“Rubi?” Zephyr implores.
“Hmm?” I offer back, still kind of lost in thought.
His smile is soft. “Tired, little siren?”
As ashamed as I am to say it considering the others must be way worse, I can’t help but admit the truth with a nod.
Zanthus holds out a hand to help me up. “Come on, love. We’ll go get settled into our rooms.”
Letting him tow me from the room, I wonder if Zeph should be up and walking around so soon after being so badly injured. There’s no chance I’ll be asking him that, though. He’s already going to have enough trouble defending himself against his brothers about the monster.
My brain can’t soak up the beauty of the palace in its intoxicated state of exhaustion whilst thinking about all these other things. Zanthus meanders through the hallways, not stopping for anything. By the time we make it to his destination, my feet are dragging, and I’m contemplating just falling straight into bed. What stops me is the smell still coming off Zanthus. All of us are in dire need of showers.
As though he’s reading my mind, we head straight for the bathroom where he sets to turning on the water.
“Relax, but don’t fall asleep in here,” he tells me.
“You won’t join me?” I ask, letting disappointment leak into my words.
His smile is soft, and I can feel that blue thread hum to life. “I’m going to grab some food. Just take your time and get out when you’re ready. There’s a robe on the back of the door.”
There may be rules against thanking fae, but there aren’t any for mer.
“You’re so brave, Zanthus,” I tell him, sliding my arms over his shoulders to bring our faces together. “Such a good brother and mate. Thank you for helping him and bringing all of you back in one piece.”
“Purely selfish reasons, love,” he replies.
I shake my head slightly before leaning closer in until our lips are pressed against each other to whisper, “I don’t believe that for a second.”
He doesn’t have a chance to argue as I lay claim to him with my mouth. A few moments is the only allowance I get before his arms tighten and squish my body to his until it feels like we’re molded together. Kissing him like this, where he starts taking control, pumps adrenaline back into my body from some reserve I didn’t know I had, waking me up again.
Rocking up on my tiptoes, I try to tell him what I want without having to say it. I should’ve known he wouldn’t disappoint. Dropping his hands to my ass, he lifts me up until I’m able to wrap my legs around his waist. In a couple quick strides, he moves us across the room until he can set me on the sink counter. His kisses never stop until I’m sitting, and even then, it’s only to move his lips down the side of my neck and collar bone. The sleeves of my dress get pushed down until my shoulders and the tops of my breasts are bare.
Zanthus groans softly as his eyes rake over my chest.
“Zephyr was definitely right,” he admits, dropping another kiss on my lips.
“About what?” I ask breathlessly.
He chuckles. “About you being a siren. I wouldn’t ever be able to deny your call even if I wanted to.”
I grin in victory. “Does that mean you’re going to shower with me?”
He groans again and shakes his head as though to clear it before saying, “Take your shower, and I promise I’ll be back to finish this afterward.”
Giving him a small pout of my lip earns me another kiss, but that’s it before he spins on his heel and walks out.
“You could’ve at least helped a lady out of her dress!” I tease.
His voice is strained with his reply. “If I help you out of that dress, I won’t be going anywhere.”
“I won’t complain,” I answer, but I might as well be talking to air. I hear the bedroom door click shut like he’s trying to run before I suck him back in here. Hell, who knows, maybe I am part siren. Some messed up side family of Bruinen’s passed down the line or something.
Or maybe your heart realizes how close you came to losing them all and wants to take advantage of the time you have.
“Rational Rubi always sucks the fun out of everything,” I mutter, stripping out of the dress. It’s a shame to let it sit on the floor, so I casually drape it across the sink before stepping into the shower.
Okay, maybe Zanthus was onto something. The hot salty water running down my back and shoulders is close to having an orgasm. I can feel all the tense muscles from the past few days finally letting loose, making me feel like a standing bag of boneless pudding. Now I see why he said not to fall asleep in here. It would be so easy just to close my eyes and let it happen.
My foot slips, and I’m awake with a jolt, not having realized I’d actually let them close and drifted off for a second. Rushing through the rest of the shower so that I don’t embarrass myself by passing out and letting them find me like that, I step out, tossing my hair up in a towel before wrapping up in the robe. The whole thing almost makes me feel human again. Well, it would if it wasn’t for the fact that I can feel every single tiny droplet of water on my body.
A noise out in the bedroom brings my smile back. Zanthus kept his promise.
“That was fast…” I say walking out. The last word gets drawn out as I see that it’s not Zanthus at all.
“Aukai?” I ask.
“Were you not expecting me?” he retorts, brows dropping low in confusion. “Zanthus said you needed to see me.”
Gears turn in my head as I try to figure out what’s going on, leaving my mouth slightly agape.
“I can see he must’ve been mistaken. I apologize for interrupting you,” he says, turning to the door.
I’ve bounded across the room to grasp his forearm before he can make it two steps. “Wait,” I tell him.
“He wasn’t mistaken,” I say, locking eyes with him. “Sometimes as a mate you can sense what the other needs without having to say anything.”
I pause, letting him come to terms with what I’m saying before taking his hand in mine. “I need you, Aukai.”
His breath shudders in his chest, and he hesitates a few more seconds before using our linked hands to drag our bodies flush against each other. When his lips drop to mine, I feel that red thread burn bright. A confirmation that we’ve been mated from the moment right before the curse broke. The color has just been so dull over the past several days, hiding behind the others and waiting its turn to be noticed. Just like Aukai.
Sinking my fingers into the damp, dark curls hanging around his face, I drag my tongue across his lips until he opens for me, and our tongues meet in a slow caress of each other. Yet it makes my lower belly burn as hot as the commanding kisses from Zanthus.
I drag my hands down his chest, noting he must’ve already cleaned up and was halfway through dressing when Zanthus directed him here. The cream-colored shirt is open down to the soft red pants, and he’s missing his jacket and huge golden belt. I’m grateful considering it gives me easier access to the bare skin of his chest and stomach. As I trail a finger down a small patch of hair beneath his belly button that I haven’t noticed until now, his body jumps underneath my touch, and his breath hitches. Even more so when my lips leave his, making a path down to his neck. Something else I’ve never noted is how stooped the four of them must go while kissing me. I wouldn’t have seen it now were it not for the trouble I’m having staying up on my tiptoes. There’s an easy solution, too.
Working my lips next to his ear, I whisper, “Do you want me, Aukai?”
“More than anything,” he replies like he can’t get it out quick enough.
Taking the two open sides of his shirt, I walk backward toward the bed, towing him along with me. When the back of my thighs hit the edge, I stop to ease his shirt off his shoulders, letting it drift to the floor. Only then do I undo the belt holding my robe together where it quickly joins his shirt.
He's seen me naked more than once already, but standing in front of him now feels different. Like he’s finally rec
ognizing the fact that he can have me. The air between us seems thicker as his chest starts to rise and fall faster than before while his eyes travel the full length of my bare body.
“I’m yours. Take what you want, baby,” I tell him, the pet name slipping from me before I can stop it.
If he’s offended, he doesn’t show it. Instead, the mer falls to his knees in front of me. I’ve just taken a breath to tell him he shouldn’t be on his knees for me or anyone anymore when he reaches out to grab my hips. Closing the distance between us, he buries his face right between my legs. I’m so shocked that I nearly drop to the floor with him. By some miracle, I not only stay on my feet but manage to widen my stance, giving him a better vantage for what he’s after. His grip tightens on my hips as his tongue takes its first stroke through my folds.
Eyelids fluttering closed, I let my head fall back while my hand pushes through the dark locks of his hair. Much like the kiss, he takes his time savoring his offering as though he’ll never get another taste. In less than a minute, I’m almost to the point of riding his face, chasing that release he’s pushing me toward.
I moan in surprise as his tongue starts to flick against my clit and one of his hands slips between my thighs. Soft as a feather, one of his fingers teases around my entrance. It slips inside, and this time, I can’t help the gentle buck of my hips. His appreciative grumble vibrates against my clit, making my knees nearly buckle once again.
“Aukai,” I plead, clenching the fist in his hair.
Pulling away, he looks up to my face in lustful pride and in a huskier voice than before, admits, “I’ve wanted to do that since the moment I met you. To see if you taste as good as you look.”
A smile springs to my lips as I playfully inquire, “Well?”
Sucking one of his fingers into his mouth, his lids drop half mast as he confirms, “Better.”
I don’t know why that sends a rush straight to my core, but it does. I can feel more wetness beginning to pool between my legs, begging him to come back and lap it all up.
Instead, he chooses to stand before hooking his thumbs beneath his pants and letting them drop to the floor. The bronzed skin doesn’t stop at his waistline. It covers him head to toe. And that damn happy trail patch of hair leading down to his cock that jerks against his lower belly as I glance at it makes me want to touch it again. I’d love nothing more than to return the favor and get my first taste of him, but he doesn’t allow it.
Stepping into my space, he gives me a moment to change my mind. Like I’d ever do something as crazy as that. Climbing up on the bed backwards, I make sure to do so very slowly, giving him the perfect show. Not wasting any time, he crawls up until his body is perfectly perched over mine. As he brushes our lips against each other, I can taste us both on them, and it turns me on even more.
He doesn’t stop me from wrapping my legs around his waist and rubbing myself against his length. On the contrary, it’s almost as though he’s been waiting on me to make the first move.
His lips drop to first one nipple and then the other, slightly distracting me from the hand that he slips between us to help guide himself inside me. I palm his cheeks to bring that mouth back to mine. Easily obliging, he begins to painstakingly rock his hips and pushes his way in. By the time I’ve taken the full length of him, I can feel his body shudder above mine. Brushing my fingertips up and down his back, I use my tongue and lips to tease the side of his neck up to his ear.
“You deserve this kind of life, Aukai. This and me. Say it, baby,” I coax, gently nipping his lobe.
His hips arch again, sending pleasure spiraling up my spine. Then again as he finally admits, “I deserve it.”
As they say about the straw breaking a camel’s back, those three words are his catalyst. The way he keeps the pace slow and steady proves just how much he intends to enjoy this moment we’ve been gifted, but his strokes are harder, driving me straight over the edge. I call his name as my walls clench around him. It’s only a few seconds later when his body tenses, and I feel his cock begin to twitch as he empties himself within me.
A whoosh of hot air hits my chest as he lays his head down and lets out a breath. “You’re absolutely perfect.”
I laugh, making his head bounce before claiming, “I’m nowhere near it. Just wait, you’ll be rethinking that statement in the next fifty years. Probably less.”
When he chuckles, I realize it’s one of the first times I’ve ever heard him do so, and it makes my heart happy.
“We need to make you do that more often,” I tell him.
His face turns to capture one of my nipples between his lips before promising, “I am available for your pleasure anytime.”
I laugh and start to correct him until I see the corners of his lips tilt up.
“How about we get some rest first, though,” he suggests.
I don’t argue because we’re both bone tired. Plus, we’ll have the rest of our lives with each other. Plenty of time to make him stick to his promise.
We drag ourselves to the top of the bed, and I drape myself across his chest as we get settled. His hand rubs a gentle pattern on my back until he starts falling asleep. Propping my chin up on my hand on his chest, I pull a creepy and watch him sleep for a few minutes, admiring the attractiveness of the dark curls on the pillow and his full, recently kissed lips.
Talking about going to sleep and actually doing it are two separate things. No matter how comfortable I am, there’s no chance I’ll be able to shut my eyes without the rest of my mates in the room. Coming so close to losing all of them has messed with my head to the point of needing to make sure they’re one hundred percent safe before letting go.
Mentally reaching out for those threads now interwoven with a bright red, I give them a sharp tug. Within a few moments, the door eases open to let in my triplet mates. All of them gorgeous in their own way separate from their similar appearances.
“Already can’t sleep without us, little siren?” Zeph greets.
“What can I say? You’re all so very addicting, my sweet, sexy mates,” I say, making sure to let my eyes linger on all three of them.
Zeph and Zanthus chuckle while Zale grins as they make their way to the bed. As soon as they’re settled in around us and I’m surrounded by my four mates, I’m finally able to let my eyes close, knowing we’re all alive and have many years together ahead of us.
“The party has been absolutely magnificent,” Merrick says, walking up to my throne.
It took us months to get everything in the kingdom set back to rights. Dain and Aukai proved more than helpful in that as well. The two of them were able to retrieve some of the imprisoned women from Bruinen. A lot of them appeared to be completely unharmed, while a few will have both physical and mental scars for life. All seem to have been happy to be brought home.
As the days and weeks rolled by, more and more mer seemed to show up out of nowhere, having been trapped the same as the princes when the curse crashed into their lives. More than one group had come to swear fealty and loyalty to our kingdom even if they weren’t from here before the curse. On top of helping revive Yhalwgon, they’ve also been invaluable with information. Such as the northern kingdom closest to Bruinen having been completely decimated by darkness. No one has seen or heard from him or any of the shadow monsters, but I for one am not so naïve to think they’re gone for good. No, they’re biding their time.
With everything settling as it should, my mates decided today was the day. Not only was I married to the four hottest mer ever to grace this place, but we were all officially crowned as well. The kingdom’s princes are now their kings with one queen to rule them all.
“I was just thinking that myself, Merrick,” I respond. “You’ve truly shown your colors with this. Thank you so much for making it so special for us.”
He bows slightly. “It was the least I could do, Your Majesty.”
I try to smile but I’m sure it comes off as more of a grimace. I’d just gotten used to the hig
hness thing. Majesty will probably take my entire life. I’ve had to fight the urge all day to touch the beautiful gold crown Zale had made for me as it is.
A rumble hits the place hard enough to vibrate the stained glass windows right before a cloud of black smoke pillars up from the middle of the floor. People scatter to the side, and a few of them scream and trip over their feet to get away. I frantically search for my mates where I last saw them standing with Dain and a fully healed Ladon. All four have drawn weapons with twice as many guards surrounding them in the same fashion.
Returning my focus back to disturbance, I notice the smoke beginning to take the shape of a man. One with a face so similar to my own it takes me aback and has fear spiking in my chest. Guards have jumped between us a couple steps down from the thrones, leaving me a good view over their heads as my father’s figure comes into full focus.
He ignores the mer between us as he stretches out his arms to the room. “My only daughter. Imagine my surprise to hear you were to wed today, yet I received no invitation. Quite rude.”
“You’re not welcome here, Bruinen,” Zanthus replies, voice low in warning.
Continuing as though my mate said nothing, Bruinen says, “It’s time for you to come home where you belong, child.”
“She’ll be going nowhere,” Zephyr snarls.
The guards on the steps back up until they’re close enough for me to touch. With Merrick on one side and Easton on the other, I know without a doubt every single one of them would die to protect me.
Bruinen simply smirks before shifting his attention toward my mates, though, it’s not them who he speaks to.
“Ah, the bastard child is now a king and has stolen two of my most prized possessions at that,” he announces loudly. “Don’t you two worry! When I’m done claiming this realm for myself, I’ll be making my way to the rest. It’s time the dragons had a new master.”
This is apparently the wrong thing to say because another rumble rocks the floors, but it has nothing to do with Bruinen and his darkness this time. It comes from Ladon who shifts in front of our eyes. Thankfully, the throne room is large enough to hold his giant form, which I must admit is fearfully impressive. However, it’s going to be a disaster if he loses his temper. He’ll rip the entire palace down.
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