by Jessica Sims
“I had no choice,” Hugh said. His hand detangled from mine, and he pressed a kiss to the top of my head before striding forward to confront Artur.
The gesture was so sweet and possessive that I almost missed the flash of longing in Artur’s gleaming eyes.
Almost.
Hugh came to his friend’s side, and they clasped forearms in greeting, though Artur still didn’t look pleased. Hugh talked to him for a long moment, their voices so low that I couldn’t pick out what they were saying. The nosy part of me wanted to rush forward and listen in, but I suspected that as soon as I got closer, they’d cease talking. Whatever it was, it was clear I wasn’t meant to overhear.
So I shuffled my feet in the wet grass and brushed my hair over my breasts, trying to make it seem like I wasn’t wearing only scales.
Artur glanced at me again, then nodded. “While I cannot say my heart is glad, I do understand you, brother.”
Hugh nodded. “Let’s go tell the others, then. Get this over with.”
“Tell them what?” I asked.
No one answered me.
“Tell them what?” I asked again. “Hello? Cute girl standing right here? Likes long walks on the beach and hates being ignored?”
They both just turned and stared at me.
I sighed. “Never mind. Let’s go and get it over with. Whatever ‘it’ is.”
The two men flanked me (an act I found unnerving), and we continued forward through the woods until we came to the labyrinth of caves. Each dark cave entrance seemed to have a set of gleaming eyes peering out, watching us.
“Wait here, Ryder,” Hugh informed me. He stepped forward and raised a hand to his mouth, letting out a roar that was so loud and tigerlike that it startled me.
“But—”
Artur stepped to my side and shook his head at me, indicating silence.
The other primordial shifters began to emerge from the shadows. I watched, my heart fluttering with something like anxiety as, one by one, they slunk forward, gaze flicking back and forth from me to Hugh.
He glanced around until he seemed satisfied, then said, “You all know of my agreement with Finian. That I sold my services to him, acting as a representative to all of us. I was to complete the vow, and in exchange, we would be given mates so we might end our lonely existence. I am sorry to say that I cannot complete the vow. I have failed all of you.”
I gasped. What? How?
With horror, I watched as the other shifters leapt upon Hugh, burying him in a pile of furious bodies determined to attack.
“Hugh,” I cried, running forward.
Artur grabbed me by the arm. “Do not. All will be well.”
“But they’re hurting him!”
“He expected this. He is letting them vent their rage.” Artur’s hand tightened on my arm. “Do not attempt to intervene.”
I looked at the snarl of men, fists and naked bodies flying. It seemed to be a mosh pit of nudity and anger. If I hadn’t been so distraught at the thought of poor Hugh being at the center, I probably would have enjoyed all the flexing buttocks and bouncing peen. As it was, it just freaked me out.
One large arm shot through the crowd of angry men and grabbed someone’s head, knocking it into another. Two men fell to the ground, only to have another two leap into the fray. Hugh rose for a moment, his nose bloody, a gouge down one cheek. His teeth were bared in a feral snarl, his eyes dark.
Then another man grabbed him by the throat, and down he went into the surging bodies again.
“Hugh,” I cried out, then yanked at my arm when Artur grabbed me again, pulling me away from the fight. “Let go of me.”
“Let them get it out,” Artur told me. “Don’t you know he’s doing this for you?”
Chapter Sixteen
Doing this for me?” My voice rose a hysterical note. “How is he doing this for me? It looks like he’s being pulverized!”
“He has chosen you over us,” Artur said flatly. “He will not give you to the fae. It will negate the vow and leave the rest of us without mates, but you will be safe.”
I gasped and turned to Artur. “What?”
“It’s true.” He gave a quick nod, and only the bleakness in his eyes revealed his feelings. His ugly face was impassive. “He cannot bear to send you to your fate, so he will forsake us to keep you safe.”
I looked at the crowd of men, all furiously fighting one another. I saw the helpless rage of the men as they attacked Hugh. One turned and gave me a look of pure longing before leaping back into the fray.
A sob escaped my throat. I wept because I’d been selfish. I’d won, and now I’d destroyed the happiness of so many others. I should have felt good about it, but all I felt was more miserable. So I sobbed.
A cry of rage escaped the pile. It surged forward, heading toward me. Hugh emerged, a man clinging to his back and another to his leg. He shrugged them off with violent motions and came for me, eyes wild. “Ryder!”
The others fell back, sitting on their haunches in an animalistic way. They licked their wounds and wiped blood from nostrils and mouths. They glared at Hugh, but their gaze didn’t have the same anger toward me that they had toward him.
Hugh moved to me and gently cupped my face, scanning it with worry. “Are you hurt? Why do you cry?”
“I don’t understand,” I told him, shaking my head. I looked up into his face. One of his eyes was swelling shut, and his nostril leaked a thin trail of blood. He’d never looked more gorgeous to me. “You’re not going to give me to Finian? But . . . you’re ruining it for everyone. I thought that was what you wanted.”
“That was before I knew you,” he said. His thumb grazed the smooth scales of my cheek, oh-so-sweetly. “And now I cannot imagine doing anything that would cause you such misery.”
My breath caught in my throat at his words. I’d wanted to hear that for so long. And yet . . . it was almost too much to believe. It was such a high, brutal cost. “What made you change your mind?”
He glanced around at the others. Filled with sadness, I did, too, and noticed that they were staring at my naked body in a way that could only be described as . . . hungry. “This is not a conversation for any ears but yours, Ryder. Come. We will go to my cave.”
“Sounds lovely,” I said, dazed. A cave? We were going somewhere private to talk? He wasn’t giving me to Finian? I was trying to process all of this, and failing miserably. But when he extended his hand to me, I automatically took it, and he led me through the ominous crowd. I trusted him to keep me safe.
He led me to the rocky cliff, and I stared up at it as we approached. It was easily five or six stories tall, a sheer outcropping that ended abruptly, as if some divine hand had neatly sliced it in half. Up the sides of the cliff were holes riddled through the rock—caves. And each cave, I knew, was the home of one of the primordials. “Which one is yours?”
Hugh released my hand and began to climb, tugging on a few of the vines that had worked their way into the stone. “I am at the top.”
“Of course you are,” I said faintly. I stared as Hugh climbed the sheer surface as if it had been nothing, his toe-claws digging into the rock and his big hands using the vines to leverage himself up. I moved closer and touched one of the vines. It was stout, all right, but slippery from the clingy mist. I glanced up. I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to be able to climb that. At all.
Hugh looked down after a moment. “Do you not come?”
I touched one of the leafy vines. “I don’t think I can climb this.” I displayed my blunted claws, which now looked more like long, smooth mother-of-pearl chips than deadly killing weapons. “These won’t dig into anything, and my wings still don’t work.”
He leapt down from the ledge, ignoring the fact that he’d just dropped two stories, and landed at my feet in a crouch. Then he straightened, apparently unhurt,
and grinned at me, mouth full of sharp teeth. “All you had to do was say so.”
With that, he grabbed me and swung me over his arm, my stomach landing on his shoulder. Just like Tarzan. And just like Tarzan, he began to climb once more, moving swiftly up the cliff wall.
I swallowed the scream that erupted in my throat, dug my ineffective claws into his skin as much as I could, and closed my eyes. Hugh wouldn’t let me fall. He wouldn’t. I trusted him.
After a few moments, the rough swaying stopped, and I heard—and felt—Hugh’s body thump to the ground. I squeezed one eye open and glanced around as he set me gently down next to him.
We were inside Hugh’s cave. It was dark inside, and I could barely make out my surroundings. There didn’t seem to be much to see, though. My toes tickled a pile of furs nearby, but other than that, I could see nothing. “This is your home?”
“Aye.”
For some reason, it made me sad that Hugh lived with so little. It was so . . . crude. “You don’t have much.”
“I do not need much,” he admitted. “Most days, I spend my time in my other form. It makes things less . . . lonely. Your other self does not notice things that are lacking nearly as much.”
Oh, that was sad. I wondered if that was why the others seemed downright feral at times. Was it because they were all used to spending time in their animal form more than their human one? Because they were so lonely? I wanted to weep for them . . . and for Hugh. I turned toward him in the darkness, his gleaming eyes making him easy to find. My hand reached out to him and landed on smooth, warm skin. “Tell me what’s going on. I need to understand.”
His eyes closed, the green gleam disappearing for such a long moment that it made my breath catch in my throat. It returned a moment later, and I felt his big, warm hands on my shoulders.
Hugh pulled me against him, dragging me to him in a warm, comforting embrace.
I was startled at first. For me, it was always unusual to feel skin-to-skin contact, much less with a nearly seven-foot-tall man who was totally naked. But Hugh seemed to be a hugger. He seemed to need that comforting touch almost as much as I did, so when his big hand rested on the back of my head and began to stroke my hair, pressing my cheek to his chest, I couldn’t really protest. I was enjoying the sensations too much.
But I also wanted answers. So I hesitantly put my hand on his stomach and pushed away a bit, just enough to look up at him. “Tell me what’s going on, Hugh. Please.”
He sighed heavily, then cleared his throat. “When . . . when I saw you dancing with the small one, it angered me.”
“Small one?” I giggled at that. A saber-toothed tiger the size of a grizzly bear probably thought a were-cougar was small, but I doubted Austin Russell would enjoy the description. But then the rest of Hugh’s words sank in. “It made you angry?”
“It did.” His hands clenched tighter around me, and the hand that began to stroke my hair again was pressing so hard that I was pretty sure I’d be bald if it continued. “You were touching another man and laughing with him, and he was admiring your body. I . . . wanted to hurt him. And . . . I wanted to be him.”
“You did?”
“I did.” His hands tightened around me again. “I was envious of his freedom. He could touch you. He could dance with you and make you laugh. And I am not allowed. I envied him greatly in that moment.”
I hugged Hugh, feeling the need to comfort him. My arms wrapped around his waist, and I scratched my nails idly on his back, sensing that he’d enjoy that. “You’re jealous over nothing, Hugh. I only like Austin as a friend. And truthfully, you’re the only person I trust not to run away screaming at the sight of my real face.” I still flinched at the thought of showing Austin my true nature; I imagined his reaction and knew it wouldn’t be a good one.
“You are harsh to yourself, Ryder.” He shook his head. “I bring this up only because I am trying to make you understand. I was jealous of the small cat shifter yesterday, and it made me angry. That was why we fought. I deliberately chose to ruin your fun and provoke you. And after you ran off, I felt . . . guilty. Like I was destroying everything for you. And I realized I had to. That it was my job to do this. That feeling did not sit well with me.”
His hand paused on my head, then began to stroke my hair again. “When he stole you out from under my nose . . .” I felt his big body shudder against mine. “I cannot describe how it made me feel. How helpless and full of rage. I’d failed in my vow. And I should have thought of my brother primordials, waiting patiently for me to return home with their mates. Waiting for me to fix things. But I was not thinking of them. Instead, the only thing that kept going through my mind was you. That you were lost and scared somewhere. That I had failed you. I only thought of you. Not of the other women waiting for us. Just you.”
I pressed my cheek harder against his chest, burrowing against him. I didn’t want to interrupt.
“When I found you, my relief was so great that I wanted to scream it to the heavens.” He held me tightly again. “I realized that I had no right to feel this way for you. And I also realized I could not give you up. Not to Finian. Not to anyone.”
His arms clenched around me even harder, nearly squeezing the breath out of me. I didn’t mind. I didn’t mind at all. I could scarcely breathe myself, barely daring to hope that what I was hearing was the truth.
“And that is why I must remove your virginity, Ryder.”
I giggled at that. “Um, that’s a weird way of putting it.”
His chest-constricting hug loosened and he glanced down at my face, his hand moving to cup my chin and tilt me into looking in his direction. “How should it be said, then?”
I was glad that it was dark and I had scales, because I was pretty sure that the blush on my face could rival a fire hydrant for its color. “It’s not removed, I guess. It’s taken.”
“But . . . that implies that I am snatching it from you. I do not think I like this wording.” He sounded offended.
I couldn’t help but laugh again. “How about I give it to you instead?”
“I like the sound of that.” His fingers brushed against the scales of my jaw. “Would you . . . do you want to give it to me, Ryder?”
“I do,” I breathed. “More than anything. You know this.”
“I need to hear it again.” His voice was husky, and I wished I could see more than just the gleam of his eyes in the darkness.
“But what about Finian? What about the others? What will happen to all of them?”
“Finian”—he spat the word as if it were foul—“will not be pleased. I do not care what he thinks.”
“But you told him you did not want me for yourself. I remember that.”
“I did.” His expression was grim. “I thought it true at the time. But . . . it is not.”
My eyes widened. “Really? What about the others?”
“They will get over their disappointment in time,” he said softly. “But I do not think I will be able to stay here, my Ryder. With you at my side, their envy would be too great. The pain would be a daily one, and even I am not that cruel.”
“Is this your way of asking to move in with me, big guy? Because I vote yes.”
“I would like nothing more than to remain at your side for the rest of my life, Ryder. I care for you as I care for no other.”
My heart swelled with excitement and affection. Was Hugh admitting that he loved me? I wanted so desperately to believe this was true. My nails dug into his back, and I pressed myself against him. This was almost too good to be true. “You can come live with me, Hugh,” I told him. “But what about Finian? He’s coming to collect me.”
Hugh pulled me away from him. I immediately felt bereft of his warmth, his heat, his caresses. “Ryder, I must ask you to sacrifice something. If I am gifted with your virginity tonight, you will remain as you are for the rest of you
r days.”
My heart stopped in my chest. “I’m going to be like this forever? Not human?”
“You will be human,” he said. “Your glamour will never leave you. But your changeling form will be frozen at this point in time. Your wings will no longer blossom. Your horns will not spiral and sharpen. Your claws will remain dull, and your scales the color they are now. Once you are no longer a virgin, you will no longer grow more beautiful by the day. And if I take your virginity now, you will not go into heat on your twenty-fifth birthday.”
I wanted to laugh with relief. “Is that all? I don’t care about that.”
“Are you sure? A changeling in full bloom is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever seen. They make the throat ache with their sheer beauty.” His thumb grazed along my collarbones ever so gently. “And even though you already are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, I will be robbing you of your potential if I do not at least warn you of the consequences.”
“So I can be the most beautiful thing ever, or I can have the man I love?” My voice broke, my heart thrumming at the admission. “That’s kind of a no-brainer. All I want is you.”
He pulled me gently forward until his head rested against my belly. “I am filled with love for you, Ryder.”
I wanted to laugh again at his strange wording, but I didn’t. The feel of his head pressing against my belly was setting off every nerve ending in my body. His hair brushed against the curves of my breasts, teasing me. I ran my fingers through his thick, almost wiry hair and was rewarded with his mouth nuzzling against the soft flesh on my belly.
Flesh? Perplexed, I touched my stomach and discovered that my scales had smoothed out from there. Had I missed that transformation somehow? It seemed that I had scales still on my shoulders, back, and buttocks, but my front had gone soft, the skin velvety.
Like an armadillo, I had a soft underbelly. I giggled at the thought, strangely pleased.
My laughter died a moment later when Hugh’s mouth dipped and licked at the underside of one breast. A moan escaped my throat, and I dug my fingers into his hair, dragging his mouth toward my breast when he skimmed away. I wanted more of that.
