Chapter 14

Fourteen

After nodding his thanks to a grinning Graham, Gideon led his newfound mates through the back of Bewitched Bites and into the long hallway that lined the back of all seven businesses the coven owned. Anticipation threaded through, pulsing in his veins. He sensed their eyes on him… though, he was sure they were searching the interior as they moved through, too.

A wider lobby sat between the outer walls of the tattoo shop and Dotty's shop, the lone door to enter the apartments from the street across from them. He trod across the white and black tiled floor, the long black tapers affixed to the sconces lining the black walls lighting themselves as they marched along. Crystal chandeliers with long, white candles roared to life overhead, too.

"Whatin the Alice of fucking Wonderland is this place?" Esau asked as they moved closer to the elevator bank.

Gideon spun to face them, walking backward. He smiled at their bemused expressions, remembering the first time he entered that very foyer all those long years ago. "Do you not like the decorations?"

"It's a vibe, for sure," Esau muttered. "Did you do the decorations?"

"I did not. It's been like this as long as I've lived here."

"How long is that?" Joaquin asked, his gaze hungry as he held Gideon's.

"About fifteen years. I started my tattoo apprenticeship in 2009, the minute I turned eighteen." He turned back around, the elevator just ahead. As he reached for the button, it dinged, and the doors opened.

Luca, Ash, Colby, and Daniel stood inside, eyes widening a bit to catch him there—with guests.

"Giddy!"Daniel yelled and rushed out to capture him in a bear hug.

Gideon shifted to the side to hide the hard-on he'd had since laying eyes on Esau and Joaquin and squeezed Daniel tight. "Hey, buddy."

He lifted his gaze to the trio curiously checking out Esau and Joaquin. Luca narrowed his eyes, clearly jumping into overprotective bro mode, which was ridiculous.

"Wanna go have dinner with us?" Daniel asked.

"I wish I could, but I just ate." Gideon eyed Joaquin and Esau, both appearing uneasy with a seven-foot tall, purple-haired witch and a nearly as tall burly shifter staring at them with menace in their eyes.

"Awww,"Daniel said, pouting. It was then he finally seemed to notice new faces were in the lobby. He turned and waved. "Hi!"

"Hi," both Joaquin and Esau said, smiling kindly at Daniel.

Green flags.Daniel didn't cower, and they smiled kindly. Win. Win.

"Aren't you going to introduce us to your… dates, Gideon?" Luca asked, glaring.

"Esau and Joaquin," Gideon murmured. "Meet my coworker, Lu?—"

"Coworker?"Luca spat.

Gideon sighed. "My friend and fellow coven member, Luca, there with the purple hair. His mates, Ash, the shifter, and Colby." Gideon laid an arm over Daniel's shoulder. "And this is Colby's big brother, Daniel. They're all in my coven family."

Daniel beamed before turning to Gideon and loudly asking, "Are they your boyfriends?"

Gideon glanced at the pair and noted their smiles before returning his gaze to Daniel. "Maybe."

"I like them," Daniel said. "Their colors are pretty. Just like yours."

Gideon smiled at Daniel, appreciating the news more than the man could know.

"Our colors?"Esau asked.

"Daniel's an auraist. He can see the aura around a person in color. He knows when people are safe and friendly and when they're not," Gideon replied. "He's just given you his stamp of approval."

"I'm a witch," Daniel said.

"That's some skill to have," Esau said with a grin. "I bet that makes you an important person around here."

"It does," Daniel agreed, shaking his head matter-of-factly.

Esau smiled, offering his hand. "Then it's very nice to meet such a VIP, Daniel."

"What's a V-I-P?" Daniel asked.

"Very important person," Joaquin replied.

"Yes," Daniel said, smiling. "I'm the veriest V-I-P." Daniel moved closer, but instead of shaking Esau's hand, he hugged the man. Gideon stood back and watched the exchange with a smile on his lips, shocked at Daniel's easy acceptance. He moved toward Joaquin next. If only the rest of the coven would be so easy.

Joaquin lifted his hand. "Shake or hug?"

Daniel didn't answer, he just rushed in to hug Joaquin, too. And didn't look like he wanted to let go.

"Daniel, we should get to dinner and let them enjoy their night," Colby murmured.

"Okay," Daniel muttered and released Joaquin. He smiled at them all. "Bye, E-saw. Bye, Waa-keen. Bye, Giddy!"

"Bye, Daniel," Gideon called as his mates waved.

His mates! He was still thrown by the fact they were his.

Maybe.

He turned to see they'd lost the elevator and hit the button again. Fortunately, it was waiting for them and simply opened its doors. He ushered the pair inside.

Luca popped his head from around the corner at Gideon. "You know the rules about bringing outside folks into the living spaces. Cassius doesn't like it. Neither do I, especially when we have you-know-who out there looking for his you-know-what."

"They're my mates,"he mouthed to Luca, eyes glaring.

Luca's eyes widened, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Oh."

"Yeah. Oh. Now you look like a fool," Gideon whispered.

"Sorry,"Luca said before grinning. "Have fun."

Maybe.

Gideon stepped through the doors as they began to close and hit the button for his floor. He cast a look over his shoulder, the anticipation mounting again. Gideon wasn't sure he could survive running into anyone else before getting his mates into his apartment and hoped the others on that floor were out of sight. He turned to eye the pair and smiled. "Sorry about that. I didn't expect running into anyone."

"The big guy seemed awfully overprotective of you," Joaquin mentioned, his voice gentle, but the hint of threat under it very much not so.

"Luca and I started our apprenticeship at the same time, pretty much. He's the brother I never had. My best friend. And sometimes likes to think of himself as the big brother and boss of me."

"Nothing more?" Joaquin asked.

"And if he was?" Gideon asked.

Joaquin's eyes flashed with jealousy.

"You've been with Esau since you were teenagers. You had one another. You don't get to question who's been in my bed before now."

Joaquin's jaw set. "I agree… doesn't mean I have to like it."

"He's a possessive shifter who struggles to share his toys," Esau said. He glanced at Joaquin. "Luca clearly has his hands full now." He turned back to Gideon. "And he's ours now, so it doesn't matter who was in the past."

He's ours now…A smiled curled at the corners of his mouth as he held Esau's gaze. "I couldn't have said it better myself. Though, the me belonging to you seems to be up in the air."

"It's not," Joaquin snapped before dragging Gideon against him.

The shifter looked down at Gideon, heat burning a fire into his soul.

"We'll see about that," Gideon whispered, not feeling anything to signal Joaquin was as hard as he was.

The elevator dinged and opened on Gideon's floor. He took Joaquin's hand and led him out of the car and toward his apartment. Esau lumbered behind. When Gideon reached his door, he passed his hand over the bolt, and it unlocked with a click.

Stepping inside, he turned to beckon them in. Once they did, the apartment suddenly seemed too small. He closed the door behind them, turned, and realized he had no idea what to do. Did he seduce them? Push past their defenses, or rather, Joaquin's? Esau seemed ready for anything. The hesitancy came squarely from Joaquin.

And something whispered in his mind not to push too hard.

Seduction was an art he'd mastered many years before. He'd had men crawling at his feet and eating from the palm of his hand with ease. Every man he'd ever wanted in his bed had succumbed to his charms.

Yet those had all been low stakes. He could easily walk away, or they, and it wouldn't have mattered one bit.

That night mattered.

Those menmattered.

He couldn't fuck it up, especially when Joaquin didn't appear as interested as Gideon did. Being on the other side of things didn't feel good. He was usually the one who barely cared, the men begging for his affections.

Gideon didn't know how to beg but he'd learn how for the promise those two could light his cold world on fire.

What the hellam I doing up here?

The answer was simple. Joaquin hadn't been capable of saying no and allowing Gideon to walk away. The witch was his. His and Esau's. The pounding need to claim screamed inside his brain.

Only it was at war with his self-protective instinct.

Joaquin inhaled, surrounded by scents of Gideon, only making matters worse. The restaurant had been bad enough, but in Gideon's space his senses were assailed from every corner. The small studio apartment was plenty for the petite witch but suffocated him. A small kitchen faced a small living area. To one side was a bedroom area with a massive bed, much too large for Gideon to spend his nights alone in.

He closed his eyes, scenting Gideon's pleasure there. Had it been by his own hand or had there been others? He'd heard Luca's whispered comment about others not being welcome there, so that set his mind at ease somewhat, but then Luca wasn't others. Fuck! Joaquin could occasionally get a wee bit jealous, and yes, he could be possessive, but he didn't think he'd ever been so covetous with Esau.

But then Esau had been his since their teens. They were one another's firsts and onlys. Esau didn't have other men in his past or a handsome witch who might or might not have shared his bed. But it was then that Joaquin realized what he didn't scent in the apartment.

Anyone else but Gideon.

He relaxed his shoulders and turned to face their witch, who watched them both intently, his eyes molten with need. Joaquin fought down his own want, refusing to answer the call.

"So, how about that drink?"

Gideon crossed to the small kitchen. "I'm afraid I don't have a lot to offer. I've got a bottle of wine I could open, ginger ale, or water. I'm not great at summoning food or drink, I'm afraid. It always tastes a little off, so those are your choices."

"Wine's fine for me," Esau said.

"Yeah," Joaquin murmured. Wine really wasn't his thing, but a few sips might take the edge off.

Or make everything worse.

"Have a seat," Gideon said, opening a drawer and lifting a corkscrew out. "I'll get us some glasses and join you."

Esau reached the couch first and moved a few of the fluffy hot pink pillows off and onto the floor. All but one, which he placed in his lap—likely to hide his erection. It had been unmistakable as they'd moved upstairs. Esau wanted. Badly. Joaquin clenched his jaw. His packer didn't get hard, so he had nothing to hide.

Had Gideon noticed that? He winced, hoping the witch hadn't. He nudged Esau and stole the pink pillow from his mate's lap.

Esau frowned but said nothing. He lifted another from the floor and covered his tented pants.

Gideon walked over, a wine glass in both hands, and handed them off. He smiled before spinning to return to the kitchen to grab his own glass. Joaquin watched his ass move under the tiny, tight black miniskirt and another wave of need washed over him. He took a second to look over their newfound mate, learning the lines and curves of Gideon's body. He was tiny, wearing what had to be four-inch platform boots and still only came to Joaquin's shoulder. He was only five-ten, so that meant Gideon was likely only about five feet.

His body was lithe, arms and legs slender. His body was graceful and feminine, and at first, Joaquin had thought him a woman. Not that it would've mattered either way. He was pansexual. Gender didn't matter, it was all about the attraction—not that he'd been attracted to anyone but Esau since they'd met.

Gideon's dark chestnut hair fell in long waves with deep golden red streaks throughout. Joaquin wanted nothing more than to grab handfuls of it as he pounded into Gideon's body, hard. That possessive streak screamed within, the desire to claim his mate pulsed like a drum.

A power bottom? He'd see about that.

Joaquin closed his eyes, tamping down the raw need spearing him. Gideon walked closer, sipping from his glass before he stopped in front of them. He lowered the glass to the coffee table and smiled. "Be right back. I need to change."

"Don't change on our account," Joaquin murmured. He'd already seen a hint of a garter belt peeking from under the miniskirt. If Gideon stripped down, he wasn't sure he could hold back any longer, and that wasn't happening.

"I just want to get out of these clothes," Gideon called over a shoulder and disappeared into the bathroom.

"Are you okay?" Esau asked, his voice low, once Gideon was behind the door.

"We shouldn't be here."

"You were the one who told him to ask. I assumed this was what you wanted," Esau murmured.

"Of course it's what I want,"Joaquin whispered hotly. "I want nothing better than the two of us pin him in that big bed and fuck him ‘til he walks funny. But I can't."

"There's things we could do without that, you know?"

"No," Joaquin said. "I won't be satisfied without having him fully. Neither would you."

Esau remained silent, but he knew he was disappointing his mate. Two mates, as it was clear what Gideon wanted. He was the wrench in the plan. He hated that.

"We just met. We have time," Esau whispered before the bathroom door opened.

Joaquin breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Gideon in a pair of gray sweatpants and a black, off-one-shoulder t-shirt.

When he saw Gideon's mate's mark peeking out, he growled, the sound deeply feline.

Mine.

Gideon froze, eyeing Joaquin.

"Sorry," Joaquin said before lifting the wine to his lips to give himself something other than ogle Gideon and that damned mark.

Gideon walked closer and collected his glass and sat on the large, wooden coffee table, facing them, in a yoga pose. His legs crossed, feet resting on top of this thighs. It hurt Joaquin just looking at it.

"Showing off how limber you are?" Esau asked him with a wink.

Gideon's hand froze, clutching his glass, midway to his mouth. "No, but if it helps prove you two can twist me into a pretzel when the mood strikes, then so be it."

Esau snorted with laughter, shaking his head. Joaquin immediately envisioned them doing just that, bending Gideon in half as they both shared his body. He drained the glass to keep from doing what he wanted to do.

"Another?"

Joaquin twisted the stem in his fingers, wishing those fingers were wrapped around the slim column of Gideon's throat. "Sure."

Gideon rose and collected the bottle from the kitchen. He returned, and it was then that Joaquin noticed the slogan on Gideon's t-shirt.

CLEVER AS THE DEVIL AND TWICE AS PRETTY

Gideon filled his goblet.

"I bet that's true," Joaquin whispered.

"What's that?" Gideon asked.

"Your shirt."

Gideon looked down and laughed. "I forgot it said that." He returned to his spot on the coffee table and set the bottle to his right. "And after meeting him, I'd say we might be neck and neck in the pretty department."

"After meeting him?"Esau laughed.

But Joaquin noted Gideon wasn't laughing. "You've met the devil?"

"One devil, as there is more than one. If you mean Lucifer, the Morning Star, then yes. I had the pleasure of making his acquaintance recently."

Joaquin narrowed his eyes.

"Wait… really?" Esau asked.

"I have something he wants, and I refuse to give it to him, so…" Gideon said. "He's not too pleased with me right now."

"What is it he wants?" Esau asked.

A wave of jealousy hit Joaquin as he sat the wine glass down. "You?"

"Not hardly," Gideon said. "Wouldn't matter if he did. I don't like my men evil, no matter how handsome they might be." Gideon cringed. "And to be honest, I don't like perfect, pretty men, either, not like that. He was almost too perfect if that makes sense. Flawless symmetry. Not a hair out of place. Yet devoid of any real feeling. He was empty, and I could feel it." Gideon shivered. "That emptiness tugged at me like a black hole, and I feared getting sucked into the abyss."

"Are you in danger?" Joaquin asked, fists clenching.

Gideon was silent a moment. He drained his glass and poured another before turning back to them both. "Not hardly."

Joaquin sensed that wasn't the full truth. He narrowed his eyes.

"Even if I was in danger, I have a coven of witches he wouldn't want to mess with."

"And they're strong enough to defend you?" Joaquin asked, the protective instinct roaring in his blood.

"He had to come to me through a dream state to demand what he wanted. He could've attempted to burn down the doors or drag me to Hell in real life, but he didn't." Gideon stared around at the walls. "Not that he could get in here. This place is demon proof."

"But is it Lucifer proof?" Joaquin asked.

A clenching of Gideon's jaw gave him his answer. Gideon wasn't sure.

"And you're unwilling to share what it is that Lucifer wants from you?" Joaquin prodded.

Gideon looked over the rim of his glass. "We all have our secrets, don't we?"

"You're our mate. It's our responsibility to keep you safe," Joaquin spat.

"You barely know me," Gideon countered, eyes narrowed. His expression softened after a few seconds. "I can take care of myself. My coven's all the protection I need."

Joaquin moved his lower jaw side to side, not liking that answer, but Gideon was right. They barely knew one another. Gideon had already faced Lucifer once and walked away, apparently. He sensed their witch was powerful. Hopefully enough to keep the devil at bay.

Gideon continued, "The building's fortified. There are wards preventing demons from entering this space. I've stuck close to home of late, staying within these walls for protection, until we can get this sorted out."

"What would happen if you gave Lucifer what he wants?" Esau asked.

"I don't know, honestly. It's not really a big thing, had he lost it, he wouldn't have cared. It was the fact I took it from him that's bothering him, I think." Gideon lifted his chin defiantly. "And I don't want to let him win."

Joaquin smiled at their mate's spunk. Yet at the same time, under that bravado, he sensed Gideon felt a little lost.

Scared.

And that called out to him, swamping him with the need to protect what was theirs, whether Gideon wanted it or not. Their witch had every right to be scared if Lucifer was coming after him. They had their own concerns with the Assassins. All three of them were in danger.

He'd struggled to protect one mate. Hopefully he had it in him to protect two.

"I don't really want to talk about this anymore. It's bringing me down, and we shouldn't feel down right now," Gideon said. "We just met one another. Two new mates. This should be a moment of celebration, not wallowing in the dangers that lurk outside these walls."

He rose and plopped down in the narrow space between Joaquin and Esau, knees facing the couch so he could still see them with ease.

"I sense that you both want me, and I've made it very clear that my body is yours for the taking. I won't beg you, but…" He frowned. "I guess I'd like to know why you haven't already tossed me into bed and had your wicked way with me." He held up a hand as Joaquin opened his mouth. "And yes, I know, you don't want to rush, but you're both sitting here covering up your hard-ons. Why not use them?"

Joaquin closed his eyes and attempted to gain control, but failed. Instead of reaching for Gideon, he growled, leapt from the couch and stormed out into the hallway. Once out there, he punched the stone wall, breaking skin and bleeding. Maybe even breaking a bone or two. He didn't wince. The pain felt good.

Better out than in.

I can't be the man he wants.

The man he needs.

What the fuck good am I?

Esau observed Joaquin rush out,a train wreck in the making, torn between comforting both his mates. Gideon's face crumpled, his jaw tight. Rejection darkened his eyes. Outside that door, Joaquin was a tangle of emotions, too. Esau could feel it all the way inside the apartment.

Esau took Gideon's chin in his hand, lifting their witch's gaze. "It's not you." He wanted to say more. Explain and soothe Gideon, but that was Joaquin's place. "It's him. Not you."

Gideon's brow furrowed. "What is it?"

"Heneeds to tell you, not me. It's not my story to share."

"Was he… abused?" Gideon gasped, placing his hands over his mouth. Tears shone in his eyes. "Oh, no, please tell me I haven't fucked this up already."

"No. It's not that. You didn't do anything wrong." Esau rose. "Let me go talk to him."

Gideon curled into a ball on the couch, dejected. "Okay."

He headed for the door, hoping Joaquin hadn't gotten too far. As soon as he entered the hallway, he found his mate on the floor, back to the wall. Esau neared his wounded animal, slowly and with care. Joaquin's face was bright red and jaw tight.

"Breathe."

Joaquin shook his head, pain etched into the lines of his face.

Esau sat down beside him and noticed broken skin and blood on Joaquin's knuckles. Luckily, his shifter healed quickly. The flesh was already knitting itself back together again. But it was still a sign of how upset Joaquin was.

Driven to self-harm.

Esau needed to calm him down before he caused more damage. Quick healing or not, Joaquin didn't deserve what he might do to himself.

"Breathe,Keeno."

Joaquin finally drew in a deep breath, his face returning closer to its normal shade after a couple more. "What if he doesn't accept me as I am?"

"He's our mate. We're hardwired to be together, right?"

"You freaked out when I told you. Remember?"

"I did not freak out."

"You ran out on me."

"I was a bit thrown and needed a minute to think. Plus, you not only told me you were trans, but shifted into a jaguar in front of me to prove beings like you existed. Witches, sure, I knew there were witches, but the rest? My grandmother hadn't shared that bit with me before I lost her." Esau smiled. "Gideon won't get a one-two punch like I did. He already knows shifters exist."

"One gut punch might be all he needs to refuse me."

Esau stared at the wall across from him, searching for the right words to ease Joaquin's mind. "Look at how Gideon presents himself. All his pronouns. It's not as if he's not stretched out along the gender spectrum himself."

"That doesn't mean he's pan," Joaquin murmured, pressing his hands against his chest. "He sees me as this. What if he's only into men. Real men?"

"You are a real man, and you damned well know it," Esau snapped. "I won't let you talk about the man I love like that."

He softened his expression when Joaquin turned to eye him. Joaquin chuckled, the first sign he might be making forward progress. He slid his hand into Joaquin's and lifted it, the last of the wound healing over.

"It's not just him," Joaquin murmured. "It's… you and me, too. Wanting him so fucking bad that it almost feels disrespectful to you. Here I was the one warning you there might be another out there, terrified you'd struggle with it, and it's me struggling."

"Our world just turned upside down. We had to leave everything in our lives behind and start anew. We don't have a permanent home. I know I feel a little adrift right now. You have every right to need a minute. Just like I did when you shifted that first time." Esau thought back to that night. "By the next day, I was knocking on your door, desperate to see you." He kissed Joaquin's hand clutched in his. "One day, and I was right back where I belonged—and haven't left your side since. The initial shock of someone new, compounded with your need for acceptance, and worry what it'll do to us… I get it. You're overwhelmed."

"Yeah." Joaquin rested the back of his head against the wall and rolled it to look at Esau. "What we've been through. The love we've shared. I don't want you and I to change."

"We won't," Esau replied. "We won't let it change." He grinned. "Well, it will have to in some ways, but the core of us. Who we are… how we love. That's rock solid, babe."

Joaquin smiled, but it faded.

"If—and I say this as a big if—he rejects you, then it's still you and me and that's enough. It's more than enough. You're my everything, Keeno." Esau smiled. "If you need time, you take it. All you need. I suspect Gideon will understand."

Joaquin scrubbed his face with his free hand. "I just ran away from our mate, Esau."

"I know."

"I probably hurt his feelings. I can't imagine what's going through his head right now."

"Hewill understand," Esau whispered. "Once he knows why you ran out, I'm sure he'll get it. But that doesn't need to be tonight. I can go back in there, smooth things over, and we can go back to the hotel."

Joaquin shook his head. "I should be the one to talk to him. I can't leave him like that, doubting and worried."

"Okay. I'll be right there with you."

"But… I'm not ready. For more. Not tonight."

Esau nodded. "That's okay, too. We can go at your pace."

Joaquin sighed, resting against the wall behind him. "I really screwed this up."

"You didn't. It's all fixable."

Joaquin leaned over to kiss Esau. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"Me either. Luckily, you don't have to find out."

Joaquin stared into his eyes, love radiating from him. "You're truly okay with all this? A new mate? A witch, no less?"

"Part of the reason we work so well is… I'm flexible."

"Are you insinuating I'm not?" Joaquin asked, lifting his head.

"Welllll,"Esau said, cocking his head.

Joaquin snickered.

"You have your moments. You're mule-headed, and we both know it. Me? I go with the flow," Esau said. "But that's okay. I'm the river that runs along your rock."

"I like that," Joaquin whispered.

"I like us," Esau said, elbowing Joaquin's side. "Though, not going to lie, I'm calmer on the outside than I am on the inside. A third? A witch? With everything else we have going on? But the connection is there. Not just a connection, but… it's intense. Different than you and I, yet the same. It's like my soul knew him the second we touched."

"It's his magic," Joaquin said. "It's calling us to him. It's also heightening the need. Magnifying it somehow, I think. I feel it wrapped around us, tugging us closer."

"Hmmm,"Esau said. "When you said ‘ours', I nearly lost control right then and there. All I could think about was getting him under me. Or between us." Esau smiled. "There's plenty of time for that, though."

"Hopefully, if I haven't ruined things already," Joaquin replied. He kissed Esau again. "I should go back in and explain."

"I'll be right there with you."