The Wolf King

How many days passed since her arrival here? She wondered, watching the four moons rise again. A month? Two? The other world, Earth, seemed to fade from her memory the longer she spent here. Yet, she still was no closer to solving anything. They were still living in a cave, hiding from some unknown pursuer, and she knew very little about the situation. Gunther, Silas, and Zion all took turns leaving the cave for food, though she assumed they also checked on their situation. She felt as though she were going insane, especially with their recent avoidance.

'You worry the other two hate you.' Catherine grew used to his 'presence' in her head and they often talked to each other using their link, though she still hardly understood how it worked. 'They do not know what to say. It has been a month since your arrival in this world, yet you do not seem any closer to unlocking your powers as Cathy was.'

This annoyed her. No matter how many times she meditated with Silas, Gunther, or Zion, she was no closer to her supposed 'powers' than she was when she first arrived. With an exception of that pink-like mist that appeared when she panicked. Catherine was clueless as to how to use them, and the voices she heard back when she first arrived, had not come back. And with Gunther and Silas now avoiding her, she had to depend on Zion for answers. And Zion only answered her when he felt like it, too. She chewed on her lip, before shifting closer to Zion.

'Is that what we're waiting for?'

'Yes. We are here to keep you safe until you learn to access at least a shield.' His deep tenor voice replied, without a glance at her. 'Once you have, we will move elsewhere. We cannot stay in one location too long with this many people after us.'

"How many people are after us?" She asked aloud, and the three turned to look at her. "The three of you have not given me any details about our pursuers. Or that Satyr. And Gunther, Silas, we've already talked about this. I will not hurt you, or this body. If I was going to, I would have already."

"Scared." Zion shrugged to which Gunther jumped to a stand.

"I'm not scared!" Gunther yelled at Zion. "I just don't know how to act around her!"

Silence fell over the cave, and Catherine looked at the DragoShif in unconcealed shock. This was the first time she ever watched someone turn as red as a tomato, and he awkwardly shifted away from the group, the sound of his footsteps echoing as he walked towards the back of the cavern. What was strange was the silence left by his statement. Catherine tried to find out more from Silas and Zion, but they averted their gazes. She sighed before following after the wayward dragon again. He was the one who seemed to struggle the most from the missing Cathy. The other two did not seem to care.

"Sometimes you will say or do something that reminds me of her." He said when she arrived at his side. "Then I remember you are not her, and it sucks."

"I'm sorry." She sighed, taking a seat next to him, and he looked over at her. "I'm not her. How did you two meet?"

"I'm not sharing my Lias with you." Gunther snapped before his shoulders sank. "We met a year before we wed. I did not know you from before. A distance separated us."

"A distance?"

"Yes. I am the DragoShif. The next Dragon King." He sighed, his chest heaving. "We married three days before you arrived in Cathy's body. Our first meeting was three days before that, as is tradition for my people."

"Oh. But you already seem in love with her…" Catherine replied, glancing at the blood red-haired man at her side. "I assumed you knew her well."

"Intirmates are permanent, but we have not yet slept together. Not like her and the other two." Gunther pouted a little before he backpedaled. "Not that I wanted to, anyway. And I'm not 'in love' with her. It's only because we're Intirmates. My soul is drawn to her soul, not yours."

Though she knew it made sense, his words still hurt a little. Catherine was not the woman Gunther fell for. And though he never met his bride until three days before their marriage, he loved her and was loyal to the idea of his wedding. Which was a very attractive feature. Men were no where near as loyal where she was from. She gave him a gentle nod of understanding before turning back to the pool where the two often talked. The glowing creatures floating in the water splashed, and some water landed on Gunther's head, making Catherine giggle when he shook it away like a dog.

"Well, I understand your loyalty to Cathy, but I also want to trust and have your trust, too. So, if you want to act as you would around her, I would be fine with that." Catherine continued, reaching out to pat his damp red head like a child. "Though since you did not know her… could you get to know me the way you would have tried to get to know her?"

Gunther's red eyes narrowed, and he coughed, his cheeks flushing. She had not meant it to sound improper, though it was funny how embarrassed he would get. When she giggled, he looked back at her with annoyance in his eyes, but there was a little understanding there too, and he chuckled. As the two started laughing out loud, his earthy scent filled her nose before she found herself pressed against the stone floor of the cavern. Gunther positioned himself between her thighs, pressing his massive form against her body. His lips found purchase against the mark on her chest.

"Mmm!" Teeth sank into her lip as she tried to hold back her moans. "Hah!"

"Fine. If you wish for us to become closer, give yourself to me."

This chilled her to her core, and she froze, purple eyes wide. When he noticed, Gunther pulled back with a sigh of disappointment, his flushed face averting. She wanted to give in to her lust for these men, especially when they touched those marks, but it did not seem right to choose between them. Regardless of if they were her husbands or not. She could tell the three often butted heads, and did not want to increase that discomfort by picking just one of them. When she sat up, she put a hand on Gunther's shoulder.

"I'm sorry… I'm just still so very confused about this place…" Catherine supplied before rising to walk back to the others. "And I don't feel comfortable choosing between you three."

"There is no 'choosing' between us three." Silas appeared with Zion in tow. "You married all three of us. We all have an individual dynamic with you when we are alone with you, and another dynamic when the four of us are together."

"No interruptions." Zion confirmed with a nod. "If you speak to one of us, the others leave us alone."

"And everything is at your pace. Regardless of your soul's status as Cathy, you are our wife. We have been over this." The Dark Fae stepped forward and took her hand in his despite the annoyed expression on his face, his voice was gentle. "That means you chose how far you are willing to permit us to touch you. If you say stop, we will. If you say continue, we will. The same applies to any sexual relations we have as well."

~~~~~

Zion shifted closer as the storm outside worsened. Silas and Gunther left hours ago, and she was alone with him, trying to keep warm. Every time she shivered, Zion would shift a little closer, making her heart race in her chest. Of course, she felt closer to him because he always seemed to be nearby, his silent support a comfort when she felt distressed. But Catherine was well aware of how much he desired her. And all he had to do was touch the spot on her neck. Now that she thought of it, though, she wondered what it looked like.

"It matches my markings." He answered, his tenor voice echoing. "Here."

In his hand, a small mirror appeared and she looked at her neck. Sure enough, there was an intricate design of a wolf with hazel-colored eyes. It was about the size of her fist, a very obvious dark brown against her pale flesh, a similar color to the tattoos that wrapped around his form. Catherine looked at the mark Silas mentioned previously to find a very detailed reference to the Dark Fae. She had yet to learn much of her second husband, but she understood his status as her Harlequin. Catherine decided to learn more about that later. For now, she wanted to focus on this chance to learn more about Zion.

"Why were you so quick to accept this? I thought you loved Cathy." She wondered aloud, and his hazel eyes turned to look searchingly into hers. "I'm trying to make sense of the relationships here."

"Cathy did not love us." Zion shrugged, then turned back to the fire. "She hated our bonds."

"That doesn't answer…"

"I loved her looks. Her personality was too immature." He countered, making her jaw drop in shock. "You are better. You are not afraid of me."

Huh? Cathy was afraid of Zion? But he seemed so kind to her. Even with the scar under his eye, he was still a handsome male, with a diamond-shaped head, short brown hair, and full lips. He looked wilder than the other two, despite his quietness, and he leaned forward, his cocoa-colored skin looking sweaty in the firelight. When his fingers touched hers, and she felt his Lias spread through her form, she sighed in pleasure. It was warm, the same warmth of his skin on hers, and comforting, too. Was it because she trusted him? Catherine closed her eyes to the sensation.

"As your first husband, it is my duty to make sure the other two stay in line. In our relationship, I hold more power than they do." Zion's voice entered her ear nearby, sending a ghost of his breath across her flesh. "And so long as you trust me, nothing will ever happen to you. I ensure your safety from everyone while you are unable to protect yourself."

He was swearing himself to her much like a knight would, and it made her heart race in her chest. That traditional outlook made her feel like a woman who wanted to be protected by his strong arms, and confused her. Catherine was not the kind of woman to depend on a man, so depending on Zion seemed counterproductive to her. Not only that, but his voice made her spine tingle, and she wanted to buckle under the weight of his passionate gaze. Catherine had not even opened her eyes, yet she could feel his hazel orbs stroking over her skin under her pink robes.

"I am not in love with the idea of a woman who will never return my affections. But I can sense your attraction through our link." His voice moved lower, and she shivered again. "And that makes me want you. Perhaps the others feel the same way, and that is why they touch you too."

"You don't mind?"

"I am your first husband. It will never bother me." He shrugged, and his breath drifted lower. "So long as you are safe and happy in your relationships with them, I will not intrude. As I said, my first duty to you is your safety."