Chapter 17

Béke Day Five

Iwas fucking weak. I hated myself for following them to the dance studio, watching as Izidora melted into Kazimir. But that fucking voice in the back of my mind screamed at me that this was the moment she was going to abandon me, and I caved to the fear. I'd tried so hard, and still fucking failed to let her have the space she needed to make her decision. I just loved her so much, and her leaving me would break me in a way that was irreparable. No matter how much logic I shoved in my brain, that fear screamed louder, until it won out when Kazimir bent her to the floor and loosened her pants.

I was on him in a second, ripping him away from her with the force of the fear driving my actions. Izidora scrambled to her feet, backing away from us as Kazimir swung at me, driving a hard fist into my stomach. "You bastard!" he shouted, shoving me back.

Regaining my footing, I raised my fists, waiting for Kazimir's next charge. On cue, he shot toward me, and I changed my level, his fist flying over my head as my arms wrapped around his waist and locked together. Squeezing, I lifted him off his feet and slammed him into the floor. The wood was unforgiving against my knees as I followed him to the ground, pulling my fist back in preparation to strike.

"Stop it!" Izidora screamed, and a blast of white light blinded me as it knocked me away from Kazimir. My opponent shot to his feet, his eyes fully black and rage written on his features, only to be met with the same reaction from Izidora.

"Who do you fucking want, Izidora?" Kazimir snarled, chest heaving and fists clenched, no doubt mirroring my own stance. "It's obvious Ruslan can't handle the thought of you choosing me, otherwise he wouldn't be here."

"I can say the same for you," I growled, taking a threatening step forward. "You fucking stabbed me. Called me a rapist."

"Shut the fuck up, both of you!" Izidora snapped. I tore my attention from Kazimir to her.

"You," she pointed a jabbing finger at me, "were supposed to give me space to make my decision. And you," she turned her ire on Kazimir, "have been cruel since you set foot in the Iron Realm. Maybe I should choose neither of you and doom us all. How about that?"

Izidora practically vibrated with rage, white flames licking through the beautiful blue of her irises, and I'd never been harder in my life. This was the fire I had been missing from her, and, fuck me, I wanted her to spew more. I raised my hands in supplication. "I'm sorry, sprite. I am struggling, and I let it get the better of me."

Kazimir made no move to appease her; instead, he shot me a look that was so sharp it could have killed. Nothing got by my sprite, and she hissed at him. "And what about you? What do you have to say for yourself?"

With one last dagger-stare, he returned his focus to Izidora. "I've been hurting too, for months, while you were here with him."

She quirked a sharp brow at him, dissatisfied with his answer. "And?"

"And… I'm sorry for being cruel to you. I shouldn't have hurt you because I was hurting." Kazimir ran a hand over his face, some of the emerald color returning to his eyes. I narrowed my own on him, suspicion settling heavily in my gut.

What sort of magic was this?

Izidora blew out an annoyed breath, crossing her arms over her chest. "Was that so hard?"

"I am a proud male, Izidora. You know that." Kazimir's words were defensive, and flames danced in her eyes again.

She opened her mouth to say something else, but I redirected her attention away from him, not because I didn't want to see her rip him to shreds, but because my fear still hadn't abated. I had fucked up, again, and needed to know if it was the end for me.

"Where do we go from here?" I asked, my voice coming out more level than I thought it would.

She chewed her lip, eyes bouncing between the two of us while she considered. The moment an idea crossed her mind, I read it in the sparkle of her eyes. "I want to try something. But I need your word that you will not harm each other in the meantime."

Satisfaction curled through me as I realized what Izidora wanted to do. She'd spent enough time with Liliana recently that the guess was right there for the taking. Glancing at Kazimir, I tried to read his expression and gauge his reaction. He was guarded, but a hint of curiosity peeked through.

"She wants both of us at the same time," I stated, since he wasn't grasping the concept. He turned his attention on me, lip curling back from his teeth.

"She is mine, why would I share her with you?" he snarled.

The derision in my snort was not lost on Izidora, who shot me another sharp look. I held back what I truly wanted to say to Kazimir, and instead addressed my mate. "If this is what you want, then I will promise not to hurt him. I'd do anything to make you happy, sprite." With my last statement, I dragged my eyes to Kazimir, daring him to deny Izidora.

As much as I hated the male, I loved Izidora's fire, and watching her stand up for herself and tell us what she wanted for a change set my blood racing. If he couldn't put aside his selfish feelings for her sake, that would make me the clear choice.

"I promise not to harm Ruslan while we are pleasuring you," he finally grumbled, running a hand over his face.

"Good," she said, squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin.

Taking a slow step in her direction, I rasped, "Tell us what you want us to do."