by Ivy Asher
“I’m not going to fight you, Killer. You already know how I feel about that.” I roll my eyes at Knox’s declaration and step into a fighting stance.
“You’re my mate, and I’m not going to hurt you,” he declares more urgently as I move toward him.
“You’re not going to hurt me?” I ask sweetly. “I think we’re way past that, Knox, you’ve been gutting me since Enoch and his coven showed up at our door with runes.”
Shock flashes through Knox’s gray eyes, and he searches my face like he doesn’t quite understand what I mean. I stomp down the flood of pain that surges through me as I think back to all the accusations and mistrust that Knox has flung my way since then, and let my fists purge the hurt. I strike out at Knox, and he steps back, alarmed, and blocks it. My hit is halfhearted, not because I don’t want to beat the shit out of him, but because I won’t really go for him until I know he’s going to fight back.
I swing at him again and let him dodge it.
“What the hell, Killer?” he asks as he continues to weave away from the easy pace I’m setting.
“From the minute they showed up at the door, you’ve made it clear that it was either you or them. You know I can’t draw the line like that, and yet you keep pushing for it,” I growl at him.
I execute a low spin and kick his legs out from underneath him. Knox goes down and then immediately kips back up angry.
“We are your Chosen. We are enough. All they do is create problems and fuck with the good that we’ve got going on,” he growls back at me.
“No, that’s all you’ve been doing, Knox.” I punctuate my statement with an open-handed hit to his chest. Knox steps back a few feet and glares at me.
“Becket helped save my life. I don’t know what I would have done if he hadn’t been with me during my time in Adriel’s dungeons. He was there for me, pushed me, trained with me despite what I did to his father.”
I stop holding back as much, and Knox and I become a flurry of swings and blocks.
“His father betrayed his people and deserved what he got,” Knox counters, and I increase the tempo of my attack even more.
“Doesn’t make Becket’s loss any less painful. Doesn’t remove the scars that will be left because of what I did.” I move to roundhouse Knox, and he barely dodges it. “Kallan trains me in a way that I understand. I’ve come so far in such a short amount of time because of him and his coven’s help with my magic.”
Knox grunts irritably and jumps back to avoid a low jab I throw at him.
“Nash irritates the fuck out of me, but he forces me to see things in a different way. He forces me to think and strategize and puzzle things out because of the weird shit he does and says.”
Knox catches my fist and pulls, trying to throw me off balance. I spin in toward him like a tornado, elbow ready to clock him. He leans back like he’s an award winning limbo competitor, and I’m not able to connect. I’m not sure if Knox will actually press back the more I attack him, but from the way he’s so expertly dodging my hits, I know it would be a good fight. He’s lithe and quick. His instincts are spot on, and he can read his opponent well.
“Enoch wants to protect me. He wants to keep me safe, and he’s not afraid to teach me and train with me to make that happen.”
Knox growls. “Enoch wants to use you, that’s who he is. He wants what you have because of what it can do for him!” he snaps at me.
“So did you!” I yell back, stopping my attack and stepping into his face. “The night I marked all of you, what did you say to me? Thanks for the upgrade. You pointed out more than once that you and your coven would be better off with my marks, that it would make you the best paladin out there.”
“That is not the same thing, and you know it!” he shouts back.
“How is it any different? You think you’re the only one that can see the advantages of what I can do and can also still care about me? They are my friends, Knox!”
“And I am your mate!” he counters.
“Exactly! You are my mate. You are my Chosen. I fucking love you, but you still don’t trust me.” My voice breaks as the accusation flies out of my mouth, and I slam a fist to my chest to help knock my heart back together.
Knox reels back like I’ve punched him. “I do trust you.”
“No, you don’t. If you did, you wouldn’t dismiss what I say so easily,” I tell him, parroting something he once said to me. “I tell you that I trust them, that my magic chose them for a reason, and I stand by that. But you decide that you know better. That your past impressions are more worthy of your trust than I am.”
Knox glares at me but doesn’t say anything. I still feel the need to fight in the twitch of my muscles, but we just stand there, staring at each other.
“You once said to me that nothing hurt worse than when I doubted you, doubted my place with you. Knox, do you not see that you’ve been doing the same thing to me?” I pull my eyes from Knox and turn to the others. “I know you all have history, but you have to get the fuck over it. You are my Chosen, and they are my Shields. We are all connected. So stop trying to rip me in half or prove that my magic is wrong for marking them. Just fucking trust me...please,” I beg, frustration and defeat welling up inside of me and forcing the word please to come out on a whisper.
I turn back to Knox, but he’s staring at the ground, wrestling with his thoughts. I go quiet, giving him time to process. The cold air nips at my exposed skin, but I don’t dare move. This moment feels too fragile, like the slightest movement or noise could break it beyond repair. Knox releases a deep sigh and looks up at me. He doesn’t say anything, just studies my face for a couple of minutes before his gray eyes settle back on mine.
We both just stare at each other, silently communicating our hurt, doubt, insecurity. His stormy gaze morphs into sorrow, and tears well up in my eyes.
“Are you in or out?” I ask him on a whisper.
The last time these words were spoken between Knox and me, he was placing a challenge at my feet. A challenge to trust my Chosen, to love them, to be a team with them no matter what. I watch his gray-cloudy gaze absorb all of that, and then I wait.
“In, Vinna, always in.”
A relieved breath rushes out of me as his words burrow into my soul. The next thing I know, his lips are on mine. His fingers are in my hair, his body is pressed against me as he consumes all my sadness and replaces it with heat and love, understanding and apology. I can taste his sorry as he teases my tongue with his own. I can feel his claim and his promises in the way he holds me. He lifts me up, and I immediately wrap my legs around his waist, never pulling my lips from his.
I don’t pay attention to the fact that he walks us away from the others. I just kiss him, needing him to erase the cracks and the hurt with his lips and his body. He sets me down on my feet when it’s just the two of us surrounded by trees and rocks and plants.
“I love you, Vinna,” he whispers reverently against my lips as he pulls back to lift my sports bra over my head.
His mouth is back on mine, consuming me. Fusing us. Pouring all of his need and declarations into my soul and filling me up.
“I love you, Vinna,” he whispers into my ear, and then he sucks on my neck and presses traveling kisses down my body. He pushes my underwear down and pulls a hard nipple into his mouth at the same time.
I moan his name like a prayer, reveling in the heat that trails through me with his touch. He runs his fingers through my folds, moaning when he feels how wet I am for him. He moves to my other nipple and circles my clit. He spreads my arousal through my lips and whispers his declarations of love against my breasts and throat as he returns to my mouth, his kisses filled with worship.
I come with his mouth on mine and his fingers playing with me. He pinches my clit and sucks on my bottom lip, both of us groaning at how good it feels. Knox lifts me back up and positions his big arms under my thighs.
“I love you, Vinna,” he declares as he thrusts inside of me, guiding my b
ody down his length until he’s deep inside of me and we’re both panting. He lifts me up his length and then back down, setting the pace, and I roll my hips in a way that helps him hit all the right places.
“I love you, Knox,” I whisper against his mouth as I suck on his tongue and fuck him out in the middle of nowhere.
Frost-kissed air caresses our naked bodies and tries to steal the heat that we’re creating.
Knox presses me back against a smooth tree, pinning me with his hips as he works in and out of me faster. I gasp and mewl encouragement. Our I love yous battle back and forth between our pants and moans. Knox pulls a hand forward and plays with my clit as his lips drop to the line of runes on my shoulder. He traces them with his tongue and sucks on them, and I have no choice but to splinter into a trillion pieces.
His name rides my shout, and his thrusts become urgent and deeper. He fucks me hard into another orgasm, and then it’s my name being shouted to the setting sun as Knox presses deeply into me and comes. He moves inside of me shallowly as he rides his orgasm. We both work to catch our breath, our foreheads pressed together.
“I’m sorry, Vinna. I couldn’t see past how I was feeling, and I’m sorry.”
“Thank you,” I tell him, cutting off more of his apology with a soft kiss against his full lips. “I know all of this isn’t easy. I know I ask a lot. Just know I love you and I don’t want a future that doesn’t have you in it.”
Knox kisses me again, his mouth and tongue all passion and apology.
“I’ll make it work with your Shields. We all will. We’ll do better,” he promises, and I have to blink back the tears that well up in my eyes.
Knox kisses my cheek where one manifestation of sorrow escapes, and repeats his promise until I can blink back my emotions and nod.
“I’m always in, Killer, always,” he reminds me.
I smile at him and breathe out the last vestiges of hurt.
“Samesies,” I whisper and then nip at his ear lobe.
Knox growls at me playfully and rolls his hips, reminding me that he’s still deep inside of me at the moment.
“How long do you think we have until one of the guys walks through the trees, calling dibs?” I ask on a chuckle, suddenly feeling lighter than I have in weeks.
Knox’s deep laugh vibrates through me, and he runs his nose over the runes on my shoulder. “Enough time for me to show you how sorry I really am for a second time. You game, Killer?”
I laugh and then moan when he grinds into my still spread thighs. “Do you even have to ask? TGV forevaaaahhh,” I shout into the sky. “Let’s just see how sorry you really are,” I declare on a groan-infused giggle as Knox flicks his tongue against my hard nipple.
“Challenge accepted, Killer. Challenge fucking accepted!”
6
“My money’s on fangs,” Bastien announces.
Nash, Kallan and Torrez all nod and voice their agreement. I roll my eyes.
“I hope not,” I huff.
“Now, now, now, what’s wrong with fangs?” Siah exclaims, giving me a playfully indignant look. “I mean you had no complaints about them just the other night,” he teases, and I rush to cover his mouth to stop him from talking. He bolts, and the other guys all start blocking me so I can’t get to him.
“Don’t be shy, Vinna. None of us are confused about what you and Siah are doing when you sneak off for a snack,” Valen tells me, putting air quotes over the last part of his statement.
I slap his arm and laugh, giving up my efforts to tackle Siah and purple nurple him.
“Oh, so you’d have no issue if we were making out and I went all fangy on you?” I challenge, my tone amused.
“Fuck, if your fangs can do for us what Siah’s fangs do for you, then I’m game,” Ryker states. I laugh even harder and release a pleased sigh just thinking about Siah’s bite. The guys crack up and trade fist bumps with Ryker and then with Siah.
“I don’t think it will be fangs, it’ll probably be speed or something like that,” Nash announces. Sabin and Valen both man grunt in agreement.
“No way, she already has those through her old runes. New runes should do something different, shouldn’t they?” Knox asks, and the group turns to me like somehow I know whether that’s true or not.
“Well, let me just dust off the instruction manual I’ve been keeping from all of you and find out,” I snark as I mime opening a book and turning the pages. “Oh, here it is,” I chirp as I slowly flip them the bird.
Snorts of amusement sound off all around me, mixing with the sound of heavy footfall as we hike through the hills, Sorik leading the way.
“Just activate the runes already, and then we’ll know who won,” Enoch encourages. The smile on his face grows when all the others start agreeing with him.
“Dibs on the first bite if she does go all fangy,” Torrez shouts out, and I laugh at the groans that start up and the high fives he gets from Siah and Knox. “Gotta think on your feet, compeers,” he teases, and they all start razzing each other.
I can’t help but smile at the camaraderie that’s floating around the group today. It’s been almost two weeks since the Enoch and Knox showdown happened. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing, but everyone is really trying to make things better. I’m starting to get used to the banter and teasing that’s been happening more and more freely between my Chosen and my Shields.
“Fine, but don’t blame me if I get all bite happy, and you all orgasm so much you can’t hike anymore today.”
“There are worse ways to go,” Valen states.
“We were going to be stopping soon anyway,” Ryker adds.
“Do we all get bite orgasms, or is that offer exclusive?” Kallan questions, his hand partially raised like he’s waiting to be called on.
I laugh, and before anyone can say anything else, I activate the new runes on my shoulder that showed up after Siah became part of my Chosen. Nothing happens. I run my tongue over my teeth, but my canines don’t feel any different. I work to mask my surprise that the runes don’t give me what I suspected they would. The guys all look at me expectantly. I shrug and give them a big toothy smile so they can see for themselves.
“No fangs,” Valen confirms as he leans in and studies my teeth just to be sure.
Disappointed groans and sighs sound off all around me, and I join in. I thought it would be fangs too.
“So what is it then?” Sabin asks, and I shrug my shoulders again.
“I don’t feel any different.”
I start to jog so I can check to see if somehow I have new lamia speed, but I don’t flash anywhere. I activate my runes down my legs and go full cheetah mode, but it was the same speed I had before. I run back to the guys and try not to feel disappointed. They look just as puzzled as I do.
“Maybe it was compulsion—try to make us do something,” Bastien encourages.
I stare deeply into his eyes. “You will never steal my food again,” I command and then wait.
Siah hands me an apple, the look in his eyes eager to see if my command worked. I take a bite and slurp up the juice that tries to escape the side of my mouth. Bastien leans over and licks the side of my hand where more juice dripped down. He then grabs my hand and takes a big ass bite of my apple. He winks at me as his full lips close around the crunchy fruit, and I have to stop myself from leaning over and licking a hint of juice from his lip. Fuck, he’s hot, even when he is stealing my food.
“Maybe I did it wrong?” I say, looking to Siah for answers.
“Maybe. Did you feel any power in your command when you gave it?”
“Nope,” I admit.
“Then it’s probably not compulsion.”
“Well, what is it then? I don’t feel different, but the runes have to do something, don’t they?”
“Maybe not in this case,” Ryker offers. “Maybe they’re more a mate mark than an ability enhancer.”
I deflate a little. Siah wraps an arm around me and pulls me into his side. “You real
ly wanted fangs, didn’t you?” he teases me quietly. I chuckle and wrap my arm around his waist.
“Fuck yeah, I did, who doesn’t want to induce orgasms with their bite?”
Siah cracks up and then gives me a quick peck. I lean into him wanting more. “Don’t worry, mate, we can get into a bite war later, really test our limits this time.”
My smile goes from hungry to beaming to predatory. Siah laughs even harder.
“TGV strikes again,” Torrez teases.
I chuckle. “You know it, Wolf.”
I release the magic in the runes Siah’s bite gave me and shoo away the letdown I feel over the fact that they don’t seem to do anything.
“Should we try the new rune on all of our palms?” Ryker asks, and a new surge of excitement rushes through me.
“Let’s stop here for tonight,” Sorik announces as he comes to a stop and takes off his pack. “I think a storm is moving in, and I want to track ahead and see if there’s a faster way to the mountain than the way I went last time.”
I look past Sorik at the mountain in the distance he must be talking about.
“Siah, Nash, Teo, and Enoch, you’re with me. Teo, can you shift into your wolf? We’re getting close, and I just want to be sure we’re not going to cross paths with something we’re not expecting,” Sorik orders.
Torrez nods and starts stripping down. This results in my immediate drooling from all lips, and some of the guys groaning in playful disapproval.
“The rest of you put up tents and build a big fire. It’s going to get very cold tonight.”
“On it,” Bastien and Valen say at the same time.
“Vinna, I’m going to leave Vaughn with you, okay?” I nod and step up to my dad’s side. I’ve been in charge of him a couple times so far on this trip, so I shouldn’t feel awkward doing this, and yet for some reason, I still do.
Everyone sets their packs down, and the group going with Sorik moves out. The others quickly fall into a familiar rhythm of getting tents and camp set up. I spot some large boulders off to the right and decide it’s a good place for Vaughn and me to take a load off and stay out of the way of the guys as they set things up.