Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
K aine adjusted the device tucked into his ear and took a deep breath.
The plan he and his siblings worked out was in full effect and there was no turning back.
It was the night of the Ascension Ball and it was time to activate their trap.
He worried with Lucky at his side he would be too distracted, but if he didn’t find out who was behind his grandfather’s murder and the subsequent attempts on his life, keeping her safe would be significantly harder.
Lucky touched his shoulder, drawing his attention to her presence.
Fuck, she was beautiful. Crystals covered the black gown she wore, making her shimmer as she moved.
It fit her like a second skin, invisible lace making it look as though the jewels were painted across her torso.
The skirt fell to the floor, a high split showcasing her leg.
He wanted to reach beneath it and feel the heat he knew waited for him at her center.
“You ready, love?” She draped her hands across his shoulders, brushing at invisible lint. “You look so sexy.”
“Sit and let me eat you right quick to dampen my nerves,” he muttered, teasing but not. Because if she opened her legs, he would dive right in.
“Behave. Your sister said that tonight was important.” Her smile warmed him from the inside.
Lucky cupped his cheeks and kissed him softly, careful of her makeup.
She and Eve had a whole team over earlier in the day to fix their hair and makeup.
The braids his mate had last week were gone.
Tonight, her hair was parted on the side, tucked behind her ears with deep waves falling down her back.
She looked like a queen. He’d booked the penthouse suite to give them all a place to get ready.
His siblings would be going back to the house once the ball was done, but Lucky would head back here where Kaine would meet her once he’d finished conducting business.
He was already looking forward to it.
“Let’s get this done, then,” he told his mate. Holding out his hand, he linked his fingers with Lucky’s and guided her from their bedroom.
His brother was pacing in the living room area as they came out. “You ready?”
Kaine nodded. “Eve’s plan is solid. We’re on comms, so we’ll know what’s happening at all times,” he reassured him.
The earpieces they all wore kept them in touch with each other and a couple of their most trusted security guards. They were as prepared as they could be at this moment.
Easy sighed. “And sis-in-law?”
“Hakeem knows his job,” Kaine assured his brother.
Eve sauntered out of the second bedroom draped in black satin. Her dress was strapless with a corset top, the skirt gathered at the waist, falling to the floor with a long split. According to his sister, it gave her room to move. They left the suite and traveled down together.
There were two entrances to the ballroom, one that was connected to the hotel and another from the outside where attendees could have their cars valeted and enter the space.
Kaine purposely came through the hotel entrance.
It kept the surprises to a minimum and gave his security less space to cover.
Griff was already inside while Lucky’s security flanked behind them. Hakeem and Dave would stay close to his mate throughout the night. If the plan his sister had cooked up worked, he wanted them able to take Lucky away quickly if something went down.
They reached the doors and Kaine gave his mate an encouraging squeeze before nodding to the door attendant.
The door was opened and a blast of noise hit them.
The room was full of Aces, from the top of the hierarchy to the bottom.
The feral energy was high, every variation of cat in the room.
The predators were all deadly, all waiting on any sign of weakness from the top.
Kaine was now the top.
The Ascension Ball was the only time all of the Aces would come together.
Having the event at the hotel would’ve been risky if it hadn’t been owned by a high-ranking member.
Kaine walked Lucky around the room, introducing her to people he’d known his whole life.
Society in Oakridge was already insular enough; the Aces was just another more exclusive layer of that.
Kaine and his siblings had gone to school, starting all the way back to their preschool, with some of these members.
None of that mattered within these walls.
There was loyalty expected from the members, but with the death of his grandfather, it was obvious that all did not abide by it. That made him antsy and put his tiger on alert. Relaxing in this environment would be impossible.
“Kaine,” Kenneth greeted him.
“Lucky, you remember my godfather. This is his wife, Charlotte.”
“You look beautiful, dear,” Charlotte told her. “I was so excited to hear that Ezra had mated. You’ll have to tell me about yourself. Will you boys excuse us?”
Charlotte looped her arm with Lucky’s and pulled her away. Kaine nodded as her security followed at a discreet distance.
“Are you ready for tonight?” Kenneth asked.
“It’s all just formality at this point,” he told his godfather.
Kenneth smiled. “Taking the oath is sacred. Henry would be proud that you are taking on his mantle.”
His tiger flinched, rattling the chains of control Kaine kept on him. Mentioning his grandfather when he was already tense was a recipe for disaster. Sensing his tension, Kenneth backed off the subject.
They talked a bit longer, with others coming up to give him their regards as the night went on.
His siblings’ voices were in his head as they worked the room, feeling out the other members of the guild.
He wanted to be doing it himself, but Eve told him it would alert the person they were looking for.
He hated waiting on the sidelines for something to happen.
As though he spoke it into existence, there was a disturbance over next to the bar.
It immediately made him want eyes on his mate.
He checked into their bond, her emotions going from mild irritation to fury within the span of a second.
Looking around for her security, Kaine headed in her direction.
He frowned as he realized she was in a tense standoff with Collette Saunders.
Charlotte tried to step between the women, but both ignored the older shifter, their voices raising.
Hakeem pushed through the crowd, but Kaine reached them first. Lucky’s ire flooded their bond a second before she slapped the shit out of Collette.
It was done so quickly that no one had seen it coming.
Easy snickered in his ear. “My sister don’t play even a little bit.”
Kaine cursed and grabbed Lucky’s wrist as she balled her fist, ready to hit Collette again. Embarrassed, Collette reached into her bag, but Hakeem grabbed her arm before she could pull out a weapon. If Lucky saw it, she clearly didn’t care because not an ounce of fear colored her emotions.
“Disrespect me again, bitch, and see won’t we touch every wall in this motherfucker,” Lucky spat, her panther lighting her eyes.
Kaine gripped her waist and moved her away from the crowd gathered to watch the women fight. He found a dark corner and wrangled his mate into it, blocking her view of the other woman. It was only then that his mate gave him her eyes. She was furious.
“Settle down,” he ordered.
“That bitch threatened me,” she snapped, bucking against his restraining arm.
“You’ve made your point, princess. Calm your ass down. You’re attached to me. You can’t be getting outside of yourself in this environment.”
It was entirely the wrong thing to say. Lucky turned her ire on him and his tiger sat up. Chest heaving, she pressed her sharpened claw into his forehead.
“Don’t tell me how to talk to people who disrespect me.” Her panther stared from behind her eyes, the animal challenging his.
Kaine growled, his tiger responding to her provocation.
In a room full of killers, he was about to fuck his mate, and he dared anyone to say shit to him.
Lucky’s eyes widened as she seemed to realize the path her mate’s thoughts had taken.
The anger left her face and wary eagerness replaced it.
Though the woman was trying to fight down her cat, her panther had no plans on backing out of a fight.
Good.
“Tiger,” she whispered, backing away. “There are a hundred people here.” She tried to reason with both their animals, but the scent of her fur rose, her panther daring him to do something.
Saliva pooled in his mouth at the thought of the taste of her. “Should’ve thought of that before you challenged me.”
He crowded her, his arms wrapping around her waist, the points of his claws pressing against the fabric of her dress. Someone gripped his shoulder and he growled, swinging around, his fangs dropping.
His brother smirked, lifting his arms. “You cannot take your mate in a room full of killers, Rah.”
Kaine gathered his tiger under control. It took a moment to restrain the animal’s fervor.
The barb on his dick throbbed, tormenting him.
The need to take their mate down and lock into her had his vision going dark around the edges.
Lucky’s sultry gaze met his and his tiger bucked one final time in a bid for control.
Easy growled, his grip tightening on his brother’s shoulder.
“Down, Rah,” he counseled.
He shuddered as the animal took heed from Easy, his claws sliding back within his hands. He gentled his touch on Lucky’s waist and nodded to his brother that he was under control.
“Your luck serves you again, princess,” he murmured in her ear.
Lucky licked her lips, her eyes a living flame as panther and woman battled. He slid his hand up to her neck and gripped, already sensing the smart reply on the tip of his mate’s tongue.
“Enough taunting me, my love. Me and my tiger were finna ride you through this whole room, hear?”
Her body shuddered, and the scent of her lust rose between them. Her panther submitted and Lucky lifted her chin, exposing her neck. Kaine buried his head there, rubbing his cheek along her skin, reveling in her scent.
“You already know what it is when we leave here.”
She whimpered and he held her a little tighter. How had he stumbled onto the perfect woman for him?
“Dance with me,” he ordered. He needed another way to expend the energy within him.
Kaine led her to the dance floor and prayed for patience.
Since violence wasn’t unusual, no one in the room said anything to either of them as they joined the other dancers.
He pulled her into him and swayed to the music, using her nearness to calm his tiger.
He stared down at her, enamored by her beauty.
“What?” she asked, a small smile turning up the corner of her lips. He said nothing, tracing her face with his eyes. He could almost see her blush. “Quit staring at me, stalker.”
“You’re fucking gorgeous.”
“Rah,” she whispered.
He nuzzled his cheek against hers, their animals rubbing together. The intimacy of the act clenched his heart.
“I love you, Lucinda.”
She snorted. “Not you using my whole government.”
He slid his hand down her back and she shivered, goosebumps chasing down her arms. That his touch did that to her increased his need for her. She was everything he could have ever asked for in a mate and he still didn’t know why fate had been so kind.
“When we get upstairs, you need to be halfway out of this dress. I don’t think I can be gentle,” he whispered against the shell of her ear.
Her pulse sped against his fingers gripping her wrist. He chuckled and her breath caught.
“I really want to be able to eat your pussy until my cat is satisfied, but honestly, my patience is not very high, princess.”
“Rah,” she said softly, resting her head on his chest.
He kissed her neck, nipping her softly with his teeth. Her quiet moan was nearly his undoing. He spun her around, his arms wrapping around her waist as she swayed against him. He tapped his fingers to the beat of the song to keep his mind on track.
“I can already feel your thighs around my waist. Your skin is so soft. The way it pillows my body is the stuff of dreams, Lucky. I’m surprised I ain’t had to kill nobody behind you yet.”
She chuckled, the husky sound the only outward sign of the turbulent need flowing between them along their bond.
“You’re not playing fair,” she whispered.
It was his turn to chuckle as he kissed her neck again.
“You lost the privilege of fair when you popped off on me a second ago. If I wasn’t so fucking possessive, I would’ve already had my fingers playing in that pretty pussy of yours.
” He turned her back around. “But your pleasure is only for me to see. I plan on edging you for a little while as punishment. But then, you like my punishments, don’t you, princess? ”
She opened her mouth to protest and he leaned down and kissed her, their tongues battling as they continued their dance. When he pulled back, her eyes were dazed, and all the gloss that had covered her red painted lips was transferred to him. She reached up and wiped his face.
“I can’t take you nowhere,” she murmured with a shaky breath.
The little quirk of his lips was the only allowance of a smile he gave in mixed company.
She was damn near panting, and satisfaction had his tiger smug.
The music sped up on the next song, and he and his mate effortlessly moved their feet, stepping in sync.
The smile she graced him with was worth every damned dancing lesson his mother had forced on them.
As he enjoyed his mate, his tiger moved restlessly through his body in warning.
His eyes swept the room, taking note of every gaze focused on him and his mate.
“Rah,” his sister called softly in his earpiece. “I think it’s starting.”