Page 36 of Shared By the Werebears
“It’s beautiful!” I whispered.
But the stag didn’t last long. The three bears saw it and began to chase—running through The Blighted Wood as they hunted. At last they had it cornered in a kind of cul-de-sac made of trees.
I bit my lip as the bears launched their attack and the stag collapsed under their claws and teeth. Its red blood pumped out, staining the spotless white of its coat and the forest floor.
And then Locasta came.
Ronan flinched. We saw the moment he realized what the three of them had done.
But the vision didn’t stop there.
It showed him kneeling in front of the buck’s ruined and broken body, sobbing. It showed him carrying Finn—barely conscious—on his back for miles as Thorne—their former leader—stumbled away into the forest, stuck in his Bear form forever.
It was terrible to watch first-hand. Even though I knew the story, I now fully understood how it had affected Ronan. He felt responsible, even though it had been Thorne leading the charge. He took all the guilt for what had happened to their Clan on himself.
I thought it must be over but then the mirror shifted and started showing something new—the three of us together in the Clearing of Echoes. The way we touched each other…the pleasure we shared. And afterwards, the way we’d curled together on the soft moss, the three of us drowsy and spent and contented just to be touching.
Just watching made me throb with need all over again but then I frowned. I remembered that warmth of Ronan’s big body, bracketing mine along with Finn’s, but I hadn’t realized it meant so much to him…or that it was such a source of guilt. He really did feel bad about sharing me with his Clan mate…and yet I knew he wanted to do it again. Watching the reenactment of our sexual encounter filled him with desire—I could feel it.
This shouldn’t be so hard for him, I thought. Especially when Finn and I wanted it too. We were all consenting adults here—why should we be bound by rules and regulations made by people in the past, who had no idea what our lives were like? Who had no clue about what we needed and who we loved?
The vision ended and the mirror pulsed with a soft, forgiving light that bathed Ronan’s face. The big Shifter stepped back, his eyes wounded.
“I didn’t want to see all that,” he muttered. “Hell, I didn’t want toliveall that.”
“But youneededto,” Whimsy said, not unkindly, his iridescent wings whirring. “The mirror has done its job—do you not feel eased of your guilt?”
“Actually…maybe I do.” Ronan swiped a hand across his eyes, which were suspiciously red. “We didn’t know that stag was a blessed creature when we hunted it.”
“We were in our Fur Forms—our Bears don’t think very clearly. Not in the human way, at least,” Finn explained.
“Right.” Ronan nodded. “And we paid Locasta back as well as we were able.”
“What about the other guilt?” I asked softly. “The fact that you felt bad about sharing me with Finn? About the three of us giving each other pleasure?”
Ronan looked down at the mossy floor of the cave.
“I don’t know about that,” he said in a low voice. “I don’t feel as guilty as I did, but it’s still hard to get over what I was taught my whole fucking life.”
“That’s what we’re here for—to help you.” I put an arm around his waist and Finn slid an arm around his Clan mate’s broad shoulders. We gave him a hug at the same time.
After a moment, Ronan slid his long arms around both of us and joined in the embrace. I felt the emotions of both my guys—cautious hope and elation from Finn and tentative desire and longing from Ronan. Hewantedto be with us—he just wasn’t sure he ought to want it, I could tell.
Standing on my tiptoes, I placed a lingering kiss on his mouth. Then I turned and did the same for Finn.
“You two,” I told them both when I broke the kiss. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited to find you.”
“Aw, Goldie…” Ronan rumbled at the same time Finn said,
“We needed you too.”
“Well, well…enough of this!” Whimsy flitted around our heads, breaking the moment. “I know how it is with Succubi! In another minute the three of you will be on the floor making the beast with two backs. Or in this case,threebacks.”
“Sorry.” Ronan’s cheeks went dull red with embarrassment and hetook a step back, breaking our three-way embrace. But he had been willing to hug Finn and me in the first place—that counted as progress in my book.
“Why don’t you tell us about the other magical objects we can choose from?” I asked Whimsy. “The mirror is good but what else have you got?”
“I thought you’dneverask,” he buzzed. “Very well, behold the second magical item.”
