The Bearens' Hope Book Four of the Soul

by Laura Jo Phillips

  “Is it not better to have the Owlfen return, no matter who teaches them, so long as they are taught with honor?” Jackson asked.

  “No,” the bird replied. “Clan Owlfen must return in its pure form, in thought and will, as well as in wing and beak, or not return at all. There can be no compromise.”

  “It is better than nothing at all,” Jackson argued.

  The bird tilted its head to the other side. “Would Clan Bearen be satisfied if its last sons were raised as Clan Vulpiran? Or Clan Lobo? Never to know the ways of the Bearen? Never to know the secrets of your own Clan?”

  Jackson sighed. “Satisfied, no,” he admitted. “But at least they would be alive.”

  “We feel your love for the infants,” the bird said. “It does you credit. But we have waited too long to settle for less than a true return of Clan Owlfen.”

  “What you seek is not possible,” Jackson replied. “There are no Clan Owlfen. There is nothing left of your clan. We did not even know of its existence until recently.”

  “It is possible,” the bird argued, “if you are found worthy. You have already passed the first test.”

  “What test?” Jackson asked warily.

  “The test to determine if you are able to bend your own beliefs enough to hear another’s,” the bird replied.

  Jackson was stunned. “That was a test?” he demanded. “Did Hope test us for you?”

  “No,” the bird replied. “She is unaware of our true nature. Nor did we influence her. We do not interfere in the lives of the living.”

  “If that is so, your threat to kill the infants is only a threat.”

  “We do not kill, nor do we threaten,” the Sentinel replied with a sharp snap of its beak. “The first is beyond our power. The second alien to our nature..”

  “You said that the infants’ lives could be ended,” Jackson persisted. “If you are not threatening to kill them, then why would they die?”

  “We cannot accept them beneath the protection of our wings until we are certain they will be raised Clan Owlfen,” the Sentinel explained. “If they are not accepted soon, they will perish. This is true for all children of the Owlfen, and has been so from the Beginning.”

  “What does it mean to be accepted beneath the protection of your wings?”

  The Sentinel ruffled its feathers as though irritated, but did not answer the question. Jackson tried another.

  “If we have passed the first test, what is the second?”

  “To find whether you can humble your Bearen pride to accept our guardianship,” it replied. “Only then can we teach you the ways of the Owlfen, so that you may teach them to the infants.”

  “Is there no other way?”

  “Never have we offered such to those not Clan Owlfen,” the bird replied. “We can bend no further.”

  Jackson considered the bird for a long moment, but he knew that they had to accept the offer, even if it meant submitting to the teachings and ancient ways of another Clan. If they did not, the boys would die, and they could not risk that, no matter the cost.

  “We humbly accept your offer, Sentinel,” he said. “Tell us what we must do.”

  ***

  Jackson sent a thread of Water magic into Hope, checking her heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration, knowing that the time was approaching for them to perform the second injection. He was nervous now, after their discussion with the Sentinel.

  They had learned from the Dracons, the Lobos, and the Katres that the ritual of the Soul-Link Triad would be far different from what they’d been taught. High Prince Garen had even sent them a special message to remind them of those differences, and what they would have to do in order to insure the safety of their Arima. They had listened carefully to all they had been told, and were confident that they were prepared for this. Had they not been, they would not have risked the ritual until after they returned to Jasan.

  However, the Sentinel had changed a few things on them, and they were worried. If it had been possible, they would have called it off. But the first injection had been given. There was no going back. If anything went wrong...but Jackson did not want to consider that.

  Jackson sent another thread of Water magic into Hope just as someone knocked on the bedroom door. Rob went to answer it while Jackson finished checking Hope. Her vital signs were still normal, so he withdrew his magic and turned to Rob.

  “That was Karma, checking to see if we needed her yet, and letting us know she will be across the hall,” Rob said.

  “Did you tell her that we may not need her?” Jackson asked.

  “Yes, but I told her to be prepared anyway.”

  “Good,” Jackson replied. The Sentinel had told them that it would not allow Hope to feel the pain of the second stage of the transition, but they wanted Karma to stand ready, just in case.

  “Check her again, Jackson,” Clark said. “I think something’s happening now.”

  Jackson immediately sent a new thread of Water magic into Hope and discovered that Clark was correct. “Get ready,” he said as he moved to climb onto the bed beside Hope. Once he was in position he continued to monitor Hope’s vital signs as he watched Clark and Rob each raise one of her wrists to their mouths. Then they waited.

  “Now,” Jackson said softly. He lowered his mouth to Hope’s neck, kissed her tenderly, and slid his fangs into her skin. At the exact same moment, Clark and Rob slid their fangs into her wrists and they all waited again, motionless, until instinct told them to stop. They removed their fangs from her flesh and licked the tiny wounds to close them, glad to be done with another stage of the ritual.

  The first stage had altered her body’s ability to regenerate. The second stage had rewritten her DNA. Now came the third stage, when her body would actually transform to match the new DNA. This, they knew, would be the most dangerous and most painful part of the entire process, and they had been warned against allowing Hope to be conscious during any part of it.

  They waited tensely, watching for the Sentinel to appear as it had promised it would. Suddenly Hope’s body arched sharply and she gasped with pain, her eyes fluttering open.

  Jackson swore, his body tensed to rush out of the room to get Karma when the Sentinel shot up from Hope’s body with such speed that it disappeared through the ceiling for a moment. Hope’s body instantly went limp and her eyes closed as the Sentinel floated back down through the ceiling, pausing just above her where it hovered as it had before.

  “That was close,” Jackson bit out angrily.

  “My apologies,” the Sentinel said. “Hope and I were becoming acquainted with one another.”

  The Sentinel’s voice sounded in their minds, and while it was not exactly a monotone, it was close. Nevertheless, Jackson caught a faint note of what could only be exasperation in the Sentinel’s words.

  “Hope is now aware of you?”

  “Assuredly,” the Sentinel replied.

  “I take it she was not best pleased to learn you are more than you allowed her to believe over the years,” Jackson guessed.

  “Not precisely, no,” the Sentinel admitted.

  “Our Arima can have a bit of a temper when she’s crossed,” Clark said with a satisfied grin.

  The Sentinel ruffled its feathers, then took its time resettling its silver wings. “She has an interesting temperament,” it said finally. “We believe it to be an asset suitable for the raising of three male Owlfen.”

  “We cannot argue with that,” Jackson said. He glanced down at Hope, relieved that she was far from the pain.

  “Her body is not convulsing,” he said, suddenly worried. Everyone they had spoken to who had gone through this was quite clear in their descriptions of the physical pain their Arimas had experienced at this stage. He didn’t want Hope to experience the pain, but the absence of it was not a good sign.

  “Of course not,” the Sentinel replied calmly.

  “Why not?” Jackson demanded.

  The Sentinel blinked slowly and tilted its
round silver head. “Do you desire that she feel pain?”

  “Of course not,” Jackson snapped. “But neither do we want this procedure to go wrong.”

  “Her physical body is reforming as it should,” the Sentinel said. “There is no benefit to the sensation of pain, so we have blocked it. If you prefer that we allow her body to experience the pain....”

  “No,” Jackson interrupted. “We do not want her to feel pain, not even if she is unaware of it. We are grateful that you are able to block it.”

  “Very well,” the Sentinel said. “I would suggest that you begin preparations for the next stage of the transformation. “

  “We were told that this stage took several hours to complete,” Jackson said.

  “As we are able to block her body’s pain, we saw no reason not to speed the changes up,” the Sentinel replied. “They will be complete very soon. When she awakens, she will quickly enter the mating fever. We will not be able to assist with that stage.”

  “I think we will be able to handle that on our own,” Jackson replied wryly.

  Jackson kissed Hope on the forehead, then climbed off of the bed and began removing his shirt.

  “I’ll get the ointment,” Clark said, heading for the bathroom.

  Rob got off the bed, then leaned down to kiss Hope on the forehead as Jackson had done. “I’ll get some warm cloths for her,” he said. “She’ll feel better with a clean face when she wakes up.”

  “Good idea,” Jackson said as he kicked off his shoes. He stood at the foot of the bed for a moment, gazing down at Hope as the full impact of what they were about to do hit him.

  He remembered the day, not so long ago, when Lariah had first arrived on Jasan, and he had witnessed the miracle of the Dracons finding their Arima. The first Arima in over three thousand years. From that day he had begun to allow himself to dream of an Arima for himself and his brothers.

  His dream had come true, and though it had not been as easy as he’d thought it would be, they had all learned to accept each other for who and what they were, not as they thought they should be. Hope loved them, as they loved her, and the wedding ceremony earlier that day had been as meaningful to them as it had been to her. He was so happy that they had taken the time to understand her beliefs, and her ceremony. In the beginning, he had thought it meaningless compared to Jasani rituals, and he was ashamed of himself for that.

  He knew better now, and he was grateful for the knowledge. The vows they had spoken to each other were engraved on his heart for all time. He would never forget the sound of Hope’s voice as she’d sworn to love them, not because she was born to be with them, but because she chose to be with them.

  Now, they were about to become soul-linked with her, and with each other. As close as he was with his brothers, there had always been something missing. After this, their shared soul would be whole for the first time. Better still, it would be connected with Hope’s soul. The four of them would be as one, complete in their togetherness for all the days of their lives.

  “The time has arrived,” the Sentinel said.

  “We thank you for your assistance,” Jackson replied, as he offered the Sentinel a formal bow. Much to his surprise, the Sentinel, in its form of a silver and gold owl, returned his bow. A moment later, it was gone, merging once more with Hope’s body just as Clark and Rob returned from the bathroom.

  Hope’s eyes opened, and Jackson smiled to see her awake after her long sleep. Rob bent over the bed to kiss her gently, then began stroking her face with the warm cloth.

  “How are you feeling?” Jackson asked.

  “I feel fine,” Hope replied. “Is it over?”

  “Almost,” he said. “We must compete the final stage now. Let us know as soon as you feel the mating fever begin.”

  “I will,” Hope promised. She sat up and smiled at Rob. “Thank you, that feels much better.”

  She looked down at herself and frowned. “From the way you guys explained it, I expected that last stage to be more difficult. But I don’t feel achy or sore like you said I would. I don’t even look mussed up. I guess Karma didn’t have any trouble putting me under, did she?”

  “Karma did not put you under, Niha,” Jackson said. “The Sentinel prevented you from experiencing any pain, and actually sped the process up by few hours.”

  Hope frowned, her turquoise eyes sparking with sudden anger. “Sentinel my foot,” she said. “That overgrown chicken lied to me my entire life.”

  Clark chuckled softly, until Hope turned her glare on him.

  “Do not be angry with us,” Jackson said. “We certainly had nothing to do with it.”

  “You made a deal with it though,” Hope accused. “I heard the whole thing.”

  “Then you know that we had no choice,” Jackson said reasonably as he walked around to the side of the bed and sat down next to her. “Would you have had us do differently?”

  “No,” Hope replied. “I am worried about what it will do to you guys, that’s all.”

  “Do not worry about what cannot be changed,” Clark said. “We have accepted this risk, and we shall see it through.”

  Hope looked up and opened her mouth to say something when suddenly her body stilled, then shuddered uncontrollably. She moaned softly, a sound of intense arousal that had an instant effect on the Bearens.

  She reached down and began fumbling with the sash of her robe. “I have to get this off,” she panted as she struggled with the sash. “Please, it hurts.”

  Jackson quickly untied the sash and pulled the robe off of her shoulders, Hope’s distress bringing him close to panic in the space of a heartbeat.

  “This is unbelievable,” Hope gasped, her skin pebbling as wave after wave of arousal crashed through her, each one more intense than the one before it. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to stand this for very long,” she said through gritted teeth.

  “You won’t have to,” Jackson said as he leapt up and removed the rest of his clothes. “We will be right there, Niha, just one moment.”

  Jackson glanced at Clark and Rob, satisfied that they were removing their clothing as quickly as possible, and reached down to lift Hope up off the bed. He cradled her in his arms and bent down to kiss her. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she returned his kiss, her mouth hot and sweet beneath his tongue. She moaned softly and his body shivered in response. When he broke the kiss, Hope sobbed with need and frustration, nearly breaking his heart with the sound.

  “Hand her to me,” Clark said stepping up beside them. Jackson handed Hope into his brother’s arms, then laid down on the bed, his feet on the floor. Clark lowered Hope over Jackson’s body and the moment she realized what they were doing, she spread her legs, placing one knee on either side of Jackson’s hips.

  Jackson placed one hand on her hip, grasped himself with the other hand, and guided his cock into her hot, pulsing sheath.

  Hope wanted to press herself down on him, her body burning with need, put Jackson held her back. He placed his other hand on her hip as he slowly lowered her body until he was fully seated.

  “Hold on, Niha,” he said. “We must wait for Clark and Rob.”

  Hope nodded but she was unable to prevent her body from struggling against Jackson’s hold in an effort to gain stimulation. The heat inside of her increased and she felt as though her very blood was on fire.

  “Hurry,” she begged, “please hurry.”

  “Dammit, Rob, what’s taking so long?” Jackson snapped, unable to stand Hope’s growing distress.

  Rob was applying a special cream to Hope’s tender opening that would help to relax her and increase her pleasure. They had not entered her here yet, and he did not want to hurt her.

  “Just a moment,” he replied. “I can’t rush this.”

  “She cannot wait much longer,” Jackson bit out, struggling against his own rising need to thrust into the velvet heat gripping his cock.

  Rob placed the head of his large cock at the tender entrance and pressed
slowly into her, unable to prevent his own groan as her tight, hot passage engulfed him. Hope immediately began pressing back, the sensation foreign, but one she was unable to resist as she tried to urge him deeper. Jackson held her tightly, refusing to allow her to cause herself harm which she could so easily do without knowing it in her current state.

  “Clark,” Rob gasped, fighting to hold himself motionless now.

  Clark jumped onto the bed, positioning himself so that Hope could easily take his cock into her mouth when she was ready.

  “I’m ready,” Clark said, his voice hoarse with his own rising passion.

  “Hope,” Jackson gasped, then moaned deeply as Hope’s hot fluids gushed around him. He swallowed hard and tried again.

  “Niha, lift your right wrist to Rob and your left wrist up to Clark,” he said, panting harshly between words.

  Hope immediately complied, raising her right arm up and over her shoulder to Rob, her left to Clark. They took her wrists, kissed them tenderly and held them, waiting.

  “Extend your mating fangs,” Jackson said as he raised himself up, bending at the waist, so that he could reach Hope’s neck.

  “Hope,” he said, gazing deeply into her eyes, “you must take Clark’s cock deep into your throat and hold it. When you are ready, we will inject you with our serum. We all need to remain still until the injection is complete. After that, you will be able to breathe.”

  Hope nodded, fighting to hold back screams of pain from the burning of her blood. She knew she would not be able to hold them back much longer.

  “Take Clark now,” Jackson said.

  Hope turned her head, opened her lips and took Clark’s cock slowly into her mouth, pressing deeper and deeper until he reached the back of her throat. She paused a moment, took a deep breath, then swallowed hard, relieved to feel him slip into place. She felt a light sting in each wrist and the side of her neck as three sets of mating fangs penetrated her flesh.

  The burning sensation eased at once, as did the overwhelming urge to pound her body onto the cocks penetrating her. She waited, uncertain what to expect next. Without thinking about it, she took a deep breath, even though Clark’s cock was still buried deep in her throat. The mating fangs slipped from her flesh, and all three men began fucking her in a deep, even rhythm. Clark held her head as he thrust deeply into her mouth, while Jackson thrust hard up into her hot, gushing pussy in counterpoint to Rob’s deep, hard thrusts in her ass. She was held motionless in between them, so she just relaxed and allowed herself to feel.