Chapter 35

**Nova**


Asher’s teeth sink into me and it’s as if my animalistic instincts kick in and I feel my fangs elongate. I pull make from him and for his neck to the side and puncture his skin with my bite and he groans. He tastes different now…almost intoxicating. Is this what being drunk feels like? There is an intense high and I suck harder to pull more out of him. I feel my neck throb where he bit me and I remember that its possible I could die, but other than a small soreness I don’t feel like death is coming.

“Nova.” Asher whispers into my ear as he thrusts faster and faster.

He makes an animalistic grown and I feel a pinch of pain in my back.

“Stop…” He says and I release my hold on his neck.

“Sorry, you taste really good.” I say dropping my head back on the tree and let myself enjoy the high I’m under.

“It felt good for me too, but my wolf was pushing his way out to take over mating with you. It’s a dominance thing and I didn’t want him hurting you.” He holds me with one arm and lifts his other hand between us to show me his claws and that they are tinted with blood.

“Oh.” I say with a weak laugh. “I’ll try to remember not to take too much blood from you.”

He ends the conversation by devouring my mouth and slamming into me harder and harder. It should hurt but it doesn’t, it actually feels really good. So good that I find myself grinding down on him which makes him growl over and over. An intense feeling starts to build and all I want is relief, so I try to make a circular motion with my hips which makes Asher speed up. He hits just the right spot and I drop my head back and release a guttural sound that doesn’t sound like it came from me. My fangs are extended, and the waves of pleasure are making me want to feed again.

Asher thrusts in once more before he goes still, and I can feel warm gushes of fluid fill me. I tilt his head again and bite down on the other side making him growl loudly. He also starts thrusting again and I can feel him getting hard again. My bite is making him want more and for a second, I wonder how long I could do this for.
I don’t get to find out because everything goes dark around me.

Where am I?

I have a physical body in this dream or vision, so I walk forward into the darkness and glance around me.

“Hello?” I call out but I don’t get any response in return.

A light flickers in front of me and I stop short to examine it. It’s a wide section of the space and flickers like a moving image or TV screen. A moment later an image starts to appear. At first it’s blurry but once it begins to clear I see a large structure that looks to be build out of the side of a mountain. The image zooms in and through the entrance of the building. There are people everywhere, even young. I don’t have to see them change for me to know who they are.

“The refuge?” I say to myself. “Where is this place?”

The image flicks out as fast as it appeared, and I’m thrown back into reality again. I blink my eyes several times to clear my vision and I see a crowd of concerned faces looking down at me.

“What are you guys doing?” I ask.

“You checked out again.” Asher so helpfully tells me, but I mean that’s obvious.

“For how long?” I ask pushing myself to my feet.

When I look around, I see we’re in some sort of home, probably the one Charles built. I hadn’t yet seen the inside yet but even though it has a rustic look to it, I love it.

“Under thirty minutes this time.” Charles says.

A little figure pushes its way through the crowd and a small body slams into me. I laugh and wrap my arms around our new little friend. We really have to get him sorted, but too much keeps happening.

“Have the guys been treating you, okay?” I ask him.

He nods before resting his head on my chest and cuddling against me. I wrap my arms around me and breath him in. My sense of smell has grown, and I pick up a familiar scent that makes me nostalgic.

Not the time.

“Where did you go?” Charles asks pulling my attention away from the small child.

“I’m not sure but I had some sort of vision. It was of the sanctuary I told you guys about. I saw that it was built into the side of a mountain but I’m not sure where.”

He looks away and gets that blank expression on his face that usually mean he’s reading something from his secret library.

“There are a few known structures with this configuration. We can visit each one and try to track down the location you saw in your vision.” He suggests.

“Okay. Are we all going to go together?” I ask.

He considers this. “It may be too difficult for a group our size to travel through portals several times, and taxing for me. It would be best for you and I to travel alone and come back for the others when we find the correct location.”

Aziel snorts. “Just say you want to snog her and be done with it.”

Charlies shoots him an unamused look, but Aziel keeps smiling.

“I do not like this plan. You need protection mistress.” My new follower says.

I move over to him, and he lowers his head to me. “I know you want to help, but Charles is right. A smaller number is best for investigating but I do have something for you to protect. Can you protect him?”

He looks down at the boy in my arms and then at me. “It would be an honor.”

“Thank you!” I look down at the little boy and try to give him a calming look. “My friend is going to make sure no one hurts you. Okay? Just stay with him.”

The little boy glances at the giant man and I’m worried for a second that he’ll be scared of him, but he climbs down from my lap and walks right up to the big guy. He tilts his head back to get a good look before holding his arms up. My new friend looks at me and I give him a nod of approval. He leans down and picks the boy up and sets him on his shoulder. Our little guy laughs and wraps his arms around the big guy’s throat.

“I was doing just fine watching the kid.” Asher grumbles.

“The fact you call him the kid like that says otherwise.” I point out. “Alright let’s get moving.”

I stand and move to walk past the crowd around me when Eli grabs my writs. “You must rest mate.” He says with a low growl. “My dragon wishes to take care of you and denying him could prove dangerous.”

Oh boy. “I see. Charles, can we postpone our trip for…” I glance at Eli. “How long will your dragon need to keep an eye on me?”

“Two days should suffice.” He says.

Great! Charles we will leave in two days. Okay?”

“Of course. You have many mates to keep happy.” Charles nods to Eli and turns to leave but stops suddenly. “I will work on a more permanent dwelling with Aziel’s help.”

“What? Why me?” Aziel asks sounding a lot like a child.

“Because the two of us are the only mages. Now come along.” Charles walks off and Aziel grumbles a few colorful curses that Charles seems to ignore.

“I will take the child out for some exercise and training.” The big guy says.

“Wait! What should we call you?” I ask him.

He looks at me as if I asked the most complicated question ever. “My master or mistress always picks my name. I will be called anything you wish.”

Oh…that’s a lot of pressure. I look him over and try to think of the best name, but he’s such a unique creature that a typical name doesn’t seem right.

“How about Lev?” I ask.

He tilts his head considering it and nods. “I like it. What is the child’s name?”

“Josiah.” I tell him.

“I will take Josiah outside. Good evening mistress.” He turns and walks away with Josiah still perched on his shoulder.

I turn my attention to Eli now and sit cross legged on the bed. “So how does your dragon wish to take care of me?”

“He will feed you and keep you warm as you rest. Then he will mate you.” Eli says as if all that is perfectly normal.

Wait…his dragon is going to mate me? Does he mean…