by A C Wilds
“Why are you not upset?” I ask him. I pull away from his chest so that I can look into his grey eyes. There is a storm raging behind them. He wants me, right then and there, to stake his claim and demand Shax know I’m his as well, but he knows we have to wait.
“Being the Changer allows you certain benefits. One of them is having a harem of men to protect, guide, and love you. I knew I would not be your only, I just didn’t think you had Dark in you,” he says.
“I don’t have Dark in me,” I exclaim, looking around at all the men here. But I’m lying to myself, I can feel the pull to this court just as I did the Light. Grey is not looking too good and Logan appears scared. We need to bring this somewhere else, somewhere we all can rest.
“You do, actually,” Shax says from behind me. “If you didn’t, we wouldn’t have been mated. It’s even more unusual that a kiss was all it took for us to mate. Normally, I would have had to fuck you to get the kind of power we just gave off.”
“Great, another thing to add to the growing pile of shit Azra can do,” I say with an exasperated sigh.
“Can you please show us to our quarters?” Cass says to Shax. “We’ve been traveling for a couple of days and need to clean up and sleep. Also, a meal would be nice.”
“Right away Your Highness,” Shax says, with a mocking tone and a little bow. He winks at me and turns to leave. “Follow me.”
Only then do I realize that he’s still completely fucking naked and I’m staring at his ass. Holy hot damn, that’s a nice ass. Oh, the things I want to do to this man. My thoughts are interrupted by a crushing hug behind me.
“I’m so glad you are ok, Az. I was so worried when you caught on fire. I mean you were like a ginormous fireball! It was cool, but a little scary too,” Logan says, into my back. I can feel the tension in his hug. He must have been frightened by all that just happened.
I turn around and take a knee in front of him. “I’m sorry I scared you. I didn’t mean to. These powers are all new to me, and I’m trying to figure them out. It even took me by surprise,” I say, as I brush a lock of his hair across his forehead. He’s so small and so innocent.
“I know you don’t do these things on purpose, but you have to admit they sure do happen a lot. Maybe you want to try to not get into any more trouble,” he says, as he leans in to gives me another hug. He whispers into my ear, “I thought Greyson was going to cry when you did that. He was very upset. I’m pretty sure he likes you.”
I can’t help it, I let out a laugh. This kid is too smart for his own good. Standing up I offer him my hand. We start to walk toward where Shax went with the others. I guess we should rest, and then figure out our next move.
Chapter 2
Recharge
Shax leads us to a suite on another floor. There’s one large sitting room and then four bedrooms branching off from the center. Like the throne room, these rooms are done in blacks and purples. It’s all very noir. There’s a sectional couch with a coffee table and matching recliner. The fireplace takes up one wall and looks like a giant dragon mouth. The draperies are thick and dark, but I can still see a stream of light cracking through. Cass walks over to the windows and pulls them open for more light.
“I need a shower and a meal,” I turn around and say to the guys. I’m exhausted and could sleep for a year.
“I’ll have the staff bring up something for you,” Shax says with a little nod as he goes back out the way we came.
As soon as he leaves, Grey is on me in a minute, “What the fuck was that Azra! Another mate? How many Fae are you going to collect? If you hadn’t noticed we aren’t doing too good here. Now you got us mixed up with the Dark!”
“It’s not like I planned any of this, Grey! I’m just as much of a victim here. I didn’t want any of this, and let me remind you, you’re the fucking reason why we are all here. Makes you think what would have happened if you just walked away,” I yell at him. I’m so done with all of this. I stomp off toward the closest bedroom door. I feel a bit bad for throwing that in his face, but it’s the truth. I’m sick of him always blaming things on me.
It's a simple room, but it looks like there’s an adjoining bathroom, so that’s where I head. I find a place for my sword in a chest that’s tucked into the back by the vanity. I strip out of my nasty clothes and run the shower. I’m a mess. My long black hair is matted in some places. My skin is pale, and my grey eyes look washed out. Rubbing my hands over my face, I start to think about all the shit that just happened. This is a fucking nightmare. I was so desperate to get away from Michael, that I didn’t even realize what we might be getting ourselves into here.
Turning on the shower, I step into the spray and let the hot water cascade down my tired muscles, sighing as the tension leaves from the heat. Quickly, I wash my hair and body. I try and relax my mind letting everything go as I do, but there is just so much. Noli is stuck with that bastard and I couldn’t save her. What if he’s torturing her? I could never live with myself if she was harmed. All of this is because of me. I can feel the sting of tears in the back of my throat. The last week comes crashing around me and I let out a pained cry. Clutching the wall and resting my head on it, I let out all the emotions I’ve been holding in. I cry for my old life and for the lives of all the others I’ve dragged into this. I cry for Logan because he’s so young and innocent. I cry because it seems impossible to think we can get out of here alive.
“Are you ok?” Cass asks. He has the door of the shower open and he’s looking at me with such pity.
“No, I’m not. I don’t know what to do Cass. I’m afraid I fucked this whole thing up,” I tell him, hugging my body.
He undresses quickly and steps into the shower. He grabs me and pulls me into his chest. I smell his calm winter scent right away. He smells like snow-capped mountains and ice-covered berries. I grab him and try to push myself against his body more than I already am. I really let it out then. I’m practically screaming by the time he pulls me out of the shower and dries me off wrapping me in a large fluffy towel. Doing the same for himself, he lays us on the chaise lounge in the corner of the room. He doesn’t break contact as he positions us. He holds me tighter and hugs me until I slip into a deep sleep.
I wake up on the chaise in the same spot that Cass placed me in. I’ve cotton stuck to the top of my mouth and a pounding headache. I look up and see him staring right at me.
“Hey, do you feel better?” he asks. He looks so concerned. I know I must look a fright.
“Somewhat. I think that being here with you has helped,” I say as I smile up at him. His face is so close to mine. I rub my cheek against his and stare into his eyes. He brings both of his arms up around me and starts to caress my back. The spot between my shoulder blades has always been super sensitive for me. I put my hands in his hair and pull him toward me. Our kiss is soft and sorrowful. It’s everything I don’t want it to be, but everything I need. Sitting up I straddle him, increasing the intensity of the kiss. My tongue finds his and we fight for dominance. This isn’t like the kiss with Shax. That kiss set my soul on fire, this kiss is about comfort. Cass is my balm, my solid, my constant in all the insanity. He’s the reason why everything is being held together. He may not be my alpha but he’s the reason this all works.
I move my hand down in between us and remove my towel. I shimmy backward and open his up like a present. I don’t think I will ever get used to the fact that this man is mine, forever. His cock is at attention, and I’m gifted with the glorious site. He’s such a handsome man, but when I get to see all of him, it’s a hundred times better. I slowly jerk him up and down. His hands are now on my breasts playing with my nipples. My strokes become more urgent, as I think of all the things I want to do to him.
“Let’s move this to the bedroom,” I tell him. I don’t want to have sex on this chaise.
He doesn’t respond but just picks me up and walks us out into the bedroom. He tosses me onto the bed and is on top of me in an instant. His mouth is all
over my body, sucking and kissing his way down to my core. I was never a fan of oral sex, but something about Cass makes me want to be wrong. He kisses my inner thighs before he reaches my center. His warm mouth covers my clit and flicks his tongue out licking it, once, twice, and then on the third, he takes the whole of it in his mouth and sucks. I arch my back on the bed and lace my fingers through his hair. I bite down hard on my lip and enjoy all the sensations coursing through my body.
“Oh, Cass,” I moan into the pillows. He must take this as encouragement because he raises his left hand and slips two fingers inside of me. He matches his pumping with flicks of his tongue. I feel like I’m stuck in a vortex of pleasure. I wiggle and moan around him as he increases his speed and pressure. I’m not going to be able to hold on much longer. He adds a third finger and I fucking lose it. I shatter, clenching my muscles and squeezing his fingers. I let out a moan that will definitely be heard by everyone.
“Hmm, that was amazing,” I say to him after he picks his head up and looks into my eyes. He smiles and crawls on top of me. His kiss is passionate, and I feel like I need him closer. I flip us around and land on top of him. He doesn’t question and I don’t ask, I just line us up and slam down onto his cock, hard. Now it’s his turn to groan. His eyes look like a lightning storm, as the streaks of power course through them. I start to move, feeling our connection through the bond, and it’s singing with our passion. Nothing about this is slow or steady. I pick up the pace and soon we are both groaning and breathing to the rhythm that I’m setting. His eyes are glued to mine, like he can see into my soul. A spark of electricity leaves his fingertip and wraps around my nipple, zapping it. The mix of pain and pleasure sends a jolt of excitement up my body. He repeats this with the other nipple and I bite down on my lip.
“You like a little pain, then?” he asks me with a look that could melt butter.
“I like anything you’re going to give me,” I tell him.
He wastes no time, flipping me over and enters me from behind. He grabs my hair and starts to plow into me so hard that we move the bed. His thrusts are erratic and animalistic. It’s everything that we have gone through in the last few days, being worked out. He’s trying to gain some of the normalcy he craves. I can feel the pressure of an orgasm building, so I reach down and start to massage my clit. He releases my hair and grabs ahold of my voluptuous hips. His hands are digging into me and I feel his need to come grow closer.
Removing my hand from my clit, I take a play from his book and release a bit of my own electricity down my hand wrapping it around his balls, so when he hits the next thrust, I zap him a bit. He grunts at my effort, but I guess it wasn’t enough. I try with a little more this time and I’m granted with a delicious moan that almost matches my own. We erupt in a symphony of pleasure, as I tighten up around him, milking his cock to get every last drop.
We lie there for a while in silence, just relaxing and letting our minds come down from that incredible high. His presence is so strong and so solid, I don’t know what I would do without him. Sean was my everything for so long, but Cass...he’s the cosmos. He makes sense in all of this nightmare reality.
There is a knock on the door and before I can respond, Shax walks right in. I would go and cover myself, but really what is the point. As my mate, he can feel my thoughts and desires. He would’ve already known that we were in here together.
“Come right in,” I say to him in a sarcastic tone. Raising up on my elbows, I get a better look at him. He’s put on some clothes, which fit him like a glove; dark blue jeans with a bright white t-shirt. It’s so tight across his chest you can see his perky nipples. He smells like campfire and fall nights. His hair’s damp and his eyes are shining like two bright jewels. I can feel his arousal from here.
“I wanted to see if you were hungry,” he says to me with a smile. I don’t miss the up and down look he gives Cass, either. He likes what he sees. This sets off a naughty train of thoughts in my head of the two of them inside me at the same time. I must not have done a good job of keeping that to myself, because Shax grin gets wider and I hear Cass choke next to me.
“We’ll be out in a second,” I tell him as I get my wits about me. I hop off the bed and go into the bathroom and freshen up. Gods, the two of them are going to be the death of me.
I step out into the living room and find everyone gathered, enjoying a meal together. Cass saved me a seat next to him, so I go and sit down. Logan is shoveling piles of food in his mouth like he hasn’t eaten in three years. Grey is picking at his plate while Cass and Shax are deep in conversation. This isn’t how I pictured them acting. They’re being so civil and polite to one another, I wonder if they’re really getting along or if it’s just their princely manners. I’m so used to Grey’s abrasive behavior, that I expect all men to act like that towards each other.
“So, what’s the plan now?” I ask the table. They all stop what they’re doing and turn to look at me. Suddenly, I have everyone’s attention.
Shax breaks the silence first. “We train, you heard my mother, it’s either get on board or get dead, and I would really like to get to know you first before we are executed.”
“What are we training for exactly? You see, no one has ever told me what it is I need to do,” I tell him. I’m curious to see if he’s going to blow me off just like Cass did in the beginning.
“You’re going to train to use your magic. I’m going to teach you about using your fire powers and Cassiel is going to show you how to use your lightning and air. We don’t know if you’ll have any other mates or if you’re going to gain any other skills, so we can start there,” he says to me.
“What about Grey and Logan? What’ll they do?” I ask Shax. He seems to enjoy his alpha role. I want to see if he’ll treat everyone fairly, or if he’s going to be a snobby prince.
“Greyson trains with us learning basic fighting and sword skills, and Logan here, well, he gets to go to school,” Shax says with a giant smile directed toward the boy.
“School? No way! I am not going to school. I am not a Fae. I can’t go to their schools. They’ll bully me. Azra! Don’t make me go!” he yells to the point where there is almost tears in his eyes. To an eleven-year-old boy, this must seem like the end of the world.
“Wolvie, if there is a chance for you to get an education, then you need to go. I’ll make sure there are no bullies that bother you, the Dark seems to be different than the Light. Besides you are best friends with the Changer, so they might show you some favoritism,” I tell him. I wasn’t a fan of school either, but it is important he catch up on his studies.
“As much as I hate leaving you with these Fae, it’s something you should be doing. It’s been too long since you learned anything, and I don’t want my little brother to be uneducated because of my mistakes,” Grey says, looking guilty. He still blames himself for getting taken.
“Ugh, you guys make some sense, but just know I don’t like it. And if anyone bullies me, I’m stopping. I won’t go back. I don’t want to be a victim anymore,” he says, looking away from us. I can see a bit of tears in his eyes. I need to change the subject.
“When do we start?” I ask Shax.
“Tomorrow. Today we should tour the castle, and show you around, so you know where everything is. Also, the three of us need to talk,” he says, pointing to Cass and I.
“About?” Cass asks with a raised eyebrow. I don’t think he’s going to be submissive to my alpha.
“We need to discuss our bond. I’ve seen it get complicated if the rules are not laid down right away,” he tells us.
“Shax, I know that we have only known each other for a short amount of time, but I’d like to clarify something here and now,” I tell him, with a fierce look on my face. There’s no way I’m letting this get too far. “I’m not, nor will I ever be under someone else’s command. This is not a monarchy. We will work as a team, so you demanding things from me isn’t going to work.”
He looks at me with a smile th
at could set the room on fire. His whole face has lit up, and I can tell he’s amused with me. He’s so handsome at this moment, it’s taking all of me not to reach over the table and pull his mouth toward mine.
“I would never think to control you, my mate. I’m only suggesting we get certain dynamics out of the way before we proceed with this relationship. It’s going to be a bumpy road ahead, and I want to make sure you have a solid foundation to lean on,” he explains with that smoldering face of his. He could be an underwear model.
“Oh, well, in that case, I agree, we should sit down and talk. I’d like Grey to be in on the conversation as well,” I say to him. I quickly look down at my plate and start shoveling food in my mouth. I don’t want to see any of their expressions. Even though I know Grey isn’t mine, I feel responsible for him. I need to make sure he’s included so I can keep an eye on him. I have this gut feeling he’s going to be important.
“I don’t need to be in on your kinky sex life. I want nothing to do with any of you. I’m only here because I needed to get the fuck out of the Light. So, don’t include me in any of your plans. That goes for you too, cat. I don’t want to train with you,” Grey spits out. He’s pissed again. I need to get him alone so we can have a chat and hash out all his anger.
“Let me be very clear here, human, you don’t have a choice. We may be more lenient here, but we don’t give free rein. If you want to survive, you need to bite your tongue, and do as you are told. Azra’s in charge, whether you are on board or not,” Shax says. He doesn’t look like someone you’d want to make mad, especially after the little fire show we just produced.
In true Grey fashion, he gets up from the table and storms off. Logan looks torn between his brother and the rest of us. He’s looking at the door his brother left through, almost like he’s embarrassed by Grey’s actions. I don’t think everyone understands how much this kid really does take in. He must have such stress on his shoulders.
