Attack (The Aurora Marelup Saga Book 4)

The last twelve hours have been intense, to say the least. Aurora woke up with the fire of vengeance burning brightly in her heart. I don’t know how the others feel, but I felt her rage as if it was my own. The underlining urge to hunt and kill all those who stand against us is spurring my beast on. He wants to kill and please our mate. I head into the house, shower quickly, and race to the kitchen. Jayce is already in there, chopping and preparing dinner with Klaus as his sous chef. I watch them work in silence side-by-side, making dinner for everyone.

Lithe fingers ghost over my broad shoulders, then come to rest on my hips. Teeth nip at the muscle over my shoulder blade. I moan softly, shifting my weight slightly as I feel Aurora’s fingertips move and trace each defined muscle across my back. Her hands rest on my shoulders as she moves to stand on her tippy toes. Her breath washes over the back of my neck, and I roll my head forward, granting her access. Aurora’s lips gently caress my skin. My wolf makes himself known, and he rumbles in my chest. I feel the smile move across Aurora’s lips. My baby has a bit of a kink; she loves letting my wolf hunt her and have his way with her.

My cock is rock hard in my pants as I think about the last time we took her as a wolf. No, tonight, the man will have his way with his mate. Aurora gradually makes her way to stand in front of me. My beloved mate’s scent calls to me; she’s aroused and desires my attention. Bit by bit, I lower my head and nip at her throat, and listen to her moans fill the air. I look up, and Klaus’s and Jayce’s movements have stilled; they’re watching us. I reach down and grab Aurora by the ass, slamming her back against the wall, and kiss her roughly.

I rub my hard cock against her crotch in slow teasing thrusts, knowing I’ll have her begging for it sooner than later. Aurora arches her body, bringing her breasts close to my face; my canines elongate, and I use them to rip the fabric of her shirt, freeing her breasts. Her gasps are music to my ears as her hands grip my hair roughly, and she pulls my face to her chest. Who am I to deny my mate what she wants?

Aurora removes one hand from my hair and uses one of her talons to cut the remaining fabric free from her body. She obliterates her little booty shorts as well as the pretty lace bra she had on. My mate wants me as much as I want her right now. Then again, Aurora is always riled up after getting into a fight. Sex seems to soothe her beast better than anything else we can do for her. Aurora tilts her head, looking down between us at the offending jeans currently blocking what she wants.

I lean forward and bite her bottom lip as I take my free hand to undo my pants and let them fall to the floor. Aurora squeals with delight as she wiggles her ass until I’m lined up with her wet depths. I release her lip only to move and bite onto my mating mark on her shoulder while I thrust up into her and drive her body down. Her muscles are already quivering and pulsing around my cock as I bury myself balls deep in her. Aurora squirts almost instantly when her orgasm comes crashing down on her. I thrust against the strong rhythmic pulses of her muscles, trying like hell to outlast her orgasm. The sneaky little minx bites the mate mark she gave me, and I fucking blow my load long before I wanted to. We cling to each other as we come down from our high. I can’t help but smile at my beautiful mate. She’s still pressed against the wall with me buried deep within her welcoming depths.

A sudden slap to my ass has me instantly growling, my black fur rippling up and down my arms. I’m in protection mode since my mate is cradled between me and the wall. I look around for my next victim and see Dimitri laughing.

“Couldn’t wait till after dinner, huh?” Dimitri says, motioning to everyone, helping to set the table. Thankfully, it’s just our bond mates allowed in the Alpha House after dark. Otherwise, it could have been quite the spectacle.

My brother Jayce comes over and offers us both wet towels, and Klaus has robes for both of us. I don’t know if I should be embarrassed or strutting around like a peacock right now. Aurora rolls her eyes at me after she finishes cleaning herself up. Quickly, she bounces up and kisses my cheek before running to her seat to start eating.

I thought I would be used to Aurora’s antics by now, but I’m not. I love that woman to death, but the invasion we’re planning quite honestly has me terrified. I’m not scared for myself, per se; I’m scared of losing the only woman I’ve ever truly given myself fully to. Yeah, there have been many women over my lifespan—I’m a man, and I’ve got needs. But Aurora, even when I’m physically not touching her, I feel her deep within my soul. I’m never alone because of the bond she’s forged between all of us.

Aurora always seems to be evolving, changing, becoming the woman we all need and our enemies fear. I guess my pensiveness has caught Alaric’s attention. He stands before me, looking worried, and he motions with his head for us to leave the room. We walk in silence until we make it to the hidden bunker and shut it tightly.

“What’s eating at you, Dom? Usually, you’re very jovial after being with Aurora.” Alaric tilts his head to the left then the right, studying me.

I exhale the breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “I’m worried about Aurora. All these changes; new gifts, powers, and abilities. As she evolves, I fear she will lose herself in it all. I fear we’ll lose her in battle. I fear if she dies, we all will either follow her into the abyss or be left to mourn her loss.” I look down as a single tear rolls down my cheek and hits the floor.

“Ah, I see.” Alaric moves and sits in his favorite chair. “Being a dragon has its benefits and its drawbacks. We live an incredibly long time, but it’s also very lonely at times watching our friends of other species age faster than us and die.”

Alaric strokes his beard before starting again. “What I’m trying to say, Dom, is that we don’t know what’s going to happen with Aurora. She’s the second born of her kind, the first to make it to this stage of her evolution. The fact that the Fae King himself is watching over her brings me comfort.”

“But… what if she dies? What if we’re left behind?” I look away, trying to recompose myself. My heart feels as if it will break at any moment. “I don’t want to live without her.”

“Dom, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” Alaric stands and moves to hug me tightly to his chest. “Do you know why Nicodeamus lived after his mate died? Which, I must add, is uncommon for dragons to do?”

“No.” My answer is shorter than I had intended, but what else is there left to be said.

“He had his hatchling to live for, Dominik. We have Tiamat and Ladon to live for. They are our children, or as you wolves would say, they are our pack. Don’t all members of the wolf pack tend to the young?” Alaric questions, making sure his understanding of pack law is correct.

“Pack takes care of the pack. Your hatchlings have the protection of the pack as well as the horde and swarm. They have mine and Jayce’s protection for as long as we both shall live.” I look into Alaric’s eyes, making sure he understands what I said.

“But you don’t consider them your children?” Alaric looks hurt as he speaks. It makes my stomach turn, and sadly, he’s partially correct. I push off his chest and start pacing.

“Your babies don’t freely accept the others in the bond completely. We’re not dragons. They seek out the dragons or dragon hybrids in our family; the rest of us barely exist.” I growl, thinking about how badly the babies’ rejection hurts me. “It sucks, Alaric! It fucking sucks! First, I think they are mine or Jayce’s, and then now that they’re here, they reject every fucking attempt we make at being close to them.” Roughly, I drag my hands through my hair and huff out an exasperated sigh.

“I didn’t know, Dom. I’m sorry.” Alaric looks remorseful. “It’s because as their animals, the others can’t hear them. But now that they are older, they should be going to everyone equally. I’ll have a talk with them posthaste.” Alaric moves so quickly I’m almost shocked by it.

I run to catch up with him, and he’s back in the kitchen with everyone else rather quickly. Aurora stares at Alaric curiously, as does Nicodeamus. By the color of their eyes, I know they are communicating amongst themselves. Both children come running into the room dressed in their clothing for the day. Aurora’s been allowing them to spend more time as humans lately, which is quite a nice change.

“Children?” Alaric says.

“Yes, Father?” Tiamat and Ladon say in unison.

“Why do you not go to your other fathers within our bond?” Alaric asks them gently, trying to see where the disconnect is. The look of shock on Aurora’s face tells me she was unaware of the problem. Tears form and freeze on Aurora’s cheeks, her own pain over the situation evident.

“You are Father; they are Mother’s other mates,” Ladon says boldly, being defiant like always. Tiamat is shaking her head no and looking remorseful.

“Ladon, they are our dads. Father is our father, but they are all dads to us. Mother said so,” Tiamat says with a slight growl to her voice. Tiny frost crystals move over Tiamat’s skin, showing her agitation with her brother. Her little dragon is close to the surface as she stares down Ladon.

“Ladon, Tia is correct. They are your dads, and I am Father. They are to be afforded the same love and respect you do your mother and me.” Alaric’s eyes are that of his dragon, driving the point home.

Ladon looks away, which was a huge mistake on his part because Aurora is on him in a second. She picks him up off the ground and brings him up to eye level with her. “Do you love me less because I am not a full dragon like your father and grandfather?” Aurora is pissed off, thinking her son may be speciest.

“No, Mommy, I love you.” Ladon tentatively reaches out to stroke Aurora’s shifting facial bone plates.

Aurora snorts frost on her son and looks away. “If you cannot love my other mates like you say you love me, how do I know you love me? I am not and will never be like you or your sister. I will never know what it is to spread my wings because I have none. I will never know the freedom of flight without a wingsuit or your father. Does that make me less than you or your father?” Aurora turns to look Ladon in the eyes, tears threatening to break again and roll down her cheeks. Deep down, we feel the conflicting pain versus the anger boiling under the surface.

We all start to rub the dull ache in our chests, feeling Aurora’s pain as if it’s our own. “Daddy Dom? Why are you rubbing your chest?” Tia asks as she looks up at me with her arms stretched, wanting me to pick her up.

“Because we all feel when your mommy hurts.” I snuggle Tia to my chest, and Jayce soon joins us and snuggles up behind her.

“Only true mates can sense each other, little one,” Jayce says softly before kissing the crown of Tia’s head. She turns in my arms and wraps her arms around Jayce’s neck, and hugs him.

“I’m sorry, Mommy. I’ll be a better son from now on.” Ladon lowers his head in submission. Aurora gently sets him on the ground and watches his actions.

Ladon climbs up on a stool and looks at all of us. “I’m sorry I was mean. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. Mommy is very important to me, so I’m sorry because I was a weenie.”

We all accept his apology and continue to play “pass the Tiamat” since she was the first to seek affection from us.

 “You weren’t mean, Ladon; you were an ass!” Tiamat screams at her brother, her dragon’s growl making her voice sound that much angrier.

 Her little dragon close to the surface, tiny scales ripple up and down Tiamat’s arms. “I wanted to play with all my daddies, but you said no! You were an ass!” Tiamat is growling in Dimitri’s arms, causing a light coating of frost to cover his shirt. Her little talons extend and retract, punctuating her anger. She looks exactly like a miniature Aurora.

“Two things, little one,” Dimitri says softly as he kisses Tia’s temple. “Don’t say ass; it’s not a nice word. Second, please don’t freeze me; I’m not as frost-resistant as your mom and father,” Dimitri says as he smiles at Tia.

Tia looks quite sheepish as she studies the frost on Dimitri. Carefully, she passes her little hand over the frost, and it vanishes as fast as it had appeared. “Sorry, Daddy.” Tia wraps her arms around Dimitri’s neck and hugs him tightly. Her little dragon purrs its affections at Dimitri. Ladon, on the other hand, jumps down and starts passing out the hugs, telling everyone he is sorry for being a weenie.

Aurora still looks distraught over what her son has done. Alaric attempts to console her until Klaus comes over and takes Aurora from him. He raises his eyebrow at her and motions towards the door. Aurora smiles and shifts on the spot, heading towards the door.

“How are you turning the doorknob, you silly woman!?” Klaus yells as he chases after Aurora.

All I can do is shake my head while watching Aurora and Klaus leave. “Can we go play with them too?” Ladon asks as he pulls on my pant leg.

“I don’t see why not.” We all follow Ladon outside as he goes to look for his mother and Klaus. Looking at the distance between paw prints, they took off at a run and could be anywhere. I look to my brother, and we tilt our heads back and use a locating howl to gauge how far away Klaus and Aurora are.

Tiamat and Ladon both attempt to howl and can’t; it comes out more like a garbled roar. I cant my head to the side, listening for the return howls. Several seconds later, we hear their combined call. The children expectantly look at me; part of me wants to be an asshole and teach Ladon a lesson. The face he’s making tells me he can’t understand the howls at the moment, and that is enough of a lesson. “They’re hunting by the lake. They are inviting the entire family to join them. They want the babies to see what Lycans can do.”

Alaric looks in the direction of the lake. “It’s about a mile away. We can fly there or shift and run as a pack.”

It’s my turn to raise an eyebrow at Alaric, knowing full well his dragon isn’t able to run through the forest because of its size. We watch the children closely, and both shift to their dragon forms and start running in the direction of their mother. Dimitri shifts next, leaving his clothing in a pile. Arnulf follows Dimitri’s example, as does my brother. It’s then I notice that Alaric has a bag he’s placing all the clothing in.

“How are you getting up there?” I ask him as I start to strip.

“Dimitri was kind enough to offer to carry me as long as I carry everyone’s clothing. It’s a fair trade to me; I never get to see the forest from this perspective.” I hand Alaric my clothing and shift into my wolf. We take off running to catch up to Aurora and Klaus.

Jayce and I keep pace with the babies, making sure they don’t get into anything they can’t get themselves out of. Dimitri brings up the rear with Alaric on his back, going at a lumbering pace up the incline heading towards the lake.

We see Aurora’s white beast as well as Klaus’s black Lycan darting in and out of the thick trees at the lake’s edge. The babies catch up quickly to where they last saw their mother and go on the search to see if they can find her themselves. From experience, I know better than to blindly go in the most apparent direction. I know what the babies are trying to do; they are attempting to track their mother. On the other hand, I decide to go the opposite direction, breaking off from my brother and babies to get ahead of the much faster Lycans.

By scent and instinct, I know that my quarry isn’t far from where I’m standing. Now, the average hunter looking for a terrestrial being never thinks to look up. I, on the other hand, know better. I look up and see Klaus and Aurora hanging by their talons in a rather large oak tree. I watch them for several seconds before I trot off slowly, not giving away their position to the babies.

I watch the little ones weave in and out of the trees, following their mother’s footprints in the freshly churned-up dirt. I see the rest of my bond mates make it up into the general area where our other mates are up in the tree. I sit down, wagging my tail, waiting to see who else gets smart enough to look up.

Alaric slides off of Dimitri’s back and comes to sit next to me. I know that he knows exactly where our silly mate is. The babies are still running around in circles, checking every single tree, trying to find any sign of their mother. Alaric smirks as he keeps a watchful eye on his progeny as they search the forest floor. He glances up in the exact direction our silly mate is, and I follow his gaze and wink at her. Aurora raises her chin in my direction and gets a mischievous look in her eyes.

Aurora decides to be a bit of a wise-ass and starts jumping from tree to tree, using her talons to grip the thick bark. The sudden movement of her great white beast and the blur of white catches everyone’s eyes. Tiamat is the first to look up, having heard her mother’s talons grip the next tree when she lands. Ladon watches his sister and then looks in the direction that she’s currently staring at. Both babies take off running, trying to catch up with their mother jumping from tree to tree.

It finally dawns on Tiamat that she can fly, and at a full run, she spreads her wings and takes off. Quickly, she flaps her wings and gains altitude, catching up to her mother. Tia tackles her mother, knocking herself and Aurora out of the tree. Thankfully, Aurora’s quick reflexes and maternal instinct get her to wrap her arms around her baby and twist just in time so that she lands on her hind paws. Tiamat is clearly very proud of herself at the moment for finding and capturing her mother long before her brother did.

It was a great training exercise for the babies. Now they have a better understanding of what the Lycan side of the family is capable of doing. Next up are Jayce and me to show the babies what the Dire Wolves can do. Jayce walks over to a sapling, tilts his head sideways and bites into its soft bark, then backs up. Within a matter of moments, the sapling dies and withers before our eyes. Alaric takes this moment to explain about the toxin that Jayce has. The babies look up to him curiously, and he opens his mouth, letting some of the yellow-green toxin drip freely from his canines.

Aurora does a short bark, and then when the babies are looking at her, she opens her mouth and lets the same toxin drip from her canines as well. Arnulf and the babies look between Jayce and Aurora with shocked expressions. Aurora decides now to shift back to her human form. “I know it’s confusing, but I am the last of my bloodline.” She looks down sadly as she flexes her hands, looking them over. “There will never be another like me born. I gain gifts from each of my mates; each mate has given me a weapon, so to speak.” She looks up and motions to each of us in turn.

Aurora moves over to Jayce and threads her fingers through his fur. “Jayce gave me his toxin; his twin Dominik gave me his night vision with heat.”

Aurora moves away from Jayce and heads to Dimitri. She runs her hand over his broad chest then smiles with pride. “My Dimitri here is one of the last originals of the Great Bear bloodline. He gave me his size and strength. I now possess the power of the Great Bear.” Aurora bounces up and kisses Dimitri on the lips before moving to Klaus.

Aurora’s fingertips move over Klaus’s chest before she stops at his side. “Klaus is the last of the pure Lycan bloodline. I received from Klaus his speed and agility and my increased jumping ability.”

Gently, Aurora kisses Klaus’s muzzle, then bounds away from him and over to Alaric. She tilts her head left, then right, then back again. “Your father bestowed upon me the power of the dragon—access to the recesses of my bloodlines.” Aurora gently runs her fingers down the bridge of Alaric’s nose. “My final ascension, I’ll be given a choice: evolve the rest of the way or remain as I am in between.”

Aurora gently kisses Alaric then looks back at me. “What do you mean in between?” I ask curiously.

I watch Aurora draw in a deep breath, and her eyes go frost-white. The ground around her starts to freeze. “I have the choice to remain as I am or to become more than I am now.”

The frost leaves Aurora’s eyes and she draws in a deep breath then looks around as if she doesn’t know what just happened. “Don’t tell me of the prophecy I spoke of. To tell me will only stop it from happening. It’s time to go home.”

Aurora shifts and runs back down the hill toward the Alpha House. It’s frightening to know that one decision can turn the tides, and it all depends on Aurora. We look at each other, then shift and start to head home. The final battle is on the horizon, and each day brings us a step closer.

Once the children are in bed over in Nico’s cottage, Aurora starts to stalk the house. I get the feeling she’s about to make good on her promise of sex. One by one, she finds her mates and whispers in their ears. I watch my bond mate’s eyes flare to life before they turn and run toward our master bedroom.

Aurora stalks me last. She has that gleam in her eyes that tells me she’s up to no good. “Dom, baby… I wanna play.” Aurora drags a single finger down my chest to my abs. I watch her open her hand wide as she caresses my abs. I can see the hunger in her eyes; she needs her other mates and me. “Time to go, love.” She winks at me, then turns and walks away.

My mate is going to be the death of me and the others. I head down into the hidden master bedroom and close the hatch behind me. I follow the delicious honey-tinged scent of Aurora’s arousal. The master bath is lined with candles, and my bond mates are all in Aurora’s tub. “Join the others, Dom,” Aurora says softly.

Apparently, my mate has plans for us tonight. Her eyes lock on my fingers as I casually unbutton my shirt. I’m not going to give in as quickly as my bond mates did; I’m going to draw this out as long as I can. I roll my thickly-muscled shoulders, making my shirt slide down my arms to the floor. Aurora is a sucker for a nice, thick trapezius muscle—after all, it’s the same muscle that most of our mating marks are on. The ethereal glow of Aurora’s eyes tells me I have her full, undivided attention. I make a big deal of sliding my hands down my abs to my belt. Since I’m teasing my mate, I maintain eye contact with her, daring her to approach me. A deep lust-filled growl escapes Aurora’s lips; she’s barely able to contain herself as I drag my zipper down. I do a small shimmy and my jeans fall to the ground, pooling at my feet.

Quickly, I toe off my shoes and saunter my happy ass over to the pool with my bond mates. Aurora is practically foaming at the mouth as she stares at me as I walk away from her. High fives ensue the moment I get into the water. We turn as one as Aurora shifts one finger and begins to cut the fabric of her shirt off of herself.  We watch her with rapt attention as each shred of fabric hits the floor. My eyes rake over every square inch of her ivory flesh; I’ve memorized every scar and freckle from ankle to earlobe.

A slow roll of her hips is given before she loops her thumbs into the top of her leggings and pushes them down. Her ass and sex are on full display as she looks seductively over her shoulder at us. Sensually, she rolls back up to standing; her long, white hair falls in waves down her back and stops just above her hips.

Her pink tongue darts out between her ruby lips, and she draws her tongue teasingly over her front teeth and to the points of her descended canines. Aurora’s beast lurks just under the surface as she begins to stalk forward, hunting us as if we are a herd of sheep. I watch Alaric’s hands twitch at his sides—he wants what the rest of us want. We want to get our hands on our mate. Aurora languidly slinks into the water and dips under briefly. She rises up out of the water like a siren calling the sailors to their deaths. I watch every rivulet of water stream down her body, especially the one that runs between her ample breasts.

Aurora bypasses her usual choice for the first mate to attack and heads towards Arnulf. The poor bird is beside himself, watching this apex predator stalk him. “Shhh, baby, I won’t hurt you… I just want your attention and affection.” She speaks softly as she presses her cheek against his. Arnulf visibly relaxes as her hands slowly slide across the defined planes of his chest. Dimitri moves up behind her and presses his chest against her back. It might not be the twin sammich she was looking for, but she’s definitely going to get what she’s craving.

Without hesitation, Aurora climbs Arnulf like a tree and starts grinding herself on his length. Arnulf is struggling to hold onto Aurora and attempts to line himself up with her warm depths. Dimitri does Arnulf a solid and lifts Aurora up effortlessly and holds her suspended in the water for him. I can see the look of thanks on Arnulf’s face as he is finally able to line up and sink balls deep into our mate. Arnulf starts to set the pace as he holds onto Aurora with Dimitri’s help. Dimitri, being the slick fuck that he is, slowly presses his length into Aurora from behind. Her back bows off of Dimitri’s chest the minute the big guy hits home. Her gasps and moans from how deliciously full she is makes my cock pulse in time with her moans.

I’m so focused on Aurora that I don’t notice till now that Jayce, Klaus, and Alaric are having their own fun on the other side of the pool. Alaric is sitting on the edge of the pool. Jayce has his mouth wrapped around Alaric’s length, sucking his cock as deep into his throat as he can handle. Klaus has a firm grip on Jayce’s hips as he teases him, sliding his rigid cock gradually in and out of my brother’s ass. Jayce is in heaven; the happy moans he’s making are only setting Aurora off more. Aurora screams as her orgasm crashes over her; Arnulf can’t resist and follows quickly behind her. Dimitri is like a machine—he’s still pumping slowly in and out of her ass like he has all the time in the world.

Arnulf quickly taps out and motions for me to slide in where he was. Hell yeah, I want in! Dimitri notices that I’m replacing Arnulf, and a wicked grin crosses his lips. Aurora squeals and leans forward, knowing I can easily support her weight. Aurora’s arms wrap around me, and I feel like I’m home. I feel her love through the bond, and I hear her demands echo in the back of my mind. Quickly, I line myself up and drive my cock deep into her warm pulsing depths. She’s so full, and I feel the sliding of Dimitri’s cock as he withdraws. We set our rhythm rather quickly—this isn’t the first time we’ve had Aurora together. She writhes uncontrollably between us while the water sloshes all over; most of it being driven out of the side of the tub from our combined efforts.

Dimitri and I are both getting close, and we can feel the fluttering of Aurora’s muscles just before they begin to tense. We’ll be damned if we cum before she does. Silently, Dimitri and I agree to pull out all the stops. A single nod of our heads, and we both lower our mouths and bite Aurora simultaneously. The surge of power her lithe body unleashes is unreal. Every single fiber of my being reverberates with every single pulse and throb of her muscles as they contract and milk my cock. I can’t hold back anymore; it’s no longer possible. Aurora is still whining and whimpering from her release. I roar out as my cock throbs, spilling my seed deep within her womb. Dimitri crashes over shortly after I do, which triggers another orgasm from Aurora. Her nails dig deep into my flesh as she turns to sink her canines into Dimitri.

Gradually, our breathing returns to normal, and I can finally open my eyes to look around. Everyone else left at some point during our intensive lovemaking. Personally, I feel like I’ve been reduced to Jell-O. Aurora is practically asleep in Dimitri’s arms, and to be honest, if I weren’t afraid of drowning, I’d probably fall asleep too. We drag our exhausted selves off to bed. In a few hours, our journey begins, and the war will be on the horizon.