“Fate made me do it!” I protested. Not quite the truth, but also not a lie. The bond had drawn me here, and that was fate’s doing, right?
“Fate my ass,” scoffed Zane. “Care bear’s right. You deserve a hard spanking.”
My thighs pressed together as a mental image of what that might feel like hit my brain. Honestly, it sounded good. Like,reallygood.
A hand shot out and slid around my throat, while a set of red eyes snapped open. All three of my other mates stiffened, ready to save me from a hungry vampire. Only I didn’t need saving.
“Ugh, fuck my life, I’m out of here before I need to scrub my eyes with bleach,” Kenji grumbled. “I’ll be taking a nap by the pool while you idiots sort your shit out.Come find me when the drama’s over.”
“Little witch,” the vampire rasped. “I’m still hungry.”
39
Alaric
Itrudged through waist-deep snow, following the polar bear shifter and his wolf. The creature snapped at falling snowflakes, reminding me of Raven’s familiar. The kitsune also seemed to enjoy playing in the snow. Unlike me, who fucking hated the cold, white stuff.
The wind cut through my coat in sharp gusts. High above, the clouds had cleared to reveal a glittering sky filled with stars.
So many stars.
I was so busy marveling at the number of stars in the inky sky I tripped over a log and fell face first into a snowdrift. A huge hand grabbed my collar and yanked me back out.
“Careful,” the bear advised with a smirk. “I don’t wish to be the one to explain to my cousin that his bond-mate died on my watch.”
“I doubt he’d care,” I sniffed, brushing snow from my jacket and hair.
Thorrin stared at me for a moment before shaking his head.
“Come. Not far now.”
Thank fuck.I’d lost contact with my feet a few meters back. I probably should have cast a warming spell before leaving the inn, but I’d had too much on my mind. Gritting my teeth against the cold, I soldiered on, and as promised, a log cabin appeared, nestled in a copse of snow-laden pine trees.
When we reached the door, the wolf nudged it open and trotted inside. Thorrin stamped his feet to remove the loose snow and gestured for me to follow the wolf.
No sooner had I stepped into the cabin than the wolf shifted into a man. A tall man with russet hair and broad shoulders. He grinned when he caught me staring at his pierced dick.What the actual fuck?Why would anyone choose to have a metal bar in their crown?
I winced at the idea of a needle anywhere near my dick.
“You’re missing out, dude,” the male laughed. “Skyla loves my dick accessories.”
“She doesn’t love it when you leave snow all over her clean floor,” a feminine voice scolded. A petite female leaned over the rail across the mezzanine level above our heads. To my surprise, she had pale gossamer wings.
What was she? I’d never seen a female with wings before.
Thorrin caught me staring in wonder.
“Skyla is a wood sprite. There are very few of them, and they don’t normally live this far north, but we came here because the island is safer for her.”
The female fluttered her wings and flew down to stand in front of the wolf shifter.
“That’s Rex,” Thorrin grunted before shedding his snow-soaked overalls and retrieving some sweatpants from a basket by the door. Then he strode over to the fireplace and tossed ahuge log onto the burning stack, sending sparks bursting up the chimney.
Skyla scowled at the puddle around my feet where snow had melted.
“Sorry!”
“The mage probably has magic cleaning spells, baby,” the wolf chuckled while tugging Skyla into his arms. She froze, all color leeching from her rosy cheeks.
