Chapter 21
Twenty-One
RYKER
My paws hit the forest floor in my rush to get to Anya.
The scent grows stronger with each step, making my nose twitch with anticipation.
Grape. Sweet, tangy, and undeniably hers.
My omega. The wolf inside me howls with need and rage.
She’s out here somewhere, alone, possibly hurt, and it’s my fault for letting her get away.
I push through the undergrowth, branches whipping at my fur-covered flanks.
Behind me, my pack follows in perfect formation—Alaric to my right, his sleek golden form moving with deadly grace; Rex to my left, his red coat blazing like fire in the moonlight; Lorenzo and Marcus bringing up the rear, their powerful muscles rippling beneath their fur as they leap over fallen logs and crash through brush.
Her scent is overwhelming now, making my head swim with desire and worry.
She’s close, I growl through our pack link, the mental voice echoing in the heads of my four packmates. And she’s in heat.
The pack answers with a chorus of snarls and whines, our pace increasing as we race through the forest. The trees thin suddenly, opening onto a wide meadow bathed in the soft glow of the rising sun. And there, in the center, is a splash of white dress against the green grass.
My heart stops.
Anya lies curled on her side, her knees drawn up to her chest, her arms wrapped protectively around her middle.
She’s wearing a white dress that has ragged holes in the delicate fabric.
The rising sun turns her blond hair to molten gold, the curls spilling around her face in wild disarray.
Her eyes are shut tight, her cheeks flushed, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps that I can hear even from a distance.
The sight of her broken, hurting, and alone sends a wave of rage through me so powerful that I nearly lose control of my shift. If Keith or any of his men laid hands on her...
Easy, Alaric warns through the link, sensing my distress. She needs us to be calm right now.
He’s right. I force the rage down, pushing it deep into the core of my being where I can deal with it later. Right now, Anya needs help.
I shift as I run, my body changing from wolf to human in a painful rush of cracking bones and reforming muscle. My pack follows suit, five naked men racing across the meadow toward our fallen omega.
I reach her first, dropping to my knees beside her trembling form. She doesn’t even notice me, lost in whatever pain grips her. Her skin is burning hot to the touch, her dress soaked with sweat. I slide my arms beneath her, lifting her gently against my chest.
“Anya,” I say, my voice cracking. “I’ve got you, baby. You’re safe now.”
Her eyes flutter open, unfocused at first, then fix on my face with dawning recognition.
“Ryker?” she whispers, her voice thick with pain. “Is it really you?”
“It’s me,” I promise, brushing a sweat-dampened curl from her forehead. “I’m here. We all are.”
Her gaze moves past me to the pack standing in a protective circle around us, their faces tight with concern. She reaches out with one trembling hand, and Rex catches it, pressing a gentle kiss to her palm.
“They had me,” she says, tears spilling down her cheeks. “But I escaped…I think I’m in heat. And I want to be marked by you.”
Alarm flashes through the pack. Marking isn’t something to be taken lightly. It’s permanent, irrevocable. Once done, she’ll be ours forever, bound to us by a bond deeper than marriage, more powerful than any human vow.
“Anya,” I say carefully. “Are you sure? Just yesterday, you weren’t ready for that. We can knot you without marking you until you’re truly ready.”
“No, I’m ready,” she insists, her voice stronger despite the pain etched on her face. “It’s the only way to keep me safe. If I’m marked, other packs will know I’m taken. They’ll leave me alone.”
Understanding dawns on me.
She’s terrified.
After whatever happened with Keith, she wants the protection of our mark. She wants to belong to a pack, rather than be vulnerable to any alpha who might catch her scent.
I look at my pack, reading the agreement in their eyes. We’ve all wanted this since the moment we met her. We just never expected it to happen like this.
“You understand what marking means?” I ask her, one hand cradling her face. “It’s for life, Anya. Once we do this, you’ll be ours, and we’ll be yours. Forever.”
“I know,” she says, her glistening eyes meeting mine. “I want that. I want you.”
I nod, making my decision. “How do you want it done? One at a time, or all together?”
Her eyes widen slightly at the question. “Can you do it all at once?”
I smile, brushing a thumb across her lower lip. “We can do anything you want, baby.”
I turn to my pack, and they move in without needing to be told, taking positions around her trembling form.
Lorenzo lifts the tattered edge of her dress, exposing the soft skin of her upper thigh.
Alaric takes her arm, turning it to reveal the delicate pulse point at her wrist. Marcus positions himself behind her, one large hand splaying across her ass cheek, holding her steady.
Rex kneels beside me, his mouth hovering over the swell of her breast.
“Ready?” Alaric asks.
Anya nods, bracing herself. I lean down, my mouth finding the spot on her neck where her pulse beats wildly. My canines have already descended, ready for the claiming bite. The taste of her skin on my tongue makes my cock harden to the point of pain.
She’s always been mine.
“On three,” I say. “One... two... Three.”
We bite down simultaneously. Anya screams, her back arching as five sets of alpha teeth pierce her skin in five different places.
“Oh god. It’s so intense. I’m coming. Oh god,” she moans, her eyes rolling back in ecstasy.
The taste of her blood floods my mouth, hot and sweet, carrying the essence of her unique omega scent directly into my bloodstream. The bond forms instantly, a golden thread stretching from my heart to hers, strong and unbreakable.
I release her neck, licking the small bite to soothe it, to seal our bond with my saliva. The other alphas do the same, their faces soft with wonder as they feel the magic of the mating bond take hold.
“Mate,” I whisper into her ear, following it with a gentle nip that makes her shiver. “You’re mine now. All of ours. Forever.”
She’s whimpering, tears streaming down her face, but even through her pain, I see the smile forming on her lips. She reaches for me, pulling my face down to hers, pressing her lips to mine in a kiss that steals my breath.
“The heat,” she says when we break apart, her voice shaking. “The pain...it’s too much. In my belly, and...” She blushes, unable to finish the sentence.
I nod, my hand moving to cup her between her legs, feeling the heat and wetness even through the fabric of her dress.
“You’re in full heat,” I confirm, my voice gruff with desire. “We will knot you immediately.”
Her eyes widen at my bluntness, but she doesn’t look away. Instead, she spreads her legs wider, and my cock hardens at her eagerness.
Lorenzo steps back, lifting her dress to bunch around her waist, exposing her naked lower body to the cool morning air.
Her pussy is pink and swollen, slick, dripping from her inner lips to coat her thighs.
Her clit peeks out from its hood, pink and begging for attention.
I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.
“Lorenzo, Alaric, Marcus,” I say, my eyes never leaving the prize between Anya’s legs. “Circle. Keep watch.”
They move without question, shifting to their wolf forms with fluid grace, then spreading out to form a protective ring around us. Their golden eyes scan the tree line, alert for any threat.
Rex stays beside me, his breathing harsh as he stares at Anya’s exposed pussy. I can smell his arousal, sharp and musky, mingling with the sweet grape scent of our omega.
“She’s ready,” he says, his voice thick with need. “More than ready.”
I nod, running a hand through Anya’s tangled curls. “Rex is going to knot you,” I tell her, watching her face for any sign of reluctance. “I need to keep watch, make sure we’re safe. Is that okay?”
She looks between us, then nods, her cheeks flushing even darker. “Okay,” she whispers, then leans up to press a quick kiss to my lips. “I want to be knotted.”
My heart warms at her words. After everything she’s been through, she still trusts us. Still wants us.
“Now relax for Rex, he’s going to penetrate you here very soon and ease your heat.”
“You’ll keep me safe?” she asks, her voice small.
“I’ll keep you safe,” I promise, squeezing her hand. “And Rex will make you feel good. Very, very good.”
I position myself behind her, pulling her back against my chest, my arms around her waist, holding her right leg open for Rex. He kneels between her thighs, his cock already hard and leaking, the tip brushing against her slick entrance.
“Ready?” he asks, his green eyes meeting hers.
Anya nods, biting her lip. “Ready.”