Page 92 of Shadow Bonds

“We already declared the rules,” he shouts from over his shoulder. “You should have been more specific.”

I quickly glance around looking for all of them. Malakai and Cyrus are sabotaging one another, trying to get ahead of the other, but wear huge grins as they do it while Knox rushes through the rest of the obstacles like it’s nothing to him before rounding back to the start.

But I don’t spot Theon anywhere.

Blocking them all out, I focus on finishing off the end of the course. I may not have made it in the ten minutes I’m supposed to when getting through this, but there’s no way I’m going to let them win this little bet.

I swipe my hands down my leggings, trying to wipe as much of the mud off as I can before climbing the wooden steps up to the jungle of ropes.

Balancing on the sliver of rope, I grab onto each knotted rope hanging above and move as quickly as I can.

I’m halfway there, already seeing myself making it when long dark shadows whip out and coil around my arms and legs stopping me, holding me in place.

I glance behind me to find Theon making his way towards me, a wicked grin on his face.

I’m overheated from all their teasing, frustrated at myself for not doing better, and annoyed that they all do this with ease while I struggle on each step.

“You’re all fucking cheaters!” I tell him, and he chuckles as he easily makes his way to me.

His shadows slowly slide up and around my legs to my thighs. The ones around my arms snake up and around my shoulders before curling down and under my breasts.

I’m so distracted by the slight brush of pain and pleasure they bring that I don’t realize how close Theon is until he’s standing right behind me.

“You like that, don’t you?” he whispers as the shadows on my thighs slowly move upward. “You like that fine line of pain and pleasure.”

“Theon…” I gasp as his shadows curl around my breasts and tighten.

“I love it when you say my name, but I can’t wait to hear you scream it,” he growls.

I grip on to the rope tighter as he leans down and licks a path up to the back of my ear before biting it, making me gasp.

He moves around me with ease, releasing his shadows while I try to gain control over my body.

With every limb trembling, I somehow make it to the other side and climb down.

I glance around, glaring at the four hot teases, each of them moving through the obstacles like they’re on a damn kid’s playground.

There’s still a couple of obstacles left, and Malakai and Cyrus are gaining ground on me. It won’t be long before they reach me.

I glance around, trying to think of something I can do to slow them down, when the thought of my shield pops into my head.

I’ve never used it outside of myself. But maybe…

Reaching down inside me, I focus on the energy of the shield but imagine it outside myself instead.

A huge smile spreads across my face when I see it come to life in front of me instead of forming around me.

Pushing it back behind me, I make it larger and larger, curling and blocking the last couple of obstacles after I make my way through them.

“What the?—”

I keep moving, rushing through them while holding the shield in place.

Raising my fist in the air when I pass the last one, I yelp when I’m lifted and placed on Malakai’s shoulders.

“Our girl has won. Meaning she gets two hours with each of us,” he says. But instead of any of them looking disappointed, they smile thinking they’ve won this. But I never said what I wanted them to do in those two hours.

“Maybe I just need my shower cleaned,” I tell them.

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