Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Colbie
B efore I can say anything or apologize, Brodie leaps toward me and scoops me up in his arms, running away from the carnage and deeper into the forest.
I hear shouts behind us, but they die away the farther Brodie runs.
“I’m sorry. This isn’t how I wanted to do this, but my wolf is feral,” he says as he comes to a stop and slides me down his body before pushing me back against a tree. Brodie kisses me like I’m the air he needs to breathe. His chest heaves as he strips my confining clothes from my body, tossing my boots to the side. My core aches, and I have no complaints as I find myself suddenly naked, the tree bark scratching my back and ass as Brodie drops to his knees and runs his tongue through my soaked slit.
“You taste like heaven,” he murmurs before lashing his tongue across my clit. I moan with delight and grab his hair as he tongue fucks me to a quick, intense orgasm. My hydra wasn’t thinking clearly, her need to protect her mates outweighing any logic. I should stop him, but truthfully, I ache with the one-sided bond, and I want this as much as he does.
The sound of an argument somewhere behind us echoes through the trees. Poor Liam is having to deal with the fallout of my rash actions when he only just recovered from dying. I lift my head to look in that direction. I can’t see the others, but they aren’t far behind me. The mating heat is going to ride each of them hard, but I hope they can control themselves long enough for Brodie and me to have a moment alone.
Brodie drags my attention back to him, shoving two fingers deep into my pussy and sucking hard on my clit. Another orgasm rushes through me, and I scream as my body convulses around his fingers.
“Such a good girl, coming all over my hand,” he praises before sucking on his fingers and standing up. He unzips his pants and shoves them down around his knees, palming his cock and giving it a stroke, then he lifts me, and I wrap my legs around his waist as he kisses me. I taste myself on his lips, and I shudder with anticipation as he lines his cock up with my entrance. “I promise I’ll make this up to you later,” he says, keeping his eyes locked on mine as he pushes me against the tree and drives his cock home, bottoming out in one thrust. I scream again, the intrusion slightly painful. He’s big, and my pussy is tight from the first two orgasm, but his groan of pleasure has me relaxing, and the pain eases as the fullness becomes pleasurable.
“God, you feel so good—all tight and hot and mine,” he growls before pulling out and rolling his hips in a way that lights my body up. Instead of the furious fuck I thought I would get, his pace is measured and controlled, and he works my body like a master, using his cock in a way that sets my nerve endings on fire again as I desperately beg for more.
“God, more… harder,” I beg, grabbing his shoulders for purchase. I dig my heels into his ass, trying to urge him on, but he continues the maddening pace.
He chuckles wickedly and takes one of my nipples in his mouth, scraping his teeth across it before sucking it hard. My head falls back against the tree, exposing my throat to him, and he growls and presses a kiss to my pulse point.
“I’m going to bite you now and seal us together forever. You will never escape me.” His words come out all growly and gruff. His wolf is on the surface, his eyes glowing with his inner shifter.
“Do it,” I beg, wanting everything from this male.
He reaches between us and pinches my clit as he starts to pound into me, giving me exactly what I need to push me over the edge. My muscles seize, and my core ripples around him as an orgasm blasts through me. I scream again as his jaw shifts, and he bites down. The pain and pleasure are so exquisite, another orgasm barrels through me as he howls before licking the wound, and then I feel him fill me with his cum. He groans loudly, and his breathing is ragged as he thrusts through our orgasms before finally slowing. Still buried inside me, he tends to his bite mark, mumbling words of praise as the bond between us solidifies. I can feel his essence sitting next to Liam’s, and it feels right. My eyelids drift closed as I enjoy all the sensations of his tongue on my neck, his hard cock in my pussy, and the wave of love that seems to loop between us.
“My perfect mate, my queen,” he says reverently as he pulls back and kisses me. He tastes like copper, and my blood stains his lips, but I don’t care. All I care about is that he is now forever linked to me and safe.
I’m not sure how long we stay locked in place, but eventually, I become aware of the bark scratching my back, and I wriggle to avoid the discomfort. Brodie swears and pulls me away from the tree, then he gently lowers me to the ground, pulling his cock free. I feel his hot cum slide down my leg and the cold snow on my feet. I shiver, and he swears and picks me back up, cradling me in his arms.
“Shit, I’m sorry. My wolf took over,” he apologizes, looking around for my clothes. He helps me dress, since I’m still wobbly on my feet, then he takes me into his arms and gently cups my cheek, his bright blue eyes shining with love. “But I’m also glad I can feel you inside my chest. My wolf is content and slumbering, pleased you are now joined to us forever. I love you, Colbie,” he tells me before placing a tender kiss on my lips, and I melt into him. I can feel that he means it, and it makes me breathless with joy. “When I get you to a bed, I’ll worship you like the queen you are.”
I giggle, giddy with the mate bond buzzing inside me. “I’m not sure I can handle much more worship.”
Brodie opens his mouth to answer, but a shout behind us has him instantly tensing before he grimaces. “Well, I’m not really sure you have a choice. Your hydra messed up. There are four other shifters who will want to worship you like a goddess, and it will get harder and harder for them to resist it now that you’ve marked them. The one-sided bond will become painful for all of you.” He winces. “Thankfully they seem to have more self-control than I did.”
He takes my hand and leads me back to the destroyed clearing. There’s a fire burning, and the smell of burnt flesh makes me wrinkle my nose. Hunter is in his dragon form, and his eyes glow as he turns his head to watch us approach. Liam and Micah stand next to him, and Gem and Gryffin are sprawled on the ground at their feet.
I shout and pull my hand out of Brodie’s, rushing toward them, but Hunter’s tail slides in front of me, stopping my forward momentum.
“Are they hurt?” I shout, pushing at his tail, which is kind of like shoving a large boulder—impossible.
Liam grimaces and shakes his head. “No, just unconscious. We had to knock them out to stop them from coming after you.”
“Why aren’t you affected?” Brodie asks Micah before gesturing to Hunter’s dragon. “Or him? I would have thought Hunter would snatch her up and fly away to hoard her.”
“Mer aren’t driven by an inner animal like you are, so it’s easier for us to control our instincts. We also don’t bite to seal the bond.”
“You don’t?” I ask as panic makes my heart beat faster. “Did I do something wrong?” I ask him, but he shakes his head.
“No, you claim with your bite, but I need to shift, pluck one of my scales, and insert it under your skin to finish my part of the claim. I can’t do that unless I am in the water. I will be alright until we can find a body of water for me to shift,” he assures me, and my heartbeat settles.
“And you’re right about Hunter’s dragon. He wants to seal their bond in his hoard, but he knows that Colbie can’t fly away at the moment. He agreed to go to the equine village and see what is going on there before he snatches her away,” Liam says, smirking at my ruffled appearance. “Sounds like you had fun, mate.” He winks, and there’s no sign of any jealousy. “Congrats, my friend. I’m so happy for both of you,” he tells Brodie, who tugs me against him and wraps his arm around me. It seems like he’s going to be as touchy-feely as Liam was, which I absolutely love. My mother wasn’t big on affection, and I’ve been slightly touch starved in the last few years, unable to visit with my grandparents as much as I would have liked while setting up my business.
“What are we going to do about those two?” Brodie nods at my two unconscious mates.
“There is a small hunting cabin a little farther in that direction.” Micah points. “It didn’t seem occupied. I think maybe we should take them there and let them seal their bond with Colbie. We can’t have half the group distracted by the mating bond if we are going to protect her. I don’t think that will be the last attack we’ll see. Whoever wants Colbie dead seems set on succeeding.”
“While they do that, the rest of us can continue on to the equine village and see if we can figure out what happened to all the damn equines,” Liam says, and Hunter’s dragon rumbles his agreement. It seems like they made some plans while Brodie and I were otherwise occupied.
I blush at their suggestion, but my inner creature trills with excitement. She’s all for having these bonds reciprocated as quickly as possible, and I’ve certainly come around to the idea. Seeing Liam dead was the kick in the ass I needed to understand that I can’t survive without these men. They have quickly become the most important part of my life, and I want to make sure they are permanently by my side.
“Fine, I guess Liam and I will carry their heavy asses there, and you and Hunter can go onto the village. A bit of distance might make things easier for the two of you. We will meet you there,” Brodie grumbles, and Micah gives him a quick nod.
“Thank you. We will see you soon, our sweet mate,” he says as he leaps up onto Hunter’s back, and Brodie and I back away from his tail, which is still blocking us.
“Wait. What if you are ambushed there?” I call out before Hunter can jump into the air, putting my hands out as if I could stop the dragon from leaving if he wanted to.
“Don’t worry. Even with the one-sided mating bite, they should have developed your regenerative powers. Sable said you could bite anyone and give them the power—not that I recommend you go around biting people so they won’t die.” Brodie tries to tug me closer, but I’m literally plastered to his side, so it’s more of a comforting squeeze. “I’m not sure we could handle our mate putting her mouth on anyone else.” That last bit is said with a growl, and I feel his claws burst through the tips of his fingers and dig into my side. I squeak, and he loosens his grip a little. Thankfully they didn’t break through the material of my watch uniform.
Hunter takes off into the air, and my stomach leaps into my throat as I watch them fly away. I feel a tear trickle down my face, and my heart aches.
“Shit, baby, it’s okay.” Liam hurries over to me, and the two of them sandwich me between their huge bodies, surrounding me with their warmth. “It’s not forever. We just need to get those two idiots locked down, and then we can meet up with them. Maybe the village has a pond you and Micah can take a swim in, and I know Hunter keeps his hoard somewhere in the rift. A lot of the dragons do. He can whisk you away and take care of his bond too.” Liam strokes a hand over my head, lifting my chin for me to look at him, while Brodie’s heat seeps into me from behind. “Don’t cry. It makes my bear want to break things.”
“I’m okay,” I sob. “It just hurts in here.” I slide my hand between us and push against my chest in the hope it will ease the ache.
“That’s the unfulfilled bond. Come on. Micah pointed in the direction of the hut. Let’s not wait any longer.” Liam pulls away from me and moves back to the two unconscious shifters. He picks up Gem and slings him over his shoulder fireman style.
“Great, that leaves me with lard ass,” Brodie grumbles, giving me a kiss on the cheek and moving to do the same with Gryffin. “Damn tiger weighs a ton.”
Liam starts moving, avoiding the mess of remains that weren’t able to be burnt, and walks deep into the forest on an angle to the way we were heading previously. I follow him, and Brodie brings up the rear. The trees get thicker again, and I hear him curse. When I look back, I notice he stumbled slightly. When I raise an eyebrow in question, he blushes.
“Whoops, Gryff might have a bit of a headache when he wakes up. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell him I bashed it into a tree.”
I mime zipping my lips, and he looks relieved.
“Come on, we’re burning daylight. At this rate, we will have to spend the night in the cabin. It’s still at least another two hours on foot to the village, and I would like to do that before the sun dips below the rift. It isn’t safe at night with the ferals and all the natural animals that live in it. We will be vulnerable on the plain.” Liam is huffing, and despite their strength, the two limp males they carry are dead weight.
I hurry to catch up to him. Trudging through the snow in human form is nowhere near as easy as it was in my tiger body. It would have taken us twice as long if we had originally been moving like that. Finally, after about fifteen minutes, when I’m breathing like a fucking racehorse and sweat is pooling between my breasts, the trees thin out, and I can see the hunter’s cabin. It’s made of dark wood that has faded with the elements, and the roof is covered in snow. I’m not sure how Hunter even saw it, but I heave out a sigh of relief. I am not fit enough to traipse around in deep snow in my human form.
I look around the clearing, but there is no sign of an inhabitant and no smoke coming from the chimney, so I hurry past Liam and up two steps and knock on the door. I only wait a very small period of time before I try the handle, and when I find it unlocked, I shove the door open. A rush of stale air drifts out as I step into the dark cabin. It looks like it’s only one room, and it’s sparsely furnished. There’s a camp cot on one side, and a small rudimentary kitchen. There is another door on the other side, I wonder if there is a bathroom in here. I would like to wash the sweat and Brodie’s cum off me. I move farther in to allow room for the other two. Liam dumps Gem on the camp cot, and Brodie slides Gryffin into the armchair that is positioned in front of the fireplace.
“Well, it isn’t the Aramis Arms, that’s for sure,” Liam comments, looking around with a sneer.
“You really did luck out with having us as mates. First a cave, then a tree, and now a dingy abandoned cabin. Hopefully your other mates can make up for the lack of luxuries and romance.” Brodie winces and runs a hand through his hair, looking embarrassed.
Before I can answer, Gem groans and rolls onto his side. I hurry over to him and brush his unruly burgundy curls off his face. I feel a lump on the back of his head and scowl at Liam. “What did you hit him with?” I ask, and he shrugs.
“A branch. Don’t worry, they are fine. They will heal quickly, and neither of them will even notice once you distract them with your luscious body.” He grins lasciviously and winks. I roll my eyes.
Brodie heads into the small kitchen and digs around in the cupboards. “There are a couple of cans of beans in here. If we get the fire started, you can eat those when you get hungry. We don’t have time to hunt down something to cook.”
I wrinkle my nose at the thought of eating a rabbit or whatever else is available in the forest, and they both chuckle.
“Don’t knock it until you try it, though my bear is partial to fresh fish.” Liam turns on the tap at the sink, but the pipes groan, and nothing comes out. “Frozen solid.”
I get up when Gem doesn’t wake and peer into the other door. There is a small bathroom with a wooden tub for washing. Liam looks over my shoulder, slides past me, and grabs a wooden bucket that’s next to the tub.
“I’ll go get a couple of buckets of snow, and when Gem wakes, he can heat the water for you,” he tells me, smiling when I squeal with excitement. “Brodie, why don’t you grab some firewood? I noticed some stacked next to the cabin. Gem can also light that, so you’ll be warm.”
The guys head outside to do their jobs, and I go into the kitchen and check out the food Brodie was talking about. I grimace when I see it’s a couple of very old cans of beans, but then I remember our backpacks. Micah handed me one before he left on Hunter’s back. I hurry to where I dropped it when I came in and dig around inside, finding a couple canteens of water and some jerky. I sigh with relief and pull out a piece, chewing on it before taking a sip of cold water.
A rumbling sound has me spinning, and I find Gryffin is awake, his eyes glowing as he stares at me with animalistic hunger.