Page 27 of Her Elemental Mates

“For whom the bells tolls… that’s the song she’s singing as she’s skipping toward the field.” He motions to Bella who seems to be head banging to a song no one else can hear. When she spins and faces us, I focus on her lips. I’ll be damned. She is singing the song Kaedyn said she was. All I know is if that’s the tune she’s setting this thing off with, the other females are in deep shit.

Chapter17

Belladonna

Singingone of my favorite songs sets the mood for the next stage of the competition. We will be given a horse. Not only do we need to break it, but also ride it. Control of beasts is one of the oldest traditions in the Earth Pack, dating back to the time when most of the wild horses lived here. Watching the other females arrive, I see they are curious as well as scared. Leaning against the willow tree in the yard, I analyze each of the competitors.

Some females look anxious others look very self-confident in their abilities. They dressed all of us in our riding outfits, ready for what we expect to be the horsemanship part of the trials. Bernie struts onto the field like she owns the place, wearing an extravagant riding outfit. Leaning back, I close my eyes, stretching out my senses, listening and feeling everything around me.

“Ladies!” King Idris calls us to focus on him. Pushing off the tree, I move to stand on the sidelines, leaning again against the pillar at the bottom of the stairs. “We have a change in plans for the equestrian event. Instead of a riding competition, we will have you show your mastery over beasts. You have till tomorrow to break and ride the horse that is given to you.” The other females started throwing fits over the change in the competition.

I watch Bernie’s reaction closely, and she looks beyond pissed off. Her reaction brings me comfort because she hasn’t had time to fuck the rest of us over. She’s complaining to anyone and everyone that will listen to her. Honestly, I want to laugh. All the other females that she’s looked down her nose at all this time she is now trying to be a comrade with.

The starter pistol goes off and I snap back to reality and look around, trying to reorientate myself. Striding slowly over toward the paddocks, I see one horse that is isolated from the herd. He’s bucking and striking at everyone and everything that comes near him. His fur is black as pitch, and his eyes appear to be orbs of solid onyx. His nostrils flair as he stomps across the paddock. That’s the horse that I intend to break and ride. He’s the leader of the herd, and that’s why they separated from the rest of the horses.

Jumping the fence, I move slowly and cautiously across the paddock, watching his body language. His nostrils flair as he raises his head. The whites of his eyes are visible as I move closer to him. A soft growl escapes my lips as I let the glow encompass my eyes. He tosses his head, letting his mane fly all over. Charging forward, he tries to intimidate me because he’s so much larger than I am. Standing my ground; I stare at him and don’t budge when he gets close to me.

He charges once more, and I grab a hold of his bridle and hold on tight. He tries to throw his head, which lifts me off the ground. I use that momentum to get onto his back and hold on tightly with my legs. He bucks and tries to throw me off his back. My canines extend, and I want to sink them deeply into his flesh. Instead, I push my alpha influence over him. He shakes his head several times, trying to get away from the pressure I am pushing upon him. He finally stands still and walks slowly toward the fence with me on his back. Gripping his mane, I give him a slight kick to his sides and urge him to go forward. Walking slowly around the paddock, I steadily reduce the amount of pressure from my influence on him. By the fourth lap I have released him from my influence, and he trots happily along.

Finally, I glance around at the other paddocks and watch the females running in terror. Gently, I urge the stallion to jump the fence and head toward his herd. Rearing up, he calls to the other horses, and they instantly stop chasing the females. Kaedyn, Hollis, and his parents walk toward the paddocks to judge the females. As it stands, I am the only female riding a horse. That is until we look at Bernie. She’s trotting along on a white mare. “There are two females in competition for the chance to be Hollis’s mate,” Idris says as he looks between the two of us.

“True,” Hollis says with a sly grin.

“Let’s check to see if these horses are the ones that Flint sent.” Kaedyn says as he holds up a picture on his phone. Apparently, every horse that Flint sent is branded with flames under its mane.

Bethane inspects the brand on Kaedyn’s phone and then moves to the stallion that I am sitting on. She lifts his mane and sees that the fire brand emblazoned on his black fur. Idris and Bethane smile and pat his flank before moving over to Bernie’s horse. The look of sheer panic on her face tells me that the horse that she’s on is not one from the wild herd. We watch her panic as Hollis’s parents approach her horse. As soon as Idris flips the mane up, the brand of her family is clear as day on the mare’s neck.

“We disqualify Bernie from all future trials,” Idris says as he turns to face the rest of the contestants. Bernie flips out and launches off her horse, screaming.

“I challenge her to a death match!” She growls out, staring and pointing right at me.

Laughing, I slide off the stallion’s back then motion to the challenge circle on the far side of the field. “Get in the ring!” I say as I turn and walk toward the ring, not worried if she’s behind me or not. Resigned to the fact this appears to be the only viable option. Kaedyn and Hollis quickly catch up to walk beside me to provide support.

“You realize that after this, the third trial isn’t needed?” Hollis says as he looks at me as we walk.

“Hmm.. I still want to make something for your parents. I fully intend to still use the skills I gained for this.” Smiling, I glance between him and Kaedyn and keep moving towards the ring.

Arriving at the challenge circle, I stretch out, waiting for Bernie to arrive. My muscles are relaxed and I’m ready for yet another battle to the death. Who do these crazy females think they are? Sadly, with as antiquated as some practices of our people; the death matches seem to be the only sure fired way to solve anything permanently. Bethane seems to be beside herself as they set up for the match. Idris motions to the guys, making the circle to clear out.

“It’s been almost a century since the last time we had a death match here on the castle grounds. Never has it been two females,” King Idris addresses the growing crowd. The town’s people talk about my last battle and what occurred there. I watch Bernie’s expression change from cocky to nervous. The minute her demeanor changes, I know I have the upper hand. Kaedyn, Hollis and his brothers stand at the rail overlooking the challenge circle. Kaedyn is calm, Hollis is concerned, and his brothers are trying to argue about stopping the fight.

Raising my hand, everyone’s attention is drawn to me. “I will give my challenger one last chance to back out. Otherwise, its full powers, no hesitation, shifting allowed.” My tone screams alpha and lesser wolves quake before me. Locking eyes with Bernie, she gives me a single nod, and that’s all I need from her. The sun is just setting, and I feel the shadows creeping across the lands. The darker it gets, the stronger I become. Honestly, I’m not sure how much she knows about me. She definitely didn’t think this through at all. Sadly, for her, my in-laws are not evening the playing field.

Idris raises his hand and fires the pistol into the air. Everything seems to happen in slow motion. There’s a rumble from deep within the earth, then several stone spikes shoot up from the ground to impale me. This bitch is getting creative. At least she will not go down without a fight. Before I even get to raise a hand or shift a shadow, she’s already transformed into her wolf and is charging my way.

Smiling, I raise a hand and engulf myself in shadows. Her wolf comes skidding to a stop, staring at the undulating mass before her. Cautiously she pads around the outside of the mass, sniffing at it, not sure what to do. Without warning, all anyone sees is my clawed hand reach out and drag her wolf into the shadows. Everyone can hear growling and thrashing and then suddenly my massive black wolf backs out of the shadows, dragging her rust-colored wolf behind it. It’s trying to break free of the grip I have on its neck.

We’re close in size, so it’s not a cake walk like it was in Kaedyn’s kingdom. My wolf is still about a couple hundred pounds heavier than hers, so her attempts at escape are futile. Without warning, I let go of her neck and leap backward. Just like she did earlier, I send a spike of shadows up from the earth and through her head. Shifting back to my human form, I pace around her, looking at her dangling body suspended by shadows off the ground. Her blood is fueling the shadows, thus fueling me by proxy.

Turning my gaze up to the men on the balcony, I watch Kaedyn pick Hollis’s jaw up and pat him on the back. “Winner by fatality Belladonna Queen of the Shadow Court!” King Idris proclaims, and all I can see is Hollis moving quickly down the stairs and in my direction.

If a Pharaoh, Adonis and a power lifter had a baby, that would describe Hollis. He has a smooth ebony complexion and soulful brown eyes. The waves in his hair make me want to see their natural curl if he would ever let it loose. He scoops all almost hundred eighty pounds of me up as if I weigh nothing. The warmth of his lips pressing against my cheek stuns me. The tingle of the first tethers of the bond warm my soul and sends jolts directly to my neither region.

I bare my canines at him, trying to resist the urge to bite him on the spot. What does that crazy son of a bitch do? He tilts his head to the side, grips the back of my neck and pulls me to his. My canines caress the soft skin between his neck and shoulder, then my tongue laves over where I fully intend to put my mark. Opening my eyes, I stare at Kaedyn just as my teeth sink deep into Hollis’s flesh. Its erotic seeing Kaedyn instantly hard over me biting Hollis. Thoughts of being sandwiched between both mates and fucked til I can’t see straight almost drives me insane.

Panting, I lick Hollis’s mark before slowly extracting myself from his embrace. Trying to catch my breath, I stare at both of my mates and the look in Kaedyn’s eyes tells me he has the same thought I do. Poor man put the pieces together correctly and now he’s questioning everything.

Idris is the next to scoop me up and hug me, spinning in a circle. Hollis’s brothers are high fiving him and clapping him on the back. His blood still stains my chin as I look at everyone. The drive to claim him fully is spurning my beast on and she wants his blood again. “Bella your wolf is showing,” Ari says as she strokes my arm, trying to calm me down.

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