Raven sat back as Darcy positioned herself over top of Stacy, like a sixty-nine but instead of Stacy licking her clit, Darcy wiggled her ass and motioned for Raven to get behind them.
She was taller than Stacy so it worked out better than she’d thought it would. With her face between Stacy’s thighs, her breath taking in Stacy’s sweet scent, she closed her eyes and waited for Raven to touch her. And when he did, when his lips met her flesh, his tongue lapping at her juices, she couldn’t help but moan and buck. He licked Darcy from clit to asshole and then back again, stroking her, using his tongue to make her writhe. She would do the same with Stacy.
Darcy lowered her lips, as she lowered her body, bracing herself on her elbow and then using her other hand to spread Stacy’s pussy so she could see her clit. This was the first time she’d ever touched another woman like this. It felt so intimate, so exciting. She blew her breath over the little pearl that awaited her, loving that Stacy reacted, shivering, and rocking her hips. Darcy did the same as Raven dug in, teasing her clit with his mouth, suckling her as he reached one hand around and played with her nipples.
She lowered her mouth to Stacy’s clit and rolled the little nub around with her tongue, her saliva flooding her mouth, making Stacy slippery as she slid her fingers into her hole and did as Raven did, pumped her, using her thumb to push her clit so that Darcy could get a better grasp. Darcy moaned, her body pinging, growing more and more aroused as she pleasured the other woman while her mate pleasured her.
She was surprised when she felt Stacy orgasm, her fingers inside her pussy, as she pumped and licked and tried to concentrate while Raven continued his attention from behind. Her spell was slipping, her attention diverted as she slipped her fingers out and sucked them into her mouth. Stacy was delicious. She groaned, then flicked her hand and released the spell completely. Stacy’s body vanished in a second.
Raven took the cue and replaced his mouth and fingers with his cock, rocking into her with one swift thrust, his hands on her hips, hoisting her up and back as he rode her hard. The bed was bouncing, her tits were nearly knocking her chin, and she couldn’t help the loud, long moans that came out of her as her orgasm peaked and she exploded with unending waves of pleasure.
Raven roared as he climaxed, jets of come heating her from within, his hands curling around to cup her breasts as he pumped her full and then some.
They collapsed on the bed, him still inside of her, spooning from behind as they both lay panting.
“That was….wow!” His breaths were hard.
She smiled and pulled his hand from her hip, entwining her fingers with his and kissing them before laying them at her heart. “I enjoyed that, did you?”
“I enjoyed it because you did.” Raven kissed her shoulder. “It was fucking hot as hell.”
Darcy’s smile widened. “It totally was.”
“Your spells are getting stronger,” Raven said as he finally caught his breath, his panting under control.
She turned toward him, a smile on her lips as she looked into his eyes. “Thanks to Saska.”
Raven stared down at her, thoughts whirling no doubt. When he finally spoke, she knew he was telling her the truth. “I don’t like her. I don’t trust her, but I do understand why you value her. Her guidance has been good for your powers. You needed what she’s offering.”
Darcy smiled. “And you like the bonus features.”
Raven smiled back. “And I like your new spells.” He kissed her. “Just don’t get too attached. I don’t think she’s going to be sticking around for long.”
Darcy gulped. Nodded. She had to figure out a way to prove Saska’s worth to Mayhem.
* * * * *
She gave Raven a final stroke on the head before he bolted toward the forest line where the rest of the pack waited. He was content, as was she, at least on the relationship level. She wasn’t content when it came to Saska and how the rest of the pack perceived her. They had a prejudice against her that Darcy didn’t understand. The woman had been nothing but helpful since she’d gotten there and totally seemed to have the pack’s best intentions at heart. Sure, she could be arrogant at times, and perhaps a little on the frosty side, but she’d been living with feral wolves for centuries.
“Good morning, Darcy,” Saska greeted her with a coffee mug raised in salute as Darcy entered the kitchen. “Have the wolves gone off to play?”
Darcy winced a little. Saska wasn’t supposed to be out of her room unescorted. That was one of Mayhem’s non-negotiables, but she’d been meeting Darcy in the kitchen every morning for the past few days. Darcy had let it slide, but it still made her feel guilty.
“I’m pretty worn out; maybe we should take a break for the day.” Darcy was exhausted; she had been too amped up with her new hologram spell to sleep before Raven had ventured upstairs to find her, and then after that they’d been too busy to sleep.
Sasha motioned to the coffee maker. “Nonsense, girl. You’re a Huntress, you have endless amounts of power. You just don’t know how to access it yet. Go pour yourself a cup and we’ll chat for a while.”
Darcy smiled. Yes, of course, she’d chill out with Saska as she did every morning and then they would get to work. She moved around the kitchen, not only getting herself some coffee but also making them both a little breakfast. Nothing special—just some toast, fruit, and cheese. Although she was friends with Summer and Hannah, she sorely missed talking to Aubrey and Saska was proving to be a nice substitute while her friend was away. Not to mention, Saska was ancient and had so much experience to share.
“Did you practice last night?” Saska plucked a grape from the vine and popped it into her mouth.
“Yeah, sort of.” Darcy felt her cheeks grow warm and turned back to the fridge to grab an apple. She didn’t want to discuss how or what she’d been practicing, especially since they were currently talking about two different spells.
“Darcy.” Saska’s tone was stern. “I asked you to practice. If you’re not going to take this seriously—”
“I am! I’m taking it seriously!” Darcy turned, apple in hand, blushing now for a different reason. “I did practice for a bit and then I got distracted.” And that was all she was going to say out loud about that. She wasn’t lying though. Saska had been training her on a spell that would allow her to open time or dimensional portals. A very important skill, according to Saska, although Darcy still wasn’t entirely sure why she would need such a thing. It was tricky and complicated, but she was determined to get it right.
Saska nodded slowly. “We’ll work on it more later.” She smiled brightly. “You remind me of my sister in many ways.”
Darcy returned to the table and offered Saska the apple, knowing that she preferred the tart green ones. “I do?” The idea of that made Darcy feel all warm. She’d never had a sister and the only family she was close to was her Aunt Annie.
“Yes, she could be lazy at times with her spells.” Saska winked. “But she always came through in the end.” She paused, frowning. “I could count on her to supply me with what I needed, when I needed it, even if she sometimes didn’t want to.”
Darcy liked the sound of that. Supporting someone with her magic. Being responsible for helping a spell be successful.
“She was very talented too, like you.” Saska took a bite of her apple. “Perhaps not quite as open minded though.”
Darcy smiled, feeling like she’d just won some kind of competition with a dead woman. It was fucked up, yet she couldn’t help it. She wanted to be liked by Saska. She reveled in the woman’s acceptance.
Darcy sat across from her. “I want to thank you, Saska,” she started, collecting her thoughts. “For helping me become a stronger Huntress. For teaching me how to harness my powers.” She reached out and squeezed Saska’s arm affectionately. “I was struggling with them a lot before you came. Had even been thinking about what it might be
like to bond with my Hunter in order to seize better control.”
Saska cocked an eyebrow. “Your wolf doesn’t seem like the type to share.”
Darcy cringed. “No, he isn’t and I wouldn’t really go through with it. But the temptation of having some idea of what I was doing.” She shrugged. “It was something to think about, I guess. Fantasize about. But now that you’re here, I don’t even give it a thought. You’re giving me everything I need and erasing that restless confusion I was feeling. So thank you.”
Saska smiled and twisted her arm so she could grip Darcy’s in return. “You’re most welcome. I value our time together and I am honored to teach you what I know. You’re a wonderful student and a powerful Huntress.”
Darcy felt a rush of affection, mingled with worry. She was desperate to make Raven and the rest of the pack see just how good Saska was for all of them.
“How is your mate?” Saska asked, as if reading her mind. “He seemed agitated earlier.”
Darcy sat back, sliding her arm away from Saska. She toyed with the handle of her mug. How was Raven? Satisfied, for now. “He’s okay, good, he’s good.”
“He won’t help the pack by turning beast.” Saska shook her head. “That I can’t understand at all. I’ve explained to him how the hive mind works. If he is in his beast, he can communicate with his pack and encourage them to transform.”
Darcy frowned. She hadn’t known that. “Well, he isn’t comfortable in his beast form. He doesn’t like it.”
“Has he ever talked to you about his bite? How he became a werewolf?”
Darcy hesitated. Yes, he had, but she knew he wouldn’t want Saska knowing about it.
“He has the mark of Lazarus. The yellow eyes of the great beast who ruled as King for centuries. One of his brood and the marking of a leader in that alone.”
“Who was Lazarus?” Darcy cleared her throat, unsure of how Saska would react. “You seem to have a lot of respect for him.”
Saska closed her eyes for a moment, as though pained. “He was a wonderful king, a powerful beast. He could be ruthless at times, yes, but in his punishment came valuable lessons. All kings must make difficult decisions on their path to greatness. Lazarus ruled for centuries, growing his pack, his goal to ensure that the fate of all werewolves was destined to be one of strength, no longer living in fear of the merciless Order and their brainwashed Huntresses.” Her tone had turned colder, harsher as she spat the last few words. She took in a deep breath, let it out slowly, her expression falling into sadness again. “He was killed, tricked by his bride. She could have made him an heir, given him what he so craved. What I could never do for him.”
“You loved him?” Darcy reached out and touched Saska’s arm again, her heart breaking for the woman.
“I loved him, I was devoted to him. Still am. We were lovers for many years. I’d hoped that perhaps fate would allow us to bond in some way. But that wasn’t meant to be. He wanted a child, one born from a Huntress, and that was not something I could ever give him. So instead, I gave him my loyalty and he, in turn, treated me like a partner. Elevated me to stand at his side and counsel with me on his decisions. Yes, I loved him. And I miss him. His pack is scattered now. Losing ground with the Order. Being picked off and murdered, his dream shattering and I’m left behind to watch it die.”
“I’m so sorry.” Darcy hated to see her in pain. Wanted to give the woman a hug, but before she could budge, Saska’s eyes flashed with determination.
“Your Raven has the same potential for greatness. He is powerful, more powerful than he realizes. He could take this pack and transform it into something that is feared, something that no Hunter would dare tempt into battle. He could be a great alpha. One on par with Lazarus.”
“He doesn’t want that, though. He would never betray Mayhem.”
“So leave Mayhem then, form your own pack. It wouldn’t take much to cultivate the worship of a pack of ferals. One bite from Raven would make them submit to him, to die for him. He could reinvigorate Lazarus’s dream. Reunite the pack and make it strong again.” She shook her head. “He won’t come into his beast because he’s scared. He’s doesn’t know what his potential is, the power that he can master.”
“He knows, he just doesn’t want it.”
“He’s putting the pack in danger and delaying the training in unmeasurable ways. The Hunters won’t care what form he takes—they will view him as evil and will send their best, highly trained Huntresses to kill all the beasts here and claim all of the Huntresses for the Order’s Hunters.” Saska’s eyes flashed as her tone grew angrier. “It will be a massacre and you’re all too defenseless to prevent it.”
“I’ll talk to him about it,” Darcy said.
Saska waved her hand. “Talking does nothing. He needs to be motivated to do it.”
“He’s stubborn when he gets his mind set on something but that doesn’t mean he’s immovable.” Darcy stroked Saska’s hand briefly. “I’ll talk to him tonight about it, okay?”
Saska sighed. “Of course, Darcy.” She patted her arm. “You do know your mate best.”
Darcy motioned to the food. “Let’s eat and get to work. I feel like I can put a few hours in at least.”
“Okay. Why don’t we do something now?”
“Now?” Darcy wasn’t big on the pop quiz type of training.
“Show me what you’ve mastered. Open a portal and retrieve another apple from the fridge.”
Darcy gulped. “When I say I practiced—”
“Darcy, girl, no excuses. You did it yesterday. If you concentrate, you can do it today.” Saska nodded toward the fridge. “Remember what I told you. Focus on your goal. Retrieve your prize. Open the veil.”
Darcy nodded, pushed herself back in the chair, and closed her eyes. Focus on the goal. She called on her power, envisioned the fridge, the crisper where there was another apple to retrieve, began the chant that Saska had taught her. Words flowed through her. Memorization was not a problem, it was the multitasking that she struggled with. When she’d tried to do it last night, she’d opened the wall by accident to find Summer asleep in the room next to hers and Raven’s.
“Focus, Darcy.” Saska’s voice was an echo, rolling around. “Where is the apple?”
Darcy squeezed her eyes shut, cleared her thoughts, refocused. The apple was in the crisper. She recited the spell, mumbling aloud, then opened her eyes and moved her hand to draw open the portal she hoped was there. The air in front of her shimmered, wavered, and then opened. And there was the crisper, right in front of her rather than across the room. She beamed, reached in, and snagged another apple. She withdrew it from the opening, then held it up triumphantly.
“Excellent job!” Saska said, beaming along with Darcy. “You have such talent.” She motioned the air and the portal closed.
Darcy frowned. “Did I do that?” She cocked her head. “Or did it just do that on its own?”
Saska’s eyes were wide as she looked down at her hand. “I think I did that.”
“Your powers are coming back?” Darcy whispered, suddenly terrified that someone was nearby and listening.
Saska closed her eyes, took in some deep breaths. “A spark of my old self, perhaps. Not back fully but a promising start.” She opened her eyes and smiled. “What a relief! I thought I’d be cursed by that Greer bitch for an eternity.”
Darcy leaned toward her. “You need to keep that on the down low for now. It’s better that no one else knows your powers are coming back, at least until I get a chance to put in a good word for you with Mayhem.”
Saska smiled sadly. “I’m afraid that might be a lost cause, my dear, but I do appreciate your attempt and I agree. Best to keep it between us for now.”
Darcy nodded, her thoughts whirling around, panic kicking at her from all sides. She needed to prove Saska’s worth to the pack or she’d be outcast for
sure and Darcy wasn’t ready to let her go. There was still way too much to learn.
Chapter Eleven
Mayhem closed off his call with Aubrey on a curse. “We need to get downstairs and talk to that Greer woman.” He motioned to Raven. “Come with me.”
“Everything okay?”
“Aubrey got some information. She and Jay are on their way home. I need to get some answers from Greer.” He opened the door and nodded for Raven to enter. “Where were you today?”
Raven walked past, head low. “I went for a run. Had some things to think about.”
Truth was, he couldn’t be around Mayhem while in his wolf. It was becoming harder and harder to quell the beat of opposition that played in his head.
Take the alpha, control the pack.
His wolf was losing it. The beast element pushing harder and harder to get through. And it wanted alpha position.
Mayhem stopped him with a hand on the arm. “All okay?”
Raven looked up, forcing himself to make eye contact briefly. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just thinking about Darcy. Been trying to get her to see reason with the whole Saska thing.”
“You have a chance to talk to her yesterday?”
“In a manner of speaking, yeah, we talked.” And fucked and experimented. Her new powers were impressive and he was proud of her for her skill, also looking forward to seeing what else she could cook up. But he was unsettled. With every magic success, her ties to Saska grew. “Women are particular about their friendships. She has grown attached to Saska if only because of the power that woman has helped her unleash.”
“Like what?” Mayhem asked.
Raven coughed, sputtering a little as his thoughts went directly to the hologram of Stacy. “Um, I don’t know all the names of them but her skill has improved. Saska has her training hard and Darcy’s got more control. I know she’ll be devastated by the loss of that alone. You have to admit that Saska has helped Darcy. She’s made the pack stronger in that way at least.”
Beast Rising: The Order of the Wolf, Book 7 Page 9