Page 49 of Magic Claimed
I chuffed. Esoti would end his life with a flick of his fingers before morning tea if the mood struck him.
“I haven’t seen that wolf before,” Ben said.
Beside me, Eike and Jarom tensed. Jarom’s fur bristled and Ben was too stupid to understand the threat that stared him down, the idiot. The dangerous idiot.
“She’s in training,” Alerick said.
“Training?” Ben said. He stepped towards me. Eike’s claws clicked on the floor as he lowered his head and padded towards Ben.
“She’s from the outlying areas, and is none of your business. Tell Esoti I will be at his office in the morning,” Alerick said. His voice was dangerously low, brooking no argument.
Ben’s gaze strayed to me again. I curled my lip and growled low, infusing my voice with an edge of magic. Golden bubbles raced along the floorboards and up Ben’s legs. Ben paled and a wet patch appeared at his crotch.
Alerick snickered. “She’s an untamed wolf, and it seems she doesn’t like you. Go before she rips your legs off and you bleed to death on my doorstep. I don’t want to have to clean up the mess.”
Ben stumbled backwards into the guards behind him before they all turned to scramble through the door at the same time.
“Take them to the gates,” Alerick barked to his guards. Several Changed into their wolf form and surrounded the guards outside. To us he said. “I’ll go with them and make sure there are no strays. Eike, take Anise to the safe cabin. Jarom, look after our wolf.”
Eike yipped and Jarom simply lowered his head as Alerick shut the door behind him and locked it. Anise reappeared, blinking into existence from thin air, her attention was locked on me. “You saw me, Serafine.”
She didn’t ask me. Simply stated what she knew. I remained in my wolf form. She came to me and knelt, stroking her fingers through my pelt and whispered. “I don’t think you understand how strong you are.”
Eike Changed. He strode to the window, drawing the curtain aside and peeking outside. “Hurry, Anise. We have to go before we’re seen.”
He might be nervous, but my gaze was drawn to his thick thighs and rounded buttocks. Muscles smooth and tight beneath his skin showcased his coiled power. Simmering heat raced through my wolf’s blood, arching into a pinpoint of need. She liked what she saw. If I was honest with myself, I liked it too.
Eike’s nostrils flared as he swung his gaze to me as though he could scent my arousal. Gods. He probably could. Excitement added to my desire. My wolf pawed the ground to go to him and rub against him to get his scent in her fur. To bathe in his scent. It took all of my will-power to restrain her.
If the bond kept strengthening like this, I wouldn’t stand a chance.
Eike strode to me, his heavy shaft swinging between his thighs, unashamed. He had nothing to be ashamed about. His body was a work of art. He ploughed his fingers through my fur, anchoring the silky strands to him as his fingertips scraped my skin. He pressed his forehead against mine. Our gazes locked. “We will continue what we started when I return. That is my promise to you, Serafine.”
My wolf whimpered. Fire licked inside me, frantic and needy. Shelikedthe promise of her mate, which left me wondering if I should keep my wolf form. She worked on primal desires, heedless of consequences. If it was up to her, she would have rutted all three of her mates long before now. She only saw her mates as good wolves. As worthy protectors. As males who would be forever bound to her, our souls entwined.
Eike pressed a kiss to my nose so tenderly it stilled the troubled thoughts in my head. His fingers sifted through my fur. His breath mingled with mine and I drank in his scent of smoke and whiskey and comfort and home. That one simple gesture, given so tenderly, so freely, was powerful enough to crack my heart.
I scrambled out of his grip, or I tried to because his fingers tangled in my fur and held me in place. I tugged against his hold, but he didn’t let go. “Do not let your past determine your future, Serafine. Do not let the actions of one so callous and immoral block any beauty in your life. You are overdue for love. I hope, with the return of your memory, you will remember the love of your parents. If you can do that, then you can open your heart for more. Let your mates give that to you. Let us give you back what was stolen from you.”
That’s when I knew they’d seen my memory. They’d all seen what’d been done to me. They knew what my mother had put inside me, and they knew Esoti had stolen it all away from me. Whatever it was, Esoti and the rest of The Six wanted it.
And my mates knew the bond was the only thing powerful enough to control me. If they controlled me, they would control the ancient magic inside me.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Anise gathered items from around the room and shoved them into a basket, while Eike paced restlessly. It didn’t take her long before she rushed to the door and to Eike. “I’m ready.”
“I’ll be as quick as I can. Look after our mate, Jarom,” Eike said.
Jarom’s wolf huffed as though he was insulted that Eike asked. I didn’t bother hiding my surprise. Jarom had gone out of his way not to look after me. He was fighting this bond as much as I was.
That wasn’t exactly true, if I was being honest. He’d held me carefully, almost tenderly. He’d made sure I ate and was comfortable, and then there was his comment about prey. I shivered at the inappropriate throb of heat between my legs. I shifted, but the throb didn’t go away. Eike told me Jarom was fighting his demons, and I had to wonder just what those demons were.
“I’ll Change. You can ride on my back, Anise. We’ll have to be quick and I’m faster on four paws,” Eike said.
Anise nodded, and then to me said, “I’ll be back soon.”
Eike Changed. Anise opened the door and climbed onto Eike’s back after he had checked outside for spies and then they were gone. I could run through the open door after him, but Jarom had already shut it with his nose and sent me a pointed look.
