Page 72 of Freed

I never knew they made Ferris wheels like this. On TV, I’d only even see the small two-seater kind, that looked like you could slip right out of them or rock too far and fall to your death.

“You’re not afraid of heights, are you?” Chase asks from our side, a mischievous grin plastered on his lips.

Glancing back up at the top pod, I shrug. “I don’t think so. Though I don’t really remember ever being somewhere high up.”

“She has phoenix DNA,” Gage says through the bond as he follows behind us with Bain and Maddox. “I doubt she’s afraid of any height.”

He’s clearly speaking through the bond to keep the conversation private, so I do the same when I tell them, “I wish I could shift into a phoenix. I bet flying is fun.” I watch the Ferris wheel turn, trying to imagine what it would be like to have wings.

“Personally, I’m glad you can’t,” Chase says back through the bond. I look at him in question and he adds, “How am I supposed to protect you if you’re out of my grasp?”

I suppose he has a good point, but if I could fly, wouldn’t I be out of danger’s way?

I’m distracted as Hunter carries me right up to the Ferris wheel. Luckily, there’s no line. Seems like everyone here prefers thrill rides like the one we passed that spins insanely fast. That didn’t intrigue me at all.

And Hunter clearly prefers the Ferris wheel. That’s why he had marched halfway across the fairground to ride it.

“Let’s go!” Chase says excitedly as the ride operator opens, lets a family of four out of a pod, then gestures for us to go in.

Hunter carries me inside along with Chase and Gage, but Maddox and Bain stay back. I frown as the door closes and I watch them through the glass.

“You’re not coming?” I ask in worry through the bond.

“We’re keeping watch from down here to make sure you stay safe,” Maddox answers calmly. I’m not sure what exactly that would entail, but I don’t have time to ponder that as we start to rise, and I’m granted a view of the fairground, growing smaller below us.

“Over here,” Chase says from the other side of the pod. Hunter carries me over as I hug his neck, turning to look with him at the expanding scenery before us. We must be at the end of the fairground because in front of us is a large field, with some sort of crop in it, but behind that is lush forests that roll into hills and valleys with the sun shining down at the most perfect angle, making everything look exceptionally beautiful.

“Wow,” I whisper as my eyes struggle to take everything in. “It’s beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as my mate,” Hunter says, making my head turn to him. He’s not even glancing at the view; his beautiful brown eyes are glued to me. My heart flutters in my chest as I take him in.

His brown hair is a little more disheveled than usual, and as I reach up and run my fingers through it, I suddenly remember the way he tackled that human. It had all happened so quickly, I barely had to process the fact that Hunter—my sweet and caring Hunter—had lost his cool and attacked a man because he called me a name.

My fingers trail down the side of his face and across his unshaven jaw. I love the stubble there, the prickles giving him a rougher edge.

“You attacked that guy for me,” I say softly as I watch his brows pinch together. He nods once. “Why?”

The question just makes him frown further. “Why?” he asks, sounding utterly confused. “He insulted you.” I feel his fingers tighten on my skin as his expression grows angry, and a small grumble comes from his chest. “Nobody insults my baby.”

“I haven’t seen this growly side of you before,” I say as I press my hand on his chest, where the noise came from.

“Does it bother you?” he asks.

But before I can answer, Gage speaks from behind us. “Can’t you feel her emotions right now?”

Hunter’s brows furrow in concentration as I feel my cheeks heat. Because I know exactly what he’s going to find when he looks… Arousal. I know the second he feels it because his expression instantly turns heated, his hand on my ass squeezing as he pulls me closer.

He doesn’t say a word; instead, he shows me how he feels, lowering his lips to mine and kissing me. It’s slow at first as he gently nibbles at my lips, making me work for it as he keeps pulling back and forcing me to press closer for more.

After sucking on my lower lip and causing my already destroyed panties to become even more wet, I wiggle free from his arms, forcing him to set me down as I take a step back from him. I pant heavily as I stare at him, trying to figure out what I want and what I can do here before we get back to the ground.

I glance at Gage, who’s standing by the door with his arms crossed and an amused expression on his face. When he sees me looking, he tells me through the bond, “Maddox is bribing the ride operator to keep us at the top until I tell him to let us down.”

My eyes widen slightly in surprise, then a grin pulls at my lips as I turn back to Hunter. We seem to have a similar idea as we lunge for each other, our hands flying to each other’s clothes as we undress as hastily as possible. I jerk slightly in surprise when Chase steps up behind me, his hands on the bottom of my shirt as he holds it down.

“Tops stay on.” He gestures to the windows. Even though we are really high up, I suppose if we get close to the side, someone would be able to see above their waists, or my chest. I nod, letting go of it as Hunter slides my jeans down and spins me to face Chase.

I gasp as one of Hunter's hands instantly finds my clit, rubbing it in soft circles as his other slides underneath my shirt and bra, squeezing my breast and making my back arch against him. His fingers graze his mating mark on my right breast as I groan.