“We may not be as strong as her, but being alone with Zura leaves her open. When she came to us, she was injured because she was fighting alone. That makes us useful. Even if we only stand to add a little more protection around them so she can fight without worry when the time comes.” Orren nodded. “We have advantages across all the realms, which will keep them comfortable when they travel.” He pursed his lips in thought. “Usefulness. It will trump love in her books.” He agreed with Ridhor.
“Maybe she will mate with us for that alone,” Andrei said, again hopeful.
The poor sap.
Neither of them agreed with him.
“Being mated with all three of us won’t make a difference to us, we’ve always been a family. I see no reason for that to change now, clearly, Fate agrees.” Orren gave them a light smile. “I guess we’ll make an effort to be sure she sees how easy we can make life for them. She’s been holding her breath for so long, being able to breathe easily will be a relief she’ll want to hold onto.”
They all nodded.
“I know you guys don’t think this, but I’m happy we’re all mated to her. Even if she won’t agree to solidify the mating. It’s kind of like we were as destined to be a family as we were to find her.” Andrei smiled broadly. “I don’t know what you two bastards would do without me. Ridhor, so solemn and miserable and Orren always inside his head. You both need a bit of levity in your lives.”
Orren couldn’t help but shake his head and grin. “Andrei, always the jester.”
He mock-bowed. “At your service, you grumpy, old, wet rags.”
Ridhor got to his feet, his massive paw of a hand whacking Andrei in his stomach as he moved to pass him.
Andrei doubled over, the breath knocked out of his lungs. “Lucifer,” He moaned.
Shaking his head, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly as he left the room.
On his feet, Orren clasped Andrei’s shoulders. “What happened to that strength you Vampires are always bragging about?” He joked.
“Ha, ha, ha.” He winced. “Let’s see you take a hit from a Berserker.”
“You should be fast enough to avoid it.” Orren teased.
“I thought I was the one who told the jokes,” Andrei whined as he straightened, his hand still around his belly.
Orren laughed, walking to the door. “Yes, but I tell jokes that are actually funny.”
* * *
For some magical beings, the need to feed was as desperate as the need to breathe. Orren long passed that time in his life, but Melas brought out a hunger in him he long forgot. The same hunger plagued Andrei.
Andrei’s appetite was unquenchable lately. His reserve of blood bags emptied, he began feeding with every meal, substituting blood for his coffee in the mornings, his teas at lunch and his beers in the evenings.
The three men were taut as wire in different ways. Orren was tormented by sexual desire, constantly throbbing with need. Andrei was forever starving. Ridhor’s ailment was harder to pin down, but there were moments his beast seemed to touch the surface, shimmering just under his skin, a hairsbreadth away from being unleashed.
His sense of control was slipping. A look from Melas sent him spinning.
Orren sat in the living room, the sounds of the house doing nothing to lull him and ease his mind. Ridhor, Melas and Zura were outside. He could hear the strikes from their sparring, flesh against flesh. The sound only broken by Zura giggling with her Nightmares. Andrei vanished without a word. It was becoming a routine for him, disappearing for a few hours during the day.
Cricket and Alette would be returning today. Ridhor requested their presence. He was sure Andrei would resurface for the discussion. He hadn’t told them what it was about, Ridhor wasn’t one to repeat himself. He would wait until they were all together before discussing whatever was on his mind.
Cricket was efficient, telling Orren whatever it was must not have been urgent. She would already be here if it was.
The constant feeling of losing his grip was exhausting. Orren wasn’t sure what to do with himself lately. He should be scouring his books, searching for answers, but he lacked the focus. His mind trapped in a loop of thoughts about Melas and Zura.
Little feet sounded off the hardwood as Zura came in from outside, out of breath. She ran into the kitchen. Orren watched her from his place on the couch as she pulled open the fridge and struggled to get the large jug of juice out.
“Did you need help, little one?” He asked her lightly. Knowing she wasn’t overly comfortable with him, he didn’t move to meet her in the kitchen. She would tell him if she wanted him there.
Grunting, she shoved the jug up onto the counter before letting out an exasperated breath. “Yes, please.” She heaved.
Smiling, he got to his feet. He poured her a cup and stood there as she gulped it down, the curls matted to her forehead from running all over the hills. When she was done, she held her cup out to him and he filled it again.
Second cup empty, she smiled and pushed the stool over to the sink so she could rinse out her cup.
As much as they would happily wait on the pair of them hand and foot, none of them got the chance. Both so self-sufficient, the guys struggled to prove they had worth.
Hopping off the stool, she turned towards the back door, then paused. “Orren?”
Her little voice saying his name pulled at his heartstrings. He always wanted to be a dad. “Yes, little one.”
She dug the tip of her toe into the floor, rotating her ankle, nervous to talk to him. Her hands were clasped behind her back, her lips pushed out. It was adorable, making him want to scoop her up. He knew better, she was just as defensive as her mother and she likely had a blade on her she would sink into him if he acted on that impulse.
The thought made him proud.
“Do you think you could get me a snack? Mama and Ridhor are both busy.”
“Of course I can.” He smiled broadly, moving to the cupboards. “How hungry are you? There’s some of Andrei’s chicken parmesan in the fridge, or that mac and cheese he made the other day is in there as well. I can always go for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or some cheese and crackers.”
Weighing the options, she relaxed a bit. “Can I have some cheese and crackers?”
Pulling out a stool for her to settle on, he pulled out a cutting board from a drawer. “Of course you can.” He pulled some cheese, deli meats, and grapes from the fridge before grabbing the box of crackers he knew she liked.
Standing across from her, he started setting out the meats and cheese how he often saw Melas and Andrei doing. He arranged everything just so before pulling the grapes from the vine and putting them in a small bowl to rinse them before setting them in the centre of the board.
When he was done, he gestured for her to help herself.
Digging in, she smiled, her brow raised slightly. She wanted to talk to him, he realized, but wasn’t sure how.
“Do you like it here, Zura?”
Smiling, she nodded. “I like Nyx and Nox. They’re my friends and they’re so fun. I like Ridhor, and mama likes him too.” She frowned. “Is Ridhor your brother?”
Coming around the kitchen island, he sat on a stool, leaving one empty between them as a buffer. Reaching, he took some cheese from the board. “In a way, yes.”
“And Andrei?” She shoved a whole cracker in her mouth before grabbing a handful of grapes.
Her emerald eyes were practically aglow as she turned to look at him. Cracker crumbs clung to cheeks so adorably rounded, he wanted to squeeze them. It was such an odd thing to want to do to another person. He wondered how humans reacted to having children around all the time.
Taking a risk, he reached out and brushed the pad of his thumb along her cheek. He didn’t pinch, just brushed the crumbs away.
She tensed slightly under his touch, her eyes watching his movement before she let herself relax.
“Andrei too.” He nodded. “Ridhor, Andrei and I are like a family.
”
“Like me and mama.”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“Where is your mama?” She asked him. “And Andrei and Ridhor’s?”
Andrei and Ridhor did have parents. Ridhor was born before the war, before the realms curse. Andrei was human before his rebirth. Orren was a being of Lilith, not born as others were. He merely existed because she willed it. It was a hard thing to explain to a child.
The notion that one moment he was nothing and then suddenly, he was. Woven from the night sky, born when Lilith breathed shadows into his lungs.
Her wide eyes willed him to try to explain the best he could. “Andrei’s very old and his mother didn’t have as long a lifespan as him.” He wondered for a moment if this conversation was somehow stepping on Melas’ toes. She liked to control everything when it came to Zura, including the information they gave her. “It’s been a very long time since she was around. Ridhor— lost his family. Andrei and I found him and we became his brothers.” That didn’t explain a lot, but it was the best he could do right now.
Zura frowned. “You became brothers.” She thought about it for a while. “How?”
Of course, there would be follow-up questions. The small victory of her sitting next to him was enough to make him want to answer any questions she had. It wasn’t often he spent time with her, just the two of them. “Some people are born into their families. Sometimes, we create a family for ourselves. Life is very complicated. Sometimes, the ones who are supposed to love you the most don’t deserve your love. They try and use the love you have for them, the obligation that comes from being a family, against you. Andrei, Ridhor and I made a conscious decision to be brothers. To be all the family we needed.”
Taking a drink of her juice, she smiled at him as she put the cup down. “Ridhor decided to be your brother.”
“Yes, he did.”
She was quietly thinking, her little feet kicking out in front of her as she continued to munch on her snacks. “Orren?” She said finally.
Her small voice saying his name would always make him smile. “Yes, little one.”
“If Ridhor decided to be your brother, maybe he could decide to be my daddy.”
Sweet Lilith.
His heart ached as she avoided his gaze, her head dipped into her snacks afraid of what he would say.
Orren knew what it was like to want something, he wanted to be a father and knowing it wasn’t a possibility weighed on him. Being here with Ridhor all this time built a bond that was beginning to leave an impression on Zura.
He understood it.
Though he was a hard man on the outside, one who could strike fear with a mere look, he knew how caring and attentive Ridhor could be. He had a huge heart and seeing him with Zura was often enough to cause him to wish it were possible for Ridhor to have a child. He would be such an amazing father.
As much as he wanted to be resentful of Melas keeping them at arm’s length when it came to Zura, he didn’t envy having to be that person to a child. Their eyes were always so joyful. The whole world could be inside her eyes, and the smallest change of her mood speared his heart. Not giving in to her every want and need would vilify him. He wasn’t sure he was capable of telling her ‘no’.
“Have you asked your mom about all this?” He figured the best course of action was for Zura to have this conversation with Melas.
Lifting her shoulder, she continued to avoid his gaze. “Yeah. Mama says we have to take care of one another.” It was evident she was hoping for a different answer when she spoke to Melas.
Well, shit.
“Is it nice? Having brothers?”
“It is. Sometimes it’s a lot of work, but it’s nice knowing I have someone who will always have my back. Just like I will always have theirs.” They built a bond over time that was unbreakable, and he was thankful for it. He hadn’t realized it until they came together, but he was lonely before them.
He knew if Melas and Zura left them, that feeling of loneliness would return. He could push it down like he did so much else but he didn’t think Andrei and Ridhor would take the loss well.
“I wish I had a brother or sister sometimes. But I know that would make it harder on mama. Especially when we’re alone.” She frowned.
His hands fisted at his sides to keep from picking her up and holding her. He wanted to hug that little frown from between her brows, a promise on the tip of his tongue. He wanted to promise her she wouldn’t be alone anymore, they would always be here. The promise etched into his bones, flowing through his veins, but he knew better than to make it. It could so easily be broken by Melas.
Reaching a hand out tentatively, he paused for a second before closing it around her own. His heart surged when she let him hold onto her hand, not pulling away. “How about right now, we choose to be friends?”
It was such a silly thing, for his heart to be slamming against his ribs as he waited for her answer. His breath held in his chest. He couldn’t remember the last time he was so nervous.
Finishing off her crackers, she downed her drink with her free hand before turning and giving Orren a smile so bright it illuminated all the shadows inside him. “Friends is good. I like friends. It’s nice to have friends. Nyx and Nox are my friends and we have so much fun.”
He returned her smile, his hand still on hers. “They are fun, aren’t they?”
“Do you want to play with us?” She glanced out the window to Ridhor and Melas. She had him on his back on the grass, straddling his chest as she pulled one of his arms up, her foot pressed against his throat. They’d been at it for an hour but didn’t look like they would be slowing down any time soon.
Not that he minded. If they kept busy, it gave him more of a chance to spend time with Zura.
Nodding, he cleared the empty board, rinsing it in the sink before setting the wood to dry. “Of course! Did you want to play hide and seek? I hear you’re very good at it.”
He often heard the Nightmares complaining they couldn’t find her which made him a little proud. They should be able to see in the shadows, preventing her from finding a hiding place that would keep her from being found. Yet, the Nightmares would pace, losing their patience after searching too long.
It made him curious.
Without pause, he shut his eyes. “One, two, three—”
Squealing, he heard her hop off the stool and take off running. “Nox, Nyx! Hide and seek.” Their laughter surrounded him and he felt pieces of his heart he long thought lost slide back together.
30
MELAS
Patience is a virtue, at least that’s what she heard. It was a saying piled in with all the other unimportant things she knew about herself. Filed somewhere between the choreography from start to finish to NSYNC’s Bye, Bye, Bye and her knowledge of Disney movies. It was a virtue she wasn’t blessed with.
The first few days after she woke in the foyer of the cabin where an Incubus, a Berserker, and a Vampire lived were a roller coaster. Somehow, those days felt like months, so much happening in such a short time. She was thrown into a world she never dreamed of where all the beings she thought were the figment of over-imaginative minds were the ones walking around beside her.
Now the events tapered away and Melas was restless, pulling at the threads of her sanity.
This town, as beautiful as it was, now seemed a tad boring. She had seen everything it had to offer, now she was longing for some type of excitement.
Boredom left her a victim to her thoughts, and she didn’t like it. Overthinking didn’t bring her any closer to resolutions.
The doors in her mind were still firmly closed. Deja vu hit her sometimes when she was physical, a subtle hint her body was a weapon thoroughly used. Her memories were ever-elusive, refusing to come to light no matter what she tried.
Melas was trying to find the purpose of locking her memories away. It wasn’t done without rhyme or reason. Shrouded memories, masked scents, it was enough to have her crawling out of her skin.
All her research came up empty. Orren’s literary collection was impressive. Books older than these realms acquired over the years, but none of them had the answers she so desperately needed. Chunks of the Seven Realm’s history erased by magic, yet another side effect of the curse.
It made her wonder what the hell these realms had done and to who.
Melas was beginning to feel imprisoned in this cottage, just as trapped as she felt in her body not knowing who she was.
There was a fire burning inside her, slowly thawing the ice she used to protect her heart. It made her consider the men in this cottage when she normally would act as she saw fit. She thought about how things would make them feel. That too had her sanity slipping.
Who she thought she was when she woke up was fading away. She thought she was this armoured person, cold and unfeeling when it came to anyone besides Zura. Now, that person was gone too.
She was shadows of a person, fading in different lights and sometimes completely gone.
Her walls were up, but a door was open. Andrei, Orren, and Ridhor seemed able to come and go as they pleased. She wasn’t sure when that happened, every so often she would be hyper-aware of how open she was being and would focus all her efforts on slamming that door shut. Trying to shut them out.
In a way, she was fooling herself to think those walls were up at all. She was trying to blame it all on her boredom. She was too restless to be alone behind those walls.
Having four people to do things with instead of two did make things a little less dull. There was only so much she and Zura could do alone. Only so much she could do with Zura and Ridhor.
This was just another type of survival, and she was adapting.
Andrei became a source of entertainment. Of the three guys, he was the easiest to provoke. A riled-up Andrei caused a bit of excitement. It distracted her from her unrest.
Zura ignoring him had been fun at first, but he slipped so quickly into being depressed that it was more sad than it was entertaining and she wasn’t a sadist. Her heart felt for him when he followed her around like a lost puppy that just wanted a home.
Hidden In Darkness (A Seven Realms Book Book 1) Page 24
