Montgomery's kiss was deep and long, a single sweep of tongue that seemed to last forever. He pressed in close to me, our bodies brushing so lightly together that it was almost torture. I wanted to tear my arms from his grip and throw them around his neck, let him pick me up and mate me against this wall … but I also wasn't going to let that happen, not like this.
“I won't let you fuck away the pain,” I whispered when our mouths parted just the smallest fraction of an inch. “It wouldn't be fair to either of us, not for our first time together.”
He stared at me for a long moment and then carefully released my arms from above my head, running his fingers through the soapy wet strands of red hair and helping me rinse myself clean.
“Then what can I do?” he whispered as his fingers massaged my scalp in a strong, easy, rhythm that had my eyes sliding closed with pleasure. “I feel like … like I want to grab my weapons and storm Coven Triad, fight my way through as many of them as I can until I drop to my knees in a pool of blood.”
“No,” I said as I laid my palm on the flat expanse of Monty's lower belly. His muscles contracted as he sucked in a sharp breath, and I couldn't help but notice the hot water slicking down the length of his cock. “I won't let you do that either.”
“Why?” he asked, but I was already dropping my hand and curling my fingers around the base of his shaft. Montgomery exhaled sharply and dropped his own hands from my scalp to my shoulders, squeezing my muscles with those long fingers of his.
'Nic,' I called out, because I'd made a promise and I intended to keep it. 'I'm with Monty in the shower …'
'You don't have to keep doing this,' he told me, his wolfspeak voice an even keel that ran through my head like a winter wind through pine boughs. I knew then that he was in wolf form, standing outside in the forest alone. I could almost smell him in that moment, the sweet honeysuckle and pine kiss of Ebon Red. 'You don't owe me this, Zara.'
'Love does not demand debt, but it thrives on respect. I love and respect you, Nic.'
That felt like a weird thing to say, my fingers curled around the base of Montgomery's cock, but … it was true. No matter what else I was doing, that wouldn't change. And besides, if I wanted this to work, I'd have to rethink I everything I thought I knew about relationships.
'Zara,' he said, and then I heard a howl from outside the cabin, a melancholy song that made my skin prickle with goose bumps. 'Thank you.'
I felt Nic take off on four strong paws, his muscles rippling as he let himself go completely, darting through the woods of pack property. At least I knew he was safe out there, even by himself. I was more worried about Che, Anubis, and Tidus at the grocery store.
“Why?” I repeated, focusing back on Monty, on eyes so green they put the forest to shame. “Because … you belong to me now.”
It wasn't a question.
The Bonding Ritual, the whole Pairing Ceremony … I had a feeling there was something to all those 'empty rituals'. I could feel it, zinging through my blood, hot and wild. One-Kiss-No-Date was my nickname, remember? And yet … I couldn't seem to stop myself as I slid my hand up the length of Montgomery's cock and shivered with pleasure at the sound that slipped past his lips.
Or maybe couldn't wasn't the right word. I could do anything I wanted. And yet, this was what I wanted to do. I felt like magic was rippling through me in waves, that same earthy quality that had popped up the night Nic and I had lost our virginities to one another. It swirled through the room like a cool breeze, one that smelled of fresh spring leaves and flowers.
Montgomery squeezed his hands on my shoulders again, kneading the tender flesh and making me groan. It wasn't exactly a sexual touch, but it felt that way.
“Zara …” he said, as I worked my hand up and down his body, feeling the tension melt out of him with each stroke. His long hair was plastered to the sides of his face, taking that knightly look of his and making it just a little wilder, a little more animal. He was a gorgeous man, Montgomery Graves.
Leaning in close, I put my lips to his neck and kissed the wild flicker of his pulse, loving the taste of his skin. My eyes closed of their own accord and I breathed in the deep musky scent of wolf, the floral whisper of roses, and the grassy scent of the earth.
“This is better than a run, isn't it?” I whispered as I worked his body with my hand, tilting my head up to meet his mouth when he turned to face me. Our lips slanted together, hot water speckling our skin as our tongues tangled and I kept up a strong, steady motion with my hand.
“So much better,” he murmured, but the words came out in a half-growl, and I felt Monty's wolf shift and rub against me, calling to the wild nature inside of me, to pack. In that moment it most definitely did not feel like he was Ivory Emerald and I was Ebon Red; we felt like we belonged together.
The whisper of magic in the back of my mind promised that yes, this was true, that I should embrace it. Old magic was awake and alive in my blood, just in time to herald our species' greatest comeback … or our final downfall.
I didn't know why … but I was going to do my best to find out.
“Oh, Zara,” Monty moaned as our kiss deepened and he pushed my body fully against the wall with his own, trapping his shaft between us, making it harder for me to move. It didn't matter. We fumbled our way through it, my fingers stroking a climax from his body, spilling his seed all over me. “Zara …”
“Let's go upstairs,” I whispered, my own body shaking as I grabbed Monty's wrists and moved his hands from my shoulders to my hips. “Well, clean up first … and then go upstairs.”
“Yes,” he said, exhaling sharply, a small smile returning to his lips. “Let's do that.”
I told u jizz turns 2 glue in the shower! is what Faith texted me after Monty fell asleep in the big bed. He was lying beside me, his long hair bound in a tight braid and curled down the length of his back. He slept on his tummy with a deep, easy breathing that told me was seriously out.
Good thing, too, because I soooo did not want him to see this text message.
U never said that b4, I texted back, leaning into the pillows and closing my eyes against the chilly breeze sneaking through the open window. The nice thing about being a werewolf was that we could have the windows open year-round, since the only place we seemed to actually get cold was in the hellish depths of Faerie rivers …
Have so, she sent back and then, and I cannot BELIEVE u jacked that Monty dude off same day u did Silas.
I groaned and put my phone against my forehead.
I could barely believe it myself. I blamed it on the magic, but maybe … it was because I was a teenager who'd just been hooked up to seven really hot guys who all wanted to have sex as much as I did? I mean, was I thinking too much like a human in being worried about this? Or too much like a wolf in that mate them all was my primary objective?
U said u wouldn't judge, I sent back. I'd originally texted just to check up on her—I had two Ebon Red guards with her whenever I couldn't be—and somehow it'd turned into a graphic storytelling session. Such was Faith's way.
Not judging, just … half jealous & half shocked is all, she replied.
Setting my phone aside, I ran both hands down my face and sucked in a long breath, grabbing a piece of leftover pizza from the box and biting the end off of it.
Faeries. Witches. Vampires. Boyfriends.
Oh my.
“Knock, knock,” Anubis said from the bedroom door, cautiously moving into view and bowing his head respectfully in my direction. “We come bearing gifts.”
He lifted up a case of beer in one hand and a reusable grocery bag in the other.
“Thank the goddess,” I said with a smile, gesturing him into the room. I noticed that when Anubis climbed into the bed with me, he kept a decent amount of space between us. He liked rules and boundaries; he wouldn't approach me unless I approached him, not in this capacity anyway. I couldn't help but smile when I thought about the way he'd defended me from Avita during the Challenge. “How
're Silas and Jax faring with Aeron?” I asked as I took a bottle of beer from him and was excited to see that it was already cold. Anubis handed over a bottle opener and put a huge smile on my face. He always seemed to be prepared.
“Does sitting in silence on opposite ends of the couch while Aeron sleeps in a chair count as faring well?” he asked, reaching up and touching the spiked navy tips of his hair. Anubis looked at me with crimson eyes and then smiled. “Mind if I have a slice?”
“Go for it,” I told him, dragging the pizza box close and letting him snag a piece of Hawaiian. As I watched, he plucked a few extra pineapples from the box and layered them on top of his slice.
After I was done eating, I was seriously going downstairs and rounding up the rest of the boys. Even if they didn't want to touch each other, this bed was plenty big enough for all of us. Leaving Aeron alone downstairs was a bit of a risk, but with the werewolf wards on the cabin, she shouldn't be able to cause us much harm while inside the Pairing House. There were tales of a long-ago alpha who'd invited a rival into the house to talk. When the foreign wolf pulled out a gun and tried to shoot a silver bullet, the weapon had turned on her and fired directly into her forehead instead.
Whether that was true or not, I didn't think the eight of us staying together would affect our chances of defending ourselves against the fae girl if needed. If anything, it would only help.
“Does it bother you that we were supposed to be mates?” I asked randomly, picking up the remote and thumbing through shows until I landed on some lighthearted fluff that I could fall asleep to. Because that's what I was going to do, recline into these pillows, stuff my face with leftovers and try to get some sleep.
I'd need it to get through tomorrow.
Meetings with vampire queens.
Unruly faerie visitors.
Mysterious witchy double agents.
“Aren't we still mates, though?” Anubis asked as he leaned back into the pillows, scooting just a few inches closer to me and tossing a glance my way. He was dressed for bed in black shorts and a loose t-shirt, his stance casual, his smell intoxicating.
I pretended not to notice.
Four guys in a single week?
And after my record was zero for eighteen years?
It was a tad overwhelming, especially since all I was doing was acting organically. It's not like I had a checklist for these guys or anything, some game of sexual conquest I was trying to win.
“But if you mean, am I disappointed that I'm not the guaranteed alpha?”
I glanced at him and noticed Anubis was staring rather intently at the piece of pizza in his hand.
“No.” He took another bite and focused his gaze on my face. “I can't imagine working this Contribution alone.”
“The Contribution wouldn't be so all-encompassing if there weren't so many of us,” I added, but Anubis was already shrugging his shoulders.
“It's a good thing you were assigned to deal with this. The way you're handling it, with careful maneuvers instead of all-out war? That's a good thing. Our people are lucky.” He chewed his pizza for a moment before continuing. “And the magic,” he said, “it's waking up. There has to be a reason for that.”
Trailing his fingertips across the bed, Anubis touched my knuckles and a cool breeze filtered into the room. Not the cool crisp bite of outside air, but something different. That sweet, sad song of nature that was both uplifting and somber at the same time. I closed my eyes and breathed it in for a moment before looking down at the Crimson Dusk Alpha-Son's brown fingers atop my so very pale ones. We made a pretty picture like that, tangling our fingers together ever so slightly.
I won't deny that I was fucking thrilled.
Pulling my knees up close, I took another bite of my pizza and glanced at the screen, looking at the romantic scene playing out on the movie but not really seeing it.
“Have you thought about talking to your Alpha-Mother about it?” he asked as I listened to Monty's breathing, and let the dual scents of magic and wolf swirl through me. Anubis' gardenia and jasmine smell made my toes curl into the sheets. I liked it that much.
“Majka,” I said, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. She hadn't offered, but then again, I was the Alpha-Heir; I wasn't going to be handed solutions. I had to come up with them on my own.
No, no …
As Nikolina often said, It's always us and we, Zara, not me and I. Us and we. The boys.
“I could seriously kiss you right now,” I said, sitting up on my knees and keeping hold of his hand. Anubis looked back at me from crimson eyes decorated in long, thick lashes, and his mouth popped open of its own accord.
“Oh, shit,” he said as I tossed the rest of my pizza in the box, set my now empty beer bottle on the floor, and took his other hand.
“She might not know a lot, but she can control what little magic she does have. I can't even believe I didn't think to ask her.” Anubis smiled at me, and it was this perfect mix of cocky and sweet; I had no idea how he managed to pull it off.
“Glad I could be of service, Alpha,” he said and then grinned mischievously. “Especially if it makes you want to kiss me.” Leaning in close, I brushed my lips against his and then planted a big one on the smooth skin of his cheek. The shudder that passed through his body was unmistakable.
“If you hadn't gone through my panty drawer,” I joked as I leaned back, “then the kiss would've been on the lips.”
“Oh, god,” Anubis groaned, letting go of my hands and falling back into the pillows. “Doesn't the witch hazel buy me back any points?” He dropped his palms to the mattress and looked up at me with a single raised brow.
“It buys you a lot of points,” I said, lying down on my stomach and folding my arms under my cheek. He turned toward me and we just stared at each other for a few minutes until the bedroom door opened.
I knew without even having to look that it was Nic.
“Have a good run?” I asked him as he rustled around near the closet and then climbed onto the bed, inserting himself on my left side, between me and Monty. He cuddled up close and put his mouth near the back of my neck, making me shiver.
“It was perfect,” he said, putting an arm around my stomach. It was cold from the outside air—not cold enough to bother me—but I liked the feeling of his body warming up against the heat of mine. Anubis just watched us both with an eager sort of expression, like he'd crawl into my arms if I invited him. Hell, maybe I should? “By the way, Lana brought news from the Crown Aurora Blood Queen. Tomorrow night, she'll meet with us—at her Kingdom Seat.”
I saw Anubis frown at the same moment my face scrunched up.
The Kingdom Seat was basically like the vampire's version of the White House. It was where their ruling members spent their nights, dealing in Blood business. I couldn't decide if I should be glad she'd invited us there … or terrified by the prospect.
Because a vampire queen or king would only invite guests there if they really wanted to talk … or if they wanted to kill the people they'd just invited in.
“We're supposed to meet them at the old library,” Nic continued, his body vibrating with either adrenaline from the run … or something else, I wasn't sure. It wasn't like we'd had time to talk after the Silas thing. And now with Montgomery? I'm sure Nic wasn't happy. “I'm not sure why we can't just meet them at the Kingdom Seat, considering everyone and their Alpha-Mother know where it is.”
“They want to get a look at us first,” I said with a long sigh, weighing my options. They all felt so heavy right now, those choices. Maybe sleep would help some? If I could force myself to relax enough to doze off, that is. “Make sure we're alone, probably.”
“Not like we couldn't bring the cavalry in anyway,” Nic grumbled, but the logic made sense to me. It was an exercise in trust. The Crowns wanted us to meet them at a specific location, alone, and then they would escort us where we needed to go. I wondered if maybe they were more concerned with making sure that nobody knew we were on our way t
o see them. Kingdom Ironbound for example?
I sat up and untangled myself from Nic's arms, leaning forward and tugging the grocery bag close, snatching another beer, and climbing off the bed.
“Where are you going?” Nic asked, his dark hair ruffled up and threaded through with pine needles and small twigs. It was an adorable look for him.
“To grab the others,” I said with a raised brow, tipping the beer to my lips and setting the grocery bag of snacks on the dresser. “I can't sleep knowing Jax is probably on the porch again, and Silas …” I was sure Jaxson had already told Silas the news about his dad. I needed to at least see him before I could fall asleep.
“Okay,” Nic said, as Anubis gave me a thumbs-up and Monty continued to sleep peacefully. “Just be quick; I want to hold you tonight.”
The way he looked at me in that moment … it set all my nerves alight.
“Deal,” I said with a smile, tipping back the rest of the beer and heading downstairs.
I found Silas asleep on the couch, Aeron asleep on a chair, and Tidus, Che, and Jaxson shooting the shit out on the porch.
They all went silent as I came out and I knew they were smelling Monty all over me. Showering off the proof of our time together did not entirely eliminate the smell for a werewolf. Not even close.
“Lucky bastard,” Che said, one foot tucked up in the rocking chair, the other on the boards of the wood deck. He looked like a dream of sex and nightmares in his sweats and black tank, a beer in one hand, and a look of dark desire on his face.
“I'd like you all to sleep upstairs tonight,” I said, ignoring his comment and glancing over at Jax, surprisingly still in his human form and sitting on the edge of the porch railing, legs dangling. He gave me that cool, frosty glare of his and took another sip of his drink.
“Thank god,” Tidus groaned, standing up from the second rocking chair and stretching his arms above his head. He put his hands together in a prayer position, a bunch of wooden bangles on his arm that I hadn't noticed before. They clinked together in a pleasant way as he shook his clasped hands in my direction. “I thought you'd never ask,” he added with a bright, easy grin.
Pack Violet Shadow (The Seven Mates of Zara Wolf Book 2) Page 15
