Darian kneaded harder into my right shoulder, and I bit my lip to stop from moaning.
Kade pointed his finger accusingly at me. “Thatface,” he growled.
Asher and Darian chuckled, and I grinned stupidly back at Kade. Asher and Darian weren’t touching me sexually, but need was already making my body ache, and I suddenly didn’t care if we never moved from that very spot. I knew I was likely still worked up from seeing Locke with Darian hours earlier, but I didn’t want to admit it to myself. Darian leaned down, his lips brushing against the side of my face before he began pressing soft kisses to my neck. I tilted my head to the side, giving him better access, and I didn’t miss the way Locke’s eyes became fully black as his gaze homed in on where Darian was kissing.
Kade’s left eye twitched, and desire shone in his golden eyes as he watched me, his attention going from my face to the swell of my breasts, then back up as it lingered on my lips.
Goddess, the males, themonsters, were always too much. Warmth gathered between my thighs, and Kade’s body became rigid, his nostrils flaring as he scented my arousal.
Damn wolf senses.Not that I really cared. Truthfully, if they wanted to take me right then, I would have let them. I could still remember the sweet taste of Darian on my tongue as Asher took me from behind, his huge—
“We don’t have time to fuck around,” Locke snapped harshly, pulling me back to the present. “We need to get the fae prince to the city before we’re discovered.”
The vampire’s icy tone cooled some of the warmth that had been building within me, and I glimpsed the longing in Locke’s eyes before he turned his back to me. The monster was so damn confusing.
Asher muttered something under his breath and released me to bend down and swing Prince Azaren over his shoulder.
Kade adjusted himself before rolling his shoulders and checking his weapons, and Darian kissed my neck softly one more time before lifting his lips to my ear. “Later, lovely,” he promised.
~ Kade ~
I needed to get my shit together. The longer I was in the fae realm, the more my skin itched. Memories of my mother and sister haunted me, and with every step, fear gnawed on my insides. I couldn’t lose anyone else. Not to the fae.
But my friends—my family—and I were in the fae realm without an exit route mapped out and with a fae prince in our grasp. If we were caught, the fae king would likely sentence us to death and declare war on all of Katakin.Fuck.
My gaze flicked again to the red-haired goddess walking ahead of me. It would be hard enough to lose any of my brothers, but I’d promised to protect Raine. After I’d failed my mother and sister, I’d still made her that promise, and I was a fool. My back ached from the tension in my muscles, and I cracked my neck.
Every instinct told me the forest we were in would bring only death. That thislandwas death, and I had to fight against the protective urge I had to force Raine to remain by my side at every moment. Logically, I knew my Mahare was as safe here as she was in Katakin. Now that my brothers had shown their commitment to protecting her as well, being surrounded by us four was the closest she’d get to safety. With Warrick and his outliers in Katakin, there was no haven for us. Nowhere to hide and only this path to follow.
Locke was silent behind me, his arms cradling the four fae books still in our possession. His features were as hardened as my own, and I turned toward him. “Take from me next,” I said quietly enough that Raine wouldn’t overhear.
My vampire brother kept focusing on the passing trees and vegetation. “Darian’s blood was enough.”
“We both know monster blood can only sustain you for a few hours. We all need to have our wits about us when we face the fae,” I insisted, trying not to show my irritation at his resistance.
Locke’s jaw clenched, and his gaze finally slid to me, but he didn’t respond, and I didn’t push him. I knew the male was dealing with his own issues. Locke hadn’t drunk from another being for over 150 years, and from the pale shade of Darian’s skin, he’d struggled to maintain control and had taken more from the siren than he should have. But I trusted him, and if he needed blood to keep up his strength, I was happy to provide it. I just wished he’d let me give it to him.
We’d walked in silence for another half hour when the faint sound of buzzing had me twisting my head to the right. Around us, the trees had grown thicker, and it was impossible to see far in any direction. I wanted to shift and scout ahead, but I wasn’t letting Raine out of my sight.
Instead, I stopped walking, my ears shifting, becoming pointed and pricking upward as I listened.
Locke and the others halted and watched me intently.
“What is it?” Locke asked.
Raine shifted on the spot, and I kept her in my periphery.
“Not sure,” I said, furrowing my forehead. “Sounds like…buzzing.” I sniffed the air, but everything in this place smelled strange. Hints of sweet tree sap and fragrant berries mixed with the scents of moss, fungi, and foreign animal life.
After a moment, Locke placed the fae books on the ground and drew his sword, a look of concentration on his face. “I hear it now too.”
Following his lead, I pulled the swords from the scabbards at my sides. Darian grabbed out two of his throwing stars, and Asher drew an ax with his free hand. Instinctively, we all circled around Raine.
“What are you doing? You’re acting like it’s the fae,” Raine said, unimpressed. “Are you sure you’re not just hearing a swarm of mosquitos?”
“Better not be,” Asher said as he lifted his ax to swat at invisible mosquitos in the air. “The bloodsuckin’ bastards fuckin’ love me.”
Raine shook her head at me, but Asher gave her a serious look.
