by N. M. Howell
“All in favor of infiltrating Tempest Legion in order to prevent the inhumane ceremony say, aye,” Zane said, pulling me from my daze.
“Aye,” Wyatt and Leo spoke in unison.
Zane raised an eyebrow.
“Warren?” he asked.
“I'm sorry, sir, but this just doesn't seem right to me. I'm going to have to say nay,” Warren replied.
“Two to one. Majority rules,” Zane stated boldly. “Alright, gentleman. We have about a week to get a tactical team together in order to penetrate the castle.”
Leo and Wyatt smiled to each other.
“We'll need more practical intelligence on their security. Riley?” Zane asked.
I rolled my eyes to the ceiling, trying to recall the layout.
“Well, the doors of the courtyard are typically unguarded. I know Sirus has a security system set up with cameras in most wings of the castle, notably around the entrances. The servant staircases are small, but accessible which would cloak us briefly from being discovered by anyone else in the coven,” I explained.
“Any weak points?” Leo asked.
As I opened my mouth to speak, I pictured Sirus in a rage. I closed my eyes and shook my head.
“None that I can think of. They are very well guarded, even if it doesn't appear that way,” I whispered.
“We'll have to infiltrate their security system. Wyatt, you are the local tech. I'll have you research what systems they use so that we may disarm it,” Zane announced.
“You got it, boss,” Wyatt replied.
“And Leo, I'll have you work closely with Riley on penetrating forces,” Zane went on.
Leo smirked and peered at me over his hands that were folded neatly under his chin. A wink followed the smirk and I flushed while I averted my gaze back to Zane. I tried to smile. It ended up coming out as a bit of a grimace. Embarrassed, I covered my face and forced a yawn.
“My goodness, it must be incredibly late for you,” Zane commented as he looked at his wrist watch. “And just look at the hour! Warren, we're late for our morning hunt. Gather Forrest and head to the fields. Wyatt, I'd like for you to begin your research immediately.”
As the three men stood, I followed suit and stretched out my arms.
“What should I do, sir?” Leo asked while standing next to the table.
The other two men were already out the door, chatting away about the project. Zane looked between Leo and me with some interest, smiled, and then said, “You can accompany Miss Riley to her room. We don't want her wandering about unwatched.”
I gulped again.
“I'm still under lock and key, eh?” I joked.
“For the next week, yes,” Zane replied. “But when you prove you aren't a bargaining chip for Tempest Legion, we'll get along just fine.”
I chuckled timidly and turned to head to the door, peering behind to see if Leo was following. He was right at my heels. I gasped and jumped forward as the knot in my throat formed again. I heard him chuckling behind me, clearly amused by my stumbling as I made my way back up the hall and into the recreation area.
Forrest waved at me and jumped up from the couch, hopping around the others to come and hug me.
He smiled. “How did it go?”
“It went well,” I replied.
“That's great to hear. I'll be sure to catch something special for you,” he grinned.
I flushed and waved as he spun around me and left with the other men to start their hunt.
Damn, what did I do to deserve such special treatment here? I thought to myself. I then wondered if they felt the same betraying arousal toward me that I felt toward them, or whether that was just a stupid product of my weakened state as a fang away from her coven.
Another yawn took over my face, this time an authentic one, and Leo tugged my hand towards the opposite end of the room.
“I didn't realize the time,” I sighed.
“Well, we'll get you tucked away in bed before you know it,” he assured me.
While we walked down the hall, he didn't release my hand. It made me grin with excitement, his thumb fixed over my knuckle as he benevolently pulled me to my bedroom. I raised a curious brow when he opened my bedroom door.
“How do you know where I sleep?” I inquired with a grin as I walked through the threshold.
“You're a fang in the middle of a werewolf pack, darling. There's no possibility of you being able to hide from all of us,” he replied while shutting the door.
I sat hesitantly on the bed as my fingers trailed over the soft cotton, debating whether I should invite him to sit. Feeling bold, I patted the fabric next to me. He obeyed instantly and sat at my side, smiling like a puppy who had just found its new owner.
“You look tense,” he said.
I shrugged, rolling my shoulder back. My muscles still ached, he was right.
“Do you mind?” he asked as he reached over and brushed my hair aside.
I bit my lip and shook my head, turning my back to him so he was in a better position to massage me. “Not at all.”
His warm hands pressed to my skin and I hummed, relaxing into his firm grip. This was definitely something I could get used to. I felt like a spoiled brat. One shifter was out fetching my food while this one was rubbing my shoulders.
Could it possibly get any better than this?
Chapter Five
“Riley...”
I shifted under the sheets and rolled over, pulling the blanket defiantly over my head. It was too early to wake up. Even though there weren't any windows in the room, I could tell the sun was still in the process of setting. Who dared to wake me? A hand caressed my covered shoulder and prompted me to sigh.
“Riley, I've got your breakfast.”
With a groan, I stretched out my limbs and allowed the blanket to slide down my face. Forrest was sitting on the edge of my bed with a couple of squirrels. He waited patiently as I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. As the blanket slipped down further, his eyes went wide and he turned immediately.
I looked down to find my blouse hanging open. One of my breasts was freely hanging out of the edge and I covered myself instantly, turning red as I stammered in response.
“I'm so sorry!” I cried.
“No, it's alright. It's just your body. I didn't mean to, uh...”
The squirrels tittered and he stood from the bed to walk across the room.
“Take your time,” he said. “No rush. I can leave these here.”
I tucked away my breast, fixed my blouse, and rustled my hair. How did I even look?
“No, it's fine. I'm presentable now,” I responded.
Shifting from one foot to the other, Forrest turned around. He extended his arm with the squirrels that were still tittering. They looked like they were getting nervous. I took them gratefully and patted them as I cradled them in my lap, stroking their heads gently until they became hypnotically calm. I stared down at the beautiful little creatures and felt a knot form in my stomach. I couldn’t exactly call myself a vegan anymore, considering I had killed and eaten a living creature. I wondered if I could find a way to spare them as my finger stroked one of their backs as it calmed.
Forrest returned to his seat on the edge of my bed.
“You really have a way with them,” he commented.
“I'm not even sure how I'm able to do this. It must be one of my powers blossoming,” I said with a shrug.
“Seems like a great power to have.”
I smiled.
“I wish I had other powers like flying or mind-reading or even the ability to cloak myself,” I sighed. “But I can make animals feel calm, so that makes me feel a little better.”
As I whispered my vegan prayer, a twitch of guilt rang in the back of my mind. Tentatively, I nicked one of the squirrel’s necks, a tiny bite in a strategically placed spot. I drank the warm liquid, but not so much as to drain him dry. When I pulled away, the creature still moved. I relaxed back into my cushions with my satiated sm
ile, watching the small thing as it stirred, life still within him.
“Huh,” I said, smiling. It looked as if I had just solved my moral dilemma.
“That’s one way to deal with it,” he smirked at me, shaking his head. “Looks like the little guys are fine.”
Forrest collected the squirrels and set them on the far table, mocking-up a small enclosure with surrounding furniture. While I relaxed, he came back and leaned over my legs and made himself comfortable, propping his head up on his hand.
“Do you remember what I told you the first time I brought you in this room?” he inquired.
I nodded.
“Not to be bold, but there’s something about you that I’m drawn to. I can see it with the others as well. There’s something about you that is alluring to us, and I’m finding it hard to stay away from you,” he continued.
I bit my lower lip shyly and gazed at my delicate fingers that were gripping the bed sheet.
“I’ll admit I’ve felt something since I first got here,” I said quietly. “Which is strange for me. I don’t quite understand it, it’s more… uh, primal, I guess, than anything I’m used to.”
“Well, you're a fang now. A different kind of fang. Feelings are going to process differently for you, I imagine,” he supposed.
I considered. I fought with the urge to hold onto my vampire ways, the rules impressed upon me by the coven. I was with the wolves now, and it was adapt or die. Fortunately for me, adapting meant I could have some fun.
“I wonder what touching will feel like,” I finally replied.
Embarrassed, I bit my lower lip to keep anything else from escaping my naughty lips. A mischievous smirk crossed his lips as he eyed me carefully, his eyes lowering down my torso and to my fingers that were nervously scrunching up my bed sheets.
“We could always find out,” he whispered huskily.
His fingers slid across the sheet and up my arm to my cheek. He stroked it gently, causing another shy grin to appear. As his thumb slid over my chin and caressed my lips, I moaned into his hand. My breath heated his skin. Did I feel cold? I wasn't sure if my temperature would be warm compared to him, especially considering that my vampiric state was much different than the other fangs.
I hissed. Forrest was leaning forward and his breath was on my lips. How had he gotten so close without me noticing? It was as if he moved faster than I could see. But shifters weren't gifted with such movement...were they? His hand fell over my shoulder, down my arm, and moved part of my blouse to reveal the very top of my breast. I shuddered under his touch.
A clever thumb ran over my chest and slid down towards my hardened nipple that protruded from beneath my blouse. He stroked it in circles at first, gentle twists that nudged me into a heated fit of breathing. My breasts swelled with each stroke, each breath, giving audible life to my arousal. He positioned himself between my legs while pushing each thigh aside with his free hand as his lips danced lightly over mine. He was teasing me—and I liked it.
I cooed as his lips finally made their mark on mine. They danced over my bottom lip, sucked dutifully on the vulnerable skin, and then dove beneath my chin to impress his affection. His lips soothed me. They trailed down my neck and rested just above my breast as his hand dipped down my waist. When he tickled my torso, my breathing shifted. His fingers danced over my pelvis and teased the hem of my leggings.
As his eyes locked with mine, he breathlessly asked, “May I?”
I nodded eagerly. Painfully slow, his hand slipped beneath the band of my leggings and stroked the front of my panties. They were already wet. The anticipation made me writhe with desire, my hips pulsating into his hands as he worked. I couldn't bare it much longer. As his fingers encircled my chin, I shimmied out of my leggings and cupped the front of his jeans. He was hard.
Without hesitation, his fingers slid beneath my panties and caressed my soft flesh. I was brimming with heat. Each stroke inspired me to writhe beneath his touch, yanking at the button holding his jeans together. I slid them down his hips and welcomed his warm cock into my grip, gently squeezing it as he came to full mast.
His breathing became ragged, turning from feverish panting into fierce growls. Warm breath met the nape of my neck as he nipped at my flesh. I shivered while he decorated my shoulder, pushing my blouse down further in order to graze my nipple with his tongue. I hissed as he sucked on my delicate flesh and leaned back against the pillow, succumbing to his touch.
While suckling at my breast, his fingers worked slowly inside me, pushing between my folds in order to penetrate me deeper. I pressed my hips forward as he sunk deep and pressed his thumb against my clitoris. He massaged in circles while his fingers worked inside me, causing my legs to spread wider. I dug my nails into his shoulders and ground into him hard.
“Get inside,” I panted. “Please, just get inside.”
He withdrew his hand and carefully positioned his cock against my entrance, sliding the head excitedly against my flesh. I squirmed as my body grew ready for him. It encouraged him to sink inside with ease, his girth parting my flesh and causing me to gasp. I looked down at our intertwined skin and watched him slide in and out of me. I was enamored with the sight. When I raised my gaze to his eyes, he was looking at me with a sparkle in his eye that I hadn't seen before, one that made me melt immediately.
That look was one of complete admiration. It caused my heart to flutter, even though it was hardly beating. But that look seemed to bring me life. Every kiss gave me breath, each touch made me warm, and his body made me feel like I was alive again. I was brimming with life beneath him and he gave it to me freely, giving vital breath to every motion.
“I think I...” My words were met with a kiss, instantly silencing me.
As he rocked back and forth into my body, he pulled away from my lips and whispered, “Me, too, Riley. Me, too.”
Chapter Six
I had spent such a splendid night with Forrest that I had nearly forgotten about my initial goal. The shifters were incredibly kind when I joined them for their evening hunt. It amazed me to watch how they worked together with a common strategy as well as how they didn't waste anything they caught. I still felt bad for harming life, but felt encouraged to see that they had reverence for their prey.
The fangs were very much unlike these primal beasts. And they weren't much of beasts after all. They were much kinder, more intuitive, and not to mention utterly sexy. I found myself feeling something I hadn't felt in a long time while sprinting between Forrest and Zane: freedom.
I spread out my arms as I ran through the trees, hopping over logs and between branches as I kept up with the pack. Leo ran behind me and Forrest ran at my left with Zane at my right. I felt completely protected, as if a treasure that they never wanted to release. Part of me lamented needing to enact our dangerous plan in order to take down Tempest Legion. I didn't want to do that; to risk losing them.
And I didn't want them to risk losing me.
When we arrived at the entrance of the cave, a few shifter women were waiting outside to welcome the boys home. I timidly nodded in their direction. Two of them offered a smile, but one of them remained stern in her appearance. As the boys went inside, I waited behind with my captured food for the evening. The one who was frowning in my direction lingered near me as I tried to walk inside. It was Gracie. We had been introduced previously in the recreation room after a meeting, but she seemed less than enthused to have me around. We bumped shoulders.
“You know, this isn't a free festival for you to pick through before running back to your beloved vampires,” Gracie spat.
“That's not my intention and you know that,” I insisted.
She shrugged and eyed my satchel, watching the fabric move around as the squirrels tittered with unease.
“Well, you'll just have to prove it, won't you?” she inquired with a curious brow.
I didn't look away from her burning eyes. I knew that if I looked away, it would give her statement power. If I let
go, I would ultimately lose when it came to earning her trust. The other women appeared to be fine with me, but this one was hardened by experience. I could smell the jaded years piled on to her age. As I stared, she nodded towards the entrance.
“Well, are you coming in?” she asked.
I nodded.
We were the last to walk into the recreation room where the shifters were talking among themselves. It was getting close to their dinner time which I always looked forward to because it provided me time with the three men I enjoyed most: Leo, Forrest, and Zane. In truth, I had become rather soft around Zane. Originally, I had held my guard well, but he was quickly peeling those layers away the more we encountered each other. While I stood near a candelabra, Gracie rejoined the pack and spoke with a smirk to Wyatt. I could tell she fancied him.
I wasn't sure how their romantic bonds worked so well considering that most of them slept with each other. It confused me, but on some deeper, primal level also enticed me. This was new territory, both physically and mentally. Still, I was willing to learn and adapt. After all, it had earned me attention from the finest beasts I'd ever met. Why would I ever try to monopolize that?
“What's on your mind?”
The question prompted an image of Adrian. It caused me to grimace and I looked at the ground to avoid the inquirer, allowing my hair to fall over my eyes.
“Riley, don't hide.”
I raised my eyes and peered through the veil of dark hair to find Zane. He offered me a small smile and stroked my hand, nudging me to respond.
“I was just thinking about our mission,” I whispered.
A strong, but gentle hand rose and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. Though the group wasn't watching, I was sure they were aware of what Zane was doing. I flushed.
“It's more than that,” he continued. “Why don't you visit me after supper in my quarters? You can unburden yourself completely.”
