Brides of the Kindred Volume One Read online

  “But they did it to save them from Blood Fever, didn’t they?” Liv pointed out. “Would their parents really rather have seen them dead than mated to a Kindred?”

  Sophia shrugged. “Apparently. Hey, I told you it was a messed up place.”

  “I guess so.” Kat shook her head. “Of course anyplace they eat pudding made of bug guts—”

  “Kat!” Liv looked green again. “I swear I’m going to get you back the minute you get preggers.”

  “Sorry!” Kat looked contrite. “I was just thinking of Nadiah. I feel so bad for her, having to go back and live in that awful place with a husband she doesn’t love.”

  “I know.” Sophia was suddenly tearful. “I feel like she’s my little sister and there’s nothing I can do to help her. We were hoping that she’d find a Kindred to connect to—one who would be willing to challenge the bond for her. But somehow it just never happened and now it’s almost too late.”

  “Well maybe something will happen soon,” Kat said, putting down her cupcake to give her friend a comforting squeeze. “You never can tell—she might go to sleep and start dream sharing with someone tonight.”

  Sophia blotted a tear from her eye. “I hope you’re right but I just don’t know how much longer she can hold out. She looks terrible, the poor thing. I just wish there was someone who could help her.” She put down her own cupcake and ran a hand through her hair. “Sorry for getting emotional, I’m just stretched thin right now. It looks like the minute Nadiah leaves, we’ll be getting another guest.”

  “You will?” Liv frowned. “Who?”

  “You remember Sylvan’s friend—the one who was supposed to show up for the joining ceremony and perform the luck kiss and didn’t?” Sophia picked up her cupcake again and took another nibble. “Well apparently he’s finally on his way.”

  “He is? Now?” Liv shook her head. “Kind of rude to miss the wedding and still expect you to put him up, isn’t it?”

  Sophie sighed. “I think so too, but he has a good excuse.”

  “What kind of Kindred is he?” Kat asked. “He can’t be a Twin or he’d be bringing his brother with him.”

  “That’s the weird thing about him,” Sophia said. “Apparently he’s some kind of hybrid.”

  “A hybrid?” Olivia raised her eyebrows. “I’ve never heard of anything like that. How is it even possible?”

  “Well Sylvan says his mother was one of those really rare female Kindred—her mother was a Tranq Prime native and her father was a Blood Kindred.”

  “I thought the female Kindred almost always became priestesses of the Goddess,” Kat said.

  “Well this one didn’t.” Sophia picked a blueberry out of her cupcake and popped it in her mouth. “She grew up on Tranq Prime and then left and met a Beast Kindred from Rageron. They got mated and had Merrik.”

  “Merrik being Sylvan’s long lost friend?” Liv asked.

  Sophie nodded. “Yup. Anyway, apparently there’s a reason there aren’t many Kindred Hybrids—they have a really hard time reconciling the two different parts of their personality. Merrik was away on some spiritual retreat trying to do just that when he got captured.”

  “Captured?” Kat and Liv said together.

  “I told you he had a good excuse.” Sophia shrugged. “I’m not sure exactly who captured him—I got the idea from Sylvan that he was too upset to speak about it. Anyway, he got loose and he’s on his way now to convey his belated congratulations.” She sighed. “He was one of Sylvan’s best friends growing up on Tranq Prime so it’s not like we can say no.”

  “Of course.” Kat nodded. “Well, I guess you’re going to be busy for a while. Maybe I’ll get Lauren to help plan my wedding.”

  “What?” Sophie and Liv shrieked at the same time.

  “You mean you three are finally tying the knot?” Liv demanded.

  “Yeah, well…” Kat laughed. “Deep and Lock have been bugging me to do it for some time. It had to happen eventually.”

  Olivia grinned. “It’s about time you three stopped ‘living in sin.’ Have you told your grandma yet?”

  “That I’m going to get married to not one but two hot alien studs?” Kat said dryly. “Not yet. She’s got a pacemaker, you know. I’m not sure her heart can take it.”

  “I’m sure she’ll be happy for you once she knows you’re happy.” Sophia patted her arm. “But you better tell her before the big day. It really might give her a heart attack to watch you walk down the aisle with a guy on either arm.”

  “And hear you guys say ‘I do, I do, I do,” Liv added, cracking up again.

  “Very funny.” But Kat was smiling too. “Well, let’s wait until Lauren moves up and then we can all plan it together. What do you say?’

  “Sounds perfect to me. I’ve always wanted to make a wedding cake.”

  They all looked up to see Lauren standing in the doorway with a smile on her face.

  “Lauren!” The three of them jumped up to give her a group hug which she returned, laughing.

  “I hope you don’t mind that I let myself in. Xairn is up here supervising moving my equipment from the shop on Earth to my new Sweet Spot here on the ship and I thought I’d come say hello.”

  “We’re so glad you’re coming up to stay.” Sophie gave her cousin another squeeze. “I’m sure you heard but Kat is finally going to plan her big day.”

  “I heard.” Lauren gave her friend a smile. “And I’ll be happy to help.”

  “So you’re really make me a cake?” Kat asked anxiously. “One without dill pickle frosting?”

  Lauren laughed. “No dill pickle frosting, I promise. And yes, I’d be honored to make your cake. Without your help I’d still be stuck back on Earth feeling miserable without my man.”

  “It was nothing,” Kat said modestly. “All I did was give you a little bonding fruit.” She snapped her fingers. “Come to think of it, that would be the perfect flavor for the cake. Vanilla cake with a bonding fruit jam filling in between the layers.”

  “Kat, shame on you,” Sophie scolded. “If what you’ve told us about that fruit is true, you’ll make everyone at your wedding unbearably horny!”

  Kat and Lauren laughed and exchanged a look. “Well, a wedding is supposed to be a celebration of love,” Lauren pointed out. “Just be sure you only invite couples.”

  Olivia shook her head. “The two of you can give the whole Mother ship a case of the me-so-hornies if you want, but first Lauren has to cater my baby shower.” Smiling at her cousin, she gave Lauren another hug. “I’m going to need some more of those pregnant lady cupcakes STAT. And this time I want extra dill pickle icing. Okay?”

  “You got it, cuz.” Lauren gave her a hug and the four of them laughed together.

  “I swear, Liv, you just—” Sophia broke off abruptly, her face going pale.

  “What?” Olivia looked at her anxiously. “What is it, Sophie?”

  “It’s Nadiah.” Sophia put a hand to her throat. “Sylvan just bespoke me. He said he got an urgent message from the HKR building in Sarasota.”

  “An urgent message?” Kat grabbed her hand. “About what? Is she okay?”

  “I don’t think so.” Sophia’s eyes were huge with fear. “He says Detective Rast told him she fainted. And now…now she won’t wake up.”

  The End

  Want More Kindred? Check out Book 5, Revealed, Rast and Nadiah’s story

  Nadia has the sight—the ability to see into the future. But the one thing she can’t see is how she’s ever going to be free of the blood bond her parents forced her into when she was only six. Her fiancée is an evil bastard who delights in torturing her and her only way out of a loveless marriage is for a Kindred warrior to challenge the hated bond. But Nadiah has no warrior to challenge for her—she just has Rast.

  Adam Rast doesn’t know why he feels so protective and possessive of Nadiah, only that he’s willing to kill or die to protect her. When the chance to set her free arises, he takes it without hesitation, even t