Royal Pride

by Zelda Knight

I swallowed, realizing that he was right.

  There was a reason that wolf shifters stayed away from humans. Especially the unmated ones. Those who were mated were part of larger packs that had land away from humans anyway so didn't bother mixing. There were hunters amongst the humans—those who captured wolves on human land and ended them in terrible ways.

  My heart raced just thinking of approaching them, but Caine was right in a sense. The others weren't likely to follow us out there, were they? Two packs of wolves sneaking into human territory... It would be too crazy.

  "Are you sure about this?" I asked.

  Caine's sure nod was all I needed.

  "As long as you agree, Mina," he said, looking at her. "This concerns you too."

  He reached out, brushing the tangled threads of Mina's hair from her face as she considered.

  "Our other option is to find somewhere in the mountains, hide there, fight any alphas that track us."

  Mina only considered for a moment.

  "Two packs against us three?" She shook her head and with a trembling breath, tilted her chin up. "No. Let's find a human village."

  Her voice quavered but her bravery warmed me straight through.

  “We’ll protect you,” I promised.

  “We won’t let them get you,” Caine added.

  Chapter Six

  CAINE

  I meant that promise down to my bones as I lead the other two down the mountain, toward human territory. Mina and Brighton were my family. They already had been, but now it was official.

  There was only one thing that could now separate us: death.

  And as my heart soared from this strange, nostalgic feeling of completion from belonging to a family, I was also overcome with worry that I tried not to let show.

  Brighton was more than capable on his own, but he had always trusted me, looked up to me and faithfully took my lead.

  Mating with Mina might not have been the right choice, it put us all in danger, but I couldn't bring myself to regret it.

  On all four wolf paws, the mountain was easy to scale. The three of us made quick work of it. Of course, between the three of us, it wouldn't take long for any shifter following us to realize where we were headed.

  It didn't matter though. As long as we got into a human town before they got to us, that was all that mattered. Surely, they wouldn’t send a group of wolves after us. That would be too dangerous, and we could handle them one on one. All we needed was enough time for her father's anger to diffuse.

  Although the Cliffmont alpha, Rafe, might not be too happy with us. We had killed one of his own... Well, I had anyway. If it came to it, I would take the blame and punishment. Anything to protect my family.

  Whenever I glanced back, Mina's slight form was close behind me, focused on the path at foot. Brighton flanked her.

  They both looked so determined that my heart squeezed.

  Our path was clear but still, I remained alert, listening for any unexpected sounds, nose searching the air for the hint of any other shifters.

  Twice I caught the scent of other predators, a regular wolf up wind and a cougar above us, somewhere in the trees.

  Neither bothered us.

  Somehow, we cleared the forest without so much as tripping. My suspicious nature found it hard to accept that we were in the clear, yet there, below us, a road stretched.

  Humans loved things to be neat and orderly and unnatural. The road was a perfect example. Smooth and shiny like a scar running through the land in either direction farther than I could see.

  Instead of going straight down to it, we walked the ledge above it, watching the brightly colored cars drive past.

  It wasn't a very busy road by human standards, with vehicles driving by every few minutes. From my brief time amongst the humans, after the pack fell apart, I knew they lived in cities so congested with people and pollution that this was probably too far into the mountains for most to venture.

  Finally, I spotted something of use.

  I shifted, stretching to crack muscles and bones after hours in wolf form.

  "Down there," I said, pointing.

  The inn was quite large, stretching almost as high as the trees behind it.

  "We're going to stay there?"

  Mina's uncertain voice drew my gaze.

  She was human again, biting her lip in distress, staring down at the building.

  I swallowed back the overwhelming urge to hold her, to feel her soft skin against mine once more, even just for a moment. This wasn't the time.

  But her nudity reminded me.

  "We can't go in like this."

  My gaze lingered pointedly over her naked body, the lovely soft curves.

  "Why not?"

  "Humans are never naked," Brighton explained from behind her. "They're too sensitive to the elements, or something like that."

  Her eyes widened.

  "Oh. What are we going to do? All our belongings are back home."

  I exchanged a look with Brighton.

  "Watch her."

  His jaw tightened, but he nodded.

  "Be fast."

  At his words, I shifted back into my wolf form and began to scale the tall ledge down to the road.

  I listened for cars and when I was sure none were coming, I ran as fast as I could to the other side, straight into the trees on the opposite side.

  Hiding in the shadows, I crouched low and waited, watching all the doors.

  A few minutes of tension later, a door finally opened and a large man stepped out. He was about middle-aged, but his hair was nearly all gone, and his belly protruded in a way that only a full human’s ever did. He didn't lock the door behind him which could be good or bad. I could get in with no issue but clearly, he was only stepping out for a minute. There might not be enough time to do anything but get in there.

  Without waiting to find out, I took off toward the hotel, whipping past the other rooms fast enough that hopefully no one caught sight of me.

  When I reached his door, I paused, listening.

  There was no discernable noise from inside. He was probably here alone.

  From nearby though, there was a clank of metal that I recognized as a vending machine, then footsteps back in this direction.

  Shit.

  I shifted, threw open the door, shutting it behind me and locking it—just in case.

  The room was dark, but there was enough light from the window to see. It was in a bit of a heap, clothing and belongings strewn around the room, but it smelled clean.

  I snatched a duffle bag off the back of a chair. It had a few things in it which I didn't bother emptying. A pair of pants were on the floor, another folded pile of clothes sat on the edge of the bed. I grabbed both just as the door rattled.

  I froze for a moment.

  "What the fuck," was mumbled from outside, then, the jingle of keys.

  Without waiting to find out if those were the right ones for the door, I ran into the washroom and threw the bag out the small window.

  In wolf form, leaping through the small gap was easy.

  I landed outside just as I heard the door swoop open. Despite myself, I waited, listening for a reaction.

  But it seemed as though I'd taken little enough that he hadn't noticed.

  Good. We didn't need any extra commotion just yet, especially when we were going to be wearing his clothes.

  I opened the bag, shuffling through it to see what I had got. A few outfits. Nothing fancy. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. They were both slightly loose but stayed put.

  I looked up at the sound of wolves approaching, ready to shift back as my heart raced.

  "There you are."

  Brighton shifted to his human form, Mina following his lead.

  "We got worried when he went back in," she explained. "Are you okay?"

  "I'm fine," I said, gesturing to the bag.

  "Take your pick."

  She squinted down at the haul, eventually pulling out a black
t-shirt.

  It said GOLF KING on it, but when she pulled it over her head it hung almost down to her knees and the words were hard to make out.

  Brighton followed our lead, pulling on tan slacks and a collared shirt that he looked a bit ridiculous in.

  In fact, we all looked a little silly, but this was the best we could do quickly.

  "Come on."

  I lead us to the front of the inn, where the concierge sat looking bored behind a large desk. I could practically feel Brighton and Mina’s nerves prickling my skin.

  "Booking number?"

  I started at the concierge’s first question. He didn't even look up at us when he said it.

  I glanced at the other two, but they were no help, both completely out of their depths. Brighton shrugged helplessly.

  "Sorry, what number?" I asked.

  Finally, the young man looked up at us. He paused, taking us in, expression unreadable.

  "I'm guessing you don't have a booking?" he asked.

  I shook my head.

  With a polite smile, he began to type on his computer, eyes fixed to the screen.

  "We have three rooms available. How long are you planning on staying?"

  "A couple days," I said trying to sound confident. I had no clue how long we were going to be here. We were winging this whole thing.

  "Hm. That's going to be harder with a two or three bed. You might have to transfer in a night if that's okay with you?"

  "We only need one bed," Brighton said.

  The man glanced at him then fixed his gaze on the screen.

  "Okay, that'll be two hundred and thirty-five dollars."

  I stared for a moment.

  "Right. Money."

  After living under a pack for so long, where everything was supplied by the alpha, I'd nearly forgotten about that part. Only problem being of course that we had no money.

  Heart speeding, I opened the bag up, shuffling through its contents. Maybe I'd missed a wallet in here somewhere.

  All I found was the clothes I'd taken.

  Maybe the guy would take pity on us.

  I glanced at him. He was watching the three of us now like we were an act at the circus.

  "Oh."

  My hand closed over a small fabric square in one of the pockets I hadn't noticed. I pulled it out, about to leap with triumph at the sight of the little wallet.

  I cleared my throat, opening it.

  "It's how much?"

  "Two-thirty-five," the guy repeated.

  Only problem was that there was no money in this wallet.

  But the man glanced at it and pulled out a machine on a wire.

  "Debit card or credit card?" he asked.

  I looked down at the wallet, eyes widening. It was full of little cards in all sorts of colors. I pulled out a green one and read it.

  "Credit," I said.

  He offered me the machine and I reached for it but before I could take it, it beeped, and he pulled it back.

  "Would you like a receipt?" he asked.

  I blinked at him.

  "Uh. No. Thank you."

  "Here are your room keys, you're in seventy-two. WIFI password is taped to the side table."

  I took the keys and managed to nod.

  "Thanks," I said, weakly.

  He shrugged, turning back to the computer.

  Together, we backed out of the room.

  “Thank god that’s over,” I muttered under my breath. “Dealing with humans is always so stressful.”

  “That man was very confusing, “ Mina agreed, eyes wide. “Are humans always like that?”

  “Always.”

  Chapter Seven

  MINA

  The room was smaller than my bedroom at my father’s house, but it had a large washroom with a tub and shower and a queen-sized bed, just like the one I had back at home.

  My gaze settled on the flower print sheets on the bed and my body stirred.

  Only a couple hours ago, the two men at my sides had very nearly deflowered me in the middle of the woods—right next to the body of the shifter they'd killed for me. That should have been enough to turn me off, but being with them was all I wanted, despite how shaken I was. They could have had me already if they wanted. Instead, they took something even more meaningful than my body. They'd taken my spirit. They’d bound mine to theirs.

  My hands slipped up, gently touching the marks on each side of my neck.

  "Excuse me," I said.

  I felt both of their eyes on me as I went to the washroom. I shut the door behind me, taking a moment to draw in a long breath, suddenly overwhelmed by all that had happened.

  That shifter, the one who had attacked me... For a minute there, I'd really thought that I was about to lose everything. I'd thought he was going to rape me, to mate me, to take my entire future and any possibility of happiness. He almost had.

  When I turned and saw myself in the mirror, the emotions that I was struggling to overcome suddenly broke free. I was dirty, tired, messy. I was unlike I’d ever seen myself after living an entire life protected like a fine jewel. It was more than the tangled mess of my fiery colored hair and the dirt smeared on my face, that surprised me. It was the look in my eyes, now filled with tears.

  I’d truly changed. I even looked different somehow.

  And part of that change was due to the two men sitting outside this door waiting for me.

  My heart skipped as my thoughts turned to Caine and Brighton once more.

  My father had tried to sell me, I’d run from home, I’d lost nearly everything in one night, and yet… I was suddenly filled with excitement.

  I pulled the t-shirt-made-dress carefully off, aware of the tenderness in my shoulders as I moved to expose the wounds my mates had left.

  They were still raw, in the early process of healing. The two bitemarks were shallow but still deep enough that they would leave scars in my pale skin.

  My fingers gently touched the spots once more. Caine and Brighton. They were both mine.

  The thought thrilled me at the same moment I was filled with uncertainty.

  They hadn’t taken me the way I had wanted them to in the forest. I’d been open and willing.

  Sighing, I pushed the thought away and turned to the shower, quickly turning the tap to distract myself and stepping into the glorious warmth of the running water. My body was aching nearly everywhere. Most notably, between my thighs throbbed from the memory of laying on the forest floor, Caine’s firm hands holding me, Brighton’s fingers and lips skating over my skin.

  I shuddered just as a knock on the door made me jump.

  Before I could so much as look over, it opened.

  Brighton had seen me naked already. We had spent the day together, shifted together, gotten dressed together. When he stepped into the washroom and fixed his bright eyes on me through the glass though, it was different.

  My entire body reacted as his gaze fell down my form. Cheeks heated, nipples hardened, warmth spread through me, emphasized by the water cascading over my skin.

  Without speaking, without breaking my gaze, he unzipped his pants. He let them drop unceremoniously to the tiled floor. His shirt followed.

  I watched the display eagerly and the more I watched the harder he became.

  When I finally dragged my gaze back up to his face, hunger overwhelmed his expression.

  "Brighton," I finally managed to say. "What are you waiting for?"

  With a groan, he came toward me, pushed the glass door open and stepped into the shower, immediately taking me in his arms and engulfing me in his warmth.

  His lips found my neck, moving straight to the place his teeth had marked and he kissed the spot tenderly before moving to the other side and doing the same to the would from Caine's sharp fangs.

  I gasped, pleasure and emotions overcoming me as he pressed his length against me, but I wanted more, and I couldn't wait.

  "Where's Caine?" I asked.

  My voice barely sounded like my own
.

  Brighton pulled back.

  "Caine!" he shouted, gruffly. "Get in here."

  A moment later, the door opened.

  Caine took one long look at us, his expression unreadable as he took in our naked forms pressed together.

  "She wanted you," Caine informed him and the subtle hard lines on his face softened. He looked away.

  "Not here," he said. "Come to the bed."

  He turned and left, presumably expecting us to follow.

  I swallowed, but Brighton chuckled.

  "Always so serious," he said, shaking his head.

  He bent down and kissed me again. When he pulled back, I was caught by the sight of him, flushed from the heat of the shower and my presence, a soft smile on his face, the hint of his dimples on display, water droplets falling from the tips of his golden hair.

  "Don't look so worried. You know him. He's big on ceremony. He must think you're worth more than a shower fuck for the first time."

  I flushed, lips twisting into a smile, despite myself.

  "So, what does that say about what you think my worth is?"

  His gaze darkened.

  "That I've already waited long enough." He bent low, lips brushing my ear. "Mina, I can't stand another minute without being inside you."

  My heart rushed; breath barely made it into my lungs.

  "Well, let's hurry up then."

  I grabbed his hand, pulling him from the shower and straight into the main room.

  We didn’t bother with towels, too eager for what was to come.

  Caine was waiting for us, standing by the bed, looking serious as usual. wanting to ease his worries, I marched straight up to him, forgetting the bed he'd been so insistent on.

  "Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked.

  He balked.

  "Mina, I should be asking you that. Not the other way around."

  That was exactly the answer I'd been looking for.

  "Take your clothes off," I ordered.

  My voice trembled a little at the brashness, but he didn't laugh or shake his head or call me crazy, he just carefully unbuttoned shirt, then jeans, pushing them off one by one, exposing just how much he did want me.

  Caine took a small breath and then stepped up to me, so close that his erection brushed against my skin. His eyes narrowed darkly, hands coming to wrap around my upper arms. Instead of pulling me close the way I wanted him to though, he steered me backwards until the backs of my legs touched the bed.