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Chapter Twenty-Six

B rooke sat in the passenger seat of Malik’s luxury SUV. She’d spotted several more vehicles in his garage before they’d left for PSI. She wasn’t sure why one man needed so many cars or such a big home, but he seemed to like it all .

“Do you think they’ll be able to figure out a way to help Gram?” she asked .

Malik reached over and took her hand in his as he drove. “PSI has access to technology that won’t be on the mainstream market for years. And Gram has the greatest minds in medicine at his disposal. He’s where he needs to be, and I know that everyone is going to do everything they can to get him on his feet again .

Brooke squeezed his hand. “Thank you for being good about this .”

He caressed her hand with his thumb. “He’s done so much for my wife and my daughter that I’ll never be able to repay him .”

She looked at Malik while he drove and took a moment to let it sink in that she was married now. She was someone’s wife .

He glanced at her. “You look like you might pass out. You all right ?”

“I am. Just adjusting to the fact we’re together for good now,” she confessed. “It’s a little hard to wrap my head around .”

He grinned. “Want me to enlist Duke and Rurik to sing a soft rock ballad in commemoration of our first date? Will that help you wrap your mind around it ?”

Snorting, Brooke shook her head. “Please don’t. I’m still a bit traumatized from their first duet .”

Malik laughed softly .

Brooke kept hold of her husband’s hand as she looked out the passenger side window. For a few minutes she got lost in her thoughts. One thing nagged at her. “Malik, what about Elm? He won’t stop coming for me. And The Corporation wants Bethany .”

He snarled .

She took that to mean he wasn’t planning on letting anyone near his family .

She leaned in his direction. “Letting your mean out again, hubby ?”

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, still watching the road. “My sweet, I will unleash a hell upon them the likes of which they have never seen if they dare try to harm either of you. They’ll see exactly what I’m capable of when fucked with .”

“So, you’re a god?” she asked, totally unable to get a grasp on that .

He let out a soft breath. “I guess it depends on how you look at it. I like to think I’m just an extra awesome cat-shifter with a great ass .”

She snorted. “I will never forget Edee announcing that in Egypt .”

He laughed .

“Thank you for making her feel at home at your house. She means the world to me and Bethany .”

“Brooke, she’s family to you and therefore she’s family to me,” he said. “And it’s our home, not my home .”

“Okay, but I’m going to need about a century to come to grips with this all,” she returned jokingly .

“And, Brooke, you will not be returning to the club to work. Ever.” Malik gave her a side-eyed look. “I understand why you worked there. The money and it fulfilled your needs, but no more .”

“I’m not going to argue with you on that. I hated working there. You’re the first man I ever really touched. Before you I’d use my gifts and make the men think they were having a good time. I could have painted my nails or something and they wouldn’t have noticed,” she supplied. It was the truth. “But, Malik, I want to work. I spent a long time getting my degree. I’d like to be able to use it, if it’s ever safe for me to leave the house without a team of men with me, or a cat-shifting god with a great ass .”

He grinned. “About you working. Edee already sat me down and had the talk with me when you were healing. She laid down the law. It was adorable, so I let her rant and rave. She made Striker and Auberi sit through it as well. I’m pretty sure they’re a little afraid of her now .”

Brooke chuckled .

“She told me you’d want to work. That even though I had a house with wings, you’d want to do something,” he said. “Corbin had been in the kitchen, getting Bethany a snack and overheard everything. He stepped in long enough to inform Edee that you and she were both already set up to work within PSI if you wanted. You wouldn’t do what I do, but you’d work in the offices and labs there. We always need experts with computers and scientists. The two of you are a perfect fit. Best part is you can work as many or as few hours as you want .”

She teared up .

“And,” he said, lifting her hand slightly. “Each PSI division headquarters has its own daycare, preschool, and private school that is for supernatural children only and they’re all heavily guarded. They’re not on-site but they aren’t far from each division. Bethany could start preschool and she’d be safe. Very safe. Striker, Edee, and I already toured the local facility and it’s great. She’d be able to make friends her own age, learn, and have fun .”

Brooke cried silent, happy tears .

“If you say yes, I should warn you that my team have all informed me that they’re going to go with her until she feels safe. Otherwise known as, until they feel she’s safe and they aren’t going to worry about her.” He laughed softly. “Striker is the worst one of them all. He’s also the last teammate I’d want around her. So far, he’s been nothing but good with her .”

She squeezed his hand again. “He’s like Edee. And Bethany fully trusts Edee. If we can find a way to stop Elm, I’m all for her going to school. Thank you for handling all of that while I was healing .”

“I want the best for her,” he confessed .

“Speaking of that,” Brooke said sighing. “You cannot keep getting her so much. You heard her. You’re what makes her happy. She doesn’t need material things .”

“I understand and I know I got carried away,” he returned, taking a right turn onto a two-lane highway that didn’t look heavily traveled. “Part of it was guilt for missing out on so much of her life. The other part was out of excitement. I was so fucking excited to be a father and to have her with me that I went overboard. I promise I’ll talk with you first before I do anything else .”

“Thank you,” she said, laughing softly. She relaxed a bit and then looked forward and behind them. “Is this the same road we took to get to PSI ?”

“Yes. Why?” he asked .

“Malik, it had a steady stream of traffic on it before. Why is it so empty and why is it darker than it should be out here? I swear I saw streetlights on the way to PSI. Why aren’t they lit now?” As the questions fell from her lips, a sinking feeling came over her. “Elm. He’s doing this .”

Malik squeezed her hand more. “Baby, I’m going to pull off the road and you’re going to drive home. Use the navigation to help you find it. Get there and tell Auberi what’s happening. I love you .”

“What will you be doing while I’m driving home?” she demanded, already knowing the answer .

He licked his lips as he pulled to a stop on the shoulder of the highway. “Brooke, this has to end. He can’t be allowed to hunt you any longer. I won’t stand for it .”

“He’s like a gazillion years old! And he’s really powerful,” she said, nearly yelling that as well .

Malik gave her a knowing look. “My sweet, take the car and go home .”

She stared at him like he was nuts. Because he was if he thought he was going to take on Elm and all his men all alone. “You’re going to get yourself killed and then what happens to Bethany and me? Do you think he’ll stop hunting us because you’re dead? No. He won’t. I can help, Malik. I can take him on with magik and slow him down enough for you to possibly kill him. Together we can fight him .”

Malik’s face remained calm. Too calm. He touched her cheek lightly. “Brooke, you have to go now. You can’t be part of this .”

“Why not ?”

He teared up while gifting her a partial smile. “Because I can smell your scent changing already. Just like Cody did the morning after we were together .”

It took her a minute to wrap her mind around what he was saying. She’d have said it was impossible for him to smell the change he was talking about this soon, but she’d already seen a shifter do just that and be dead right. “Malik Nasser, every time you touch me you knock me up !”

“Yes, Brooke Nasser, I do.” He laughed softly, his eyes still moist. “Go home, my sweet .”

With that, he got out of the SUV and came around to her side. He helped her out and drew her against him, kissing her to the point she was dizzy. “I love you .”

“I love you too and I’m not leaving you .”

“Brooke, you have to …”

The air around them cooled quickly and Brooke stayed close to Malik, knowing Elm was too close. No one was leaving at this point .

Snarling, Malik turned and pushed Brooke against the open car door, putting his body before hers. “Come out, coward !”

The darkness parted, and Elm stepped out from it, his long white-blond hair pulled back at the nape of his neck. He ran his gaze over Malik and sneered as additional men stepped forth from the darkness as well. As she spotted all the men who had hurt her, she realized he had the band back together again—including Haneez. Elm waved his hand in the air. “Something is different .”

Brooke caressed her husband’s back lightly. They were together in this no matter what. She’d not have her family hunted any longer .

Elm gasped. “Brooke, you’re mated? To a shifter ?”

Malik snarled low and deep, putting his hands out to his sides as fur coated them and claws emerged from his fingertips .

Elm curled his lip, disgust evident. “Like mother, like daughter. It would appear you wish for the same fate as her .”

“You’re not going to fucking touch her, asshole,” said Malik, his voice deeper than normal .

Elm tossed his head back and laughed, doing his part to really drive home the evil villain vibe he was so good at. “And you think to stop me? You’re a mere shifter. Nothing more. It’s like child’s play to me. Do yourself a favor and run away kitty. This is out of your league .”

The second the words left Elm’s mouth, Malik rotated his head and seemed to get even bigger before her. He roared as his skin began to shimmer, much like hers could do when tapping deeper into her gifts. Malik shimmered a bright gold as his shoulders heaved from his deep breathing .

Elm actually took a small step back, concern washing over his face. “W-what are you ?”

Feeling empowered, Brooke moved to Malik’s side and drew upon her own gifts. Her skin shimmered as well. Her eyes tingled, indicating they were glowing. “He’s the son of the god king and he’s my husband. Looks like he’s really fucking letting his mean out now. I almost feel sorry for you.” She glared at him. “Never mind. I don’t feel the least bit sorry for you. I hope he bites your heads off .”

Elm backed up more and Brooke knew he’d flee in an attempt to fight another day. She was sick of running. Sick of hiding and being afraid. She threw her power around the area, keeping everyone within the confines of it .

Elm froze and glanced around. “Little Fae, I will let my full power out to counter this spell and it will cause you great harm .”

Malik didn’t wait any longer. He charged Elm and the others. The other men with Elm converged on Malik in an attempt to protect Elm. Malik cut through them like butter .

Several pulled out weapons, aiming at her husband. Brooke threw power at them, lifting them in the air and slowly squeezing the life from them with no more than a thought. She felt empowered .

She felt like the daughter of a queen and a powerful shifter male .

Haneez aimed a rifle at her and before she could even think to throw power at him, Malik was there, slicing the man in half with one blow .

She’d never seen anything so horrifically awesome in her life. She nearly clapped and threw up all at once. If Edee would have been there, she’d have totally clapped and probably whistled too before slapping Malik’s ass to let him know it was a great move .

Brooke found herself frozen in place, captivated by the sight of her husband, the king who didn’t want to be king, as he continued mowing down the enemy. When he was done, only Elm was left standing .

The Fae put his hand out in Brooke’s direction. “Come any closer and I will hit her with enough power to end that abomination I sense taking root in her .”

Anger coursed through her so fast and furiously that her power took the lead. Wind swirled around her and the next thing she knew, her magik was lifting her off the ground and suspending her in the air. She glared at the man who had spent eight months torturing her and five years terrorizing her. Her power slammed into him and she felt it clawing at him from the inside out. Pulling on his power, stripping him of it little by little .

He gasped. “ No !”

Malik snatched hold of Elm and lifted him up and over his head. With eyes of red and amber, and gold, shimmering skin, her husband looked up at Elm. “You will never again hurt my mate !”

With that, Malik ripped the man in two and then threw the two halves. Brooke blinked several times, needing a moment to register what happened and then to comprehend that the boogieman himself was now dead. He’d never be able to hurt her again. When it fully sank in, she lowered herself to the ground, clapping and whistling loudly, her power drawing back into her quickly .

Malik lowered his head, returning to normal in the blink of an eye. He had been covered in blood before, but there wasn’t a drop of blood on him now. Looking up, he met her gaze. “It is done .”

Brooke ran at him and threw herself into his arms .

He spun her around holding her tight. When he set her down, he kissed her lips and smiled sheepishly. “Can we maybe not mention to the guys that I did all that? They’ll mock me endlessly for sparkling. Boomer will have T-shirts made. The Fang Gang will try to recruit me. And someone there will erect a gold statue lookalike of me with a Tut mask to pin up on the Asshole of the Week wall .”

A choked sob came from her as she hugged him again. “Malik! You did it. You ended it .”

He held her tight. “I plan to send his body to The Corporation gift wrapped as a warning to stay away from my family. I feel like they’ll understand the message even if I don’t include a card .”

She smothered his face in kisses and he laughed, keeping her close to him. “I love you so much .”

“Mmm, my sweet, I love you too.” He exhaled and then lifted a brow. “While you’re happy with me, I should probably tell you that what I just did more than likely sent up a giant flare that my brothers and cousins will sense. I know them. It doesn’t matter how many centuries we put between seeing each other, they’ll all come. And when they do, we’re going to have a house full of ancient Egyptian cat- shifters .”

Brooke grinned. “Hey, Edee might very well get her Egyptian prince after all .”

Malik laughed and kissed her again. “Now. Let’s head home, tell everyone the tree is dead, and prepare for house guests. Oh, and get Bethany into preschool. And get you back over for James or Auberi to take a look at you to start monitoring the pregnancy .”

Brooke groaned. “Relax, Tut. It will all work out .”

He grinned. “I normally hate that nickname, but when you say it, it makes me horny .”

“Everything makes you horny,” she said, rolling her eyes and laughing .

“No, my sweet. Only you do. So, everything about you makes me that way,” he corrected .

T HE END