Page 14 of Bound to Four Alphas

The road was becoming wider now, the tall trees retreating into shrubs and bushes. In the distance, Malek could see the top of the once great temple peeking through the foliage, its pale gray stone half encrusted with ivy.

Despite its crumbling exterior, the priestesses kept the temple in impeccable order, never once faltering in their duties to their absent God. They hated his kind, but Malek was somewhat fond of them, and respected their devotion to the forest. And so any of his monsters that prowled their grounds and threatened their worship were met with the vicious extremity of his savage justice.

The birdsong and gentle breeze through the trees as they entered the final mile to the temple was ruined by a near-constant chattering from the Fae lord behind him. Elian had taken it upon himself to comment on every tiny detail of the landscape to Selena as they walked, and she was utterly enraptured by his anecdotes and descriptions, pestering him with questions and delighting at every new morsel of information.

“… Of course, there’s another great feast not one moon later, a celebration of the first apple to fall. We brew cider especially with cinnamon collected from the greenhouses at the Marble Halls, and light bonfires that blaze as red as the fruit we celebrate.”

Selena’s gasp of wonder was a thing of beauty. “Is there a significance to the celebration of apples in particular? And what about the cinnamon?”

Elian chuckled, and Malek noticed Kaelen rolling his eyes. “Some say that the apple is a symbol of fertility, and Fae maidens are known to give apples during the feast as an … invitation to the males of their choosing. And as for the cinnamon, it just tastes sosweet, wouldn’t you agree, my little dove?”

Selena’s scent spiked again, but this time with something floral and heady. Ronan and Kaelen both faltered slightly, their nostrils flaring.

Elian’s scent flared in smug satisfaction. “Then we move into the harvest festivities, which last almost—”

“Elian,” Kaelen hissed, coming to a sudden halt.

As Elian protested, Malek lifted his head and scented the air.

There.

The priestesses had seen them and were coming to greet them.

“Behind me,” Kaelen growled at Selena.

Her mouth pursed, arms folding over her chest. “I don’t think anything’s going to happen if I stand next to you instead of behind you.”

Kaelen’s eyes never left the road as he hissed through gritted teeth, “Omega, get behind me,now.”

“Come here, sweetness,” Ronan said, offering his hand. “Ignore him.”

Selena grumbled but obeyed, eyeing Malek nervously as she went to stand beside Ronan.

He ignored the frustration that pooled in his belly. Soon, she would feel at peace around him.

“My King,” a soft, feminine voice called as several cloaked figures floated into view, their hands clasped demurely in front of them. “We apologize, we never received word that you intended to visit.”

“This visit wasn’t planned,” said Kaelen, his voice clipped. “I assume you felt the shift in the magic.”

The priestesses glanced at each other, and Malek caught glimpses of pale flesh and red lips.

“We did,” said the leader, a circlet of silver upon her cloaked head. “We have been trying to divine what it means.”

Kaelen shifted, powerful arms crossing.

He wasnervous.

“We think we may have found the source,” he said, jaw tight.

Malek understood his protectiveness, his possessiveness. Revealing Selena could have unforeseen consequences. But they needed answers.

“I assume it is the omega girl you travel with.” The priestess peered around Kaelen’s bulky form, raising her head to reveal deep blue eyes wide with amazement. “May we speak with her?”

“Yes, you may,” Selena interrupted whatever the dragon was about to say and strode forward, pushing past Kaelen and ignoring his thunderous growl. As soon as she reached thepriestesses, the women surrounded her, bustling her forward in a sweep of silvery capes and leading her towards the temple.

Their leader, the high priestess, remained standing before them, calm in the face of Kaelen’s aggression. “I see you four have found yourselves in quite the strange predicament. A pack bond forced upon you by the forest. My, my, such a thing hasn’t been seen for centuries.”

“If you think you’re going to just take her—”

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