Outrunning Her Past

Chapter 22

The aroma of freshly cooked steaks filled the room. "Fuck, that smells divine," Nate groaned as he made a beeline to the table, uncovering a large platter of steaks, potatoes, and carrots. I picked up another cover revealing bread, as the others followed suit discovering salad, fresh fruit, sauces, and decadent-looking desserts. It sounded like a den of hungry lions as our stomachs growled, making us laugh. We quickly filled out plates and sat eating silently for a while. When we got to dessert, the questions began.

"How much do you remember from Merith's house and your dream with Hecate?" Talon asked.

"Most of it," I answered, licking the chocolate frosting off my fork. "I had no idea it was Hecate at first. I just woke up to some tall lady yelling at me, then she took me through a fancy garden with a murky-looking pond at the edge. She told me my truth was in the pond, or I could forget everything and stay in the garden."

"If the pond looked odd, why did you leave the garden?" Leo questioned.

"The longer I stood there, the more fake the garden seemed - like the flowers smelled too sweet. It was just off."

Wyatt reached out and touched my hand, "Even at the crossroads, you knew which path led to our bond, darlin,"

In a blur, Dean was before me, pulling me out of my chair. "Speaking of the bond," he purred, "I thought the pull was strong before, but fuck, now it's driving me insane." I could see his fangs slightly extended as his breath tickled my face. "I have my desert right here." I gasped as his hand ran down my neck, gripping slightly as he pulled me into a deep kiss. I want to hear you scream again, my beloved, Dean said in my mind. My knees almost buckled as Talon stepped behind me, his lips grazing the skin on my neck as his hands slid around my waist.

The food was quickly forgotten as I became the center of their attention. Deft fingers made quick work of my clothes, and then Dean's lips were replaced with Nate's as he growled softly, his teeth nipping at my lower lip. My moans were devoured with their mouths, their touches. I felt like I was going to float away with only them to keep me grounded. I felt myself being lifted and cool sheets against my skin, followed by gentle fingers rubbing my core, before pressing inside of me. My back arched, my hands searching for their bodies to cling to as they sent me into cascading orgasms that blended into one another until my entire body felt weak.

Tears fell as I cried quietly, not understanding my sadness. "Shh, love, it's okay, we're here," Leo whispered as he held me close to his chest. A cool washcloth caressed my skin as Nate and Wyatt cleaned me up. Dean pressed a glass of water to my lips as I sipped slowly, and Talon ran his fingers through my hair.

"T...this is my home," I hiccupped, "with all of you, no matter where."

"And you are our home, Daniella," Talon spoke. "Now rest, beautiful. We will watch over you, now and always." A faint smile crept over my lips as I burrowed my head into Leo's chest and let sleep take me.

Leo

I listened to the rhythm of her breathing as she slept. Her nose would occasionally crinkle as she dreamt. "How did you know about the crossroads?" I asked Wyatt.

"I could smell the sulfur and magic," he said, his gaze never lifting from her form. "The crossroads have a very distinct odor. I was worried she'd made some kind of bargain at first."

"Resa called her a child of Hecate," Dean added, "And she said she spoke directly with Hecate. You realize this means our girl isn't just a Verul witch, but a claimed witch."

"What does that mean for our bonding? How will our powers impact her new ones, or for that matter, will her powers transfer to us as well?" Talon mused, "Fuck, will we all end up as hybrids? Will our kingdoms accept us?"

"Do we even still have kingdoms to rule?" Nate added, "With the way our families have betrayed us, I question if they ever intended us to rule at all, or just be their puppets."

"So where do we go after Knocknashee?" I asked. "We can't exactly go back to the farmhouse.

"My father's kingdom." Wyatt looked at each of us. "None of your families can enter without an invitation from him, and I doubt he'll give any of them permission after he learns the truth. Only Leo's parents would be allowed, I'm certain." He ran a finger over her brow and she made a pleasant keening noise as she gravitated toward his touch even in her sleep. "Once our bonds are sealed, we plan how to punish those who wronged us, and then unite our kingdoms once and for all with Dani as our Queen. Agreed?"

"Agreed," we all chorused.  

Author's Notes:  A short set up chapter.  Give me some feedback, my lovelies...where do you want to see this go?