“That’s my Dragon,” I said, slapping his arm bracingly and he snorted in amusement.
We broke apart and I reached into the nightstand drawer.
“Are you getting the lube?” Darius asked and I barked a laugh.
“No, I’m getting the vibrating Mammoth Shifter tusk you enjoyed so much last time.”
Darius chuckled as I grabbed hold of Diego’s hat, turning back to face him and my eyes fell on a dark figure standing in the doorway, the door wide open as he stood staring at us.
“Fucking hell,” I cursed. “What the fuck are you doing, dickwad?”
Seth stepped into the light with a whimper, eyeing the bed. “Can I join? I haven’t had pack snuggles in ages. My skin’s getting touch starved and Cal and Max went to bed.”
“No,” I said instantly but Darius flipped the cover down beside him.
“Come on then,” Darius patted the space, and I clenched my jaw as Seth shoved the door shut then whipped off his shirt, sent his shoes flying in two different directions and dove onto the bed beside Darius. But instead of staying there where I could ignore him, he climbed over Darius and started nestling his way between the two of us.
“Oh my stars, this is so comfy. Isn’t this the best?” He tugged the covers up around us and nuzzled into Darius’s head before trying to do the same to me. Which I certainly did not allow.
He tucked his hands under the blankets and started wriggling, bringing up his hand again a second later with his sweatpants and boxers in his grip, tossing them across the room on a gust of air magic.
“By the stars, are you naked?” I seethed, trying to move away from him as he rubbed himself against me. I swear I could feel the side of his fucking ass cheek on my leg. “Stop it this instant.” I shoved him hard against Darius and he tipped his head back with a mournful howl.
“I have to have full bodily contact,” Seth complained. “It’s a need of my Order. You guys can get naked too, I don’t mind.”
“Fuck no. Go find some Wolves to rub yourself on, for the love of the moon. Or I bet Washer would be up for a cuddle with you,” I suggested.
“Or just shift if you have to be fucking naked,” Darius commanded and the shift rippled down Seth’s flesh, nearly shoving me out of the bed entirely as a massive white Wolf appeared in his place and the bed creaked from the weight of us all. His tongue lolled out of his mouth and he swiped a paw at Darius who rolled his eyes before tickling his chest.
Seth promptly fell asleep, but his tail kept wagging under the covers, making the bedsheets ruffle.
“I don’t know what I’m more uncomfortable with, being in this bed with that animal or putting on a hat that hasn’t been washed for months, maybe years,” I said, eyeing the thing in my hand.
“Can’t you use your water magic on it?” Darius wrinkled his nose.
“I’m afraid I’ll wash the souls right out of it,” I said, imagining hearing Diego’s tiny screams as he raced away down the drain and deciding against that idea. “Anyway, let’s see if Diego has anything more to offer us.” I pulled on the hat and held out my hand to Darius.
Just before I was dragged into the shadowy depths of the enchanted knitwear, Darius gripped my hand tightly and he was pulled along with me.
I expected to hear Diego greeting us, but the voice that spoke took me by surprise.
“At last, I’ve been waiting for you to come here,” the unfamiliar voice said and my heart leapt.
“Who are you?” I demanded, though it was more of a thought than me physically voicing it.
“Miguel Polaris,” he said, sounding nervous. “I’m Diego’s father.”
I immediately pulled back, panic rushing through me. “Let’s get out of here, Darius,” I commanded, withdrawing from this dark place we were floating within.
“No – wait! Listen to me,” Miguel begged. “You were there the night I was freed, Lance Orion. The night Darcy Vega killed my wife Drusilla with her Phoenix fire.”
I paused, sensing Darius pulling on my psyche urgently, but then I recalled this man shouting at us to run that day, like he’d wanted us to escape that place.
“What do you want?” I asked hesitantly.
“I want to repay Darcy for what she did. She returned my mind to me. Drusilla had me bound to her control by the will of the Shadow Princess. Many years ago, I was captured and enslaved by her, for my power is strong and so long as it runs in my veins, my strength aids the Shadow Princess. Drusilla wanted to birth a son equally strong, combining my power with hers, but I was simply a pawn, fed so much of the shadows that I was drowned in them. The darkness infected my mind for so many years as Drusilla prayed to Lavinia to keep me drunk on their endless power, to keep me compliant and practically braindead. But now Drusilla is gone and I have awoken. I see my life clearly for what it has been. My poor son is dead. I hardly got to know him at all and now I have nothing left but an ache for vengeance in my heart.”