Page 20

Cassian

I flap my wings, eyes locked on my mate down below. She has no idea that I’m stalking her from the sky.

Why would she?

No one ever thinks to look to the sky for danger.

It’s been nearly two weeks since Donovan called me to let me know Audrey wasn’t in any condition to go on a date with me. He’d had no details to give me, just that she came home early and fell apart in his arms. I wanted nothing more than to rush over there, but he asked me not to.

It had taken all of my willpower to grant his request. Every part of me wanted to be with my mate—especially because we aren’t bonded.

It was days later when Donovan called again. Audrey hadn’t spoken to any of them or gotten out of bed since he last called. It was Wren who told them what happened in Nex’s classroom that day.

As he relayed the story, I could tell how tight of a leash he was holding on to his hellhound. Something I completely understood because as soon as he finished telling me what happened, all I wanted to do was hunt down the demon and tear him to shreds. The only thing that held me back was Donovan reminding me that Audrey couldn’t have me without also having him.

It’s a bunch of bullshit. Why the hell does my fate rely on a man who seems intent on self-destruction?

I’ve messaged her multiple times, but she hasn’t responded. To say I’m not happy is putting it mildly.

When Donovan texted me yesterday to let me know Audrey had finally left the house—it had taken her a full week to get out of the bed—I knew I needed to see her. She might not want to answer my texts, but she can’t ignore me if I am standing right in front of her, now can she?

Which is how I ended up stalking her as she heads back to the home she shares with three of her mates. A home I want nothing more than to share with her, but that’s not going to happen until Wraith hears me out. Until I can get him to forgive me for my idiotic choices.

I smile when Audrey veers off the path and into the woods.

Perfect.

I follow her progress deep into the woods, wondering what she’s doing when she comes to a stop. She throws her head back and lets out a hoarse scream. The sound dies away before she does it again and again.

My heart feels like it will shatter from the pain and anger in that one sound.

Deciding I can’t wait any longer, I dive through the trees. I land quietly behind my mate as her scream falls silent once again.

Audrey stands there panting and has no idea I’m there.

“Oh, little mate,” I murmur, grinning when her head whips around in surprise.

Hellfire flies toward me before she realizes it’s me. It’s coming too quickly, I won’t be able to dodge it—although I’m going to try my damnedest.

Only it stops inches from me before she pulls it back into herself. Her eyes flash purple, almost as if the hellfire takes their place before it’s gone.

“Damn it, Cassian. You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that.” Audrey’s voice is flat, and I’m not a fan. “I need to get home.”

When she takes a step away from me, I rush over to grab her arm and turn her to face me. “Oh, no, little mate. You don’t get to run away from me.”

Her head falls back as she meets my gaze, and all I can see there is the agony she’s fighting to not feel. “I tried to make a clean cut. I’m sorry, but there’s no point in doing this anymore. It’s clear that I will only have three mates. There’s no reason to torture us both by getting closer and then having it ripped away from us.”

“Oh, hell no.” I cup her cheeks, shaking my head. “You are not giving up on us.”

“There is no us if there is no Nex, and he’s made it clear what he wants—and that’s not me.” I hate the emotionless way she says this. “I’ve accepted it and now you need to.”

“Fuck no, little mate. I’m not letting you go. Sure, there are going to be some bumps and bruises along the way, but that’s no reason to give up.” I bare my teeth at her as I adjust my hold to her shoulders, shaking her lightly. “Do you hear me, Audrey? I won’t let you give up on us.”

She sighs as if I’m an inconvenience. “I’m sorry, Cassian.”

Audrey tries to step away, but I cling to her harder. I’m not letting this happen. I’ll beat some sense into Nex if I need to, but I’m not losing my mate. Nor am I going to allow her to be this emotionless shell of a woman. I need to think of something to snap her out of it.

A smirk slides across my lips as something occurs to me. I don’t know if it’ll work to snap her out of this, but I have to do something. I bite my bottom lip, my cock hardening beneath my pants.

Oh, yes. This will be so much fun.

“You want to run from me, little mate?” I ask, releasing her and stepping back. “Then run. But be prepared because I will give chase.”

She blinks at me, confused.

“Do you not understand?” I laugh, a bit of cruelness sinking into the sound as she tilts her head and stares at me. “You want to run, and I’ve decided to let you—because I want to chase you. And when I catch you, I’m going to tear the clothes from your body and fuck you into the ground until you understand that I’m never going to let you go. That I’m never going to let you give up on us. I am yours, and you are mine.”

Interest flashes in her eyes—there and gone again in a second, but it’s enough.

“NOW, RUN!!!”

Audrey startles at my shout, her eyes wide. She seems frozen for a moment before taking off into the trees, running as quickly as she can.

This was definitely the right call.

Not wanting to catch her too quickly, I pull out my phone and shoot off a few messages.

CASSIAN

Audrey won’t be home for a bit.

DONOVAN

???

CASSIAN

I’m working on snapping her out of this bullshit.

DONOVAN

Need some help?

CASSIAN

Sigh. Not this time.

Maybe we can have a repeat later.

DONOVAN

Now I’m intrigued.

CASSIAN

Gotta go. I’ve got a mate to catch.

DONOVAN

I fucking hate you.

CASSIAN

Get your ass to the forest.

NOW.

NEX

Fuck off.

CASSIAN

Don’t make me hunt you down. You won’t like the consequences.

NEX

The forest is a little general. Would you like to narrow it down a little?

CASSIAN

Oh, I won’t be hard to find.

Tucking my phone away, I jog after my mate. This is going to be a two-prong plan. The first is to break Audrey out of the hole she’s fallen down, and the other? To remind Nex what the hell he’s throwing away.

I turn my head from side to side, keeping my steps as quiet as I can. Audrey’s out here somewhere, and I need to find her.

Reaching down, I squeeze my erection. It’s never fun running when my dick is hard, but there’s no way it’s going down until I come inside my mate.

“Where are you, little mate? Are you still running or did you find a hiding spot?” I call out, focusing to see if I hear anything out of place. “You’re being such a good girl listening to me and running. But we both know you won’t escape me—nor do you want to.”

A branch snaps to my right, my head jerking toward the sound, and I catch a glimpse of red.

There she is.

I dart after her. She’s moving quickly and trying to be quiet, but I can pick up on the sounds of her heavy breaths as I near her. It won’t be too much longer now.

Another flash of red has me veering to the left as Audrey stumbles over a log, and that’s all I need.

With a burst of speed, I launch myself across the distance and tackle her to the ground as she tries to get back to her feet.

“Oh, look at what I caught,” I taunt her, rubbing my dick against her ass. “A little mate.”

She bucks beneath me with a snarl. “Get the fuck off me.”

I hesitate for a moment, unsure if she means it.

“If you want this to stop, all you have to do is say red.” When she continues to fight me, I adjust my hold on her until I can slap a hand on her ass. “Do you understand?”

Audrey glances at me over her shoulder, eyes filled with hunger as she licks her lips. “I understand.”

“Good girl,” I purr, lifting her off the ground and carrying her to the log that she tripped over. I lay her upper body across it so she’s on her knees with her ass in the air.

She lets out a growl, continuing to fight my hold as I bury my face in her neck and suck in her scent.

“I love it when you fight me, little mate,” I growl, yanking off her tank top and pulling her up until she rests against my chest. My hands fall to her tits, cupping her through her bra and tweaking her hard nipples. I hook a finger in the front of it and tear it.

“You mother fucker!” she yells, continuing to fight me as I pull the bra down her arms.

I stare at it for a moment. I’ve never used a torn bra as a restraint before, but I think I can make it work. Holding her arms behind her back, I loop the bra around them and manage to tie them off. If she really wants to, she’ll be able to break out of them, but I don’t think she wants to.

No, I think my little mate is really into what we’re doing right now.

Once more, I pull her up so her back is resting on my chest and cup her tits. They’re really magnificent, and I want nothing more than to devour them. But that’s not what this is about right now. I continue to grope her as a rustling noise followed by the snapping of a branch draws both of our attention.

When Nex steps out of the trees in front of us, his eyes are wide and his mouth is agape.

Audrey is frozen in my grasp as I twist her nipples. She cries out as I lean down to press my lips to her ear. “Remember, all you have to do to get this to stop is say red.”

She just nods and keeps her mouth clamped shut.

I shove her down on the log, keeping my eyes locked on Nex as I undo Audrey’s leather shorts and yank them down her thighs until they hit her knees.

“What the hell is going on?” Nex asks, unable to tear his eyes off our mate. Not that I can blame him. She looks amazing all trussed up from behind, but I can only imagine what she looks like from his point of view.

I bring my hand down on my mate’s ass, and she gasps again. Pushing her panties to the side, I delve beneath them to find her drenched. I groan, burying one finger and then two into her hot cunt.

“Such a dirty girl,” I growl. “Did you like me chasing you through the woods and tying you up so you’re at my mercy?”

Her walls flutter around me, growing wetter as she whimpers.

“That’s right, little mate. I’m going to take what’s mine. I’m going to remind you that you can’t run from this—from me. None of us can. No matter what some assholes seem to think.” My eyes narrow on Nex, and he startles. He’s hard beneath his pants, but he doesn’t reach for his cock. He also doesn’t leave.

Audrey whines when I pull my fingers out of her and rip the panties from her body. I just laugh as I wrap my hand around the back of her neck. I’m going to make sure she watches Nex the whole time. Not to hurt her but to make sure he can’t look away from her. I’m going to show him everything he’s missing out on.

Using my free hand, I undo my pants and release my cock, squeezing it for a bit of relief before moving forward so I can notch it at her entrance. “I’d say hold on, but I guess you can’t with your hands bound behind you. Too bad.”

I thrust into her all at once, and she cries out. I didn’t really prep her enough to take me at once so that probably hurt a little.

“What are you doing?” Nex asks, taking a step forward before freezing again.

Her legs are already spread as far as they can with her shorts around her knees, so she feels tighter than usual as her wet pussy squeezes my cock. I close one hand around her hip and slip the one holding the back of her neck to close around her throat as I pound into her.

As I expected, Nex isn’t able to look away as Audrey mewls beneath me, no longer fighting me. Because she wants this—no, needs this just as much as I do. Leaning forward, I press my chest into her back, pinning her to the log as I fuck her hard and fast.

Nex’s hand drifts toward his dick as if it has a mind of its own. He flicks open his pants, dipping his hand beneath and pulling his cock out. The bastard doesn’t really deserve to get off to the sight of our mate, but with the way she tightens around me and the whimper that spills from her, I know she likes it.

“You know, Nex, if you weren’t such a jackass, you could be filling our mate’s mouth with your dick.” I sneer as I continue to pound her into the ground, likely marking her up with how she’s moving against the unforgiving bark of the log. “You’re lucky I’m letting you jerk off to her. If it was up to me, I’d make you watch without touching yourself, but our little mate likes watching you stroke your cock.”

Nex’s eyes remain on Audrey as he continues to jerk himself, hard and punishing. I know he heard me by the way his movements slow before picking back up.

“I told him to join us,” I whisper in her ear. “I wanted to show him what an idiot he’s being. No one in their right mind wouldn’t want to be with you. He’s lucky I didn’t knock out his fucking teeth.”

“Please, Cass,” she begs so prettily. When she tries to turn her head to look at me, I tighten my hand around her throat and send her straight into an orgasm. She screams out my name as I continue to plow into her, never slowing my pace, even as her pussy pulses around me.

While I hadn’t meant to make her come, I’m not sad about it. All I want to do is wring all of the pleasure from my mate’s body that I can.

As she comes down, I snake my hand around to stroke her clit as I fuck her so good. She cries out with each movement of my hips while I keep my hand collared around her throat. I’m really fucking close to coming, and I need her to fall apart with me.

Nex groans low and loud moments before his cock jerks in his hand, cum spilling onto his hand and the forest floor. Audrey whines before coming even harder than the first time, and this time, I come with her. I grind my hips against her ass as my cock jerks, painting her walls with my cum.

The only sounds are our ragged breathing as the three of us try to catch our breaths.

“Nex,” Audrey says his name so quietly, I’m almost not sure he hears her.

That is, until he jerks and takes a step backward. He shoves his cock into his pants, shaking his head, before he turns around and takes off at a sprint.

“Fucking coward,” I growl, pulling out of my mate, undoing the bra from around her wrists, and gathering her into my arms.

I expect to find tears on her face, but all I see is anger and disappointment.

“Are you okay, little mate?”

She reaches up, running a hand down my face as she offers me a soft smile. “Thank you, Cassian.”

I smirk. “You don’t have to thank me for fucking you. It’s my pleasure.”

She giggles, slapping her hand against my chest before sobering. “Not for that. Okay, yes for that, too. Thank you for not giving up. Thank you for seeing how much I was hurting and doing something about it. I wouldn’t have expected you to be the mate who chased me through the woods before fucking me into the ground, but I’m not complaining.”

“You’re thinking Donovan should’ve been the one chasing you, aren’t you?” I laugh at her shrug. “He’s going to be very jealous when he finds out I hunted you without him, but he’s not the only one of your mates who wants to chase you through the woods. Wraith, Donovan, and I used to do monthly hunts with the prey of the night changing up. And something tells me Brenden would love to hunt you.”

“You’re probably right.” She leans up to kiss me before pulling away to redress. When she goes to pull on her bra, she scowls as she tugs the tank over her head instead. “No more destroying my bras. Especially not when we’re in the woods. Now they’re going to be just hanging out.”

I stare at her as she slaps her hands on her hips, and I see what she means. The tank top is oversized, gaping on the sides and does nothing to hide her tits. Not that I’m complaining.

“You’ll be fine. We’ll just head straight to the house.” I push to my feet, tucking my cock away. “I’m sorry Nex took off.”

Audrey shakes her head. “You were right when you called him a coward. He wants me—and I think Brenden—but he won’t allow himself to have us. Part of me thinks this curse is all in his head, but I don’t think I’ve ever met another person more stubborn than him.”

I kiss the top of her head, looping my arm over her shoulders. “You just leave him to us. The past two weeks? That can’t happen again. Your job is to focus on the mates you do have, and we’ll help Nex see the error in his ways.”

“I can’t ask you to do that—“

“You didn’t.” I cut her off, smiling at the glare she shoots in my direction. “And you don’t need to because it’ll be our pleasure to make him see just how fucking wrong he is.”

She sighs but doesn’t argue with me any longer.

Nex is in for a surprise because I know her other mates have to be chomping at the bit to get their hands on him.

Oh, yes. We’ll be happy to show him what an idiot he’s being.