Page 58 of Ensnared by the Pack: The Complete Series (Destined Realms #3)
AUDREY
I drew in a long breath filled with Bishop’s fresh-cut grass scent and relaxed into the soft power vibrating in my cells that had been awakened by his embrace.
I was tired — so damn tired — and it felt good to just be held, so I fought my rising desire at being in his arms. I didn’t want to ruin it by giving in to cravings that were only going to make a complicated situation more complicated, and I really didn’t have the mental power to figure anything out… if anything could be figured out in this situation.
Hallie handed me a basket with food and we took it to the meadow we’d passed coming into town. People were back in the field setting up tables, although the mood was still somber and stressed. I guess the hunt team hadn’t returned yet to confirm that the village was no longer in danger.
Bishop picked a surprisingly soft spot in the grass and wildflowers on a gentle slope at the edge of the activity, and sat, placing me between his legs and letting me use his chest as a backrest. The position made me all too aware of his hard cock pressing into the small of my back and my desire flared stronger despite my exhaustion.
“What’s in the basket?” he asked as he rummaged through his pack and pulled out his first aid kit.
I raised an eyebrow at him.
“Pretty sure Ida took care of everything,” I said, grateful he wasn’t going to bring up my heat since I had no doubt I was releasing pheromones like crazy. How could I not? I was in the arms of a gorgeous man who was kind and warm and a perfect gentleman.
He could have easily started something over the last couple of days while he’d been holding me and steadying my soul, and I wouldn’t have had the willpower to stop him.
But he hadn’t and that was making it even harder to remember that the spell to break my bond with Knox might not work and a relationship between me and Bishop would be impossible.
“Ida didn’t take care of everything,” he replied, “not if you plan on putting your boots back on and walking tomorrow.”
He pulled out a small vial of healing elixir, cracked the wax seal on the stopper, and handed it over before I could argue that taking one of their precious elixirs for sore feet was a waste. Not to mention it would make it that much harder to ignore my heat. Being sore and exhausted was the only thing that had kept it in check.
“You know this is only going to make it harder to control myself,” I murmured and I downed the bitter liquid.
I didn’t want to feel better until this mess with Knox was over. That had been the plan. And while I was grateful for Cyrus deciding to spend the night in the village where I could sleep in a bed, being rested and healed was going to make the next couple of days very difficult.
“I know,” Bishop replied, his tone strange. I couldn’t tell if he was sorry for making my life more difficult or something else.
He pushed aside the cloth covering our food in the basket and handed me a sandwich then took one for himself.
The sandwich consisted of dark brown bread, pale meat, and green leaves that looked a little like spinach. I took a bite and watched the villagers work on setting everything up for the wedding.
This was supposed to be a joyous day for Hallie and her fiancé, and I hoped the hunt team returned with good news. She deserved to be happy. She’d found someone she wanted to spend the rest of her life with and that deserved a carefree celebration.
The thought made the sandwich turn to dust in my mouth. Would I get a wedding? I hadn’t thought about having a mating ceremony and celebration, hadn’t dreamed that anyone would want to mate with me. I’d only been thinking of staying safe and escaping when my wolf woke.
And then Royce had awakened desires I hadn’t known I had and crushed them all at the same time.
I tried to eat another mouthful of sandwich but it didn’t taste any better than the last bite.
I’d only get a mating ceremony if Whil’s spell worked and if anyone decided they could mate with a wolf as weak as me. If it didn’t, I doubted Knox would suddenly decide he wanted to celebrate our mating.
Only his brothers and Whil knew we’d bonded and it would probably stay that way. I was the unwanted mate, the embarrassment he wouldn’t want to acknowledge. Ever. I’d be trapped worse than before because this time I’d have no chance of escape, not even a small hope.
God. How could I carry on? Knox and I would have sex, the bond would make us do it sooner or later, but our hearts wouldn’t be in it.
Except I had a horrible feeling my heart would be in it. My soul wept for him, and clearly, his didn’t weep for me, or he wouldn’t have been filling our bond with icy disgust and rejection.
“What do I do if this doesn’t work?” I stared at the half-eaten sandwich in my hand unable to bring myself to take another tasteless bite, the warmth from Bishop’s body and soul no longer strong enough to steady me.
“We go to plan B,” Bishop replied without hesitation. He set his own sandwich aside, wrapped his arms around me, and drew me back against his chest, enveloping me in his warmth. “We get back to Stonehaven and see if Whil can transfer Knox’s half of your bond to me.”
What the—? He’d ask Whil to transfer the bond to him?
I pushed up to stare at him. It didn’t sound as if he was joking, and given how kind he’d been, I doubted he’d joke about something like this, but?—
“Why would you do that?” I asked. “Why would you take Knox’s half of the bond? Then you’ll be stuck with me.”
I knew he loved his brother, but I hadn’t thought he loved him so much he was willing to sacrifice his own happiness to save him.
“Audrey.” He cupped my cheeks between both palms, his expression determined as if he was trying to will me into believing his words. “I’ll never be stuck with you. I’d be happy to be mated with you even if we weren’t trying to break the bond with Knox.”
That didn’t make any sense. “You’re powerful. You’re a pack alpha and I’m?—”
“Determined and beautiful and kind?”
“Weak,” I corrected him. I didn’t want him lying to me to make me feel better, because I knew none of it was true. “I’m weak. I can’t shift and any pups I have could be just like me. No one wants a mate like that.”
I’d overheard Finn say as much before we’d left Stonehaven, and I couldn’t blame him or anyone else who thought that. As much as I didn’t want it to be true, it was.
Bishop’s eyes darkened, his wolf rising to the surface. “Anyone who can’t see past that doesn’t deserve you. I don’t care if you can’t shift. When we’re back in Stonehaven, I intend to court you properly. I will earn your heart and be your mate.”
My heart lurched, hope and fear swirling in my stomach. He sounded so certain, so determined, as if I was a prize he needed to win.
The hope fluttered stronger along with a lick of desire. He’d offered to help me with my heat with no expectations of anything else and I’d assumed it meant he was warning me off. Was he actually saying I shouldn’t feel guilty or pressured if I didn’t reciprocate his feelings? Did he actually have feelings for me? Except?—
“If the spell doesn’t work or if Whil can’t give you Knox’s half of the bond, I’ll be Knox’s mate for the rest of my life.” I couldn’t let Bishop’s feelings for me grow, not until I knew I was free from the bond with Knox.
Bishop frowned as if he didn’t understand what I was saying then realization flashed across his expression. “You think only two wolves can share a mate bond.” He groaned with understanding. “That’s why you’ve been trying to get through your heat without sex. You don’t want to complicate your emotions and risk hurting yourself or Knox.”
“I don’t want Knox pissed at you if all this fails and we’re still mates.” Which was also a part of protecting my heart. I’d feel awful if I broke their relationship. I didn’t know about Knox, but Bishop had already proven he’d do just about anything to protect his brother.
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me tighter against his chest again. “Even if Whil can’t transfer it, I’ll join your mate bond,” he said. “If you’ll have me. Neither of you have to go through this alone. Multi-person bondings aren’t common in our pack, but it isn’t taboo like I’m guessing it is in yours.”
My thoughts stuttered at that, my exhaustion making it hard to think. “So, you’re saying I’d have two mates?” Had he really said that?
“Why not?” he replied. “Our mother had two.”
I had no idea what to say about that. I’d never even had a boyfriend and now I was looking at the possibility of having two mates. Not that Knox would be interested in me.
Except I couldn’t help thinking about what would happen if he finally embraced our bond. What would all that intensity from my dream feel like multiplied by two? And while my mind was certain being mated to both of them at the same time was a bad idea, my body thought it was great.
“So, I’d be mated to both Knox and you? At the same time?”
Bishop hummed low in his throat, probably getting high from all the pheromones I was releasing. “Only if you want.” Then he released a soft huff. “Although not until Knox gets his head out of his ass.”
My thoughts jump to my dreams where Knox had impaled me on his cock and pinned me against a tree. Except the tree turned into Bishop’s hard, muscular chest, his hands teasing and tormenting my breasts, as Knox pounded into me. The impact would grind me against Bishop’s cock and his growls of pleasure would sweep hot against my neck.
Need shivered down my spine and my cheeks heated at the idea of being caught between them… and liking it.
Except Knox would never go for that. He’d never want to have sex with me in real life even if we couldn’t break the bond, so the fantasy of the three of us together was just that, a fantasy.
However, being with Bishop and having an emotional connection with him like I really wanted wasn’t a fantasy. He’d just said so, and he’d always done what he said he’d do and hadn’t manipulated, forced, or tricked me.
I had no reason to doubt his desire to have me as his mate or fear he’d reject me.
I yawned, my exhaustion a heavy blanket on the verge of dragging me under, and leaned back, savoring the feel of his body against mine.
Maybe I should stop fighting myself and take him up on his offer.