When I awaken, Gregory is gone. But Sam and Curt are making breakfast over the fire. Completely naked.
I’m instantly fully awake, my gaze glued to every chiseled line of their bodies. Both men are tall men with broad shoulders. But while Sam’s beauty is classical, with his high forehead and flawless almost elfin nose, Curt looks more like a warrior. He has a slight beard and light scars that dance along his face.
Yet they’re both beautiful men.
Unable to help myself, my gaze moves down to their packages. Licking my lips, I’m shocked by how much I want these men inside of me yet again.
“Hungry?” Sam’s looking right at me, his expression knowing.
My gaze shoots up. Am I freaking blushing again! I don’t think I’ve blushed this much in my life.
“Don’t you guys have clothes or something?”
Sam grins, his brown eyes filled with happiness. “Are we too tempting for you?”
Curt stands and moves toward me. For half a second I think he’s going to do something naughty... something I wouldn’t mind one bit. But instead, he leans down and kisses me gently.
“Your dress is dry, if you want to put it on.”
My breath comes out in a rush. “Th—thank you.”
Then, still holding my gaze, he reaches beneath the covers, his hand trailing down my stomach. “Do you want me to get you off this morning?”
What the hell am I supposed to say to that? “Uh... no?”
“You sure? Because it’s hard for all of us in the beginning. Our scents drive each other wild. If you want me to stroke you until you come, I’m more than willing.”
I close my eyes. Does he really want me to tell him that I want him to make me come?
When his finger slips into my moist center, I gasp. My hand clutches his wrist, but I don’t try to stop him. He strokes my inner-folds leisurely, like he has nothing else to do in the world. In no time at all, I’m moving against him, loving every time he brushes my sensitive clit.
And then I hear a strange man’s voice. “Damn it, you guys couldn’t wait for us?”
My eyes fly open. Two men with pale blonde hair, who are obviously brothers, stand staring at me from the doorway. I tense. It’s déjà vu.
“There’s more of you!”
One of the strangers grins, his pale green eyes flashing with arousal. “We’re the last of the pack.” Then, he starts toward me. “And our alpha chose wisely with you.”
I swallow and pull at Curt’s hand.
He sighs, and moves his hand away. “And we were just going to get to watch her come. If you’d kept your big mouth shut.”
“You were not!” I say.
All the men laugh.
I grab the blanket and hold it to my chest. “Can someone bring me my dress?”
Curt chuckles. “Of course, my queen.”
Queen? Sarcastic ass.
All the men stare at me as Curt leaves and then returns with my dress. I struggle to put it on without flashing them too much. When I’m done, I stand up, cross my arms in front of my chest, and glare at them.
“So, this is a pack of wolf Shifters, huh? A bunch of naked... I’m assuming hunters or woodcutters or something?”
Curt laughs again. “Actually, we’re knights.”
“Knights my ass.”
The two strange brothers kneel down.
The taller of the two speaks first, his pale blue eyes locked onto mine. “I’m Trent, my queen.”
A second later, the other Shifter, with green eyes, kneels. “And I’m Sebastian. His older brother.”
“Though I’m taller,” Trent adds.
His brother playfully punches him in the arm. “Though I’m smarter.”
Trent punches him again. “Like hell.”
I don’t know when I started smiling, but these men are sweet, in a strange sort of way. “Well, Trent and... Sebastian. I’m Lica, a Daughter of the Mist, and I’ve made a deal with your... alpha.”
Trent stands and walks toward me. His arm goes around my waist, and he pulls me closer. “We’ve heard all about his deal. And, if I must say, I hope you’ll choose to stay with us once this is over. You will not regret it.”
His arm feels hot where he touches me. “I’ll think about it.”
Sam clears his throat. “I’m going to join Gregory. He’s scouting for the best way to invade the castle now. And Curt will join me.”
I tense and look at the two men. They’re still covered in barely healed wounds from the day before, red scars and scratches that look painful. I know I wanted my collar off soon, but I don’t want them going into battle before they’re ready.
“Are you sure? Don’t you need a few days to rest and...”
Sam shakes his head. “We gave you our word, and our word is everything.”
Even though Trent still holds me, Sam comes closer and kisses my lips gently. “I’m the second-in-command. My place is by my alpha’s side, but I give you my word that I’ll return to you.”
Curt steps forward next and kisses me, but his lips are harsh and demanding, stealing my breath. When he releases me, he strokes the side of my face. “I haven’t forgotten that we were interrupted.”
A tremble runs through my body.
Curt glances at Trent and Sebastian. “Keep her safe and satisfied. Our scent is driving her crazy, and I won’t have our bride wanting for anything.”
My jaw drops for a second. “Your scent isn’t driving me crazy!”
He smiles, his expression that of a dangerous man. “Our mate is just as sensitive to our smell as we are to hers. Tell me that you haven’t felt it impacting you?”
I try to speak, but my tongue suddenly feels heavy. Is that why I’ve been acting so strange?
He kisses me again. “We’ll return to you soon.”
As I watch him go, my heart does a strange flip in my chest. As a Daughter of the Mist, I’m horrified by my reaction. But as a woman, I’m kind of... happy.
Is this what love feels like?
Chapter Six
Trent and Sebastian offer me some of the meat that cooks over the fire. I study them as I eat the fresh, salty meal. Trent is tall with pale blue eyes, and Sebastian is shorter, but muscular, with pale green eyes. Both have the same blonde hair and square jaws, but while Trent has a sort of quiet-strength to him, Sebastian has the rock-hard strength of a dwarf... even though he’s much taller than one.
At last, Trent breaks the silence. “I’ve never met a Daughter of the Mist in person. Actually, you’re kind seem a little more legend than reality.”
“This from a Shifter.” I smirk.
He laughs. I like his rich laugh. It’s like he holds nothing back. “You know what I mean. What’s it like for one of your kind?”
His question surprises me. That’s the thing about my kind. We don’t usually talk to a lot of people outside of Mist Elementalists. Men are to sate our needs, not for conversation.
I pick at my meat, thinking of my answer carefully. “We have castles. Owned by Queens of the Mist. We know how to find them, and we drift about exploring the world, sleeping at the castles at night.”
I don’t tell them about my favorite castle, because my kind aren’t supposed to have favorites. But it’s near here, where my birth mother lives now that she’s gotten older. It’s a place I’d live at every day, if she allowed it.
Which she never would.
“Roots are for Earth Elementalists, my dear,” she would say, then shove me towards the door.
“That sounds like a lonely life,” Trent says, and I realize he’s watching me closely.
I stiffen. “It’s not. I don’t get lonely.”
He takes a big bite of his food, then speaks while chewing in a way that should be gross, but I find absolutely endearing. “In our home, we’re always together. A pack. A family. Things are always noisy. Busy. And fun.”
That sounds... lovely.
“But I bet you get antsy, stuck in one place all the time.”
Sebasti
an drops the remains of his meat into the fire. “Who says we’re trapped in one place? We’re wolves. We race in the night. Exploring whatever we wish, whenever we want to. But everybody needs a home.”
I swallow and study my food. What would that even be like?
“Not me.”
“Really?” Sebastian sounds surprised. “You don’t like the idea of an alpha who always tells you what he thinks? Who keeps you safe but gives you freedom? You don’t want a pack of powerful men dedicate to protecting you? None of that would make you happy?”
I stand, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. “I wish to wash up after this meal.”
They say nothing, but lead me out to stream, where we all wash. When we return to the cave, I can feel tension in the air.
“What is it?” I finally snap, not used to this kind of stress.
Sebastian moves far too close to me, and I take a step back. “I think you like the idea of a home with us, but you’re being stubborn.”
I stand up straighter. “I am not!”
He moves closer and closer, and a moment later, my back hits the wall of the cave. “You don’t?”
Desire hums through me. “No.”
He leans forward and kisses my shoulder. “So once your collar is off, you’re gone?”
“Yes,” the word comes out in a rush.
He continues to suck on my neck as his hand pushes my skirt to the side. Without thinking, I spread my legs, and his fingers find my hot core. As he strokes me, I try to hold myself still, to keep myself quiet, but a moan slips from my lips.
When he turns my head to the side, Trent is there. He leans forward and kisses my lips, and I feel him tug down the front of my dress.
Their touch—it does that amazing thing again—it awakens something within me. It’s not just my body that craves to be sated; it’s the woman inside me that wants to be wanted. For more than just one night.
My body trembles, and my inner-muscles squeeze. I can’t catch my breath, and I feel my orgasm rolling closer.
Suddenly, Sebastian spins me around. My hands plant on a large boulder next to us. He pushes aside my skirt from behind, and I raise my ass, eager to feel him inside me.
When Trent steps in front of me, I’m shocked by the sight of his massive length hard and ready for me. “You only want us to get your collar off? You don’t want us for anything else?”
“No.” I lie.
He leans forward and runs his tip along my lips.
I open my mouth, but he doesn’t push inside.
Behind me, Sebastian strokes my wet folds with his fingertips. But doesn’t enter me.
“You don’t want us?” Trent asks.
“No.” The word comes out shaky.
“So we should stop?”
Fuck.
“No.”
Sebastian plunges into me from behind.
I gasp, my nails scratching the boulder. “God damn it!”
“Too rough?” he asks, not moving.
“It feels... amazing,” I whisper.
He gives my ass a little slap, the sting bringing an unexpected pleasure. “So you do want us?”
I bounce against him, eager for more. “Y—yes.”
Damn it.
Trent rubs his tip against my mouth again, and I open my lips. But this time, he plunges inside. He pushes so deep that I gag, but I fight past the feeling. When he remains still for a long minute, I pull him out of my mouth, then lean under him to suck his balls.
A string of curses fall from his lips, and a second later he’s thrusting with abandon into my mouth, his hand wrapping my long blonde hair. When Sebastian starts to thrust into me from behind, I’m in heaven.
Two massive Shifters have me between them. One in my mouth. One in my womanhood. Their huge shafts building my desire. My muscles growing tenser and tenser with each thrust.
When Sebastian reaches around and starts to stroke my clit, I cried out around the cock in my mouth.
Trent reaches forward and pinches my nipples, and they tighten.
Every part of my body is awake. Singing. On the edge. And then, I explode.
It’s incredible to move against them as my orgasm rocks my world. My knees grow weak, but Sebastian keeps me from falling. When he comes into me from behind, my orgasm continues to electrify my nerves. And when Trent comes into my mouth, I feel strangely sexy knowing I was the one to make these Shifters lose control.
When Trent pulls himself out of my mouth and strokes my cheek, I’m surprised by the tenderness in his voice. “You might be able to go the rest of your life without experiencing that again, but I can’t.”
I look at him, and say nothing. Because I can’t lie. And because I’m not sure I can walk away from these men when the time comes.
“Come outside!” we hear Gregory shout from outside the cave.
Sebastian pulls out of me from behind, and both Shifters suddenly seem tense. I tug my skirt down, and they walk on each side of me as we go out into the evening air.
In front of the cave, my three Shifters are standing. Between them, Lord Fuor is on his knees. His hands chained before him. His face a swollen, bloody mess.
“Ready to have that collar removed?”
Chapter Seven
On numb legs I kneel down before Lord Fuor, turning my back to him.
“You must uncuff my hands if you wish for me to do this,” he says, his voice filled with rage.
I hear the metal hit the ground. When his clammy fingers graze my flesh, a disgusted shiver goes down my spine. He pulls at the enchanted collar, and a second later it hits the ground.
Rising, I move away from him, touching my bare throat. I’m free!
I feel... light as air.
Mist spreads out around me and the air grows chilly. It gathers thicker and thicker beneath me until I slowly lift off the ground. At first it is no taller than a foot, than two, than three and four. At last, I’m nearly above the trees. I spin, feeling incredible.
And then, I hear a shout beneath me.
My eyes can see through the misty fog I’ve created. Glowing red and orange magic has exploded, clinging to my Shifters. They hit the ground, twitching, and grow still.
My heart hammers in my chest. Lord Fuor stands, and I see that he’s holding a glowing red ball in his hand. He’s... a wizard!
I don’t know what his spell will do. Are my Shifters dead? Injured? Enchanted?
My stomach tightens. If I go in closer, Lord Fuor will be able to strike me too.
But I can’t just leave the Shifters behind.
My teeth clench together. Lord Fuor is smiling. He thinks he’s won... he has no idea what I’m capable of.
I see his men riding on horses in the distance, racing through the woods in a reckless manner. Using my powers, I spread my mist out. It grows, cloaking the entire woods in a foggy mist that’s nearly seven feet tall. The riders slow. Their course changes.
And now for Lord Fuor.
I change directions, floating above him to the other side. “It must have driven you crazy when I escaped.”
He starts moving towards me, stumbling over roots, but still holding his ball of glowing magic. “Oh, Lica, you know all of this is your fault. Two years ago I got lost in a strange mist in these very woods. I came to a lake, where I found a beautiful creature bathing in the waters. But the instant I spoke, you vanished. I’ve thought of nothing but you since. I created that collar, and explored these woods each time your mist would roll over the lands. You became my obsession. To make you my wife. To touch that perfect body of yours and have you beneath me each night.”
My anger boils through me as I continue moving toward my destination. “Against my will.”
“You would have grown to love me!” he shouts, stumbling after me.
“And what have you done to my Shifters?”
“Your Shifters?” his rage is palpable. “I’m draining the life from those mangy mutts. With each second their deaths grow closer.”
My
breathing speeds up. “Because you’ll never be half the men they are.”
“Men!” He practically spits the word, continuing to stumble after me. “Those aren’t men, they’re dogs.”
“And yet they didn’t have to imprison me to make me fall in love with them.”
He rushes faster after me, and I continue floating backwards. He chucks his ball of magic at me. I easily avoid it, and the red and orange magic falls over the treetops like fire.
Another ball of magic forms in his hands. I move slightly lower, closer.
I can see his smile. “I’ve got you!”
And then, his foot steps off the edge of the cliff.
He screams and goes tumbling over.
Still floating over the cavern, I clear my mist in one spot. At last, I see where his twisted body hit the ground. No one could survive that.
With his death, his magic fades.
I return to the Shifters. They’re sitting up, rubbing their faces.
My mist dispenses around them. “Are you alright?”
Gregory looks up and gives me a wobbly smile. “A little magic could never stop us, my queen.”
I stiffen.
He must see the horror in my face. He rises unsteadily to his feet. “Do you see that mountain over there?” He points. I look in the direction. “We live just on the other side of it. That’s our home. Your home.”
I’m floating backward. Mist Elementalists don’t have homes.
“Lica,” he says my name in such a gentle way that my entire heart squeezes.
Turning, I shoot away.
I hear shouting behind me, but I don’t stop. I can’t stop. I’m the mist. A fog. I am everywhere and nowhere at once.
I can’t be trapped. I won’t be trapped. Never again.
Chapter Eight
I feel empty and awful as I lie in a bath in my mother’s castle. It’s been two weeks since I left the Shifters, and the pain in my chest won’t go away. I see their faces in my mind every time I close my eyes.
What if I’ve made a terrible mistake?
The door to my room opens. My mother comes in. She’s a beautiful woman with long white hair and eyes the same gray as my own. She’s wearing a white gown, looking more creature of fantasy than the sharp-tongued woman I know.
Wings Horns and Shifters Page 8
