Elijah: Calhoun Men _ Erotic Paranormal Wolf Shifter Romance (3 page)

“You wound me.” She felt herself warming to him, relaxing enough that when he touched his hand to her shoulder, she didn’t immediately try to run. “Where did he hurt you, love? When I touch you, I don’t want to hurt you too.”

“He beat me with his belt, so mostly my back. You’d think as a grown woman that I’d be able to get away, but he...my stepbrothers help him.” She looked up at him, wondering why she’d just told him that. “You’re making me tell you, aren’t you?”

“No. I can’t do that to you. Not that I’d even try, but since you’re my mate, I can’t force you to comply with my questions or compulsions. You wanted to tell me. And I want to know.” He asked her to turn for him. “I want to see how badly I’m going to make him suffer when I find him.”

She turned, again not sure why she was doing this. And when he lifted her blouse up over her back, she felt the pain of the wounds when she tried to move away from his touch. He told her not to move, but she wanted to. So to cover her embarrassment, Noelle started talking.

“I was coming out of my work when he caught me. Daniel, one of his sons, hit me with something and I was down before I could think I should run. The ropes were on my wrists, and Daniel held me against his body with my arms up over his head while Howard cut my shirt off.” Noelle moaned when she felt Elijah touch his tongue to her back. “What are you doing?”

“Healing you. Mostly tasting you. Christ, do you have any idea how much I’d like to shift and kill those men?” She started to turn, to tell him not to, when he pressed her against the wall with his hips to hers. “I’m licking them to heal them. My saliva has healing powers in it that will make them feel better. Talk to me. Like you were, talk to me.”

“Ron, another stepbrother, he kept asking me for my purse or wallet.” Elijah was making it hard to think. And when he asked her if they took her money, she had to concentrate on what he was asking her. “Yes. They used to. I don’t carry money on me anymore. Nor do I have it at my apartment where they can find it. I have.... What are you doing to me?”

His body pressed against her, his cock at her ass, and she wanted to beg him to stop it, yet was afraid that he would. As his hands moved from her waist to her belly, then up to her breasts, Noelle wasn’t sure that her heart was beating any longer. Her mind had certainly shut down. When he cupped her breasts under her bra, she leaned back against him and let him hold her up.

“I want to take you right here.” She nodded, her body agreeing to things and her mind right along with it. “If I turn you around, I’m going to kiss you, strip you down, and then make love to you.”

“You don’t want to?” He laughed, and she felt her temper rise up. “I never asked you to do this for me, so if you’re finished, I’d like for you to let me go.”

“Never.” As soon as she was turned, he took her mouth. It wasn’t a kiss, only in the sense that their mouths were touching and his tongue was dueling with hers. But it was more, so much more, and she had to hold onto his shoulders or fall. When he cupped her bottom and lifted her, she cried out when his cock rocked into her pussy. “I need you.”

“Yes.” She wasn’t sure that need was a strong enough word for what she wanted from this man.

“Christ. We have company.”

“Company?” He nodded and continued to rock into her pussy while he held her to him. “I can’t think when you do that.”

“I can’t think either. Except for the way that I’m going to kill the man on the other side of the door as soon as I can move.” That’s when she heard someone pounding on the door. There was laughter there, too…faint, but she could hear it. “It’s Noah. Don’t freak out, okay?”

“He’ll hurt me.” Elijah told her that unless he had a death warrant, he wasn’t going to even try. Noelle looked up at him and could see his wolf racing over his skin. “You’re going to shift?”

“No. He wants to mark you and isn’t happy with the vampire that is keeping him from it.”

She looked at the door when Noah said Elijah’s name. “The sooner I let him in, the sooner I can get rid of him. I hate to put you down, but if I don’t, I’m going to take you right here and to hell with him.”

“Elijah, I would prefer that you waited on that. And I’ve not come to harm either of you. Could you please open the door for me?” Elijah growled and Noelle laughed. “Pretty please?”

It was really funny to see such a big man be so frustrated about something. When he kissed her again, she was set back on her feet, and he started to leave her. But he came back, kissed her again, and then went to the door. When he opened it, Noelle looked at the man standing there, Noah Stark.

“Hello, Noelle. My goodness, you are more lovely than I remembered.” She looked behind her and he laughed. “You, my dear. You have grown into a very lovely young woman. And I’m so happy to see that you have met your mate. Elijah is a good man. I could not have picked a better one for you myself.”

“He’s helping me.” She felt her face heat up when she’d remember how he’d been helping her with her wounds. “His firm is going to help me with some things.”

“Yes. I’m to understand that you’ve come into some money. Good for you. But as you know, that father of yours, he must be taken care of first. The little shit has been a pain in my ass for a very long time. We also have another matter to take care of as well. Nothing to do with you, but with your new family.” She asked him what. “Helenia has opened her lab up, and I think I know now why she’s set on getting a wolf in her clutches.”

“I don’t know who that is.” She looked at Elijah when he only stared at Noah. “Is she working with Howard? Have they found out about the money too?”

“No. She’s after my brother, Sterling.” She asked Elijah how many brothers he had. “There are six of us, plus Joe and my parents, living around here. My grandparents are supposed to come.... Too much information, but I’m worried about this woman coming here. What about a lab? I don’t think Sterl mentioned that before.”

“Why does she want Sterling?” Before she got an answer, if she was going to get one, the room filled with people coming in. Noelle moved back to the corner of the room, as far from the group of them as she could get. But Elijah came to her and pulled her to him as he made his way to his desk. She thought for sure that he was going to help her out of the room, but he stopped and turned her to see all of the men and women.

“Everyone, before we get started, I’d like to introduce you to someone. This is my mate, Noelle Calhoun. We have a few things to work out yet, mostly me killing her family, but I’d like to introduce you to her.” She nodded as each of them said their name to her, and was surprised by all the good wishes that were being given to them. “She’s going to need us to watch out for her, as well as dealing with Helenia. Her stepparents are hurting her.”

“I’m going to be okay.” No one said anything, and she looked at Elijah. “I should go. You have a family thing going on and I should just go.”

“You can’t go back. Not to the place you were staying. Besides that, you are family now. I’m sorry, Noelle.” She’d forgotten about that and looked at Trent when he continued. “I might suggest that you stay with one of us. Anyone volunteering to offer up a bed for her?”

The low growl from Elijah had her turning to him. It didn’t frighten her, but seemed to make her feel warm all over. And when he pulled her body to his, all she could think about was how safe she felt. For the first time in a very long time.

Chapter
3

Helenia watched Basil as he moved around the room fussing with things. She wanted to ask him if things were going to work, but she didn’t want to bring it up again. He had gone into such a state when she’d told him about the date that she didn’t want to have to kill him to shut him up.

“You ruined it all.” She started to ask him how it was her fault when he continued. “When the power was shut off, everything, including the samples that I had saved, were killed. The lab equipment that was running wasn’t closed out correctly, and the freezers full of your DNA have been too warm for things to be viable. We’re going to have to start all over.”

“I don’t think so. I’ve worked very hard in getting you everything that you need. Make it work.” He said that there was nothing left to work with. Everything was dead. “I don’t understand. You told me before I left you that day that it was ready to go. I only had to bring you the specimen and you could work your magic on him to make me the monsters that I wanted. You should have said that things had to keep going here.”

She wasn’t really sure why the power was off. It could have been because she’d not paid the power bill in over four years. Or it could have been the giant tree that was lying over the roof of the main part of the lab. Without her bothering to having it taken away or anyone watching over the place, things had fallen into disrepair. Even the larger house had been nearly destroyed when some sort of freak storm had come upon it.

“The computers are out of date as well. Even if I could get these up and running, there is the matter of the programs no longer being viable. And I have no way of knowing if any of the vats that I have set up in anticipation of this creature coming are still going to do what I want them to. Things are just...I just don’t understand how you could have forgotten about the work we’ve done.” She didn’t either. “My family must think I’ve been murdered. My poor wife and children. I have missed out on so much of their lives because of you. If you could take care of getting things back up to running and I’ll go and see them. I have sorely missed them.”

“You have to stay here and work on this. I have no idea what to get to make this work again. Besides that, your family is all gone. They were a distraction for you and I took care of it.” She looked at all of the equipment that Basil had deemed no longer useful. “Do you have any idea how much work it was for me to get this down here? Christ, it took me weeks of going back and forth between that other lab that I took things from and here. I can’t do it.”

When he didn’t speak, she turned to look at him. Basil had sat down again at his desk, and she thought he was getting back to work. But he was staring at her, like he was unbelieving of whatever it was she had just done. Helenia started to tell him how she’d done it, brought him what he’d asked for, when he spoke.

“You killed my wife and children?” Frowning, she nodded. Now what have I done wrong? she thought. “Just went to my home and killed them because you thought they were a distraction? They were my family. All I had in the world. You can’t have...are you really that unthinking of other people’s feelings?”

“Feelings can get you killed. I don’t even know why you’re so upset with this. You were distracted. I couldn’t get you to do your job correctly without you saying that you needed to do this. Some baseball game or some stupid school play. They’re gone, end of story.” He shook his head. “Now what? You’d think you’d be glad to have the noose from around your neck. When I went to see them, they were acting like they couldn’t make a single decision without having you there. They were pathetic, Basil. You’re better off without them.”

“You don’t get to decide that. They were my children, my wife. Do you have any feelings whatsoever about such things?” She told him no. “I can’t work for you. Not now. Not after what you’ve done to.... You killed my wife and children.”

“Yes I did. And unless you want to join them, I would suggest that you get to work.” She let the façade of being normal fall away, letting her true self show to him. “I am in charge here. Get to work.”

Her power was never fully hers as the other self. It sucked a great deal out of her to appear in a manner that didn’t have people she needed to work with run for fear. She usually loved that feeling, the fear from humans, but today she didn’t have time for this shit. It was well past time for things to move the way she needed them to.

“No.” The single word was like a slap to her. Helenia felt her anger consume her as he stood there, his chin lifted up in defiance. She let her beast go completely. Even her thinking was normal now, no more trying to be anything but her evil self. Helenia smiled at the power that took her.

Her body grew to a much larger size. Her flesh tightened against her bones, and magic lifted her from the floor as she was eaten by her anger. She knew what she looked like to him, loved that even though he’d invited her monster to be free by telling her no he was regretting his decision.

Power shot from her fingers, elongated now with her true self. Her clothing fell away, her body no longer needing the conformity of them. When she touched him with her claw, tore into his throat with it, the smell of blood inflamed her power, gave her such a feeling of greatness that she let its warmth spray over her as his body bled out. She tore him to shreds then, her bare hands covered in his gore, his body nothing to her but a way to let her rage go. His heart was the last thing that she picked up. Taking it to her mouth, she ate it, feeling power rush over her for the freshness of the blood and meat. But she knew that the feelings wouldn’t last long. It was getting harder and harder for her to get much of a thrill out of killing. That was why she needed to create her own army of monsters. It’s why she needed the alpha to seed them with his abilities.

Helenia shot out of the building and took to the skies. It occurred to her on some level that she’d not just killed the man who was going to make things happen for her, but had destroyed her building as well. But the feeling of utopia was surrounding her, and she wasn’t ready to let it go just yet. Seeing a group of people below her, Helenia dove at them, killing as many of them as she could before she took to the skies once more…simply lashed out at them with her claws, tearing into their bodies with her powerful anger.

She would pay for this rampage. Not that she cared about the loss of the lives of humans, but the power that she’d used drained her. And when she landed on the earth, her body covered in the sticky wetness of the dead, she dragged herself to her lair, falling several times on the way.

Smiling, she thought of the Board that Dante had told her about. She thought of Noah as well, and wondered what he would think of her killing so many of the cattle that roamed the earth as food for them.

“Noah has grown soft in his years.” She lay on her bed, a slab of cold stone, and closed her eyes, thinking of the time when the two of them would come together. “I will defeat you, you bastard. There will be nothing to stop me from taking your life and your power from you.”

Death began to take her. Her kind didn’t sleep or even rest like other vampires did, as Noah did. But she died. Her heart stopped beating and all other functions of her body stopped. It was the way she loved it…no one could disturb her while she was in this state, nor could they find her. Helenia just ceased to exist.

~~~

Elijah read over the paperwork in front of him, but for the life of him he couldn’t remember what it said. Twice now he’d tried to see what was there, but both times he’d been distracted by the woman that was currently going through his home...their home…and seeing if she wanted to live here. Not that it mattered to him where he lived so long as she was happy. That was a feeling as foreign to him as not being able to think straight.

“You should see your face right now. You look as if someone has just told you there was no Santa.” Elijah growled at Noah, and the man laughed at him again. “She will be fine now. I’m so happy to find her again and to know that she’s with the Calhoun pack. I did worry over her when she left that day.”

“You said that you’d been looking for her. She was right here all along. What was the problem?” Noah leaned back in the chair and looked at him. “I’m sorry. I guess that did sound a little accusatory. But I’m stressed out.”

“Of course you are. Your wolf wants his mate. I would imagine that you do as well.” Elijah didn’t even bother trying to deny it. “I wish to finish this, if you please, then you can take her to your room and show her what having a mate is all about.”

“She doesn’t trust us. I mean, me a little, but not the rest of us. And especially not you.” Noah nodded sadly. “I’m sorry again. I’m not trying to make you feel bad.”

“I know that as well.” Noah said nothing for several seconds. “I didn’t find her because I didn’t look too terribly hard. I should have, I know this, but she wasn’t with her family any longer and, though I knew that she was alive, I didn’t know she was living as she had. And yes, I did fire her stepfather after I heard the way he...the things that she told you. Did she mention that they used her as their housemaid as well as live in sitter? Not only that, but she pretty much ran the household, did the cooking, cleaning, as well as kept the yard mowed and other things that a household should be doing together, not a single person.”

“No. All she told me so far is how he’d beaten her the other day. You should have seen her back. I’m sure there are more marks on her than what I could see. It looked like he used the buckle end of a belt and it cut into her badly.” Elijah had been shaken to his core when he’d seen her wounds. “She should have had medical treatment, not walking around trying to find a way to cash in her winnings.”

“I’m sure that the money was much more important to her. It meant a way of life she’d not had until then. And perhaps she thought that with a home, she’d be safe. I know that when I have a place to call my own, I feel better about it.” So did Elijah. “But about her stepparents. Her parents, what do you know of them? I know very little. Her mother died just about the time that Gloria was having her second child, both of which belong to Howard. But there was never any mention of her sire.”

“I only know what she told me about her family and her stepbrothers. I’m not even sure she knows who he might be. About the brothers, she only said that they were helping Howard beat her. That one of them holds her down while he takes the belt to her. Do you have any idea what they might have done to her had they known about the money?” Noah nodded. “Christ, she has been living with the knowledge that she was a millionaire, while being beaten by the people that were to care for her. What a sick fucking world we live in.”

“The day that she found me to use my phone, I thought even then that she was a beauty. Just so young and so afraid of life. I think...yes, I know that she knew what they’d been about. And when I listened in on the conversation between her and Howard, I knew then that she’d planned for me to know what he’d done.” Elijah said that she had. “Very smart girl, don’t you think?”

“I know that. But what I don’t understand is why you say I can’t go and kill them. I don’t think there is a more deserving family than them.” Noah told him it was about the money. “But we’ve already established that they had nothing to do with her winnings. And that they’d not supported her in any way that could come back to them.”

“You know that, and we know that, but the public will not. Even if one person finds out that she won and then her family turns up dead, what do you think they’re going to think about her? And her involvement? And with her being your mate so soon after their deaths and the winnings, what do you think they’re going to think of you and your family?”

“They’ll think that we planned it all. That she had them killed so as not to share in her money, and that I only married her for it. Or that I married her because we killed them together.” Noah said that was it perfectly. “But none of that is true.”

“Of course it’s not. But do you think anyone wants to hear the truth when the scandal is so much better? People, humans I think, love to have drama in their lives. I do believe that they’d not be able to function should they not have a daily dose of it.” Elijah thought he was right. He didn’t have to like it though. “Marry her and close that door. Another will open. Her family will come forward then, wanting a piece of your money because of who you are. But if I were you, I’d not mention her money just yet. So long as she lays claim to it, she doesn’t have to go public, correct?”

“Not in Ohio, no. She can claim the money and never have to have either her name or her face shown.” Elijah had studied that part of it a great deal. “I have to convince her to marry me first. I don’t think that is going to be all that easy.”

“No, it won’t.” Noah stood up and smiled down at him. “But I have every confidence in you that you will persevere.” The door opened to his office, and he stood up as well when he saw Noelle standing there. When Noah said that he was leaving, he turned and winked at him. He nodded to Noelle when he moved out of the room.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt your meeting.” He said that it was over. “Your butler, Mr. Casen, showed me around. He is very proud of the improvements you made here. He said that you’ve made the place a showcase. I have to agree with him.”

“Casen has a tendency to over tell a story at times. And the only improvements I have made are the ones that he’s nagged me about. He is quite the nagger, you’ll find out.” When she didn’t move into the office any further, he got up to go to her. Seeing her stiffen, he sat on the corner of his desk instead. “Did you like the house? I like the place all right, I guess. And I have done some improvements on it, but if you don’t care for it, we can look for something else.”