28. Cherry
Cherry
“Are you ready?” Maddox asks, his hand on my shoulder in support as we stare out at the forest behind our home.
I nod as both nervousness and excitement fill me.
We’re going on our first pack run here. It will be the first time I purposely shift for more than a few seconds.
I’m a little worried it will be hard to shift back after, but Maddox already gave me a pep talk, saying that caging my wolf will only make it harder. We need balance.
So I agreed. But somehow I forgot that a pack run would mean all of them stripping naked.
I try to keep my eyes glued to the forest, even knowing they are undressing around me.
Taking a deep breath to psych myself up, I grab the bottom of my dress and yank it over my head, quickly pulling off my bra and panties and dropping them to the ground, leaving me completely naked other than the ring hanging on the chain around my neck.
Not wanting to overthink anything, I let my body shift into my wolf. It’s so seamless that it helps me relax, knowing my wolf isn’t bursting to break free.
Maddox’s wolf’s head presses into my neck and I nuzzle him back. Each of my mates comes over to do the same, filling me with happiness. I haven’t seen their wolves in a while, and I love this part of them.
“Ready, little mate?” Maddox asks through the bond.
I forgot I’d be able to speak with them in my wolf form, and I let a yip break free as I answer back, “Yes!”
He leads the way, and I’m nudged into position in the middle of the pack as we run across our backyard and into the forest.
Feeling the earth beneath my paws eases tension I didn’t know I was holding. Of course, I’ve spent a lot of time like this in the past few months, but it’s different now.
This time, I’m not stuck like this. I can shift whenever I want. And not only can I speak to them through the bond, but I can feel Maddox and Bain’s emotions.
I can’t wait to seal all my bonds. I know they’re making me wait because they want to be safe, but my body tells me I’m ready.
Chase nips at my leg, and when I glance at him running beside me, he speaks through the bond, “Bet you can’t catch me.”
“What do I get if I win?” I ask, even though I know I’m going to try and win regardless. My speed was something I used to be proud of, and something I hope I can build up again.
“What do you want?”
“Your knot,” I tell him and watch as he misses a step and almost takes a tumble.
He regains his footing and catches back up to me, his eyes narrowing as he growls, “Deal.”
Then he takes off, pushing past Maddox, and I chase after him. I can feel the others speeding up with me, trying to keep pace as I follow Chase around trees and bushes, over logs, and under fallen trees.
When I get close, seeing he’s only a few paces ahead, I grit my teeth and push myself, but suddenly I’m tackled from the side. I end up on my back as a large black wolf lies over me, his teeth around my neck.
“Caught you,” Gage says through the bond.
Heat pools in my belly, loving Gage’s dominant alpha energy. My body goes limp, apparently more than happy to submit to him.
“I guess this means Gage wins,” Chase says through the bond as he steps into my view. “What’s his prize?”
Gage releases my throat from his grasp, taking a moment to lick it before he responds. “I believe someone spoke of a knot.”
I shift back to human, not even consciously making the decision to do so before I realize I’ve done it. I sit up and Gage shifts. I stare at his naked body kneeling in front of me for two seconds before his hands reach for me, pulling my naked body against his as he kisses me hard.
My hands roam his muscular back as I moan, trying to move my legs so I can feel his hard length between them.
Suddenly, I’m pulled away from him and he growls. I pant heavily, trying to figure out what happened and find Bain in his human form at my back, holding me against him, with a naked Maddox standing between Gage and me.
“Move,” Gage grits out, his eyes practically feral as they look past Maddox and bore into me. I feel myself growing wet, desperate for him as Maddox moves, blocking us from each other's view.
“Maddox,” Gage growls in warning. “What are you doing?”
“Sorry. I’m not trying to keep you from bonding, I promise. Just not out here. It’s not safe.”
“You four are here to watch over us,” Gage grits out as if he’s in pain.
“I know, but something is telling me it’s not safe. We need to go back.” He shifts slightly, letting me see Gage again, and I watch the anger turn to worry as his shoulders lower, and he glances around, as if he might spot a danger around us.
“Really?”
“Yes,” Maddox says firmly, brokering no room for arguments.
Gage’s eyes find mine, and he slowly steps around Maddox and grips my chin, angling my face up to his as he tells me, “To be continued, my little omega.” He presses a soft kiss to my lips before asking. “Do you understand?”
“Yes, alpha,” I say breathily. I’m not sure why I call him that, but when I see the fire in his blue eyes, I know I want to call him that more often.
Within a minute, we’re all back in our wolf forms, following Maddox back to our home.
If it wasn’t for the fact that I could feel Maddox’s emotions in my chest, I would have thought he had ulterior motives for keeping us from bonding back there.
But I can feel the unease and worry coming from him.
It’s mirrored in Bain. And the closer we get to home, the more it increases, only worrying me further.
“It’s him,” Bain suddenly yells through the bond as he takes off at a speed I didn’t realize he was capable of. I’m not sure who him is, but from the raw anger pouring from Bain and Maddox, my mind starts to swirl with possibilities.
Maddox is right on Bain’s heels and they start to pull ahead of us. I push myself to keep up with them, while the other three keep pace with me, but Bain and Maddox move so quickly that I don’t stand a chance. I must not be as fast as I thought I was.
“How the fuck are they moving so fast?” Chase asks through the bond, confusing me.
“Wait—You can’t keep up with them either?” I ask in confusion.
“No,” Gage confirms from behind me. “I’m running at full speed.”
“You’re doing awesome, baby,” Hunter adds from my left. “I can’t believe how fast you are now.”
“Who did Bain scent?” I ask, needing to know what we’re running toward.
“I don’t know, I can’t smell anything,” Hunter answers.
“Me, either,” Gage confirms.
“Maddox, what’s going on?” Chase asks as the four of us follow the path they took, Maddox and Bain nowhere in sight now.
“It’s Blaze. Can’t you scent him?” Maddox replies. The second I hear his name, my stomach drops. Of course I suspected as much but hearing Maddox confirm it makes my fur bristle with unease.
“No,” Gage answers.
“We’re about to break through the treeline,” Maddox says, making me realize they’re even further ahead than I thought.
“Let us know when it’s safe for Cherry,” Hunter tells him.
Everyone goes quiet through the bond. The only thing I can hear is the sound of our paws hitting the ground mixed with our heavy breathing.
“Maddox?” Hunter prods as our backyard comes into sight through the trees.
“He seems to be gone, but stay alert,” Maddox replies. Chase darts in front of me and slows, forcing the rest of us to match his pace.
“Stay close, Cherry,” Chase tells me as we slowly step into the yard.
“I smell him now,” Hunter says from my side as we slowly move to the back door. Maddox appears, trotting around from the side of the house.
“Bain is trying to see if he can pick up the scent anywhere else on the property,” Maddox explains. “Like last time, it’s only around the door, where he left another note, and ends at the end of the driveway. He likely drove here.
“I want to see the note,” I tell him as we approach him at the back door. The twins run around the side of the house as Maddox shifts, giving me a welcome eyeful, before he starts to pull on his clothes. Then he kneels, grabs my panties, and turns to me.
“Can you shift for me, sweetheart?”
My body reacts instantly, wanting to please my mate, and I easily shift to my human form.
“Good girl,” he says as he holds out my thong for me to step into. I grip his shoulder as I lift one foot, then the other, and let him slide them up my legs. Once in place, he grabs my hips and leans forward, placing a kiss right below my belly button.
He smiles up at me as he holds up my bra.
I let him continue to dress me, enjoying the attention of his hands and gaze.
His eyes definitely linger on certain places, making me bite my lip as I try to calm myself down, remembering I have a note to read and don’t have time for any hanky panky right now.
But seriously, these guys just have to look at me, and I’m ready to jump them.
Maddox’s nose twitches as he finishes pulling my dress on me, and I know he’s scenting my arousal. As he stands, he kisses my forehead and whispers, “Later.”
He grabs my hand and leads me inside and into the living room. He sits and lifts me into his lap and turns to the front door, just as the twins walk in, Chase clutching the rose and note tightly, his face hard with tension as he spots us.
I hear Gage in the kitchen grabbing some water, and soon Bain enters, fully dressed, and everyone makes their way over to us and takes seats close by.
Gage passes me the glass of water, and I gratefully take a few sips before passing it back. He sets it on the table as we all turn to Chase.
He takes a deep breath and nods, then uncrumples the note he’s firmly gripping and holds it out as he reads, “The time has finally come. Be ready. Yours forever, Blaze.”
I frown at the note. “Does this nut bag think I actually want to go with him?” I ask in confusion as I grip my necklace, thankful it stayed in place through my shifting.
“It does sound that way,” Gage says as his lips press together in thought.
“Maybe that’s a good thing,” Chase asks. “If he does show up, she can tell him to go to hell.”