Four Bonds

by Kelsey Soliz

  “Okay, so how sure are we then that I’m actually the destined mate for all of you? I rather like my mind the way it is.”

  Lander shut off the water and climbed in, offering his hand to pull me in as well. Once I was settled between his legs and laying comfortably against his chest, he started washing my hair as he explained.

  “We pretty much knew the day that emerald began glowing. It’s connected to ancient magic, but more specifically, to our family’s ancient magic. My family has been ruling this kingdom for centuries, and each generation that takes over adds a bit of magic to it to strengthen it. When we all shifted, we had to all wear the ring around our neck for a day to impart some of our magic into it, to let it link into us. So when it glowed, we knew that you were out there somewhere. The fact that I had seen you in my dreams and that you had seen Maalik’s sigil? Theres literally zero chance of that not meaning we’re fated mates.”

  “Okay, well what about Declan and Atticus? We haven’t had anything like that.”

  “It doesn’t matter. The way our kingdom works, we’re all set to rule together. Being brothers, sharing blood, means that we are all mated to the same woman. The dream connection is a bit unusual, it doesn’t usually manifest that way. It might have something to do with the fact that there are four of us, so maybe there’s a surplus of magic binding us? In our history, its pretty much always been 2 or 3 kings that rule together. I’m not even sure the last time there were 4, if ever.”

  “Then how is the mate bond normally recognized if not for a mental manifestation?”

  “Well the emerald for starters. It’s keyed into the magic that produces soul mates. It’s not something we can control, its’ just something that’s always been, and has been helping our line discover our fated mates since the first dragon shifter.”

  “So why isn’t your mom wearing the ring then?”

  “Well, we need the emerald for each subsequent generation to find their mates and bind them, right? So it’s become tradition that when the ruling monarchs’ eldest child nears shifting age, that they are gifted with a new ring from the kings, something that is personal to her and chosen by the kings themselves. The emerald then goes into safekeeping, pulled out only when any heir to the throne shifts and watched over until their mate becomes known.

  Since my mother wore it for so long, shes kind of attuned to it’s magical…wavelengths if you will, so when it started glowing last year she could sense it even though it was no longer on her person.”

  “Ok, so how do most monarchs recognize the mate bond aside from the emerald? How do they usually find their mates?”

  “So once the heirs that are set to take over have all shifted, and the ring has declared that a mate exists, then usually they simply hold a ball, the heirs mingling with all the eligible women from the kingdom. When they come upon the one that is meant for them, apparently they just know. It’s been described as like a general feeling of comfort and instant attraction, that feeling we talked about your first day here? That kiss on the stairway? Do you remember to easy it was to give into that kiss completely even though we had just met?”

  “Yeah, kind of difficult to not remember a kiss like that.”

  “If I was just some regular Joe that was interested in you, the feelings wouldn’t have been that intense. Even if there was a certain amount of physical attraction there, it would have been different. There’s not really a way to describe it, just an innate sense of belonging to that person.”

  I thought about this for a minute, swirling around in my mind all the deep magic that this kingdom was founded on. I hadn’t realized how deep their roots went here or how deeply engrained their culture was. The fact that I was now a part of this legacy felt thrilling, gave me a sense of importance and purpose.

  “So is it just the mate bond telling us to be together then? If it wasn’t there we wouldn’t have hit it off? Seems kind of weird to think that I only fell in love with you guys because some ancient magic told me I should.” That thought worried me a little.

  Lander rinsed out my hair and began lathering up my arms and back with soap.

  “It doesn’t work like that. Yes, there is magic there to indicate who our fated mate is, but all that really means is that it’s able to recognize the single soul that is perfectly made to complement ours. Magic or not, we would not have been able to resist loving you. It might have taken longer if we were even afforded the opportunity to, but the way your soul was constructed Isla, being our mate simply means that you are perfect for us.

  It doesn’t fabricate feelings or tell us how to think about each other, it simply brings us together so we can do that on our own.”

  “Well that makes me feel better, I suppose. It’s just a lot to take in. I didn’t realize how much magic and tradition went on beneath the surface of what we’re going through. So what exactly does it mean then, to be soul bound?”

  “So most people in our kingdom marry for love, and that’s perfect for them. Not everyone meets their fated mate, because there’s not exactly a magical gem for each family out there to find theirs. They must meet theirs in a much more accessible way. The general populace puts on get togethers throughout the year, and sometimes people find their fated mate.

  When they do, they usually choose to be soul bound because it’s an incredibly elevating event for a couple. The citizens have a special place in the mountains they go to for their ceremonies, but ours take place beneath the palace. The two ceremonies are similar, but there are a few more elements to ours since we are the ruling family. But to answer your question, a soul binding basically guarantees they’ll be together for life, unlike conventional marriage that allows for a change of heart or divorce.

  Sometimes someone’s fated mate isn’t even from Nogalia, it’s happened that someone recognizes their other half when travelling. If they produce children, sometimes they are shifters and sometimes not. But at least they find happiness.

  Being soul bound connects people to each other in a way that’s impossible to force. It takes their very beings and kind of stitches them together, so that they almost live as one being in separate bodies. It will allow us to communicate across any distance with a simple thought, and it is a safety net because once completed any member of the bond that is injured or in need of help will be felt by the other members of the bond.

  When one of us is injured, we all feel it. I’ve even heard that it translates into good feelings. Imagine us being in bed, being able to feel pleasure amplified because your partner is feeling it. You would feel not only what your body is experiencing, but an echo of what I am feeling as well, making the entire experience something that will completely overtake your body and blow your mind.”

  Lander was speaking right into my ear at this point, hands slowly stroking lower and lower on my belly as I squirmed against him. I was sure I had more questions a minute ago but hearing him talk about orgasms kind of shut off my earlier train of thought. When his lips started kissing the sensitive skin on my neck, I gave up even trying to talk and instead opted to simply feel.

  I turned around, straddling his hips as I took his mouth like a personal offering to me. His lips were so soft and large, perfect for sucking on. Soon our tongues met and with it the realization of how fully erect he was again. Now that we had gotten the frenetic energy of being denied each other so long out of our system, we were able to slow things down a little and explore each other more.

  I slowly sank onto Lander, pushing my hips down to encase him completely. This angle made him feel even larger, hitting a spot I didn’t feel in our prior coupling. We took our time, loving each other fully. This man was my husband, but after hearing him talk about the mate bond it made me feel even deeper for him, because I was able to better understand the depths of my feelings for him.

  This was more than just love, this was a soul-deep sense of belonging, a primal connection that couldn’t be manufactured. I suppose that explained the chain I felt within my body that connected to
each of my husbands. Lander might have been saving his body for this night, but that didn’t translate in the way he used my body. He thrust into me powerfully and completely, gripping my hips and claiming my mouth in desperation.

  When his mouth went down to my breasts and started teasing my nipples I began to lose it, an overwhelming climax building low in my body. The unhurried movements between us built our climaxes slowly, but once we got there, it was like a category 5 hurricane. Every nerve ending was firing, our bodies spasming as we cried out together and rode the wave.

  In the back of my mind, I was aware of the fact that my body had absorbed a large amount of semen this week, and without birth control it would be surprising if I didn’t get pregnant right away. I wasn’t sure how long it usually took for pregnancy to occur, but surely flooding my body with fluids from incredibly virile men would increase the probability?

  I found that the idea of growing a life made with me and my husbands actually sounded incredible. There was no longer a sense of worry or stress over the notion, I knew we could figure out the parenting thing together. Plus I had his parents to help, so I wasn’t going to worry about that. The thought, though, that my body might soon start growing their child?

  I buried my face into Lander’s neck because I was overwhelmed. In a good way. I didn’t think feeling this much happiness was physically possible, and I now desperately wanted to be connected to them in such a way. Having their child was suddenly something I needed, and even though the idea of having time to get to know them better and to let our marriage develop for a bit before introducing a child to the mix could have some benefits, I also knew that time wouldn’t change how I felt about them.

  Being pregnant didn’t mean I couldn’t make love to them, and if by becoming pregnant I could also help the citizens of the country? That thought alone further resolved my countenance toward the matter. I would have to figure out a way to sneak some pregnancy tests into the house at some point.

  “You doing okay? You got really quiet.”

  I lifted my head up and smiled at him as I kissed him lovingly again.

  “I’m great. Every time with you guys just gets better and better and I love being so deeply connected to you, feeling you inside my body. It’s incredible. And you definitely hit your 3 orgasm goal, so I think I can let you sleep soon.”

  Lander chuckled at me as he stood up and started helping me out of the bath, offering me a fluffy towel to wrap up in.

  “I suppose we do have something going on tomorrow, don’t we?” Lander smirked at me as he dried off his glorious body.

  It was nice doing something as domestic as brushing my teeth next to one of my new husbands, a glimpse of my newfound normal. We both passed out pretty quickly after snuggling up in bed, and I had the sweetest dreams with his arms around me all night. If I was going to have four husbands, then at least they were all different. Each man provide a different sort of comfort to me, and Lander was sweet and passionate.

  Five

  We woke up to the sounds of coffee brewing just beyond the bedroom doors we never bothered closing, but with how the other guys had been showing up every morning since I married Atticus, I should have expected they’d be here again. I was surprised when only Declan popped his head in, looking over our still naked forms and smirking as he told us coffee was ready when we were.

  Lander just grumbled about the indecencies of his brother and yanked me back into him, refusing to let me sit up. I was perfectly happy to comply because his arms were so warm and comfortable and we got to bed quite late last night. If I was going to be participating in some all night ceremony later today, then I deserved to sleep in, didn’t I?

  I flipped over so I was facing Lander and just nuzzled more into him, twining our legs together. I was more clothed than I was yesterday morning, though Lander’s shirt was easily removeable. Lander just had some boxers on, but those really didin’t do anything to conceal the morning salute he was sporting.

  “If you two don’t get up soon I’m going to have to jump in there too and make you.” Declan was still in the doorway watching us.

  “Yeah, not really a scary threat there, Declan,” I mumbled. “If you wanted in my bed all you have to do is climb in. No need for attempted concealed threats that aren’t actually a punishment.”

  Declan just laughed and walked into the bedroom, kicking off his shoes and climbing in behind me but I had to stop him real quick.

  “Nope.”

  “You just told me I could get in.”

  “I said you could get into the bed. I never said anything about your shirt being welcomed as well.”

  “Alright, alright.” I got my way and soon Declan’s warm chest was sandwiching me in-between him and Lander and everything was right with the world.

  “Good morning, Wife.” Declan was kissing my neck in greeting, Lander was finally starting to wake up, releasing my hips slightly so I could be pulled into Declan a little more.

  “Why are you here so early? I had planned to defile her at least two times before breakfast.”

  “Nuh-uh. Atticus said that within the bonds of matrimony I’m un-defile-able.”

  “Okay, then I planned to ravage her into oblivion at least two times before breakfast. Better?” Lander’s sleepy voice was all gravelly and sex personified.

  “Mm. Much. Keep talking dirty though and you won’t have to work that hard, especially with your voice all scratchy like it is from sleep. It’s practically doing all the work for you,” I tell him as I lean forward to kiss his chest.

  “Haven’t we broken you yet woman?” Declan was teasing but his voice was laced with an earnest bit of curiosity.

  “Magical bath. Restore my powers.”

  Lander laughed as Declan tried to make sense of my words while I lavished Lander’s chest.

  “We took a bath last night, I think her body is getting used to it’s new favorite past-time.”

  “I see. You smell good, Isla. Why do you always smell so damn good?” Declan started letting his hands trace patterns on my hip. “We’re supposed to be back at the house in a few hours to meet our fathers so they can start preparing us for the soul binding. You ready for that?”

  “Is that why you’re here now? You the sacrificial lamb they sent to interrupt us?” Lander’s boxers had suddenly been removed somehow and in the same moment one of my legs was pulled over his hip. He started sliding his thick erection along the seems of my sex, creating friction but doing little more than riling me all up.

  “Well seeing as how the twins both interrupted each other’s mornings, I told them it was only fair that I get afforded the same opportunity. Plus I miss her.”

  “I miss you too baby. I’m glad you’re here with us.” I twisted my head to reach his face, capturing it with a deep kiss.

  ✽✽✽

  About an hour later after Declan and Lander both got in a proper good morning with me, I was showered again and we were all getting ready to head home. We got all of our stuff gathered from the cabin so we could pack it in the car Declan had brought and walked hand in hand around the castle so we could enjoy the beautiful morning for a few more minutes.

  I was thinking I might kind of miss the little cabin, after spending the better part of a week there and making so many good memories in it. I knew it would be something I wouldn’t forget. I was also anxious though to get back to our home. That made me pause for a minute. Until a few months ago, the only place I had ever considered home was the house in the country that Gran and I shared. I don’t think I had really thought of the guys’ house as mine until now, and heading back there now as a married woman was a little strange.

  We had a home, we were an actual family now, and hopefully it would grow soon. When Declan pulled up in front of the familiar fountain, I grinned when I saw the twins leaning against the door similar to how Declan had my first day here. Was that really only a little over a month ago?

  Atticus was the first one down the steps, pulling me into a ma
ssive bear hug as he spun me around.

  “I’m so glad you’re home. These idiots aren’t as fun to look at.”

  I giggled and kissed him, then went to Maalik to kiss him as well. I guess I was adopting the ‘I have four husbands’ thing quickly. With the air cleared of any misconceptions and with all of them wearing rings now, being here with them was so peaceful and comfortable. We walked through the doors and the guys helped bring my stuff upstairs.

  “So, Isla and Lander haven’t eaten yet, we got sort of distracted…”

  “You’re useless” Maalik tells Declan as he shakes his head and pulls me out of the room towards the kitchen.

  “He’s actually not” I reply in a stage whisper and wink.

  Maalik snorts at my innuendo but continues pulling me downstairs where we find a tray of pastries and a full carafe of coffee waiting in the kitchen.

  “So we probably won’t be done with the ceremony until early morning, but we’ll be able to come back here and sleep for a few hours before we have our jet scheduled to leave around lunch time tomorrow. 2 weeks on an Island in the middle of the ocean? Should be a good time.”

  “So I should probably get my bags packed now, is what you’re saying?”

  “We’ve got you covered babe.” Atticus winks as she says this so I’m a little nervous about what their idea of ‘appropriate items’ to bring on a two week trip might include.

  “Okay, can I at least look through the bag and make sure you didn’t miss anything?”

  “Can’t, it’s already been sent to the airport so the plane is ready to go when we are.”

  “Ugh. Did any of you pack me any actual clothing or should I just assume I’m to be in a bikini all week?”

  “Damnit. Opportunity missed.”

  I laugh at Atticus, a little bit reassured that there might be some actual clothes involved.