by Sophie Stern
Fuck that.
“She’s hissing,” Garnet comments. He’s the only one who can’t see me.
“Why do you assume it’s a female cat?” Snaps Moon. Touche. Okay, it would seem the guys have been locked up way too long. They’re starting to bicker with one another, and that’s something they never did before.
They need to heal fully.
Yeah, they’re incredible and magical beings, but they’ve been locked away for what seems like an eternity with nothing to do. They haven’t had anyone to care for them. They haven’t had anyone to love them.
And as I stare at them from the doorway, I realize just how much I truly have missed them.
I’ve missed my boys.
So, so much.
“It’s sad,” Chrys says, cocking his head to the side.
“It’s not sad,” Moon growls.
“Technically, kittens can feel a variety of emotions, just like humans can,” Emerald offers. He thinks he’s being helpful, but judging by the looks Moon and Chrys are shooting him, they don’t agree.
“Here, kitty,” Chrys says, holding his hand out. He’s still too far up. He’s still on the stone slab thing he was sleeping on. No worries. I am a cat, after all. I hop up on the stone and step gingerly onto his lap, ignoring the fact that he’s only wrapped in a thin sheet. Apparently, Ruby not only had no issue with enchanting my mates, but she had no problem undressing them, as well.
He reaches for me, petting my head.
Oh, it feels just wonderful.
It probably shouldn’t, I realize, but it does. It feels heavenly. I haven’t been touched by another person in eons. I haven’t had anyone pet my hair or rub my legs or run their fingers over my skin. None of that, but it’s happening now.
“She likes it,” Chrys says, continuing to rub my head.
“I can hear her purring from here,” Moonstone says.
“So you agree that it’s a female,” Garnet says. He’s not one to wait to be proven right. He jumps at the chance to point it out.
“It’s not a competition as to who correctly identifies whether the cat is a female or not,” Emerald says.
“Dragon, could you not?” Moon growls. I can tell he’s close to losing control. They all are. They need to calm down. If only I could help them.
Soon the spell will wear off and I’ll be able to, but for now, I purr a little bit more and begin to rub myself against Chrys. He’s the one holding me, after all. Maybe if I get his attention, he’ll calm down.
“Uh, guys?” Chrys says. “I think the cat, um, likes me.”
“Don’t be weird,” Moon says.
“I think he’s correct,” Emerald says.
“What’s it doing?” Garnet asks. He can’t turn around and look.
“It’s rubbing all over me,” Chrys says.
“Pet it,” Garnet says simply. “It’s probably just lonely. I bet people have been chasing it and trying to eat it.”
“Her,” Chrys says. “Definitely a her.”
He pets me, then, and I curl up in his lap. The men fall silent and for just a minute, I’m not worried about spells or potions or hunting clues or anything at all except being adored. For just right now, I’m being taken care of, and it feels really, really good. It feels right.
And then the spell breaks.
It cracks slowly, at first, and then a wave rushes over me as I’m transported back into my female body. I’m not a kitten curled up on Chrys’ lap anymore. Now I’m a woman and I’m spread across his legs.
And I’m naked.
“Uh, guys?” Chrys says. His voice is high pitched, suddenly, and squeaky. “What just happened?”
“It’s her,” Moon says in disbelief.
“It’s Sapphire,” Emerald whispers.
“Miss me?” I ask gently, with a smile, right before Chrys fists my hair, pulling my head back so he can crash his lips onto mine. He tastes like thunder and fire and the power of a million suns all wrapped up in one delicious package.
He kisses me like it’s been forever.
He kisses me like he needs it.
“What happened?” Garnet suddenly asks. “What’s happening? Is Chrys kissing the cat? What’s wrong with the cat?”
“Nothing’s wrong at all,” Chrys looks down at me with a smile. “In fact, I think it’s safe to say we’ve been saved.”
Chapter Eight
Emerald
“You came for us.”
“Of course I did,” Sapphire whispers. She’s straddling Chrys now, but she looks over at me and smiles. I’m not jealous or worried. I’ll get my turn. We all will. I can already tell the color is coming back to Chrys’ skin after her kiss.
Of course that’s what we would need to truly break the spell.
Of course we would need our mate’s touch.
“We waited for you,” I whisper.
“Hoped for you,” Chrys adds.
“Sapphire?” Moon’s voice lifts up, and my heart cracks a little. Moon, little Moon. He’s the one who took this the hardest. He came from nothing and was given the world, only to have it stripped away. Having your hopes brought up and then crashed is harder than anything else in the world.
“I’m here, Moon. It’s me,” she whispers.
“How?” Garnet chokes out.
“It’s a long story.”
“We have time, princess.”
“I thought it was our mating day,” she whispers. “I went to the great hall, but it was a trap. They had already taken you, and I…I managed to escape,” she says.
“It was Alexandrite’s mother,” Moon spits out.
“I know,” she says. “She wanted Ruby on the throne. They had my mother killed. I was supposed to be with her that day, but I didn’t go. They didn’t think they could fake my accident believably, so they had to get rid of us.”
“Why not just kill us?” Garnet asks. “Why enchant us into a slumber?”
“I’ve had a year to think about that,” Sapphire says. “I think it was a show of power. I think she was going to do this either way. Whether I was dead or not, I think she was going to trap you. Then, on her one year anniversary as queen, she was going to kill you to prove she was the most powerful ruler Draco Patriam has ever had.”
“Where did you go, Sapphire?” Chrys asks. “How did you get away?”
“I know the secret passageways in the castle,” she says.
Of course.
Clever girl.
Ever since she was little, Sapphire has loved exploring and hiding and finding things no one else knows about. Why would this be any different?
“I escaped through the passageways and went to hide in the forest. Then Ruby put up a barrier. Maybe she thought she was trapping me inside. I don’t know. She didn’t, though. She trapped me outside of the barrier and I’ve spent the last year searching for a way back in so I could help you.”
“Sapphire,” I whisper. “The world out there…”
“Outside of the barrier, the world is normal,” she says. “There’s been nothing unusual. Most of the world doesn’t even know or care that Draco Patriam exists.”
“That’s the magic,” I say. “It offers a sort of shield against prying eyes. No one knows quite exactly where we are unless they’re a little magical themselves.”
“I found a wizard,” Sapphire says. “I thought he could break the spell, but he can’t. Only Ruby can, apparently, since she’s the one who cast it.”
“Do we know it was her?” I ask thoughtfully.
“What do you mean?” She looks surprised. “Of course it was her.”
“Well, Alexandra was the one who put us into an enchanted sleep. Maybe she did the barrier spell, too.”
Sapphire’s eyes go wide. She was convinced it was her sister’s doing, but it makes more sense that it wasn’t. I have a feeling that things aren’t exactly what they seem. Alexandra was the one who arranged the picnic outing that got Sapphire’s mother killed. She was the one who put my brothers and
I into an enchanted sleep. What if she’s the one who put up the barrier?
What if she’s the one orchestrating this entire thing?
Sapphire’s body tenses. I can see it from here.
“Sapphire, mate, darling,” Chrys wraps his arms around her and pulls her close to his chest. She’s so fucking beautiful. Stressed beyond belief, but beautiful.
“What?” She whispers.
Then he kisses her.
“I need you, Sapphire. I have a feeling you need us just as much. Am I right?”
She looks at each of us in turn and nods.
“Yes,” she whispers. “It’s time.”
“Sapphire?” Now it’s my voice speaking up, hovering in the darkness. “Will you be our mate?”
“Forever and always,” she whispers. Then she repeats the familiar vows. “Through the darkness and the brightness, through the terrors and the treasures, forever and an eternity, I will be your mate.”
I shouldn’t tear up at this.
I’ve been waiting for my mating day for what feels like an eternity.
We should be in the great hall. We should be in the castle surrounded by our friends and family members, but we can’t do that right now. That was stolen away from us. Now we only have one shot at this mating thing, and it’s happening in the darkness of a long-forgotten dungeon.
One by one, the rest of us recite our vows to Sapphire. We promise her everything. It doesn’t seem like we’re offering that much. It feels like we should be giving her more, but right now, we’re giving her all that we have.
We’re giving her our love for always.
For an eternity.
“Forever and always,” I repeat.
When we’re done, we’re silent in the darkness.
“The guards are busy,” she says. “I think they’re going to have lunch soon.”
“They came yesterday,” I tell her. “So they won’t be in here today.”
“They don’t check on you every day?” She seems surprised, almost sad, as if the thought of her mates being neglected is just too much to bear.
“Not every day,” Garnet whispers.
“Good,” Sapphire says. “More time for this.” She kisses Chrys and then she pulls away. “You’re next,” she points at me. Then she kisses him again.
Chapter Nine
Sapphire
I thought that when I was mated, it would be with my sister smiling and watching me. I thought she would be looking at me with joy and happiness and excitement. Of all the ways I thought today would go, being mated in a dungeon was the very last possible thought.
I don’t know what Ruby’s mating ceremony was like or if she even had one.
I don’t know if she and her mates sealed the deal before they completely betrayed me, my mates, and our country.
All I know is that right now, I’m alone with my men, and this might be the very last time.
We might die after this.
So I’m going to make this moment count.
I run my hands through Chrys’ hair and down his back. He uses this opportunity to slip one of my breasts into his mouth. He runs his tongue along my nipple sweetly, gently. This is the first time we’ve ever done this and suddenly, I feel a little nervous being so open and vulnerable like this.
“Don’t,” Moon whispers. His voice is hoarse, rough. He’s watching. “Don’t you get embarrassed and shy on us now, Sapphire. You’re the prettiest girl in the world and watching you is the best thing that’s ever happened to any of us.”
The other men murmur in agreement, and I calm.
“Look at me,” Chrys whispers. My eyes lock on his. “It’s just you and your mates, beautiful. It’s just us. Together forever and always, right?”
“Right,” I whisper.
He kisses me again, deeper this time, and I feel myself growing wet and anxious. He moves, lying back on the stone slab, but I stay on top of him, straddling him. I know that once we complete this, he’ll have his powers restored. A mate’s love can conquer anything – even a waning spell.
I grind against his body, rubbing my breasts over his chest. Chrys kisses me and plays with me as I grow more and more aroused. I can hear the other men breathing heavenly. Garnett is turned on his side, now. He can’t sit up, but he’s watching. I look at him and smile.
“You’re next,” I mouth silently, and his eyes flash with arousal.
Chrys reaches between my legs and begins to stroke me as I straddle him. A flare of energy rushes through my body. What is happening right now? I look up at him, surprised, and he chuckles.
“You like that, do you?”
“Yes,” I whisper. Maybe I’m not supposed to, but I do.
“Close your eyes, Sapphire, and just feel.”
He rubs my body, touching me, owning me. Chrys doesn’t ask permission. He just takes what he wants and I give freely to him, my mate. I give him everything he wants and I’ll give him just a little bit more. More. More. I’ll give him everything.
And then I do.
His fingers find just the right place and I come apart.
I come undone.
I come for Chrys: for all of my mates.
As the orgasm washes over me, clouding my mind and thoughts, he thrusts up into me, filling me. It hurts a little, but not too much. He holds me in place, gripping my hips tightly as my orgasm wanes and I begin to regain awareness of what’s happening.
“Sapphire,” he whispers, and then he slowly, carefully, gently starts to thrust up inside of me. He gives me everything. I can see it in his eyes. He’s not just giving me his body in this moment. He’s giving me his heart, his soul, his future. He’s giving it all to me because he trusts me, and he loves me, and he knows that no matter what happens, I will always take care of him.
I will always love him.
I will always protect him.
And then he comes inside of me, whispering my name as he does, filling me.
I search his eyes after, wondering if it worked, wondering if this is what we really need to break the spell. Will our bodies coming together be enough? Will this be everything we need for the men to heal to their full potential?
“Chrys?” I ask.
He doesn’t say anything.
Instead, he wraps his arms tightly around me and turns, sitting up. His slides his feet off the stone slab and then slowly, carefully, Chrys rises to his feet.
The entire room is silent as he walks around the stone to the place where Garnet is.
“You healed me, mate,” he whispers. “Now heal my brother.”
I kiss Chrys one last time and then I climb onto Garnet’s stone.
“Sapphire?” He whispers. “If you’re not ready…I know it’s a lot to deal with…I…”
I silence him with a kiss.
I silence him with my heart.
I silence him with the hope that no matter what happens, this is how things are supposed to be. I feel a little more confident: a little more brave. I feel a little more sure of myself than I did just yesterday because what my mates and I have is incredible.
And I made it.
I made it to them.
Somehow, despite all of the odds stacked against us, I made it to this place to be with them and I’m not going to wait another minute to show these men just exactly how much I care for them.
I kiss Garnet deeply. We’ve kissed before, sure, but never like this. Never while naked. Never while everyone watched and enjoyed the show. I kiss him like he’s precious to me because he is.
I nibble on Garnet’s ear before moving my lips down his neck and collarbone. He groans as I kiss my way down his stomach and to his thick length. There’s enough room on the stone slab for me to kneel between his legs, so that’s what I do. I kneel there, and I kiss him between the legs.
I kiss him like I mean it.
I kiss him like there’s nothing more important that this moment.
Garnet groans as I slide my tongue over his balls and up his length.
>
“Fuck, baby,” Emerald’s voice is tight and strained as he watches me play with Garnet.
“That’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” Moon echoes Emerald’s thoughts. Their words make me feel even more excited and turned on. Somehow, knowing they’re watching me and talking about me makes me ache with desire.
I lick Garnet faster, taking him into my mouth. Then I slide his cock down, deep into my throat. I take as much of him as I can, and then I come back up. Over and over I repeat the treatment.
“Baby,” he groans. He’s tensing his body and I know he’s getting close.
“Ride him, princess,” Moon says. His voice is thick, heavy. “Ride him and give him his freedom once more. Give him everything, baby. You can do this.”
Garnet reaches for me and I climb up to him. Then slowly, carefully, I lower myself onto him. He fills me completely, but he still can’t quite move on his own yet, so I begin to grind him. I shift so I’m on my feet, squatting over him, and then I sink down onto his length.
“Fuck,” Garnet groans. “So deep.”
“It feels good,” I whisper. I don’t really know what to say, so I’m just honest. “I didn’t know it would feel like this.”
“There are going to be plenty more times like this, baby,” Garnet says. “So many times. Once we sort this all out, I’m going to lock you away and make love to you over and over again for a fucking month.”
“He’ll have to share,” Chrys murmurs, and the other two men laugh.
“We’ll take turns,” Moon says.
“I’m good at sharing,” Garnet says. “Trust me, Sapphire. When it comes to you, none of us will ever get enough. We’ll never be satisfied. We’ll always, always want more.”
Chrys comes over to us and stands at my side.
“What are you doing?” I whisper, but he nips at my shoulder and silences me.
“Keep riding him, love. Make him come. Be a good girl for me, Sapphire,” he licks my shoulder, and I about lose my damn mind. It’s the sexiest, most wonderful thing I’ve ever felt. Then his hands are on my breasts, and on my bottom, and everywhere all at once.