by Nikki Jacks
I was impressed with my ability to hold a logical conversation with her when we’d met at Jewels Café. Once I’d scented her and recognized she was my mate, I’d struggled to do anything more than think about finding somewhere to strip her bare and make her mine completely. When my brain started working again and I processed what she was saying to Amber, I couldn’t have been more thankful.
I’d been given a mate who loved and understood food, and if I played my cards right, I could spend the rest of our lives working with her doing something we both loved. Even as the words left my mouth, I cringed at my intrusion, but also how eager I sounded. There was no chance to look or act cool, so I just rolled with it. I couldn’t believe it when Lotus said she’d consider working with me.
I had tried to wait and give Lotus time to talk with Drake about a space, but couldn’t. I’d scented Lotus when I walked in the building but didn’t think anything of it. She’d come to see my brother like I’d suggested. I walked into Drake’s office and stopped cold. Lotus was standing there, and based on what I was processing, there was no denying they’d just had sex. In that moment, there was no controlling myself. I managed not to shift, but I threw myself at my brother with every intention of ripping him to shreds.
I didn’t succeed in ripping Drake to shreds, but I did land a few good blows. I knew Drake wasn’t fighting me the way he normally would; I only had a black eye when we were done. As I cooled off and started listening, Drake explained he hadn’t meant to have sex with Lotus in his office, but when he’d felt the mate bond and scented her arousal, it was all he could do to wait until Lotus offered herself to him.
I wasn’t thrilled at the idea of sharing my mate, something I was sure Drake felt as well, but if I did have to fall into the Silver Springs polyamory club, I was glad it was my brother I was sharing with and not some random stranger.
I was disappointed I hadn’t been able to solidify my mate bond with Lotus, but watching my brother and his struggles helped soothe me and my leopard.
Shaken from my thoughts, I answered the phone with a little snark in my tone, “Yes, hello?”
I heard the words my brother was saying, but I didn’t want to accept them. Lotus didn’t need another mate. She needed me and Drake. But Drake was right, it wasn’t about me or him; it was about Lotus. And if Lotus was going to accept Kallyx, I’d have to do the same thing.
“Doesn’t mean I have to like it, but I’ll be there. Eleven, right? See you then, bro.”
9
Drake
There wasn’t a word to describe the tension in my office that morning. Lance could barely sit still, he was so wound up. I knew telling him about Evan and the possibility of a mate bond with Lotus would send him into a tailspin, but I didn’t want him blindsided later on. Better to let him spiral now and calm him down, than have him lose his cool and do or say something that he would regret later.
Kallyx, on the other hand, was sitting cool as you please, just observing. The only giveaway to his nervousness were his clenched hands and the slight pinch around his eyes. If I hadn’t picked up on those tells, I would have thought Kallyx was completely bored and didn’t care about being here.
I was caught somewhere between the two. I wasn’t pacing, but my leopard was. He was a snarling mess, tail lashing and teeth snapping. My leopard knew I was a wreck about this and understood my hesitancy. I knew that if my life was going to have any peace and happiness, this meeting needed to happen.
Clearing my throat, I looked at Kallyx. “Okay, Evan, what did you need to speak with us about?”
“Well, I thought we might need to discuss the fact that the three of us seem to be her mates, and how we’re going to handle that.” Evan’s delivery was smooth: no reluctance, no aggression.
Lance jumped to his feet, fists clenched and shoulders hunched. “You’re joking, Kallyx. There’s no way you can be Lotus’s mate! I can understand me and Drake; we’re at least the same species and related. You, you’re a… a… What are you, anyway? I know you’re a supe, but I have no idea what species.”
“This information is not something I’ve divulged in a very long time. I am a fae. Before I left the Fae Lands, I was considered a warrior lord. And, please, if we’re going to be spending substantial amounts of time together, call me Evan. It’s much easier on the tongue than Kallyx, don’t you think?”
“Kallyx, Evan—whatever, man! I still don’t get how in the world you are Lotus’s mate. I mean, what happened that you are able to mate with her?”
“Well, Lance, I imagine it’s possible in much the same way it’s possible for you. Lotus came to see me about applying for a loan to get her shop up and running. As soon as she walked into my office, I knew. It’s been a very long time since I’d thought about having a mate, but there was no denying what I was feeling.”
Evan cleared his throat and then met both our eyes, expression serious.
“What I am about to share with you is not widely known outside of the Fae Lands, and I would appreciate you keeping the knowledge to yourselves. When a fae meets their mate, there is a crystal-like chime they hear, like a melody that lets them know they are in the presence of their mate. This melody will play in their minds until they have accepted and claimed their mate.”
I crooked an eyebrow at Evan. “So you mean to say you’ve been hearing crystal chimes in your head since you met Lotus? How have you not gone crazy?”
“Yes, I’ve heard the notes chime in my head since we’ve met. The sound is not constant; more like an alarm that’s been set to snooze. It sounds off periodically. Because I’ve accepted that Lotus is my mate, the sound is not extremely loud, nor is it incessant. However, I will confess that while I find the notes beautiful and very reminiscent of Lotus, they are beginning to wear on me. Until I have had the opportunity to claim her, they will continue.”
“Dude, that sucks! I can’t imagine having that happen to me. It’s bad enough that I feel like my leopard is going to crawl out of my skin because we’ve found our mate and she’s not technically ours yet. It’s been painful, but bearable to withstand. Drake, man, how are you functioning? Your bond would be the tightest since you guys had sex. How have you not gone on a rampage through town?”
I shot my brother my best, “Shut up, moron,” glare and answered, “It hasn’t been easy. My leopard is beyond pissed. It takes everything I have to keep him under control.”
“How in the world are we going to get this worked out when Lotus gets here?”
Lance’s question was the great one of the day and the purpose of this meeting.
Evan cleared his throat again and sat forward in his chair. Now that we’d cleared the air some, he wasn’t quite so nervous.
“We are going to have to help Lotus recognize the mating bonds between our species and help her understand what that means. Witches don’t have mate bonds; they marry either for love or advantageous purposes. Being from the South, I imagine she’s going to have a hard time accepting not only the mate bond but also the fact that she is the mate to three males. That’s hard for some supernatural species to deal with and they understand it. For Lotus, it might be too much.”
“Well, what do we do? We can’t scare her away, and it’s gonna drive us all crazy to have her here and not be able to claim her!”
Lance was getting agitated again, so I sat next to him on the couch to try to calm him down.
“Easy, Lance, no one is saying we won’t claim her, but we’re gonna have to take things slow. We don’t want to spook her. She needs time to get used to the idea of mates and that she has three of them.”
“Here is what I propose. Lotus has already had an intimate encounter with you, Drake, and when we met in my office, I could sense her attraction to me. Lance, I would imagine she felt an attraction to you as well. I say that we each explain to Lotus that we are attracted to her and would each like the opportunity to get to know her better. Since we are all adults and we are being up front about this, there is no need for s
ore feelings or guilt. We all understand what this means.”
“You mean have her agree to date the three of us individually?” I thought I could see where Evan was going but wanted to make sure.
“Yes, we’ll all date her. This will give us a chance to get to know each other and will help ease Lotus into the idea of having three partners. Once we’ve worked through some of the early issues that come with relationships, we can begin to broach the topics of mates and multiple mates. Living here in Silver Springs, Lotus is going to see the prevalence of polyamorous relationships, so it will begin to become normal for her. Her shop is across the street from Jewels Café; she’ll see plenty of Amber, Wes, Chase, and Julian to understand that it’s normal to not only have feelings but act on them in regard to multiple partners.”
“You know, Evan, that’s actually a really good idea. We won’t scare her away and can help her really get settled. The hardest part is going to be keeping our leopards under control. I won’t speak for Lance, but my leopard is ready to claim what’s ours. He’s not happy to share by any means but will work with you guys to get our mate.”
Lance spoke up, “Yeah, man, I’m going to struggle with not claiming her too. What are we going to do about it? How will we keep control around her?”
It looked like Evan had really thought of everything.
“If I may suggest? On the evenings you do not have plans with Lotus, maybe spend some time out by the springs in your shifted forms? It will allow you to run and work out some of the pent-up aggression and energy. I will need to resort to similar ‘retreat’ times to help as well.”
“That’s a good thought. Running in our shifted forms will help Lance and me keep our heads steadier during the day. Lance, you are going to be spending the most time with Lotus. You’ll need to make sure you’re running a couple nights a week to help keep your leopard quiet.”
“If I’m running a couple nights a week, how am I supposed to spend time outside of work with Lotus? That doesn’t seem fair.”
Sighing at my brother’s short-sightedness, I replied, “Well, let’s work out a schedule or agreement of sorts now. I imagine we’re all going to struggle to see each other with Lotus until we’ve had the chance to claim her. We also want to make sure we aren’t taking her to the same places for dates. I know Silver Springs is small, but I think we can be creative.”
“I agree. We’ll need to keep away from the springs in the evenings—not that it matters right now anyway, but they should be off limits so that we can have a respite. With the new ice rink having opened, that gives us another place for recreation, not to mention just a stroll through the shops that are available. For myself, I will probably do a lot of entertaining at home. I don’t venture out into town much and would prefer to keep it that way. I can cook meals and we can talk or watch movies. There may be times when the four of us gather in my home for an evening in. Feel free to show Lotus all the sights that Silver Springs has to offer.”
Lance and I looked at each other after Evan’s pronouncement, and I knew that my brother and I were going to be trying to one up each other at every chance.
“Lance, I know what you’re thinking, because I’m thinking the same thing. This isn’t a competition or a sprint. It’s a marathon to win our mate. We’ll fuck it up if we start acting like juveniles trying to one up each other.”
“Yeah, you’re right, man. I’ll do my best to keep myself in hand. But now that I think about it, I do get to see Lotus every day because of work. That already gives me an edge!”
I looked over at Evan. “So, how do you think we should handle taking her out? Set nights for each of us, or what?”
“Well, as she isn’t a child and this isn’t custody we’re talking about, it should be natural. Lotus is going to need time to adjust to a new environment. She’s also going to need time for finding and making new friends, and she’s going to want time alone as well. I think we shouldn’t ask her out more than one time a week each, and it shouldn’t be back-to-back nights. Keep a little separation between them so she’s getting rest, but also so she has a chance to process her evening and, dare I say, miss us a little.”
“I think that’s fair. I also think that lunch every now and again for Evan and I would also be fair since you will get the most time with her, Lance.”
“Yeah, I can live with that. I’ll be around to watch the shop so she can do lunch, and she’ll come back to me when you’re done.
10
Evan
I didn’t want to bring up this next topic, but after my meeting with Lotus yesterday, I knew that Lance and Drake needed to know what Lotus had told me.
“When Lotus came to see me yesterday, we discussed some things. This is sensitive information she is not going to want people to know; but as her mates, you need to know.
“Lotus has moved here because her parents are planning to force her to marry a shifter from New Orleans. By forcing this marriage, they will gain a great deal of social standing and power. Lotus is not her given name, it’s Delilah. She’s come here to escape her parents and the jackal.”
Not surprisingly, Lance jumped to his feet. “What?! Why are we sitting here talking about dates and easing Lotus into the idea of mates when there’s some jackal out there who wants her? Not to mention her parents! We need to protect her, and the only way to do that is to claim her. Once she’s officially ours, no one will be able to touch her!”
“Lance, calm down, man. I know hearing that got your leopard riled up; mine is too. We have to remember what Evan just told us, Lotus doesn’t want this to get out to people. She’s hiding. We know, so we can keep her safe. Silver Springs is still small enough that a new shifter in town is going to be noticed; especially a jackal. We don’t have any in town, so his scent will stand out. We just need to be vigilant.”
“Indeed. I wanted to share the information with you so that we will all be on the same page. Lotus’s safety is our first priority. When you look at it, by attaching ourselves to her, we’ll be able to keep her protected. Lance, you’ll be with her during the day, and in the evenings, one or all of us will be with her as well.”
I could feel Drake’s and Lance’s worry for Lotus. I was feeling the same. We were going to have our hands full. We had a mate to win over but also protect from her parents and this jackal shifter who wanted her.
11
Lotus
When I walked into Drake’s office, I was greeted by silence. Jane’s desk sat untouched, and I was glad I wouldn’t have to deal with her today.
“Hello?” I called out. It was quiet, and I hoped Drake had his office door open, otherwise he wouldn’t hear me.
I jumped when I heard Drake’s voice. “Lotus. It’s great to see you. Come on back.”
Drake stood in the entrance to the hall leading to his office. His hair looked a little tousled, and he was in his shirt sleeves. He’d looked yummy in his full suit, but seeing how well his shirt molded to his shoulders and chest? My mouth went dry looking at him.
Like a puppet, I followed Drake. I was taken aback as I crossed the threshold. Sitting in the small seating area Drake had in the far corner of his office were Lance and Mr. Kallyx.
Lance looked like an off-duty ski bum. Dressed in jeans with boots and a long-sleeve Henley, I could make out the ridges and lines of his muscles. The blue of his shirt made his gray eyes take on a slate tone. His caramel-colored hair was a little longer than he’d worn it the last time I’d seen him, but it looked good. I’d always been a sucker for guys with long hair.
Mr. Kallyx was absolutely edible in casual clothes. Figuring he wasn’t working today, I drank in his appearance. His jeans and t-shirt clad body set my mind to overload. In a suit, there was an aura of command about Mr. Kallyx. One could tell he was used to giving orders and having them obeyed. In jeans and a gray t-shirt, Mr. Kallyx radiated power under perfect control.
I hadn’t sensed the magic coursing through him the last time we’d met, but I had been distracted
by the Anders brothers’ fight and the magnetism wafting from Mr. Kallyx. Like before, I had that sense of home, and could feel my body reacting to the three men in the room.
“Lotus, what is that tune you are humming? Are you okay? Why don’t you have a seat?”
I blinked and looked at Mr. Kallyx. “Humming? I was humming?”
Thinking over the few minutes I’d been standing in Drake’s office, I realized I had been humming.
“Oh, it’s nothing in particular, just a little melody that’s been playing earworm for a while now. Thankfully, I find the melody pleasant, or I’d be going crazy. No other song I’ve heard over the last few months has replaced it.”
Mr. Kallyx gave me a smile that clenched my core and sent my heart soaring. Taking his suggestion before I collapsed, I made my way to Drake’s sitting area and perched in the unoccupied chair.
Drake walked over holding keys and a folder bearing his office logo.
“Okay, Lotus, as promised, here are your keys and the hard copy of your lease. I know we’ve walked through the space before you signed the lease, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to drive over with you to make sure you find it okay and that everything is in order like I’d arranged. Do you have furniture being delivered today? If so, we can all help you out with getting it situated in the apartment. If you want, we can assemble anything that needs it.”
While I appreciated Drake’s professionalism, I didn’t know if I could handle having the three men in my personal space. I opened my mouth to politely decline when Lance spoke up.
“Lotus, listen, our mom would skin us if she knew we’d let a neighbor—especially a woman—move into a new home without helping her. I know we’re not physical neighbors, but Silver Springs is small enough that we all feel like we’re neighbors. I don’t know Evan’s mom, but I’m sure she raised him the same way. Please don’t get us in trouble, let us help you. Besides, you can supervise the placement of your furniture instead of trying to move it on your own.”
