by G. Bailey
“My turn.” She glares when she sees my big smile.
“How many women have you dated?” she asks, and I pull on the collar of my shirt a little before answering.
“A few, but none long-term, and no wolves,” I tell her, and she keeps eye contact with me for a while before nodding. I always felt sleeping with wolves was disrespectful to my future mate, and it would be weird to live with them around after. Not that I dated much; work has always been more important.
“If you could travel anywhere on holiday, where would you go?” she asks.
“To New York. I’ve always wanted to see the city that never sleeps. To try some of the unusual foods I’ve heard they have,” I reply. Running a pack means I haven’t had much time to travel and hopefully when things settle, I can take Harper somewhere.
“I want to go there too, and I know what you mean. I saw something on the news the other day about a cupcake vending machine. It gives you a choice of freshly-made cupcakes, and boxes them up. There is apparently a ten-minute wait to get one,” she tells me, and I smile. That’s exactly something I would want to take her to.
“Yes, things like that. Maybe we could go there one day,” I say, and she nods, a slight blush tingeing her cheeks.
“My turn,” she states, standing up and stepping closer to me. She stops when she is positioned between my open legs. She places her hands on my thighs and looks down.
“If I asked you to kiss me now, would you?” she asks, and I smirk, sliding my hand into her soft hair and leaning up.
“The answer to that is always yes,” I tell her, and place my lips on hers.
“Have you seen Colt or Nikoli?” I ask Tam as I pass his room. I've been looking for either of them all morning, but I can't find them.
“Training,” he tells me before giving me a little smile and going back to his paperwork in front of him. I walk down the corridor towards the back of the house, and open the closed doors to the training room. The room keeps the sound in, so when I open the door, I'm met with a big crowd that is cheering. They don’t even notice me open the door and I push through the people to get to the front to see what they are cheering for. I stop when I see Colt and Nikoli, both of them with long silver spears in their hands, and it's clear they have been fighting for a while. I never really thought about how lucky a woman I am, but seeing both my destined mates topless, I realize I'm quite fortunate. They are complete opposites of each other. Colt, with his light blond hair, thinner build, and playful face. Then there is Nikoli. He is built huge, like most shifters, with his dark hair and a serious expression that I rarely see leave his face. However, they are nothing like the saying I've heard; opposites do not attract. If anything, they just explode. What I'm sure started as training has changed because they are both hitting each other as hard as they can. Nikoli flips backwards, putting space between him and Colton, and landing perfectly, but Colton uses his ability to move so fast to land a hit on Nikoli’s arm as he falls. Nikoli swings his own spear around, and Colton blocks it before it makes contact. Over and over, they place to hit after hit.
“That’s the best you have, wolf?” Colton teases, and Nikoli only growls in warning before his strikes become brutal and he lands another strong hit to Colton’s back. My wolf growls, and my body starts shaking as I watch them fight with each other. While some part of me knows it’s just training, another part of me wonders if this will be what happens if I ever mate with one of them. They would never let me be with them both; this fight alone proves they are nowhere near being friends. My wolf fills my mind, and I let her take over, shifting and feeling people move away from me. My wolf runs straight over to Colt and Nikoli, jumping in the middle of them, and they both instantly stop.
“Harper?” Colt asks, and it dawns on me that he hasn’t seen me like this. I look up as he puts the spear gently on the ground and lifts a hand towards me. Anger fills me when I look at the blood pouring down the side of his head; he’s hurt.
“Harper, it was just training,” Nikoli says to me, but my wolf doesn’t want to listen. She turns and runs out the open door on the other side of the room, hearing Colt and Nikoli calling after me, yet ignoring them. As my wolf runs through the house and into the woods, the image of Nikoli and Colt trying to kill each other just races through my mind. They could do that; they would kill each other over me. My wolf whines as she reaches the lake in the middle of the woods and I remember my human form as she crouches down. She lets me shift back, and I sit naked on the stones by the lake. I pull my knees to my chest, watching the calm lake. Tears fall down my face as I try to make everything work in my head. I remain in place, even when I hear two people coming towards me from behind, their feet crunching on the fallen leaves.
“Aren't you cold? Or do wolves not get cold?” Colt asks when I feel him step to the left of me and Nikoli pauses on the other side.
“We feel the cold, but it's never that bad. We won't get ill or die from it,” Nikoli answers his question.
“Can we sit?” Colt asks me gently after a few moments of silence. I don’t answer, but I nod my head, keeping still as they sit on either side of me. Both of them are pressed close to my sides, keeping me warm.
“What happened today?” Nikoli asks me.
“Seeing you both fight like that, it scared me.”
“Because you think we will kill each other, or attempt to kill each other like we fight in training?” Colt says, knowing me well enough to guess.
“Harper. I won't lie to you. The number of times I thought about killing the vampire is high, but you know what changed only recently?” Nikoli asks me gently.
“What?” I whisper.
“He is my friend,” Nikoli tells me, and I know he wouldn’t lie to me.
“Same here,” Colt answers, and I sit quietly as I take in their words. I look over at Nikoli, who keeps eye contact with me and nods once before I look over at Colt. Colt holds a hand out for me, and I take it, letting him help me stand. I hear Nikoli stand up behind me, and there's silence as I realise that I'm naked between them, and they aren’t arguing. I lean forward, kissing Colt gently, pulling away before he can even grab me for a deeper kiss. I mentally hold my breath as I turn around and walk up to Nikoli, who tensely keeps his hands at his sides but doesn’t stop me as I lean up and kiss him the same way I did Colton.
“This can work?” I ask when I step back, and they both answer in unison.
“Yes.”
“Tell me a story, please? I’ve read all these books, and you must know some kind of story,” Arisa begs as I attempt to put her to bed. I turn and smile at Nikoli, who watches me from the door. We had a pack meal today, and it would have been awkward if it wasn’t for Arisa, who sat on my lap and helped herself to my food. Snow and Erik said she hadn’t stopped speaking about me since we met. When she asked me to put her to bed, I really didn’t have a choice. I tuck the sheets closer around her and nod.
“How about Little Red Riding Hood, but with a twist?” I ask her, and she nods happily, cuddling a small little fairy doll.
“So, once upon a time, a young girl had just turned eighteen and went to the forest to celebrate her birthday with her friends. The girl wore a red coat and had long brown hair. After walking into the woods, she saw a wolf, and the silly wolf bit her.”
“Oh no,” Arisa says, and I nod, holding her hand.
“But it was all for the best, as the girl turned into a wolf herself and then met another wolf. He was a very handsome wolf, who was kind and sweet at times. Before she realised it, she had fallen in love with him,” I say, my eyes resting on Nikoli as I speak, and he parts his lips in shock. I’ve been silly avoiding my feelings for him up this point; I knew how I felt the moment I met him. Every day we have spent together after that has just confirmed how he is everything I thought he was. No wonder my wolf chose him.
“So, she got her happily ever after?” Arisa asks with a yawn, and I smile, pushing a little bit of her hair off her face.
“
Yes, she did. Good night, Arisa.” I stand up and walk out the room, letting Nikoli close the door behind me. The second it's closed, he pulls me closer and kisses me. He walks me backwards, until my back hits the wall near the door, as he continues to devour my lips.
“Let’s go to your room,” I say, breaking away, and he gently kisses me once more.
“Are you sure?” he asks, and I slide my hand into his, leading him towards the stairs to our floor. I’ve never been more confident, but he doesn’t need me to say that to him. The attack is tomorrow, and I could lose him. I think the shock of realising that when I woke up this morning told me everything I needed to know about my feelings for him.
“Can I get Colton?” I ask him, knowing what I ask as we stand outside his bedroom door.
“You want us both? At the same time?” he asks me.
“I love you both,” I whisper, not knowing what I would do if he said no right now. I look over my shoulder to see Colton coming up the stairs.
“I came to say good night. Everything okay?” he asks as he walks over to us. I look up at Nikoli, who merely nods and opens his bedroom door.
“Come in?” I ask Colton, whose eyes widen, but he steps closer, gently kissing me and leading us into the room. I break away from the kiss and walk back to the door as Colton looks around. Nikoli switches on a dim lamp on his desk as I shut the door behind me. The room is bigger than I expected it to be. There is a big dark wooden bed, with white sheets, and a balcony that overlooks the forest. The floor is carpeted, and there is a desk, two large wardrobes, and a full standing mirror in the room. There isn’t much personal, but then I can’t see too much with the dim light. I walk over to the balcony, looking at the moon in the sky, which seems larger, and the sight of it almost full just reminds me of the attack tomorrow. I feel Nikoli move behind me, seconds before he moves my hair away from my neck and kisses me gently. His hands run down my arms, pulling my cardigan off. Colton steps in front of me, taking my lips in his and his hands slide down my chest, making my heart beat faster.
“We can stop now if you want,” Nikoli whispers, and I turn around, running my hands up his chest as I shake my head. Colton starts kissing my neck, his hands still on my body.
“I don’t want to stop. I want you, Nikoli. I love you and Colton. I want this, I want us,” I say, and his slight intake of breath is the only sound in the room before he kisses me. Nikoli slides his hands down my sides, lifting me up. I wrap my legs around him as he carries me to the bed where he lays me down. Standing up, his eyes never leaving mine, he pulls his shirt over his head. Colton lies down next to me on the bed, watching as I pull my shirt off, and he follows suit. Nikoli finally crawls onto the bed, kissing me again; this time, pressing his whole body into mine. I gasp when he starts moving downward, kissing my neck, reaching my chest. He pulls my bra down and takes one of my nipples between his lips, sucking and gently nipping, as he uses his other hand to unhook my bra. Nikoli keeps moving down my body, kissing my stomach and undoing the button on my jeans. Slowly, he pulls them down, taking my lacy black underwear with it. When he kisses my core, it sends pleasure throughout my body, and I moan and wriggle on the bed as I slide my hands into his soft hair.
“So beautiful,” Colton says and leans over me, kissing me hard. His hands start rubbing my hard nipples in the same motion Nikoli uses with his tongue against my clit. I gasp when Nikoli moves up my body; he had taken his jeans and boxers off, at some point.
“I like to watch. You first,” Colton says, as he and Nikoli look at each other. Nikoli kisses me, his hands running over my breasts, making me want him even more. When he is lined up, he breaks away from our kiss and looks at me for permission.
“Yes. I want you as my mate, Nikoli,” I tell him, and he moves a hand to my hip. He presses his lips to mine again and thrusts inside me at the same time. My back arches as pain racks through my body and I hold back a whimper. It soon passes, though, as my body heals itself, and I’m left with nothing but the pleasure of having him inside me. As he starts to move, his kisses become slower, more passionate. Every kiss is drawn out, his lips assaulting mine as he moves inside me, slowly building up my pleasure.
“God, Harper, you feel amazing,” he says with a slight growl. I look up to see his eyes glowing as he looks down at me, I know his wolf must be overriding his senses like mine is. I can feel her pushing against my mind, her happiness about finally being with one of her mates filling me.
“So do you,” I gasp, as he picks up speed and moves his hand, running his finger over my nipple. The simple touch is all I need, and I find myself letting go, shouting Nikoli’s name. His thrusts become harder, faster, and I whimper a little when he bites down my shoulder. The pain mixes with the pleasure and everything in that moment is perfect as he finishes.
I finally have one of my mates.
“Damn,” Colton says, moving closer as Nikoli rolls off me and Colton replaces him. My body seems to take over as I flip Colton on the bed, happy to see he has taken all his clothes off. I kiss him as he grabs my hips and guides himself into me, making me moan out in pleasure again. I rock against him, picking up speed as I feel another orgasm coming, and two warm hands grab my breasts from behind. He flicks my nipples at the same time Colton speeds up and grabs my hips as he thrusts harder. I come instantly, tightening myself around Colton’s cock, and he leans up, grabbing my neck with his hand and pulling me down to him. I don’t expect him to bite me, but he does, his teeth piercing my neck. Instead of any pain, intense pleasure shoots through me at the same time I feel Colton finish inside me. I move my face closer to his neck, biting down until I taste blood, and the bond clicks into place.
And everything feels complete, for the first time in my life.
“Harper, you need to wake up, my mate,” Nikoli says, as I blink my eyes open to see him leaning over me. I smile, stretching a little and remembering the night before. I don’t know what time we went to sleep because we couldn’t get enough of each other. It was a night of learning about each other’s bodies, about what we each like, and I don’t ever want to change anything between any of us. The night was perfect. I look over to see Colton already out of bed, getting dressed, and he winks at me as he does his shirt up.
“I have to get everyone ready. They will be here soon,” Nikoli tells me, and reality crashes down on me. It’s today.
“I can’t lose you, not any of you. You’re my family now,” I say, and he smiles widely, moving closer and kissing me.
“We will fight them and win. But right now, we have to go and speak to everyone,” Nikoli replies, sliding out of bed, completely naked, and it gives me a lovely view of his fantastic ass.
“Harper,” he says, looking over his shoulder at me as he walks to his wardrobe. I smile at him and get out of the bed, pulling on my clothes from yesterday. I look in the mirror at my reflection and decide, other than the messy hair, I don’t look any different. I feel different, almost older, and some part of me feels like I belong to Nikoli and Colton now. Like I’m complete, where it wasn’t before.
“Harper, you okay?” Colton asks me.
“Yes, I just feel a little… I don’t know how to explain it,” I whisper but he hears me.
“We are connected now. I can feel extreme emotions from you and find where you are. You can do the same for Nikoli and me,” he tells me, and I nod, walking over to him just as he pulls his jumper on over his shirt.
“Is there no way out of this?” I ask him, as he pulls me into a hug.
“No. We fight, and we win. That’s the only way.” He lifts my chin with his finger as he speaks, making sure I listen to every word. He kisses me hard and firm, a kiss I won’t be able to forget, before letting go.
“We will make it out of this,” Nikoli says as he opens the door to the bedroom. I let him lead us out of our bedroom and down the stairs. When we open the front door, dozens of wolves look back at us as they wait on the quiet driveway. I try to hide how nervous I feel in front of them a
ll as Gold walks over, with a giant grey wolf at her side. I recognise the wolf as Erik and Gold looks nothing like I’ve seen her before. She has a leather outfit on, with daggers strapped to her thighs, and a crossbow in her hand. She winks at me when she gets close, and then Nikoli starts to talk.
“We fight today, and we fight for our pack. I once asked many of you to fight to get these lands back from the Hogs, and you did, and we lost some of our pack doing so. This time, we have allies.” Nikoli waves a hand at Colton at my other side.
“We may not be wolves, and we may not know each other well, but believe me when I say, I will fight. My coven will fight to save the first place I feel at home,” Colton shouts, and there are cheers following his words.
“We won then for a home, for the right to the land we were born on. I’m asking you to fight for something else today. I’m asking you to fight for our mates. For my mate, my alpha female,” Nikoli says, and I step forward, sliding my hand into his.
“If someone told me a month ago that following a wolf into the woods would change my entire life, I would have laughed. But it did. Before I came here, I had only Colton. I didn’t have a family, as I brought up in foster care, or any clue what that is or how it feels to have people you love. I hate to ask the family I have found, to fight, but here I am asking. I love Colton, my vampire and my mate. I love Nikoli, my mate and my alpha. Your alpha. Will you fight for us?” I ask, and the wolves bow their heads together before lifting them up to the sky, every single one of them howling. I smile up at Nikoli, who raises our joined hands and kisses my knuckles.
“They are coming soon, and I need to plan. You need to protect the women and children with Gold,” he tells me, going over the plan we have spoken about. I want to be with him, but it’s not smart when I don’t know to fight.