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“Don’t worry. Cadmus will be careful,” Damon said with a wink as he sat beside her.
“You’re right,” she said, though she still worried for her beta as she watched his wolf’s shadow disappear into the tunnel that she presumed led to the exit.
Damon nudged her knee, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “You look sated.”
“I am.”
“Can you two mind-speak?” he asked, a bite of jealousy in his tone.
She nodded, realizing he wanted a turn. Not that she minded. She’d been wanting to make love to her gamma ever since waking up beside him. She rubbed his chest. Like Cadmus, he had tattoos, though not as many, and these were different. Where Cadmus’s swirled like violent wind storms, Damon’s were softer and flowed in one direction. It was then Phoenix realized their tattoos represented their abilities. Cadmus could summon wind, but Damon was a healer, meant to stay home and practice spells with Phoenix.
When she dragged her hand lower to the hem of his makeshift kilt, he grabbed her wrist. “No.”
She arched back as if she’d been slapped, pulling away when he reached for her. He could’ve thrust a blade through her heart, and it would’ve had the same effect.
“I want you, Phoenix,” he said, motioning toward that bulge beneath his kilt. “But I don’t want to take you here.”
She fought back her emotion. His rejection still stung, and she was feeling vulnerable after losing her virginity to Cadmus. “Why?”
“This place is evil.” Frowning, he waved at the walls around them. “When we make love, I want to take my time cherishing you without having to look over my shoulder for our enemy.” He reached for her hand again, and she didn’t fight when he pulled her into his lap.
She clung to him as he kissed her head and stroked her hair. She’d only known Damon less than a day, and already she loved him. Though she didn’t want to wait, she understood his reason. It was hard to believe she was already wanting more sex after being thoroughly loved by Cadmus, but this was the curse of female wolves, their insatiable sexual appetites. Or maybe it wasn’t a curse since she had her choice of four virile lovers.
“You smell like sex,” he murmured as he clung to her, a smile in his voice.
She arched back, looking into his eyes, which shone with only love. “What else should I smell like?”
“Your smell is perfect.” He squeezed her waist, pushing her flush up against his warm chest. “Now Gorgo will know you belong to us.”
She flattened her palms against him, wishing so much he’d change his mind. “Maybe now he’ll leave me alone.”
“No.” Shadows lengthened across his face as panic shone in his eyes. “He was obsessed with you. He’ll keep searching for you, and there’s no telling what he’ll do when he discovers your virginity is gone.”
She cupped his cheek, wishing she could drive away his darkness. “We need to find your brothers, so we can go home.”
He shook his head, the panic ringing in his words changing to pity. “My alpha brothers are bigger than us, and they’re still under his spell. We need to find the other half of that crystal and get to safety.”
She pushed away and shot to her feet, bearing down on him with a scowl. “I’m not leaving Helius and Drakkon.”
“Phoenix, listen to me.” He slowly stood, palms raised, and approached her as if he was trying to corner a wild animal. “It’s too risky.”
She backed away, frustration gnawing a hole in her skull. “So you want to abandon them?” How could he expect her to leave them as zombies to be abused by Gorgo? And after all that she’d gone through to get here?
“No,” he said as he stepped closer. “I want to convince my mother to come to her senses and help us.”
“My magic is strong.” She was so tired of everyone doubting her.
He arched a brow. “Strong enough to stop the poison if one of my brothers bites you? Or if they bite Cadmus and me, and you’re left fighting four zombies again?”
She looked away, unable to stand the scrutiny in his eyes as she recalled Cadmus had already bit her once. If it hadn’t been for Tigress, she would’ve been turned into a zombie. He almost bit her a second time. Thanks to her reflexes and Amarok’s claw, she’d been saved from becoming a zombie again. Maybe she was in too deep. Maybe they did need a stronger witch. She wrapped her arms around herself as her resolve melted.
“Phoenix, you’re a powerful witch.” He took another step toward her. “But my mother is stronger. We need her before we can rescue my brothers. I know this is what Helius and Drakkon would want.”
She gritted her teeth, fearing he was right but not wanting to accept it. “How do you expect to find the other half of that crystal?”
His features hardened as he turned his gaze toward that distant pinprick of light. She sighed in relief when she saw Cadmus’s shadow approaching.
“Morana has it.”
