Chapter 21
We swim to the shore and I teleport back to Dree, both of us still naked as he has our packs with our clothes. When we appear in front of him, Dree actually jumps back, a bit surprised. Nox and I both smile and Nox signs to Dree.
Scared of a beautiful naked mate, Dree? Or are you worried you can’t compete with this dick?
Dree rolls his eyes and tosses Nox his pack, hitting him in the dick with it and causing a pained expression to fall on Nox’s face. I just giggle, enjoying their antics. I dress in a short leather skirt, no panties and a bralette. I don’t intend to do anymore killing tonight, deciding to let my mates handle those at the Slum since my magic took away their fun here at the keep. Glavior and the twins walk up from the castle as I’m adjusting my top. I smile at them, surprised none of them are covered in blood because I left a mess. Looking around the courtyard, I don’t see any bodies, just scorch marks on the ground that are slowly disappearing as more grass grows to replace the burnt places.
“Glavior gathered all the bodies to one spot and the twins burned them all down with Hellfire. I’m regrowing the grass so nobody can see where they went.” Dree explains.
I smirk and nod, accepting their clean up methods. The twins walk up to me and each of them hug me, Cerise’s arms over Onyx’s as they both wrap around my middle. The twins nuzzle into my neck and Glavior steps up to my front, wrapping his arms around all four of us. He leans down until his forehead rests on mine, his tusks cupping my cheeks like he is so fond of doing. I bathe in the affection, letting my heart beat in time with theirs. I can feel Nox there too, not touching but standing close, his heart beating in sync with ours. The only one I don’t feel as acutely is Dree. Looking up, I see him smiling at us as he readjusts the packs, closing mine and adding it to the pile. Nox waves a hand in my face, drawing my attention.
We need to go.He signs, pointing at something in the sky. I wiggle myself free of the boys and look up, watching as Fowlynn flies closer, Gynnie right beside him. Fowlynn lands on my head and Gynnie lands on Glavior’s shoulder. Fowlynn bends his neck so his face is close to mine, but upside down. Smiling, I reach up and rub his feathers, smiling at the bird. I’ve kind of missed him as he flew back and forth between me and Ahazu. I’m guessing Az is close because Gynnie is with him and she is never far from Az.
“Hello, Fowlynn. I’ve missed you!”
I’ve missed you too. Soon this mission will be done and we can finally get some time off with the whole family.He huffs, I know that he loves working with me, but I fear I may be pushing his patience lately. He just went a long time without seeing his mate just to be pulled away again too soon. Az and the others are waiting by the village. You and our mates need to clear it of any guards or buyers then they can go in and help the children.
I try to nod, but Fowlynn caws and ruffles his feathers, digging his talons into my scalp a bit to hold on. I grin sheepishly at him and shrug my shoulders. Apologizing without words. I didn’t mean to jostle him.
“Okay, we are going.”
I wave a hand at Dree who focuses and moves his hands in front of him, opening a portal. The twins gather all of our packs and toss them into a shadow pocket, I narrow my gaze at them, wondering why they couldn’t do that on the trip. Actually, why couldn’t we have just portated into the Dragon’s chambers and killed him then portal out? Why make us go on this long adventure to do something that would have taken less than thirty minutes if they used their magic?
I open my mouth, but before I can ask the questions swirling in my mind, the portal opens and Dree urges us to go through. Glavior walks through first, taking Gynnie with him. The twins follow after with Nox close on their heels. Finally, Dree and I are the last ones and he nods towards the portal, asking me to go first. I kiss his cheek on the way past and step into the portal. I can feel Dree’s heat at my back as we walk through the green swirl of magic. When I step out of the portal, the guys aren’t there. Fowlynn flies off as soon as we are through and I freeze, trying to gauge if there is a threat nearby. Dree plows into me as he steps out and closes the portal. His hands fly to my waist as he tries to keep us up on our feet.
Together, we tumble to the ground. I land with Dree on top of me, holding his weight off of me with one arm while holding my waist with his free hand. My thighs are spread wide around his hips and I can feel his body contoured to mine. The breath catches in my lungs as I stare into his eyes. I’ve never been able to see the detail in his gaze like I can now. The dark green orbs have swirls of brown throughout them with flakes of gold here and there. His deep earth scent alluring as I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer to me, needing the connection I feel with my other men to be as strong with my Druid.
“Astrate, Love, are you sure? Druids mate for life. Right now, we can let the fragile bond sever and you’d have a chance to be free of me, but if we do this, if we do what your body is begging for, then we’ll be linked forever.”
I don’t have to think of the answer. I mean, I get why he is asking. I spent most of this quest doing everything I could to avoid them as my mates. But now that I can feel the bond with the others, all I can think about is having that same connection with him. I need him, I need to complete the bond. I don’t want to fight it anymore, I haven’t for a while now if I’m being honest with myself. Dree has always been the one I liked the most. He is sweet, smart, and powerful. He takes the time to explain shit and he hasn’t judged me once.
“Fuck me Dree, complete the bond and stay with me.”
Okay, I could have said that a bit better, but the result is the same. Dree moves his hand off my waist and snaps his fingers. The earth moves around us, creating a wall of dirt and trees to shield us and Dree’s pants disappear as if he weren’t wearing any to begin with. He lifts my skirt, not bothering to take off any of my clothes as he touches me like a man possessed. I don’t blame him, I”m just as desperate for him as he seems to be for me.
I glance down, looking at his hard body. His skin is soft to the touch, but hard underneath, like a tree with a velvet covering. His dick is no different, with grooves and knots like an actual tree branch. He is thick and long … perfection. He lines himself up with my entrance and thrusts deep into me with one swift motion. It”s a bit uncomfortable, how unforgiving his cock is. It’s hard, not like the others, but like an actual wood dildo or something. There is no give, no bend, just an unrelenting cock that pushes and pulls out of my body..
The discomfort gives way to pleasure and I don’t try to stay quiet. I gasp out his name, moaning as he picks up speed. His hands run all over me and I can feel soft vines circle my legs, tugging my legs open and adjusting my body to pose the way Dree wants me. By the time my orgasm roars through me, I’m a sobbing, sweaty mess. Dree is barely holding on, his hands grasping me so hard, I’m sure I’ll be sore the next day.
“Fuck, Love. I can’t take it. Your hot pussy squeezing my cock like this. So fucking good, so perfect. My perfect little fucking mate.” He growls into my ears, his lips trailing down my neck as he thrusts hard, hitting my G spot and making stars burst behind my eyes.
I come hard, my hands clinging to his back. My legs wrap around him, ankles locked behind his back and tearing the vines from the earth, Dirt covers us both and it seems to excite him more. He grinds his hips against mine as he comes deep inside of me, his dick doesn’t swell like the others, but it does feel like it got a bit longer, setting his come deeper into me. He holds himself inside me, locking his come inside of me as he rubs my belly in small, soothing circles.
“I can’t wait to see you round with our child, can’t wait to watch your breasts swell and feel your pussy getting tighter as you carry our baby inside of you. It will happen, sooner rather than later if I have any say in it. I’ll plant my seed inside of you so fucking deep, over and over again until the gods can do nothing but bless us with a child. Then I’ll do it over and over again to make sure it sticks.”
He grunts and though the thought of having a child right now terrifies me, his dirty words excite my body, I picture myself running through the woods, trying to get away from the crazed druid. When he catches me, he holds me down and ruts into my body, breeding me and forcing me to accept him into my body over and over again until I’m pregnant. Fuck!
That image should not be as appealing as it is. For now, I don’t want to think about why my pussy is getting wet again or why I’m internally debating whether or not he would chase me through these woods and reenact that naughty scene. Nope, not thinking about it.
A rustling of trees draws us out of our mating induced bubble, reminding us that we are in the middle of the woods outside of a village filled with abused children. A metaphorical bucket of water being tossed onto our heads. I can feel his heartbeat synced with mine and I finally feel complete. My magic surges inside of me, swirling with bits of all five of the guys. I feel something click in my chest then more magic floods my center. The gift of the goddess no doubt, but its too much. My eyes snap shut as pain explodes inside of me. Everything feels like it’s on fire, like there”s too much magic for my body to contain. The world around me starts to go black as I hear Dree’s panicked voice fade away with my consciousness.
I wake up on a familiar path. Snakes, rats, bats, and spiders crawl, slither, and fly around me. Each of them calling out happily as they trail over my arms, legs, and belly. My head feels like it’s splitting in two and each sound echoes in my ears. I groan, but even that hurts at the moment.
I can feel the earth shaking below me and my memories slowly start to come back. I was with Dree, we just completed our bond then my magic surged and pain was the last thing I can remember. What happened? Why am I in the Goddesses’ realm? The only way to find out is to go to her.
Slowly, I find my feet. My legs shake with the effort of just standing and I’m close to collapsing again when the Rat god steps in front of me. He lowers his front legs, kneeling low as if waiting for something. I feel a thick, scaled appendage wrap around my waist and I’m lifted into the air. My head whips around and I see the Snake god lifting me up. He slowly, gently sets me down on the Rat’s back, and webs latch around my waist, holding me onto the Rat. The Spider god scurries ahead, chasing the Bat through the sky.
I’m so beyond confused about what is happening. Never have the gods helped me on this journey, but they seem to be in a hurry. I won’t complain because the way my body is feeling, I”m not sure I would have made it on my own. My magic is still surging out of control. It feels like it’s ripping its way through me, scorching everything inside of me on its quest to be free. I cough and my hands shake when I see red splotches of blood coating my fingers.
I’m dying. My magic is killing me. I can feel it now. I can feel my life draining from me with each second that ticks by. I used to think that I didn’t care if I lived or died. Az has his mates and though I know he would hurt, they would make sure he is okay. I had nothing holding me to life before, but now …. Now I have my mates. I just got them and I’m not ready to leave them yet. I want to be with them, want to know what it’s like to have a family, to be happy. I want to run from Dree in the woods and have long, boring conversations with Nox. I want to play with the twin’s hounds and help Glavior slaughter the Orc village that treated him so badly.
I can feel tears running down my face as we approach the Goddess. She is furiously stirring her cauldron, glancing up at the sound of our entrance. She seems a bit worried as she watches her mates shift and work together to set me on the cot next to the Goddess.
I try to look around the room, but my vision is going fuzzy. I keep coughing, more blood splattering on the pristine white floor. My body is so weak. The Goddess’s brother, Ahazu runs in from the other side of the room, Az following closely behind him. The God rushes to his sister’s side, the two of them whispering together as she works fast. Az crumbles to his knees on my side, tears running down his face as he clutches my hand in his own.
“Big sister, what did you do to yourself? Glavior told me you weren’t fighting, how did this happen?” He cries, and my heart breaks. I wish he never saw me like this, but I’m grateful for the chance to say goodbye.
“Az, Little brother. I’m so happy to see you.” My words split off in a fit of coughing, more blood spewing out as the Goddess makes a distressed sound in the back of her throat and the Gods all rush around, doing their best to help. “I love you brother, don’t let my death linger in your heart. Know that I will always be with you. Watching you, protecting you.”
Ahazu cries harder, shushing me as he soothes my hair away from my face. “Don’t talk like that Astra. The Goddess will fix this, whatever this is.”
“I don’t think she can this time, Az. The magic is too strong. My body can’t handle it, it’s ripping me open inside.”
The Goddess makes a happy noise at my words then everyone around me seems to move at super speed. I can only focus on my brother. His forehead against mine as we link our hands together. We’ve done this so many times. Even as babies, we’d do this. We let our emotions flow freely between us, telling each otherGoddess everything we couldn’t say aloud. My magic surges again and I gasp quietly. I see the rushing to my side and hear Az cry out my name as the world fades to black again. This is it, my death. At least I got to feel the love of my mates, I got to see my brother one last time and tell him I love him. I can go peacefully knowing they will take care of each other.
***
Dree
Power explodes out of Astrate and knocks me on my ass. My head hits the ground hard and the sky above me blurs for a second. My magic crashes down around me and the walls I erected to keep us private fall back down, the dirt settling into where it’s supposed to be. I sit up slowly, my head pounding. My eyes fall onto Astrate and all the air in my lungs rushes out in one big huff. She isn’t moving, her chest isn’t rising and falling. She isn’t breathing. I try to get to her side, but I’m blocked by a wall of magic. I pound on the barrier, screaming, so desperate that my words don’t even register in my mind.
I keep pounding on the magic wall, my hands bloody and bruised. My brothers surround me, each one of them trying to get to Astrate and asking me what happened. Nothing changes and we stand there staring at our mate as she lays unmoving for so, so fucking long.
Falling to my knees, tears roll down my face as my heart cracks in two. This can’t be happening. I finally got the woman of my dreams and now she is just …. Gone.
My head bows as sobs fall from my chest, unable to hold back the emotions. Ahazu runs from out of the trees and the magic barrier doesn’t stop him. I can see his face from where I’m kneeling on the ground. He is crying as well and my heart falls like lead into my stomach. If Az is crying, then it must be true. Astrate is dead.
I watch as Az waves his hands over Astra, white magic hovering over body. He keeps his eyes on hers and I can feel the magic wall cracking in front of me, but my body won”t move. Glavior falls to his knees beside me, then the twins. The only one still standing is Syrinox, and I glance up to see he is crying too. All of us love her, more than anything else in this world, but we can’t do anything to help right now.
Ahazu huffs out a tired sigh, then falls to Astrate’s side, his arms wrapped around his sister protectively as her chest rises with a breath. She’s alive! But, what the hell just happened.
I crawl to Astrate’s side on my hands and knees, desperate to touch her, to confirm that she really is alive. Her hand is cold as I hold it between both of mine, but her chest rises and falls in a steady rhythm.
“Az, what the hell just happened?” Glavior’s voice sounds rough, like he has trouble getting the words out.
Astra and I are Goddess blessed. The Twin Gods, Astrate and Ahazu. They often bestow us with more power, teach us control and guide us. The Goddess gave Astrate a gift of more magic, but she had to complete all her bonds to access it.” Az takes a shaky breath, his arms tightening around Astrate as he continues. “The goddess forgot a step when giving her magic, she didn’t deepen Astra’s magic well … she overflowed, basically.”
“How can magic overflow?” Cerise asks, tilting his head to the side like a curious puppy.
“Everyone has a place inside them that houses their magic. Well, when the bonds solidified completely, Astrates magic house exploded. Her magic ran rampant inside of her, tearing at her body, shredding her from the inside out.” “So … I’m still confused about what happened to my mate Az.” Onyx whispers, barely loud enough to be heard.
“The goddess fixed the magic well, she made it stronger and bigger to contain the power, but Astrate was in the Dreamscape, so she couldn’t heal the physical damage the power surge did. She sent me back so I could heal my sister. I barely got here in time. The Goddess did all that she could to help, but I couldn’t heal it all without killing her. I’ll do more, over time, but …”
Az finally sits up, looking at each of us in the face as tears roll down his cheeks. His hands stay on Astrate, but he focuses on us.
“I don’t think she can have children. Her womb was destroyed and I had to make a choice between her life and her future as a mother. I chose to give her a future, even if she is barren. I may be able to heal it, but …” He takes another deep breath and stares into his sister’s face. “You should prepare yourselves for the possibility that Astrate can’t give you children of your own, if that is something you wanted.”
We stay silent, looking down at Astrate. I have no clue what the others are thinking, but I’m just relieved that Astrate is alive. We can figure children out later, if that is something she wants, but I don’t care either way. I’m shocked, actually surprised when Nox is the next to speak … Speak, not sign.
“She is all that I need, all that I want. I love her, with or without children. Thank you, Brother, for giving her back to us.”
Ahazu’s mates appear as we are all staring at Nox in shock. I haven’t heard his voice in so long, my mind is struggling to accept that he has one. No one says anything though, there is too much happening right now to focus on our mute friend suddenly speaking again. We load Astrate into the large carriage that Elizis brought.
It takes two days to get home, and Astrate slept the whole time. Ahazu assured us she was fine, her body just needed time to adjust and heal, but all five of us were on edge until she opened her eyes four days after the power surge. She acted like she was fine when Ahazu gave her the news, but I could feel her emotions, and I knew she was devastated. We’ve had many talks about it and I think she is finally okay with it.
Life goes on, everything is almost perfect, and I have my mate, happy and alive. I couldn’t ask for a better end to a quest.