lWillow ooked at Brian. "We're in."A happy, devilish growl slipped from my throat. Hycinth's head snapped to meet my gaze. I had no idea what my expression revealed, other than I was no longer trying to hide my eagerness of the challenge. Her eyes went wide as she stared at me. I licked my lips."Gentleman's choice for the shots," Brian said."Patrón," Asher answered."Same," I acknowledged.Brian turned to Ever, who purred, "Chocolate."I snorted. He had quite a sweet tooth.Brian positioned three couches, before disappearing behind the bar.I curled my finger at Hycinth, motioning for her to come over. Her eyes were still wide as she crossed the distance and laid down on the couch. She looked up at me and asked suspiciously, "What are you up to❞I blinked. "What makes you think I'm up to anything?"She tilted her head. "Because you're looking at me like I'm a tasty little rabbit."My lips curled up even more. She wasn't wrong.Brian returned before I had to answer. He handed me a s
The Taste of HimHycinth"Oh!" I sucked in a startled breath as I found myself straddling his lap on the wide seat, my hands pressed flat against his bare chest for support.Skin against skin.Tingles ran from my fingertips straight to my core, making me squirm.He groaned in appreciation and tightened his hold, one large hand gripping my hip, the other wrapped around the nape of my neck. Swirling violet and cerulean orbs stared up at me. Deep. Darkening.Under his intense stare and scrutiny, I felt incredibly alive.I was entranced, caught in the raw intensity of his gaze. The invisible force that drew us together tugged at my defenses, threatening to break down my walls and demolish my resistance. It was kinetic. Glorious and warm. It flexed, pulling us closer, refusing to be denied. A pulse of truth rippled through our connection -this beautiful male belonged to me. He was mine.For this moment, I was okay with that. I welcomed it. I embraced it. I didn't want to think about tomorr
"That's it, little shewolf, submit to me." The thoughts of his Wolf came through loud and clear. He continued the movement, angling my hips, rubbing and bumping my clit against the steel in his pants. He was building a fire inside of me. I had to have more of him...right then. I had to have him on my tongue. In my mouth. If I didn't, I might possibly die. My head snapped back up. My eyes blazed as I darted in like a venomous snake, my lips capturing his once again, my Wolf growling and snarling her intent.Our mouths met with a ferocious kiss, a mad dash frenzy that had me panting and moaning, my chest heaving. I ripped my lips away from his again, intent on getting what I wanted, and began to kiss down his bare chest, tasting and exploring freely. He tasted divine, sweet vanilla and woodsy spice, all male. My tongue flicked one of his nipples. The little nub hardened. His breath caught. I continued my downward path.He groaned and choked out, "Wait a minute."I looked up at him in c
I continued on, spending several more minutes, massaging him with my tongue and mouth.When my Wolf and I agreed we'd completely explored every inch of flesh his balls had to offer, we moved on to his ridged cock. The veins running along his length bulged. He was pink and twitching, the plump head leaking. He'd spent most of the evening hard. I suspected it wouldn't take long before he burst. Taking my time, I explored his cock with my tongue but resisted taking him inside my mouth. Instead, I trailed my tongue along every inch and twirled it around his thick head before flattening it and lavishing the underside with long, languid licks."More," he growled, his voice hoarse. His hips bucked, trying to push himself into my mouth.I smirked. His control was tenuous at best. Wrapping my lips around just the tip, I sucked softly and made eye contact again. I lifted slightly and purred, "Is this what you want?"His eyes burned even brighter, the predator barely contained beneath the surfac
Not EasyLeanderFuck. I was in heaven.Hycinth's almost completely naked body, soft and willing, cradled in my arms.She wasn't resisting the bond, and she wasn't resisting me. We'd gone from 0 to 100 tonight- from our first kiss to my tongue inside her sweet sex, to her lips wrapped around my cock. I slowly traced the crescent scar on her neck-mymark -with my tongue. My Wolf strutted in pride and adoration of our female.Hycinth arched her back, keening into me, rubbing her delectable tits against the hard expanse of my chest. I repositioned my hands around her upper rib cage, my thumbs pressing and stroking the sides of her breasts as I lifted her body, my mouth latching on to one dusky nipple. She inhaled sharply.I was merciless, licking and sucking one hardened nub before biting and flicking the other with my tongue, only to do it all over again. Going back and forth, relentlessly laving each breast with the broad side of my tongue, giving them the attention they deserved. Hycin
Eagerly, her lips found mine. The kiss was ferocious, a mad dash frenzy of biting, sucking, licking.I angled her hips so that her clit had constant stimulation, and moved her faster and harder.Stroke after stroke.Up and down.Again and again.Until we were both panting. Her spiraling, out-of-control pleasure surged through the bond with the force of a tsunami. "Leander! Oh, I..."My hips snapped in opposite force as I slid her against me. Her harsh grip on my shoulders turned into a clawing session. The scent of my blood permeated the air.Two, three more strokes.And then she was there.She let out a strangled sound as her clit twitched against the side of my cock.I erupted with a roar, my release coating her breasts and belly.I dropped my head to her neck, and sucked in deep breaths of air, trying to refill my empty lungs.Her chest heaved as she came down from her high. She shifted slightly on my lap."Shit!" I hissed. My grip on her hips tightened. I held her still, refusing
HycinthMorning dawned. And with it, a flood of memories from the night before crashed over me. Oh, no...what had I done?The vivid scenes played like a movie in my head. Leander's passionate words right before he placed his mark on my neck, a symphony of wolves celebrating Nature's course, letting go of my inhibition at the shifter bar, caught up at the moment.LaughingTouchingLovingThe realization caused guilt to ricochet through my belly. I was wrong...so wrong. What I'd done was despicable. It wasn't right, and it wasn't fair for me to lead Leander on, to give him hope that didn't exist. I'd given the bond free reign. I allowed it to make me forget my reasons for being here...and why I had to leave.I had to stop this damaging behavior. I was leaving because I couldn't be with him, but seeing him hurt, hurt me as well. I couldn't stop it. It was as Nature had decreed. And I didn't want to make that pain any more severe than it would already be. I dreaded that moment...telling h
And now, as much as I understood I shouldn't have let it go so far, I also understood it would not help his mentality for me to constantly be telling him I was going to leave. For now, we just needed to get through the next four weeks on friendly terms, and I would face our goodbye when the time came. I decided to change the subject."Did Alpha Cyril and your mother complete the ceremony?" I asked curiously.The abrupt change in his demeanor was startling. Tension rolled through his body. His spine went rigid. He let me go and backed away. I spun around to face him. "I'm sorry! You don't have to answer that."He'd lost his mother about six months before we met. Apparently, it was still a tough subject for him.He stared with darkened eyes. It was like he was staring at me but also staring through me at the same time, lost in his memories. A muscle in his jaw twitched.I waited silently, not knowing what else to say, worried I might say the wrong thing.After a long moment, he purposef
Leander's povHycinth's startled lake-blue eyes quickly cut from person to person.Her audience sat in rapt attention, smiles and excitement radiating on their faces, waiting for her to say something.But Hycinth's countenance reflected a far different reaction from theirs. Brows furrowing closer with each sweep of her confused gaze, Hycinth abruptly clutched her rounded abdomen protectively and sank as far away into the bed as she could.Instantly, I delved into her mental state, dreading what I would find.FearApprehensionMistrustMy heart dropped.Certainly not the happy reunion I had foolishly hoped for. Hycinth sucked in a harsh breath, unable to keepup with her continuously accelerating heartbeat.She blinked back tears.Without even a word to coordinate their identical reactions, Ever, Asher and Milo all stepped forward and lifted their mates. "Time to go," Ever spoke gruffly. Expression stricken, Gwen reached toward Hycinth, her mouth opening but no sound came out as Ever c
Glancing over, I found Gwen's expression radiating with happiness, tears streaming down her face.Confused by both of their responses and fearful of the unknown, Ever asked urgently, "What...what's happening?"Eyes wide, Gwen whispered, "It's a mate bond.""What?" Ever asked blankly while I echoed with my own shocked, "What the hell?""It feels like the first time I saw you," she giggled softly.Ever shook his head. "But that's not possible.""I don't know how to explain it. It just feels that way."I had no idea what Gwen had actually felt, but I agreed with Ever. I'd never heard of such a thing before.Refocusing on Hycinth, Gwen gently smoothed a strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear.After a long moment, Ever murmured, "I think we should bring Willow in." "Ooh, that's a good idea," Gwen instantly agreed and looked up at me expectantly.I held a hand up. "Wait. I don't know about that. Yes, Hycinth seemed to react well, but what if more people becomes too much
Ever squeezed my shoulder."I intend to stay by her side and take care of her until she's awake."Quiet agreement was murmured as they nodded their heads. Eagerness to help was transparent on their faces.From the corner of my eye, I saw Gwen carefully make her way through the crowd toward me. Once she reached my side, her little chin came up, fierce determination in her expression. "Leander, let me help you care for her."I hesitated. "That's okay. I can handle it."Clearly unwilling to take no for an answer, she continued, "Leander, I know you love her but she is going to need more care than just you. Ever explained a little bit of what you're dealing with. I love her too. I knew there was no way she was aware of the full atrocities her parents had inflicted. She couldn't. Her innocence was too transparent and her sweetness of spirit. Nobody is that good of an actress. I am your Beta Female. Now, let me do my job."From my back, Ever murmured, "I think it's a good idea."Somewhat su
Leander's povShort beams of moonlight descended from above, intermittent strokes of luminosity breaking through the dense forest canopy as we ran. We didn't need the light. Wolf vision provided striking clarity of the landscape in almost absolute darkness, but even without such a gift, we probably would have been able to successfully navigate the terrain blindfolded. Each of us knew these woods like the back of our hands.Within minutes, the dimness of the forest gave way, revealing a soft glow twenty feet ahead. Not much farther now. My gait slowed, legs feeling heavier with every step. I hated losing wolves. It never got any easier to say goodbye.Finally crossing the tree line, I stepped out into the clearing and stopped. The drums fell silent.To my right stood four unmistakable structures. Meticulously prepared, each fallen Wolf had been anointed with spices and dressed in noble tribal fare. Six feet off the ground, bodies cradled in suspense by an intricately woven labyrinth of
Leander"No!" Hycinth's scream pierced the darkness.Instantly awake, every particle in my body felt like it had been lit on fire. "What is it, love? What's wrong?"Little fists pummeled my chest. Her frail body thrashed in the bed next to me. "Don't touch me!"Still snared by unconsciousness, it was clear the battle was in her mind.Primal instinct drove me forward. I had no intention of letting her fight this adversary alone. Without thought, I blew our partial mate bond. wide open and delved into her subconscious. For a moment, I was disoriented by the chaos in her head. Stark fear swirled amidst nightmare images-darkness stained with slashes of red, so much blood. No concern for her own welfare, but desperately fighting for the precious innocent she carried in her belly."It's okay, you're safe!" I whispered urgently while trying to contain her flailing limbs without hurting her.Torment all-consuming, she couldn't hear me. Continuing to fight her imaginary foe, she violently wres
The cabin door opened just wide enough for Sydney to slip inside. Cool blue eyes flickering to take in the scene around her, Sydney naturally settled into the chair across the room and waited for me to speak.Not wanting to risk stressing Hycinth, I continued to use the mind link, "I need you to stay with her tomorrow night."Sydney nodded, no break in her stoic expression, ever diligent to her duties. But I knew her better than that. The slightest twitch of pain in her eyes didn't escape my attention, revealing her struggle just as all of us mourned such a heavy loss."I don't know how... I'm going to leave her, "I murmured, getting to the heart of the matter.It was Sydney's turn to read my expression, to hear all of the words I'd left unsaid, just as I knew she would. She couldn't repair my stress but immediately, the Delta in her began to plan, "For those hours, we could increase the Sentinels in number and tighten the perimeter around the cabin. Additionally, the bikers-""Bikers
LEANDER'S POV"Leander," Grace's thoughts drifted through the pack mind link we shared. "Hycinth needs your attention."Instantly, I rose to my feet.Startled by my abrupt change in position, Ever lurched to his feet, chest puffed out, ready for a fight.I expected Ever's reaction, but what surprised me was Luca's similar response. Certainly lacking of any decent Alpha experience he could trust, betrayed by the one male he thought loved him the most, I wouldn't have begrudged Luca's reluctance to blindly follow another Alpha so quickly, especially me. But there was no hesitancy in his response as he stood ready, hands out, naturally aligning himself to Ever's body to provide me with optimal cover."Sorry," I muttered as I walked away toward the lakeside cabin. I hadn't meant to alarm them. No further words were necessary. I felt their heightened emotions calm.Breaching the entryway, I watched Sydney gently release Hycinth's hand, lean forward and place a barely-there kiss on her fore
"I know," he replied, "and I'm sorry to put you through this again, but I need to know...what her body went through."I studied his expression.He explained softly, "I can't help her if I don't know.""Okay." I ran a hand roughly through my already disheveled hair as I pulled back images I never wanted to think about again. "From the glimpse I saw into her mind and confirmation from those in the room, I think only two penetrated her vaginally but her wounds indicate her bottom was also violated, probably with claws."Luca's brows went up. "You could see that...in her mind?""Yes," I ground out through my teeth. In my head, my Wolf snarled furiously at the memories. "Thankfully, it appeared Hycinth was unconscious, at least during the time those two bastards defiled her.""What else?""The bruises and wounds on her body were too many to count. She had several spinal breaks that we could feel, likely incurred from multiple kicks due to the massive boot prints left behind on her back, bu
LeanderA sudden northeastern gust of wind rustled through the trees, causing several russet-colored leaves to lose their already tenuous hold on the branches above us and flutter to the ground. Autumn had settled in since Hycinth had left me. Three long months. More than half of her pregnancy. The thought was staggering.Ever's head came up, his astute gaze automatically scanning the horizon."But I don't think so," Luca murmured quietly."What do you mean?""After Oracle Memoree visited us and we finally knew the truth, in all of its ugly glory," he flinched, green eyes losing focus for a moment before continuing, "the plan was to contact you...figure a way to reach out as soon as I returned from our old pack. Hycinth wasn't in great shape...she didn't think you or the pack would want her back...but she wanted to try.""The pack?" I raised an eyebrow. "Why would Hycinth think the pack wouldn't want her back?"Luca's shoulders pulled back, his tone clearly communicating his personal