21. Nathan

Chapter 21

Nathan

I couldn't believe I'd been so open with how I felt about Lorna. Not that I thought anyone in the room would've ridiculed me for voicing my insecurities; I just didn't normally share. It felt good to get it off my chest, though.

Damon and Elliott both gave me a knowing nod. They knew how hard it was to build everything we had with the clan, the non-profit, and our money-making businesses. They also understood the very tangible pull to be with Lorna.

I watched the object of my desire as she tried to put her thoughts together. I suspected her dhampir was an active part of that debate. Mir hadn't hesitated to set herself apart from Lorna during our fight yesterday and again less than an hour ago when I'd given in to my lust.

My dick hardened at the reminder of her naked body. The soft, incoherent sounds she made as she grew closer to her orgasm. The demands from Mir that I give her more.

Then the disappointment when I told her no.

"I… um." Lorna's voice caught me before I fell into my self-pity. "I think you guys cleared up most of my insecurities. I'll try really hard not to read into anything you say or don't say."

She looked up at me for a moment, but her expression was unreadable. Her gaze danced between all of us before she focused on her plate of uneaten food.

"I honestly struggle with you guys being okay with sharing," she mumbled. "I don't want to share you. The thought of you touching someone else makes me see red." She flung her hands in the air and once again looked at each of us. "I'm expecting you to only want me—just me—yet I get to have all of you to myself. That makes me a horrible person, doesn't it?"

I looked around the table, waiting for one of the others to answer her question. I'd never been in a relationship like this. While I'd never considered Lorna a horrible person, I could understand her point of view.

Kenrid frowned and glanced at Damon. Damon raised an eyebrow at me, and I shook my head.

Elliott raised his hands in the air. "I think Lorna's the best thing since sliced bread," he said, drawing a chuckle out of us.

"I agree with Elliott," Damon said. "You are the best thing to happen to me. I never thought I'd find my fated mate. Kenrid has already told you the same. Nathan never believed he would have one." He reached out and took her hand in his. "Our relationship is different, but it's not wrong. You're not a horrible person for being jealous. I suggest we make a pact. If any one of us feels like we need to add someone to the group, we'll talk about it first. "

And this was a perfect example of Damon's brilliance. He didn't promise that Lorna would be his only mate. We would all live for a very long time. We had no way of knowing what our future would bring.

"I agree," I said.

"As do I," Kenrid said.

"I'll agree, but I already know that Lorna is it for me," Elliott said with a wide grin.

Tears pooled in Lorna's eyes, and her lip trembled when she smiled. "I love you guys," she whispered.

"Make up sex?"

Lorna laughed. "We didn't have a fight, Elliott."

"I could pretend to yell at you." His suggestive grin was so exaggerated I was embarrassed for him.

"You could also pretend to be submissive," Lorna countered.

Elliott actually blushed. Lorna's triumphant smile made me realize there was more to that comment than the rest of us knew. That jealousy I'd tried to overcome reared its ugly head. I wanted to have those secrets with her, those special moments that only we knew about.

"We'll talk about it later, little goddess," Elliott promised.

Lorna's desire blossomed, and I tried not to react. Damon and Kenrid both shifted in their seats, probably suffering from the same discomfort that I was. I'd had blue balls for ages, but nothing like what I'd experienced when I walked away from Lorna earlier. It certainly hadn't gone away.

"Can we discuss what happened yesterday?" I asked, redirecting the conversation to something less sexual.

Elliott winked at Lorna, then crossed his arms over his chest. Kenrid just smiled, a mixture of his edgy smirk and the smile he reserved just for Lorna. Damon shook his head .

"During the fight, Lorna shared with me the intensity of your blood swap," Damon said. "After your admission just now, I assume your combined magic was more than a typical vampire and dhampir union."

I didn't remember Lorna talking to Damon during our fight with the fae. We'd been so busy trying to hold up Kenrid's shield, I must have missed it.

"It was so much more," I replied. "Kenrid and Lorna can confirm, but I believe we merged our combined strength with Kenrid."

The fae nodded. "Yes, I could not have created and held a shield that strong without them. I could see the magic—I mean physically see it." Kenrid's smile grew when he looked at Lorna. "My magic has been different ever since you left your mark, but yesterday was amazing." He glanced up at me with a look of awe. "The strength you gave me was intoxicating."

I frowned and looked at Damon. "Have you noticed anything different with your magic?"

"No, but I'm a creature made of magic," he replied, looking across the table at Elliott. "Have you noticed anything?"

"Are you kidding, Damon?" Elliott asked. "After watching you tear down that shield at Alyssa's and take every single magical attack they threw at you, you didn't even look winded. You treated them like little bugs you could squish between your fingers!" He pressed his finger and thumb together, like we needed a demonstration. "Don't get me started on what you did to the queens and their guard."

Damon scowled at Elliott, then cut his eyes at me. He glanced at Kenrid and sighed. His expression softened when he looked at Lorna.

"I only use the amount of force needed to subdue my enemies," Damon said. "What you witnessed is not the extent of my magical strength."

My mouth fell open. He was absolutely the strongest among us, and he'd been holding back all these years. Why ?

"You've always been scary, man," Elliott said. "You're telling us there's more?"

Damon gave Elliott his full attention, fire flickering in his dark eyes. "My magic would seem limitless to you, because as I said, I am a creature of magic. Demons stay in the Underworld because the other realms are so far beneath them, they aren't considered a worthy foe." He mimicked Elliott's earlier demonstration, pressing his finger and thumb together. "It would be like squishing a swarm of bugs. There is no honor in that battle."

"Damn, I had no idea," Elliott muttered.

That made two of us. And by the look on Kenrid's face, it made three.

"I always assumed that demons stayed in their realm because they couldn't maintain their demon form on Earth," I said, even though it was more of a question.

Damon nodded. "Earth has very little magic. Being a creature of magic, the Earth realm drains most demons quickly. If he wanted to conquer this realm, Lucifer would send his higher demons, those who were less affected."

"Like you?" Kenrid asked.

"Even if Lucifer decided to conquer Earth," Damon replied, not answering Kenrid's question, "demons have no desire to be here. Those strong enough to withstand the lack of magic don't willingly give up the power they gain by staying in the Underworld. Lucifer gains nothing by coming to Earth."

I didn't know how to react to this new information, especially with Lucifer's interest in Lorna. Damon's revelations alluded to part of his past that he'd never shared. He might have to, though. I needed time to think about it.

"Have you noticed anything different with your wolf?" Damon asked, redirecting us back to the original conversation .

Elliott shook his head and started to speak, then stopped, and looked at Lorna. "My wolf quit bitching about sharing. I don't feel any stronger or faster or whatever, but I also don't have the urge to kill any of you when you touch her."

I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my hands across my face. I already knew what Lorna did for me. How much stronger would our combined magic be with a true mated bond? I shivered at the thought.

"There are some humans who are conduits," Kenrid said. "People who can sense and channel magic from one source to another." He gave Lorna another smile. "We don't know what DNA you have. It could explain why our magic has changed. It could also explain how you shared yours with me yesterday."

He glanced up at Damon. "It might also be the reason she can project her thoughts so easily, with no training at all. It could be a combination of her fae ability to project and her being a conduit. She had the royal guards on their knees with a vision of the three of us kicking their asses."

"Possibly," Damon said, tapping his fingers on his knee. "The sharing of power yesterday could also explain why Nathan is not feral for her right now."

Damon's comment startled me. I was ready to ask about her projecting ability—they hadn't mentioned it before—but stopped because he was right. Yes, I wanted Lorna. Her blood called to me, but not any more than usual. Actually, it was less demanding than before. Before when, though?

"You're right," I admitted. "I've always tried to stay away for fear of giving in to the temptation. After Lorna saved me…" I looked across the table at her and smiled. She had saved my life regardless of the consequences. "It was impossible for me to be near you without my vampire trying to take over. But now, even though I want you, I'm not a feral monster trying to take your life. "

Lorna's eyes widened, and she jerked her gaze from mine. I tried not to feel hurt by it, though. It was obvious she was thinking or arguing with Mir. Maybe both. She tugged her hands free and clasped them between her knees before looking up at me. A pair of black eyes met mine. I couldn't help the surge of desire swelling in my jeans.

"You're right," Mir said with her edgy voice. "Your blood still smells amazing, and I clearly remember the taste of you, but my urge to bite you isn't overwhelming. Maybe we can control the surge of power by sharing it with the others."

Did I hear a note of hopefulness in her voice?

I most certainly remembered the taste of her blood and her pussy. My imagination immediately conjured up the four of us pleasuring Lorna. I wasn't sure I was ready for that, and Elliott definitely wasn't. I also wondered if she and I could claim each other without biting. Would my willpower hold out now that my feral urges seemed to be under control? I doubted it. Maybe we could share blood, disburse the magic, and then enjoy the intimacy I wanted without an audience. Maybe.

Was I having the same moment of hopefulness?

"We have time to experiment," Damon said.

I glared at him for trying to put a timeline on when I would claim Lorna.

"Lorna and I have to go to the Underworld," Damon continued. "I'd rather do it now, so Lucifer doesn't have time to prepare a huge event for the court. We might be able to go and come back in the same day."

"I see." I didn't like the idea of my most trusted friend and second in command going back to the Underworld. Over the years, he'd made it very clear there was nothing there for him. He'd told me time and again there wasn't any reason to talk about his family or his past because he'd never go back.

"I don't like it," Elliott said. "He was way too interested in our mate. What if it's a trap? "

Damon looked around the table in silence, probably having the same argument with himself that I'd just had about revealing my insecurities. His gaze lingered on Lorna before finally focusing on me.

"I won't go into the demons' hierarchy or politics. It's complicated and not important," he said. "For demons, soulmates are sacred. We don't have mates for procreation. Our soulmate is a companion to have for eternity. Someone to dispel the insanity created by loneliness."

The look Damon gave Lorna made my heart skip a beat. She was the reason for his existence. I could see it in his eyes.

"This is not a trap," Damon continued. "But I share your concern regarding Lucifer's interest in Lorna. That's why I want to go now before he has time to gather his full court. I don't want the entire Underworld knowing about my mate."