Chapters 11-13

Chapter 11: The Date

Wrenley

The meeting carried on. Wrenley spent her time watching the heads of the clans as they spoke. She still strained to hear them but there were too many voices around her. Sometimes she caught a snippet of conversation. But it was never anything that she could understand what they were talking about.

The entire time, the three men who insisted she belonged to them stood just beyond the group of the leaders and she felt their eyes on her as if it were a physical touch. She refused to give them the satisfaction of even a glance. Whatever she did, she needed to discourage their advances.

She took a few minutes to try and figure out who the woman was next to her. Has she met Goldilocks yet? Could Goldilocks be one of the Women of Chaos? Could she be the woman next to her, with her fake sweet voice and smile? 

Then again, Goldilocks could be someone she hadn’t even met yet. Maybe somebody from one of the other clans.

Raider pointed out different people as the meeting continued. He pointed out his siblings and a friend of his who was part of the Denali clan. They rarely got to see each other, but it was always a great time when they were able to get together for these meetings. He'd even gone on to tell Wrenley a story about some of the fun they'd had.

“Are the meetings always at Bear Tower Heights?” Wrenley asked.

Raider shook his head. “They rotate. Last time, it was at the Valley of Citrus Spirits.”

“But the meeting itself is the same.”

Raider shrugged. “For the most part.”

Wrenley continued to look around. She scooted a little closer to Rader when the woman next to her kept glancing at her with a salty sweet smile. Wrenley knew that look. It was about as fake as they came. So the question was, what was her interest in Wrenley? She'd made it a point to remain at Wrenley’s side when everybody moved seats. She encouraged Wrenley to go with Raider into the bloody trees. What could she possibly get from a woman she's never met?

The meeting came to an end when all five Primals gathered with their hands connected once more. There was a thrum of excitement in the air. Once again, the chant picked, one Wrenley could feel her bones. It felt familiar. It felt… strange.

And then it was over and the crowd surged to their feet. It felt like mad chaos for several minutes and Wrenley just stood there looking around as the bodies converged and moved out of the area.

She could just make out Rawson and Cain as they watched her though they didn't move from their primal side.

?Ready?” Raider asked.

Wrenley turned her back on the men and nodded with a smile at Rader. “Yes, please.”

He offered his hand and Wrenley was happy to give it to him.

They'd only gotten half a dozen feet when Jaxon was there with wild eyes. “No,” he said with a growl that brought his lips up, displaying his teeth.

Raider started to let go of her hand, but she held it tightly. With pursed lips she said, “I don't belong to you. I'm going.”

“Going where?” Jaxon demanded, his gaze settling on Raider.

Raider stiffened, but didn't move. His grip on Wrenley's hand tightened.

“For a walk,” Wrenley said and moved to push past him. He caught her arm, but Wrenley pulled it away. She thought for sure he was going to follow but as they made their way out of the ceremonial space, she could strategically look behind her to see if he had. Jaxon wasn't there and she didn't see him in the immediate crowd behind her.

She released a breath and kept her hand tightly linked with Raider’s. They didn't speak as he maneuvered her through the crowd and she appreciated that even as packed as they were, nobody jostled each other. They were polite and friendly, smiling and laughing as they went.

Even with her tour this morning, she still hadn't had a chance to really get to know the area. So she depended on Raider to lead her out. He brought her to the gates in which she'd initially been brought in through. As soon as they shut behind them, it was like the entire place had been cut off of sound. The only sounds in the forest were those that you might hear. The gentle rustle of leaves in a breeze. Birds chirping. The scattering of animals as they ran through the trees in the woods.

You wouldn’t expect with the calming forest sounds that it would look like a site of a massacre. It wasn't just blood dripping down the trunks. The leaves and branches were coated in blood too. It dripped to the ground as if it had freshly rained.

“Does it rain here?” Wrenley asked intrigued with the idea.

Raider nodded. “Somewhat infrequently, but yes.”

“And does it run the blood away? Or does the blood stay? Wait, is the rain made of blood too?”

He chuckled, his lips ticking up as he glanced down at her. “No, it's just normal rain. If it rains hard enough, it does wash the trees somewhat. But the blood is usually back within twenty-four hours.”

She sighed. “Okay. Tell me the stories.”

“There are a lot of them passed down from generation to generation but there are three that I think are favored around the clans. I don't know whether that means they're true or not but they are the ones most often repeated. The first ties directly in with our culture. The skies made us the way we were. Gave us designated species and roles. We were brought together for the meetings so that we could keep our bloodlines and relations connected, allowing the ability to interbreed among the clans, but still facilitating that there was always a strong, healthy, pure line for each clan. Now, a long time ago, the sky started making mistakes. Mind you, it depends on who you ask whether the sky is actually making mistakes or if it's us that are no longer satisfied with being told who to be with. For quite a while, even though the matings were becoming less and less desirable, the sky was messing up at least one time every mating ceremony. Usually, the fated had just stuck it out. Until somewhat recently in the last decade, one of the bears had finally rejected the sky’s assignment. And for whatever reason, that seemed to be the tipping point.”

“That doesn't line up,” Wrenley said. “I thought the bloody forest happened so long ago that nobody remembered why or what broke the fairy tale? It can't be the rejected mating if that only happened for the very first time within the last decade.”

Raider shook his head. “No, I don't think that's the connection. I think it was when the sky started messing up on the mating assignments.”

“Do you think that maybe your society has just grown out of being forced into a practice that is insanely out of date?” Wrenley deadpanned

Raider laughed. “Whether that's the case or not, if that's what set the story to break, then maybe we need to get back to the old culture without question.”

She frowned, but nodded. “Okay. What's the next story?”

“It's been suggested that something has leaked in from the margins and started poisoning the forest. Something like a monster. There's been no actual evidence of this. Nobody has actually seen a beast or a monster or anything that could create this kind of havoc in our world. But I have to assume we're not the only fairy tale. Do you think there's something that connects them all?”

She considered this thought back to DeadEnd. “Where I come from, we’re allowed to enter broken fairy tales with the purpose to fix them. In a way, I suppose that place connects fairy tales.”

Raider was fascinated with this explanation. He stared at her with interest and it made his already beautiful face shine, with a sexy smile. “Where are you from exactly?”

“Outside the fairy tale.” There was no use in lying or stretching the truth at this point. Or even leaving the truth ambiguous. “But it’s not us that have messed up your story,” she added. “Because it's a one way door. The door is there long enough to enter the fairy tale, and then it disappears on both sides. Additionally, the door to your fairy tale only recently appeared. I’m the first Fixer to enter Goldilocks in the Three Bears.”

“But if you were able to come in, that argues the idea that maybe somebody else could have too. Or something else as it were.”

Wrenley nodded. They paused at a tree and she got close enough to really look at the viscosity of the blood dripping down the grooves of the bark. It certainly smelled like blood. And even though trees were certainly a living thing, they didn't bleed.

“What's the third story?” she asked.

“That maybe there are other forces out there and for whatever reason, the characters of our fairy tale have really pissed them off. So, this other force has cursed us.”

Wrenley frowned. “Do you know which of these actually sounded more plausible? They all feel ridiculously farfetched. Do you think the elders will remember the truth?”

Raider shrugged. “They say that the elders will remember these things but you know, their title alone suggests that they would be the first to forget in their old age. There should be some written knowledge kept somewhere. Maybe they have that.”

They stayed within a few feet of the wall surrounding Bear Tower Heights. She definitely didn't get far enough away that the Women of Chaos would enter her life again. Even if their mission of revenge made sense, she just clicked on board with my unjustified murder.

“Where does your clan live again?” Wrenley asked.

“Free Sun,” he answered with a smile.

“Does it look like this?”

“We don't actually have a wall around the city and the trees are further back from the border of our city. We're in the midst of a flatland and the sky is almost always clear.”

“Do the Women of Chaos not bother your people?”

He chuckled. “Because the land is so flat and clear, there's no way they could sneak up on us. The most we have to worry about are the traveling parties. We've learned to do that in groups. Never individually.”

“I ran into them first,” Wrenley said. “I watched them kill one of the men from Bear Tower Heights my first night within their settlement. It was horrifying.” She didn't add that Maz still haunted her dreams. Yes, still.

He shook his head. “I keep trying to think of what it would feel like to be rejected. I understand the internal pain and discomfort of it but would I really feel so jaded as to want to leave my clan entirely? Would I be so angry that I would want to kill everybody that would remain within the clans?” He shook his head again. “I'd like to think that I was more level headed than that but I suppose I don't know until it happens.”

“Do you anticipate being mated and then rejected?” Wrenley asked.

He smiled and shook his head. “It's actually fairly uncommon these days for a mating assignment. I've already bypassed the years when an assignment would be coming on. Usually you feel the discomfort of it first before the meeting actually takes place. Before it settles into you.”

“Do you always get a warning?”

Rader shook his head and shrugged. “Not always, but most of the time. Sometimes it just happens instantaneously. I've noticed the pattern that when this happens, it's often where the rejections happen too.”

They stopped at the far corner of the wall and took a left to continue around its perimeter. They left the bloody trees behind them, where the forest continued to stretch on. There was a light breeze that kissed her skin and blew her hair. Wrenley closed her eyes and took a breath.

“Speaking of mates.” Rader said. “Jaxon a boyfriend of yours?”

Wrenley wrinkled her nose and scowled at him, causing him to laugh. “No,” she said through gritted teeth. “Frankly, I don't care what you all believe in. I don't care if you want to go along with the sky and it's assignments for your life. But I'm not a part of the story and I don't have to follow what you believe just because I'm here.”

“You said that the door was a one way door,” Radar pointed out. Wrenley frowned at him. “Arguably that means you can't leave now that you're here. Correct?”

Wrenley nodded.

“Then I'd like to argue that you are part of this story.” Raider wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she scowled at him. 

“Fine,” Wrenley conceded. “Yes, I'm stuck here. Yes, I'm bitter about it. But you can't force me to believe something I simply don't believe in.”

“I take it Jaxon suggesting that you're his mate.”

“Jaxon, Cain, and Rawson.”

Raider’s footsteps hesitated before he continued. “All three of them are suggesting you are their mate?”

She nodded.

“And I take it you're not in agreement.”

“Correct,” she said. “Look how easy it was for you to grasp?!”

He smirked at her sarcasm. “And that's why you agreed to come out here with me.”

“One doesn't really have to do with the other but I suppose so. I want answers about the trees. I want to know what broke this fairy tale because I need to fix it. That's why I'm here. Not so I can be somebody's mate.”

They paused outside the gate at the back of Bear Tower Heights. There was a grassy field that appeared to expand over rolling hills and the sun shone brightly overhead. It looked like a true fairy tale.

“Besides that,” Wrenley said. “Sounds to me like the three of them have some issues to work out amongst themselves. On top of which, two of them are high up in the food chain and your weird political structure that I don't understand. None of which do I want to get involved in.”

Raider nodded. “It's not all sky assignments. Especially considering there are more of us that don't get an assignment than do.”

“And so what then?” Wrenley asked.

“We court,” he said with a small smile playing on his lips. “We have fun. We work. We have responsibilities that we take care of.”

“Let's talk about this fun,” Wrenley said, turning to him. “Any suggestions?”

“You're really not seeing them?” he asked.

“I have outright refused on more than one occasion to be mixed up in their mess.”

Raider chuckled. He pulled her around to face him and stared in her eyes, for several minutes. She wondered what he was searching for. To find out if she's lying? Maybe he thinks she's playing some childish games to get her boyfriends jealous? Maybe he knew the three men she had named and he didn't want to get tangled in a… could it be considered a love triangle if she actually wanted no part of it? But then, maybe not a triangle… a love square? 

Or maybe they were friends before and Wrenley was getting between them.

He brushed his fingers through the loose strands of hair at the side of her face. “How do you feel about sledding?” he asked.

Wrenley lifted a brow. “I hope sledding means something different here. The only sledding I know involves snow.”

He offered his hand again and she took it. “Nope. I’ll show you.”

Raider brought her back into the city and then continued around the perimeter to the far west side where another gate waited. Outside the gates were different kinds of trees. Still bloody but they looked more like they belonged in a rainforest than a conifer forest.

He stopped in front of a low growing plant with giant leaves. Leaves that were easily big enough to be a hammock or an umbrella. Pulling a knife from his pocket, Raider hacked at the stem until he had gotten two free. He handed one of them to Wrenley and she followed him back through the wall. He continued to lead her down the west side, but the west side continued west instead of falling south again.

And the further it expanded, the city itself broke off and they were walking in fields that led to a large rock. Beyond, she could see a stream that was remarkably clear waters, glittering under the sun. She followed him as he climbed up the rock, hauling his leaf behind him. It was a bit of an awkward struggle, but Wrenley wasn’t too far behind.

When they finally crested the top, she was sweating with the sun beating down on them. Wrenley paused and stared at the view. The stream continued on towards the wall in the distance but the view of the city behind them and the field that stretched further west was beautiful.

She was distracted when Raider pulled his shirt over his head. What was it with the men in this story? Why were they so gorgeous? He kicked off his shoes and then dropped his pants. Maybe she should have at least tried to conceal her ogling but she was taken off guard and hadn’t had a moment to think about it. What she was thinking about was that he very clearly had something nice in his shorts. It was pressed against the inside of his left leg, long and thick, even soft.

Wrenley pulled her gaze to Raider’s face and his smug smile. “Unless you want to walk back sopping wet, you should undress to the bottom layer.”

“There are better places to get nearly naked,” she said, glancing around. “Wait, did you say wet?”

Raider grinned, nodding. “Strip, gorgeous.”

She hesitated for only a minute before pulling herself out of the borrowed clothes until she was standing in front of him in just her underwear and bra. The heat in his eyes was not missed. But Raider didn’t comment as he picked up the stem of his leaf and continued to lead her to the other side of the rock.

And there was a stream that fed over the rock and followed a winding path down a twenty-degree descending rock hill. There were twists and turns, little pools where the water swirled and spilled on. And then it dumped into the stream she had been admiring.

Raider dipped his leaf into the water, rinsing the blood off of it. He handed his back to Wrenley and did the same to hers. “Ready?” he asked when he’d finished.

“You go first,” she said.

He chuckled, nodding. He moved the leaf behind him, carrying it like one would a chair that they didn’t want to remove their ass from while they shifted positions in it. He stepped into the stream and sat, positioning his leaf just right. Raider gave Wrenley another grin before picking his feet up and tucking them onto the leaf. He shimmied himself before the water got under his leaf and she watched as he went sliding down the rock.

She found herself laughing as the leaf spun him backwards as it dumped him into the first pool. Raider used his arms to spin himself around and move towards the next little dive. The second leg was quicker than the first. When it dumped him into the stream, there must have been a slight drop because he ended up slightly vertical before he landed in the water. He popped his head up a moment later and waved to Wrenley.

Yep. That sold her. She stepped in the water and followed him down with a laugh. 

Chapter 12: Curse of the Fated

Wrenley

After they'd finished sledding, which had taken up most of the afternoon, Raider took Wrenley back to the borrowed house he'd been staying in while at Bear Tower Heights. She wondered how there were enough houses for everybody to have their own. But it seemed to be normal, which meant there were less people in Bear Tower Heights than she thought, or there were more houses available than she had initially seen.

Raider left her on her own to change into some of his clothing since her undergarments were wet while he went out to get something to eat for dinner. When he returned, she was wearing clothing that was much too big, but at least she felt comfortable, even if slightly flushed from laying out her bra and panties in the bathroom.

He laid out a spread of different food and Wrenley feasted with her eyes first. She had to admit, she had been impressed with the food so far at Bear Tower Heights. She thought that most of what she would have to eat would be porridge based. And although that seems to make its way into most meals, the people of this story had done well to disguise it and reimagine it.

They picked through the food for the next hour as Raider told her about life in Free Sun, what he did there, how they passed the time. He even enjoyed telling her about his last courting disaster and the man that she had ended up with after him.

They fell asleep in the living area, curled up with blankets as they had stared out at the starry night talking quietly.

The next morning, Wrenley woke up alone. But she assumed he'd probably just gone to get breakfast. She also woke up feeling weird. Something about her equilibrium just felt off. Her stomach felt hollow. And there was an ache just behind her eyes that she couldn't explain.

She was sitting on the floor rubbing her head when Rader returned. He laid out another spread of amazing smelling meals but even the aroma, as delectable as it was, made her stomach churn. Maybe she was catching a cold from the stream. It had been warm out in the water, the temperature had been absolutely wonderful. But then she couldn't remember the last time she'd gone swimming outside, or if she ever had.

She picked at her meal and they were quiet this morning. Raider watched her under hooded dark eyes.

“I'm sorry,” she said. “I don't really feel well this morning.”

He nodded, setting his stuffed croissant back on a plate. “Where are you staying?”

Wrenley frowned. Even though his voice was soft, the tone of it sounded like little symbols going off in her skull. “Um. I'm not really staying anywhere,” she said. “Those men confiscated my bag. I think I brought some Advil. I'm probably going to have to go get it.”

“Do you want me to walk you there?” de asked.

Wrenley smiled and shook her head. “No, I'll be alright.” She climbed to her feet, oblivious that she was wearing his clothes still. 

Raider stood too and walked her towards the door.

She turned back to him when she opened it and smiled, trying to push the wave of dizziness away. “Thank you,” she said. “For the stories and the company and the food. I had a really great time.”

He nodded, bringing his fingers up to brush her hair back behind an ear. When he leaned in to press his lips to hers, she closed her eyes. Her heart pounded in her chest. But she wasn't convinced it was from the situation. Or at least, not in the typical fashion that she would think the situation would cause.

Her stomach rolled, but it wasn't butterflies. It was more on the lines of nausea or pain. Even her muscles ached. Maybe she was getting the flu. That was possible in a fairy tale, wasn't it?

She pulled away with a smile and began walking down the lane. It took her a moment to reorient herself so that she could find the house she'd left yesterday morning. But the world began to sway and she's sure that she stumbled at least two times.

Soft hands caught her and pulled her up right. Wrenley could barely make out the woman’s face but she was glad to see it wasn't the strange girl who had sat next to her yesterday at the meeting. This woman's face was gently concerned.

“Are you alright, darling?” she asked.

“Uh. I've been better,” Wrenley admitted.

The woman pressed the back of her hand to Wrenley’s forehead and frowned. “Where are you headed?” she asked.

Wrenley shook her head, closing her eyes against the stabbing pain of the sunlight. Now it kind of felt like a hangover. “My bag,” she said. “It's in that big house. I think it's Rawson’s room.”

She barely made out the other woman's eyebrows. “Oh honey, what are you doing out here?”

“Trying to get back,” Wrenley said. “I need some Advil.”

The woman did not know what Advil was based on her confused look, but she nodded all the same. “Come here, darling,” she said and wrapped her arm around Wrenley's waist. “Let me help you back to that boy. My name is Analise.”

Her words had hardly registered, but she nodded and said, “I'm Wrenley”

“Of course you are.”

“I don't feel good.” She was pretty sure she had a fever at this point as she stumbled along under Analise's hold.

“I'm sure you don't,” she said.

Even though her words swam in and out of Wrenley's mind, not at all clear, she asked, “What's wrong with me?”

“One of you is trying to break a mating bond,” Analise said gently, pressing her hand against the side of Wrenley’s head, smoothing down her sweat-slick hair. “I didn't know what kind of effect it might have on someone who is not a bear, but I can see that it clearly affects you.”

Wrenley shook her head. “How do I make it stop?”

“That's what we're going to do,” Analise said.

That felt promising at least. Wrenley wasn't sure how or when they returned to the house. Or how long it had taken from the moment Analise had found her. But the woman helped her inside and stopped in front of a door.

There was a lot of growling and crashing on the other side. The sounds ground into her head and made her chest hurt. She couldn't describe the pain. It wasn't physical exactly. It was almost emotional. It was so deep in cutting, but she didn't understand.

Analise lifted a hand and knocked on the door. The noise on the other end ceased and for a moment, silence followed. “Bears are animals,” Analise said quietly. “He'll be alright.”

The door swung open and Rawson was standing there. Once again, he was at least twice his normal size, a shadow of a monster in his eyes as his chest heaved. He looked slightly crazy. A little mad and dazed.

The low growl he released filled the air and Wrenley shivered, swaying where she stood. It was alarming. And… soothing? And somehow irritating at the same time. Rawson reached for her, one hot hand around her upper arm and dragged her into the room, shutting the door behind her.

“Where have you been?” he growled

Wrenley wasn't sure exactly what had happened but for some reason his attitude pulled her from the vice her head was stuck in. She ripped her arm out of his grasp and stumbled away. Another set of hands caught her but they didn't try to hold her. They just studied her instead.

“Don't touch me,” she said, glaring at Rawson. “Don’t you ever fucking touch me. And I don't owe you an explanation.” Her words were choked, pained, but she didn't understand why.

She'd hated his hand on her because somehow it had soothed something dark inside her. Something restless that tried to claw its way out. But then so had the hands that caught her.

Wrenley turned, coming face to face with Cain. Jaxon was behind him, just a foot, and staring at her over Cain’s shoulder.

Wrenley swallowed. She felt safer confessing to him that she didn't feel good. “Analise said you could make it stop.”

“Probably not how you're hoping,” Cain said quietly. “But we can soothe it, if that's alright.”

She nodded, feeling like her brain jiggled in her head so she quickly stopped, wrapping an arm around her stomach. “I think I'm turning inside out.” She cracked her eyes open in time to see Cain smile.

He held his hands out to her, said, “Come here.”

She didn't think that she actually took the steps to close the distance between them, but more fell into his arms instead. He caught her and lifted her to her feet before bringing her to the bed. He laid down with her, tucking her against his chest.

The bed dipped behind her, but she knew when it was Jaxon touching her and not Rawson. She was still irritated at Jaxon, though she couldn't remember why. His hands at her back, slid upwards over her shoulders and brought her sweat-soaked hair together in one hand. It felt good. It seemed to cool her fevered skin and Wrenley close to her eyes to let his soothing touch bring her down.

Jaxon took courage from her not pushing him away and pressed his body to her back, shaping himself to wrap around her. She shivered but it was from the confusion within her. Her whole being still felt off, like she was ready to shed a layer of skin. It itched. It hurt. Jaxon's touch soothed her.

She opened her eyes and came face to face with Cain, staring into gray ones. Wrenley didn't know what possessed her but she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him closer. Cain complied, closing the distance between them. And although she'd only meant to just stay with herself in the middle of the two of them, letting their presence calm away the ache inside her, he pressed his lips to hers.

She's startled, stilled, and then closed her eyes. She found that she was pulling him closer, needing to feel him more. His kiss took a different edge off - the feeling of unease inside her. It hadn't quite settled her yet but she was sure if she kept kissing him, it might.

And then Jaxon's lips on her neck made her groan. Her lips pulled away from Cain’s as she stretched her face back, revealing her neck more.

“Careful,” Cain whispered.

Jaxon growled, brushing his teeth against her skin. Wrenley whimpered in response, her hand moved up Cain’s chest, entangled in his hair. Bringing him closer to her.

“Wrenley,” he murmured, brushing his lips over hers. Over her jaw, her chin, feathering his lips and tongue down her neck to suck on her collarbone. Heat blossomed in her and the fire  it brought lapped away at the nausea.

“She doesn't understand,” Cain murmured.

Jaxons mouth moved up to Wrenley's ear. For a moment he sucked at her lobe, making her choke on a moan. “Sex will make it feel better,” he murmured. “It'll settle the straining bond.”

“Make it stop,” she whispered.

“This won't make it stop,” Cain said before Jaxon could say anything else. “It's the very opposite of making it stop, Wrenley. If anything, it'll feed it. Strengthen it.”

Wrenley whimpered, shaking her head, her face falling, crumbling at the ache in her. “Why did you do this to me?” she whispered. “I didn't-”

Her words were cut off when Jaxon turned her face and covered her mouth with his in a hot, searing kiss. She reacted immediately. She knew what they said. She heard it. And although she could feel the evidence of it strengthening whatever weirdness this mate thing was, it was unmistakable how much relief it was to have their hands on her. Touching her. Kissing her.

She strengthened her grip on Cain’s shirt. With a growl, his mouth returned to her skin. And then his hands were on her, pushing her shirt up.

Jaxon’s lips left hers and she felt his tongue as he trailed it along her jaw, down her neck, to her shoulder where he grazed his teeth. She tilted her head back. Cain pulled her shirt higher, exposing her. Then he was sucking her nipples until she was shaking.

Jaxon’s hand went to her pants and he unfastened them, opening the top button. His fingers teased at her skin there, making her breath shudder. Then he was unzipping her, pushing down, bringing his hand into her pants and cupping her sex.

Together, they shimmied Wrenley's clothes off her, wasting no time with her under garments. 

Jaxon was already removing his pants, kicking them away. She could feel him move behind her, while Cain seemed more interesting in her nipples. Though she'd been trying to keep her hands to herself, she gave into the pleasure of their touch, feeling how it yoked away all the nausea, settling everything about her. She tangled her fingers in Cain's hair, eliciting another growl from him. She shivered at the feel against her skin.

He moved down her body, placing hungry kisses along her skin until her reached the top of her pussy. Wrenley was a little mortified to feel how wet she was. It wasn't supposed to feel so good. Yet somehow, it was more than incredible. His touch reached inside her in a way she didn't understand.

Jaxon remained behind her, reaching his hands into her hair. He tugged her head back and kissed her again. Cain pushed his face into her sex, his tongue flicking her clit.

Wrenley moaned and Jaxon took that opportunity to claim her mouth, thrusting his tongue in deep. She nipped at his tongue, his lips. His hands were everywhere, touching her, kneading her breasts, then firmly grabbing her ass. Digging his fingers in until it sent a ping of hot heat straight to her clit where Cain was expertly teasing. Cain's tongue on her felt so good, she could barely keep her head as Jaxon kissed her.

Cain's tongue was flicking and licking and sucking at her, and Jaxon was biting her, kissing her, his hands everywhere, and she was on fire.

“Please,” she grunted, breaking away from Jaxon. His lips dragged on her cheek, leaving a sloppy trail. He pressed his hips to her ass, making sure she felt his erection as he sucked on her neck, making her gasp.

“Please what?” Cain whispered against her wet sex.

“I don’t know,” she said, her voice shaking. “I don’t know.”

“Fuck,” Jaxon said, his voice lower and rougher than before.

She could feel the bulge at his crotch and she knew this was going to wreck her. She didn’t know how she knew, but she had to have that inside her. It would put the swirling mess of nerves and feeling not quite right to unease. Jaxon kissed her again, and then he was there, pushing his cock into her. He lifted her leg to accommodate and Cain did not stop licking her clit. 

Wrenley groaned at the entry and he groaned back, thrusting in deeper. His groan was deep, low like a grow. Cain slipped along the inside of her leg, to the top of her pussy, and pushed one finger inside her with Jaxon's cock. A moan escaped her lips as she bucked against him.

That’s it, she thought. That’s what she wanted. She felt her body respond and she pushed back against Jaxon, wanting more. Needing more. He gave it to her and he growled against her neck again.

Cain pressed another finger inside her as Jaxon began sucking on her neck. She was almost delirious with the feel of it all. 

She cried out in frustration when Cain pulled away, retrieving his hand from her body so he could strip. Wrenley reached for him, pulling at him to bring him back. 

He fumbled on the bed, bringing his mouth to hers, claiming her breath as she trembled. All the while, Jaxon continued long, smooth thrusts as if he were just relishing the feel of her instead of chasing a climax for either of them.

She couldn’t quite catch her breath, but she could feel the pressure building inside her. When he finished undressing, Cain was everywhere at once. He was touching her, kissing her, whispering to her as he pressed against her. Wrenley reached for him and his hand on her shoulder, pressing into her as if he was claiming her body as his.

Cain pulled away from her lips and rested his forehead against hers. He was breathing just as hard as she was. His eyes were hungrily looking her over, and it was more than obvious what he wanted. Her body responded in kind. 

Jaxon was still thrusting into her as he growled into her neck. He nipped her skin and she shuddered in a different kind of anticipation. Jaxon groaned, but pulled out of her.

“Your turn,” he said with a low voice.

Cain's moan was choked as he brought his hand around to take the crook of her leg with Jaxon. 

Cain pulled her leg up further and Jaxon released his grip. His hand slid down her leg and spread her pussy lips apart. Cain nudged her clit with the head of his cock. 

Jaxon licked her neck, tasting her salty skin as Cain slid between her lips. He groaned as he felt Cain’s cock brush up against where his pressed on the underside of her thigh, and Wrenley let out a cry.

Cain thrust in with one deep, hard move and Wrenley’s eyes widened at the sensation. She moaned as Cain pulled back out and thrust in again. Jaxon placed his hand around her neck and a growl erupted behind her. His chest vibrated against her back as Cain thrust into her again. 

Cain grasped her face, staring into her eyes. He kissed her hungrily, possessively. His mouth moving against hers, filling her as his cock did.

A moment later, he pulled out so Jaxon could push himself inside her. This time when Jaxon's hand joined Cain's at the crook of her knee, both of their grips remained and they traded off who was inside her. 

Her head was spinning as they each delivered deep, long thrusts. The pressure inside her was building quickly.  

Wrenley groaned as she got closer to the edge. She couldn't keep her hands away from either of them as they both thrust into her. She was so close. She needed this release more than she needed oxygen. Her hips bucked between them, meeting their thrusts with her own. 

Jaxon pulled out and Cain thrust in, filling her with pleasure. Cain grunted against her neck, and she could feel the tingle of electricity that was about to burst through her body.

They continued to thrust in, faster and deeper until she couldn't do anything but feel.

The orgasm hit her like a train and she lost control of her limbs, falling into Cain as what felt like an intense electric current screamed through her body. Cain continued to drive into her as she cried out, her voice hoarse and raspy. Cain's grip on her leg tightened, his thrusts quickening as he fucked her through her orgasm. The next breath she took was shaky, her body shaking. Cain groaned, burying his face in the crook of her neck, and he came a moment later.

Cain pulled out when he was finished and Jaxon was right behind him with a groan. He gripped her hip under her, his head falling to her back.

Jaxon swept a kiss over her swollen lips, still breathing heavily as he shoved himself inside her again. 

Wrenley cried out at the sensation. Jaxon grunted as he brought his hand up to cup her cheek, bringing his face next to hers. He kissed her again as he began thrusting into her. She was still shaking from her last orgasm, but she wanted to feel him explode inside her, sure that it would be the culmination of the cool calm that settled over every last tingle of unease inside her. 

His grip tightened on her hip and under her knee as he pulled out and thrust back inside her, hitting her in the right spot over and over again. She cried out, begging him to give it to her as she pressed her hips back into him.

She felt like she was floating, but she knew she was just being carried away by the sheer pleasure. And then she felt it. Every muscle in his body tensed against her, and his hot breath on her damp skin. He growled, his voice strained as he came inside her. Jaxon's grip on her hip was almost painful as he held her still.

Eventually, he relaxed, his grip on her gentling to a caress before he pulled out. Jaxon pressed a kiss to her shoulder and slipped out of her, but pressed himself firmly to her back.

Wrenley found herself in a post sex haze, where she felt like she was almost humming. Her whole body thrummed with satisfaction and relaxation. She was still wedged between Cain and Jaxon. Both men’s lips were still grazing her body, licking at the light sheen of sweat that covered her skin.

She was just going to allow herself two more minutes to fall under their worshiping touch. To revel in it. To run her hands over their taut muscles. Through their damp hair. To taste their lips.

Finally, Jaxon lay at her side as she rolled to her back, tangling one of his legs over hers, bringing his knee up and forcing one of her legs to bend to accommodate as he pressed his thigh to her sex.

His hand lay on the flat of her stomach as he brought his lips to the shell of her ear again. “Feels better, doesn't it?” he said quietly.

Cain was still kissing her, drawing languid kisses from her collarbone down to her breast where he used both his hand and his mouth to stimulate her. But it wasn't really meant to keep her moving towards arousal, but to slowly ease her out.

Wrenley shivered, closing her eyes and swallowing as their words from before came sinking back in. She’d groan again but she thought under the circumstances that it would be taken in another direction. She slowly pulled herself away from both of them and they let her go.

She thought maybe Rawson had left the room but he was sitting in a chair, watching. With those damn eyes that she could get lost in. But before she could, the state of the room caught her attention and she looked around at the disaster.

There was a hole in the opposite wall. There was broken furniture that appeared to be shattered into tiny pieces, the debris scattered around the room. Feathers from pillows and lengths of fabric from blankets or likewise strewn. What had once probably been a painted canvas picture was torn in half.

One of the curtains was hanging from it's rod, torn away. One of the windows was cracked in its pain. She turned back to question Cain and saw that even the headboard had suffered. There were long scratch marks deep, marring the perfect surface.

It looked like somebody had thrown a royal temper tantrum and gotten violent and destructive.

“Do I even want to know what happened in here?” she asked.

“Bears are volatile,” Cain said quietly. “What you were feeling when you returned here I think manifests differently in us. Although we can feel you shutting down the bond that’s struggling to form, it is an intensely painful thing on our end. Both for us and our animals. And the beasts don't respond well. It's hard to keep them calm and rational when we are losing the ability to remain so.”

Wrenley had found that her gaze had locked with Rawson’s as Cain spoke. Jaxon's hand had moved to her thigh again, just resting there. But it was as if he couldn't help but touch her. And she hated that she actually appreciated his touch.

But she gently pulled away from him and walked silently through the room to the bathroom where she shut the door. For a moment, she leaned back against it, closing her eyes. What the hell had she just done? Exactly what she had said she was not interested in doing. She heard what they said. She heard Cain say that this was soothing the bond and creating it more permanently.

And yet her only interest had been that their touch was chasing away the sickness in her. And it became even better when it became physical.

Wrenley took a breath and went through the shower again. Once more, she bypassed all of the gadgets that one of the men might use to spread lathering soaps over their bodies. Sure, what was the point now? Especially when she could still feel their release dripping down the inside of her thigh.

She shook her head, choosing to ignore everything and closed her eyes as she ran her fingers through her hair with shampoo and scratched at her skull until she was sure it was raw. She rubbed her body with just as much friction until it wasn't just the water making it red.

It was too dangerous to stay in this room with them. She needed a plan B. She couldn't allow herself to let that happen again and facilitate this bond solidifying. She didn't know what her options were but maybe Raider could help. Maybe he'd know where she could find an empty house. He was staying in a borrowed one after all.

She stepped out of the shower and found the stacks of clothing that they left for her yesterday morning were still there. She did even less poking through him this time and just stepped into whatever was on top of each pile. She ran her fingers through her hair and stepped out of the room.

The three men hadn’t shifted except that both Cain and Jaxon were sitting at the edge of the bed but they were both naked. Gloriously naked. And she had to tear her gaze away from.

Chapter 13: Rejected Mates

Wrenley

She stared at the men for several minutes, sliding her gaze between three of them. She couldn't think of anything to say. She couldn't think of anything she wanted to say. Sighing, Wrenley turned to the door.

“Where are you going?” Jaxon asked.

Only because the question sounded more conversational than demanding, Wrenley stopped. Even so, her shoulders tensed. “I don't know,” she admitted. “But this whole thing gives me a headache and I need to get out of here.”

She hadn't heard him move but then Jaxon was behind her, his hand rested gently at her hip. It seemed that now, after their threesome, his touches - they weren't charged exactly. But they spoke to something just under her skin as if something inside her was saying yes.

A minute passed and no one spoke. He didn't touch her otherwise, nothing outside of the simple gesture of his hand resting on her. She could feel his hot breath brushing her damp hair.

When he continued not to speak. Wrenley decided maybe she could try calmly. “I understand you think I'm being unreasonable,” she said quietly. “But I didn't choose this. Nothing in my life has been in my control. First DeadEnd rips away the future I prepared for and insists that I come here. So after I watch a brutal murder, and then more murders, I’m abducted and then beaten. I have you three insisting that I belong to you. And all I want to do is fixed the stupid fairy tale so I can move on.”

“Where will you move on to?” Jaxon asked

Wrenley shook her head. She didn't think that they understood that she was stuck here. That there was no getting out. “I don't know,” she whispered. She turned, his hand followed her movement, sliding across her back to rest on her opposite hit as she looked up at him. “I think at this point, you could be the absolute best person in the entire world but I'm still going to push this away because I need some control in my life.”

Jaxon took a breath and held it as he stared at her. He released it slowly and it brushed against her skin, making Wrenley close her eyes. Even that was more than somebody just breathing on her. It felt like a part of him surrounded her, brushed against her.

“Will you come back here tonight?” he asked.

Her initial reaction was to tell him no. But then she thought about what they said. About how it might be manifesting as sickness to her, but to them, it was a pain so fierce that it was turning to unbearable rage. It would have been for selfish reasons if she came back, though. “I don't know,” she told him again.

Cain stood from the bed and stopped at her side. He leaned in gently to her, pressing his bare chest against her shoulder. He rested his forehead against the side of her head but he kept his hands to himself. “Is there anything we can say or do or promise to convince you not to reject this so quickly?”

“You want me to slowly reject it?” she asked.

A brief flash of anguish crossed Jaxon's face but Cain chuckled. “No, Wren. I want you to focus on the fairy tale. We'll help you with whatever you need. And in the meantime, don't try to shut this down. It won't grow unless the four of us make it happen. So just let it be until there comes a time when we can talk about it.”

Wrenley wanted to point out that it was probably going to be like a band aid. It was best to get it over quickly. Just rip it off and walk away. But then she considered what Analise had said in her delirium on the way over. This was just the beginning. Maybe they were right. There was no way she was going to be able to concentrate on fixing the fairy tale if she was constantly so off that she couldn't function, never mind, think properly.

“What does that consist of?” she asks

“It means stop trying to think about getting away from us or stopping it. The more you concentrate on that, the more you put strain on it. Just concentrate on the fairy tale.”

“There's more than that,” Jaxon added. “If you're with somebody outside of us, it also damages the fragile bond that's trying to span.”

Wrenley could immediately feel her hackles rise as she glared at him. “I'm going to see Raider again,” she said carefully. “We had a good time together. And I'm going to point out one more time that I didn't choose this. And you don't own me.”

Even as the words left her mouth, she felt the start of a sting in her chest that dropped to her stomach. Against her shoulder, she could feel the way Cain's heart gave a hard thud and his subtle intake of breath.

Jaxon’s reaction wasn't so delicate. He took a shuddering breath, closing his eyes. But Wrenley didn't miss the pain that streaked through them before he shut them away. She could just barely make out Rawson’s silhouette in her peripheral as he brought a hand to his temple.

She thought maybe it was the intent behind the words more than the words themselves.

“Where are you going now?” Cain said quietly.

Wrenley shook her head. “ don't have a destination.”

“Please just come back here tonight. I need a break from my bear trying to rip out of me.”

Wrenley nodded. “Okay,” she said. “I'll be back later.”

Cain and Jaxon accepted that and they both backed away from her. She tried to keep her gaze on their faces but as she turned her back on them, she couldn't help but drop them to their stunning bodies. Nobody should be able to be made that perfectly.

She escaped out the door and paused as it closed behind her. She waited a moment to see if she could hear anything beyond. And then she paused another moment as she looked down the hallway at the other side.

With another sigh, she headed out the way that she knew the door was. She found it without incident and without meeting another person once again. And then she was on the streets that were bustling with day to day activity. There was conversation and laughter, children running up and down the road. There was the added excitement of the additional clans that were visiting.

Wrenley tried to decide where the best way to go was. Maybe there was a library and she could study some old texts. Maybe she needed to find whatever the equivalent of their political houses and track down these elders.

As she wandered aimlessly, she thought about the stories Raider had told her yesterday. Did any of them seem at all plausible? She had to keep reminding herself that this was a fairy tale and Outside physics didn't necessarily apply.

She couldn't deny that there was some weird magic shit that came from somewhere that linked certain people together. She had physically felt the strain and the healing of it. And she understood why somebody might reject that. Maybe if she'd come upon them under different circumstances, she might have been willing to give a relationship a try between one of them. 

Or… three of them?

Maybe then, if this weird bond thing had taken place, she wouldn't completely, innately reject the whole thing.

When a pit began to form in her stomach again, she quickly moved her thoughts to something else. No more thinking about the mated.

“Wrenley, darling.”

She paused and turned at the voice. She smiled, seeing Analise stand up from where she was sitting with another woman and a man. She had a bright smile on as she stopped at Wrenley side.

“Oh honey, you look so much better,” she said. “Did you make up with those boys?”

Wrenley squinted her eyes but she thought it best not to speak on that. The pit had lifted and she didn't wanna trigger any other reactions.

But she thought Analise had already read something in it. She gave Wrenley a sympathetic smile and shifted, gesturing at the table. “Would you care to join us, darling? We're just getting ready to have some lunch.”

“I don't want to impose,” Wrenley said.

“Of course not.” She linked her arm through Wrenley's and pulled her along. “We're more than happy to have you join us. This is my sister Maris and our friend Liander. And this is Wrenley, the sweet thing I mentioned earlier.”

Wrenley flush slightly. She'd never enjoyed being the topic of others’ conversations. She gave them both a hello and took a seat that Analise offered.

Analise was quick to see her discomfort and patted her shoulder as she sat back down. “Oh no, honey. It was not the regular gossip. I was just concerned about you and I wondered if they had seen you. To know how you fared.”

“I fared,” Wrenley said.

Maris giggled and leaned forward. “Pardon my rudeness,” she said, her voice hushed. “But I think you’re the girl that's been fated to Rawson that Vienna is so pissed about.”

There was a glint of mirth in her eyes, in the tilting hope in her tone. “I suppose so,” Wrenley said.

Maris leaned back, thrilled, clapping her hands. “As petty as it is,” she said. “I have not enjoyed anything more than seeing Vienna pushed out of the big house.”

“It's always been a treat watching Rawson undermine her and ignore her. But this just feels like the icing on the cake,” Liander added, giving Wrenley a grin. “There's truly nothing better than seeing that bitch rejected, even if it's not a true rejecting. This might be even better.”

“Are you guys mated?” she asked and then wondered if it was rude to ask. Maybe it was something she should already know.

But the three of them laughed, shaking their heads and adding some kind of negative answer.

“Nah, honey,” Analise said.

“We were assigned,” Maris said, gesturing her head to Liander. “But we didn’t feel we were really compatible so we rejected it.”

She could only imagine the way she was looking at them because their amusement ticked up as they watched her expression.

“Okay,” Wrenley said. “I'm going to need a little more detail on that please.”

“There's not much more detail to it,” Liander said. “Maris and I decided we just weren't good together. So we rejected the bond.”

She looked between the two of them, contemplating which question she should ask first.

“I think maybe we ought to start at the beginning,” Analise said. “Let's start with the assignments.”

They paused in their discussion, while several trays of food were delivered to the table. Liander made himself busy and started dishing plates, handing them around to all four of them. 

As Wrenley settled in and started munching, Analise began to explain.

“The sky’s intent in assigning us our mates was probably something wholesome initially. I don't think it was just about compatibility but I think it was about completion as well. The other half to make a hole. That home where you know you can just nuzzle into and you belong. For some, it still works that way. I would say for the great majority it would still work that way when a mating happens. When the assignment is given. Generally, the relief and excitement and joy between the two is generally embraced. And the two assigned together are happy to keep their assignment.”

“Can you explain the bond? Or the physical reaction, I suppose?” Wrenley asked.

Analise hummed. “It's meant for comfort. So you always know that your beloved is well. You can feel their discomfort or their joy. You share their despair and their pleasure. It facilitates trust, compassion, and understanding. It's not a negative thing. It might sound overbearing but my understanding is the feel of it, the solidity of it, ss reassuring and intrinsic.”

“What’s up with the rejected then? Or maybe the question I should ask is why are there some rejected?”

Analise inclined her head towards Maris and Liander.

“Liander and I have been friends for ages,” Maris said. “We actually courted for a while, but we were younger. So we already knew that we just weren't right together. We're still very good friends and we always will be. And I admit that, at least when we first got our assignment, we thought we'd give it one more try. But it definitely wasn't hard to see or to feel that it was just…”

Her voice trailed off, but Liander’s finished her thought. “It's like a puzzle piece. There are many pieces that look the same, but that don't quite fit. A fate assignment feels the same way. At least it did for Maris and I. We know we're good together. But we're good friends together. We’re the right shape to each other’s puzzle but we don't fit quite right. Does that make sense?”

“I think that's the best analogy I've ever heard,” Analise said.

Wrenley nodded. “Actually, I understand that perfectly. So that leads up to my next question then. I'm not from this fairy tale so arguably I shouldn't be the right piece.”

“Oh no, honey,” Analise said, shaking her head. “Mm mm. That's not how it works. It has nothing to do with where you're from but the shape of your heart and soul. Your personality. Whether your morals and ethics align with your other.”

Wrenley bit her lip as she considered this. “For argument’s sake. Let's say I'm not sure I'm missing three puzzle pieces. But I also clearly don't experience this whole assignment thing the same way you do.”

“Three?” Liander asked.

Wrenley shrugged. “They tell me three.”

The three of them exchanged looks. Curiosity. Intrigue.

“Alright,” Analise said. She patted Wrenley's hand. “It can come down to something very simple. When I place my hand on you, what do you feel?”

Wrenley frowned at her and glanced down at her hand, resting on the back of Wrenley's wrist. “Uh. I feel like this is a trick question.”

She chuckled. “No, it's very straightforward. What do you feel?”

“Just your hand. Um? The warmth of your skin.”

“And now. When one of these three men touches you, what do you feel?”

Wrenley didn't answer because she just had a whole lot of touching and it was absolutely more heightened than just a touch. Even given that sex was heightened touch. This was something beyond. She pressed her lips together and plucked a piece of her lunch into her mouth.

“Next question. Is it because you remained friends or that it was equally rejected that you didn't have to leave Bear Tower Heights?”

The confusion at their looks made Wrenley pause as she started to bring up one of the little pastries on her plate.

“What do you mean?” Maris asked.

“I've been under the impression that whoever is rejected was forced from their culture. From their home. From their society. Shunned by their people and forced to leave.”

All three of them looked at Wrenley horrified.

“Absolutely not,” Liander said. “That is not how this works at all. Anybody who chooses to leave does so on their own of their own choice. Being rejected from an assigned mating is not a rejection from the clan. If somebody chose to leave the clan after being rejected, that's a choice that they made alone.”

Wrenley set her hands on the table frowning. “There's an entire group of people who argue differently,” she told them.

“You mean that band of crazy girls?” Analise asked.

Wrenley nodded.

The three of them shook their heads.

“No, honey. If you're courting somebody and you decide it doesn't work, does the one who's been broken up with automatically get dismissed from their city? From their family? Of course not. Whoever leaves does so by choice.”

“Under those circumstances,” Maris amended. “There have, of course, been instances where people have been banished for reasons having nothing to do with the mating.”

“You mentioned courting,” Wrenley said. “So, if you were to court somebody and you decide to stay together, can you create a mate bond?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Analise said.

“The intent in the sky’s assignment of a mate- How do I say this?” Maris paused, tapping her chin as she looked over Analise's shoulder absently. “It's more of a suggestion. No. Deeper than a suggestion. It's almost as if saying, ‘you two might have looked past each other when you should be together. So I'm gonna give you a nudge in the direction you should be in. I'm gonna help it along so you understand and give you the start of a mate bond to help to facilitate which you both are feeling, which you go through during this by the pond. But it's up to you to complete it.’”

“It's a very loud nudge,” Wrenley said.

They grinned at her, nodding.

Their conversation moved on from the mates and the rejected to more blase subjects. But it made her curious. Maybe this mate bond, this assignment by the sky, was the actual act of opening someone’s eyes to their soulmate. She could reason away the rejected as to say sometimes you have to go through a couple before you find the right one.

Before you find the right three?