They both smiled at her, Adam a little shyly. Sebastian lifted a hand to gently stroke her hair.
“Always, daughter, always,” and risking the possibility of shock, Sebastian pulled her head into his chest and wrapped his other arm around her for a fatherly embrace. Careful of where she put her hands, Lila embraced Sebastian, winding her arms around his damp shirt and holding him tight for a minute before letting him go carefully.
“Shall we go home?” Bastian asked.
“Yes please, Teacher, take me home.”
Evan came up behind her and took her hand. The trail that they had made forced them to walk single file. They all walked in silence for a long time, until Lila’s body started to complain.
“Hey, anyone have some water to share?” Lila asked. Suddenly three men were apologizing, admonishing each other, and handing her water bottles simultaneously. Lila laughed and then drank deeply. As she handed back the water bottle she looked at Evan, trying to assess him.
“When was the last time you fed?” she asked in a whisper.
“I’ll be okay until we get back to camp,” he answered, kissing her temple.
Lila pulled back to look him in the eye. She gripped his arm.
“Really?”
“Aye, Angel.” He kissed her, assuring her that feeding from her ‘al fresco’ was not nearly as good as feeding in private.
“Just… don’t starve. I won’t be shy about this.”
“Understood.”
The small group continued on in single file. Adam and Sebastian in front of Lila, and Evan behind her, but holding her hand. Her left hand.
Lila looked back at Evan.
“Evan, I lost my ring. I’m sorry.” She held up their hands for him to see.
Evan glanced at her hand and shrugged.
“I’ll get you another, Angel.”
“But it must have been expensive.”
He shrugged again.
“You’re the most valuable thing to me. A ring can be replaced, my heart can’t.”
Lila looked back at him in surprise, and he smiled at her.
“Hey, so we have hours of hiking ahead of us,” Adam interrupted. “How about telling us what happened?” Adam asked.
Lila thought for a moment, and then suddenly remembered Lash, and she stopped in her tracks and looked around. Adam and Sebastian continued ahead, not noticing.
“What is it?” Evan asked.
“Lash. My shifter is gone.”
“My shifter?”
Lila looked at Evan. There was pain in her eyes.
“He helped me escape.”
“And?”
“And... he’s also my mate,” Lila whispered. She sounded defeated, like the worst thing that had happened to her in the last week was not that she’d been kidnapped and taken to South America.
“So. You found him,” Evan said the words without inflection.
“I guess so.”
Lila didn’t look at Evan, but her fingers curled and gripped his shirt, and he felt her emotions through their bond. She was frightened. Of the prophecy, of having a second mate, but mostly of losing Evan.
“Oh Angel,” Evan put his arms around her and squeezed her to his chest, “I’m so sorry,” Evan didn’t know what he was sorry for, but he wanted to make Lila’s pain go away.
“You’re not upset?”
“Of course I’m upset, but not because of the prophecy. I don’t like seeing you upset, and I don’t ever want to be the cause of your upset.”
“But this means you’ll have to share me. Why are you not upset?”
“Angel, do I still have your heart?”
“Yes, always!”
“Then I can’t be upset by something out of our control. If you are fated by magic to have three mates, and I am the first, then I will thank magic for it every day.”
Lila was confused by his acceptance.
“But three of us, not two, forever.”
“Four, if Lunal and the Oracle are correct.”
“Right.” Lila deflated in sorrow.
“Lila, tell me!”
Lila stared up at Evan, speechless. Never in a million years would she have guessed that he would accept her situation. It was one thing to be told it would happen, and another to have it actually happen. She was just starting to accept Lash’s place in her life, how could Evan be so comfortable with it.
Evan took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes with such a sincere expression of love that it took her breath away.
“Lila, my love, I would rather share your whole heart than only own a piece of it.”
Those words penetrated Lila’s brain and sank slowly into her heart. This was why she loved this man with every cell in her body. Tears pooled in her eyes, and Evan kissed them before they could fall. Then he kissed her lips gently, and wrapped her in his embrace again. Lila’s magic reached for him and surrounded them both in a cocoon of love. No words were needed. They stood for some time in the middle of the jungle holding each other and reinforcing their love for one another.
Sebastian and Adam came back to find Lila and Evan encased in her light. Colors swirled in a rainbow through it. Sebastian saw it as pure love, and paused in awe. Adam just saw a beautiful light show. Neither man said anything, they just waited.
Evan moved first, having heard the other two approach. He rubbed his stubbly cheek against Lila’s hair, rousing her from her meditation. Her light faded, but it took her another minute to let go of him.
“Okay?” he asked.
Lila nodded.
He took her hand and nodded to Adam and Bastian to continue on.
Lash watched Lila and her mate from the shadows of the jungle. He was in awe of both of them. Evan for his acceptance and love, and Lila for the power of her love and magic. Did they just agree to accept him? He shouldn’t feel hope, not yet, but his aching and lonely heart couldn’t help it. He reminded himself that daring to hope was dangerous. Wanting a loving family was not the same as having it, and what he just saw between Lila and Evan was so much more. It was soul-wrenchingly beautiful.
Lash felt himself get hot all over, and then cold, as if he’d just witnessed something profoundly beautiful. It was a religious experience. Lila really was the Chosen One, it was obvious to him now. Did that mean that one day he would experience it for himself? Did he dare to hope? He did. Lash was a glass half full kind of guy--- he couldn’t go against his nature. He just hoped that this time he wouldn’t get burned, because this time, it would kill him.
Lila and her team hiked most of the day to get back to the Ramirez camp, arriving at sundown to the smell of cooking meat and a small group of soldiers. It looked as though the soldiers had dismantled the whole camp, and buried almost all evidence of its existence. The huts were gone and debris scattered for the jungle to claim.
The one thing that remained was the cinderblock jail. Well, half of it remained. The half she had not destroyed. Because it had mostly four walls still standing, Guerra and his men had reserved it for Lila’s use, cleaning out the first room. Someone had left a bucket of water and a clean rag for washing up with, something that Lila was truly grateful for after days of hiking through the jungle. Lila stripped to her waist, never wanting to see, or smell, the soiled shirt and bra ever again, and washed herself as best she could. Evan gave her the t-shirt from his pack, and she put it on feeling so much better, even without the support of a bra.
Starving, she turned to go back outside to get some food, but not without seeing the hungry look in Evan’s eyes.
“Evan, you need to feed.”
“I do, but you should eat first.”
He led her out into the open space where the meat was cooking, his hands gliding over her back. Sebastian met them at the fire and handed Lila a plate of meat.
Evan sat on the ground and pulled Lila between his legs. While she ate and listened to conversation about what they’d found and thought had happened to Ramirez and his men, Evan ran his hands up and d
own her back. When her belly was full, Lila finally registered what Evan was doing with his hands: he was enjoying the fact that she was braless.
Lila stood abruptly, said goodnight, and took Evan’s hand to lead him into the relative privacy of the cinder block hut. It didn’t matter that the floor was dirt and there was now only a single cot to lie on.
Lila stripped herself naked as soon as she was inside. She was suddenly feeling the need to have her mate inside her, to reconnect intimately. Evan blinked in surprise at her haste, but then followed her lead and stripped himself.
As soon as he was naked, Lila grabbed for him, kissing him deeply and pressing her body into his. Evan’s arms went around her waist. His body felt good against her’s. His cock was hard and he rubbed himself against her belly. Lila rolled her hips into him as her heart began to race with desire and lust.
Evan picked her up and laid her on the cot, not caring how little room they had to move around on. Lila spread her legs and let her feet hang to either side of the small bed so that Evan could lay between them. As soon as his cock head met the wetness of her sex, he pushed into her completely, and sighed. It felt good to be home again. Lila wrapped her legs around his hips, tilting her pelvis up and allowing him to penetrate deeper into her core. They both moaned, from the pleasure and the relief at finally being together in this way.
Evan lay still for a couple of minutes, just happy to be buried inside of Lila, feeling her magic flow through him. Then her magic tingles started to get stronger, as if it was impatient, and she wiggled her hips. Evan took the hint and began to pull out slowly. When he was mostly out, Lila bucked up and pulled his hips down at the same time. The movement was fast and hard, and resulted in a sharp jolt of pleasure up Evan’s shaft. He groaned and pulled out slowly again, only to have Lila slam him back down into her with the same sharp pleasure she had a moment ago. Evan let out a long groan that turned into a growl as Lila rolled her hips and bucked against him demanding more, now.
Evan thrust into Lila hard, but every retreat was long and slow. Evan was devouring the feel of his mate. The week of separation and worry felt like months to him. He wanted to reclaim Lila as his. Soon he was pounding into her, hard and deep. Lila’s bucking and moaning encouraging him to take possession of all of her. Evan’s fangs descended. Lila was all his for now, no sharing required. When he felt the walls of her channel grip his cock he sank his fangs into her neck and he drank.
The taste of his mate was so sweet, so exquisite, that he came hard. His body, which had been hungry and tired, trembled from the force of his climax. His heart, which had been anxious and worried, swelled from the emotion of his love. Mine. This part of her, her blood that fed him, would always belong to him alone, no matter who came later.
He drank as much as he dared to, given that Lila was tired. He was loath to get off of her when he was done, but they had to change positions if she was going to sleep. He licked her wound closed and regretfully pulled out of her to stand.
He grabbed the wash cloth and cleaned them both off before helping Lila up. He laid himself down, and Lila laid on top of him. He put his arms around her, and let his fingers trace lightly up and down her back as she fell asleep.
The next morning, Evan woke Lila early with caresses. He needed to make love to her again before they traveled. Lila was perfectly amenable to the idea. She had dreamt of making love to three men at once. It was the dirtiest and sexiest dream she’d ever had, and she woke up already aroused. She pushed her hips back to line up with Evan’s erection, and he slipped easily inside of her.
She made love to him slowly, savoring every inch of his long hard cock. She focused her magic at their cores, and the usual tingles turned into a tempest of pleasure for both of them. They came together in a gasping, forceful climax that left them both panting and boneless for minutes. When they finally came back to their senses, they could hear the movement of people starting to rise outside. They got up and dressed to join the others.
Lila felt much more rested now, and able to interact with others properly. She said good morning to Guerra, and thanked him for his help in finding her. She noticed that his men kept their distance, and she spoke loud enough so that all would hear her.
Someone made coffee over the fire, and Guerra brought Lila a couple of fruits she had never seen before that one of the soldiers had found. Lila was thrilled to have something other than meat and protein bars to eat.
Then they were hiking again. Guerra hoped to get back to the way station that night, depending on how fast the non-shifters could walk out. Sebastian assured him that Lila’s team could go as fast as his soldiers, even double time if needed. There seemed to be little concern over being caught by Ramirez’s men, so they set out at an easy jog, the fastest among them leading to clear the trail. They were traveling the same trail for a second time, so little was needed.
Lash entered the empty camp about fifteen minutes after everyone had left. He had spent a restless night in a tree, torn between watching over his mate and not wanting the other shifters to scent him. He knew that there was still a slim chance that some of Ramirez’s men were out here hunting for Lila. He was determined to help keep her safe, even if only from a distance.
Before he followed, he entered the cinder block hut where Lila had slept. Her addictingly fragrant scent was strong in there, mingled with her mate’s and the scent of their coupling. It aroused him. That made him smile.
He picked up her discarded bra and his shirt that she had worn, and brought them to his face. He breathed her in, allowing himself a moment of longing. He put his shirt back on, wanting to smell Lila’s scent for as long as it lasted. He liked the way it smelled mixed with his own scent. He stuffed her bra in one of his cargo pockets, not caring that keeping it was stalker behavior. If stalking her meant keeping her safe, then he would embrace it. In that spirit, he took a few minutes to take in the scent and taste of his future mates from the cot. The smell of sex would keep his mind occupied for a few days fantasizing about the three of them together.
As he stepped out of the building to pursue Lila and the rescue team, he saw a short dark haired man standing in the middle of the camp looking around. He turned slowly to face Lash. It was Juan, one of two shifters who had taken Lila in Houston and brought her on board the plane. He had been the one to call her a whore and good for nothing but being used and thrown away.
Suddenly Lash was furious with the men who had captured Lila. Not just Ramirez, but all of them. Without uttering a word, Lash strode to the man and cut him down with the machete he still held in his hand. The sharp blade cut into his neck and shoulder, and through his collar bone. The man slumped soundlessly to the ground in a growing puddle of blood.
Lash stared down at the man. His fury already waning, replaced by satisfaction. One less soldier loyal to Ramirez. He leaned over and took the hunting knife from the man’s belt. Something glittered, and caught his eye next to Juan’s hand. It was a ring. He must have been holding it in his hand. Lash picked it up. A ruby and two diamonds in a platinum band. It was Lila’s ring. He tucked it in his pocket with her bra, and followed her trail out of the jungle.
Lila and the ISF teams spent one more night camping in the jungle before arriving at the way station where the jeeps were parkedl. Everyone piled into them, and the convoy started out slowly, the recent rain having made the ruts in the road deeper. Lila leaned across Evan’s lap and dozed for most of the trip. His hand once again found the middle of her back, and Lila smiled to herself.
They reached the base by midnight, and Lila and Evan were given a private room in the officers quarters. It looked like any hotel room, though simply furnished with only a queen sized bed, a night stand, a lamp, and a low two drawer dresser. Lila whimpered in relief when she saw the bathroom shower, and wasted no time getting in it. She didn’t care that the water was tepid, it had been a week since she’d showered.
Evan got in with her and helped scrub the grime off of her, using his hand
s to assure himself that every inch of Lila was safe and whole.Then he washed her hair, scrubbing the dirt away and massaging her scalp. It felt delicious and arousing, and Lila’s hands sought him out. She ran her hands all over his torso as he washed and rinsed her hair. When the rinsing was done, she opened her eyes and saw him smiling at her. He stepped into her so that their bodies touched everywhere, and Lila’s magic tickled over their skin.
Evan made love to her. In between kisses he told her that she meant everything to him, and that he would never stop loving her. Finally, after giving her two orgasms, he slid his cock inside her. He loved her long and hard up against the wall as the water cascaded down their bodies. Evan felt his fangs descend, and he bit into her neck. Lila cried out in ecstasy. The taste of her was so like an adrenaline rush. As he drank he felt her climax again, and it brought him all the way to the edge of his own. Lila's light surrounded them both and her intense feelings of love for him flowed into him. They overwhelmed him and he fell into his orgasm. Lila’s cunt spasmed again and her muscles milked him of every ounce of cum he had.
The water turned cold, and forced them out of the shower. When they’d dried off, Lila and Evan crawled under the bed sheets naked and cuddled up together, Lila falling asleep instantly. Evan spent the night hours listening to Lila breath. It was a calming sound, and coupled with the feeling of Lila half on top of him, Evan had to admit that he was content.
Chapter 22
November
Lila woke early the next morning. Evan was already up and dressing. He gave her a kiss and pulled her out of bed to dress as well. Guerra had found fresh fatigues for them, and had apologized profusely for the absence of women's underwear. Lila didn’t care too much. She still suspected that Evan preferred her going commando. She put on the two men’s tank tops, hoping that her lack of a bra would only be noticed if she moved around a lot. The pants that had been given to her seemed to be extra longs. Maybe that was a military thing, or maybe a shifter thing. Lila's long legs were still too short for the pants, so she tucked them into the boots Guerra had found in her size. Her sneakers had not fared well in the jungle, and lay in the corner with their packs.
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