Suddenly, Grant reaches out and stops me with his arm.
I drop the hand that was holding my skirt high enough so it wouldn’t brush on the ground, giving away our approach.
Up ahead, I catch the slightest movement.
Grant puts his finger to his mouth to tell us to be quiet. As if we need to be told.
We creep forward to get a better view. Blake is standing in the center of a half dozen wolves. On his knees. And even from a distance, I can sense the tension singing between the Shifters.
A minute later, six wolves drag Theo, Silas, and Emory and throw them down beside Blake.
Crap.
Malvome circles them, and his angry voice carries to us. “If your other men ran with the woman, we’ll kill all of you.”
Blake glares up at him. “I won our race. We’re tied. One more challenge should decide who she goes to. Forget that she and my other men are missing, give me your challenge.”
The other Shifter smiles, a cruel smile. “That’s the thing, Blake. We’re even deeper into my territory now. There’s no chance at escape for any of you. So, there will be no third challenge. She’ll simply be mine.”
An unfamiliar voice came from behind us. “No need to hide, female, we won’t hurt you.”
I spin around to face three massive Shifters.
One punches Grant right in the face, and he hits the ground without moving.
Arthur steps in front of me.
“Back off!” I shout, bracing myself.
“Or what?”
I turn to the new voice. Four of the wolves from the ruins have come behind us. We’re surrounded. Again.
Damn it.
But I guess the best place to be now that we’ve been discovered is with all of them. If my plan can even work now against this many enemies. So I don’t fight them as they grab my arm and haul me toward the others.
They bring us to the ruins. Which, as I get closer, I realize is essentially a massive stone that looks like a weeping woman. There, they toss Grant’s unconscious body down, and throw Arthur onto his knees.
Suddenly all eyes are on me.
“Will you go with us willingly?” Malvome asks. “Or do we have to kill them first?”
His angry expression freezes. And he moves closer to me, inhaling deeply.
“You fucked them!” He screams, and suddenly his fist punches into my shoulder knocking me back and onto the ground.
For a second, the air rushes out of me. I struggle to breath, to keep my panic down. It takes an incredible amount of effort to rise into a sitting position. I feel like I’ve been run over by a horse. The clearing has erupted into chaos as my wolves fight, even though they’re terribly out numbered.
But Malvome’s eyes are locked on me. “This means nothing, other than that you’ll pay for your disloyalty.”
My magic flares inside of me. That’s the thing that most people don’t get. Shifters might fight and roar when they’re angry, but Elementalists... our tempers come out a little different.
I rise to my feet and smile at him.
His brows draw together in confusion.
And then, I go to work. Calling my ice magic to me, I shoot it forward, freezing Malvome into a block of stone. Continuing without hesitation, I turn my powers onto one after another of our enemies. And I keep going and keep going, letting my magic roar out of me in an explosion of anger.
It isn’t until I hear Blake’s soft voice in my ear, and his hand under my arm, that I stop. “It’s over,” he whispers.
I realize that somehow I’ve fallen to my knees.
He sweeps me up into his arms and carries me away from the clearing.
“Where are we going?” I say, exhausted beyond thought.
He kisses my forehead. “To my castle.”
“Castle?”
“Yes, my sweet Elementalist. What do you think of becoming my queen?”
I close my eyes, sure this is all some strange dream. “That sounds nice.”
Chapter Eight
I lean further over the bed, twisting my fingers into the soft sheets. Blake pounds into me from behind, his strokes rhythmic, smooth, and perfect. I feel my orgasm building. And I reach for it, because one thing I never get sick of is good sex.
When he groans behind me and explodes, I squeeze my muscles around him, and gasp as my own orgasm reaches its peak. He continues to move inside of me as I chant his name, twisting my fingers tighter and tighter into the sheets until I finally sag forward.
Damn. Oh that’s good!
He stays inside of me from behind for a few long moments, before pulling out. Gently, he pulls my silk skirts down and helps me rise. When he tugs me against his chest, I’m lost for a moment in his hazel eyes. I never imagined a man could gaze at me with such love before, and now I have six of them who do.
I guess some girls really do have all the luck.
“Ready to greet your people, my queen?”
I shake my head, then reach up and pat my hair, knowing it must be a mess now. “You know every time you guys talked about castles and being royalty, I kind of thought it was all a bunch of crap.”
His grin widens, and he gestures to the beautiful castle suite we stand in. “But now that you’ve seen it—“
I look around and try to hide my smile. “Somehow I thought it’d be bigger.”
He grabs me and lifts me into his arms as I laugh. He drops me down onto the bed and climbs on top of me. “I’ll show you something bigger.”
Somehow, I find myself aroused once more. But that’s the thing I’ve learned about being the mate to six wild Shifters, I always seem to be ready for them. Which is definitely not a bad thing.
“Are you guys—?” Grant cuts off as he enters the room. “We have a throne room full of people to greet, and you two are at it again?”
The rest of our pack shoves past Grant.
Instantly, their gazes go to me.
Silas undoes the top button on his shirt. “How much time do we have?”
“None!” Grant says. “We’re late.”
Arthur groans. “Do we even have to do this whole formally introducing her to the people thing?”
Everyone seems so scattered that I can’t help myself. “Speaking of being late...”
“Yes! Thank you!” Grant exclaims. “We are late, so why don’t we—”
Blake’s arms tighten around me. “You’re late?”
I nod slowly.
It takes him one long minute to react and then he’s hugging me, laughing. The other men climb onto the bed with us, and I’m being hugged and kissed by everyone at once. A few hands touch my belly, and I couldn’t be happier.
And then Grant says from the doorway, “I don’t get it.”
“She’s pregnant, dumb ass!” Arthur shouts.
Grant drops the papers in his hand and joins us on the bed. His expression one of wonder as he takes my hand. “That’s... that’s just wonderful!”
“Alright then,” I tell them, smiling. “We should probably head down. Benjamin is waiting for me. He’s been worried since I disappeared and then became the wife to a strange Shifter king in the mountains. I don’t think he’ll feel better until he sees me.”
Grant clears his throat. “We should go... but maybe we have just a couple more minutes.”
I grin at him. “You big softie!”
Everyone talks at once, planning where the baby will sleep, whether it will be a boy or girl, and when they should start having baby clothes made. But I’m not really listening, I’m thinking of the day I angrily left a little town, sent away by my sister. It’s weird to think I might never have met the loves of my life if not for that one small action.
Life really has a funny way of working out sometimes.
Saucy Mist
Chapter One
Lica
If I stop running, I’ll die.
I tear through the woods, not looking back. Never looking back. Even an extra second could cost me my life. I stum
ble through the trees and crash into a freezing river of water. I gasp, sucking in shocked breaths. My long gown tangles around me, but I swim the short distance to the other side.
The sounds of dogs barking reach my ears. They’re gaining on me. I can hope that the river washed away enough of my scent to throw them off my trail, but I doubt it.
I’m just not that lucky.
As I grasp the long skirts of my gown, my teeth chattering, I pull again at the iron collar around my neck. The one that prevents me from using my magic.
Damn that asshole.
If I hadn’t been so damned cocky, none of this would’ve ever happened. I would never have let that idiot kidnap me.
The truth hurts worse than the rocks and twigs that slice at my bare feet with each step.
“Are you the one causing all the trouble?”
I whirl around, eyes wide. A shirtless man is leaning against a tree not far from me. His yellow-eyed gaze is far too-shrewd as it runs over my soaking gown.
A tremble runs through me, and a strange awareness moves across my flesh. This handsome man doesn’t belong here. He’s too big. Too muscular. Almost inhumanely beautiful, with dark hair and dark eyes.
And he’s distracting me from my escape.
“What’s it to you?” I shout back at him.
That’s one thing about me, I have a tendency to shout when I want to cry. Mother always said I should’ve been born a fire Elementalist rather than a Mist Daughter.
He shrugs. “It isn’t often I come across a beautiful woman running in the woods.”
Beautiful?
I hear the dogs barking again. My gaze snaps from the castle, still visible over the treetops, and the man. “I’ve got to go.”
I back away from the strange man and keep running.
“So where are you going?” He runs beside me, his demeanor as if this is the most normal thing in the world.
I raise a brow, breathing hard. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
He smirks. “Just making conversation.”
I shake my head, completely bewildered. “Do I look like I’m in a position to waste time talking to you?”
And then, because I’m focused on the sexy shirtless man beside me, I miss the root in front of me. I catch my foot on it and smash into the ground.
“Ouch,” I whisper, climbing onto my forearms.
Fuck, I don’t have time for this.
I struggle to my feet, but the instant I put pressure down on my left foot pain shoots up my leg. “God damn it,” I hiss, then clench my teeth together.
“You need help?” he asks, and for some reason I’m not just angry that falling down has slowed me down, I’m angry that this man was here to see it.
“I don’t need anything other than for you to get the hell out of here!” I shout back at him.
To my annoyance, he smirks again. “If you say so.”
But he doesn’t go anywhere.
I plod forward, wincing with every step. I’ve barely made it a dozen steps before I stop, clinging to a tree trunk. Behind me, I hear the barking dogs again.
“So what happens if they catch you?” he asks, leaning against another tree, looking casual as hell.
I glare at him. “I have to marry the awful king in that castle, so if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to keep going.”
To my surprise, anger flashes over his face. “Someone is trying to marry you?”
I nod, unsettled by his expression.
“And you don’t wish to marry him?”
“Would I be running if I did?” The second the sarcastic words slip out I wish I could take them back, but to my surprise, he doesn’t look the least bit bothered by what I’ve said.
“Why don’t you wish to marry him?”
I turn and slowly start plodding along again. I might not escape at this pace, but I’ll sure as hell try. “I don’t want to marry anyone. I’m a Daughter of the Mist.”
I hear his sharp intake of air. “No wonder.”
“No wonder what?” I ask, not looking back at him.
“Why I’ve never scented you before.”
I glance back at him, trying not to be intrigued by how disturbed he looks. “Scented me?”
He moves closer. “For a being of magic, you don’t know much do you.”
I move faster, wincing with each step. “I’m a Mist Elementalist. I spend most of my time drifting around. Moving from one place to the next. I don’t speak to a lot of people. Magic or human.”
He laughs, a rich charming sound. “That explains your manners.”
“My manners?” I look back and scowl. “You’re the idiot trying to have a conversation with a woman running for her life.”
Suddenly, he picks me up and swings me into his arms.
“What the hell?” I shout, my arms instinctually wrapping around his neck.
His lips turn up, and his smile is dangerously sexy this close up. “You looked like you needed some help.”
I hate how much my foot is sighing in relief. “I was fine.”
“So, if you’re a Mist Elementalist, why don’t you just mist yourself away?”
I glare at him and point at my neck. “That asshole king placed an iron collar on me.”
He whistles softly. “How did he manage to do that?”
I’m glaring so hard I hope he feels the burn. “He snuck up on me.”
To my complete annoyance, he tosses back his head and laughs.
“Bastard!” I shout, punching him in the chest.
“It’s just... someone who can mist away got trapped by a human! It’s—it’s unbelievable!”
I’m going to beat the shit out of this Shifter when I get my magic back.
He laughs for a while longer, slowly moving forward, while I glower. I shouldn’t have told him. I already knew I wouldn’t live it down with the other Daughters of the Mist... if I ever lived to see them again. I didn’t need this guy mocking me for it too.
He clears his throat, clearly trying to stop his laugher. “So now you’re running for it, even knowing that you have to go back and face that king and his men, if you ever hope to be free again.”
“Yes,” I grit out. “Although I don’t think we’ll ever escape them at this pace.”
He laughs again. “Well, I’m not helping you escape yet. You haven’t agreed to my terms.”
“Terms?” That doesn’t sound good. “What terms?”
He looks down at me, his gaze clinging to my lips. “I’m here because I picked up your delicious scent while I was passing through these woods. And, I’ve decided that you should be the mate for my pack.”
My jaw drops. “You think I ran away from one husband only to have... what did you say? A pack of husbands?”
He chuckles. “There’s five of us, actually.”
“That doesn’t make it any better!” I shake my head. “Seriously though, how is this better than my last situation?”
His gaze slides to the iron collar at my throat. “Well, we wouldn’t take your magic from you.”
My breath catches. “Does that imply you’ll help me get it off?”
He holds me tighter. “Yes.”
“All you want in exchange is... me?” I ask, knowing the answer.
His dark eyes seem to twinkle with mischief as he answers. “Yes, so what do you say? Should I drop you for the kidnapper to find, or do you think you could take a chance on a pack of wolf Shifters who would worship the ground you walk on?”
Chapter Two
I hate that I can’t tear my gaze from his face. He’s so damned handsome. Dark hair. Dark eyes. A dusting of stubble on his perfectly formed jaw. I’ve never before considered tying myself down to a man, but I’m more than a little tempted by his offer.
“How do you know I won’t just make a run for it after you help me?”
And that’s when he did the least expected thing in the world. He kissed me.
I can’t think. His lips on mine are like fire, awakening something
inside of me I never knew existed. I dig my hands into the back of his hair and pull him closer.
A growl slips from his lips, and he kisses me harder, more desperately. He slides me from his arms, and I find myself pressed up against the trunk of a tree. Yet, I can’t think of a reason to care.
He grabs my ass and pulls himself closer. I feel his erection, and to my shock rub against his hard length. His fingers grip my ass harder. His lips slip from my mouth and move down to suck at every sensitive inch of my neck.
And then I hear the barking of dogs.
Gasping, I shove him back.
His yellow-rimmed eyes have darkened, and his expression takes my breath away. “Do we have a deal?”
“One kiss won’t make me change my mind,” I tell him.
He moves closer, putting his arm on the tree above my head. “Fine, then I won’t demand you as our mate for our help. But I want you in our bed.”
“What does that mean?” I can scarcely breathe at just the idea of this man in my bed.
“You must give us each a chance to make love to you. And when we’re done, if you don’t wish to be with us, we’ll let you go.”
My pulse races in my ears. It isn’t that I haven’t had sex before. I’m a deity of the woods. When sexy men cross my path, I seduce them. But that’s all my choice. Under my power. And no man had made me feel like this man had. That was just sex. This feels like something more.
And I have to sleep with not just him but four of his Shifters?
I hear the shouting of men’s voice. Damn it, they’re so close!
“Your answer?” he whispers.
Swallowing, I nod. “I agree.”
“Your word?” he questions, holding my gaze.
“You have my word.”
Instantly, he tosses me into his arms and starts to run. My head feels light. We’re moving so fast my stomach turns. How can he possibly move this fast?
I close my eyes, resting my head against his chest. What exactly had I agreed to?
Chapter Three
I’m actually starting to think that everything will work out just fine when we burst out of the woods and come face-to-face with a massive cavern.
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