Chapter 20
As the town healer, Orion had an open-door policy. When he didn’t respond to our knocking, we let ourselves in.
“I’ll be right there.” Orion strode out of the hallway, wiping his hands with a towel. He halted a few feet away, his gaze flicking between the two of us before tossing the towel in a bin by the door. “I take it you don’t need the healing balm.”
I shook my head. “I told you I’d be okay.”
“I tried to find you later.” He pressed his lips together. “I guess it’s a good thing I couldn’t pick up your trail. It means the others couldn’t follow you either.”
“Did you find Nala?”
He hesitated. “I did.”
“Will she be okay?” I asked.
Orion grimaced and waved at the couch in the living room. I didn’t want to be stuck in a vulnerable position if he had bad news to share. I wanted the ability to bolt, run, or leap into action.
Which was probably why he wanted me to sit.
Ace stood quietly beside me, the old man’s lock box under his arm. He made no move to sit, which meant he waited for me to decide. My world was crumbling down all around me, and he stood by my side.
“What’s in the box?” Orion asked.
“Would you believe we found a treasure map and buried treasure?” Ace lifted an eyebrow.
“I can believe you’re a dick and won’t give me a straight answer.” Orion turned to me expectantly.
“It’s a long story and we’ll fill you in later. I’m more concerned about Nala. Just tell me how she’s doing, Rye,” I said. “Please.”
“The short answer is I don’t know. I haven’t treated a lot of familiars because they’re simply not that many of them.
I’ve never seen or heard of anything like this.
Your bond should’ve healed her by now, but it’s getting weaker.
She’s weaker. It’s as if the poison or maybe something else is draining her. ”
Rain started to pitter patter on the roof outside. The sounds echoed inside Orion’s cabin.
“What can I do?” I asked.
“I don’t…” He squeezed his eyes shut for a second. “I don’t know.”
“But?” There had to be a but. There had to be something I could do.
He shook his head. “I have nothing for you at the moment. If you leave her here, I can keep trying. Maybe more consistent healing sessions will help.” He hesitated. “But I’m worried about the implications.”
“Implications?”
“You,” he said. “I’m worried about you. You’re a bonded galeon. If Nala… If the worst happens and Nala doesn’t make it…”
If I was a bonded galeon and my familiar died, I’d face the death of my soul. I wouldn’t survive.
But I wasn’t a galeon descendent.
I wasn’t galeon at all.
Would I survive Nala’s death?
Could I?
Would I want to?
A world without my familiar would be dark and gray and the mere thought of the possibility sent my mind spiraling.
I clenched my teeth and blinked rapidly, willing my breathing to stay normal and the tears to stay in my eyes.
She was going to be okay.
She had to be.
The rain started to hammer the roof. It was really coming down now. The last thing I wanted to do was take Nala out into the cold again.
“If it’s okay with you,” I said. “I’d like her to stay with you and try the regular healing sessions.”
“Of course,” Orion rocked back on his heels. “I would do anything for Nala.” His gaze flicked to Ace briefly before he returned his attention to me. “I’d do anything for you, too.”
“Thank you,” I said.
He nodded and silence descended on the cabin for a moment. “What do you plan to do now?” Orion asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Sleep. Then plan, I guess.”
“Have you seen your cabin?” he asked. “The residents tried, but they couldn’t save it all. Where do you plan to stay?”
“She’s staying with me,” Ace said.
Orion’s expression closed off and he stiffened. “I see.”
I hesitated and eyed the door. Maybe I should leave it at that. But Orion didn’t know about Paul, and if my brother came back to town looking for me… “There’s something else.”
Orion frowned and glanced at Ace.
“Paul is a part of the rogue group that’s attacking bonded galeons.”
Orion sucked in a breath, his gaze flicking between me and Ace. “Are you sure?”
“Pretty phaaning sure,” Ace mumbled.
“He held us prisoner and planned to execute Ace,” I added.
Orion’s mouth dropped open. “But not you?”
“Thanks for the concern,” Ace said.
Orion scowled, but didn’t say anything.
“No, not me,” I said. “Which is what doesn’t make sense.”
Orion’s frown somehow deepened, the creases in his forehead becoming more prominent. “You’re his twin sister. He loves you. Of course he wouldn’t execute you.”
“Exactly,” I said. “So why did the rogue hunters try to kill me more than once?”
Orion pressed his lips together again. His gaze narrowed.
“I’ve been attacked more than once, and they had poisoned arrows. And I am also being framed,” I said. “I just can’t see Paul doing that either.”
“Me neither,” Ace said.
Orion nodded. “I agree, but if it’s now irrefutable he’s involved, what does that mean?”
“He’s not working alone,” Ace said. “And he’s not in control of everything. We all need to be careful.”
I agreed and I hated the thought of a silent partner lurking in the shadows, intent on killing me.
“But who?” Orion asked.
Should I tell him what we found in O’Reilly’s cabin? Could we trust him? Ace would say absolutely not, and we knew at least one other person in town was involved.
“We don’t know.” I could always share more information later. “So, you need to be careful. Don’t let anyone other than us visit Nala.”
“Of course.”
We said our goodbyes and made our way to Ace’s cabin. He’d been on his best behaviour at Orion’s, keeping to the facts and not mocking the healer. That must’ve killed him to hold back.
By the time we returned to Ace’s cabin, we were soaked from the rain. The moment the door closed, I started to peel the wet clothes from my body. They hit the floor with wet slaps.
Ace placed the wooden box on the mantle before kneeling by the hearth. He struck his flint until the fire caught. Heat from the building flames licked my numb skin. “Did the map and letter survive?”
I stared down at my discarded clothes. “Probably not.”
Ace turned to find me completely naked. His eyebrows rose, but his smiled widened into a wicked grin.
“Did you mean what you said earlier?” I asked.
He stood and started to peel off his clothes. Slowly. Like he wanted me to die from anticipation. “What did I say?”
I reached forward and pulled his belt free. With a flick of my wrist, I flung it to the floor. The buckle hit the wooden boards with a loud thud. “That I could be on top whenever I want?”
Gold flashed across his gaze, and he stepped out of his pants and underwear. He was already hard, his erection jutting out. He pulled the hem of his shirt over his head, the muscles of his abs rippling with each movement. I wanted to lick them.
So I did.
I dropped to my knees and ran my tongue along the valleys of muscles.
“Phaan, Em.” Ace reached down and tangled his hands in my hair to grip my head. He tried to pull me up, but I ignored him.
Instead, I gripped the silky-smooth skin of his thick shaft and wrapped my lips around him.
He was large for my mouth, but that didn’t stop me from trying.
The salty taste of him on my tongue made heat pool between my legs.
I wanted him undone. I wanted him to lose control like he made me lose control. I wanted him to unravel in my mouth.
“Phaan.” Ace pulled free and took a shaky step back. “You will end this too soon.”
I shrugged. That hadn’t been my plan, but once I saw the feral look in his gaze, I didn’t want to stop.
He hauled me to my feet. Before I could question him, he flung me over his shoulder and stomped over to the bedroom.
“Ace?”
He slapped my ass. Then, he reached up and gripped it, giving it a good squeeze before throwing me onto the bed. I bounced on the mattress. The smell of lavender surrounded me, and I rolled onto my side on the soft sheets.
“What are you up to?” I asked.
He crawled onto the bed beside me and rolled onto his back. “Come here.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“You said you wanted to be on top.”
I nodded.
“I want you to sit on my face.”
I shook my head, but my limbs had a mind of their own. I sat up and swung my leg over so I straddled his chest. Phaan. The heat of him along my sensitive skin was almost enough to undo me right there.
Ace growled and gripped my butt with both hands. He hauled me forward.
“You’re going to suffocate,” I warned.
“If I die, I die,” he said.
I straddled him, rubbing myself along his lips. I rocked forward, sinking into the position with Ace’s face between my thighs. He kneaded my ass as he clamped his mouth on my tender skin and sucked.
He pulled back long enough to growl at me. “Ride my face, Mouse.”
I rocked forward again, doing as ordered as he used his tongue and lips to make my head spin. I reached forward and held onto the headboard. He groaned into me, licking and tasting. I opened my legs more, drenching his face as I moved in tune to his mouth.
Heat spread through my body and the friction stirred a deep need inside me until I couldn’t contain it anymore.
I erupted with pleasure, my movements spastic.
My legs clamped onto him as I arched and threw my head back.
A scream slipped past my lips and if I had been a magical creature, I would’ve erupted into fire.
Ace’s lips quirked under me, and he used his strength to move me from his mouth and set me down lower.
My legs quivered. My heart raced. I panted as I fought to control my breathing.
Ace’s wicked grin spread across his face.
Instead of saying anything, he lifted me over his cock.
I reached down and guided him in, his thickness filling and stretching me, feeding the delicious ache.
I straddled him, his cock deep inside me, his hands gripping my waist and kneading my skin.
Our gaze met, his flashing with wolf gold.
I opened my legs a little wider, taking him as deep as I could, and rocked my hips forward. The slide of his thick shaft inside me had us both groaning. He felt so good. He felt like he was made to make me forget all my problems.
“Ride me, Em,” he growled. Using his hands on my hips to lift me a little. “Take my cock. Take it like you were meant for it.”
I slammed down on him and rocked back and forth, “Like this?”
“Phaan yes.” He dropped his head back, but kept his hands on my hips, holding me in place as he thrust up to meet me. Our bodies slapped together as I rode him, creating a rhythm just for us until I was losing myself to the pleasure and taking Ace along with me.