Falling For Them Volume 2: Reverse Harem Collection

by Nikki Bolvair

  Amber eyes flew to her face, searching for any sign she brought Oregaine’s emotions up to make Eric forgive him. “You truly believe him?” His heart thundered in his ears as he waited for her answer. He knew Oregaine was important to her, and didn’t want his feelings for the man to put a strain on his future relationship with Rhea.

  “I do,” she replied, stroking the hair on the back of his neck. “I also don’t expect you to act like his long-lost son, and he knows you won’t suddenly become best friends.”

  “What if I can’t forgive him?”

  Pondering her answer, Rhea sat silently. “You should give him the chance to prove he really cares for you. After you’ve gotten to know him, if you still can’t forgive him, we both would accept your desire to stay away from him. If you don’t do it for you, do it for your brothers. They want a relationship with him, but they’re taking their cue from you.”

  Eric sat back on his heels, putting a little distance between them. Taking a deep breath, he nodded. “Alright. I don’t know if I can truly put the past behind us, but I will at least try to get along with him, for the twins.” And he’d do it for her.

  Getting to his feet, he helped her stand. He could do this.

  Once they headed back into the room, Eric gestured for his father to continue. “As soon as I realized your mother had fallen ill and wouldn’t be getting better, I started searching for someone who could keep an eye on you. My orb led me to Rhea.” He pinched the bridge of his nose with a pained expression. “I know none of this makes up for not being there while you were growing up, but I have something for you.”

  Trying to dispel his suspicions, Eric took a deep breath. “You want to give us a gift?”

  Lips quirked in humor at his son’s apprehension, Oregaine dipped his head in agreement. “More like I supervised it being built for you not long after your mother passed away. If everyone is done eating, we’ll go check it out right now.”

  Eric and the twins let him know they finished, and Rhea put her mug in the kitchen.

  Oregaine led them out the back door and through a decent sized garden. A brick wall surrounded the garden, and Oregaine took them through a door in the far wall. On the other side sat a large house, complete with a swimming area in the back. The boys stayed silent as Oregaine walked up and went inside the house, holding the door open for them.

  “I know it’s a bit over the top, but this place belongs to you. I’m not trying to buy your love or forgiveness, and you can always refuse the gift. It’s fully stocked with everything you need, if you decide to stay. You’ll find the bedrooms upstairs and everything else is on the main floor.”

  Eric took in the tastefully decorated living area. “And this gift doesn’t cost us anything?”

  James scowled at his rude question, but their father didn’t seem to mind. “That’s correct. This place is yours. Of course, Rhea will continue to stay with me. I don’t believe the four of you know each other well enough to take a step as big as living together. I will make a personal assistant available for your use, should you want to invite her over, though.”

  “Personal assistant?” Adrian appeared shocked.

  “Yes. You can’t be unchaperoned until you work out a commitment between the four of you.”

  “You don’t trust her to watch out for us?”

  Oregaine hid his amusement at James’s question. “Implicitly, but your relationship is new. I wish to protect her by insisting on a chaperone. You three lived in the world and possess experience beyond her.” His gaze flicked to Rhea, who blushed, as he added, “She has been your guardian most of her life, and knows little about matters of love.”

  James’s cheeks heated as he added another question floating around in his head. “You don’t find it odd the three of us want to court her?”

  “No. As a god I find few things to be a surprise or odd. Besides, you already know it was acceptable in the past. As long as you don’t rush into the relationship, I won’t say you can’t be together.” Clearing his throat, he added, “Now, if you wish to speak with Rhea tonight, you’ll need to do so in my garden, where I can keep an eye on you. My assistant will be available to you tomorrow.”

  Following his dad back outside and through the doorway separating their yards, Eric took Rhea’s hand. A small gazebo sat in the middle of a field of blooming flowers. It would make a nice spot to chat. Rhea headed there.

  “Rhea?” He didn’t need to say more. She already knew what he wanted.

  “Yes. Yes, I’ll give you a chance.” Clearly she’d already gone over the idea in her mind.

  The twins cheered, and Eric pulled her into a hug, mindful of his father watching from the doorway. “You won’t regret it,” he whispered.

  Epilogue

  200 years later

  James stepped up behind Rhea, dropping a kiss to the side of her neck. “What are we watching?”

  She bit her lip, cheeks heating. “Your father asked me to keep an eye on her. Apparently, there’s a prophecy about her and her siblings,” she admitted, nodding her head in the direction of the girl reflected back at her. Her face was ovular with a straight nose, full lips, and blonde hair that fell to her shoulder blades in two thin braids. The slight slant to her green eyes gave her an exotic air. She held her back up proudly. Her tunic hung on her slender frame, speaking of a recent weight loss that she hadn’t noticed yet.

  Resting his chin against her shoulder, James wrapped his arms around Rhea’s waist. “And the verdict?” His voice held a tinge of humor as if he expected her to interfere in the poor woman’s life.

  “She’ll be going on a mission, soon. She assumes she can go it alone, but Mirror disagrees.” She shivered with pleasure as his stubble rasped against the sensitive skin around her ear.

  “What is Mirror planning?” he asked, giving the bird an affectionate pat.

  “Once I find out when this woman decides to leave, Mirror convinced me to go speak to the men she chose to escort the princess. I need to convince them to accompany her.” She leaned into him, drawing strength from his presence.

  “Do I get to go with you?” His eyes brightened with excitement. He always seemed to be busy when she needed to go do goddess-y things, but his schedule was free now.

  Another shiver drifted down her spine as he nipped at her ear, catching the lobe with his teeth before releasing it.

  “I suppose it is your turn to go, huh?” she teased. The boys didn’t like it when she went to meet with people without taking at least one of them with her.

  “Definitely my turn.” His lips brushed against her neck again while his fingers slipped up against her ribs. “I need to speak with my father, but I’ll be nearby. Come get me when it’s time to leave.”

  “Alright. You go take care of things. Hopefully, it will be soon.” She blew him a kiss as he straightened and headed for the door.

  ~

  After spending another two days watching the girl, she finally made plans to leave.

  Knocking on the doorframe of his room, she entered without waiting for his response. “James, it’s time.”

  He stood in his room, hands on his hips. “Yes, my love.” He bent to search under the bed.

  “Did you drop something?” She dropped to her hands and knees next to him.

  “Eric gave me a list of items he wanted us to pick up before coming home.”

  “And you lost it?” she finished for him, adding, “That’s not like you.” Her lips tilted up in amusement.

  James grimaced. “Something about you seems different. I’m not sure what, but I’m finding it hard to concentrate on other things, and my magic sense is off whenever I attempt to examine you. I want you to go talk to the resident healer.”

  Something different about her? “When we get back, I promise to go speak with healer Kai. Now, we need to be off before I lose my chance to speak with these men.”

  “Alright,” he murmured, picking up the list from where he finally found it, behind the headboard of
his bed. They both stood, and Mirror flew into the room.

  Tapping Mirror, Rhea enlarged the picture. “First stop, the barracks.” Colors swirled around her as her bird grew in size. James stepped behind her, laying a hand on her shoulder.

  Once the portal opened completely, Rhea stepped through, pulling James with her. The wind died down, and the light dimmed until her vision returned. They stood in a long, thin room. Bunk beds lined both sides of the room, each set of beds with a chest resting at the foot. A few men lounged around a large, round table at the far end of the room, playing some sort of card game. All three men stood up, and two of them tried to pull out a weapon not on their belts. The third growled out, “Halt! What is your business here?”

  Rhea couldn’t help the arched brow she gave him. “We need to speak with —” She glanced at Mirror, who displayed a name on her wings. “Julian, and then we’ll be on our way. We apologize for intruding like this.” Giving a small bow, she inclined her head respectfully.

  The third man glared at her. “I can’t let you through.”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t be but a moment.” Before any of them could say another word, James used his power to put the guards to sleep. Stepping forward, Rhea caught the smallest of the men before he hit the ground. Struggling not to drop him, she lowered him to the ground as James grabbed another of the guards. There were only two of them and three of the guards, which meant the third man fell to the ground in a heap. “You couldn’t have waited until they were seated?” she asked mildly.

  “I could have, but I doubt they were inclined to sit back down before drawing their swords on us.” Unconcerned, James lowered his guard, and they both headed for the door behind the sleeping guards.

  “Do you even know what this fellow, Julian, looks like?” James asked, holding the door open for her.

  She thanked him, chuckling. “Yes. I don’t know where he is, exactly, but I have seen him in Mirror’s reflection.” She put her hand up to shield her eyes from the harsh sunlight.

  James glanced around, blinking rapidly as a bright beam of light nearly blinded him. When his vision cleared, he saw the light came from the sun reflecting off of men wearing shiny helms. “Over there.” He pointed at the far end of the training field.

  The courtyard seemed to be swarming with knights, each one sweating as they landed practice blows on each other, and the various targets scattered around. Sunlight continued to bounce off their shiny armor, making it difficult to figure out exactly where to go.

  “I’m practically blind out here.” Turning to James, she asked, “Are you sure? Shouldn’t he be out here somewhere?” She gestured around at all the other knights.

  He grabbed her hand, deftly guiding them around the various battles. Mirror followed behind, just another sparkle of light. Their path took them to a tall, thin man. He carried his helmet under his arm, his dark hair matted to his head with sweat. A thin mustache drooped under his rather large nose. “Can I help you?”

  “Yes. Well, I mean, possibly,” Rhea stammered.

  Leave it to his wife to be as clear as mud. “Yes. We’re searching for a man by the name of Julian?” He already knew the man sat around the corner, but he asked the captain anyways.

  “Ah. Him. He should be over there, working on drills by himself.” The man waved a dismissive hand in the direction he spoke about.

  “Thank you.” Rhea inclined her head gently before turning in the correct direction. James took her hand, and butterflies took flight in her stomach.

  Around the corner, a man in his early twenties sat on a large boulder. “Him?” James whispered in her ear. Nodding, she strode up to the giant. He sat in meditation with his eyes closed. He was scruffy, although it worked for him, and solidly built. Cracking an eye open, he watched as the duo approached him.

  “Are you Julian?” Rhea already knew the answer, but she wanted him to confirm it.

  “Who’s asking?” His broad brow wrinkled as he peered down at them.

  Smiling faintly, Rhea skipped the pleasantries of an introduction. He probably wouldn’t believe she was a goddess anyways. “Your princess will need you tonight. She’ll claim she doesn’t, but don’t listen to her. You’ll be destined for great things if you help her.” Bowing, Rhea took her leave of him.

  “Wait!” Julian stood up, hopping down from the boulder. “I don’t understand-”

  “Meet your princess at the drawbridge when the moon reaches its highest point. Tell no one where you plan to go. We must take our leave for I need to deliver this message to a few other people. Farewell, Julian.” She tapped Mirror to get the bird to follow her. Hopefully, she seemed mysterious enough to intrigue him.

  Turning to James, she said, “We should head over there.” She pointed in the vicinity of a heavily wooded area off to the side of a large castle.

  “What’s in the woods?” He inquired, sliding his fingers into her hand.

  “A man by the name of Griffin. He lives above the forest in some sort of tree house.”

  “Lead the way, my love.” He gently swung their hands between them. She never asked for his help locating the next person, and he didn’t mind following her lead.

  They traipsed through the underbrush for a bit. “Who are you?” A small, older woman stepped around a tree and into their line of sight.

  “Hello, I am Rhea, and this is my husband, James. We’re searching for Griffin. Do you know where we might be able to find him?” Rhea shifted her weight restlessly.

  “I might. What do you need with the boy?”

  “We would like to discuss a job with him.”

  The woman narrowed her eyes at them for a moment and then nodded. “One moment. I will return with him shortly.

  “We would appreciate it.” James took in the surrounding area.

  They didn’t wait long before the sound of approaching footsteps caught their attention. A man appeared as if he stepped out of thin air, dropping to the ground in front of them. “You wish to speak with me?” His voice sounded gruff, and not at all what Rhea expected from a man with such a slender build. His blond hair hung loosely around his shoulders, the pointed tips of his elvish ears peeking out. A dark tattoo stretched from one ear to the other, nearly hiding his gray eyes. More tattoos stood out from the edges of his sleeveless tunic and ran to the edge of his bracers. He carried a quiver over one shoulder, holding an abundance of arrows, and he gripped a large bow in his hand.

  “Yes, there is a job for you.” She shuffled forward a step.

  “I’m listening.” He watched her intently, not blinking.

  “Your princess will need you. She’s stubborn, though, and denied my request to take people with her. Without you, she will fail.” It seemed wrong not to give them the whole truth. Perhaps if she made this quest sound mysterious, they’d be curious enough to investigate.

  “What makes you presume she will fail if I’m not there?” He narrowed his eyes but otherwise remained unmoving.

  “My mirror tells me things, and she’s never wrong.” Rhea watched him to find out how he’d react to a living mirror.

  “Mirror?” Raising a brow, he appeared skeptical.

  Mirror fluttered out from behind her to fly closer to him. A large bird cried out, causing Rhea to jump. A falcon dropped out of a tree branch to land on Griffin’s shoulder. He murmured softly to the bird, stroking its brown feathers. “Mirror didn’t tell me you had a companion?”

  “This thing tells you things?” Griffin asked, tapping the surface of her bird when she flew closer.

  “It’s a bit fickle, but yes. Mirror believes you and two others will be able to help the princess in her quest. I can’t say more, but I do know the fate of the kingdom rests on the outcome of this quest.” Rhea tried to infuse her voice with authority.

  Griffin shifted his attention to his bird. “Arrow?”

  The bird stayed silent, watching its master intently, before giving an unseen answer.

  “I agree, my friend.” Turning to Rhea,
Griffin nodded. “Thank you for the advice.”

  Before she could forget, James nudged her, and she added, “Tonight, on the drawbridge, when the moon reaches its highest point. You will meet her then.”

  She turned to leave.

  “Wait. Is it going to be a problem I don’t actually know the princess?”

  “No. It won’t matter because you will insist on going with her once you do meet. I must bid you good day. There is one more visit I must make, and the sun has almost completed its journey across the sky.” Before he could say anything else, she spoke to Mirror, opening a portal into the castle.

  “Is it wise to portal into the castle itself? It seems a trifle rude.” James pointed out.

  “I guess we’ll find out.”

  The swirling colors dropped them off in a narrow corridor. Stone walls surrounded them on every side, with a large wooden door in each wall. “Do we know which door we need?” James asked softly.

  “No. My full attention wasn’t on Mirror when she showed me where to find them all.”

  He simply lifted a brow, silently informing the bird to lead the way. He knew which door to use, but on occasion, he liked to let Mirror take the lead. It helped her feel useful. He rubbed his chest in memory of the last time he took the lead. When the bird yanked a beak full of hair off his chest.

  The mirror let out a soft trill as she spun in a circle before zooming around the room. The bird finally came to rest in front of one of the doors. As they got closer, Rhea sneezed. “What smells like-” she trailed off, trying not to breathe in the sharp stench.

  “Sulfur, I believe.”

  Wrinkling her nose, Rhea gripped the handle, pulling hard. A startled squeak came from inside the room, and a man sat up on his bed. She first noticed the large goggles he wore around his neck, followed closely by the thin sheen of black powder coating him from his short hair to his bare feet. He seemed to have been in an explosion of some sort. His clothing sported small patches of missing fabric. His pale green eyes stood out against his soot covered skin. “Can I help you?” His brow furrowed, but he didn’t seem angry about them invading his room without an invitation.