Chapters 24 & 25

Chapter 24: The Ruins

Wrenley

The five of them slept in the small living room sprawled across the floor. They offered Wrenley the couch, but she chose to curl up between Raider and Cain on the floor instead. There were enough blankets that they were each afforded one. The small house was kept warm by the burning fire in the wood stove, so it was more than enough.

Gothel fed them stew and they ate heartily since she wanted to rid her stocks before abandoning the house. They packed what they could and ate as much of the rest as they could manage. And Wrenley was relieved to be able to wash the dirt and horror of the dead forest from her skin before sinking onto the floor.

“You sure you’re okay?” Cain asked her.

Wrenley nodded. “I’m better now,” she said quietly. “But I won’t soon forget the things out here. And that other fae is not nearly as beautiful as Raider.”

Raider snorted. “I’m not very attractive right now,” he said. He hadn’t pulled his person mask back on. Wrenley wasn’t sure if he actually knew how.

However, he was wrong. Even with his freaky fae eyes and strange iridescently dark skin, Raider was stunning. She glanced at him with a brow raised. “Have you seen yourself?”

He grinned, leaning in to kiss her jaw. “I’m glad you think so,” he murmured. “Moving between the two looks is proving difficult.”

Cain brushed her cheek, resting his forehead against hers, and there, the three of them fell asleep.

Mother Gothel didn’t have any men’s clothing. But before they left the in morning, she used all the bedding in the house to make into something that could appropriately cover Cain and Rawson. Jaxon opted to shift back into a bear. Shoes were a bit harder to come by but there was enough raw material that they were able to witness Gothel’s magic as she fashioned two pairs of shoes.

And then they headed into the forest, pausing just outside Gothel’s cabin.

“If the Shadelands move in accordance with where they want us to go, does it matter which way we begin walking?” Raider wondered aloud.

Gothel chuckled. “Let’s not head in the direction you were walking whence you found me. Otherwise, your best guess is as good as any.”

Raider decided on a direction, and they began their long walk. Wrenley was sure there wouldn’t be anything short about it. Especially if there wasn’t a guaranteed path back to Goldilocks and the Three Bears. They just had to keep going.

The first day proved what Gothel suggested. The Shadelands dictated their destination. And thus far, it wasn’t back to their original story. They camped within a few fires that Rawson and Cain managed and picked sparingly at the food they brought. Jaxon didn’t shift back from being a bear. Based on the bond that spanned between them, she was fairly certain he chose that form so he didn’t have to talk to anyone.

After studying Jaxon for a long time, she glanced at Cain. He’d been frowning at Jaxon but met her eyes. Wrenley was sure her assumption was correct.

The next day, their walk kept stalling. Not because things bothered them. Nothing came anywhere near their little party. She wasn’t sure if it was because Raider was enough of a threat with fire at his fingertips, or because of the giant grizzly bear that lumbered along with them.

“What’s bothering you?” Rawson asked.

Wrenley glanced his way to find him looking at Raider. And Raider was looking to the side, frowning.

“I don’t know. It feels as if I’m being called in that direction,” Raider said, shaking his head. But his gaze was focused. He didn’t look away.

“It’s not like we’re getting any closer,” Cain said. “Let’s see what we find.”

“It could just be a waste of time,” Raider said. “It could be a trap. I know next to nothing about what I am.” His voice was hushed, as if something else could overhear his admittance.

“Your reaction time is good,” Rawson said. “Let’s take a chance and see what we find.”

Raider looked his way and smiled. “Yea, okay. Thanks.”

Rawson shrugged as they shifted course. “You’re a part of this weird little mate circle. It would be best if you knew more about your abilities, so you don’t accidentally set something or someone on fire.”

“It hasn’t happened yet,” Raider said.

“But nothing’s bothered you enough to react quite so drastically until Wrenley came along, either,” Cain said.

Raider looked at Wrenley, a sexy little smile quirking his lips. “Fair point. Let’s see what lies this way.”

What await ahead of them was a clustering of dead trees and no matter how they moved around it, they found themselves back in front of it. After the sixth time, they paused to study the roadblock.

“Does the Shadelands really want us to clean this up?” Rawson asked, frowning.

“I doubt that’s it,” Gothel said, moving closer. She rested a hand against a tree. A moment later, she smiled, turning to look at Raider. “This is for you, fae of the Shadelands.”

Raider raised a brow before looking at the dead trees unimpressed. Sighing, he moved forward.

“Stay close,” Gothel said, following behind Raider.

Wrenley watched, caught between doubt and intrigue as they began to disappear within the thick of the dead trees. Cain took her hand and pulled her along after them.

The little patch had only been maybe eight feet in diameter but the length of time they walked, indicated that that little patch of dense dead was something else entirely.

And then it opened up though what they found was equally as dead. Yet, it was spectacular.

They’d paused just within (or without?) the thick of dead trees and stared into a vast, crumbling city. The walls that rose around them had partially fallen in some areas. There were bridges crossing high overhead, some still in tact while others had fallen. There were broken pillars, broken monuments, broken walkways.

And buildings that had fallen into ruin all over the place. Nature had started to grow over everything. Green moss blanketed flat surfaces, trees grew up through ceilings and blocked doors.

“What is this place?” Cain asked.

“A fae city,” Raider said. “But not one left in one piece.”

“How are you sure?” Rawson asked.

Raider pointed to one of the statues that was covered in moss. “The men that the Primals introduced me to, the other fae, one had heard of the fae cities. He didn’t know how to get to one, nor did he think they’d be useful, but he passed along the information. Besides, that thing looks like my person mask-less being. But with wings.”

“Will there be anything useful here?” Jaxon asked.

Wrenley looked behind her, catching him as he was getting to his feet.

“For you, probably not,” Raider said as he took a step forward. “But there might be for me. And I’m fairly sure we’re safe here. The fae said that only those accompanying a fae can enter a fae city. So the monsters outside won’t be found in here.”

“That’s reason enough to stop for the night,” Rawson said. “Besides, we have no idea how long it’ll take to get back.”

Raider nodded, though Wrenley thought he was barely listening. Gothel found a seat close by sat back to relax. Wrenley decided she was going to follow Raider. Her mates trailed behind them.

At first, Wrenley was just taking it all in. She’d never been to an abandoned city. It was sad and fascinating and haunting all at the same time. But every time Raider stopped, she found that he’d spied a faded or partially destroyed mural of some kind that depicted the people who had once lived here.

There were a whole lot of different scenes but they’d yet to find one complete. They wandered for hours, late into the evening, before making their way back to Gothel.

They sat around a small fire inside one of the small houses that was mostly in one piece. There was still furniture and defined rooms. Gothel had found some vegetables in an overgrown garden that she surmised just continued to grow. They’d rot in the ground and become fertilizer for the next around.

And then they curled within the three bedrooms, sleeping on the platforms that had once been beds. Wrenley chose to stay with Raider again. Rawson and Cain took a second room with Gothel taking the third. Jaxon chose to sleep in the common area, claiming it was to keep watch. Wrenley knew better. She could feel his defiance through the bond. He didn’t want to be with Cain and Rawson, and he didn’t want to be with Raider.

Wrenley sighed, cuddling in close to Raider.

“There’s something here,” Raider said, pressing his lips to hers. “Something that will tell me how to take you and make you mine.”

She smirked. “I think I know the mechanics. I can explain them if you want.”

He chuckled, rolling them so she was under him, situated between her legs. “I bet you can, darling.” His kiss was hungry. He rocked his hips into hers, taking his time as he pressed his erection hard between her legs. She grabbed at him desperately, trying to pull his shirt off.

Raider grinned, licking his way down her jaw as he pulled her hands over her head. “Give me one more day, Wren. The answer is here. And I have to know how to make this complete.”

Wrenley glared at him, pressing her lips together. His smile turned mischievous. “I can still make you orgasm if you like.” There was arrogance in his tone and the way he hooded his eyes. Only because she was slightly pouting and irritated did she shake her head.

“No. If you’re not going to give me your dick after, we’re just going to have to wait until you find what you’re looking for.”

She was almost to agitated to sleep. To hot and worked up. Wrenley knew by the way Raider grunted and rocked his hips against her from time to time that he felt the same frustration.

The next morning started out no differently. She followed Raider around as he took a different path, stopping at murals that were only half there.

And then he finally found one that interested him. A whole lot of it was missing, scrapped off as if something falling had wiped a lot of it away. But there were enough bits of it that they could come to a guess.

A crowd of people and then two meet. Some kind of celebration or ceremony. Sex with a magic dildo that lasted a very long (and apparently infinitely satisfying) time. Though, there might be something that happens between the start of the sexual period and the other side of the mural since the part between had been smudged. And then there was a couple of fae at the end, both with wings and marks all over their skin.

She was studying the baby at their feet when Raider took her hand and pulled her away. “Come on. We need to find a specific place.”

“What’s it look like?” she asked.

He shook his head, biting his lip with his too sharp fae teeth. He really was stunning like this. Well, in both looks he was.

Raider closed his eyes and took a breath. After several more inhalations, he pulled her along as he moved them through the ruined city.

She found that he’d stopped at a polished white stone deck. The edges were ruined, cracked and falling away and there were big gouges coming out of it in spots. But it was still magical. As Raider paused outside the perimeter before very slowly and carefully stepping onto the white surface, she could feel the charged air. There was definitely still magic here.

And that magic whispered to them. But the whispers were just far enough away that she couldn’t make out the words.

As they made their way to the middle, the stones beneath their feet shifted. Vines began reaching down from a canopy that Wrenley couldn’t really see. And the whispering continued.

“What’s it saying?” Wrenley asked.

Raider shook her head. “Fucked if I know,” he muttered, making her laugh. Raider grinned down at her, pulling her around and spinning her in his arms.

It was only as he did that she noticed that her attire had changed into a long, sheer dress. Her cheeks heated as he pulled her against his bare chest. She was sure he’d been wearing a shirt a minute ago.

He sighed, cupping her face, and staring into her eyes. For a few minutes longer, they listened to the whispers, waiting to make out a word or even a hint of a familiar syllable.

Raider smiled, shaking his head softly. “I have no idea what it wants from me.”

“Is this the place we were looking for?”

He nodded. “Yea, pretty sure. I’ve stumbled us in the right direction this far, but I don’t know where to go next.”

“I’m happy to just be here with you,” Wrenley said. “Sharing this place with you.”

His smile was soft and stunning. “There’s no one I’d rather explore this city with, Wren. I’m pretty sure I’ve waited for you my entire life.”

The whispers changed in cadence and we both looked up, as if expecting to see someone there. There was no one, but the long vines rustled, rubbing against us as if urging us in a specific direction.

We didn’t speak as we moved with the vines, still lightly wrapped together and looking up. It wasn’t until our legs hit something that we took notice of our surroundings again. The vines were thicker now, hanging all around us like a curtain that obscured our view but not completely. And at our legs was a bed covered in crisp, white sheets and pillows.

“So, if this isn’t a hint, I’m not sure what is,” Wrenley said.

Raider chuckled, wrapping his arms more snuggly around her, and lifting her off her feet as his mouth covered hers. She swore something in her sighed. Something deep and content, knowing that this was the final piece of her soul that still needed to be settled.

For a long time, he just held her and kissed her. Savoring the feel of being together. Of tasting the other. Of knowing he’d found his mate – though, not in the same way a bear did.

He laid her back on the bed. The cool feel of the sheets made her realize that her attire changed again, but this time, she was completely naked.

And so was Raider.

He was… stunning. There were no other words to describe him. His body was lean and hard, with a perfect shape that had Wrenley’s eyes moving up and down, not knowing where to look. Of course, then there was his cock and a finer thing, she wasn’t sure she’d ever seen. He was long and thick with a slight bulge at the base. It was standing up, hard and weeping, against his stomach.

Wrenley reached for him, but Raider shook his head. He grabbed her thighs and pulled her ass to the edge of the bed, making her squeak with laughter. His grin was sexy and mischievous as he lowered between her thighs.

Her heart raced as she gripped the sheets, and that first lick made her jolt. She moaned, arching her back as he moved his tongue between her folds. Tasting her with long strokes of his tongue. At the end of each pass, he flicked her clit, causing her whole body to tremble.

“Raider, please,” she murmured.

She didn’t care about the orgasm. Not like this. They’d been dancing around sex for days. Between the heated kisses and bodies pressed together, she needed to feel him against her. Inside her.

He pulled his mouth from between her legs, kissing her thigh softly, before making his way up her body. He continued his slow, thorough exploration of her stomach, concentrating on the peaks of her breasts, and tasting her neck before he slid her further up the bed and climbed on.

“You taste divine,” he whispered, ragging his tongue along her jaw until he could capture her mouth again. And as he pushed his tongue into hers, his cock entered her body.

Wrenley moaned, her entire body squirming as he made room inside her. Raider didn’t release her mouth from his consuming kiss, even as he groaned while he made short, insistent thrusts into her until he was fully sheathed. Only then did he let her take a breath.

“You feel it?” he whispered.

She snorted. “How can I not feel that?”

His grin was that of a man who’d just had a cock praised. There was no larger bit of pride than that look. But then he shook his head. “Close your eyes, Wren. While I appreciate that my dick is distracting you, feel into deeper places.”

Wrenley closed her eyes though she seriously questioned his sanity if she thought she could think of anything other than the way her pussy throbbed around his dick. Seriously, her body was not made to sit still with that giant thing wedged inside her. Stationary. He wasn’t even rocking!

But she took a breath and tried to feel beyond that. It took her several minutes of shallow breaths to sift through what was the bear bonds and what was new. But it was there. Something soft and tenuous. Not quite whole yet.

“Raider,” Wrenley whispered.

“Mm,” he answered, his lips covering hers again in a deep, slow kiss. And then he was moving in time with his kissing. Long, stroking thrusts. Deeply seating himself each time, making her catch her breath.

As much as she tired to pay attention to the fragile new thing inside her, the pleasure in her was pushing her concentration to other things. Making her thoughts scatter with each deep penetration. Forcing her to catch her breath around Raider’s mouth covering hers.

It wasn’t just his size. It was that there were hard places on his dick. Like… ridges moving along the top of its length. And fuck, did they not just hit everything right inside her. Setting her on fire and making her drip with hot arousal.

And then he took her hands, trapping them above her head, as he lodged himself deep inside her. And he truly did so. She swore her body shrunk, locking him in place. As it did, with each build of pressure came another bolt of lightning pleasure coursing through her.

She was very aware of how her heart beat loudly in her ears as it tried to match a long off rhythm. It was quick but slightly off. Wrenley held her breath as her heart started to fall into the same beat. Little by little. Each pulse was a half a second closer. Closer.

As soon as they did, the world around her burst apart. Her body jerked as if something inside her were being pulled out. It was both painful and stupidly stimulating that she convulsed, her eyes rolling back. Raider lurched at the same time, his mouth finally pulling from hers. The air around them became so thick, it felt as if there were multiple hands brushing along her skin.

In front of her eyes, she could see her life twist in a beautiful dance with Raider’s. It filled her and wrapped her, combining together in uncomfortable, intruding ways. Images flashed before her eyes that she knew were not hers. A wall infinitely tall. Kind eyes and arms that slowly dulled a violent hunger with. A little girl being placed in her lap. Amusement. Disassociation. Not belonging but being sought. Disinterest and mockery of the sky mating.

These weren’t her own memories. They were Raider’s. That meant he must be experiencing hers. Before she could get ahold of herself to form words enough to ask, everything came crashing back into them. When it did, her breath was expelled. She panted, gasping for air.

And then the pleasure hit her like a bear mauled her. As if her body could take anymore, she was sure his dick expanded within her, with it brought pleasure she’d never felt before. Her cries filled the air as she tried to find the function to take a breath. But she couldn’t as wave after wave washed through her in an orgasm that nearly blinded her. One that carried on until her whole body tingled and became limp. And yet, it still washed over her, through her, making her lose her mind.

When Wrenley thought she was going to lose her sanity from pleasure overload, it finally began to calm. Raider remained frozen on top of her as he panted, his hands grasping hers in a grip that was almost painful. She welcomed that little bit of pain since each breath sent a shock of pleasure through her body that made her mind spin.

“Are we still alive?” Wrenley whispered after what might have been ten minutes or ten years had passed.

Raider snorted. “I almost hope not. What a way to die.”

She snorted laughter that turned into each of them groaning from the wave of pleasure that surged through them.

Wrenley held her breath as Raider shifted, keeping his dick lodged deep inside her (were they fused together? Holy fuck that felt good) and her eyes widened. His entire body was covered in lines that looked almost like peaks the way they rose and fell, curving slightly as they moved on to the next.

And behind him were two glorious wings that flexed gently.

“You’re… a god.”

Raider laughed, kissing her deeply. “And now, you’re my mate. It’s written all over your body. Damn bears didn’t manage that, now did they?”

Wrenley laughed, wrapping her arms around him, and pulling him close. There was nothing better than this feeling. The feeling of all four of them nestled inside her. The thought of forgetting about fixing the fairy tale once again slid through her mind, but this time it was so she could just skip right to the happily ever after. 

Chapter 25: Goldilocks

Wrenley

“What did you do to her?” Jaxon growled as he got to his feet and framed Wrenley’s face between his hands.

“What a bear could never do,” Raiser said, grinning smugly.

“Do those wings work?” Cain asked.

Raider shrugged. “I would assume so, but I haven’t had means to try them yet.”

“Seriously, what the fuck did you do?” Jaxon demanded as Wrenley pulled away.

“I mated Wrenley,” Raider answered, his smile was not at all fading. “And you know, my name looks good scrawled all over her body. Don’t you think?”

Jaxon growled menacingly.

Wrenley rolled her eyes and shoved at him. “Stop. I already made it very clear that I was going to be with him so get over yourself, Jaxon.”

“Those are flames,” Gothel said quietly, causing everyone to look her way.

“What?” Cain asked, pulling Wrenley around as if he could find the flames Gothel spoke of.

“Raider commands fire. And so, the marks that they share a mirror of are flames,” Gothel said.

“Oddly enough, I can feel the flames now, too,” Raider noted as he flexed his hand. “Like they’re just under my fingertips, waiting for me to give them the go ahead.”

“Have you learned more than how to mate?” Rawson asked.

Raider shrugged, sighing. “I think that I’ll need a city that’s in one piece to truly learn anything. All the paintings around here, which they did a damn good job recording their culture, are falling apart with half the scene missing or parts of it have been smudged.” He shook his head, running his hand through his hair.

“This is a step in the right direction,” Cain said.

“Is it?” Jaxon muttered.

Wrenley pressed her lips together, glaring at Jaxon. Cain pulled her around, wrapping his arms over her chest and pulling her backwards into him. “Just ignore him,” he murmured in her ear. “He either gets his shit together or he can go home when we get back.”

“Oh really?” Jaxon challenged. “Mate.”

“You’re nothing but a mass of negative energy, Jax. You want to be my mate, or Wrenley’s mate, then you need to grow up,” Cain said. “I love you. I’ve always fucking loved you. I’ve apologized for making you feel like you weren’t our priority. So, you can accept it and we can build a life together, or you can tell me what you need from me to work towards forgiveness and we can build a life together, or you can go away. That’s it. I’m done putting up with your nastiness. We have something more important than that and you’re not going to fuck this up.”

Wrenley stared wide-eyed at Rawson straight ahead of her. Cain had turned her in such a way that Jaxon wasn’t in her line of sight. And Jaxon didn’t respond.

After several tense minutes went by, Gothel spoke up. “So, just a suggestion, but I think we should spend one more night in the safety of this city and leave in the morning.”

“Sounds good,” Rawson said.

That’s what they did, and the tension carried on through the rest of the evening and into the morning. Raider attempted to be mindful of the stress within the group, but he couldn’t contain his grin for more than a few minutes at a time. Nor could he stop himself from tracing one of the flame lines on her skin.

They picked their way through the cluster of dead trees until they were in the open forest of dead trees. Then they continued to walk in what Wrenley was sure was a random direction though not in the way they’d come.

“Raider, what are the chances you think you can control your fire now?” Rawson asked.

Raider shrugged. “As long as you stay behind me, I’ll play with it for a while and see what I can manage.”

“Yes, please do. I think we can abridge our plan and not put any other lives at risk if you have relative control over your fire.”

Wrenley watched as Raider started with just lighting his hand in flames. Her breath caught as she staired, horrified that he was going to hurt himself. Then he hurdled the flames away, where they burst brighter when hitting the base of a tree.

They watched as he made arches with it. Encircled their group in a ring of fire. Made it raise into a solid, massive (fucking sweltering) column that burst through the canopy of trees. Wrap around individual trees. By the time they stopped for the evening at the edge of the Shadelands looking into the bloody forest of The Three Bears story, Raider looked at Rawson with a grin.

“I think I do okay. It’s like the instructions are now written on my skin and as long as I feel Wrenley inside me, there’s nothing I can’t make the fire do,” Raider said.

“Alright, then here’s the new plan. You’re confident?” Rawson asked.

“Yes. Tell me how I can light some people on fire.”

Rawson chuckled, shaking his head. “We’re heading deeper into the trees and setting some bait. Mother, you have your leash ready?”

“Point me in the direction, sonny,” Mother Gothel answered.

“How can you be sure they’re going to be around here?” Wrenley asked as they slowed. She kept her voice low, just in case there had been someone close by that she hadn’t seen.

“This area if filled with game,” Rawson said. “We send hunting parties this way often and they frequently report spotting these delinquents.”

“But how do you know they now move as a group?” she pressed.

He smirked at her. “Because I now send large enough parties to be a threat and they have permission to take out any permanent settlement. They’ve done so many times, so now Goldi’s group is one of nomads.”

“I bet she’s even more pissed,” Cain said, smiling.

“She wasn’t unkind to me,” Wrenley said. “But then, she also orchestrated a murder as if it were a dinner show.” She shook her head, pausing when she noticed Rawson stiffen. Oh, right. Maz had been Rawson’s brother.

Wrenley rested her hand on his forearm lightly and looked up at him when he glanced down at her. Hopefully, she could convey her sympathy without speaking. There really weren’t any words and an apology can truly get tiresome.

Rawson placed his hand over hers for a moment, giving her a soft smile as they continued to walk into the forest. When they paused, hearing movement in the distance, they determined that this place was as good as any.

“Ready?” Rawson asked, turning to everyone.

“You really think it’s a good idea that you’re the bait?” Jaxon asked.

“Kind of sounds like you’re concerned,” Cain noted as he began gathering twigs. “And since you’ve made it very clear you want nothing to do with us, that can’t possibly be accurate.”

Jaxon growled at him, a severe scowl marring his handsome features.

“I’ll be fine,” Rawson said. “I’m not willing to risk Wrenley. I doubt they’d go anywhere near Raider when he looks like that. They’ll likely make a big berth around Mother Gothel as well, especially if her prince is among them. That leaves the three of us and since I am the source of Goldi’s indignation, I’m the perfect bait.”

“We’ll be right here,” Cain said, raising his gaze to the trees.

That was the plan. Rawson ‘appears’ like he’s alone in the woods while everyone else is just above him, high in the trees out of sight. The next cue depends on Raider, who will be a bit further away, waiting for the last of their nomadic party to settle around before he sets a ring of fire. And then they fall from the trees.

Statistically speaking, the Women of Chaos will far outnumber Wrenley and her mates and Mother Gothel. But they had the three strongest bears within Bear Tower Heights (according to Jaxon), a fae that controls fire, and the witch that was Mother Gothel. They might be outnumbered but they should still be stronger.

“You’re sure she’s going to wait until everyone gathers around before she orders your death?” Wrenley asked.

He smiled at her, brushing a hand over her cheek. “She likes an audience. Always has. And this will be her perfect performance. The one she’s been waiting for.”

She was still uncomfortable with the idea as Rawson settled on the ground in front of a fire. Jaxon continued to glare at him before climbing the closest tree. Gothel didn’t climb; she spun around it like a stripper pole until she disappeared into the branches.

Cain rested a hand on Rawson’s shoulder before taking to a tree a little further away. That left Wrenley watching uneasily until Raider gently tugged on her hand. Rawson gave her a sweet, encouraging smile and Wrenley turned away. When had he grown on her? She’d missed it. And now she was afraid he was going to get hurt.

Raider proved that his wings worked having Wrenley momentarily distracted when he easily lifted her into the air. She couldn’t help her wide grin as he set her on a branch.

“He’ll be fine.” He kissed her softly before he used his wings to hop along the branches and out of sight. It was like he’d had his wings all along.

A smile tugged at her lips for a minute. Then she crouched until she was in a position where she could see Rawson. He sat casually by the fire as he poked it from time to time.

Just as she was beginning to become anxious, movement in the trees made her catch her breath. She could just make out Jaxon. He shifted to take in this new threat. The others were out of sight.

Wrenley watched, biting her lip, and crouching as still as possible as the figure came into view. He was young, maybe late twenties. His gaze was locked on Rawson as he approached. She saw the moment he recognized Rawson. His eyes widened in alarm as he glanced over his shoulder.

“What are you doing out here?” he hissed in a voice that barely carried to Wrenley.

Rawson raised a brow. “Enjoying the bloody forest. You?”

He didn’t answer for a minute. “Rawson, you need to leave. You can’t be out here alone.”

“You’re alone,” Rawson pointed out.

The boy flinched, a hand moving up to rub on his chest. Rawson paused as he studied the boy. His head dropped. A grieved look flitted across his face before he raised sad eyes to Rawson again. “I’m not alone,” he said quietly. “And you need to leave. Aurelia kills everyone she finds out here, Rawson.”

Rawson smiled. “But not you.”

“I was rejected,” he said stiffly.

Their conversation was over as another boy, younger than the first, came running up. “What did you find?” he said as he slid to a stop next to the first, his hand wrapping around the first boy’s arm. His eyes widened. “She’s going to be so happy with you!” He turned back and shouted, calling for their group to hurry up and send Aurelia this way.

The first boy stared pleadingly at Rawson. He shook his head gently, still urging him to go. He had time. But his time was rapidly running out. All Rawson did was get to his feet and wait with his hands in his pockets.

Wrenley noted that if either of them were intelligent, they’d have questioned why Rawson was out in the middle of the forest alone. They’d not think he was an easy target just sitting there over a fire, not cooking anything, in the middle of the day. No gear. No weapons.

As if he were luring them…

She rolled her eyes at the simplicity of some people.

More and more people meandered into sight. And then they began coming in larger numbers until the middle bulk of the group had surrounded Rawson. There were murmurs, taunting laughter. Definitely outnumbered. But the camp she’d been at had certainly been cut by a quarter. It was a good size but not all of those were about fighting.

And as they continued to get closer, she could already see the families and those who just wanted to live linger at the edges. Wrenley couldn’t understand what made them decide that they wanted to live within the bloody forest with a bunch of murder-hungry angry women as opposed to within one of the villages. Was this really the better option?

And then Aurelia was there. She looked like a kid at Christmas morning, looking at the thing she’s begged for all year. It wasn’t even a nasty grin. Not at first. She was thrilled.

“The skies have delivered,” Aurelia said, crossing her arms. “Have you come for me, Rawson?”

Rawson didn’t answer. His posture remained uninterested with his hands in his pockets as he studied her.

“Well, you’re late. I’m not interested in you anymore,” Aurelia said.

Wrenley rolled her eyes when a cheer went up around her. Seriously? It’s not even a true rejection.

Zel stepped up beside her, handing her a long blade. Wrenley tensed. She looked up, trying to find Raider. Why hadn’t he set fire yet? What was he waiting for?

“And you didn’t even bring a line of defense,” Aurelia said.

“But that’s not your style, is it, Goldi?” Rawson asked. “You prefer to murder the helpless in cold blood.”

Aurelia’s face heated. “That’s not-”

“Oh, it is. I have a slew of witnesses stating that’s exactly how you murder innocent lives from the village.”

“They’re not innocent,” she snapped. “They sit around and do nothing when someone is rejected.”

“What do you expect them to do? Just so I’m clear.”

Aurelia continued to glower, her face still bright with a flush. Rawson hit a nerve and Aurelia had no answer.

“If nothing, you’ve only proven my decision to not take you for a mate was warranted. You’re unstable and violent – neither quality is admirable in any bear, much less the future Primal’s mate,” Rawson said.

Her anger boiled over. Aurelia lunged. Rawson reached behind him where a group of Aurelia’s fighters had gathered and grabbed one, throwing her in front of himself as a shield, taking the sharp edge of Aurelia’s blade instead of him.

Aurelia screamed, furious as she ripped her blade away. Not caring at all for the woman she just killed, but even more set on reaching Rawson.

She was so focused on getting at Rawson, who made quick and seemingly effortless work of thrusting her own men and women in her path, that she wasn’t aware of the fire springing up around them until screams lit the air. Only then did she pause to look around in confusion.

Wrenley took a relieved breath as the fire began weaving through their parties, sectioning them off into little fire cells until the only ones that were left were those closest to Rawson. Which included Aurelia and Zel.

Jaxon dropped from the tree, landing heavily on two men who had been close to Rawson. Wrenley winced hearing the way bones cracked on one of them. And then Cain was there, too. Wrenley couldn’t see Raider join them, but she knew the minute he did. There was a whole lot of murmuring, both terrified and fascinated.

His face moved into her line of sight as he stepped below the tree. “Come on, mate. Time to say hello again.”

Wrenley rolled her eyes but let herself fall forward. There was no way she was going to climb down this bloody thing without looking like a fool. Instead, she let herself fall into Raider’s waiting arms. He grinned like a madman at her before kissing her nose and standing her on her feet.

Aurelia stared at her for a minute. Wrenley could see the wheels turning as she tried to determine where she’d seen Wrenley before. It finally clicked. “You!”

Wrenley smiled wanly. “Hello, Aurelia.”

“You sold us out!”

Frowning, Wrenley leaned her weight on one hip. “I’m not even going to pretend to know how I could have done that. I didn’t though I did report the murder of Maz because that was just disgusting.”

“This is why we need to be more selective as to who we let join us,” Zel said.

“Oh, yes,” Jaxon commented as he stood imposingly behind Rawson like a shadow of death. “I can certainly see the rejects further rejecting other rejects who come to them for shelter. Definitely furthers your mission.”

“That’s neither here nor there,” Cain said. “Your group is no longer.”

“What are you going to do? Kill us all?”

“No,” Rawson said. “Murdering someone who emotionally hurt someone is not a punishment that we practice. That’s on you – and again, I’ll point out that it’s not the qualities that are acceptable for the mate of the future Primal.”

“That’s your only option,” Aurelia said. “Kill us or let us go.”

“How do you suppose she’s going to enforce those options?” Raider asked, tilting his head to the side in amusement.

Though their words weren’t truly taunting, Aurelia reacted as if they were. Her eyes darted between them as she became more and more agitated. It would be the first time Wrenley actually saw someone shift into a bear. One moment she was a beautiful, yet insane woman, and the next, she was leaping through the air as an enormous, irate grizzly bear.

She didn’t make it to Rawson as she intended. Instead, Raider amped up the fear but leasing her with a fiery rope that hand her roaring in pain as he yanked her backwards, slamming her to the ground.

“Tsk, tsk,” Rawson said as she rolled to her feet, now surrounded by her own personal ring of fire. “I’m pretty sure attacking the Deputy has some major consequences.”

“I’m not part of this,” Zel said, backing away from Aurelia. “I’m not even from this fairy tale.”

“No,” Mother Gothel said from behind him. Zel turned with horror at seeing her. She was a tiny thing, all hunched over with age. But there was no doubt that she was a threat and strong with magic. And in her hands was a golden sphere made up of alternating glowing circles. “And it’s time to go home, Zel.”

Zel backed away, shaking his head, bringing his hands up in defense.

Mother Gothel smiled and tossed it at Zel while the man tried to scramble away. It rained over him, flattening into the ground like a brightly glowing summoning sigil. Out of it sprang gold cords that wrapped around his legs and arms.

Wrenley had just started to smile when a hand wrapped around her neck from behind and her eyes widened in alarm. “You should have stayed dead,” she hissed. Wrenley didn’t have to guess who it was.

“You should know, fae don’t take kindly to those threatening their mates,” Wrenley said calmly.

Raider turned slowly with fire in his eyes. Behind Wrenley, Vienna trembled.

“Call him off,” Vienna demanded. “Or I’ll kill you.”

“Rawson, your exes are a piece of work,” Jaxon muttered.

Rawson snorted. “By all means, Raider. Put her down. That’s the only merciful sentence for a rabid bear.”

The grin Raider gave Vienna made even Wrenley shiver. And then he was in the air, his wings moving too fast to see. Vienna’s hold on Wrenley’s neck tightened enough that she gasped but her shrieking came because Raider came down on Vienna and brought a fiery blade through Vienna’s arms.

Her hand remained wrapped around Wrenley’s neck and Wrenley performed some horrified dance as she tried to remove it. This time when she became covered in blood, it wasn’t from the trees.