Page 53 of Pack Rage (The Splintered Bond #4)

FLOR

Late summer, Mountain Pack

“ I think we should go with Brandor,” Glen mused from the middle of the lake. We’d paddled out here in a small rowboat to fish, supposedly. But I think Glen had been running away from the others, since he’d been teasing them hard enough to deserve a little payback, and he hadn’t even cast his line out into the water.

“Brandor?” I raised one eyebrow, or tried to. It was harder to raise just one eyebrow than the romance novels Glen and I had been reading aloud to each other made it out to be. Both eyebrows? Easy. Just one? That took practice.

It was a good thing I was retired, and had plenty of time to devote to things like that.

“Yeah, Brand plus Grigor, for their ship name,” Glen said, dragging one hand over the side of the boat through the water. He’d read some online story about “bromances” and decided that was what Brand and Grigor had going on. He wasn’t wrong. The two of them had been almost inseparable since we came to Mountain. Most shifters were naturally wary of Grigor, and back at Eastern, no one had been brave enough to speak to him besides Becca and Vanya.

But here at Mountain, when Brand was around, they at least acted like his shadowy presence didn’t worry them. Yesterday, while Brand had been accepting the pledges from the shifters who’d been too late to make their vows before the battle at Eastern, Grigor had been lurking in the closest shadows a few yards away, alone… until two of the pack’s toddlers had decided “Boo Man” was their new favorite playmate. I stifled a laugh, thinking about how natural Grigor had looked with one toddler pulling at his pants leg, and another climbing up his back.

Of course, he’d had a child before, a long time ago. What if he wanted more?

My heart raced, until Grigor spoke into my mind. Little queen, I only need you. My life is full and perfect. If you want pups someday, your mates will do our best to give them to you. If you don’t, or if you want to wait, then ?—

Brand’s mental voice broke in. Grandma Ida has already sent to the witch who lives in our packlands for herbs to make sure it’s your decision. No one will ever take your choices away again, wildflower.

I peered around the lake’s edge, wondering why their voices had sounded so close, but Glen was still talking. “I mean, Brandor even sounds cool.”

“Why not Boo Man and Bearman?” I murmured, admiring Luke and Finn, who were on the bank, and who might, if I encouraged them, be convinced to take off their clothes. Finn had just come down from the house, and was still in his usual dark suit, since he’d been doing some sort of online video call with a pack in Italy. Well, a shifter organization, rather than a pack. They were some kind of religious order, if there was a religion where the priests and priestesses were all badass assassins.

This branch of the order was taking care of his sister Tana, and she’d even enrolled in a local school. No one else over there knew who she was—a good thing, since the story of their mother had been shared all around the world. We were all worried about what other packs might do to exact some sort of revenge on the family, now that Finn had shared how many visiting shifters and humans had been killed and drained for their parents’ evil plans. Tana needed to stay hidden, and go to school where she felt safe, but Finn was having a hard time letting her go.

I had a feeling she was going to be fine, and Grigor had promised to check in on her after he went to “visit” the Alpha of Novosibirsk.

As I stared, Finn started to strip out of his suit. It was hard to tell from here, but he might have winked at me while he did it. I heard Luke say something about it being hot, before he took his own shirt off.

It’s so hot, I thought at them. Far too hot for any clothes.

Their laughter rippled across the lake, but they both began removing their remaining clothing slowly, like one of the videos I’d scrolled past on the phone Brand had provided. Lots of the pack had phones now, though we kept them put away when Samuel was around. He was every bit as old-fashioned as before, but Brand had convinced him that pure isolation was more dangerous than connection, even if it meant using human tech.

I was wishing I had my phone now to take a video of my two hot mates stripping. But a second later, I was very glad I’d left it in the cabin.

Glen was still talking when the water rippled behind the boat, and it wasn’t because of a fish. I grabbed hold of the sides, trying to keep a straight face as Glen muttered, “Boo Man? Come on. I’d go with ‘Grand,’ but that’s already a word. And honestly, both of them have egos big enough to sink a boa?—”

Suddenly, the arm he’d been trailing in the water got a bite. Or a tug, at least.

“Whaaa?” he screeched before vanishing over the side and falling into the water. I barely managed to stay inside when I leaned over the edge to see. Brand and Grigor were swimming like sharks around Glen, who was cursing and spitting, his blond curls falling over his eyes. “Not cool, guys!”

“Oh, you’re not cool enough?” Grigor smirked. “I think I can fix that. I know where there’s some very cool water.” He dove down and grabbed Glen under the water—it was so clear I could see him gripping Glen’s ankles—before pulling him down. They vanished into the deep blue, and Brand’s smiling, bearded face popped up beside me.

“Want to cool off, wildflower?”

I shook my head and nodded toward the bank. “I was kinda ready to go back in. Maybe heat up.”

“Sounds fun.” He reached over the stern and grabbed the tow rope, pulling me to shore as fast as any motor. I heard Glen and Grigor surfacing behind us, then more yelling, but I didn’t look back. Luke and Finn met us at the pebbled shore, tying the line to the enormous driftwood log that was our makeshift dock.

They were doing things with blankets and pillows near a tall pine, but I was mesmerized by the way the sunlight shone on their bodies. Finn and Luke were obviously aware of my focus. There was no way they needed to flex every single muscle, unless the pillows they were arranging were made of lead, and both of them had semi-hard cocks already.

“Making the bed?” I called. “I could use a nap.”

Finn raised one eyebrow, making it look easy. “You’ll need a nap when we’re done with you, Wills.”

“Oh, you think you can wear me out this time?” I teased back. “That’ll be a first, Sparkles.”

He mock-snarled. It was true that every time we’d made love since the battle, he’d had another power surge, and needed to spend the next few hours meditating to be able to control his sparks. Glen liked to tease him about his post-coital “naps,” though.

Honestly, I thought it was cute. Finn didn’t like how much energy it took out of him, but Grigor reminded him that his magic was growing stronger, and to think of it as training for a new kind of fight.

I’d hoped we were done with fighting, but we all knew better. There were small pack Alphas and Enforcers on the continent who had chosen not to follow the old ways, having grown too used to being in power, and packs who still believed the only good rogue was a dead one.

More than one pack had clung to the misguided belief that true mates could only be male and female pairings, claiming that same-sex pairs weakened the packs, even when some of the strongest shifters found their other halves, proving it to be sheer bigotry.

But for now at least, for this one summer, we were having what every Mountain true mate had: a season of peace, with nothing to do but learn each other’s bodies, and explore how much pleasure and love we could share.

It turned out, when you had five Alpha-powered lovers to share it with, there didn’t seem to be a limit. All we needed was time.

“We have all the time in the world,” Brand said.

“Well, not all the time—” I began, when I noticed an odd, muted spot in our bonds. They were hiding something from me. Grigor? I growled.

He didn’t reply, but Finn did. We have more time than most, my love. Grigor may have given up his immortality, but I’m… well, hybrids like us have longer lives anyway.

A flicker of thought from Luke— Another two hundred years with her will still not be enough— had my mouth drying up.

“Do you really think we’ll live that long?”

Brand hummed as he waded out of the water, the water on his back sparkling like diamonds in the sunlight. “When you live in the balance, when you honor the moon, anything is possible. Even miracles.” He peeked over one shoulder and grinned again. “I’m looking at one right now.”

I groaned, but I knew he was telling the truth as he saw it. He always did.

“Now, enough talk. I think we should all dry off and rest.” Brand pulled me up against him as I stepped out of the boat, his lake-cooled skin brushing against my sun-warmed body. He kissed me until I was almost as soaked as he was, then carried me over the rocks toward the blankets until my feet touched soft grass. His wild pine scent surrounded me, mixing with my own warm cinnamon and jasmine as he reached around to my front and began to unbutton the damp, blue-checked shirt I had on.

“Rest?” I murmured as the shirt fluttered to the ground and he moved his hands lower, removing my steak knife from the sleek new leather belt Luke had fashioned for me, then opening my shorts. They dropped to the grass as well, and I stepped out of them, loving the feeling of the warm sun, the slightly cool breeze, and Brand’s body heat as he held me close, his arms wrapping under my arms, and his face nuzzling against my hair.

Both Finn and Luke had stopped flexing and gone still, wearing the hungry looks they always did when I was naked.

“I think we should all rest,” Brand murmured, his lips and teeth grazing the side of my neck, lighting up the mating marks there.

“She might need some help relaxing, brother.” Luke prowled toward me and dropped to his knees, wrapping his hands around my thighs and pressing his tongue to Glen’s mating bite on my thigh, before dragging it up in a long stripe to my clit.

“That’s not relaxing,” I moaned as he spread my thighs wider. My knees wobbled, but Brand had caught me under my arms and was holding me up, presenting me like a feast for Luke to devour.

I trembled, my climax already approaching. Luke may have been the least experienced of my lovers when he claimed me, but he had taken to learning every technique that existed—and inventing a few more—when it came to using his mouth on my body.

Brand growled in my ear as Luke dove lower, thrusting his tongue inside me before nibbling his way back to my clit. “You’re so close already, aren’t you, wildflower? I can feel it, you know. Feel what it’s doing to you. How close you’re getting.” His cock pressed into my spine as I leaned back, letting go completely. “Open those eyes, mate. Look at Finn.”

I obeyed, my eyes snapping open. Finn stood a few feet away, his eyes glowing with his wolf’s energy and his magic, blue and red sparks swimming in the green. He had one hand on his cock and was moving it slowly, the thumb gliding over the tip. I licked my lips, wishing I could have a taste of him.

“When Luke finishes, Finn isn’t going to be able to wait, is he? He’s going to fuck his tongue into you.” Brand’s voice was driving me crazy, and my core clenched hard, almost painfully. I was so damned empty .

Luke pulled back. “Brand, she needs you, inside her. Now.” He backed up until he was kneeling on the improvised bed they’d made on the rocks.Brand’s wicked laughter rumbled along my back as he carried me over, then dropped to his knees on the blanket, setting me on my feet, though he was still holding me under my arms.

“Brother, a hand?” he growled, his cock pressing against my thighs, the angle not quite right.

“Of course, Alpha.” Luke winked at me when I shuddered—he knew how kinky I found it when my mates called each other Alpha during our lovemaking—then parted my knees and reached between my legs, helping position Brand’s cock. Brand thrust slowly, his girth always requiring a little more time to make sure I was ready.

I was so fucking ready. Luke had his fingers on my clit, circling slowly as Brand found a teasing, slow rhythm from behind. Then he dropped back down, licking and sucking at my clit like it was his favorite candy, Brand’s cock only inches from his tongue.

All of it at once—Brand filling me, Luke licking, and Finn watching like a hunting wolf just in front of us all—took me over the edge. I thought I was done for a moment, but Grigor’s wicked laughter filled my mind. I felt invisible hands on my body, tracing lines—runes? Magic spells? I wasn’t sure—that lit up every nerve, and had me coming again and again, my body quivering as Brand held me.

I love you, I thought. Grigor and Glen were stalking out of the water, Glen stripping out of his soggy clothes as fast as he could take them off. Grigor hung back as the others crowded around me, but his mind was so fully enmeshed with mine that in a way, he felt even closer than the others. My shadow, always watching, always protecting.

Always murderous, Brand grumbled as he thrust a little deeper, setting off a new shower of sparks inside me.

“I love you,” I said, my voice shaky, though everything else was on solid ground. My heart, my life, our love.

Their love echoed back at me, in waves of joy that were almost as strong as the physical touch of their hands on my skin, the heat of their gazes, and the slide of Brand inside me.

Joy that I’d made it to this place, this time. That all the pain and rejection and evil I’d survived had been to give me this: a life filled with purpose and pleasure, laughter and love. So much love that it would take more than one lifetime to share it.

“I love you,” I gasped aloud as Brand filled me. “I need you.” I did. But I needed...more.

He held still for a moment. Who?

I let myself form a mental image, and choked back a giggle when Grigor’s dark eyes widened. Finn, Luke, and even Glen blushed. “All of you.”

I’m in, brother mates, Glen thought, a little too loudly. He wiggled his eyebrows at me. Anywhere, anytime, any combination.

All at once? Luke whispered, looking at Grigor, and then Finn. How…?

Finn winked at me as he moved closer. If I recall correctly, she’s pretty damn good with a staff.

Absofuckinglutely right. I closed my eyes and let my smile spread as my mates debated how to serve me.

It was good to be queen.

Thank you for reading The Splintered Bond!