Chapters 20 & 21

Chapter 20: Mating Festival

Wrenley

It would have been great if they could go hunting for the infecting fairy tale right away. But other things were happening that day. The Mating Festival began.

Wrenley wanted to stay out of it. Stay as far away from it as she could get. The idea of attending the festival felt like it might encourage Jaxon. Rawson had been quiet without saying anything for or against it. But Wrenley got the impression he was letting Jaxon take the lead since Jaxon couldn’t seem to find it in him to keep his mouth shut.

And she desperately wished he would. Every time he spoke, little pangs of a dark pit reforming in her stomach as she snapped back at him. He just needed to shut up.

There were people everywhere. Singing and dancing and food. Wrenley found she was smiling as she watched everyone dance, their excitement almost infectious. There was face painting and beautiful, sparkling costumes. There were instruments and colored smoke bursting all around, resulting in squeals of laughter.

And there were bears. The first one Wrenley saw made her jump as she stared. it had to weigh 700 pounds or more. It was huge, loping along through the crowd, its fur mottled with different colors from where Wrenley presumed it had been caught in one of the smoke bursts. Its shoulders came up to her waist and she could only imagine how big he would be if he stood on his hind legs.

“When you say bears,” Wrenley said, watching it go by. “You actually mean bears.”

Cain chuckled. “Yea.”

“So, you’re shifters? You turn into bears and back into people?”

He nodded. “Yes, we’re bear shifters.”

“A whole lot of things make sense now,” she muttered.

Raider nudged her arm, and she glanced his way. He was looking at another bear. A beautiful panda. It was nearly a third of the grizzly that went by.

But there wasn’t just one. There were two. And the way they nuzzled together as they loped through the crowd suggested to Wrenley that they were mates.

“That’s what you should turn into if you were a bear?” Wrenley asked Raider.

He nodded, turning back to look at her. Since they’d only left the Primals an hour ago, he hadn’t had a chance to be introduced to the other fae within the clans. It was festival, so Raider agreed to put it off. It didn’t bother him to be walking around as a hot but decidedly freaky and slightly terrifying fae. And, if Wrenley was going to admit it to herself, she kind of wanted to lick him like a fucking popsicle.

“Want to check out the mating garden?” Cain asked.

Wrenley looked at him with a brow raised. “Why? I already have a mate.”

He chuckled. “But we can see how Raider’s sister is doing.”

“Oh.” She glanced at Raider to find him watching her. “Alright. Let’s check it out.”

The garden was large and beautiful, and Wrenley had no idea how she’d missed it before. It was sunken in the ground with a four-foot rock wall keeping the sides from caving in. There were paths and pools of water, grassy areas and so many exotic flowers that the air was thick with their tropical scents.

“Wow,” she breathed.

Raider took her hand and pulled her along, moving quicker now that they were down in the garden. It was only as they moved further into the space that Wrenley saw the little nooks where there was a bear waiting. Sitting in chairs or standing nervously.

As they approached Cady in a nook ahead, Wrenley heard the trickling of a fountain and realized that all the loud music and commotion of the festival was drowned out. It was peaceful and absolutely gorgeous.

“Raider,” Cady said, smiling in relief.

He let go of Wrenley and went to his sister to wrap her in a hug. He kissed the top of her head as they spoke quietly.

“So, how’s this work?”

Cain wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his chest. “Generally, it’s the female who wait in the niches and the males with a dropped assignment will wander the garden until they find their mate.”

“And then its all sexy time and bites?”

He chuckled, nipping at her jaw before gently kissing the mark left on her. The skin had mostly healed now and all that was left was a mark that apparently labeled her as Cain’s mate. To her it looked like a bite and nothing more. But apparently there was a name in it.

“No. Sexy time isn’t necessary for the bond.” When she looked at him with narrowed eyes, Cain grinned, kissing her softly. “It solidifies a loose bond before it actually forms and, if done enough times, will complete the bond on its own. But really, it’s the bite that matters.”

She sighed, leaning into his arms and watching Raider with Cady. He was a good big brother, doting on her and trying to make her smile. She looked somewhat unhappy. Fearful. Nervous.

“What happens when someone is rejected?” Wrenley whispered.

She glanced around them, looking into the other nooks to see other women waiting. Hopeful. Anxious. And apprehensive.

Afraid of a rejection.

“One of the assigned will refuse when they meet. I hope you don’t see one. It’s painful to even witness.”

Speaking of rejected, Rawson and Jaxon were off somewhere else. Separately, from what Wrenley understood. Rawson had to attend to something for their Primal. And although Jaxon said he had something he needed to do, Wrenley was pretty sure he was off fuming somewhere.

She felt Raider at her back and Wrenley shifted to see him.

“I’m pretty sure I will make bear ribbons if my sister is rejected,” Raider said. “As a fair warning.”

“How long will it take?” Wrenley asked.

“To make bear ribbons? I found I was pretty quick at it.”

Wrenley grinned, shaking her head. Chills raced up her spine at the predatory glint in his eyes. And also, arousal shot through her until she almost felt like she needed to squeeze her legs together.

She turned away from him to look at Cain, with his amused and knowing smile. Wrenley flushed. “I mean, until their fated show up.”

“The garden amplifies their call,” Cain said. “So, I don’t think its ever very long. An hour at most. Even if their mate hadn’t felt an assignment yet, when the fated stand within their niche, it should call out to them quickly and with a potency that can’t be ignored.”

“Is that what happened with Rawson?”

Raider remained at Wrenley’s back, his body heat brushing against her even though the only part of him touching her was his hand wrapped around her elbow as he watched the garden. Hunting for his sister’s mate like prey.

Cain nodded, a smile ticking up the side of his lips in a lopsided grin. She found herself smiling in return, the desire to kiss him strong.

“Yea. We were making around for the Primal when he felt the tug. He stopped suddenly, like he’d run into a wall. Any others I’d seen that had suddenly realized their assignment had been filled with excitement. They nearly ran to the garden. But the color drained from Rawson’s face as he looked at him with horror.”

“Why? He didn’t know who it was, did he? Or does this weird voodoo come with a name in these cases?”

Raider snorted.

Cain smirked. “No. He didn’t have a name. Wren, we’ve all been very serious in that we’ve tried to stay together since Rawson accepted Deputy. Jax is… blinded by the perceived dismissal from us but that was never the case.”

“Betrayal,” Wrenley said. “He feels betrayed.”

“Yes, I know that now. I thought before it was rejection he felt. But only after the bond settled with him did I feel how deeply and bitterly betrayed he feels.” He sighed.

“So, Rawson refused to come down here?” she pushed.

Cain shook his head. “No. He came down. I think it was curiosity more than anything since he would never accept a mate unless it was with one of us. Obviously, that’s not how these mating work so it wasn’t going to happen. But yes, he got down here, looked at how the sky seriously fucked up, and walked away to the girl screaming in pain and fury.”

Wrenley flinched. That sounded heartless and cruel. It certainly didn’t make her like him any better.

“She wasn’t right for him,” Cain said quietly. “Goldi was even worse than Vienna. A miserably, haughty woman who was never held responsible for any of her questionable actions. She had no morals, no ethics, no conscience. She sure as fuck was not who should be the mate of the future Primal. Rawson wasn’t wrong in his rejection, Wren. Especially for his station, she couldn’t be given that kind of power and responsibility.”

“So the sky is to blame?” She really tried to keep the doubt out of her voice. Or any kind of scoffing.

“If you don’t believe it’s the sky making assignments, where do you think they come from?” Cain asked.

Wrenley pressed her lips together.

“You know they’re real. You can feel that calling in you. You can feel what it’s like to start a rejection. You can feel what a completed mate bond feels like. So, you can’t question the reality of it. If not the sky, then where?”

Wrenley pressed her lips together as she stared up at him. “I don’t know,” she admitted.

“There he is,” Raider said, his voice quiet behind her. She could feel his tension and the underlying threat in his tone.

She shifted to look in the direction Raider was. He was an Indigo based on appearance with his dark skin and bright white hair over light eyes. And he was staring at Cady as he made his way through the garden.

Wrenley looked at Cady, to find she had backed up until her back was pressed against the wall. Her eyes were wide with anxiety and fear. It was only as she was looking at Cady, seeing the girl wring her hands in front of her, the tension stiff in her shoulders, that Wrenley realized the fear wasn’t of the mating itself.

It was of the possibility of rejection.

When the bear coming towards Cady picked up his pace and smiled, tears started running down Cady’s face as she ran towards him. He caught her, wrapping her in his arms like they were friends or even lovers that were newly reunited.

“Who is he?” Wrenley asked. “Do you know him?”

Raider chuckled, pressing his lips to the back of her head. “His name is Tealin. He’s a bear from our neighborhood actually. Though, I don’t know that they’d ever been friends.”

“You sound like you approve.”

She didn’t have to look at him to feel the smile lined with teeth. “I’m surprisingly disappointed that I don’t get to tear someone apart again. It’s a little unsettling how satisfying it was and now I’m left with a craving for it. But I approve. More so that he didn’t try to reject my sister. Fortunate for him.”

They watched as the two continued to remind Wrenley of lost lovers. They didn’t move from that spot as the bear Tealin sank his teeth into Cady’s neck and making their bond whole right then. He nursed it for several minutes before they sank to the ground and remained around each other.

“I can see why this might be something you all hope for as a child,” Wrenley confessed. “It looks so… sweet. Like a fairy tale happily ever after.”

The boys didn’t answer but she thought that maybe it was because they didn’t have this longing. Not in the same way. Raider wasn’t a bear so he didn’t have the craving. And Cain had already been in love with who he’d have done anything to make his mates.

Wrenley’s attention caught on another nook as a man approached the woman within it. She didn’t run out like Cady had but the scene was no less sweet when he pulled her into his chest and held her like she was the most precious thing he’d ever seen. The devotion on their faces was almost sickening. He didn’t bite her but kissed her in a long, tender kiss as he held her reverently.

“Okay, this is all very nauseating,” Raider said. “Cady is fine, so I don’t need to stay if you’re ready to move on.”

Cain chuckled. “I need to check on Rawson. He’s been gone longer than I expected. Want to take her dancing?”

Raider grinned. He curled an arm between Cain and Wrenley, pulling her back to his chest and swinging her feet up. “I’ll have her back in time for sleep.”

Cain shook his head. He kissed her lips in a caress that felt both possessive and affectionate. “See you later. Make sure he feeds you.”

Wrenley nodded and watched as he walked away. Cain was fucking gorgeous with his clothes on. Pants that shaped his tight ass nicely. A shirt that was snug enough to outline every contour of his body.

And then when the clothes came off, the ink over his chest and down the sleeve of his right arm. The smooth lines and defined muscle tone. And a cock that she was working up the courage to lick.

“I appreciate that you two seem to get along,” Wrenley said, pulling her gaze from Cain to look at Raider.

His eyes were on her, filled with hunger and a whole array of emotions that made her blush. He might look somewhat like a monster himself without the person mask on, but there was no denying he was just as beautiful like this as he had been with the mask.

“Cain is easy to get along with. I anticipate Rawson will be, too. Jaxon I’m not so sure about.”

Wrenley pressed her lips together. She was not agreeing to the other two men. Even if she had to go in a round about way within her mind to trick whatever weird ass juju was trying to make her accept their mating, too so it wouldn’t automatically try to make her come to heel by forming a granite ball in her stomach.

He carried her out of the garden and set her down as they mingled with the bodies who danced and sang, covered in colored smoke and paint. Raider kept her pressed hotly against him, his thigh between her legs. She was barely standing on the ground, the toes of the leg between his with his erection pressed against her, barely brushing the ground.

Her other leg was hooked around him, the heel of her foot locked around his calf. She clung to his waist, feeling his body through his shirt as he kissed her greedily. His fingers ran through her hair, down her back, over the crests of her ass as he crushed them together.

Their bodies moved with a music all their own, lost in the bubble that was them alone. They spoke very little, unable to tear their lips apart. Unable to put any distant between them enough to properly look at each other.

It hadn’t felt this intoxicating kissing him before. Not before her bond with Cain formed and she could feel more than the overwhelming demand of the stupid assignments. With it settled, everything in her was craving Raider now. Even above the pressure of the unwelcome fated bullshit that was Rawson and Jaxon.

It was a deeper level than that. Hungrier. Something that felt more basic and carnal. She couldn’t stop kissing him. touching him. Pressing her hips against his, sharing in their torturous play as they kept it someone appropriate for public.

Well, probably not appropriate but they were still clothed anyway.

By the time the moon was nearly directly above them, and the festival was coming to an end, Wrenley was so hot and wire, she was pretty sure it was only going to take a slight touch between her legs to make her come. And she hadn’t been able to get Raider to do so.

Not that she’d outright asked him. But he was being very courteous and somewhat PG-13 with his touches.

“Bed time,” he murmured. “I didn’t feed you.”

For a minute, his words were lost. There was no meaning. Feed her what? Bed time meant she could finally get some satisfaction.

Wrenley nodded and he was almost carrying her again as he made his way through the remaining bodies outside. She was lost in his eyes and so only barely registered that they were back in the big house.

“We don’t have to come back here,” Wrenley said quietly as he walked her down the hall towards Rawson’s room. “We can go back to your place.”

They were at the door, and she’s apparently tried enough of his patience tonight. Raider pressed her against the wall, her feet leaving the ground as he kissed her hungrily. She brought her legs around his waist, and immediately he rolled his hips into her, pressing his hard length enticingly against her already throbbing heat.

Wrenley nearly whimpered and then again when he pulled his lips from hers. “I need something,” he said somewhat cryptically. “I don’t know how to make you my mate yet and I’m pretty sure if I take you without being sure it’s going to work, I’m going to become a whole lot of unstable in my drive to figure it out. Our first time needs to be for all the goods, Wren.”

“You think these other fae will know how?” Wrenley asked breathlessly. And also, achingly. Goddam, all the close dancing had turned her body to fire and need.

“No, actually. But I’m hoping they can point me in the general direction.”

She sighed, kissing his jaw and cheek before burying her face in his neck.

“I need you to do something for me,” he said, his voice gentling.

“Want me to suck you?”

Raider choked on his laughter. “What? No! Actually, we can talk about that later, because fuck yes, I do.” Wrenley grinned, biting her lip. “Actually, I want you to reconsider taking Rawson and Jaxon for your mates.”

“Reconsider?”

“Accept taking them for your mates.”

Wrenley pulled away in surprise, leaning her back flat against the wall to look at him.

“Look, my pretty little Fixer. I don’t believe the stupid creepy assignments are all wrong. And if they’ve given Rawson a second chance, I think it got it right this time.”

“But Raider-”

“I know,” he murmured, brushing his lips across hers. “Three mates isn’t a thing. But it is right now. And I think it is perfectly alright and expected because you’re not a bear. And that’s probably what made everything in me align to you instead of a bear. You make possibilities. You can bring this breaking-down culture into a new evolution of mating.”

“I hear you. But I don’t want to be an experiment.”

He chuckled, pressing kisses over her again. “There is no experiment. Just as you can feel exactly how much Cain belongs within you, it will be the same with Rawson and Jaxon, and also very distinctly them. And just as you feel how much you belong to me, and I you. It’s not wrong this time, Wren.”

Raider kissed her one last time and set her on her feet. He opened the door and gently pushed her inside before shutting it behind her. He wasn’t joining them tonight.

Wrenley watched the door with a frown a few breaths before turning away. She didn’t look at the bed. Out of her peripheral, she could see all three men spread out, Cain between Rawson and Jaxon but none of them close together.

She took her time in the bathroom, showering the day away and grabbing something to wear for bed. She’d really just like a shirt but who knew what Cain had gotten up to since he’d left her and Raider in the sunken mating gardens. She didn’t want to bring that much outside into bed.

Settling on the shirt and shorts she found of hers in the piles of clothing, Wrenley returned to the room and climbed into bed next to Cain. He rolled to pull her against his chest, and she sighed quietly.

“Where’s your fae tonight?” Cain asked.

Wrenley smiled at the question. “I think he’s going to get some fae answers.”

He nodded before rolling on top of her. Wrenley closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his weight on her body. She brought her leg around and hooked it behind his and closed her eyes.

“Have a good day?” Cain asked.

She nodded. “Just danced but it was nice.”

A flare of jealousy and longing burst inside her like a shooting star before subsiding into the quiet background where Jaxon could usually be felt. Raider’s words lingered in her mind, and she bit her lip.

“You know that you can bite each other now and it works to create the bonds,” she said. “Why haven’t you bitten Rawson?”

“We didn’t want to put that intrusion on you,” Cain said. “I would have asked about Jaxon first if I had had any indication at all that it would be different this time. I’d never force a bond on you, not even a third-party connection like this.”

And that was why she knew she’d made the right decision with Cain. Wrenley smiled and turned her face into his neck, sighing. “I think you should,” she said quietly.

Cain didn’t move. There wasn’t tension or question. It was as if she hadn’t spoken at all. After a minute of quiet, Rawson rolled over and pressed against Cain’s back as he looked down at her.

“Really?” Rawson asked.

Wrenley nodded. “You can right now,” she said, cracking her eyes open to glance at him.

Rawson stared for a minute before shifting so he was more heavily on Cain’s back, his weight bearing down on Wrenley beneath the two of them. She swallowed, enjoying the pressure of them both on her.

Cain kissed her neck, soft and sweet, their bond filled with affection. “You’re really okay with this?”

She nodded again. She had her own selfish reasons for wanting a bond between them now, but she knew through various conversations that their love for each other was deep.

Rawson tangled his fingers into Cain’s hair and pulled his head up gently. His face was filled with need as he looked at Rawson out of the corner of his eyes. A deep, painful emotion that could finally heal.

Rawson kissed his jaw before resting his face against the side of Cain’s for a minute, his weight settling more fully on top of them. When Wrenley looked to Rawson, she found he was watching her. Too much emotion filled his gaze as he stared. Finally, a tender smile settled over his lips, and he turned his face into Cain’s neck.

She watched as he kissed there, softly like a lover. She could just catch the hint of his tongue taste his skin. And then his mouth covered the area and he bit down.

Cain released a breath, his hips jerking into Wrenley. Heat immediately filled her as she watched. It wasn’t just her arousal but the heat of Cain’s that filled the bond. And trickling in behind it was the presence of Rawson.

Cain’s hips continued to rock into her, grinding hard before arching back into Rawson.

Rawson’s presence grew and it wasn’t the dark bitter wall like Jaxon’s. It wasn’t a wall at all but a comfortable blanket trying to circle them both all in safety. And then the heat flared there as well, making Wrenley catch her breath.

His bite loosened as he started to suck gently on the broken skin. Cain grunted, his hips jerking harder.

“How do you feel about this?” Cain asked in Wrenley’s ear. His voice was low and gravelly, filled with lust and hunger.

“Not how I thought I might. He’s not as… overbearing as I imagined,” she murmured back.

Rawson grinned as he tended to his bite mark, all the while, it elicited Cain’s hips to jerk.

“Not what I meant but good to know,” Cain said. His chest was heaving gently. “I’d really, really like Rawson fucking me right now. But if you’re not-”

“Oh,” she said, her eyes widening. His words stopped. Rawson paused in licking Cain’s neck, his dark eyes shifting to look at her. “Yea, okay. Do that. Right like this.”

Both men growled. There was some shuffling on top of her as they pushed at their pants. Wrenley watched as Rawson licked his hand before reaching between them. He repeated it a couple times.

And then Cain’s head fell against hers as he quietly gasped and though she couldn’t see it, she knew Rawson was making his way into Cain’s ass. The idea filled her with heat, and she wondered how she’d never been involved in a threesome at DeadEnd. Had the idea never appealed to her before now?

Or was it something else entirely? The heat and affection in the web of shared bonds? Because Cain felt good – he wanted this and wanted her involved? Or was it something she didn’t want to acknowledge, such as Rawson belonged to her as well and she wanted the three of them like this?

She found that she was rocking her hips against Cain’s every time he made any sound at all. A grunt, a groan, a hiss, a gasp. It was all fire in her blood.

“Want to join us?” Rawson asked her and Wrenley immediately nodded. With both of their weight on her, getting her shorts off was more of a struggle than when they de-pants each other.

“I’ll replace the shorts,” Cain growled a minute before the sound of them ripping filled the room.

It startled her into laughing. Her laughter was cut off as Cain adjusted her beneath him and started to immediately push inside her. Her body arched as he filled her, her nails digging into his shoulders.

“Beautiful,” Rawson murmured as he watched her under Cain.

Wrenley moaned as Cain settled inside her. Rawson continued to lick at Cain’s new bite, but his eyes were trained on her. She found that she wanted his bite, too.

So much for fighting the bullshit. Now Wrenley wanted nothing more but to give in to it. She wanted to complete the circle between them.

They’d only just started when Rawson pulled back, extracting himself from Cain. “Get on your hands and knees. Both of you,” he demanded.

Cain smirked, pulling himself from Wrenley and pushing up on to his knees. “Turn over, mate,” he said quietly.

Her cheeks flushed, Wrenley brought her legs to one side of Cain so she could roll over. His hands on her hips helped her move backwards until he was lining up with her heat again and pushing inside.

He was slow, gentle, but she gasped as if he were slamming into her. Her chest rose and fell as if she were drowning and trying to fill her lungs with air.

Cain’s easy rocks stopped, and he leaned over her, his chest pressed against her back. Wrenley spread her legs a little further, so she fit exactly right against him. and then his quiet grunts and moans and hisses started again, making her pussy flutter and clench around his dick.

He chuckled breathlessly in her ear. “You like this.” It wasn’t a question. She nodded anyway.

And then Cain was moving again. It wasn’t quick or hard as he pushed himself deeply into her and then back out. The noises he made were a ridiculous aphrodisiac. She didn’t think she could get more turned on.

Of course, then she turned her head, intending to kiss Cain’s arm. But her gaze caught on Jaxon. He was watching them, watching her, and touching himself. She’d been too caught up in how this felt to remember him there. Now that she looked at him, his want filled her.

It wasn’t just physical want. Not just a need to be included in their sexy time. It was a deeper emotional want. He was angry at Rawson and Cain. Hurt by them. And that held him back. But when they were very clearly engaged in something that was feeding more than their carnal appetite, he longed to have it, too.

He loved them, even if his hurt and betrayal refused to let him forgive either of the two yet.

“Come here,” Wrenley whispered.

Jaxon moved instantly until he was crouched in front of her. It was difficult to direct him to what she wanted when she was so overwhelmed with the fire Cain and Rawson were burning inside her. Somehow, she managed to convey that she wanted him under her. His legs spread around them as he stared up at her.

With a handful of his hair, she brought his face to her neck and Jaxon didn’t need any further invitation. He kissed her tenderly, affectionately, heatedly, until Wrenley was gasping as she clung to him.

“Bite,” she said. “Both at the same time.”

There was a moment where the four of them froze as they listened to her command.

“Wren?” Cain asked.

“You heard me,” she growled at him. “All of you. At the same time.”

There was some twisting and rearranging behind her while Cain and Rawson shifted so that Rawson could reach her and the three of them still remain connected as they were. And then she was feeling all three mouths on her. Three hot breaths breathing on her. Three sets of teeth brushing her skin.

“Bite,” she demanded.

And then there were three mouths bound to her, sharp teeth sinking into her flesh, and two bonds that had once been quiet echoes surging within her. Wrenley came on a cry as she shoved herself backwards on Cain’s cock and gripping Jaxon’s head with a desperate hold.

She could barely hear her own thoughts over the onslaught of them inside her. But the pain and pleasure were so good, she didn’t care at the moment. She just wanted to keep it going as the bonds settled around her in a cocoon that she never wanted to leave.

Chapter 21: Surprise Attack

Wrenley

She was loathe to admit that maybe Raider was right. Not because she wanted to prove him wrong but because she didn’t want to admit it to herself that the weird fated thing could be correct. It was right when giving her three men as her mates.

Wrenley thought the whole thing was shit and she still wasn’t ready to give in that it wasn’t. despite some good that she’d seen of the mate business, the truth of the matter was, there was an entire group of people who had been screwed because of it. Sure, they were crazy and needed to be taken care of – you don’t just kill innocent people! – but that they’d been so horribly hurt that they left their clans gave Wrenley a really bad taste about it.

Just because it wasn’t wrong for some, it wasn’t right for others either. As someone who has felt the way the forced bonds start to break when rejected, she could only imagine how horrible it would be on the other end. Wrenley had been the one trying to break them, after all. But what if it was completely out of her control and the opposite person basically said they didn’t want her?

It wasn’t just the emotional and physical rejection, which would have been bad enough to deal with. It was also the ethereal rejection of the bond, which was another kind of pain entirely. She could imagine how that might make them feel that they no longer had a place here.

These were the thoughts she woke up with. Why? Because she was once more wrapped in Jaxon’s arms and this time, it didn’t bother her. Not as much. She was still a little uneasy about him in particular. He hadn’t wanted her for her. He’d wanted her as a means to fix what was broken between the three of them.

And yet, whatever weirdness this bond came with said that she was perfectly happy to lay in his arms.

“You’re awake,” Jaxon said from behind her.

His words made the skin around where he bit her tingle and her stomach flutter. Wrenley tried not to frown because really, her whole being wanted to smile giddily instead. She had not been prepared for how stupid and sappy these bonds made her feel.

Wrenley didn’t answer as he pressed himself to her back. He kissed the back of her head softly, nuzzling his face into her hair. His hand running along her arm was soft, almost worshipping. As was the feel of his bond glowing gently and nearly vibrating with happiness and affection for her.

She sighed. All three of them felt very different. Cain was sure and strong and warm. A constant feeling of security and home. Jaxon felt like a heated ball of affection that was always ready to jump at whatever Wrenley needed. Rawson was more reserved, sitting back and watching with a solid foundation and security.

This time it was Rawson who sighed as he dipped his head to kiss the top of Wrenley’s. “I know you think I’m using you as a bridge. I’m not. That’s not it,” he said, as if he had read her thoughts. Cain had assured her that that wasn’t possible. “I want you. I know you can feel that.”

He did. And she could feel that. She didn’t answer, even as her eyes opened so she was staring at his neck where her face was tucked. Rawson moved his hand up her body to lay it over the back of her neck, over the bite mark he’d given her.

“I do want you,” he repeated. “But I’ve needed them forever and being with you has the added benefit of making that happen. If Jaxon will stop hating me.”

“Don’t bet on it,” Jaxon muttered.

Jaxon certainly had no intent on letting his hurt go. Although he kept himself open and welcoming for Wrenley, she couldn’t miss the wall of anger rooted with deep betrayal that was up for the other two. She was sure that Jaxon had had no choice but to let part of it crumble for Cain when their bond formed the other day. But it wasn’t Cain who he felt betrayed by. He was pissed at Cain and hurt by him, too. But Rawson had been the truly disloyal one.

At least, as far as Wrenley could tell based on his emotions.

“I think I’m going to go out,” Wrenley said, disentangling herself from the two of them. She didn’t look at either as she got off the bed and headed towards the bathroom to wash. She’d done as Raider suggested. She accepted her two other mates. But she never agreed to like them.

No one had moved when she returned to the room, clean and dressed for the day. The piles of clothing for her had been replenished. Not with clean articles of clothing she’d already worn but new items. She didn’t bother to ask.

Rawson was sitting on the end of the bed, still gloriously naked. At least they were all beautiful without clothes. Hell, they were gorgeous with clothes. They were nearly gods without!

Jaxon had rolled away from where they’d been laying so he was out of Rawson’s reach, but he was still in bed. And that thick dick was like another leg between his thighs. Yep, all three men were well endowed, too.

Wrenley mused that if nothing else, at least the men she was mated to had a lot going for them physically, even if they were emotionally hot messes.

Cain was leaning against the door with his arms crossed, a smile just touching his lips. Yep, she still liked him best. There was no hesitancy when she walked into his arms as he opened them to her. She tried to ignore the spike of jealousy and longing through her bond from Jaxon and the internal sigh of resignation from Rawson.

“Where you headed?” Cain asked, holding her closely and drowning out the other two for a moment.

She shrugged. “Food, maybe. There were two girls I met a while ago. Maybe they’re around again. Or maybe I’ll go find the weird fae.”

“Weird fae is spending the morning meeting other weird fae,” Cain said. “He stopped in while you were showering.”

Disappointment blossomed in her and Wrenley nodded. “Okay, then food and girls. If I can find them.”

“Which girls?” Jaxon asked.

“Analise and her sister, Maris. Do you know them?” she glanced behind her to where he was sprawled, completely exposed, on the bed watching her and Cain.

A smiled touched his lips. “Yes. They’re good people.”

“Nice that you approve,” she deadpanned.

“He means, they’re not like Vienna,” Rawson said. “They are good people.”

Wrenley nodded. “I knew Vienna was bad news from the start. I’m not completely naïve, you know.”

“I didn’t-”

“She tried to convince me that Cain and I should join her on a double date with you and her,” Wrenley said, just to see his expression. She wasn’t disappointed when he scowled, anger flashing in his eyes. “That was before Raider found me and before she accused me of breaking a chair. Since she already had the Primal’s favor, her word was the only thing that mattered.”

A flash of anger burned through her from three ends, and she smiled despite herself.

“There’s a watch out for her, Wrenley. You don’t have to worry about Vienna,” Rawson said.

“There’s also eyes on you,” Cain said. “We know Vienna’s angle but the men she had accost you were good standing guards. We don’t know what she promised them or how she convinced them to act against you in such a way.”

She wasn’t sure how she felt about being constantly watched but he wasn’t wrong. There was a whole handful of men who had been prepared to hurt her. And for what?

A dark and sick part of her was glad that Jaxon had killed some and that Raider had killed others. In both instances, Wrenley had been telling the truth and they’d not been inclined to listen. In both cases, they’d been happy to hurt her for the sake of hurting her. Not because she deserved it.

“Fine,” she said. “As long as they’re not parading around after me like a shadow.”

“If you put your hair up, no one will need to,” Cain said, sweeping her hair off her shoulders and holding it loosely at the back of her head.

It took her a minute to catch on and she frowned, squinting at him. “As much as I get the benefit of what you’re saying, I’d rather not wear bites like a badge of claims to protect me.”

“You should,” Jaxon said. “Cain is threat enough and his is difficult to hide. I’m lawless and will tear some shit apart if someone touches you and mine can’t be hidden unless you wear a scarf – yes, that was intentional. But Rawson was probably the most respectful in biting you where you can hide it easily. But his also comes with the heaviest threat. You don’t mess with the mate of the Deputy and get away with it. Even Vienna isn’t-” He paused for a second. “Okay, I was going to say isn’t stupid enough to mess with you, but she probably is. Most others won’t be, though.”

“That almost sounded like a compliment,” Wrenley noted, glancing beyond Jaxon to Rawson.

“It wasn’t,” both of them said together. She almost laughed at their unison.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Wrenley said, turning her head gently to get Cain to release her hair so it would fall over her neck again. “Let’s call that a last resort. And as an extra measure of protection, I’ll bring a weapon.”

The three men watched her as Wrenley returned to her bag. The crossbow she’d fashioned last minute was still leaning against it, but she thought walking around the village with it strapped to her back might be a little conspicuous. So, she opted for a short blade that she tucked into her belt and another smaller one that she tucked into the ankle of her boot.

“I’m also rather good at hand-to-hand defense,” she told them as she skipped back to the door to stand in front of Cain with a smile.

He sighed, bending his head to kiss her. It was long, drawn out, and breath taking. Wrenley found herself humming into it, her body melting against his.

“If you need anything, pull on the bonds like you did the other day,” Cain whispered against her lips. “We’ll come running.”

“Is it like a beacon? You know where I am?”

He shook his head. “No, not so easy as that. But the quicker we’re alerted to your alarm, the quicker we can get to you.”

“The quicker I can tear someone apart,” Jaxon amended.

Wrenley tried not to grin. She wasn’t going to lie. It felt good to have those who hurt her punished. Her abuse hadn’t been warranted. Even if they hadn’t believed she was telling the truth, neither incident necessitated her being maltreated like she was.

“Okay, well, I’m going to find those girls. Or at least going to find some breakfast,” Wrenley said.

“You know. There’s a kitchen here with wonderful cook staff,” Rawson told her.

“I didn’t know that but I’m still going out.”

Cain kissed her again and opened the door for her. His fingers brushed through the strands of her hair as she left the room. The door shut behind her as she encountered the first person she’d ever run into in the halls of the big house. She recognized him as one of the Primal’s advisors. And she watched as his eyes flickered from Cain’s bite to Jaxon’s bite.

Wrenley couldn’t help the snarky remark falling from her lips at his look of scandal. She pulled her hair to the side as she walked by and said, “Rawson’s is on the back of my neck.”

The man didn’t say anything though she heard his footsteps falter, slow, and then quicken away. Yep, that news was going to spread quickly. Just wait until she had Raider, too!

Nope, didn’t bother her in the least that she was a hussy.

She was going to visit with these girls and then think on how to fix this fairy tale. The world was settling around her now. No, she was settling within the world. That meant she had a means to ask questions and more freedom to move about and figure out a fix. If something had come from the Shadelands that shouldn’t be here, she needed to determine where it was.

Not the fae. But another fairy tale. This place was full of people. How was she supposed to find someone from another fairy tale?

The answer could have been easy. Everyone here, if not a fae, was a bear. The problem was, although they seemed to recognize that Wrenley herself wasn’t a bear, she wasn’t sure how to see the difference. Now Raider was very obviously not a bear but when he had his ‘people suit’ on, Wrenley wouldn’t have known the difference.

That seemed to be the easiest tell. Find the thing that doesn’t belong. Find the person who was not a bear and not a fae.

How, was another question entirely.

Wrenley wandered around the section of the village where the cafes and shops were most plentiful. If she were going to find those girls, it seemed like a good place to start. It was fun and all being surrounded by the guys all the time but sometimes she needed a little breathing room. Okay, fun might not have been the best choice in wording. Obnoxious. Overbearing. Suffocating.

Fortunately, she found Analise quite quickly. Analise spotted her and waved happily.

“Wrenley, darling. Over here!”

Wrenley smiled and made her way through the crowd of tables until she could sit with the two women. Maris was with her, but Liander wasn’t. she was happy to take the proffered seat with them.

Both of their eyes went straight to the two bite marks they could see. Before they could comment, Wrenley asked, “No Liander this morning?”

Maris smirked. “Nope. He met a sweet little bear from Creek and has been head over heels since.”

“A mate?” Wrenley asked.

Both girls shook their heads. “Not an assigned one, no. But I think they’ll take up house soon enough. He’s just smitten with her,” Maris said.

“It’s both sweet and disgusting,” Analise added.

Wrenley grinned.

Analise leaned forward. “I hear you ran into some trouble recently?”

“Don’t worry. Those men are dead, and Vienna has run off. All is well,” Wrenley told her.

“I’m not even sure where to start,” Maris said, shaking her head.

“How about the new bites?” Analise suggested, a smug smile dancing on her pretty face.

Wrenley sighed. “Fine. I gave into to this whole fated thing and accepted them. I also have a fae somewhere around here but he’s a bit laden with his new identity right now and is getting some answers before we try the whole mate thing.”

“Going from not wanting one to three and nearly four!” Maris said, smiling. It was a sweet, fake innocent smile that Wrenley shook her head at.

“Yes, well. The rejection felt too painful to fight. I gave up.”

Neither woman took her words seriously. They exchanged looks with knowing smiles.

“Care for some porridge?” Analise asked, pushing the covered pot her way.

Porridge was not high on her list of meals that sounded fulfilling or good but when Analise removed the cover, the sweet aroma had her changing her mind. She filled a bowl and happily ate it, pleasantly surprised at the texture and taste.

When they were done eating, the three of them left the small eatery.

“We’re going to do some shopping,” Maris said. “Care to join us?”

“There’s an entire litter of cubs that were brought in with you,” Analise added before Wrenley could answer. “There are a few families who took in a cub that need some more supplies for their sudden familial growth.”

Wrenley nodded. That sounded nice at least. It had been a while since she thought about the little kids who had watched their parents be murdered before they were taken away. There was enough trauma in that that she couldn’t even begin to fathom how they were coping.

The girls went through several shops, loading their arms with clothing, toys, books, and food. The families were humble and grateful when they dropped off the goods. Wrenley appreciated seeing the children were healthy and doing alright. The older ones were a little hesitant. It wasn’t surprising since the horror of watching their parents killed wasn’t something one would easily forget. But the younger children appeared to be bouncing back readily enough.

Wrenley left Analise and Maris as she continued to watch a young girl, maybe three, playing with the dolls they’d brought. Her smile and laughter made Wrenley sigh. The village seemed like a pleasant enough happily ever after. Somewhere she wouldn’t mind staying.

She turned to look at the wall where the bloody trees loomed overhead. The village wasn’t bloody. The grass and rocks and river within weren’t bloody. Only the forest. Maybe that was a place to start.

The wall spanned the perimeter of the village but there were a handful of gates. If she followed along the wall, she’d find one. Maybe she’d be able to tell something by the trees right outside the wall.

There was a man standing guard at the gate she found, one that led straight into the woods. He smiled kindly at her, inkling his head as she approached.

“I just want to step outside for a minute,” she told him. “To examine the trees.”

“Of course. Just holler if you need anything,” he told her.

It was nice to have a guard that wasn’t trying to hit her or something. She wasn’t sure there were any of them around at this point. They seemed to look at her, realize she wasn’t a bear, and determine that she was easy prey.

To be fair, she had been both times. Maybe she needed to always carry a weapon on her. Self-defense and all that. She’d gotten complacent since the three men had demanded that she was their mate.

She stepped out of the village and was instantly assaulted by the tang of blood on the air. The closed wall and the bustling life within must keep the overwhelming stench out. But there was no mistaking it now. It was strong enough that it made her stomach churn uncomfortably.

Wrenley shook her head to rid herself of the new smells. She examined the trees, trying to determine whether they were bloodier in one direction or another. Or maybe, was one side of the trees bloodier than the other?

This felt like a long shot, but she had to start somewhere. If the forest was trying to flush out its infection, it made most sense that it would be hotter, redder, bloodier the closer to it she got. But that meant one thing: it was within the forest somewhere.

“Within the Women of Chaos?” Wrenley whispered as she stepped nearer the trees to examine the back side of them. Was the blood running more freely at the back or the front?

The Women of Chaos had built their settlement within the bloody trees. So, why not them? Or someone with them? But they’d all been bears, hadn’t they?

Honestly, how would she know? When she got back, she’d be demanding to know how to tell a bear from someone who wasn’t a bear. It seemed like that was going to be the easiest key.

Unless they were also a bear from a different fairy tale?

“I’m trying to complicate it more,” she said aloud as she continued to study the trees.

The forest was quiet. There were still the natural sounds of nature. Birds and critters and the movement of the trees. Somehow, everything had adapted to living within the blood. But as far as she could tell, the blood running through and down the grooves of the bark weren’t thicker on one side over the other.

Wrenley sighed, stopping where she was to glare at the trees. The least they could do was be helpful. Maybe she could suggest a hunting party to scour the forest until they found the infection.

It seemed the most likely possibility at this point.

Wrenley turned and froze, her eyes widening slightly at the sudden appearance of Vienna. There was a nasty little smile on her face. No longer was it overly sweet and fake but angry and filled with the promise of violence.

“You’re nothing,” Vienna said, making Wrenley roll her eyes. “Nothing! You’re not good enough for him.”

“I think you have it backwards,” Wrenley said. “He’s not good enough for me.”

She snorted. “You think you’re special or something.”

“Nope. That would be you.”

Vienna’s face turned red as she stomped her way closer to Wrenley. Despite this woman being a bear - a bear shifter, probably – Wrenley didn’t feel threatened. She’d brought a means to protect herself this time. And Vienna was alone.

The woman stopped in front of Wrenley. She was clean, her hair neatly poised, and her makeup expertly done. Wrenley wondered where she’d been hiding these last few days. She clearly hadn’t been roughing it anywhere.

“When I get rid of you, he’ll be forced to take another mate to continue his line. And that will be me,” Vienna growled.

“You’re a criminal now,” Wrenley pointed out. “You’re wanted for crimes. You can’t possibly think you still hold the Primal’s favor. Nor can you really believe that Rawson will choose you. Ever.”

The growl from Vienna got louder as her anger increased. Her face reddened, likely at the truth in Wrenley’s words. Maybe she should have known when to stop, but she didn’t. She kept going.

“And what did you think was going to happen when you falsely accused me of bullshit? You thought that everyone would look the other way? You saw Cain’s mark on me. You couldn’t be that stupid to think you’d have gotten away with it.”

Vienna moved faster than Wrenley had been prepared for. She managed to dodge the first hit, but it put her off balance. And that was the only opening Vienna needed. She grabbed Wrenley by a fistful of hair and yanked her head up.

Before she could grab her knife, Vienna hit her hard on the back of her head, and Wrenley’s world went black.

Chapter 22: The Shadelands

Wrenley

She awoke to screaming in her head. Screams and growls and snarls. They were so loud and overwhelming that Wrenley could barely see. They overrode everything.

Wrenley groaned and all the sounds within her calmed. Relief flooded her before worry and anger followed it. Now that there was more room to think, she knew that all the screams inside her had been through her mate bonds. The men were freaking out.

Apparently, when she was unconscious, the bonds shut down to a certain extent. Enough where they might have had the impression she was dead.

I’m not dead, she thought, rubbing her head. And then she froze as her breath caught.

She was sitting on the perimeter of trees. Dark, gnarly trees that weren’t covered in blood. And beyond was a gloomy, baren land. Cracked and dusty brown.

“Where am I now?” she muttered. Where had that bitch taken her?

Remembering Vienna made Wrenley jump to her feet and look behind her. An eerie fog hung around the trees and though they weren’t bleeding, everything about them said it wasn’t somewhere she wanted to be. They were twisted in torturous ways, at odd angles, and covered in thin spiny branches that gave her the impression of sharp needles.

The trunks were covered in a dark green and brown moss but there were very few trees that actually had leaves. They all appeared dead or dying.

Not a very inviting forest. She turned her attention back to the dead lands. For they were dead. The cracks in the dry ground were deep. If she were to go that way, she thought she’d have to take extra effort to not trip into one. Some looked big enough to swallow her whole.

Come get me, she begged internally.

Maybe it was the desperation in her thoughts. There was an immediate answer. Cain still felt like he had her wrapped in a bear hug. His presence was everywhere and the most prevalent. For that, she was thankful.

Rawson was a steady reassurance, but Wrenley didn’t miss the undertone of worry and echo of anger. Even if he didn’t know that Vienna stranded her somewhere, they must have picked up enough in the moments before she was knocked out to know that someone had accosted her.

And then there was Jaxon. Barely this side of freaking out. Filled with waves of fury and fear, the two emotions battling for dominance.

Wrenley smiled despite herself. It was only a little reassuring to know that she could still feel them so thoroughly. The only one she couldn’t feel was Raider. It made her chest ache. She was certain that if anyone could find her, it would be him. But could he do so without a mate bond?

It didn’t feel like the three bears were anywhere near finding her. There was only Cain’s reassurance, but it was the same constant presence that he always felt. Wrenley imagined herself mentally gripping it and closed her eyes.

Please find me, she thought to them. I don’t know which way to go or where I am. I don’t see any sign of bloody trees. I’m pretty sure I’m not in your fairy tale anymore.

The thought made her stand straighter. That meant there were more fae out here. At first, that felt reassuring. Then she remembered what the Primals said. The fae were not kind or friendly. And bear who’d returned from meeting one did so barely standing.

Okay, so maybe she didn’t want to meet a fae. But there had to be something out here. Something useful.

Wrenley was sure she needed to walk either into the desert or into the trees. One of them would lead her back. But she wasn’t sure which. The thought made her wonder how long she’d been unconscious. She wasn’t anywhere that she could see any hints of where she’d come from. That suggested she’d been out a while, giving Vienna plenty of time to get rid of her.

She still had her knife in her belt and the small one in her boot. At least she wasn’t completely helpless.

Without any other solution, Wrenley began to walk on the edge of the trees. There wasn’t a sun in the sky so she had no idea what time of day it might be. It was overcast. The silence of the place made the little hairs remain raised. It felt almost as if she were being watched and yet, no matter where she looked, she saw no one.

Taking a breath, Wrenley continued with careful quiet steps, keeping her eyes wide open. Blinking felt ominous so she only allowed herself to do so when it was necessary. She was sure that something would sneak up on her in the fraction of a second it took her to blink.

The presence of her mates was still inside her, but they were muted now. Calmer. She had no idea what that meant but as long as she could feel them, she’d count that as a positive. She might be alone, but she wasn’t as terrified as she might be because she wasn’t alone. Not really. Her mates were there. And she was sure they’d find her eventually.

She maintained that thought because any other felt too unbearable to consider. She’d only just accepted the three of them. She’d yet to even start a life with Raider. It couldn’t be over yet.

Even though it looked and felt like she was alone out here, Wrenley didn’t dare speak. What if she was overheard and her voice alerted something nasty to her presence? If this was that outside place, the Shadelands, there was nothing pleasant out here. It was best not to do anything to call attention to herself.

And still, it felt like something was watching her. Maybe it was just the creepy trees themselves. That was probably it. In this strange, dark place, the trees looked like they were possessed and alive. Why wouldn’t they have eyes?

Wrenley stilled suddenly when a shape caught her attention. Something large suspended between two trees. Held there as if by arms or branches. It was enormous.

She was frozen in a fear that threatened to bubble up. It was probably part of the tree. It couldn’t be alive. It was too big and horrible looking to be real. A trick of the darkness and what this place was doing to her mentally.

But she didn’t move for several long minutes, waiting to see if it was actually a part of the tree. Or if it was something even more terrifying than being stuck out here. Her little blades wouldn’t do anything against that. Papercut at best.

When it remained motionless, Wrenley let out a sigh of relief. However, she couldn’t convince herself to continue moving in that direction. Get closer to it? No thanks.

She turned and looked behind her. Although nothing moved, not even a breeze, Wrenley was sure she saw movement in the corner of her eye. Try as she may, she couldn’t find anything.

So, she turned her attention to the empty wastelands of cracked dirt and studied the surroundings. It was flat and uninviting but from what she could see, it was void of all life. Even imagined life.

Wrenley took a couple tentative steps out from the protective cover of the trees at the edge of the desert and paused. Waiting for something to happen. Anything. But all remained still. She glanced back at the thing that she imagined was alive and almost choked. It sure as fuck was alive. The bottom that hung down was swinging slightly and what she’d thought where branches suspending it there was actually enormous legs.

The thing was an insect, watching her with the eyes of a fly. Chills ran over her body as fear streaked forward. The muted presence of her mates reared to life, reacting to her emotions.

She didn’t have time to concentrate on that. The giant thing was watching her so Wrenley turned and ran into the desert as fast as she could. Hopefully that thing wanted to stay within the trees. She didn’t look back as she ran and continued to do so until she needed to stop and catch her breath, nursing the cramp in her side.

Wrenley paused, bending over panting as she glanced back. She was both impressed that she’d made it so far and dismayed because the forest still looked like it loomed in front of her, just a couple steps away.

It’s okay, she tried to reassure herself and the mates who could feel her fear. It’s okay. I’m okay.

But then she stood and stared around her. There was nothing here. Maybe just walk parallel to the trees? She was sure she was close that if her bears came through the trees, they’d spot her. Then the thought that maybe she should have remained where Vienna had dropped her made her scowl.

Was she making it more difficult to be found? But what if she could make it out herself? She was never meant to be a damsel waiting to be rescued. Wrenley had always intended to be the rescuer. She was going to fix the fucking fairy tale, dammit. And not a crazy bitch like Vienna was going to stop her.

“Plan of action,” she muttered and took another inventory of her surroundings. Which was exactly nothing. “Keep walking.”

Even knowing that she was taking the chance on getting further away instead of closer, maybe she’d find something out here that would help her find the break in Goldilocks. Or at least, give her an idea of how one moves between fairy tales. That could be useful information.

As it turned out, leaving the safety of the trees was a mistake. The sound of wings moving rapidly, like a mosquito but larger, filled the air. Wrenley closed her eyes for a second, just to build her courage to look. And to kick herself for moving into the wide open where she was nothing but prey.

After a second and no longer, Wrenley looked up and stared in terror. Insect, yes, but what the fuck was that thing? A long, gross body that was certainly insect with lots of creepy little legs starting midway and down to nearly the end of its tail like a centipede. There were two small sets of wings on its sides and then longer ones that almost looked like they grew out of what was supposed to be arms.

But perhaps what was more terrifying was that it had five heads. They were almost dragon like in structure on the end of long neck and filled with sharp teeth. For a minute, the fear receded when she found that the heads didn’t have eyes.

The fear nearly had her falling when she saw them in the body below where the necks rose up. They were… petrifying.

This was not the fairy tale I signed up for!

And yet, neither was the one she’d found herself in to begin with. She mentally kicked herself when she thought about how bitter and stubborn she’d been about being stuck in Goldilocks when she’d been set on Snow White. All those times she determined that her life couldn’t get worse.

Karma was here to say that was a lie.

The insect thing took a turn and came for her. Wrenley took off sprinting again, straight back to the trees. Because what was her other option? She needed cover. In the cracked barren land, she was nothing but an easy meal.

She screamed when something else flew overhead, its shadow covering a great portion of the ground. It was maybe the cross between a dragon and a decrepit dinosaur. It was deformed but its yells through the air covered Wrenley in chills.

It wasn’t after her thought. It swooped down and grabbed the insect with its three-toed claws, tearing the thing in two as it flew off.

Wrenley didn’t stop running until she’d dove within the knotty roots of the first trees she reached. She pushed herself in until she was convinced that those things couldn’t reach her. Her heart raced as the men in her head roared with fear for her.

For several minutes, Wrenley didn’t try to assure them. She stared out and caught her breath. The men calmed on their own when they realized her fear had subsided for a minute. It wasn’t ever going to go away at this point. Not until she found her way out or she was eaten. The latter seemed most likely at this point.

Especially when she found herself frozen as a new frightening beast emerged from the trees. Chills raced over her body as she tried to burrow herself in deeper. It prowled around on four long limbs, three fingered claws spread wide. There was another set of limbs hanging at the junction of the front. There weren’t hands or even paws at the end. Just a single appendage, as if evolution had intended more but never made it that far.

Its body was somewhat hunched, but it was its face that made Wrenley’s blood run cold. It was almost shark-like in shape but there was a headplate that swept back like a triceratops and then longhorns growing out of it.

It took slow steps as it snarled and growled low on its throat, swinging that massive head around as it hunted. Probably hunting. What else could these things be doing out here? And in a place that didn’t look at all like it was habitable, she imagined food was what anything out here spent most of its time looking for.

The thing continued to approach her, but Wrenley was sure that she was well hidden. Her heart beat fast as she remained tense. There was no way to spring out except towards the thing. If she were going to run, it needed to be while she had time to get out.

She was going to take her chances. Wrenley was convinced it hadn’t seen her. With as little movement as possible, she took the short knife from her belt and gripped it in her hands.

Wrenley nearly screamed with the limb of a tree shot out and speared the monster. See?! She knew the trees were alive.

And then her next thought was fuck, the trees are a live and she was crouched under one.

The monster thrashed and roared a sound that Wrenley could feel in her bones. It pulled back, snapping the branch off. A piece of it still stuck out of its side as it turned angry eyes into the thick of the trees.

That’s when Wrenley saw what had actually happened. The trees weren’t alive. There was a woman controlling them.

She was almost beautiful with long bark brown hair and creamy face. But looking at her, Wrenley knew exactly what she was looking at. There could be no mistaking with those freaky as fuck fae eyes.

The monster backed away from the trees, out of reach of the limbs. When the ground bucked under its feet, it hissed at the fae woman before turning and running off. Watching it run would have been comical if the fae hadn’t turned to look directly at Wrenley.

She didn’t have time to move at all. There wasn’t time for even an internal scream. The tree itself pulled Wrenley out and held her up, its branches wrapping around her as if they were vines instead of wood.

The fae studied Wrenley for a long time before sighing. “What are you doing in my territory?”

Her voice was lilted and strange, somewhat hypnotic.

“Trying to leave,” Wrenley said. “Some crazy bitch dropped me here to obviously be eaten but I’m not letting that woman win.”

The fae smiled in amusement. “I like your fight. Unfortunately for you, I’m not in the business of letting trespassers live.”

“That thing is alive,” Wrenley pointed out.

“But it was outside of my trees,” the fae reasoned.

“I’m only in your trees because there’s monsters in the sky that I was trying to get away from.”

“Nightmares, woman,” the fae said. “They’re nightmares.”

True enough. There was no argument there.

“Just be glad I’m only going to kill you. If you’d run into a male of my species, they’d kill you while fucking you. Luckily for you, I’m not into women.”

Wrenley’s first reaction would have been to answer sarcastically, ‘how lucky, indeed.’ However, she was still facing death. Being cynical probably wasn’t going to win her any brownie points.

When she thought she might still have time to convince the fae out of killing her, the branches around her began to constrict as if they were snakes. Wrenley gasped for breath, struggling within the hold as the fae looked on with a smile.

“Please,” she choked. But her plea went unheard.

And then the trees around her burst into flames as roars filled the air. Wrenley tried to keep her panic in as dread filled her. More monsters. These ones setting fire. Even if she wasn’t squeezed to death, she was going to die. At the very least, by fire. At the worst, by being an easy meal.

She recognized the second fae that came in screaming in fury as he threw more fire at the woman. Wrenley was forgotten and the tree released her, letting her drop to the ground. She panted as she moved away from the trees to watch as Raider continued to douse the woman in flames.

The woman fought back, sending tree limbs at him. But then a bear, a giant grizzly, came crashing in and snapped its enormous jaws at the woman’s hand, barely missing as the woman pulled it back. Two more bears were there, surrounding the woman as she stared at the fae with teeth bared.

“This is my territory,” the woman screamed. “How dare you-”

“Be strong enough to defend it then,” Raider snapped. “And don’t you dare fucking touch my mate. I will tear you and this entire fucking forest down.”

The woman looked at me in surprised before looking back at Raider. “Who are you?”

“Good question,” Raider said. “You going to move on or be snack for the three bears?”

The woman knew she was beaten. Especially as fire roared around them. She turned and sprang into the trees, jumping from limb to limb over the fire and deeper into the trees.

The bears turned to Wrenley as Raider did. She stared for a minute before running at them. She didn’t pay any attention to the fire but would later note how it moved away from wherever she was. As if it refused to touch her.

She dove into their faces, knowing which she was touching as she did. Their huge mitts pawed at her roughly as they tried to assure themselves that she was fine. Then she turned and sprang into Raider’s arms.

He nuzzled her tightly, nipping at her neck and kissing her.

“You found me,” Wrenley sobbed, not realizing she was crying in relief until she spoke.

“Nothing will ever keep me away from you. It just took a while to get here,” he said.

“The fire – is it yours?” she asked, burying her hands into his hair.

“Yea, pretty sure. Unless your bears can magic fire in their fury.”

She laughed quietly before taking a deep breath. She was alive. And she was safe. Next order of business. “We need to find Vienna. And I’m going to put my knife through her neck.”