Page 6

CHAPTER 6 - ASTRA

R aze shifted into his Lycan form at the knock on the door, a damn wolf defending his territory from intruders. At seven feet, he nearly took out a ceiling beam of the cabin in his storm to the entry.

Abuse at the hands of the vampires made my poor wolf more defensive than usual, scaling up his aggression and territorial nature. He was half-animal and only doing what was natural to protect his threatened mate. That said, I dreaded a repeat of earlier, where I met Liv and feared I’d have to pull three wolves apart with magick if he didn’t calm down.

“Raze, no!” I told him, crossing to him, settling my palm over his rapidly moving chest, hoping to lessen his alarm and prevent him from tearing the door off its hinges.

He growled and flashed teeth at me. Nope. Not having any of this Lycan business. He needed to get control of his wolf and change back.

“Who is it?” I assumed control of the situation before he got his Alpha more offside by doing damage to the cabin or commune’s members.

“It’s Liv,” the Alpha answered. “The healer’s here.”

Thank God!

Raze’s wounds looked nasty, and I wanted them tended to. Judging by his heavy brow, bared teeth, and the thunder in his chest, that wasn’t going to be easy or fun. I sure hoped the healer was experienced with difficult patients.

“You need to calm down,” I said slowly and evenly. “Please, Raze. I’m barely holding on.” A meltdown nudged at the back of my mind if he didn’t bring the chill.

He groaned and brushed my hair, his fangs receding, his bones cracking as they morphed into his human form. “I’m sorry for scaring you, Little Wolf.”

“It’s okay.” I motioned for him to move out of the way, and he did, allowing me to crank open the door. “Hi, come in.”

Massive forearms wrapped around my chest and middle, locking me to Raze’s front.

“I’ll wait out on the porch as the living room is cramped,” Liv said, pulling back, allowing a male and heavily pregnant female to enter. “This is Aaliyah and Castor.”

“Thanks, Liv.” Gold patches on Castor’s black leather jacket spelled Enforcer and Jackals’ Wrath MC.

Oh. My. God. Hot biker. I hadn’t read a good MC romance in so long. I went through a phase years before my time in the Guardians. Lonely nights and all that. Reality snapped me out of that fantasy quickly.

The female stroked her round and very heavy belly. Looking at it made my back ache. She must be carrying twins. Giant twins.

I went to help her sit down, but Raze jerked me back, rumbling a warning at the two intruders.

“None of that in front of my mate, shifter, or I’ll be forced to bind you while Aaliyah examines you.” The enforcer’s tone stayed surprisingly calm, telling me he was equipped to deal with cases like this.

Raze didn’t like that threat and responded.

I gave my wolf an elbow to his belly, warning him to bring it down ten notches. “They’re here to help us, remember?”

“Glad we understand each other, shifter.” The biker moved past us and set down a backpack on Raze’s coffee table. Then he went back to his gorgeous girlfriend, wrapping an arm over her shoulder, guiding her to a chair. “How do you want to do this, Sorceress?”

O.M.G., he had sexy nicknames for his girl like my men.

The size of her belly and her waddle said she wasn’t able to crouch on the ground and tend to us. “Sit them at the kitchen stools, Daddy.”

I mentally calculated which of my men I could use that nickname on. Either Raze or Knoxe. Ugh, I got sidetracked when I needed to concentrate. Damn these two for being so cute!

Back to Castor, aka Daddy. What a looker. Not what I expected from a biker. Curled hair to his shoulders, amber eyes, tanned skin, and Egyptian hieroglyph tattoos on his fingers. Sexy, with a capital S.

The biker unzipped the bag and peeled the front back, exposing a litany of surgical supplies, then beckoned for us to take a seat.

“Will that be comfortable for you, Aaliyah?” I moved to the seat, tugging my wolf with me. “Do you need to sit as well?”

“It’ll be fine, honey.” Her aquamarine eyes scanned us both, and I detected a hint of ancient power within her.

At five-six, she was a little taller than me. Sleek, long, black hair rested over her shoulders and on her back. Her stubborn nose and firm mouth said she didn’t let anyone push her around. Raze would have to be on his best behavior from here on out.

“You got a blanket, shifter?” the enforcer asked. “I don’t want your junk in my mate’s face.”

Aaliyah huffed at him like he insulted her professionalism. “Dicks don’t bother me. Are you wounded there, Wolfy?”

“No,” Raze grunted, using my body to cover himself. “There’s a blanket in my cupboard. First on the right.” He made no move to leave me, forcing Castor to excuse himself and retrieve it.

Awkward.

The biker reappeared with a woolen blanket in his arms. Raze sat in the chair, shook it over his hips and legs, and lifted me onto his lap.

The biker’s amber eyes fogged over with gold.

Aaliyah slapped his thigh. “Don’t be nosey, Daddy.”

His eyes returned to their normal amber. “I like to know who we’re working with, Sorceress. They’re Guardians by the emblem on her uniform.”

Damn. Busted. Too late to cover it with my palm.

Aaliyah whacked his leg. “You just can’t help yourself, can you?”

“I do my research and protect my sorceress.”

Er, who were these two? Not witches or warlocks, by the look of them. Their magick felt older, ancient, and didn’t rely on spells. The kind I met once before…

“Hi, I’m Astra, and this is my mate, Raze.” I got out the introductions, hoping to clear up my questions. “He’s really on edge, so no sudden moves, and for the love of God, no teeth or aggression.”

“I would be too, if I were electrocuted,” Aaliyah replied, setting up her own medical gear on the kitchen counter. Antibacterial rinses, creams, bandages—all in order of use. Something I’d do for my Asperger’s, though her system felt different. Methodical and in order of procedure, the way a nurse or doctor set them up.

I frowned. “How’d you know that?”

She gestured at Raze with elegant fingers tipped with black polish. “The burns on his temples are a dead giveaway. His nervous system is unbelievably stressed, and he’s struggling to maintain control of his human side. Impaired neurocognitive function means he can’t think straight or respond properly. Don’t get me started on the muscle pain.”

Wow. She was G.O.O.D. No wonder Liv summoned this healer.

“Please, tend to my mate first, healer,” Raze threw around orders.

I wriggled to get out of his hold and let the female take a look at him since he was in such bad shape. “No, he needs it.”

“Your wolf won’t settle unless I tend to you.” Aaliyah’s no-nonsense attitude definitely spelled experience with rude and disorderly patients. “Don’t worry, wolfy, your mate’s in good hands. I’m a nurse and took an oath to do no harm. I’m going to assess her wounds, rinse them, clean them, put my hands on her, and heal her wounds with magick.”

Raze needed every bit of reassurance he could get.

“No sudden movements.” Aaliyah set the ground rules firmly. She had a baby or ten to protect. “No aggression, or my mate, Castor, will torture you a hundred ways.”

“Three hundred and four ways,” Castor corrected with a smirk that gave me the impression he wielded it a lot.

Ouch. Putting a stop to this before it got out of hand, and I lost a mate. “Hey, now! He’s been tortured, remember? His animal is dominant right now and panicked that he might lose his mate. Cut him some slack!”

Dammit. We were all on edge for different reasons.

“I’m sorry,” I added, trying to diffuse the tension.

“I won’t hurt you, Aaliyah.” Raze cuddled me harder, leaning his chin on my shoulder. “You’re pregnant, and I don’t harm females.”

Oh! Maybe my wolf had calmed down.

“Good to know.” Aaliyah didn’t blink as she got to work, cleansing my wounds with expert precision. I winced at the sting of the antiseptic liquid, trying not to make a sound and agitate my wolf any more than he was.

“Castor is the avatar of the Egyptian god, Thoth,” Aaliyah explained. “And I work for Isis, the goddess of healing and magick.”

Ah. That explained it. They didn’t need the gun the enforcer packed beneath his cut to kill us.

“An avatar, like Mads?” I was curious to know how many were out there.

Castor laughed, obliterating the cabin’s tension, and thank Thoth for that. “You’ve met Mads?”

Hmmm… it seemed like the thief avatar had a reputation. Or perhaps Castor and Mads worked together. From what I knew of the mythology, Hermes and Thoth, though in different pantheons of gods, were often associated together for their roles in communication and learning. Though Hermes was known to be mischievous and Thoth serious, which confused me as to how scholars came to associate the two.

Raze growled in what I interpreted as a warning not to say more. Hmm. Good call. We were criminals. Me on the run, and him in hiding.

“We did some work for him.” I left out the rest of the details, going incognito and all that.

The biker smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. “That can't be good. Is that how you ended up here?”

Damn. He knew about Mads’ reputation. How much information was too much information? We didn’t need these two to take us back to the prison right after healing us.

“Nosey,” Aaliyah scolded him. “Heal first, ask questions later, Daddy.”

Yes, I liked her. A. Lot. Raze did too, by the sound of his pleased rumble. She was different to Liv. Firm in a practical way. Making her patient comfortable as best as the situation permitted. Laying down a threat to my wolf so his beast understood where they stood.

“Like shoot first and ask questions later?” My nerd slash biker romance fangirl couldn’t help herself. I wanted to know all the inner workings of an MC and determine the accuracy of the books I read.

Castor chuckled. “Something like that.”

Dark and mysterious, like Raze. My kinda vibe.

A different question rose to the surface to satisfy the mythology nerd in me who spent all her spare time at the Academy reading every book I could get my hands on. “You’re Thoth’s avatar’s mate, but wasn’t Isis married to Osiris?” The mythology didn’t mythology.

Aaliyah smiled and stroked her belly as if the baby belonged to him. “He’s back at the club.”

“You’ve got multiple men too?” My question bubbled out.

Her mouth curled up into a pleased smile. “Four. You?”

“Same.” I grinned, not even noticing the sting anymore.

She lightly touched my arm. “How do you manage time with all your men?”

“We’re together all the time.” Shame burned me like a fresh tattoo, and I stopped short of telling her we were locked in prison.

Aaliyah smiled as if she understood. “We each have a date night. Friday and the weekends are free-for-alls. Though, that’s all about to change.” She cupped her belly.

Bring on the orgies! My fave time with my men. I wish we had date nights. Prison rules prevented a schedule like that. Hopefully, when we were free. No kids for me for the near future!

“That sounds perfect.” I squeezed Raze’s thigh, cataloging the thought to discuss in private.

Golden magick swarmed across my arms, tingling in my skin, fresh tissue weaving over the sliced parts, sealing my wounds. I marveled at Aaliyah’s ability, wondering if I had a similar power, given that I repaired Tor’s broken vertebra… or created a new one. Investigation was in order when I returned home. Ugh… how sad was I that I called a dank prison my home?

“I’ve taken the pain out of the bruises so you won’t feel any more discomfort.” Aaliyah squeezed my healed forearm, telling me it was time for her next patient.

“Appreciate it.” I mustered a fleeting smile when my anxiety spiked for Raze’s treatment.

“You’re welcome, honey.” Aaliyah patted my knee. “Do you want me to erase the memories of what happened?”

I didn’t know that was a thing and stroked Raze’s face, closing my eyes at flashes seared into me of what his electrocution did to him. “Yes, I don’t want to remember what they did to my wolf.”

Aaliyah nodded like she understood, reaching out slowly to clasp my palm, a tingle dancing along my arm. “You won’t feel a thing as the memories dissolve, honey. That’s it, let them go.”

Flashes of golden light burst apart like shooting stars, my cries and Raze’s groans of pain fading away with it. At the end, Aaliyah released me, and I rubbed my arm, blinking, trying to remember what we just did.

“Little Wolf?” Raze rubbed my spine.

“That was incredible.” I gave his waist a pump to reassure him I was fine.

Castor cleaned up the waste, disposing of it in the trash bin under the sink, like he was practiced in this kind of call out.

“Thanks, Daddy.” Aaliyah earned a brush of her cheek upon his return.

My heart sighed at how cute they were together.

“Right, wolfy, your turn.” She set her aquamarine gaze on him. “Do you want me to leave bruises and strip the memories?”

Wait. What? Did she do that to me? All I remembered was being caged, forced to find a scientific cure for the vampires, my team coming to the rescue, and me leaving with Raze when his beast was unreasonable. Why, I couldn’t remember.

“My shifter healing will take care of it,” Raze tried to brush her off.

Stubborn wolf.

The hard line of her mouth said she was about to get tough on him for me. “Your nervous system needs a reboot. Otherwise, it won’t calm, and your shifter will be on constant edge. You saw how easy it was for your mate. What I do is akin to what wild animals do to shake the trauma from their body. Like a rabbit being pursued by a hunter.”

I really appreciated the way she walked him through her process to eliminate any reservations he had and built trust with his wolf first to show him she wasn’t a threat. It showed me how skilled she was at her job.

I squeezed his side. “Please, my wolf.”

“Fine,” he grunted.

“Do you promise to behave?” Aaliyah earned my respect for her patience and calm when my wolf’s instincts rioted.

“Yes.” His blanket slipped when he leaned over to kiss my forehead, and I tugged it back into place for the biker’s sake. God forbid anyone get an eyeful of Lycan-shifter cock.

Aaliyah took his hand, twisting it back and forth and running her finger from his wrist to his palm. “I’ll be gentle. Let me know if it’s too much.”

Raze kept his arm around my middle, my body locked to his, still in protective mode, and I didn’t mind him leaning on me when he clearly needed it. As she got to work, his body twitched, his fingers shooting out, one arm jacking forwarding, his knee kicking out, body trembling all over.

“Healer,” he growled.

Aaliyah’s grip on him tightened. “This is normal, don’t be alarmed.”

I read something about this in somatic trauma, where the human body stored the emotion in the body instead of releasing it, sometimes causing PTSD symptoms or reliving the trauma in similar situations.

Raze’s body flexed and contracted for another minute or so before settling. The long breath he drew in combined with his slacker posture, lowered shoulders, absent neck muscles, and easy jaw, said his wolf was calmer and at ease with her.

Aaliyah patted his wrist. “That’s the first part over with.”

I flashed her a grateful smile and stroked the back of his neck. “How do you feel, my wolf?”

Raze’s hold on me eased, and I breathed easier for the first time in forty minutes. “Much better.”

Aaliyah’s nose snorted out a pleased huff. “Shall we start with part two, tough guy?”

Castor and I cracked a smile at that.

Raze groaned as if his manhood was under pressure. “Go for it.”

Broken tissue folded back together, evaporating rusty blood, breaking up bruises that yellowed and lightened, leaving clear, cinnamon skin. Damn, that was impressive.

“You’re done, wolfy.” She stroked her belly. “Thanks for being a good patient.”

“Thank you, healer,” Raze rumbled with pleasure, twisting his elbow back and forth like it was brand new.

“Anytime.” Aaliyah began to pack up her belongings.

“I’ll get that, Sorceress.” Castor swatted her knuckles and did it for her.

“You’re too good to me, Daddy.” The loving way she brushed his forearm sent me into cuteness overload.

Even Raze rumbled at the two of them. Yes, my wolf was back with me.

Our healer snatched a pen from her pack and scribbled a note on an adhesive bandage wrapper. “If you need me, here’s my number. Stay out of trouble.”

I snorted at the irony of that when working for the Guardians.

Throwing the packed bag over his shoulder, the biker said to us, “You got a tough deal on your sentences. “Want me to reduce them?” I got the distinct impression that his powers gave him access to tap into our records.

“You can do that?” I didn’t want to get my hopes up with the luck I had this past eighteen months.

Gold fogged over his eyes again. “How does release in three months sound? Any shorter, and it’ll raise questions.”

I swallowed hard. Immediate release was an impossible dream.

“One week,” Raze countered with a threatening growl.

“No deal.” Castor cocked a gun finger at me.

Three months was better than nothing. Excited, I launched at the man, hugging him, repeating “Thank you” a hundred times, and adding, “If you’re lying, I’ll track you down and?—"

“Dissolve me. Yeah, I’ve read your record.” Yep, he was definitely in the same league as Mads. The Don’t fuck with league.

I moved to the door to let them out. “Good. Glad we’re on the same page.”

Castor smirked.

Aaliyah giggled and set a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t dissolve Daddy, please. Who will teach the quads to read?”

“You’re having quads?” My vagina clenched, and I crushed my legs together.

“One for each mate. A miracle from my goddess.” Aaliyah grinned, flashing a sweet smile to her mate.

Raze rumbled with even more delight. He once said he wanted to fill my belly with lots of pups.

I jabbed a finger at him. “Don’t get any ideas, wolfy.” My vagina retired and went on permanent vacation at the idea of any more than two babies.

The three of them laughed at me.

“Take care, honey.” Aaliyah and Castor waved and descended the porch.

Oh, I’d enjoy every moment with my wolf until the dreaded return to captivity.