She was in there.
This had to be it.
“Who’s there?” a deep voice growled, and Ambrose stiffened.
“No one you need to concern yourself with,” he answered.
“Am…Ambrose?” Jamie whispered as she hesitantly made her way up to the door.
Oh, God. His knees felt weak, and he pressed his palm against the bars. She did the same, and at the touch of her soft, soft skin, he melted.
She was real.
Alive.
Bruised, but otherwise she looked okay. Her wide eyes made her skin look paler than normal.
“Jamie,” he rasped out.
“You’re Ambrose?” another deep voice asked, this one different from the first one.
Ambrose looked behind Jamie at the demon who’d said his name and froze.
Hell, that connection. He could feel it clear as day, just the same as it had been with Jamie, that warmth spreading through his chest, wrapping and locking itself around his heart.
This was that third, the other man he had felt for Jamie.
He wasn’t just for Jamie…no, the man was for him as well.
A triad.
“Well, hell,” the demon whispered as he rubbed his chest.
“What?” Jamie asked as she looked between them both. “What is it?”
“You better get in here if you don’t want to get caught,” the first voice said. “They won’t look in the cages as long as you don’t make a scene.”
Ambrose nodded, took another look around him to make sure no one was there, and slid into the cell. He didn’t close the door all the way so he wouldn’t be locked in. Without words, he pulled Jamie into his arms, and she sank into him.
“Gods, Jamie,” he whispered, his voice near cracking. He ran a hand through her long chestnut hair and down her body.
“I knew you’d come.”
There. Right there. That’s what he’d been missing. Faith, hope, and everything he didn’t think he deserved— still didn’t think he deserved.
“Of course I would come, Jaime. I’m not letting you go again.” They had more to say, more to promise and decide, but now wasn’t the time. Not with a strange wolf shifter with yellow eyes in the corner and a demon who meant change for Ambrose.
He held her a bit longer then pulled back so he could meet the other two men in the cell with Jamie. Jealousy rippled up his spine at the thought, but he pulled back and gave them his normal stony expression. It had gotten him through countless wars in the past, and he wasn’t about to show his true emotions to strangers.
“To answer your question, yes, I’m Ambrose. And I’m here to get Jamie out of here.”
The demon raised his chin and frowned. “You’re the reason she’s in here to begin with then.”
Fury and guilt spread through him. “No, it was the bastard Pyro who holds that responsibility. Now who the hell are you?”
“Stop it, both of you,” Jamie admonished as she stood between the two of them, small and fragile. The steel glint in her eyes was anything but fragile.
“I’m sorry, Jamie,” the demon said as he brushed a lock of hair from her face.
Ambrose bit his tongue at the gesture but didn’t feel the jealousy he was ready for. No, this felt right.
Well, hell, he hadn’t been prepared for a true half, let alone a triad.
“I’m Balin,” the demon said, and Ambrose started.
“Balin? Pyro’s son?”
The flecks of red in his black eyes brightened, and he nodded. “He might be my father, but he is not my keeper.”
Ambrose couldn’t hold back any longer and wrapped his arm around Jamie’s waist. She stiffened for only a moment then leaned into him. Her floral and spice scent tingled along his senses, and he calmed. Yes, he could scent the days she’d been down on her, but he could always find that floral and spice.
“I don’t blame the son for the father. You’re also Dante’s and Fawkes’ friend. As for that tug you feel, you know I feel it too.”
“What are you talking about?” Jamie asked.
“I’ll explain soon,” he said as he kissed her brow, unable to stop himself. He knew he was acting out of character, but he’d been so afraid of what could have happened to her while down here that he didn’t want to hide anymore.
A far cry from his usual self.
“You know Dante and Fawkes?” Balin asked, surprise in his gaze. He ran a hand through his dark hair and over his even darker horns.
“Wait, you know Dante too?” Jamie asked. “He’s been a friend of mine forever. I’ve known him longer than even Ambrose has.”
Balin lifted his lips in a smile. “Dante knows everyone, I’m sure. As for Fawkes, I didn’t think he’d made it to the human realm yet. He’s not of age.”
Ambrose shook his head. “I met him here.” He lowered his voice. “He helped me get in, but we’re going to have to help each other to get out.”
“And do you have a plan?” the other man, the wolf shifter, asked, derision in his tone.
“Oh, this is Hunter,” Jamie said then gave a weak laugh. “I’m in a dungeon in hell where I might have to fight for my life, and I’m worried about manners. I’m sorry.”
Hunter shrugged. “I was sure you’d get to me eventually. With the vibes off the two men, I say you three have more to talk about than just getting out of hell. I’d give you privacy, but as you can see, it’s a little cramped in here.” Tension radiated off him, and he rolled his shoulders. “I’ve been alone in here for years. It’s a little odd to have so many people in here at once.”
“Years?” Jamie asked.
Ambrose rubbed Jamie’s side. She knew at least a little of what that meant. In order to live for years in the games, he’d have to have fought countless demons and other species and won.
By killing.
Hunter blinked but didn’t show any other form of emotion. “I’ll help you get out if we can, but I’m going with you.” He let out a breath that seemed to tell the ageless tone of death and fighting. “I’m ready.”
Balin looked over at Ambrose. “Do you have a plan?”
“I know of a way out of the cells if we’re quick when the time comes. However, I can’t get out of hell as easily. That’s where you come in.”
Balin shook his head. “I can’t. At least not yet.” Balin gave him a look full of meaning, and Ambrose held back a curse.
Of course Balin couldn’t. Dante had said the demon was reaching his three hundredth year, meaning he wouldn’t have the power or energy to get out of hell. The only way would be if he mated with his true half—or in his case, his triad.
Meaning they’d have to convince Jamie to form the bond in truth in the middle of hell.
Meaning he’d have to convince her to make love with two men in the middle of hell.
Yes, that seemed like an easy feat.
Much like building Rome.
“What aren’t you telling me?” Jamie asked.
Ambrose let out a breath. “You know I’m your true half, don’t you?”
She glared. “Yes, and I know you left me in pain for a freaking year when you went off to go do whatever the hell angels do.”
“We’re going to have to talk about that, man,” Balin warned, and Ambrose closed his eyes.
In a matter of minutes he’d hurt and annoyed both of his mates.
Apparently, he was just that good.
“Jamie, I’m sorry. I know that’s not enough, not right now, but we can talk about it more when we’re out of here. The thing is, that pull I feel with you and that you feel with me, you feel it for Balin too, right?”
She gulped and gave a slight nod. “What does that mean? I thought I was yours.” She blushed. “I mean, as much yours as I could be without having you. After the lightning hit us, and yes, I explained it to Hunter and Balin, I thought I’d find my true half and become whatever I was meant to be. Why do I feel the same pull toward both of you?”
At least she felt it. Amb
rose let that little bit release from the tension in his shoulders. “Because not all true halves come in pairs. There are such things as triads.”
Her eyes widened, and she took a step back—away from him and Balin and toward Hunter. Both he and Balin let out a slight growl.
They were both too close and too far away from a bond to watch their mate stand so close to another.
Even if he couldn’t hear Balin’s thoughts, he knew from the stance the demon took they were along the same lines as his.
“Triad,” she breathed. “I thought that was only in the romance books I read.” She blushed again, and Ambrose put that thought away for later. He’d have to see what exactly it was she was reading.
“They’re in every realm, human, demon, angel alike. They’re rare, but they exist.”
“You’re saying the three of us are like…together?” She shook her head and wrapped her arms around her waist.
Ambrose stole a look at Balin and gave him a nod. “Yes. That’s what I’m saying. It’s still up to you, Jamie. It will always be up to you.”
“Does that mean you and Balin are together too?”
Ambrose swore he saw a blush rise in Balin’s neck and face.
“A triad can be like that, or it can just center around one person,” Balin said.
A little bit of hope Ambrose ripped from him. Did that mean Balin didn’t feel that same tug? Had he been wrong and Ambrose wasn’t to mate with Balin? He’d been with a man or two in his time, but he’d always preferred women. That didn’t mean he didn’t want Balin.
In fact, as he let his gaze fall over the built man in leather, he was dammed disappointed.
“I’m pretty sure Ambrose and I feel that connection. Right?” The other man shifted from foot to foot, as if he was just as unsure as Ambrose.
Relieved, Ambrose nodded. “Yes, but since we just met, let’s talk about Jamie first then get to know each other.”
Balin gave a small laugh at that. “It’s weird, right? I’ve been waiting almost three hundred years for a true half and mate, and now, I’m in a dungeon and have found them both.”
Ambrose smiled at that and caught the look of surprise on Jamie’s face as he did so. He’d have to smile more often in front of her, though it wouldn’t be a hardship.
“I’ve been waiting a bit longer for mine,” he said dryly. “Jamie, we can talk about all of this and what it means when we get you out.” He risked a glance at Balin, who gave a small nod. “Balin doesn’t have enough power to get out of hell, Jamie. That means he’s going to need to gain power elsewhere.”
“I thought he didn’t want to take souls,” Jamie said. “Isn’t that how demons gain energy? I remember reading about it, and then Balin explained more.” She gave a small smile. “I hate not knowing.”
Balin smiled back and ran a hand through her hair. “I hate not knowing as well. And, I don’t take souls, Jamie. I can also get power from my bond with my mates.”
Her eyes widened. “And to do that…” She blushed. “You’re saying we’re going to have to have sex in order to get out of hell? You’re kidding, right? That’s got to be some kind of line. There’s no way I’m going to have sex with anyone in hell. Plus, you know, we just met and… just no. I’m still pissed as hell at you, Ambrose, and I don’t even know Balin’s last name. There’s no way I’m just going to stop what I’m doing and lie down for either of you.”
Hunter gave a chuckle, and Ambrose cursed. Damn wolf shifter. He’d forgotten the man was there.
“My last name is Drake,” Balin explained.
Jamie shot him a look that would have felled more than one demon, but Balin merely stared back. It wasn’t as if Balin had anything to lose at this point.
That thought left Ambrose a little cold. He didn’t want to think about the future Balin faced without help from him and Jamie. There was nothing pleasant about wasting away from a person’s own self.
“Jamie, we’re going to get you out of the cells first. Then we can figure out what to do. Forming the bond seems to be the only way right now. Unless we find another demon to open a portal for us that is strong enough for three—” He looked at Hunter. “—four of us.”
“Is that possible?” Jamie asked.
Balin let out a breath. “Yes and no. Yes, there are some demons out there strong enough to do that. The portals are heavily guarded, and frankly, none of them will want to help me. I’m an outcast, remember?”
Ambrose reached out and gripped the man’s shoulder, surprising them both. He wasn’t a man given to impulses of touch, but Balin had looked like he needed it.
They were going to make this work.
They had to.
Jamie stepped up and looked between them. “I don’t know what to do. I hate not having a plan. But first, let’s get out of this cell, okay? I really, really, don’t want to fight.”
Fear slid through him, and he pulled her close. She let him and rested her head on his chest. He smelled her floral and spice scent as it wrapped itself around his body, centering him.
“I’m going to do all in my power not to let that happen,” he promised.
Balin stood up behind her while Hunter stayed off to the side, envy in his gaze. “I’m not going to let them have you, Jamie. I just met you both, but I know there’s something there. I’m not going to lose it. And even if there weren’t, I’m not going to let my father win.”
Ambrose kissed Jamie’s brow and looked at the demon who could be his future along with the woman in his arms.
Things changed with one drop of rain, yet he could do this. He’d had five thousand years to live without them; he didn’t want to lose his chance.
He just needed to get them out of hell.
Chapter 8
Jamie inhaled Balin’s and Ambrose’s combined warmth and musk, the scent seeping into her pores, calming and heating her up all at once. It made no sense she was in this situation. No, at any moment, she would wake up and find herself in her normal home, her normal bed, and her normal life, alone.
She wouldn’t be in the depths of hell, put on a time limit before she had to fight for her life—and lose—then find herself held by two men who claimed to be hers.
Or, at least, could be hers.
No, that wasn’t something that happened to Jamie Bennett.
Plus, the idea of two men?
No, that was wrong. Taboo. Something people only read about in secret because of the judgment of others…and maybe even the judgment of herself.
She’d given up, well, almost given up, the idea that Ambrose could be hers. After all, he’d left her alone for a year—a freaking year—so he could go up to the angelic realm and deal with the politics there. Though Shade and Lily had both explained that he was needed and forced to stay there to deal with his own people and council, it hadn’t been any easier to bear.
She’d thought he hadn’t wanted her.
He’d left her alone, in a state of flux with no end in sight.
And, now she was just supposed to roll over and let him back in her life?
That annoying part of her wanted to scream in joy and wrap her arms around him and never let go.
After all, she loved the bastard.
Or, at least, felt that tingling that could signal the beginning of love.
Why had he come for her? Because he felt he had to as she was one of his charges? Or because he felt something for her?
From the way he held her, she had a small hope it was the latter.
She couldn’t deny that the past year had hurt.
Horribly.
And there was Balin.
She’d only known the man—or was it demon?—for a few hours, and yet she’d felt that inarguable pull toward him. At first, she’d thought she was betraying Ambrose just feeling it. It made no sense since Ambrose had only just shown a few signs of interest.
Balin clearly wanted her—and Ambrose—a fact that scared and thrilled her at the same time. If she were in the human realm
and not in danger, she might have had a moment to breathe and make her own decisions, and even be giddy about it. After all, two very sexy men looking at her as though she was theirs—and they could be each other’s—didn’t happen every day, or any day for that matter.
Jamie should have had her whole life and choices ahead of her.
Instead, she was in the basements of hell with two men she didn’t know well enough to…to do what they needed to do in order to get out of hell.
Oh, and Hunter, of course.
For some reason, she felt as though the wolf shifter just enjoyed watching the byplay. His feral attitude seemed to come and go with the blink of an eye, but she knew he was beyond ready to escape.
He’d been here way too long.
They would get out of there.
They had to.
Then they’d have to find a way out of hell…
She blushed at the thought. No, she wasn’t quite ready for that. If they didn’t, Balin would die. Jamie didn’t know if she could have that on her conscience. It would have been nice to have the option of finding her own supernatural existence and saving a life without the pressure of losing it all.
She just wanted the choice.
Really, there wasn’t one.
A dull pain slid through her at the thought of what she’d lost.
She’d lost her choices and that little bit of hope that the man she’d fallen in love with would sweep her in his arms and profess both his love and how he needed her more than his next breath.
Jamie knew she never should have read those books where the hero did just that. They’d just set her up for disappointment.
A sense of something far greater than herself settled over her. She’d find a way to get out of hell with the men who wanted to call her their own—or at least claimed to—and the man who’d been through far too much in the games, and then she’d find a way to live with her choices.
Yes, Jamie would mate—she blushed—with Balin and Ambrose, save Balin’s life, and thereby save them all.
Then she’d find a way to let her mind and heart catch up.
She bit her lip as unwanted tears threatened to spill. She hadn’t wanted it to be like this. No, she wanted to be back at home and go back to a year ago when Ambrose had healed her. Rather than watch him walk away, she would have wanted him to never let go.
Her Warriors' Three Wishes (Dante's Circle) Page 8