Chapter 16

“Why don’t you two go up to our room? I need to file my shift report, make up a new patrol schedule, and check in with Colby. I have a niggling suspicion that things are about to heat up, and I want us as ready as we can be.”

“You don’t have to feel excluded,” said Greg.

“He’s right. We’re a triad. I think our sum total is greater than all our parts,” Adriana added, touching his arm.

“I appreciate that, but I really feel things are going to start heating up. I want to take myself and a couple of my best warriors off the patrol roster so we’re ready to move when the time comes. I also need to get Colby up-to-speed.” He kissed Adriana’s temple and looked at Greg. “Take care of our mate.”

Greg nodded solemnly. “I will.”

She thought about reminding them that she wasn’t some fine porcelain doll and could not only take care of herself, but them as well, but thought better of it. It had to be more difficult for Decker than it was for the rest of them. Greg took her by the hand and led her up to their room.

Adriana reminded herself that while Greg’s bite—his first bite—would most likely be painful, it shouldn’t be as bad or as deep as Eoghan’s. Not only that, but this was the mark of a wolf who was her fated mate.

They entered their room and began to slowly and seductively remove each other’s clothing until there was nothing left but emotion and skin between their souls. Greg backed her up to their bed and helped her to lie back and get comfortable before he joined her.

“Why am I feeling weird about this?” she asked. “I didn’t think about it until Decker said it, but as soon as he said he loved both of us, I realized I love both of you, so why am I suddenly feeling awkward? I fucked Decker on Colby’s desk and didn’t think anything of it.”

“Because it was the start. You didn’t know what to expect. This has more meaning. There’s more at stake and for the record, I love you, too.” Greg chuckled. “Decker, as well. You do know he’s never going to let either of us forget that he said it first.”

Adriana laughed, and that helped. “Probably not.”

“You belong to us, Adriana. You’re so incredibly brave and strong, and neither of us deserves you.”

“That must be the real reason I get to have both of you,” she teased.

Before she could say anything else, Greg brought his mouth down on hers in a long, deep kiss. Their tongues tangled as warmth became heat, and heat became arousal surging through her system as he covered her body with his. He settled himself between her legs and all the awkwardness just seemed to fade away.

He kissed her again, brushing her lips lightly with his before he nuzzled and kissed his way down her throat. She expected herself to tense up in anticipation of the remembered pain, but she didn’t. This was Greg, and any pain he brought her would be necessary and offset by as much pleasure as he could bring her.

Adriana had lost her home when her coven had banished her for something over which she’d had no control. She realized now that while she loved living at the abbey, it wasn’t home, either. Home had ceased to be a physical place. Home was now the two fated mates with whom she would share the rest of her life.

Greg whispered kisses over the mark left by Eoghan’s claiming bite and worked his way down her throat toward her breasts where her nipples had already stiffened. He tongued a turgid tip, swirling around her areola before zeroing in on the pebbled peak, suckling for a moment before giving it a gentle nip, making her hiss.

He slid down her body, spreading her legs wider and lifting them over his shoulders before putting his mouth on her, licking her labia from the entrance of her core up to her clit where he suckled until she gasped and fisted the bedclothes beneath her. She could feel her pussy softening and ripening for him as he feasted on her.

Over and over, he speared her opening with his tongue, plunging deep and flattening his tongue so he could sup on her honey. In that moment she felt sorry for other she-wolves who had to content themselves with just one fated mate. She had two and planned to revel in their love. The first orgasm kind of snuck up on her with little warning. She cried out as she came, her body trembling right before it stiffened and then relaxed.

“My beautiful mate,” he murmured as he lowered her legs from his shoulders before working his way back up her body. “Wrap your legs around me.”

When she did so, his eyes caught hers as he slid his hands under her ass and then thrust up, driving deep within her in a single pass.

Adriana hissed and then sighed from the pleasure. Greg eased back, kissing her as he thrust in again. He began to move in and out of her at a leisurely pace, gradually increasing his speed until she was clinging to him as he pounded into her.

She barely noticed as the next orgasm swept over her, her body arching into his as Greg nuzzled the spot that Eoghan had marked. As she came undone beneath him, she barely felt his fangs sink into her neck until they were there, biting down. Adriana screamed, but more in pleasure than in pain. He pumped harder and faster, savoring their connection as he rode her through another climax, and she savored the weight of his body and the feel of his cum bathing her pussy with its warmth. As he withdrew, he soothed the wound, gently kissing and licking it until the last post-orgasmic aftershock faded away and allowed her to catch her breath as he rolled to her side, pulling her close.

Looking into his face, she pushed the hair back from his eyes and knew that the wonder and joy she saw in his face could only be a reflection of her own.

Lying in their bed with the afternoon sunlight, Adriana thought it would be just lovely to bask in the afterglow until Decker finished whatever he wanted to finish before joining them. That might have been what she would have liked, but that wasn’t what transpired. Instead, there was an urgent knock on the door.

“Come in,” called Greg, ensuring her body was covered with at least a sheet.

Samuel, one of Decker’s men, stuck his head inside the door. “The alpha and the captain want to see you downstairs.”

“What’s up?” asked Adriana.

“Maya reported that Erin was supposed to help her make cookies. When she didn’t show, Maya sent one of the cooking assistants to find her. No one has been able to locate her.”

Greg jumped out of bed, pulling on his scrubs and a pair of shoes. “I’ll go. You take your time getting dressed. I don’t want your body to be stressed. You need to rest.”

Adriana chose to bite back the retort that formed on her lips and just nodded. Once the door was closed, she got up and took a quick shower, then dressed the wound on her throat, marveling at how much she hadn’t minded, and then got dressed. She headed down to Erin’s room and began to methodically search it.

On the small table next to her bed was a neatly folded piece of paper containing a hand-written message that seemed to indicate someone from Erin’s former coven was waiting for Erin to return to their old home and lead the writer—a survivor of the attack—back to the abbey.

Adriana hurried down the stairs and headed to Colby’s office. She knocked and then entered without waiting for permission to do so. Decker was there along with Greg, Colby, and Brie.

“I thought I told you to rest,” said Greg, sternly.

“I’m sure you did, but you had to have known that wasn’t going to fly,” said Decker, pulling her close and kissing her forehead.

“I found this,” she said, handing Decker the note.

He scanned it briefly and swore, then said, “She can’t believe this is true.”

“Decker, she’s a child and someone told her what she wanted to hear,” said Adriana. “We need to go.”

“We aren’t going anywhere. I will take my men and we’ll head up there to see what we can see. If we can catch up with her before she gets there, we’ll just bring her home and have a little chat about leaving the abbey property without telling anyone.”

“Only one someone? What if she ends up with two fated mates who both seem to think she needs their permission,” supplied Adriana. “And I’m going.”

“You are not,” said Greg and Decker in one voice.

“Do they practice that?” asked Brie.

“Not that I know of,” answered Adriana.

“I’ll leave you to sort this out with her,” said Decker. “I want to get after Erin. We’re going to take two of the Ducatis. The rest of my men will be in one of the SUVs. Hopefully we can locate Erin before she gets herself into trouble.”

“I’ll come down with you,” said Colby.

“Don’t yell at her,” said Adriana. “Witches are raised a little more free-range and feral than wolves.” Adriana shook her head. “I’m sorry. Forget I said that—the yelling at her part. I know you wouldn’t yell at her.”

“Don’t worry about it. Just stay here so I don’t have to worry about you,” said Decker, leaving the room.

“I want to make sure they’ve got something for Erin if they find her… I mean when they find her,” said Greg, following Decker and Colby.

Brie pointed at the bandage on her throat. “You okay with that?”

Adriana’s hand went up, touching the bandage reverently. “Actually, I am. I thought I had talked myself into it. You know taking one for the team? But Greg was so sweet, and he had me far more focused on all the delicious orgasms he was giving me.”

Brie laughed. “I’ve always heard wolves can be incredibly romantic. So, you aren’t really planning to just sit here and wait, are you?”

“Not a chance. For one thing, Erin is a girl. Last time I checked the Shadow Sisters were all about saving females.”

“Not exactly the same thing,” countered Brie. “What’s your real reason?”

“She’s a witch. I’m a witch. Nobody has a better understanding of covens in general than me. That note wasn’t sent by a coven member. If the person had known where to send it, the person would have come themselves…”

“Good point.”

“And of everyone here, I’m the one with the best knowledge of Eoghan. He’s got to know Erin would be bait for me. I’m what he really wants.”

“Do you think he killed that whole coven to isolate her and send her running here?”

“It isn’t out of the question. Eoghan is an evil bastard. If he gets his hands on Erin, he won’t hesitate to harm or kill her. If I can get there first, I can make sure Erin is protected.”

“Any chance you could just call down the banshees again?” asked Brie, chewing on the end of her thumbnail, thinking.

“Banshees don’t kill, but that’s another good reason for me to be there. You and I both know there’s no way Decker lets Eoghan live.”

“True. Are you worried about something bad happening to Decker?”

“No way. Decker will kill Eoghan the first chance he gets. If I’m there, I can call my ancestors, and Eoghan and Strode can wander the Shadowlands together forever.”

“So, Decker didn’t mark you, as he wants Eoghan to still have the upper hand—or at least, think he has the upper hand?”

Adriana nodded. “And with Greg having marked me, we’ll have a viable tether.”

“Won’t Greg know what you’re up to?”

“Not if I close down the link. I need to get to Erin, or at least get into Eoghan’s space to let Decker kill him so he can face the wrath of the banshees.”

“If you want to get in place first, you’re going to need a get a move on. Do you think you can find him first?”

“I know I can locate him, but they’re going to have a head start on me and a faster way to travel.”

“Not necessarily. We may only have two Ducatis, but we do have a Triumph Rocket 3, which in my opinion is faster and easier to control on less than perfect roads. Besides the people in that village may have seen the black Ducatis, but the Triumph is red.”

Adriana grinned at her. “I don’t care what people say, you’re far more devious than Colby ever dreamed of being.”

“I like to think so.”