Chapter 18

Eighteen

Rhoswyn

I t turns out what I thought Lore meant by fun was wrong.

I half thought he was dragging me away from the war room with the aim of finding a private corner to fuck me in, but he tugs me through the palace corridors with a grin on his face instead.

“Redcap,” Jaro growls. “Slow down.”

“Why?” he replies, pulling me in for a quick kiss. “The best view in all of Illidwen awaits! You’re lucky I’m letting you crash such an excellent date.”

Whatever Jaro might’ve said in response is lost as Lore’s hat transforms into a pair of scarlet earmuffs, protecting my ears from the brisk autumn wind as we emerge out of the wood-panelled corridor and onto a terrace that overlooks…

“Oh my Goddess,” I whisper, staring across a sea of golden fire.

Like Lore’s home, the Court of Blades, Illidwen is a city built within the trees. And the palace is the largest of them all. Far below, I can make out other fae on nearby balconies enjoying the quiet night beneath glowing paper lanterns, but anything farther away is hidden beneath a rippling dark carpet of autumn leaves.

“Wow,” Bree breathes, echoing my thoughts. “This is…”

“Shut up,” Lore says. “I’m waiting for Rose to get so awed that she kisses me.”

I half chuckle, my hand flitting to his collar to drag him down towards me. “I love you, you crazy idiot.”

The words slip out, and I bury my embarrassment in the kiss—or I would, but Lore has other ideas. He breaks the contact after only a second and starts blinking around erratically.

“She looveesss me! She loves me. She said it first! Nicnevin Rhoswyn said it to the redcap first!”

I have to smother my smile as I glance at the other two, quietly making sure they’re not upset that I said the words to Lore before them. To my relief, rather than the jealousy or judgement I feared, they wear matching expressions of amused delight.

“Come on!” Lore says. “This way. There’s so much to see before the dullahan escapes the boring meeting and makes us do official Nicnevin bullshit.”

Without waiting for anyone to agree, he pulls me back inside, along winding rounded corridors and across sculpted bridges to marketplaces and beyond. I wonder at first if they’ll tell me to glamour myself like I did in Elfhame, but no one suggests it. It’s a little nerve-wracking, being under the scrutiny of hundreds of fae, but weirdly enough, they seem to take one look at Lore and decide they have other places to be.

Through it all my Guard are there, buying me brightly coloured, honey-roasted nuts from a vendor when the smell makes my stomach rumble. And of course, the entire time, Lore crows so loudly about my declaration of love that my cheeks burn continuously. The entire court must’ve heard by the time we return to the palace.

“You know,” he says, casually blinking so he’s sitting on the shoulders of one of the palace guards outside the room that Cressida has had made up for us. “My pet loves me.”

I chuckle at the guard’s terrified wide eyes as he tries to figure out what to do and walk past the two of them and into the room that Jaro is already sweeping for intruders.

“She told me first, before even the wolfie!” Lore continues from behind me as I make a beeline for the beautiful balcony overlooking the twilight city. “I was certain that she was going to say it to him first?—”

“Actually,” a cool voice interrupts, as I spin on the spot to find Drystan leaning against the wall behind me. “She said it to me first, in Siabetha.”

Could my face get any hotter? I turn away, unwilling to see the looks on the others’ faces. A grunt, followed by a curse and then a hiss of pain, reaches my ears, but I refuse to get involved.

Did I mess up by letting slip to Drystan before the rest? I didn’t mean to. Was I supposed to tell them all at the same time? Are Jaro and Bree going to feel left out?

“No one is upset,” Bree whispers, coming to stand beside me, so close that our arms are touching. “They’re just squabbling because there’s an old adage about the Nicnevin’s harem that says the Guard she confesses her love to first will become the unacknowledged leader of the group.”

Oh Goddess, really? I turn to look at him, to see if he’s winding me up. Only his expression is totally sincere. Then I catch a flash of red out of the corner of my eye.

“Give that back!” Lore cries.

Giving in, I grimace as I realise Drystan’s clutching Lore’s cap. At the same time, Lore has taken to a branch above us, his fingers tangled in the braids of the huntsman’s detached head and is poking it in the nose with his free hand.

“You tried to stab me!” I’m not entirely sure why Drystan sounds shocked about that.

“With my littlest knife! Besides, you shouldn’t have made her say it to you first.”

Drystan rolls his eyes. “Give my head back. Now. Before someone sees.”

“Lore,” I whisper. “It was nothing. Besides, Drystan never said it back. It was all just an embarrassing?—”

I cut off as Drystan’s body strides up to mine, caging me against the railing as those fiery eyes blaze down at me from amidst a cloud of shadows. “Nothing?”

“I didn?—”

“Say it was nothing again. I dare you.”

His tone makes my hackles rise. “I didn’t even say it properly,” I object.

“You said, and I quote, ‘there’s the grumpy fae lord I know and love.’ Thus, I was the first you confessed to loving.” Goddess, can he sound any smugger?

“Well, I mean. I don’t want… I’m not picking favourites!”

“Not even slightly?” Lore blinks until he’s crowding me from the other side, increasing the pressure. “I’ve got to rank higher than the blue idiot, right?”

My hands come up, hiding my face in a childish gesture that does nothing to hide my flustered self from the two of them. There’s a thump, and I peek out between my fingers just in time to catch Drystan placing his head back on his neck and Lore swiping back his cap.

Bree is still on my other side, and somehow his silence holds just as much pressure as the rest of them.

Then a hand reaches between the three of them, grabbing my elbow and tugging me free of the now stifling space. My hands land against Jaro’s warm chest, and his wolf lets out a pleased rumble that I feel more than hear.

“No one thinks you’re picking favourites, Rosie,” he explains. “We all hope to hear you say those words about us, but we’ve had twenty-five years to come to terms with sharing you.”

A second body crowds me from behind, his breath whispering over my neck as his finger hooks around the chain of my antler and snowflake necklace. “I was still first.”

Leaning forward, I bury my face in Jaro’s chest and huff out an embarrassed half laugh. “I take it back. You don’t deserve to be first.”

“But I gave you my hat before he tric—” Lore’s astonished voice cuts out suddenly.

This time, I don’t want to see what Drystan has done to silence him.

“As for your claim that I never said it back…” the dullahan continues. “Do you not recall what I told you when I gave you this? I said it first.”

My breath hitches as I remember that moment. I think it’s trapped in my memory for all time.

Being pressed between them like this is affecting my ability to think. The buzz that comes from being in contact with one of my mates is doubled, and my hands stroke upward, latching onto Jaro’s shoulders to drag him down for a kiss.

My tongue twines with his as a second pair of lips ghosts down the side of my neck. The shifter’s hands span my waist, fingers digging into the upper slopes of my ass and brushing the underside of my wings as he grinds my lower half against his. The move bends me back, until my shoulders hit Drystan’s chest, and the lips at my neck become more insistent.

The possessive side of me that hasn’t really died since I realised I was in the same room as Lore’s ex-lover grins as she realises the position will shower both of them in my dust. I kiss Jaro a little harder, sucking on his tongue and revelling in the way his wolf flashes in his eyes.

“Am I interrupting something?” Caed drawls, shattering the moment.

Jaro breaks the kiss with a snarl. The cold air rushing in to take his place is a shock to my system, and I take a deep breath to clear the intoxicating fog that makes it hard to think, letting it out on an impatient sigh.

By now, they should really be used to the fact that neither can land a blow on the other, but that doesn’t stop Jaro from trying. Caed just waits, cocky smile in place as the shifter growls.

“Jaro, enough.” I keep my voice calm, well aware of how close his wolf is to the surface.

“He shouldn’t be here.” The wolf gives up throwing ineffective punches and settles for pacing.

“Actually, this is my room, too,” Caed shrugs. “Apparently the Nicnevin sleeps with her Guard—or at least, I assume that’s the reason for the gigantic bed in there.”

“Go share with your cousin,” Drystan snaps. “You’re not welcome here.”

“Yes, let’s add rumours of incest to the long list of reasons the fae have to disapprove of me.” Caed rolls his eyes. “Not to mention, there’s a horde of angry unseelie who’d love to take a piece out of my hide simply because I was better at fighting a war than they were, which, by extension, puts our darling little queen at risk should I be harmed. Face it, dour knight, I’m a liability here. You need to keep me close.” He strides into the room and flops into a nearby chair, raising one brow smugly. “Besides, I’m no closer to her now than I was in camp, so what’s the problem?”

“The problem”—Lore grins, following him inside—“is that Rose might want to fuck us, and she won’t do it with your virgin ass sitting there.”

I wait for Caed to deny it, to brag about the scores of females he’s no doubt fucked his way through. But… no one says anything. He doesn’t even drop his eyes, like he’s daring the others to make a big deal out of it.

Did he… was it a choice on his part? It must have been, surely. My Guard might be unable to get hard for other females, but if he was really invested in the idea of bedding someone, he’s resourceful enough that he could’ve sourced the very potions they used against Bree.

Soon, the tension in the silence grows uncomfortable, and I cast around for anything to distract from it.

Clearing my throat, I look away. “It seems a little short-sighted of you to assume that his presence would prevent me from fucking any of you.”

The crass words and the boldness behind them stun all of them. Five wide pairs of male eyes fix on me, and I let a small smile escape. I’ve actually rendered them speechless.

“What?” I protest. “You’re all assuming I have a problem with being watched. I don’t.”

My first time was with two of them, for Goddess’s sake. It’s practically a given that there will be at least two pairs of eyes on my naked body whenever we’re intimate.

“You’re—” Jaro chokes off. “He’s?—”

“Caed has already seen me naked,” I point out, adopting my most pragmatic voice. “And after my fever, I should think I’m well-versed in being observed while I’m…” Lore’s catlike grin has spread wider and wider until it’s in danger of breaking his face in half, and his red eyes have turned molten with a heat that steals my words.

“Pretty pet.” His fingers hook at the edge of my neckline, tugging it down to expose my shoulder. “You want to torture him with what he’s never going to have, is that it?”

Biting my lip, I shrug with forced nonchalance as I head for the bed and settle on it. “It is my room, after all. If he dislikes it, he’s free to leave.”

It’s not like he hasn’t already spied on us once. I don’t plan to let anyone—especially Caed—stop me from enjoying my mates.

Strong fingers grip my chin, turning me away from Lore’s excited face, and forcing me to meet Drystan’s sceptical frown.

“He can sleep here, if he must, but he doesn’t deserve to see you like that.”

My jaw clenches. Maybe he’s right, but as much as this started as a way to break the tension, there’s a tiny, inadmissible part of me that isn’t indifferent as I pretend to be. I want this. I can’t ever confess to it without sowing more division between them, but I do.

I’m not willing to go against Drystan either. Because these intimate moments I share with my mates aren’t just about me. If they don’t want to be watched, I can’t force the issue.

Perhaps my decision shows on my face, because Caed’s expression morphs into one of carefully crafted derision. “Not that eager to see your wrinkled ballsack anyway, unseelie.” He turns to the redcap. “I’d rather take a walk. I’ll glamour myself and listen out for any more coup attempts.”

“It’s less of a concern now that Cressida has sworn the oath,” Drystan mutters. “But a sound strategy.”

“I’ll accompany you,” Jaro says, pushing away from the mattress. “My wolf appreciates the fresh air.”

Not a lie, but we all know his motivations are less than innocent. He’s going to stop Caed from doing anything he shouldn’t. Like getting involved in illegal underground fighting rings or arrested.

The door closes behind them, and Lore sighs. “I still think torturing him with the sound of her begging for cock would’ve been fun.”

“Why share that with him when we can have her to ourselves?” Drystan retorts, kneeling on the bed beside me and dragging down the other side of my shirt to lay a kiss against my throat.

He pauses. “Bree, how far do you want to go?”

“If he gets his freaky dick out again, I will cut it off,” Lore threatens mildly. “At least give me a chance to impress her with my enchantments first.”

“Enchantments? Wait, freaky dick?” I whisper, but I barely get the words out before the púca’s nimble fingers catch the laces at the back of my corset, tugging the strings free without brushing against my wings.

“I want everything,” Bree whispers against the opposite side of my neck. “You’ll keep her safe?”

“I will keep both of you safe,” Drystan swears, not questioning whether Bree is ready for such a step. “You’re in control. Use Lore and me however you see fit.”

“Oooh! Do you want me in cuffs?” Lore asks, holding his hands out with a grin.

He keeps doing that. Does he want us to tie him up?

Bree’s hands still, uncertain for an instant before he makes a decision. “I think you’d better show Rose what those enchantments are for instead.”

Lore is under me before he can finish, having blinked so his hips are directly between my thighs. His red eyes pin me with an eagerness that makes me nervous as he stares up at me with a wicked grin. His shirt is gone, chalk-white abs on full, mouth-watering display, begging me to touch. Before I can say anything, or lean down to kiss him, he arches his back, bucking his erection against my pussy.

My eyes flutter closed as I return the gesture, rubbing against the barrier of our clothing and wishing it wasn’t there.

“Violet roses,” he says suddenly.

My eyes fly open in confusion, and his grin only grows wider. His hands find my ass and pin me against him.

Then the buzzing starts.

My eyes roll back in my head at the sudden stimulation directly against my clit, and my mouth falls open in surprise.

Oh. My. Goddess.

That’s what the enchantment is? Those pearls in his cock vibrate on top of everything else?

It’s so much. Too much. Like a lightning bolt direct to my most sensitive nerve endings, and I’ve had no warning and no warmup.

“Kiss her,” Bree murmurs, and I only realise he’s talking to Drystan when the dullahan’s hand wraps around my neck, using my shock to collar me and claim a kiss.

My corset sags as the final lace is removed, and Lore drags the leather away impatiently before grabbing a knife and cutting the tunic beneath down the centre.

“Pretty breasts,” he coos, pressing himself up on his elbows to capture the pebbled tip of one in his mouth.

“Goddess!” I whimper into Drystan’s mouth as the dual stimulation makes me squirm.

I’m panting like there’s no air left in the room, already melting under their touches.

“Can I touch your wings, dragonfly?” Bree asks.

“Y-yes.” I want them drowning in my dust, all of them marked by me in the only way I can.

Bree runs a hand directly down my spine, the soothing touch an exquisite counterpoint to the frantic vibrations beneath me and the ardent lips sucking at my tits through the lace that covers them.

I’m going to come like this, I realise. They’ve barely started, and already my orgasm lingers on the horizon. Then Bree starts to whisper feather-light caresses across the upper slopes of my wings and it’s no longer on the horizon. It’s right there, barrelling towards me.

“Don’t let her come.” Bree’s voice cuts through my pleasure.

I look over my shoulder to gape at him in agonised disbelief.

I’m right there . He can’t do this to me.

Lore lifts me and ceases his attention on my breasts, pulling me away from the source of my pleasure. I strain, tears leaking from my eyes as I reach for the edge that’s slipping away as fast as it came.

“No,” I whisper. “I want to come.”

“You will, dragonfly,” Bree promises as he climbs off the bed to stand away from us all, taking in the sight of me. “But you’re wearing too many clothes.”

His hands are covered in my dust, and he slips a finger into his mouth, sucking the glittery substance off with an expression of pure bliss.

Drystan grins, and heat flashes over me. Suddenly the barrier of my leggings is gone, along with my underwear and the ruined remains of the shirt.

“Why can’t you do that more often?” Lore asks. “You’d be so much easier to get along with.”

Drystan just rolls his eyes and uses his grip at my throat to lower me back down against the cool leather covering Lore’s vibrating dick.

This time I grind down on him eagerly, arching my back when the redcap grips my ass a little tighter before spanking it and drawing a subtle moan from me.

“Fuucckkk. Don’t you just love the noises she makes?” Lore groans. “Perfect, pretty pet. Beg your púca to let me fuck you and get you nice and warmed up for him.”

Drystan’s free hand dips down to clasp my breast. His heat sears the delicate skin as he squeezes roughly, kneading the flesh before releasing it to spank it roughly.

Gasping, I flinch back, then stick my chest out for more before I can think about what that meant. The sting of the slap combined with the pleasure of the rough handling travels straight to that twisting ball of pleasure growing low in my abdomen, and a gush of wetness soaks the leather beneath me.

Lore’s nostrils flare, and he lets loose a whine of complaint. “I want to fuck her.”

“This is Bree’s time.” Drystan’s voice holds a note of censure. “Stop thinking about your own dick, redcap, or I’ll kick you out on his behalf.”

I look at Bree through eyes blurred with the pleasure that’s bombarding me, and he smiles softly.

“There’s a good possibility he’ll kill us both for trying, then fuck Rose in a pool of our blood.”

Lore licks his lips, like he’s actually considering it.

“No killing.” I pant, rubbing my pussy against Lore, clenching against nothing as my clit sparks and sings under the sensations. “Just let me come.”

Bree leans forward across Lore, sinking a hand into my hair and tugging lightly at the roots until Drystan relinquishes the hand collaring my throat. I glance down, biting my lip as I see the evidence of his own arousal straining against the ripped fabric of his trousers.

“I want you to hold it back,” he whispers against my lips. “Can you do that for me, dragonfly? I want them to drive you to the edge over and over again until I sink inside you, and just the feeling of my cock stretching you makes you come, and come, and come.”

The deviant words delivered in such a soft and pleading tone make me melt a little further, and Drystan’s hands turn supportive as Lore’s grinding hits a particularly sensitive spot and I nearly collapse.

They back off before I can come, and I want to wail in frustration as I buck against Lore’s grip on my hips, my hands coming up to fist in Bree’s hair.

Drystan grabs them before I can do anything, collecting my wrists behind my back in one of his large palms.

“No grabbing,” he reminds me, before swooping down to nuzzle the point of my ear. “Be a good little mate for him.”

“Sorry,” I whisper. “I forgot. I didn’t mean?—”

“I know,” Bree promises. “How wet is she, Lore?”

The redcap releases my ass to swipe two fingers through the slick coating the sensitive flesh between my thighs. Not that he needs to. I can only imagine my pussy is practically glistening with my arousal right now. Goddess, there’s probably a mark on his leathers.

“Drenched.” The redcap hums happily as he offers his fingers out for Bree to taste. My púca’s green eyes don’t leave mine as he licks my essence from Lore’s offered hand with a forked tongue, and then reaches forward and kisses me.

His kiss leaves Lore to resume his tormenting from below me. My eyes slide closed again as my entire body shakes and trembles like it’s under the same enchantment that’s mercilessly assaulting the frazzled nerves between my legs.

His tongue is so long, coiling around mine, teasing me with the double pointed end.

I can’t stand it anymore. Whimpering into the kiss, I beg, “Please, Bree.”

But the word has the opposite effect.

Bree is on the other side of the room in an instant, eyes wide as all sound… stops.

The noise resumes quickly enough, but my arousal dies an instant death at the expression on his face.

“Bricriu,” Drystan says, his tone calm and unaffected. “Do you want to stop or slow down?”

My púca takes a deep breath, then carefully unclenches his fists.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, lifting to get away from the vibrations I was so eager for just moments ago. “It was me. I?—”

“Had a completely reasonable and instinctual reaction when faced with orgasm denial for the first time,” Drystan cuts me off. “Give him a second and let him decide what he wants to do.”

My face flames as I realise how that sounded. Stupid, stupid, making it all about me when Bree is?—

Calloused fingertips grip my chin and tilt my purple eyes to meet his. It’s a huge gesture of trust, given that I almost accidentally charmed him.

“I think Lore and Drystan can come up with a way to make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Bree’s voice is hoarse, but an ember of desire still smoulders behind his eyes. “Keep those eyes on me, dragonfly. I need to know it’s you.”

His earlier words in Siabetha come back to me, and I nod. “I can do that.”

I won’t even blink, if that’s what it takes. There’s another pause where his gaze holds mine, as if testing me. When I don’t falter, he nods.

“Lie down and spread your legs so I can play with your pretty cunt while you suck the other two.”

Lore is out from beneath me in a flash, ripping the laces of his fly with eagerness. Drystan releases my arms, and I dare to lean up and kiss Bree, pouring every second of remorse into the melding of mouths before I fall back against the soft sheets. I’m completely exposed with my ass hanging over the edge of the bed, but he regards me like I’m the only star in the sky.

Lore takes my right-hand side, and Drystan my left, both of them claiming my respective hands and wrapping them around their cocks.

“Snuggles,” Lore murmurs, and his cock stops buzzing.

As much as I love that enchantment, I’m grateful he has a way to turn it off as he kneels by my head and lightly slaps my cheek with the mushroom-shaped tip of his cock.

Using my grip at the base of his shaft to keep him steady, I stick out my tongue and lap at the underside, tracing the vein and circling the head, sampling the salty-sweet taste of his precum before turning to do the same to Drystan.

Of course, it’s harder with my dullahan. His piercings are spaced around the crown, so I end up just playing with them, enjoying the taste of salt and metal, before swapping back to Lore.

It’s difficult to focus on them while keeping my eyes on my púca, but he’s my priority. If my oral skills suffer for the strange angle, well, neither of my other mates seem to be complaining.

Bree stands between my spread thighs and runs two fingers through my still-soaked folds, tracing the wetness around my throbbing clit and reawakening the passion of earlier with tiny circles until I suck hard at the end of Lore’s dick to prevent myself from crying out. Those talented fingers slide down, finding the weeping entrance to my body and pushing in with torturous slowness. My muscles clench, wings fluttering as my spine bows. Only Drystan’s hand collaring my throat keeps me from levitating off the bed.

Bree pumps into me carefully, and the slurping wet noises and tiny moans that fill the air seem to please him because suddenly they’re twice as loud as they should be.

“Oops,” he murmurs, as they return to normal volume. “Are you ready for me, dragonfly?”

I nod eagerly, lifting my hips as much as my position allows before turning and swallowing Drystan’s dick as deeply as I can. Bree doesn’t take me at my word—or perhaps he simply needs a few seconds—because his fingers scissor inside me, stretching me as his thumb comes down to rub at my clit once more.

Goddess, those earlier almost-orgasms are bearing down on me, and if he doesn’t fuck me…

His fingers disappear, and my breath leaves me in a strangled sound of frustration that vibrates around Drystan’s cock until he groans and shoves a little deeper into my throat. I can barely see Bree’s lower body as the sound of fabric being torn away fills my ears, so I have no idea what his cock looks like as the blunt head finally lines up with my entrance. It takes all my self-control to keep still and not raise my hips in invitation.

This is the first time he’s doing this of his own volition in years, and I won’t do anything to pressure him or make him feel like he can’t back out if he wants to. Even the males taking turns with my mouth pause, letting me focus entirely on him.

The energy of the moment is ridiculously tender and understanding as Bree sinks slowly into me and hisses out a breath as his fat head breaches my opening. Goddess, he’s thick. Even after his careful preparation, the stretch is still immense, and it’s the most satisfying burn I’ve ever felt.

“Fuck.” He stills, trembling. “Dragonfly, I?—”

“You can stop if you need to,” Drystan reminds him, reading the tension in his muscles. “You don’t have to do anything. We’ll make sure Rose is satisfied either way.”

I know I should say something similar, but my orgasm is gathering at the base of my spine, stealing all thought beyond the desperate pleas I refuse to voice. The shallow penetration is doing things to me that should be illegal. My legs are practically shaking with the effort of keeping still. Biting my lip, I nod even as my internal muscles grip him so tightly, he bucks a little farther in.

“It’s just you and me,” I finally whisper, when the fraught energy becomes too much. “My Bricriu. My Guard. My mate.”

He shudders, falling onto his elbows over me and forcing the others to move away.

“Rose.” My name is hoarse on his lips. “Goddess, I need you.”

“You always have me,” I promise.

His forehead drops to mine as his back arches, hips thrusting until he’s finally, blessedly buried all the way to the hilt inside me.

I can’t help it. I throw my head back and come, moaning as my pussy clenches and spasms around Bree. The orgasm is an unending wave, sapping me of my strength and leaving me boneless and shivering.

Lore curses, and a splash of cum hits my breasts a second later, followed by more from my other side. The sight of both him and Drystan coming undone, hands jerking the final drops of their release onto my breasts, combined with the fullness inside me, draws out my pleasure until I can’t breathe.

When the others are done, Bree leans back down to claim a kiss. His forked tongue twines with mine as he thrusts, once, then twice. Groaning deeply, he empties himself into me with a jerk. Wetness seeps around where we join, and his cheeks turn scarlet as he pulls back, cat ears flattening in embarrassment.

“Sorry, I?—”

I cut him off by taking his lips in another, gentler kiss. “I didn’t last either,” I remind him. “We have centuries to practise.”

Drystan moves away, and Bree rolls into the spot he vacated, pulling me up the bed until I’m resting my head on his arm with Lore cuddling against my other side.

“That was fun,” Lore says, leaning down for a kiss. “But next time, can we torture the Fomorian? Please…”

I bite my lip, not wanting to say yes but not quite willing to say no either. “Only if everyone involved is happy with it.”

Drystan leans down and wipes away the remnants of his and Lore’s desire from my chest. “I still think he doesn’t deserve even that.” He pauses, then settles on the edge of the bed. “Enough of the Fomorian. We should talk about what just happened. Bree, are you…”

“I’m fine,” Bree says. “I always knew who I was with.”

“I understand the need for control,” Drystan broaches. “But given your history with charm, are you quite sure?—?”

“That’s not up for discussion,” Bree interrupts. “Fae have used my body to take their own pleasure for decades. I like knowing it’s different with Rose. She doesn’t take, I give, and it’s my choice when and how.” He pauses, hugging me tighter. “It helped, having you two here. I could relax, knowing Rose was safe.”

“You would never have hurt me.” It’s a soul-deep knowing. “It was you we were concerned about.”

Bree shakes his head as he carefully uses a finger to wipe a piece of stray hair away from my forehead. “I earned those iron chains you freed me from, dragonfly. If something had gone wrong, and my mind went back there, I might’ve reacted as I would’ve to any of my previous… partners.” He sneers the last word. “And I would never have forgiven myself.”

I won’t fight him on it, because he knows his own mind, but I snuggle deeper into him anyway, wishing for the first time that we were truly mated. If we had a solid bond between us, I could send some reassurance to him.

But we don’t, and I can’t.

So instead, I kiss the spot over his heart and allow the heat of my males to lull me to sleep.