.

She glanced at Karel with confusion. “Why does the door have Gerri’s name, and what’s behind it?”

The man guiding them opened the door and motioned them inside. Karel met her gaze and cleared his throat. “I come from really far away.”

Yeah, no kidding. He was huge and his eyes had a distinct hazel color she’d never seen. This wasn’t far from where she lived though. So how were they getting to his mother?

“How do you propose we get there.” She laughed nervously. “Teleport?”

He gave a quick nod. “Yes.”

“Wait, what? We can’t teleport. We don’t have that kind of technology, and quite frankly, the fact you believe we can worries me.” She tried to tug out of his hold, but he held firm.

He pulled a ball out of his pocket. The sphere levitated in front of them, then moved several feet away before expanding into a giant window. She saw an odd forest on the other side.

“Are those purple trees?” She frowned, interest overtaking her fear. “What kind of magic is that?”

“Come with me,” he said again, pulling her toward the open window. “Let me show you how beautiful my home is.”

“I’ve lost my mind. I must have.” She took steps forward and felt the pull of the window. “What is that on the other side?”

“Nova Aurora,” he replied, readying to go through the opening. “You’ll love it there.”

She’d never heard of that city. It sounded Europe-ish. She didn’t believe they were teleporting anywhere. No way. Then again, what if he worked for the government? She hadn’t asked what he did for a living. He had that military feel with the big square shoulders and continuously serious face. What if he did know something she didn’t?

Curiosity grew inside her. She took a step into the window and felt as if oxygen was being pulled from her until she swore she was dying. She could hear Karel ordering her to breathe. She wanted to snap at him that she was trying to, but something kept sucking out the air. She didn’t get a chance because darkness took hold, taking Karel away, and sending fear crashing through her.





TWELVE