Every Blissful Moment (Hyena Heat Book 4) (7 page)

“It’s getting dark and I don’t know where the road is.  Unless you want to walk ahead of us with the flashlight app on your phone and look for it, we need specific directions off this damn mountain, and soon.”

Bliss said, “It’ll be all right.  We’re just asking for directions, and then we’re leaving.  As long as we stay together, we’ll be fine.”

Although their mate sounded sure, he wasn’t, by any stretch.  Memphis was the leader, though, and he’d made a choice.

“We’ll be fine,” Memphis repeated as he turned the SUV and took the road the old man had disappeared down.

Rome hoped like fuck they really would be.

* * * * *

Link was uneasy as the SUV slowly followed a winding path deeper into the woods.  “Memphis,” he said, but his words died in his throat as a group of males appeared in the road before them, blocking the way.  Memphis put on the brakes and grabbed the gearshift to put the SUV into reverse, but their vehicle was suddenly surrounded.

“Shit,” Memphis growled.

Bliss gasped, and Link could scent her fear.  He squeezed her hand.  “It’s okay, sweet thing.”

Memphis lowered the window half-way and said, “We were following an older gentleman to get directions off the mountain; he said it was okay.”

A tall, lean male stepped forward.  He was wearing only dark pants and a cloak.  “I’m the king’s son, and I’ve come to escort you to my father.  You may leave your vehicle here and follow us.”

“Can you just tell us how to get off the mountain?”  Memphis asked.

“You’re in our territory.  No one gets off the mountain without seeing the king.  I swear on my honor that no one in your party will be harmed.  Come, night is falling.”

Memphis looked over his shoulder and Link bared his teeth in a low growl.  “I don’t like this.”

“Neither do I, but I can’t mow down the males behind us.”  Memphis turned back to look at the male.  “Thank you, we’ll be right out.”

He put the window up and turned off the engine.  Link lifted Bliss’s hand to his lips and kissed it.  “It’ll be okay, sweet thing.  You know we’d never let anyone hurt you.”

She smiled, but he could see the fear lighting her eyes.  “I trust you.”

He grimaced as he opened the door and stepped out, offering his hand to Bliss.  She slid across the seat and got out, hugging him tightly.  When Memphis and Rome were out of the SUV, Memphis locked the doors with the remote and said, “I didn’t get your name.”

The male smiled, his head tilting slightly the way the young boy’s had.  “It’s Janspar.  And you are?”

“Memphis.  These are my brothers, Link and Rome, and our shared mate and wife, Bliss.”

“If you will follow us, you can be on your way momentarily,” Janspar said, stretching his hand toward the road ahead of them.

Link put Bliss between Memphis and Rome and walked in front of them.  He let his beast loose enough to heighten his senses, his claws ready to unsheathe at a moment’s notice if any of the owl shifters tried anything funny.

Memphis cleared his throat.  “We drove through here a week ago without trouble, but tonight our GPS went out and we had no cell service.”

Janspar nodded.  “We use a disruptor during our ceremonies.  Several years ago, some journalists tried to record one of our ceremonies with their phones.  Father has now ensured that no one can use devices such as those during our special ceremonies.  Our way of life is sacred.”

Link thought that was a shitty thing to do to people who were innocently traveling through the area, but he could understand the need to keep their way of life protected from prying eyes.  Hyenas didn’t share their mating ceremony details with outsiders, either.  Only hyenas and their mates knew what went on.

They walked for about ten minutes, and he could hear Bliss’s teeth chattering.  He tugged his jacket off and handed it to Rome, who put it over her shoulders.  “You won’t b-be cold?”

“I’m fine, sweet thing.”

She’d inherited some aspects of her wolf heritage, like enhanced hearing and sight, but clearly the warmer body temperature was not among them.

The males walking in front of them stopped when they entered a clearing.  Old RVs and campers were grouped in a large circle.  People were seated around an enormous bonfire.  All the males wore dark pants and cloaks, and the females, of which there were very few, wore plain white dresses.  All of them had pale hair, and they were all lean, even the females.

The males who had escorted them scattered, going quickly toward the bonfire and sitting down.  Janspar said, “My father is preparing for our ceremony tonight.  He’ll give you what you need, and you can get on your way.”

Link wanted to ask why Janspar couldn’t just tell them himself, but kept his mouth shut.  He didn’t want to do anything that could potentially put Bliss’s life in danger.

Janspar opened the door to a large camper and motioned them inside.  The interior smelled heavily of cigars and whiskey.  Although it appeared to be several decades old, it was tidy, even if the walls were stained with smoke.  Janspar disappeared through a doorway and returned a moment later, followed by a tall male with pale gray hair, and a woman shuffling behind him with her head down.

Janspar said, “This is my father, Rapstel, king of our nest.”

Memphis introduced himself and the others, and Link moved subtly closer to Bliss.

“I understand you’re lost,” Rapstel said.

“Our GPS and phones stopped working,” Memphis told him.

Rapstel nodded.  “You young males today rely too much on technology.  The mountains are treacherous.  It’s a good thing you stopped when you did.”

Memphis, ever the diplomat, agreed with a smile.  Only because he knew his brother so well could Link tell that he was agitated and wanted to leave.

Rapstel sat down at the kitchen table, pulled a napkin from a dispenser, and began to draw lines on it with a stubby pencil.  He tapped the napkin and said, “You are here,” making an X on one thick line.  “At the main road, turn right.  Follow it for seven miles and take the road on the right.  There’s a large pine tree that was struck by lightning years ago.  The trunk split down the middle; that is next to the entrance to the turn off.  Once you’re on that road, you’ll follow it for four miles, turn right at the road marked by a rusted-out car, and then follow that down the remainder of the mountain.  You should be off the mountain in an hour. But once you hit the lightning-struck tree, the signal jammer will be out of range and your devices will work again.”

Link groaned internally.  If they’d just kept driving, they would’ve eventually gotten the signal back again.  Thankfully they hadn’t run into trouble, but he could tell the owls wanted them gone so they could start whatever ceremony they were preparing for.  They wanted to be gone, too, and he never wanted to cross Twin River Mountain again.

Bliss tugged on Memphis’s arm, and he bent.  She whispered in his ear.  Memphis grimaced but nodded.  “Our mate would like to know if she can use your bathroom.”

“As long as you’re swift,” he said, and gestured to the woman who had followed him but was standing meekly next to him.  “Take her to the facilities in Klegna’s camper.”

He handed the napkin to Memphis, who thanked him for his hospitality.  They walked out of the camper.  The woman wrapped her shawl more tightly around her shoulders and said, “Follow me, please, sirs.”

They walked halfway around the bonfire.  She knocked twice on the door to a camper that had been outfitted with wood siding to resemble a cabin.  Muffled music could be heard from inside.  The door swung open with a creak, and the music was loud enough that they had to strain to hear the young woman who answered it say, “Yes, Hollri?”

“Rapstel said our pretty visitor can use your bathroom before they continue on their journey home.”

She nodded.  “Only the female may come in.  This is a sacred home and males may not cross the threshold.”

Link tensed, ready to protest, but Bliss looked over her shoulder and said, “I’m not peeing in the woods.”

He hooked his hand around her neck, pulling her close and kissed her.  “Be swift, sweet thing.”

“I will.”

She followed the woman into the camper, and the door shut.  His hyena growled in worry, and Link listened intently for any sign of distress from his mate.  If something happened to her, he didn’t know what he’d do.

Chapter 5

When the door shut behind her, Bliss had to take a minute to let her eyes adjust to the low light and her ears to the loud music.  The music reminded her of the kind she’d heard the few times she visited a spa for a massage.  It was lilting and probably meant to be calming, but at that high volume, all she felt were the jarring notes.

The main room of the camper was empty of furniture.  Candles in sconces on the walls provided the only light, their golden glow flickering on the large pillows scattered around the floor.  Four women were lounging on the pillows, braiding flowers into each other’s long, pale blonde hair.  The women looked at her curiously, and Bliss tried not to gawk at their revealing clothing.  They wore what looked like scarves wrapped around their necks and twisted over their breasts, with skirts made of colorful gauzy fabric.

“This way, pretty visitor,” the young woman said.

“Thanks.  We’ve been in the SUV for awhile and my poor bladder can’t hold on much longer.”

The camper was deceptively large.  They turned down a short hallway with three doors, and the woman, who introduced herself as Klegna, opened the first one on the left.  “When you’re done, come straight out.  Our ceremony is starting soon.”

Bliss was dying with curiosity about their ceremony, but she didn’t dare ask.  The owls were strange creatures, and she didn’t want to accidentally insult someone and possibly put herself or her mates in danger.  Klegna smiled at her and disappeared.  Bliss shut the door to the tiny bathroom, which contained only a toilet and sink.

She used the toilet and washed her hands, anxious to get back to her mates.  She redid her ponytail, smoothing her hair back as she looked at herself in the small mirror over the sink, and pulled back the curtain that covered a square window.  She saw nothing but woods.

Opening the bathroom door, she stepped out and paused – someone was sobbing.  Bliss looked down the hallway and saw that she was alone.  She couldn’t stand the sound; it was heartbreaking.

She put her ear against the door across from the bathroom, but heard nothing.  Behind the other door she heard crying.  Knocking twice, she opened it and was surprised to see a young woman, naked, sitting on a large pillow and sobbing into her hands.

Bliss walked into the room and knelt in front of her.  “Are you okay?”

The woman raised her head with a gasp.  Her eyes were bright blue, streaked with gold, and her nearly white hair was long and curled into tight ringlets.  “Who are you?  You’re not from our nest.”

Bliss shook her head.  “I’m a wolf.  My mates and I got lost and, well, your king gave us directions.  I heard you crying; are you hurt?  Do you need me to call one of the women for help?”

She grasped her arm tightly. “No!  Please.  Help me!  The king is giving me to a male tonight and I don’t want to mate him.  He’s old and ugly, and he beat his other mate to death.”

Warning bells went off in Bliss’s head.  “I don’t know how to help you.”

“Just let me leave.  The door was locked so I couldn’t open it from inside, but if you left it open I could go.  Please let me escape.  I don’t want tonight to happen.  My life will be over before it even begins.”

Bliss’s heart went out to the young woman.  “Okay; there’s a window in the bathroom that opens to the woods.  I’ll ask the women for a drink to stall them.”

“Thank you,” the woman said.  “My name is Brierley.”

“I’m Bliss.”

“You’re an angel, Bliss.”

Or a total idiot
.

Bliss peeked out of the doorway and saw the hall was still empty.  She motioned for Brierley to follow her, shutting the door to the room and pushing open the bathroom door.  When the bathroom door was shut, Bliss counted to ten and walked down the hall.  She smiled at Klegna.  “Would it be okay if I had a glass of water?  I’m dying of thirst.”

“Of course, pretty female.”  She opened a small refrigerator and handed Bliss a bottle of water.

“My name is Bliss.  Thank you so much.  I really appreciate your hospitality.  It can’t be easy to open your home to a stranger.”

“As the king says, so I must do.”

Bliss cracked the lid on the bottle and took a few slow drinks.  “My mates are waiting.  Thank you again.”  She put the lid back on and followed Klegna to the door, which the owl shifter held open.

“Blessings on your journey, Bliss. May the great owl spirit shine on you.”

“Thank you.”

Link pulled her away from the door, and she dropped the bottle of water in her rush.  Memphis picked it up and said in a low voice, “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

“Are you okay, love?”  Rome asked, walking close beside her.

“I’m much better now.”

Janspar met them at the bonfire and led them toward their SUV.  A cry of alarm sounded, and they all stopped.  Males rushed from the bonfire, knives flashing in the flickering light.

“Stop!” a male shouted.  “Our female is missing and your mate helped her.  Tell us where she is or suffer!”

Fear washed over Bliss.

“She did nothing of the sort,” Memphis said, growling the words.  “You’re mistaken.”

The group of males parted as Rapstel strode forward.  “Klegna said our female was locked in her room.  Now she is gone, and the window of the bathroom your mate used is wide open.  It is no coincidence.  We gave you hospitality and you betrayed us.”

Link snarled.  “We did no such thing.”

“Tell us where she went or suffer!”  Rapstel shouted.

Bliss shrank back in fear, but then she remembered how Brierley had been so scared of what was going to happen to her.

She touched Memphis’s arm and he looked over his shoulder.  “I found a woman crying in the room.  She asked me to help her leave, so I did.”  She blinked at the tears that stung her eyes.  “They were going to force her to mate a male she didn’t love.  I couldn’t…I couldn’t let another life be ruined by parents who try to mold children to their own views.”

Memphis frowned.  “You shouldn’t have, Bliss.  It wasn’t any of your business.”

She swallowed at the lump in her throat.  “Why not?  It wasn’t right.  Women should be able to choose their mates.”

The males around them growled in disagreement.  “You have meddled in things you cannot possibly understand,” Rapstel said.

Lincoln said, “Our female made a mistake, but it’s not our fault that she was deceived by your female.  The fault lies with her, not with Bliss.  Let us leave and we swear to never cross your territory again.”

Bliss squinted as the bonfire suddenly blazed brightly, the flames rising high.  Rapstel’s eyes seemed to glow with golden light.  “It’s too late now.  The ceremony must move forward, the pleasure must be shared.”

He snapped his fingers and the males pushed in on them, their knives inches away.  Janspar said, “You must come.  My father will have you killed if you do not comply.”

Bliss gasped.  “No!”

Rome put his arms around her and pulled her closer.  “Not another word, love.  We’re in enough trouble as it is.”

She blinked through the tears.  “I’m sorry.”

Lincoln shook his head as they followed Janspar back to the bonfire.  “Don’t be sorry, sweet thing.”

Janspar led them back to Klegna’s camper.  She stood in the doorway, her arms folded over her chest.  “Come inside, pretty Bliss.  We’ll get you ready for the ceremony.”

“What ceremony?  What the devil is going on?”  Memphis demanded.

“I’ll explain it all to you, but we’re running out of time.  Leave your mate here, she will be safe with Klegna and the old maids.  You’ll be reunited quickly.  At dawn, I’ll take you back to your vehicle and you will keep your promise to never come through our territory again,” Janspar said.

She clutched at Rome as her mates turned to look at her.  “What did I do?  I never meant for us to be hurt.”  Her words caught in her throat as fear trembled through her.

Memphis cupped her face and kissed the tears from her cheeks. “I love you because you’re compassionate.  You saw someone in need and you helped.  I wouldn’t change that about you for anything.  Janspar said we’ll be safe, and my gut tells me that he’s being honest.  Whatever they want, we’ll do it as long as none of us, especially you, are hurt.”

“I want to go home.”  She grabbed his wrists and held his hands to her face.

“We will, baby.”  He kissed her and gently extracted himself from her grasp.

Rome and Lincoln kissed her, and Lincoln said, “I’d like to stand guard here for my mate.”

Janspar said, “After you’re ready for the ceremony, I’ll bring you back, but you can’t see her until the ceremony is ready to begin.”

Her mates said goodbye, and she walked into the camper.  The door shut and locked; she shivered at the clicking sound.  “All the rooms are locked now, pretty Bliss,” Klegna said.  “You did a brave thing, but it’s made you our pleasure sacrifice tonight.  I think you won’t like what that means.”

Sacrifice?

“You’re going to kill me?  They told us we’d be safe and able to leave at dawn.”

One of the other women said, “We have twenty minutes to prepare you.  Rest assured you and your mates will be alive at dawn.  Our king makes no promises he does not intend to keep.  He said you would be able to leave, and you will.  But until dawn, you are our pleasure sacrifice.  That means that you have to provide our males with pleasure.”

Images flashed through her mind of her having to service the males.  She shuddered in disgust.  “I would never touch anyone but my mates.”

Klegna shook her head.  “You won’t have to.  Come, strip so we can anoint you with our ceremonial oil and get you dressed in the appropriate attire.”

Bliss tugged off Lincoln’s coat and her own, setting them on one of the big pillows.  She held tight to the promise that they wouldn’t be hurt.  She was skeptical and still a little afraid, but the females weren’t being aggressive or threatening, so she decided to go along with whatever they wanted.  She wanted her mates to be safe too.

She stripped completely, and the females surrounded her.  One of them, who introduced herself as Taliera, took Bliss’s left hand and placed a drop of shimmering golden oil on top of it.  Taliera began to rub the oil into her skin while the other women each rubbed oil on different parts of her body.  It was hard not to be weirded out by being entirely naked with five strangers rubbing oil on her, but there was something calming and secure about the whole situation.

Taliera spoke softly, her fingers stroking firmly up Bliss’s arm.  “Once a year, nests gather in a central area for a pleasure sacrifice.  A young woman is given to a male of her king’s choosing, and they mate in front of the nest.”

“Are all females mated like this, with no choice of their own?”  Bliss asked.

Taliera nodded.  “Yes.  But in January, the king chooses a special female to be the pleasure sacrifice.  Other females are mated in the privacy of the king’s home, with him and the elders overseeing the deflowering.”

Bliss shuddered.

A female named Felora said, “Brierley attempted to remove herself from the ceremony by sneaking away last year and having sexual relations with a human male on the other side of the mountain.  That she isn’t a virgin hadn’t stopped the king from mating her, but she was unwanted by the younger males because of that, and the king punished her by giving her to an older male.”