The Mates Who Gave Him Salvation [Feral 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour ManLove) (13 page)

Roarke sighed, and G’aladon realized he and Quinn weren’t being very convincing. “I suppose it’s unreasonable to ask that of you,” the wolf concluded. “We’ll give it time.”

He made a move to pull away, and suddenly, the thought of losing contact with Roarke seemed unbearable to G’aladon. Quinn intercepted their mate before G’aladon could do so.

“Wait,” the human pleaded breathlessly. “I don’t want to go just yet. I know we should. I know we have an important job to do. But I want to feel you, for a little bit at least.”

It was exactly how G’aladon felt. A million responsibilities awaited them, especially on G’aladon’s side, but he didn’t think he could face the world without reassuring himself their bond was still intact. As much as he hated to admit it, that nightmare had shaken him pretty badly.

“Oh, baby.” Roarke’s eyes shone with affection and something that looked far too much like guilt for G’aladon’s comfort. “Just tell me what I can do to make you feel safe by my side again.”

“That’s just it, Roarke,” G’aladon replied. “We were safe.
You
weren’t. It’s our fault, and mine in particular. If not for me, Havedok would have never turned against us. I started a war.”

“No, you didn’t,” Quinn answered. “That damn panther did. You only wanted to begin a new life and give your people a chance for one, too.”

Roarke seemed thoughtful. “I have a feeling this isn’t just about you, G’aladon. I don’t think Havedok would have turned against the Spirit Mother just to destroy you. This must have been brewing for a while now.”

G’aladon might have believed his mate was just trying to comfort him, but truly, Roarke’s words made a lot of sense. The connection between the spirit beasts was strong, and for Havedok to betray it, the panther needed a far better reason than merely killing G’aladon. A heavy burden of guilt began to lift off G’aladon’s chest. He squashed the sense of relief, since he still didn’t know enough to make a real judgment. But whatever the case, he agreed that, in the end, Roarke’s death could only be blamed on Havedok. One way or another, the panther had to pay.

Before he could say just that, Roarke pulled him close and kissed him once again, leaving him breathless and dazed. “Don’t think about it anymore,” the wolf said as they broke apart. “You want to touch me? Come on.”

G’aladon didn’t delay in taking Roarke up on his offer. He pounced on Roarke, making the wolf’s eyes widen in surprise. They had gone to bed naked, so no material blocked their bodies from contact. All thoughts abandoned G’aladon’s mind as he sunk himself in his mate’s embrace.

Quinn joined them as well, and the three of them ended up in a writhing, sweaty pile, desperately moving against each other in the middle of the bed. Finally, Roarke took control of the encounter. He pushed G’aladon down and, in one smooth motion, took G’aladon’s cock in his mouth.

G’aladon’s mind melted at the explosive pleasure that burst through his veins. Roarke bobbed his head up and down G’aladon’s dick, not teasing, but going directly for the gold, pursuing the goal of their climax with the same single-minded determination that defined him in everything else. G’aladon threaded his hands through Roarke’s soft hair, fucking his mate’s face, taking the pleasure Roarke offered and yearning to return it. As if guessing his thoughts, Quinn straddled G’aladon’s face and slowly fed his dick into G’aladon’s mouth.

It was exactly what both of them had needed. G’aladon moaned against the column of flesh and was rewarded by an echoing groan from Quinn. Sadly, their combined cries made Roarke decide a change in position was required. The wolf released his hold on G’aladon’s prick, but G’aladon didn’t even have time to protest. Roarke maneuvered the three of them in a sort of triangle position. As he resumed his task of sucking G’aladon’s dick, he thrust his cock in Quinn’s mouth. It was a little awkward at first, but after a few moments, they got into the rhythm, moving together as naturally as they had the day before.

It was simple pleasure, uncomplicated and pure, giving and taking. Somehow, it seemed like the essence of a mating, a three-way partnership in which they were all equal, in spite of their differences. Along with the overwhelming pleasure, that deep feeling, the knowledge of their intense bond always persisted at the back of G’aladon’s mind. They existed in two separate planes, flesh and spirit at a complete balance with each other. Everything inside G’aladon, from his magic to his love and his carnal desire, reached out to his mates, needing them, craving them.

In the end, the emotions and the sensations reached a tipping point that broke the lingering traces of their composure. Quinn came first, filling G’aladon’s mouth with his seed. Just the taste of Quinn’s essence would have pushed G’aladon over the edge, but G’aladon didn’t only have that. He had their bond, a bond now thrumming with the energy of Quinn’s climax. With a cry that was smothered by the still-throbbing flesh in his mouth, G’aladon found his peak as well.

Roarke followed suit, his growl sending delicious vibrations through G’aladon’s dick, triggering more spasms of pleasure. They were in a chain of ecstasy, and in that moment, G’aladon knew that the same chain bound their hearts together. Roarke was right. Not even death could separate them. G’aladon had failed to protect Roarke once, but it would not happen again.

They collapsed on the bed, spent, but feeling much better about their current situation. G’aladon could sense his mates’ emotions through their bond, and he was finally at peace. Oh, he had no doubt that the nightmares would return, but G’aladon had Roarke and Quinn to help them fight back.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t linger too much in bed. The world was waiting, and they had already used up more time than they could afford. Once they recovered a bit from the orgasm, G’aladon muttered a quick spell and cleaned them and their room up. As they got dressed, they kept stealing little kisses that delayed their departure. Finally, though, the preparations were complete. They grabbed what little baggage they had brought and left the room.

JC waited for them in the hotel foyer together with a young man G’aladon didn’t know. He was very cute, small, and waifish, like a sprite. JC had a protective hand wrapped around his waist, and in that simple gesture, G’aladon saw how much the human meant to JC. “This is Theo,” JC told them as they approached. “Babe, these are my friends, Quinn, Roarke, and G’aladon.”

“It’s a pleasure,” Theo replied with a small, shy smile. “Joel told me it’s dangerous for us to stay here, but you could help me find another place to live.”

Quinn nodded. “With my family. We own a diner that also caters to various needs of…” Quinn hesitated, obviously not knowing how much Theo knew about JC and his nature. When JC nodded, the human continued, “of the paranormal community. We will take you there and explain to my mother. We’re understaffed now, so if you can help with the business, we’d be very grateful.”

“Of course,” Theo replied. “It’s the least I could do.”

“Good.” Roarke clapped his hands together. “Then it’s settled. Time to go, guys.”

“Do we have a plane reservation or what?” Theo inquired. “I assume your diner is in the United States. How will we get there?”

As if in reply to Theo’s question, a wave of power flowed over them. G’aladon blinked, and all of a sudden, he was in the Tanners’ home once more. G’aladon admitted that translocation spell was very convenient and sent a word of mental thanks to Shaiyta.

Quinn’s family was already waiting for them. Both JC and Theo looked disoriented, but Quinn’s mother swooped in, bringing cookies and hugs. “I’m Brenna Tanner,” she introduced herself. “You must be Theo and JC. The Spirit Mother has already explained the situation.” Quinn’s mother kissed her son, then turned toward Theo again. “Welcome. You don’t need to worry about a thing. We’ll be happy to have you, and you’re perfectly safe.”

The latter part of the phrase was clearly said for JC’s benefit, and the feral visibly relaxed. The mentioning of the Spirit Mother and the clear use of her magic seemed to soothe him.

“I will head out to the Magistrate’s Den,” he said. “I’m very grateful for your help, and I promise I won’t forget this.” Offering G’aladon and his mates a small smile, he added, “And good luck to you in your quest. It sounds like you still have a lot to do.”

G’aladon thanked the feral for his wishes. It was true. More and more tasks were lining up, and G’aladon and his lovers needed all the luck they could get to complete them.

After saying good-bye to Quinn’s family—with a great deal of reluctance from Dawn’s and Brenna’s parts—they were forced to leave once again. Thankfully, the Spirit Mother granted them the favor of teleporting them. This time, though, they were taken to a place G’aladon had not looked forward to seeing.

A small coffee shop stood in the building that had once been his home and lair. Here, in this very place, G’aladon had been exiled to the astral realm, not once, but two times. Cold sweat trickled down his spine at the recollection of the horrors he had endured there. He swallowed around the sudden knot in his throat. It didn’t matter. That was in the past. He had paid the price for his crimes, and he was now here to face the last of his demons.

Most of the Oriakai who remained alive after all this time clustered around this area, although there were some who’d left Great Britain and now lived in the United States. However, for G’aladon’s purposes, this was the best location. He could bring them all here and speak to them, guide them. He knew they must be very confused by the changes he’d wrought by surrendering his powers to them.

In truth, G’aladon might have preserved a good measure of his abilities, but he was no longer the same man the Oriakai had known and feared, not in heart, and not in magic. Most of it had been drained away by Shaiyta, and it was only his anger at Roarke’s death that had returned what powers he did have now to him. G’aladon only hoped that wouldn’t dissuade them from trusting him. The last thing he needed was a throng of disoriented, angry orcs running rampant through Britain.

Thankfully, G’aladon didn’t need to go inside the shop to achieve his goal. Mystical energies were very powerful in the entire surrounding area, particularly around Stonehenge. G’aladon would need some space to work, something he didn’t have at this hour due to all the tourists present in the area. Nevertheless, he wanted to take some time to reacquaint himself with the environs. Undoubtedly, there had been changes he needed to learn, things he had to be aware of for the purpose of this little reunion.

In truth, G’aladon would have much preferred to just retreat in his mates’ embrace and ignore everything else that happened. But that would be selfish and wrong. The two men had sacrificed themselves for him, and G’aladon wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t at least make the attempt to reach out to those he’d created.

They didn’t stick around the coffee shop or the small town for long. Even in an area filled with tourists, they drew the attention of humans. Some of the people living here had a sort of sixth sense for paranormal things, whether they realized it or not. The mystical energies of the area touched them, making them particularly sensitive to beings like G’aladon or Roarke. As such, after purchasing a few snacks, they headed out toward their destination.

The energies of the place would have also affected Quinn deeply, but the mate bond anchored the human, as it did G’aladon. Therefore, they were safe to explore and advance toward Stonehenge, even if G’aladon could already feel the pressure of the magical presence increasing. G’aladon had to say that he was enjoying their little field trip. They took their time, admiring the countryside, breathing in the fresh air, and reveling in each other’s presence.

At lunch, they stopped and grabbed a bite, then made out in the shade of the nearby trees. They couldn’t take things further since they were, after all, in public and anyone could show up. However, the simple lazy kisses they shared did wonders for G’aladon’s mood.

When they finally reached Stonehenge, though, G’aladon found his nervousness returning. Predictably, there were a lot of humans hanging around, taking pictures of the great stones, but as the sun started to set, everyone began to leave. G’aladon and his mates stayed behind, avoiding the security through a strong spell. It would have been preferable to find a more discreet location, but this was the location where G’aladon had first created the Oriakai. Nothing else would do.

Thankfully, G’aladon still had the Spirit Mother on his side. Even now, he felt her supporting him. With her assistance, he soon managed to get the area clear, leaving only himself and his two mates there.

Now, the truly hard part began. G’aladon went into the center of the circle and knelt. His mates joined him, also sitting down on the grass. They settled in a triangle, the unbreakable triad that held so much strength and magic. As they held hands, G’aladon started to murmur an incantation, focusing every last bit of his power on summoning the orcs to him.

This was so important, and he tried to convey that in the call. They lived in a new world now, one that held openness and the possibility to love. If G’aladon had found soul mates, anyone could. And now that he was happy, he wanted it for everyone else as well, except maybe Havedok.

Magic coursed through him, bright, hot, and intense. He felt his mates support him, giving him the additional energy he needed to summon his people to him. He sensed Shaiyta guiding him, teaching him how to focus his somewhat still-erratic abilities. Through half-closed eyelids, he spotted bright light emerging around him. All of a sudden, the entire field was flooded with dozens, no, hundreds of shadowed silhouettes.

G’aladon fully opened his eyes and got up. This was it, the moment he had dreaded. There were so many of them and yet, so few. They had lacked a leader, and because of it, they’d perished. Guilt swelled inside him, hot and damning.

Fortunately, Quinn and Roarke were by his side, and through them, G’aladon managed to suppress the emotions that would have hindered what he wanted to do and allow only those that would help him in his task.