Chapter 15
Chapter
Fifteen
~ Princess Blake ~
P rince Callan, Mason, Alaric, and Nate clear the table, and Dante leads me over to one of the couches, pulling me down beside him. When they’re done, the others join us, sitting around the common room.
Shade finishes preening her feathers, and she pulls her beak out from beneath her wing. “Okay, well I think that’s my cue to give you guys some space. I’m going to get some fresh air for a bit. Have fun, girl, and try not to destroy the house.”
“Why would I destroy the house?”
“Uh, no reason other than you have five mates who finally want to bond with you, one of whom is a literal giant.” She chuckles. “Let me know when it’s safe to return.”
“Will do.”
She leaves through a small high up window, and the moment she’s gone, I turn back to my mates. They’re all staring at me intently, and I squirm at the attention.
“Soooo, bonding huh?” I say awkwardly, because honestly, I feel out of my depth right now. I can face off demon bugs and witches, but bonding with five fated mates? Yeah, I wasn’t ever prepared for that.
Dante chuckles, and his tail curls possessively around my leg.
“Fated mate bonds are rare for my kind,” Mason says. “What exactly does bonding involve?”
“From what I hear, a demon has to bed all of her mates at the same time,” I reply.
“They all have to be touching,” Dante adds.
“And mentally, they have to be open to the bond,” I finish. My gaze finds Alaric then, but the assassin doesn’t shy away. He simply stares at me, those soulful gray eyes never leaving my face.
Nate leans back in his chair and grins. “Sounds easy enough.”
“It’s not supposed to be easy,” Prince Callan says. “We’re supposed to worship our mate, and in return, Lady Fate will grant us with more power. We’re supposed to be the ones to balance our mate. To protect and cherish her.” As he speaks, he moves positions, coming to sit on my other side. His golden wings drape over the back of the couch, and instinctively I reach over, tracing my finger slowly down one wing. He shudders and cups the side of my face. “Are you ready to bond, my Ahalian Touizda?”
My heart thuds as I stare back at the archangel’s ridiculously handsome face. “Yes,” I reply, my throat suddenly tight. “Are you?”
“I couldn’t be more ready,” he answers. His golden lips quirk up, but there’s so much emotion, so much…love, in his eyes, that my bottom lip trembles. He brushes his thumb across my cheek, and my heart beats so loud it’s like there’s a steady drumbeat in my ears. I have the startling thought that after this, I won’t ever truly be alone again. That somehow, after all these years, after all I’ve endured, I’ve found my family, and I would die to protect them. …And die without them. The thought is both thrilling and terrifying, because life won’t be the same if they’re ever taken from me.
My gaze sweeps over the rest of my mates as they rise from their seats and come closer. For once, Nate has no jokes, and there’s no casual banter. My mates are serious as they surround me, and for just this moment, it’s as if time has stopped.
A sudden spark of panic goes through me, and I blurt out an irrational thought that pops into my head. “But what if I’m not a good mate? Five of you is a lot to keep happy.”
“You could place us in your dungeons and throw away the key, and we would still think you are the perfect mate,” Prince Callan says.
I laugh at his ridiculous answer. “You would no—” I don’t finish, because my archangel presses his lips to mine, and the worry that I might not be enough for them vanishes in an instant. The kiss is soft and gentle, and it fills me with a warmth that chases away all the dark thoughts buried in the depths of my mind. I lean into him, deepening the kiss, my tongue stroking over his, and the archangel responds, claiming me like he’s been waiting an eternity for this moment.
Dante’s tail releases my leg, and he brushes his fingers across my neck. “Come, Blake,” he whispers.
I pull my lips away from Prince Callan and stand, watching as Dante and the rest of my mates undress, exposing ridges of hard muscle and sculpted abs. Prince Callan comes up behind me, pulling off my shirt, and he drags his lips against my bare shoulder. I’m still not wearing anything beneath the shirt, and my nipples pucker as they’re exposed to the cool air.
We make our way to the bedroom, and Nate lays on the mattress. I crawl over to him, anticipation winding through me as I climb on, and I gasp as I feel every bump and groove of his cock as it slides inside me. Merciful Lady. My golden tattoos flare to life instantly this time like the power inside me is already awakening. Like it already knows what we’re about to do. Mine. They have always been mine. I can feel it in my soul, in the very depths of my being. These males are my fated mates.
Nate grips my hips as I ride him, whimpering as I move up and down his length.
Mason comes up behind me. “Can I, my mate?” he asks me tenderly. I nod and stop moving, leaning forward so the centaur can work himself slowly into my ass. When I start moving again, it takes a short while for me to adjust to the feel of them, and then I’m moaning as Mason cups my breasts.
Still, it’s not enough. I need the others. Like Dante can sense what I’m thinking, he comes onto the bed, kneeling on my left, and his tail curves around to flick my clit. Alaric climbs onto the bed and kneels on my right. I reach out, gripping their cocks and stroking them, loving the sound of their groans in my ears.
Prince Callan is the last to move onto the mattresses. He makes his way near Nate’s head and kneels. His cock juts out proudly, and I bend over enough to grab it in my mouth.
He curses, his golden wings flaring out as his cock hits the back of my throat.
Five mates. Five. Their scents mix in the most intoxicating way, and as I breathe them in, something settles in my chest. There’s this feeling that no matter what happens in the future, this moment is right. I was always meant to claim these five. From the moment I met them all, I knew they were mine, but I never really realized how badly I wanted this. How badly I needed this, until now . And it feels so good to finally have them. To finally let myself bond with them.
I keep my mind open to them, and my heart feels like it’s about to burst as pleasure consumes me. We move in tandem, finding a rhythm, the six of us all touching. The power inside me grows, the magic spreading to my fingertips and racing to my toes as the tattoos light up on my skin, so bright I squeeze my eyes shut.
“Fuck, Blake,” Nate curses, his fingers digging into my hips as I cry out.
My shifter’s barbs explode inside me, and the pleasure, the power, becomes too much. The house shakes, dust and rubble falling from the ceiling, and there’s a buzzing in my head as I feel the mental connection between me and my mates snap into place. My power builds in pressure until it explodes, and the orgasm hits me with a force so intense I scream. Just when I think I can’t take anymore and the power is going to tear me apart, the connection with my mates grows even stronger, and my power starts flowing into each of them. My mates find their releases at the same moment, and their groans fill the air.
It takes moments for the power to stabilize and regulate, the magic like a pulsing heartbeat inside me, and when our orgasms end, the house stops shaking. I still feel the power bubbling under my skin, but it’s contained, constantly flowing inside me and my mates.
“Holy Fates,” Mason mutters in awe, and my chest heaves as I realize I’ve just heard him in my mind.
I let go of Alaric’s and Dante’s cocks, and I swallow Prince Callan’s release before pulling my mouth from his cock. When I open my eyes, for a moment all I see is light. It takes seconds for the light to fade, and then I stare at the golden circle tattoos now on my mate’s chests, the whirls and marks matching the tattoos covering my body.
“I feel you,” I say to them, my eyes wide as I speak to them in my mind.
Mason kisses my sweaty shoulder. “And we feel you, our mate.”
My heart is so damn full, tears prick at my eyes, and I smile.
Dante rocks back on his knees. “Well, that was…intense.”
“So, this is what it feels like,” Prince Callan murmurs, tucking his wings in again.
Mason gently pulls his cock from my body, and I climb off Nate. Alaric moves back, and I flop onto the bed. “I guess so,” I say with a soft smile.
My mates all stare at me, and there’s so much love in their gazes that I feel as though my heart has grown two sizes.
“For so long I have felt empty inside,” Mason says out loud. “And not just from the pain of losing my family, my friends, and the betrayal of my brother. It was as though there was something missing, but I couldn’t understand what it was.” He smiles at me. “Turns out it was you, my mate.”
My throat is so tight that all I can do is smile back at him, and when Alaric lays beside me, gently curling his arm around me, I bury into his chest, wishing I never had to come up for air.
We take our time cleaning up and dressing, and then we’re back in the sitting room.
“I feel incredible,” Dante says, holding his hands in the air like he can see power traveling along his veins. A funny smile crosses his face, and he walks to a wall. Lifting his hand, he presses his palm against the dark paint, and the entire house freaking disappears. Not just Dante, but the entire building and everything inside it, including us.
My skin tingles as I blink at the scene around me. Though I can still feel Dante and my other mates in exactly the same positions as we were seconds ago, the forest surrounds us now, trees and grass lining the space on all sides. A short distance beneath us is the large stretch of flattened earth that the house was built on. Whoa.
Nate curses.
“So, I think we can confirm I’ve leveled up,” Dante drawls. “Considering, I only used to be able to make myself and small items invisible, like the clothes I was wearing or another person I was touching.”
The house comes back into view, the fully furnished room and my mates appearing around me as the tingling stops.
Dante is holding his hands in the air, staring at them in awe again. “Looks like the limitations of my power have changed.”
Nate prowls around the room. “Let’s take this outside. I want to try something.”
We all follow him, and once we’re standing beneath the stars, Nate walks a few paces away from us. He winks at me. “You all might want to stay back.” And then he’s shifting. Fur rushes over his body as his form changes and morphs, and he turns into a jaguar that’s twice the size of his previous form. He shakes his huge head, his large claws digging into the earth, and he opens his mouth revealing a set of massive fangs.
His chest rumbles, and I hold up my hands. “Don’t!” But Nate doesn’t stop. Before the roar tears from him, Prince Callan whips his hand up and a tunnel of wind forms around the powerful jaguar, stopping the sound from escaping. The wind tunnel becomes larger, stretching wider, and uprooting a few surrounding trees.
“Uh, Callan—” I start, surprised by how fast his wind turned into an out-of-control vortex, but just as quickly, Prince Callan forms a fist with his hand, cutting off the flow of power. The vortex grows smaller in size until it disappears, and all we’re left with is a giant cat with ruffled hair and a pissed off expression.
I smother my laugh. “We don’t want to draw attention.”
Nate glowers at Prince Callan, looking like he wants to snack on the prince’s wings.
Mason decides to try his power next, changing into his shifted form. While he’s not double his size like Nate, he is larger, his coat more glossy, and I could swear even his muscles are bigger. He takes one of his knives, aims at a nearby tree, and throws it. The blade cuts straight through the trunk of multiple trees before it stops.
“And, what about you, our mate?” the centaur says, giving me a breathtaking smile. “How have your powers changed?”
I bite my lip, my power continuing to flow outward. The others can’t sense it, but I can feel them around me. The birds, that is. My reach is much further than it was before, stretching far across the realm. My power reaches out to the animals, touching them, coaxing them to me without me even uttering a command. A bush rustles nearby, and Nate’s cat eyes fix on the spot, the giant feline ready to pounce. Before anything springs free, I pull back my power, severing the connection. The bird that had been about to appear flies away, and all five of my mates turn to me.
“I can sense more of them,” I explain. “The birds, that is.” I don’t give them a demonstration and summon the innocent creatures to me. I still can’t forget what happened when I failed the birds in Toralyn.
From their worried expressions, I’m guessing my mates can sense something is wrong, but I force a smile to my face and shrug. “I feel stronger, too. More in control.” That last part, at least, seems to appease them.
“And what about you, assassin?” Mason asks. “What are your gifts?”
Alaric frowns, staring at his hands.
“Maybe we should find that out another time, hey big guy?” Dante points out. “Something tells me the demons will notice a hulking giant in the forest outside the city.”
“That’s probably wise,” Alaric growls.
“Ahhhh!” Shade screeches in my mind, and I whip my head to the side in time to see Nate leap into the air, catching her in his paws and cradling her as he lands.
She struggles in his hold. “Bad kitty. Very bad kitty! Oh god, this is like that time with Jessie’s house cat all over again.”
I’m there in a second, prying Nate’s paws open.
Nate hisses, and his tail flicks back and forth as he reluctantly watches Shade hop away and then fly onto my shoulder.
“Oh, thank god. For a minute there, I thought he might eat me,” Shade says. “Blake, what is happening? Why is Nate so big? I mean, I knew he was big, but I’m talking about his cat form, not his…”
Dante stares at Shade, a bewildered expression taking over his face. “Is it me, or did that bird just speak?” he says via our mental connection.
Prince Callan steps up beside him. “She spoke.”
Shade stares at them with beady black eyes. “Uh Blake, I must be hearing things, because I swear I just heard your sexy mates chattering in my head.”
“Hmmm is it weird that the bird thinks I’m sexy? I feel like I should find it strange, but I can’t blame her,” Dante muses out loud this time.
“What the— Did he just— Blaaake!” Shade squawks.
I can’t help it, I burst out laughing.
“Unbelievable,” Shade says, sounding pissed though there’s an undercurrent of excitement in her voice as she perches on my shoulder. “They can hear me, can’t they?”
“Looks like it’s not only me who will have the pleasure of your company,” I say to her. “Let’s hope they catch on to your humor real quick.”
“Shall I punish Nate for scaring the bird, my mate?” Mason asks seriously.
“Uh, yes please,” Shade replies, suddenly chipper. “Seriously, this guy knows the way to a girl’s heart. He’s still number one.” Her gaze goes to Alaric. “And I have to say, aside from his previous grumpiness, Alaric has come a long way.”
“Number one?” Dante says incredulously. “Well, now that won’t do.” He moves closer to her, and starts rubbing his finger on the side of Shade’s neck, making her cock her head with pleasure.
“Mmmm, I’m completely okay with this. Sure, you can be number one, demon.”
I roll my eyes as Shade laps up the attention.
Prince Callan watches Dante and Shade. “Have you always been able to hear her speak?”
“Ever since I found her,” I reply with a small smile.
“And the matter with Nate?” Mason asks, still looking like he wants to punish the shifter.
I shake my head. “He’s fine. He wasn’t going to eat her. He just struggles with impulse control.”
Nate crouches playfully, his tail flicking. “Is that right, gorgeous?” His voice is a low purr in my head.
“Yes, it is,” I reply, even though the sound of his rough voice is driving me crazy. “Because you wouldn’t dare eat my best friend. Not if you wanted to keep on living, bonded or not.”
“You heard her,” Shade adds. “Keep your grubby giant paws off me.”
Nate’s tail continues to flick back and forth. “If you keep tempting me ? —”
I give Nate an unimpressed look, and then I peer around at the others. “My demon gift allows me to speak with birds, but Shade has always been chattier than most. And it looks like now that we’re connected, you can hear her, too.”
Nate shifts back to his human form and grins. “So this entire time, this little ball of feathers has been chattin’ to you about us?”
Shade lifts her beak higher, puffing up her chest. “That’s right, asshole. Welcome to the party. Looks like this is a group chat now.”
“Group chat?” Alaric rumbles.
I shake my head at him. “She doesn’t always make sense.” Then I plant one hand on my hip, staring at Nate as I answer his previous question. “How else did you think she understood your directions to find the rebels when we were in The Haven?”
Nate shrugs. “Honestly, I hadn’t thought she’d be able to find them.”
Dante strokes his chin. “It does explain a lot.”
Alaric doesn’t say anything, but I get the feeling he’d pieced together my connection with Shade a while ago. The demons always thought I was simply able to control the birds, so I’m not surprised the others didn’t realize.
“She’s mouthy and a little pervy, but you’ll get used to her,” I assure them.
“Hey! I am not pervy!”
I shoot her a look.
“I simply appreciate,” she defends.
Dante’s lips curve upward. “Well, I for one, like her more already.”
I smile at Shade, but my brows lower when I notice her claws. “Shade, what is that?”
She looks behind her in an exaggerated manner. “What is what?”
“That,” I say, pointing to the sticky orange residue she’s left on my shoulder. “Please don’t tell me that’s worm guts or something disgusting.”
“All right, it’s not something disgusting,” she says, shifting uneasily.
Making a face, I reach down, touching the sticky residue and bringing it close to my nose. I breathe in. “Shade,” I say sternly. “Why the fuck do my fingers smell like Dante?”
She makes a grossed-out noise in my head. “Hey, where you stick your fingers in your mates is your own ? —”
“Shade!” I snap via our mental connection this time. “You know what I mean. Why is there apricot juice on your claws? And not just any apricots, but the same incredible ones we can only find at Dante’s mansion.” My jaw drops. “Have you been eating them…without me?”
Dante smirks, and the others look simply clueless.
Shade sighs in my head. “I was going to bring you back some. But then I heard them, and I guess I got distracted.”
“Them?” I give Dante a worried look. “We’re supposed to be laying low. What happened?”
It’s only then that I think about how fast she’d been flying through the forest toward us before Nate caught her. I’d been too distracted to question it.
Shade peers around at all the inquiring faces and huffs out a breath. “So, I know you said not to go to the city just yet, but I figured I could sneak to Dante’s house and grab some apricots to go.” She pauses. “It was going to be my happy bonding present for you.”
“I don’t think demons usually give bonding presents,” I point out, but my heart still warms.
“Well, they should,” she counters. “Gifting is some people’s love language, you know.”
“And Blake likes…apricots?” Mason muses thoughtfully, and I get the feeling he’s stashing that information for later.
“But you didn’t bring any,” Dante says. “So what happened at my clan house?”
“Well,” Shade continues, “I was busy finding the best apricots.”
I grin. “You mean, you were busy eating them.”
“Yeah, that,” she agrees without missing a beat. “And that’s when I heard them arrive—Luna and Noah.”
Dante’s eyebrows rise. “Are they all right?”
“They’re fine,” Shade assures him. “And I would have continued right on with my business, except it’s what they were talking about that concerned me.” Her beady black eyes go to the side of my face. “They were talking about someone who’d propositioned them. Sounds like it’s not the first time either. They were saying that they weren’t sure what to do, and that they wished Dante was there. Something about if they don’t turn up at the meeting they’re dead, but if they do go and the king finds out, then they’re also dead.”
“Could this be about the witches?” Prince Callan asks.
“Maybe,” I answer. “Or this could simply be about who is going to succeed the throne when the king retires, and the power shift between the clans.”
Dante curses. “I need to speak with them. We have to find out what the situation is. I’m the Coilan Clan leader, and the responsibility should be on my shoulders. Not theirs.”
I rub the back of my neck, wishing I had the eyes of my crows. But again, the moment I think about sending them out there, just the thought of commanding them makes me feel sick. “I let us have too much time here, when I should have been in the city.”
“Now that we’re bonded, can’t we go to the castle and speak with the king?” Nate suggests. “Whatever power is being hidden in the castle, I’m sure we can face it.”
I rub my temples. I had wanted us to stay away from the castle and the dark power there until we were bonded and at our strongest, but… “Despite our power, even now my absence from the castle can work to our advantage,” I say. “If this meeting is about the Seral throne, it could be worth finding out what’s happening between the clans now while they still don’t realize I’ve returned.”
“I’ll go to my clan house without mentioning anything about you, princess,” Dante says. “I’ll find out the information from Luna and Noah, and I’ll attend the meeting. It’s our best way of gaining inside information.”
I purse my lips. It would be the easiest way for us to find out the information, but my stomach roils at the idea of my mate walking into danger without me. “If it’s simply a meeting between the clan leaders it should be relatively safe, but demons have a habit of getting stabby when tempers flare, and I imagine things will be tense when discussing a new ruler for Seral. Unless of course, the meeting is to discuss the witches…which brings a whole new set of challenges.”
“I can go with him,” Mason volunteers. “To protect our bond brother.”
Dante rests his hand on Mason’s shoulder. “Thank you, but you’re not a demon. There will be too many questions.”
“There would have been demons who saw us together in the Perstalian ruins,” Prince Callan points out. “They’ll remember Dante was with the princess, and may have even pieced together that you’re mates,”
I pace, thinking about this. “Okay, then what if we’re all disguised?”
My demon mate frowns. “What?”
“What if we’re all disguised as demons with different faces,” I explain, and my gaze collides with Dante’s. “Can you get word to Luna?”