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I nodded slowly, trying to process what this meant.The bond hummed between us, a tangle of connections that pulsed with their emotions as much as their thoughts.I could feel Garrett's frustration.Ronan's bitter disappointment.Kade's quiet resolve.Each distinct, yet somehow harmonized into a chord that resonated through my body.

"What do we do now?"I asked, moving toward the hearth.My stomach growled, reminding me I hadn't eaten since before...well, before they'd taken me to bed last night.

"We wait for sunset."Garrett's mental voice carried the same authority as when he'd ordered his brothers to take turns with me, each claiming a different part of my body while I writhed between them."Then we try again.The alternative is not an option."

My cheeks flushed at the memory, and I felt their collective response through the bond, a surge of heat and possessiveness that made my knees weak.Then his second sentence hit me.Because they needed my heart.I'd hoped like they had it was figurative, but Garrett had his doubts.

"Focus, little mate."Ronan's sarcastic voice cut through the haze."Feed yourself first.We can't exactly help you in these forms."

Right.I needed to take care of basic needs.Food.Water.Warmth.I moved to the kettle again, determined to make tea at least.It has helped with the headaches I'd had constantly since I'd arrived in the forest.

"Left side of the handle."Evander's gentle warning came too late.I grabbed the hot metal, pain searing through my palm.

"Fuck!"I yanked my hand back, cradling it against my chest.

The mental space exploded with reaction.Garrett roared, the sound echoing in my head while the bear outside pawed frantically at the window.Ronan cursed vividly.Cassian whimpered in sympathy.Kade's presence darkened dangerously, as if searching for something to attack.Leif's energy flared like lightning.Nikolai hissed, a cold fury flowing through the bond.

Evander's calm voice cut through the chaos."Cold water, Lunara.Then the blue jar on the shelf."

I nodded, moving to the basin of water I'd collected yesterday.The cool liquid soothed the angry red skin of my palm, but tears still stung my eyes.Not just from the pain, but from the overwhelming wave of their concern flooding through me.

"We should be able to help her."Garrett's frustration pounded in my temples.

"If the fucking curse had broken, we could."Ronan's anger lashed through the bond like a whip.

"Enough."Evander's voice silenced them both."Lunara, the blue jar.It contains a salve for burns."

I found the jar where he'd indicated, awkwardly opening it one-handed.The salve smelled of mint and something earthier.As I applied it to my burn, instant relief spread through my palm.

"Thank you," I said softly, looking toward the stag by the window.

Evander dipped his majestic head."It would be better if I could apply it myself, but..."

I understood the unspoken.If he were human, he'd be tending my wound with the same gentle thoroughness he'd shown my body last night.If the curse were broken, none of them would let me suffer a moment's discomfort alone.

"I'm okay."I straightened my shoulders, looking around at my worried beasts."Really.I've had worse."

That was the wrong thing to say.The bond vibrated with their collective displeasure, memories of my confessions from the time we'd been together surfacing.How I'd told them about my lonely childhood, the series of women my father had paraded through my life before my evil step-mother, and the accidents that came from neglect rather than malice.

"No one will ever hurt you again."Garrett's voice was a solemn vow in my mind.

"Not while shadows cling to our bones.She is ours, and death must take us first."Nikolai's addition carried a deadly promise.I was almost used to his cryptic way of talking.

The intensity of their protection should have frightened me.Seven predators, each powerful in their own way, all fixated on me.Instead, it felt like coming home after a lifetime of wandering.

CHAPTER9

"The fire's dying," I observed, breaking the silence I'd fallen into."I should get more wood."

"I'll come with you."Seven voices spoke as one in my mind, making me laugh despite myself.

"All of you?"I raised an eyebrow, looking around the cabin filled with creatures."Quite the escort for a trip to the woodpile."

"We're not taking chances."Garrett's tone brooked no argument."Not with you."

I hadn't expected to feel so exposed, stepping outside in just my nightdress.The forest around the cabin was dense, private, miles from the nearest town or road.But seven pairs of eyes tracked my every move, alert for danger in a way that made me acutely aware of my vulnerability.

Garrett led the way, his massive frame clearing a path through the underbrush with purposeful strides.Ronan flanked my right side, his presence sharp and tense, always watching.Kade moved silently along my left, more shadow than beast, his steps so quiet I could barely hear him.Cassian darted ahead, quick and light, scanning the path with a grin that didn’t quite mask his focus.Leif kept to higher ground, his gaze sweeping the surroundings, eyes narrowed with sharp intensity.Evander brought up the rear, calm and steady, his awareness like a second shield at my back.Only Nikolai remained at the cabin, his serpent body unsuited to the cold, but his attention lingered in my mind, coiled and constant through the bond.