by M F Adele
After running aimlessly for a few minutes, I shifted into my wolf form, leaving more of a scent trail for some of them to pick up. Though that probably wasn’t necessary, considering I was still worked up from the ideas that Stone put in my mind.
I shifted back, faded into smoke, and swapped directions again. Then I did that a few more times, hoping to lead them in circles. I was playing with a ball of ice, practicing with Vaughn’s power, when my mage spied me for the second time.
Palmer narrowed his stormy gray eyes, crooking his finger for me to come closer. I took a few tentative steps toward him but kept enough distance so he couldn’t grab me. I didn’t know how far those infernal chains could reach, but I wasn’t getting caught off-guard.
I blew him a kiss as I about-faced and went in the direction I’d originally come from, back toward the gym.
When I got to the edge of the woods, Briggs was waiting for me. His black wolf paced back and forth, and I stalked his movements.
As he began to turn, I lunged forward, gripping the coarse fur on his neck when I landed on his back. With my other hand, I slapped his flank, laughing as he growled at me
There was a rustling sound behind us, and saplings began to sprout around Briggs’ paws. The small trees quickly grew thicker as York emerged from the treeline.
He snapped a vine out, imitating a lasso, but I rolled off Briggs’ back, and the whip-like vine fell short of its target.
My shifter jumped over the growing trees, and they closed in around me.
Instead of fighting for full control, I asked the trees to part. I pushed my hands in between two of them, pulling them away from each other like opening a wooden curtain. I snuck out the back and stepped into the Void, moving under the cover of the forest canopy before I popped out.
The forest was silent all around me.
After sparing a minute to catch my breath, something changed. The nape of my neck prickled with awareness. I could feel eyes on me, prowling in the shadows.
The flapping of his wings cued me in. Stone ran so quietly that I almost couldn’t hear him, but the sound of leather catching the wind was unmistakable.
He scooped me up before I pinpointed his location. With his arms under mine, he flew in the direction of the cabin. When we passed over a clearing in the forest, Stone dropped me into the waiting hands of my vampire, landing stealthily in the grass beside us.
They both darted away with me in Novak’s arms.
And I let them…
As we drew closer to the cabin, I kicked my legs out, arching my back as I wiggled out of Novak’s grip. I slipped out of his hands, hitting the ground on my knees before pulling myself up.
I ran so fast that I felt like I was phasing in and out. I was in one place, and then I was hundreds of feet away in the blink of an eye. I stopped when I realized how far I’d gone, spinning in a circle as I tilted my head to the left.
From what I could understand of the mimicry gift from Lucy, if I was using a new power—one that didn’t come from my mates—then some other supe had to be around.
What kind of supernatural creature, I didn’t know.
I wasn’t sure that I wanted to find out either.
I had enough shit on my plate to keep me busy.
Since I wasn’t in the mood for confrontation, I stepped back into the Void and took myself to the clearing in front of the cabins. I’d start from there and seek my guys out to continue this game of tag.
I popped out of the Void, immediately gearing up to run, and bumped into a hard chest. Baylor caught me by my shoulders as I stumbled backward from the force of our collision.
I gasped, thinking it was Briggs before my eyes really focused.
He glanced around with shrewd, calculating eyes and rumbled, “Why are you running, and who are you running from? Where is Briggs, your mates? Is everything okay?”
“I’m, uhm, running from my mates.” I grinned at him. “Nothing to worry about, but thank you for your concern.”
He shook his head, his blonde hair flying loose from the band holding it up. “Why?”
I shrugged. “Because it’s a nice thing to say?”
“No. Why are you running from them?”
“Oh. I’m playing the prey.”
“Is that, like… Some kind of fetish you have? No, wait. Please don’t answer that.” He scratched his brow as he stared at me in disbelief and then snapped his head to the left.
“I gotta go,” I whispered, taking off yet again with no real goal in mind except for running them in circles.
Quite frankly, I was just about ready to be caught.
I traipsed through the forest, wondering if I should start waving my white flag, when I spotted a wide, ancient oak tree with low hanging limbs. The branches stuck out at odd angles, curving and warping around each other.
Something about this tree felt different. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to rub my fingers along the bark and leaves. Life coursed through it, and I wished that I understood York’s druid power a little more so I could really feel what was going on within it.
As I pondered how to manipulate the illness in one of the limbs, a light crunching sound let me know that someone had found me. A calming presence washed over me, and I knew it belonged to my fae.
Vaughn appeared from the opposite side of the tree, wrapping his large hands around my waist from behind. He tucked his face into my hair before he spluttered, spitting strands out.
I giggled, playfully fighting against his hold, and we ended up tumbling to the ground. He rolled on top of me, grinning as he gazed down at me.
“I’ve caught you,” he murmured, his almost English accent sultry and low.
“And how are you planning on getting me back to the cabin?”
“That’s just a matter of misting you there.”
His face was inches from mine, leaning closer as he spoke. I lifted up like I was going to kiss him, and then I misted away.
I landed in his bed in the cabin, leaves and twigs stuck to my clothes. And there I waited, kind of hoping he would show up soon.
I also snorted at the fact that I brought myself back to the cabin.
That was dumb of me.
I knew that there wasn’t really a way for me to win, and I didn't want to choose. It was blowing my mind that they weren’t using the tracking marks to hunt me down, though. If they thought about it, they could have found me within seconds.
I jumped up, grabbed one of Vaughn’s shirts, and headed into his bathroom to take a shower. When I got out, I went to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water, and then sat in the living room with one of Palmer’s books in my hand.
A silent twenty minutes passed before anyone came to the cabin. I’d just gotten to the third chapter of a book about soucouyants—and the many legends surrounding them—when I heard footsteps on the porch.
Stone and Vaughn walked through the front door, frustrated and fussing at each other.
“I don't know why she would come back here,” Vaughn argued.
“I’m telling you, she’s got to be here. I can’t pick up a fresh scent trail anywhere.”
“I don't have your sense of smell, so I’ll just agree with you on that. Either she’s here or she’s not.”
I smiled as I turned the page. “I’m in here.”
“I fucking told you,” Stone muttered as they came into view.
Glancing up, I bit my lips together to stop the laughter from bubbling out of me. “There’s dirt on your forehead.”
“I bet there is. I kissed the fucking ground,” Vaughn grumbled under his breath before asking, “How did you do that? I blinked, and you were gone.”
“Do what? I misted…”
“No, you didn’t. You just disappeared.” My fae shrugged.
Stone bounced his gaze between the two of us. “What did she do?”
Vaughn shook his head. “I don’t know. She was there and then not. Kind of like… Have either of you ever met a Djinn—a genie?”
> “I can’t say that I have for sure.” I almost shrugged, but I stopped myself.
“I have. Two or three of them.” My demon nodded thoughtfully.
“You know how they just blink in and out of existence? That's what she did.” My fae’s eyes were intense as he studied me.
I set the book aside, standing from the couch to stretch my arms over my head. “I landed in your bed.
“And why would you do that?” Vaughn questioned as his gaze roamed over my bare legs.
“I was cold.”
“It’s ninety degrees outside,” Stone commented, tugging at the hem of my t-shirt.
I shrugged. “I was tired.”
My fae smirked. “Of running…”
“Mmm,” I agreed. “I could think of some other things to do, now that I seem to have company.”
“Like what, Kitten? What do you want to do?”
“I want you to fuck my mouth,” I told Stone before turning to Vaughn. “And I want you to fuck me from behind. Rough, Fae, with my hair wrapped around your fist while the demon claws at my back.”
I grabbed Vaughn by his jaw, pulling his face down to meet mine in a fevered kiss. His hands came up to my throat, and he ripped the front of my shirt—his shirt—open with a swift jerk.
Stone led us both toward the hall, looking in rooms until he found my fae’s. Once he pushed us inside, he kicked the door shut behind him and tugged his shirt over his head.
I snapped my fingers, stripping them down to nothing as I tried to remain patient.
Vaughn sat on the edge of his bed, hauling me back with him. I sank into his lap and down his shaft, moaning from the friction alone. My demon dropped to his knees in front of me, lapping at my clit before moving lower to include my fae’s cock.
I gazed at Stone, panting as my eyes rolled back. My core tensed, tightening around Vaughn as they shoved me into an abyss of pleasure.
I felt like I was falling, and then my knees hit the bed. The mattress dipped behind me. Pressure between my shoulder blades pushed me down until I was on my hands and knees on the edge of the bed.
The only thing holding me up was my fae’s fingers twisted in my hair. I gripped the side of the mattress as my demon’s dick bobbed against my lips.
I swirled my tongue around the head of Stone’s cock as Vaughn slid inside me inch by torturous inch. He pulled my head back, and my demon stuck his fingers in my mouth, opening my jaw to slip past my lips.
Thrust after thrust, Vaughn grew rougher, using more of his strength, and Stone matched his quickening pace. Every time my fae slammed into me, I swallowed more of my demon’s dick.
I’d never had an issue with a gag reflex, but they were testing that theory.
Stone dragged his talons over my shoulders, leaving shallow cuts behind that healed almost immediately. The burn amplified the pleasure, causing me to whimper as I tensed between them.
My orgasm built slowly, low in my core, until I screamed around Stone’s cock. He swelled in my mouth, and I swallowed as he came with a drawn-out groan.
Vaughn flipped us, landing on his back with mine pressed against his chest. He used his knees to spread my legs, opening me up for Stone. The demon crawled his way across the bed, sucking my cum off the skin of my thighs.
I was pretty fucking positive that he was leaving marks.
Stone’s fingers teased along the lines where my fae’s skin touched mine as he made broad strokes with his tongue. He circled my clit, trailing down when Vaughn pulled out of me to lick the length of his shaft.
My fae groaned against my neck, and I propped myself up to watch my demon. I kept my eyes on his for as long as I could, but when they faded to black, I shattered.
“Cum for the Devil, Fae,” Stone demanded.
Vaughn’s quick, steady pace grew unpredictable as his cock swelled. He pulled out of me, muffling his shout with a pillow over his face as I wrapped my fingers around his girth, pumping him until thick ribbons of cum coated my thigh and hand.
I rolled off my fae, grinning as I popped my fingers in my mouth one by one. Stone dropped onto the bed, using my ass as a headrest while Vaughn toyed with my hair.
A beat of silence passed, and my demon chuckled to himself. “You know she’s getting bodily fluids on your quilt, right?”
“I think I’ll live,” Vaughn muttered. “It’s not yours, and that’s the important part. I don’t think I could sleep on my bed tonight if there was demon nut all over it.”
“I don’t know, Fae. It’s not so bad,” I teased. “I mean, it’s not chocolate, but I wouldn’t discourage you from tasting it.”
Vaughn rolled his head over to glance at me, his brows creased in confusion. “What is it with you and tasting us? Have you sampled all the flavors yet?”
I smiled, biting my lip as I thought of a witty reply, but all I could say was, “I’m a connoisseur with a delicate palate, your highness. I specialize in chocolate, blood, and dick. Not necessarily in that order.”
He scoffed at me. “I’ll take How to make a psycho feel happiness for 800, Alex.”
Stone snorted. “How do you keep Sloane King entertained?”
“What is dick, blood, and chocolate?”
“Correct. Next Category?”
“Tonight's events for 200, please.”
I shoved my face into the pillow as I groaned. “What is the pack pre-hunt party? Bullshit for 1000.”
10
Vaughn
Thursday, June 4th
Night
Palmer drove the truck cautiously down the back roads, all too aware of the daredevils riding in the bed. The mage was bickering at York about orcs, and the druid was calmly trying to explain that they weren’t legends.
“I know a whole village of orcs, Palmer. Growing up, my best friend was an orc named Flint. They may be legends on Earth, but they are very much alive and thriving in my realm. I don’t know why we keep having this conversation.”
I spoke through the small, open window at my back. “If the mage gets a hard-on for orcs, we’re all going to blame you when Lo has questions.”
When York said, “I’ll handle her if that happens,” she and Palmer both scoffed at the druid.
Sloane was standing between Briggs and myself, leaning over to rest her elbows on the roof of the cab, but she pulled back to stick her head in the window.
“You’ll handle me, huh? You and who?”
“I’m sure I could talk Palmer into helping me, or any of the guys, really.”
She hummed, not agreeing or disagreeing with him, then turned around to sit between me and the shifter.
“I’m not gonna get a boner over orcs. I’m just curious,” the mage muttered.
“It always starts with mild curiosity,” Lo mused, grinning. “Then you won’t be able to stop yourself. Before you know it, you’ll be face-to-face with an orc dick or four, wondering how you got there in the first place.”
“That’s three, Love,” Palmer called, and her nostrils flared. “I’m not sure how else I'm supposed to take that statement.”
I chuckled as she rolled her eyes. “I think I’d take it as a warning. She could be foretelling your future, so maybe you should stay away from orc dicks.”
“Ya know what? That’s one for you too, Fae.”
Novak and Stone were sitting on the tailgate, legs dangling as they glanced back at Sloane and me. She arched a brow at them, sliding into my mind with a whispered warning.
“The demon is counting too, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the others start adding to it for fun.”
Stone had gone back to his conversation with Novak. He’d been telling the vampire about our mate using a new power and how I’d compared it to a djinn.
“Palmer and I know a genie. Blaire and I met him when we were teens and then introduced him to the mage at a club one night. Turned out that they’d already met through mutual friends.”
“You mean one of those nights that Palmer had to babysit you?”
Novak narrowed his eyes. “Yes. One of those nights.”
Sloane had slowly been morphing from happy and smiling to restless and agitated the closer we drew to the field where the pre-hunt party was being held.
York had informed us that being around the pack put her in a weird mood. They liked to challenge her when it was just her and Jack, but I didn’t see a significant change until we were closer to the pack’s younger members.
I hoped that having her mates with her would be enough of a threat to keep some of the fighting at bay tonight. Novak overheard my thoughts, kindly reminding me of how many exes our shifter had.
Fuck.
I guess it wasn’t a real party until there was a bit of violence.
Palmer pulled the truck away from the mass of vehicles, backing in like he was expecting us to need a quick getaway.
Before he stopped, Briggs jumped over the side, studying our surroundings as he stretched his arms over his head.
Sloane stepped onto the side of the truck bed, launching herself at the shifter as he turned his back. He didn’t budge when she collided with him, wrapping her long legs around his waist.
We strolled through the maze of cars, listening to the rowdy laughter and layers of conversations from the partygoers.
Lo sighed as we drew closer, murmuring, “As much as I hate being around the pack, I don’t mind the casual parties. I’d rather be home, but Briggs and I needed to make an appearance.”
We’d driven to the middle of nowhere, out in the woods and far away from the Alpha’s Lodge.
Trucks and cars were parked in a circle around the gathering. Several had their headlights on, some had their radios on, and a few drunken shifters danced around with bottles in their hands.
We spotted Baylor and Blaire huddled together with Jack and Grim, looking oddly cozy. I began to share Sloane’s suspicions about them, but I wasn’t sure how to voice what was off about their interactions.
“Wonder what they’re talking about?” York curiously inquired.
Sloane slid down Briggs’ back and grabbed Novak’s arm. They both narrowed their eyes at the group before glancing at each other.