Page 26

“ I ’m so glad you’re feeling better.” I swung my hand joined with Logan’s as I led her down the hall. “If you could stop almost dying, that would be fabulous.”

She laughed. “I’ll do my best.”

I paused, spinning her and pressing her against the wall for the sheer pleasure of breathing in the burst of her scent. “Do better than your best. I refuse to lose you now that I’ve found you.”

Her dark eyes were luminous, and they fluttered closed when I dipped down, indulging myself in the taste of her mouth. So fucking sweet. Did all omegas taste this way or was she sweeter to me because fate had guided her here?

I’d had the least time with her, but I was determined to forge my connection with her anyway. Sometimes I wondered if I was imagining it, if I’d just hoped so hard for someone that I’d convinced myself there was more with her than in reality.

Then she melted, her body pliable and her scent thick in my nose, and I knew it wasn’t my imagination. She felt it too.

I’d known it when she arrived, and when her fingertips had brushed the edge of death. Even without a bond, I knew. She was mine too, despite the others monopolizing her.

“I’m not going to meet your claimants in the hallway,” Logan murmured softly. “What if they’re weird about us?”

“They won’t be. That’s most of why I want you to meet them. I want to figure out how to navigate things with you and them.”

“You’re allowed to date other people. I’d be kind of a hypocrite if I said otherwise.”

I tucked my finger under Logan’s chin, lifting her gaze to meet mine. “I don’t want to date them. I claimed them because they’re cool, beautiful people. It gets really fucking boring and lonely having no one in the suite. We’re friends with benefits more than anything.”

Logan’s scent sweetened.

“Do you like that little witch? Being the only one I’ll let hold my heart?”

“It feels selfish to say yes.”

“Perhaps.” I nibbled down her throat, reveling in the heat of her skin. “But maybe I like you being possessive of me.”

She squirmed, fingers kneading my waist, gorgeous gasps and moans filling my ear as I played with her.

“You really are too delicious.” I trailed my fingertips down her side. “Makes me want to take you apart right here in the hall.”

“People could see.”

“Hmm, indeed they could,” I purred, “but you like that, don’t you? Our little exhibitionist. I can’t wait for them all to watch you come when you get fucked in the throne room.”

Logan’s scent was thick and impossibly sweet in the air, sending goosebumps across my skin, my pussy begging for some attention.

She hadn’t touched me like that yet, and as much as I preferred ruining my partners rather than the other way around, I could see the appeal of having a desperate, squirmy omega doing her absolute best to give me pleasure.

“Velda, we know you’re out there,” Tessa’s voice came through the door. “Quit hogging the witch.”

Logan froze, scent getting even stronger as her blush overwhelmed her features.

“Ready to meet them?”

My omega nodded, rubbing at her cheeks as if she could dispel the color.

I swept open the door to my suite. “Welcome to my abode, little witch.”

The flush of her cheeks was way too fucking cute and I loved that everyone could see how worked up I’d made her.

I gestured to my four claimants lined up and ready to officially meet her. “These are my chosen. This beautiful gargoyle is Laila, and these lovely shifters are Kelly, Tessa, and Yumi. Laila will be my only claimant after lockdown is over.”

Logan quirked her head, looking at the four of them. “Oh?”

“We came in together and were only planning to stay a few months,” Kelly explained. “We’re on an archaeology team together and while Velda’s been so lovely, we’ve been itching to get back out there.”

“If we survive the monster,” Tessa added.

“Surviving this is the whole goal,” Logan said with a nervous laugh. “I’m working really hard to figure out my powers so we can get rid of this thing.”

My three ladies drew her into conversation, asking about her magic, while Laila hung back to observe, as she usually did.

“You’re very different from other witches I’ve encountered,” Laila said after a while.

“I wasn’t raised by witches,” Logan told us. “My adoptive parents were humans, and my magic was bound until recently.”

“So you didn’t know any of this existed?” Tessa asked.

“I knew some of it existed. Caden and Seth came into my care as cats and I found out very quickly about the whole shifter situation. I just didn’t know that I was part of all of this too.”

The girls kept her chatting. They were always excellent for distraction and for getting people relaxed enough they might spill their secrets.

“Can you show us your magic?” Kelly asked.

Logan looked imploringly in my direction.

“Logan’s magic is not to be used for fun,” I told them. “However, I wouldn’t say no if you wanted to give my ladies the sight so they can be safer.”

“I can try.” Logan nodded.

“Laila first.” I ushered my gargoyle forward.

She didn’t make a peep as Logan’s magic smoked between their joined hands. I was never entirely certain how much Laila felt, except that it was enough for her to enjoy herself in my bed. My other ladies were not so composed when they received Logan’s gift.

“Fuckity, fuck, fuck!” Tessa shook her hand after Logan released her.

“Such a widdle baby.” I stuck my tongue out at Tessa. “I like the burn of the little witch. Do you need me to help recharge you, sweetness?”

Logan’s eyes went wide, her scent bursting to the point that my ladies were giggling, and even Laila had an amused upturn to her lips.

“I shouldn’t tease you, but you make it so much fun.”

“Do you think we’re going to have to run?” Yumi asked.

“I hope not,” Logan replied, “but I don’t know. I’m trying to keep the wards up as best I can. I don’t know if the monster is consuming magic at a faster rate or what’s going on, but I promise we’re doing all we can.”

Kelly pouted. “I hate being so on edge. If it weren’t such a high risk I would try to bolt, but I’ve heard the rumors about what it can do. I don’t wanna lose my shifting.”

“Honestly, that’s probably the best-case scenario. Seth was barely alive when we escaped. A few more seconds with the monster and he wouldn’t have made it at all.”

My girls paled.

“Now would be a really good time for someone in the nest to reveal they’re a secret billionaire with a personal helicopter to fly us out of here,” Tessa joked.

“If only,” I said with a laugh. “Alas, I am only a lowly multimillionaire. Rentals might be an option but we’d also have to find a shifter who owns a helicopter and could fly a few of us out one by one.”

“Maybe we should.”

I turned to Logan. “You think so?”

“It doesn’t hurt to ask, right? People wouldn’t be able to leave with much, but we could get the kids out. You can fit a lot of squirrels and rabbits on a helicopter.”

“What a time to be a bear,” Yumi lamented. “Why couldn’t I have been born something tiny?”

“I’ll reach out to the Council,” I promised to Logan. “They’ll need somewhere to go after they leave here, so the coordination might take some time.”

“We don’t have time.” Logan’s dark eyes burned into me. “Tell them it’s an emergency.”

“Wait,” said Tessa. “Did I actually come up with something useful?”

“Of course you did, dearest. I’d expect nothing else of that beautiful brain. Though, I’m going to ask the four of you to leave for a bit so I can speak to Logan privately.”

“Is that a euphemism for sex?” Kelly asked.

“Ordinarily, yes, but not in this case.” Once they had departed, I turned to Logan. “Do you think we need an air evacuation?”

“I don’t know. Everyone keeps telling me my heat is coming soon and I don’t know how that’s going to affect everything. I couldn’t live with myself if the wards collapsed because I couldn’t maintain them. There are so many kids here, Velda.”

I gathered Logan into my arms. “Okay. We’ll get them out one way or another. I think we should call a Protector meeting to discuss options. Calliope is usually asleep at this time, but later?”

Hey, Murdoch. Can you let us know when the love of your life is awake?

I will.

Thank you. I switched from him to the rest of the Protectors, minus Logan and Calliope. Get ready for a meeting in an hour or two.

What’s going on? Yelena asked.

Logan wants to discuss evacuation plans.

Who are we evacuating? Kendrick asked.

So impatient. Wait for the meeting. Velda out. I turned back to Logan. “Okay, message has been sent. We’re just waiting for Calliope to wake up.”

My witch wrapped her arms around me. “Thank you.”

“I probably should’ve gotten you to try it. I’ve been slacking as your telepathy teacher.”

“Things have been a bit chaotic.”

“True that.” I cupped her cheeks, searching her face. “What’s going on in that gorgeous head of yours?”

“Just nervous. So much can go wrong on top of the monster, and I’m still worried about Yelena and Kendrick.”

I pulled her over into my living room area, settling her on the couch. “You shouldn’t be worrying about them.”

“But I am anyway. Do you think it’s possible for them to become friends? I know you don’t like Kendrick either.”

“You’re not wrong about that. If he would be a little less insufferable, I’d probably like him a lot more, but in any case my conflict with him has a lot more to do with alleviating boredom.

He’s fucking hilarious to tease. However, for the good of the nest, I’ll promise to be nicer.

I like watching him desperately desire you. It’s better than TV.”

Logan laughed, leaning harder against me, tucking her forehead into the curve of my throat, arms looping around my waist. “Please be nice. He’s not as bad as you all think. He’s just fighting prey instincts. My version of that comes out slutty, and his comes out combative.”

I let my fingernails shift into claws. “Slutty, you say? Should I spook you?”

Her scent erupted when I trailed my claws over the curve of her breast.

“Damn, you weren’t kidding.”