Asher
I was thankful we weren’t setting off until after breakfast, but I was more than ready to eliminate the danger the rogues posed altogether.
The brisk bursts of air created by Rias and his clan members’ flight throughout the rest of the morning and the ensuing afternoon was all I needed to keep my eyes wide open as we combed the land far below us.
We started at the mountains and worked our way around the craggy peaks for the next several hours.
Rias took care of guiding his males, and I observed them moving in fluid motions that covered a vast expanse of distance and simultaneously demonstrated the dragon shifter’s skill at leading his clan.
My mind threatened to become a dangerous place as the minutes ticked by with us finding zilch, but it was helpful that I knew I could trust Jace to keep the home front safe in my absence, even if I knew I would never completely stop worrying.
Nonetheless, I wouldn’t deny Mari’
Zacharias In spite of the urgency of the situation, we all slept in late the next morning. It was beyond necessary with the abundant miles I’d been putting on my wings, and I relished each second spent in bed with Mari resting in my arms. After throwing a few items together for the trip and devouring a pile of food, I was letting my dragon loose into the cool fall afternoon, and Asher and Mari were seated astride my back in no time at all. The flight was smooth for the beginning of the trip, and it gave me plenty of time to ponder what was going to happen once this final threat was removed. It would be nice to not have anything hanging over our heads for a change, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to lash out. Initially, it seemed weird to me that I hadn’t missed my home all that much, notwithstanding my mother and friends, of course. Still, there were too many bad memories ingrained in my mind, my father had seen to that.
Marigold My heart had virtually leapt out of my chest when the torrent of fire whipped out towards Asher and I when we fled to the nearby trees before, but the fright was nothing to the absolute terror suffusing my being when Rias had sheltered us from harm to his own detriment. I’d known in that moment that he’d been hurt, the agony flashing across his face had been unmistakable for a split second, even while in his dragon form, but I hadn’t comprehended the true extent of the damage until Maverick intervened. Regardless, I hadn’t been prepared for the grotesque image his wound turned out to be. Truth be told, I wasn’t great around blood while in my human form, but I was extremely grateful for Mav’s knowledge in this area as he took charge of the situation. It was long past dinner time when we made it back to Rias’s home at last, but food was the least of my worries then. I was a tangled ball of emotions with the combination
Asher Rias and I walked in on the tail end of Annie’s announcement, and the sly look she’d aimed our way before making her excuses to leave told me it had been intentional. Still, the question remained, how the hell did she know what Marigold hadn’t even been aware of with her own body? Nothing made sense, but Mari’s ensuing flood of queries succeeded in answering most of my own. It didn’t shock me when she began with the most obvious, directing her inquiries at Rias as she asked, “How does she know that I’m pregnant? I hadn’t even considered the idea until she brought it up. If I am, then it has to be very early on.” I had my arms secure around Mari’s waist as she continued eating, but the other male wasted no time in busying himself as I watched him as closely as a hawk. He fixed two overflowing plates of food as he dawdled on the other side of the room, doing his best to hide the lingering pain I sensed in his stiff posture
Asher Mari’s bombshell left the room speechless initially, no one expecting this turn of events, but Maverick and Finn were springing into action once it became clear there were issues buried deeper beneath the surface here, issues that were better settled in private. Their shock was plain to see, but then Rias and I were closing in on our other half in sync, cocooning her in our strength as everything but her distress disappeared in the moment. All the same, Mari collected herself before long, focusing on her breathing until she had her body under control. Disbelief was the emotion emanating above all else through our mating bond, but I was able to trust this turn of events more easily than Mari was after the intel Rias had shared previously about what he’d learned from Iris. I’d had Jace digging around for information since then, but I would be able to tell him to call off his search now, at least, even if I’d
Marigold I’d changed into my snow-white wolf more since meeting Asher than I had in the entire six months beforehand, but I didn’t feel the gnawing sensation lessening any as the time passed by. My brain was churning with the news that not only was my father not dead as I had formerly believed, but he was also the last one standing, the last culprit responsible for the death and destruction that had plagued the lupine species for years. It was too much to wrap my mind around in the moment, and my mates were doing a damn good job with their efforts to get me out of my own head for a while, their incredible physiques burned into my memory from their recent shifts. Moreover, Ash’s argument made sense the more I considered it. Our problems would keep for another day, and the yearning I felt deep inside me for these males was becoming more demanding by the minute. Hence, I was quick to strip and take off after Ash before he’d gotte
Marigold My other senses came back by increments as I shoved aside my momentary astonishment at hearing Asher in my mind. The first thing I registered was Rias’s rigid dick digging into my back, but then Asher was pressing his firm lips onto mine, coaxing my mouth open with his tongue when my reaction was too slow for his liking. I was still dazed by the free-floating feeling hanging around in my head, but I detected the faint trace of my own arousal with Ash’s onslaught. Bringing my arms around, I went to pull him closer to me, my libido quickly spiking with the attention he bestowed on me. Be that as it may, he tore himself away before I could get a good grip, the heat at my back disappearing with him, but Rias drew my focus next as he confidently grasped my chin, angling my head in the right position to allow him to thoroughly plunder my mouth. The piercing nip he’d led with was soothed the instant his irresistible flavor t
Asher Suddenly, I was dragged back into awareness, my eyes flying open as I scanned our surroundings for the hazard that was lying in wait, but, to my relief, I was left emptyhanded with my hasty search. The sky was dark, but my powerful senses picked up on the gradual lightening towards the east through the opening at the front of the shelter before my attention was drawn to my mate. Mari’s thrashing around in the constricted space between Rias and myself was the obvious culprit for what had brought me out of the deep sleep that I’d managed to succumb to, the fatigue finally catching up to me when my shield was at its lowest. It’d been a while since I had felt secure enough to completely let my guard down, but the odds of something occurring here on our island were so low that they weren’t worth keeping me up all night now that Knox and his cronies were gone. That wasn’t even taking into consideration Rias’s strength and keen senses.
Asher The flight back took more than a few hours, and I used a fraction of the time to contact Jace for a brief update, knowing I would be able to make up for the energy expended somewhere along the way. Even so, I stalled, not reaching out to my beta until after Mari had fallen into a deep slumber, but I didn’t dare put off the task for another time as much as the thought tempted me. Rias’s fear about any tricks Mari’s father might try to pull was at the forefront of my mind as I spoke directly into Jace’s head a while later, hoping nothing had happened in our absence. {Hey, man. Do you have any updates for me? Any signs of trouble?} {Everything has been quiet from outside threats if that’s what you mean. Hazel on the other hand…} Jace’s immediate reply soothed some of my nerves about the safety of our pack, but the latter half of his monologue was not looking promising based on the little he’d begun with before trail