Falling For Them Volume 2: Reverse Harem Collection

by Nikki Bolvair

  Did he seriously consider a strip of cloth to be strong enough to keep most mages from escaping him? His finger brushed against her cheek, drawing out a whimper.

  “Get moving, wench.” He shoved her to the side, pushing her in the direction of his camp. Following his orders without resistance, she would have better luck escaping when her strength returned. Unfortunately, repeatedly tripping from traipsing through the bushes and undergrowth forced her to open her eyes. The other man shifted as well, and before she could avert her eyes elsewhere, she realized a hole in the shape of an arrowhead dripped blood down his inner thigh.

  Stumbling again, she barely kept her feet under her.

  Once they arrived at the camp she’d seen in Mirror’s display earlier, she dropped to the ground. Her skirt, still wet from the bridge and torn by the shapeshifter, would probably be caked in mud when she stood up, but she found herself too tired to care. A third man stood over a small fire, glaring at the men with her. “What’s this? It ain’t the boys, that’s for sure.”

  Rhea rolled her eyes at his obvious statement and scooted closer to the fire. The temperature dropped, but she couldn’t tell if it was because her wet dress clung to her body or if because the sun started to disappear behind the trees.

  “I know, Boss, but I found her using magic. And the king said we get paid to round up all mages, not only those three boys who escaped,” stated the taller one who had licked her.

  “Whatever. Get some clothes on. Ain’t nobody want your glory all hangin’ out.” He tossed a bag at the two men, and they disappeared behind a tree. It baffled her why they changed in privacy when they had no trouble flaunting it all earlier.

  The man moved closer, frowning. “They sure you got magic?”

  Shrugging a shoulder, arms still bound behind her, Rhea focused on periodically twisting herself in a tight circle to dry out her skirt while trying not to fall asleep. The warmth relaxed her, but she needed to keep her wits about her.

  The wet linen around her wrists started to rub them raw, making them itch. As she twisted her hands to scratch at them, the cloth fell away. What idiots. Unwinding the cloth, she dropped it to the ground. When she got out of this, she planned on taking a hot bath.

  As Rhea sat there, not registering the shifters had returned clothed, she continued trying to get different parts of her clothing dry. She sighed as she realized the heat from the flames no longer reached her. Shivering, she glared at the man controlling the fire. All three men glanced at her as they sat down on a log. Even after telling the boys they shouldn’t engage these men, a huge part of her hoped they chose not to listen to her and would come help her escape. At this point, she was cold, still wet, and wished all three of these mages magically died. And then she would ask James to try bringing back the man who licked her so she could kill him again. Shuddering, she tried to forget the feel of his tongue on her bare skin.

  The ground rolling underneath her made her sit up straight. The men around the campfire didn’t noticeably react to the tremor.

  This time, when the ground bucked again, it nearly knocked her off balance. One of the men stood up, quickly shifting into an alligator, shredding his clothes as he changed. The other shifter reached for a weapon as the fire mage kicked dirt into the fire pit, extinguishing the flames in a hurry.

  As the ground bucked once more, the alligator hissed, and the fire mage lost his footing, falling face first into the newly extinguished fire pit. Only the second shifter still stood, weapon poised to throw, as someone stepped into the clearing.

  Chapter Seven

  Battling it Out

  Eric stood exposed, his broad shoulders dwarfing the men standing around the fire pit. Alligator-man let out a noise somewhere between a cough and a snort. Twig-man sneezed repeatedly, sniffling loudly when the fit ended.

  Grunting, the mage drew Rhea’s attention as the flames leaped to life in his palms, climbing from his hands to his shoulders. “Well, well, what do we got here, boys?”

  Twig-man grinned, his laugh coming out on a wheeze. “He came to surrender, boss.”

  Alligator hissed, moving closer to Eric.

  Eric didn’t flinch away from the large beast. “You weren’t a part of the group who originally captured us,” he observed.

  “Word travels fast, boy. Now, the bounty is ours.” The leader advanced confidently as the alligator lunged at Eric.

  Unmoving, Eric simply inclined his head. Flicking his wrist, the mage threw a ball of flames at him. Gasping, Rhea shut her eyes.

  The leader growled out, “Where’d he go?”

  She peeked through her lashes. The ground smoldered where Eric stood moments ago. Only a small stick on the ground burned.

  When the flames disappeared, Rhea frowned. Could Adrian be casting an illusion?

  “You’ll need to do better to catch me.” His voice startled her captors as he appeared behind them.

  Squinting in the firelight, Rhea could barely make out Eric’s broad shoulders in the shadows. As they focused on him, she inched her way backward, taking advantage of the distraction.

  Flames lit up the sky as the leader flung another ball of fire at Eric. This time, the flames disappeared, and Eric sauntered closer. “You really should learn more about those you try to catch before challenging us to a duel.”

  “We didn’t challenge you to a duel, boy. We plan on taking you back to the king.” The leader sounded like a lackwit.

  Eric chuckled darkly. “But the problem is, we don’t want to go.”

  The leader took a step back, nearly tripping over alligator-man. It turned, snapping at him. “You don’t scare me!” His face appeared red in the firelight, clearly fearful and enraged.

  Rhea continued scooting closer to the bushes behind her. Movements slight and quiet to keep everyone from noticing she’d nearly made it. If things went wrong, she didn’t want these men to use her as a shield against whatever the boys planned. She wanted to get out of this without resorting to violence, but instinctively, she knew the possibility was slim.

  Leaves rustled softly as a pair of hands grabbed her waist and drew her into the brush. Only her desire to stay undetected by her captors made her bite back a startled yelp.

  James’s face came into view as he knelt over her, hands roaming over her body, checking for injuries. “You okay?” His breath ghosted over her neck as he whispered in her ear.

  Enjoying the warmth of his hands, it took her a moment to swat him away as his fingers grazed her breasts. He blinked, his face close enough to make out the faint blush creeping up his neck. He realized where he placed his hands. “They didn’t hurt me, James, although I can’t seem to get warm.” Shivering, Rhea leaned against his warmth and added, “And my legs went numb a few hours ago.”

  Nodding, James pulled her into his lap, where she pressed against a surprisingly solid chest. “I can’t warm you up like Eric can. This will have to suffice until the others get done messing with your captors.”

  Even where Rhea came from, many considered it improper to be sitting this close to an unmarried man. Like last night in the tree, she couldn’t bring herself to care. “Perfect,” she leaned her head onto his shoulder to get a better view through the bushes. Against her back, his heart thundered in his chest, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he was attracted to her, like she found herself desiring him.

  His arms slowly wrapped around her waist, pulling her even closer to his warmth. Another wave of flames lit up the darkness. His body shook as he chuckled softly.

  Softly, she poked his chest. “Why are you laughing?”

  He shifted under her, his fingers dancing over her spine. “I find it funny the fire mage stands no chance against my brother. We might not be formally trained, but we tested our powers time and time again. Fire? It can’t hurt Eric.”

  “I know.” Rhea bit her lip, immediately regretting her confession.

  His fingers tapped out a thoughtful beat against her hip, and she tensed. She knew the questi
ons coming, and this time, she planned to answer truthfully. “Why?” His voice barely audible over the fight his brothers waged in the clearing.

  Searching his face as well as she could in the near dark, she hesitated.

  “Why watch us? Why won’t you tell us the truth?” His fingers stilled for a moment before smoothing out the damp fabric of her skirt. Eyes glittering in the dark, he watched her intently.

  Brushing her fingers against him, she sighed. “Ask me once we’re away from here.”

  He sat up straight. “And you’ll tell us? The truth, I mean.”

  Rhea didn’t want to tell them, but she would. “Yes.”

  Before she left her home, Oregaine warned her against saying anything, but she couldn’t keep secrets from the boys any longer.

  The ground shook. A scream rang out. Grabbing a fistful of James’s tunic, she tried to look through the bushes they hid behind. James quickly shifted to pull her into his chest a little harder, turning her head and tucking it under his chin. It kept her from watching the gruesome scene. “Don’t watch.”

  “What’s happening?” She struggled slightly in his hold, ignoring his demand.

  “Adrian opened a hole in the ground. The two shifters disappeared inside before he closed it up.” He tensed, his stomach tightening.

  She sat up a little taller. “Is he okay?”

  “They never even touched him.” James’s voice sounded tight.

  She turned to James, fingers brushing against his tunic as she smoothed out the fabric holding the shape of her clenched fist. “What is it?”

  His breath caught as he admitted, “I am useless compared to my brothers.”

  Cocking her head, she considered him. “No, you have other talents.”

  He dropped his forehead to hers, sighing. “I know, but it’s the sense I’m not good enough.”

  Without stopping to consider it, she sat taller, wrapping her arms his neck. She only had to lean forward, and she could touch her lips to his. Throwing away her hesitation, she pressed a kiss to the soft fullness of his, before pulling back. He sat frozen, holding his breath as she looked at him.

  Heat flushed across her as she started to pull away, unable to stop the embarrassment from coloring her cheeks. At some point during the last several years, watching the boys became less of a chore and more pleasurable. Slowly, each of them carved out a space in her heart. It wouldn’t be fair to lead them on because she knew she couldn’t be happy with only one of them.

  His hands tightened on her hip, bringing her closer. Another explosion rocked through the air around them, the heavy scent of smoke following it. Leaning away from James, he countered her movement, resting his forehead against her own. “That was… unexpected.”

  Her heart raced, and her stomach sank. Perhaps they could forget this ever happened.

  She turned away from him, trying to observe the goings on around them, when he lightly took her chin, forcing her to focus on him. “Once there is no immediate danger, I demand a redo.”

  Shivering, she searched his eyes. The knot in her stomach slowly dissipated at the interest staring back at her. He hit right on the point. Hidden in the bushes during a rescue wasn’t the place to explore their interest in each other.

  With one final blaze, everything in the clearing went still. “James? Rhea?” Eric’s voice seemed loud in the sudden quiet.

  “Here,” James called out. He helped Rhea to her feet before getting to his own.

  Adrian and Eric came jogging up from two different directions, with Mirror riding happily on Eric’s shoulder.

  “You okay, Rhea?” Adrian pulled her in for a hug, running his hands over her body, like his twin did earlier.

  “Not hurt, only cold. I do wonder why they sat here for an entire day, though.” She glanced at the clearing where the men held her captive.

  James pulled her out of Adrian’s arms, tucking her back against his side. “We need to find somewhere to sleep for the night. You both need food and rest, and Rhea needs to get warm.” He scanned the area, and Rhea suspected he consulted some map he remembered against what he saw now to figure out their location. “I believe the town is not far from here.” Pointing away from the rushing river they crossed earlier, he added, “I believe we go that way.”

  Scrutinizing her, Eric made the observation; “Your dress is still damp.”

  “I attempted to get as dry as possible, but as soon as he realized I tried to dry off by the fire, I presume the fire mage blocked the heat from getting to me. It got really cold, even though I sat as close as possible to the fire pit.”

  “Come here.” He held an arm out. He didn’t seem surprised by her words, so she assumed he could do the same thing, even though she never witnessed him do it before.

  James reluctantly let go of her as she stepped away from him. Eric pulled her close to his body. It seemed a little odd to be standing close to him until he turned to her, scooping her up. One of his arms went under her legs, the other behind her back.

  “What are you doing?” Him holding her seemed ridiculous. Numbness lingered in her legs, but they still worked.

  “It will be easier to help you warm up this way.” Without waiting for a response, he turned, trailing after the twins, who started walking as soon as Eric picked her up.

  As they left the encampment, James leaned over and grabbed her bag from where it had been tossed. Adrian stopped to dig in the dead men’s belongings. He located her pouch of gold and another small bag of coins as well. Done, they took off.

  “I’m perfectly capable of walking.” Rhea squirmed, hoping he would let her down. She didn’t need to be carried like a child.

  “I don’t doubt it. However, if you walked, I couldn’t do this.”

  “Do what?” She stared at him. Had she missed something? What did he mean? Not bothering to answer her question, heat began to drift through the layers of fabric separating him and her. “Oh. Oh, nice…” She melted into his arms as he sent warmth coursing through her body. Her legs started to thaw, and the damp fabric clinging to her legs in a death grip started to release its hold.

  “I hoped you might view things my way.”

  Rhea snorted but stayed silent, too grateful for the heat to get into an argument with him.

  ~

  Once again, James’s directions ended up being correct. They didn’t walk far to get to a large town.

  “Where are we?” Adrian questioned as they walked the nearly deserted streets. Late enough most of the residents had already sought their beds for the night, only a couple of drunk men staggered out of a tavern up the road.

  “Karis, I think. Rhea talked about it earlier.”

  Eric shifted Rhea in his arms, softly announcing, “We’ll find an inn to stay in for the night, hopefully, and then we’ll try to get passage on a ship in the morning.” The rest of them agreed, it seemed like a sound plan.

  James closed his eyes, rubbing his palms against them. “This way.” He gestured in the vicinity of the east side of town.

  Eric glanced at him suspiciously. “How do you know?”

  James shrugged. “A hunch.”

  Frowning thoughtfully, Rhea made a mental note to ask Mirror if James could do more than heal people. If he possessed the ability she speculated he might, he would be incredibly useful once they got to the castle.

  Eric followed James’s lead. A short while later the innkeeper, a short, older man, showed them to a single room on the upper floor of the inn, as Eric requested. As soon as they shut the door, Rhea grabbed her bag from James. Without a word, she stepped behind the changing screen. She needed out of this blasted dress if it was the last thing she did.

  The boys talked quietly as Rhea struggled to reach the buttons on the back of her dress. Her attempt took too long because one of the twins spoke to her through the screen. “Do you need assistance?”

  “Please, I can’t seem to reach the buttons on this dratted thing.” She reached for them again, spinning in a full circle, a
s if she could reach them better by moving.

  “Turn around.” Voice holding quiet amusement, Adrian twirled a finger in the air, demonstrating the motion he wanted from her.

  Rhea presented her back. “I appreciate the help.”

  His fingers brushed against her back as he undid each button. The farther down he got, the more he hesitated. “Far enough?”

  Reaching around, she felt for the lower buttons. Finding she could now reach them, she turned and glanced up at him. “Yes, thank you.” Startled, she noticed he trembled slightly.

  Nodding once, he moved away, giving her privacy. She continued removing her dress, breathing a sigh of relief as she loosened her corset.

  Grabbing the nightdress packed in her bag on an impulse, she pulled it over her head. Her hair tumbled down her back, slightly frizzy from all the sweat worked up during their travels. Rhea’s skin itched from the layer of dirt she accumulated in the forest. Hopefully she could take a bath in the near future; maybe first thing in the morning.

  Stepping around the screen, the twins stopped speaking to stare at her. Eric turned, scowling at the interruption. Blinking a few times, his gaze roamed over her, and she shifted her weight self-consciously. She considered sleeping behind the screen.

  Pushing James off the bed, Eric stood up. “Bed’s yours, we’ll take the floor.”

  Blushing, Rhea nodded in acceptance. All three were still fully dressed in the clothes they traveled for days in. “First thing tomorrow, we need to check on the sea passage situation. After, I need to get something new to wear, and possibly take a bath. If everyone agrees, I mean.”