by J. E. Cluney
Hell, it didn’t matter. We were mated now. Bonded.
“Yes, we need to go back and escape. I wonder how my other mates will react to you,” I murmured thoughtfully. But now was not the time to dwell on it.
We both split from the frozen moment in time, returning to our bodies as I gasped in the warm, thick air of the pit.
He pulled out of me and yanked his pants up, and the sound of the crowd watching us flooded back into my senses. What had they seen? Did they know we’d actually bonded?
I dragged myself to my feet, sliding my panties back up as I turned to look at Nate. Despite looking so wild and rugged, I could see who he truly was beneath it all. The kind, soft soul that had been willing to die rather than force himself on an unwilling woman.
The bell sounded off, and the Collector’s voice boomed over the speakers.
I barely registered what he was saying. But I got the gist of it. I was to return to Nate’s ‘quarters’ to consummate our mating and to give me the chance to fall pregnant. From what he said, I would spend some hours with him.
I didn’t argue as Nate’s door slid up, and his shoulders relaxed. Death was not coming his way now.
Instead, he’d gotten a true mate, not a forced fake one from the fights. Izzy hadn’t bonded with her opponent, so that led me to believe our bonding was true and real.
But as I glanced up at the Collector while walking to the door, I could see the curiosity etched into his features. He was intrigued by this turn, and he knew what had happened. I knew it. And the smile that spread made me shudder.
Time to get down to business then.
21
Tristan.
Dominic had been quiet for most of the day and evening. He blamed himself for Sav, and I knew he was feeling even more guilty because he hadn’t liked her massively to begin with because of our bond that had happened.
I gave his hand a gentle squeeze, and he gave me a small smile as he tightened his grip on my hand in return. Sav’s family had returned with many weapons as Mr Oxley got everything prepared for the tracking magic. He was using Chris’s magic first to siphon from, as his relation to her would hone it in more, and then when it was getting too draining on Chris, Dominic would take over.
So Samson and Chris were sitting beside each other on the beige couch, and Mr Oxley was standing before them. Damien, Leon, and Wes were on the opposite couch, while I stood with Dominic. Bernie and Benny were taking up a stance over near the doorway into the kitchen, and the others, Soren, Lionel, and Lachlan, were all in the kitchen with an array of weaponry judging from the clinking and clattering. Jackson was standing awkwardly over by the armchair, trying to keep himself from drawing attention. An ex-hunter in a house of so many supes. Definitely had to be uncomfortable.
I found it humorous that they all had names that started with the same letter as their sons. Except Chris and his deceased father David.
Mr Oxley was standing firm, his aura rippling around him, visible to all. We weren’t even trying to see it, it was just thrumming with such an intensity that it was revealing itself to everyone. I’d imagine even humans would see it.
“Ready?” he asked, his voice vibrating with the energy inside him, giving it an echoing effect.
Samson nodded, and Chris gulped but nodded as well.
Mr Oxley rested a hand on both of their foreheads, and all of their eyes lit up with a vibrant golden glow.
It was mesmerizing, watching as Mr Oxley’s aura took on a sandy texture and floated around the two boys on the couch, swirling around his hands mostly as he worked his magic.
“I can feel her,” Samson murmured, and Soren dropped whatever he was doing and hurried into the room.
Lachlan and Lionel followed, both watching Mr Oxley with a strange uncertainty.
“She’s strong, a fighter,” Samson smiled. “Reminds me of mom.”
Soren sighed at this, and then Samson frowned.
“What do you see?” Mr Oxley asked, his voice low but still echoing with energy.
“Bits and pieces. She’s in a sand arena thing, fighting… it changed to a cell. She’s not happy, she’s tried to escape but couldn’t, has another plan…” Samson murmured, his frown deepening as he focused.
“Find your way into her mind, imagine yourself merging into her, seeing from her eyes,” Mr Oxley suggested.
Samson nodded slightly as he pursed his lips.
Chris was starting to fist his hands, and it was clear the magic was taking a toll on the witch.
“Izzy,” Samson gasped. “Izzy’s there, but…”
He snarled as he balled up his hands, his aura crackling with rage.
“Someone fucking touched her?!” Lachlan snarled as he started forward.
“Hush! Samson, focus, you need to find out where she is, expand your mind. Now that you’re seeing through her eyes, project yourself from her. Move around the room. Continue outside the building. Find a landmark or something to give us a location,” Mr Oxley said.
Samson growled but drew in a deep, calming breath.
He had a hell of a lot more control than I would. Right now I wanted to possess him and see what he was seeing, see where my mate was, what condition she was in. She’d already tried to escape, and she’d been fighting. I hated not knowing everything.
“The building has no windows,” Samson murmured. “It’s warded, heavily.”
“Good, keep going,” Mr Oxley urged him. “Dominic, join me, Chris is wearing down, I don’t want to drain him too much.”
I released Dominic’s hand, giving him a reassuring nod as he strode forward. Mr Oxley was quick to move his hand from Chris’ forehead to Dominic’s, and Chris slumped back into the couch as he drew in a few deep breaths.
“It’s a mansion I think, on large grounds. I’m heading to the street. I was able to get outside, I just went through the wall,” Samson murmured, and his eyes flicked around as if he was actually scanning the area. The golden glow radiating from them only intensified.
“I see some streets, houses…” Samson said softly. Then a smirk touched his lips. “Brendale.”
“Bingo,” Soren murmured.
Mr Oxley’s aura slowly dissipated as he removed his hands from the two men’s heads.
“Brendale isn’t that far away, a few hours drive,” Samson said as he blinked a few times. I could only imagine he was readjusting to being back with us.
“That’s correct. Do you remember the street names around the mansion?” Mr Oxley checked as he reached for his cane propped against the coffee table behind him.
“Yes,” Samson nodded firmly.
“Good, then we need to get our weapons ready and come up with a plan of action on the way. We won’t know exactly what we’re up against until we’re closer,” Mr Oxley said as he shifted some of his weight onto the cane.
“There’s another thing you all may want to know about Sav,” Samson said as he stood up and rubbed his temple.
“What’s that?” Damien growled softly.
He’d probably get along so well with Lachlan and Lionel, they could be the three grumpy men.
Three grumpy stooges.
“She’s taken on another mate.”
“What?” I blurted. Damien was asking the exact same thing with a scowl, and Wes was looking perplexed while Leon just looked thoughtful.
“I can’t tell you much, but she’s taken on a kitsune while there,” Samson said. “And Izzy has been used, hurt,” he murmured, his mouth tugging up into a snarl.
I didn’t know much about this Izzy character, their mate, but the tension humming around me from Sav’s family was enough to know I shouldn’t say anything about her.
As for Sav, well, a new mate was quite a shock.
That would mean she’d had to have consummated the bonding.
‘Great, we’re all panicking and she’s just having sex,’ Damien snarled mentally.
‘Relax, I doubt it’s like that, besides, we should be grateful, having a mat
e their with her means she has some protection now,’ Leon spoke up.
He was right. We had no idea how this had come into play.
Samson had said Izzy had been hurt, used. What if it was forced thing?
‘If it was forced, you wouldn’t think she would have bonded with him,’ Wesley muttered. He was pouting, and I could tell he was butt-hurt. Hell, most of us weren’t too thrilled about this tidbit of information.
‘Their kitsunes can choose mates at random, he must have just been the lucky one,’ Leon said.
‘We need to focus. She could be in danger still, especially being kept by a Collector. We can’t assume anything. We just need to find her,’ I stated as Dominic walked back over to me. I gave him a soft smile as I took his hand in mine. I was beyond grateful for his help to find my mate.
Even if I was mated, I still felt deeply for my witch. And I was glad Sav hadn’t cared if I continued my relationship with him.
He’d come around to it all as well. He had to. I couldn’t do anything about my bonding to Sav. That was just how it was.
“Well, gear up boys, we’ve got some kitsunes to find and a Warlock to kill,” Soren said as he clapped his hands together.
Killing a Warlock.
Yeah, cause that was going to be an easy task.
“Wait,” Mr Oxley held up a hand as he narrowed his eyes.
“I can feel it too,” Lachlan growled.
The ripple that moved through some of us was clear.
We were no longer alone at this place.
I reached out mentally, attempting to possess the trespasser. I scowled as I met the familiar being, warded against me.
“It’s Thomas Harlow,” I growled as I turned to look at Jackson accusingly.
“It wasn’t him,” Mr Oxley murmured, reading my thoughts.
“Who’s that?” Lionel demanded.
“My father,” Jackson finally spoke up, frowning as he looked over his shoulder in the direction of the front door.
“The one who took Sav,” Soren growled, the vibrant pink flaring in his emerald eyes as the growl rumbled through him. It stirred the other predator shifters, including Leon and Damien. All of them were growling now, their eyes flickering with their animal sides.
“He’s alone,” I murmured, perplexed by this knowledge. Why come alone? He was going up against a whole lot of supes.
“Perfect,” Lionel smirked.
“Wait!” Jackson begged as all of them moved to head through the doorway, thrumming with rage and animosity.
“Don’t you dare think for a moment you are forgiven, boy!” Lionel snarled, his eyes flashing yellow. “You are just as guilty of murder.”
“Let me speak to him, please,” Jackson pleaded, his jade eyes flicking around the room of supes.
I commended him for planting himself before the agitated group of supes. I would never be that stupid.
“Everyone relax,” Mr Oxley said as his aura flared to life. I could sense Damien’s and Leon’s confusion as their animalistic rage slowly seeped away. Mr Oxley was full of surprises today.
“Don’t tell us to relax when that is the man who stole our daughter,” Bernie growled, his eyes still narrowed into feline slits.
“Allow Jackson to speak with him. Leon, you go with him as backup. Don’t kill him,” Mr Oxley turned to Leon. The emotions that rippled across Leon’s face made me clench my jaw. He wanted to hurt Thomas, but he also didn’t want to hurt Sav. Even if he’d caused her much distress and harm, he’d still been the one who raised her.
‘He should still die,’ Damien growled.
Wesley just agreed.
‘She’ll hate us,’ I stated. That shut them both up real quick. Sav came first. That was how this bonding thing worked. We’d do anything for her. But he was a touchy area.
Mr Oxley stood in the way of everyone as Leon moved around him and followed after Jackson.
“This is stupid,” Lionel snarled.
“We should just kill him, especially since he played a part in Renee and David’s death,” Bernie muttered.
And despite all this fury and rage swirling amongst them, no one was willing to go up against Mr Oxley. They all sensed his power, and they knew better than to push it.
Hell, maybe Soren had shared with the others just what he was, since he seemed to know what Mr Oxley was.
Although, I had a feeling Lachlan and his father might try it. Werewolves were always hot-headed and impulsive.
I focused on Leon, on prying into his mind. He was standing out on the porch now as Jackson headed down the dirt drive. Thomas was walking up from my understanding.
He was being reckless, even for a hunter. What was he hoping to achieve from this? Did he think he was only drawing near on us? Unaware that we were with Sav’s family?
Still, a one man army was no use against all of us. He should’ve learned that when he brought all of the hunters to that farmhouse.
Leon had shifted his ears to wolf ears, heightening his hearing as he listened in while Jackson neared his father.
Guess we’d find out just what was going on.
22
“I’m sorry. I’d never have wanted it to go this way with any woman, especially not someone who would become my mate,” Nate murmured as we entered his cell. It was difficult to focus as the other male kitsunes in their cells called out and whistled at me.
I spied the bulky beast from earlier scowling at me, one eye covered over with a patch and his face a bloody, bruised mess. I just gave him a smirk. Asshole.
“Not your fault,” I assured him as I eyed the double bed he had in the cell.
‘So we’re supposed to have more sex now,’ he informed me, and I was grateful we were moving things into telepathic communication. Something told me that was one thing the Collector couldn’t hear.
‘Seems that way.’
‘I’m sorry about all of this. I never wanted to hurt anyone.’
‘You didn’t hurt me, I needed you to do this. I’m just grateful it was you and not one of these brutes. I refuse to be an animal locked up in a cage. I’m going to get out of here.’
‘I know, and I saw your idea. Do you think it’ll work?’
‘I hope so. It’s all I’ve got now.’
Nate nodded, attempting to straighten out his scruffy beard and hair as he turned and gave me a soft smile. The man from inside my white void was shining through, the man who looked so utterly handsome and sweet. He was just hidden beneath this rugged exterior. It made me wonder just how long he’d been here.
‘A month or two I think,’ he said, frowning as he tried to think. ‘Hard to know how many days have passed really.’
‘Yeah, no sunlight does that,’ I agreed.
He offered me his hand, and I took it, ignoring his musky, need to shower smell. It wasn’t his fault. And even though he was in serious need of a shower, my body was reacting to him.
He was one of my mates after all.
I allowed him to lead me over to the bed and sit me down on the edge of it.
‘I wish I could do so much more for you, treat you like a queen and ravish you. Make you enjoy it. Kinda hard with all of them watching, and knowing I’m in desperate need of a shower,’ he said, managing a soft smirk.
‘I haven’t been able to brush my teeth since I got here, and I’d kill for a shower,’ I sighed. ‘We’ll stick to the main stuff. Once we’re free, we can do things properly.’
He just smiled warmly at me, his teeth straight but in need of a brush. I got from his head that he’d tried to clean them a little with his fingers. I’d done the same.
The treatment here was worse than jail. At least they got toothbrushes and showers.
I slid under his blanket, sliding my panties off as he slipped in beside me.
He ran one hand down my side, making my skin prickle with anticipation. I had to remind myself that there wouldn’t be much foreplay at all. Not in our current states.
‘We can still use hands though
,’ he murmured in my mind as his fingers trailed across my stomach and down my hip.
I shivered as I cracked a smile at him.
I guess we could do that then.
He moved to lean over me, his hands exploring my body as I reached out to drag my fingertips down his chest. He was toned to sweet perfection, and I ran my fingers over the muscles, right down to his delicious V dipping into his shorts.
The hardness brushing my thighs was teasing me, and his hand finally glided down between my legs to test my arousal.
He moaned softly at my readiness.
We both blocked out the other males as his other hand moved to fondle my breasts and explore, while I worked his shorts off and teased him. I stroked his length with one finger, loving how he trembled at the touch and his length twinged.
I quivered as his thumb brushed over my pebbled nipples, gasping softly as he simultaneously stroked my clit.
Damn, that felt incredible.
I reached under his length to stroke his balls, teasing and playing with them gently, shifting from them back to stroking his length.
The scents of our arousals were wafting through the air now, and I could see the vibrant pink flaring in his grey eyes. I knew mine were reacting the same way.
Howls and moans rose up around us, but we ignored it as we focused on one another.
I wrapped my fingers around his length, slowly pumping him as his fingers played with my clit.
I growled softly as our desire filled my nostrils, and I pumped a little harder.
He responded by sliding his finger inside me, and I trembled and relaxed against the bed at the sensation.
He hooked his finger up, stroking my g-spot perfectly as I arched up into him, my hand faltering on his length as I fisted my other hand in the bed.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said, his voice deep and husky. Fuck.
Just his voice was sending me into overdrive now.
I was completely forgetting where we were as my body was overcome by need and desperate desire.
I released his length, moaning as he slid another finger inside me and continued working his magic on me.