Witch Unbound by Debbie Cassidy

Chapter Twelve

Something had happened at Vita. Something ignited between the four of us, and my hunger for food was nothing compared to my hunger for them. We ate anyway. Ate and made conversation until finally Wren’s eyelids began to droop.

“Bed for you, little guy.” Tor scooped him up and fixed his gaze on me. “You too.”

Rune and Leif growled low in assent.

My stomach flipped.

Tor left the room, and Rune scraped back his chair and held out his hand to me. I took it, and he tugged me up and over his shoulder, then carried me out of the room.

My gaze was at eye level to Leif’s crotch as he followed us, and there was no disguising the bulge of the erection in his pants.

I licked my lips, racing pulse kicking up even more in anticipation of what was to come.

Rune took the stairs two at a time. He lowered me onto the bed and stepped back, hooking a hand over his shoulder to peel off his tee. His chest rose and fell fast, and his eyes were dark and hooded. I glanced at Leif to find him undressing too. Tor entered the room, closing and locking the door before peeling down the waistband of his joggers to free his arousal.

I shuffled back on the bed, the motion making me super aware of the slick heat between my thighs. The guys approached, huge, hard, and gloriously naked.

“Where do you want us?” Tor asked.

I didn’t want to think and make decisions. I wanted to be taken. “Wherever you want.” I tore at my clothes, kicking them off, then slowly parted my thighs to the kiss of cool air.

Leif made a sound that was part growl, part moan, and gooseflesh broke out over my skin.

“I want first taste,” he demanded.

“Like hell.” Tor grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. “First taste is mine.”

There was no arguing with his flashing steel-gray eyes, no denying the beast that rippled under his skin as he climbed onto the bed.

“Fucker,” Leif muttered, but his attention dropped back to me quick enough.

Rune climbed onto the bed to my left, Leif to my right, and Tor slipped between my thighs, huge hands gripping me and tugging me open wider. His gaze locked on mine.

“Are you ready to scream, Cora?”

I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t fucking think. “Yes. God yes.”

He dipped his head and claimed me, tongue slipping between my folds, and his mouth closed on my clit in ownership. My head fell back, hips bucking with a mind of their own. Rune claimed my mouth in tongue-deep kisses, his hand wrapped around my throat, squeezing slightly in a possessive motion that sent heat rushing through me.

Leif dipped his head to my breasts, rolling his tongue around each nipple until my breasts swelled with an aching throb that begged to be assuaged. Only then did he draw the peaks into his mouth, sending shockwaves down to the apex of my thighs with every tug.

Every synapse, every atom was alive with sensation as the men I loved worshipped my body. Calloused hands were chased by pillowy soft lips and hot, wet tongues, until every inch of my body was sensitized. Until the core of me was the epicenter of swollen, pulsing hunger.

But I wanted to taste them, too. I wanted to elicit moans and groans. I wanted to make them unravel with my hands and my mouth.

I broke the kiss and pressed a hand to Tor’s head. “Stop. Oh, fuck. Tor.”

He pulled away with a deep lick and stared at me, eyelids at half-mast.

I stroked his jaw. “I want to taste you.”

He rose up on his knees and we all maneuvered so I was on all fours, facing him. Leif grasped my hips from behind, fingers dimpling my flesh and flexing. The head of his cock kissed my intimate place, and I sucked in a sharp breath and then looked up at Tor. He watched me, bottom lip caught between his teeth, eyes so dark with desire they were almost black.

I gripped his arousal and licked the tip, keeping my gaze on him.

“Fuck,” Rune groaned.

I slid a glance his way. “Touch yourself for me.”

He palmed his cock and began to pump, slow and sensual.

I rolled my tongue over the tip of Tor’s arousal and then took him deep into my mouth.

Tor sucked in air through his teeth.

Someone moaned. Rune, maybe. The vibration of Tor’s chest shuddered through me, then he was hitting the back of my throat, his hands deep in my hair, holding me to him as I took what I needed from him. Guttural groans filled the room and then Tor’s hand fisted my hair.

Heat lashed between my legs as Leif got his wish to taste me. He was probing hunger, thick tongue darting in and out of me, stoking the ache within.

I caught Rune from the corner of my eye as he pleasured himself, watching us. I reached for him, taking his arousal in my hand and pumping him in time with the motion of my mouth on Tor.

They both groaned, tipping their heads back and thrusting against me.

Leif’s cock slid between my folds, and he began rolling his hips against mine, teasing my clit and driving me insane.

We were a frenzy of heat and want. Of a desperate need to be one. To join in the ultimate carnal way. One slip was all it would take. One slip and Leif would be inside me. One tilt of the hips.

I did it without thinking, and in the next moment his cock was pushing against my slick entrance.

He cried out, partly in alarm, partly in triumph, as the head of his arousal entered me.

“Shit.” He pressed his hand to my ass and held himself still.

Tor froze.

Rune froze.

I fought the urge to push back, to take what I desperately craved.

Tor carefully pulled out of my mouth, and Rune gripped my hand and urged me to let him go.

“Cora…” There was a warning in Tor’s voice. “We can’t.”

I wanted to cry, to scream, to say fuck it, please just fuck me. But instead, I reined it all in and pulled away from Leif.

We collapsed on the bed in a naked heap, slick with sweat, aching for each other.

“We can’t do this again,” Tor said. “I’m not sure what’s changed, but something has.”

“I wanted to,” Leif said. “More than anything, I felt like I needed to.”

“Me too,” Rune said. “I mean…we almost did the other day.”

“So we take a breather,” Tor said. “Just get our shit under control.”

He rolled over and kissed my cheek. “I’m gonna shower.”

I pouted at him. “And finish yourself off?”

I mean, none of us had climaxed.

Tor blinked down at me and then leaned in and kissed me again, soft and gentle. “Right now, I can’t trust myself around you.” His hand traveled down my body and slipped between my thighs. “But I can do this.” He pushed his fingers deep into me, hitting my G-spot and playing my clit. My hips jerked against his hand as my body chased release. Rune and Leif panted, taking the journey alongside me. I came hard, crying out and arching my back.

“Fuuuck,” Rune gasped.

Leif groaned and collapsed onto the bed beside me, panting hard.

My legs trembled, body quivering as Rune slipped between my thighs to claim the final taste.

“I can’t…” I pushed at his shoulders. “It’s too much.”

“Never,” Tor growled.

And Rune proceeded to show me just how much farther I could climb.

* * *

I wasn’tsure what time it was when I woke, but gray light filtered into the room through a gap in the drapes. The house was silent and peaceful, and the guys’ soft breath—and in Leif’s case, soft snores—created a symphony I could have easily fallen back asleep to. I lay between the warm, naked bodies of my mates, drifting in a state between sleep and dreaming. It was safe. Secure.

Home.

But there was something missing. Someone.

Jasper.

Oh, he’d never be a part of this dynamic, but he was a part of our family, just like Sloane now was, but whereas Sloane was safe in the Grimswood mansion, Jasper was… Unease flooded me.

There’d be no more sleep for me. I carefully extricated myself from Tor and Rune, climbed over Leif, and padded out into the hallway and downstairs. The world was waking slowly, and I spotted a robin through the lounge window, hopping along on a fresh blanket of snow, red breast as bright as blood.

The laminate floor was cool against the soles of my feet, and the kitchen linoleum was even worse. I flipped on the central heating and then popped the kettle on.

The guys usually made breakfast, but today I’d surprise them by making them a slap-up full English.

I set to work laying bacon on the griddle, beans on the hob, and grabbed the eggs from the fridge. I’d fry some tomatoes too and pop the toast in the grill.

A soft thud above had me freezing. Was someone awake? I reached for the connections between me and the guys, hoping to identify who was awake, but for a moment there was nothing but wisps of threads. My heart stalled. Wait…Where were the connections. I grasped again and felt something new. A thick silver rope of power that connected to me and outward, reaching for them but unfinished. What was that? Where were the mating threads?

I tamped down the panic and reached again. The mating bonds solidified and thrummed weakly. They were faint but present. I exhaled in relief.

Voices drifted into the lounge, and the guys entered the kitchen a moment later.

“Morning, beautiful.” Rune reached me first and dropped a kiss on my temple before turning his attention to the bacon sizzling away behind him. “There’s nothing better than waking up to the aroma of cooking bacon.”

“Aside from waking up to a naked Cora,” Leif said with a grin before kissing me softly on the lips.

He grabbed the eggs and reached for the frying pan.

Tor was last to greet me. He pulled me into his arms and ran his fingers through my hair. “Morning…” His voice was deep and husky, filled with hunger and desire. “We’ve been talking, and we wondered if you’d like to go shopping for some Christmas decorations today? Brighten the place up?” He smiled softly. “I know we’ll be busy patrolling come Yule, but we can have our own celebration the weekend before, if you’d like?”

My heart lifted. “I’d love that.”

“I’ll cook us a stellar Yule feast,” Leif said.

“We’ll do it together,” Rune said.

My heart swelled with love. “Thank you.”

Tor kissed my forehead. “Want to shower with me before breakfast?”

“Hey,” Rune called over his shoulder. “Why do you get to shower with her.”

Tor smiled smugly. “Because I had the smarts to ask.”

Leif chuckled. “Go. We’ll get breakfast.”

Tor peered down at me. “What do you say, Cora? Do you feel dirty?” His voice was a sexy rumble.

I looped my arms around his neck. “Always.”

* * *

I pickedup a huge red-and-silver bauble. “I want this!”

Rune added it to our trolley.

“Wren would have loved this place,” Tor said. “Shame we couldn’t bring him.”

The store looked like Christmas had been sick on it. Tinsel, baubles, ornaments, and fairy lights decked the aisles, and festive music played overhead. It was dazzling and exciting and, yes, Wren would have loved it. I could imagine his huge brown eyes lighting up with glee at the sight of all the pretties.

“Can you imagine the looks on the humans’ faces if they saw him, though?” Leif said, echoing my thoughts. “Fuck it, we should have brought him.”

Wren was happily chilling with Bramble at the cabin. They had cookies and ice cream and access to our vast DVD library.

Rune picked up a huge nutcracker ornament. “It’s the same size as Wren. We need to get this.”

“Put it in the trolley.”

“No room,” Rune said.

I blinked down to see that indeed we’d fully loaded up the huge trolley. “We still need a tree…”

Tor strode off and returned a moment later with a huge box balanced on his shoulder. “Done.”

I grinned up at him. “Okay, let’s get to the counter.”

It wasn’t until we got there that it hit me. I had no idea what the state of my bank account was. I needn’t have worried because Tor took charge, intent on paying for everything. Still, it made me feel like a cheapskate, but I wasn’t about to argue with him. How embarrassing would it be if he conceded, and I tried to pay, only to find I didn’t have enough cash in my account.

No. I’d wait till we got outside, then check my balance at the nearest ATM and draw some cash out to give to him.

The shop assistant took ages totaling stuff up, probably because she couldn’t keep her eyes off the guys. I didn’t blame her. They were gorgeous, charismatic males, and they were mine. They’d all donned jeans and winter jackets over tees, which made them look even bulkier and bigger than they were. Tor, dark, dangerous, and brooding; Rune, the golden-haired, hazel-eyed Viking; and Leif, the crimson-haired, cheeky Adonis.

Her gaze flicked to me, then down to my hand clasped with Leif’s. She refocused her ogling on Rune and Tor.

“What about this one, Cor?” Rune picked up a hairband with glittery holly on it and slid it onto my head before dropping a kiss on my forehead. “Looks good on you.” He smiled, slow and easy, and my pulse sped up.

I caught the checkout assistant’s look of surprise, and wicked urge took me.

I turned to Tor and tilted my chin up. “What do you think, babe?”

His gaze swept over me, and then he leaned in and claimed my lips in a soft kiss.

“I think you’re beautiful whatever you wear.” He smiled. “Or don’t wear.”

The woman cleared her throat, and when I looked her way this time, she looked like she’d sucked on a lemon. She rang up the items quickly.

Leif and Rune pushed through the doors carrying several bags, and Tor and I were almost through when I heard her mutter, “Hussy.”

Tor’s step faltered. He’d heard her too. I looked up to see dark anger sweep across his face, but I grabbed his hand quickly and shot him a bright smile before glancing over my shoulder at the checkout assistant.

“That’s happy hussy to you.” I swept out the door, dragging a growling Tor with me.

* * *

Numbers,so many fucking numbers glared at me from the ATM machine. “I think this thing is busted.”

Leif leaned in from behind and rested his chin on my shoulder before letting out a low whistle.

“Someone’s loaded.”

“I’m not. This is a mistake.”

He chuckled and kissed my neck. “No, Cora. It isn’t. This is Grimswood cash. An anchor payment. Charlotte was given one too.”

“What?” I stared at the numbers again. “This is mine?”

“Yep. They call it the anchor fund. Investments, stocks, and fuck knows what else. It was set up a long time ago and every anchor gets a cut. This is yours.”

I stared at the numbers again. “No one said.”

“Probably slipped their minds with all the death and destruction going on around your arrival.”

“So, they pay the anchor for…what? Giving up her right to have kids and penetrative sex?”

“I guess…” Leif said softly. “Does that upset you?”

Did it? I mean…No. Fuck it. I’d given up a lot to do this, and yeah, I’d gained stuff too, but all bets were off in a century, so…Fuck it. I’d take it. I had money. Real money. I won’t lie, images of boots slide-showed through my head. But that was a trip for another day.

I cashed out the money I needed to pay for the Christmas stuff and a little extra for my purse.

I was no longer beholden to anyone and it felt fucking awesome. Leif took my hand, and we crossed the street toward the café where Rune and Tor were ordering a slap-up lunch for us.

The bell dinged as we stepped inside. I scanned the tables and spotted Rune’s golden head and Tor’s dark one, but they weren’t alone. A silver-haired, electric-blue-eyed Sloane sat with them.

Our gazes locked and she graced me with a slow-burn smile that went straight to my core.

“We thought you might like it if Sloane was here too,” Leif said in my ear.

I tore my gaze from Sloane and looked up at him. “I do. Thank you.”

“I’m sorry Jasper isn’t here too, Cora. But we’ll do this again when he gets back, I promise.”

I liked that he said when, not if, and despite the emptiness that Jasper’s absence made in my heart, I couldn’t deny the joy of having the guys and Sloane here with me. In that moment, I was certain that Jasper would be back and that everything was going to be all right.

I was so wrong.