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I nodded. “I get it. I’m hoping to prove we aren’t all like my dad or your ex, from what I’ve heard of him.”

Marlowe let out a deep exhale, blowing a piece of hair away from her face when Cam nipped her ear to get her attention. “Trust me, he’s a good one.”

“It’s going to take some time to wrap my mind around the fact thatyoutrust a vampyr.”

He laughed. “Out of all the shit that’s happened, that’s hardly the weirdest.”

She nipped him back playfully. “Hm, I suppose so.”

And just like that, the air became heavy with shifter pheromones, and it seemed like things were about to get hot and heavy quickly. “I’ll give you some privacy in just a minute, but Marlowe—how far behind you is the king?”

That doused the fire a little, enough for her to look at the strange creature and think clearly. “I honestly have no idea. Wasabi, were we being followed?”

“Wasabi?” Julian snorted. “That’s the thing’s name?”

“Hey! She’s a rescue vryscral, not a ‘thing.’”

The “vryscral” chuffed, and Marlowe interpreted. “Wasabi doesn’t think so, but I’m sure as soon as the king realizes I’m gone, he’s going to start looking for me. Since I flew, my scent is going to disperse in the air and make it harder to track than if I’d been on the ground, but we’re going to need to be prepared.”

“Got it,” I said, pushing off the tree. “I’ll keep a lookout. You guys, uh, have fun.”

A wave of their aroused scents hit me again as I flew back up, trying my best to ignore the delicate moans and rough grunts already vocalizing below me. The vryscral joined me, and we went about a quarter of a mile back in the direction Marlowe had been heading from, settling down on a large branch to watch for incoming soldiers.

“Wasabi,” I said, addressing the creature with a curt nod. It trilled in response, and we settled in for a long, vigilant night.

66

MARLOWE

The second Kian had broken through the tree tops my alphas descended—lips, tongues, and hands moving on every inch of my body not already covered by Cam. He held me flushed against him, my legs wrapped around his torso and his hands firmly on my ass, grinding my core against his erection.

They were already naked, of course, since it was nearly impossible to keep any kind of clothes when you were shifting back and forth on the run. But I was still dressed, and I hated the fabric in between all of us,

“I need to take this off,” I said in Cam’s ear. “I need to fill your skin on mine.”

He grunted and reluctantly let me down for a second, as Julian grabbed the hem of the gown and quickly brought it up and over my head. It was discarded immediately, and Cam scooped me up again.

Our lips found each other’s and we kissed, tongues thrusting and swirling. I could taste his scent, my hands gripping his shoulders so tightly my nails were leaving marks in his skin.

He broke away for a second, resting his forehead against mine and panting. “Need…” he rasped.

That was the only word he said, and it was plenty. Elias positioned himself at my back, his hands taking my thighs and spreading me wider for our pack leader. He sucked on his bond mark, sending waves of love and euphoria through me.

I’d missed them all so much. Tears pooled in the corners of my eyes as their scents and touches surrounded me. Our bonds weresinging, emotions flooding wordlessly to each other and heightening every sensation.

Cam dropped to his knees, burying his face in my sex as he lapped the slick that dripped from my core.

I threw my head back against Elias’s shoulder, my silent scream covered by Nolan’s mouth. My empty hands grasped for something, anything to hold on to to keep myself grounded as Elias kept me suspended and Cam feasted on me, sucking on my clit and sending me straight into oblivion.

Nolan, not breaking the kiss, took one of my hands and guided it to his cock, and I wrapped it around his bulging knot, swallowing his moan. Archer took my other hand, placing it on his head so I could run my fingers through his hair while he teased my nipple with his mouth.

My climax hurtled towards me and bowled me over, my whole body tensing and seizing as wave after wave of pleasure hit me from every angle.

I melted in Elias’s arms, feeling his purr rumble through his chest and straight through to me. “We have you now,” he whispered in my ear, as Cam moved and Julian took his place in front of me.

I didn’t want to think about what would happen when Ezra and Alaroth finally caught up. Ezra could command them with a single bark, and Alaroth had enough power to torture or kill them just with his mind.

I knew my pack would fight to the death for me, but if it came down to that, I’d rather die with them.