Her eyes light up with hope that lodges in my gut. “You will?”
“If you thought that I’d leave you after all this, I don’t know what else I can do to convince you.”
She’s the one who kisses me this time, and she tastes like the honey that she loves so much. The way her tongue keeps up with mine—dancing and twisting and engaging—reminds me how amazing she is. She’s not afraid to go after what she wants, and she’s absolutely strong enough to rebuild her life. To embrace the changes that have to happen. “Give it a chance,” I say. “Listen to what they—what we—have to say.”
Kari smiles, amusement now lighting her eyes instead of anger. “You’re a part of the ‘we’ now?”
It seems so fucking strange to acknowledge it, but I am. “Yes.”
“Should I be nervous?” She asks, biting her lip, telling me that she already is.
“I don’t think you need to be.”
She sighs, and pauses. “Okay. Are they going to be mad that I just left like that?”
Pulling her upright, I help her stand. “No one is mad at you for any of this. Especially when you’re wearing that.” The nightgown would appear chaste on the hangar, but on Kari it’s anything but. It reveals the curves that haven’t been stolen by the curse and is thin enough that I can feel the gentle heat of her skin when I reach out to touch her.
Kari rolls her eyes and goes to the closet. She pulls the nightgown over her head as she goes, taking any chance of me keeping my dick in check with it. I hear the shuffle of fabric and her muttering about finding something that’s going to make us less likely to want to jump her.
I laugh. “What you wear isn’t going to make a fucking difference on that front, Kari.”
She sticks her tongue out at me when she emerges from the closet more covered, in soft pants and what looks like a very soft brown sweater. “I’m assuming this conversation is going to be about all of us together, and I want to be able to have it without you guys looking at me like you want to eat me.”
“I always want to eat you out,” I say, thoroughly enjoying the blush on her pale skin. “Come on.”
I take her hand and hold it as we head back towards the stairs. I could be completely imagining it, but it looks like she’s standing just a little taller.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
________
KARI
In spite of Kent’s reassurance, I have to fight off a wave of embarrassment when we walk back into the common space. But none of the guys even look at me strangely. When I enter the recessed couch area, I intentionally pick a spot that’s separate from all of them. I’m not angry anymore, but if I sit near them they’re going to touch me, and that’s going to be incredibly, deliciously distracting, and I need to focus.
“I’m sorry,” I say.
“Please don’t be,” Verys says. “You have every right to feel what you feel.”
I nod. “I know. But you have feelings too and deserve to have them heard. One of you said before I left that my protection isn’t the only reason that you want me to stay.”
“Yes.” It’s Urien.
“Why do you want me to stay?”
Kent sits on one of the couches across from me, smiling at me. He’s going to wait for them to speak.
“We want you to stay because we want you,” Aeric says. Finally, it’s out in the open. “We all want you, in every way.”
I look around, meeting every man’s eyes, and they all nod yes. Bringing my knees up to my chest, I hug them close. “Everything has been pointing to that. I just, I never thought that I would have something like that. How does that work?”
“However we want it to work,” Urien says simply. “No shared relationship is the same. We’ll have to figure it out as we go, if you’re willing.”
I’m really blushing now, hiding my face in the space between my knees. “Yes,” I say. Even though I’m sad about not being able to go home, I can’t imagine leaving. I can’t imagine my life without them. Even Urien, though I barely know him. He feels so deeply a part of this, like he’s always been here. They’re all smiling, so broad that their cheeks must hurt. But Kent is the one who speaks first. “That’s not all of it. Tell her the rest.”
The rest of them are sharing glances, but no one’s talking. It takes a few seconds for me to realize that they’re nervous. “Please say something.”
Brae clears his throat. “In the Crystal Court, you spoke of what happened before you were attacked. You talked about a burst of magic that you’d never felt before, and that it made you sick.”
“Yeah.”
“That was us,” Aeric says. “It was Brae, Verys, and myself, entering your proximity.”
I tilt my head, confused. “The same thing happened when we were riding in. A burst of magic that made me nauseous.”
“That was me,” Urien says. “You coming close enough to me for the first time.”
“We felt a swell of magic as well,” Verys says. “When we portaled to New York. We assumed—wrongly—that it was a remnant of that magic.”
“Okay,” I say. “But why? I’ve been close to other fae before and I’ve never felt anything like that.”
Brae leans forward, elbows on his knees. “You remember the story of Cerys?”
I nod.
“Her will is woven into the fabric of this land. She exists still, but she and the land are one. She guides the Allwyn and makes the choices we can’t. For example, when a hybrid Fae is born, it is Allwyn that chooses which Court the magic aligns with.”
I rub my hand across my face. “I feel like we’re going in circles. Please tell me what you’re trying to say. I can take it.”
Aeric speaks now. “Brae referenced the story of the Goddess because of who she was, and the relationship she had. It’s not a common thing, but Allwyn creates bonds between people. Weaves their souls together. Mates them. Some people think that Cerys’s husbands were also her mates also, but no one knows that for sure.”
Mates. I’d heard of that. It was talked about in human stories of the Fae—Some of the greatest loves of all time were mates. The stories varied on whether it was good or bad. Some of them painted it as the perfect love and everything anyone could wish for. Others a hated thing because it was a bond that was forced.
The puzzle pieces click in my mind. Oh.
Oh.
That can’t—can that be true?
Before I even say anything, the rightness of the knowledge lodges itself deep inside me. I thought there was something more between us, but I never imagined that it would be this. I never imagined it could be this. “You’re saying—”
“We are mates,” Brae says.
“All of you? And me?”
“Yes,” Urien says.
“That magic you felt was the recognition of it. The start of the connection.” Verys says.
“It’s also important for you to know,” Brae says quickly, “that being someone’s mate is not the same as being bonded to them. That must be chosen and sealed by both involved. It can never be forced.”
My body heats in a flush. There’s a part of me that’s immediately aroused by the idea. They would be mine and I would be theirs, closer than any people could ever be in normal circumstances. And another part that’s a little freaked out. “But I’m human.”
“And?” Aeric asks.
“I didn’t know that was possible.”
Amusement is obvious on Verys’s face. “Neither did we.”
Suddenly, Aeric’s words from that night make more sense. This is not the way I would have chosen, but I want you like I’ve wanted no other woman. And I have finished ignoring fate.
I swallow, nerves swelling in my gut. I probably shouldn’t ask, but I need to anyway. “If you weren’t my mates, would you still want me? I’m not going to hold you to something you don’t want.”
The voices around the room, even Kent’s, are nearly in unison. “Yes.”
“Okay.” I swallow again.
The
y’re all looking at me, waiting for me to say something about how this feels, but I can barely think. This is a lot. Suddenly just to go from the idea of sharing to four of them being mates. A connection that can only get deeper but never go away.
Is that really so bad? The small voice doesn’t feel like mine. No, it’s not bad, but it’s just a lot of change. On top of everything else, it feels too big. Too overwhelming. “I need a second,” I say. “I swear I’m fine, I just need air for a minute.”
I see them exchange glances once again, but they don’t stop me as I walk out into the gardens and quickly lose myself in the myriad of plants. There are roses here of every color I can imagine. The ones I’m most drawn to are a deep purple with a shimmering gold gilding the edges of the petals. There are lilies and honeysuckle and lilacs in colors that would be out of place on earth, plus flowers that I’ve never seen that must be solely from Allwyn.
Walking down one of the dirt paths, I pass stone benches and trail around trees through the grounds until I’m in a wooded section of the gardens far from the house. I’m thoroughly lost, but I don’t care. I need space to think.
The big thing flashing in my mind is I’m in fucking Allwyn. How on earth did I get here? How did I go from my store in New York to a mansion in the Carnal Court with five men ready to be with me?
Allwyn weaves souls together when it makes mates. That thought is terrifying and thrilling. I let the idea sink through me slowly. Mated to Aeric, Verys, Brae, and Urien. Every one of them is different, and every one has shown me that they want me in different ways. They’ve put their life on the line for me.
Even though they weren’t forced to.
Because a bond between two people can never be forced, no matter what the magic of Allwyn says.
Happiness bright as the sun rockets through me. They didn’t have to. They could have walked away at any time, chosen to say no, and they didn’t. They want me. All of them. Happy tears blur my vision. Of course I want this. How could I not want this when they’re all amazing and perfect and I’m falling in love with all of them?
I know that I’m not ready to be mated. To even comprehend the depth of that, I’m going to need time. But there’s no chance in hell that I’m leaving them. I’m staying, and they’re going to mine just as much as I am theirs.
I’m going to tell them yes. Yes now, and yes forever.
Magic swirls through me. It’s vast and blue, like when you look at an infinite sea. It feels like the deep darkness of a misty forest. The scent of nature and water and danger. The feeling is the thrill of being caught in a wave until it comes crashing down on me, sending me to all fours.
Sickness seizes me, and I heave, gagging on nothing. I’m so dizzy that the world looks like it’s spinning. Woah. The magic is gone, but I’m still off-kilter. My balance is entirely gone. It reminds me of when I was a kid and still learning how to turn. How dizzy I would get in ballet class before I learned to spot.
The crunch of leaves makes me look up, and I see him. A fae male, tall and dark, with hair deep blue like the sea. I can feel the hatred rolling off him from here, and the magic that’s gathering around me on the ground like a trap ready to spring. This fae didn’t come here with any kindness. I force myself off the ground, and I run, cursing the fact that I got so lost.
My body isn’t ready for running, and I’m not fast, but I have to try. I just need to make it close enough to the house to call for them. That’s all. I can do that.
He’s catching up behind me, magic tickling at my heels. It’s taunting me, because he knows that I can’t outrun him.
“Don’t run.”
I push myself faster.
His voice is smooth, hypnotizing. “It will be easier if you just give in, Kari.”
My heart skips a beat. He knows my name. How does he know my name?
“I promise not to hurt you. Too badly, anyway.”
The magic grabs my feet, tripping me. I collapse to the ground, screaming as I do. There’s a flash of wind and movement, and they’re there, between me and this male. They stare him down, but Kent is missing. Nowhere.
I’m released of this power, but it’s at a cost, because none of the fae are moving. Shakily getting to my feet, I see why. They’re bound the way I was. Soft blue magic pulsing around them and holding them in place. All four of them, without a thought.
My heart is pounding, thinking about how powerful this fae must be if he can do this to all of them. Four fae males who are themselves incredibly powerful. “I thought you might try to save her,” he says, a cruel smile on his face. “You all are so noble. But Kari is coming with me. And you will not be able to stop it. I would let you say your goodbyes, but I’m afraid I can’t trust you to do that.”
He’s stalking towards me with predatory grace. I don’t know what to do. What do I do? If I run, he’ll just catch me. But I can’t allow myself to be taken this way, because it’s her. I know it. She sent this male to retrieve me, and if I let him take me, I won’t be coming back and this time they won’t be able to find me.
I sprint away from him to the side just as he reaches for me, and he growls. The magic chases on my heels again, weaker because he’s holding the other’s still. Fuck. Power pins me to the ground, knocking the breath out of me. It wraps around my wrists and throat, completely immobilizing me and flipping me over so he can see me.
He’s beautiful in a harsh way, golden skin and deep blue eyes. Features that could cut something if you tried. That smile ruins everything. It’s made of pain and knives and speaks of nothing but vicious, sadistic intent.
Something moves out of the corner of my eye, and I hold my breath. I keep looking at this male. I won’t give anything away. It’s my only chance. Our only chance. This male looks me up and down with a gaze that makes me wonder if he’s imagining me dissected and cut open—nothing more than a body.
Magic disappears as something slams into him from the side, knocking him away and onto the ground. Kent. That blue magic punches straight into his chest and throws him, but then Aeric is there, broken free from the hold and attacking the male with brutal force.
He doesn’t have any weapons, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Aeric has him on defense. The others are still bound with magic, but I can see it weakening as the move and fight while he’s distracted.
Aeric lashes out with a spear of green magic and the intruder barely dodges if, throwing a punch laced with his own power. Aeric simply knocks it to the side. I can’t do anything to help the men bound with magic, but Kent isn’t moving. I run to him. He’s flat on his back but his eyes are open and he’s still breathing. “Are you okay?”
“I think so,” he grits out. “Hurts like hell.”
There’s a sound like shattering glass and I turn to see Brae and Verys free of the magic that bound them. Urien is almost there. The intruder has lost. There’s a moment when he realizes, leaping back away from Aeric and out of reach of his blows. Brae is already sprinting towards him, magic at the ready.
I see it happen. The decision. When he decides not to take me, but kill me. Thrusting his palm towards me, a spear of raw crackling power roars through the air. It’s too fast to stop or move away from it. That will be the end.
But it’s not. Verys—moving faster than I’ve ever seen—calmly steps into the path of the beam. It strikes him in the chest, leveling him to the ground. I don’t even have time to scream, but horror fills me as I see him drop like a stone, clothes smoking and body limp.
Urien breaks free of his bonds and the others all look to Verys. In that moment, the intruder disappears. I don’t have a single second to spare, throwing myself at Verys with all the speed I can manage. He’s unconscious, and his chest is not moving. Not even a flicker of breath or movement.
He’s gone.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
________
KARI
Up until this moment, I never realized how fast fae could move. How slow they had to make themselves to catch up w
ith me. Magic is spewing from Urien’s hand and into Verys’s chest between the space of me taking a breath. His body barely has the time to heave in a shuddering breath before they’re carrying him away from me and I’m scooped up by Aeric, and we’re running along with Kent back to the house.
Up and into an unfamiliar room. Verys is already on the bed, Urien standing over him power flowing through his fingers. Verys is breathing. He’s breathing. That’s the first thing I see. Thank the Goddess.
“We don’t have time for the temple,” Urien says. “He needs magic. Now.”
Of course. That means me, and sex. And I would do anything to save him. I’m saying yes to them, and even though part of being mates still gives me pause, they saved me. And I am falling head over heels for each of them.
Verys has been sweet from the second I woke up in his arms. Steady, comforting, and attentive. The thought of losing him is absolutely devastating. It rips through me with fiery pain that will leave a mark if anything happens to him. But Verys hasn’t ever done this, and I will assume nothing.
“He needs to tell me,” I say. “I need to know that he’s okay with this. You know why.”
Urien nods, and the magic he’s holding brightens to a nova. I can’t even look at it as I strip off my clothes, helping Brae get Verys’s off. I need him to be alive. I need him to be okay. I need him.
He’s pouring so much magic into Verys that Urien is panting, but it works. Verys’s eyes fly open, wheeling for a second before they lock on me. “We need to heal you. I needed to ask—”
“Yes,” he moans, before fading again. His eyes sink closed and the light dims. Yes. I can do this. I climb on top to his body, pressing my lips to his. He doesn’t kiss me back, but that doesn’t keep me from promising with that kiss that I’ll bring him back. He’s mine, and I’m not letting him go. The next time we do this he will be awake to enjoy it.
Fevered: A Reverse Harem Fantasy Romance (The Carnal Court Book 1) Page 19
