Chapter Thirty-Five #2
Bane meets my wild gaze, and I need him to.
I turn toward him and wrap my hand around the back of his neck.
He tilts his head, his eyes bright, ready for me, and I moan when his blood flows through me.
The mating bond clicks, complete. I can feel them all inside me, loving me, relieved, and happy.
A sharp pull causes me to move away and seal the mark.
My desire for them rises even higher, and I want them to fuck me.
“I need…” I press my palm to my stomach. Something is pushing against my skin, overriding my need to be with them. I scramble to my feet and lunge off the bottom of the bed. When I land, I look down, and my hands are paws.
“Damn,” Lawson breathes.
“Princess, don’t panic.” Hunter crouches in front of me. “Your jaguar was ready to meet us.” He lifts his arm, and I tilt my head. “Easy.” His palm glides over my head and neck.
“You’re beautiful,” Bane rumbles, and my body shivers. His voice is filled with awe, and the timbre is different. He stands behind Hunter, and I want him to touch me, too.
“We knew you would be fierce,” Lawson says, and stops beside his brother.
“She needs to be outside,” Remy says calmly, moving to the door. I can understand their words, and even though they explained what would happen, I didn’t expect how it would feel.
Hunter removes his touch, and I hiss.
“Follow us.” He stands, grinning. “We can run together.”
Yes, I want that.
I take a step, watching my feet. It’s odd. My animal knows what to do, so I trust her to guide me. I follow my mates out of the room, and when we reach the top of the stairs, I pause.
“Trust yourself,” Bane says.
“You're more agile in this form,” Lawson adds.
As I move forward, I misjudge my speed and pass them all in seconds.
“Sally, move back,” Hunter says.
I skid to a stop at the bottom of the stairs.
“Hey, kitty,” Sally says, and I stare at her. “She won’t hurt me.” She smiles, and I blink at her beauty.
“Tricks.” Her mates flow through the door and push her back. They moved at a speed I know I wouldn’t have been able to track as a human.
“Boyfriends, calm,” she says, and winks at me. “I think she’s dealing well.” I open my mouth to speak, but only a little growl emerges. “See, she’s agreeing with me.”
“Sure, Little Bunny,” Atlas says dryly.
A hand touches my head, and I glance up at Bane.
I move forward, knowing he wants me outside.
Stepping onto the porch, I freeze. The driveway is filled with cars, and dozens of people are scattered around.
I inhale, and I’m bombarded with scents.
I know they are shifters and vampires, and recognize many of them.
“They are family,” Hunter says, passing by me. “Pay attention to me, not them.” I think I nod and leave the porch.
Keeping my focus on him, we walk around the house and through the backyard.
The ground is cool on my feet, and my claws dig through the grass and into the dirt.
It’s dark out, but I can see as if it’s daylight.
The sounds are loud in my sensitive ears.
I hear the creek as if it’s in front of me, but we haven’t reached it yet.
My head twitches back and forth, the light wind hitting my coat, making me jumpy.
Lawson walks beside me on one side, Remy on the other.
I feel Bane behind me, his scent telling me he's there.
I'm aware of every noise and every step.
“Do you want to run?” Hunter asks, stopping. I drop my head and lift it.
“I think that was a yes,” Remy chuckles.
“We’re going to shift,” Hunter continues.
“Don’t be shocked when we can speak to each other,” Bane says.
“It may not be voices in your head,” Lawson says, taking off his shirt.
“Most of the time, it’s in pictures or can feel our intention,” Remy says.
I sit on my haunches and watch them take off their clothes. It’s the first time I’m seeing all of them shift together, and it’s magical. Hunter does first, and it’s seamless. He’s huge. I must be half his size. His brothers are just as large. I stare at them. They are beautiful. Powerful. All mine.
“We are,” Hunter says, and I shake my head. “I can hear your thoughts.”
“Holy shit,” I gasp. My words bounce around my mind. “That’s going to take time to get used to.”
“It’s a gift,” Lawson says.
“Haven changed how we communicate with each other,” Remy rumbles, brushing the side of my body. “It was as pictures before.”
“Really?” I lean against him, enjoying the heat of his body.
“Haven changed everything.” Bane prowls closer and rubs his head against mine. Their touch has nothing to do with desire, but a belonging. Our animals are communicating, marking each other with our scent.
“I can smell your scent.” I could close my eyes and know who was near me if I didn’t see them. It’s ingrained inside me. Remy moves away, and Lawson takes his place, pressing into my side. I have to stand firm; my body isn’t as strong as his, and I feel his power.
“You could find us anywhere. All you have to do is concentrate on our scent.” Bane steps back.
“We will know if you're ever in danger. Your scent will change, fear, or anger will tell us what you need,” Lawson says, sliding away.
Hunter remains in front of us, and I know without words what he wants.
My mates surround me as I walk toward him.
He is my leader. Each of the brothers are dominant, yet he's the one who guides us all in many ways. They would never bow to him, but I feel the urge to do so. He’s my daddy, just as Bane is, and I want to bare my neck to both of them.
I stop before him and tilt my head. My animal pushes me to show him respect. He presses his head to the side of mine, scraping his teeth across my neck, and I feel his satisfaction.
“Mate,” he growls. He holds still a moment more and steps back. “Let’s run.”
He takes off, and Bane nudges me. I think of running, and I do.
My paws fly across the ground and through the trees.
The world around me blurs, yet, I see it clearly as if we were walking.
Lawson and Remy keep pace with me. Hunter stays in front for several yards, Bane behind us, and then they switch places.
My vision pierces the dark, anticipating every obstacle.
We jump over fallen trees and run around rocks.
We don’t mind speak because we don’t need to.
If they want to go in another way, one of them will nudge me in that direction.
If someone falls behind, they circle back, always staying close.
Our animals move as a unit, steady, and with care.
I have never felt such freedom. All thoughts fall away, and nothing matters except how I move in my new body.
We play, nipping at each other. The brothers crash together and then run off.
Bane and Hunter race and circle each other, debating who won.
I play tag with Lawson, and laugh in my head as he catches me and tackles me to the ground.
He bumps his head against mine, not needing words to communicate his happiness.
Their emotions are joined with mine. There is no question of their love for me.
I feel it in every inch of my body and mind.
Time means nothing as we enjoy our newly formed family and the freedom we find in the forest. It seems like hours later, Hunter motions behind us, and we head back the way we came.
My human thoughts have been few, but as we reach the creek, I begin to think about how to shift back. Bane easily sheds his animal.
“You need to shift back, Butterfly,” he rumbles.
“The first few shifts should be kept short,” Hunter says, pulling on his clothes.
“As you practice, it will get easier, and your animal will give you control,” Remy adds, sliding on his pants.
“You have to assert your dominance over your jaguar.” Lawson sits across from me, his chest still bare.
I don’t want to know how to do that. I’m comfortable in this form, and I’m reluctant to leave it. Bane drops to his knees in front of me.
“Concentrate, baby,” he says softly. “Picture your human body. Push your animal back, and she will concede to you. We want to hold you in our arms.” Yes, I want that too. “You’ve been through a tough transition. We want to talk to you about it.”
My mates surround me, and I close my eyes. I want to kiss them and thank them for this gift. This won’t be the only time I get to be a jaguar. She will always be with me.
“Good girl,” Hunter hums, and I open my eyes.
“Holy shit,” I gasp. Remy holds up a shirt, and I lift my arms. As it settles, pooling around my hips, I realize it’s Lawson’s.
“How do you feel?” Bane asks.
“I don’t know,” I breathe, lifting my hair out of the neck of the shirt. “Free. Amazed. Loved.”
I look at each of the men responsible for giving me such an amazing life.