by Ovidia Pike
“Yes, that’s it,” I said.
“It’s a shame for an old blood shifter to have a human as a natural mate,” Elina said, then flashed me a gracious smile. “No offense.”
“None taken,” I said through a clenched jaw.
“I’m happy with her,” Jackson said. She peered at him closely.
“Are you sure she’s your—”
“Elina, enough,” Selene snapped. “Leave them alone.”
“I’m just wondering. I’ve never heard of a shifter having a human as a natural mate. It’s hard to believe.”
“Why does it matter?” Selene asked her sister in annoyance.
“I’m just wondering,” Elina said in an innocent tone. Selene let out a sigh.
“Have the bodies of the wolves been disappearing?” she asked.
“We don’t know,” I said. “I don’t think anybody has checked the graves.”
“You should tell your Alpha to have it done next time you go back. I want to know if the same thing is happening.”
“Where could they be going?” Jackson asked. Nobody answered. Nobody knew. The queen yawned then, stretching, arching her back. Elina still stared between us, taking in our every movement. I reached over and took Jackson’s hand, lacing our fingers. Jackson looked over at me, meeting my eye. Suddenly everyone in the room disappeared, the royals and the guards fading into the background.
“It’s been a long day,” Jackson said after a moment, finally looking away from me. His thumb stroked my hand, telling me something, sending me a message that I read loud and clear. “I think I’d like to go to sleep, get started early in the morning.”
“We have a cave prepared for the two of you to rest in, not far from this one. Feel free to spend as much time there as you want,” Selene said.
“Thank you, princess,” I said to her.
“What exactly will you be doing tomorrow?” the queen asked. “And during your stay here?”
“I intend to find out what is killing these people. I’ve had almost no luck with the wolves. I’m hoping that your people will tell me more, maybe they have symptoms the wolves don’t. I want to find a pattern in who is dying, so I need to find out who is gone so far.”
“We don’t have a list. There have been so many,” said the queen.
“We’ll ask around,” I said. “I want to speak to everyone in the caves. Men, women, and children.”
“And you?” the queen asked Jackson.
“I’m here to keep her protected. My senses are more powerful than hers—I’ll be able to help in her investigation.”
“Good,” said the queen, seeming satisfied for now. I was relieved that she didn’t press any further; I didn’t want her to know how little I really had to go on, and only hoped that the lions would show me something the wolves hadn’t.
“We’d better go,” I said when Jackson squeezed my hand, reminding me that we were connected, in case it was possible I could forget. “Thank you for seeing us, your highness.”
“Goodnight,” the queen said, standing up from her throne. She and Selene filed out but princess Elina lingered for a moment, still looking between us. I felt an urgent need spread through me when he stroked my fingers again, pulling me to follow the guards without another word. Soon we were in our cave not far from the thrones, a simple dwelling with a large feather mattress on the floor, thick, heavy blankets, and candles lit in sconces on the walls. Jackson turned to me as the guards disappeared, leaving us alone in a thick fog of desire that swelled and grew so fierce that it was almost overwhelming.
“Doctor,” he said in a low voice. “Come here.”
“I can’t,” I said to him, voice shaking slightly.
“Can I come to you?” he asked, staring at my face, making me feel bare and naked already.
“I think I need to sleep,” I said to him. He nodded.
“You can have the bed,” he said. “I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“We’re in a cave. The floor is stone. And it’s cold,” I said, knowing that I’d feel guilty not letting him on the mattress.
“So what?” he asked. “You want me in bed with you?”
“It’s big enough. We don’t have to touch,” I said to him. “I just...want to go to sleep.”
“Okay,” he said softly. “Lie down. I’m going to go for a walk.”
“Okay,” I replied, doing as he said. He left me there and I rolled over on my back, my heart beating so hard it seemed like it was going to pound out of my chest. My pussy felt hot and swollen and soaked, desperate to be touched, needy and beyond control. I slipped my hand into my panties and started to rub my clit with my fingers. It was a strange sensation—not something I did often but felt incredible as I started to play with my pussy, eyes closed. My mind filled with thoughts of Jackson as I slipped two fingers into myself, imagining they were his. It was within a few moments that I came all over my hand, whimpering loudly, and a few moments later I fell into sleep.
Chapter 6: Jackson
I felt my jaw clench as I stood on the other side of the curtain, knowing I should move, that I should let her have her privacy. I had hesitated only to hear her start moaning from the bed, and knew exactly what she was doing and what she was thinking about. I wanted to go in there and pull her hand away, replace it with my mouth and my fingers, devour her for as long as I wanted until she came on my face. I shook my head and walked away then, cock throbbing, glad that I didn’t run into anyone as I made my way aimlessly through the system of candlelit caves. I didn’t know what I was looking for, just that I felt too restless to simply lie in bed beside Alicia in the darkness.
“Wolf boy,” came a voice behind me, and I froze for a moment before slapping on a charming smile and turning around to look at the princess.
“Hello, your highness,” I said with a bow. She smiled at me, biting her bottom lip as she stared into my eyes, her head cocked to the side, a sensual look in her eye.
“I’d think you’d want to be in bed with your mate right now,” she said, glancing over her shoulder in the direction of the cave I shared with Alicia. “You had a long day.”
“She fell asleep. I was feeling a little restless.”
“Looking for anything in particular?” she asked.
“No, princess. Nothing in particular.”
“You two really don’t seem like natural mates,” she said innocently. “Just an observation.”
“What do you mean?” I asked her in annoyance, trying to keep it out of my voice.
“I mean—you hardly seem to like each other. You barely even look at each other. It’s not normal for a wolf with his natural mate. Do you even want her?”
“I want her more than I’ve ever wanted anything,” I said.
“Hmph,” said the princess, a pout coming over her face. “Even me?”
“I think fondly of our time together,” I said to her, hoping it was enough. It didn’t wipe the pout off of her face, nor the suspicion behind her eyes.
“I think you’re lying. I think you’re both lying. I don’t like that,” she said. “A human woman on my land? Being disobedient? It’s not safe.”
“What do you mean, Elina?”
“Your highness,” she snapped. I took a deep breath.
“I’m sorry, your highness. I’m just wondering what you mean by saying it’s not safe.”
“If I find out you’re lying about being natural mates, that she’s lying, there will be consequences,” she said.
“Why do you care?” I asked her.
“I want an old blood mate,” she stated indignantly. “It’s not fair for her to have one. And it doesn’t make sense.”
“Princess, I’m sorry, but I’m not...interested,” I said to her, knowing I was walking a delicate line. She paused for a moment and I waited in apprehension, having no idea what she would say.
“Do you know how our mating works here?” she asked.
“Yes,” I replied.
“And do you know why my fam
ily is considered royalty?”
“Yes, princess,” I said to her in a stiff voice.
“Remember that. The only way my powers won’t work is if you have truly bonded with your natural mate. The two of you are not truly bonded.”
“We haven’t...gone through with the bonding yet. But she is my mate,” I said, and meant the last part. I had known for sure the moment we’d kissed the first time.
“Why haven’t you bonded?”
“Forgive me, your highness, but I’d rather not—”
She waved me off.
“It doesn’t matter. Until then, you’re available. If she’s really your natural mate, you’ll be bonded with her before you leave here. Surely the two of you want to bond.”
“We do,” I said through gritted teeth, knowing it wouldn’t happen.
“So do it,” she said with a wicked smile. “Otherwise, you’re mine. If she gets in the way of that—”
“You’re not going to lay a finger on her,” I snarled, and she looked taken aback, taking a step backward. Then she glared at me.
“Try me,” she said coldly, before pivoting and sweeping away. I waited until she was gone to slip back into my cave, saw Alicia sleeping there and wanted desperately to wrap her in my arms. Instead, I lay down, falling asleep quickly.
I woke up in the morning to the feeling of a body pressed back against mine, my arm wrapped around her waist as she rubbed against me.
“Alicia,” I said to her, my face buried in her hair as her ass grinded against my cock.
“Wake up,” I said. “Come on.”
She turned her face to the side, lips parted, and when I realized she was awake I groaned and took her mouth in a hungry kiss, my hand slipping under her shirt, splaying over the soft skin of her stomach. She kissed me back, breathing against my lips, nearly panting as she tasted my mouth. I slipped my hand lower, fingers teasing underneath the line of her panties, waiting for permission, wanting more than anything to give her what she needed. She turned her face away from me and sighed, putting her hand over mine, slipping it into her panties. Her soaking wet pussy was slippery beneath my fingers as I started to stroke up and down her lower lips, slipping one fingertip inside of her, gathering the moisture at the source and spreading it over her entire pussy. I touched her clit for only an instant, rubbing it gently until she whimpered and tried to grind her pussy against my hand.
“Good morning, doc,” I said, bringing my lips to her ear, kissing her just below it as my fingers straddled her clit and rubbed up and down the sensitive sides. She flipped over in a smooth movement, her hands reaching down my pants, pulling my cock out and stroking it with her hand. Her eyes were closed as she slipped out of her pants and her panties. I let her guide my cock into her pussy, felt her need as she took me deep with a soft moan. She was tight and perfect, gushing over my cock as her hips wiggled against me in a way that would have made me cum had I not been holding myself back so hard. I was afraid that if I did I would hold her there and continue going until we bonded fully.
“I get it now,” I said against her lips as she started rocking against me.
“What?” she asked in a breathless voice.
“You were made for me,” I said. “Your pussy was made for me.”
“Yes,” she agreed. I was about to flip her onto her back when I heard a throat clearing outside and she scrambled away from me, breathing heavily as she swiftly slipped back into her clothes.
“What is it?” I asked in annoyance.
“The queen wants you to get started early,” one of the guards said. “We are to show you to the medical cave this morning.”
“Okay,” I called out. “We’ll be right there.”
“Good,” the guard said. Alicia didn’t look at me as she started to run a brush through her hair, staring at the ground instead. On her face was a look of shame that made me sick to see.
“Alicia, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not,” she said in a choked voice, then went quiet as we quickly got ready to leave the cave. She went ahead of me and I followed her without a word, past the curtain and out to where the guards were waiting. We followed them through the cave system, down two flights of stairs and over to a plateau that led to a wide-open cave. It was cool down there and damp, even dimmer than it was above, with only a few candles here and there. We went into a cave, which stretched far backward, deep into the base of the mountain. I saw Alicia look around in wonder as we approached what looked like a medical center in the back.
“Wow,” she said in amazement, and I couldn’t help but feel the same way. Despite being inside of a cave, the place was immaculate, and much bigger than the small medical hut back at the village. There was expensive equipment everywhere, along with a large exam table and a full hospital bed in the corner with an IV drip next to it.
“God, I wish we had this at the village,” she said in an awed voice, moving over to the polished stone counter, picking up a shining scalpel and looking at it closely. For a moment, the shame on her face was gone, replaced with an infectious excitement that brought a smile to my face. I enjoyed watching her as she looked around, seeming to forget about me and the guards. For a moment, it was quiet, then she finally turned to the guards and gave them a grateful nod.
“Thank you,” she said. “It’s amazing.”
“Thank the princess Selene,” the guard said. “She insists that we keep up to date.”
“I’ll thank her when I see her,” Alicia said. “I’ll be able to take samples, run labs.”
“Are the two of you ready to begin with your day?” the guard asked.
“Yes,” I said quickly, at the same time as Alicia. She sounded just as hurried and eager to move on as I felt. Despite the vastness of the cave, it felt tight and tense in the room. I was glad when we left it behind and started up the stone staircase again.
“Where are we supposed to start?” I asked the guard who led the way.
“You will start on the first level of the residence caves and make your way up.”
“Okay,” I said. “How many levels are there?”
“Seven,” she said. “With twenty on each level. Some of them are empty now, since the deaths started occurring.”
I nodded as we reached the residence level, and the guard guided us through a deep tunnel until we emerged into the largest cave we’d seen so far, with several openings covered with curtains. The guard went to the first on the left.
“Mrs. Flay,” the guard said. “The doctor is here to see you. May she come in?”
“Yes,” came a voice from inside. I passed through the curtain behind Alicia and heard the guards walk away behind us. The cave we entered was small but cozy, lit by dozens of candles. A woman sat surrounded by the candles, peering closely down at something in her lap. She put down her knitting and stood when we walked in. She was short—quite a bit shorter than Alicia, and almost as wide as she was tall. There was a haggard look to her face, and her skin was pale as if she didn’t leave the caves very often.
“Hello, Mrs. Flay,” Alicia said politely, shaking the woman’s hand. I did the same as we moved to a small wooden table, sitting around it, our elbows nearly touching. I could feel my thigh pressed against Alicia’s for a moment, warm and close, making me tense up even as she pulled away, trying to scoot as far away from me as possible.
“So what are you doing here?” the woman asked. “How exactly is a doctor going to help? None of us are sick.”
“We don’t know that yet. That’s what I’m here for. I’m going to take samples from you to test and we just need you to answer some questions for us, if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind, but I’m telling you—we ain’t sick. None of us are.”
“What do you suppose is going on, then?” I asked her. She turned her eyes to me and her nose wrinkled up in disgust.
“You’re a wolf,” she said.
“Yes,” I said to her in a careful voice.
“That’s what that
smell is. Dog.”
I didn’t say anything, but sat there in stiff silence, rage filling me at the last word. Alicia sensed the tension and looked at me, then back at Mrs. Flay.
“So no one in your home has been sick? How many people live here?”
“Just me and my husband,” the woman said, and a worried look passed over her face. Alicia frowned.
“Where is he?”
“I...don’t know. He’s been missing for days,” she said, hands trembling as she picked up her knitting again, beginning to work at it furiously with nervous hands. Alicia and I exchanged a glance.
“You have no idea where he is? What happened the last time you saw him?”
“Well, he was going to go meet with...a group of shifters,” the woman said in a hesitant voice.
“Who?” I asked her.
“It—I—it doesn’t matter,” she said, trying to wave it away. Alicia reached forward and took the woman’s hand, looking her in the eye.
“We can help you,” she said softly. “Who was he with?”
“I can’t talk about that,” Mrs. Flay said in a slow voice, glancing around the cave as if it was possible that someone might be around and listening through the stone.
“I can find your husband if I know what’s going on,” I said to her, not wanting at all to offer help but knowing that I had to. “I just need some of his clothes or something to catch the scent.”
She didn’t answer me, and I gritted my teeth as she turned her eyes back to Alicia.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t...have told you that,” she said. “It’s too much. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Alicia said soothingly. “We’ll look for him either way.”
“Thank you,” the woman said, eyes welling up with tears.
“We can leave you alone,” Alicia said. “I just need to take a swab and then we’re done, if you say you don’t have any symptoms.”
“It’s not a sickness, it’s a curse,” Mrs. Flay said.
“A curse,” I said. “From who? Gabriel was under the impression that the witches didn’t have anything to do with it. We have one of them in the village.”
