He sucker punches me in the jaw, and I roll away, sinking into a crouch and beckoning forward. Rory is just about to charge before Raphael steps between us.
We both freeze because it’s rare for our alpha to get in the middle. But he brandishes that scary-as-fuck psycho gaze on each of us, a silent promise that he saved our lives and he can easily take them.
“If you two are quite finished acting like animals, we are returning to the cabin.” He gestures to Vincent and Jude. Jude has his medical bag, and Vincent is holding my future wife, all blanket-wrapped, honeymoon style.
We waste no time in heading out. Rory is right beside me, his gaze snapping to mine like he’s daring me to step out of line. But he knows I live for that. He glares, all stormy eyes and clenched fists like he’s itching for an excuse. I smirk, slow and easy, then blow him a kiss.
The muscle in his jaw ticks. Perfect.
Not much longer, we emerge through the trees where damp leaves cover the ground with the scent of pine thickening in the air. The cabin comes into view—make that a cabin on steroids, raised on thick wooden beams like it’s grown straight out of the forest itself. A long, wide stairway stretches up to the entrance while four smaller cabins branch off from the main one like the points of a compass. Each is connected by sturdy stairways and wooden paths. Our own off-the-grid wilderness stronghold surrounded by Redwoods.
Raphael found them while hunting, and we fixed them up with me training these ignoramuses how to swing an axe and more.
Here, we operate by our own code. Kinship brothers and partners forever…until we meet the Devil and take over hell.
Raphael leads us straight up the central stairway, the boards creaking under our weight, and through the heavy wooden doors.
Briella belongs inside, in the heart of it all.
“Time for bed,” is all Raphael says, summoning all of us with his two fingers.
Oh. It’s gonna be one ofthosenights.
“Come on! And on my birthday!” Rory groans, but one sharp look from Raphael silences him.
I imagine Raphael will arrange a bath or shower for her later tomorrow. But for now, we follow him into the bedroom with the humongous bed—like two king-sizes in one. We all strip as Raphael lowers Briella into the center.
Vincent and Rory begrudge this process the most, but our alpha psycho knows all the trauma-bonding tactics. Us sleeping in the same bed as her is one of many.
It doesn’t take us much time to find our places. Jude lies down behind her, stabilizing her if she wakes in the middle of the night. Even Raphael strips until he’s nude and climbs into the bed facing her before directing Rory and me below, our heads against each pretty, ripe thigh.
As soon as Rory bobs his brows and inches his hand toward her still swollen and sore pussy, I smack his hand away and lower my brows in warning.
“Go to sleep,” Raphael commands darkly. “In the morning begins five days of service to our goddess. Whatever she desires, whatever she needs, we will provide…including discipline. But only the disciplineIcommand. Is that understood?”
We all speak our agreement.
And I can’t fucking wait!
22
Briella
“I’M RUINING YOU. FEEL FREE TO SCREAM, MY GODDESS.”
Citizen Soldier Playlist
“Words That Don’t Exist”
“Better Off Broken
Iwake to the dim light of morning streaming through windows.
Wait, windows?
Holy godfuckingfuck! My whole body locks up at all the forms around me. Naked. Everyone is naked. Including me.
I shift my arm softly to cup my forehead, my breath coming in too fast. What was so strange and terrible and horrific, I thought must be a dream, but it’s not. My body screams. My back still burns from the whip. My vagina and ass still feel hot and swollen. And I can practically feel the brand like a mini blaze on my flesh.
