15

IVY

PAIN. It pulsed in my veins and crackled against my sensitive skin, licking at invisible wounds, and turning my own flesh against me. I writhed against the agonising fire coursing over my body, painful ropes of heat holding me together despite wanting to completely tear me apart.

Blood coated my hands and rolled down my body like rain. I peeled my eyes open, but I wasn’t in bed anymore. I was standing in Kerry’s bedroom, Maeve’s dagger on the floor at my feet. But instead of the guards I’d killed, a different body was slumped over, their blood pooling around them like a dark shadow of death.

Before I could scream, warm hands pulled me from the dream. I gasped, my eyes flying open as Elias pulled me onto his lap. I struggled for a moment, body trembling, heart still pounding with the revelation.

I’d killed Kerry. It had been her body on the floor, her blood on my hands, coating my skin.

Elias smoothed a hand over my hair, murmuring words of comfort that made no impression in my mind. I couldn’t make them out, not with my blood rushing in my ears. But I pushed my face into the crook of his neck and breathed him in. With each breath, the panic slowly subsided, giving way to the scent of pine and whisky that washed over me.

“You’re safe,” he whispered, his voice calm and comforting as it finally reached my ears. “I’m here, my sweet Angel. It’s me.”

I shuddered and finally peeled myself away to take him in. Stress lined his eyes, and his lips were pursed in a frown. Gently, I dragged my fingers over the worry lines and smoothed them away with my thumb.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, blinking away fresh tears. “I’m sorry.”

Elias shook his head and pulled me closer, his strong arms a band around my trembling frame. “You have nothing to be sorry about. I wish I could chase away those nightmares for you, Angel, but I know I can’t.”

I let my eyes slip shut again as I listened to the steady, strong beat of his heart. My magic pulsed as I trailed a hand down his bare chest. He’d been in wolf form when I’d fallen into the darkness of my nightmares. One of the girls had been in bed with me, but now, I could feel that we were alone.

“Thea came in and took Ginny to the other room,” he rumbled, his body tensing. “She knew you were in the throes of a nightmare. Knew Ginny could get hurt if—”

If my magic went nuclear.

“Please,” I whispered, shifting on his lap to straddle him. “Make me feel something other than—” I couldn’t say the words. Guilt. Shame. Horror. I might not have been the one to have plunged the knife into my mother’s heart, but she was dead because of me.

Elias cupped my cheek. “None of that,” he growled, tipping my face up with a pleasurable force. I felt him prod with the bond. “You are not responsible for that, Ivy. They are.”

I whimpered as his hand moved from my cheek to wrap loosely around my neck. His thumb stroked the column of my throat, sending shivers of desire down my body.

“I am yours, Ivy,” he said, tightening his hold on me. His eyes flashed dangerously as he forced my face to his. “And if you want me to fuck the pain away, I will take your tight cunt and make you forget why you woke up in tears. I’ll claim you again and make sure everyone knows who you belong to.”

I shivered again, but I couldn’t speak. Elias pressed his lips to mine and claimed them with a feral passion that washed all thoughts from my mind. We were a fury of teeth and tongue as I rocked against his hard cock. He took his time exploring my mouth, sucking my tongue into his own. I was under no delusion that I was in control.

I wanted him to take me fast and hard, but Elias kept me on the edge. His hand circled to grip the back of my neck, his other arm a band around my back, holding me tightly to his chest as he fucked my mouth with his tongue.

Whimpering against his lips, I tried to move, to create friction where I needed it most. My panties were a wet mess, and I needed more.

Elias’s chest rumbled with his chuckle. “My beautiful mate. You want me to fuck your tight cunt. You want my cum spread across your delicious thighs.”

Desire pooled in my belly as I nodded despite his hold. I tried to wiggle, but his arm only seemed to tighten like a vice. The pressure of his hold soothed the magic but heightened the arousal building within me. He could spank me seven ways to Sunday, and I’d probably come just from that.

“Use your words, Angel. Tell me what you want.” His growl vibrated from his chest and through me.

I bit my lip and met his heated stare. His wolf was close to the surface, but Elias was completely in control. It made my pussy flutter knowing the other side of him was so close to the surface.

“I need you to fuck me, Elias. I need to feel you. All of you.”

His eyes searched mine like he was looking for a sign of hesitation. Like he was worried that I only wanted him because of the nightmare.

I needed him, though. He was more than just a quick fuck. Slowly, I opened myself up to him and pushed those feelings through our bond. I wasn’t sure how I was doing it, but it felt instinctual, like something I’d been doing my entire life.

I knew the moment my emotions hit him. Elias’s eyes widened a fraction before brightening, and he sucked in a sharp breath, his entire body uncoiling.

“Ivy…” he whispered before stealing my lips once more. This kiss wasn’t as harsh. Instead, it became a bridge to his own emotions. The influx of thoughts and sensations usually wound tightly within him opened up to me, flooding my mind, my heart as he kissed his way down my throat.

One emotion stood out above all others. Its warmth almost made me sob. Tears burned my eyes as I cupped his face and brought it back to mine. I feathered kisses against his lips before pressing my forehead against his.

“Do you mean it?” I asked, my voice a hoarse whisper.

Elias tensed, almost like he hadn’t expected me to pick up on it, but slowly, his hands ran up and down my spine, soothing my frantic heart and thoughts.

He was silent for several beats before saying, “Of course I mean it.” He cleared his throat. “Since the moment I saw you, I knew you were mine. My heart was yours before I was even sure we were mates. The night you were attacked by the hellhounds, I was certain I was in love with you, Ivy.” Elias sucked in a shuddering breath before tugging me into a bone-crushing hug. He nuzzled my throat where his bite marked my skin. “I haven’t given you enough reason to tell me you love me. I’ve been an ass because I was afraid you wouldn’t want someone like me standing by your side. But never question my love, my devotion. Because I am yours, Ivy Wilson. You own my heart and soul. I love you.”

I blinked back tears as I burrowed into his arms. Maybe I wasn’t quite there yet, but I knew I was falling quickly for my wolf. And the more he spoke and gave himself to me, the more I knew I would tumble over the edge quickly. I was on my way to loving him, too.

Pulling back, I pressed my lips to his in a quick kiss, catching him off guard. His arms slackened around me, and I used the moment to wiggle free from his grasp.

Our eyes met as I crawled down his body, so his straining cock was level with my mouth. “Ivy—” he growled, but I brought him to my mouth and kissed the base of it before he could stop me. His hiss of pleasure shot through me and right down to my core. As much as I wanted him inside me, I also wanted to taste him.

And he did not disappoint. Precum beaded on the head of his cock, salty and masculine as I licked him from base to tip. Elias tensed as I swirled my tongue over the tip before bobbing my head and taking him as deep as I could. I fisted one hand around his thick base and pumped while I hollowed my cheeks.

“Ivy, Angel, if you keep doing that, I will come in your mouth. And I’d much rather do that inside your cunt.” His hands wound through my hair, but he didn’t make me stop.

His cock popped out of my mouth, and I grinned. “Let me make you come with my mouth, Elias. It’s only fair.”

I took him in my mouth again as he swore, but he fisted my hair, holding it away from my face as he gazed reverently down at me.

Elias barely restrained himself from thrusting upwards into my mouth. He let me set the pace. The last time I’d given a blow job, I’d hated every second of it. The guy had been musty, and it had simply felt transactional. I’d only let him finish on my tits too.

But with Elias, it felt like more. He was gentle with me as I took him as deep as I could.

“Relax your throat, Angel. Breathe through your nose,” he said through gritted teeth. “Fuck, I’m going to come in your mouth.”

I swirled my tongue around the bulbous head of his cock again before teasing the hole. He swelled in my mouth, his entire body clenching, and I did as he said. He roared with his release, hands tightening in my hair. Hot cum filled my mouth, and I swallowed it greedily as my magic swirled beneath my skin.

His body reverberated with another growl, the sound going straight to my pussy. Desire flooded my belly, soaking my panties thoroughly.

I cleaned him with my tongue and released his still-hard cock with a pop, rising up on my knees. Elias’s chest rose with sharp breaths as he watched me with dark eyes.

Slowly, I lifted my sleep shirt over my head, shivering slightly as the cool air hit my pebbled nipples. The shirt fell to the floor, followed by my shorts and dripping panties.

Elias’s eyes tracked each movement as his cock rested against his stomach. “Hands and knees,” he ground out. “Spread wide.”

I shuddered at the growl in his voice, but eagerly did as commanded. I turned away from him and fell into position, wiggling my butt in his direction. The smack of his hand against the soft flesh of my ass made me pant with pent-up desire coiling in my belly.

The magic beneath my skin simmered in appreciation, purring in my chest. It was a strange feeling but also…comforting in an odd way.

Elias skimmed his fingers over the mark he’d left on my ass before leaning in and scraping his canines over the warmed flesh. A shudder worked its way down my spine as a moan left my lips.

He pulled back, his presence gone for only a moment before he was plunging inside me in one stroke. He paused for only a moment to let me adjust to his size, the whisper of pain sliding quickly into pleasure as he slid out before sinking back into my warm heat.

I whimpered at his slow, deep strokes, pulling a growl from deep in his throat as my core fluttered around his length. “You were fucking made for me, weren’t you, Angel?”

I bowed my head, unable to form words, as another smack ignited my flesh. “Tell me this cunt is mine. Mine to use, mine to worship, mine to devour.”

The next smack of his palm, this time against the other globe of my ass, almost undid me. Somehow, I responded with a shaky, mewling, “yes” as he picked up his pace, pelvis slamming into my ass. The sounds of our skin colliding, coupled with the wetness of my core, filled the room like an erotic symphony occasionally accompanied by my moans of pleasure or the rumbling growls Elias released.

My climax hit me hard and fast, and I tumbled over the edge with his name on the tip of my tongue and face buried in the sheets. Elias’s stroke stuttered as he guided me through my finish, but his movements didn’t halt until his cock swelled within me. He growled my name with his release, the force of his finish triggering another climax for me.

Elias pulled me up until my back was flush against his chest. He wrapped an arm around my middle and held me to him before pressing a kiss to his bite on my shoulder.

“You are so perfect,” he said, trailing kisses down my shoulder. “So beautiful, Angel.”

My heart skipped a beat as his words echoed in my ears. I swallowed hard at the weight of the night settled on my shoulders.

As if sensing that, Elias pressed one last kiss to my neck. He didn’t pull out as he pulled me back onto the bed, so we were lying on our sides, his cock still buried deep inside me. He wrapped his arms around my midsection possessively, curling one around my stomach, and the other beneath my head.

My heart gave a little stutter as he nuzzled my neck, burying his face in my hair. I squeezed my eyes shut as tears burned their way to the surface.

Elias’s arm tightened around me. What’s wrong, Angel?

I sniffed and pressed further into him. It should have felt weird to still have him inside me, and yet the connection brought a level of comfort I never would have expected. Okay, it was a little weird, and it was something I would need to question later and maybe ask Thea about.

But for now, I tried to settle my racing heart and sink into the feeling of having my mate beside me. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, Elias, but I’m thankful for you…for this.

With him here, I wasn’t as afraid of the nightmares. He was my protector, my mate. And without him, I wasn’t sure I could brave the darkness alone again.

~

I gathered the girls outside, hoping some fresh air would help put their minds at ease. The quiet forest was refreshing and being out of that stifling house made it easier to breathe, to think.

Ginny held tightly onto my hand while Eloise walked ahead with Elias and Maisie. The little nugget had claimed his arms and was half-asleep as we walked the perimeter of the safe house, keeping to the magical shield that protected us, and not daring to venture any further.

The girls seemed to be lost in their thoughts, which was okay for a little while, because my mind was a mess of thorns and weeds that begged to be picked, ones I wasn’t entirely sure I could attend to yet.

Last night with Elias had been comforting, and his confessions of love warmed my soul in a way I’d never expected—or experienced. I had Adrian on my mind, too, with his promise to mend the issues between us, even though I didn’t feel like that was an issue anymore.

And then there was my mystery mate. Memories of Ry floated around my head; his youthful face, sunken and hollow from the lack of nutrients, skin pale and almost translucent. As soon as he’d been able to put the weight back on and his face had filled out a little more, he’d been handsome. One of the most beautiful boys I’d ever laid eyes on.

And he’d kissed me first. A chaste, messy kiss that spilled his gratitude and said all the words he’d been too afraid to say. I’d been under no illusion that he was interested beyond friendship, yet the night I’d snuck out to see him once everyone had gone to sleep had been one of the best nights of my life.

I’d felt wanted, seen, desired.

The next day, he’d been gone.

My stomach twisted, and I pressed a firm hand to my abdomen. Anxiety burned its way through my veins but dissipated as soon as Elias brushed up against me, his strength and calm pushing the unease aside. It still lingered—no amount of touches or affirmations would save me from its grasp—but I was grateful for his help, nonetheless.

Elias didn’t need to speak to convey his own worry. It filled his green irises, broke through the little creases around his eyes, in the firm line of his lips. I silently shook my head; the last thing the girls needed to worry about was me.

“Are you two, like, an actual thing?” Eloise asked.

Elias cocked his head and smirked. “Ivy? Are we an actual thing?”

I snorted and turned to Eloise. “It’s a little complicated to explain because I’m not even a hundred percent sure if I understand it all yet, but Elias and I are mates.” I waited before saying anything else, watching her expression to see if the weirdness would be too much.

But she shrugged. “So, like soul mates?”

I nodded carefully. “Yeah, sort of, I guess.”

“What does that mean for you, exactly?”

Blowing out a breath, I chewed my lip. How did you explain anchors to a kid? “Well, Elias isn’t my only mate, for starters.”

“You have more than one boyfriend?” Her brows rose incredulously, and she crossed her arms. “Really?”

“Adrian is my other mate,” I replied honestly, smiling softly. “And there will likely be others, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be here for you, okay?” I chanced a glance at all three girls, meeting each curious stare.

Ginny looked a little afraid, and I hated that the idea of multiple people entering my life made her feel like I might abandon her.

Maisie seemed unbothered, but that was likely because she was too young to fully understand my words. But she didn’t look sad about Elias staying in our lives on a more permanent basis either, so that was a plus. They didn’t need anyone else leaving them.

Eloise tried to hide her uncertainty. I could already tell she was starting to hide herself away. She wasn’t ready to get attached, and I didn’t blame her.

“Mates are forever,” I murmured, brushing a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. “Elias, Adrian, and any others who pop up aren’t going to suddenly leave.”

“You’re saying that because of Dad, aren’t you?” she asked sceptically. “Because I’m not worried about that.”

I pressed my lips into a firm line, knowing well enough that calling her out on that little lie wouldn’t do me any good. Instead, I pulled her into a quick hug. As she wrapped her arms around me, I could feel the race of her heart against my side.

Ginny pressed into my other side, sandwiching me between them. We didn’t speak for a moment, simply enjoying the quiet.

“Are you three ready for some lunch?” Elias asked, eyes finding mine. “Because I think I am.”

Eloise looked up at me with shining eyes. She blinked back the tears and nodded. “Yeah, I think we should go in now. Ginny?”

The little nine-year-old nodded without saying a word. She’d been so talkative before, so outspoken and excited, but now she kept her thoughts to herself. I had to wonder if Ginny closing in on herself was more than just a reaction to the kidnapping.

I pulled my gaze from her and shook my head. Hopefully, Avalon had therapists because there was no doubt that all three needed it.

The sound of tires on gravel drew us from the forest beside the house. We were close enough to the driveaway that as we stepped towards it, we could make out a black SUV crawling through the trees.

“Did someone leave?” I asked, turning to Elias.

But he’d gone stiff, his muscles bulging as he held onto Maisie. “No, everyone who should be here is still here,” he murmured. “It’s the evac team.”

The SUV stopped beside us, and the dark tinted passenger side window lowered to reveal a soldier. “Agent Beckham.”

Beside me, Elias stepped forward as if to hide me from view. I watched his hold tighten on Maisie from the corner of my eye. I pushed Ginny and Eloise behind me as my mate assessed the situation.

“You’re the evac team Sir Ya’Dahir sent?” Elias asked, eyeing the passenger and driver. Both wore sunglasses to cover their eyes, so getting a read on their expressions was difficult.

The driver leaned over his companion slightly. “That’s us.”

I felt eyes on me, then, followed by a tingling sensation, like my magic awakening. The two sitting in the front of the vehicle eyed me warily. They probably knew by now I wasn’t exactly stable. One wrong move, and I could hurt them.

Elias remained quiet for a moment and looked ready to hand me Maisie. I could almost hear his voice in my head telling me to head back into the house and let him handle this. I was already reaching for my sister when the front door to the safe house opened.

Familiar magic brushed me, and I sighed in relief. Adrian. “Hey!” he called, jogging over to us. “Sorry, guys, Grey was just informed you’d made it through the barriers.”

The wariness in his voice made me tense. At that, I reached for Maisie, pulling her from Elias’s arms. She made a soft sound of protest but wrapped her arms around me regardless.

Adrian approached my other side, stepping in front of me to cover us from the other soldiers. “Grey wants you down in the basement to assess you. Orders from the Queen.”

The driver nodded and didn’t say a word. There was a rumble as the basement garage opened; I kept my eyes trained on the vehicle as it descended below the house, not moving until it was gone.

“Inside, now,” Elias barked. “It’s not safe out here until they’ve been cleared.”

That I believed. I quickly scanned the forest around us, like I could sense our enemies hiding in the trees, but I felt no sense of danger, no tingle of being watched, of being hunted.

Nothing.

No words were spoken as the girls and I were guided back into the safe house. Elias’s tension fed into me, his anger a bitter taste on my tongue. As the door closed behind us, I took his hand. Darkened eyes flashed to me.

Calm down, I said, squeezing his fingers, we’re okay. I’m not in immediate danger.

You could have been. There’s a protocol in place. They needed to wait at the barrier, not enter. His gaze flickered to the basement entrance.

I shook my head. There’s probably a reason. Remain calm, please. Don’t rip anyone to shreds.

A smirk played on his lips as he dipped his head and kissed my temple. No promises.

Good enough. I blew out a sharp breath and shook my head. Setting Maisie down, I spared Elias one last look before pulling my hand from his. Don’t be reckless. I hoped he understood what that meant. I hoped he understood my desperation, my need for him to come back. If anything happened…

I swallowed thickly. The feelings I had for him were already wrecking my heart. I didn’t fully understand how it was possible, but the bonding had enhanced everything I felt for him tenfold in ways that didn’t seem logical.

But then, nothing happening inside of me seemed logical right now. Not being a Queen, not the magic currently coursing through my body, and certainly not my emotions towards my mate.