“Wait. What if you are ambushed there?” I call out before Hunter can jump into the air, putting my hands out as if I could stop the dragon from leaving if he wanted to.
“Don’t worry. Even with the one-sided mating bite, they should have developed your regenerative powers. Sable said you could bite anyone and give them the power—not that I recommend you go around biting people so they won’t die.” Brodie tries to tug me closer, but I’m literally plastered to his side, so it’s more of a comforting squeeze. “I’m not sure we could handle our mate putting her mouth on anyone else.” That last bit is said with a growl, and I feel his claws burst through the tips of his fingers and dig into my side. I squeak, and he loosens his grip a little. Thankfully they didn’t break through the material of my watch uniform.
Hunter takes off into the air, and my stomach leaps into my throat as I watch them fly away. I feel a tear trickle down my face, and my heart aches.
“Shit, baby, it’s okay.” Liam hurries over to me, and the two of them sandwich me between their huge bodies, surrounding me with their warmth. “It’s not forever. We just need to get those two idiots locked down, and then we can meet up with them. Maybe the village has a pond you and Micah can take a swim in, and I know Hunter keeps his hoard somewhere in the rift. A lot of the dragons do. He can whisk you away and take care of his bond too.” Liam strokes a hand over my head, lifting my chin for me to look at him, while Brodie’s heat seeps into me from behind. “Don’t cry. It makes my bear want to break things.”
“I’m okay,” I sob. “It just hurts in here.” I slide my hand between us and push against my chest in the hope it will ease the ache.
“That’s the unfulfilled bond. Come on. Micah pointed in the direction of the hut. Let’s not wait any longer.” Liam pulls away from me and moves back to the two unconscious shifters. He picks up Gem and slings him over his shoulder fireman style.
“Great, that leaves me with lard ass,” Brodie grumbles, giving me a kiss on the cheek and moving to do the same with Gryffin. “Damn tiger weighs a ton.”
Liam starts moving, avoiding the mess of remains that weren’t able to be burnt, and walks deep into the forest on an angle to the way we were heading previously. I follow him, and Brodie brings up the rear. The trees get thicker again, and I hear him curse. When I look back, I notice he stumbled slightly. When I raise an eyebrow in question, he blushes.
“Whoops, Gryff might have a bit of a headache when he wakes up. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell him I bashed it into a tree.”
I mime zipping my lips, and he looks relieved.
“Come on, we’re burning daylight. At this rate, we will have to spend the night in the cabin. It’s still at least another two hours on foot to the village, and I would like to do that before the sun dips below the rift. It isn’t safe at night with the ferals and all the natural animals that live in it. We will be vulnerable on the plain.” Liam is huffing, and despite their strength, the two limp males they carry are dead weight.
I hurry to catch up to him. Trudging through the snow in human form is nowhere near as easy as it was in my tiger body. It would have taken us twice as long if we had originally been moving like that. Finally, after about fifteen minutes, when I’m breathing like a fucking racehorse and sweat is pooling between my breasts, the trees thin out, and I can see the hunter’s cabin. It’s made of dark wood that has faded with the elements, and the roof is covered in snow. I’m not sure how Hunter even saw it, but I heave out a sigh of relief. I am not fit enough to traipse around in deep snow in my human form.
I look around the clearing, but there is no sign of an inhabitant and no smoke coming from the chimney, so I hurry past Liam and up two steps and knock on the door. I only wait a very small period of time before I try the handle, and when I find it unlocked, I shove the door open. A rush of stale air drifts out as I step into the dark cabin. It looks like it’s only one room, and it’s sparsely furnished. There’s a camp cot on one side, and a small rudimentary kitchen. There is another door on the other side, I wonder if there is a bathroom in here. I would like to wash the sweat and Brodie’s cum off me. I move farther in to allow room for the other two. Liam dumps Gem on the camp cot, and Brodie slides Gryffin into the armchair that is positioned in front of the fireplace.
“Well, it isn’t the Aramis Arms, that’s for sure,” Liam comments, looking around with a sneer.
“You really did luck out with having us as mates. First a cave, then a tree, and now a dingy abandoned cabin. Hopefully your other mates can make up for the lack of luxuries and romance.” Brodie winces and runs a hand through his hair, looking embarrassed.
Before I can answer, Gem groans and rolls onto his side. I hurry over to him and brush his unruly burgundy curls off his face. I feel a lump on the back of his head and scowl at Liam. “What did you hit him with?” I ask, and he shrugs.
“A branch. Don’t worry, they are fine. They will heal quickly, and neither of them will even notice once you distract them with your luscious body.” He grins lasciviously and winks. I roll my eyes.
Brodie heads into the small kitchen and digs around in the cupboards. “There are a couple of cans of beans in here. If we get the fire started, you can eat those when you get hungry. We don’t have time to hunt down something to cook.”
I wrinkle my nose at the thought of eating a rabbit or whatever else is available in the forest, and they both chuckle.
“Don’t knock it until you try it, though my bear is partial to fresh fish.” Liam turns on the tap at the sink, but the pipes groan, and nothing comes out. “Frozen solid.”
I get up when Gem doesn’t wake and peer into the other door. There is a small bathroom with a wooden tub for washing. Liam looks over my shoulder, slides past me, and grabs a wooden bucket that’s next to the tub.
“I’ll go get a couple of buckets of snow, and when Gem wakes, he can heat the water for you,” he tells me, smiling when I squeal with excitement. “Brodie, why don’t you grab some firewood? I noticed some stacked next to the cabin. Gem can also light that, so you’ll be warm.”
The guys head outside to do their jobs, and I go into the kitchen and check out the food Brodie was talking about. I grimace when I see it’s a couple of very old cans of beans, but then I remember our backpacks. Micah handed me one before he left on Hunter’s back. I hurry to where I dropped it when I came in and dig around inside, finding a couple canteens of water and some jerky. I sigh with relief and pull out a piece, chewing on it before taking a sip of cold water.
A rumbling sound has me spinning, and I find Gryffin is awake, his eyes glowing as he stares at me with animalistic hunger.
ChapterTwenty-Six
Colbie
Liam walks through the door carrying a bucket full of snow. Gryffin snarls, and Liam drops the bucket and holds his hands up.
“Easy, Gryff. We’re just going to make our mate comfortable, and then she’s all yours.” He slowly picks up the bucket and moves toward the bathroom, not taking his eyes off the aggressive shifter. Gryffin tracks him, a rumbling sound vibrating through the air as I hear Brodie come up the steps.
“Here we go, plenty of wood to keep you nice and warm. Luckily they had a tarp over it so it’s mostly dry.” He doesn’t even notice the angry shifter sitting in the chair because the pile of wood is blocking his view. He moves over to the fireplace and drops it into the wood box next to it. Gryffin snarls at him, and he squeals in surprise and jumps backward, falling on his butt.
“Gryffin, you asshole!” he shouts as he scrambles backward out of the way.
