Page 117 of Savage Mates

She stumbled, slipping in the mud and muck.

As she swung the flashlight, I could sense she was trying to find a place to hide.

“The caves are near,”I tried to explain, but it seemed her fear was keeping her from understanding.

Crack! Boom!

A scream erupted from her lungs as the earth vibrated beneath our feet. Trees crashed down on two sides, narrowly missing us. She bolted to the left. We flanked her sides, searching the darkness to ensure there weren’t other dangers.

We would protect our little mate at all costs.

Yet the hunger remained, thick and almost desperate. Perhaps we were the feral ones.

I could tell what she was thinking, her mind rushing with thoughts and fears, joy and desire.

The four of us against the world.

When she slipped again, falling to the ground, Thor pressed his muzzle against her face, dragging his long tongue across her skin.“Get on my back.”

His instructions were clear. There was a chance we wouldn’t make it in time.

Another boom and she screamed, scrambling to get to her feet. Then she peered at the sky and we did the same. The horizon was laced in various shades of orange. We were coming into the eye of the storm. She grabbed Thor’s mane, slipping onto his back, immediately hunkering over and wrapping her arms around his huge neck.

Thor shifted directions, Zeus taking the lead. All three of us lifted our massive heads toward the sky, inhaling and processing every stench, every odor swirling around us. After blocking another falling tree, I moved in front, racing toward the cave.

We continued running, refusing to allow weather to hinder us.

We would protect her.

Our little human.

Our mate.

I moved forward, leading us into a swell of darkness. One of three protected spots on the island. Safety. The other lions were in an adjacent cave. All protected. All safe.

“Go to them,”Thor told Alexander and the others.

The three didn’t hesitate, moving toward the other cave and to safety.

Our little mate was panting, still afraid. Her body quivering.

Her thoughts so muddled it was difficult to read her mind.

“We’ll be safe here, little mate,”Thor said mentally, reassuring her.

She finally slipped off his back, glancing around the cave. Water trickled down from above, the light muted. Her mind was still processing.

Seconds passed and with every one of them, our desires increased. We’d been through so much danger, so many horrific situations. Now perhaps there was a chance we’d be free.

She watched us shift as she’d done before, always with a smile on her face. We were naked yet she was clothed.

That needed to change.

We advanced, wasting no time, ripping off her clothes until her glorious naked body appeared before us. She was so beautiful, every inch of her skin unmarred, which is why I craved marking her.

Her tiny laugh echoed in the cave, the sound sweeter than anything I’d ever heard. We should be considered monsters, beasts to fear, but she was special, perfect in every way.

Passion erupted like a wildfire, the dark cravings overwhelming. At that moment, there was no danger, no typhoon waiting just outside.