Page 32 of Rising Reign (The Wolves of Crescent Creek #3)
WREN
The sunlight filtered through the thick trees as the guys began to undress. Normally, a glimpse of lean, defined muscles would’ve had my mind shifting to other places. Not today. Today, it was swirling with doubts and worries.
Locke’s words echoed in my head. “Stronger together.”
I wanted to believe in that, to trust that it would lead me through, but nerves still had a hold of me.
Puck stored his clothes and shoes in one of the hidey-holes in an old tree, then turned to walk toward me.
He was completely comfortable in his nakedness, and my gaze roamed over his tan skin decorated by patches of ink I now knew Ender or Brix had put there.
Puck didn’t stop at a cautious distance, though; he moved straight into my space.
His hand skated across my jaw. “This will be fun. Just like you taking me down the other day. Your wolf had no problem calling on her dominance then. ”
Something eased inside me because he was right. My wolf had only been thinking of one thing: bringing her mate back to her. “I think I need to get out of my head and out of my own way.”
Puck’s hands dropped to the hem of my workout tank. “I can help with that.” He slowly tugged the shirt up and over my head, the built-in bra going with it. He folded it carefully and handed it to Brix, who stowed it in the tree.
Then Puck dropped to his knees, looking up at me with reverence. He lifted one leg and removed my sneaker, then the other. His eyes locked on mine as he hooked his fingers in the band of my workout pants and slowly tugged them down.
I could’ve shifted with clothes on since I was wearing the specialty gear, but my wolf wouldn’t have been as free.
She wouldn’t have been able to get that fur-to-fur contact or feel completely at ease.
But now that I was gazing down at Puck, completely bare to him as he carefully folded my pants, I felt exposed.
Only it wasn’t in a bad way. And as I looked around the small clearing, my soul let out a sigh.
We were all exposed, vulnerable to one another, but safe in doing so because of the bond we shared.
Tears pricked my eyes for a whole new reason.
Because I shared the ultimate bond with these incredible men.
Puck pushed to his feet and kissed me so softly it made my heart ache. “Ready to fly, Birdie?”
“I’m ready,” I whispered.
He stepped back, and Kingston stepped in. He let out a low, rumbling sound, almost like a purr, a call from his wolf to mine. “I’m assuring her that I’ll be here waiting.”
That made the ache intensify but in the best way. “Okay,” I whispered.
Slowly, the men around me shifted. Brix changed to his hauntingly beautiful, jet-black counterpart. Puck called on his golden god. Locke brought forth his hypnotizing, reddish-brown half. And King presented his silver-gray, almost magical beast.
They were all stunning, and they were all mine. Just seeing them that way had my wolf launching to the surface. She came on faster this time, still not quite as quick as my mates but better than I’d managed to achieve all day.
But it was more. The shift felt as easy as breathing. No pain. Only sweet relief at being free.
I shook out my fur as I stood on four paws.
Puck padded up to me and licked the side of my muzzle. I returned the favor, wanting him to carry my scent markers, too.
Brix nipped my shoulder like only the master of pleasure and pain would. I turned and quickly bit his hindquarter, and he let out a playful growl.
Locke brushed against me, his whole body greeting mine with the sweetest embrace. I let out a sound of pure pleasure at the contact.
Kingston tipped his head back and let out an alpha howl. The sound shot through the air and sent vibrations through everything it encountered—even me. The feeling was like thousands of King’s fingers brushing through my fur at once.
He lowered his head, then circled me and nudged my side as if to say, “ Let’s go. ” And we did.
We raced through the stream and into the mountains. We ran up trails in a game of tag before racing back down again. There were no battles for dominance or need to prove one’s strength. There was simply fun and togetherness.
It was so unlike my father’s pack. So much more like a true family. One born of choosing one another instead of the link blood could force on you. And knowing that I got to choose these men over and over again for the rest of my days was the best gift I could imagine.
We all slowed to a walk as we reached the clearing where we’d stashed our clothes, but not before taking a dip in the creek to wash off the effects of the run. The cold water felt like heaven on my fur.
One by one, we shifted back, and that came easier for me now, too. My bones cracked and reformed into my human half, and I stretched, working out the kinks.
Puck tossed me my clothes and then grabbed his, but stilled as he looked down at the phone in his hand, his expression unreadable.
“What is it?” I asked, instantly moving to his side.
His throat worked as he swallowed. “My sister. She’s here.”