6. Preparations
six
LUCA
Finding out that Amber lied to us doesn’t surprise me. I don’t believe half of what she told us while she held us hostage anyway. Red seems skeptical of her father and his claims. But having been in his position before, I understand how he felt. Being chased by someone you aren’t interested in is challenging.
At least the girl who wanted me wasn’t Red’s sister. That would have been awkward to say the least. There’s something about the earnest way he explains the situation that makes me believe him. And I’m pretty sure there is an old story about how Fae can’t lie. But that may just be something they spread around so people would believe them no matter what they said.
Shortly after his revelation, Trevan decides that it’s time for him to get out of here. I don’t mind, because that will give us some alone time with Red. I’ve missed her, and I want to take care of her. We have a lot to prepare for, but I think we all need to take some time to reconnect. Focusing on our family will remind us exactly what we’re fighting for.
We’ve all lost so much already, and there’s always a chance that we won’t be able to defeat Amber. If she wins, then all of this is for nothing. Every supernatural race will be under her control, and there will be no way to defeat her. But that will only happen if she gets Red’s powers. So, we won’t let that happen.
As much as we need to plan for what’s coming, we need to take care of Red. She was away from us for what felt like an eternity, and we all deserve to spend some quality time together. “Why don’t we get ready for bed? It’s been a long day, and we could use the rest,” James offers.
He’s been acting kind of distant today, and I wonder if it’s just that he’s not fully healed yet. It has to be difficult to process having your soul in one realm and your body in another. Then being squashed back together; I just can’t imagine what he’s going through.
“That’s probably a good idea,” Ryland agrees, placing his hand on Red’s back to encourage her to move toward our bedroom.
She shakes her head and pushes him away. “I won’t be able to sleep right now. I’m too wound up from everything Trevan told us about Amber and her lies.”
“Then let us take your mind off it,” Orym suggests. I know what he’s hinting at, because it’s exactly what I was thinking myself.
Red freezes and stares at us. “What exactly do you have in mind?” Her seemingly innocent question makes me laugh.
“As if you don’t already know,” I respond. She glares at me, but it has no heat to it. I step closer to her and cup her face before kissing her gently.
RYLAND
The moment Luca kisses Red, I know that she’ll give us a chance to take care of her needs. She wants to work through everything we’ve learned today, but we all know that she needs to take a break. We need to show her what she’s fighting for so that she can refocus on defeating Amber.
I’m used to taking charge, but I take a step back, letting Luca and Orym lead this interaction. James holds back as well, and I wonder if he’s feeling off from just being healed or if there’s something else going on.
While Luca kisses Red, Orym sandwiches her to him and brushes her hair over her shoulder to kiss her neck. I have to admit, watching this is sexy as hell, and my dick completely agrees. Her soft moans and purrs of pleasure at having their mouths on her drive me crazy. Part of me wants to shove them out of the way and make her scream my name as she comes. But I know that’s not how a pack like this works. I have to respect that my mate has other mates, which means that sometimes I have to take a backseat and enjoy the show.
The look on James’ face distracts me from watching as their hands roam over our girl’s body. It’s almost like he’s in pain or trying to make a difficult decision. I’m not sure which is happening, but I’d like to find out. I catch his eyes, and nod toward the door, silently asking if he wants to talk. He makes a sour face, then slips outside.
I hate to leave while things in here are heating up, but part of being the territory leader is making sure my charges are safe. It’s strange how much I’ve matured in such a short time since taking over from Gunnar. This responsibility is nothing like I expected. I take one last glance at the trio before following James outside.
“You wanna tell me what’s up with your face?” I ask as soon as the door clicks behind me.
“What are you talking about?” he counters. It isn’t surprising that he wants to play games about this. I want to know what his problem is, though, so I’ll keep pushing.
“You looked like you were about to throw up when they started making out. That’s not your usual response,” I explain. I watch his face as he considers what I’ve said. I take a step closer. “You know that we’re family. You can tell me anything.”
His expression relays the conflict he doesn’t want to discuss. “I’ve just been thinking about everything today. I almost died. Somehow, Garnet saved me. I don’t understand what’s going on here. I know she has to fight Amber, but I don’t like it. I don’t want her to do it. I want to take her and leave. We should go somewhere that Amber can’t find us.”
“You know that wouldn’t work. I’m responsible for these people.”
GARNET
Even with Luca’s and Orym’s hands and mouths on me, I notice the second James and Ry leave the cabin. I reach out through our bond, asking Ry if everything is okay.
We’re good. James is still adjusting to being healed. We’ll be back in a bit. Enjoy yourself.
It seems odd coming from Ry, because he usually wants to be the center of attention. I have noticed some changes in him since he became the territory leader, though. I’m proud of how he’s taken control and matured.
“Are we not distracting enough for you, Red?” Luca asks with a pout.
I smile and shake my head. “Of course you are. I just noticed that we lost a couple of participants, that’s all. I was checking in with Ry.”
“Everything okay?” Orym asks, kissing my neck.
“Yeah, James just needed some air.” I know it’s not the truth, but I don’t want anyone else to worry. He’s been acting off today. I’d thought it was my imagination until Ry took him outside. “Where were we?” I ask, turning to face Orym and pressing my lips to his.
I lose myself to the kiss, letting all my worries and fears go to focus on the love I feel from these two men. I still notice Ry and James’ absence, but I don’t let it interfere with showing these men how I feel about them. While I’m kissing Orym, Luca presses himself to my back. I slide a hand down his back and grab his ass, pulling him closer so I can feel his erection against my ass.
He growls and pushes harder against me until he’s backed the three of us up against the wall. Pressed between him and Orym, I can feel both of their hard cocks. Wetness pools between my legs and I clamp my thighs together. Luca’s growl is enough to soak my panties without having his lips on my neck and shoulder and his hands roaming my body while Orym’s lips are devouring mine.
I pull Orym’s shirt over his head, revealing his chiseled chest. Damn, my men are hot. I’ve missed this so much. My desire is wound tight and about to burst free. I reach an arm over my head to grab Luca’s shirt, but he’s already peeled it off. Both men take this chance to pull my shirt over my head, baring me to them. Orym’s groan at the sight of my lace bra makes my thighs quiver. He licks his lips and I know exactly where I want his mouth.
Luca unfastens my bra and tosses it away. None of us are too concerned about doing this in the living room, right next to the front door. Any thoughts of someone walking in are eclipsed by hands and a mouth on my breasts. Luca pinches one nipple while Orym sucks the other. My knees buckle, and I’m held up only by the two men sandwiching me between them.
While Orym is licking and sucking on my breasts, Luca slides his hand down the front of my leggings. I gasp, the sensation almost too much for me. He strokes my clit, rubbing the little bundle of nerves just how I like it. Orym kisses me, swallowing my moans of pleasure.
The two of them work together to remove the rest of our clothes and lower me to the floor, where a blanket is spread out. I wonder when that happened. I don’t have time to worry about it, because Luca turns me to kiss him as Orym settles between my legs, spreading them open to give him access.
The moment Orym’s tongue touches my clit, I come so hard I nearly buck him away from me. If Luca wasn’t holding onto me, I would have probably run away. The sensations are overwhelming after going weeks without this kind of touch.
“That’s it, Red. Relax and let Orym enjoy you,” Luca says as he strokes my hair away from my face. He trails his hand down my neck, drawing a pattern on my collarbone before moving lower to trail over my breasts.
Orym laps at my pussy as if he’s starving and it’s the best thing he’s ever eaten. He growls against it, and I come again. “I can’t take it, please. I need you. Both of you,” I pant.
“I wanted to taste you too, Red. Are you sure you can’t handle more?” Luca asks.
I shake my head, insisting that I can’t handle any more sensation there. Luca shrugs and pulls Orym to him, kissing him the same way he’d just been kissing me. I don’t know if I’m more shocked or turned on by it. Luca finishes the kiss by licking my release from Orym’s chin, then turns back to me. Orym’s cheeks turn pink, but Luca looks at me as if he’s a lion and I’m his prey.
“That was so fucking hot,” I admit, biting my lower lip.
“I thought you’d like that,” he replies. “How do you want us?” He gives me the chance to tell them exactly what I want, but I’m not sure.
“I want you both to fuck me. Please, I need it.” I’m begging, but I don’t care. My men will take care of me, and I don’t have to be ashamed of needing them.
“It’s okay, Garnet. We’ve got you,” Orym says, moving from between my legs to let Luca take his position. “Just relax and enjoy the orgasms.” Luca’s thick cock slides into me way too slowly. I try to squirm and move my hips to move him faster, but Orym holds me still. “Let Luca do it, love.”
I groan in frustration, but relent, because Orym is stronger than me. They would never force me to do something I don’t want, so I let them have their way this time. My breath hitches as my body stretches to accommodate Luca. His thrusts are painstakingly slow, and I know he’s doing it to torture me.
ORYM
I can tell that Garnet isn’t happy about Luca’s pace, but we need to worship her properly this time. We can do fast and frenzied later. She needs slow and tender as much as we do. I’m annoyed that Ryland and James left, but I can only assume that one of them is dealing with the other’s bullshit trying to fix things.
I refocus my attention on Garnet, who is finally letting herself relax into Luca’s pace. He thrusts his cock into her over and over, moving so slowly that you’d think he wasn’t building up to anything. But the look on his face tells me that he’s getting close. I know he wants her to get there first, so I slide a hand between them and flick her clit. Garnet tries to buck her hips and speed Luca up, but he resists that temptation.
With just a few more thrusts, Garnet cries out in pleasure as she comes undone. “Luca!” He follows her over the edge, and I’m even more turned on from watching them.
He collapses on top of her, panting. I shove him over and take his place. “My turn,” I insist. Garnet licks her lips and nods. I’m surprised that she didn’t ask for both of us to fuck her at the same time, but Luca didn’t really give her a choice. I’m not mad at having her to myself for a moment, even if he is in arm’s reach or touches her.
I slide my cock along her soaked folds, before slapping it against her clit. She gasps in shock, and I do it again. “You like that,” I say, not asking. She nods again. “Use your words, Garnet, or I’m not going to fuck you.”
She pouts for a second, then sighs. “Yes, I like it. Please, Orym, fuck me now.” I love the way she begs for it. I have no idea how James could have resisted her while they were in the Fae realm. I would not have had that kind of willpower, no matter what the consequences.
I thrust into her slowly, following Luca’s lead. Garnet whimpers but doesn’t complain. “We want to worship you. Be our goddess and let us tend to your needs.” Her expression changes from annoyed to shocked. She hadn’t realized that going slow was our way of showing her how much we care about her.
“Fine, worship me. But move faster than this. Please,” she insists. I can’t argue with her, because I can feel her need wash over me. She’s pushing it through our bond, and I can’t resist. I slam into her over and over, driving her closer to another orgasm.
Garnet screams in pleasure at getting her way. I smile at her, wondering if she knows just how much we love her. The four of us would do anything to make her happy. I lean down and kiss her as I thrust into her again, hard and fast, just like she wanted.
JAMES
“Then what are we going to do? If you won’t help me take her away from here, how are we going to make sure that we can defeat Amber? Because she’s stronger than we’ve given her credit for.” I’m fighting a losing battle here and I know it. Ryland isn’t going to change his mind about this one.
“We have to do whatever we can to help her. Red is the one who has to fight Amber. There’s nothing we can do to protect her from this. We can’t run away.” He’s repeating his argument again, and I understand what he’s saying, even if I don’t like it.
“This situation is not fair. She shouldn’t have to fight against her own aunt just to keep her powers,” I insist. It’s a pointless argument, but I can’t stop myself. “Why can’t Trevan do more to help?”
“He’s already overstepped his bounds as it is. If he does more, he risks starting a war with the witches. There’s no reason for that,” Ryland says.
I pace back and forth, running my fingers through my hair. “I just can’t deal with the thought of losing her.”
“I figured that was the root of your problem. We’re not going to let anything happen to her. I promise you that. We will all fight by her side, and at the end of this, we will be the victors.” His quiet confidence nearly has me convinced that we can do this. I hate the thought that Garnet could be injured or killed though. It’s too much for me to bear.
“There must be more we can do. I feel like I’m not enough and there’s nothing I can offer in this situation.” I hate admitting my shortcomings, but I don’t know how else to explain to Ryland how I’m feeling.
“Look, James, we’re doing everything we can to help. There’s nothing else we can do besides listen, plan, and do what Red needs us to do. She will tell us what’s going to help her the most. We just have to trust her.”
I lock eyes with Ryland, and something clicks. I realize that he understands what I’m feeling, because he’s feeling it too. I nod, and his posture relaxes. I didn’t notice that he’d been braced for a fight. As if I was dumb enough to attack him. He’s easily twice my size in his human form, and he has a wolf that’s even bigger. The thought is laughable.
“Now that we have that sorted, do you think we should head back in and take care of our woman?” he asks, nodding toward the cabin. I had been so caught up in my fears that I blocked out the fact that Luca and Orym are currently fucking our mate.
A sudden wave of jealousy washes over me. “We can’t let them have all the fun, now, can we?” I’m desperate to get in there and sink myself inside of the woman I love.
GARNET
Just as I’m coming down from another orgasm, the door opens. I know it’s Ry and James, but my head snaps toward them. I lock eyes with Ry and he nods slightly. Everything is okay. I don’t have to worry about James or what they talked about.
I feel less anxious with all four of my mates here. Desire builds again as I watch them strip for me. When James and Ry walk across the room to us, Orym and Luca slide out of their way, giving them a chance to be with me. After multiple orgasms, I’m not sure that I can handle more, but the wetness pooling between my legs tells me otherwise.
I reach for Ry because he’s closer. He drops to his knees and pulls me up to kiss him. While our lips are locked together, my hand wraps around his hard length. I only stroke him a couple of times before he turns me and breaks our kiss. Before I realize what’s happening, Ry lowers me onto James, who is lying on the blanket where I was a moment ago.
James guides his long cock into my tight entrance, pulling me down until he’s fully sheathed. I can’t stop the moan that escapes my lips at how good he feels. Each of my men is different, and I completely understand why I need them all.
James pauses and looks at me for a long moment. I start to feel self-conscious, but a beat later, he starts to move, bucking his hips and fucking me hard. It”s obvious that he doesn’t feel the same about worshipping me as Orym and Luca do. It doesn’t upset me; this is just a different kind of worship. I don’t need them to worship me, anyway. I just need them to love me.
I glance over my shoulder to see Ry stroking himself. “Let me do that,” I say. He shakes his head and turns to take something from Luca, who I didn’t see leave the room. Ry shakes a bottle of lube at me, and I grin. Leave it to him to be the one who asks to take my ass. I watch as he rubs lube along his length before bringing the bottle over to me.
He gently spreads it across my rosebud, then pushes two fingers into me to prepare me for his cock. With James thrusting up into my pussy, the sensations are almost too much. I shudder and throw my head back. I freeze when Ry lines himself up and starts to push his dick into my ass. “It’s okay, love, just relax.” His voice in my ear makes me shudder again, but I manage to convince my body to relax a bit. A moment later, he’s fully seated inside of me.
James and Ry work together to find a rhythm that keeps me full of either one or the other of them. I let the pressure and sensation wash over me. I”m not trying to control anything right now, just hanging on for dear life. I ride the waves as I climb closer and closer to another orgasm. They thrust into me, over and over, alternating then pushing in together.
I take them with me when I fall over the edge, the three of us coming at the same time. As we untangle, Luca is there with a warm rag to clean us up, and Orym has brought water and snacks. They weren’t kidding when they said they were going to worship me. I feel like a goddess with the way these men care for me.
We take our time getting dressed, then decide to watch a movie to take our minds off what’s coming tomorrow. I know we’ll have to face our fears and insecurities, but I’m glad to have tonight for just us to be together. James picks the movie, and of course, it’s a super-hero comedy.
The five of us snuggle on the couch, which has never happened before. Usually, one of the guys sits on the floor. But tonight, it’s clear that we all need to be close.
I let my mind wander as the movie plays. I’ve seen this one a dozen times at least. I could quote every line if I wanted to. So, instead of focusing on the movie, I think about our future, and what I want when this is all over.
We need a bigger cabin, for sure. I know that the guys have been talking about it, and I think we should move forward with building a new one. With more space, would we have kids? Can we even do that? Witches and Fae can, but I don’t know about a witch-fae halfling and a wolf shifter. I’ll have to do some research to find out. I would love to have a house full of pups with my men, but if it’s not possible, I’ll have to accept that the Moon Goddess knows what she’s doing.
That thought leads me to worrying about James again. He nearly died, because he’s human and isn’t as durable as the rest of us. Even witches have more natural defenses than humans do. I should talk to him about this. Perhaps he’d be open to letting Dec turn him into a vampire. Then he’d be stronger and more protected. I know it will be a difficult conversation, so I’ll have to approach it carefully.
I can’t just say, “Hey, James, have you ever considered letting your brother turn you so that you’re not so weak?” That would not go over well at all. Because he’s not weak. He’s just not as strong as a wolf shifter or a vampire. I wish there was a way for me to protect him more. I’ll have to keep him close until I come up with a spell, or a charm, or something.
Hopefully I can manage that without him getting suspicious about my motivations.