“I guess I can’t blame you for being afraid. We’ll be okay. Let’s do this.” Was he trying to convince himself or her?
“Okay.” Her voice hitched.
Gage stood on the edge; he gave the rope that would be their lifeline a hard yank before lowering them out in the open. His muscles bunched and hardened. Edith whimpered, having to hold on tight as gravity pulled her down. She squeezed her eyes shut. She wasn’t sure she could hold on until they got to the bottom. If she fell, would the makeshift rope hold? Would she end up pulling Gage down with her?
Gage paused for the longest time, not doing anything. They just hung out several floors from the ground. It was getting more and more difficult to hold on. What was wrong? Why had he stopped? She was about to ask when he pulled them back onto the ledge, stepping back into the room. “What is it?” she whispered, her voice quivered.
“We’re doing this the wrong way. I need you tied to my chest. You might end up slipping and dragging us down. Also,” his body tensed, “if we fall ‒ though I’m sure we won’t ‒ as a precaution, I want you on top so that I’ll definitely land first.”
“Oh, so you like it when the lady is on top.” She gave a whispered snicker. Why had she said that? She really needed to get a handle on these nerves. “Okay. That’s fine,” she quickly said, trying to cover up for her bad joke. “I think it’s a better idea that I’m on top,” she added, wishing she could stick her foot in her mouth to shut herself up.
Gage ignored her stupid statements. He walked back to the bed and they went through the motions of untying the rope. It wasn’t easy after securing the thing so tightly in the first place. She climbed off the bed.
There was a soft patting noise which she realized was him tapping his thighs with his hands. “You need to straddle my lap. I’m sorry I …”
“It’s fine. I get it. We don’t have much choice here.” Her cheeks burned. She hoped he couldn’t see her but by the way he moved around the room, she got the feeling his eyesight was pretty darned perfect.
“You don’t have to feel embarrassed about this. It’s not a big deal.” He could obviously sense her apprehension and was trying to make her feel better. It was really sweet.
Although his words had helped, they didn’t eradicate the tension. “I can’t help it. I apologize upfront if, you know,” she had to stop herself from giggling, “I touch you … you know.” She closed her eyes, feeling like a total idiot. It was a distinct possibility, given how they would be tied to one another and given that he was bare-ass naked. Why was this such a big deal? He was trying to help her. This wasn’t sexual in any way.
“It is what it is. Just as long …” He pulled in a breath though his nose, slowly releasing it. “Just as long as you understand if I accidentally react in any way. Given the circumstances, I’m sure it won’t be the case, but …” He scratched the back of his head, clearly also a little embarrassed by this whole thing. She found it sweeter than sweet. It was turning out that Gage wasn’t the asshole she thought he was.
"Sure thing," she blurted. "No worries." Although she meant every word, for a moment, she was tempted to stay. Who could blame her? Edith didn't want to die or get seriously hurt. It was also the embarrassment of the whole thing, but she'd rather be tied to a very naked Gage than face Leukos and his crew in the morning.
The Feral.
She shivered.
“Good.” She heard that patting sound again. “Climb aboard.”
“Oh, right.” She stood on the bed and then threw a leg over him, carefully lowering herself until sitting on his thighs. As far away from there as she could get.
Gage gripped her hips and apologized. She was about to tell him he didn’t have to keep saying he was sorry when he pulled her flush again him and there it was. Right there at her core. His you-know-what. He was a big guy, of course she knew it because she had seen for herself, but right now she could feel it. Not that he was hard in any way. Just big. She had to stop thinking like this. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire. Gage lifted her so that things weren’t quite as intimate. “You okay?”
She made a sound of agreement, not quite trusting her voice.
“Good. Let’s get this rope tied,” he whispered. “I don’t want to take any chances.” He reached around her and tied the rope around her first before securing her to himself. Gage stood up, walking back to the opening. He leaned in a little. “Hold on tight.”
“Okay.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and locked her feet at her ankles, which were at his back.
“Trust me.” It wasn’t a question but a statement. “Still and quiet.”
She nodded. Her cheek brushed against the stubble of his.
“Good,” a soft vibration.
His whole body tightened as he lowered them off of the ledge. They were almost parallel to the ground. Edith made the mistake of looking down. Holy crap! She grabbed him tighter.
“Easy,” Gage whispered. “I’ve got you.”
She pushed out a deep breath before pulling in another one. Edith closed her eyes. Not looking! It wasn’t nearly as dark outside as it had been indoors. She had been able to see the ground and ‒ more importantly ‒ the fact that it was far away. If they fell … no, she couldn’t think like that.
She stifled a yell when they started to move. They were going more quickly than she expected. It would be over soon. Please let it be over soon. Please let them make it. Oh god!
Down, down, down. Her stomach was tied in knots. It lurched as they dropped a little faster. She swallowed hard and sucked in a deep breath. The last thing she wanted was to throw up, especially considering chances were good that Gage would become collateral damage.
They continued their descent. It couldn’t be far now. Surely? She was too afraid to open her eyes.
There was a sudden hard jerk. Gage growled as they began to freefall. The drop lasted all of two seconds. She groaned as her back hit the stone wall. Hard enough to bruise but not so hard as to cause any type of long-term damage.
Gage was breathing hard, one of his arms was raised above his head and the other clutched a rock to the left of them. “Shhhh,” he whispered straight into her ear. So soft, she could barely hear him. She clutched his shoulders with her hands. Her back still throbbed, the pain becoming more manageable.
There was a rustling noise. It came from the closest tower to them. A silhouette appeared in the opening. Oh no! They were about to be busted. The griffin shifter seemed to lean out of his tower. He didn’t shift or sound the alarm though, he just stood there.
What the …?
There was a pushing against her … well, there … against her vagina. Gage was flush against her, his breath soft against the top of her head. She’d slipped down during the fall. Oh good god! He was becoming erect. Here and now, despite them dangling off the side of a sheer wall, still a good fifteen feet above the ground. Gage had warned her that it could happen, but she didn’t think it actually would. Never in a million years. They stayed perfectly still, perfectly quiet. Go away! She silently pleaded, keeping her eyes on the griffin, still standing in the opening.
At the same time, she couldn’t help but notice that Gage’s chest pressed against her own, squashing her breasts. His member pushed against her most sensitive place. Long, thick, hard and oh … oh good god, it was throbbing. Her breath caught in her throat. Act normal! Okay, that was pushing it under these circumstances. Stay calm! Don’t react. Oops, too late.
Her mind may have made a decision, but her body chose to ignore it. Oh boy did it ever! Her girl parts hadn’t gotten the ‘do not react’ memo from her brain.
It was so wrong that her nipples pebbled, that her breath became quicker. That her core began to feel that much more sensitive as he throbbed against her. A groan lodged itself deep in her throat. She succeeded in holding that back, but only just.
The griffin finally moved away. Thank god! Using his free hand, Gage gripped her thigh, anchoring her more firmly in place. “Shhhh
,” he warned as he brushed more firmly against her. It wasn’t like this was on purpose or anything. If he moved back, even slightly, she might fall. This was torture. If he let her go, she might slip. Might cry out. They might get caught. They had to be totally quiet. They hung like that for long minutes. The throbbing didn’t abate. If anything, it became more insistent. A need slowly began to grow in her. The need to move. Not away. Oh no! It was the need to rub herself against him. It was merely the adrenaline talking. The sheer intensity of this whole situation. That and the feeling of being alive. They weren’t far from the ground. The griffin hadn’t seen them, but they weren’t home free. Not yet.
Throb. Throb.
She heard Gage swallow hard. Could hear him trying to control his erratic breathing. Did he feel it too? Of course he did! He was hard. Her cheeks burned. Her whole body burned with both need and embarrassment. Gage was breathing fast, probably from the exertion of holding them up for so long with only one arm.
He finally moved, he seemed to be trying to find purchase with his feet. Rub. Bump. Rub. She bit down on her lower lip to suppress a moan. What was wrong with her? Gage finally found footing and pulled away. Thank god! Still holding her tightly with that one arm, he hoisted her higher up so that they could both breathe a silent sigh of relief. She tightened her legs around him once more. Anchoring herself above his hips. Holding on for all she was worth. They began to descend again, slowly and carefully. Painstakingly so. Her back knocked or scraped against the odd rock. She wasn’t going to get out of this completely unscathed but hey, at least she’d be alive. It took several minutes to negotiate the final ten or twelve feet.
At long last, they made it to the ground. Gage didn't stop to untie her. Instead, he wrapped one arm around her middle, the other secured tightly under her ass. His hand closed on her thigh. He moved quickly, taking big, silent strides. It wasn't long before the towers were in the distance.
“I can walk,” she whispered.
Gage nodded, finding a fallen log to sit on so that they could untie themselves from one another. “I’m going to shift. You need to ride me.”
“You really do prefer to have the woman on top.” Shit! What the hell! Why did she have to have such a big trap?
“On top.” He chuckled softly. “You would be wrong on that note, sweets.”
Edith begged for the ground to open up and swallow her whole but since it didn’t happen, she needed to backtrack and fast. “I’m sorry. Again, with another stupid joke.” She shook her head. “I guess I’m still a little nervous.”
“You did good. Better than good, you did great. It took real guts to get through that. You’re allowed to feel unsettled.” He looked away for a second before locking his eyes with hers once again. “Sorry about earlier when …”
Oh shit! He wanted to bring that whole embarrassing moment up. “Forget about it,” she blurted, waving her hand. Truth was, she’d reacted just as much as he had, only his reaction was a lot harder to hide.
He nodded. "We need to make good time, put some distance between them and us. They might be big, bad and fast, but they can't see at night for shit. Right now, it's our only advantage and I plan on cashing in on it."
“Yeah, you’re right. That griffin seemed to be looking our way. It was too dark at that distance, but it looked like it was looking straight at us. It would have sounded the alarm if it knew we were escaping. Do you really think they’ll come after us?”
She couldn’t make out his features because it was too dark, but she saw him straighten up, his frame becoming rigid. “They took you for a reason. They’re not simply going to let you go.” He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter because we’re going to assume the worst. We’re not taking any chances.”
She nodded.
“Let’s get going,” Gage said. “We can talk some more later. It’s going to be tough going. Let me know if you need a break. We can’t stop too often though, we need to get as far away as we can.”
“Okay. How far until we get back to your village?”
“I’m not sure.” She heard him sniff the air. “I think we’re days away from the village. Possibly longer. I’ll take care of you, so don’t worry.”
“I won’t.”
He turned and took a step away.
“And, Gage …”
He looked back. She could just make out his features. “Thank you.”
“You can thank me when we get back safely.”
She nodded once, watching as he shifted.
9
Gage could feel that the female was tiring. Her legs didn’t hold as readily as before, and she’d even started to slip to the side from time to time in the last while. They had been on the run for a couple of hours and she had yet to signal to him that she was tired. She was though, that much was clear. It was definitely time for a break. All he could say was that he greatly respected her tenacity and determination. She hadn’t complained at all through this entire ordeal.
Not even when he’d put his hard as nails dick all over her. Fuck! How the hell it had happened in the first place was beyond him. He’d warned her, but he’d never actually believed he’d grow himself a hard-on in a situation like that. Never in a million fucking years. They were so close to being captured, and yet his cock had still been game. Shit, feeling her soft body against him. Hearing her little pants ‒ she was scared fucking shitless, but his body had taken it the wrong way. His body had decided she was turned on and he felt like a colossal asshole pervert for thinking it, for reacting to it. If he could slap himself upside the head, he would.
After everything she had been through at the hands of those creatures, he’d still put her through that. It was wrong. Sure, he could scent that she hadn’t been used by them against her will. That she hadn’t been forced to have sex with anyone, but still. It didn’t mean nothing had happened. That she hadn’t been traumatized. He was such an asshole. Fuck! Thing was, he hadn’t been able to help his reaction. Such a sweet, soft female pressed against him, her legs wide, heat resonating from between her parted thighs. Stop, Gage! Just stop! He was still thinking along those lines, still being a perverted fuck. He knew better. It was stopping now. Gage planned on being the perfect gentleman until he got her home. He would see to all her needs and carry her to safety. He vowed it as surely as he had vowed to protect her in the first place.
Guilt ate at him. He’d had to leave Alice and the children behind. He pictured little Ethan and his heart ached for the little boy. What the hell was he going to tell Ash? How was he going to face his brother? He’d drop the human off and head straight out with a team. That’s how he would do it.
Feeling marginally better, he looked around them. They were deep in the forest, a thick canopy above them. He was sure they would be safe under the cover of both trees and darkness, at least, for the moment. Gage stopped moving. He felt Edith’s body give a jolt and she made a startled sound. She may have been falling asleep and his halt had woken her. He made a growling noise.
“What is it?” Her voice was strained. “What’s wrong?”
With a soft rumble, Gage lowered himself, careful not to move too quickly. He didn’t want her to fall.
The female got the message and slid off his back. "Thank god," she mumbled to herself.
Gage sucked in a deep breath, concentrating on his human form and shifted. He stretched his arms above his head. “Let’s rest for a few minutes.” He glanced at her.
By the way she looked in his direction, but not at him, he could tell that she couldn’t see very much in the dark. She chewed on her lower lip, doing a careful half turn. “I need to use the bathroom, but I’m scared to take even one step.”
“I can see very well in the dark. I’ll help you.”
Her face looked a tad panicked. “I don’t need help, not with going to the bathroom.” She sounded a tad panicked too.
“Relax! I’ll lead you to a suitable place, I don’t plan on sticking around to wipe your ass or anything.”
S
he smiled and rolled her eyes, looking somewhere over his right shoulder instead of at him. “I don’t need that kind of bathroom break, thank you very much.” Her smile widened.
“That’s a good thing because I really hadn’t planned on actually wiping your ass for you.” Now, spanking your ass, on the other hand … Stop it! Gage touched the side of her arm. “I’m going to stand in front of you. Put your hands on my hips and follow me. I don’t want you stubbing a toe or tripping over a root and hurting yourself.”
After a couple of seconds of waiting she huffed out a breath, sounding frustrated. "I can't see anything. I mean, I can see when you move but not much else. You know that right?" she went on without pausing to take a breath. "I would appreciate a little help with where to place my hands. I can't see where your hips are. I mean, unless you want to accidentally get groped."
Hell yeah! That woke his dick back up; it lifted its perverted head at the prospect of a groping by this female. He really needed to stop this. Gage tamped down on his need to fuck Edith. It was inappropriate and wrong on every level. He wasn't a horny teenager anymore, dammit. A semblance of his control restored, mostly, he reached behind him, taking one of her hands and placing it on his hip and then doing the same with the other. "Ready?"
She murmured an acknowledgment and he set off for the clearing to the side of them. It was slow going. The forest was dense. The brush thick. He lifted a branch or two along the way, so she didn't bash her head. They finally made it to the clearing. It was a good couple of square feet, so she wouldn't end up hurting herself. "This should do it. I'll head back to where we were. You can call me when you're done."
“No looking!”
“Because watching a female pee is on my bucket list.” What an asshole thing to say.
Her eyes darted to the left before moving back to where he was standing. “I didn’t mean …”
He pushed out a heavy breath. “I know. It’s been a long-ass night and it’s about to get longer,” he said, using a much softer tone.
Shifter Night Box Set: Complete Set (Book 1 - 3) Page 42