Witch Unbound by Debbie Cassidy

Chapter Twenty-Four

Jasper was asleep when I got back to the cabin. He’d never slept like this before, so deep, so…real. As if he needed it. Ignoring the prickle of unease, I smoothed back his hair from his forehead and kissed his brow.

“Love you, babe.”

I’d planned on nabbing him and then heading to the main house to chat with the guys, but no way was I waking him up now. He obviously needed the rest. Leaving him to slumber, I headed to the main house to find the guys in the kitchen brewing coffee.

They were all naked to the waist, bodies all dewy from their morning run, and they all looked surprised to see me.

Tor’s gaze tracked over my head. “Jasper?”

“Asleep.”

“I didn’t think he slept properly,” Rune said.

“He can if he wants, but he doesn’t need to, at least not usually. I guess the events in the abyss took their toll on him.”

“Does he remember what happened?” Leif asked.

“No.” I took the mug of coffee Tor handed to me and sipped it, grateful for the full-bodied flavor and the hit of caffeine. “He knows it was bad, though. But there’s something else. I woke up earlier and reached for you guys, and our connections were so weak they might as well not have been there. They’re back now, but I panicked and went to the manor to see Anna.”

“What happened?” Tor asked.

I smiled wryly. “A lot.” I filled them in on my initial short chat with Anna, and then Meredith’s little show-and-tell followed by Anna’s admissions. “There’s no reason we can’t be fully intimate aside from the fact I get access to a shit-load of power.”

“All this time…” Rune looked dismayed. “She lied to everyone for…forever, and she killed those people.”

“Anna’s not a bad person,” Leif said. “I’ve spent a lot of time with her, and I can say with certainty that she has always put the coven above all else. What she did was horrific. I don’t condone it, but I can see how she may have believed it was her only course of action.”

“Yeah, but she was wrong.” I couldn’t be okay with what she’d done. “So now we have to solidify our bonds to make sure the seal stays intact.”

Leif, Tor, and Rune exchanged glances.

“Who will it be?” Tor finally asked me.

Shit. I hadn’t thought of this. I mean, I loved them all equally, so how could I pick just one to share this important, intimate moment with?

Leif must have seen the conflict on my face because he smiled reassuringly and reached up to tuck an errant tendril of hair behind my ear.

“We’re connected,” he said. “You might be making love to one of us, but we can all share in the experience through our bond. Besides,” he said with a grin, “this isn’t about sex, it’s about the seal. The fun sex part can happen after. We’ll have all the time in the world.” He winked cheekily.

“How about you let us choose who’ll do this with you?” Rune asked.

I nodded. “Okay.”

The guys faced each other and prepared for rock paper scissors. An intense bubble of love swelled inside me for these guys. These powerful, sweet, nurturing men who had opened my heart and my mind and shown me a sense of family I could never have imagined would be mine. It didn’t matter how much time we had left together, all that mattered was what we did with that time. And I planned to make the most of it.

“Dammit!” Leif groaned.

Tor chuckled. “You have a tell.”

“What? Wait, that’s cheating.”

“Your tell means he’s cheating?” Rune asked.

Leif huffed. “Whatever. Let’s do this.”

Tor fixed his intense steel-gray eyes on me. “Are you ready for us, Cora?”

My stomach flipped hard, and my mouth went dry as the pulse in my throat began to throb. “I’m ready.”

* * *

Tor stretchedout on the bed and beckoned me to join him. “You get to take control for this, Cora.” His voice was a delicious rumble that teased my senses.

Rune and Leif hovered in the doorway, so I took their hands and led them in. I wanted them in the room with us when we did this. We were a unit. We were mated. Connected. This was a moment that needed to be shared.

I led them to the bed, and they climbed on, flanking Tor. My three gorgeous shifter mates, all abs, powerful shoulders, and rippling muscle.

I shucked off my clothes, aware of their hot gazes on me, trailing over every inch of me. Their breath quickened and power coursed through me because I was doing this to them. I was arousing them, bringing desire to their eyes. My body tingled in anticipation as I straddled Tor’s hips. Locking gazes with him, I reached for his waistband and carefully peeled it down to free his arousal.

My sex throbbed and pulsed at the sight of him. I’d had him in my mouth, rubbed against him all slick and hot, all the while wanting to feel him inside me in the most intimate way.

I was about to get what I wanted, and my heart raced as I ran my hand up and down his length. He was hard as steel, skin soft as velvet.

“Fuck, Cora.” He watched me work him, jaw tense, eyes like hot brands. His chest worked harder, breaths deeper as his hands fisted the duvet cover.

Leif moaned low in his throat, hand dipping into his joggers, but Rune kept his eyes on my face, focused on my parted mouth and the gasps spilling from it.

I was wet, slick, and ready. Rising up on my knees, I positioned myself above Tor and pressed him to my entrance. My heart pounded so hard I was sure they could all hear it.

Tor’s hands slid up my thighs, but he didn’t push his hips up, he didn’t pull me onto his length. No, that was up to me. Bracing my hands on his abs, I slowly lowered myself onto him. My breath tangled in my lungs, desire surging up to choke me as he stretched me, filled me, oh, God.

Tor made a rumbling sound of approval, but held still, giving me the reins. This was perfect, this was how it was meant to be.

“Cora…Please…” Rune said softly.

I drew my bottom lip into my mouth, closed my eyes, and began to rock on him, the motion slight at first, teasing, tasting, but it had been too long, too fucking long, and my body was hungry for more. Desperate for it all. I tipped my head back and abandoned myself to the ride. Warmth radiated out from my groin, spilling over my thighs and spiraling up my abdomen to coalesce at my solar plexus. Tor began to move into me, harder, faster, and the threads connecting us vibrated and buzzed, growing brighter and brighter.

The beast inside me stirred and sat up.

Yes.

Yes, this was how it was meant to be.

These males were our mates. They belonged to us.

She spilled out of her shell, her essence connecting with the threads, winding around them and seeping into them.

“Cora… what…what is that?” Tor asked.

“Oh, God, it’s her,” Rune added.

I opened my eyes to infrared.

“Your eyes…” Leif said.

I was me and I was the beast, and these were my mates. Our mate bonds shone bright, solid, and silver, then power slugged me in my chest, warm and pure.

The world melted away and the scent of the forest hit me. Blades of lush grass pricked my skin and stars beamed down at me.

A vista. I’d created a vista, a place where fated mates went to connect, but how? How could this be? My thoughts shattered beneath Tor’s mouth and hands, melting beneath the sensations radiating out from my core as he moved inside me, his body kissing mine, connecting in a deep, satisfying way. I reached up to caress his jaw and my fingers grazed Leif’s stubbled cheek. His gunmetal blues were dark with carnal hunger.

“Cora. Fuck, you’re so tight.” He rolled his hips against me, hitting the spot that pushed me toward release.

“Leif, don’t stop.”

“I won’t,” Rune said.

I ran my hands through his golden tresses and held them back as he dipped his head to claim my lips in open-mouth kisses.

The tempo built, heat rushing to my head as I hurtled toward the precipice.

I came with a howl. It tore from my throat, feral and pure, shooting up to the starry sky and painting it in a rainbow of colors.

“Cora?” Fingers slid through my hair, and hands smoothed down my naked back and flank.

“Hey…” I raised my head to look down at Tor, trapped beneath me.

His eyes were filled with silver flecks, pupils huge and dilated. “Tor?” I looked up at Rune and then at Leif, into their eyes, now flecked with silver too.

They stared at me in wonder.

“Cora…you claimed us,” Rune said softly. “You claimed us for real.”

* * *

We lay tangledon the bed, reveling in the potent connections that bound us. I could feel them with a thought now, sense their emotions if I wanted, but I put up a wall to stop the intrusion.

“Is this real?” Leif asked. He rubbed his breastbone with his knuckles. “It feels real.”

“Cora’s beast claimed us as her mates,” Rune said. “We’re mated. Truly mated.”

There was a new well of power in my grasp now too. Cosmos was warm, pure, and endless, and I instinctively knew I could reach out and draw from it if needed. A sense of calm had settled over us as our metaphysical union was now complete.

“What was that place?” Tor asked. “It felt like it belonged to us.”

I propped myself up on my elbow to look down at him. “I think it’s a vista. My friend Fee told me about it. She built one with her fated mates.”

“So it’s a fated mates thing?” Rune said.

“It’s meant to be. I mean…I don’t know how we have one.”

“But then we don’t know much about your beast.”

“There were two moons,” Rune said. “I saw two moons in the sky.”

There was so much to untangle and talk about, a new dynamic to adjust to, and… “You’re my mates for real. Which means the century rule no longer matters and you don’t have to procreate with anyone else.” I sat up and did a fist pump.

Tor’s chest vibrated in a chuckle. “We’re yours, Cora. Forever.”

Rune pulled me against his naked chest and nuzzled my neck. “Ours.” His tone was husky and thick with desire.

“The seal is safe now,” Leif said, his blue eyes darkening as they raked over me. “Now we can play.”

Rune ran his hands up my torso and cupped my breasts. “Do you want to play, Cora?” He squeezed and rolled my nipples. I arched my back, crying out.

Leif’s hands went to my thighs, parting them, and then he dragged me up onto his lap.

“Yes…” Tor’s voice was a rumble. “Fuck, Cora, you’re so beautiful.”

Rune’s chest pressed to my back as I straddled Leif and pushed up on my knees so I was hovering over his arousal.

“Do it,” Tor ordered.

I licked my lips and then dropped slightly, allowing him to slip between my folds and nudge me, begging for entrance.

I locked gazes with Leif. “You ready?”

“Fuck yes.”

I smiled and lowered myself onto him, biting back a gasp as he filled me. I wanted to take this slow, but I couldn’t help myself. I needed to move. To take him hard.

Rune sucked on my neck, hands kneading my breasts as I rode Leif. But I needed more. I wanted to be filled, to be claimed.

The beast inside me roared. More.

I pressed my palm to Leif’s shoulder. “Wait. I want you all. I want you all inside me.”

“Fuck.” Tor’s chest vibrated, and Rune pinched my nipples, tearing a moan from me.

“Now.” I shoved Leif onto his back and adjusted position so Rune’s cock nudged my ass. “Rune, please.” I pressed my ass to his cock.

He cursed and grabbed my hips.

Shit. “Hurry.”

“Tor, lube.” Rune’s voice was tight.

Cool wetness spread between my cheeks, his fingers slipping and sliding, teasing me as they prepared me for him.

“Have you done this before?” Rune asked. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

God, I needed him now. “You won’t. I can take it.”

“Fuck, when you talk like that…” I felt him push against me, push into me.

Beneath me Leif stilled, giving me a moment to adjust to the new, welcome intrusion. The slight burn of the stretch had me sucking in a sharp breath.

“Cora?” Rune stilled.

“Don’t stop.” I pushed against him, moaning as he forced another inch into me.

He worked his way in slowly, back and forth, until I was panting and begging him to go all in. I fell forward with a cry of satisfaction as he finally settled inside me, throbbing, hot, and aching.

I was full, so fucking full, and I needed more.

A low whimper escaped my lips. “Please…”

“Now,” Tor ordered. “She’s ready.”

The guys began to move in a rhythm that worked every erogenous zone inside me. My eyes rolled and strange primal cries bubbled up my throat.

“Tor…” I reached for him. “Please.”

He positioned himself in front of me and I claimed his arousal with my mouth, taking him deep with every thrust, my moans and cries vibrating against his cock.

His hands slid into my hair as the tempo increased, and his grunts and groans joined ours.

We came together, connected, entwined. One.

* * *

I didn’t wantto move. I wanted to stay cocooned on this bed with my guys forever. There was a new level of closeness now. A connection like nothing I’d ever imagined.

“Did we hurt you?” Rune asked softly.

I beamed up at him. “God, no. It was perfect.”

Tor stroked my hair, looking down at me. “I wish we could keep you like this all the time, naked and in bed.”

“Why not?” Leif said. “I’m sure we’re all due some vacation time from end-of-the-world antics.”

“I did just come back from the dead,” Rune added. “We should celebrate with copious amounts of sex.”

Joy began to expand in my chest, but a fist formed in its place, punching at my lungs and knocking the breath out of me.

“Cora? What is it?” Tor asked.

My vision went dark and then I saw the seal, just as I’d seen it when I’d become the anchor, except it was riddled with golden fractures. Light pulsed out of those cracks, brighter and brighter.

“Cora!”

Rune shook me. “Cora, what is it? What are you seeing?”

This couldn’t be happening. This shouldn’t be happening. “The seal…”

My gut twisted with a sick foreboding and a clear conviction filled me, tugging me in a different direction.

“Jasper…Jasper’s in trouble.”

* * *