Chapter 33 Raven
Raven
My extremities were numb from the cold. All I wanted to do was soak in a hot bath, but the chances of that happening were somewhere between zilch and never in a million years.
“Stop whining.” Kenji’s grumbling interrupted my mental meltdown.
“I didn’t say a word!”
“You thought it. That’s enough to ruin my sleep.”
“So happy you’re enjoying our vacation.” He shuffled in the backpack currently slung over my bear’s broad shoulders and peered out at me as I trudged behind, taking extra care to step in Maverick’s footprints to avoid disappearing in a snow pile.
Some drifts were at least six feet tall.
Not a problem for my bear, but a big problem for little old me.
Snow dusted Kenji’s black nose. He snapped at a few stray flakes drifting down from the inky sky before yawning.
The storm had abated in the last hour, much to everyone’s relief. Either Alaric had passed out or he’d calmed down. Either was acceptable. I just hoped he stayed calm because I didn’t know if I could cope with another blizzard.
“Are we there yet?” I whined, ignoring Kenji’s censorious look.
Before anyone could reply, we stepped through some trees and into a wide open space.
Ahead the mountain loomed tall and ominous, half obscured by low clouds.
The way forward appeared clear, but as I’d already learned to my cost, appearances could be deceptive.
What looked like a snowy field could easily be a frozen lake.
Maverick murmured something to the merman, who darted ahead, his blue braids swinging jauntily.
He paused a hundred feet in front of us before gingerly stepping into the thicker snow.
As we watched, he sniffed the air and then continued.
Once he’d reached the other side of the open space, he hollered, “It’s fine.
Snow over pasture. No running water below. ”
Kenji climbed out of the backpack and stretched lazily. I threw him some serious side-eye.
“What?”
“Good to see you’re feeling fresh, Kenji.”
His lip curled up in a foxy smirk. “I had a nice nap, thanks.”
I gave him the middle finger, but he stuck his tongue out at me and scampered away to jump in a pile of snow. Silly kitsune. He acted like a pup sometimes.
No doubt he’d be pestering me for snacks soon. Well tough. He could go hunt some dinner.
“Do you need a lift, pet? Oh wait, my magic is too low to teleport that far,” Zane complained with a wink in my direction.
“Remember what I said about the cold, incubus?” Maverick growled.
“That you can’t perform in it?”
Maverick swore under his breath before turning on the smirking incubus.
“That our mate needs to warm up, eat, and rest. So if you need a magic boost, go scare some birds or something.”
Zane hummed thoughtfully. “How about I give you some nightmares? Does that work for you?”
My bear rumbled a warning, but the incubus grinned like an asshole.
“You give me nightmares, incubus, and I’ll give you one that’s ten times worse!”
“Can you two stop, please? I’m super cold and hungry, and Kai probably thinks another monster has eaten us by now.”
Zane looked guilty for a split second before he grabbed me by the wrist and blinked us away. When my feet hit the ground, I realized he’d teleported me across the open space and we were at the foot of the mountain.
Once I’d finished retching, I glared at him. “I thought you had no magic reserves left.”
“I may have exaggerated a teeny bit,” he admitted. “But cross my heart, pet, I really do need a boost…if you’re game?” His wink told me exactly what he had planned, and the thought of some sexy time with the incubus had my core heating nicely.
The merman coughed loudly and turned away.
“Put a pin in those thoughts,” Zane said in a low voice that promised untold pleasure once we’d found shelter. “If you like, we can invite the merman into our pile of blankets.”
“Blankets?” I’d seen no blankets unless Zane had a magic rucksack.
“All will be revealed soon, pet.”
“I’d really, really like a soak in a hot bath,” I muttered to myself as we trudged up a track toward an opening in the cliff face.
“I’m going to tear your head off and play soccer with it!” Maverick yelled as he sprinted toward us. A throbbing pain had me tensing as another argument developed between my bear and the incubus.
Was there a manual for conflict avoidance in harems? If not, there should be. I’d buy a copy for sure.
“Come, let’s get inside out of the cold. If what my mother said is true, I may have a nice surprise for you,” the merman told me with a shy smile. He held out his hand, and without hesitation, I took it.
We walked through a gap between two rocks that had been barely visible from the outside, Kenji trotting behind. Once out of the wind, the temperature became a lot more bearable. Not warm exactly, but warm enough that my fingers regained some feeling.
“Can you create some magic lights?” Kai asked. “I have nothing with me to light a torch.”
“Um, sure.” I prayed while murmuring the spell Glynda had taught me when I first arrived. A second later, a small glowing orb appeared above our heads.
“Thank you.” The merman was always so polite. Unlike the other two, or three if I included Alar-dick, he treated me like a princess. Not that they, aside from Alar-dick, were awful to me, but they did what they wanted and took charge. I liked that, but I also liked the way Kai let me take the lead.
Maybe this was why the goddess had gifted me with more than one soul-bonded mate. Perhaps she understood I had different needs that one mate couldn’t fulfill alone. Or maybe she realized I was a horny slut of a witch who would never be satisfied with only one dick.
Heat slid down my veins, and my core clenched at the thought of welcoming all my mates into my bed. At once.
Kai coughed and hurried away from me. Oh my stars, had he read my mind?
“He’s a shifter, you stupid witch.” It took a moment for Kenji’s meaning to sink in, and then I blushed. Kai must have, um, detected which direction my thoughts drifted in.
“Oh.”
Kenji rolled his eyes and scampered after Kai. I trailed behind, trying not to spontaneously combust from embarrassment. After a few minutes, the tunnel opened into a vast cavern with several smaller tunnels leading off it.
A mix of bioluminescence and phosphorescence lit the path ahead. The farther into the cavern I walked, the warmer it got. By the time I reached the far side, where Kai waited for me, I was about ready to remove my coat.
“This place is amazing,” I breathed, my eyes wide. The stress of the journey so far melted away as humid heat sank into my bones. How was it so warm in here? It made no sense.
Kai must have seen the confusion on my face. He chuckled.
“This mountain is a volcano. It gets a lot hotter if we go deeper into the cave system, but that’s not in the cards tonight.” He looked over my shoulder as my other two mates arrived, still bickering.
Kenji yawned and scratched himself vigorously.
“You better not have picked up fleas,” I huffed.
“Fleas? How fucking rude! I’d be more concerned about where your incubus slut mate has been than any vermin I’m carrying.”
Was he implying Zane had cheated on me? I gasped.
Zane reached me first, but I ducked away, not wanting him to touch me if he’d been all over other females…or males.
“What’s wrong, pet?” His eyebrows quirked up in confusion at my reaction.
There was no easy way to say this, but in my book, honesty was the best policy.
“Kenji says I need to get you checked for…um…diseases.”
Zane’s mouth flattened, and his eyes flared in anger before he swiveled to stare at my familiar. Kenji’s two tails puffed up. Quick as a flash, Kenji moved behind the merman’s legs.
“You better watch your back, you little shit!” My annoying familiar made a noise that sounded a lot like a laugh before blinking away.
“I can assure you I do not carry diseases, pet, and also, I haven’t looked at anyone else since I met you.
Even though I rely on lust to boost my magic, and the shifters have me on speed dial for their orgies.
” He seemed furious and also hurt, and I felt bad for repeating Kenji’s unsubstantiated claims.
“I didn’t believe him,” I lied. Zane’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“Good, because by the time I’m done with you, you’ll—”
“For fuck’s sake, incubus. How many times do I need to say this? Our mate is tired, cold, and hungry. She needs to eat and sleep, not fuck.”
I raised my hand cautiously. “Um, if it’s okay with you, I’d quite like to, um, relax.”
Zane laughed, apparently over his annoyance at being dissed by Kenji.
“Does my pet need help to relax?” Yes, I needed help. A lot of help. I’d once read in a human romance novel that sex was good for trauma. It was probably a plot device designed to help the mafia guy coerce the female main character into bed, but to me it kind of made sense.
Sex was the one time I could forget all my worries. I liked it when my bear took control. He liked it too. And since Zane was also rather controlling, in a good way, the two of them together would make me feel good.
My eyes slid over to the merman, who was busy looking at the floor and not at me. Oh no! Had he picked up on my thoughts again?
He coughed and shuffled awkwardly.
“There’s a hot spring down the left tunnel if anyone wants to, um, clean up.”
My jaw dropped. “An actual hot spring with hot water?” Oh my goddess, that sounded amazing.
“Yeah. If you guys want to take a dip, I’ll keep watch.”
Zane slapped the merman on the shoulder way too hard for it to be friendly. Kai’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t complain.
“Thanks, dude.”
Maverick nodded his thanks and strode off down the left tunnel to check out the pool. It was dark that way, but shifter eyesight ensured he had no problem seeing.
I cast more magic lights and then set off after him. But not before whispering my thanks to Kai as I passed.
His cheeks turned a cute shade of lilac when I brushed my fingers across his hand. The merman was such a sweetheart. Thank the goddess not all my soul-bonded mates were assholes.