"Shift. You aren't going anywhere," said the human voice behind her. It was the Texan who had forced her to submit in the cabin. Why did the sound of his voice make her stomach flutter? She complied. With the panther eying her every move, she'd never get away. Once human and naked, the chill of the night nipped at her exposed flesh.

"What do you want from me?"

She received no reply which only made her more leery. The panther circled her and the blond man beside her.

"Let's head back." The wolf shifter reached for her hand. The momentary contact, before she jerked away, felt hot and pleasant. She craved to nestle herself against his male heat for warmth and comfort. More than that. The sight of his perfect male form, muscled and shadowed by moonlight, made her veins burn hot with erotic need. Why was she cursed to have these desires every full moon? Could they sense her lust? Did they feel the same way?

"Are you going to be difficult?"

"Tell me. How do you plan to take me back if I don't follow like a good little puppy?"

He snorted. "I'll throw you over my shoulder. Either way, I'm good."

"You're forcing me into confinement. I'm not gonna go all nice-like." She folded her arms and his eyes darted to her generous cleavage. Why hadn't she sensed it before? She blamed her heightened nerves for not noticing the sexual signature snapping like electricity in the air. He wanted her and so did his friend, now watching her with inhumanly blue eyes.

"There's food and a fire back at the cabin. You look like you're freezing." She was freezing. Her bare human skin provided little protection from the elements. The offer was tempting, but she wouldn't make it easy for them. Once they got her back in the cabin, there would be no way out. The tiger may have had a soft spot for her, but the others wouldn't make the same mistake again. She couldn't do confinement. Not after what she had gone through in the past at the hands of heartless hunters.

Carna stood still, in a state of indecision. The dark forest surrounding them appeared daunting, an unfamiliar maze that could take her forever to navigate. She had little choice.

"If I go back, what will you do with me? What do you want from me?"

A new set of hands rested on her shoulders from behind. She whirled around, ready to strike. How had she not heard the panther shift and move up next to her? He had abnormal stealth for a shifter.

"We won't hurt you. But you're important, you have to know that." His blue eyes blazed even in human form, highlighting the sharp planes of his face.

"Maybe. That doesn’t mean I'm up for grabs, either. You can't just keep me a prisoner forever." Or could they? She cringed at the thought of being caged long term. Caged at all. Her only solace was imagining her sisters free. If she had to forfeit her own life, she'd gladly do it in their place.

The panther shifter brushed her thick black hair off her shoulder, examining her neck. "Have you chosen your own mate? You're not marked."

Carna pulled away, her back slamming into the Texan's hard body. She felt cornered, but in a twisted way, it felt good. Too good. Their male heat, the dominant vibe they each gave off, and their sexual desire—it all pulled her into a web that she soon became tangled in. Her breathing picked up just as the clouds parted to reveal the full moon. Standing near the rocky outcropping, no forest canopy stood in the way to diminish the beauty of the massive white sphere. It called to her, filled her with untamed desires that she could barely contain. As male shifters, they had to feel the same thing.

As if on cue, they all looked to the sky, and then traded glances with each other.

"Carna, answer me. Have you chosen a mate?" The sound of her name in the panther's deep, gravely voice made her pussy swell and pulse. She wanted to ask him to repeat it, over and over again.

"No. If I choose a mate, it won't be one that drugs and kidnaps me."

"Little one, we never thought that far in advance. I suppose we thought we could convince you of our intentions once we had your full attention."

"And what intentions would those be? Mate with five shifters I know Jack-squat about?"

"Of course not," snapped the Texan.

"So who gets the prize?" She lowered her brow in suspicion, knowing they had no answer. Stupid males. They thought with their dicks half the time. No wonder royal blood was only passed down to females.

"Finder's keepers," said the panther.

They pressed tighter against her as they challenged each other. "You think so, Blue? Good luck with that thought. If anything, I'm the best choice. I'm wolf. I'm what she needs."

Blue growled and wrapped an arm around her waist possessively.

"Are you gonna rip me apart and share the pieces?" Both of them gripped her hard, too hard, not hard enough.

"You're hurting her, Austin. Back off!"

Carna could feel the determination of each man, their desire and possessiveness like a living force all around her. She reveled in it, basked in the attention that she usually tried to escape from. Something about these males, or the presence of the full moon, inspired wicked thoughts to swirl in her head.

Facing Blue, she dared to trace her finger over his firm pecs. The temptation to feel him was just too strong and she reacted on impulse. Such a beautiful body needed to be touched. His breath caught and the four hands holding her loosened. Knowing how much she affected them spurred her on, and increased the tightness in her womb. Once she trailed her fingertips away, she reached up high and placed a hand on each of his shoulders. They were broad with a thick cord of muscle.

She wasn't daunted by the prospect of taking two men. Her own mother had three mates, which was the norm. Each generation of royal women took three males as mates, usually from different species of shifters. It kept the bloodlines strong and diverse. Although she craved one night of hard fucking with the two virile males, they weren't mating material. She wasn't sure what she wanted in a life partner, but it wouldn't be a man who tried to force her to love them. You couldn't inspire love in a person—at least not from her.

"That's it. Take what you want, baby." Blue nuzzled her face with his cheek, rough with stubble. She wanted to lose herself in the moment, in the dizzy heat surrounding her. "I'm all yours." Carna liked the sound of that. Her wolf wanted to own him, to mark him as hers alone. What was she thinking?