Chapter 20

T hey meet me at the pack border.

I'm trembling. I've never used my powers for so long before, and my body pulses with the shadows that writhe across my skin. I don't know how they knew I was coming, I guess Killian or Eric sensed me through the bond, but I was too busy escaping at the time to send them any feelings through our connection.

As soon as I see them standing there, I freeze just on the other side of the pack lands from them, and the tears start rolling down my cheeks. Are they still going to want me when they know what I did? When they know that I'm part of the reason for the shifter deaths?

"Ari?" Seb calls out, taking a hesitant step towards me.

I'm sure I look a right mess. My hair seems to have a life of its own, my skin is coated in mud, and my arms are covered in crisscross cuts from where I've run through the forest. Not to mention the fading bruises that cover my face or the rolling shadows that caress my skin, embracing me in their hold. I may be in my human form, but my wolf is controlling my actions, protecting me from the emotions trying to overwhelm me.

A low growl from Alex has me flinching, the fear of their rejection in the forefront of my mind. My eyes flick across them, judging their expressions and weary looks.

"Look at her! Look what they've done!" Alex shouts, making me wince again, his voice hurting my sensitive hearing. Killian spins and throws Alex a deadly look, his tone low with a barely concealed growl.

"Stop it. You're scaring her."

Eric shakes his head and takes a step towards me, but stops as soon as he sees my hasty retreat. "No, it's not that." Frowning, he rubs at his temples, and I can feel him reaching out through our bond. "She's feeling…guilty?"

The guys share looks of confusion and worry.

"Ari," Garett calls out, my head snapping towards him as I see him take a slow step forward. The guys freeze, expecting me to retreat, but I simply eye him warily. He takes another step towards me, and the tears start to flow faster down my face. I don't sob, I don't make a sound, I simply watch him. "I love you. We love you, and no matter what, whatever they made you say or do, we still love you and we'll deal with it." His low, steady voice calms my wolf as we register what he's saying. "Whatever happened, it won't change the way we feel about you."

The guys mumble their agreement, and I flick my eyes across them, taking in their sombre and sincere expressions. Self-loathing and regret are making me feel sick, but as I watch Garett's expression, that feeling starts to recede. Taking another step towards me, he pauses, but after seeing I'm not retreating, he takes another step until he's toe to toe with me. He raises his hand and places it gently on my face, his expression darkening when I wince, and he opens his mouth to say something when a shout has us spinning around, looking for a threat.

"Fuck! Fucking woods, can't you guys live somewhere more original?" I can't stop the small smile that crosses my face as I hear Tori's ranting. "Where did you all fuck off to anyway? I thought we were meeting to come up with a rescue plan! If I scuff a hoof, then I'm going to kick someone's ass." Tori keeps up her rant as she picks her way towards us, her eyes trained on the ground in front of her, concentration pulling her face into a frown. A small chuckle leaves me, and her head whips up, her eyes wide as surprise stuns her into silence. A noise like a sob is ripped from her chest as she runs towards me, her figure blurring as she barrels into me.

"Careful she—" Seb calls out, but I'm already in Tori's arms, her face buried into my neck as she sobs loudly, her shoulders shaking with her emotions. My heart races at the impact, my instincts telling me to push her away and run, but I close my eyes and take a deep breath, my body stiff and arms out to the side as I breathe in her familiar scent.

This is Tori, she would never hurt me , I think to myself, repeating the mantra until my heart settles and my limbs unfreeze, and I'm able to wrap them gingerly around my sobbing best friend.

"I thought you couldn't cry now that you're a demon." My voice is raw and cracked, like I've been screaming, but I know they all heard me from the quiet sighs of relief and low chuckles. Tori's shoulders immediately stop moving, and she pulls away. Her face is completely dry, but her expression is devastated, especially when she sees my face. Raising a hand to my cheek, she gently examines my face.

"Oh, Ari, what did they do to you?" The pain in her voice makes my throat tight, and I have to pull away from her embrace. She's never looked at me that way before, even when we first met and I was a starving wreck. The guys slowly walk over, their eyes watching me warily as if I'm going to run away, but my gaze flicks back to Garett, and the love in his expression calms something within me. Eric appears just behind him, smiling softly, and I realise he's using his doctor voice on me, which makes the side of my mouth quirk up in a smile.

"Let's go inside, I want to check you over."

Nodding my agreement, I start walking towards the pack boundary, and as soon as I cross it, my shadows drop and the guys fall into step with me. We walk in silence, but it's not the tense silence from before when they were worried I was going to run, but a comfortable, companionable silence.

We reach the medical building, and I try to head straight upstairs to the rooms I've been staying in, but Eric reaches out and snatches my hand, shaking his head as he leads me into one of the examination rooms.

"Eric, I just want to go to bed." I hate the whining sound my voice makes, but I'm tired and emotionally drained.

"You've been gone for three days, and we could do nothing to get you back. I want to check that my mate is all right. Just humour me, okay?" I recognise the strict tone of voice he uses with our more difficult patients, and I'm about to comment on it, but I see the tension around his eyes and the stiff way the guys are standing around the room.

"Okay." My voice is rough as I pull off the ruined shirt, fully expecting the growls and hisses that fill the room when they see the full extent of bruises and wounds covering my stomach. There was no point in hiding it, they were going to see it sooner or later. "The light makes it look worse," I defend as I stand up straight, the fluorescent bulbs making my bruises stand out all the more, but I refuse to cower or try to hide them, letting the guys see me as I am. Sliding off my borrowed, ripped trousers, I walk over to the examination table and climb up onto it.

"You smell like another man." Killian's stiff voice fills the room, and I can see his eyes glowing slightly as he glares at my discarded clothing.

"My clothes ripped when I shifted. One of the agents found me some clothing."

The room is silent as Eric descends into doctor mode, flashing hispen torch into my eyes and checking the bones in my face.

"Most of the damage seems to be centred around your face and abdomen." His fingers walk up my jaw, gently pressing on the bones. He gives me a sympathetic look as I wince. "Since shifters heal so quickly, I need to check that your bones are healing in the right place, otherwise you could have issues later on," he explains, and I nod in response, but I know his explanation is for the guys' benefit. Finished examining my face, he moves onto my abdomen, frowning at the blotchy patterns of bruises. I know I'm not seriously injured, my wolf has healed the worst of it, but I understand Eric needs to check.

"Em's dead," I say into the silence. Eric's hands fall away from me, his expression sympathetic. My eyes sting as tears threaten to fall again, finally spilling over as Seb pushes his way past the others and climbs up onto the table next to me, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me into his embrace. "He sacrificed himself for me." The words are quiet and broken.

Suddenly, I'm surrounded, the guys wrapping me in a cocoon of safety. I wear them like armour, every inch of my exposed skin covered, and I use their strength to keep going when all I want to do is fall apart.

I don't know how long we stay like that for, but eventually, I'm wrapped up in Garett's arms as he gently carries me upstairs. The rest of the guys follow behind silently, knowing I need to be surrounded by them tonight. Tomorrow, I'll be strong again, but tonight, I need to be weak, I need them. Tori presses a kiss to my forehead and promises to return in the morning before she heads away.

I can hear Alex and Eric downstairs, talking to Alpha Mortlock, explaining what they know and promising to explain more tomorrow. I close my eyes and snuggle closer into Garett's chest at the thought of having to relive everything, but I know I can't put it off forever, they need to know what's happening.

We enter my bedroom and Garett goes to put me down on the bed, but I cling to his chest, not ready to let go, finding his warmth comforting. Without saying a word, Garett simply climbs onto the mattress, kicking his shoes off before knee walking into the centre of my large, king-sized bed. Settling down, I raise my head from his chest to look for my other guys. Seb is already shucking out of his clothing, climbing onto the bed in only his boxers, and laying on his side so he's pressed up against Garett with his head resting on my hip. I slip my fingers into his hair, playing with the blond strands and smiling at the purring noise he makes deep in his throat. Looking up, I see Eric and Alex in the doorway. There's a predatory look on my beta's face as he stalks in, pulling his shirt off before climbing into bed.

Eric's soft voice catches my attention, and I see he's talking to Killian, who's standing in the corner of the room, staring at me with a heated expression, but his brow furrows with a severe frown.

"Kill?" My voice sounds weak and unsure, and I hate it as soon as I say his name. My other guys move in closer, their instincts to comfort their mate riding them hard.

"I thought I'd lost you, again ." His words end in a snarl as he stalks towards the bed.

"I'm sorry—"

"Don't apologise," he spits out, his expression murderous. At first, I think that he's angry with me, but all I feel down the bond is self-loathing. "They took you, they hurt you, and I could do nothing ." His eyes glow and the strength of his wolf fills the room, his alpha power stroking against mine, calling my wolf to the surface. Seb bows his head under the strength of the power, and even Alex has lowered his eyes. "Do you know how hard it was to just trust you? I felt it down the bond, you wanted me to wait, but I was ready to tear the place apart. They. Took. My. Mate."

I realise then how difficult this must have been for all of them. Garett because I was taken when I was with him, but especially Killian. Both him and Eric have the bond with me, but Killian is an alpha, which means he is often ruled by his instincts, not used to bowing to the wishes of others. "But then I felt it, your strength, and I knew I had to wait. It nearly drove me mad, but I trusted you." Climbing up onto the bed, he crawls towards me on all fours, straddling Garett in the process of getting as close to me as possible. " My strong, powerful mate. They haven't broken you. You are not weak. Feeling sad because you lost someone is not a weakness, you taught me that."

The atmosphere in the room changes as the shifters in the room scent my arousal. Knowing that my guys trusted me to take care of myself but were still ready to rescue me if I needed help, and that my alpha mate deferred his decision to me, is a major turn-on.

Garett rumbles in agreement, gently turning me in his arms so I'm facing him and my legs straddle his hips. Killian shuffles up behind me, pressing his chest against my back as the others move in closer.

"I agree with Killian," Garett starts, placing a hand on my hip and rubbing small circles on my skin with his thumb. "When you were taken, I felt like my heart had been ripped from my chest. They took you from me, I should've been able to stop them." I can hear the self-loathing in his voice, so I lean forward and press a kiss to his lips to silence him. I won't have any of them blaming themselves. Pulling back, I can see the relief in his eyes and realise he was carrying the blame for me being taken on his shoulders.

"Stop. This wasn't your fault. I was stupid. He said they had you, so I went with him to hear what he had to say. When I realised they didn't have you, they did something to knock me out, and they have a way to nullify our powers." They all make noises of anger or shock at my words as questions form on their lips, but I shake my head. "I can't talk about that tonight. I just need to be with you guys." I know they can hear the tension in my voice, and I see the moment they decide to let it drop. A sigh of relief leaves my lips as Alex presses against my side, trailing kisses along my arm and up to the top of my shoulder.

"Let us help you forget," he whispers, pushing me down into Garett's lap so my centre is pressing against his growing erection, both of us moaning at the contact. Garett leans forward, pressing soft kisses against my lips, but I quickly deepen them, taking the lead, which he happily to gives me. Killian, never one to be left out, growls into my ear as he presses himself against my back, one arm coming around my stomach and the other over the top of my shoulder so it lies across my chest, his hand resting at the base of my throat. My pulse flutters under his fingers, and I can't stop my moan as he takes control of my body. I continue kissing Garett as Killian lowers his head and starts gently biting and kissing along the left side of my neck. Alex comes up to my right side, mirroring Killian's actions as he kisses and bites my neck.

Pulling away for a deep breath, I glance around and see Seb leaning back against the headboard next to Garett, with one arm behind his head as he stretches out, and his other hand down the front of his boxers as he strokes his cock. Rolling my head to the other side, I see Eric sitting on the edge of the bed, desire in his eyes, and his hands tightly gripping the sheets as he watches us. I close my eyes and reach for our bond, the tingle of electricity flooding my body as we connect, and I push my feelings, my love for him, my desires, my needs towards him. Opening my eyes, I meet his heated gaze as he crawls over to me across the bed, before grabbing my chin, pulling me across, and pressing bruising kisses to my lips. As I pull away, I swear my lips tingle with electricity, and he winks at me as he leans back on the bed, happy to watch the show as Killian's and Alex's hands start to explore my body, and little gasps leave my lips as they tweak my nipples.

I lean forward to kiss Garett again, and I feel Alex slide his hand across my hip and into the top of my underwear, his fingers circling my clit. My body is overstimulated, and it's almost too much, especially knowing Eric and Seb are watching me, but I know they won't let it get too far. They will take me to the brink, but would never push me beyond my limits.

"I need you." My words are mumbled against Garett's lips, but I know the others hear me as Killian and Alex sit back, the latter holding out a hand to help me climb off the bed. My skin feels hot as I slip off my underwear, feeling five sets of eyes watching my every move, tracking my movements in ways only predators can. Crawling back onto the bed, I move up to Garett, pressing kisses against his lips before dipping down, and kissing a trail down his neck, chest, and down to his hips, licking along his delicious V lines that form his Adonis belt. I unbuckle his jeans and push them down to expose his cock. The bed shifts as someone moves behind me, and I assume it's Killian or Alex about to fuck me from behind, but I let out a surprised laugh when Seb starts to wiggle between my legs, pulling me down so I'm practically sitting on his face.

"Seb, I'm going to suffocate you!" I protest, but bite down on my lip as he starts kissing along my inner thigh to my clit, his tongue flicking out.

"I get the feeling that doesn't faze him," Alex replies, his face stretched into a grin as he palms his cock. Seb mumbles his agreement, the vibrations from his voice making me squirm. Leaning forward, I take hold of Garett's cock and stroke the length a few times, enjoying the velvety feeling of his skin over his rapidly hardening cock. Kissing from base to tip, I lick the head, and the salty taste of pre-cum touches my tongue before I take him into my mouth. Hollowing out my cheeks, I swallow him as deeply into my mouth as I can, gripping the base of his cock as I suck.

Seb continues to kiss and lick my clit, his hand gliding up as he slides a finger inside me, curling it to hit that sweet spot and timing his movements with my bobbing head. Moaning around Garett's cock, I watch when he grips the bed sheets tightly as the vibrations from my moan intensify the sensation. I feel Garett's cock stiffen, and he comes in my mouth, his length pulsing as I swallow his cum. Pulling away, I lick my lips just as Seb slides another finger inside me, pushing me over the edge. I throw my head back and cry out as my orgasm ripples through me, enjoying the feeling of everyone's eyes on me. Usually, I'm not into voyeurism, but having my guys here, watching me take my pleasure from them, is a huge turn-on, especially as they seem to find it just as arousing as I do.

Climbing off Seb, I fall back onto the bed with a sleepy-looking Garett running a hand through my hair. Alex grabs my ankles and pulls me towards him, causing a startled laugh to escape my lips. He settles between my legs, pumping his cock a few times before he presses it into my centre, a breathy moan leaving my lips as he starts to move slowly inside me. I'm used to Alex taking what he wants, his commanding attitude leading me towards orgasm, but not today. Today, his hips gently roll as his eyes lock with mine.

"Ari, I think Seb deserves a thank you for what he just did for you." Killian's voice breaks my eye contact with Alex, and as I look over at him, I raise my eyebrow, seeing that alpha Killian is still with us. I see what he's doing. Rolling my head to the side, I see Seb is lying next to me with a beatific smile on his face.

"Thank you." My voice is breathy as pleasure rolls through me with each of Alex's thrusts. Seb brings his face up to mine, and we share a gentle kiss.

"Show him how grateful you are," Killian instructs. He isn't pushing his alpha power into his words, so we could easily say no, but there is something quite freeing about being told what to do—not that I'll ever tell him that. My hand snakes out, and I grip Seb's long cock, grasping the base firmly as I stroke in time with Alex's movements.

"Eyes on me," Alex calls out, and I swing my head back to look at him, his gaze heating as he watches me writhe beneath him while I'm stroking Seb's firm length. There's a shift in the atmosphere and the smell of fresh rain on concrete fills the air, dragging my eyes over to Eric, whose eyes are glowing with his power. One hand is wrapped around his cock, pumping slowly, and when he sees me watching, he gives me a smirk and reaches out, placing a hand on my shoulder. Immediately, my skin feels like it has electricity running through it. It should be too much, too intense, but Eric seems to know how much to use. Closing my eyes, I realise that he's using the bond to feel what I'm feeling.

Eric's hand glides across my collarbone and moves down to my breast, cupping the mound of flesh before circling my nipple with his fingertip. I watch with hooded eyes as he sends little sparks of electricity into my nipple. Arching my back, I gasp in pleasure. It should be painful, but it's not, bordering just on this side of pleasure. Hearing a gasp to my left, I glance over and see Seb close his eyes, his face slack with pleasure as his cock stiffens in my hand, finding his release as I give him a few firm strokes. Alex starts to pick up his pace, and before long, I feel the pleasure build up into a blinding orgasm, my pussy clenching down hard on his cock as he finds his own release. Eric groans, and I realise he also came alongside me, feeling my own release through our bond.

Out of breath and thoroughly exhausted, I look over at Killian, who is watching me with intense eyes. I waggle my eyebrows at him in question, but he just shakes his head, the side of his lips curling up in a semblance of a smile. Climbing up off the bed with a groan, I head towards the bathroom to clean up, but he catches me with an arm around my waist.

"You missed out. Don't you want to…" I wiggle my eyebrows again, and this time, he chuckles out loud as he pulls me closer to him, resting his forehead against mine.

"Having you back is enough." His voice is low so as not disturb the others, but the atmosphere in the room changes when they hear him. Pressing a gentle kiss to my lips, which is very unlike my usually demanding alpha, he lets go of me and heads over to the bed.

After cleaning up, I walk back into my bedroom to find the guys piled up on the bed with an Ari sized space in the middle. My chest warms, and I have to fight the tears that prick my eyes.

I'm so lucky , I think to myself as I climb up onto the bed and fit into the gap they saved for me. Sleepy smiles are thrown my way as they all reach for me, their arms and leg piling on my body as I fall asleep with a smile on my face, remembering the first time I woke up in a puppy pile.

The sound of running water pulls me from sleep. I peel my eyes open and see a light shining from underneath the bathroom door. Pushing myself up into a sitting position, I glance around the bed to see who's missing. I feel a sleepy smile spread across my face as I try to work out who is who from the tangle of limbs on the bed, especially when I see Seb completely buried with just a tuft of his blond hair visible, sticking out of the side of the bed.

Untangling myself from the puppy pile, I climb off the bed and grab a blanket from the corner of the room as the chill of the night causes goosebumps on my skin. Knocking softly against the door, I push it open without waiting for an answer, seeing Killian in his full, naked glory in the large shower. He's leaning his arms against the wall and resting his head on his hands as the water cascades down his body, his long hair plastered against his skin. He turned his head towards me as soon as I walked into the room, but otherwise, he hasn't moved, his grey eyes boring into mine. He doesn't say anything, and he doesn't need to. Dropping the blanket, I step into the shower, throwing my head back as the hot spray soothes my sore muscles. It hadn't bothered me earlier, and I'd freshened up before we went to bed, but I can still feel the dirt on me from my time in the cells at ASP. Suddenly, it's really important for me to wash them from my skin.

I reach forward to grab the soap, but Killian stops me with a hand on my shoulder. He pushes away from the wall, then guides me so I'm standing directly under the shower spray. The hot water works on the knots in my shoulders I hadn't realised were there, and as I feel Killian's soap-slicked hands gliding over my body, I let out a relieved sigh. His hands are firm as he works the sweet-smelling soap into my skin, his talented fingers kneading my aching muscles. Guiding my head back, he wets my hair before pouring a generous heap of shampoo into his hands and working it into my scalp. My groan of pleasure echoes around us, the glass walls of the shower amplifying the sound as I melt under his touch. Gently, so gently, he rinses my hair, and I finally feel clean .

I turn in his arms and look up at him, and realise he needed this just as much as I did. He presses his forehead to mine again, his eyes closed tight.

"It nearly drove me crazy." His voice is pained, and while he doesn't explain what he's talking about, he doesn't need to, I can feel his pain through the bond.

"I know."

"If you hadn't managed to get away…" He trails off, his eyes opening as he examines me, his gaze catching on the healing bruises on my skin. "They hurt you."

"Yes, but I escaped," I reassure him, sliding my hands up his chest, then wrapping them around his neck as he places his hands on my hips. "I didn't tell them anything," I tell him, but his eyes narrow on me, and I get the feeling he wants to tell me off, but something changes as he leans forward and presses kisses against my lips.

"My strong, beautiful mate," he whispers between kisses. His hands roam over my skin as he pulls me close, his erection firm as it presses against my stomach. "I love you," he murmurs into my mouth, and excitement blooms in my stomach as he says it. I still can't help but get excited when one of the guys says it, but especially from my surly alpha.

"I love you too," I whisper back, biting down on his lower lip just hard enough to sting. Growling low in his throat, he presses me against the cold wall of the shower and pins me with his hot, wet body, while pressing bruising kisses against my lips. Sliding my hand between us, I grab his cock, stroking it firmly, until the shower is practically vibrating with his deep growl. Holding my ass, he picks me up and impales me on his length, my shocked gasp soon turning into moans of pleasure as he begins moving inside me. It's fast and rough, but it's exactly what we need, our sounds of pleasure echoing around us as he guides my hips with his strong hands. Pleasure builds up, and soon, I'm crying out, my nails biting into his shoulders as my orgasm burns through me, my pussy milking his cock as he follows, finding his own release.

We stand, panting in the shower, the water still raining down on us as he presses our foreheads together again, his eyes watching me carefully as if I'm about to disappear.

"You're back," he whispers, and I suddenly understand. Wrapping my arms around him, I tilt my chin forward and press a soft, tender kiss to his lips.

"I'm back."