As Ulric continued to pump into her ass, his balls and thighs slapping against her, Alexander pulled her closer. "You're worth the wait," he said before cracking the taut layer of skin at her neck. His canines sunk deep, marking her as Ulric did. There would be no martyrdom for her, not with two mates now linked to her soul. Why hadn't Caleb claimed her? She'd asked him to at first, wanted him to, but he held back. Why?
The fresh bite brought her spiraling towards a third orgasm. Her body was so spent that she feared the intensity this one promised. When the light and heat and passion released from her body, both men were there to hold her steady, to help her ride out the lengthy orgasm while joining her themselves.
Ulric rolled off onto the mattress, and as she attempted to move to a bare spot on the bed, Alexander tucked her under his arm and kissed her damp forehead. "You're my mate, whether the queen says so or not. This I know." She smiled, pleased with his words and the perfect moment she was in.
"I'm beat," said Ulric. "But I still have to interrogate that fucking fox. I'll be back as soon as I can, princess. I promise."
"What fox?"
Chapter Nine
Delia followed him all the way down into the dank basement of the castle, wearing the black scarf for discretion. Alexander wasn't too far behind, not willing to leave his prize to wander out of sight. Ulric had imagined this day in his dreams, wondered how he would feel about sharing Delia should he have the miracle to mate with her. Now it was reality and he didn't feel threatened at all. It was as if this mating was meant to be, declared by the gods. Alexander was his friend, a man devoted to bringing the dying wish of his mother to fruitation. But there was more. He saw the look in his eyes after he'd marked Delia. Ulric knew he felt the same connection, the one binding the three of them for life. But two mates were unheard of for a princess. Delia's sisters had three or four each. How would he feel about another male joining their trio?
"When exactly did you capture him?" she asked again as they navigated the twisting stone staircase, lit only by candle wall sconces. The power was still out, but as shifters, predators of the night, they could see well enough.
"I've told you. It was soon after I caught you the first time. He claimed to be looking for a princess, which is ridiculous because until today we didn't have one." Delia was overly concerned about the prisoner. It was just another pesky fox. Surely she couldn't feel pity for the man, especially since he claimed he was trying to kidnap a royal. He's lucky Delia didn't find him before Ulric did. She was capable of ripping a fox shifter to shreds with her skilled she-wolf. He still remembered the sleekness and agility of her wolf. It would be a treat to run through the woods with her like they did when they were youngsters. Soon.
He pushed open the heavy iron door, dismissing another Elite who was keeping watch. "Are you ready to talk?" he asked the prisoner.
Delia swatted him out of her way and burst into the cool room. "Caleb!" She stopped short, her brow creasing. "Where's Caleb?"
"Who's Caleb?" asked Alexander.
"My first mate." She left the cell, returning to the candlelight of the main prison room. The fact so spoke so matter-of-factly blew him away. She had no love bites on her and he'd thoroughly explored her decadent body.
"You have no other mate besides us," said Ulric, prisoner now forgotten entirely.
"It happened suddenly. Recently. He's waiting for me at a hotel nearby."
Alexander crossed his arms over his chest, his face stoic. "Who is this fellow exactly? What species? Where's he from? Does he realize princesses take more than one male?"
She exhaled in exasperation. "This is not a contest. The bond I have with each of you is unique, but also binding us as a whole."
"Well, I for one would like to know about the other piece of our 'whole'," said Ulric.
"He's of no threat to either of you. He's—"
"Oh gods, not another fucking bear?"
"Watch it, Alexander," he mock-warned.
"A fox. He's a fox, okay." She said it like a curse, and it was. A fox shifter? With a princess? It was absurd, disgusting, unnatural. Royal princesses were destined for greatness—top breeds, strongest alpha males. For her to add a measly fox to their collective was laughable.
Alexander did, laughing out loud, the deep sound echoing in the small stony room. "A fox you say? What will you do with him when you have us?"
"He's smart, funny, handsome, and wonderful. If you can't accept my choice then stay away!" She glared at both of them and then stormed out. Alexander gave chase. Ulric returned his attention to the fox in the holding cell. "You! Tell me how you knew there was a princess here. Was it another fox who hired you? Tell me now!"
"What would one of us want with a royal? It was a wolf, but I don't know his name. He knew the last princess would return here."
"How?"
The man hesitated. "Because I told him. I hacked into this guy's computer and found out he was coming here with the princess." He dragged a hand through his hair. "Don't judge me! We all have to make a living somehow."
"You fox shifters are all the same. Grow some fucking balls. Ronan will be down soon to teach you what we do to traders of the throne."
He slammed the cell door closed and locked it. The mere idea of living out his days under the same roof as one of those creepy little beta shifters made his skin crawl. The thought of one of them touching Delia, fucking her, enraged him.
****
The moment he sat up in the bed and opened his eyes, he knew she was gone. There wasn't even any lingering warmth on her side of the bed. He'd checked the room and found her clothes and boots missing. There was no doubt in his mind that Delia went to the castle alone. She was going to make a martyr out of herself. Why couldn't she understand that nothing she did would change age-old laws and customs? What mattered was living her own life, a new life—with him.
Caleb didn't have any special training in combat or stealth. He spent his days doing odd jobs online. But he wouldn't let Delia make the worst mistake of her life if he could stop it. Even without marking her, he knew she was meant to be his. There were so many layers to the princess, much more than meet the eye. He wanted to uncover every one, to learn about the woman he planned to devote his life to.
He called a taxi, considering the motorcycle was gone and he had no way of getting to the castle. Caleb had them park a block away so he could creep up without announcing his arrival. The night sky was lighter than usual, highlighted by the full white sphere of the moon. He cursed the moon and its strength, tonight of all night he needed his full wits. Even under the dire circumstances, all he could play in his head were the mewling sounds Delia made as he fucked her. She was tight, responsive, perfect. He didn't want his first time to be his last.
Caleb used the large oaks surrounding the palace as shields. The grounds were so dark, not even a glow of light from the main windows. It seemed unlikely the entire palace would be asleep, even at the unholy hour. There would be staff, guards, and nocturnal royals up and about even now. Something wasn't right.
When he approached the perimeter fence, he cursed. It was too high, and perilous to climb with the barbed wire coiled above. The rungs were too tight for him to squeeze through. His only hope was to shift, something he hadn't done since…he couldn't even remember when. Only the havoc the full moon wreaked on his libido reminded him he wasn't human. It was so easy to get lost in a world dominated by the weaker species.
He shed his clothing and quickly shifted. It was like riding a bike, the change taking over without too much discomfort or difficulty.
He tested his fur, his paws, his fangs. It felt good to be on all fours again, although it would be better if he were born a predator, not a scavenger. He wanted to be worthy of Delia's love. She was a princess and deserved better than his pathetic pedigree.
Caleb slipped between the bars and crept through the underbrush of the outlying forest. As he neared the castle, he picked up Delia's scent. He'd been right. She had come lo
oking for redemption. What would it take for her to accept his love and give up this quest of hers? She wasn't the only one living a lonely life without roots. Caleb never expected to claim a mate, but once he'd mentally decided on Delia, knew in his heart she was his, endless possibilities erupted. She was stealing those chances away from him by risking her life so foolishly.
There was a rumbling in the trees capturing his attention to the forest canopy above. Then a crushing weight knocked him to his side, and he continued to roll through the leaf litter with the other shifter bound to him. It was a panther, he recognized the scent thanks to his friend, Blue, which meant he was screwed. He got to his feet and started to run. As a kid he'd learned that running was best unless he wanted his ass handed to him by an alpha.
But he was blocked by a wolf ahead of him and then more shifters to his right and left. They were huge. Their eyes blazed, glowing unnaturally under the shadow of the forest. The full moon didn't just heighten sexual energy, but also aggression. These Royal Elite guards were trained to rip him apart, probably as painfully as possible. Had Delia gotten through or had she come across these same males already? Anger built up inside him as he imagined even one of them harming a single hair on her head.
The wolf began to growl, baring his fangs. Caleb decided to follow suite, flashing his own sharp incisors. It was a stupid move when dealing with a dominant race. In the blink of an eye they converged on him. He fought back, clawing and biting any body part in reach. Pain sluiced through his body as the shifters invoked damage of their own. He could smell the acrid scent of his own blood, feel the jarring pain in his thigh where fangs clamped down hard, and couldn't help but curse his weakness when all he wanted to do was get to Delia.
If he had to die here, he'd go down like a man, despite what these alphas thought of foxes as a whole. He battled with every breath he had. When he was a bite away from giving up, another wolf came to his aid. A black beauty, a female, Delia. She came out of nowhere, her eyes blazing a primal mix of greens and yellows. Her fangs were lethal, tearing through even the largest male shifters. She ducked and leapt, bit and tore. It was like watching a beautifully synchronized ballet, but this one was deadly. Any minute and she could be mortally wounded.
He suspected his leg was broken but that didn't stop him. He limped closer and pounced on the back of the panther attempting to claw his mate. His mate. It sounded right even saying it in his head. If only they could get out of this alive, but the odds of that happening were stacked against them. Delia was vicious, growling and barking, ignoring the pain inflicted on her, but appearing to use it as a catalyst to fight harder, dirtier. When she yelped, he felt it all the way in the pit of his stomach, but she didn't falter. There were several wolves in the melee, and he could have sworn one of them was working against the guards.
When the weight of the Elite Ops was too much for both of them, Delia pinned beneath a male nearly twice her size, a bear came charging across the lawn. Caleb thought his eyes deceived him at first. The animal was massive in size. He'd only seen one other bear shifter in its natural form before, his friend, Jacob. But this male was new to him. He'd kill Delia with one swat of his oversized paw. But rather than go for the princess, he used his strength against the male above her, sending him hurdling into the trees with a drawn out cry.
He stood over Delia, rearing onto his hind legs in a dominant display for the others. His height and bulk were intimidating. All the guards cowered away, backing up to give him the space he demanded.
****
Ulric heard the snarling fight as soon as he stepped out into the open air. Delia and Alexander had been well ahead of him, so he knew they had to be part of the ruckus. He thought maybe his Royal Elite brothers had found another intruder, but then realized they were attacking his woman, their own princess. His body rumbled and the shift took over even before he commanded it. Ulric only saw red. He focused on defending his mate, with his death if necessary. It was easy to create a protective bubble around her, his comrades not stupid enough to challenge him.
It was only after they shifted back to their human form that he began to catalogue Delia's injuries. "Who dared to harm the princess? Tell me!"
The other guards looked down, ashamed. He had no doubt they were clueless as to who they fought in the heat of battle, but surely they should have scented her royal blood or the fact she was female.
Ulric dropped to his knees beside her. The stubborn thing was already pushing herself up into a sit. "Caleb. Where's Caleb?" she repeated. He remembered her mentioning that name in the cells when she thought her first mate was being held captive. Ulric scanned the grounds, easily pinpointing the fox shifter. He wasn't pathetic like the other fox who'd tried to break into the castle. This one was larger than most, well toned, and carrying serious injuries without whining like a little bitch. The fact he'd seen the other man fight for Delia despite half a dozen alpha males attacking him earned him respect in Ulric's book.
"He's fine. He's right over there. Now lay still while I look you over." Of course she was completely naked after shifting, as was everyone in sight, including the fox. Ulric didn't want any roving eyes focusing on his mate so he commanded them all to return to the castle. The queen would no doubt hear about Delia's return within the next few minutes.
Alexander had fought for Delia, too. Something Ulric knew the wolf shifter wouldn't have bothered with unless he deeply cared about his new woman. The gods had brought true mates together, a miracle granted for each princess despite going against the queen's wishes. Perhaps it was a sign of a new age. Then he remembered the fox.
"Caleb!" she called out again.
Ulric left Delia with Alexander and went to check on the fox. "Are you hurt?" he asked, looking down at the man.
"Where am I not hurt?" he said with a twist of sarcasm and humor. The fox should be in agony, not being sociable. Ulric admired a man who could handle pain, just as he respected a man who'd die for their mate.
"Can you stand? Delia needs you close by, but I won't have you whimpering, getting her all upset."
"Whimpering? Am I a puppy now? Just help me to my feet and I'll manage on my own."
Maybe having a third male in their ménage wouldn't be as torturous as he'd expected. In fact, he could already see what the princess saw in the young shifter. He was refreshing after dealing with the alphas in the Royal Elite day in day out.
Ulric hoisted him up with ease. He had a limp. The bone had likely been broken, but shifter blood healed in a fraction of the time it took humans, and without clumsy casts and stitches. "You don't look like a fox."
"I'm guessing that's a compliment but, trust me, my size only got me ostracized right out of my own race. Different isn't always a good thing."
"It is in my books. Now go to her."
The fox shifter carefully lowered himself beside the princess. She smiled for Caleb, wrapping her arms around his neck. Did she love him more than Ulric? As much as he wanted to see her happy, he couldn’t ignore the little burn of jealousy. Did Alexander feel it, too?
"Why, Delia? Why'd you leave without telling me?" Caleb smoothed her tousled hair from her face.
"Why'd you come after me? Look at you! You could have been killed."
"Because I love you, and I can't imagine a future without you. So any thoughts you had of martyrdom need to be flushed out."
She nodded, dropping her head against his chest as they sat beside each other on the forest floor. Ulric saw the fox wince as she pressed against his injuries.
Did she prefer beta males? Would she be the first princess with one mate? Ulric may not have a fear of enemies or death, but he feared having his heart broken by the only woman he'd ever loved.
Chapter Ten
Delia knew she'd have to face her mother as soon as her body healed. This was one time she wished she was a human needing months of recover, anything to avoid the inevitable. But she was already close to perfectly healed, thanks to her unique royal blood.
&nb
sp; "Bite me, Caleb. You need my blood to help you recover."
He shook his head.
"Why? Why are you refusing me again? Why come to the rescue if you want nothing to do with me?"
"You're only trying to help me heal. I don't want you to mate with me for anything but love. I'll mend just fine on my own."
She smiled, leaning over to kiss his full lips. "Silly fox. Of course I love you. Now bite me. I want our ménage official before I face my mother. I won't have her deny any of you because you failed to complete the love bite."
The energy of the moon was even more intense being out in their natural setting, nothing impeding the strength of the rays or beauty of the sight in the sky. Delia knew her arousal would be insatiable once she was bitten. The three men she planned to build a new life with were all naked and utterly tempting. Each one was different in build, but no less appetizing than the next. She already played every scenario over in her head. She'd never been with all three before. Would she take Ulric's huge cock in her mouth this time? Caleb's eager dick in her ass? What would it feel like to have six hands touching, petting, fondling? Three mouths suckling, kissing, nipping?
Once her fox partook of her blood, he'd heal in minutes, as good as new. Then there would be no excuses.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive." She lowered to her back and closed her eyes. Leave it to Caleb to question her at the eleventh hour. She loved that he cared for her, put her needs first. But Delia had no doubt in her mind that this was what she wanted. Her sisters had found peace in the loving arms of men, and she never expected to have her chance. Now she was about to create a new path, a new history built on love and commitment, rather than death and destruction. Caleb's words from earlier filtered into her mind with more clarity. She had lived in the past for far too long, bitter and resentful. It was time to live her own life, make a positive future like her sisters had.
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