by Kamryn Hart
Aerre continued in silence as he brushed my hair. I was pretty sure he got everything out by this point. The water had stopped running in the pipes, and I heard doors open and close. Rodrick was done. Aerre was simply pampering me now. After a few more minutes, he said, “Dry off and braid it after you shower so it doesn’t get snarled again when you sleep.”
“I’ll braid it,” I said. “But it won’t look half as good as your braids. I’ve never seen such intricate braids. Babaga only taught me to do a basic long braid to keep it all out of my face.”
“Mine have the same purpose, but they’re tighter, and I leave them in longer than you probably do.”
“I usually take mine out at night.”
Aerre ran his fingers through my hair. Then he started at the top again, pressing his fingers into my scalp. It was nice, like a massage.
“I’m going to bed, too,” he announced. I was surprised at the abruptness, how he grabbed the brush, stood up, and walked away without saying another word. He seemed sort of agitated, but I didn’t bring it up. I wondered if Caspian and Todd felt the same because they didn’t say a word. The air was heavy. Everyone was stiff.
I looked over at Todd and Caspian, sitting on the couch. “I’m going to take a shower,” I said.
“You can have my bed tonight,” Todd informed.
“Thanks.” I walked over, leaned in, and kissed him on the cheek. His face heated up and turned red at the same moment. I smiled. I loved that reaction. I touched his cheek with my fingers afterward, tracing along the freckles on his skin.
Aching.
Ignore the ache.
I leaned down to kiss Caspian on the cheek, too. When I pulled away, he said, “I prefer lips.”
I smirked. “Picky.”
Aching.
Once again, I leaned in, this time planting my lips firmly on his. I sucked and bit a lot like how Rodrick had kissed me earlier tonight. Caspian wasn’t as aggressive, but he slowly matched my pace, and then he growled.
He reached out and grabbed my waist, bringing me down onto his lap—I guess he didn’t care about the dried blood soaked through the back of my shirt. My knees spread to either side of his hips and pressed into the back of the couch as we kept kissing. I introduced my hips, rubbing against him, feeling his hardness. His “cock.” I shuddered again when I remembered what Rodrick did to me as I moved against Caspian.
Aching.
I need more.
Caspian cleared his throat and gripped my hips tightly, stopping me from moving forward again. He reclaimed his lips and pressed his forehead against mine.
“Good night then,” he said breathlessly.
“Good night,” I said as I moved the dark curls of his hair out of his dark-brown eyes, revealing hidden flecks of swirling sapphires.
I turned my head to look at Todd. He was working intently on his pactputer, completely ignoring Caspian and me. No, that wasn’t accurate. He wasn’t ignoring us. We simply didn’t bother him. He was comfortable. It wasn’t fair Todd only got a kiss on the cheek, though.
I got off Caspian’s lap and stood in front of Todd, waiting until I had his attention. He closed his pactputer and cocked his head at me. “Good night,” I told him. I bent down, cupped his cheeks with my hands, and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. His eyes fluttered closed as he placed his hands on top of mine, drawing slow circles on my wrists.
“Good night,” he murmured against my lips.
Unlike the moment I had just shared with Caspian, and Todd being okay with it, I noticed the way Caspian was clenching his fists and pointedly not looking at us. The kiss I shared with Todd bothered him. It really did. And I hated it. I didn’t want any of them to feel left out or jealous. I wanted Phantom Fangs. There was no Phantom Fangs if one of them was gone.
I left the room without another word and escaped to the bathroom. I stripped out of my clothes, turned the water on to cold, and stepped into the spray. I closed my eyes as I thought about Rodrick touching me. I burned at the thought of how all their touches affected me like that. My need to be physically close to them was equal for all of them. And I wondered about sex. The Mate Claim. That was what my body wanted. There was no denying it. It didn’t matter if I fully understood it or not because instinct demanded it. This was the pull George had talked about with Charles. When Charles bit me, I did feel a pull, but it wasn’t like this. I wanted this.
I needed a release, but I had no desire to seek one out myself. Slipping my hand in between my thighs, touching my slick “pussy” made my knees buckle. I leaned against the shower wall to stay upright. I was falling apart. My body wasn’t listening to me anymore. I needed Phantom Fangs, but they didn’t need me? They didn’t feel this too? It was unfair.
Or maybe they were better at hiding it. Caspian wasn’t ready because he was afraid. Something was holding Rodrick back, too. He lectured me about getting pregnant and babies. But he also said he couldn’t get me pregnant. Because he was tethered. So, the same was true for Aerre?
I pressed my forehead to the wall. The cold water made me shiver, but I endured it. It made it easier to think because it soothed the burning in my body in exchange for chattering teeth. I needed to think.
Was I being selfish when I said I wanted to keep them?
I pressed my fist to my heart and squeezed my eyes shut. I just wanted to be a part of the team. I just wanted what was best for them, for them to be happy, so why and how was I upsetting their balance?
But we were united once. When I first kissed all of them on the full moon, we were perfectly united. Would we find unity again in Howling Sky? I hoped so. We had to. I couldn’t take this much longer.
CHAPTER 17
TODD
IT WAS TIME TO wake up Sorissa. She was still sleeping when everyone else was up and making last-minute preparations for the trip to Howling Sky. Well, except for me. I was ready, so I stayed at the lair in case Sorissa got up. I was going to let her sleep, but it was getting late. I figured she would probably want to be ready to leave as soon as we were. I didn’t know. It was just the feeling I got.
Quietly, I opened the door to my room. She was sleeping peacefully on my bed, buried under dark-blue and orange-red blankets. The blankets were tucked carefully around her like she hadn’t moved once during the night. I watched, mesmerized by the steady rise and fall of her chest with each quiet breath she took.
Keeping my steps light, I inched my way over to her. My face flushed when I hovered over her, eyes glued to her full lips. I touched my own lips and thought about the times she kissed me. I wondered about the connection her first kisses created between her and Phantom Fangs. It made things easier for me. I understood everyone for once. But now I was close to back to where I started. I couldn’t feel the others anymore. Our thoughts were closed off from each other. It was too bad I didn’t understand the nature of Sorissa’s kisses. If I did, I might have been able to fix it, but her kisses were more like “magic”—which I hated admitting.
Everything can be explained.
“Sorissa,” I whispered, attempting to wake her nicely.
She didn’t stir.
I caught a few stray strands of her curly dark-brown hair that were stuck to her forehead and gently pushed them aside. Most of her hair was in a braid. She moved. Her eyes opened, a deep brown, almost red. Her gaze was soft like she was expecting to see me. It bloomed inside of me, warm and inviting. I could feel Sorissa. She was easy to understand. I almost buckled under her gaze. I wasn’t used to carrying this emotional weight.
Her hand snaked out from under the covers, and she grabbed a hold of my forearm. She tugged. I wasn’t ready. I caught myself with my hands before I could crush her like a klutz. She tugged again, inviting. She scooted over to make room for me, and I lay down next to her like she wanted. My bed was much too small for there to be any distance between us, but I didn’t know what to do with my hands. I settled for draping an arm over her back. She settled into my chest, pressing her nose to my nec
k. A shiver crawled down my spine, igniting my body.
“You smell so good,” she said.
“I just barely took a shower,” I replied.
“No,” she shook her head, “your skin smells good. It’s your scent.” She pressed her mouth against my neck. The warmth, soft and wet, from her lips was like an electrical current. My hand slid down to her lower back, and I fisted the fabric of her nightgown.
She was coaxing my dick to life. I had never been so aroused—which wasn’t that amazing of a feat, I guess. Sorissa was the only one who ever made me feel like this. I had this thought, this need, to join her, to feel her, to bite her. But I stayed where I was. I didn’t move my hips against her like I wanted to.
“Is everyone ready?” she asked. She retreated just far enough so that she could look into my eyes. Keeping eye contact with Sorissa was easy. It was as easy as breathing. I didn’t even have to think about it.
“Just about,” I replied. “They should be back soon. I came to wake you up so you could get ready before they come back so we can leave immediately. If you want.”
“I know I was really insistent on going to Howling Sky, but I’m a little afraid. I burned my mother’s journal. I decided I didn’t want to look into the past. But I still feel like we have to go? It’s weird. In my dream, it was like someone was telling me we had to go.”
“It’ll be okay if we’re together, right?” I sat up and got off the bed, capturing Sorissa’s hand and bringing her with me; I tried not to think about the nearly see-through nightgown she was wearing. I could see her pink nipples. “You should get dressed, and you shouldn’t worry. I don’t believe in prophetic dreams. It was likely a manifestation of your subconscious. You want to make sure Caspian wins the Alpha Challenge and thought of a secluded place where we could all prepare together and get answers to your past at the same time. Maybe you regret burning the High Queen’s journal.”
“I didn’t know you were so wise, Todd.” She reached up and tapped my nose.
I shrugged. “No matter where we go, it’s a mess. Why not Howling Sky? It could be interesting. Maybe we’ll learn some unique history.”
“You’re not scared to go back? You’re not scared to face your history?”
“Not really. I don’t know what to expect. No one has been there since it was obliterated.”
“I don’t regret burning my mother’s journal. She said awful things. But maybe there are some aspects worth taking away from Howling Sky. I guess we’ll find out. Or we’ll just spend lots of time together.” She grinned, and I melted.
I cleared my throat. “You heard Prince Alexander say the King of Wolf Bridge shared his mother’s womb with only two other cubs, right? He’s a powerful werewolf and pretty rare.”
“Just like me.”
“A little. He isn’t something to mess with. That extra moonlight he’s able to intake because he only had two brothers makes him very strong, especially in a moonlight-based fight like the Alpha Challenge.”
“Caspian will win,” Sorissa said, raising her chin. “I think I’d be able to help more if I could get this connection between us working again. It’s there, but it’s not as strong as it was on the full moon.”
“I thought I was starting to understand everyone, but now that connection has faded to almost nothing, and I don’t know anymore. I’ve been out of my depth lately. Can’t even protect Wolf Bridge from intruders.”
Sorissa stepped into me and rested her head against my shoulder. “That’s not true. You’ve done amazing things. Philip relies on you to take care of the Heart for a reason. You may not have all the answers, Todd, but I feel safe with you. I trust you.”
My heart lurched at those words and more warmth flooded inside of me. She meant it. She felt safe with me and trusted me. I didn’t know what to do with that, so I did nothing at all.
Sorissa stepped past me for the clothes sitting on my desk; she must’ve brought them in with her last night. Then she slipped off the sheer nightgown she was wearing as if I wasn’t looking, giving me a full view of her bare backside—so much flawless bronze skin. I was startled. I didn’t have time to look away. I knew my face was red like it always was when it came to Sorissa. I barely understood my feelings. I knew I was definitely aroused. My dick was hard against my pants, but it wasn’t just arousal. She was so beautiful. Every time she spoke, my muscles relaxed. Every time she smiled, I thought my heart might stop beating. She made me feel more than that basic biological need to reproduce, more than instinct. What was it?
I cast my gaze to the dark-blue rug sitting on top of the floorboards, trying to figure out what I was supposed to do in this sort of social situation. I had no idea.
“Todd, what do you think about sex?” Sorissa asked.
My brain went blank for a second as I looked back up at her. She was holding out her clothes, back still facing me, but she was looking over her shoulder at me, waiting for a response. How could her butt be so perfectly round?
“I don’t know. I’ve never had sex,” I managed to say.
“You haven’t?” She paused. “Is it common for unmated werewolves to have sex or is it saved for mates? Is it different for humans? Rodrick sure seemed to know what he was doing.”
I shifted on my feet and adjusted my pants to relieve the pressure from my hard-on. It didn’t help much. “You had sex with Rodrick?” I asked.
“Sort of? He put his fingers inside of me, touched me in ways and places I didn’t know could feel so… amazing.” She sighed. “But not his penis. Dick. Cock?” She shook her head. “I’m a little confused about it, but not by what I feel. That’s not confusing at all.”
I scratched the back of my head, unsure of what to say. I could sense her confusion too, and that didn’t help at all.
Her eyes went wide. “And I forgot about modesty again. Caspian would be upset.” She picked up her underthings like she was considering putting them on, but she seemed reluctant. I wondered if she made a habit of never wearing anything under her nightclothes.
“I don’t mind,” I said, because I really didn’t. I liked being able to look at her like this. Social conventions be damned. Sorissa and I were equally terrible at them.
“Good,” she whispered. “Because I want you to see me.”
She dropped the clothes she was holding back onto the desk and walked over to me. I shuddered as my eyes swept all over her. I didn’t know where to focus my attention. I wanted to see every bit of her. I settled for staring at her breasts for the moment. I liked the way they bounced a little with each step she took.
“Do you want to have sex with me?” she asked. “It’ll be the first time for both of us. We can figure it out together.”
I couldn’t speak, but I liked the sound of that. I thought my dick was aching before, but it was really aching now. My gums hurt, too. I could taste ash in my mouth.
“Sorry,” Sorissa said quickly. “If you don’t want to… I shouldn’t have brought it up, but I have a habit of listening to my gut. Everything is telling me to have you. I… I need you.”
She squeezed her thighs together. I sensed her uncertainty as she tucked her chin and looked up at me through thick eyelashes. She turned back around and went to her clothes.
No. Don’t stop.
I walked up behind her and caught her waist. Her skin was so smooth. I wanted to touch more than her waist, but I wasn’t sure if that was okay.
“I want to,” I said. And I did. But I had to remember the logical side of things. It was what I did. “But maybe we should think this over. What if your kiss on the full moon is just like a claiming bite after all? What if having sex seals you to me and I get you pregnant?”
“I don’t know.” She backed into me, pressing her bare ass just below my throbbing cock. She placed her hands on top of mine at her waist, prying them loose, and guided one down past her belly button and into the wiry hairs of her sex. Goosebumps spread all over my skin. Something wet coated my fingertips as I touched her fold
s. My breath caught.
“Your touch feels so good on my bare skin. Especially right there,” she murmured as my fingers dipped farther into her folds.
I could hardly breathe.
“Sorissa,” I gasped, “I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be able to control myself.” My fingers stiffened, and I stopped letting her guide me as I started exploring her body on my own. I had never been out of control in my life, but I was damn close to it now. Moonlight was activating without my say. I hardly ever used it and now it was ready to burst. Her neck was too enticing. I couldn’t look away.
She moaned. “Then lose control.”
She pressed back into me again. I followed her lead, allowing her to push me back until the back of my legs hit the edge of my bed and I sat down. She fell into my lap and spread her legs wide, tiptoes pressing against the ground, feet placed on the outside of my own. I found a spot in her folds that made her arch her back. She spun around in my lap, halting my exploration. She gripped the back of my neck and moaned again. She wrapped her legs around me until she was effectively straddling me, her pussy right at my covered erection. I had never been angry over wearing pants before.
“This is electric,” she whimpered.
I agreed with a low grunt that sounded oddly feral coming from me. I reached my hand between us so I could explore her body again. I went straight to that pleasure point I had found. I liked how she reacted when I touched her there. She backed up just enough to allow it. I didn’t know much about female anatomy, but I was doing something right. She moaned again as I dropped my hand down and dipped a finger inside of her. Hell, I really needed to get my clothes off. The pressure of my hard-on against my pants was really starting to hurt. And I didn’t know how long I could keep myself from coming at this rate.