Page 4

“ C an I just drain myself and get recharged afterward?” I asked as Yelena led me to meet Shakti in the basement.

“You don’t want me to play with you in front of her? You seemed fine with Kendrick.”

“Kendrick is fun to tease, but Shakti doesn’t like me.”

Yelena nodded, her gorgeous curls swaying with the movement. “Fair enough, precious. Let me give you a boost before we get there, then.”

She backed me up against the elevator walls, mouth descending against mine with a nip of her fangs on my lip.

Power sizzled through me, igniting my core and making my limbs tingle. Yelena kissed with all the ferocity of a predator and my silly little prey brain loved it.

When the door dinged and she pulled away, I swayed toward her.

Shakti and Calliope waited for us, Calliope in a wheelchair with Murdoch at her side.

She hadn’t been feeling particularly well lately so I hadn’t had any lessons with her yet, and I was pretty sure Shakti was avoiding that responsibility altogether.

“Let’s get a move on,” said Shakti. “I have work to do.”

The five of us dipped into the ward room and I settled on the dirt floor, waiting while Shakti and Yelena did the same. Shakti looked deeply unimpressed as she laced our fingers and stretched them through the ward to her artifact—a shiny wooden mandala with intricate carving and tiny jewel insets.

The draw of power was instant when I made contact.

Yelena supported me, her hands at my waist and her thumbs stroking gently along my sides.

Without her charging me as we went, the effect was immediate.

The artifact slurped down my energy like a kid in summer with a lemonade, and only when I started to drop off did Yelena forcibly pull me away.

My vision blurred out. The Shakti blob stood and departed without another word.

“One moment, please, Calliope dear,” Yelena said as she gathered me close.

Her fingertips brushed over my cheek and down my throat in a smooth rhythmic pattern.

Her touches were light, not straying anywhere provocative.

The prick of her claws on my scalp when she cupped my head had me squirming, my vision clearing almost instantly.

I reached for her when I had the strength to do so, thrilling when she dipped her mouth to my throat and let her fangs tease me there. Desire rocked through me, and with it, a surge of energy that recalibrated me back to normal.

“Do you still want to do another charging unassisted?” Yelena asked.

I shook my head. “I forgot how much it sucks.”

Yelena turned to Calliope and Murdoch. “We’re ready for you.”

Murdoch scooped up his mate and settled her next to us. Just like the others had done, Calliope took my hand and pushed it through the ward until I met her artifact—a bronze dodecahedron that still shone in its beautiful coppery tone without an ounce of tarnish.

“Murdoch, be a dear and close your eyes while I take apart our witch so she doesn’t pass out.”

He respectfully turned away but didn’t go far from his mate, letting her rest against him and keeping her other hand twined with his. Calliope, for her part, seemed to be trying not to stare overtly, but it only lasted a few seconds at a time as Yelena dipped her fingers beneath my skirt.

My breathing shallowed, my hips canting against her hand.

The steady output of power was infinitely more pleasant than letting myself be drained dry, not to mention I got to enjoy Yelena playing with me.

Each whimper she drew out of me prompted her to boost her speed and pressure until she descended into my cunt with a slick sound that filled the air with the scent of jasmine.

“That’s it, precious. You’re doing so well.”

I squirmed desperately, letting my magic flow like a fountain out of me.

She coaxed me up and up, brushing my clit until I teetered on the edge. My pussy frantically gripped her fingers and her hand stilled, halting my pleasure.

“No,” I whimpered.

Yelena pulled me away from the artifact, my whole body electrified.

Calliope’s eyes were wide, her lips softly parted as she stared at me. “I wish I got a power boost from that.”

Yelena chuckled, cuddling me close. “It’s rather convenient. Not so much on a battlefield, but while we’re in close quarters it certainly helps.”

“Do you think it will come down to that?” Calliope asked. “How are we supposed to fight?”

“I won’t let it take the nest,” I promised. “Whatever happens, I’ll do anything I can to protect this place.”

Calliope smiled. “That’s why you’re so well suited to this role. I’ll admit I was nervous, even if I was willing to give you a chance. The nest is lucky to have you.”

“Even though I’m the reason it’s in danger?”

Calliope waved the question off. “We don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t come here. What if that thing had killed you and then found all of these nests unable to withstand it? I prefer to think that without you coming here, much more damage could’ve been done.”

“I’m inclined to agree,” said Murdoch, still facing away. “Nothing about this is ideal, but the many possibilities indicate it could have been far worse for another nest.”

Relief settled in my chest. I would have to cling to that outlook so the guilt didn’t swallow me whole.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been able to train you yet,” said Calliope. “My body has been betraying me.”

“That’s totally okay. You should be resting.”

“We’ll go back up with you,” said Yelena. “Would you be feeling up to sitting with Logan over some tea?”

“I could probably manage that.” Calliope offered me an exhausted smile. Murdoch helped her into the wheelchair and the four of us got onto the elevator to go upstairs.

I stayed in Calliope’s suite while Yelena went to work, fixing the tiger a cup of peppermint tea before settling myself on the edge of her bed.

“Thank you. I hate not being able to do everything for myself anymore.”

“You’re protecting your body and your babies. That’s an important job, and soon they’ll be on the outside.”

She sighed, staring into her cup. “It was supposed to be easier.”

“I’m sorry it’s not. Pregnancy is different for everyone.”

“I’ve been telling myself they’re going to be angel children for putting me through this.” She stroked a hand over the swell of her belly.

“They’d better be,” I said with a laugh. “I don’t know how long I’ll be around, but I have a lot of experience with neonatal kittens. I can’t imagine tiger cubs would be that different if you needed help.”

“I definitely plan on giving birth as a tiger. I feel like that body is a little better set up for things, plus baby tigers are a lot more equipped for the world when they come out than human babies are.”

“Is the gestation different?”

“We unfortunately get stuck with human gestation time. I would much rather only be pregnant for, like, three months instead of nine, but nothing I can do about that.”

“Do the babies shift with you?”

“Yep, though I’m under orders to not shift until I go into labor, just in case.

” She sighed. “It’s really ruining my groove.

Did you know we had no idea for the longest time if babies shifted in the womb along with their birth parent until they started doing ultrasounds on pregnant shifters in both forms. The babies don’t have much control over their shifting until they’re older, so they’re kind of sporadic little goblins picking forms at random once they’re born.

That’s why a lot of families come to the nests.

We’d be found out in a heartbeat if we had our kids out and about in human society. ”

I had a thousand questions to ask, but I wasn’t sure Calliope was up to a discussion about shifter brain development in their different forms. If the wider world knew about shifters it could probably be studied, but that didn’t work so well when they were all on the down low.

“I guess that’s true. I know it’s not the same, but I have helped a fair few cats through labor and birth. If you want extra support when the time comes, just let me know.”

Calliope nodded, a soft smile on her lips. “Your brain works in interesting ways. I suppose that’s a case of not being raised in shifter society. Do you compartmentalize our forms?”

“I mean, I kind of have to. I adopted Seth and Caden thinking they were cats, and I think it prevents things from getting weird if my brain completely separates that form from their human one when we get physical.”

Calliope laughed. “That makes sense to me. We fuck in all forms, but there are definitely limitations if you have a human partner.”

“Wee bit.”

Calliope worked her way through her tea, telling me all about how she had met Murdoch and her part in forming the nest. They weren’t opposed to adding more people into the mix, but there has thus far been no one tempting enough to consider it.

“Are you building a pack?” she asked eventually.

I blinked at her.

“Omegas do that. I haven’t been around many of them, but you do have a certain gravity.”

“Not entirely on purpose, but I guess that’s kind of what’s happening.”

“Who all is in it? I know your panthers, but the rumor mill is strong, and I prefer my information from the source.”

“Seth and Caden are the only official ones. Honestly, I don’t really know the status with anyone else.”

Calliope’s eyes gleamed. “How many anyone elses? Yelena is obvious with her affections, which is kind of a surprise after having no one but Haru for years. Are you with the wolf?”

“I’m not, no, but he and Seth knew each other before we came here and they’ve definitely grown close.”

“What about Velda?”

Heat rose in my cheeks. “Nothing official.”

“She loves more freely, but she’s never fully attached herself to someone while we’ve been here. Others?”

“Not that I know of,” I said with a laugh.

“Kendrick likes you.”

I stiffened. “He can like me all he wants. It’s not going to get him anywhere.”

The tigress giggled. “I’ve watched him a lot. My running theory is that he has a thing for powerful women. Or at least women who don’t like him. He would simp for Yelena in a heartbeat if she gave him the time of day. I’m betting it would be the same for you.”

I couldn’t deny what she said, not after seeing the way he had looked at me when we charged his artifact.

The desire in his eyes had been equal to, if not stronger than, his anger over being ambushed.

“If the men in my life are going to be grumpy, they have to at least be sweet. Caden has a lot of strong feelings, but he would do anything for me. I can’t say the same for Kendrick. ”

Calliope shrugged. “I’m not telling you to go for him. I’m just pointing out his preferences I’ve noticed. Sometimes it’s fun to imagine powerful men bowing at your feet.”

I hated that her statement forced me to do exactly that. Kendrick would be a pretty picture on his knees, with all that fire in his eyes, hating the supplication as much as he loved it.

“Your eyes are glowing, little witch.” Calliope grinned. “Does that mean you like the idea?”

“Kendrick is an asshole,” I snapped.

Calliope continued beaming at me. “Never said he wasn’t.”

She seemed pleased as punch, getting me all twisted up like this. I had plenty of relationships to work on, and Kendrick certainly wasn’t one of them. Nobody even liked him. Even if I wanted him to be part of a pack, it would be a shit move on my part to force everyone to deal with him. “I can’t.”

“Are you saying that to me or to yourself?” Calliope asked.

“Both.” I stood up, unable to continue making eye contact with her. “I should go.”

“You’ll get no shame from me if you did want to play with him. The others might be a different story, but omegas are drawn to strength and kindness. At least he’s got one of the two.”

“It was lovely having tea with you.” I inched toward the door. “I’ll see you later.”

I reached the door to the hall, closing my fingers around the handle before she yelled out, “Come update me if you do play. I wouldn’t say no to finding out if my theories are true.”

I shook myself, stepping into the hall and leaning against the closed door. Kendrick was a dick who didn’t deserve my attention. For the sake of my lovers and my own sanity, I couldn’t entertain the possibility.