Wandering Witch, page 10
Locke slowed down long enough for Roan to find his rhythm before he powered back into me. I didn’t last long before I found myself soaring over the edge into bliss. My lovers followed me right on the heels of pleasure and I cried out as I felt Locke swell inside me. They both groaned as Locke’s swelling triggered another orgasm from me, and I saw Benny out of the corner of my eye cumming all over his hand as he watched.
Eventually, our breathing evened out, and Locke could ease us down onto the bed. I fell asleep wrapped in the comforting arms of Roan and Locke as they whispered words of love in my ears.
Farren
The next time I woke up, I was stuck in the middle of a delicious naked man-wich. When I stretched my stiff limbs, I felt parts of my body sore in ways I had never really felt before, and it was wonderful.
At my small groans, Roan reached over and draped his arm over my body, and right when I thought he was just in the mood to cuddle, his hand groped at my breast. I moaned at the sensation but was silenced by Locke’s mouth.
“Did you enjoy your nap?” Locke’s voice was soft and warm as he cupped my cheek with his hand. I nodded and stretched again as Roan squeezed the boob in his hand.
“What are the odds we can stay like this forever?” Roan whispered behind me as he pressed his already erect cock into my ass.
I wriggled against him and giggled as he groaned while his hand started its trip south. Locke released my face and caught Roan’s wandering hand at the wrist before locking eyes over me.
“We probably need to get moving. I don’t know how much lead we have on the curse, and I really don’t want to let it win now that we’ve found each other.”
I felt Roan pout behind me as he pressed his mouth to my shoulder and I really wanted to agree with him. But Locke was right.
It was time for us to take on the curse that stalked my family line and put an end to it for good. Roan tried to distract me again by grinding against me and it took all the willpower I possessed to push myself into a seated position.
“Locke is right. As much as I want to agree with you, Ro, I need to find a way to break this curse and really claim my life,” I said as I crawled to the foot of the bed and tried to ignore the warmth leaking out of me with each movement. Both boys groaned in appreciation as they watched me. I couldn’t help giving my ass a little extra wiggle before I dismounted the bear and stumbled when my unsteady feet touched the floor.
I caught myself before I fell and used my stumble as an excuse to search the floor for my clothes. Unfortunately for me, the guys were more than a little amorous earlier, and everything was torn and shredded enough to be little more than fire kindling.
With a heavy sigh, I glared over my shoulder at the pair who were lounged against the headboard, watching me with interest and lust sparkling in their eyes. I rolled my eyes before I turned away and found the bag with my clothes.
I had to use a scrap of what was once a shirt to clean myself off before I could get dressed, but after I had on clean clothes I felt like a brand-new woman.
Eventually, we left the cabin. Benny was sitting by the fire watching the stars that must have come out while I was napping. We really did end up wasting the day in bed, but sweet damn did it feel good to truly bond with my guys.
“Hey, Benny-boy! Ready to get going?” Roan called from behind me, and I rolled my eyes at his antics. He certainly seemed to have perked up immensely from having our little ‘cuddle’ session.
Benny, for his part, turned with a smile and I felt my heart skip a beat. Locke broke the spell when he slapped the backside of Roan’s head.
“First we need to figure out where we’re going, dipshit,” Locke scolded as he pulled the map out of the pack that he had claimed for his own.
Benny stood up from his rope stool and offered it as a table so we could all look at it. He gasped as he watched the magic in the map flare to life and change yet again.
All of the circles were gone. The little bird twirled happily on the map as it danced over a small fox right where we would be. The pentagram had its fire spoke colored in with a vibrant red and the spirit had faint hints of purple on the edges.
My demon was enchanted by the map while the others and I stared intently at the pentagram as we tried to determine where it could be guiding us. Benny must have noticed us staring at one particular point and he took his time studying it.
“Is there supposed to be some kind of meaning in the placement of these symbols?” Benny asked.
“All of us were at each location. And we figured that the pentagram is where we need to be to break the curse on Fare’s blood,” Locke explained. “Any ideas where that could be since you’re more local to the area than us?”
“It’s probably going to be some kind of haunted ruins of a town.” Roan and Benny looked at me, so I rushed to explain myself, “Locke already knows this, but since this quest started, I’ve had dreams that showed the map.” Roan nodded in a way that told me he was aware of that already. “But there was also some kind of ruin in the dreams as well. It was shrouded in a darkness that felt really similar to the curse, like there was some kind of link between the two.”
Benny leaned back and bit his lower lip as he looked thoughtful.
“This might sound a little weird and a lot suspicious, but I think I have an idea of where you’re talking about.” Locke growled at Benny’s words, but when I placed a hand on his chest, he calmed down. “It’s not like that, bear. I just happen to be aware of a town somewhat nearby that has an aura like you described. Not too long after I got my freedom and I finished cleaning up this area, I investigated. Sure enough, there’s something that hangs over the town that gives a clear warning to stay away. It took some poking and prodding around the area, but eventually I was able to break in and was shocked to see it was just an abandoned, rundown ruin of a town. But one that was saturated with magic.”
A lump formed in my throat. Could the end of the curse really be in sight for me? Did I really want to risk whatever it would cost me to face it though? Suddenly faced with the realization that I would have to make that choice soon, I panicked.
Locke
Ikept a close eye on my mate as Benny described the town that we were most likely looking for. So I saw the moment her resolve fled. The idea of having to stand up for what she wanted scared her, and I really couldn’t blame her.
“At least we have an idea, but whether or not that’s where we go next is up to Fare.” I didn’t want to force her to make such a clearly difficult choice, but there was no other option. This was her mission, so the choice to take the final steps had to be up to her.
She looked at me with pure betrayal and I only shrugged.
“So, love, what do we do? If you want to stay here, that’s always an option,” Roan asked, and I saw a look of hurt enter Fare’s eyes.
“I wish we could,” she confessed, although she refused to meet anyone’s gaze. “But that’s the downside to the curse. No place is ever truly safe. It wouldn’t be long before it arrived on our doorstep unless we kept on the run and ahead of it.”
I shared a look with her other mates. Damn, I guess that’s what they really are. It would explain why my bear wasn’t over disturbed when they linger too close to her. We all saw her reluctance, and we all wanted to protect her from having to make this decision.
The demon raised a hand but I stopped him before he could make contact with Fare. When he glared at me, I shook my head. Fare had to be the one to make the call about what we did next.
“If a life on the run is what you want, that’s what we’ll do. We’ll all support you, no matter what you want to do.” Benny made sure I knew he had included me in his statement.
I started to reply, but Fare cut me off without even knowing that’s what she did.
“You have no idea how much I want to just tuck my tail and run. But this has gone on long enough. My family has spent generations running for our lives. It’s time one of us stands up and fights back.”
Pride filled every inch of me at her words. I knew they had cost her a lot to say. At her shaky resolve, I noticed the map glimmer softly as a little more of the purple filled in. That was the sign to us all that she was serious in her decision, and that it was the right one.
We agreed that it would be best if we left as soon as possible, though I thought Fare really only pushed for that so she wouldn’t have a chance to change her mind and backpedal. Since I only wanted to help my mate succeed, I chased the guys around the clearing to make sure we were packed up and ready to hit the road the moment we were ready.
Fare waited until I had shifted before she approached me and whispered while the others were busy loading me down with our supplies.
“Do you think I’m making the right call?” she asked, and I saw the uncertainty in her face.
Since I was unable to speak in bear form, which she knew. I was willing to bet that was why she waited until then to ask, I nodded and pushed my snout into her chest. She sighed in relief and held my head close until Roan said it was time to go.
He helped her onto my back before he swung himself up behind her. Benny stood before me and we locked eyes.
“I should be able to keep up with you. Do you want me to lead you on the most direct path to the village?” he asked, and I nodded right away. I didn’t need to ask Fare whether she wanted to take the long or short route. Her fear about her ability to do what would be needed was clear and I knew she needed the least amount of time to rethink her decision.
The demon turned and started off at a light jog for a short distance before he moved into a run that I was able to keep up with easily enough.
The village that Benny led us to proved to be fairly close, though it still took us more than a day of running to reach. When the ground off to our side fell away to form a sharp cliff, I released a short series of chuffs to catch the demon guide’s attention.
He turned around and returned to where I had let my passengers down.
“Are we close?” my mate asked as I shifted back.
“I think so,” I trailed off to look at Benny who nodded. “But I think this would be a good place to stop and rest up before tackling our final hurdle.”
Again, the demon nodded and Roan must have been following our conversation because he had pulled out the tent.
Fare looked in the direction we were headed with a worried look that I wished I could do something to ease.
She stayed that way until I finally had to force her to get some rest. I doubted she would get any sleep, but at least pretending would be better than nothing. Benny and Roan must have noticed my concerned looks at her because they whispered to each other just softly enough that I couldn’t make out the words.
Eventually Benny stood up and grabbed my shoulder in a friendly manner.
“C’mon. Let’s go tuck our girl in. Roan said he would take watch.”
Farren
Morning light shone through the opening in the tent, and I was surprised I could sleep as deeply as I did. When I sat up to stretch out the kinks of sleep, I looked around and blinked sleepily at the naked bodies on either side of me. Ah, that would explain it. I mused as my eyes devoured the miles of bare flesh.
I startled a little when I realized it was Locke and Benny who’d ‘tucked’ me in last night. I had not expected that Locke would be that willing to play nice so soon after meeting the demon.
Movement from outside the tent caught my attention, and I grabbed my clothes on my way to see what was going on. Roan had been digging through the bags and found what looked like the cooking supplies. I just stood and watched from the door of the tent as he prepared what could have been a breakfast for an army with a soft smile on my face.
How had I managed to get so lucky to find so many caring men?
Warm, lithe arms encircled my waist and I was startled as Benny rested his chin on my shoulder. We just stood watching Roan cook what could very well be our last meal.
“Cheer up, Goddess. We won’t let anything happen to you,” Benny whispered in my ear as he stepped aside and joined the spirit.
Locke joined me not long after and instead of just standing with me to watch breakfast get cooked, he steered me away from camp and to the edge of the cliff. He sat down and let his legs dangle off the side as he pulled me down to land in his lap.
“The demon is right, you know,” he murmured in my ear. “Nothing will get to you without getting through us first.”
My back stiffened and I started to shake in his arms. No, please don’t die for me.
“I understand that you’re worried. Hell, I’m a little worried about what’s going to happen, to be honest.” My head whipped around to meet his gaze, and I knew surprise was written plainly on my face. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s not the most encouraging thing I could tell you. But I don’t want to lie. I don’t want to give you any false sense of hope. All our fates are in your hands, and on the small possibility that you should fail, just know that none of us will blame you.”
“No pressure.” I laughed harshly.
“Sorry, not sorry. It’s just not in my nature to blow out hot air.” I felt him shrug under me.
“So, do you really think I’m going to fail at breaking the curse?” dread filled me as I asked the one question that had haunted my thoughts since we’d discussed coming here.
“I think the results of standing up to the curse are completely in your hands and depend solely on you. I think that to break the curse, it’s something that you really, deeply, truly need to want,” Locke intoned solemnly.
“Think about in terms of how Big Bear here has been working with me to manipulate the world around me. I had to not just want something but had to push my will into the act to make it happen,” Roan added as he sat beside us.
“Enough heavy talk before breakfast!” Benny called from the fire. “You’ll both give her indigestion if you keep this up.”
We laughed as the boys helped me stand and carefully moved back from the cliff’s edge.
Despite the guys’ attempts to lighten the mood during breakfast, I was too focused on what could go wrong. I had never heard of a curse as powerful as mine ever being broken so I had no idea what the possible backlash could be.
What if I succeeded but the blowback was so powerful that it blasted us out of existence? What if I failed and we all died? Or worst of all, what if I succeed and lost one or more of my guys as the price?
“Remember, my mate, we are strongest when we stand together.” Locke wrapped his arms around me and kissed my cheek.
“Would you feel better if you rode into that village like a goddess upon her war bear?” Roan asked.
I flushed but nodded. Locke spun me and kissed me deeply enough to make my toes tingle before he stepped away. Unlike every other time he shifted for me, he was slow and deliberate in his movements. It was like he was putting on a show as everything expanded and sprouted hair. When he was fully shifted, he towered over us as he released an earth-shaking roar and fell onto his forepaws.
Benny turned and grinned mischievously at me as he set small fires on Locke’s coat with a casual wave of his hand. As the flames burned away, they left behind a set of gleaming obsidian armor. Benny approached me and held my cheeks in his hands as his lips locked on mine and I felt sparks race through my body. When he finally released me, I looked down and saw that my dusty, worn, torn traveling clothes had been changed into a shining ancient Greek-style golden gown.
Roan gave a wolf whistle as Benny helped me onto Locke’s back and my bear started a proud and steady trot along the cliff’s edge towards the village that held all our fates.
Benny
Roan and I stood back and watched as our mate was carried away to her destiny until they were almost out of sight. We both knew she would need us at her side to bolster her through the spell she’d have to cast, but at the same time, she needed the power that a little outfit change gave her.
“Was it me, or did she seem very reluctant to go through with this?” I asked as we slowly followed the pair.
“No, it’s not just you. Ever since I met her, I have felt that Fare lacks overall confidence. It plummeted even more when she found out that everything she knew about the source of her curse was a lie,” he answered, and I nodded. “What do you think are the odds that we’ll actually find something ready and waiting for her to do battle with when we get there?”
“Slim to none. And Slim is almost out the door.” I laughed. “It may have been a few decades since I last looked at this place, but the dark aura really felt like just that. An aura. More than likely it will be just like the last time I was there and filled with nothing but some ruins and a bad feeling. If we’re lucky we’ll be able to get some answers and ideas about how to break the curse though. I think there were a couple of buildings in the town center that were more or less intact.”
“So then, why did we let her and Locke get all dressed up and ride off like they were going to war?” Roan asked, and I laughed.
“Because she really needed the confidence boost that gave her. You said it yourself. The bulk of this is all in her head. If she’s too focused on what could go wrong, everything could fall apart, but let her believe that she’s able to do anything and she’ll move mountains.”
Locke
The armor that Benny gave me looked cool, I’d admit that. I’d even give him that it made me feel unstoppable. But I was not ready for how loud it would be. The plates of metal shifted and clanked against each other with each step I took and I wondered if it was really necessary.
Though, if that was the price I had to pay to see my mate dressed like a golden goddess, who was I to complain? I mused as I came to a stop on the edge of a river that was one of our last obstacles on the way to the village.
