by Lexi C. Foss
“Yes, accidents happen. It’s how we react that matters,” Cyrus echoed.
The others all murmured their agreement, my mates coming through for each other despite the competitive atmosphere.
I glanced at my mom, her eyes beaming with pride. Our relationship had been a bit rocky at first, but we’d grown closer over the years. She offered maternal guidance that was missing for most of my life. Not that my grandparents weren’t great to me as a child, but they only prepared me for the human world, not the fae realms.
My mom came up to me as my mates headed inside, her hand grasping my shoulder. “You’re definitely ready,” she whispered, agreeing with my statement from earlier. “All of you are.”
I smiled. “They’re really great, aren’t they?”
“They are,” she agreed, heading in after them.
Kalt, Mortus, and River all followed in silence, but Lance stood just outside, his cheeks pink with chagrin. “I’m sorry, Claire.”
“Water under the bridge,” I replied.
He frowned. “Is that…? Are you telling me my punishment?”
I blinked at him. “No. It’s a saying.”
“I don’t get it.”
“It’s a way of saying I forgive you and it’s forgotten.”
“What do water and a bridge have to do with forgiveness?” he asked seriously, his green eyes the same color as his older brother’s.
“It’s a human phrase,” I replied. “And… I actually don’t know where it comes from.”
“Oh.” His brow furrowed. “I’ll have to look that one up on my next visit.”
“There won’t be a next visit if you keep doing stupid things like attacking your brother with fire for no reason,” I replied.
“I was playing.”
“You were provoking,” I corrected. “I’ve spent the last six months with you, Lance. I know your tells.”
His lips twisted to the side. “Okay. Fine. I was bored and wanted to spar. You and Kalt got to practice all day yesterday, while I helped Cyrus reconstruct stones.” He grumbled the words and rolled his eyes. “I belong in the ring, Claire.”
“All you know is the ring and how to fight,” I corrected. “The whole point of your probation is to learn about other opportunities. You’re a powerful fae. There’s a lot more to the realms than fighting, Lance.”
He stared at me for a long moment. “I want to do something with humans. I want to find what makes them so… resilient.”
Given the human fighting ring he’d played in while in New York, that admission didn’t surprise me. “Then consider joining the Interrealm Fae Council initiative,” I suggested. “There are a lot of opportunities there to work with others on how to hide our worlds and assimilate with humankind, too. And when the academy is up and running, maybe you can teach classes similar to Titus’s, but for all fae.”
His green eyes brightened. “You think I could do something like that?”
“I do,” I replied, smiling at his excitement. “But you have to learn and earn it. Just like Kalt is doing now with his internship.”
Some of his happiness ebbed. “I don’t want to be a politician or an emissary.”
“You don’t have to do that; his role is only one example. Maybe you can join us at the next Interrealm Fae Council meeting to learn about other opportunities.”
He considered it for a moment, then nodded. “I would like that.”
“Good.” I grinned. “Now let’s go see what Titus plans to make. I’m guessing it’s breakfast related.” My mate knew how to make a killer omelet.
“Domestic Titus entertains me immensely,” Lance admitted.
“It entertains me, too.” But for very different reasons.
I turned to find Cyrus’s eyes on me, his icy irises swirling with warmth. I think you just showed all of us up in this nurturing trial, little queen, he whispered into my mind.
He just needs someone to talk to, I replied. I’m happy to be that person for him.
It’s more than that, Claire. He admires you. Not as a mate, but as a role model. And that’s what he desperately needs.
He could use Titus for that, I pointed out.
He’s too stubborn for it, and so is your fire mate, he replied as Exos handed him some ingredients. The two of them appeared to be cooking together rather than individually.
Vox had gone solo, making something with eggs.
Titus was working on an omelet, just like I’d thought, so they shared a space but prepared separately.
And Sol… appeared to be taking a nap at the table.
I eyed him with an arched brow. Sol?
Mmm? he hummed back at me.
What are you cooking? I wondered, amused by his sleepy-mind mumble.
Skittle snacks, he said, not moving an inch from the table.
Skittle snacks? I repeated, entertained. So you found the rainbow in the Human Realm?
Rainbow? he sounded exhausted. I don’t know about a rainbow.
And I don’t know what skittle snacks are.
Scuttle… scuttle… butt… snacks? He was full-on drifting now. Rather than wake him up, I just walked over to run my fingers through his hair and sat beside him on the bench. He snored while the others cooked.
River just chuckled and shook his head. “Well, he’s not going to win.”
“They all win,” I murmured, stroking my earth mate’s cheek. “The baby will belong to all of us, regardless of who gains the most points.”
Cyrus winked at me from the kitchen, his agreement warming our bond. Exos handed him a plate of chopped vegetables, which my water mate proceeded to layer into a casserole dish.
“Where the fuck is my Firebird egg?” Titus suddenly demanded, causing Sol to jolt awake beside me. His forehead had a bunch of crispy flakes embedded into it from the table. He narrowed his eyes, then flicked the items from his head and onto the table in a confetti-like confusion.
“Oh…” Vox turned beet red, his eyes widening. “Uh…”
“You didn’t.” Titus stared down my air mate, their similar heights making them eye level with each other. But Titus had about thirty pounds more muscle on him than Vox. “Tell me you didn’t cook my Firebird egg.”
“Did you put it on the counter?” Vox asked, his voice lifting at the end into a squeak.
“I told you I did!”
“I… I didn’t remember… I was in my groove… and…”
“You cooked my fucking egg.” Titus threw his spatula down on a growl and gripped his auburn locks in his fists. “Fuckin’ fires, Vox!”
“I’m sorry!” my air mate exclaimed.
Cyrus and Exos just shook their heads, chuckling as they continued their own dishes.
Sol munched on his ingredients beside me, completely forgetting the point of this exercise as we watched the battle in the kitchen unfold.
Vox’s eggs went up in flames, causing him to engage his air magic to try to put out the fire. But Titus was raging and completely lost to his annoyance.
Not exactly a nurturing reaction, but I understood his frustration. They hadn’t slept in thirty hours, and he’d been on his way to winning the trials. While I meant what I said about us all winning, I knew Titus had a competitive edge from his time in the Powerless Champion ring.
He eventually calmed down after a few minutes, resigned to his fate, and finished his omelet while Vox scraped his burnt eggs into the trash with a scowl.
Sol chuckled, nearly halfway done with whatever the hell he was supposed to make. He offered me a few berries, which I took and popped into my mouth.
Then his brow furrowed, and the light bulb went off. “Ah, hell.”
I giggled and took more of his berries. “Tastes great, Sol.”
He grumbled and picked up his peach for a bite before holding it out to me. “Might as well enjoy it.”
“Are you suggesting we eat our future children?”
He snorted. “It’s juicy and ripe. Take a bite. I already lost anyway.”
>
“None of us are losing anything,” I reminded him before indulging in a taste. He was right about the ripeness. It was perfection and made me groan in approval. He licked the juice off my lips, then fed me another bite, his disappointment over failing his trials disappearing in a blink. Sol never stayed upset for long.
He licked more peach juice off my lips, then slipped his tongue into my mouth for a long, sensuous kiss. I momentarily forgot we had an audience until River cleared his throat. “While your mom is aware of the purpose of these trials, I don’t think she wants to witness the consummation.”
Warmth touched my cheeks as I pulled away from Sol to find my mother and Mortus intently watching Exos and Cyrus finish their casserole dish. The pink tinge in my mother’s cheeks told me she’d definitely seen my kiss with Sol and had likely overheard River’s commentary.
I cleared my throat and tried my best to keep my hands to myself.
Your vagina still broken, little queen? Cyrus asked as he slid the casserole into the oven. Or are you ready for more orgasms?
I swallowed. I… I feel better; thank you for asking.
His silver-blue eyes found mine. Good. Because I intend to bend you over that table in a few hours.
The heat in my cheeks spread down my breasts, my body warming to the idea of his touch. You assume you’ve won.
I know I have, he replied, leaning against the counter and holding my gaze. And you know I have, too.
He was right.
I knew he’d won as well.
If I were honest, I’d say he won before all of this had started. He always considered every angle and outcome before engaging in a challenge, and I’d never seen him lose. Not even to Titus when they dueled. At best, they would call it a draw.
That’s why Exos didn’t get mad; he already knew you were going to win.
Yes, Cyrus agreed. But also, he knew Lance didn’t mean it. Getting mad at him would only worsen the issue, not fix it.
That’s pretty much what Exos said, I replied.
That doesn’t surprise me at all, little queen.
It didn’t surprise me either. Cyrus and Exos were a lot alike. Not just because they were brothers, but because they were both kings. It required a certain amount of patience and understanding to act as the conduits for their elements.
I relaxed into Sol’s side as my mates cleaned up in the kitchen.
Then I waited as they presented their dishes.
Vox didn’t have one because he’d tossed it into the trash.
Titus gave me an omelet with all my favorite ingredients—I shared it with everyone else for the taste test, and the others agreed it was well done.
Then Exos and Cyrus presented their leafy casserole. It reminded me of a shepherd’s pie without the meat.
No one commented on the fact that they’d worked together on it, mostly because it was a demonstration of our future. We had to work as a team. It was the best way to raise our future child.
No. Not child. Children.
Because seeing them all now, I realized I wanted more than one. I needed to have them all. One for every element. I felt the truth of it deep inside—the desire to create as much life as we could.
Perhaps not right away, but over time.
And I would start with Cyrus.
Everyone agreed that he’d won. He didn’t gloat so much as accept the responsibility with pride. Then he gazed meaningfully at me, and the others left the room.
Not my mates, but the observers.
I barely felt them leave, my focus entirely on my water mate and the intentions warming the air between us.
“It’s Halloween, Claire,” he said, prowling toward me. “How do you want to celebrate?”
“By trick-or-treating?” I suggested.
His lips curled. “How about we skip the trick part and get right to the treat?” He grabbed my hips and pulled me up onto the counter of the kitchen. “We’ll indulge in your sweetness first. Then you can indulge in ours.”
“We?” I repeated on a breath. “Ours?”
“You didn’t think I’d leave them out of our conception night, did you?” he asked, his hands sliding up my thighs and beneath my skirt, pushing it to my hips. “We’re a mate-circle, little queen. I might be the one planting my seed tonight, but you can bet we’re all going to be inside you in some way.”
My heart skipped a beat. “None of you have slept.”
“We don’t need sleep to properly fuck you,” he countered, his lips sealing over mine. “Now lie down. It’s our turn to eat.”
CLAIRE’S BODY glistened with sex, her drowsy gaze catching mine as she lounged like some sort of erotic offering on the bed between all her mates.
I’d tasted her first, giving her a quick orgasm with my tongue before I stepped back and allowed the others to prepare her. Her comments regarding her broken insides were long erased by hours of proof to the contrary.
Now she beckoned me with a sweet smile, aware of what I intended to do next.
Exos sucked her nipple into his mouth while Vox laved her other tit.
Titus licked between her legs while Sol combed his fingers through her hair, his lips reverent as he kissed her temple, her forehead, and then her lips.
But as he pulled away, I found her gaze again, the heated orbs an invitation.
She was ready.
And so was I.
You’re overdressed, she murmured into my mind.
Am I? I began unknotting my tie. Perhaps you should help me out of my clothes, little queen.
Titus chose that moment to draw his teeth over her clit, causing her to jolt and shoot flames from her fingertips. I caught them in a glove of water, extinguishing the burn, and created a mist around us that set the tone for our joining.
We’d moved Claire from the kitchen to our bedroom hours ago, the entire floor a mattress made for our weekly gatherings.
The windows were covered in curtains. Vines and flowers decorated the wall. And the ceiling was enchanted by spirit magic, the winking lights reminding me of stars.
Claire writhed beneath it all, her moans music to my ears. I tossed my tie to the pile of clothes in the corner and kicked off my shoes and socks. My mate watched with lazy anticipation, her pupils dilated with desire.
She murmured something through her bonds to the other males, causing them to back away just enough for her to kneel before me. My lips curled at the wantonness playing over her gorgeous features.
I knew what she intended.
And there wasn’t a chance in hell I was about to stop her.
She grabbed my belt and threaded it through the loops before dropping it at her side. Then she grasped my button-down shirt and yanked it out of my slacks to expose my lower abdomen. Her lips met my skin, lighting my being on fire from that touch alone.
My dick pulsed in response, ready to play.
But I let her take her time, exploring me with her tongue as she slowly unfastened my pants and pulled down the zipper.
A subtle push sent them down my legs, followed by my boxers as she freed my cock to her mouth.
She didn’t ask or comment, just took my throbbing head into her mouth and swallowed me down as far as her throat allowed.
“Fuck, Claire,” I groaned, fisting my fingers in her hair. “Do that again and I won’t have anything left to give you.”
Her blue eyes flared as she met my gaze, her cheeks hollowing around my shaft in a delicious caress that nearly sent me to my knees.
This woman sucked cock like no one else.
And I would happily die in this position.
Because fuck.
It was so intense, so beautiful, so damn perfect that I almost wept. Instead, I praised her with my thoughts and drew my fingers through her hair, thanking her for the gift of her alluring mouth.
She swallowed me again, her tongue masterful against my skin, then she released me with a pop. I almost growled a protest, but her fingers hooked into my shirt and tugged me down to her on th
e mattress. I chuckled as I landed on top of her, which I suspected was exactly what she desired.
Rather than remove my shirt, she set it on fire and burned it away from my skin. I could have stopped her, but I didn’t want to. My mate’s penchant for destroying clothes intrigued me. Although, it was proving to be a costly little hobby of hers. Most of my suits were from the Human Realm, all handmade and tailored in Italy. Same with Exos’s.
Not that Claire cared about the semantics of our wardrobe.
Our little queen just wanted us naked and inside her, which was exactly what I gave her by spreading her thighs beneath me and sliding home without an ounce of foreplay.
Her body was already primed and ready, thanks to her other mates. She didn’t need my hands or tongue. What she required was my cock, and that was precisely what I gave her as she wrapped her legs around my waist and urged me to fuck her.
I kissed her hard, palming her neck to angle her where I wanted. My other hand went to her tit, giving it a squeeze for her attempt at taking control.
She grinned against my mouth. You’re not mad.
Never, I agreed. I love the way you play with me, little queen. It makes this so much more enjoyable.
I drove into her, smiling at her responding moan.
How many orgasms have you had tonight? I asked her. Seven?
Yes, she hissed, arching into me.
Are we going for eight or nine? I wondered, my lips leaving hers to trail down her throat to her flushed breasts. Fuck, she was a sight to behold, all wicked lust and salacious intent.
The men around me agreed, their cocks all stirring at the thought of fucking her again.
She made us insatiable beasts, with her as our queen at the center of this dark madness.
But I had a role to perform tonight, one Claire would need to play an equal part in for it to take.
I kissed her again, muting whatever reply stirred in her thoughts, her mind and body protesting the idea of nine orgasms in a night. Ridiculous, because we all knew she could handle so much more.
Fae—no matter our origin or kingdom—were beings of life and creation. We craved sex.
Even though she was half-human, her fae side overrode her where it counted, making her close to immortal and capable of endless hours—or days—of pleasure.
