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Valko held me as I cried, all the agony and grief I had been holding back, all the strength and resistance I had forced myself to carry since they took me. It came pouring out as Valko finally welcomed me into his arms.
I withdrew my fangs, licking the last of his blood from my bite before leaning back to meet his eyes.
“What is it? How can I help?”
I took his face in my hands as I clenched my pussy around him, the hot water and the warmth of his cock soothing me as I leant down to kiss him. My touch was light, my hands small against his hard jaw.
“Valko.” I mustered myself, restoring my courage, my determination. I was swayed by this bond, by the honey, and the dream of what could be, but I had a duty to uphold. “You must let me go.”
Every part of him stilled as shock flashed over his face. He knew exactly what I spoke of. “You would still leave?” he asked, darkness returning to his eyes. “Even though we have mated.”
“I do not have a choice.”
He pulled away from me, his voice low as he replied. “You always have a choice.”
I drew in a deep breath, my arms still tight around him, the water bubbling away. “And I have to choose my people.”
“You cannot go.” He shook his head. He could not escape the pain he tried to hide from me. Like a blurred veil, I could see it all, and I could hide myself by only showing him what he wanted to see.
“Because you do not want me to?” I said. “Or you will not let me?”
Indecisiveness flashed in his eyes as the warm water flowed around us. There was doubt, but the love from Lucien and Fillian pulsed strong with us.
“You would really go to them?” His voice was low, bordering on a growl. “To ascend, return to the Cardinal Kingdom?”
“It is my duty.” It did not matter how deeply it burned to say the words - they had to be said. I was giving him a choice, though they had never lowered themselves to give one to me.
“And what about your duty to us?” His lips drew back over his teeth.
I cupped his cheek, sighing, kissing him gently before meeting his eyes again. “This is passion, not a duty.”
He turned his head from me, and my heart broke. I never wanted to leave them. I wanted to spend days, months, years wrapped in their arms, sinking into their love, growing together and moulding each other, living beautifully and well. But what I wanted had never been important.
“I can make new laws, Valko.” I softened as my hands twitched against his cheeks. “I can protect you. I can decree that the wolves cannot be touched, to let your people regrow, to allow wolves to rule the Obsidian Realms once again.”
“And abandon us?”
“No. Come with me. Live in the Palace, become my consorts.”
He scowled, a deep furrow in his brow, his eyes flashing bright yellow like the wolf I first met on the forest road. I had only ever heard his disdain, the blindfold hiding him from me. This was the first time I saw it etched on his face.
“It is abandoning us,” he said. “If you ascend, you can no longer be our mate. You will be lost to us forever.”
I flinched back, horror flooding through me. Emptiness drenched me. All that remained was the feeling of Valko’s cock, and the ache of my worn body.
I wrongly assumed that if I ascended, I would eventually be with them again. Whether it took a year or ten to change the minds of those in my court, my mates would be at my side.
“You cannot be serious.”
“There is no future for us if you return. Our life is here, Ruby. We are wolves, we are pack.”
His hips rolled, pressing into me, my body shuddering as the full force of him consumed me. So quickly I had come to love them, yet I knew what must be done.
“You are ours. You belong to us as we do to you. Will you not stay?” His pleading eyes burned through me. “Let us bite you and join our pack.”
He lowered his mouth, lifting me with his hands to capture my nipple between his teeth, tugging harshly, pulling a cry from me. His cock was deep within me, his heart bursting with my own. Love poured between us, between all four of us, and I melted under his touch.
All the practice of hiding myself, masking my feelings, burying my pain, and concealing myself from the bond had finally shown its true use. I let my love expand, flow, drown us as I hid my anguish.
