Chapter 11: The Cook

~

The vines tightened on my wrist, and I sucked in a sharp breath. My mind couldn’t help drawing parallels to the last time I was tied up.

Silas had been putting me on my cross with chains for torture. This time, I was being tied to a tree with vines for pleasure. And by three very dangerously attractive alphas.

“I don’t have very good memories of being tied up,” I admitted shakily once I was secured to the tree.

“Then let us give you some, Little Red,” Zachariah said softly, coming forward, dragging his finger down my face.

His touch left tingling skin behind, and I met his eyes. “Please?”

The corner of his lips lifted, and he moved in to steal my mouth. He kissed me with a depth that would have had me swooning if the vines weren’t holding me up.

I jumped when more fingers dragged over my skin. I broke the kiss with Zachariah and looked down to where Atticus was on his knees. He grinned up at me, winking before he slowly undid my pants, tugging at the strings with a quiet urgency.

He tugged them down my hips to my knees, locking me in place.

He kissed the flesh of my pussy, and I sighed at the way his warm breath brushed it.

Zachariah kissed me again, his tongue swiping inside my mouth at the same time Atticus stroked my pussy with his.

I moaned at the instant pleasure that shocked my core. I resisted against the vines, but they didn’t snap. They dug into my skin.

Atticus made a meal of my pussy, pinning me to the tree with his tight grasp on my hips. He kissed, licked, and sucked as I writhed against him.

Zachariah was everywhere with his kisses, teasing and tasting my flesh. He moved over my neck, my jaw, my collarbone that was surprisingly sensitive.

And when I was sure I could take no more sensations, Dorian was there. He took the other side of my neck, pushing his hand against it.

The cup of my neck tightened and I sucked in a breath. Dorian groaned as he sniffed along my skin.

My body was hot and tight as they pleasured me. I had never felt so good tied up before.

Dorian gripped my breast in his hand, leaning down to take a peaked nipple in his mouth. His teeth grazed me at the same time Atticus sucked my clit.

I cried out, pleasure wreaking havoc on my body. My hands dug into the tree where they were tied back to it.

I was completely at their mercy and I wasn’t scared. I felt safe and so damn hot.

My pussy soaked Atticus’ mouth as he made sure I was leaking for him with every swift swipe of his tongue over my clit.

The edge was right there, so damn close. I panted as the urge to fall got more extreme inside me.

Dorian’s mouth stayed on my breasts, making sure they were as sensitive as the nub between my legs. Zachariah had my skin prickling with pleasure, bringing every nerve ending to life beneath it. And Atticus was at the center of me, driving me straight to the edge of the cliff with a precision that I couldn’t deny.

I tried to buck my hips into him, the pressure getting unbearable inside me.

“Feel it, Little Red. Give in to us.” Zachariah’s soft, raspy words were all I needed.

I exploded around them all, shuddering as I fell off the edge of control. The tension snapped inside me, combusting in sparks of pleasure that shot through me. Every part of me was a slave to that feeling.

I fell into it hard, my breaths coming in sharp pants as heat overwhelmed me.

The high was high and the fall was long. But it left me buzzing with relief.

Atticus wiped his mouth, licking his fingers like he’d just enjoyed some ribs. He smirked and kissed my lips so I could taste my own saltiness on him.

Zachariah turned my mouth so he could taste it too, kissing me.

“This is a much better memory,” I whispered when I pulled back.

Zachariah smirked, then ripped the vines from me. He rubbed over the bruises they had left, kissing the marks on my upper arms.

“I can help you as well?” I offered, looking at them all. Their eyes held a heat I knew well now. Their chests moved dramatically with their heavy breaths, and none of them—especially Atticus—had a hope in hell of hiding the state their cocks were in.

Dorian pulled my face to his, my eyes clashing with his. “This was for you, Sweet Siren. We can wait.”

“Speak for yourself,” Atticus muttered with a petulant frown. I laughed at that and did up my pants.

“Can I see more of your territory now?” I asked. The whole point of this was to see more of what would be my life. I was starting to think I would live on cock at this point. It did feel out of this world amazing, but I needed more.

Dorian kissed my cheek and nodded. He grabbed my hand and led me away from the tree.

Zachariah and Atticus followed behind as we walked through the forest.

He pointed to the river that wound through the trees of the forest, the trickling of water breaking the silence of the deep green foliage. “That river runs through to the main water source of the realm. The Great Lake.”

“My territory.” Atticus was proud when he spoke. I smiled at him over my shoulder, my hand still in Dorian’s as we walked.

“Across the river is where the other parts of my pack are. The warriors of my pack stay on this side of the river. It edges on vampire territory, so they protect the front line on this side.”

I shivered at the mention of vampires. The forest was a huge part of the realm, taking up most of werewolf territory, but to know that it edged that territory made my stomach turn.

“The children and the wolves who have stopped shifting live over that side with the humans of my territory. We have a school, markets, healers.”

“Can I see it?” I asked.

Dorian smiled, nodding, “Of course.”

He led me to the river, walking along it until we came to a small wooden bridge. He walked me over it and through more forest. It didn’t take long for us to come up to the main hub of his territory.

My jaw dropped when we did.

It was beautiful. More candles hung in cases on vines from tree to tree. Wildflowers grew in the shrubs and every building looked like it belonged. All the huts were built in the trees, stairs up tree trunks with arches and naturally curved detailing.

Women walked, chatted as they held baskets of laundry and food, and the children ran past laughing, trying to chase each other.

It was a vast space in the forest that had no darkness. The sun shone straight down onto it.

Some of the warriors were here with their families, their booming voices taking up the air.

There were a few bigger buildings in the larger trees, sitting up high like treehouses.

I took it all in, a sense of home filling me. Something comfortable and safe settling in my chest.

I let out a relieved breath. This was what I needed.

To see others living here, safe and happy.

I could see myself here.

I looked up at Dorian with a grin, “Your territory is beautiful, Dorian.”

He looked so proud; my grin widened.

“Let me show you more,” he offered. I nodded, heading through the main path system to the central hub clearing.

There were people climbing the trees, hanging decorations, carting big loads of food and barrels of wine toward one of the huts at the back.

“What’s going on there?” I asked.

“A celebration. For a successful blood moon ritual.”

Dorian’s short answer had me looking up at him. “Successful? What does that mean?”

“I chose well. The power I supplied the pack through the blood moon and you meant the pack were happy with my choice. So we celebrate.”

I raised a brow. “Because everything is a competition?”

He nodded. “Yes. Especially after the blood moon when the power is fresh. We will hunt to celebrate.”

“Hunt? People?” I grimaced.

Dorian laughed and shook his head, “No. Elk mostly. The biggest kill gets honored at the celebration banquet.”

“But I’m guessing that has to be you to prove yourself to the pack?”

He smiled down at me, “You catch on quickly.” He kissed my cheek, then led me through the villages.

Members of the pack nodded, said their greetings, but they mostly just gave us a wide berth. I thought that was because of me, but Dorian leaned down to my ear, his lips brushing it, “They are wary of the other alphas. We usually stick to our own territories. Them being here puts the pack on edge.”

I let out a sigh of relief that it wasn’t me.

After a while of looking through the main path of the territory, Dorian started leading us back toward the bridge.

“Let’s get you fed, Sweet Siren. I want you to myself for a while.”

***

I smiled. I was hungry and a little overwhelmed.

I had only known vampires. I had only known solitude. So many people all at once, and ones that were wary, made it hard to hold the smile on my face.

Dorian led us over the bridge and back toward his treehouse. It was definitely the grandest of them all. Surrounded by the warriors’ tree homes, it seemed even more so.

Dorian took us inside and led us to a small dining room. A wooden table grew up from the floor. There were four wooden chairs with half-melted candles on the tabletop.

A glass wall made up the entire wall behind the table, so I sat in the seat facing it. Dorian kissed my cheek as he brushed past.

Atticus and Zachariah sat at the seats on either side of me. They had been quiet and just as wary as the people of the villages.

Dorian went to the wooden benches along the wall. He started pulling out potatoes, onions, and carrots.

“You are cooking for us?” Zachariah frowned.

Dorian nodded, humming as he pulled a slab of meat out from the sink. “I had this prepared a couple of hours ago for us.”

“And you cook it yourself?” Atticus was confused, too.

I had no idea why.

Dorian looked over his shoulder with a smirk. “You have servants for your meals?”

Zachariah and Atticus looked at each other. That look said everything.

Dorian scoffed. “If you can’t cook, then you are half a man. You should know how to please your Luna better than anyone else.” He walked forward, a dripping blade in his hand from cutting the meat. He leaned down over the table, eyeing the other two alphas. “And do you know how to best please your Luna?”

“Food,” I answered easily.

Dorian winked at me, then grinned and walked back over to the bench.

“I don’t know where you’ve been, Alpha Dorian, but I would say we have more than pleased our Luna.” Atticus was defensive, his eyes going to me with a frown.

I laughed at the look he gave me.

“I was pleased with the sex. I am pleased. But I have been hungry for the last five years. I have to admit that some delicious food made by a man who can pleasure me as well? Major points.”

Atticus’s frown deepened as Zachariah scowled, watching every move Dorian made like he could download the information on what he was doing.

Dorian smirked, then went back to his cooking.

I stood up and went over to him. “I’ve never cooked before. Can you show me?”

Dorian grinned and handed me a knife. “Of course, Sweet Siren.”

He moved behind me and held my arms over the vegetables, showing me exactly how to slice through them.

It took a second for Zachariah and Atticus to get up and come over.

Atticus rubbed the back of his neck. “Show me?”

“I would also be interested to learn other ways to please our Luna.” Zachariah brushed against me.

Their close presence had me sighing. It felt so comfortable— even doing the mundane task of cutting and cooking together.

Dorian showed me how to get the pots boiling on the fire, how to know when the food was cooked.

He showed me his impressive garden of herbs, getting me to smell each one before putting the ones I liked with the food.

It was surprisingly enjoyable. Each thing I did was new to me, and it felt like progress.

The food was delicious—a warm stew that we ate together, smiling and laughing. It was everything. I tried, but I just couldn’t imagine sitting there without two of them.

I pushed that to the back of my mind and enjoyed their company, choosing to deny the looming choice I had to make.

We ended dinner in the bath, then the bed, where my alphas destroyed my body again.

I fell asleep full and more content than I had ever been.

Until I saw Silas’s face in my dreams.

His teeth were sharp, dripping with my blood. He came for me, chasing me through the forest, his words like knives in my heart. I ran as fast as I could, but I tripped. Silas loomed over me, his teeth dripping, his eyes wild.

He leaned down and brought my neck to his teeth. I screamed.

“Wake up, Sweet Siren. It’s just a dream. You’re safe,” Dorian’s soft whisper in my ear brought me back from my nightmare.

My eyes flung open, my breath catching in my throat as Silas’s face melted away from my mind. A tear slipped from my cheek, and I looked at Dorian, who cupped my face, pushing my tears away with his thumb.

“There was one vampire. He was worse than the rest.”

My voice was quiet, Atticus’s snoring taking over the night air. Zachariah held me in my sleep as Dorian rested over me.

“Silas?” Dorian asked.

“How did you know that?”

“You were saying his name in your sleep. But we’ve heard of him. He’s been causing issues all over the realm, trying to make a name for himself.”

“He wants me, Dorian. Badly. He won’t let me go easily.”

Dorian pressed his lips softly against mine. “Neither will we, Sweet Siren. The realm has spoken. You are to be one of ours. Whether that is me or the other two, it will never be Silas. He won’t get to you ever again. I promise you.”

His words melted away the panic in my chest. I kissed him again, then looked down at his dressed form.

“You’re getting up? It’s still dark.”

“I need to prepare for the hunt. Sleep, Siren. I’ll be listening in case you have another nightmare.”

I wanted to ask him back to bed with me. I wanted him to stay. But he was the alpha, and that meant he had to have the biggest kill today. I couldn’t be the reason that didn’t happen.

I nodded and let him go.

I stayed awake, staring at the ceiling until the sun glowed through the glass wall of the bedroom. I was too scared to close my eyes, so I just didn’t.

I got up, bathed, had breakfast with the alphas, still reeling from my dream. But I said nothing, refusing to distract Dorian.

He was tense all morning, too. He was on edge, his face pinched.

He still grabbed my hand and led me to the great hunt. The warriors of the pack were all there, dressed in their brown leather. Dorian didn’t wear any. He had his usual loose khaki green pants that hung low enough for me to appreciate the body he worked tirelessly on.

He stood taller than the others, his body in the best shape, but I was still worried.

Zachariah and Atticus sat on either side of me in the small wooden box we had been sat in up in one of the trees. Others sat in more of the boxes near the giant tree they used for vine swinging.

“The hunt will start, and the biggest kill will be our dinner. The smallest kill will be on patrol while we feast,” Dorian announced.

The warriors’ faces all hardened. I sucked in a breath as Dorian lowered his body like the start of a race.

His eyes narrowed on the forest. He changed; his entire demeanor moved into something lethal. Some women in the boxes cheered and whistled, calling out his name. They blew kisses and howled for their alpha.

It made my chest tight seeing him so worshiped by other women. Had he enjoyed them too? Was I taking away his chance to have one of them by choosing him?

I hadn’t considered those kinds of implications yet, but they were there now.

I stared down at him, nervous for him, but also kind of turned on. He was hot when he looked so dangerous.

He looked up at me, a smirk on his lips as he sniffed the air. His eyes fluttered closed, and he swallowed deeply.

“Your scent is driving him crazy,” Atticus chuckled.

“Oops.” I did not want to distract him.

“It’s not a bad thing, Little Red. It makes the wolf in him desperate to be the best—to show off for you.”

“Oh.” I let my attraction flood me.

His deep growl had everyone tensing, especially the pack. They looked nervous now. But Dorian grinned.

“Begin!” he roared, then took off so fast I barely saw him.

It didn’t take long.

Dorian was back within the hour with a giant elk that he dragged with him like it was a sack of flour.

He was covered in its blood, his chest puffed out as he dumped it down at the starting line.

As soon as he had, he climbed up the tree, forgoing the ladder. He was fast, using the strength in his well-trained muscles to haul him up to me. He jumped into the box and picked me up. I squealed as he did, laughing in surprise before he smothered my mouth with his.

I didn’t care that he was getting elk blood all over me; I just wanted him.

“Aren’t you worried they will find bigger?” Atticus interrupted in a gruff tone as other warriors started to make it back.

Dorian pulled away from me, scoffing at Atticus. “No. Or I wouldn’t have brought it back.”

“I sensed your jealousy, Sweet Siren. Are you worried about what you mean to me, hmm?” Dorian spoke to me, pushing my hair out of the way as the sounds of cheering and clapping surrounded us.

I shrugged. “I was just wondering if there was someone else I was stealing you from.”

He kissed me again. “All yours.” He smothered his own words with my mouth.

The hunt was over fast. The warriors’ kills didn’t even come close.

Dorian was announced victorious, and they all cheered for their alpha.

“Let’s get home so I can ravish you in peace,” Dorian grinned.

I liked the sound of that.

The kills were taken to the kitchens in the main hub for the banquet while we went back to Dorian’s.

But we had just crossed the bridge when the alphas grew tense.

Dorian sniffed the air, and I frowned. Something colder was in the air.

Even I sensed it. I shivered and moved closer between the three of them.

“There’s something following us.” Zachariah stepped forward, eyeing the forest with that calculated gaze.

Dorian sniffed the air. “Vampire.”

~

```