Page 79 of Magic Hunted
“This was our last chance to stop them.” Nausea bubbled in my stomach. Atrus got away and there was no trace of Christian or Britheva. There was no telling if we’d ever get another chance to stop them.
Shanyirra placed her wizened hand on my shoulder. “For now, child. We’ll find a way.”
“We have to,” I whispered.
We might have found Serafine and Anise, but there were three unknown Chosen and three sections of the grimoire we still needed to find. Four if I included the section I’d yet to release. I looked to where Anise sat surrounded by her alphas and Serafine cuddled into the wolves.
“You’re not alone. Together we’ll find them and end them,” Anise said.
“This fight hasn’t ended. You were strong enough to kill Titan. We’ll get them. One by one, we’ll pick them off,” Serafine said. Her fragile form hid the fire beneath the surface.
Alerick’s huge hand curved over her shoulder as he stood behind her. His wolf was barely below the surface, his eyes glowing bright. “We’ll fight. All of us, together. There will be no more separation and division. The rule of their territories is finished. The Six created us to fight in the Bloodthirsty wars, and now it’s our turn to rise against them. Together we’re stronger.”
“I’ll be glad to join forces. I’ll do anything to make the world safe for my mate,” Ashir said.
“As will we,” Damon said. He may have smiled, but it didn’t take away his lethal edge.
“The elves will fight at your side. All creatures born of magic will work together. I’ll teach you all how to use your magic. To channel it into a fighting force.” Shanyirra sighed. “I’m afraid you’ll need to use it like that to kill the remaining imposters.”
The gravity of her words settled like stones in my stomach. I’d killed Titan, but barely. Without the grimoire, my magic alone wasn’t strong enough. We’d need all the help we could get. And if Shanyirra would help train our magic, Taredd could help train the shifters. My gaze tripped across every elf, wolf and draugr in the cave.
“Weren’t there more people here?” I was sure there were twice as many people before the dome exploded. The warbugs had carried hundreds on their backs from the village and they’d all come here to fight The Six. That wasn’t including the shifters who had followed us into the tunnels to get here.
I sought the imposing form of the General, darting from one end of the cave to the other. He should be here, issuing orders. Creating order from this chaos. Frigid ice filled my veins when I couldn’t find him. “Where is Taredd?”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
I woke slowly, consciousness returning like a dark mist rolling in from the jungle. Creeping images ran through my mind, becoming more urgent and vivid until my eyes snapped open as full memory returned.
A search party had been sent out to look for the missing imposters after the cave had been thoroughly searched. They’d vanished, as had about a third of the army fighting with us. Elves, warbugs, wolves, and even draugrs were missing – as was Taredd. An elf found the sword Taredd had given me on the floor of the cave. Whatever had taken them was random and indiscriminate.
While we’d waited for the search party to return, Shanyirra had instructed me to construct a dome over panther territory. It had sparkled in the distance when we left the cave. It was a relief, knowing everyone would be safe, or as safe as they could be with the missing imposters out there somewhere.
We had work to do. Titan’s stronghold would need to be taken over, and the humans under Titan’s sway contained. I didn’t think it would be too hard. The humans who hated anyone magical and any shifters in the stronghold would be no match against us. Kalos, Sinon and Peder were also dead. Anyone left of Titan’s army would soon give up any fight now that there would be no threat to their family. Ashir, Dias’ and Savvas’ rule would be a lot fairer to those who lived there than anything Titan had provided.
The search party had returned exhausted and empty handed. So we’d trudged back along the tunnels made by the warbugs to wolf territory. Alerick had given us all cabins. My mates and I had fallen into bed as soon as we’d stepped through the door and exhaustion had claimed all of us.
Ashir’s hot, heavy arm banded my waist and my cheek was crushed against his enormous pec. I lifted my head to discover Savvas plastered against me, my back to his chest from my shoulders to my feet. Dias lay crossways over our legs, his face pillowed on my abdomen.
My mates surrounded me. Protecting me again with their hard, hot bodies, but now I wasn’t trying to get away from them. I wasn’t running any more. I was safe between a landscape of smooth skin, bulging muscle and pure male bodies. This nest of their warmth was everything I wanted. My clit throbbed and my nipples pulled into tight buds and one word screamed through my mind:need.
Ashir’s lips turned up into a slow smile that melted my insides. “Good morning, mate.”
“Is it morning?” I asked, my voice more than a little breathless. I’d hardly taken in how much light came through the window, but now that I did, the sunshine painted his perfect body in a golden glow.
“It doesn’t matter what time it is because now I finally have you right where I want you.” His fingers flexed on my waist as he came onto his elbow to rise over me. His heavy locs fell over his broad shoulders, creating a veil behind him. I trailed a loc through my fingers, letting the end rest against his chest.
“You’re beautiful, my mate.” My cheeks flared with heat and he frowned. “Has no one ever said that to you?”
“I…” It wasn’twhatAshir had said but the whip of desire in his soul-light.
His smile traveled to his eyes, making them sparkle. “All is not lost if you don’t agree with me. I’m going to worship your body until you understand how beautiful you are.”
He leaned down until his lips hovered over mine, tantalizingly close. If I lifted my head just that little, I’d secure our lips together, but he remained just out of reach. “How long are you going to worship me?” An illicit thrill raced through me at the thought. I wasn’t hesitating. Not anymore. I wanted him. All my mates. With every cell in my body.
He touched his lips to mine and infused his panther’s velvety purr to his words. “For the rest of my life.”
He captured my lips and his tongue swept into my mouth. There was no teasing. No asking. It wasn’t needed. I cupped his nape and pulled him close, my tongue sliding against his. His taste was stronger than his citrus scent which wrapped around me like a caress. He groaned into the kiss, pressing me into the mattress with his weight.
