These Wondrous Moments (Fates)

6. Ellis

Ellis

I’m floating in a cloud of bliss, surrounded by softness and warmth. I sink lower in the bed, tucking the blanket under my chin. Then someone is there, hand on my shoulder shaking gently.

“Wake up, Ellis.”

“Mnrgh,” I grumble, rolling over to get away from the obnoxious stimuli.

A low chuckle rumbles from whoever won’t leave me alone. Their voice is familiar, but I don’t want to climb out of the trenches of sleep to figure out who it is. Another shake on my shoulder, and I shrug it off.

“Ellis,” the person breathes, much closer than I expected. Their breath fans across my neck.

“What?” I demand, jolting backward to get them away from me.

“Fuck!” the voice shouts.

“Did she just break your nose?” another voice asks.

Break his nose? The words bury deep inside of me and eventually register. I sit up with a gasp, looking around. Cade is standing next to the bed, smiling. Kai is setting a tray of breakfast food on the foot of the bed. And Sterling is crouching forward, hand on his nose with blood dribbling between his fingers.

“Sterling!” I reach for him, hands fluttering around him unsure what to do. “What happened?”

He stares at me with icy blue eyes. “You broke my nose. Again.” His voice is nasally and muffled behind his hands.

My eyes widen, and I gasp. “I did? What did I do?”

“You headbutted me.”

Cade tugs Sterling’s hand away and violet light twines around his fingers. “Let me see.” His magic spreads to Sterling, making him grunt, then it disappears. “There. All better, big guy.”

Kai climbs onto the bed and sits next to me. “We can’t even plan you a birthday breakfast in bed without you beating us up.”

“What?” I glance between the three of them, Sterling wiping blood from his face.

“Happy birthday, baby girl.” Kai leans over and kisses my cheek.

Birthday. I completely forgot about that. It’s never been anything I celebrated. I never had any reason to celebrate another year of my life. Especially when I was wishing it would just end.

“We made you breakfast in bed,” Sterling says, sitting on the other side of me. “Well, Cade and I did. Kai sulked in the kitchen complaining that we wouldn’t let him help.”

“We let him pour the coffee,” Cade amends, sitting in front of Kai and patting his thigh.

My eyes burn and I blink back the tears building on my lashes. “You guys,” I whisper, hand on my throat.

Cade settles the tray over my lap. Pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs with cheese, and of course, coffee. There is enough for three, and Cade and Sterling pick up forks to join me. It’s delicious. It’s perfect. It’s the nicest thing anyone has done for me on my birthday since my mom was alive.

When my belly is full and the plates are empty, Cade moves the tray and goes into the hall. He comes back with three presents. “Happy birthday, love.”

I stare at the presents in front of me and bite my lip to keep from crying. The first one I open is wrapped perfectly in gold paper, the edges folded and taped neatly. It has Cade’s name written all over it. Inside is a little black velvet box. My fingers tremble as I open it. Nestled in a bed of white silk is a thin rose gold band inset with four purple amethysts.

“Cade,” I breathe. “It’s beautiful.” I pull the ring out, but before I can put it on, he takes it from me.

Taking my left hand, he slips the ring onto my ring finger. His smile is bright and his eyes—eyes that match the ring—shine with so much emotion. He says nothing, though, as he hands me the next present—a small pink bag.

My hands shake as I pull out another black velvet box. This one holds a thin rose gold band inset with four aquamarines. My eyes blur with tears as Sterling takes the box from me and slips the ring on my finger, nestling it up with Cade’s. Then Sterling hands me the last present.

This one is very obviously Kai’s. The purple paper is ripped and taped together like a three-year-old wrapped it. When I open the box, my tears stream down my face. Kai places the rose gold band with four gray spinel stones on my finger with the other two rings. I swallow the tears and blink my eyes because they are blurring my vision and I can’t see the rings on my finger.

“We might not be able to officially get married, stupid laws, but that doesn’t mean we can’t unofficially be married.” Kai kisses the top of my hand.

“Besides, our bonds with you are more permanent than any wedding vow,” Cade adds.

Sterling takes my other hand. “But, we never got you a present when we accepted our bonds. These rings can be a symbol of our vows to you.”

I stare at the rings, each one the same color as my guys’ eyes. “Thank you,” I breathe, clutching my fist to my chest like I can press these rings and their meaning deep into my heart.

“We love you, Ellis,” Sterling says. “And we couldn’t be more proud to be building this life with you.”

A sob crawls up my throat, and I can’t keep it in. They surround me, each one pressing a kiss to my lips, or cheek, or temple. And I spend the rest of my birthday morning cuddling with my Shields.

“Girl! Look at you!” Allie squeals as I hop out of the Hummer and dash straight into her arms.

“Believe it or not, Sterling bought it for me. I’m not sure how he does it, but he’s better at buying my clothes than I am.” I laugh as I pull away and tug down the skirt of my black dress. The strapless top is black lace, with just a black strapless bra underneath to cover the girls. The skirt is skin-tight satin, with an open zipper up the thigh, and in the space of the open zipper is more black lace. My ensemble is topped off with a pair of strappy black heels.

“You’re kidding me,” Allie says with a smile. “Connor bought me a pair of shoes for Christmas and they were so awful.”

“You should have worn them tonight. I’m sure they would have looked great with that dress.”

She snorts but runs her hands down the sparkly red fabric of her dress. “It’s kind of exciting being able to go out and wear something that draws so much attention.”

“It is. Gods, we never would have gone out like this before.”

We link arms and walk down the street, a wall of muscle at our backs. Connor, Kai, Cade, and Sterling ensure no harm comes to us. For my birthday, all I wanted to do was go out to a club. As a human, I’ve never been to one. It was always too dangerous, not to mention Thomas Kennedy would have had a fit. So with the protection my men give me, I decided to go out and have fun.

Cade groans behind me, and I turn to look at him. When I realize his gaze is pinned ahead of me, I whirl around. Chloe is standing in front of the club wearing a two piece outfit that shows an incredible amount of skin. I crack a grin when I realize that’s why Cade was groaning.

I dart ahead and give her a hug. “I think Cade wants to murder you because of what you’re wearing. Or lack thereof,” I say with a laugh.

“He can get in line.” A rumbly growl from behind Chloe draws my attention. Cole is standing there with his arms crossed and his piercing stare glaring at Chloe.

She sighs and rolls her eyes toward the sky. “When he found out about this shindig, he insisted on coming.”

“Someone has to keep her out of trouble,” Cole says, making Chloe stiffen.

I laugh and link my arm with hers and my other arm with Allie’s. “Let’s not worry about the guys tonight. This is for us.”

The bouncer in front of the club looks like he’s going to say something, but one look at Kai looming behind us and he quickly lets us in. Instantly, the heat from the press of bodies inside surrounds me. The bass from the music thumps deep into my bones. The scent of sweat, alcohol, and drugs float through the air, making me grimace.

Kai leads us across the dance floor, his presence parting the crowd of people like he has the plague. He takes us straight to the bar and has a conversation with the bartender I can’t hear over the pounding music, but it leaves the bartender pale and wide eyed. A threat, most likely, to make sure nothing gets slipped into our drinks. Kai passes his credit card over and leans in to talk next to my ear.

“Order what you want,” he says loudly, a hand on my hip. “Sterling and Cole got a table in the back corner. We’ll watch you from there.” With a quick kiss on my cheek, he leaves.

I’m unable to suppress a smile. For the first time in my life, I’m alone in a club. Well, not truly alone, but the illusion provided by the guys stepping away is powerful. Allie orders three drinks, and hands one to me and Chloe.

“Let’s dance!” she says, grinning as widely as I am.

We find a spot on the crowded floor and lose ourselves in the music and motions. I have no idea how much time has passed—only the fact I've had three strong drinks—when a male body presses against my back. I freeze for a moment, before the scent hits me a moment later. Cherries and spice.

“You’re too fucking tempting out here,” Kai growls in my ear, sliding his hands around my waist and pulling me hard against him.

I bite my lip and roll my hips, grinding against him to the beat of the music. A second later, Cade steps in front of me, pinning me between them. Dancing with them like this is hot as hell. I search for Sterling, and find him sitting at a table, watching us with hooded eyes. I wish he’d join us, but I know this isn’t his scene.

They dance with me for two more songs before both giving me a kiss and heading back to the table with Sterling, Cole, and Connor. Allie brings another round of drinks and the three of us dance until sweat slicks our bodies. I haven’t had this much fun in … well, ever. Spending time with my girlfriends. Acting like normal girls. This is the best present the guys could have given me.

Connor breaks first. Having enough of watching us on the dance floor, he steals Allie away to a dark corner. I laugh and Chloe returns to the bar for more drinks. I dance by myself for a bit, hips swaying, putting on a secret show for my guys. I’m so focused on what I’m doing, I don’t notice the guy that stops in front of me.

“You look like you’re having the time of your life,” he says loudly enough for me to hear him over the thumping music.

My throat closes up, but I nod my head and make to walk around him. He stops me by placing his hands on my hips and drawing me against him.

“I’m kind of jealous. I want to have as much fun as you are.” He drops his head to my neck and I gasp when I feel his tongue slide over my skin.

I wedge my hands between us, my heart thundering in my chest, and attempt to push him away. “Stop,” I breathe shakily.

“Oh, come on. Let’s have some fun.”

Before he can do anything else, he’s yanked away from me. Kai steps between us and stares the guy down. “She told you to stop.”

The guy shrugs and gives Kai a smile. “Just having some fun.” He leans around Kai and looks me up and down.

Kai shoves the guy hard enough to make him land on his ass. “If you were smart, you’d keep your hands and eyes off my beloved.”

I place my hand on Kai’s back, feeling his trembling restraint, and he turns around. His eyes are ruby red, but when he sees me, they dim slightly. He grabs my hand and tugs me through the crowd to the back storage room. He closes the door and sets a random chair under the handle.

“Are you okay?” he asks, looking me up and down.

I nod, and before I can open my mouth, he shoves me against the wall. He kisses my neck, growling when he inhales and scents the other guy. “You’re fucking mine, little bird. No one else can touch you.”

I tug him closer so I can rub myself on his thigh, but he steps away with a chuckle. He trails his fingers up the outside of my legs, just under the hem of my skirt, watching every one of my movements. I attempt to move again, to rub myself against him, but he steps away once more. I growl, a pathetic sound compared to his, and he outright laughs.

But his hand slides between my thighs and I whimper with impatience, threading my fingers through his hair. He’s moving too slowly, teasing me too much. I shift my hips, doing my best to direct his fingers exactly where I want them.

“Impatient little bird,” he mutters, but finally runs his finger through my wetness. A low growl rumbles in his chest and his hips press against my thigh, letting me know he’s hard as a fucking rock.

Kai’s red rimmed eyes bore into me as he slowly pushes two fingers inside me. He watches my every expression, each breath that falls from my lips, the way my hips move as I chase my pleasure. His thumb grazes my clit and I cry out. The teasing is driving me wild. It’s boiling my blood in my veins, and it’s not enough.

So I say the words I know will incite both the monster and Kai. I say the words that will give me what I want. “Show me who I belong to,” I moan, throwing my head back against the wall.

Kai freezes, his throat works on a swallow and his gaze blazes red for a moment before settling back to gray with the slowly encroaching red. I take matters into my own hands as he stares, and I unbutton his pants, tugging them down. Kai snaps and yanks them out of the way, picking me up and wrapping my legs around his waist at the same time.

His cock rubs against my core and I cling to his neck to give me more leverage as I move my hips, coating his length in my arousal. His strong hands wrap around my waist and lift me, no doubt leaving fingerprint shaped bruises on my flesh. When he lowers me back down, his cock presses against my entrance.

“Yes, Kai. Please,” I gasp, trying to wiggle down onto the hardness I want inside of me. “Own me. Destroy me. Possess me.”

Kai growls and he tugs me down, sheathing his cock inside me. We both make strangled noises of pleasure, and I go pliant in his arms, letting him do whatever he wants to me. Kai’s hips move faster and faster. The fire inside me burns brighter and brighter. The wall against my back is unforgiving but I don’t care about the bruises I’ll have tomorrow. I just need Kai. And he gives me everything.

When I’m so close to combusting, I tilt my head to the side, silently asking him to bite me. His fangs lengthen and his eyes turn impossibly dark as he watches the pulse flutter in my neck before lowering his mouth to the skin there. My stomach clenches when he presses a gentle kiss to my pulse, so out of context with the dominance and possession he’s shown me so far.

He scrapes his fangs along the sensitive skin and I whimper, clenching around him. When his fangs sink in my throat, the pleasure soars through me, lighting me up inside. I come around Kai, my body shaking and shuddering. I can feel each pull he takes on my vein and each one causes my orgasm to crest even higher. I scream his name and I feel his cock thicken before his rhythm turns uneven. He removes his fangs as his body stills, licking up the excess blood.

My head falls to his shoulder and Kai wraps me tightly against him. His heart beats with mine, the same tempo, together. Forever. He doesn’t set me down, but he turns around and slides down the wall, keeping me tucked close to him.

“Ellis,” he breathes into my hair. “Fuck. I love you so much. It still seems surreal sometimes. Getting to spend time with my beloved, doing things like this, it’s just … I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”

I snuggle against him, breathing in his scent. It settles inside me, calming and centering. “I think I win the title of luckiest in the world,” I mutter. “You, Cade, and Sterling. All of you guys are mine.” I smile against his neck, unable to hold it back. “Yeah. I’m definitely the luckiest.”

He chuckles, and the sound vibrates his chest. “We should get back out there before people start to wonder where we are.”

“Mmhmm,” I say, but I don’t move, and neither does he.

“I’m sorry,” he says quietly, fingers toying with my curls. “I didn’t mean to get so possessive. I saw that guy grab your waist and … I did my best to keep the monster under control.”

“I’ve told you before. You don’t have to apologize for the monster. You both keep me safe and, well, I enjoy the sense of safety. I know I can let my guard down because you guys will always have my back.” I shrug, looking into now completely gray eyes. “Plus the sex is always amazing.”

He smiles, his face softening with the expression, and he leans forward to gently kiss me. “We’ll always protect you, baby girl. You’ll always be safe with us.”

“I know. Thank you.”

We stand and fix our clothes before heading back to the main area of the club. As I walk, Kai’s release drips down my thighs, slick and warm. When we get back to the table with Sterling and Cade, my mate’s nostrils flare as he scents me. His icy blue eyes darken and he pulls his lower lip between his teeth.

“Are you enjoying your birthday?” Cade asks with a knowing grin.

“Very much so.” I hop forward and give Cade a kiss, then Sterling.

“You know,” Sterling drawls, “Chloe already left with Cole, and Allie and Connor have been glued together for a while now.”

“What are you saying, Sterling?” I ask, tugging on a strand of his silver hair.

“How about we head back to the cabin,” he suggests, tugging my skirt down a little bit. “We can keep celebrating. Just the four of us.”

My stomach flip flops and I bounce on my toes. “I think that sounds amazing.”