I cried out at the sting of the wound. Clutching my shoulder and feeling the indentation of his teeth still embedded in my skin.
I felt the hot flood of blood seeping over my hand and saturating my clothes. Instantly dizzying me as I remembered the sticky feel and coppery scent of it on that floor so many years ago.
Shoving that image from my mind, I refused to succumb to the tremors just now. I focused on trying to get free of the brutal jaws.
This was no marking.
It was an attack.
He shook his head roughly to sink his teeth in further. Than he ripped out a chunk of flesh.
I yipped in pain and pressed my palm against it to try and stem the bleeding. Standing on my toes to keep my scalp from being torn free.
Hawk and Magus stared at me in horror. They’d stopped moving and now gripped their daggers loosely next to their legs as they assessed what they were doing.
Then I saw Magus gaze flick to something at the edge of ca
Vanquish straightened. Not looking away from me as he twitched his grip and snapped the spear into two sharp pieces. He adjusted to put one in each hand and confront whoever came at him next. His head whipped and he lowered into a crouch. Ready for battle. And suddenly I was really, really, hoping that fighting all of them wore him out before he got to me. Just beyond him was Racer and Hunter. Fighting furiously. They were all going to be angry. I was going to pay. But more importantly… They’re here. *** My mates were as much wild fury as the mages had been alone and together we were unstoppable. Blood splattered and splashed, and somehow, I managed to keep it together. A fact which I was rather proud of. Wolves fell all around us. Many at the tip of my own dagger. One man tried to punch me, but Racer came from nowhere to shove the fist aside. Catching the man’s shoulders as he
He stalked across the camp and caught my arm. Pulling me from the doorway. The two females behind me emerged on weak legs. Shielding their faces from the light. One tripped but when she would’ve fell, Jonathan took two quick steps and caught her. Steadying her gently against the wall. Don’t touch her! I wanted to scream. Feeling increasingly protective under the mating moon. But one look at him and I realized he wasn’t even seeing a she-wolf. In his mind, he’s helping rescue his sister. I felt myself soften immediately. Refocusing my attention on the angry man pulling me, like a pup on a leash. “Vanquish. Vanquish!” I tugged him to a stop. He rounded on me. His face flushed in anger and his chest heaving. “What the hell are you thinking?” “I’m thinking that I’m the best distraction out here, right now.” “Is there no thought for your own safety?” “There is.” “It certainly
“I understand.” I whispered. “What are we going to do?” “Well, first we are going to finish this night. We’ll go back up.” He nodded toward the hill. “You’ll thank your mates for coming to save your skinny ass.” His voice dropped as he whirled me around to the front of him. His voice dropping as his hand slid to my lower back. “And thank us well...” “I will.” I nodded. Understanding very clearly his meaning. He does for me what I wish. But I will be his slave tomorrow. To do with as he wishes. “Come tomorrow, in the haze of the descending Mating Moon, when we are sated, and other wolves are not. We will bait you as your so keen on doing yourself. And we will decimate as many packs as we can through the day, building your little army.” I felt tears leap to my eyes at the relief I was feeling. He’s going to do it! And we all knew that where Vanquish went. So did Hunter and Racer. I have them.
“She’s milking me raw!” Racer cried. Gripping my hips as I held him in while he tried to pull out and go back in. “She’s so tight.” “Everything about you!” Hunter joined them in. Palming my breasts against his chest and rolling them to catch my budded nipples between his fingers. Tugging them as he came.A long drawn-our moan telling me he too was spent. I could feel their heat. The tautness of their bodies. The sounds of their pleasure and knew they were mine. My lovers. My mates. After all the difficulties and strain we’d endured over the last few months, I had to admit that being with all of them again made me feel somehow whole. Racer pushing me forward and back driving Hunter mad as he couldn’t stay lodged in as he came. “Vanna Rae!” Racer cried. Pouring into me as well. *** A branch a distance away cracked. My head swung to see through the dense trunks. Immediately wanting to know who’d been
“Stop.” Hawk called weakly to her. Lifting a staying hand. “She may prove useful yet.” Mary looked over her shoulder at him but didn’t let go of the old woman. Her blue eyes still swirling as if reflecting an infinite pool. “Besides,” He added. “I need you.” He waved her over and that was the moment Mary let go. Dropping Marta to her knees as she rushed back to Hawk. “What can I do?” She looked at him pitifully. Terror on her face. “Magus?” I said to the man standing a distance away by the door. He sat in the doorway, his feet resting on the ground outside, looking worriedly at Hawk. “Yes?” He lifted his head. I headed for him. “You’re worried about him?” “Mages can’t usually heal themselves. He certainly can’t.” “So how can we help him?” “We need a healer.” Rebekah. I chewed my cheek. I couldn’t spare any of them. Not right now. I’m going to need them all to fight wi
“Vanquish...” I said worriedly. “No, Vanna Rae. If that’s who he is, we may have a very real problem.” “I don’t think he’d have done that.” “He did.” “But there had to be a reason...” I reached for Vanquish but he shrugged from my grip. “What reason could there be to turn on the people that once served you?” Vanquish’s deep wolf loyalty demanded outrage in this instance. I understood but I still felt the yearning to fix this. To make him meet my brother on fair terms. This is not how I wanted it to go. “Stop walking away from me!” I cried out. Finally catching his arm. “Please!” “Just...can we...will you just-” “Just what?” He cut off my muttering. “Just meet him. See for yourself who he is.” “And if I don’t like him? Don’t trust him?” My hand fell away and I was sure that the hurt was plain to see in my blue eyes. I swallowed hard. “Then we decide from there.” “D
Headed back in the direction we were coming from, was a nearly invisible creature. Her small hands trailing over the bark of the trees as she moved furtively. Like a wood sprite, made of the earth and wood itself. Like something ethereal. She glanced over her shoulder, long brown hair whipping as she evaded the number of wolves that had caught her scent. She knew she was crossing dangerous ground. Wolves that had picked up the smell of a she-wolf in these woods were cutting the distance to her heels. Huffing as they moved downwind to follow her. The night of the Mating Moon was coming, and they were lusting for the feel of a female. But it wasn’t the first time I had evaded males under a Mating Moon, and no one knew that better than my mate. He trusts me to make it back to the Asara Camp. And ever since my mate had marked me, and shortly thereafter, I him we had built a trust deep enough that it meant I would not let
We reached the first village, and it was little more than the first had been. We tore through it in relatively short time. Covered in blood we were already tiring as we took over the camp. Vanquish cleared an area for me to step up. I gave the same speech I had before. Rallying what was left of the villagers. Adding volunteers to our numbers. I was faintly disappointed when two men refused. One stepped forward. “If we join you, the NightHunters will kill every one of us.” “Is that really any worse than them throwing your mothers, sisters or daughters in shacks?” I gestured to one behind the camp. I’d already learned they were customary in NightHunter camps. They’re the reward for them taking the village.I put together. I was beginning to learn the system the NightHunters alpha used to motivate his wolves. Find them cruel, reward them for being crueler, make them expand fast and aggressively.
Marta was willing to follow Lorem to the ends of Ferus.It made me consider how far I’d go to be loyal to my mates.What would I do for them?How many awful things would they have to do before my image of them changed?My instant thought was that they would never do something like what Lorem had.It’s not even a comparison.I looked at Marta.“My father should’ve banished you from the pack with Lorem.” Draven murmured. “I wonder how you’d have fared then?”“I’d have been with him.” She clawed at Fury’s grip but that was like trying to get a tree to release a trunk.He’s unmoveable.“What you want to do with her?” Fury asked.“Take her with us.” Draven said. “We’ll give her to the NightHunters and let them toy with her awhile.”Marta looked intensely nervous despite all her bravado.I bit my lower lip. Pitying her a bit for her fate.***Fury, Killian and Aviari had been talking ahead of us. Our army of wolves and mages were tromping through the woods so loudly that there was no mistak
“Her smell has changed.” Draven was staring at me as he announced it.I skittered into a sitting position. Reflexively drifting backward to put more space between he and I. Trying to protect myself.Which I’d suddenly had a much stronger urge to do, today.“I know.” Vanquish said. Rolling to lean up and give me a warm look over Hunter’s shoulder.I flushed. Biting my lip.How can they already know?I’m not even sure yet.“The Asara’s first pups are being carried by the Gallion Princess.” Vanquish murmured proudly. Meeting my gaze with infinite tenderness.My males all stretched to reverently place their palms over my flat belly. Rubbing it soothingly in a way that had me leaning back. Offering myself to more of their touch.I subconsciously flattened back out and ducked my forehead against Racer’s chest. Avoiding everyone’s permeating study and finding comfort in the warmth of my mate.Lyra Lani’s voice rose. “That’s why you’d not share the drink!”I nodded slowly without looking at h
I knew I’d hugged Lyra Lani a bit longer than I needed to but it was so nice to receive affection from a female after so long with only my mates for company. I gave her another quick squeezer before letting her go. She slid her hands down my arms and did the responding squeeze to my fingers right before she let them fall. Reassuring me that I had her support. And that she’s here. Her kindness nearly brought a tear to my eye. Hearing Killian’s voice behind me, I peered back at him. He bobbed his head in greeting and waved his hands in a motion for me to come to him. I did. Returning to hug him just as eagerly. I didn’t know how many times I’d embraced he and Aviari and BailaLae now, but I was beginning to feel like it would never feel like enough. Probably because I’m so scared of losing them again. Giving his dark, waving hair, a fond caress before turning my attention back to the girl
“Perhaps they do.” Killian nodded to the three identical males stepping into the small grove. My blood coated mates. They, all three, looked exhausted but unharmed. Thank Heavens! I was incredibly relieved to see them okay. Glad that the sounds of battle had died down. We won. Seeing how shaken I appeared, Vanquish immediately whirled to see the others appearing from the camp. “What’s going on?” He backed up toward me. Casting a worried glance over his shoulder before eyeing all the mages pouring from behind trees and the edges of the camp. Looking at them all just as warily as he had the first time, he’d seen them.
I flattened my back against the tree and held my breath. Praying that no one would hear me. That my bits of torn clothes wouldn’t guide them. And that I would still be whole by the time my mates returned from ambushing the camp. Please. I held one hand over my stomach. The other over my mouth to hush any sound escaping my throat. Boiling fear nearly paralyzing me. Making me feel choked as if I’d never get another breath of air through my throat. I felt the urge to move one of my legs, to alleviate the ache boring through me from my mates loving last night but I didn’t dare move. Stay quiet. I was reminding myself over and over in a steady chant. I’d never been so relieved when I saw the face of the dark-haired girl peek around a tree a distance from me and meet my look. I blew a relieved breath. Recognizing her immediately as my brother’s mate. Jade was her name. I recalled. Feeling my whole body rela
Just then Hunter scampered up to us. “I got his line.” “Which way.” “Headed North.” “Toward the WildWood?” Vanquish asked in surprise. “He must be thinking if he can make it there, we won’t follow him in.” Racer suggested. “We can’t.” Vanquish agreed. “Not with the wolf-hunting-Roamer there.” “What’s that?” I asked. “A troll. I think.” Racer murmured. “A giant. He hunts anything with fur and ears that seems like it might be a wolf.” “Why?” “It’s said that a vicious mage cursed him to forever be trying to destroy the Moontower Mob.” I gave him a questioning look. “Really?” Vanquish groaned. “Memory loss.” I tapped my head pointedly. “There was a castle beyond the WildWood-” “It’s still there.” Hunter injected. “I’ve glimpsed its ramparts now and then.” “Truly?” Even Racer looked surprised. And he’s usually the historian amongst us. V
The morning was chilly and there was a knock at my door very early. Hunter rolled to his feet from before me. Walking barefoot to pull open the door. Heedless of the fact that he was entirely naked. I lifted my head enough to see Killian was there. I moved to rise but Vanquish’s arm draped over me kept me from going anywhere. “It’s time.” He murmured from the doorway. “Get dressed.” “Time to fight?” “Not you.” Aviari joined Killian near the doorway, staying just from view. Unwilling to glimpse me in here with my mates. Even though my nakedness was shielded by Racer lying between us and the door. Killian glanced at him to the side of the doorway then back at me. “You’re going ahead to find the next camp for us…To track the NightHunter.” “What are you going to do?” I asked warily. “We’re going to confront the beast after us.” Killian said blandly. I could feel the rise of Aviari’s glee at
Racer’s fists dug into my hair. Pulling my face harder against him. But this time he brought me against the base of him. Pressing so far into my throat I couldn’t breathe. “Ah. Ah. Ahhh.” He too shuddered with pleasure. His head falling back, and his entire body angled toward my face in offering as his nerve endings exploded with life. I licked along his length. Coaxing the last few drops out of him until he too yelped in objection because he was so overly sensitive from his rough climax. He stumbled backward and dropped to the floor. Lying on his back as spent as his brother. But Vanquish was staring at me. His green eyes unblinking. Unwilling to allow me from his sight for even a moment. The intensity of him was nearly overwhelming. With his brothers out of the way he rolled us over. Hooking my thigh with his knee and turning me onto all fours, aligning him with me still. He re-entered me. Flexing through me. His power evide
That night we scattered to the emptied huts. I had no time to even look at the others. As soon as the strange ceremony was finished and wolves began to scatter to obey their new King of Alphas, I was pulled backward into the hut we’d still been standing in the doorway of. Racer kicked the door closed and all three sets of eyes landed on me. I sighed. A bit nervous that their aggression might be more than I could take tonight after the violent beating I’d endured. “Be gentle, Lovers.” I breathed. Waving them toward me. They nodded gravely. Knowing how careful they would have to be. All of them nearly shook with expectation. The pink haze of the Mating Moon was now in full effect, and it was reflected in the hardened arousal of my mates. I bid Vanquish to me and he dropped to his knees before me. Lifting me over his bent knees to settle down on him. Hunter slid in behind me. Crossing his knees next to Vanquish’s a