Page 68 of Stormbinder King
My throat constricted and I got up to splash some water on my face.
Thelastthing I wanted was to be bound to Jack during breeding season.
I had to find some answers, had to find out how he’d managed to mimic the effects of a fated mate.
But I was no closer to figuring it out.
“Come back to bed,” he said, leaning forward to lick up my leg, his piercing sending shivers down my spine as he collected all the cum dripping down my thighs and spread my pussy lips gently so he could spit it back in.
“I like you even more full.”
20
The next evening, I frowned as I examined my protective tattoo in the small camp mirror.
Just as sharp and jet-black as the day he’d carved it in me.
It had to be the source of my control.
But how could I remove it?
Desperately, I tried to scrub with olive oil, then a mixture of sand and dirt, then a variety of dried herbs, their scents making my nose wrinkle up.
Nothing
Frustrated, I went outside to where the shifter Packs were eating dinner, a few of them starting to dance in the slanting warm light.
I sat at a table and stared unseeing off into the woods.
What had I involuntarily called the other night?
It almost felt like I couldsensethings moving underneath the rich loam,hearthe rustling of leaves miles away.
Someone moved in my line of vision, and I blinked to see Symeon in front of me, the rich dark leather of his vest creaking as he crouched down.
He held out a bowl of something rich and savory, the steam gently rising from the carved wooden bowl.
When I said nothing, he laid it down in front of me on a thick cloth and placed a wooden spoon beside it.
“Some dinner for you,” he said abruptly.
“I don’t want dinner,” I said. “I want answers. What are they saying in the meetings?”
This time the King did not bother to lie to me.
“We are seeing creatures that haven’t been spotted in many generations and no one can agree on why. Some say it’s because we have forgotten the old gods. Some say it’s because there are too many shifters in the west, that some of us need to move to other lands to hunt.”
He paused, “If even the sea serpent can roam the rivers again, who knows what old gods and powers may be resurrected next?
I shivered at the thought.
“And how did you know where I was in the forest?” I asked.
“Eat your food,” Symeon said. “I scented you. I’m driven to protect my fated mate. Once I saw you for the first time, your scent became imprinted on every inch of my goddamn skin. I can’t do shit without you literally running through my veins.”
“And what would happen if I ran away?” I demanded. “Took one of these outriggers and rode the river as far as it could take me.”
Symeon’s expression did not change as he narrowed his eyes. “I would hunt you, Andromeda,” he said.
