There was a flash of white over Damien’s shoulder that made my blood run cold.
They both stiffened, feeling my unease through the bond. Alister moved his hand and wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing his front into my back. Damien swiveled around and pushed his back into my front, covering me from view.
A white mangy wolf snarled from behind a tree, and it wasn’t just any white wolf. My palms turned clammy as I gripped on to Damien’s shirt from the back. Fear bounded through our bonds from me, and my fearful gaze darted around the forest until I was sure that the only other enemy here was Grayson.
My body shook uncontrollably between my mates as Grayson shifted back to his original form. I peered out slightly from behind Damien, and my stomach coiled.
Grayson had barely any muscle on him anymore. He was just pale skin and bones, with dark circles under his eyes. His blond hair was greasy and darker, almost brown. But even with the stark difference in his appearance, I knew it was Grayson. I half-expected the pain from the rejected bond, and I was more than thankful when I didn’t feel it.
My legs wobbled, and Alister’s grip on my waist tightened.
“I’ve been watching you for a while, Wren, but it seems that yourmateshave gotten a little too protective and won’t let you go out alone. I figure we need to have a talk.” His voice was disembodied and dark. There was somethingveryunnatural about it.
An eerie chill slithered down my spine as I slapped a hand over my mouth, trying to silence an uncontrollable whimper.
Grayson laughed, and the cackle echoed off the trees. “That sounds so much like the whimpers of pleasure I’ve heard you do recently. It’s good that you can make that noise for me.”
“Heard me?”
“Did I stutter?”
“What do you mean?” Alister snapped.
“Oh Wren,” Grayson hummed my name, and my heart raced so fast that it sent pangs of pain through my chest. “Did you know that there are two succubi watching your sex demon?”
Dread filled my veins.“Two?”I croaked.
“They’re sweet girls, really, but one wants to get rid of you and take your place. I told her I would help as long as I got to decide where you go.”
Terror struck me silent. I couldn’t form any words as Alister and Damien pushed against me to hide my naked body from my ex-mate.
“Nobody is taking her place,” Damien growled, his shadows whipping around the three of us. His tail had curled around my upper thigh in a protective manner.
“You know, I still felt our bond, the same as you did. It was so fucking painful to be near you, but I tried to stick to my decision. It didn’t help that you had to be so goddamn perfect.All the time,”he growled, punching the tree he’d been behind. It cracked loudly at the trunk before falling and slammed into more trees, knocking them over.
I flinched at the sound, and the guys let out more resounding snarls.
“I resented you because I regretted rejecting you the moment you rejected me back.” He let out a dry, humorless chuckle. “I probably wouldn’t have rejected you if I hadn’t smelled that fae male on you, but you had to go be promiscuous.”
“I wasn’t promiscuous,” I snapped. “Thorn was just my friend back then, but even if we were more, I did nothing wrong. You rejected me out of your own will, not mine. I rejected you back mostly because you rejected me first, but it was more than that. I knew that I deserved someone better. Someone who could treat me better than you could, and I found the mates I deserve.” My body racked with tremors as I finally got what had been bothering me off my chest since I was rejected. “So if you resent me, good. I resent you, too. You didn’t even act like the bond affected you. You were such a jerk the whole time!”
“Fuck, Wren. That mouth is going to get you in trouble.” Grayson’s cracked lips curved into a sickly smile, and my heart stuttered.
“Yeah, I’m gonna need you to back up and tell me exactly when you heard my little bird whimper in pleasure,” Damien spoke with an edge to his voice.
“And explain the succubi,” Alister added.
“I’ve been watching her for a while. I ran into the girls who had been watching the incubus. They gave me an invisibility enchantment, and we watched as she fucked the counselor for the first time. It was hot, really.” He let out a distorted laugh. “Oh, and I promise you I could make you feel so much better than he could. I didn’t think I would ever actuallywantyou, but watching the way that you are with your lesser mates makes me wonder what we missed out on.”
“We didn’t miss out on anything,” I growled, a cold fury sweeping through me. “What I do with my mates is none of your business. The fact that you violated an intimate moment that was supposed to be private says more about you than it does me.” My eyes welled with hot tears. “Grayson, Ihateyou.”
He flinched but smiled wide, and his teeth were black and rotten. “You hate me? Well, that’s too damn bad. Because you were mine first.”
“I wasneveryours. We rejected each other!” Tears of frustration and fear spilled down my cheeks.
“You look so damn pretty when you cry. I wonder if you’d cry like that with my dick shoved inside you.”
I recoiled, and Alister’s hold tightened even further.
