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“And being trapped in an intimate situation as you were—at our mercy—sent you back to those places.”
She nods.
“I understand. Nothing happens here that you don’t want. You say stop, we will always stop. Okay?” Axel informs her.
The water raining down on us turns cool, and a shiver races through Riley’s body. “Come on, let’s get you out of here and dried off,” I say, pulling both of her legs to one side and cradling her in my arms again. Holding her skin to skin, sharing my warmth and essence with her is balm to my soul, healing the splinters from the past.
Standing, I carry her out of the shower as Axel turns it off and gathers towels. I place Riley on the same counter as earlier. Axel wraps a towel around his waist and tosses one to me, and I wrap it around myself and slip the dripping boxers down my legs as he tenderly wraps a bath sheet around Riley’s shaking form.
A low moan catches my attention, and my gaze drifts to Axel. His eyes rake over me and Riley before he quickly turns away. He grabs another towel and adverts his gaze from me as he approaches Riley and gently towel dries her long, fiery locks. Axel’s never been one to hide his appreciation for both the male and female body, but I can’t remember a day he ever looked at me with heat his eyes, not before Riley.
He steps away to hang the towel, and I step between Riley’s legs, and she leans into me, wrapping her arms around me, and I wrap her in my warm embrace. Her head cradled against my bare chest, tucked snuggly under my chin.
For the first time, she seems at peace. No pain. No suffering. No tormenting past to hide from. Just peace, comfort, and serenity. Her body is relaxed, the earlier tension gone. Her wolf is calm.
I look to Axel, and he nods once in understanding. I shift Riley’s arms up around my neck and lift her off the counter. Her legs wrap around my waist tightly, and I cradle her so she sits on one of my arms as I hold her to me. I carry her back into the bedroom and sit on clean sheets, my back against the headboard. She remains on my lap, wrapped protectively in my arms, and just rests against my chest. Her breathing evens out, and she goes completely lax in my hold. I slide down to lie with her, shifting her weight to lie on her side, snuggled protectively against me. Axel slides onto the bed behind her, and he wraps an arm around her middle while resting his face in the crook of her neck, closing his eyes, and inhaling her sweet summer scent.
Chapter 20
RILEY
I wake to a soothing warmth surrounding me from all sides. A safe, grounding weight drapes across my waist. A sense of deep healing I can’t reject seeps into me, and my wolf rolls in the comfort. I shift slightly off my side, trying to roll to my back, only to find I can't really move, I'm pinned in place by two large, warm, and very solid bookends. My eyes open, and I gasp at the nearness of the two bright, intense, and truest hazel eyes I’ve ever seen. The color changes slightly to a darker hazel lined with more forest green and gold as the inner glow recedes into the background.
“Cree?” I whisper his name, coming out as more of a question than an acknowledgement.
“My bear wouldn't believe me that you were okay. He needed to see you ... to ... smell you for himself.” He blushes and seems to hesitate as he stumbles a bit on his words. The sight before me–of this big giant of a man blushing—oh, my.
I bring my hand up and cover my mouth before the laughter climbing from my belly can fully escape. My shoulders shake with the attempt not to laugh.
“Riley. Are you laughing at me?” Cree asks, his tone laced with mock seriousness, and quirking a disbelieving brow at me. I shake my head, biting my lips behind my hand and trying not to let the laugh out.
All hope is lost when a sleepy Axel pipes in, “He is adorable when he blushes, isn't he?”
That’s it, I’m a goner. My hand flies from my mouth to Cree’s rock-solid chest as I burst into a fit of laughter. That is until Axel's words finally register, and I peer over my shoulder at the man in question. His eyes glitter with mirth at my confusion and Cree’s blushing. Glancing back at Cree, I can see the affection and nervousness on his face. Oh, yeah, there’s something brewing here.
It’s my turn to blush as my thoughts take a turn down a very seductive road. My arousal spikes with the dirty images taking root in my mind, and I know they can smell it. My blood pressure rises, and the world is washed in a foggy haze as black stars twinkle across my vision. I rest my forehead on Cree’s chest as I close my lids and take deep even breaths.
He chuckles as he presses his lips to the top of my head in a gentle kiss. “I do believe, Axel, someone is turned on by the prospect of us together.”
Axel hums his agreement.“However, her body's been fighting through exhaustion from the withdrawal and now healing. That, along with lack of proper nourishment, makes it hard for her to have the strength to truly enjoy those dirty little thoughts,” Axel states, all professional, before placing a sweet tender kiss to my shoulder.
My very bare shoulder. What the fuck? I look down, and for the first time since waking between their arms, I notice I’m only wrapped in a bath sheet and strong male arms. I close my eyes and seek out memories from the night before. Only coming up with fragments of memories, I bite my lips, confusion and worry rooting themselves firmly in place before asking, “Um, why am I in just a towel? And how long have I been out?”
Cree regards me steadily, like he’s not sure if he should answer my question. It’s Axel who breaks the silence first. Sitting up, he looks down at me. “It's been almost a week since you stormed into the bar looking for a drink and probably a fight. You've been in and out of it since. Detoxing and healing. There’ve been some rough moments, real touch and go ones where we weren't sure you were going to survive the energy drain.” He pauses to take a breath. “Do you remember anything from the last few days?” He studies my expression.
“Not really. The last thing I really remember is yelling at Cree. Everything else is kinda hazy. I vaguely remember the feeling of water and.…” I freeze mid-thought as an image of the three of us boxed in, close together, with water cascading down over our naked bodies flashes through my mind. “Were we out in the rain?” My cheeks heat again at the image.
“You don’t remember?” Concern fills Axel’s voice. His eyes widen, and an expression that I would classify as horror fills his face.
I nod, an equal feeling of fear building in my chest. Tears prick the back of my eyes, and a lump forms in my throat.
“What happened?” I ask, my voice squeezing the words past the sob wanting to break free.
“Something happened, but not exactly what you’re thinking, little wolf. We had to get you in the shower to clean you up. After running a fever for a few days and vomiting all over yourself, we couldn’t just let you lie there in filth. We had to get you cleaned up and into a clean bed,” Cree explains. “Of course, that meant we had to come with you. We asked for your permission first, and I’m sorry you don’t remember. But you couldn’t sit up on your own, let alone stand and wash yourself. While Axel was cleaning you up, you asked for us to touch you, to help you feel something other than pain. I told you we wouldn’t fuck you, but we’d make you feel good.”
“Oh,” I say, and relief washes through me at his words. The knowledge that we didn’t do anything to cement the mate bonds while I was incoherent ups my trust in these two. A spark of affection towards them blooms in my chest, and my wolf perks up at the feeling.
My eyes travel up to meet Cree’s dark hazel eyes again, and he doesn’t seem at all apologetic about the fact he saw me naked and was in the shower with me. He actually looks kind of gleeful and smug. The bastard. I glare at him, but all too soon find myself distracted by the intensity in his eyes.
