by N. M. Howell
I smiled shyly and curled my fingers around his hand, finding comfort in such a simple gesture.
“I would like that,” I whispered.
After giving my hand a consoling squeeze, he walked over to the group of chattering werewolves and announced that it was time for dinner. Leo immediately appeared at my side and took my hand as we walked through a door opposite the entrance that would lead to the dining hall. Also unlike the fangs, the shifters all sat at a long table occupying most of the dining hall. There was plenty of space between each shifter, but it felt intensely intimate.
I found this setup more satisfying than where I had come from because it provided me the ability to see everyone all at the same time. Even though Gracie didn't like me, it made me feel better to know where she was located at the table. Just like the days before, she was seated right next to Wyatt. I secretly thanked the universe for not causing a heated desire to spark between Wyatt and myself, lest I incite the jealous rage of a female werewolf.
I sat quietly in my corner of the table as Zane entered the room. The shifters immediately fell silent out of respect. I'd never seen such allegiance, not even towards Sirus. And Sirus was a fearsome leader. Perhaps it spoke volumes more that Zane could cause a room to fall silent with a mere smile instead of a growl.
“My friends, family, I'd like to thank you for being receptive to our guest, Riley.” He gestured towards me from across the table and I blushed, sinking down into my chair. “This is no easy task for a shifting creature. We've been taught from a young age that fangs do not have our best interests in mind. We never forget the war of 1912, and now we must never forget that they are still committing atrocities even though they are no longer invading our territory.”
Gracie scoffed and rolled her eyes. As I eyed her, Zane continued as if he didn't hear her scoff. Or perhaps he was ignoring it.
“I would also like us to prepare ourselves for the fight that is coming. Arm your thoughts. Practice your skills. Put any fears you have to rest. In just a few days, we'll face our enemies confidently in their castle,” he continued. “And please, let me know if you have any concerns. I am happy to discuss them with you.”
A light applause erupted from the table as Zane took his seat and waved his arms over the feast waiting for them to eat. Awkwardly, I watched the shifters dig into their meaty meals, cupping my goblet in my hand nervously. I traced the edge of the goblet with a finger as I watched them eat. I could hear them chewing, hear their laughter, and even hear their stomachs settling over the white noise of chatter.
A hand rustled me from my little moment of hyper awareness.
“Are you not hungry?” Leo asked, a piece of bird sticking out from his lips. He slurped it back into his mouth and smiled.
I smirked.
“No, it's fine.”
“Do you want me to warm it for you?” he offered.
I shook my head.
“You're kind, but it's fine, Leo,” I insisted.
“Let me know.”
Something had shifted in me. I glanced around the table at the animals of who I was quickly growing fond. They were oblivious to my eyes, to the thoughts that churned like gears in my head. I watched them smile and watched how it lit up their eyes, slowly making jokes or making jabs or tossing food. There was such a loving chemistry in this room. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced, even in my days as a human.
Oh, humanity.
I frowned at my own lack thereof. Having grown sick of my thoughts, I stood abruptly from the table and left the dining hall. I heard Leo and Forrest call after me, but I continued to walk away. If I turned, I might fall prey to their arms. I wasn't in the best emotional state and I didn't want to bring down their jovial mood, so I contained myself to my bedroom where I could collect myself.
I stared at my reflection. How tattered I felt even though my features had smoothed from a healthy diet of squirrel and rabbit blood. I rubbed at my cheeks. Leo had been right about my pink hue. It was uncharacteristic of a fang. But then again, I wasn't much of a fang if I didn't drink from humans, was I?
I sighed heavily and met my gaze once more.
Hang in there, Riley. It's almost over.
Chapter Seven
“You know you can tell me anything, right?”
I stared blankly at the fire in the fireplace, mindlessly tossing pieces of paper into the flames. They flared up instantly around the edges and became blackened by the orange streaks of light as flakes of ashes fluttered up from the flames. I shrugged.
“I mean, it's really nothing,” I insisted.
“Are you sure? You seemed preoccupied when you came in from the hunt. And you weren't talkative at dinner at all,” Zane went on.
I offered another light shrug. I was entranced by the flames, by their beautiful and rhythmic lapping at the brick surrounding them, and by the sound they made when they crackled. I stuck my hand out towards them to feel their warmth, crumbling my fingers as they licked at my skin.
“Riley, don't do that!”
Before I could say anything, Zane took my hand and pulled me away from the fire. It was like I was bewitched by some strange sorcery. I stared at him and then at the burned piece of skin that flaked up from my palm, my eyes wide with horror. He sat me gently in a cushioned chair.
“I don't...” I trailed off and lowered my head.
“What's going on with you?” he asked.
I shook my head.
“I have no idea,” I whispered. “I really have no idea.”
“You almost burned yourself.”
I took a deep breath and sighed, inspecting the damage I had done to my skin. I didn't know I could withstand the flames like that. Bleed, yes. Burn at the stake, absolutely. But withstand flames with minimal pain? That wasn't something Draven or Sirus had ever mentioned. They had continued to threaten me with the stake burning without mentioning that I wouldn't even feel it. Maybe I would have been fine after all.
“I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that,” I sighed.
He knelt down in front of me and took my face between his hands, forcing me to look into his eyes. Those brown, incandescent eyes reflected the fire in a glorious wash of color ranging from dark brown to light hues of honey. I searched them for a hint of truth, for something more substantial than what I held now.
“There is no reason to harm yourself, Riley. You've done nothing wrong,” he explained.
“I didn't think that at all.”
His eyes softened. They studied mine with delicate intensity, the pupils dilating as they washed over my cheeks and down my chin. When they flitted back up and met my gaze, I shivered.
“It's clear, Riley, that you're still feeling some level of guilt about leaving your coven,” he whispered.
I stared down at my palms. The one that had been burned had already healed up at this point, appearing as smooth as the day I had turned into a fang. I ran my finger over the area that had once been charred. It didn't look any different than ten minutes ago.
“But there's nothing wrong with what you did. I want you to understand that before you sneak back into that castle,” he assured.
Tears began to brim at the edges of my eyes. My lower lip quivered suddenly, an uncontrollable response to his words. Why was I so emotional? I couldn't hold his gaze now. It was much too painful to see those kind eyes; to be healed by them. His hand rose to my face and stroked away a few tears. I felt ashamed of them.
“I don't understand why I'm upset,” I whimpered.
“You've been traumatized, Riley. There's no way I couldn't see that. You're stunned by your choice even though it was the right thing to do.”
I licked my dry lips and shook my head, still refusing to meet his gaze.
“I can't imagine what would have happened if I had given in. How many people would I have killed?” I pondered.
“That's of no consequence now. The only thing you should be concerned about is what is happening right here, right now,” he asserted
.
I sniffled while wiping my face. His hand was resting on my shoulder now, benevolently rubbing the emotional tension from my skin. As the tears subsided, I rested my head against his shoulder and pulled him into me.
“And what is happening right now?” I posed while tangling my fingers through his soft brown hair.
He sighed contentedly into my ear and whispered, “Something magical.”
I melted into his arms at the sound of those words. A sigh and a moan transported me from the cushioned couch to the warm hearth. Zane ran his fingers over my black blouse, sliding the fabric up to reveal my pale stomach. His eyes remained fixed on mine as he massaged my skin with skilled hands that rubbed away the guilt and the tension I retained in my gut.
“You have such a way with healing,” I whispered.
The flames danced over his face, temporarily making him look gruesome, but he leaned forward and the morbid expression dissipated into one of pure affection. He smiled wide, revealing a pair of slightly elongated canines.
“That's one of my gifts,” he grinned.
“So, why me?”
A look of hurt fell over his face briefly. It was as if I had challenged his emotions; questioned his motives. And I did question them. I was in enemy territory as a young fang without any protection or any preparation. He had me in a vulnerable position next to the fire. If he wanted, he could toss me into it and drop the wrought iron gates. I shivered under his touch.
“Because I feel connected to you. It's uncommon for shifters and fangs to have anything in common, let alone an affectionate connection.” He patted his chest. “But I truly feel it, Riley. I feel you in here.”
Another wave of emotions washed over me as he leaned down to kiss my neck. It made me feel warm just as Forrest had made me feel warm. The feeling washed over my limbs and brought with it a desire to run my hands over the length of his torso. He sighed as I rubbed his muscles, trailed my nails down his stomach, and fumbled with his jeans.
“I promise I'll protect you,” he whispered to my skin. “I promise I will cover you in this raid. I don't want to lose you.”
I bit my lower lip to stifle the tears that were surfacing once again. Did he really mean those words? I couldn't tell what I believed anymore as my emotions became a frenzy of waves. They crashed over me and sucked me into a riptide where I nearly drowned, choking as I sat up to catch a breath.
“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have moved too fast. Are you alright?” he asked.
I offered a chuckle and wiped the rogue tears that had fallen down my face.
“I'm fine. I'm just surprised.”
Another smile formed as his lips greeted mine, pressing me back down to the warm hearth in a fit of passion. He removed my clothes delicately slow as if preserving my porcelain body and then ran his fingers over my bare skin. After removing the barrier of his clothing, he pressed himself to me and nuzzled my neck.
I could feel his member pulsing against my entrance, begging to be allowed access. I happily received him and groaned while lifting my legs up into the air. His firm cock spread my legs wider, inspiring a thrust of my hips as he rocked gently into me. Every touch sent shivers throughout my body and each kiss silenced my fears.
While his hips rhythmically thrust against my thighs, I rested my arms above my head and smiled. The warmth surrounding me—from the fire and from Zane—was enough to put me into a state of ecstasy. His girth filled me, his hands caressed me, and his lips delightfully marked every bit of my body he could swallow. I smiled when he engulfed my nipple into his mouth, sucking gently at my sensitive skin.
I sighed and rested my arms over his shoulders, a content smile crossing my lips as he met my gaze. I didn't look away this time. I kept my eyes steady on his, almost daring him to look anywhere else. We held this position for a moment as his grunts turned into primal growls and his hands gripped my skin with heated desperation. I could feel our climaxes approaching, the knotted rope in my gut slowly growing tighter and tighter.
“Take me, Zane,” I growled. “Take me and keep me.”
He grinned.
“With pleasure.”
Chapter Eight
I looked up at Zane through the dim veil of light coming from the fire. It was getting close to morning. We had just finished making love and he was snoozing underneath me, his soft snores gently parting the silence of the bedroom. The hearth under my arm had grown cold since the fire had gone out, the only remaining warmth coming from Zane and the gently burning coals.
I smiled and planted a kiss on his cheek. His face twitched from the gesture as he wrapped a loving arm around my shoulders. It made me sigh with pleasure to see him so peaceful. He deserved that kind of peace. I could see the worry etched into his features and the weight on his back from carrying his pack. It must have been difficult to lose this much in such a short amount of years. And with eternity staring you in the face, a century would feel like a week. He must have suffered greatly.
When I kissed him again, he stirred.
“Are you going back to your room, Riley?” he whispered.
I allowed my lips to linger around his chin.
“Yes. I must get to bed soon,” I replied.
“Take this with you.”
Sleepily, he pulled himself from the ground and slumped lazily over to the bedside table next to his bed. I stood up and stretched the kinks out of my back from lying on the ground. For him, it must have felt like a four-post bed, but for me, it was like lying in a wooden coffin. I cracked my back as he shuffled through a drawer.
“What is it?” I implored.
When he turned, he wore the sweetest smile I had ever seen. He cradled a necklace in his hands. The color of the stone on the silver chain caught the dwindling embers of the fire and I gasped. It was glorious. Each etching of the stone reflected a different light, blasting with color from the center.
“A blood stone?” I gasped.
“One of the rarest ones in existence. I found this several decades ago on a hunt. Someone important must have dropped it,” he explained.
“I couldn't.”
“But you can.”
He held it out without another word, wrapping the silver chain around my neck delicately. It glittered in the dim light. As I admired the stone between my fingers, I noticed the silver chain wasn't made of actual silver. It would have burned him otherwise. It seemed to be some kind of metal that could withstand the years of wear. In fact, it didn't look very old at all. The color was vibrant, having been polished into life.
“This is a testament of my trust in you, Riley,” he spoke. “And it will stand as my token of affection. From now on, I am yours and you are mine.”
I studied the beautiful crimson color that filled my vision.
“But what about Forrest? Leo?” I inquired.
“They can be yours for as long as you'll have them.”
I shook my head. “But I don't understand.”
“Our ways are not your ways. They are much different. But that doesn't mean you can't participate if you want to,” he offered.
I studied the blood stone once again, curling my fingers around the warm trinket that had been given to me out of love.
“I can't express how much I appreciate this token,” I admired. “And I intend to wear it for as long as I'm able to wear it.”
He smiled warmly.
“That's all I ask, Riley. Should you not return the same affection, simply return it.”
“I don't think that's going to happen,” I grinned.
As I stood in the dim light, he wrapped his muscular arms around me and gave me a comforting embrace. He kissed my temple before walking me to the door.
“Sleep well, Riley. We'll wake you in the evening.”
“Good night, Zane.”
After closing the door, I swelled with emotions. But these weren't the confused and guilty emotions of mere hours before. They were ones of passion, determination, and tenderness. I allowed each one to fill me com
pletely and then tucked them away for safekeeping. I made my way slowly down the hall towards my room, not minding that the sun was about to burst out from beneath the horizon. I could feel it coming. I didn't care.
One foot after the other leisurely drew me closer to my door. When I approached it, I noticed that it was cracked open. Someone had been in my room. In a fit of panic, I pushed carefully on the wood and peeked curiously inside. I reached for my hip to locate my dagger, but realized I had left my utility belt in Zane's room. He might be asleep again. I didn't want to wake him.
While clutching the blood stone, I stepped into my room. A fire raged in the fireplace, but no soul could be found. I sniffed the air and rolled my eyes when I recognized the familiar scents.
“You two realize you can't surprise a fang like that,” I announced. “My nose can detect you even if my other senses can't.”
A chuckle came from the corner.
“Well, we just wanted to surprise you,” Leo said.
He emerged from the shadows with Forrest following, the two of them glowing in the bright firelight. It felt warm and smelled like cedar. I inhaled the sweet scent that immediately caused me to relax. I propped a hand on my hip, raising a mischievous brow.
“And what were you going to surprise me with?” I implored.
A smirk crossed Leo's lips as he stepped forward. I sat on the edge of my bed while fixing my socks over my feet, noticing that I had also left my boots behind in Zane's room. I hoped Leo didn't notice, or that he wouldn't care if he did. Forrest crossed the room and took a seat next to me. I turned to offer him a smile.
“A little morning surprise, if you will,” he offered. “A two-for-one special.”
Could I handle more? I wasn't even positive. My thighs were still sore from Zane who had properly pummeled me into fits of joy. Though I desperately wanted to take them both, I knew my limits. This would, unfortunately, be one of them.
“I'm not sure I can handle two at the moment,” I lamented.
