Before he even finishes speaking, the wolves crawl into the vehicle. I tense, ready to fight them if they think to harm her, but they only tuck her close and fuss over her. Tobias meets my eyes, a silent promise in them to protect her. While Castle doesn’t seem convinced of her innocence, that doesn’t stop him from looking any less enamored.
I’ll take it.
Hopefully, it will buy me enough time to figure out what the hell happened to the poor girl and save her from a future little better than a prisoner, married off to the highest bidder.
* * *
JOLIE
Awareness creeps over me slowly, my skin prickling painfully, like thousands of ants are biting every inch of my flesh. It takes my brain a few seconds to process that I’m not actually being tortured. My body is just touching something warm and struggling to adjust to a temperature that is above freezing.
I shiver and press closer to the source of heat, my teeth chattering at what feels like the first bit of warmth I’ve felt in months. The process is excruciating, and I swallow down the whimper that climbs up my throat.
I can’t let anyone hear me.
If they find me, the torture will start again, and my body can’t withstand another session with those sadistic bastards.
My sanity won’t survive it.
I can already feel the cracks in my mind forming.
Feel myself breaking from reality.
The most delicious smell fills my senses, like woodsy moss and pure male. I snuggle closer, needing a few more minutes to feel human before the real world pulls me back into my nightmares.
The comforting beat of a heart beneath my head has my muscles unlocking, the thump like a siren’s song, drawing me closer. My gums ache, my mouth waters, and the taste of cinnamon floods my mouth. I turn toward the warmth, desperate for a taste.
Just as I open my mouth, someone presses their hand over my lips. Maybe they meant to hold my mouth shut, but I instinctively suck the edge of the skin into my mouth and moan when the masculine taste wakes up my every nerve ending.
Fingers press down firmly on my lower jaw, forcing my mouth to pop open. I nearly whimper when he pulls away. I reach for him, only to discover I’m being held immobile. Just when full-blown panic blooms in my chest, a thumb presses against one of my fangs hard enough to nick it and draw blood.
The most delicious taste explodes in my mouth. My body hums with nearly overwhelming lust, and my unease is instantly doused, replaced with such yearning that my chest aches. I quickly reach up and grab his wrist and suck on the digit, desperate for more. My nipples harden, my core liquifies, and I squirm with the need to feel him closer.
Someone curses, and I feel myself being lifted.
My eyes snap open, and I find myself staring up into glowing blue eyes.
The barbarian.
When he pulls his hand away, my stomach knots, and it feels like he’s trying to pull my heart out through my chest. But instead of drawing back, he knicks his thumb against my fang again, and my eyes flutter closed, my core clenching around nothing.
Needing to feel him pressed against me, I squirm, but before I can get closer, hands grab my hips and pin me in place, leaving me spread across two men. Their grip is just short of painful, but I barely feel it. I wait for panic at being held immobile to destroy my last hold on my sanity, but their hands slowly skate down my hips in a caress. I wiggle, and my breath catches when I feel an erection pressed against my ribs.
When I shift again, desperate to get closer, one hand slips lower, boldly coming to settle between my thighs, so close to my core that my breath hitches. I arch, then moan when his hand brushes against my cloth covered clit. The man below me stiffens, and my heart stutters, my thighs clamping around the hand as if to keep him from pulling away.
But instead of withdrawing, a growl rumbles from the second man, and he boldly strokes my pussy with thick fingers. I’m helpless to do anything but move against him, my thighs falling open to give him better access, and my slick trickles down my legs.
A hand grabs my throat, reaching up to press under my jaw in a way that makes my mouth pop open again. My eyes snap wide and I’m ready to protest, when the barbarian drags a claw along the inside of his forearm, drawing a bead of blood along the gash.
Without hesitation, he presses his arm against my mouth. I resist for a moment before the taste of him floods my senses, spilling down my throat, more potent than ever, and my senses go spinning. We both groan at the same time, and I can feel his cock pressing against my side, his hips arching against me, eager for friction.
This isn’t the normal hunger for food.
The craving is for something deeper than lust.
It’s a basic need for connection with another soul.
Desperate to feel grounded, I clamp my fingers down on his arm. My other hand drops to my side, landing on the Viking, and I claw at his thigh until I brush against his erection. When he stiffens, I pause for a second, then I boldly cup him, giving him an experimental stroke.
