Sought(28)

“No!” Lock held up a hand to stop him when he started to approach Kat. “Stop it, Deep. You know you wouldn’t act against Kat’s wishes, so stop pretending you would.”

“Who’s pretending?” Deep growled. “I absolutely would act against her wishes if I thought her life was in danger and what I was doing was in her best interest.”

Kat glared at him. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. I guess I’m just too stupid to know what’s good for me.”

“No, you’re just too damn tempting for your own good.” Suddenly Deep was right in front of her, cupping her cheek and looking down into her eyes. “You have no idea how alluring you are, do you, little Kat?” he said softly. “With your full curves and your hot scent. No male in the universe could be near you without wanting to fuck you.”

“Leave me the hell alone.” Kat jerked away from his touch. “I’ve had enough of you for one day.” Turning, she marched to the spiral staircase.

“You’re going to have to put up with a lot more of me during the party tonight. A lot more of both of us,” Deep called.

Kat didn’t bother to answer. She still had one of the triangular bonding fruits clutched in her hand. Acting on a sudden impulse, she flung it at his broad chest. The fruit hit him squarely above the heart and splattered all over his deep green uniform shirt, making what Kat hoped was a permanent stain. She was hoping to piss him off as much as he had irritated her. But to her intense annoyance, Deep only looked at her and laughed. Looking her in the eye, he drew one finger through the pulp that stained his shirt and stuck it slowly in his mouth.

“Juicy, little Kat,” he rumbled. “Juicy and succulent and oh, so sweet.”

Kat refused to dignify his leering with an answer. He was still laughing as, with one last glare in his direction, she climbed out of sight.





* * * * *


Lock sighed and reached down to pick up the remaining bonding fruit and the carved wooden bowl Kat had left on the cushions. He knew his mother only kept such fruit in the house to remind her of their fathers. Though she had loved their stepfather dearly, the same Kindred male who had been Baird and Sylvan’s true father, she had never forgotten her first mates—Twin Kindred who had died in battle with the Scourge.

She had been overjoyed when he and Deep had brought an unmated female home with them. After what had happened with Miranda, she seemed to have lost hope that they would ever call a bride. So of course when Kat had reached for the bonding fruit, she’d gotten the wrong idea about what was going on between the three of them. I wish it was the right idea, Lock thought longingly. Gods, how I wish it.

Putting the fruit in the bowl, he straightened up to see Deep staring moodily up the stairs where Kat had disappeared. The ruined bonding fruit was dripping down his shirt but he didn’t appear to notice or care.

“Why do you do that?” he asked, unable to keep his frustration from spilling over. “Why do you antagonize her? Why do you push her away?”

Deep turned to look at him. “In case you didn’t notice, Brother, I’m not the only one pushing.”

“Kat only pushes you away because you push first,” Lock accused him. “Why don’t you tell her how you really feel? Why don’t you tell her what you did for her? How you took her pain?”

Deep was on him in a flash, both hands fisted in Lock’s shirt. “That is not your secret to tell, Brother,” he snarled. “We haven’t come to blows since we were children but I promise if you tell her about the whipping—”

“Fine.” Lock pushed him away roughly. “You don’t have to threaten me. I don’t know why you want to keep it from her, but I’ll keep your secret if it means so much to you. I’d no more tell her what you did than I would tell her about Miranda.”

“See that you don’t.” Deep frowned and straightened his shoulders. “I’m going to try and get some rest before the party tonight. If you’re smart, you’ll do the same.”

“I can’t rest now,” Lock said wearily. “I have to talk to Mumzelle and try to explain that the bonding fruit was a mistake. Then I’ll try to make peace between you and the lady Kat—if that’s even possible.”

“Why should you care if we get along or not?” Deep demanded. “Just let it go, Brother. You know the minute we take her back to Mother L’rin she’ll be asking for a way to break the connection between us. Hell, she doesn’t even know it exists and she’s already angry. What is she going to do when she finds out we have a soul bond with her she didn’t ask for?”