Page 47 of Savage Mates (Ruthless Instinct #2)

Titus

This was a particularly shitty idea.

The rain was pelting down in sheets, trees bending to the willpower of the storm. While morning had dawned, the sky was almost completely black as the typhoon neared.

We raced toward the encampment, the other lions grumbling the entire time. I couldn’t blame them.

Our little mate had been determined and all three of us had known nothing would stop her from fulfilling what she believed was her duty.

That was both admirable and deserving of harsh punishment.

She was very much a handful. Beautiful and beguiling, but in need of a firm hand.

We neared the encampment and the sounds were horrific. The beasts were in pain, sheer agony.

At least the monstrous men hadn’t killed them.

Maybe she was right and the lifeforms would heal them. Nothing would surprise me at this point.

“I can feel them,” she called, using her voice instead of our mental connection.

Her excitement was building. She so believed that the lifeforms would cure them. I had a terrible feeling if they didn’t, she’d never forgive herself.

“We approach with caution,” Zeus said to everyone.

“They’re dangerous,” Thor added.

“They will know we’re trying to help them. I’ll explain it to them.” This time her mental tethering seemed as if she was reaching out to the entire pride.

Alexander obviously understood her, his laugh an indication he didn’t believe a word she’d said. “They will kill us and take our cub.”

“No,” she insisted. “I can speak to them.”

Whether or not she could, we were prepared for a bloody fight to keep her protected.

With the conditions getting worse by the minute, we had no time to lose. Still advancing with caution, we headed to the cages. The lions sensed our approach from a distance, already ramming the bars. They were feral, their mouths open and canines exposed, some even lashing out at each other.

She moved past us, heading directly for them.

“Stop right there, little mate,” I told her.

Her sudden stop was followed by a toss of her head over her shoulder. “This is where you trust me for a change. I know what I’m doing.”

“She needs to be controlled,” Gabriel said, which prompted Thor to snort.

“We will do that, but right now, she’s taking the lead.” He issued a slight growl to the others to stay back.

After taking a deep breath, she moved closer, saying nothing, but I sensed a deep vibration emitted from deep within.

Her entire body was quivering, humming as if energized by jolts of electricity.

At first, the mutants couldn’t care less. I could sense their eagerness to rip her apart. But slowly, one of the lions ceased snarling. He stopped moving altogether, taking a few seconds to study her.

We were all tense, trying to maintain control while our instincts screamed this was a mistake.

Yet she persisted, her breathing relaxed, her slight movements non-threatening.

This lion was obviously the one in charge. He moved closer, pushing his way past the others. When one tried to challenge him, he roared and grabbed the lion by the throat.

We tensed, our muscles tightening. If he lost control and killed one of his own, a melee would ensue.

To our surprise, he merely held the lion in his jaw until the other beast surrendered, allowing his body to go limp.

“I’ll be damned,” Zeus muttered.

“She’s more powerful than we believed,” Thor chortled.

I dared take a step closer, my heart still thudding in my chest.

The powerful mutant dropped the other, advancing to the very edge of the cage. When she took a step forward, I almost lunged, only stopped by Thor’s insistence I not.

Not even tentative in her actions, she reached out, sliding her hand through the bars. I think we were all holding our breath when she dared touch him, stroking his muzzle.

“There,” she said out loud. “They understand. You can free them now. Just be careful. They’re in great pain.”

“What the fuck?” Alexander hissed.

“Do you believe this shit?” Gabriel pushed.

A few seconds passed until I moved beside her, studying the mutants who were much calmer. “She’s right. Free them.”

And so, we did.

There was no fighting, no attacks by the mutants. They’d been given instructions to flee and find safety. One by one they passed, but none before giving her the respect she deserved.

Only when they disappeared into the jungle were we able to breathe a sigh of relief.

It was if we’d been in a bubble, ignoring the worsening weather conditions. Now trees fell all around us, debris from the earlier fire tossing chunks of wood and pieces of metal over us like a rain shower.

Our little mate took several deep breaths, but I sensed she was in imminent danger. Lunging forward, I grabbed her around the neck, running away from where she was standing.

And seconds before a large tree crashed to the ground with a horrific thud.

“Oh, my God,” she whispered, her chest heaving as a rush of adrenaline and fear mixed, creating a caustic pool of vibrations.

“We need to get out of here,” Thor roared.

“To the caves.” Zeus nodded to the others.

She struggled to stand, gasping for air.

“Run!”

The single screamed word faded quickly, drowned out by the incessant howling wind. She bolted through the trees with us following, trying to keep her protected. She still had her flashlight, yet the beam did almost nothing for her against the darkness and shadows as we moved through the jungle.

I sensed her utter terror, but also elation. She was thrilled she’d managed to connect with the mutants.

Sheets of rain pelted every inch of our bodies.

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.

There was just the four of us.

She stood with her eyes open wide, a sensual smile on her face.

Taunting us.

Hungering for us.

Her thoughts mingling with ours.

Want.

Need.

Thor captured her mouth, yanking her against him, both the man and the beast possessive as hell. He thrust his tongue inside. As soon as he did, both Zeus and I crowded close. We would not be denied. Her nipples were hard diamonds, the color the perfect shade of rose.

My mouth watered from the thought of pulling one through my teeth, biting down until she cried out in pain.

He rolled one hand over her shoulder, tangling his fingers in her hair. His thoughts were as insatiable as mine.

The air was one of desperate needs, dense and thick, ripe with uncontrollable desire.

We couldn’t take waiting any longer, touching her. Stroking her.

I cracked my palm against her bottom. I could tell the single smack brought both excitement and pain. She hungered for more.

Without hesitation, I gave her what she needed,, one coming right after another.

She moaned into the kiss, pushing hard against Thor’s chest. There was no doubt she was longing for more, her ass thrust out for my tingling hand. Her delicious scent of desire lingered in the cave mixing with the heavy dose of testosterone erupting from the three of us.

I gave her four more savage cracks. The heat in my fingertips was incredible, my needs more crazed than before. Breathless, she pushed away from Thor, gasping for air.

“Our little mate needs constant discipline,” Zeus growled, his voice rumbling.

“Never,” she challenged.

“Then we give her what she needs,” I said, laughing darkly.

My lion roared to the surface, longing to be set free. Not this time. Today I wanted to remain very human so I could take what I wanted.

We stroked her, caressing her soft skin.

We kissed her, long and deep.

We tasted her, every single inch.

And one by one, we fucked her, filling her tight holes as the predators she knew us to be and the men she craved.

Zeus claimed her pussy, his massive cock filling her. Moans escalated in the cave, her sounds fueling us.

Pushing us.

We were manic, incapable of stopping. The sounds were primal, hungry grunts and growls mixing with her continuous moans and soft whimpers.

Hunger refusing to be denied, I pushed Zeus away, my needs even more insatiable than the others. When I thrust my cock inside her sweet pussy, I wrapped my hand around the back of her neck. The hold was possessive, reminding her that no matter what happened, she would always belong to us.

More touching.

More tasting.

Her moans were ragged and building to a crazy precipice.

My actions were rough, ruthless, fucking her relentlessly.

The buildup was incredible, every muscle tingling as the rush of excitement and sheer joy turned into a complete frenzy. As rain pelted our skin, the heat of our bodies created steam.

And soon, Thor and I both erupted deep inside, filling her with our seed.