Page 25 of Mortals and Mayhem

Fuck, why do I feel like I’m going to regret this later?

“Cree. Please,” Riley begs, trying to push against my hands to relieve the pressure building inside her. Sliding her eyes closed, wanting to just feel.

“Damnit, Riley. Open your eyes and look at me. Now,” I bark at her. Her eyes fly open and lock onto mine. “I will not fuck you, Riley, that’s not what you need. You’re in pain, little wolf, and not just your body. You need relief from your pain, and your wolf needs to feel comfort and protection. Understand me?”

She doesn’t answer me with her words, but the lost look in her eyes tells me she hears me. A gasp escapes her as Axel caresses and massages over her erect nipples. “Riley, we do this my way. I need you to tell us you’re okay with that. We’ll stop now if you tell us to.”

“You have to speak, darling. Out loud so we can hear you,” Axel softly says in her ear.

“Yes, just take the pain. Please,” she manages.

“Okay, little wolf, we’ve got you. I’m gonna take care of your wolf while Axel takes care of you.” I gently turn Riley on my lap, pulling her back flush against my chest. I run my hands down her body. Starting at her shoulders and moving down her chest, over her tight breasts, and pinching each nipple. Continuing my descent, I reach her thighs and unfurl her legs, placing one leg on either side of mine, effectively spreading her wide and exposing her to Axel. I run my hands back up her thighs and skim my fingers through her wet folds. She squirms when I brush over her clit, giving it a firm circling, and pinch. The cutest fucking noise punches free of her, and I chuckle at her reaction.

Axel kneels in front of her and slides forward so he’s between our legs. He gently places his hands on the top of each of her feet and glides them up her legs, inch by agonizing inch. Caressing tender spots as he moves along until he reaches the apex of her thighs.

The anticipation as he sits back on his knees and looks up at her causes her to squirm in my lap. He leans in; his lips brushing over her heating flesh. Slowly, he parts his mouth, allowing his tongue to peek out. He gradually, deliberately licks her pussy from base to clit, dipping just the tip of his tongue inside her.

Her head falls back, eyes closing, and her breath catching. His tongue plays circles around her clit before flattening over it, applying the perfect amount of pressure. My hands slide across her chest, my left hand coming to rest on her right breast and my right hand resting on her throat, not squeezing, just resting there. I interlock our ankles and widen Riley’s legs as far as I can stretch them. Leaving her completely at our mercy.

A sour, bitter scent fills the air as Riley’s breathing quickens, having nothing to do with the pleasure Axel is providing. Axel pulls back slowly, placing his hands on her knees, and my left hand slides down to band across her ribs. Her hands fly up to grab ahold of my right forearm, leading to my hand still resting at the base of her throat.

“I can’t breathe,” she pants.

“Bullshit, Riley. You can breathe. Suck in air and push it out.” I know it’s harsh, but she needs to push through this. She’s so much stronger than her pain, than her past. Her wolf needs to know she’s safe with us. I saw how she curled up, afraid to fight in that alley. With the pain of the withdrawal that they just went through, and how much worse things are going to get, now more than ever, Riley and her wolf need to know how strong they really are. They need to face their fears and move forward from it.

“Cree ... P-p-please,” Riley begs, pleading with me to release her, her nails digging into my forearm. Axel’s still down on his knees in front of her, caressing her thighs. It’s clear the confining hold of my hand wrapped around her neck, along with the intimacy of Axel’s hands on her bare thighs, is fueling her panic right now.

Releasing my hold slowly, I slide my hand down to rest over her racing heart. Her panic attack after her intimate moment with Enzo the other day, and now this one, it’s becoming apparent there’s a trauma in her past, one that is strong enough to cage her wolf’s natural protective instincts. We’re going to break that hold over her. Call it selfish, but I want to be close to my mate. I want to hold her hand, touch her. To just be able to hold her. However, I prefer to do so without causing her pain every time.

“Riley, listen to me. Open your eyes and look down.” Applying a little comforting pressure to where my hand is resting on her chest, I put alpha authority behind my words in hopes her wolf will push her to comply through her panic. However, her eyes remain closed.

Axel reaches up with his left hand and rests it on her cheek, his thumb caressing her cheek bone. She presses tighter against me, every muscle tensing, trying to close in on herself.

“Sweetheart, please look at me,” Axel says, his voice like honey.

“Come on, little wolf, you can do it. Leave the past and come back to us.” I try to guide Riley’s mind with my words while my bear reaches out to her wolf, soothing and comforting her, drawing her out.

Reed’s wolf tried to dominate Riley, to make her submit to him. Sure, it was for a good reason, but that’s not how you gain the trust of your mate. We want to show our mate we’re on even ground. That we don’t want to lord over her or stand in front of her while she cowers behind us. Rather, we want to stand beside her. While we may be alphas, we need to be her protectors, her guardians, her friends, her lovers ... her mates.

Riley’s breathing slows, becoming more even-paced. Her heart beats against my palm, her pulse thrumming under my fingertips. It’s still racing, but at a steadier trot. Her body loses its rigidness as her eyes slowly open. She peers down at Axel, and he gives her one of his award-winning smiles.

“There’s my sweetheart. Better?” He continues to caress from her knees up her thighs, never breaking eye contact. I watch his hands glide over her smooth, delicate skin, and, fuck me, my cock twitches. His eyes flick over her shoulder to me, and he fucking grins, knowing the effect this is having on me.

Her head tilts back on my shoulder as her body relaxes into me, and she lets out a heavy breath. “I ... I don't know. I ... maybe?” she whispers, more in question, sounding so unsure of herself.

I trail my fingers along her skin, drawing slow rhythmic patterns. “Where did you go?” I ask her, continuing the mindless tracings on her flesh as she closes her eyes, some of the tension giving way, and she sinks further into me, allowing me to support her.

“The past,” she sniffs, as a few tears trickle from the corners of her eyes. “There was this beta in my pack. He took over after my parents died. When I came of age, he tried … he tried.…”

No, my bear growls in my head, and I have to agree with him. No one forces our mate into anything she doesn’t want. I bite down on my tongue to hold my anger for her at bay, that isn’t what she needs. I force every muscle to relax and continue the drawing of random patterns on her abdomen, and I hold her to me, wanting her to know she’s safe with me.

“Did he try to force you into a bond?” Axel asks from his place still at her feet, his hands on her knees as he guides her legs to close.

Riley’s eyes open, and she meets Axel’s concerned, understanding gaze and nods.

“And then the guy in the alley tried to force you again.” It wasn’t a question but a statement this time, and he puts two and two together.

“Yes,” she whispers, and everything clicks in my mind. Control is what she needs. She needs to know that she has the control to stop things. Fuck.

---