Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

Lorcan

J ealousy holds no place in a family pack. It kills contentment and breeds resentment. I’d much rather breed my little wolf than hold animosity toward her other mates. At the very least, I’d prefer to practice.

With that being said, I am currently experiencing some frustration. I’ve spent all afternoon and into late evening building my omega a nest. However, Ember has spent the majority of her day screaming to the rafters how much she enjoys being tag-teamed by the dragon and the lion.

The lion you normally consider one of your best mates , I remind myself to keep from doing something rash, like spelling their cocks into impotence. That way, she would have no choice but to seek me out.

Yes, fine.

I’m cranky, and I can admit that.

I’ve been patient and allowed them their time together. It’s only fair that they do the same.

Giving the nest a final once-over, I plant my hands on my hips and nod. It’s a solid change from what the room used to look like, but I believe Ember’s wolf will be pleased with my efforts.

Now it’s time for my mate to offer me some attention.

Ember gives me a confused frown, but she follows me out the bedroom door without complaint.

“We’ll be leaving the house. Would you like to dress yourself, should I handle that for you, or would you like to trot along in shifted form?” I grin. “I’m not picky.” I’d love to see her wolf, but I also want one-on-one time with Ember, so I’m willing to let her make that call.

“I thought you were going to show me the nest. My wolf is hardcore pouting right now.” She crosses her arms over her nude chest, and somehow, it only manages to push her breasts up more.

“Yes, well, pout if you’d like.” It’s difficult to keep my eyes locked with hers when the tops of her bare tits are right there. “I’ve been patient all day, and it’s my chance to woo you.”

Her chin raises as her eyes glimmer. “Where are we going?”

“For a walk.” I take the choice out of her hands by snapping. A plain white T-shirt and jean shorts appear on her curvy frame. I also opt for a pair of tennis shoes that can be easily disposed of. Extending my arm, I tilt my head. “Ready?”

The sexy little gasp that escapes her mouth when she sees she’s now dressed makes my cock throb.

“Am I going to need to be prepared to fight?” She tilts her head and looks up at me while linking her arm through mine.

I chuckle. “This is a date.”

She snorts. “I wasn’t opposed to the idea, but I was going to ask for jeans and boots if so.”

A giddy excitement fills my chest. She’s everything I would ask for if I could build my perfect partner.

The cool night is just warm enough that I don’t regret the shorts I placed her in. The pack lands may be a shadow of what they were several hundred years ago, but if you know where to look, there is breathtaking beauty to be found.

We walk for close to ten minutes in companionable silence. I’ve got my bag thrown over my chest, and it bumps against my side with every stride.

“I’ve barely had any time to think about it, but Veryn mentioned Rogue left with a warlock.” Ember stops dead in her tracks, turning to face me. “She’s important to me. Anders said she would be fine with Cohen, but I’ve never met him. I need you to be honest with me. Is she safe with him?”

Bringing a hand up, I brush my fingers over her soft cheek. “Your friend is safer with Cohen than he likely is with her. The man is physically incapable of telling a convincing lie or even casual misdirection.”

“Neither is Rogue. It’s part of her Seelie magic. She physically cannot lie.” Ember’s bright blue eyes search my face, and she must finally find what she’s looking for because she nods. “Cohen is who Rogue and I were sent to find? Sanders…his alias or whatever?”

“Yes. Although, it all trails back to Calyx.” I bend a bit, wrapping my forearm under her backside and lifting her. She immediately wraps her feet around my ass, and her arms circle my middle as she places her head on my chest. It’s quite a cozy position. “Calyx is older than I am, if you can believe that.” I chuckle, calling a burst of magic to carry us along. “He is also not a threat to your friend, but he is searching for something very important that was stolen from him.”

“Why does the paranormal council want him to begin with?” she asks against my shirt.

“He’s ancient and powerful, but honestly, there’s no way to tell what caught their interest.” I soothe a hand down the back of her shirt. “I feel a fair amount of guilt, considering we only made our way to North America to support Anders.”

“It’s very sweet that you all immediately dropped everything to come with him to see his sister.” She sighs heavily. “I wish something could be done about Burke. I have a close family friend who is a reaper, but he’s told us before that once someone is gone…they’re beyond even his reach. My Aunt Nadia—the fertility witch—he’s her mate. She’s the one who will help with the ward too. Okay, so, this is a very closely kept secret, but she’s a blood witch. She just hides as a fertility witch because of the way blood witches were hunted out of existence. Oh, and she’s an omega too.”

My jaw opens and closes, but no words come out.

Fucking hell.

She knows many formidable individuals. And while I understand her need to make her own way and prove her ability to run the pack…if the wolves who oppose her leadership decided to do something rash, I’m sure Veryn would have no trouble calling in the female nightmare. Knowing a reaper and blood witch would be available, if need be, is an even more shocking prospect.

“I won’t tell a soul,” I assure Ember.

My shoulders pull back with pride. She trusts me enough to tell me secrets. That’s a very good feeling, indeed.

We continue up the dirt path that lines the side of the mountain.

Erm, it might not be a tall enough peak to qualify as a mountain, but it is a very impressive set of hills, and there’s a waterfall.

This was the best I could find without leaving pack land.

I can only pray she likes it.

Wolves in nature build dens in holes or caves. Shifters aren’t exactly like their animal counterparts, but I have to assume her wolf will appreciate the effort.

The sounds of crickets and other bugs fill the air. It’s a beautiful night, with the moon seeming to hang low in the sky. I’m far more focused on the beauty wrapped around my chest.

My magic is waning. Immediately before a full moon is the weakest it’ll ever be, but with considerable age comes considerable power.

Not to be cocky, but I’m never weak.

I’d just prefer to save the majority of my magic for if there’s an emergency, meaning, once we reach the bottom of the mountain—hill, whatever—I use my physical strength to walk us up the next crest.

Ember’s head tilts the closer we get, and her eyes illuminate with her wolf. I’m sure the beast can make out all the details. It’s not a massive waterfall, but it makes for quite the romantic backdrop—I hope.

The rocks glint with the reflection of the moonlight, and the small pond would be intimate enough to make for a solid date. If I didn’t know what hides in the cave behind the falls.

Ember twists even farther in my hold. “Holy shit, Lorcan.”

“This isn’t just for you, lovely.” I chuckle as her nose wrinkles. “I’ve got a persnickety alpha wolf to impress. I don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night to her looming over me, angry I didn’t put in the effort to court her too.”

Ember snorts. “Suck-up.”

“It’s a cave.” Ember spins in a circle, appraising the environment. “Dusty, lots of rocks, and the ground is hard, but that pool is pretty freaking incredible.”

I slide up behind her, wrapping my hand around her middle. “It’s a hot spring. I planned to take a quick dip if you’d like to join me.”

Ember turns to face me, working a hand down to pop the button on her jean shorts. “Yeah, climb in. I just need to let my wolf sniff around a bit, and I’ll join you.” She toes out of her shoes and drops her shorts before stepping out of them. My hand rests just above her arse, and I grab the back of her shirt, helping to pull it over her head.

Her tits bounce as her arms lower. She tilts her face up to look at mine, and her wolf shines in her gaze.

“There you are,” I murmur. “Such a beauty. I can’t wait to see you in all your glory.”

“Turn around,” Ember says. “It’s not a pretty process.”

I ache to assure her that I don’t mind, but I can also respect that she’s growing comfortable with me. “I’ll just remove my clothing and slide into the water to wait for you.”

Ember smiles.

I snap, and my clothing dissolves, only to reappear a few feet away, nicely folded and sitting on top of my bag.

“Okay, that was hot,” Ember says, her pointy canines digging into her lower lip.

Fuck me.

I can’t wait to have those babies digging into my skin. I’m truly not sure if it’ll form a bond from her side, but I’m willing to find out. I also intend to ask her to complete the circuit in the way my kind does.

Bending low, I capture her mouth in a quick kiss and spin around to head to the water’s edge. Glancing over my shoulder, I slide into the waist-deep water.

The little wolf stares hungrily at my rear end, but I make a point of dunking under the water, so she has the opportunity to shift without feeling she’s under a microscope.

I take a while after I come up to examine the waterfall and how the liquid slides down, landing in the pond below. I truly have no idea how this spring occurred in the cave, but it’s much warmer than the waterfall or the pool it lands in, which I know from experience.

Turning back to the cavern, my heart pounds.

Ember’s wolf is exquisite. I deeply regret missing out on seeing her take down Aimes. She’s considerably larger than a natural male wolf would be, but smaller than an alpha shifter. It’s intriguing that she was able to so swiftly handle the vicious previous alpha.

Her grayish-blond tail flicks as she sniffs around the cave, and I slowly wade to the edge. There are smooth rocks lining the rim of the hot spring, and I lean against them as Ember’s wolf trots deeper into the cavern.

My little brother was also fated to a wolf shifter. Although, that was so many hundreds of years ago, it’s difficult to remember if it was seven or eight hundred. They hadn’t completed their mating bond, so her life wasn’t tied to his. Once I fully claim Ember, she should be essentially immortal. Not the anti-aging type most shifters possess, but truly immortal, like my kind.

Well, there is one way to kill a druid. If we fail to complete the monthly ritual where we pay homage to Mother Nature, then we will fade and eventually perish. Mine needs to be completed again tomorrow night on the full moon, and I’m unsure how the little wolf will tolerate the ritual.

When my brother lost his mate, it didn’t kill him, but it did decimate his will to live. The following full moon, he refused to replenish his magic. Shortly after, he made the choice to be with his mate.

Shaking my head, I attempt to force away those memories.

Ember’s wolf approaches slowly with her nose toward the ground. I’m unsure if she senses my sadness, but she makes it to me and bumps her face against mine. I bring a hand up, burying it in her thick fur as she begins to lick my cheek.

“Aww, you’re an absolute darling. Aren’t you, precious?” I chuckle. “I heard you growling and snarling at Anders and Veryn earlier, but you’re a sweet girl for me.”

Ember’s wolf grunts, pulling back and baring her teeth.

“My apologies. You’re terrifying. I’m humbled by your power.” I lower my gaze in deference and barely catch her wolf’s belly flying over my head as she dives into the water.