Page 142 of Ensnared by the Pack: The Complete Series (Destined Realms #3)

AUDREY

A couple of hours later, I was still riding the high of Deacon’s simple “well done” when we stopped for our lunchtime snack. Whil and I ate as fast as possible so we could keep moving while Knox clung to a now-constantly trembling and moaning Bishop. Deacon tried to lighten the mood with funny stories about growing up in the pack with Nova and the guys — even though he was more than fifteen years older than the twins — and Cyrus spent the time glaring into the forest.

A part of me was furious at myself for realizing that I’d been talking back to Cyrus and had gotten nervous, while another part was furious that I’d submitted to his wishes without much of a fight, my fear of angry alphas raising its ugly head once again.

I’d thought I was doing better. I’d been worried about his reaction to me while we traveled, but not afraid that he’d yell at me like he had in the arena. There were even times when I felt comfortable with him, that sense of trust deep within me overriding all common sense.

Not to mention, he had to be under horrible stress. I was kind of surprised he hadn’t yelled at me yet. Sure, he’d huffed at me to do things, but he hadn’t cracked like he had in the arena when Knox was about to go completely feral, and he wasn’t giving me the cold shoulder. A lukewarm shoulder, but that was a big improvement from before.

Although I still got the impression that he didn’t want to talk to me. That, however, I could live with, especially since I needed to keep my distance from him. I didn’t want to accidentally mate bond with him despite that strange part inside me insisting I needed more, that he was mine like Bishop and Knox were.

We hiked until after dusk and found a cave where we’d be out of the elements. So far, the weather had been perfect, but that didn’t mean it would stay that way.

Knox had told me the summer was their stormy season when violent storms suddenly appeared from magic that had built up over the resting places of a couple of storm gods.

The cave would also protect us from beasts, although they, too, hadn’t been a bother. I hadn’t even really sensed their presence like I had on the journey north.

But, as Deacon explained, the pack regularly hunted the most dangerous beasts in the area around the road to keep the trade route open as well as around the pool to protect those guarding and tending to it.

The Kingdom of Lais considered the pool a sacred resource that needed to be nurtured and protected, especially since Whil could create powerful healing elixirs from its water, and the pack and kingdom had strengthened their once weak alliance because of it. All of which could fall apart if something happened to the pool.

“Deacon, dinner,” Cyrus commanded, setting down his pack as Knox sat at the mouth of the cave with Bishop — which was as deep into the cave as he could go without setting off his claustrophobia. “Audrey, grab the canteens and stick by me while I gather firewood.”

“I’m not going to trip,” I mumbled under my breath, setting my pack beside Knox’s and brushing my lips across his in a quick, reassuring kiss.

Except that was a mistake, and the whisper of our lips touching made need swell low within me.

Knox’s eyes darkened while his expression turned pained, and I tried to focus on anything other than sex. I wasn’t nearly as needy as I’d been last time… but it had only been two days since I’d formed my incomplete bond with Bishop and my desire had been steadily growing despite being hungry and tired and worried.

“Of course you’re going to trip,” Cyrus replied, having heard me with his god-damned wolf-enhanced hearing. “It’s after dark and you don’t have night vision. I’d tell you to stay here but?—”

But Knox couldn’t leave Bishop and Whil was better at sensing the magical poison and knowing when it was time for another elixir. Whoever was gathering the firewood might have been able to fill the canteens as well, but everything was faster with more people helping.

I grabbed the canteens and followed Cyrus out into the darkness where he led me to a river. Unlike when we set up camp going north and pretty much followed the river the whole way there, this river was farther away. I doubted we were within screaming distance of the camp even with Knox’s enhanced hearing and there was no way I’d have been able to find it myself.

I also didn’t want to admit that there was a good chance I’d have tripped and hurt myself on the way here if Cyrus hadn’t been with me.

With the exception of a glade at the bottom of a steep ridge, the trees had crowded close, blocking out the moonlight, and there’d been a few terrifying moments when I’d been almost blind and nearly lost my footing. But I did successfully get to the river without tripping.

One point for me.

None for the grumpy overbearing — far too sexy — alpha.

Shoving that thought to the back of my mind, I filled the canteens while Cyrus gathered firewood.

My desire for him was just the desire from my incomplete mating bond that was making me more attracted to him than I was.

Except I knew that wasn’t true, and every time I tried to pretend I wasn’t aware of his powerful body nearby or how he’d helped me navigate the uneven ground in the darkness, that stupid fantasy flashed through my mind.

Cyrus holding me, pushing into me, and kissing me like I meant something to him. Like I was precious and wanted and?—

Stop. Just stop.

“You done?” Cyrus asked, making me jump.

Shit. I’d been so caught up in the fantasy — and denying the fantasy — that I hadn’t heard him approach.

“Ah…” I pulled the canteen I was holding from the water, secured the lid, and reached to grab the next one.

Except all the lids were screwed on. They’d all been open when I’d reached the river, so somehow I’d filled the canteens while daydreaming and hadn’t even noticed.

Jeez. I hadn’t been this distracted by my heat when we’d traveled north. Of course, I also hadn’t been under this much stress. My body ached for a release and I was crazy frustrated that I stopped having sex dreams with my mates. On top of it, I was terrified I was going to lose both Bishop and Knox but had to stay calm to keep Knox from going feral.

I should probably be surprised I wasn’t a sobbing mess by now. Getting distracted from a sexy fantasy that was never going to happen was the least of my worries.

“Come on,” he said, his voice gruff. He jerked his chin the way we’d come, his hands full of firewood, and started leading the way back.

I followed, weighed down by the now-full canteens, and carefully picked my way across the uneven ground, my pace so slow Cyrus kept stopping to gather more firewood, not so subtly waiting for me to catch up. But I was determined not to trip and with my hands full, it wasn’t as easy to catch myself if I lost my balance.

We climbed up a shallow slope, rounded a tall chunk of rock jutting up from the ground, and stepped onto the ridge overlooking the glade.

Moonlight filled the glade, illuminating our path, and I breathed a quick sigh of relief. We still had three-quarters of the way to get back to camp, but at least for this stretch, I wouldn’t have to worry about not seeing where I was going.

I picked up my pace, eager to catch up to Cyrus who stood at the center of the ridge, waiting for me. But I’d only managed to get halfway to him when the ground gave way beneath me.

With a yelp, I lurched to the side and knew I couldn’t save myself. I was rolling down that steep incline to the bottom whether I wanted to or not.

Cyrus’s eyes flashed wide, realization hitting him, and he dropped his firewood and lunged at me, grabbing my wrist.

But it was already too late. My fall was inevitable and he had to stretch to reach me, throwing him off balance, too.

Together, we tumbled over the edge, crashing through small shrubs and over hunks of stone, the world spinning around me so fast I had no idea which way was up or down.

We landed with a heavy thump, heaped together at the bottom on a cushion of moss and fallen leaves. Somehow, Cyrus had managed to pull me to his chest and turn so I ended on top of him with his hard body wrapped protectively around mine.

Mine, that annoying little voice in my head whispered as a surge of desire swept through me.

I scrambled off him, falling onto my butt and bashing my elbow on a tree trunk. This was not the way tonight was supposed to go. I was supposed to have proven to Cyrus that I wasn’t a klutz and not ended up in his embrace.

“Damn it,” I huffed, slapping the ground with my frustration. “I was determined I wasn’t going to trip.”

Cyrus huffed back — it almost sounded like a laugh. “Rest assured, you didn’t trip. The ground gave out beneath you. Obviously not your fault.”

I rolled my eyes at him, surprised he pointed out the difference. “Are you sure? You’re not one to sugarcoat anything.”

“You’re not a disaster, Audrey.” He leaned forward, his moss green eyes locked on mine as he plucked a leaf out of my hair.

Except he didn’t lean back when he was done.

The heat from his body teased across my skin. He was close. Too close. And yet I didn’t have the willpower to put space between us.

Except I had to put space between us.

The ache between my legs was growing stronger every second I was captured in his gaze, and that awful voice was getting louder.

Not mine. Never mine, I insisted. I couldn’t accidentally trap him in a mating bond.

“But you scared the shit out of me,” he confessed, reaching and pulling another leaf from my hair, the motion drawing him even closer.

So close that if I dipped forward, our lips would touch.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to think of something else, anything else. But it was like I could feel his alpha power caressing inside me, not with a command, but a plea. I wasn’t even sure he was aware he was doing it.

“Audrey,” he breathed. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” I immediately replied.

“Audrey.” He captured my chin with his hand.

My eyes flew open at the sudden contact and I was caught in his gaze again. He was commanding and strong, his alpha power rolling off him in soft, almost teasing waves that made all of me tingle. He was the most powerful member of his pack, the ideal mate, and that made the stupid primal something inside me giddy from his attention.

Which was stupid stupid stupid.

He didn’t want me and I didn’t want someone who didn’t want me.

It was bad enough when Knox had frozen our mating bond and nearly broken my spirit. Cyrus would crush me, probably without even trying.

“Are you hurt?” he asked again.

This time I dragged my attention away from him and focused on my body, that stupid primal nature wanting to please him.

Nothing hurt bad enough to be worried about it. I’d gathered a few new bruises and scrapes but that was all.

“Just a little beaten up. I can make it to the pools.”

A low growl bubbled in Cyrus’s throat and he captured my head between his palms. “That wasn’t what I was asking about. I’d have happily carried you to the pools all the way from Stonehaven. I’m worried about you .”

“I’m not going to die and endanger your brothers.”

The growl came out in full, the sound vibrating through my body and sending more heat rushing to my core instead of scaring me.

“Not worried about that, either, Audrey,” he rumbled. “This, here and now, is all about you. My worry is all about you. No one else.”

“Me?” I squeaked, his words sending me spinning while making something in my heart swell.

I had to be unconscious and dreaming. Cyrus’s worry had always been about my connection to his brothers… or had I just assumed that?

“I—” I didn’t know what to say. “I?—”

“You, Audrey,” he insisted and dipped forward, capturing my mouth in a searing, breathtaking kiss.