Chapter 28 Raven
Raven
The gentle swaying motion of the boat lulled me into a state of relaxation. This was my first boat trip, and to my surprise, I wasn’t throwing up chunks over the side like Alaric. If it had been anyone else, I’d have had some sympathy, but because it was him, I didn’t care.
The ocean rolled gently beneath us. The waves I saw when we first arrived in Sitkavus calmed the moment the small fishing boat left the harbor. It was kind of creepy, but I decided not to dwell on the possibility that some divine being had decided to make my journey easier.
Kai had popped up long enough to say he’d follow us from the water, and knowing he was swimming below the boat comforted me. I knew from reading textbooks about the various creatures that lived in the far north that there were many dangerous predators around these parts.
Giant squids. Great white sharks. And worse. If any of them decide to snack on our boat, we’d drown. Well, I would.
“What are you thinking about, little mate?” I lifted my head from Maverick’s chest but made a noncommittal sound. He didn’t need to hear my deepest, darkest fears.
“Paranoia is pointless.” Kenji yawned. “You should rest. We have a mountain to climb when we arrive.”
“Kenji says we have a mountain to climb,” I said, skipping past my concerns about giant squids and other sea monsters.
“Kai said the mountain is around six thousand feet, but I doubt there are dwellings too far up. I expect we’ll find the vamp in a house in the valley. From what I know, the island has very few permanent residents, and those who live there have homes on the coast. It’s a pretty inhospitable place.”
I chewed over his words. If what Maverick said was correct, finding Rasmus wouldn’t be too difficult. But then I remembered Kai’s premonition about the serpent monster.
“But didn’t Kai say he saw us crossing a gorge at some point?” The boat rocked from side to side as the door to the deck opened and Zane walked in, brushing snow from his shoulders and hair.
“The mage is still hurling over the side,” he told us with a smirk. Not the update I wanted, but okay.
“We’ll ask Kai about the gorge when we arrive,” my bear said. “Don’t worry, little mate. I can carry you if you get tired. Some ginger tea might help,” he said to Zane.
“I doubt there’s any ginger tea on this boat. And I don’t have enough magic left to take a side trip back to Sitkavus.” Zane paused while grinning at me. “Unless you feel like getting your freak on, pet?”
A flood of heat surged through my veins as my magic perked up at the idea of being naughty. Zane’s eyes darkened, and his aura brightened as he stepped closer.
“Don’t even think about it, incubus. It’s too cold, and my mate needs all her energy for what lies ahead.”
“Don’t use the cold as an excuse, care bear. If you have concerns about cold-related shrinkage, step out on deck while I take care of our mate.”
Maverick growled and pulled me closer, which I was thankful for because he wasn’t lying about the cold. Even though we were sheltering inside a small cabin, the boat was freezing. I needed my bear’s body heat to prevent my nipples from falling off.
The cold did not bother Kenji. He’d curled up on a blanket and was happily snoozing with only the occasional snarky comment sent my way.
“Stupid competitive males.”
I agreed with him but decided not to say so out loud. The constant bickering annoyed me. Thank the goddess Kai and Alaric hadn’t joined the dick-measuring contest. Although, if I were being truly honest with myself, some interest from them would be nice. If only to assuage my poor ego.
“Raven needs sleep!”
Zane huffed. “An orgasm would help her sleep.”
He made a good point. I squeezed my thighs together as the thought of Zane sliding his hand down my pants took root in my brain. While I wasn’t mad keen on the idea of being naked in here, Zane was very adept at getting me off with only his fingers.
“See, she loves the idea!” Zane kneeled behind me, ignoring my bear’s warning growl. The first touch of his fingers had me shivering.
“Do you want the incubus to make you come, little mate?” Maverick rumbled, unhappy about the idea.
“An orgasm would be nice,” I conceded. Zane pressed closer, ignoring Maverick’s growl when the incubus’ hand brushed my bear’s thigh.
“Hush with your complaining, care bear. We all know shifters are poly, so some sword-crossing comes with the territory.”
“What’s crossing swords mean?” I squeaked with a combination of anticipation and shock at how cold Zane’s fingers were when he edged under my panties and found my slick pussy.
“Oh my sweet witch.” A low chuckle vibrated across the back of my neck.
“Wolves fuck anything that moves. Bears do not. We are monogamous!”
“Sucks to be you, care bear, because I’m all about sharing our mate, so if you don’t want to share…”
My brain tried desperately to form a coherent thought as Zane stroked me. Each time he brushed over my clit, I gasped.
“Crossing…swords…” Did he mean what I thought he meant? Oh my stars.
“Does the thought of me fucking the bear while he fucks you turn you on, pet?” Zane’s gleeful taunt had Maverick clenching his fists so hard the arms of the chair we sat in snapped clean in two.
“If anyone tops, it will be me, incubus!”
Zane laughed. “I’m an equal-opportunity incubus, care bear,” he purred. “If you think you can top me, I’m here for it.”
I had no clue what topping was, but the picture Zane painted had me clenching around his fingers.
“Our mate loves the idea, care bear.” Zane kissed my neck and reached under to cup my breast. Since I still sat on Maverick’s lap, I could feel exactly how turned on he was, and every time I wiggled, he groaned softly.
“Fuck, little mate. You need to stop rubbing against my cock or I’ll make a mess in my pants.”
An idea sprang into my mind. I pushed Zane back and climbed off Maverick’s lap. Before Maverick could protest, I’d unzipped his pants to release his cock. Even though the cabin was freezing, shrinkage was not a problem for my bear. He groaned loudly when my mouth closed around his weeping crown.
“Good little pet,” Zane crooned before yanking my pants and underwear down. “You deserve a reward for taking the initiative.”
The incubus shifted as I took Maverick’s cock as deep as I could manage. My bear threaded his fingers through my messy hair and groaned again.
“Little mate, that feels amazing.” My eager-to-please side preened at his praise, but this was a valuable learning experience, and I wanted to try a few things.
Thanks to a brief visit to a human website a few weeks back (for research!), I had discovered males enjoyed having their balls fondled.
At least I hoped they did. Otherwise this was about to go horribly wrong.
Maverick tensed when my hand slid lower while I sucked a little harder. I gently cupped him and squeezed. He shuddered, his abs rippling. The hands cupping my head tightened possessively, and his cock thickened to the point where my jaw ached.
Zane’s fingers pushed inside, stroking me from the inside out. My magic sparked into life, creating small fiery embers that floated around us like spinning stars. Maverick tensed, but Zane didn’t seem to care. I felt him move behind me, and then his mouth locked over my dripping pussy.
“Zane!” I yelled, only my mouth was so full it came out more like “Mmmph!”
I sucked harder as Zane licked my aching clit. A few seconds later, Maverick exploded in my mouth, his body shaking with the force of his orgasm. Hearing him roar with pleasure pushed me over the edge right before Zane slammed his cock inside me.
My pussy pulsed around Zane’s thick shaft as Maverick stroked my cheek.
“Such a good little mate, sucking my cock so well,” he murmured. Amber eyes focused on me as my orgasm slowly faded. Zane slammed into me one more time and then purred with satisfaction.
I collapsed onto Maverick’s lap, sated and happy. Cool hands pulled my pants back up, and then a voice whispered in my ear, “Now you can sleep with my cum inside you, pet. Where it belongs.”
Maverick’s growl told me he’d heard the incubus, but I didn’t care. All I wanted to do was sleep, so I closed my eyes and snuggled into my bear’s toasty chest.
Goosebumps pebbled my arms, and every exhale sent a cloud of steam into the air. A lone candle sputtered from a cloudy glass jar set on a low table, but the light was so weak, I could barely see two feet ahead.
The door opened with a squeak when I pressed it. Once inside the smaller room, I waited for my eyes to adjust to the darkness and listened.
There was nothing.
Not even the faintest exhale.
My heart seized in my chest. Were we too late?
I stumbled forward, tripping over the edge of a thick animal skin and tumbling onto the bottom of the bed. A metallic aroma mixed with fragrant roses assailed me. Blood. A vampire’s signature scent.
“Rasmus?”
Then I heard it. A faint murmur. So indistinct I wondered if perhaps this was an actual dream.
“Witch.” My vampire prince’s rasping whisper dragged me closer. My fingers sank into silky fur as I pushed up from the bed. A bony hand reached out and grasped my wrist. Sharp nails like claws sank into my flesh, and I winced at the pain.
A trickle of blood seeped out.
My vampire lunged forward with a hiss. He licked the wound and groaned.
“So sweet, my witch.”
The thought of an undead vampire drinking my lifeblood should have revolted me, but I found it had the opposite effect. Something dark unfurled inside me. Something hot and forbidden.
My magic sparked into life while the amulet hanging between my breasts grew warm once again.
“Soon, little witch. Soon.” The hand fell away from my wrist, and the faint light from the anteroom died, leaving me in darkness.
The floor lurched beneath my bare feet as the scent in the room changed from blood and roses to salt and snow.
I reached out in a panic, but there was nothing to anchor myself to. The heavy bed frame had vanished, and the rough stone beneath my feet had morphed into something smooth and wet.
Then I heard voices calling my name as the floor tilted. I tumbled sideways, hitting a metal rail. A gust of salty wind laced with snow sliced through my thin cotton tee. I struggled to see in the dark as panic took hold.
Was this another dreamscape? It felt more like a nightmare.
Another gust of frigid wind whipped my hair across my face as something huge lunged out of the darkness. The moon appeared momentarily, just in time to illuminate what looked like a giant serpent.
Terror slammed into me as the serpent coiled around my waist and plucked me from the boat. Before I could take a breath, it dragged me beneath the waves.