by Bea Paige
We are all getting to know one another. We are working out how we fit together, we are adjusting to this new relationship we have and I’m okay with that. All three men have already shown me that I’m theirs. Now I need to make it clear that they are mine too and that they are free to love in whatever way they choose.
I turn, searching for Mihr. Last night I fell asleep wrapped in his arms, his front pressed into my back, spooning me. It was so wonderful to just be held, with no expectations of it leading to something more. Don’t get me wrong, I’d felt aroused surrounded by all three men, but we had somehow fallen asleep amongst the furs and feathers as friends.
In that moment as I’d drifted off to sleep, I’d known what I felt; kinship, friendship, respect, even the first stirrings of love. This morning my connection to each of them is even stronger, our bond strengthening with every passing hour.
Out in the main hall I catch sight of Mihr, bare chested and working out. He appears to be doing some kind of martial art. In his hand he’s holding a long wooden staff, which he twirls around in front of him. Every now and then he plunges forward, making quick jabbing movements. I watch him move with the grace of a dancer and the skill of a ninja. He’s incredible. The way he holds his body, the way his bare feet barely kiss the ground, the way his wings move in synchronisation. It’s as impressive as it is beautiful.
After a minute he must have felt my gaze and he stops, turning to face me.
“Apologies, Fern. Did I wake you?”
I raise my fingers to my lips. “Gabe and Ether are still sleeping,” I sign, getting to my feet. As I walk into the room, I concentrate on pulling my stomach muscles in and holding my back straight. My wings, though still heavy and cumbersome, are easier to carry now. Even I’m surprised by my ability to adapt so quickly.
“How are you feeling this morning?” Mihr asks.
“Thoroughly rested, thanks. Do you usually work out every morning?”
“Most days.”
I nod my head, my eyes trailing over his muscular chest and that ridiculous v muscle that heads towards his groin and disappears under the cover of his jeans. Adonis Belt, I think it’s called. Well, he certainly looks like an Adonis. A warm, fuzzy feeling fills my chest and Mihr smiles, interpreting my thoughts.
“Well it’s true. You’re better than Adonis, in fact,” I say, grinning. His smile widens further.
“I don’t know who this Adonis is, but I’m taking it as a compliment.”
“Actually, all three of you are just ridiculously bloody handsome. I’m one lucky girl.”
“Hey, you’re pretty goddamn beautiful yourself, Fern. Not to mention brave, courageous and fucking strong, so damn strong.” Mihr’s wings stretch out from behind his back and curve towards me. His wingspan is so huge that even from where I’m standing they easily reach me. His feathers gently caress the bare skin of my arms and I get the same reaction as I always do when I’m touched by them. Goosebumps prick my skin as a rush of heat spills out from his touch and heads towards the tiny nub of nerves between my legs. His eyes meet mine.
“When you were lying in my arms, I wanted nothing more than to make love to you, Fern. I would have given anything to show you just how much you mean to me. But I meant what I said yesterday. So, for now, to get my mind off things, I need some way to release this pent-up… energy.” He smiles ruefully, withdrawing his wings and folding them behind his back.
“You know this is all self-inflicted. We could disperse all that pent-up energy quite easily,” I tease. Frankly, with one touch he’s wound me up tighter than a coil and it’s me who needs to dispel the ache in my chest… and the one between my legs.
“Oh, we will,” Mihr growls, his voice lowering seductively. “And when we do come together you’ll be thinking of nothing other than my cock inside you, my lips on your mouth and my fingers caressing your clit until nothing but you and I exist.”
My mouth drops open in shock. The last person I thought would talk dirty to me is Mihr. Kind, gentle, thoughtful Mihr.
“You okay there, Fern?” he asks, back to his usual sweet self. Except, I know different now. Mihr might be sweet and kind, but underneath there’s a man who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to express it.
“I’m…” I stutter.
“You’re what?” he teases, knowing full well I’m a hot mess.
“I’m a little…”
“Hot under the collar? Wound up? Feeling like you want to rip every piece of clothing from your body just so the cool air can temper your raging lust?” Mihr stalks towards me, effectively backing me up against the wall.
“I…”
“Do you look at me and want to run your tongue over every inch of skin? Do you gaze at my wings and want to stroke every feather? Does your heart race every time I’m near? Because that’s what I feel like when I’m with you. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anyone. Life damn it, Fern, it’s taking every single piece of self-control I have not to take you now. But, I am a man of my word. I don’t want any interruptions, and I don’t want prying eyes watching either. I love Ether and Gabe, but I don’t love them that much. I’m not willing to share you when we make love. That moment, those moments will be just for us.”
I press my fingers into Mihr’s bare chest as his wings draw around us, successfully blocking the room out. He steps his body closer, pushing his hips against mine. I feel his arousal and it turns me on even more. He wants me, there’s no doubt about that. I can’t help it, I slide my hands over his muscular chest and around to the base of his spine, then wrap my fingers around the waist of his jeans and yank him closer. My hips rotate against his, delicious friction making my body tighten and my insides melt.
“Fern…” he grinds out. “What are you doing to me?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
Mihr wraps his hand around the back of my neck and pulls me towards him. “I want to kiss you, but I know if I do, I might not be able to stop,” he says, his mouth only half an inch away from mine. I close my eyes expectantly but am met with sudden cool air instead of a hot kiss. My eyes snap open as my body lurches forward, reacting on instinct, wanting that heat back again. On the other side of the room Mihr is watching me, his chest heaving. How in the hell did he get there so fast?
“Not here. Not now,” he pants.
“Where did this person come from?” I murmur, now successfully a quivering mess. I stumble back against the wall, needing purchase, otherwise my legs might just collapse beneath me.
Mihr laughs in astonishment. “Honestly, I’ve no idea. You seem to bring out the worst in me.”
“Well, if this is the worst, I kind of like it.”
Mihr scrapes a hand over his face, then smiles broadly. “Come on, Fern. Looks like we could both use a distraction. Want to train with me?”
“Train with you?”
“Yes, get hot and sweaty, work off some of this tension.”
“Is that wise? Given what’s just happened.”
“It’s about all I’ve got.” Mihr shrugs, looking sheepish.
I consider him for a moment. He isn’t going to change his mind about making love to me whilst Ether and Gabe are still around, and I certainly need a way to deal with my own frustrations. I guess this is as good a way as any.
“Okay, then. Where do we start?”
Chapter Fifteen
An hour later I am dripping with sweat. My hair is plastered to my head, and every muscle is screaming in agony, begging me to stop. Mihr has shown me some basic martial art moves and has taught me how to hold myself better. I’m completely knackered and in need of a long, hot shower. Not that I’m going to get one, given the temple’s only running water is from a tap fixed onto the outside wall. I guess a quick wash will have to do.
“I think that’s enough for now,” Mihr says, leaning the staff against the wall. “You did well, Fern. I’m proud of you.”
“We are too. Damn it, Fern, that was impressive,” Gabe says from behind
me.
I turn to face him. Both he and Ether are staring at me, pride and desire clear in their gaze.
“How long have you two been standing there?” I ask, feeling my face flush.
“Long enough to know Mihr is doing a great job at training you. You’re doing amazingly well, Fern. Seriously, this is impressive,” Ether says.
“It’s more than impressive. You’re remarkable.”
In three strides, Gabe has me pulled into his arms and is kissing me passionately. His lips are hot and needy, his hold firm. Kissing Gabe is like being in the eye of a storm and I lose myself in the white noise of our heartbeats and the possession of his kiss whilst everything else swirls away from us. When he finally pulls back, my lips are bruised, and my legs are liquid. It takes me a moment to catch my bearings.
“I couldn’t help myself,” he says with an unapologetic grin.
“Never apologise for showing me how you feel,” I respond gently, cupping his cheek.
He releases me from his hold, and I catch Ether’s eye, filled with desire. I reach out along our connection and feel that longing like a thick and smoky cloud between us. But it isn’t just for me, he’s thinking of Gabe too. I open my mouth to speak, but Ether seems to snap out of his melancholy state and beats me to it.
“Who’s hungry?” he asks lightly, effectively hiding his true feelings by that mask he wears so easily. I sigh, wishing he would just be honest, with us, with himself.
“We could all do with satisfying our hunger,” Mihr responds with a strained cough.
Gabe laughs and slaps him on the back. “You do love to torture yourself, Mihr.”
“Pot, kettle, black,” Mihr responds with a shake of his head.
We all laugh at that, even Ether.
Half an hour later our bellies are filled with dried fruit and day-old bread and whilst my hunger pangs are no more, I still feel grotty and in desperate need to get clean. Surely, one of them would allow me to use their bathroom back at their house? I know they’re keeping me away from prying eyes until they deem me ready to meet their fellow clansmen and women, but still, personal hygiene is important to me. I’d rather not smell like a vagrant if I can help it.
“What’s up, Fern?” Ether asks as he cleans up the remnants of our breakfast.
“I need a wash. The last time I had a shower was back at my house before you brought me here. That was almost a week ago. I mean, I can still shower can’t I, with these wings?”
Ether laughs. “Yes, you can still shower. They’re waterproof, Fern.”
“Thank God for that. I’m not sure I could spend a lifetime being dirty.”
“Oh, I know I could,” Gabe cuts in with a wide grin.
“Ha ha,” I respond with a light laugh.
Gabe stands and holds his hands out to me. I take them, and he pulls me to my feet.
“There’s a perfect place for you to get thoroughly clean.”
“Your house?” I ask.
“No, somewhere way more special than my house. But we need to fly to get there.”
My shoulders slump. “I don’t think I can do that just yet.”
“Who said anything about you flying. I’ll carry you. These two have had the pleasure, now it’s my turn,” Gabe says, and in one swoop I am cradled in his arms, wings and all.
“Will you join us?” I ask Mihr and Ether, accepting that for now I need to be carried. I’m like the baby bird in its nest, not quite ready to take the leap. I might be physically stronger and can carry these wings better, but using them to fly? I’m not quite ready for that yet.
“Hell, yes. Wouldn’t miss The Falls for anything,” Mihr responds.
“The Falls?”
“You’ll see.” Gabe presses a firm kiss against my mouth, and in a couple of quick strides we have launched into the air and are flying over the vast plains of Utero below. The ground rushes past quickly as we fly through wisps of cloud so pink it’s like cotton candy at a funfair.
I hear the familiar whooshing noise of Ether and Mihr’s wings flapping in the air and a few seconds later they are beside us. Their wingspans are so huge that both have to fly a fair distance apart so we don’t collide.
“We’ll go the long way, better to avoid the city,” Mihr signs to Gabe.
Gabe nods his head in agreement and Ether gives a thumbs up.
“Hold on, Fern.” We tip to the side, Ether and Mihr mirroring his movement, and climb steadily into the cloud. For a while it’s just Gabe and me, the cloud too thick to see much of anything else.
“You’re going to love this, Fern. The Falls is possibly the most beautiful place in all of Utero.”
“It feels like a first date.”
“A date, what’s that?”
“Something humans do to get to know one another when they’re courting,” I say.
“Why?”
“For fun, I guess. People go on dates to parks, or for dinner to see if they like the other person and want to spend more time with them. If they do, then they arrange another date. Sometimes it can lead to a relationship, sometimes it doesn’t.”
“Is sex involved?” Gabe bites out.
“It depends on the person and how many dates, but yes, sex is often involved.”
“And what if they don’t like the person?”
“Then they don’t go on another date,” I respond, shrugging my shoulders.
“Have you been on many dates?” Gabe asks, his usual possessiveness straining his voice. He glances down at me, his glacier eyes sparking.
“A few. Honestly though, the relationships I’ve been in before weren’t that fulfilling.”
“Good,” Gabe bites out, holding me tighter against his chest. “I’m glad. You are ours now. Harmonious bond or not, you were always going to be. You belong to me.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Gabe…”
“To us,” he corrects with a rueful smile.
For a little while we fly in silence, lost to our own thoughts. It’s not cold up here in the clouds, on the contrary, I feel warm. Every single part of me is aware of Gabe’s bare arms pressed against my wings and the back of my knees. Spending the night surrounded by them all and this morning’s tense interactions with Mihr still has me wound up, despite all the exercise. Gabe’s kiss has only heightened those feelings now. I feel like I am perpetually turned on. I smile inwardly. It isn’t just the sex though, it’s more than that. Much more.
“You know, I’ve never really felt like I belonged, not truly,” I say, breaking the silence. “I used to put it down to being deaf. I believed that was what made me feel so different. Now I know it was way more than that.”
“The thought of you being held by a man other than one of us…” Gabe blurts out. It’s clear where his thoughts have been these past couple of minutes.
“Gabe, you needn’t worry, the men I dated before pale into insignificance. You three have completely and utterly ruined me.” I reach up and run the pad of my finger over his bottom lip. He locks eyes with me, then sucks my finger into his mouth. I let out an involuntary moan. We drop suddenly, and my stomach does a little somersault just as my finger slips from his mouth.
“Shit, sorry, Fern. Flying and fornicating isn’t the best combination.”
“Flying and fornicating. That’s a new phrase for the mile-high club if ever I heard one,” I giggle.
“The mile-high club? What’s that?”
“I’ll tell you about it one day,” I grin.
Eventually, Gabe dives lower and we drop out of the bank of clouds. Below us, I can see Ether and Mihr standing on the edge of a wide floating island that’s as large as three football pitches. The ground is covered with purple heather and a large rocky outcrop sits on the northernmost part. In the middle of the island is a large pool of water, the surface rippling from a waterfall that pours from the rocks. Everything is a varying shade of purple. The stone is the colour of the night sky just as the sun slips beyond the horizon, the pond the inviting colour of a field filled
with lilacs. A weeping willow bends over one side of the pool, its plum-coloured leaves caressing the water as pink and mauve lotus flowers bob across the surface.
“What is this place?” I ask as Gabe settles me down next to Mihr.
“This is The Falls,” Mihr replies, taking my hand in his.
“It’s breathtaking.”
“Wait until you get into the water. Like all of Utero, this place has the ability to soothe any aches and pains. The water’s always warm… Shall we?” Ether asks. He doesn’t bother to wait for an answer. Instead, he strides over to the water’s edge, pulls off all his clothes, then steps into the water. The sound he makes as he immerses himself up to his chest is nothing short of erotic. He watches me for a moment as a footprint of his thought enters my head. Come, he says. My cheeks heat immediately. That’s a loaded word, and he knows it.
“Well, I don’t need to be asked twice,” Gabe says, stripping quickly and rushing into the water with all the exuberance of a child. I can’t help but laugh.
“Is he always like that?”
“Honestly, Fern. No. Gabe hasn’t been this… happy, for a very, very long time. You have a wonderful effect on him.”
“Just him?” I ask, squeezing Mihr’s hand.
“You know very well it isn’t just him,” Mihr says, dropping my hand and stepping away from me. I can see the dark circles of his irises enlarge as his mouth parts on a slow exhale. He removes his t-shirt, dropping it to the floor at his feet, then slides his fingers over the firm muscles of his stomach.
“Mihr, what are you…?” My voice trails off as his fingers unhook each button of his fly one by one, slowly revealing his Adonis belt in all its glory.