Page 13

“ I wondered where you’d gotten to.”

Logan lifted her head out of the pile of blankets, one of the panthers in their house cat form in her arms.

“Glad to see Yelena took my advice.”

Logan’s cheeks flushed. “She did. Thank you for suggesting it. I didn’t know I needed it.”

“Is that the pissy one or the one with no magic?” I sat down in the dirt outside her tent nest, gesturing to the black cat currently glaring at me.

“It’s Seth,” she replied, “and he lost his magic protecting me.”

Seth was the better of the two in my opinion. The older one wrapped himself in too much anger. This one was far more relaxed.

“Could I speak with you alone?”

The witch and panther had a silent conversation before he slid out of the nest, his amulet dragging in the dirt as he walked out of the room.

“That’s a lot more trust than I’ve gotten in the past,” I pointed out.

“He trusts me, not you.” She sighed and sat up, keeping one of the blankets draped over her shoulders. “What are you doing down here?”

“You’re an hour late for training.”

“Oh, shit.” Her cheeks pale. “Sorry. That’s not on purpose.”

“Rest is important too.”

“You could’ve told me earlier. You didn’t have to find me to do that.”

I shrugged. “I’m not going to force you to train.”

“But I want to,” she insisted.

I looked at her for a long moment. Her skin was pinker than normal and almost dewy, and her jasmine and forest scent billowed out of the nest in a cloud each time she shifted.

“Remind me how old you are.”

“Thirty-four,” she replied.

Gods. She was firmly an adult by human standards, but painfully young among shifters. I didn’t know a great many things about omegas, but it was relatively common knowledge they typically had their first heat around thirty-five.

“We should make a plan around your heat.”

Her scent burst, my whole body tightening as it washed over me.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I assume you’ll be taking Yelena and Velda for it. Calliope is still on bedrest, which will leave only Shakti and me to run things for however long it takes you to get through it.”

“Oh…yeah, that makes sense.”

Either I was losing it, or she sounded vaguely disappointed. I wasn’t going to dig into it at the moment, but soon. I got up and took myself across the room. “Stay in your nest. You can practice from there.”

She looked at me suspiciously but didn’t argue.

I need you to be ready.

Her face scrunched up in concentration, but nothing came through.

Yell at me if you need to.

I couldn’t help but notice her frown. Her scent grew stronger, a lure reaching across the space toward me. “I don’t want to yell at you.”

Come on, “white-tailed bitch” was creative. I’m no stranger to disdain. I can handle it from you.

She swallowed hard, her gaze holding me captive. I’m sorry.

That wasn’t at all what I’d expected to come through loud and clear. Don’t be. I deserve it most of the time.

Her power reached out like a caress, tendrils of warmth brushing over my skin. I’m trying something new. Is it working?

I shivered as her power traced my lips. I can hear you, if that’s what you mean.

Why did you kiss me?

Because she was the embodiment of everything I wanted and couldn’t have. Seemed like the least stupid thing to do if we were about to die.

Her magic wrapped around my throat like a collar, the buzz of warmth sending my prey instincts into overdrive as she held me on a metaphysical leash. I’ll ask you one more time. Please don’t lie to me. Why?

I kissed you because I wanted to. Does it have to be more than that?

I guess not.

I stared back at her, taking measured breaths. Did you want it to be more?

She broke eye contact, the magic holding me in place shattering the moment she did. Why did she have to be so difficult to read?

Logan turned to the door, Seth making his way back in and parking himself on her lap, his paws on her knees so he could watch me.

She doesn’t need you to protect her from me, panther.

Maybe not, but she’ll have me anyway.

“Keep practicing,” I ordered. “You can’t rely on your mates playing telephone in an emergency.”

Logan could pout at me all she wanted, but I wasn’t going to give her any leeway on a survival skill.

I let her flounder for the next few minutes. Still sure you wouldn’t rather yell at me?

Fuck off.

I grinned. Good girl.

“This is unfair. You guys get a whole lifetime of practice for this.”

“We do. That’s why it’s important you get as much practice in as you can.

I’m sure a lot of it is just a mental block.

You spent years being unable to communicate this way so you default to still being unable to.

If you’d rather not practice with me, I would suggest doing so with Velda and the other panther, or Yelena’s wolf. ”

“Why them?”

“You’ve fucked every single one of them. It’s an extra layer of connection you don’t have with me so it will probably be easier for you to communicate.”

You’re not fooling anyone, stag.

Who says I was trying to fool someone, panther? Would you prefer I pretend I don’t want her?

That’s for her to decide on how uncomfortable it makes her.

The problem was that I wasn’t sure she was uncomfortable. I suspected a lot of the problem was that Yelena and Velda didn’t like me. Logan certainly hadn’t reacted like a woman uninterested when I’d kissed her, but if she wasn’t willing to push further than that, there was nothing I could do.

“We should charge the wards,” she said slowly. “I’m nervous they’ve gone too long without a refresh.”

“I’ll call the others,” I offered.

“No,” she snapped. “You’re right here. We can do yours first.”

Seth looked between us, a conversation I wasn’t privy to going on. The cat glared at me as he climbed off of Logan’s lap, staring me down. I’ll be right outside. Don’t do anything stupid.

Logan extracted herself from the nest, wearing one of Yelena’s dresses that showed off a maddening amount of skin. She settled in the dirt nearest my artifact, looking at me expectantly.

I crossed the short distance and sat in front of her. Where do you want me to be?

She tilted her head just slightly, directing me behind her. Gods help me. The witch was testing boundaries and I was all too willing to sprint past them.

I settled down and pulled her onto my lap, her whole body tensing even as her scent exploded.

She didn’t make a peep to tell me off. Her breathing shallowed and when I brushed my knuckles down her arm, goosebumps erupted in their wake.

I laced our fingers together and brought her through the ward, her hand wrapping around the gold torque.

Don’t let me drain.

I was so fucking doomed. I took a chance, leaning her back so she was against my chest. That’s a very roundabout way of asking me to fuck you, little witch.

She bristled. That’s not what I’m asking.

No? You didn’t have to send the panther away.

I don’t want him to look at me right now.

You’d rather he and Yelena feel your reaction to me instead?

Fuck. I forgot about that.

I chuckled and dared to turn my face against her, dragging my nose up her throat to get a stronger hit of her scent. No hiding in the bond.

Her shoulders tightened stubbornly and she turned to the door, the panther returning in his human form without a stitch on him. He spared half a glance for our position before dropping to his knees and claiming her mouth.

Of course. Why not just increase my torture by having her in my lap this time?

Her skin sparked against me, my cock at full attention beneath her as the panther devoured her lips.

The whimper he coaxed from her almost undid me.

I wrapped my arm around her waist just for the simple pleasure of holding her close because I was pretty sure that was all I would ever be allowed.

Her loved ones tolerated me at best and that was not a safe foundation.

Logan was a little furnace in my arms. You’re going to cook me.

Stop wearing so many clothes, then.

What the sweet fuck had I got myself into? I untangled myself from my shirt as much as I could, though it still hung from our joined hands.

“Fucking hell,” I whispered as the panther hauled down both straps of her dress, leaving an expanse of skin to press against me. Her hips rocked a delicious pattern.

Logan curled her fingers into the panther’s hair as his mouth descended her body. Her head weighed heavily against my chest, every pant and whimper from her mouth pushing me closer to the edge.

You’re playing a dangerous game, witch.

I know.

Fuck me. It’s not very kind to tease me like this.

The panther seemed intent on sucking her soul out through her tit, choking off any reply she might have given me. Her power crashed over us and poured into the wards as she came, leaving my whole body tingling and my cock desperate to be wrapped in her.

Seth returned to her mouth and carefully righted her clothing while she caught her breath. He turned bright eyes onto me, desire glowing in them like a flame. At first glance I could only assume it was for Logan, but it didn’t dissipate.

You’d better temper that gaze, panther, or I might get ideas.

She was right.

About?

It’s hot watching you try to keep control. He kissed Logan again, but this time braced himself on my shoulder.

I hadn’t given too much thought to men in general, especially when I was surrounded by women who drove me up the wall on a daily basis, but I couldn’t deny that Seth had a beautiful human form.

He was probably just as off-limits as Logan was, but I wasn’t getting the impression either of them cared about that right now.

She told me you saved her before we arrived when the wards broke.

Couldn’t let us all die because she was depleted.

Seth’s brows furrowed. Don’t do that. If you’re going to protect her, don’t stand behind pretense. Cut the bullshit. If you want her, you need to be honest.

You and I both know I can’t have her even if I do want her.

He raised an eyebrow. You’re not that fucking stupid. She just came in your lap and you think you can’t have her?

She called you in to make that happen, I pointed out. She didn’t ask me to do it.

All I’m saying is Logan doesn’t sit on Shakti or Calliope’s laps.

I forcibly uncurled Logan’s fingers from around the gold torque, but I kept our hands laced, wrapping my arms back around her waist. Yelena hates me. Logan won’t choose me over a mate.

Caden hated me for years and I’m still here. You’d be surprised how quickly they bend when it comes to her happiness. He stood, drawing Logan up with him. “Come on, Lo. Pretty sure it’s been way too long since you’ve eaten something.”

Fuck that panther for planting seeds that had no hope of growing.

Logan’s eyes were full of too many questions I couldn’t answer when she looked at me.

“Go on. I’ll be along in a minute.”

Seth ushered her away but turned back before closing the door. Think about it.

Fucker. Like I was going to be able to do literally anything else .