Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

Runa

For a little while, Nathan and I slipped beneath the surface together, letting the water spirit comfort him in ways words couldn’t. When I grew fatigued, I went back to sitting on the rock while Nathan stayed in the water until the heartache around his eyes had faded and he looked more like the man that I knew he could be. Then he climbed out of the water, crawled on top of me, and kissed me.

There was a weight to the kiss, a silent thank you. I wanted to tell him it wasn’t me he needed to thank. I was only following the guidance of the spirits. The water called for him. The wind passed on the message. It was them who sought to help him heal. He didn’t give me the chance to tell him that, though. He fused his mouth to mine, and we stayed locked that way until the cold sank into my skin and I began to shiver.

“You’re cold,” he murmured against my lips. He didn’t look eager to part, but we couldn’t stay out here all night.

“I don’t run as warm as you do,” I pointed out.

He huffed a small chuckle against my lips, pecking them once more before crawling off of me. “Come on. I’ll carry you back.”

I wanted to complain, but I’d used a lot of energy to bring him out here, and I needed to rest for the seedling. I let him scoop me off the rock and slip back into the water, closing my eyes as the falls cascaded over us both, soaking me all over again.

By the time we made it back to my cabin, I was shaking. When Nathan set me on my feet, I was quick to strip out of my clothes, pausing only when my slip was left. Before I could ask for privacy, Nathan stepped up behind me and his warmth wrapped around me as he pressed himself against my back. We didn’t say anything to each other, but I knew what he wanted when his hands ran up my sides, slowly tugging the slip up. Lifting my arms, I let him pull it off.

The warmth of his hands sank into my skin as he ran them over my body. I melted against him, tipping my head when his lips trailed down my neck. We’d been too drunk and in a hurry last time. This time, Nathan seemed determined to drag it out. He wasn’t in any hurry. Cupping my breasts, he thumbed my nipples, pinching gently. The shock sent a spark straight to my clit, and I sucked in a sharp breath in response.

Turning me slowly, Nathan scooped me off my feet and carried me the rest of the way to the bed, laying me on top of it. I pulled him down with me, capturing his lips in a passionate kiss. I wasn’t docile in bed, it wasn’t in my nature, but I wasn’t in the mood to fight with him. I didn’t want to break the spell we were both under.

I lost track of the amount of time we spent just kissing, wrapped around each other. Long enough for the chill to leave my body and heat to pool in my belly. I grew needy and demanding, and yet I still didn’t fight him. I was enraptured by him, and wanted nothing more than to stay like this all night.

The drag of his erection against my belly made it quicken in excitement. I hummed my approval, lifting my hips when he shifted his position to better line up with my entrance. He didn’t immediately push inside me. Instead, he rocked his hips, teasing me with light pressure without penetration. My neediness soared and I wrapped my legs around his hips, tightening them to drag him closer. I’d never felt so desperate before, and he’d done nothing more than hold me.

He let out a quiet groan when he finally gave in to the desire and sank inside me. By that time, I was so wet, it was easy for him, and my body lit up with the feeling of sweet fullness. After a moment to adjust, he started rocking again, his thrusts languid and unhurried. It was like nothing I’d ever experienced before.

Pleasure flowed through me like hot magma, slow and steady, but so hot my whole body felt flushed. One of his hands slid beneath my hips, tipping them up ever so slightly, and sparks flew as he stroked along nerves most men ignored. And still he didn’t hurry his pace.

I ripped my mouth away from his, gasping. I felt like my whole body was on fire, and every thrust only fanned the flames. I forced my eyes open to look at Nathan, to see if he was experiencing anything near the same thing as me. What I saw made me gasp. He looked at me like I was someone important to him, someone special. His eyes were filled with heat and adoration, so much that it was hard to look at him. I couldn’t look away though. In that moment, I felt the same way about him.

We stayed that way, eyes locked and bodies wrapped around each other, until the pleasure got to be too much and I came with a cry. Nathan’s eyes rolled back and he was quick to follow, flooding my channel with his seed.

Unlike most men I’d been with, Nathan didn’t pull away immediately. He captured my lips again, soft and sweet, and refused to separate until the position became uncomfortable and even then, he didn’t go far. He rolled onto his side and dragged me against his chest, tucking my head under his chin in a protective gesture. I let out a contented sigh, melting against him. There were worse ways to fall asleep.

A tinkle in the air woke me and the wind was quick to follow, sharing with me who was coming to visit. I stiffened. Ethan visiting wasn’t unusual, he was overprotective and if he heard I was back, his animal would want to see for himself that I was safe. I wasn’t sure how Nathan would react, though. Two unstable animals facing off could be catastrophic.

Slipping out of Nathan’s embrace instantly woke him and he sat up with a start. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I murmured, pulling open the drawers near the bed to grab some new clothes. “A friend is coming to visit. I’d prefer not to have that happen while I’m undressed.”

He seemed to accept that, and since he’d left his military bag full of his clothes at the foot of my bed, he grabbed his own clothes and shoved them on while I dressed. I cursed the fact that I liked to wear layers in that moment. I wanted to be done before him so I could warn Ethan off. It wasn’t a good idea to introduce them without someone else present. Preferably someone strong enough to make Nathan at least pause before lunging.

Relief flooded me as I was righting my skirt when I caught the sound of two familiar voices on the wind. Martha and Laurie. That would definitely help.

“I could use a little help,” I murmured to the wind. I didn’t feel strong enough to cast the spell to call for them myself, so I had to hope the wind was willing to pass on the message. My hair fluttered a little as it danced through the room before escaping out the open window. Here’s hoping it was feeling helpful today.

“Do you need help?” Nathan asked, his hands settling on my hips as he stepped up behind me.

The urge to complain about being coddled got caught in my throat and I had to physically force myself to sound nonchalant when I agreed. “Yes, please. The hearth is low. Can you add more wood to the fire? I’m going to step outside.”

His fingers twitched, and I could tell by the tension that slipped into his posture that he wasn’t thrilled with the idea. He surprised me by relenting.

“Alright. I’ll join you in a minute.”

I couldn’t stand around gaping at his odd reaction. I took the opening he gave me, slipping outside to meet with Ethan. He stood near the line of trees, always respectful of my boundaries. It didn’t surprise me that he was naked, shifters were unbothered by nudity and if he came here shifted, he wouldn’t have bothered to tote clothes along with him. He lifted his chin in greeting, but still didn’t approach until I spoke with him.

“You showed up quickly. I haven’t been home for long.”

He scowled at me. “A note would’ve been nice that you were leaving. I didn’t like not knowing where you were.”

I pressed my lips together to mask my annoyance. “Yes, well, if I thought the great beast wouldn’t get nosy and try to follow me, I would’ve been more forthcoming. Where’s your mate? I haven’t seen him in a while.”

He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Compound. We left some clothes in Andrew’s spare room in case we came out here shifted. I would’ve changed first but–” He grimaced, and I understood why. He was too worried to stop and change. I didn’t hold that against him. I just wished Corey had come with him. His mate was an excellent mediator and knew how to keep Ethan calm.

“Perhaps you should go there and come back. I’m not–”

The door to the cottage opened and I could almost feel the instant the air around us changed, filling with tension as Nathan stalked across the yard. Spinning around, I shot him a warning look.

“Nathan. This is my friend, Ethan.” I emphasized the word friend to show him that if he did anything to hurt the man behind me, I’d be pissed about it. Shifters were protective of their cubs, however, not to mention the fact that Nathan still wasn’t what I considered steady. I wasn’t sure he’d ever be, not after what he told me last night.

Nathan’s eyes were narrowed on Ethan, and I could feel the way Ethan reacted, the air around him thick with tension as he poised for a quick shift. He growled a low warning, which Nathan answered with one of his own. I really wished I had access to my magic right now. While I felt a lot better than I had a few days prior, I still didn’t have access to it. I couldn’t do anything about the two posturing males on either side of me.

“What’s going on here?” Martha snapped as she joined us. She went straight for me, trying to pull me out of the way, but I refused to budge. I was the only reason neither man had moved so far. I wasn’t going to give them an opening by getting out of their way.

I didn’t see myself talking reason into Nathan, so I gave Ethan my focus instead. “Ethan. Be at ease. He is no threat to me.”

His eyes flicked momentarily to me before locking again on Nathan. “Who is he?” he snarled. His wolf was in his voice, which only ruffled Nathan more.

“I could ask the same of you,” Nathan growled. “Who the fuck are you?”

Martha tugged my arm again, but I shook her off, putting my hands out to keep them both at bay. “Stop this. You aren’t enemies. Use your heads and think!”

Nathan reached for me, and Ethan’s snarl made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. The air swelled with both their impending shifts, and I sucked in a breath, wishing like nothing else that I could do something to stop them.

The wind must have been listening because it swirled around me and shoved outward, throwing both men away from me. Martha shot me an incredulous look, but I could only shake my head in response.

“It wasn’t me.”

The two men shifted in a series of pops and snaps, but when they launched to their feet, they were tossed again by the wind protecting me. I jerked around and gaped when I noticed Laurie a few feet away from us. She spoke in a constant murmur, her eyes locked on the two shifters, her eyes glowing a bright blue. Every time they got up, she threw her hands out and tossed them again. I’d known she was strong, I felt it when she was helping me heal, but I didn't know she could use the wind as a weapon. It was a skill I was never blessed with.

She could only keep this going for so long, though. Ethan was known to keep fighting until knocked out or pinned, and Nathan wasn’t any more stable. We needed backup. I swung around to Martha, demanding, “Use the wind. Call Heath and a black bear shifter named Corey. They need to handle this before they try to kill each other.”

Martha, bless her, didn’t hesitate, using the calling spell to send a message through the wind. They must not have been far behind, because I heard the sound of them crashing through the brush as they ran toward us.

“Ethan!” Corey bellowed just as Laurie threw his mate again. He shifted, and moved to Ethan’s side with unbelievable speed, putting himself between Ethan and Nathan. It only pissed Ethan off more. I cursed under my breath. That was less helpful than I’d hoped. I only had one more shifter in my back pocket, and thankfully, he wasn’t as quick to action.

Heath stopped beside me, looking between the snarling couple and Nathan, who were still being separated by the wind.

“What’s goin’ on?” he demanded.

“A pissing contest gone wrong,” I snapped. “I need him to stop. Can you help with that?”