Read Online Pursuing Paige by Anya Bast - Free Book Online Page A

taken
the woman to the house, Paige knelt beside Kaiden who was lying in
the grass. He had a scorch mark on the skin of his chest. “What
happened?”
    “Magica hunters.” He
touched it and winced. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”
    “It looks awful.”
    “It will heal.” He
pulled her against him, just left of his wound. “It was worse being
away from you.”
    She stiffened for a
moment, then relaxed. His body was hard and very, very naked
beneath hers. “I missed you too,” she whispered, putting her mouth
near his.
    He kissed her and
rolled her onto her back, lying on his side beside her. “I need a
bath.”
    “I don’t care.” She
threaded her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck.
    “You’re a brave
woman.”
    “I was worried about
you, Kaiden. You were gone two days, but it felt like forever.
Don’t go away again, okay?” She only had a little over a week left
before she went back to her own reality. She didn’t want to lose
any more time with him.
    “Now that I have this
injury, I won’t be returning to the woods. I can’t say I’m not
pleased about that.” He lowered her head and kissed her again,
sending waves of need radiating through her. Then he whispered
against her mouth, “There’s nowhere else I want to be right
now...or for the rest of my life.” He paused, and when he spoke
again, his voice trembled. “I’ve never known anyone I would take
over the seclusion of the deep forest. But, you.... you ,
Paige. You change everything for me. Because of you I’d rather be a
man than a wolf.”
    She opened her eyes,
the moment ruined. Those words were too tender, and hit too close
to emotions she couldn’t acknowledge. Pushing away from him, she
struggled to her feet. “I admit to feeling oddly close to both of
you and if that’s the mate bond, then so be it. I also admit to
being confused by level of caring.” She paused. “But none of that
changes the facts and the fact is that I have a life back
over the rainbow, one I’ve worked hard for. I also have a
sister—”
    “She shares the genetic
Lycaon link. She’ll be over here at some point.”
    She set her hand to her
hip. “So everyone is telling me, yet no one seems to know who her
mates are. You and Jarek knew I was your mate, right? You watched
me through the veil when you could. Rafian and Lucas knew who
Kaitlyn was. Well...who are Caroline’s mates?”
    Kaiden remained silent
for a moment. “We’ve asked around, but we don’t know.”
    “Right. The possibility
she may never be pulled over, or the possibility that she might be
pulled into another Lycaon village far from here is too much for
me.” She paused. “It might be acceptable for Kaitlyn since she’s
drunk the Lycaon Kool-Aid, but not for me.”
    Kaiden pushed to his
feet, displaying his body in its full glory. She tried not to
stare, but it was hard. “Lycaon Kool-Aid?”
    “I just mean Kaitlyn is
fully Lycaon, committed to her mates and this way of life. She’s
not thinking of Caroline.”
    “I think she would be
dismayed to hear you say that. I’ve spent a lot of time with your
sister and she’s very concerned for Caroline.”
    She crossed her arms
over her chest and looked away from him. “I have deep,
inexplicable, irrational feelings for both of you, but that doesn’t
change anything. At the end of these two weeks, I’m going home,
Kaiden.”
    He stepped toward her
and placed his hands on her shoulders. She refused to look up at
him. “Then we have some time to change your mind.” He placed a
finger on her chin and lifted her gaze to meet his. “And I play
dirty, Paige. I will use every trick in the book to seduce your
body, your heart, and your mind. You belong here with us. You just
need to see it.”
    It was wrong that those
words made her shiver, but it did. “Oooh, threats. I’m so scared.”
She smiled and tried to calm the beating of her heart.
    “Only a threat of the
nicest, most carnal kind.” He leaned down and