by Lexi C. Foss
Because I didn’t want to risk it seeking her out again.
Wait…
“It’s attracted to Claire,” I continued, rubbing the back of my neck. “That thing in the death fields only attacked her, not me. And it just did it again through Exos’s mind. So no, it’s not the plague but seems to be something designed just to hurt her.” Which sounded insane, but the facts were right there before us. “It’s not even hurting Exos, just appears to be muddling his memories.”
“So get it out of his head and report back with whoever did this to him.” Titus—the man of profound reason—repeating what I essentially already stated.
“That’s the idea,” I replied. “But I can’t guarantee it won’t seek Claire out again as soon as Exos wakes up. I mean, it didn’t before, but now that they’ve enhanced their connection, it’s possible it will go straight for her.” Which—of course—was why Exos had closed himself off for so long. To protect Claire from that foreign essence. He must have thought it was gone, thereby reaching out to her.
“Do you need him awake to remove it?” Vox wondered, still holding Claire tightly to his chest.
“Yes.” Whatever black magic put that thing in my brother’s mind was going to take a lot of elemental fae power to remove. “But if you keep Claire occupied with her other elements, then it won’t be able to access her as easily.”
Titus folded his arms. “Occupied?”
“Distracted,” I tried again. When all three males stared at me for more, I muttered a curse under my breath and tried for the third time. “Ground her in air, earth, and fire, guys. Fuck her. Spar with her. Make her use magic. I don’t care how you do it, just consume her in her non-spirit elements so she’s too busy to reach out to Exos. Got it?”
Sol’s jaw was on the ground.
Vox appeared as brittle as a glass vase.
And Titus merely smirked. “Yeah, that I can do.”
Well, at least one of them had the confidence to satisfy her appetite for the elements. “When she wakes, comfort her and tell her Exos is fine. Explain what we’re doing. Then initiate whatever distraction you want, but make it good.” I met Titus’s gaze on that one. “I’m going to need time. You feel me?”
“We can exhaust her,” Titus promised, a wicked gleam in his emerald gaze. “You weren’t the first to taste her, Fae King. I’m very familiar with her appetites.”
If he meant to bother me, he didn’t. My mother had two mates. My father had re-mated after my mother died, but not after several potential bonds crossed his path first. I was not shy when it came to sex or sharing a woman. And I went into this fully aware that Claire needed five mates.
So all I could do was smile. “Good. See that it’s done. And help these guys, would you? They’re still gaping at me like fish out of water.”
Sol growled. “I know how to handle a female.”
“Excellent,” I replied, bending to pick up Exos and tossing him over my shoulder before meeting the big guy’s gaze. “Then handle Claire. She’s quite fond of oral sex. Start there.”
Of course those were the words she chose to stir on.
I shook my head with a laugh. “See? Even the comment causes her to wake.” I started walking, needing to get my brother away from her before she reached full consciousness. “Have fun, boys.”
Claire
The fresh scent of the ocean tickled my senses. Cyrus, I sighed.
Yes, little queen, he murmured, his amusement a seductive stroke against my inner thighs.
I never thought we’d be in this situation, where I desired him, but I didn’t see the point in fighting it. Did he piss me off? Yes. But he also made me scream for hours on end in the best way. And I craved so much more.
Ah, alas, you’ll need to rely on your other mates tonight, he whispered. I need to tend to Exos.
My eyes flew open. Exos?
He’s okay, Cyrus promised. Whoever captured him planted a trap in his mind, similar to the one in the death fields.
Yes. I blinked up at Vox, who was gazing down at me in bemusement. “Hi,” I squeaked, confused. Titus stood at his side, with Sol behind me, but it was Vox’s arms holding me in the air.
Let them take care of you, Cyrus urged. I’ll look after Exos.
How? I wondered.
“Are you all right, sweetheart?” Titus stroked a flame across my cheek, heating my cool skin.
By destroying the foreign entity in his mind, Cyrus replied. Go be with your mates, little queen. We’ll return to you soon.
“Claire?” Titus sounded concerned.
I cleared my throat. “I… hold on.” Don’t let that thing attack you, Cyrus. It’s strong. The second I’d felt it trying to tug me under, I’d lashed out at it with everything I could. That it’d left me unconscious afterward had me a bit concerned. I need more training on defensive elements.
Hmm, yes, you do. But in this case, the essence appears to be designed for you, Claire. It merely hissed at my presence in his mind.
Designed for me? I repeated, my skin heating from where Titus caressed my face and down to my neck, his gaze holding mine. This is confusing. Because I felt Cyrus in my head, but Titus, Sol, and Vox were very much here, their hands all on me now.
Go engage your other elements, Cyrus said, his tone holding a demand. We’ll update you when we know more, but for now, I need you to focus on the others while I help my brother. Trust me, little queen. Trust me to fix this.
I do. I meant it. If I trusted Exos’s fate to anyone, it was Cyrus. I just…
Don’t think, just do, he encouraged. Embrace your fae, Claire. You’ll enjoy it more.
“Is she talking to Cyrus?” Sol’s rumble vibrated my back, his palm clasping the side of my neck. That was the second time he’d caught me in a protective stance. I rather liked it.
“Yes,” Titus replied. “I can’t hear them, but I feel his water bond heavy in her mind.”
“He’s telling me about Exos,” I explained, swallowing. “Whatever that thing is, it tried to suck me back into a black hole again, but I fought it.”
And you did so well, Cyrus whispered, pride evident in his tone. I’m going to leave you now and tend to Exos. I’ll be thinking of you, my little queen, and how you sound when you come.
Heat suffused my skin. Cyrus.
His chuckle slid up and down my spine, sending splashes of yearning to every nerve receptor before he pulled away from my thoughts.
My thighs clenched as a surge of warmth ruined my panties.
Damn Water Fae.
Whoever claimed hate and lust were related emotions deserved an award because, boy, were they right. I didn’t want to be attracted to Cyrus, and I sensed he felt the same way, but here we were, mated for life.
You adore me, he teased.
I thought you were leaving, I grumbled.
I am, but I had to make sure you were in the right frame of mind to indulge your other elements. And now that you are… enjoy.
Another hot flash graced my skin, setting me on fire—literally. Vox dropped me into Titus’s waiting arms, where he soothed the flames with a few of his own. I doused myself in water in an attempt to cool myself off, but it didn’t help. If anything, it made me burn hotter.
I groaned into Titus’s chest.
“Claire?” Sol’s grip on my nape tightened, his earth essence somehow blocking the inferno cascading along my spine.
“I just need a moment,” I managed, my throat dry.
“I think you need longer than a minute,” Titus whispered, his lips at my ear. “Let us take care of you, sweetheart.”
Ugh, it would be so easy to give in to him. But what about Exos? It seemed wrong to, well, play, while he suffered from whatever had corrupted his mind.
I’ll be fine, he whispered, his conscious barely brushing mine. Let them distract you, princess. Only Cyrus can help me now, and we will destroy this thing. See you soon.
He left before I could reply, his essence stroking my heart along the way.<
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A distraction, I realized. That was what they were trying to do, to keep me occupied while Cyrus and Exos worked through his mind. Because whatever had consumed him was a threat to me.
I understood now.
They needed me otherwise engaged, to prevent my links to them both from interfering.
“Maybe you should take her back to your room?” Vox suggested, his lips twisting, his uncertainty written in the lines of his shoulders.
Sol grunted. “Not a chance. We’re in this together and I need you. Remember?”
Vox met the eyes of the Earth Fae, who seemed to be forever at my back—a protective rock who wouldn’t budge.
How times have changed, I thought, a little delirious but also extremely intrigued. What would the three of them do to me in bed?
My thighs squeezed together again, tighter, and Titus’s knowing gaze twinkled with interest.
“She’s not ready,” Vox replied. “I mean, this is all so new. And three of us? Let’s just let her do what she’s used to and play this slow.”
I frowned. Why is he rejecting me? “Who are you to tell me I’m not ready?” I poked him in the chest.
“I think he’s still sour over the ball,” Sol said, a teasing note in his voice.
Vox narrowed his gaze. “Could you not bring that up right now?”
“What’s the big deal about this ball?” I asked, flabbergasted. “I mean, I’ll take you both. Heck, I’ll take all three of you.”
“Not me,” Titus replied, his tone amused. “I’m banned, but you should absolutely take Vox and Sol.”
“Banned?” I repeated. Then shook my head. That wasn’t the point. Vox kept rejecting me, and I didn’t understand it. “We’ll all go.”
“Oh, don’t change your plans on my account,” Vox drawled, clearly unimpressed with my offer.
Seriously? What more does this guy want?
I kissed him earlier. Wasn’t that enough to prove I liked him? Or did I need to do more to convince him this wasn’t just a temporary thing for me?
The realization of this being it, our circle finally being complete, sent my heart racing.
I don’t want anyone else. These are my fae. And damn it, I’m keeping them.
My fire died, replaced by wind. Vox’s nostrils flared as my power wrapped around him, forcing him to acknowledge me. I reached for him, my fingers sliding into the loose strands of his thick hair as I yanked him down for a kiss.
Mine, I thought at him. You’re mine.
Vox
Claire had kissed me before, but not like this, not with complete abandonment of her other elements. She might as well have dropped all her clothes for the impact it had on me, leaving me stunned.
Titus and Sol both stiffened at the sudden change, but they didn’t interfere. Instead, they encouraged her, their touches soft against her back as she embraced magic that sang only for me.
Her melody whispered through my senses, singing a song of the ancients that called to my element and made me ache for her.
Her magic knocked at my soul, and this time, I let her in as I gave in to the need to taste her. I would have been a fool not to graze my tongue across hers and indulge in the song she played so sweetly just for me.
“You’re mine, Vox,” she whispered, tangling her fingers into my hair as she pulled me down to her again. “You. No other Air Fae, Vox. You are who I trust and who I want. I choose you.”
My lips hovered over hers as her breath mingled with mine, but she didn’t close the gap. Instead, she waited for my move.
I chose to explore what she offered. This was a true mate bond, one unlike anything I’d felt in all my years. I’d come across a handful of fae who’d tried to tempt me, who might have guessed at the raw power I hid from the world, but the truth was that I didn’t trust anyone enough to set it free. I had royal blood in my veins, and that made me dangerous. I stayed in control because I kept that power in check, but what Claire offered me was a life without restraint.
Freedom.
Her air flirted with mine as her fingers went to my school robes, coaxing them past my shoulders with a breeze that had my skin pebbling.
“You’re not the only one who’s afraid,” she murmured, the blues of her irises darkening. She was allowing her affinity for air to come out and dominate her, pushing her fae half to the surface. The element felt hungry, starved even, and was entirely focused on me.
A gust of wind lifted her golden hair, sending the curls sweeping away to reveal her nape before lashing out to rattle the walls with warning. Titus glanced at me, but the power wasn’t mine, and I was afraid to add more of my element to her reserves. While she craved it, I recognized the same lack of control I’d seen in Sol. I’d always treated that as a weakness, something to be contained and monitored.
Reaching around her, I gripped Titus by the wrist and brought him closer, placing his hand on her hip. I did the same with Sol and watched her visibly relax as their touch worked magic into her, grounding her with balance.
This was how ultimate power was meant to be controlled—not contained, but sated.
“I’ve been wrong all this time,” I marveled, reevaluating all my previous notions. “Power isn’t meant to be suppressed.”
“It’s meant to be set free,” Claire finished for me, smiling as her fingers swept loving touches over my face.
“What do you want to do, sweetheart?” Titus whispered, his fire roaming over the thin fabric of her tank top.
“I…” She swallowed, her gaze holding mine. “This is new for me.”
“Us, too,” Sol replied, a chuckle in his voice. “I mean, not the female part. The, uh, group part.”
His slight hesitation seemed to put her at ease, because her eyes twinkled. “I like the way you all make me feel,” she admitted, glancing around before refocusing on me. “I want to explore more.” Her fingers returned to my face as she kissed me again, her nails sliding to the back of my neck to hold me as if she thought I might let her go.
Not that I ever could.
Not with her tongue stroking mine like that.
But she was right.
I wanted more, too.
I deepened our embrace, allowing her to feel my yearning, and smiled as Titus’s fire slowly tracked down her spine—singeing the fabric in his wake.
Claire didn’t shy away from it, or perhaps didn’t notice it. And when Sol gripped the loose strap on one shoulder, she didn’t stop him. Titus took the other, and together they unveiled her perfect breasts to my view.
I exhaled slowly, feathering my breath across her skin to swirl around her dusky nipples.
“Vox,” she whispered, the word a plea.
This time, I obeyed.
My lips followed the traces of my exhale, running a wet line down her nape and over the crest of one breast. She arched into me, and I sucked her taut peak into my mouth, eliciting a cry from deep within her throat.
An explosion of air followed, whirling around us.
She needed more. So. Much. More.
My hands fell to her hips, pushing her back into Sol’s solid form. He immediately grasped her shoulders, causing her lids to flutter closed.
Power.
The best kind of distraction.
“Titus,” I said, running my fingers along the top of her jeans.
He smiled, sending a flicker of flame down the seams on either side of her legs. She sighed beneath the energy, completely unfazed by him undressing her. She’d tilted her head back to receive Sol’s kiss, her mouth parting for him. One of his palms slid to grasp her throat, holding her to him as he indulged her thoroughly.
I concentrated on her exposed curves, swirling energy around her stiff peaks and teasing her pale skin. Then I sent the breeze lower to peel away her now loose pants.
“Claire,” I breathed, shocked to find her bare beneath.
Beautiful.
Smooth.
Perfection.
She shivered, only to sigh as Titus ran
a wave of heat over her skin. His power mingled with mine over her breasts, an indication for me to move lower—and I did.
I went to my knees, kissing her along the way.
Her fingers wove into my hair again, her opposite hand seeming to reach for Titus.
A cohesive unit, coming together, in one elemental tornado.
I never would have expected this. Never thought to desire it. But now I knew that I’d never dream of anything but this.
“Taste her,” Titus urged me, then took her away from Sol for a kiss of his own.
I met the Earth Fae’s burning gaze over her shoulder, saw the raw need flourishing inside him, the desire for him to watch me indulge Claire.
And I couldn’t resist.
Both for him and for me, and even for her.
Fuck. She tasted like those fruit trees he kept planting. Peaches. And, oh God, I needed more. I slid my tongue through her folds, drinking my fill of her sweetness and reveling in the tremors my strokes elicited from her core.
Her moan thickened my cock.
Her throaty purr excited my heart.
And the way she gave herself over to the three of us had my soul soaring.
For the first time in my life, I felt free.
Complete.
Where I needed to be.
And it was on my knees, worshiping this goddess of a fae with my tongue.
Claire
I’d never felt anything like this before. So many elements tugged at me, begging me to devour and to be devoured.
Titus caressed me with licks of tantalizing flames across my bare chest.
Sol kissed me again, this time harder, his palm locked around my neck.
And Vox.
Oh, fuck, Vox.
His tongue unraveled me below, causing my hips to undulate in the most wanton of ways. And while part of me couldn’t believe I’d just indulged myself in a foursome, my fae side overruled.
This was my life now. Where I should be. With these males. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The world around me began to crumble, pleasure overcoming right and wrong, as Vox’s mouth sent me soaring into the clouds of ecstasy. So different from the others, and yet just as consuming in an entirely unique way. His air magic caressed mine, intensifying our connection and amplifying the moment, and when I finally opened my eyes, it was to find him grinning up at me. The silver band around his irises practically glowed, so full of power—power I felt bolstering my own.