25. Chapter 25
The Meadow
The next morning, I woke up alone on the bed in the barn. My heart races as I sit up and look around for one of my mates. Then reality hits me.
Holy shit I have mates. Like, actual mates!
I can feel Skylar in my mind and chest. His wolf pacing back and forth, agitated.
I know the second he realizes I’m awake because a joy, brighter than anything I’ve ever felt before, blooms in my chest. Less than a minute later, his raven hair is bouncing up the stairs.
He smiles so big, I can’t help but smile back.
He wastes no time bounding over to me and snuggling me back into the nest of blankets I was sleeping in.
“Good morning, Mate.” He slowly kisses me before nuzzling his face into my neck. The mark he gave me last night heats up gently, almost like it is welcoming him back and I giggle. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up. We got an unexpected call. I was actually on my way back to wake you.”
He seems both agitated and nervous. I can still feel his wolf pacing and growling.
My wolf rubs her body against his, crawling under his body and rubbing the top of her head under his snout.
I’ve seen wild wolves do this on a documentary before.
The Alpha female will stand like this for the Alpha male when he is getting ready to fight.
I always thought it was really sweet, the way she protected her mate, but seeing my wolf feel the need to do it now has the hairs on the back of my arms standing on end.
“Sky … what's going on?”
He stares into my eyes for a second, before taking a deep breath and letting it rush out all at once.
Clearly, he doesn’t want to tell me whatever it is that’s happening, but I refuse to be left in the dark.
So he’ll either tell me, or I’ll go to the house and find out for myself.
Then I’ll be a raging bitch because he tried to keep it from me.
“It’s the Council. They are coming to dinner tonight to meet you. The Alphas aren’t quite ready for them to know, but with them coming here, there isn’t much we can do to keep it from them.”
The blood drains from my face and the only sound I can hear is a loud beep and the racing beat of my heart.
Charles told me the council had given him until Friday to tell them my manifestation.
Now they are coming over on Monday. I’m not ready.
I just got my mates and all of them haven’t marked me, hell, only Skylar is wearing my mark.
This is so bad, so very, very bad. I’m not ready.
Panic settles on my mind and soft whimpers fall from my chest. I see Skylar’s mouth moving, but I can’t make out the words he is saying.
I blink and it feels like an eternity has passed.
Suddenly I’m surrounded by my Alphas, but I still can't hear a word they say.
My body is lifted out of the bed and the smell of chocolate surrounds me.
Erik’s cool blue eyes stare into mine and the air rushing into my lungs freeze.
He doesn’t say a word as he leans down and bites into my neck, marking me as his.
My body heats, liquid fire pooling between my thighs as I wiggle in his arms. My mouth is on his neck, teeth sinking deep into his soft skin as I claim him back.
Hutch and CJ appear on either side of me and I don’t even stop to think about what I’m doing.
I sink my canines into them. First CJ, then Hutch.
When the mate bond is complete with all of them, the world pauses.
My eyes close and I’m no longer in the barn.
I’m back in the meadow, watching as my wolf plays and wrestles with four wolves that are easily twice her size.
I don’t know how, but I can tell they are my mates.
Each wolf is easily recognizable to their human counterparts.
Hutch is the arctic wolf that is playfully batting my wolf’s tail. CJ is his exact opposite, as black as midnight. Even as a wolf, he is quietly reserved, sitting back and watching the others.
Erik’s wolf is easily three times as large as mine.
He looks like the Viking Wolf God, Fenrir.
His coat is a beautiful mix of darker colors that glisten in the sun as he stands protectively over the rest of us.
Literally stands over us as Skylar’s gray wolf wrestles my fox colored companion.
The five of them look so happy, their tails wagging as they yip.
I blink again and the scene changes. I’m still in the meadow, but now there are smaller wolves climbing over the five larger wolves.
Two of them, matching coats of red, white, black, gray and dark brown rustle in the breeze as they chew on Erik’s ears and chase Hutch’s tail.
An ache bubbles deep in my soul, a longing for this vision of the future.
I know that’s what this is, a glimpse of what’s to come.
Blinking again, I open my eyes and see that I’m back in the barn loft.
All four of my mates are surrounding me, panic in their eyes as Hutch frantically wiped tears off my puffy cheeks.
Erik is holding me to his chest so tight, it’s hard to get a breath while CJ and Skylar argue over my head.
Their hands are rubbing any part of my body they can touch as they pass accusations and snide remarks back and forth.
“What the fuck did you do!?” CJ growls at Skylar, his hand still rubbing my arm.
“Fuck you CJ! She was at least conscious before you decided the mate bond had to be completed!” Skylar’s words are like acid in my ears, and his chest is rumbling against my back.
“Both of you shut the fuck up. She is awake.” Hutch cuts his eyes back to mine, his hands cradling my face as his soft words send butterflies soaring in my belly. “Red, baby, what’s wrong? You passed out then started crying. Are you hurt?”
There is so much care and love in his words that tears start flowing down my face again.
He makes a distressed sound low in his throat then frantically wipes them away again.
He mumbles panicked words about breaking me as he looks around at my other mates.
His eyes pleading with them for help or direction on what to do with the hysterical Omega.
The blatant fear in his eyes causes giggles to bubble from my chest and a huge smile to spread across my lips.
“No, Hutch.” My hands cradle his face and I force him to look into my eyes.
“I’m happy. I had a visit to the Meadow and saw our wolves playing.
Then, I think I saw a bit into the future and it was so damn beautiful.
” A gentle smile spreads on his lips then he leans down and kisses my lips so softly.
“I don’t know what the meadow is, but if you're happy, then that's all that matters.”
“Well,” Skylar interrupts. “That and the fact that the council will be here in an hour.”
Oh shit! I didn’t realize they were coming this early. Wait, what time is it?
“It’s three in the afternoon. We were up until around two in the morning, so we let you sleep.”
Holy shit! “Three in the afternoon!” I’m practically yelling, but they all just chuckle.
Erik holds me close to his chest and starts to leave the loft.
I wiggle around, my wolf whining in my head.
I don’t want to leave. Not because I want to stay here, but because there is something missing.
Erik seems to notice, or maybe he is listening to my thoughts like he did with the time question and like Skylar did last night.
Either way, he freezes in his tracks and looks down at me, expectation clear in his gaze.
He has really perfected the asking without words look.
“I, um, I kind of want the blankets.” A soft smile lights up his face and he really does look like some kind of god.
He nods softly then calls out over his shoulder for the other three to grab the blankets for me.
Someone throws the soft blanket I brought with me last night over Erik’s shoulder and he starts walking again.
I know that I should tell him to put me down and let me walk, but I really don’t want to leave his arms. Instead of insisting I can walk, I snuggle into his embrace as he walks down the stairs and across the backyard to the house.
I tense a bit when I think that Mandy and her Alphas will be in the dining room, but I have nothing to worry about, there isn’t anyone else home.
“Where is Mandy and the dads?”
Erik is carrying me up the stairs to my room.
Looking over his shoulder, I see the other guys totting all of the blankets and pillows we slept with last night and my heart floats to my throat.
They are so damn sweet. When we make it to my room, Erik passes the bed and takes me straight to the bathroom.
He doesn’t put me down until the shower starts.
Then, he only sits me on the bathroom counter before he pulls my shirt off me.
I know it's silly, but my face flushes when his gaze slowly falls down to my breasts.
He saw so much more than this last night, but now I feel shy …
right up until his blazing gaze catches mine.
“You're so goddamn beautiful, Becca. Can …” His gaze falls to the wall over my shoulder and his fair skin turns pink. Clearing his throat, he finishes his question. “Would you mind if I got in the shower with you?”
His face is as red as mine, but he is so damn cute. My big Viking mate. I still wonder how the hell I ended up with mates as wonderful as them. They show me over and over again that not all men are like Henry and Camden, that some guys are sweet and gentle. I’m so fucking glad that I got them.
“Of course. But I’ll need help getting these shorts off and you can’t get in the shower dressed.” His smile makes my heart flutter, but when he sets me on my feet and slowly pulls my shorts and panties down my legs, it stops all together.
On his knees, he looks up at me from under his long golden lashes and leans into me.
His nose rests on the apex of my thighs as he takes in a long deep breath.
My face feels hot and I know my cheeks are red as rubies, but I’m so wet, I’m shocked it’s not running down my leg.
A purr grumbles in his chest when he takes two handfuls of my ass and pulls me closer to him.
He doesn’t try to get a taste, he just breathes in my essence for a minute before he stands up and quickly takes off his clothes.
I’m still a bit stunned at how big he is, all over.
Taking my hand, he pulls me into the shower and tips my head back in the water.
He takes his time washing my hair, his thick fingers massaging my scalp as his lathers shampoo in like a professional.
I quietly moan, loving the feeling of his hands on me.
But I didn’t expect what he does when the shampoo is rinsed out.
Grabbing my hips, he picks me up and shoves my back against the wall.
My eyes snap open and I gasp at the feral heat in his gaze.
He doesn’t say a word, he just growls and slams into my body.
“Oh Fuck! Erik.”
He isn’t slow or gentle. He takes what he wants from my body, growling and moaning with every thrust. It feels amazing, my thighs burn from being wrapped around his wide waist and I’m still a bit sore from last night, but the little bites of pain drive my pleasure higher.
This isn’t the same as last night, this is just a quick dirty fuck in the shower and it’s so perfect.
I’m so close … so damn close! Erik wraps a hand around my throat, not squeezing, but holding me in place.
“Come, Little Omega, come all over my cock like a good girl.” His words are growled out, rough and dirty, and they do exactly what he wanted.
I explode, shouting as I come all over him, just like he told me to.
Stars burst behind my eyes and my whole body trembles as wave after wave of pure ecstasy rushes through me.
I swear, my soul leaves my body and I die a little from how hard my orgasm hits me.
I barely hear Erik call out as his hips jolt forward and he comes deep inside of me.
I briefly wonder again why he didn’t knot me, but Erik’s mouth on mine drives the thought from my mind.
He kisses me like I’m the air he needs to survive and I don’t hold back.
I meet his tongue, stroke for stroke as he plunders my mouth.
We finish the shower, petting and teasing one another between giggles and heated glances.
I feel like I’m floating on a cloud, happy and whole.
But the feeling of elation quickly falls away when we get out.
Skylar is leaning on the counter with clothes in his hand, his words remind me of what's coming and the nerves are back.
“The Alphas just got back. The council is here now.”