by Honor James
“Don’t look at me,” Drake said. “I have no clue and, honestly, I think I’d have gone stark raving mad with that many people all in one bed. I don’t mind sharing but, really?” He shook his head and heaved a sigh. “It’s amazing there weren’t injuries.”
“How do you know there weren’t any?” Volos asked.
“I’m just guessing. Though, you are right, I honestly don’t know.”
“Oh, good lord,” she muttered. “You guys are so bad.” She was laughing now, she couldn’t help herself. “I adore the two of you, but seriously, are you sure that the two of you aren’t brothers? I mean, really?”
“Besides the fact he’s a Draygon and I’m not?” Volos asked with a grin. “There’s also the several-century age difference, and I’m fun and he’s kinda…” He frowned and tipped his head. “He’s Drake.”
“Oh, he’s fun, too,” she said with a smirk. “I’m sure that he is. I know that he smiles, he laughs and he gives me happiness and comfort, and I am certain that you will as well, which is just another trait that the two of you share. I know you are different races, but your souls feel as if you are siblings.”
“Well, we are fated for the same woman,” Volos said. “So, in the grand scheme of things, we are brothers of a sort.” He pulled her toward one more portrait right at the end of the line. “So you know, this is Drake’s parents,” he said softly.
“I know them,” Azure said with a smile. “Your father, he is on the Council, isn’t he? He’s the center, the one who makes and breaks all of the ties that might come up with the Races Council, right?”
“Yes, but he’s keeping it quiet for now,” Drake said. “He’s too well known as a Draygon, so he has to protect his identity. My mother and my other father are not as well known, so they have much more freedom. I’d ask how you knew,” he said, shooting her an amused look, “but I think I have a pretty good idea.”
“Part of being who and what I am. I can see the truth of what people are. I can see their souls.” She shrugged. “However, I have met your father as well. He, your mother and his co-mate had visited my father many times over the years.”
“Your father would have known the truth as well.” He nodded slowly. “Enough about them. They will be descending on us soon enough to meet you and fill your head with lies about what a horrid child I was. We’ll worry about them when they come which, if I’m really lucky, won’t be for a very, very long time.”
“Hopefully, they will give us time to bond together as a threesome. Hopefully, they will understand that we need this time alone. I know that we need to be able to have this time,” she said simply. “All new couples need that time.”
“That we do,” Drake agreed. “Come, there’s a few more things to see. You can explore all the bedrooms and such at your whim, but I want to show you the room we created just for you. Your retreat when you need a place to take a moment.”
“I like that idea, but it’s a place where you will both be able to visit me, right? Because I don’t think that I want a retreat where the two of you will never come see me. I am happy to take the room, but only if you will both visit me from time to time.” She’d had enough of being alone. Now she wanted to be with them.
“Of course we will,” Volos said, hugging her close. “But it’s a place where you can go that, if you need the privacy, you have it. It’s strictly your room. We’ll invade now and again, but only when you want us in there. Trust us, after we’re bonded, we’ll know. Come on, we did a lot of research to get it just right, I think you’ll like it.”
“Oh, I’m sure that you will.” She looked forward to that as well. She looked forward to knowing what it would be like to have these two amazing men knowing when she needed them and what she needed them for. She looked forward to everything with them, truth be known.
They took her up to the third and top level of the house and led her toward the master bedroom. Before reaching it, though, they stopped at a door just down from theirs. Volos threw the door open and waved her inside. “Go, see, tell us how wonderful we are and we’ll pretend to be humble for a moment. Well, I’ll pretend. Drake actually thinks he is.”
Smack!
“Ow!” Volos screeched out behind her.
When she turned, Drake was standing, there looking nonchalant and bored, and Volos was holding onto his arm like he was about to lose it.
Azure snickered, but with a shake of her head, she walked out of the hall and into the room they created for her. Her eyes were wide, shocked, actually. “Oh my.” She took in the softness of the room, the furniture that was very obviously created just for her. “The two of you created this for me? But how? I mean, we haven’t been here long, been together long, so how could you have created this already?” It was a sanctuary, pure and simple. The windows were floor-to-ceiling and opened onto a protected balcony. The colors only seemed to emphasize the happiness she felt in the daylight. It was truly unique, and so very her.
“We built it just over a hundred years ago,” Volos said. “We left out the furniture for the first while since nothing of the time really suited. But, eh, about ten years ago we went out and found this stuff and it seemed to fit, so we hauled it here and voilà!”
“In case you’re missing the math,” Drake said quietly. “The day you were born is the day we started the project.”
“That’s…Wow. But how could you have known? I mean, I’ve always known what my mates’ names would be because of the markings on my back.” She paused and then grinned. “Your markings. But you wouldn’t have known what I was, just what my name was.” So how could they have fitted this room perfectly for her, every part of it?
“Trade secret,” Drake said. She was guessing something in her expression had given away her unasked question. “One day we’ll tell you, maybe.” He chuckled. “Go, look around and make sure we actually got it all right. There were a few things that we ended up taking a little bit of a gamble on, so if you hate something, don’t worry, we’ll get rid of it.”
“Oh, you are so bad,” she teased with a grin and stepped out onto the small protected balcony. Leaning her hands on the marble balustrade, she inhaled the sweet scents of the flora around the home. “Perfect,” she said with a happy sigh. “It’s perfect, you two.” She turned to walk back to them.
“Good.” He smiled. “Very good,” he said again and seemed to relax. “Now, I think that clears up the tour portion of the day’s program. We have time to go and get a snack before they put things away while they prepare for lunch, if you’re hungry.”
“So does that mean that we get to go and have a walk outside before we go and finish this mating?” She wanted that. She was desperate to complete this bond with these men and they both knew it.
Volos and Drake shared a look before they both shrugged. “Sure, we can do that,” Volos said. “It’s a very nice day, so we can get a snack to go and wander around while you eat. Then we’re going to go and do this mating thing. Damn it.”
“Thank god, because I seriously want to complete this. I need to complete this because I want to be with the two of you. I really do. I want and I need to have the two of you to be able to balance me. When you touch me you make me feel more comfortable, but I am hopeful that when we are fully mated you will completely balance me.”
“We hope so,” he said with a smile. Stepping closer, he took her hands in his and tugged her closer. “Don’t look so worried. Despite all outward appearances to the contrary, I’m actually fairly well balanced internally. I know Drake thinks otherwise, but I took the mental acuity test three times just to prove him wrong.”
“That’s a very good thing that the two of you are as balanced as you are, because I’m not and I know it. I’m grateful that you are.” She took another deep breath. “Now I just need this bond with you both so that I can be balanced as well.”
“You’re just fine,” Drake said. “More than fine, actually, Azy. Your abilities do take a toll, but it’s nothing we can’t help you wi
th. When the bond is in place, you will be able to draw on the connection between us to hold your ability tighter and have more control.”
“I’m glad that the connection will be able to keep me more balanced. I know that I am in control right now, but there are days that it does take a toll on me,” she said honestly. “But when we are bonded, I just know that it will be all the easier to come back from.”
Squeezing her hands, Volos tugged her into his arms and hugged her. “Let’s go get you a snack and then take a walk in the sunlight. But I wasn’t kidding a moment ago, either. As soon as you are topped up energy-wise, it’s off the bedroom and off with all these clothes. They look good on you, for what they are,” he said with a grin. “But you really need to be naked.”
“Sounds good,” she said with a smile. “I look forward to it and I can’t wait to be topped up, energy-wise.” She knew that a walk and then a snack would do just that. “Walk first, though. We just finished eating breakfast, so walk and then snack?”
“Fine,” he muttered with a pout. Taking her hand, he tugged her out of the room. “You should really tell us more about your Realm. You’ve seen Drake’s and mine’s, well…there. But I can’t honestly say I’ve been to your Realm yet, so dish on everything.”
“Well, let’s see.” She had to think for a moment to decide where to begin. “Personally, I love my Realm. Everything there is, well… While here, everything is so large and so colorful, there, everything is subdued and in shades of greys. I know how odd that seems, but you have to remember that my Race has always been tied to the Afterlife. We have shades of grey, but we have bursts of bright and intriguing color as well. We have shafts of moonlight that will pinken the skies and rare orange flowers will bloom. It’s incredible.”
“It sounds amazing and strangely fascinating. I think we’ll need to go for a visit, soon, and you can show us around to all your favorite places. I know want to see where you were raised and where all your secret little spots to go were, and are. Anything that lets me get to know you better is a pretty damn good idea in my book,” Volos said with a smile.
“I would like that, a great deal. I would love to bring you both to my Realm and show you the parts of it that make me happy, show you the hot springs with the healing properties that are necessary for our Warriors if they take a beating. It’s truly a wonderful place, but so, too, is this. This is our home now.” She needed them to know that she realized that, accepted it and was happy about it.
“That doesn’t mean we won’t visit your home,” Drake said. “Or that we won’t stay there on occasion as well. We have plenty of options, Azy. But yes, this will be home if you are truly all right with that.”
“This is very true. Especially now that my Realm has come out of the dark, so to speak. We will have to go there more often so that we can ensure that there is peace and harmony for when the humans and others come to visit. I know that since I’ve taken over my role as leader for my people, we will need to spend a great deal of time there as well.”
“This should be very interesting,” Volos said with a grin. He was shooting her and Drake looks. “But I am ever so glad that I’m not one of you two. Thank the Goddesses for the fact I’m a fifth son.”
“We will figure it all out. Together. And don’t be all ‘fifth sonning’ me. You are co-mate to a Prince and mated to a Queen. I think that you are going to be a little more than just a fifth son.”
“Heir apparent,” he said. “Drake, I mean. He’s heir apparent, and with his dad sitting on the Council, he’s to be crowned pretty soon, as I recall.”
“Shut up,” Drake muttered with a glare at Volos.
“Dude, it’s a big deal,” he said, waving a hand. “You’re going to be King right quick. The lady definitely deserves to know that nifty little tidbit.”
Azure looked to Drake and grinned. “Really now? Well, that’s seriously something to be excited about and to be proud of, Drake. And don’t worry, I will help you with disposing of Volos when he gets far too mouthy.” She was teasing and they both damn well knew it.
“See, you say that now,” Drake muttered, “but I know you women. Get mated to the guy and you’re going to get all sentimental and want to keep him around. Then we’ll be stuck with him for the next however many centuries until he finally grows up. By then we’ll both be so senile it won’t even matter anymore.”
“Good point. Well, I guess we will keep him around.” She was teasing with the Vhampire and hoped he realized it. “All I know is that I adore the two of you. You already mean a great deal to me and I’m sure you will mean even more when this is all over and done with. Just a feeling.”
“Aw,” Volos cooed. He hugged her close and pressed a kiss to her temple. “I love you, too,” he said with a grin. “This is going to be great. The three of us, the two of you with all these responsibilities and me without a care in the world. Awesome!”
Drake shot her a look and lifted an eyebrow. She knew he was questioning her reasoning about keeping Volos around, but she also could see the amusement in his eyes. He loved the Vhampire like a brother. Well, maybe not a brother, but maybe like that weird cousin that came to visit every now and again.
Azure laughed. She couldn’t help it. “Oh lord. The two of you are perfect, both of you so serious when the need arises, but so playful and teasing when we are all together. I adore that, a great deal. I appreciate the fact that you are both as playful as you are.”
Drake just shook his head at her while Volos laughed. Taking her hand in his, Volos tugged her down the hall toward the stairs. “Let’s get your snack so we can go out and wander around the yard.”
“That sounds good. Oh, the yard. I saw a huge tree from my room. Think that we can take a blanket with us and spread it out under the tree so we can all have a nice relax for a time? I would like that.” And then the bonding. That way, they couldn’t say she needed to sleep or eat or anything. Dammit.
“Yep, we can do that. There are picnic blankets down in the kitchen. The cooks always have a few tucked away for the big meals that Drake and his family do each year to thank the workers. It’s a big deal around here,” Volos told her. Obviously Drake wasn’t appreciating all the information that Volos was volunteering because, if looks could kill…
“Oh, I like that idea.” Azure looked to Drake and smiled. “Why aren’t you telling me about you as well?” She then looked to Volos and added. “And you, why aren’t you talking about yourself? I want to get to know both of you. You do know that, right?”
“Yes, Volos, why aren’t you talking about yourself?” Drake asked him through his teeth. “As for telling you myself, I might have gotten there, but apparently someone feels the need to just tell you everything there is to tell about me right off the bat.”
“Good point. Makes me think that he has something to hide. You don’t, do you?” She tilted her head and looked to Volos. “Come on, talk to us about yourself while we sit under the tree.”
“Fine,” he muttered, making a face. “I hate talking about myself. There’s really nothing interesting about me, at all. Drake’s a thousand times more interesting than I ever will be.”
“He has a point there,” Drake said with a shrug. “But I have also been alive a slightly longer time. And really, most of what he’s actually been telling is more my family than me, anyway. They all started the traditions. I’m just keeping them going.”
Azure grinned at that. “I like that. You are keeping the traditions going. I would like to continue them, but I would also like to make our own traditions to pass along one day as well. Would you mind that a great deal?”
“Of course not,” he said, looking at her. “As to Volos and learning about him, ask him how he managed to blow out half a city’s lights with a piece of tinfoil. That should keep him duly embarrassed long enough.”
That had Azure’s gaze once more turning to Volos. “I think that is totally a story that you should tell me while we are lying under that big ol’ tree out there
. I look forward to hearing that story, actually.” He was a Vhampire, which meant that he had some major mojo. Now, if only to learn what it was that he had done.
“I’m sure you’ll enjoy it, a lot,” Drake said with a smile. “It’s quite an interesting story and very amusing. Especially the bit that involves the local cops. That, honestly, is my favorite part of the whole story.”
“You were on Earth when you did it?” Her eyes were wide now. “Oh, wow. Yes, I want to hear this story. In fact, I can’t wait to hear it, so let’s get our asses in gear and get downstairs and under that tree, shall we?”
“Excellent idea.” Drake nodded happily. He hurried her along and snickered as Volos dragged his feet. “I don’t think he’s liking having the tables turned on him, even for a little while,” Drake said softly, very definitely amused.
“No, I don’t think so either, but that’s okay. It’s good for him,” Azure agreed. “I think that it’s funny, actually, seeing how he’s scrambling to make sure that he still looks good after he tells me whatever it is that he has to tell me. Poor guy.”
“Like you’d think any less of him. You’re his mate,” Drake said with a shrug. “Besides, he did bring this upon himself for harassing me,” he muttered. Leading her into the kitchen, he gave her a gentle nudge to the tables of food. There was a lot less now than before, but still quite a good selection.
“This is true.” Azure spoke loud enough for Volos to hear her as well. “Volos did bring this upon himself with the way that he kept poking at you and such.” She looked over her shoulder at Volos, grinned and spoke with a happy smile on her face as she teased him. “Come on, pokey.”
Volos stuck his lower lip out as he scuffed along after her, giving her a pitiful look as he batted his lashes at her.
“He’ll catch up,” Drake said. “Mainly because he won’t want me to tell you the truth of the situation instead of his version of it. Mine is a little more boring, but at least it’s factual, unlike the tall tale he’s likely to unload.”