Excerpt:

The excerpt below contain explicit adult language and sexual content. By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of 18, it is necessary to exit this site.

 

The Fire Goddess and her Wolves

Copyright©2021

All rights reserved, Maia Dylan

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“Fiona.” Cole’s voice was cautious, much like it was when he talked to their horses when they were spooked. “You wanna tell us why you look like you’re expecting to have to fight your way outta here at some point during this conversation?”

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Fiona flinched slightly, but her expression didn’t change. “I’m sure I have no idea what you mean, Cole.” Her voice was pure steel and ice. Something was really wrong here. “Just tell me what you’ve come here to tell me, then leave. I only have ten weeks to solve my portion of the prophecy and I need every single moment to gain control of my power.” Travis narrowed his eyes at her. He had a nasty feeling he knew what she was expecting.

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“Fiona,” Travis said, fighting to keep his voice calm, “do you think we’re here to tell you we don’t want you?” He felt his brother flinch beside him, and it was obvious he hadn’t come to that conclusion. “That somehow there’s been a mistake and we have come to the realization that you aren’t our mate and that we are here to tell you that?”

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Oh. Shit. That was exactly what she thought. He could tell from the look on her face. He stared at their mate. She had no idea how beautiful she was, how fucking desirable she was to them, and what she would come to mean to them both. He and Cole could only hope that she would come to care for them half as much.

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“Fiona.” Cole’s voice vibrated with pain, not for himself but for their woman who had faced more people turning their backs on her than opening their arms. “Baby, that’s not what we have come to talk to you about. Hell, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.”

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Travis leaned forward drawing her gaze. “I know you don’t know me yet, lovely.” He took a breath to slow his racing heart. “And, God, I hope you want to get to know me, but please believe me when I tell you that you are my mate. You are our mate, and you are everything we ever hoped to have in a mate. Cole has talked about you incessantly since I got back and I have hung on and soaked up every damn word. I definitely like everything I’m hearing and seeing, and all it does is make me yearn to get to know you better.”  Finally, her face seemed to soften.

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“If we had known”—Cole sat forward so that they were both leaning toward her with their elbows on their knees—“that you were thinking those thoughts, doubting that you are our mate, we would have been here a lot sooner. Jesus, Fi, it breaks my heart to think that you’ve been sitting here for the past two weeks believing that we made a mistake!” Travis watched as her face became vulnerable and her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

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“The only mistake we made, Fiona, was leaving you here on your own for so long. We would have moved heaven and earth to have been here with you,” Travis said softly, then panicked as he watched a single tear slide down her cheek and her chin start to wobble. Fuck this! He leapt up, moved around the table, and plucked her off the arm chair, then moved back to sit on the couch with her in his lap, right next to his brother. Damn, she felt fantastic in his arms! With the three of them sitting so close that she was effectively lying across their laps, he felt their mating bond snap stronger into place.

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All three of them trembled and he knew that they had each felt it. “See, lovely?” He squeezed her in his arms, loving how she snuggled into him and placed her hand on Cole’s where it rested on her thigh. “That makes it real clear that you are our mate. The mating bond is in place and will only grow stronger between us if you’ll let it. We aren’t asking you to let us claim you right this second. All we want is the chance to get to know you and explore this attraction we have for each other. Do you think we can do that?”

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The moments between his soft question and her answer stretched, and just as Travis thought she was going to turn them down, her face bloomed with a smile so beautiful his heart ached. “I’m not sure that getting to know me will make it easier or harder to start or try to have a relationship with me. I can be kinda difficult sometimes, and I do have a little bit of a major kinda fly-off-the-handle type of temper.”

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“No,” Cody deadpanned, “I’ve never seen that in you.”

“Shut up, Cody, you dick.” Fiona punched him in the arm with a laugh, and Travis grinned. “But as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted…” She glared mockingly at Cole, who grinned unrepentantly back at her. “I’m not sure what will come out of getting to know me better, but I’m willing to give it a try if you are.” She smiled shyly at them and Travis resisted the urge to whoop and holler his joy. He just grinned and hoped she could see his joy at her words, then he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, enjoying her surprised squeal at the move.

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“You won’t regret this, Fiona.” He leaned back to stare into her shocked eyes and smiled when she raised a slightly shaking hand to her lips. When she turned to Cole, he leaned in and kissed her just as softly.

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“We’ll do everything in our power to make sure you never do,” Cole whispered as he sat back to give her a little room. Her smile was shy, but her eyes flashed with heat and Travis felt his heart swell. All he and Cole needed to do was convince her that they could be what she needed. He and Cole had never failed at anything they set their minds to as a team, and they had sure as hell had set their minds on Fiona. Hell, they had their hearts set on her, too.