Every Blissful Moment (Hyena Heat Book 4) (9 page)

Memphis had never heard such sexy, heated words from his mate before.  A part of him knew that it was most likely the aphrodisiac’s effects on her libido, but he still thought it was hot as hell.

Rome lifted her, and Memphis released his hold on her hip and helped her settle on him.  She was so hot and tight that his vision blurred as her sweet heat enveloped him completely.  Rome pushed her shoulders forward and shoved into her.  She cried out as her pussy clutched Memphis like a vise, and he swore that time stood still as she was double-filled by him and his brother.

Link eased her head’s position so she could suck his cock, and Memphis put his hand on her neck, feeling her pulse under his thumb.  Anchoring himself to her heartbeat, he began to lift his hips as Rome slid partway out of her.  Together, they began a fast rhythm designed to drive her wild.  He could feel her slick little pussy gripping him, and knew that her clit was rubbing against him each time she ground down.

Sweat dripped down his face as he ignored the press of the climax that threatened to shatter through him.  He didn’t want to come until they all did, until they could fill her up and take her with them.  Her body tensed, and she whimpered, her eyes squeezing tightly shut as her body trembled.  Her skin glistened with sweat, and he rubbed her pulse, feeling it speed up as she neared the edge.  His thoughts were on her and nothing else – how much he loved her, how much he needed her and wanted her.  He’d never been happier than the moment she came into their lives, and no matter what else happened, he knew they could handle it as long as they were together.  She was theirs forever.

Her scream was muffled by Link’s cock as her body began locking down on Memphis.  His control shattered.  He came hard, his cock spasming again and again inside her as his brothers followed close behind.

Link fell to his knees with a groan, rubbing her shoulder as she fell against Memphis’s chest.

“I think it’s gone,” she whispered roughly.

“Fuck me,” Rome said as he pulled out of her slowly and sat back on his heels.

Memphis brushed her hair back from her brow.  “What?”

“Look,” Rome said in a low voice.

Memphis lifted his head, and his mouth dropped open.  The owls were glowing.  Their eyes were like golden beacons, their skin an eerie, luminous gold.  They began to hoot, the sound growing louder until it sounded like they were cheering.  A female scurried forward and said, “Come to my home and you can clean up.  The males have had their fill.”

Memphis eased Bliss off his cock and handed her to Link, who stood and cradled her close.  Memphis jerked his pants up as he stood, and they followed the woman as she wove through the crowd, joined by several other females.

He stepped into the camper they’d left Bliss in earlier.  “I thought this was sacred and no males could come inside?” he said as one of the women closed the door.

“It’s only sacred on the day of the pleasure sacrifice.  It’s after midnight.”

He blinked in surprise.  The time had passed so quickly while they loved their mate.  “Do you know if we can leave now?”

“One of the males will come to get you when you may take leave of our nest,” another woman said.  “Lay your mate down on the pillows and we’ll give you what you need to tend to her.”

Memphis thanked them and watched as Link laid Bliss on several large pillows in the center of the main room.  She moaned softly, and his heart cracked.  He knew she was sore, and he worried that they’d been too rough.

A female directed Rome to the bathroom to clean up; he glanced at Bliss and then disappeared.  Another female handed Memphis their clothes.  He stripped the suede trousers off as quickly as possible and pulled his own clothes on so he could tend to Bliss.  As Link dressed on her other side, Memphis knelt next to her.

“How are you feeling, love?”

She opened her eyes, which were back to the beautiful brown color he loved so much.  “Sore, but good.  I’m really good.”

“You’re amazing,” Link said, bending over to kiss her when he’d finished dressing.

“Were we too rough?”  Memphis asked, worry tightening his gut.

“I wasn’t complaining,” she said with a smile.

“Fuck I love you,” Link said, chuckling.

“I love you guys, too.  Thank you for taking care of me.  I just…want to go to sleep for like a week.”

“Let’s get on the road first, love, and then you can sleep as much as you want.  We’ll take care of you.” Memphis said.

“You always do,” she said, closing her eyes and yawning.

Chapter 7

Bliss‘s body ached, even more than on their mating night, which she supposed was because she’d made love to her mates three times over the course of twenty-four hours then, as opposed to all the loving they’d just done in only a few hours.

She wasn’t flushed anymore; the effects of the aphrodisiac were gone.  She couldn’t believe there was actually a drug that needed male come to combat it.  If she didn’t have three mates it would probably have taken a lot longer, and she was thankful that they were able to love her so often in such a short period of time.

Her skin felt tight, and her joints ached.  They’d held her tightly and fucked her soundly, which she’d loved, and she didn’t want them to feel bad for how they’d handled her.

Bliss opened her eyes as her mates began to remove her scarves.  She saw that they were alone in the room.  Rome had returned, holding a steaming bowl in his hands.

She let them pull the scarves from her, unable to do much to help because of her fatigue, and sighed deeply as her mates began to rub her gently with warm, wet cloths.  The water smelled of vanilla and she raised a brow at Rome, who smiled.  “It’s just water with vanilla oil.  No aphrodisiacs.”

 “Good,” she whispered, her throat raw from screaming.

They rubbed her down, lifting and turning her to clean her skin entirely.  A soothing ointment, much like the balm her mates used on her after their mating ceremony, was applied to her aching flesh.

“I know your skin hurts, baby,” Memphis said, “but you need to get dressed.”

“Help me?” she asked.

Rome snorted.  “As if you have to ask.”

Lincoln helped her stand and remained on his knees so she could rest her hands on his shoulders to keep from falling over.  He kissed her stomach as Memphis tugged her shirt over her head.

Lincoln and Rome pulled her panties and jeans into place.  The rough fabric made her want to shove them back down, but it was far too cold to go outside naked.  She stifled a groan as she wiggled her arms into her sleeves.  Rome held her coat for her, and she slipped it on.

Klegna came into the room with the other women.  “I’d like to know if your mate is going to kill us or not.  I have a roast in the fridge I’d like to cook later today, and if I’m not going to be around to eat it then I should put it back in the freezer.”

Bliss’s mouth fell open.  “Who said he was going to kill you?”

Klegna’s brow arched, but she said nothing.

Bliss looked down at Lincoln, whose lips were curled up in a silent snarl.  “Did you threaten them?”

He shifted his gaze to Bliss.  “You could’ve died.  They had no idea what that aphrodisiac would do to you, because you’re not an owl. ”

Bliss wanted to berate Lincoln for threatening women who were part of a shifter group where women had no authority.  They did what the males told them to, because that was the way it had always been for them.  Brierley had seen an opportunity to be free because of Bliss, and she’d never fault the young woman for that.  She just hoped like hell that Brierley was free now, because if she wasn’t, the whole night was for nothing.

She put her hand on Lincoln’s strong shoulder.  “They were good to me in spite of the circumstances.  I’m okay now, we’re free to leave, and that’s all that should matter.  I know the circumstances are terrible, but we saved a young woman from being raped tonight.”

Lincoln stared up at her, then exhaled loudly as he stood, pulling her gently to his side.  “My mate is compassionate, but I think you already knew that because of what she did for that woman.  I won’t mar tonight with bloodshed.  I know you weren’t at fault for the rules of your nest.”

Felora nodded.  “There’s something else.”

Bliss tensed.  “What?”

Taliera said, “It’s nothing bad, really.  It’s just that you’re most likely pregnant now.”

Bliss blinked with a frown. “That’s not possible. I’m on the birth-control shot.”

“It’s the way of the aphrodisiac.  Even if you’d only taken a small dose, it would’ve overridden your birth control and prepared your body to become pregnant.  It is part of what binds the females to their chosen males.  If there was only sex on the night of the pleasure sacrifice, then the female might try to leave the male who takes her as his own.  The baby binds her to the male.  She will never be free of him,” Klegna said.

Taliera nodded.  “We decided not to mention it earlier.  Using condoms is out of the question because the male climax is what eases the effects of the aphrodisiac, and you are in love with your mates and they love you.  Having a child with men you love is no hardship.”

Bliss was stunned.  She opened and closed her mouth a few times before she was finally able to say, “How can you be sure?  I’m not an owl, I’m a wolf.”

“You can take a pregnancy test in a few days, one of the early detection ones.  You’ll see the truth of what we say,” Klegna said.

There was a sharp rap on the door and Felora opened it.  Janspar stood outside.  “It’s time for the outsiders to leave.”

Bliss moved to the women and hugged them.  “Thank you for helping me.”

She heard her mates’ grunts of annoyance, but ignored them.

Klegna tucked a lock of hair behind Bliss’s ear.  “Thank you for setting Brierley free and taking her place.  Wherever she is, I know the great owl spirit is watching over her.”

Bliss wanted to say something snarky about the great owl spirit – who, if he actually existed, had condemned the females of his kind to being sexual fodder for the males – but she kept her mouth shut.  She had no right to bash their beliefs or their deities.  Some wolf customs were strange to outsiders, too.

Felora pressed a fabric bundle into Bliss’s hand and said, “Open this when you’re safely on your way.  It’s good luck for your baby.”

Taliera kissed Bliss on the forehead.  “May you and the precious baby you carry know nothing but joy for the remainder of your days.”

Bliss felt tears sting her eyes and blinked them back.  “Thank you.  I hope that the great owl spirit watches over you all.”

She left the camper with her mates.  The moment her feet touched the ground, Lincoln lifted her into his arms.  She smiled as she tucked herself against him, resting her cheek on his shoulder.

“I can walk.”

“It’s freezing cold and dark, and I want to do this for you.”

“I’m not complaining,” she promised.

“Good, sweet thing.”

Memphis strode ahead of them, next to Janspar, and Rome walked next to them as they made their way past the slowly dying bonfire.  Most of the owls were gone.  A few females seemed to be cleaning up around the now-empty area, throwing debris into the fire and using brooms to sweep it clean.  She closed her eyes, letting her thoughts drift to anywhere but the owls who’d seen her consumed by a strange drug and having sex with her mates, or the baby the females said she might now be carrying.

No one spoke as they walked back to the SUV.  When they reached it, she opened her eyes as Memphis unlocked it and pulled open the door to the second row of seats.  Rome climbed in first, and Lincoln set her on the seat, following as she scooted across until she was in the middle.  She shivered in the cold vehicle.  Lincoln shut the door and Memphis shook Janspar’s hand; she could hear Memphis thanking him for his assistance.

She snorted.  She didn’t think the male owls deserved any sort of thanks.  She wasn’t sorry that she’d intervened on Brierley’s behalf, but the cost had been high for Bliss and her mates.  Now she might be carrying a baby, and they’d just gotten married a week earlier.

Memphis climbed in behind the wheel and handed the owl king’s napkin map to Rome.  As he turned the engine on, he said, “Let’s get the fuck home.”

Curiosity got the better of Bliss, and she opened the owl women’s gift.  Inside was a beautifully woven baby blanket, made of soft blue and yellow yarn.  It was small, just the right size for a newborn, and smelled like pine needles.

“That’s really pretty,” Rome said, rubbing the scalloped edge between his finger and thumb.

“It is, but I don’t want to look at it right now,” she said, folding it back up in the wrapping.  Lincoln took it from her and set it on the front seat.

She leaned against Rome and took Lincoln’s hand as Memphis put the SUV in gear and, following Janspar’s guidance from outside the vehicle, turned around and drove to the main road.

“I did find out that the boy who was hurt is okay,” Memphis said.  “I thought you’d want to know, baby.”

She exhaled, closing her eyes.  “Does it make me a bad person if I say I completely forgot about him?”

Rome chuckled.  “Not at all.”

Bliss said, “Can we not talk about last night for a while?”

There was complete silence for a moment and then Memphis said, “When you’re ready to talk, we’ll be here.”

She knew they would be, and she loved them for it.

“Hi!”  A female voice said brightly from the storage area behind the second row.  Bliss screamed in surprise and Memphis slammed his foot on the brakes, making the SUV swerve on the road.  He cursed loudly and brought the SUV under control as Bliss, Rome, and Lincoln turned in their seats.  Memphis pressed the button to turn on the overhead light.

Brierley waved at them with a sheepish grin.  “Sorry I scared you.  I didn’t know where we were going, and I didn’t want you to be mad that I stayed back here without letting you know I was here.”

Lincoln growled.  “How did you get in here?  The SUV was locked.”

“When your mate helped me leave, I shifted and hid high in the trees.  While the owls were at the bonfire and very
occupied
, I shifted back into my human form and went to my home to get dressed.  Then I snuck into the camper where your clothes were and took your keys and a blanket.  I unlocked the SUV, returned the keys, and then locked the doors from inside, covering myself with the blanket in case anyone peeked in the windows.”  She made a plaintive sound.  “I don’t have anywhere to go.  If you make me get out now, the owls will find me and they’ll make me go with that horrible old male and be his mate. I’ll be punished for leaving the nest.”

Bliss looked over her shoulder at Memphis.  His lips were pressed into a thin line, and anger sparked in his eyes.  She reached for him, laying her hand on his shoulder.  “I’m sorry I did this to us, but we can’t leave her here.”

“What would you recommend we do with her?”

“I don’t know.  Can’t we figure it out in Beyton?  I want to get off this damn mountain.”

Brierley said, “I can help you navigate.  I grew up here.”

Rome said, “We need to get moving.  Let’s just get the hell away from here and figure things out at home.”

Lincoln snarled.  “If your presence harms our mate in any way, I’ll hold you personally responsible.”

Brierley, who didn’t look a bit fazed by his threat, put her hand over her heart.  “I swear on my life that I won’t do anything to hurt your mate.”

Memphis grunted, clicking off the overhead light.  “Fine, point out the turnoff when we near it.  I don’t want to miss it, and I’m concerned about your king’s directions.”

She wiggled over the suitcases in the back and peered out the window as Memphis put the SUV in gear and began slowly driving again.  Bliss turned back around and leaned her head on Lincoln’s shoulder.  She could feel his quiet growl.  “It’ll be okay,” she whispered, pecking his cheek.

“It better be,” he said.