by Sammie Joyce
He’s not just someone—he’s Gavin. Sure, he messed up, but that doesn’t mean we should cut him out of our lives forever.
We’ll see about that. But allowing him back, that much I can do.
Rose kissed Asher before returning to Gavin, a wide grin on her face. “It’s official—you’re part of our clan again.”
Gavin stepped close, pulling her to him and kissing her hard and deep. His kiss left Rose breathless and wanting more.
Jagger and Mace embraced Gavin, but Asher merely shook his hand. It would take time for Asher to forgive him completely, but Rose knew that with time, he and Gavin would be able to mend their bond.
Gavin swept her off her feet. “I’ve missed you, Rose. Let me show you how much.”
Rose hesitated. As much as she wanted to be with Gavin, she didn’t want to leave her other mates waiting outside the door like she had last night. That had been an oversight, one she had corrected.
“Take me to bed, then. We’ll all go.”
A shadow seemed to pass across Gavin’s face, but it was gone so quickly that Rose wasn’t even sure she’d seen it in the first place. “Of course—all of us.”
Gavin carried her all the way back to the basement. Rose realized that she was cutting class again, but showing Gavin how happy she was that he was back was more important. He laid her out on the bed, undressing her slowly.
In the background, Asher, Mace, and Jagger led a strip show for her. Rose tried to keep a straight face, which was made easier when her eyes were drawn by Gavin undressing himself.
They’d only been apart for a few days, but it felt like a lifetime. She kissed him hungrily, her hands skimming over his body. She wanted to touch him everywhere.
Gavin was taking his time, kissing every inch of her skin. Asher wasn’t as patient. Rose could see that his cock was already leaking precome as it stood up proudly, almost touching his chest.
He crawled onto the bed, and she spread her legs, ready for him. Gavin growled in frustration, and looked like he might be about to challenge Asher for the spot between Rose’s legs, but Rose caught his face in both hands. “There’s plenty of me to go around. Let’s just enjoy this, okay?”
She reinforced her words with a hand on Gavin’s cock. It didn’t take long to draw his focus back to her. Rose kissed him again as Asher pushed into her pussy. The double assault on her mouth and pussy was delicious.
Rose could see Jagger and Mace giving Asher and Gavin some space, both waiting their turns with their hands on their dicks.
As Asher thrust into her, Rose could feel herself approaching her peak, but she wanted to save it for Gavin. She gritted her teeth, trying not to come yet. It was difficult with the way Gavin was licking her nipples.
Asher finally came with a yell, falling to the side and taking her hand tenderly. Gavin was there, ready to take his place. Rose eagerly wrapped her legs around him. Gavin lowered himself so that he was hovering over her, kissing her while holding himself up on his arms.
It didn’t take long—Rose had already been on the edge. She clutched Gavin’s shoulders for dear life as she came. He finished a couple of strokes later, moving to lie close beside her. He clearly wanted to cuddle, and Rose did too, but she wasn’t going to let Jagger and Mace be left out.
A quick look showed that Jagger had already spilled into his own hand. Rose kissed him, long and slow, before turning to Mace. “Come here.”
She pulled him closer by his hips, taking his cock into her mouth. Mace groaned as he thrust in. Rose took down his whole length, something that had taken her time to learn but was certainly well worth the effort.
Mace’s hips seemed a blur as he pushed his cock in and out of Rose’s mouth. She could barely keep up with him, spit running down her chin. When he finally came, she swallowed it all down, licking his cock clean before lying back on the bed.
Gavin put his arm over her as Mace came to lie pressed up against her back. Rose sighed happily. When she woke up this morning, she hadn’t imagined feeling this content or filled with joy just hours later, but she was.
Now that Gavin was back, everything was perfect.
Well, almost everything. There was still an undercurrent to his thoughts that she didn’t understand, and when she tried to reach for it, he slithered effortlessly away. For the most part, his mind was open to her, but there was a small nugget that he kept closed, one that hadn’t existed before.
Rose didn’t think any of the others were aware of it, even Jagger. He’d been right; she was the closest to Gavin, and only she could see this small part of his mind he clearly didn’t want anyone to see.
As much as she wondered what was there, Rose knew that pushing him would do no good at this state. Maybe in a few weeks, when they were all more settled, she’d ask him to confide in her, but for now, she’d just have to be patient.
Gavin’s joy at being with her again was real. His love was real. For now, that was enough.
Rose shuffled into class, shamefaced, about an hour late. Gavin had wanted to spend the rest of the day in bed, and the other dragons had been more than approving of the idea.
As tempting as it had been, Rose had turned them down. She couldn’t really afford to be missing class again. They were preparing for the fight with Hellith. Nothing could be more important than that. Having multiple orgasms every day was not going to protect her when Hellith finally did decide to renew the attack.
“Rose. Nice of you to join us.”
Elaine may have been understanding the first time, but now that it was clear Rose wasn’t crippled by depression, she wasn’t as impressed. Then her eyes moved from Rose to Gavin.
“Oh. I see. Well, sit down, then.”
“Hey, Gavin.” Annabelle looked like she was considering getting out of her chair and clobbering him. Asher wasn’t the only one who might take a while to forgive Gavin for the pain his absence had caused Rose.
Rose put a restraining hand on her friend’s arm as she sat down. She needed to catch up on what she’d missed, and that wasn’t going to happen if Annabelle started a brawl. Asher would probably be on her side. Jagger would protect Gavin, and Mace would likely sit it out, trying to make peace from the sidelines.
An accurate description, most likely. Could be fun. Jagger winked at her. Rose schooled her expression. It didn’t help that he knew exactly how hard she was trying to keep from laughing.
Today, they were testing their shields. Since the dragons were there anyway to protect Rose, they volunteered to help. Of course, they got into an argument over who got to practice with Rose. She broke it by telling them they’d have to draw straws.
Mace won and ignored Gavin’s glower as he went to stand with Rose. “I’m all yours. Protect me.”
Rose threw up her strongest shield, waiting for Annabelle’s cast.
Apparently, her shield wasn’t strong enough. Moments later, Mace collapsed, barely able to breathe for laughter.
“Hurry up, reverse it!” Rose had to admit that it was hilarious. It took Annabelle a few tries to reverse the tickling spell. The next time she tried, instead of hitting Mace, her spell went wide and hit Gavin. Wendy was supposed to be shielding him, but for some reason, she dropped her shield at the last moment.
Instead of dropping with laughter, Gavin yelled in pain, crumpling to the ground.
“HEY!” Rose put herself between him and Annabelle, who quickly reversed the spell. “Annabelle!”
“Whoops, I guess my aim went wide. Sorry.”
Rose wasn’t buying it. “That was out of line.”
“I said I was sorry.”
She didn’t look at all sorry, but Rose let it go. She noticed that Asher didn’t seem particularly unhappy about an attack on one of his brothers. She sourly wondered how long it would take everyone to get over this. Gavin was back, that was what mattered.
The rest of the lesson went without mishap. They all went to dinner together, though Annabelle was still shooting Gavin dirty looks whenever she t
hought Rose wasn’t looking. As they ate, Rose opened a private mental channel with Gavin.
Alright, spill. What is it that you’re keeping hidden from everyone else?
Alarm colored Gavin’s mental tone. What do you mean? Apparently, he hadn’t realized quite how deep she was able to see inside him.
I can tell you’re hiding something in your mind. I’m not going to tell Asher about it—that’s your business—but I think you were going to tell me earlier today, when the others interrupted. Tell me now. I can tell it’s bothering you.
It was nothing. I just wanted to say how sorry I am. I know it’s been rough for you with me gone.
He was lying. Gavin had never lied to her before, and Rose didn’t like it. Still, she knew better than to push him—that was just going to make him retreat further.
Where did you go, anyway?
You don’t expect me to give away all my secrets, do you?
Well, it’s not like you’ll need a secret place again—since I’m not letting you go more than three feet from me for the rest of your life.
Who says I won’t need it? Maybe I’ll kidnap you—take you on a secret honeymoon and not release you until the hills ring with the sound of you screaming my name.
Rose had learned that exchanging dirty talk with her dragons at dinner was a recipe for embarrassment, so she quickly changed the subject. Maybe when we’ve defeated Hellith, we can all go.
Gavin hesitated. Sure. That’ll be great.
He was lying again.
Gavin kept eating, aware that Rose knew he wasn’t being completely honest, but clearly not willing to talk about it. Rose knew she should tell Asher, but if she did, Asher would insist Gavin tell him everything. If he did that, Gavin would probably refuse, and if that happened, Rose wouldn’t put it past Asher to kick Gavin out of the clan for good.
Asher didn’t tolerate secrets well, and she knew he had good reason. They were all relying on each other for protection. They couldn’t do that if they didn’t all have all of the information.
But Rose couldn’t bear to lose him again. She would have to hope that he’d tell her in time. Doing something that may get him taken away from her for good was unthinkable.
Chapter Eight
“What do you guys have planned tomorrow?” Annabelle was half-sitting on Dane’s lap, but it didn’t bother Rose anymore, not now that her own broken heart was mended.
Tomorrow was a Saturday. So far, Maria had ruled that they got weekends off from battle training, though Rose knew that if things got more serious with Hellith, even that luxury may not be affordable.
Rose’s plans for tomorrow had involved a lot of naked, sweaty bodies, but she wasn’t about to admit that aloud. “Nothing in particular.”
“Do you want to come pumpkin picking with Dane and me?”
Of all the things Rose had expected, that wasn’t it. “Pumpkin picking?”
“There’s a pumpkin patch around the back of the mansion, where they grow some stuff for the kitchens. It’s traditional for the new witches of the coven to pick them for the Autumn Festival.”
Rose was feeling stupider by the moment. “What’s that?”
“Every year, there’s a festival to celebrate the new witches of the coven—when our powers are at their best and purest. It’s kind of a rite of passage. Some of the older witches decorate the ballroom with pumpkins and spells and things. It sounds like it’ll be a great night—fancy dress, dancing, and there will be a feast.”
Annabelle’s eyes were shining with excitement, but her explanation just made Rose sad. She’d missed so much that normal witches got to do. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. Hellith was after her, and she knew that it wasn’t safe for her act like everything was normal.
Apart from her classes, she spent most of her time in the basement with her dragons. Rose loved spending time with them, but the thought of the Autumn Festival filled her with longing. Of course, she couldn’t. It wasn’t safe. With so many people, it would be easy for Hellith to disguise herself and sneak in to make an attempt on Rose’s life.
She considered asking Asher, but decided against it. He’d just have to say no, and then he’d feel bad for it.
Still, she couldn’t bring herself to disappoint Annabelle. The place she was describing was small and sheltered, and there were only four new coven members, so it wouldn’t be too crowded. That much would be safe enough.
“Sure, pumpkin picking sounds great.”
Rose was sure her dragons picked up her melancholy thoughts, but none of them said anything. What could they say? Risking her life for an evening of fun and belonging wasn’t a good idea. It just made it worse that this wasn’t the first thing like this Rose had missed.
While Annabelle, Wendy and Jade had been going through initiation rituals as new members of the coven, Rose had been in meetings with Maria and Asher, trying to formulate a battle strategy against Hellith.
When they had been at a lunch with some of the more senior witches, which would allow them to have an idea of who they wanted to mentor them in future, Rose had been rushed away because of a possible breach in the shields.
Maria had feared it might be Hellith and wanted to keep Rose out of sight. It turned out to be an ordinary glitch in the shielding, but by the time that was discovered, the lunch was over.
Mace took her hand as they walked back to the basement, offering his silent support. Rose didn’t know how she’d stand the coming weeks of her friends talking excitedly about the festival, but it wasn’t like she had much of a choice.
Her dragons encouraged her to go to bed early, no doubt seeing that she was miserable and hoping she’d wake up feeling better the next day.
When Rose woke, she was determined to try her best to enjoy the pumpkin picking. She may not get to go to the Autumn Festival, but this, at least, she could do. She may as well have as much fun as she could without letting herself become overwhelmed with sadness that she couldn’t go to the actual event.
Her dragons were all exchanging looks at breakfast. Rose probed their minds, but found them closed to her. This wasn’t the worrying sensation she was experiencing with Gavin, where he’d completely cordoned off a section of thoughts.
They were keeping their minds separate from hers, so that she couldn’t see anything they were thinking. Rose recognized the signs—they were planning a surprise for her and didn’t want to ruin it by letting her read it in their thoughts.
Her spirits lifted a bit. Any surprise her dragons planned was bound to be a good one.
“You ready?” Annabelle and Dane were holding hands.
“Sure.” Rose got up and followed them through the mansion, outside and around to the pumpkins, her dragons trailing behind her.
Wendy and Jade were already there, laughing as they compared the merits of two pumpkins.
“We’re supposed to pick out thirty,” Annabelle explained. “Then the more experienced witches of the coven will use magic on them to make them bigger and enhance them in some way. Make them glow in the dark, or cover them in magical glitter, that kind of thing.”
Rose nodded, already scanning the rows and rows of pumpkins. She crouched down next to one.
“What about this one? It’s a bit small, but its form is perfect—very symmetrical. It’ll look great when it’s blown up.”
“Trust you to analyze the anatomy of a pumpkin,” Jagger muttered. Rose shoved him out of the way of her pumpkin. She and Annabelle quickly got into a spirited discussion over the merits of symmetry versus brightness in pumpkins.
Jagger and Gavin started arguing over how many pumpkin pies they would be able to eat in one go. Rose was glad to see that their banter was nothing but that—their usual bickering, nothing serious like the fight they’d had before Gavin left.
Dane vanished behind the rows of pumpkins, no doubt looking for fresh ones that hadn’t been examined yet.
Rose and Annabelle made their way down the row, picking a few pumpkins here and there, leaving o
thers that they deemed inferior.
As they rounded a corner, Dane was suddenly there. On the other side of the greenhouse, out of sight until now, he stood in front of a pumpkin the size of a small car. He had a bouquet of autumn leaves, with some orange flowers scattered in.
Annabelle and Rose stopped, staring at him in surprise.
“Annabelle, would you be my date to the Autumn Festival?” He gave her a look that was both hot and sweet at once.
Annabelle squealed in delight. “Of course, I’d love to!”
Rose turned away as the two of them started kissing, trying to ignore the lump in her throat. She knew she should be happy for Annabelle, but it was hard when she’d give anything to be going to the upcoming festival herself.
She went back to the pumpkins, wondering if she could volunteer to be on the decoration team for the ballroom. That would at least be some involvement, and the best she was likely to get.
Rose looked around for her dragons. She needed some comfort right now, and one of them was always close, ready to put their arm around her, or tear off heads to defend her. She’d settle for the arm at the moment.
To her surprise, none of them were in sight.
Fear abruptly erased her sadness. “Asher? Mace? Jagger, Gavin?”
Wendy and Jade looked up, their expressions also ones of sudden alarm.
“Rose? Come here a moment.”
“In a minute, Dane, I just need to find—”
Follow Dane.
Asher’s voice in her head filled her with relief. He didn’t sound stressed or tense, as he surely would if they were under some kind of attack.
Rose hurried back around the greenhouse, ready to give her guys a scolding for scaring her.
Annabelle and Dane moved aside. The huge pumpkin that Dane had stood in front of was now open. Part of its side had been turned into a door. Inside, there were sparkling lights all over the carved-out walls.
Asher beckoned her inside. Giggling in amazement, Rose squeezed in. Mace and Jagger moved aside to make space for her.
