Unleashed

by Tiffany Roberts

Balir gritted his teeth against his disappointment; it had been so easy to hope, though he’d known it had been an unlikely hope. “Her body is battling the venom. Give her some space.” His beast clamored in fury, wanting to spill more of the worm’s blood for having done this to his mate. He placed his hands on his knees and pushed himself to his feet. “I am going to scout deeper into the cave.”

  “You should not go alone,” Aduun said.

  “What good will your eyes do here?” Balir asked, his tone too harsh. He released a slow breath before continuing. “I will be fine, Aduun. Your concern is appreciated, but this is no different than your venturing out alone to hunt. Try to give her water, carefully. It will help.”

  “We will care for her. Be safe,” Vortok said when Aduun didn’t answer.

  Balir’s pang of guilt was almost enough to distract him from his rage, his bloodlust, his helplessness, almost enough to keep him there with his friends and his mate… But his beast hadn’t quite accepted them as a pack. There was still struggle there, still conflict.

  “You as well,” he replied before turning away and walking deeper into the cave.

  The gentle crackling of the small fire soon faded as Balir moved through the winding passage. The walls followed no apparent pattern, widening and drawing together at random, but there didn’t seem to be any spots too narrow for Vortok to fit through, even if he’d have to turn sideways and empty his lungs at a few points.

  Balir examined the cave’s features through sound-sight and touch. Though the walls and floor were difficult to discern from a natural cavern, he noted the lack of the spikey formations that often protruded from the ceilings and floors of most of the caves he’d been in. Though it went through twists and turns, there were no branching paths, no other chambers, not a single crevice in the walls. This place was old, but it was not ancient, and it had not been shaped by Sonhadra.

  He walked for a long while, detecting neither sound nor scent to indicate the presence of any other creatures. The air current remained at his back, urging him along, and soon its chill was contrasted by a slight increase in warmth of the air ahead of him. The echo of his clicking changed subtly; he lifted a hand to the wall again, running his fingertips over the stone.

  Through most of the cave, the rock had been uneven and bumpy, but smooth-feeling. Here it was gritty, rougher, and felt as though it ran in crude striations.

  The air continued to warm gradually as he advanced. He bit back the urge to hurry forward; his beast sensed open air somewhere ahead, though it was yet far-off, and the barrenness of the cave would not satisfy its hunger.

  Control. For Nina, I must be in control.

  Had she stirred again? Had she woken? It didn’t seem likely, but the thought of not being with her when she finally opened her eyes made his gut churn.

  This is the right thing, he told himself. The best thing. At least until I know I am in control.

  The cave steadily widened around him, the walls running in smoother, rounded curves, like the stone had been scooped out by some massive tool. Balir felt a grit of sand under his feet, thickening as he walked forward. And then he sensed it — the opening. A wide, circular hole in the stone, and beyond it…

  A distant, sighing wind. There was a strange quality to the sound, as though it were at once amplified and muffled. Heat.

  The heat nearly lured him out of the cave.

  He stopped himself before he reached the opening, pressing a hand against the stone to anchor himself in place. After so much cold, the warmth radiating from outside was delightful, and he craved it.

  But he and his companions were going to do this together. They would press on together, face the coming challenges together, and find their people together.

  Both times they’d moved from one area to the next, the way from which they’d come had been somehow sealed or obscured. Would something be triggered if he crossed through that opening? Would the cave seal behind him, separating him from his companions, trapping them forever?

  He couldn’t risk that. Couldn’t endanger Aduun, Vortok, and Nina simply because his beast hungered. He would not allow his judgment to be clouded, not when it came to everyone’s safety.

  His claws scraped stone as his fingers involuntarily curled.

  Balir’s stomach clenched, suddenly hollow, begging to be filled with warm, bloody flesh, to be sated by the thrill of a fresh kill.

  We have meat. It is not a recent kill, but it is enough to satisfy my urges. It will be enough.

  He growled and shoved away from the wall.

  The return trip was much faster, sped in part by his agitation. The air swiftly grew colder, and he smelled the fire long before he rounded the bend that led into the wide space in which they’d made camp; its smell mingled with the combined scents of Vortok, Aduun, and Nina; the smell of blood was greatly diminished, leading him to assume they’d taken some time to wash.

  Once he’d informed them that he’d found the exit and suggested they move Nina closer to it, Vortok and Aduun quickly gathered and repacked the items they’d removed from the bags and put out the fire, salvaging what fuel they could from its remains. Aduun carried Nina again, guided by Balir’s tail, while Vortok — moving with more confidence and stability, but grunting and grumbling every time the cave narrowed — took the rear.

  They laid Nina on her blanket near the mouth of the cave, where the space was broad enough for all of them to lay side-by-side if they chose. Balir sat next to her, folding half the blanket over her naked body while Vortok and Aduun moved to the opening and paused on either side. Both heeded Balir’s advice and didn’t pass through.

  “I have never seen a land such as this,” Aduun said after a long while.

  “The stories were not wrong,” Vortok said. “Dust, sand, and rock. The plants look stunted and dry.”

  “And the sun… Even here in the shade, it is almost too bright to look out.”

  “At least it is warm,” said Vortok.

  Balir opened the bag containing their food and withdrew a strip of dried meat. “Pleasantly so in here, but it will be withering heat once we enter that sun.”

  Vortok turned away from the opening, his hooves thumping on the cave floor as he walked over and sat beside Balir. “Can a land like this truly exist without water?”

  “So say the tales.” Balir turned his head toward Nina and frowned. The valos could still know thirst, could still be maddened by it, but it would not kill them as it would her. “We will need to refill the waterskins from the other side of the cave before we venture beyond this point.”

  He tore off a chunk of meat with his teeth and chewed. It was tough and flavorless to him now, and he knew it was because of his beast’s cravings.

  Aduun joined them, sitting at Nina’s other side. Balir pulled out two more strips of meat, passing one to Vortok and the other to Aduun.

  “This is all meant as punishment for us,” Aduun said, “but thus far, she is the one to have truly suffered.”

  Balir settled his hand lightly over hers. “She was never supposed to be here.”

  “Would you have it any other way, now that we’ve had her?” Aduun asked. “Can you imagine being without her?”

  “No, I cannot imagine it.”

  “If I could change things, I would make sure she never fell into my cage,” Vortok said. The words sparked Balir’s beast; it reacted as though he’d threatened to take her away, to steal its mate. “Our freedom is not worth her suffering. She should not be the one to pay the price.”

  Nina’s fingers twitched beneath Balir’s hand.

  “Wouldn’t…change a thing,” she said quietly.

  Balir’s attention snapped back to her, his breath catching in his throat. She turned her hand and laced her fingers with his.

  “You’re worth it. All of you are,” she said.

  The tightness in Balir’s chest wasn’t worry or fear now, wasn’t rage or possessiveness. It was relief; overwhelming, all-encompassing relief. And somethin
g more, something even stronger.

  He leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead. The sweetness of her skin mingled with the saltiness of her sweat on his tongue.

  “How do you feel?” Vortok asked. His hooves scraped the stone floor as he moved closer.

  “My shoulder burns, but I think I’m okay. Just…hot, and my stomach is a little unsettled.” She reached out with her other hand and touched Vortok’s arm. “What about you? I know that thing got you too.”

  “My backside stings a little, but I’m well enough. I will not let a worm prevent me from sitting down.”

  “You should try to drink if you can,” Aduun said, and the sloshing of water told Balir he had one of the skins in his hand. “We will take as much time as you need to recover.”

  There was silence for a moment. Balir frowned.

  “I am a burden to you,” she said. “If not for me, you—”

  “Would still be caged,” Balir interrupted, “as we’ve said. You are the one who released us.”

  “You are the one who guides us,” Vortok added.

  “And you are the one who is holding us together,” Aduun finished.

  Balir covered her cheek with his palm, only to draw his hand away when he found moisture there. He lifted a finger to his mouth and touched his tongue to it; the water was salty, but not like her sweat. It was her tears.

  Nina stared up into three concerned faces, and her heart constricted. Other than her parents, no one had ever looked at her like this. No one else had ever cared. The woman who gave birth to her had treated Nina with contempt from the beginning, and though Miss Dana had been kind, she’d only helped due to a sense of guilt — something Nina hadn’t understood as a child.

  That these valos had come to care for her so much when only days ago they’d suspected her of being in league with Kelsharn was overwhelming.

  “What is wrong?” Balir asked.

  “I wish I was stronger.” Nina sniffled, wiping her cheeks. “That I wasn’t such a…a coward. Maybe then I could have used my abilities better, or controlled them, but I’ve always hidden myself away from everyone. And now…” She turned her face away from Balir, wanting nothing more than to hide even though he couldn’t see her, but it only brought Aduun into view. His penetrating eyes struck deep. “I’m just holding you back.”

  “You are pushing us forward,” Aduun said, cupping her cheeks and leaning down until he was her entire world. “And you will not give up. Do you understand, hoomin? You are our tribe, our mate, and you will stand with us always, even if we have to hold you up.”

  Despite her aching muscles and the dull pain in her shoulder, Nina raised her arms and embraced him, settling her hands over his flattened quills.

  “You are all worth it,” she repeated, nuzzling her face against his neck. He wrapped his arms around her, lifted her off the floor, and drew her close, settling her between his legs so she could lay against his chest. His short fur was soothing against her bare skin.

  “As are you,” Aduun replied, running a hand down her back.

  When Balir and Vortok moved closer, Aduun opened his arms. All three valos surrounded her, putting their arms around each other’s shoulders, forming a ring of muscle, fur, and scales that protected her from everything and anything outside of it. For a little while, her aches faded, her worries dissolved, and she had the odd, satisfying sensation of being home.

  Eventually, Balir and Vortok pulled back. Vortok helped Nina drink from the waterskin before he and Balir seated themselves on either side of Aduun, each keeping a hand on Nina. The comfort of their touches, their nearness, soon lulled her back to sleep.

  Chapter Fourteen

  A bright light shining in the darkness roused Nina from sleep. Her eyes adjusted slowly; the walls of the cave seemed to solidify around her, their details easing into view a little at a time. The light beyond the cave’s opening had that pure, golden quality that usually signified mid-morning.

  She stretched, feeling thirsty but strangely rejuvenated. Even her shoulder didn’t hurt as much as it had before she’d slept. Her thighs brushed against fur and scales as she moved. The bed beneath her stirred, and she lifted her head to find herself laying face down on Aduun, her legs straddling his, with Balir and Vortok pressed close on either side.

  Looking up, she met Aduun’s alert amber eyes and smiled. “Good morning,” she said and winced at the gravelly sound of her voice.

  Vortok groaned and shifted his bulk, reaching behind him. After a bit of feeling around, he produced a waterskin and held it to her, all without opening his eyes.

  Nina took it with a quiet thank you before removing the stopper and drinking. The water, though warm, felt wonderful to her parched throat. She sealed the container and set it down beside Aduun when a pair of hands grabbed her waist and pulled her off him.

  Balir laid her on her side, facing him, and wrapped his limbs and tail around her. His rattling purr vibrated into her, and Nina’s breath hitched as the sensation budded her nipples.

  “How do you feel?” he whispered in her ear. His breath teased her hair, sending a delightful shiver straight to her core.

  “Good,” she replied huskily.

  “May I make you feel even better?” One of his hands brushed over her breast and trailed lower over her abdomen.

  Nina’s breath quickened. A sudden, needy ache blossomed between her legs, and warmth flooded her. She parted her thighs, welcoming his touch. “Yes.”

  His long fingers continued past the hair covering her mound and slipped between the folds of her sex. She made a small sound when he brushed her clit. He paused, and his lips curled in a slow, mischievous grin, revealing his sharp teeth. His fingers delved farther into her heat to gather her moisture before lazily swirling around her clit. Pleasure bloomed, slow and wonderful, within her. It spread gradually, coaxing her to ease her body into his caress and give in to him.

  Panting, she grasped Balir’s arms and squeezed her eyes closed as the sensations steadily grew. Her thighs trembled, and she lingered on the edge, rocking her pelvis into his touch. Balir inhaled deeply and growled.

  He suddenly pushed her onto her back. She opened her eyes as he rose over her, teeth bared, and wedged his body between her spread thighs. The head of his cock pressed against her opening. Anxiety and anticipation warred within her; she braced herself for the coming pain.

  Balir surged forward, filling her to the hilt.

  Nina cried out his name in a gasp, throwing her head back. There was no pain; her moisture and his secretions made his entry smooth, leaving only that fullness that forced her to stretch to accommodate his size and that delicious friction produced by every pump of his hips.

  He grabbed her legs and guided them around his waist before dropping his hands to her hips. His hold drew her against him to meet his thrusts, pushing him deeper. The light graze of his claws over her skin and the stroke of the scales at the base of his shaft only added to her pleasure. She dropped her hands to either side of her head and clenched fistfuls of the fabric.

  Her lips parted as she panted with every pound of Balir’s cock, and met both Aduun and Vortok’s gazes. They watched her raptly, their gazes filled with hunger, their bodies tense with longing. Vortok sat with his legs stretched out before him, and Aduun was on his knees, giving her a full view of their erections.

  Vortok lowered a hand to his shaft and curled his fingers around it. His eyes darkened with lust as he stroked himself, never looking away from her.

  Nina met Aduun’s gaze and bit her lip. She covered her breasts with her hands. His gaze followed, and his fists clenched at his sides. He appeared ready to pounce at any moment.

  Balir released her hips, though he didn’t slow his pace. He fell over her, one hand dropping to the blanket beside her head while he brought the other to her face. She looked at him. The pad of his thumb brushed over her lips, the tip of a finger traced her brow and swept across her temple to her hairline and back again; he was feeling her ex
pression, looking at her through touch.

  Nina lifted her hands and cupped the sides of his head, brushing her fingers over the bony ridge atop his skull.

  —so warm, so beautiful. She’s mine. Mine—

  And you are mine, she projected as she opened herself up to him.

  Their minds connected with even more intimacy than their bodies shared, and Nina cried out. She was consumed, overwhelmed, and forced into a frenzy that rivaled his beast’s. Balir moved with such speed that the friction was almost too much to bear, and she matched him. They shared their thoughts, shared their pleasure, shared everything until she could not tell him from herself.

  Ecstasy burst through them, striking like a bolt of lightning to course through her limbs like rolling thunder. She screamed and released her hold on his head to wrap her arms around him, her anchor, as her body tensed, paralyzed by the surge of pleasure.

  Balir dropped his other hand to the blanket, arched his back, and roared. Heat filled her sex as his thrusts became sporadic. He didn’t stop until the urgency had left them both; even then, they quivered with the remnants of the passion they’d shared both within and beyond their psychic connection.

  Panting, Nina eased her hold on him, caressing his face before she let her hands fall to rest beside her head. His breath was just as heavy as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. She returned the kiss, savoring his taste, loving the way his firm lips molded to hers.

  Balir lifted his head. “That… You…” He swallowed thickly. “I felt you.”

  A pang of guilt flared within her. Had she intruded? She hadn’t asked his permission to connect her mind with his, hadn’t warned him beforehand that she could do it or what it meant. It had simply felt right.

  Balir settled a hand over her pounding heart. “Do not close yourself off to me, Nina. I feel you here, always.” He touched his other hand to the spot on his chest where he’d absorbed his heartstone. “And I long to feel you here, as well.” He tapped his temple.

  Tears misted her eyes. He was accepting her, completely. She pressed her fingers to his cheek. “Okay.”