I gasped and fought against Hunter.
He laughingly let me go. “Vanna it is only mating. We want to claim you before any of the other males do. We know we won’t kill you. But we fear that some of the others would.”
“Especially Draven.” Racer said. “He can be a particular violent bastard with a sadistic bent for torment.”
“Usually only when it’s warranted.” Hunter defended.
Racer gave a grudging shrug. “Still, beating a man to death with your bare hands for snarling is a bit excessive.”
“It was a challenge.” Hunter defended.
***
I took the opportunity of them being faintly distracted to bolt. I scrambled up the bank and fled back to the village.
Racer headed me off. “You’re not going back like that. Put your clothes back on.”
I looked at him defiantly.
“You go back there with those pretty tits bobbing above tha
I was up the rest of the night pacing. Petrified they'd come find me. Trying to convince myself they were bluffing.That's a ridiculous idea. They've never bluffed about anything in their miserable lives.I considered bolting but these woods were locked down by Border Guards under the Mating Moon.There was a knock at my door and I nearly lunged through the roof. I sniffed the air and immediately caught the subtle scent of another female.Rather than the wild, forest scent of the three males that wanted to mount me endlessly.I went to the door and cracked it enough she could come through.She quickly handed me a cup of herbed tea.“One of your potions for soothing?”“Not this one.” Marta tapped the top of the wooden cup. “This one is so you’re not gotten with pups Mating Moon night if you’re not mated.”“It’ll keep me from carrying?” I asked in s
“Pups.” The alpha agreed. Walking over to palm the back of my head meaningfully.“She’ll bear some. Soon.” Hunter vowed.“Good.” Draven nodded. “She stays here. She’s mated. She bears pups. It is my law. Then it is revealed at Declarations who’s been claimed.”But I knew he wasn’t saying it for their benefit anymore. It’s for mine.If I run, I’ll have defied his laws.That’s challenging him. Not a hill I was ready to die on.“We’ll be there.” Vanquish said.Hunter and Racer nodded in agreement.“Good.” Draven said. “Teach the she-wolf to obey before the Moon or you will kill her.” He muttered over his shoulder as he exited.***Vanquish’s furious gaze levelled on me.And I knew there was going to be hell to pay for threatening to bolt.
Hunter’s ministrations were distracting me from them discussing all they wanted to do to me.“Long as I get her pretty tits.” He popped up from my lower lips to laughingly say.“And I get that tight little ass.” Racer rumbled. His eagerness deepening his voice with lust.“Oh yeah,” Hunter paused as I rubbed against his nose and chin eagerly.“I brought this.” He lifted a small bit of black plastic.“Good idea.” Racer remarked. “That’ll help me for tomorrow.”I yelled and threw my head back, jutting against Hunter’s face as my back spasmed. Heating my core with pleasure.“Mmm.” Hunter murmured as he licked every sweet drop slipping from me. “Van, you didn’t say how sweet she tastes.”“Because I wanted it for myself. I’m hard as a stone just thinking of it.”“Yeah, well I’m n
The other two gripped my shoulders. Keeping me utterly still.“Don’t move.” Vanquish warned. “It’s Hunter’s turn.”But I tossed my shoulders, fighting their wrenching grip.I heard Hunter spit and was terrified. Then I felt something probing between my buttocks. Something cold and hard.Not a cock. Not the bit of warm flesh I’d had in my mouth more than once.This was something different.Something even more unrelenting.“Stop! What is that!” I arched up. Afraid of what I didn’t know.“It’s to help you.” Hunter said.“Calm down.” Vanquish added. His voice somehow strangely soothing.I felt him lodge it firmly inside me. Stretching parts of me very unaccustomed to something residing in. My ass parted and made a path for the bit of hard plastic to fill my channel.“Ouch.” I arched back
“Wake up.” I was hauled off my bed by an incredibly angry looking Vanquish. “What are you wearing?”He looked at me askance. Eying the giant scrap of beige cloth draped so loosely over me that it reached to my knees and rolled up to mid-thigh as he drug me.“A tunic.” I squawked. Waking enough to lurch onto my elbows and try and keep it over the parts of me I still wished to conceal.“It’s huge on you. It looks like one of mine.” Vanquish frowned.It probably was. They’d torn and tossed enough of my clothes I had truly little left and was taking what I could find in my hut.“Is that my tunic?” He eyed it.Yes.“What do you want Vanquish?” Glancing outside, I saw it was still dark. I couldn’t keep the contempt out of my voice. “It’s too early for you to be checking to see if I followed orders.”He mus
“Don’t, Vanquish.” He sat up to untuck my arms and flatten them to my sides. Hungrily taking in the sight of my breasts.“Call me, Van. Everyone else does.” His eyes roved the shape of my breasts and the color and shape of my small nipples which hardened under his gaze. Feeling like he was touching me already.I memorized a knothole on the wall instead of responding to him. Knowing that between my thighs was already dampening with my heat. Making me slick for him.And knowing he could smell it.His telltale sniff in the air and then the yellowing of his eyes as they fell back on me told me that he’d just caught the whiff.Damn my female scent.He studied my face before tilting his head and softly querying. “Why do you always look away from me?”I gave him a pained expression. “Because you’re usually hurting me or trying to make me miserable.”***
He hissed, his body vibrating as he held his tenuous control. “Eh, shit. You’re sucking me back in. Drawing me deep”My body was pulling at him. Trying to tug him in further.“Fuck!” He swore. “I’m going to lose control, Vanna Rae!”“What does that mean?”“It means grip the blankets. Pinch me in your thighs. Do whatever you must but don’t scream or the other two will come charging in to have at you before you’re properly heated.”Heated?With another swear, his control splintered. He drove into me hard. His ass flexing and I arched up as he pressed at, then through my furthest entrance.His long strokes slipping in and out, in and out. Riding into my slickness. He was pounding harder. Sinking deeper.I opened my mouth because a scream was building. I wasn’t sure if it was pleasure or pain. Or both?“No.&rdquo
He pushed my face into my bedding to silence my objections. “Shh. Shh. You’re going to call them in before I’ve opened you for them.”“I don’t want opened.” I whimpered.I don’t want to hurt. I’m still sore from things they’ve done over the last few days! I grimaced as I thought it.“Yes, you do. An unopened woman can tear. And that will hurt you. Possibly permanently. I’m not going to allow that.”“Why not? You’ve allowed everything else.” I said waspishly. The bit of fire in my soul rising to the surface.He frowned chidingly at me. “We’ve behaved like dogs in rut, yes. But we don’t want to actually harm you.”“You have been hurting me!”“It’s different. It’s part of the mating process. Part of us trying to temper our need for this night so we don’t des
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