Harlow got to her feet and followed him out, unsure of how to respond. She would have to have sex with all of them in rapid succession or they might rape her? The thought turned her stomach.
But a burning desire had kindled inside her.
A desire to have her mates, despite their secrets.
Not yet, she knew. She didn’t know them or trust them completely.
But soon, she might not be able to fight off the urge, and that was equal parts frightening and arousing.
REX
Standing outside Harlow’s door, he steeled himself for the pang of disappointment he’d inevitably feel when she treated him like a stranger.
It’s necessary, he reminded himself. She’ll get to know me again—this time without Arian pulling her away—and we’ll be back right where we left off.
He’d wanted to bake her muffins like the ones they’d had the morning he’d helped her move into her parent’s old house but decided against feeding her anything that might trigger a memory—especially with how passionately she resonated with food. He settled on fresh, buttery croissants and a bowl of fruit. And of course, a massive cup of coffee.
Holding the tray aloft in one hand, he knocked with the other.
Her muffled cursing caused him to smile. She wasn’t a morning person. Hence the gallon of coffee she needed to consume to make her less snappy in the early hours. “How did she say I open this damn thing?” she muttered.
“Just scan your thumb on the panel,” Rex instructed.
She grumbled something about not being an idiot and he bit back a laugh. A few moments later, the door slid open, the panel of metal creaking slightly. Harlow glowered at him, until she took in the sight of the covered tray and softened.
“I’ll take that,” she clucked, tugging the tray from him to place it on the table. He took that as an invitation to enter.
The bubble covering the croissants to keep them warm popped, and she glanced up at him, already stuffing a hunk of croissant into her mouth.
“I don’t know what you’re supposed to eat, because I’m not sharing these.”
“You’re so grumpy in the mornings,” he teased, lips curving in spite of her pointed glare. “Don’t worry, I ate hours ago. I had patrol duty.”
She quirked a brow. “You’re allowed to go outside?”
Shit.
“Only out of necessity. And only the original clan members are able to leave the grounds.”
Her brow furrowed while she chewed. Swallowing her mouthful of flaky pastry, she wiped away the crumbs that clung to her plump pink lips. He couldn’t help but stare, feeling the pull of longing in his chest. To kiss her. To embrace her.
To claim her.
“Who are the original clan members?” she asked.
Rex hesitated. “It’s best Oricus tell you the full story, but he and his brothers are the originals. Geoff, Rasimus, Tadaj, Xalicur, Lefayon…” he trailed off, not wanting to mention the rest of the brothers.
She glanced down at the tray of remaining croissants and swiped at the crumbs that had fallen on the tabletop. “Why does everyone seem to follow Oricus? What is he to everyone?”
Finally he sank into the chair opposite her and heaved a sigh. “Again, this is information that you’ll have to get from him. But the short answer is we’re like a family of sorts.”
Harlow remained silent for several moments, and when it proved clear that she was done with her meal, he stood and offered his hand. Her gaze flicked to it, then up to his eyes. The strikingly deep sapphire blue in hers made the beast within him rise to the surface, snarling for release. To claim his Marked. To bend her over the little round table that had replaced the one she’d burned and sink his stiff cock deep inside her.
He’d fantasized about the first time he’d fuck her over and over, imagining countless scenarios. None of them involved sharing her with her eleven other mates. The idea made a surge of possessiveness shoot through him, causing his canines to lengthen, and he clamped his mouth closed to keep them concealed.
Her expression changed, eyes widening. No doubt she could sense the turmoil within him. The heat that expelled from his body like a sauna. The way his form expanded as he fought the shift. He couldn’t let her see him like that. It was not only dangerous, but it was too soon for her fragile mental state after he’d had to wipe away the memory she’d accessed. Though all her memories were meticulously blocked—to seem as though they were never there—he also knew her magic was as powerful, if not more powerful, than his own. The slightest trigger could cause the wall to come crashing down.
With time the suppressed memories would fade, replaced by the new ones created, but he wasn’t confident that she’d keep the barrier in her mind in place long enough for that to happen.
When his heart rate, as well as the rest of him, had returned to normal, she finally slid her smaller, softer hand into his. And he pulled her to her feet with ease.
“Now let’s start at the basics: being able to sense your magic. I can’t ask what it felt like before you lost your memories, so you’ll have to try to figure it out all over again.” He rubbed his palms together, feeling the static charge of his powers rushing into his hands. “Because I’m an elemental, I draw on the elements to feed my magic. Before I knew what it was, or what I could do, I would also have to release the buildup of power into the ground. It was the safest place and caused the least amount of damage.”
Harlow listened with creased brows. “If you needed to get rid of excess magic, wouldn’t I need to do that too? Not only can I not feel my magic, but I also don’t feel like there’s too much. Maybe when I fell and damaged my brain it damaged the powers I had.”
Rex considered her words, stroking the fresh prickles of growth on his chin. “You’re a different type of Morovitz for sure. It’s possible your body regulates the magic all on its own without you feeling anything. A bottomless well, so to speak.”
She lifted a slender brow, giving him a look that suggested she didn’t think that was possible.
“Or I’m not really a Morovitz.”
Rex opened his mouth to argue. To tell her he’d felt her power at Arian’s home. The wards she’d built and reinforced while he attacked them were far stronger than his were. If not for her concentration being scattered, she’d have easily blocked him out. She was untrained, but the potential of power within her was greater than any of them realized. Even now, he could feel a whisper of something other in her blood.
It was faint. Muted. But there, nevertheless.
He smiled. With their hands joined between them he said, “Close your eyes.”
For a moment she hesitated. Then, after rolling them like the whole exercise was a waste of time, she obeyed.
“Now look inward, try to feel for anything more. It’s a part of you, but it’s something few people possess. Call to your magic and see if it answers you. Focus it in your hands and command it to create light.”
Her brow scrunched and her full lips pursed. They looked ripe for his kisses. Nearly every ounce of his being pulled at him to lean down and press his lips to hers. He forced himself to remain upright, watching her expression of deep concentration for any sort of revelation.
Minutes passed and finally she sighed. Opening her eyes, she dropped his hands, though he was reluctant to let her go.
“Nothing is happening. I’m telling you something is off.” She bit her lip as if something else occurred to her. “What if I’m just an ordinary girl? Not anyone’s mate. Not magical. Just ordinary.” The look of worry morphed into smug amusement. “Oh how pissed would Oricus be if he thought I was his mate but I really wasn’t?” She snickered.
He wanted to tell her that Oricus’s first mate was dead. Or that her ex-Marked had killed Slevana and that Harlow was here to punish Arian for his crimes. It wasn’t the whole truth though. Oricus could have killed Harlow instead of making her immortal. Binding her to himself and eleven of his men h
ad been a choice. One that he knew would be irreversible.
She was theirs.
Forever.
And no matter how much Oricus wanted to flout that he would fuck her and move on, they all knew what the bond was doing. Without Harlow’s memories causing her to fight against them all, before long, she’d give up her heart to them and soon after, her body.
Rex lifted his hand and ran the back of his fingers over her cheek, eyeing where there had once been a small patch of freckles near her nose. He’d imagined kissing that spot as many times as there were freckles, but with her new immortality, her skin was flawless porcelain. Not a single blemish or scar, save for the three that Oricus had carved onto her chest.
Another flare of jealousy stole through him. He wished he’d thought to leave a permanent mark on her that would scream to the entire universe that she was his.
The Mark—once their bond was completed—would be permanent. His gaze flicked to her neck, choosing the exact spot he wanted to leave it on.
“You are far from ordinary,” he said softly. “In time you’ll learn just how special you are. But for now, we’ll work on coaxing your magic back out.” Leaning down, he slanted his mouth over hers, kissing her languidly. He tasted her, savoring the feel of her as he enveloped her in his arms.
Though she didn’t remember it, they’d shared a moment similar to this. He thought to recreate it. To lay her back and take her nipples in his mouth and finger her wet, hot pussy until she screamed for him.
Would it trigger a memory?
Her body stayed rigid for several moments. But need overrode his thoughts: he moved his hands down to grip her ass, pulling her against his already rock-hard cock. She gasped, trying to break free, but then she melted into him, her own hands wandering the length of his torso. Her fingers found the hem of his T-shirt, sliding beneath. He nearly hissed feeling her touching his bare skin like that. The kiss deepened, growing hungrier and more frantic. He wasn’t sure if it was the effects of the bond, or if the two of them could never get enough of each other, no matter what reality they existed in.
He wanted to believe it was the latter.
For several moments he’d forgotten what his ultimate goal was, especially when she tugged his shirt up and over his head. If he didn’t stop her soon, he’d end up sinking his aching teeth into her right there and then.
Her touch was reverent on his muscled chest, taking him in with her fingertips and her bright gaze. He found himself working off the form-fitting sweater, their kiss breaking just long enough for him to get the material over her head.
That’s when he realized she was not wearing a bra like he’d previously thought. The pale pink flesh of her nipples pebbled in the cool air.
His beast form raged to the surface, and he fought it down by taking a full step back. Her lust-heavy lids snapped up, her cheeks flushing.
“What?” she asked, looking hurt. The insecurity she’d worn that night in his apartment back when she had been a virgin was all but gone. Did she somehow sense that she no longer was? Had her new immortal form reversed it? He didn’t think that was possible, but a jealous man could hope, couldn’t he?
“Nothing,” he said, his voice a little garbled from the mouthful of fangs. “I was trying to pull your magic out but I’m the one who almost lost control.”
Her expression relaxed, the frown turning up into a small smile. “That good, huh?”
Rex drew in several deep breaths, reigning in the beast that thirsted for her blood. “You have no idea,” he muttered.
“So…” She bit her lip. “It’s kind of been bugging me, but you and I haven’t had sex, right? Because that violates our bond or whatever?” Folding her arms over her chest, she just barely managed to cover her nipples. Even that small amount of coverage helped cool his blood. “Am I a virgin then? Did I ever have a boyfriend before I met you guys?”
Rex blinked, a deer caught in the headlights. He could lie, but then once they did claim her, it would be glaringly obvious that she wasn’t a virgin, and what then?
He rubbed the back of his neck; every muscle in his shoulders was still bunched. He’d need to relieve some stress later. “I’m not actually sure.” It was a different sort of lie, but one that hopefully wouldn’t come back to bite him in the ass. “Even though the twelve of us share you, we’re all extremely jealous creatures. Any hint of a man that wasn’t your Marked would have ended up dead if we knew about them. Besides, the whole ex talk is pretty awkward.”
Harlow nodded, diverting her gaze to the floor. After a moment she grabbed the sweater discarded on the floor and slid it back on, hiding her luscious form from view.
A small mercy.
He’d been mated to her before, as a human, and while he’d been powerfully attracted to her, the animalistic element was nearly overpowering. If his beast had his way, he’d pin her down without thought of consequences.
He had no doubt Oricus and the rest of the guys would tear the door down so fast there’d be no time to fuck her.
Internally, he groaned. How much longer was she expecting them all to wait? She was ready for him.
But that wasn’t the problem. She needed to be accepting of all twelve of them. Viktor would be the hardest nut to crack since he had been the least willing to be her Marked. It was a story that not even he knew, but Rex guessed that the poor bloke hadn’t thought beyond getting laid. He hadn’t known what it was like to be bonded. Hadn’t known the never-ending pull toward that person and the violently sexual desire that would course through him every minute of every day.
They were all suffering more and more with each day. The first week of the bond forming, they’d all stood around her unconscious form, helpless to wake her though each of them tried.
Well, except Viktor.
He had watched her. Silently.
“So since that didn’t work, what’s next?” she asked.
Rex pulled on his shirt too and grinned. “Next we’ll try to scare your magic out.”
ORICUS
He’d pulled it off. Or rather, the Morovitz had. It was one thing to block out every memory she had, but another entirely to block out certain memories. And for the past two days it had held without incident. He’d watched her as often as he could, while dealing with the mess Arian had left for him.
His men were closing in on their true location. He had to trust that Rex’s wards were better than his memory charms otherwise his entire plan would be ruined.
And he was never the type of man to trust in others. So when the alarm chimed on the southeastern border and the footage showed Elentis Kalvar using sensory depravity to invade the wards, he knew it was time to step in.
Oricus used the secret exit that he and his brothers had discovered when they were just children, the narrow hall barely wide enough for him to brush through sideways. Pulling the brick panel aside, he slid out into the bright, warm night. Though he was accustomed to most of the year being completely lit with sunlight, it made staying hidden nearly impossible.
He had the advantage of knowing these forests like the back of his hand, but so did Elentis. The proof was in the fact that he was now wandering through it without sight, sound, or touch. Oricus kept his footfalls soft to avoid causing any vibration Elentis’s beast would detect.
In the trees, the less desirable creatures watched and waited. They knew what monsters roamed through those lands. Dozens of glowing eyes blinked all around him, following just as quietly. The children of the forest, while nasty, fearsome creatures, would not harm him and end their treaty. Insects chittered loudly, covering up what little noise he made. Pausing to listen, he heard the telltale rustle of leaves over the cacophony—the tread of a trained spy.
Oricus ducked behind a tree, peering around it while he waited to spring. His youngest brother paused, and internally Oricus cursed himself for what he’d need to do. When at last Elentis started forward again, Oricus appeared between the trees several ya
rds away.
His brother scented the air and let out a resigned sigh. “Hello, Oricus.”
He gritted his teeth. The hope that Elentis would turn around, none the wiser of what he’d found, vanished. Now it was too late.
“You shouldn’t have come,” Oricus said, low and filled with menace.
Elentis shifted, reaching for his blindfold. “I had to. You can’t keep Arian’s mate. It’s wrong. Your hunger for revenge won’t bring Slevana back.”
A snarl erupted from Oricus’s lips. Sprinting from behind the tree, he slammed the heel of his hand into the side of his brother’s face. So hard, he heard the crunch of bone shattering. The snap had Elentis’s eyes rolling back.
His brother fell to the mossy ground in a heap.
“I told you, you shouldn’t have come, Brother,” Oricus said. In one swift motion he hoisted Elentis’s prone form over his shoulder and began the trek out of the forest.
The sun filtered through the trees, casting a carpet of golden light on the rich, velvety growth of foliage. In the distance the sounds of crashing waves met his ears.
“Give him to us,” the voices whispered. “We’re oh so ravenous.”
Oricus growled. “This Kalvar is not on the menu. His foolish decision to side with our brother does not make him a meal.”
Chittering laughter filled the forest. Picking up speed through the thinning trees, Oricus rushed through, careless of the branches that clawed at him, slicing into skin. They groaned as if in mourning, brushing against the limp form he carried.
In the distance the muffled sounds of the ocean pummeling the shore called to him. On the thick, rough trunks light barely grazed their edges, signaling the end of the forest.
When at last he stepped fully into the burnt umber light, his boots sinking into the sea of tiny onyx pebbles, he tossed Elentis roughly to the ground and huffed. With his wrist lifted, he touched the screen on his wristband, letting his thoughts select the contact.
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