Roman paced the length of Christian's living room. He cursed himself as he'd earlier cursed Hawk when Mystic was harmed in the fight at Bangers, as he'd cursed them all when she was injured at Wolfsbane. He should have taken the time to delve more deeply in Chelsea's mind. Should have questioned the vampire taint on her and wondered if she would gain some advantage from it. That could be the only explanation as to how her pack mates had known she was being taken to Fangs.
You will go peacefully to Fangs. His own words now mocked him. The compulsion he'd placed on the rogue Were was no better than a fledgling's attempt to control. He knew better, knew how easily literal meanings could both trap and allow for escape.
Chelsea's fear had been real, her willingness to obey absolute. But she'd been in his presence as well as that of two strong alpha wolves.
Gabe would one day be strong, as would the wolf Roman sensed in Mystic. But neither of them had the power of an alpha yet. And in the absence of a new alpha, Chelsea had sought her old alpha, or perhaps her old alphas had sought her and she hadn't been willing to hang on to the freedom she claimed to desire.
Roman felt no pity for her, no remorse that she was dead. Whether willing or not, her weakness had led to Mystic being taken.
He turned to Hawk and Christian, felt their rage, their agony, the heavy burden of self-inflicted guilt. It was a mirror to his own.
"She is still alive," Roman said, "and we will reclaim her. I think it's likely the rogues will hunt her as they did the fledgling."
"Or try to turn her," Christian said, his voice as grim as his expression.
A muscle spasmed in Roman's cheek with the thought of the Weres mauling her. Eventually she would shift form. The phantom wolf he'd gained from Syndelle's blood recognized the true wolf in Mystic. But he couldn't predict what would happen if she did, whether she'd be looked at by the rogues as a pack member or a threat.
"As soon as she regains consciousness we can use the bond to find her," Roman said, the muscles on his forearms standing out as he clenched his fists. If she were already his companion even that wouldn't be necessary. He could find her by using a vampire's ultimate ownership of any who was deeply bound by the sharing of blood. He could further protect and track her with magic woven into the companion's necklace.
The next time she was in his possession she would become his companion and her Were mates would welcome it. But in the meantime they could prepare themselves to hunt together, to work together without relying on the Angelini bond Mystic had forged between them. Roman said, "There is no way of knowing how this will unfold. I would suggest an exchange of blood so we can communicate regardless of location or form."
The wolf flashed in Hawk's eyes, feral and threatening, a natural response given vampires and Werewolves were once mortal enemies. The look faded quickly, yielded to acceptance, acknowledgement, a rare trust having less to do with Mystic and more to do with what Roman once was, gryphon, shapeshifter legend, vampire killer.
Hawk nodded and Roman turned his attention to Christian. There was reluctance, wariness, but it was offered by the man, not the beast.
Unbidden, images of their last interlude with Mystic came to mind. Since she rarely bothered to shield her thoughts from them, they both knew how erotic she found the sight of Brann and Rafe together. They also both knew how exquisite it felt to penetrate her at the same time.
Amusement found Roman despite the agony of Mystic's abduction. He chuckled and Christian's spine stiffened.
"I have lived in times when sex with women was done for pleasure and procreation, but what occurred between men was labeled the purest of love." His lips lifted to reveal his fangs. "Such love is not my inherent nature and not what I desire from either of you, though if Mystic wished it, I could take your ass and make you scream in ecstasy. But that's not the matter currently before us. The exchange of blood and what comes as a result of it can be enjoyable-or not. The choice is yours."
Christian's wolf growled, low and menacing. Hawk's joined it.
Roman turned his back with the confidence of an undefeatable predator, allowing them a moment to accept the inevitable. The bond needed to be closed completely. They needed to be able to communicate, both with and without Mystic holding a link open for them. Eventually it would have come to this anyway, only now the need was urgent.
Hawk was the first to reach Roman's side, though Christian was only a step behind. Without a word Hawk held his arm out, wrist up. Roman leaned over and bit.
* * * * *
Nausea greeted Mystic, a roiling she was helpless against. What little she had in her stomach escaped, spilling onto a floor that was subtly vibrating.
"She's awake," a female voice said and a kick landed in Mystic's gut with enough force to roll her onto her back.
A groan escaped before Mystic could stop it. Her shoulders burned and her hands were numb from the ropes binding her wrists together behind her back.
Her assailant's foot settled on Mystic's chest, but the darkness of the blindfold kept her from seeing a face. "You won't be as much fun to hunt as your vampire lover, at least not for me, but Eric and Reuben are dreaming about fucking you while they're wolves. They don't get to do that very often because I'm faster and usually there's nothing left to fuck by the time I'm finished. But this time, this time I'm going to run slow. You want to know why?"
Mystic's lungs burned as the weight on her chest grew heavier. She jerked as the female Were slapped her, the sound like the crack of gunfire. A second slap followed the first.
"Answer me. Do you want to know why I'm going to let Eric and Rueben have their fun?"
"Yes," Mystic croaked, fighting nausea and pain as she tried to filter what was happening in order to minimize the horror for her mates. She could feel their rage, could feel vampire magic combining with Angelini magic in an effort to guide them to her.
The foot on Mystic's chest lifted, then slammed down, making her cry out. "Because I remember you from Bangers. You got in my way and you made me look bad by living afterward." A knife blade slashed through Mystic's shirt and bra, scoured her skin without making her bleed. The tip of it stopped where the alpha bitch's blade had injured Mystic in the fight.
The knife point pressed harder. "Lover boy's not going to be able to save you this time. In fact he's going to sleep through all the fun." With a savage jerk the blindfold was ripped away, revealing sunlight streaming through the front windows of the van.
Sunrise. The awareness she'd gained from her vampire fathers told her the sun had only just come up. The stench in the van told her the two remaining males and the alpha female had been in it for some time, hiding out maybe as they repeatedly kept her knocked out.
They were still close to Vegas, or at least her mates had somehow managed to stay close. She felt their agony along the bond, their rage, their determination to get to her. Their love.
"Where are you taking me?" Mystic asked, locking onto the alpha female's eyes, hidden knowledge welling, whispering, She's been fed blood from Dusan Juric's dead son, in the split second before Mystic ears rang from another hard slap.
"Don't try that vampire shit on me," the alpha said, slashing furiously at Mystic's shirt and creating another blindfold from it.
Vision gave way to blindness with a savage application of cloth. A sharp kick followed, then a second.
"Stop it, Petra. She's not going to be much fun to chase if you keep that up," a male voice said with just a hint of strength.
Instinct and a lifetime dealing with wolves told Mystic the voice belonged to a beta male trying to step into the alpha position. The female growled but moved away, leaving pain and a sense of failure in Mystic.
If she bore the tattoo of an Angelini hunter then her own innate abilities along with whatever she gained from her mates would be amplified. If she'd insisted on being trained, then she would never have been taken in the first place. If she'd become Roman's companion sooner-
Mystic stopped the train wreck of her thoughts. She forced the feelings of failure away and silenced forever the criticizing voices of her Renaldi relatives. Along the bond she felt her mate's pride, their acceptance, their willingness to teach her whatever she needed to know. Now she had to do her part by staying alive long enough to learn it.
She willed herself to relax, to gather her strength, to prepare herself for what was to come. If they intended to hunt her then they'd give her a head start. She'd have no choice but to take it, to try to buy time.
Various scenarios and strategies played out in her mind. A variety of weapons presented themselves as she mentally raced through desert and woods, her thoughts expanded upon by Roman, Hawk and Christian.
They were gaining on the van, Hawk and Christian in one car, Roman in another, though at the moment both of their vehicles were in sight of one another. With a thought she knew others were heading toward the place where the rogues hunted the fledgling vampire while her mates had remained behind, guessing the Weres might choose to hunt closer to home since they didn't anticipate a lengthy chase.
The mountains near Las Vegas provided the perfect place. They were part of a national park spanning over six million acres. With so much land there was little risk of being discovered if the hunt began away from where the tourists camped. And anyone stumbling on the rogues or their prey would become a bonus kill.
Mystic skimmed Roman's mind to find out what happened at the sorcerer's house-and knew the hunt wouldn't be over, even when Petra and the two rogue males were dead or captured.
There will be others to finish this, Roman said. The meeting of the Angelini will conclude soon and the Coronados will come to Vegas for a reunion with Skye and Syndelle. Sabin's sons are always up for a good hunt. I expect the same destiny that led you here at this particular time will play out in their lives as well. And if we are needed, we will offer our aid.
The words rang with certainty and their truth flowed through her, bound in the Angelini magic responsible for her birth.
We're slowing, she said as the sound of tires on asphalt gave way to the crunch of gravel. She realized the air was cooler, scented with desert and forest.
The van stopped a while later. The back doors opened.
There was the sound of sliding metal. She noticed the smell of gasoline then and thought maybe it had been there all along.
One of the male Weres climbed in through the back door. He grunted. She smelled a hint of rubber. "Got it?" the one she'd identified as the beta male asked.
"Got it."
There was rolling, like wheels going down a ramp. An ATV, Mystic guessed a minute before its engine roared to life. Then more maneuvering, something else was removed from the van.
She was lifted roughly, an arm around her neck and another around her thighs. A couple of steps, a jolt, then she was dropped onto hard wood. A cart.
"Curl up unless you want to start with a broken leg," the male who'd been in the van said.
Mystic obeyed and a tarp was dropped over her. The same male said, "No fucking her, Eric. Just take her to the usual spot and let her go. Straight there, straight back. You understand?"
"I understand." The answer was sullen, petulant.
"Hurry up," Petra said. "We've already wasted enough time on this vampire slut. Any more of it and I'm going to forget about running slow so you can have your big thrill."
We need to ditch the cars and go overland, Hawk said as they passed another private road marked by a "No Trespassing" sign and barred by a chain.
They had a detailed map, compliments of Gian, and Christian's GPS unit. Both helped but without a tracking device on Mystic they couldn't readily determine which road would take them to her or lead them to the van.
I agree, Roman said. I'm approaching a turnout. There's room enough for two cars here. I'll pull over and wait for you.
A few minutes later they were standing next to the parked cars, hastily stripping as each of them mentally followed Mystic's progress.
Adrenaline poured into Hawk's system as the cart she was on stopped and she was dragged roughly to the ground. There was the rip of tape, a quick wrap around one ankle. Then her wrists were cut free.
Pain screamed through her arms and hands when blood rushed in. Renewed fury filled Hawk, merged with that of Christian and Roman.
"See you in a little while," the rogue Were said. "I'm looking forward to fucking you. It's going to be real good, the last thing you remember before Petra ends the fun."
With clumsy fingers Mystic tore the blindfold off. She captured the Were's face in her thoughts before he turned and got on the still-running ATV.
Pride roared through Hawk when she leaned over and bit into the duct tape tethering her to a tree. She was free and standing by the time the rogue disappeared from sight.
Magic shimmered. Where Roman had been, a golden eagle now launched itself into the air. Hawk shifted form as Christian closed his door then hid his keys on the undercarriage of the car. A heartbeat later he was standing next to Hawk as a wolf.
Ready? Roman asked and Hawk blinked against disorientation as his brain struggled to sort the images and input he was getting not only from Christian, but from Mystic and Roman.
Ready, he answered, his agreement blending smoothly with Christian's.
Mystic headed in the direction of her mates. In some places the undergrowth was thick. In others it gave way to dirt and rocks and scrub. She ran as fast as she could, found a natural rhythm and grace to it-and a moment of amusement when she realized all the nights spent dancing in clubs with her parents had left her more fit and agile than she would have imagined.
But then she heard the wolves howling and yipping behind her and knew terror again. They were closer than they should have been, and her mates still too far away.
Mystic stumbled in her panic, went down on her hands and knees. The magic welled up inside her, pressed against her skin like a beast trapped and trying to escape. Her breath froze in her chest, nearly caused her to black out and for an instant she was more afraid of her own body than the wolves behind her.
With a show of will she managed to get to her feet. The magic slid away and she started running again. Harder this time, until a stitch in her side forced her to slow her pace.
There was more open space now. She could cover it quickly, but the wolves would be quicker.
She wondered if she'd stand a better chance of surviving if she climbed a tree and waited. Roman was the closest. When she dared to view the world through the eagle's aerial view she saw how quickly he covered the ground. But she wasn't in Roman's sight yet.
Keep moving, he said and she obeyed, clutching her side, stumbling more often but continuing to move forward.
The sudden silence behind her added to her fear rather than reduce it. She entered another stand of pines and junipers. When she emerged she was on a fire road-but she was no longer alone.
Somehow the wolves had anticipated her, or at least one of them had. Petra. Mystic didn't know how she knew the brown-gray animal in front of her was the alpha female, but she did.
Lips pulled back in a snarl that seemed more like a savage smile. Yips of excitement filled the air again behind Mystic, the two males closing in quickly.
The magic rose in Mystic again with a force that nearly dropped her to her knees. This time it came with a howl, with the bristling sensation of a wolf determined to be free.
She wanted to lift her face and howl in frustration, in despair at not having the form her fear reached for in this moment of life and death. Instead she forced herself to look around for a weapon, a tree to climb, a way to escape or remain safe long enough for her mates to get to her.
The magic struck again, leaving her breathless. It burned through her in a spasm of pain.
Through sudden tears she saw the alpha female approaching. Along the bond Mystic's mates spoke with a single, fierce voice, the force of their will converging and joining with a surge of magic that altered her reality forever.
Change! they commanded as invisible hands seemed to rip her wolf from the dark place of denial where it had been caged for so many years. Muscle stretched and bones popped, body mass reshaped and reformed, the sensation more shocking than painful.
When it was over Mystic stood shaking, disoriented until she went down under Petra's attack. Instinct kicked in. Her world narrowed to the moment, to the fight for survival.
The wolf's form was too new, the transformation too unexpected and the fight too chaotic to allow Mystic to maintain a link with her mates. It dropped away, leaving Mystic completely focused on the alpha female.
Teeth snapped as growls filled the air. The will to live, to kill infused Mystic with energy and a ferociousness foreign to her nature. She fought with a savagery she'd never experienced, ripped at fur and muscle and reveled in the scent and taste of blood.
Mystic howled in a song of victory as Petra took a last shuddering breath then fell still, blood and internal organs spilled across the dirt. She howled in celebration of the wolf's form, but the sound of it was cut short by the presence of the rogue Weres.
Their scent reached her first, rank, unnatural, the magic at their core corrupted at their creation by a sorcerer's meddling. They were a perversion, an abomination to be repudiated, eliminated.
One of the males licked his lips as a penis extended and emerged from its sheath. He edged toward her as the second male circled.
Mystic crouched, bared her teeth, decided to fight rather than try to flee. She thought the circling wolf might be the beta and the more dangerous of the two so she turned slightly, trying to keep them both in sight as long as possible.
Her mates were near. She sensed it just as she sensed her bond with them. But she couldn't afford the distraction reaching for them would require.
The beta moved into her blind spot, forced her to choose, to commit. She shifted position and the wolf behind her darted in, ripped at her flanks before retreating.
Instinct drove her around and the beta attacked. His teeth sank into the fur on her neck as his hips thrust in an effort to find her vulva.
The weaker wolf yipped, darted in to bite in his excitement. His back arched and his penis slid from its protective sheath as he air-humped.
A scream filled the air, an eagle's cry. Mystic looked up in time to see golden feathers and extended talons give way to a lion's tawny fur and lethal claws.
The wolf was dead within seconds. His companion minutes later after Hawk and Christian knocked him off Mystic, killing him before he could regain his feet.
You did well, Roman said, padding over to rub against Mystic's wolf form. Hawk and Christian joined him, their pride and satisfaction making her heart swell and her muzzle lift.
Howls vibrated through the air along with a lion's roar. Victory was theirs and for the moment the hunt was done.
As the last note of celebration faded, magic shimmered, lion gave way to eagle. Roman launched himself into the air and said, Run with your wolves now, Mystic. When we get back to Christian's house you'll become my companion.
They took a moment to drag the carcasses into the woods and hide Mystic's ruined clothing until others could come and destroy all evidence of what had taken place. Then they ran, in joy this time instead of fear, two huge males and a smaller female.
Muscles slid smoothly under fur. Legs stretched and fur warmed in the sunshine. The scent of earth, of pine and juniper and scrub, of deer and fox-a thousand different things added to the exhilaration of being together, three wolves racing beneath a blue sky and an eagle's wings.
They didn't give her time to panic or worry. As soon as they got to the cars, a single word flared through the bond, this time offered as guidance rather than command.
Change. And Mystic found the way, let one type of magic yield to another, to the Angelini magic she'd known her entire life.
She was greeted by the press of naked bodies. By lips claiming hers and moving on to trail kisses along her neck and shoulders, her ears. By rigid cocks emphasizing how happy her mates were to have her back.
"I don't think I can wait to get home," she whispered, her cunt lips growing flushed and swollen with the need to have them inside her, to reconnect in physical intimacy.
They stopped at the first hotel they came to and when Mystic emerged from the bathroom after a hasty shower she found the mattresses pulled to the floor. A laugh escaped, amusement coupled with anticipation at the sight of the three men waiting for her, their flesh bared, their cocks hard. "I could definitely get used to this," she teased as she knelt at the foot of the joined mattresses then crawled toward them.
When she reached them Roman took her arm and urged her onto his knees. His pupils burned with blue fire. "Do you freely choose to become my companion?" he asked.
"Yes," she whispered.
He took off the necklace she'd seen only once before, a gryphon engraved with ancient, powerful sigils. Only now two wolves formed the clasp in a connection so smooth it looked as though they'd always been there.
Mystic's eyes teared. She knew he'd included the wolves as a symbol of how willing he was to share not only her body with Hawk and Christian, but this sacred joining between a vampire and his chosen. "How-" she started, intending to ask how he'd found a craftsman talented enough to alter a centuries-old necklace but Roman cut her off with a chuckle.
He stroked her cheek with his knuckles. "There are advantages to being ancient, and to being in Vegas, of course, where anything is possible, even finding a mate."
Roman leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips as he fastened the necklace around her neck. Now and forever, with the taking of my blood and the acceptance of my medallion, you become mine to pleasure and protect in a covenant that will remain unbroken even in death.
Now and forever, Mystic said, tangling her tongue with his in a sensual union that lasted for long moments and left her wet and ready.
When their mouths parted Roman leaned back and Christian's hand gripped her thigh, flipping her onto her back and making her accessible to all her mates.
She met his eyes and knew profound joy at what she saw there, what she felt along their bond. Acceptance. Loyalty. Love. A sense of belonging, of coming home. "Don't plan on leaving our bed anytime soon," Christian said before dipping his head and claiming her cunt with his mouth.
Lust streaked through her. She cried out as her back arched and her nipples tightened into aching points.
"Consider yourself warned," Hawk said, lying next to her, kissing her deeply before moving lower and capturing a nipple. It'll be a long time and a lot of hours spent at the gun range and the gym before we let you out of our sight.
Roman's mouth covered hers. His tongue slid against hers in the same rhythm as Christian's fucked into her slit and Hawk's rubbed against her nipple.
Mystic could feel the bond they had with each other, fed by their desire to keep her safe and held together by Roman's blood. It pleased her, deepened what she already felt for them. It humbled her to think three such dominant men could surrender parts of themselves because of her.
She hadn't wanted even a single mate, much less three. But now she couldn't imagine life without them.
You better not be able to imagine life without us, three voices said in unison, driving home their point with wicked tongues and decadent touches.
Mystic whimpered under their assault. Her fingers tangled in Christian's hair and Hawk's, holding them to her as she writhed against their mouths.
Roman's lips left hers. He positioned himself above her so she could take his nipple into her mouth as he took hers. Finish it, Mystic. Bind your life to mine.
A single fingernail elongated into a talon. As he'd done in the hotel tub, he opened his flesh so blood flowed over his nipple.
When he lowered his chest Mystic took what he offered. Dark, heated lust flowed into her and through the bond. Her cunt spasmed, clutched at Christian's tongue as her back arched, driving her nipples into Hawk's mouth and Roman's.
Their pleasure was her reward, their needs as important as her own. She gave to them as she took from Roman, as she accepted his blood into every cell and became his companion.
Ecstasy swamped her, lifted her to unexplored heights and took them with her. She cried out as orgasm slammed into her, felt their bodies react only to be reined in by the tight fist of masculine fingers as they gripped their cocks to keep from coming.
Roman pulled away from her, the wound on his chest closing as he rose to his knees. His eyes glittered with vampire fire and animal lust, with a man's need.
Hawk rolled to his back and urged her on top of him. She gladly covered his body with hers, welcomed his cock inside her with a moan.
His hands gripped her buttocks, spread her for Christian. Fingers coated with arousal found her back entrance, prepared her. And then Christian's penis was there, forging into her.
Mystic pushed herself up onto her elbows, her eyes meeting Roman's, commanding him to lean forward so she could take his cock as well. He groaned when she took him in her mouth, panted when she started sucking.
What should have been awkward, impossible, was made smooth by the bonds that held them together, by the lust that drove them. Though any one of them could have commanded the rhythm, it was her mouth that dictated, it was her desire they rode to completion. And afterward, as they lay panting, sated-at least for the moment-Mystic thought about her escape from the Zevanti compound. Let the adventure begin, Gabe had said. But as Mystic stroked warm masculine flesh and cuddled with her mates, she whispered, "Let the adventure continue."