Page 31

CHAPTER 30

C alla

I wake up confused. Disoriented. Like I’m stuck somewhere between The Aether and the world I grew up in. I blink my eyes into focus and realize I’m back at the bunker. In the den. My mates are surrounding me, but there’s no longer just five of them. A man with midnight hair looms in the back, standing taller than them all.

“Silas,” I murmur, extending my hand. “Did it work? Were you able…”

“You saved us, Calla,” Vance says, taking my hand and squeezing it. “Not only did you save us, but you brought Silas back.”

“From The Aether,” I whisper. “His soul wasn’t at peace. There was just enough left to grab onto. Enough to…”

“She’s weak,” Silas growls. “She needs rest, even if she’s finally awake.”

“No,” I groan, trying to push myself up. “We need to go back to Haven North. Your father said he’s going to sell… my friends.”

“Our father is dead,” Gideon says. “Clyde, too. You’ve been unconscious for almost a week. Silas and Caleb have been watching Haven North. The rest of us have been patrolling the roads while Vance stayed by your side. No sign of slavers at all.”

“It’s a lot easier to travel when we’re not trying to drag a bunch of puppies through The Tangle,” Knox says.

“And Haven North is undergoing something of a revolution, based on what we’ve seen,” Caleb says. “The tunnels have been filled in. The front gates stay open during the day. Our father isn’t around to administer supplements anymore, so I guess people are waking up—opening their eyes for the first time in a while, just like you.”

I take a deep breath and nod. That’s progress, even if it doesn’t confirm my friends are okay. At least I know they’re not being sold.

“You’ll keep checking?” I ask, searching their eyes for confirmation.

“Yes, Calla,” Gideon confirms. “We’re not going to hide in our bunker except when we need to hunt any longer. We talked about it and made that decision as a pack. If our bloodline is meant to heal the world, then we can’t ignore it.”

“Besides, if we tried, you’d just run off and try to save it again,” Jace chuckles. “We can’t continue our bloodline if you’re floating in the air, glowing with golden fire, and blowing everything in your path apart.”

“It was pretty fucking awesome though,” Vance adds. “But Silas is right. You’re still weak. You need rest.”

I sigh and lean my head against my pillow. I don’t feel the same energy I could feel when the bracelet was on my wrist. What’s inside of me is different, but I’m too weak to wield it. Maybe in time, I’ll figure it out.

But for now, I’m happy.

My friends aren’t in danger, and I’m surrounded by my mates.

It takes several days for me to get the strength to get out of bed. The power I called took a toll. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. Despite it all, no matter how long I sleep, I never step into The Aether. I don’t feel it calling. I don’t feel anything but a steady hum—the sound of healing.

My mates take good care of me as I work to regain the rest of my strength, once I’m able to move around. It still takes time. I sleep more than usual, but I recover and get updates on Haven North over the course of the next week. The happiest update comes the day I find out there is going to be an election. A whole new government for Haven North.

“I think you’ll recognize this candidate for mayor,” Gideon says, handing me a flyer.

“Nara!” I say excitedly. “But how did you get this?”

“I walked through the front gate,” Gideon chuckles. “It’s a lot easier now that they don’t keep it closed all the time. They’re welcoming visitors now, just like New Chicago.”

“Did you see any of the others?” I ask cautiously. “Fiona? Tansy? Abigail?”

“Not all of them, but Fiona spotted me in the crowd when I was listening to Nara’s speech,” Gideon says. “I still stand out, even in a cloak. She’s happy, but she’s still a runt.”

My face lights up with a smile. “Good. I wish Brenna hadn’t left. If she’d stayed a little longer, she wouldn’t have had to worry about being Unassigned.”

“I think she’ll be fine,” Caleb says.

“More than fine,” Silas adds. “There’s something different about her, just like you.”

“Does she have a piece of The Aether?” I question, my eyes getting wide.

“No, not like that,” Silas says. “I’ve lost touch with The Aether. I lose more of it with every passing day. Some of the memories from my time there are faded and hard to pull to the surface. Brenna doesn’t have the fabric of creation inside her, but there’s something…”

“Hopefully it is enough for her to survive,” I mutter, then I put my hand on my head. “I feel like I’m fully recovered now, but I think I’m getting sick. I think… I have a fever.”

“That’s no fever,” Silas chuckles. “We sense it. You’re going into heat.”

“Heat?” I look around in confusion.

“It’ll get stronger,” Silas says. “So strong that none of us can ignore it. Soon, based on your scent.”

“Yes,” Gideon growls. “It’s intoxicating—just like it was the first time I caught it.”

I spend the rest of the day in my room, dealing with the fire that burns inside me. By the evening, it’s turned into something else. A gnawing need. A hunger. I wait for my mates to come and claim me, but they don’t, so I step out of my room.

They’re all waiting for me. Even Silas. They’re completely naked, with the desire flourishing in their eyes. All six of them close in on me, lips dancing against my skin, hands pulling at my clothes, cocks already hard for what they want.

“At least there’s no reason for me to be punished this time,” I sigh, enjoying the way it feels to be in the middle of them.

“Doesn’t matter, little girl,” Knox chuckles, slapping my ass hard enough to make me whimper. “I’m going to spank you anyway, just because of how fucking wet it makes you.”

“That’s not fair,” I whine, but I lean against his hand, begging for another sharp slap, which comes without warning. “You should be grateful for what I did.”

“We’re more than grateful, mate,” Jace says, wrapping his thick fingers around my wrists and holding them in front of me. “If you say this isn’t making you hotter than you already are, we’ll stop.”

Knox spanks me again, harder this time. The impact makes me gasp and arch into his hand. I don’t even pretend to resist. My body is already burning, but it’s more than the heat. It’s the way they look at me, like I belong to them. Like I’ve always belonged to them.

“I’ll keep her standing,” Jace growls, tightening his grip on my wrists. “That way I can watch her squirm while the rest of you spank her ass.”

Knox slaps my bottom several times. I whimper, but don’t try to pull away. The next few aren’t as hard, but his hand lingers, rubbing the pink skin, sliding a finger further, and teasing what is so wet it’s already dripping.

“I’ve got her next,” Caleb says, his voice low and rough.

Knox moves out of the way, making room for Caleb. He steps behind me and runs a hand up my spine, tracing the mark he left.

“We’re all going to mark you tonight,” Caleb murmurs, then his hand cracks against my ass. “In more ways than one.”

I bite my lip. My knees wobble, but Jace supports me easily, holding me in place while Caleb spanks me, again and again. When Caleb is done, Gideon takes his place. More smacks. More arousal. Every one of them has a different rhythm, but each firm slap radiates through me, making me whine, whimper, and come dangerously close to begging for more when Vance steps behind me.

“You’re going to spank me, too?” I ask, glancing back at him.

“Just a little,” Vance whispers, kissing the back of my neck and bending me over slightly.

Vance’s hand trails down my back, pulls away, and starts spanking me. His touch is still gentle, still kind, and each slap is laced with affection. Every one that lands sends a ripple of heat through my body.

“Hold her for me,” Jace says, offering my wrists to Gideon, who gladly takes them.

Jace spanks harder and faster than the others. Enough to make me cry out, twist on my toes, and try to escape, but it’s only instinct.

Then it’s Silas’s turn. I don’t know what to expect from him. He hasn’t spanked me yet. Hasn’t even touched me. Nobody has since his return. The rest of my mates watch as he walks closer.

“No need to hold her,” Silas says, nodding to Gideon, who releases my wrists. “She wants it too much to do anything but bend over for me like a good girl.”

My breath catches in my throat, but I do it without question. Silas is bigger than his brothers. Stronger. But he doesn’t put his strength into it. Once I bend over and present myself to him, he spanks me once. It’s hard enough to jolt me, but I don’t cry out.

“You’re ours,” he growls, running hand along the curve of my hips. “And I’m going to be the first to fill you tonight. I’ve waited so, so fucking long.”

Silas pushes me down on my knees with ease, then lower, until I’m on all fours. The coolness of the pelts beneath me contrasts with the fever burning in my veins. The heat. The craving for my mates. Hands touch every part of me as my mates close in. Caressing, gripping, and guiding until Silas is behind me.

“You no longer have to scream for my brothers to know you belong to them, like you belong to me,” Silas rasps, the blunt head of his cock pressing against my soaked entrance. “But you’re going to do it anyway, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” I whimper, pushing back against him.

I’m so wet I can feel it dripping down my thighs, pooling beneath me on the pelts. My body is aching for him. Aching for all of them. Silas runs his hands over my ass, then my hips, steadying me for what is coming.

Then, with a deep growl, he pushes inside. The stretch makes me moan until my arms are trembling. He’s thick and doesn’t go slow. He sinks into me like the world depends on it, and it actually does. The heat inside me sizzles as he digs his fingers into my hips and sets a rhythm that lets me know I’m going to be sore before his brothers get a turn. But I’m going to love it.

“Fuck, our mate has a nice, tight pussy,” he groans, one hand digging in tighter before the other pulls away and returns with a sharp slap that makes me jump. “So, so fucking perfect, our little mate, and I’m not just talking about how you feel right now. No, it’s way deeper than that. Isn’t it, Calla?”

“Yes,” I whisper, my fingers digging into the pelts and my toes curling as his thrusts get faster.

“None of us ever felt love. Not while we were men, and not after we got swallowed by The Tangle,” Silas growls, echoes of pleasure following his words. His voice drops to a needy, raspy whisper. “But I felt something the first time you stepped into The Aether. Even my soul wanted you.”

“Silas, oh… Oh!” I cry out, the first tremor of the orgasm quaking before everything shatters. “Silas!”

“Calla!” he roars, my pussy clenching him so hard he immediately erupts, then drives his cock into my g-spot and throbs with every pulsation of his seed.

“I-I’m not d-done,” I stammer out, then another orgasm engulfs me like the golden fire. I feel it all the way into The Aether inside me. That sliver shakes, and then vibrancy is everywhere.

Silas finishes, slowly pulls out, and grunts. I feel strangely rejuvenated and turn my ass toward Jace. I know he’ll take me rough.

He doesn’t disappoint. He mounts me with a growl and drives his cock deep into my depths. I’m still quivering from my last orgasm, and the aftershocks greet his first few thrusts. He digs in, holding me tight, as he hammers his length into me.

“Yes, thank you, yes,” I murmur.

“Never thought I’d know what love was,” Jace says, blinding me with pleasure as a hand moves around my hip and rubs my clit. “Then I got your scent, and the world changed. You were in it. Then you were all that mattered. That’s never going to change.”

Jace unleashes a flurry of hard thrusts, and I whimper through them. I reach back and hold the hand that isn’t between my thighs, already so close to my next orgasm, and it’s coming fast.

“Don’t stop, please don’t stop,” I beg, not like I used to beg The Aether—this is something I only share with my mates.

“Fuck, I’m gonna fill your pussy!” Jace roars, shaking as he begins to ejaculate.

I’m so needy now. I really am in heat. And I’m not even a wolf. Maybe The Aether is in heat right now, too. The sliver inside me certainly feels this. As soon as Jace is done, I don’t know which brother to turn to, but Gideon is on me before I have to choose.

“Our mate,” he croons, pushing into me.

“Yes,” I whimper, grinding myself into his thrusts. “I’m yours. Just like the first night… and every night.”

“The rest of us were talking, while you were recovering. We’re making decisions as a pack now, and you’re a part of that, as our mate,” Gideon says. “Although, somehow, I feel you like you may have every single one of us wrapped around your finger.”

“Oh, fuck,” I murmur, Gideon’s strong and confident strokes keeping me teetering on the edge. “I’ll cherish that, truly. But right now, I’m just going to come.”

The orgasm sucks the breath out of my body, and I feel weightless for a moment as Gideon slams into me. My pussy flutters on his length, then shudders into bliss. He roars, I feel the wolf in him coming to life, but he quells it with his release.

“God damn, you’re needy, aren’t you, little girl,” Knox teases as Gideon moves away from me. He gives me a stinging slap on each cheek before he lines up his cock with my entrance. “I’m going to give you the good, hard fucking you’re begging for.”

“Yes, please,” I murmur, pushing back against him.

Knox grabs my arms, pulls them behind my back, and puts my face against the pelts. I bite down on a chunk when he tightens his grip and hammers his cock into me.

I can’t move. I’m pinned under his weight. This is incredible. He’s relentless, hungry, and exactly what I need. No professions of love from his lips or his guttural growls. But I feel it. Deep in my core as he makes me come over and over while I scream his name.

When the last drops of his release leak into me, I’m still whimpering, so he just holds my wrists against my back with one hand, pulls back my head and leans closer.

“Why don’t you open your mouth like a good little girl so Silas can fuck it,” he rasps into my ear. “He’s already waiting.”

I open my eyes and my mouth opens instinctively. Silas kisses me, his tongue ravaging me before he pulls away and shoves his cock in. I taste my first orgasm on him, along with remnants of his. He pounds his cock into my throat while Knox chases his second release alongside him.

I take both of them at the same time. Silas finishes first, filling my mouth with thick cum I have to swallow. Then I get Gideon in his place. I’ve lost count of my orgasms. They just keep coming, like the relentless thrusts from Knox.

Finally, he finishes. I feel the heat burning out. The hunger dissipating, even as I hungrily devour Gideon’s essence.

“Hope you left enough for me,” Caleb grunts, taking Knox’s place in an instant.

“Plenty,” I whisper, then Knox is in front of me. My eyes widen with surprise—I thought he was done.

“Clean me off like a good little girl,” he says. “Then you let me feel that hot mouth until I’m ready to fuck you again.”

I do as he says. Caleb slams into me. He’s silent for a while, driving the thrusts in while I quiver on the edge of my next orgasm. Muffled whimpers gush from my mouth, but it’s too full of Knox for any words to escape.

“Even as a part of this pack, or as the one pulling us along while we sniff your scent like puppies, I expect you to put our needs above anything else,” Caleb growls. “You don’t have to answer. That’s already understood. Just give me a whimper.”

I comply, nod the best I can, and succumb to my next orgasm. It radiates from within, coils tight, and cascades through my body. It’s incredible.

But I understand the meaning behind Caleb’s words. I can’t drag my pack into danger, no matter how much I want to help someone. We can do our part without being careless.

Soon, there will be others to think about, if they breed me. They’ve got plenty of time, because I’m not going anywhere.

“You’re ours, Calla,” Caleb growls, his cock throbbing with his release. “Always.”

Knox finishes in my mouth, and I swallow, gasping when he finally pulls away.

“Yes,” I whimper. “Always.”

Knox immediately moves behind me, then he’s inside me again. Jace takes my mouth. The two of them quell the heat down to a flicker that sparks inside me. I’m panting. Gasping. Shaking with bliss, exhaustion, and aftershocks of orgasms I can’t even remember.

Then Vance moves closer. His touch is gentle. He caresses and kisses my skin. His fingers trace, instead of squeeze. The flicker heats up, and I’m reading for him. It’s almost like he healed me.

“Our sweet mate,” he murmurs. “You’re finally ready for me.”

He’s slow, smooth, and passionate. He keeps me on all fours for a few minutes, then pulls out, rolls me over, and descends into me. It’s exactly what I need. Just something to ride out the last bit of this heat.

Vance takes longer than his brothers, but I love every second of it. We come in unison, then he knots, just like the first time. He stretches my pussy, locks us together, and we stay joined while the fire smolders to embers.

Then it’s over. I’m exhausted, but more content than I’ve ever been in my life. I hold Vance close and reach for the others. They descend on me slowly, kissing, caressing, and soothing the final shudders of bliss.

“A short nap,” Gideon murmurs.

“Yes, yes,” Jace rasps, stretching out with a hand possessively on my leg. “Then it’ll be time for round two.”

“Round two?” I shake out. “Not tonight.”

“Mm, yes, tonight,” Silas says sagely. “That’s when we’ll mark you. All of us. Some have already left them, but you’ll wear them all. Proudly, as our mate.”

His words send a quiver through me as I imagine it.

For now, we will rest. Even if we don’t truly rest again, because I can already feel sparks of life inside me, tugging at The Aether, absorbing what will be passed to every member of our bloodline.

That’s what they’ll get from me.

But The Aether didn’t mention what they will inherit from their fathers…

The End