Reclaiming Her Heart

Chapter 81 - Attack

Jadea

Caden came crashing in not long after. "You figured it out," he whispered breathlessly, his eyes alight with excitement as he approached us. His mind brushing ours, wanting to know. The moment he realized who the enemy used as my triggers, mixed emotions swirled through him. The type of evil we were dealing with had no boundaries. No shame. No morals. They didn't care who they hurt or used in their exploits for power.

Adam picked me up and plopped me in the middle of the bed. Before I knew it, both Adam and Caden were settled down on either side of me. All of us clothed. Just needing to be close. To revel in the moment while I took some time to absorb the onslaught of memories and how they correlated to the past seven months. To say my emotions were raw and jagged was an understatement. I was glad I had both of them here to hold and help me through this. They were all over me. Hands roving, gripping, caressing. They rubbed themselves all over me. A coping mechanism for all three of us. I, in turn, held them closer. Pulled them in deeper to myself. Eventually, they settled, as I cradled them against either side, both of their faces tucked into the slopes of my shoulders. Arms and legs all tangled.

I was still reeling over Adam allowing Caden to be so intimately connected with us. With me in particular. It just showed how deeply my absence broke him and how it redefined some of those hard limits.

Trauma, especially shared or relatable, had a way of reshaping one's very structure of life. We were all caught up in the wreckage and ruins of what transpired, trying to navigate through it all. It would take time before it settled enough to form another solid foundation. Until then... I expected continued fluctuations of boundaries and thought processes.

But, I wasn't complaining about having both men so wholly connected with me and sharing in this dynamic. To be quite frank, it was like I could have my cake and eat it too. I was with the two men I trusted most in this life. The ones I trusted my whole heart, mind and body with.

An hour or more must have passed before Caden's voice broke the comfortable stillness. "Can you remember anything before you woke up on Silas's operating table?"

I knew both men wanted to pry. To know. But... That was all still fuzzy. To be fair, the last night of our tour, when I was shot, was splotchy at best. Nothing stood out, other than the vivid emotions... Details were still missing. "I remember I woke up to a woman hovering over me at one point. But..." As I focused on the memory, it refused to cooperate. My mind had been in shambles from the life-threatening wounds. The wound had been severe enough it distorted details and memories. Honestly, I was surprised I remembered so much.

"Don't force it baby," Adam cooed, the backs of his fingers trailing down my face. I hadn't realized I'd stiffened until that moment, when his soothing caress eased the tension from my body once more. "It will come in time."

I could only pray it did. If it came too late... It could be detrimental for both myself and Constance. I just knew someone within the council was involved...

"I didn't mean to upset you like that, kitten," Caden softly apologized. "It was insensitive."

"No, it was a good question." It was something anyone would have asked. And it was something I was sure I would have to continue answering for a while, since I was the only link that could identify the vile beings.

Caden's stubbled jaw scraped over my neck and shoulder, sending shockwaves crashing through my system, instant desire dragging me under his spell. My eyes rolled back when Adam's hand dipped under my pants, curling a few fingers inside me. "Look at me, baby girl," Adam's voice flowed over me. My gaze fluttered open to stare deeply into his stormy eyes as Caden's lips continued to wreak havoc. "There you are," he cooed. "I've been waiting for days to have you like this."

My heart did a funny flip in my chest. I knew Adam had gained a lot of confidence over the years but... Hot damn! It was like my abduction finally released the Kracken. He was far more domineering than I remembered. Which wasn't a bad thing.

"Mmm," he hummed his approval, feeling my arousal soaking his fingers. "Look how well your body responds to us."

"You know who you belong to," Caden's growl at my ear sent ripples of anticipation coursing through my body, making my toes curl.

Oh, this was going to be a problem.

When I tried to touch, taste and devour, to reclaim some of the control, they grabbed my hands and held them at bay. Adam shook his head, his raspy voice deepening, "We are going to take care of you, baby girl."

"All you have to do is follow our lead," Caden murmured, his lips capturing mine as their hands continued to explore. Their mouths wreaking havoc along my body.

I wasn't going to complain.

I knew I was in capable, caring hands that would take me to the heavens and back safely.

Plus, I knew there would be plenty of other opportunities to return the favor.

Right as it was starting to get good, Agamemnon's warning howl reverberated through the night. We froze, waiting ...

"We are being attacked. West side. Lila's injured. They are coming out of the forest. I don't know how many yet."

"We will be right there," I replied, instantly in motion, my mind crash connecting with my pack—who were already moving—as I took up my sword and lunged for the door. Adam and Caden hot on my heels. As we rushed through the compound, I shifted into my primitive form. I had everyone else shift into their wolves.

"Lance—"

"I'm right behind you," he assured. His pack was a little slower on the uptake. Being hunters, we were used to instantly responding to threats and attacks.

"There's roughly twenty of them. Though, I'm sure there are more hiding just inside the treeline."

I relayed this information to the others, knowing this was going to be a hard fight. If it was just twenty, we would be close to even. But... my gut was telling me there were more.

"We've gone up against worst odds," Garret groused.

Indeed.

"Plus, we've got some hell-hound friends this time," Blade added.

"That does help level the playing field," Chance mused.

"Not helping," Caden's sing-song voice rang in our minds while we sniggered. "What's the plan?"

"The plan is: there is no plan," Garret answered chipperly before I could.

Caden brushed my mind, hoping he wasn't right, and grumbled when he realized there wasn't one. "It's the first time we are going up against Keb's pack. We are going to have to improvise."

"That's reassuring." He groused.

"Get used to it," Derrick ribbed. "We like to live life dangerously."

Agamemnon and his pack were already facing off with the wolves when we bounded around the side of the house and made for the gardens. They were holding their own well enough since they had an advantage over us lowly immortals. I heard Agamemnon's snort in response to my thoughts and smirked. "Tell me I'm wrong," I dared him, knowing the toxic venom in their saliva could kill anything within seconds. Even a simple scrape from their fangs introduced enough toxin to the system to kill someone in minutes. "Garret, you've got the antidotes?"

"Yep!"

Perfect!

The moment we came into sight, another line of wolves burst from the treeline. And with them came Keb.