4. Chapter Four

KIERAN

Warmth cradles me. It seeps into my bones, slow and languid, as though it's a balm applied to the deep aches of a soul not quite ready to awaken. The sensation is comforting, yet strangely alien, like a memory from another life. I linger in this half-dreaming state, unwilling to disturb the fragile peace that envelops me, a peace I haven't known for as long as I can remember

Even in my exhausted state, her scent lingers. It's sweet, reminiscent of sun-ripened pineapple plucked from the shores of Sundahlia. In my room, I can usually detect traces of Rose and her mates, thanks to my serpent's keen sense of smell.

But now, it surrounds me, more intense, more enveloping. As awareness creeps in, each breath draws in more than air. It's as if I'm breathing in their presence, layer upon layer of their essence saturating the atmosphere. This realization brings a sharper focus to my groggy mind.

Eyes still closed, I feel the texture beneath me. The sheets are like silk. Their fibers whisper against my skin, but the shift in my body takes on a strange weight. A gentle pressure, warm and steady, drapes over my waist—a leg, not my own. Another weight, this one lighter, rests along my chest, an arm. The intimate touch is unexpected, yet not unwelcoming.

Slowly, the soft stir of breath tickles my neck, rhythmic and soothing. My eyelids, heavy as if weighed down by centuries of sleep, resist the command to lift. It's a battle, an exertion of will over lethargy as I attempt to coax my eyelids to part. Summoning all the strength from the depths of my being, I manage to pry my eyes open, just enough to have a look.

The sight that greets me soothes something in my chest. A fan of dark lashes rests against tanned cheeks, dusted with a smattering of barely there freckles. A cute, upturned nose. Sheets of long, dark brown hair disappear down her back. A light blanket pools at her waist.

Rose.

I'm dreaming of Rose.

Shuttering my eyes once more, I wrap my arm around her fully, savoring this close proximity, even if it's a figment of my imagination. The rest of the world, with its demands and chaos, seems to fade into a distant murmur, leaving only this moment, this sensation, as I drift away from the dream.

Chaos

Her room is pretty. It might've been shaped and molded by the griffin, but it's her feminine touch that's softened the edges. Whitewashed rough-hewn stone walls, mood lighting tucked into little alcoves throughout the bedroom, and delicate curtains that flutter in the light breeze through a small crack in her window. Small trinkets and photo frames cover every surface, and the bed holds a ton of pillows.

Rose is in the shower across the hall, so why am I staring at the serpent in her bed, rather than peeking at her in the shower again?

This … Kieran creature has been out for a week now. The others have had to begin construction on more of the caves, but she hasn't left his side but to eat and take care of hygiene.

I move closer to the bed, observing the fae in his slumber. His breathing is deep and even, a calm rhythm he doesn't deserve, because he's in my soul bonded mate's bed. Resting my hand on his blanket-clad foot, I zap him. The reaction is immediate and satisfying. He jolts awake, confusion and surprise intermingling as he falls to the floor. His eyes, large and green, snap open and focus on me.

"Time's up, little snake," I hiss at him.

"Dean Corvus?" His deep voice is hoarse, a mix of sleep and shock. As he yawns, reality seems to crash into him, and he looks around, bewildered. "What's going on?"

His disoriented state, tousled appearance, and the way he scrambles for comprehension amuses me greatly. Dark hair falls into his eyes as he rises to his feet, unsteady. I should probably help him, but don't, as I watch him reach to stabilize himself using the end table.

A shaky hand sends the glass of water crashing to the floor, the sound echoing down the hallway.

"Kieran?" Rose shouts as she barrels into the room, clutching a towel to her chest. The door flings against the stone wall, and her breaths come quick and sharp as she pulls up short. "Chaos?" She glances at me before fixing her attention on Kieran. "Help me," she growls.

I scramble to lift the serpent fae into my arms and toss him onto the bed as Rose scowls at me. I shift uncomfortably, the weight of her stare unsettling me more than I want to admit. I'd expected anger, maybe accusations, but the fear in her eyes throws me off balance. A chasm has opened between us since I saved the little worm, and now she's looking at me like I've done something to hurt him.

Would do something to hurt him.

I would, but only if he hurts her. In all honesty, I'd probably do it if he annoyed her, too. I'm hers to command, to wield, to worship.

"I—" My voice cracks. How do I explain this without making it worse? Without sounding like I was in here to hurt him?

She surveys Kieran, now clumsily propped back on the bed, his gaze still foggy, either from sleep or the shock of being zapped awake. This doesn't look good for me. Broken glass. The fae she loves being found on the floor with me towering over him. I probably should've saved that glass from tumbling to the ground.

"What are you doing in my room?" She whips back towards me. "You shouldn't be in here!" She takes several steps towards me, parking in front of me so close, I can smell her shampoo. "Explain. Now," she demands, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife.

"Neither should he." I point to the fae in question, whose attention darts back and forth between us as he's trying to piece things together.

"Did we … we didn't …" he tries, wincing, no matter how his words come out. "We didn't have a threesome, did we? With the dean?"

A gasp escapes Rose, but a beautiful, blue flush crawls up her bare shoulders and into her neck as she stammers. "W-we did no such thing!"

Kieran runs a hand through his hair, swaying slightly on the bed as though he's dizzy from the motion. "Don't sound so put out."

"She isn't." I grin at her, watching the rapid flutter of her pulse just below her ear. "She's just trying to reconcile her attraction to us both while maintaining the status quo of her current relationships."

"What exactly are you doing in my room?" She turns back towards me, her bright blue eyes blazing with that fire I love to see.

I shrug and point to the window. "It's raining."

"So?"

"You get melancholy when it rains, and I wanted to make sure you weren't alone, so I woke him up for you." Rose loves the heat and the sun, having grown up on Earth before coming to the fae realm. It's why I built her a home on Sundahlia for her to enjoy. I just haven't told her that yet.

Her eyes soften, turning glossy before she blinks it away. "Thank you," she whispers.

"I can go—" I move around her to leave, but she stops me with a hand on my forearm.

"Would you like to stay for lunch?" Her words are hesitant, as though fearful of my response.

A smile tugs at my lips, my stunned heart lighter yet heavier at the same time, as I bask in the significance of her offer. "I'd really like that."

"Can someone tell me what's going on?" Kieran interrupts from the bed as he looks around the sheets for his shirt. He won't find it, though, because it's been folded and placed beside the forgotten, unused feather in his drawer. I'd had the ground gnomes mend his shirt after Rose had to tear it off him. Those little things are some of my greatest creations.

Rose parks herself next to him on the bed, staring at her wringing hands. "You overdosed," she whispers. From the way her chest contracts as she shutters her eyes, I know she's struggling to hold it all together. She tucks her lips between her teeth to bite back the slight tremble in her chin.

I want to scoop her up, hold her to my chest, and rage at the serpent fae who caused her this grief. But I don't. I should leave the room, give them space. But I don't.

Because I can't.

She's invited me to stay for lunch, and if she wants me in her orbit for even a second, I will take that second and ask for more. Bask in it. Let it burrow under my skin until it's all I know and look forward to.

Kieran blinks, staring absently across the room, all manner of emotions crossing behind his eyes. His serpent is there, as though it's taking up residence to protect him from the bomb dropped in his lap. But he needs to hear this. Needs to know how badly he fucked up and not to do it again.

Tears escape Rose's closed eyes, twin tracks running down her cheeks. This seems to jar Kieran into a response.

"Oh."

I want to blast him with power, pin him against the wall, and shout in his face. ‘Oh,' is all he gives her? After what he put her through? I had to use magic to compel Rose to get out of bed, to nibble on the food her mates have left for her while they tend to the cave. Lovesick grief made her cling to him while he slept.

This is all he has to say after she'd kept vigil at his side for over a week.

She opens her eyes to look at him, grief marring her beautiful features. Tears cling to her lashes, clumping them together. "You died, Kieran." Her face crumples. "Died!" Her hands tremble as her throat bobs.

Kieran inhales sharply as shock ripples across his face. It then takes on a haunted quality, his pierced lips parting as he searches Rose's eyes.

"I tried to make a deal with a god to bring you back," she breathes. "Begged him to save you after I hauled you through the tunnels and brought you to the courtyard."

He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Confusion wars in his features.

"The guys threw out everything but your bong." Her features harden. "We won't allow you to poison yourself any further. Theo has already spelled the Sanctuary against hard drugs." Tears fall as she swipes angrily at them. "You don't have to love us back, but by the gods, you will love yourself enough to not get yourself killed because you will never put my mates through this again." Then, seeming to remember Kieran's fragile state, her words soften. "Whatever support you need, in whichever form it needs to take, you'll get it." She glances at me, hesitation warring on her face.

I incline my head at her. She needs to tell him the rest.

"There's something else—" she starts, but can't seem to finish, her words trembling. "I need to tell you something else."

Kieran looks up, meeting her eyes, waiting.

"I—" She begins again, chest heaving as panic takes hold. Wiping the tears from her face, she sniffles as she tightens the fluffy towel around her.

"Let's let her get dressed while I fill you in." I tilt my head towards the door, and reluctantly, he eases up from the bed.

Relief eases Rose's shoulders as she meets my eyes. She doesn't say it, but her eyes do.

Thank you.

I saunter to the kitchen, hearing Kieran's unsteady gait shuffle behind me before I pause in front of the stove. I've never actually used one of these before, but for my soul bond, I'd do anything.

I flip a few knobs, hearing a tick-tick-tick-tick, but no flame comes out.

"Do you need help with that?" Kieran eyes me warily as the scent of chemicals fills the room.

"No, I've got it." I want her to be impressed with me. I think that's why she likes the griffin; he cooks all her favorite foods from Earth. A female fae with a full belly is a happy one.

"You're going to?—"

"—I said I've got it," I growl. How hard could this be? I've seen them use these in the movies I smuggled over from Earth so I can learn about what Rose might like. But I don't remember the clicking. Is it because that griffin of hers built this?

He probably screwed this up.

Crouching to be eye-level with the contraption, I summon a small magical flame at my fingertip. As I cautiously bring my finger closer, the flame reacts unpredictably, bursting into an intense blaze that momentarily engulfs the area. A whiff of scorched metal invades my senses before I douse the flames with a swift magical gesture, both exhilarated and a bit singed by the experience.

"You've got to … uh, tune into the stove's … magical core," Kieran mumbles, more to himself as he awkwardly shoulders his way into the small kitchen. He's tall, but I've got several inches on him in both width and height. He fumbles with a knob, glancing at it as if trying to remember its purpose. "When you turn these," he gestures vaguely, "you're not just releasing gas—you're adjusting, um, the flow of magical energy. The ticking sound? That's the enchantment stabilizing."

I squint at him, skeptical. Despite his distracted demeanor, he seems a lot smarter than he lets on.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Kieran tries to gather his thoughts. "This stove," he starts again, voice stronger but still hesitant, "uses a blend of fae magic and Earth technology. Inside, there's a small, enchanted crystal—acts as the pilot. It needs to be in harmony with the elemental magic for the burners to ignite smoothly." He pauses, as if searching for the right words. "Think of it like coaxing a flame to life, not forcing it."

I gesture towards the blackened stove. "So, subtlety over brute magical force?"

"Exactly," he affirms with a small nod, becoming more confident as he speaks. "Gently coax it, aligning your magic with the stove's enchantments. If the harmony is off, or if the crystal's magic is depleted, it'll do this." His finger taps the charred bits on top of the stove as he finally finds his footing in the conversation.

"A delicate balance, then." Somehow, I feel like we're talking about more than just the stove. My jaw twitches as his words about depleted magic run around in my head.

He doesn't know the half of it. None of them do. Not yet.

Kieran pushes off from the stove and pulls open the fridge, letting cool air escape as he scans the top shelf. His movements are sluggish, like he's still waking up. Finding a carton of fruit juice, he unscrews the lid and takes several gulps right from the container, his eyes closing briefly as if savoring the first taste of liquid he's had in a week. Turning to face me again, he seems more present, more engaged. "In a way, yes. It's about understanding the marriage of magic and mechanics. It's one of Theo's experiments—combining the unfamiliar with the magical. Half the things in this house are his little inventions."

I grunt as I take the place in. It's not my first time inside, but it's the first time I've stopped to actually look, because Rose isn't in the room with us right now.

Lots of photos are tacked to the fridge. Rose with her enormous immediate family, Rose caked in dirt on the Spar Games field with Jax's arm slung around her shoulders, and a heart magnet holding a picture of Rose and Bennett as toddlers sitting on their father's shoulders. Then there are several photos of each of her mates with her at various school functions, and even one of her with her best friend, Penelope, making silly faces at the camera.

I'm smiling at them when I'm interrupted by the serpent.

"So, you going to tell me why my grandmother's replacement is standing in our kitchen?"

I turn to face him with a wry smile. "After what she tried to do to Rose and her family, you're lucky she's at Bedlam Penitentiary and not buried beneath Bedlam Academy."

She's lucky I didn't put her in the underworld where she belongs.

"And another thing," I sigh, making my way around the counter before sinking into a chair at the dining room table. I gesture for him to join me. His hair is mussed from sleeping for a week, and his green eyes narrow to slits. He toys with one of the rings in his lips as he watches me, and it makes me want to yank the things out of his mouth. "If I catch either of you making an attempt on Rose's life or hurting her in any way?—"

"Are you threatening me?"

I grin, leaning in. "I don't make threats. I'm the type who will bury you both in the Wastelands and help them look for your bodies. Don't try me."

"And who the fuck do you think?—"

I unleash the tight hold I have on my magic. Just a trickle. Enough to suffocate the room, extinguishing all the ambient sounds and replacing them with a humming power that resonates from my core. All light sources vanish, plunging us into a cold, paralyzing dark.

Just the faint serpentine glow from Kieran's wide eyes illuminates the space between us, but only because I allow it. I've muted the source of his magic, siphoned it as though I were merely sucking through a straw. He can't move. Can't speak. Can't even breathe.

"Let this be your only warning. The only warning that will ever matter, from now until infinity. You fuck with my soul bonded mate, and I will destroy you. I've given leniency only because she—for reasons I will never understand—has feelings for you, no matter how undeserving you are of them. Her happiness is all that matters to me. She is all that matters to me. Hurt her, whether or not you and her end up mated, and I'll spend the rest of eternity begging for her forgiveness when I pluck the meat from your bones and piss on your corpse. Do I make myself clear?"

Fury fills me when he doesn't respond, but I let out a deep chuckle when I remember he can't. I pull my magic back, allowing light to pour in from the windows and for everything to right itself.

Kieran gasps, sucking in a desperate breath as if he'd been underwater for too long, and air fills his lungs with giant heaves. I watch with a satisfied smirk as he clings to the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white against the dark wood.

"Clear?" I smile wide, snatching the carton from in front of him and finishing it off. I smack my lips with a sigh and wipe the back of my hand across my mouth.

"What are you?" he breathes. "Who are you?"

Leaning back so the chair balances on two legs, I steeple my hands in front of me. "I've had so many names over eons …" I smirk. "Lately, they've called me Chaos. I quite like it. Don't you?"

He sputters and blanches, his eyes wide with disbelief.

I continue, "And I'm Rose's soul bonded mate."

"No … you're not … you can't be…" His words come out as breathy whispers, like a prayer on the wind. "You can't be her soul bonded mate." He looks crestfallen. And he should be.

"But I am," I reiterate, my voice smooth as velvet. The chair returns to the floor with a soft thud. "And no more drugs. My poor soul bond and I had to drag you back from Aggonid's Realm after you overdosed. You made her cry. I'm sure I don't need to elaborate why that can't happen again."

It physically pains me to see her sad.

He swallows hard, his throat bobbing as he brushes trembling fingers over his features as if to confirm reality. His gaze flits back towards me, a wary and fearful glint in his eyes.

"I was in the underworld?" His words are broken, as though I've let all the wind out of his sails. His arms wrap around himself as if he's battling a chill.

"You barely dipped a toe in." I roll my eyes. "Don't be so dramatic. Just don't overdose again."

"What happened to our stove?" Rose shrieks as she pauses in the hallway before warily making her way towards the kitchen.

I jump to my feet, hands outstretched. "I'll fix it."

"He was trying to cook." Kieran's tone is flat, clearly still reeling from the little bomb I dropped in his lap.

Rose turns her distraught gaze to me as I use a small charm to clean up the mess I made. "You were trying to … cook? Why?"

"I do believe your exact words were something along the lines of, ‘would you like to stay for lunch?'" I smirk at her. "And I don't think you meant having … you … for lunch. Although if you're offering?—"

"That's not what I'm offering."

"Not yet." I raise a brow, loving the false indignation she wears like a mask. The deep flush crawling up her cheeks gives her away. She's got her hair in a high ponytail, showcasing the long lines of her neck.

"How can you be her soul bonded mate?" The little snake interrupts our flirting, and I grumble before turning my attention to where he still sits at the table, though he's turned fully towards us now.

"The fates determine who our soul bonds are." I sigh. "I'm not thrilled I have to share, but if I could kill for her, I suppose I could endure worse to be with her."

"How noble of you." He pushes back from the table. "I've lost my appetite." He disappears down the hallway and into the caves, leaving me alone with my soul bond.

Rose makes to chase after him, but I stop her with a hand on her shoulder. "It's not you. I told him where I found him."

She looks up at me with big, glassy blue eyes. "I should be with him right now." A small tuft of silky hair has escaped her ponytail, and I itch to push it behind her ears, but know we aren't there yet, so I tuck my hands in the pockets of my slacks instead.

"Give him some time to come to terms with what he knows before you talk with him. He can't go anywhere without getting past us." Her stomach chooses now to rumble. "When's the last time you ate?" I narrow my eyes at her belly as though I'm offended by it.

"Um." She snags her bottom lip between her teeth. "The guys have all made me food, but I've only picked at it. Haven't had much of an appetite with him being so out of it this week."

"Have a seat, I'll make you something."

She glances nervously at the stove.

"I won't touch it, I swear."

Her eyes dart back and forth between mine, and she gives a timid nod of her head. "Okay."

I watch as she saunters towards the dining room and sinks into a high-backed chair. She's got fuzzy blue socks on, an oversize band t-shirt that I've seen Deakan wear a handful of times, and even bigger sweatpants that definitely belong to Jax, the biggest of ‘em all. Still, I'm bigger than each of them. Perks of being a god.

Would she wear something of mine if I left it in her drawers? She can have my whole fucking wardrobe.

Turning towards the fridge, I pull open the door, letting the cool air hit me in the face as I panic-scan the contents of the shelves for something I know I can make her. Something she'll like.

I've been practicing. I popped over to Earth and Sundahlia to get some cookbooks, and have made several things that might make it feel a little more like home for her, but I draw the line at Vegemite. I had to douse my tongue with fire after trying that.

"Do you need help?" she calls over to me as I bury myself further into the fridge, shuffling jars and condiments around.

"No," I mumble. "I've got it."

I spot a fresh bundle of asparagus, nestled beside a block of some type of white cheese. A spark of inspiration hits me. I remember a recipe from one of the Earth cookbooks for roasted asparagus wrapped in thin slices of cured meat, topped with a soft crumbled cheese. With a quick glance at the other shelves, I also grab a ripe tomato and some fresh basil leaves–perfect for a light, refreshing salad to accompany the dish.

With a flick of my wrist, the asparagus levitates from the shelf, unwinding itself from the rubber band. The cheese and meat follow suit, floating in mid-air as I wave my hand, directing their dance. The sharp knife from the block glides over to the asparagus, trimming the ends with precision only a god could command. The meat wraps itself around the asparagus spears, a ballet of ingredients choreographed by my will.

I turn my gaze towards the tomato and basil, and they obediently rise into the air. The tomato slices itself into thin, even pieces while the basil leaves flutter around, tearing themselves into perfect, aromatic strips. With another gesture, a pan heats up without a flame, sizzling as the wrapped asparagus lands gently on its surface.

I don't know why I tried to use the stove in the first place when I don't need it.

The salad assembles itself beside the cooking asparagus, each tomato slice and basil leaf finding its place in an elegant display. I smirk at the ease of it all as I plate a dish for the both of us, and place another in the fridge for the snake.

See? I can play house and I can play nice.

"This looks and smells really good," Rose whispers as I set her lunch in front of her. "Thank you."

"Plenty more where this comes from."

I watch as she cuts a spear into a bite-sized piece and brings it to her mouth. It's mesmerizing—the way she wraps her lips around it, a small moan escaping her as she chews. I've abandoned all hope of being able to eat as I watch her devour what I've made.

Could I sustain myself on this alone? Watching my soul bond consume the food I've made her? I think I could.

She notices me staring and flushes. "Aren't you going to eat?"

I grab a spear and shove the entire thing in my mouth, not breaking eye contact. I love watching her squirm under my attention.

"Sorry … it's just, watching you eat something you enjoy has me distracted. It's practically pornographic." I adjust my growing erection under the table, and it's pretty obvious that's what I've just done.

Her skin glows in that captivating blue hue, a telltale sign of her arousal. I gently intercept her hands as she tries to cover her face. "You never have to hide from me. Especially this. If this is for me, I want it. All of it. Until I can feel your emotions through our bond, let me have this. Never dim your light." And then I add, "Please."

"It's mortifying." She glances down at where I keep her hands held captive.

"It's the most beautiful fucking thing I've ever seen." I cup her cheek, ignoring propriety and how we aren't here yet, but our tenuous bond surges at the contact. She leans into the touch, as though caught in my orbit and unable to resist. "And I've seen millions of sunsets. Bathed in the bluest waters all the realms have to offer. Watched creation wink into existence. Birthed stars and commanded the tides. But you, glowing like the rarest celestial phenomenon, outshine them all."

The moment I first laid eyes on her, she was a vision, swimming in a freezing lake atop a Rexunan mountaintop. Since that day, her image has been etched in my mind, compelling me to follow her, a force as inexorable as fate itself. Despite my best efforts, I found it impossible to stay away. For months, I maintained my vigil from afar, cloaked in the guise of a crow perched in the trees, a silent, watchful guardian. Sometimes, not so silent when jealousy got the better of me.

When Theo entered the picture, everything changed. As I observed them together, a sense of urgency ignited within me. Her bed, once solitary, was now a shared sanctuary, and my heart grew restless. The thought of losing a place beside her—my rightful place—was unbearable.

I, the God of all gods, thought myself beyond the reach of such trivial concerns. Yet here I am, struck down, not by sword or spear, but by the arrow of love's unyielding grip.

And oh, how profoundly I fell.

Rose's enormous blues shine with unshed tears as she stares up at me. It's no secret she's attracted to me, and probably wouldn't hesitate if she didn't already have so many mates already.

So, I'll show her that not only can I fit in with the family she's created, but I belong here, too.

I want her beyond the veil with me, but if I had to give it all up to be with her?

I'd do it in a heartbeat.

The front door swings open, severing our moment, and Rose jerks back as though she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.