Goddess of Love (3 page)

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“Are you out of your mind, child?” Palidor reprimanded her as he and Orion stood in front of Ariella. It had been years since they had seen her, and even as the words left his lips, every ounce of Palidor knew that Ariella was no child. She was a stunning goddess. Her beauty shocking and her scent so enticing his wolf growled in appreciation. He was so fearful for her life, he leaped into action
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along with Orion, before his troops were in place, certifying that there were no other rogue wolves in hiding. As he inhaled, his eyes began to glow and so did Orion’s.

“Ariella.” Orion stepped forward and took her hand into his own.

Before their eyes, her damaged flesh was healing, but she was shaking.

“You’ve overextended your powers in protecting your friends.

Come with us. We’ll take you home,” Orion stated firmly.

She pulled from his hold and straightened out her shoulders.

“I had that completely under control. I can manage to get home without the assistance of royalty,” she stated with a smug attitude.

He chuckled.

“It wasn’t too long ago that we would all play so nicely together at the estate. Have you forgotten those days, or perhaps let your family‘s status rule your personality?”

She gasped at Palidor. “I’m just telling you that I had the situation covered.”

“You shouldn’t have been out here,” Orion snapped at her, taking a step toward her. They both towered over Ariella. But staring at her now, her beauty so powerful, he actually felt badly for raising his voice.

“I go where I please, wolf. I don’t need a babysitter anymore.”

“That has yet to be confirmed,” Orion added smugly.

She flicked Orion’s shirt sleeve. “I disagree completely. You’ve been gone for two years. What do you know, Orion?”

He stepped closer after he eyed where she touched him.

“I know a spoiled brat when I see one. A woman looking for adventure and finding trouble instead. You ought to stay close to the estate. You’re safest there, little one.”

She released an annoyed sigh and turned on her heels to follow her friends.

“I don’t think she likes that childhood name, brother,”
Palidor stated.

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“I don’t think I care. It fits her. She’s so petite and lovely. Her
attitude is stubborn and gets under my skin.”

“Tell me about it.”

Every ounce of Palidor was instantly possessive and angry. He wanted to touch her, hold her in his arms, and ensure her safety. The bickering back and forth between her and Orion turned Palidor on. He was actually getting sexually aroused. He thought of taking her over his knee and spanking that ass of hers. Wouldn’t that send her into a fit? He had to hide his chuckle as well as his thoughts, but not from Orion. His brother gave him a tap to his arm and then eyed Ariella’s backside as they walked.

She was fit for royalty. Fit for them. At first he thought it was just because of her natural Fae beauty or perhaps their families’ bonds to one another? They had played together as children. Although he and his brothers were older, they had watched over Ariella and her three younger brothers along with Batya, their own sister. But then he felt something holding back the emotions, and suddenly he couldn’t identify where the desire to protect Ariella and hold her were coming from. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind.

“Do you feel that?”
Orion asked him through their mind link.

“Yes, and I don’t like it.”

“She is so beautiful. My wolf is completely discombobulated. I
feel like a caged animal.”

“Me, too.”

Ariella looked over her shoulder and gave a dirty look. They were about to smile, but then they felt something strike them deep inside.

“We will provide security to you and your friends back to your estate. We need to speak with your fathers anyway,” Palidor said.

Ariella rolled her eyes as she turned on her heels and began to walk.

Her friends followed, but it was the scent of her hair and the sight of her shapely figure that aroused each of their senses.

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Her long brown hair, deep blue eyes, and voluptuous figure. She was all woman, no longer a child or a teenager from when they had last seen her.

“She’s all grown up, Palidor.”

“That she is, Orion.”

“She seems pissed off at us. Do you think she really believes that
she could have handled those rogue wolves?”

“Well she did destroy two with her powers and that shield, and
killed one with her silver sword.”

“She seemed happy to see us at first and then suddenly that
changed. That’s when I felt such an odd feeling, as if my wolf was
caged in.”

“I still feel it now,”
Palidor said
as they walked in a large group toward the estate. Something was going on here, but what, he didn’t know. He would be certain to find out.

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After being reprimanded by her brothers, her fathers, and then the Omegas, Ariella returned to her room to shower and recharge. She was annoyed, and her head was pounding. Even Orion and Palidor stood there with her fathers, and gave her the stare down as if she were some child.
Typical royal wolves. I’m a grown woman. I can
most definitely take care of myself.

Then, of course, they had to interrogate her. She was forced to sit there and get the third degree from her fathers, and then the series of questions from Orion and Palidor. Why were you in the woods when a warning had been issued?
“Well fathers, I can’t really answer that
because the goddesses had told me to go there. But if I tell you that,
then you’ll forbid me to go anywhere ever again.” Of course I
couldn’t tell them that. Lying was necessary right now, although I feel
badly, and of course on guard. I can’t believe how Orion and Palidor
treated me. The questions they asked, and their condescending tones
when I told them that I knew of the warnings but had no fear. I felt
well prepared. That got my brothers into their tirade about being
smart, not looking for trouble, and that I am a female. By the
Goddesses that makes my blood boil.

Then Palidor continued. What did the wolves say to you? Why did
you reach your hand out to a rogue wolf? You’re lucky he hadn’t
bitten the entire arm off, or worse, eaten you.

Ha! Like that would have happened to me. Give me a break. I’m
not a cub, a little damsel wolf in distress who needed your rescuing.

I can’t believe that those two Alpha wolves came into my home
and had my fathers, my brothers, and my mother turning on me. On
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me? I will not succumb to their macho, old-fashioned beliefs that a
woman, wolf, Fae, or whatever, still cannot compare to the strength
of Alpha wolves. By the time they’re done over exaggerating the
circumstances of today’s events, my fathers and brothers will surely
not allow me my freedom.

Her head continued to pound as she held her temples and climbed the staircase to her bedroom. It was a room on the side of the estate, away from the rest of the family. That was another whole fiasco. She wanted to move out and have her own place. She was trying to establish some independence and control over her life, but the fathers flipped out. Holy Goddesses, they ranted and raved over that discussion. Finally her mother had gotten them to compromise.

Ariella had her own room on the side of the estate where she could have privacy and feel as if she were living on her own.

Not really. Not with four Alpha wolves as dads and a mom who had her own special powers and abilities to see the future.

She entered the bedroom and slammed the door closed. Even that bothered her headache. She knew exactly why as she undid the zipper to her dress, feeling her tender breasts ache as the material holding them in place fell to the floor. She cupped them as she gasped.

“Son of a bitch. I don’t believe this. Why is this happening now?

Why, when I’m only twenty-two years old and have so many plans?”

she asked aloud to her empty room.

She grabbed another dress and headed into the bathroom.

Flashbacks of Orion and Palidor in the forest, coming to her “rescue.”

As if
.

She turned the water in the shower on and then tested the temperature.

Orion, son of fire, an exquisite hunter as a child and teen, filled her thoughts. Tall, dark, and handsome. Yeah, that and then some.

The man was a work of art, and the wolf in him called to her own wolf side. He was gloriously large with wide shoulders, bulging muscles, and a face of determination as hard as stone. His bold blue
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eyes locked on her body, and she nearly exploded inside of her panties.
By the Goddesses, this can’t be happening to me. I’m petite,
I’m independent, and I don’t want to be mated to men whose egos are
as huge as their bodies. Not now. Not anytime soon.

She stepped into the shower and closed her eyes. Clenching them tightly, she tried harder to push thoughts of Orion and Palidor out of her head. But the pain hit her head in such a fierce manner, she gasped and placed her palms on the tiled wall in front of her to get through the pain. Her magic seemed to be weakening. She overexerted herself out there in the forest. She didn’t want them to know she was their mate, and she used her reserve of fairy power to block their attempts at inhaling her scent while in the forest, the entire journey home and then in the presence of her fathers and mother.

Now she would suffer the consequences. She truly hadn’t expected the force of the mating musk, to be so bold. It seemed that the only thing to do was to avoid those men entirely.

She knew what she had to do as she calmed her breathing and tried to ease her mind of any thoughts whatsoever. As the heated water cascaded over her sensitive skin, she turned around and began to wash her hair, soap up her body and try to physically wipe away any memories of the day’s events.

Ariella eased her mind and thought about the relaxation techniques her mother, Antoinette, had taught her. She, too, suffered from a case of not following orders and destiny every now and again.

Ariella’s fathers, Jacob, Troy, Brad, and Luke, had to reprimand her time and time again about her place in the pack. They didn’t want Ariella to reveal all her abilities, but the damn wolves were so aggressive and narcissistic at times that she was compelled to prove herself just as capable as they were. Boy had those times caused some heated arguments.

She leaned back and let the hot water wash away the tension she felt. Immediately, she thought about Palidor. His image was that of a chivalrous knight with piercing blue eyes, slicked black hair always
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trimmed perfect, and a debonair aura aroused every female in the near vicinity. That thought upset her, made her feel jealousy, and she had to snort in annoyance with herself. Palidor was some serious eye candy. Their absence and secret works for the Circle hadn’t gone unnoticed by the single females of all magical creatures. Ariella could name a few Fae, some wolves, a lioness, and three werecats who were definitely interested in landing one or both brothers.

She shook her head and identified the anger she felt. Damn it.
No.

I am not ready to be a mate to anyone.

But as she stood there, her body and mind had overcome any attempts by her to stop the thoughts and feelings. Eyes closed, she saw both wolves standing there. Orion and Palidor. Side by side, fully naked, their bodies so perfect, so muscular and large that she quivered. She licked her lips as her nipples hardened and her pussy leaked. A series of spasms had her pressing her hand over her mound in an attempt to stop the sensations. But the moment she did, she felt the stronger pull, the need to be touched by Orion and Palidor. They walked closer. She shot her head up to look at them and felt her heart rate increase, her belly tighten, and her fingers press up and into her cunt.

“Oh Goddesses, no. No, I’m not ready,” she whispered in a raspy breath. She pressed her fingers deeper and stroked her own pussy trying to release the tight, deep sensation inside of her. She squeezed her eyes tightly and saw Palidor. He held her gaze, his blue eyes changing to yellow. “I want you. You belong to my brothers and I.

We need you.” He brushed his finger over her nipples and pulled one hard. She moaned as she continued to pump faster. Then Orion smirked at her. He licked his lips, and as he leaned forward, he half shifted, letting his wolf tongue swirl over her areola then down her belly.

“You belong to us. You belong to Venificus,” Orion whispered.

“No. Not now. Not yet.”

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“Always.” She heard the third voice, and as she looked between Orion and Palidor, she saw Draco, their brother who had disappeared.

Her body exploded immediately, and she shook from the effects of her own fingers combined with the realization that the three Venificus brothers were her mates.

Leaning back against the wall, she allowed the water to flow until it lost its heat. Coming down from her fantasy dream she was hit with a premonition.

She saw Draco. He was in pain, inner turmoil. Someone had a hold on his soul, or was trying to get to it. He was fighting, yet he wasn’t strong enough. Something was missing. He had given something up and couldn’t see that all he needed was to grab a hold of that again to fight the black evil that was trying to take his soul.

She saw him trying to shift. Half something, not wolf. What was he? Why had he felt so displaced and unloved among his family and pack? Ariella felt the depth of his pain and sadness. She wanted to help him. She felt the tears reach her eyes. As she closed them tight and tried to catch her breath, she saw Draco. His eyes glowed red. His expression was dark and unreadable. He needed her. She needed him.