“She may be lost,” Warol said, “or taken. If she is lost, we will return her to the cave and remind of her error. If she was taken, we will destroy our enemies and then follow through with the aforementioned reminder. But we will recover our mate, brother.”
Drawing in a deep, cleansing breath, Rager closed his eyes and bid the ghosts of his past to fade away. Arie was not among them. He wouldn’t allow them to torment him with images of her suffering among the dead. He refused to believe his mate was anything other than alive and well. Opening his eyes again, he met the concerned looks of his brothers.
“Anyone caught holding our Arie against her will we destroy without hesitation,” he growled. His brothers’ ears perked, and their bodies stiffened in preparation. A high energy seemed to buzz around all of them. The energy of the hunt, Rager recognized.
Tipping his head back, Rager let out a long howl. The birds in the trees ceased singing and stilled. The entire area went quiet as his brothers joined his chorus. Their song spoke of bloodlust and need.
They would find their mate, and not even the gods would be able to help any who kept her from them.
Kyx leaped to the fore, his head whipping around to catch the direction of her fading scent. The smaller male was the best tracker among them, and Rager trusted him to lead them to their mate without error. Kyx caught her scent and bounded forward in a high-paced pursuit.
Rager could barely keep up with the smaller red male as he whipped through the trees, his fur a blur in the distance. He wasn’t the only one who struggled to keep up. Warol panted at his side, a savage grin on his face. It was not a look of amusement but a sort of madness that Rager recognized. Warol would fall upon their enemy like the father of death himself.
Rager burst forth with renewed speed, his heart hammering out a song of need. He needed to find their mate. He needed her. He needed. The refrain beat inside of him ceaselessly, pushing him ahead so he never lost sight of his brother. His body and lungs burned from maintaining the brutal speed, but he refused to relinquish his need. Arie was the culmination of all that he needed, and if he relinquished his need to reach her it would be as if he were willingly surrendering her.
He refused!
Snow scattered beneath their feet as they ran among the trees, the wind whistling in his ears. The temperature was dropping as the shadows lengthened. He didn’t feel the bite of the chilled air, nor did he hear any of the sounds of the forest. All his being was focused on his mate and her scent that seemed to disperse quicker than they could follow it.
The sight of the wagon caught him off-guard. It was old and painted such a dark green that he almost missed it. An animal was hitched to it, yanking its head nervously as it sensed their approach. All his senses came to life at the fearful cry of his mate.
To his surprise, he found his stride lengthen so that he bypassed Kyx. He was driven by pure desperation. The other male’s eyes widened but Rager dismissed it. How he was managing was not what was important. Getting to her was all that mattered. He leaped effortlessly onto the wagon and peered down for the object of his pursuit.
Five men surrounded the delicate form of his mate sprawled on the ground between them. The sight of her helpless angered him—he couldn’t bear to watch the way she struggled to get to her feet only to be knocked down again with mocking laughter from the males. But it was the sight of dark cloaks of the Order that threw him into a fury. He leaped down with a roar, determined to be the harbinger of their destruction.
Flat male faces with various amounts of fur looked up at him in surprise. They twisted around, their hands on their weapons, and Rager laughed. The sound was inhuman even to his own ears. He couldn’t think of what it might sound like to his female. He didn’t want her to know that he enjoyed the terror on the faces of the huntsmen, that he reveled in the fact that one of their number immediately urinated on himself. Or that he enjoyed the taste of blood welling in his mouth as he sank his teeth into the male on whom he landed with enough force to drive them both into the snow.
The vicious snarls that rose on either side of him as his brothers leaped into the fray were punctuated by screams and sharp cracks firing from their cruel weapons. Rich blood sprayed everywhere. He destroyed one and then another. He turned in his frenzy to find another target, but found that Warol had also dispatched two humans, the remains of which now rested in lumps of bloody flesh around his feet. The silver male’s breath came out in ragged pants as he made an obvious effort to control the lingering effects of his rage. He had several shallow cuts, but otherwise seemed well.
Rager winced at the pull of muscle where a huntsman had stabbed his side. It hadn’t been deep enough to cause significant injury, but it hurt. His head swung around in response to Arie’s shout. Kyx’s growl followed. Rager turned just in time to see Kyx pull a huntsman away from where he was crouched over their mate, a blade held against her delicate neck. The blade left a faint trail of red against her skin when Kyx ripped him from her and tossed him several paces away. Rager used the opportunity to rush to her side, Warol on his heels.
Drawing her into his arms, Rager held her close in a protective embrace as she wrapped her arms around him in turn. Her small body shuddered against him as Warol nuzzled her from the other side. Her head turned and they watched together as the huntsman feinted to the left and brought his weapon up against the red male. Kyx lunged with a single-mind intensity and clamped his teeth onto the human’s arm. The weapon dropped to the ground, but his brother wasn’t done yet.
He braced two hands at the human’s torso while his other pair of hands wrapped around the arm at either side of his jaws. With a great show of strength, Kyx pulled with all his might until the ligaments and flesh of the arm tore. Only then did Kyx release it and leave it hanging as a bloody, pulverized mess at the human’s side before attacking the other arm the huntsman drew up to protect himself. When the arms were rendered useless, Kyx broke the bones of the legs, making the human howl in misery before pulling out his tongue. Only then did Kyx show mercy and break his neck, allowing the human to die.
Rager drew up beside his brother, inspecting the remains of huntsman. They stood side by side staring dispassionately down at the pitiful sight.
“He smelled of lust when he was crouched over Arie,” Kyx offered as an explanation.
That was all he said, and that was all that needed to be said.
Arie had stopped shivering and was looking around, her eyes taking in the scene without fear or disgust. Instead, her lips were pinched together and there was a certain satisfaction in her eyes. She raised her gaze to meet his.
“I don’t enjoy the death of people, but I cannot find it in myself to feel anything at their passing.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “They wanted to hurt me—I could see it in their eyes. They talked among themselves that all they were required to do was to bring me alive. I do not want to know what they were planning to do,” she said, her brow drawn down over her eyes.
Rager reached for her again but paused at the sight of blood on his hands. He felt a pang of self-consciousness about touching his mate covered as they were in the blood of the huntsmen. To his surprise she stepped forward and pressed her cheek into his hand with acceptance, her eyes watching him. He didn’t see disgust in her eyes, and that relieved him more than he could possibly say.
Arie was covered in blood and standing among the remains of humans slaughtered on her behalf and felt nothing but the burn of triumph and joy. Her triad had come for her. She’d put up a valiant fight. Even managed to stab the driver in the leg before Kyx had pulled him off her. She looked around for any sign of her knife and was startled when Warol appeared at her side with the knife in one of his hands. His eyes held warmth as he slid it into her sheath. He brushed his lips against her cheek and then ran them up her temple and across her forehead. Pride shone in his eyes.
“You did well, rya,” he said.
“You mean by getting lost and then kidnapped?”
&n
bsp; He chuckled in turn. “Perhaps not so much in that. But you didn’t give up. You fought until we could arrive. Things might not have ended the same way if you had not.” He paused as if searching for words. “If you had died, we would have been lost and dead inside without you.”
“We wouldn’t have survived without you,” Rager amended. Kyx dropped his head in silent agreement.
Arie blink back tears as she realized just what her foolishness had nearly done. It wasn’t just her life, but she had come close to irreparably hurting her mates as well. All because she’d been too impatient to wait and had dismissed any potential danger because things had been quiet. She swallowed back her grief and met her mates’ steady gaze.
Rager sighed and jerked his head to the left. “Come. Let’s get clean and go back to the cave.” He went silent for a long moment and narrowed his eyes on her. “There will be repercussions for this.”
Arie nodded and followed her lead mate as her other mates surrounded her. They left the scene of the carnage without looking back. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched a pair of ravens drop from the branches and begin to pick at the remains. Nothing would serve justice better than for the forest to consume all traces so that nothing was left to be remembered.
23
Arie shivered under the weight of her mates’ stares. Upon returning to their cave, they had spent over an hour melting snow into warm water. They used leather cloths to gently wipe away every trace of blood from her body, and used excess water to thoroughly wash out her hair. As soon as she was clean and wrapped in warm furs, they repeated the process on themselves. Now they sat around the fire completely clean, but an unfamiliar silence descended around them.
Not one of them gave away what they were thinking. Rager was still and stoic as usual, and Warol’s expression remained flat except for where his yellow eyes narrowed on her. Even her sweet Kyx looked stern and unmovable as he watched her.
Arie sighed. She suspected that things were moving into the repercussions that Rager had refused to elaborate on.
Rager tipped an ear toward her, his first discernible movement in over an hour. That one subtle movement made her skin tingle with anticipation. He stood and began to stalk around her. His gaze focused on nothing other than her as he circled her slowly. Arie felt her body hum with excitement and dread as the fine hairs on her body stood up with awareness when he drew closer. Logically, Arie knew she was reacting to his predatory nature, but as a mate she was also reacting carnally to having her male so near her.
He was standing behind her when he finally spoke.
“You grievously endangered yourself today, rya. The safety of our entire family depends on each of us acting in a way that protects not only our own welfare, knowing that our family depends upon each of us, but also the sanctity of our den.”
Arie bowed her head with guilt. He was correct. She hadn’t thought of anything other than her own need when she’d left.
“I am sorry,” she whispered.
She felt the gust of his hot breath on her when he sighed.
“I know you are. I know these last days have been difficult and we failed you by not anticipating that you might take it upon yourself to leave the cave alone.”
“I swear—I didn’t think there would be any danger. There hasn’t been for months,” Arie said miserably.
“This is true,” he said at length. “But because the safety of our family depends on these things, we cannot forget. Ragoru learn discipline to prevent tragedy as much as we can. Warol, kneel in front of Arie.”
The male sank down in front of her, all four of his hands gripping around her two hands.
“Warol and Kyx both left to scout with full knowledge of your restlessness. For this, we voluntary submit before you.”
Arie opened her mouth to protest and watched in horror as Kyx lunged forward and buried his teeth into Warol’s shoulder. The latter snarled in pain, his yellow eyes closing as his brother dug his fangs in deep; other than a twitch of his fingers, not once did he tighten his hands around hers. Then the matter was done, and Kyx released him and carefully licked his wounds so his saliva would speed the healing process.
They switched places before she could protest, and then Kyx held her hands, his beautiful warm amber eyes meeting hers with a hint of sorrow in them. He winced when Warol sank his teeth into his shoulder, shuddering with pain, but he didn’t make a sound nor tighten his grip. He pried his eyes open and kept eye contact with her until Warol released him and licked his wounds clean.
Tears ran down Arie’s face as she was forced to watch her males suffer for something that was her fault, no matter their insistence to share the blame. She wept openly for being the source of their torment. When Rager moved to stand in front of her, she couldn’t bear it anymore.
“Please, no. Rager, not you too.”
He nodded solemnly. “As the lead and the one trusted with your welfare while they were gone, my failing is the worst. I must submit myself before you.”
Rager took his place in front of her, his huge body wedged against her as he held her hands. Both Warol and Kyx attacked him, each burying their teeth on opposite shoulders, biting deep. Rager did not so much as move a muscle in his face. His head remained bowed before her as fresh blood wetted his fur around his wounds. They held on much longer until he tilted an ear back to them, which she took as the silent order to release him. Immediately her other two mates pulled back and tended to his wounds as he allowed himself to shiver in a moment of weakness before her.
“It is done,” he murmured.
Arie blinked in confusion.
“It is not done. You have accepted punishment for my error. I must take my share as well.”
Rager shook his head, his brow drawing down stubbornly.
“No, Ragoru do not harm females. Your penitence was to hold us while we suffered and know your actions in part caused it. It is enough.”
“It is not enough,” she argued heatedly. “You are not going to bleed for me while I suffer nothing.”
All three males watched her. She was certain they had never heard of situation where a female wanted to hurt. Arie herself could barely believe the words were coming out of her mouth. She didn’t enjoy pain, but she also knew that she wanted to face everything her mates had to endure.
Warol scooped her up in his arms, causing his brothers to jerk back in surprise. He grinned at both of them as he settled down beside the fire with Arie draped over his knees. His warm hands rubbed into the skin of her thighs and ass as he looked down at her thoughtfully, a gleam in his eyes.
“Since you insist, rya. As it happens, I have an idea.”
Rager growled in warning when Warol pulled up her dress, but it didn’t stop her second mate’s hand from dropping across her ass cheek with a sharp snap. She jerked and yelped as the sting of his fingers and claws connected with her skin.
One hand gripped around the back of her knees and another circled her shoulders as his two free hands dropped in succession, one and then the other, and her bottom bloomed with heat and pain. It lasted only minutes before Warol turned her over to Kyx.
Her gentler mate hesitated for only a moment before he secured her against him. His slaps were lighter, but they scattered over a wider territory, striking the cheek and her upper thighs with brutal efficiency. Although he put less force into it, his claws were a harsher scrape against her tender skin. Tears leaked freely as she suffered through and took her share of the pain. When he finally turned her over to Rager, Arie shook from the force of her own regret and a shameful rush of hot pleasure.
To her surprise, Rager didn’t strike her. He pulled her tight into his arms and turned her so that his tongue could lave the tender skin, his quest taking him between thighs to lap the essence dripping from her folds. He growled low in his chest and pushed his muzzle further against her, his tongue pushing into her channel only to dart out, slick over labia, and tease her clit in long caresses.
Arie squirmed agai
nst him, her pain forgotten and replaced by rising pleasure.
“Rager, what kind of punishment is this?” she panted out in confusion.
“Punishment is over. Now it is time for pleasure,” he grunted into her skin.
She turned in his arms and looked at her other mates, both wearing expressions of eager expectation, their dark blue cocks extruded and shining with their precum. Rager turned her in his arms so that she lay on her side. He continued to lick at her slit and her clit with rapid strokes of his tongue as he presented her to Warol.
Her silver mate didn’t waste the opportunity, his blue cocks thick and flushed purple at the tips, he sank his pleasure shaft into her pussy first to lubricate it and then pulled out to line himself up with her holes and sink into her. He pumped his hips eagerly as Rager continued to assault her clit with his tongue.
Her sensitive channels reacted as Warol pushed himself deeper into her, his beaded cocks rubbing against the sensitive nerves, sparking heat through her blood with every rapid pass. His gaze was focused down, watching his cocks move in and out of her even as he watched Rager’s tongue stroke her into quivering pleasure. She could tell it excited him because he began to rut harder into her, the fur on his pelvis slapping against her inner thighs.
Rager growled with pleasure and sucked her clit into his mouth. Arie shrieked in pleasure as her orgasm exploded through her. Her channels tightened around her mate and sent Warol over into the chasm of his own bliss. He shuddered against her, his cocks releasing their heat in spurts, thrusting helplessly as he rode his orgasm. Rager’s tongue licked around where their bodies were joined, cleaning them both as Warol waited for his mating bulge to loosen. Finally, he pulled himself free and sank to Arie’s side. Rager’s own members pushed into her hip, swollen with his excitement.
Red: A Dystopian World Alien Romance Page 18