Leaving Eden

by Kelly A Walker et al.

  With a low, rumbling laugh, Enzo stepped back. Cool air brushed against my skin, a sharp contrast to the heat he and Corbin were stoking inside of me.

  Corbin continued running his hands up and down my body, one hand caressing my breasts as the other came painfully close to my center. Enzo removed his shirt, revealing a tawny, muscular chest. With a crooked, heat-filled grin, he let his pants slide to the floor, putting himself on full display.

  “Go to him,” Corbin whispered as Enzo perched on the edge of the bed. A quiet command, his tone assuring me that he was alright with what was about to happen.

  With pleasure. I bit back a smile at the brazen thought.

  Enzo crooked a finger, beckoning me to him. Corbin placed a soft kiss at the nape of my neck, then guided me forward toward where his brother was waiting.

  I took Enzo’s hands and straddled him, then, brushing a thumb over his lip, I smiled. “Are you sure, Enzo?”

  Dark eyes met mine, full of lust and…relief. “I have never been more sure of anything, Charmaine. If we can save you…” His eyes flicked to Corbin, who stood just behind me, running his fingers lightly up my sides. Enzo met my gaze once more, then gripped the back of my neck and dragged my mouth toward his. He thrust his hips up, sheathing himself in me as our mouths crashed together.

  As I rose and fell, moving in time to Enzo’s thrusts, Corbin gave my hair a gentle tug, pulling my head back and taking my mouth in a searing kiss. His tongue plunged into my mouth, silencing my moans as his fingers once again began to brush in languid circles around my nipples.

  Something began to build inside of me, even as my orgasm neared its peak.

  Something that told me unequivocally that we were right in our assumptions.

  Enzo let out a low growl and tightened his grip on my hips, then began to quicken his pace. As waves of pleasure sent shudders through my body, Corbin’s tongue ran across my shoulder and up my neck. One hand tangled in my hair, tugging my head back so he could kiss me again, and the other brushed against my lower back as he worked himself toward his own finish.

  Moments later, Enzo’s body bucked against mine, and Corbin’s fingers dug into my shoulder, the sharp, unexpected pain dragging the final dregs of pleasure from my body.

  And just as it had been with Corbin, something clicked into place inside me. I let it rest, let myself feel whatever it was that linked the three of us slowly cut a few more tethers on the curse that continued to hold me.

  Limply, I slid off Enzo and fell onto the bed beside him as Corbin came to rest on my other side. He lay on his back, chest heaving, and took my hand, twining his fingers through mine.

  “Well,” Enzo said breathlessly as he turned lust-clouded eyes on me. “I suppose that settles that.” He gave me a self-satisfied smirk.

  “Yes.” I smiled at him, as love for these two men, something I’d shoved to the deepest parts of my mind all those months ago, began to spark to life once more. “I suppose it does.”

  9

  CORBIN

  Any excitement that had built inside of me vanished when I saw Charmaine’s expression as Enzo laced her back into her dress.

  “What is it?” I asked as I refastened the buttons on my shirt.

  Her jaw was clenched and her eyes tight as she held out her wrist, showing us the green-eyed, golden snake that encircled it. “I was hoping this would have come off by now.”

  “Is the snake what’s binding you to the curse?” Enzo asked.

  She opened her mouth to answer, but it closed immediately, the magic unwilling to allow her to answer.

  Enzo and I exchanged a glance, and I saw in his expression that he realized what this meant. If the curse had been broken, the snake likely would have detached. I shrugged my jacket back on and stepped toward Charmaine, taking her hands, kissing the knuckles of one, then the other. “Should we go get Andreas?”

  “I don’t know,” she said quietly, staring down at her hands. “It seems…too simple. Even if he is the key to this, I can’t fathom talking him into sleeping with me.” Her face reddened at the thought. “That would be…mortifying.”

  Enzo shot me a smirk. “I find it unlikely Andreas would take much convincing,” he told her, laying a kiss to the dip between her neck and shoulder. Tightening her hands in mine, she leaned into him.

  I brushed a knuckle across her cheek and smiled. “He’s right, Charmaine. Andreas isn’t half as cold as he’d like you to believe.”

  The corner of her mouth tilted up. “I suppose I’ll believe that when I see it.”

  Gently, I tugged on her hands. “Let’s go find him, then.”

  Enzo slid a hand to the small of her back as she laced her fingers through mine. We’d just made it to the door when it burst open. Andreas stormed in, followed by the Prince Gregory.

  “Andreas…” Charmaine’s eyes widened as she took in the tall, dark-haired fae at his side. “What have you done?”

  “Thwarted a disaster,” he spat, glaring at the three of us.

  Enzo and I exchanged a brief look, then I faced my brother. “What do you mean?”

  Andreas’ eyes shot to me. “I was not going to allow a godsdamned fae prince to get wrapped up in her vile scheming,” he snapped.

  “Where is Helena?” Charmaine asked. It seemed to take all she had to keep her voice steady.

  “Helena?” Gregory looked between the four of us. “What is going on?”

  Ignoring the rest of us, Charmaine lunged for Gregory, latching onto his lapels, a desperate plea in her eyes. “You have to get back to the castle! Please, go take her away and never look back!”

  Frowning down at her, Gregory wrapped gentle hands around her wrists and stepped back. “I’m not quite sure I know what you mean, Princess. Helena is with the King,” he said carefully, his tone betraying nothing.

  “As she should be,” Andreas said.

  “No! No, I’ve—” Charmaine let out a quiet whimper when the words wouldn’t come. She sent pleading eyes toward me and Enzo.

  Enzo let out a quiet sigh and faced the fae. “I’m going to ask you a question, Your Highness, and I—we—would appreciate if you answered honestly.”

  Gregory’s eyes turned suspicious as he took in our grave expressions. Andreas let out a rumble of annoyance.

  “Are you having an affair with the Queen?” Enzo asked.

  An amused smile curved Gregory’s lips as he looked between us all, a slight hint of the devious fae lurking just beneath the surface. “Why on earth would you think that?”

  I slid a glance at Charmaine.

  Tilting her chin a fraction of an inch, her lower lip trembled slightly as she met his gaze. “Helena’s told me everything. Please, I’m begging you, save her. Take her away, back to your lands, far from here. Please.”

  “You’d have me risk open war for a human bride?” Gregory seemed to be doing his best to keep his tone amused, but I could see by the flicker in his jaw muscle that his composure was beginning to crack.

  “This is utterly ridiculous,” Andreas said, pulling Charmaine away. “Your Highness, I’ve told you of her curse and what little I could about her plans. It would be best if you remained here or away from the castle until the night is through.”

  Charmaine made a small choking sound. “You mean until that monster is through violating her, you mean?” She stared at Andreas with disbelieving eyes. “Hate me all you please, Andreas, but even you know what he’ll do to her, what he’s done to others in the past.”

  The prince’s back stiffened. “What do you mean?”

  Andreas moved to silence her, but she spoke quickly before he was able to. “That man will do whatever he can to create an heir. His former queen was unable to provide him one that lived past infancy. When she died in childbirth, he sought out a younger queen.”

  “He was betrothed to Helena’s mother,” the prince said. “She would’ve had few childbearing years left. Helena became his bride by pure chance.”

  “Trust me when I
tell you, he had no intentions of wedding my sister.”

  The prince looked at each of us, taking in our varied expressions, before settling his gaze on Charmaine. “I can see the curse that’s wrapped around you.” A slight frown furrowed his brow. “You’re unable to speak of it, correct? The specifics?”

  Charmaine swallowed hard, then nodded.

  His eyes continued their perusal, then he clicked his tongue and shook his head. “A curse in exchange for freedom from a betrothal.” Gregory pursed his lips. “I’ll assume that witch didn’t inform you what the alternative to severing your betrothal would be?”

  “No,” Charmaine whispered, her face suddenly ashamed. Andreas’ expression had shifted to shock.

  “We were correct, then?” Enzo took a step forward. “This was done to free Charmaine from a betrothal to the King?”

  “It was,” Gregory confirmed. “Fae magic is tricky in that way. A fae only need to fulfill the terms of their bargain. If they choose to do more harm than good in doing so, they are not required to tell you.” He smiled, his expression verging on arrogant now. “Fortunately, as a fae prince, it’s quite simple for me to see how the magic is woven. Has the witch told you how you might break it?”

  “Soulmates,” Andreas said, grinding out the word. “According to what my younger brothers have gleaned from Charmaine, she must find her soulmates.”

  Gregory narrowed his eyes at Charmaine, examining her. “You already have, though.” He inclined his head toward Enzo and myself. “I see the threads connected to these two plain as day.” His eyes shifted toward Andreas, the space between where he and Charmaine stood. “That which connects you, however, is hardly more than vapor.”

  Andreas stiffened as my heart thundered in my chest. I watched as Charmaine slowly deflated, shoulders slumping. My fingers tightened around hers in an attempt to reassure her, but it was clear in her posture; I had failed.

  “I think I would know if she were my soulmate,” Andreas said quietly, keeping his eyes focused on the prince. “We have known one another for over twenty years.”

  Gregory’s lips twitched at the corners. “Your brothers were unaware. Why would you be any more cognizant of something humans never experience?”

  His words were met with silence. After a moment, he jerked his chin toward the door. “Leave us be. Charmaine and I have a few things to discuss. You three do as well.”

  Andreas opened his mouth to protest, but the Prince sent him a glare that would’ve silenced the King himself.

  Turning to Charmaine, I touched a finger to her chin and tilted her face toward mine and kissed her. “We’ll be right outside,” I whispered.

  She nodded, then leaned into Enzo as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

  Stepping away from her, I shot a look at Andreas, then latched onto his arm and dragged him into the hall, Enzo following right behind.

  10

  ANDREAS

  I furiously tried to tamp down my emotions as Corbin let the door close quietly behind him. Anger, jealousy, and, damn it all, excitement were coursing through me as I ran through the implications of what Prince Gregory had just confirmed.

  “Out with it,” I snapped when my brothers faced me, brows raised.

  “Don’t pretend as though you don’t care for her,” Corbin said, shaking his head. “We all know that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

  “You heard what the prince said,” Enzo hissed. “You cannot blame her for wanting to be rid of her duty to marry that man!”

  Of course I couldn’t blame her. It was no secret the man was vile, but he was our king. As his subjects, we had a duty to serve.

  “That is neither here nor there—”

  “Enough, Andreas.” Corbin rolled his eyes. “She needs us, and you’re letting your stubborn pride get in the way of helping her.”

  “Stubborn pride has nothing to do with this,” I replied. “She—”

  “Hurt your feelings?” Enzo arched a brow. “You may not believe this, brother, but Charmaine’s choice in this matter had nothing to do with you or your precious feelings.”

  Glaring, I folded my arms across my chest. I knew what they were asking me to do, knew what Charmaine would never in her right mind ask me to do, and I knew, deep in my heart, what I wanted to do.

  There was just one, small matter.

  “Do you truly expect me to share her with you both? Have either of you considered how this might be, going forward?”

  Enzo and Corbin exchanged a look before Corbin spoke. “We’ve already discussed this, and Enzo and I—and Charmaine—are…accepting of the unconventional circumstances.”

  My eyes widened in incredulity. “‘Unconventional?’ You’re asking her to spread herself around to three men! That isn’t a change in circumstance, Corbin, that’s…”

  Corbin raised a brow. “That’s what?”

  “What will people say,” I said, lowering my voice “when the Princess of Teid, the Queen’s aunt, is found to be in a relationship with three men? Do you think society will take kindly to that, that they won’t call her a common whore? That her parents won’t disown her?”

  Anger sparked in Corbin’s eyes. “Charmaine is not—”

  “I know she isn’t,” I snapped. “It does not change how this will be perceived.”

  “If things go as planned, she won’t be the Queen’s aunt much longer,” Enzo said quietly. “And she’s never given a damn about her title. You know she’s right about him, Andreas. That man will ruin Helena. He’ll lock her in her tower and bring her out when company comes. By the time he’s dead and she’s free of him, she’ll be no more than a shell of who she is now.”

  “You expect me to stand idly by as a plan unfolds to murder the King?” I hissed. “We are his subjects, we have a duty—”

  “Fuck duty,” Corbin said. “My loyalty is to my family, and my family consists of that woman in there.” He pointed toward Enzo’s bedroom door. “It consists of both of you, our mother and grandmother, and Charmaine’s niece. I don’t give a damn who she’s married to.”

  “So you would allow innocent men to be manipulated into committing regicide? Truly, Corbin, you can’t be serious!”

  “We still don’t know the extent of what she’s done,” he replied.

  The door opened, cutting off my reply, and Gregory stepped out. “I may be able to help with that,” he said.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  Closing the door behind him, he turned to face us. “I’ve spoken with Charmaine, examined the intricacies of the curse that’s binding her. From what I was able to see, Kosandra has given her the powers to instill envy in others, which Charmaine then ‘absorbs,’ for lack of a better word, as a type of sustenance. It’s nearly as important for her well-being as food and water. In addition, Charmaine is required to do Kosandra’s bidding as often as is required. The single loophole, what would break the curse entirely, is for her to find and complete a bonding process with each of her soulmates.” He looked around at each of us in turn. “The three of you, and only the three of you, bear a bond that is connected with her. Complete the bonding process and the curse will be broken. Once that happens, the effects of her power will dissipate, and her victims will never be the wiser.”

  I ground my teeth together. “And if we choose not to solidify this bond?”

  Gregory gave me a curious smile. “You three were made for her, and she, you. Why would you turn away from that sense of completeness?” He noted my hesitance and let out an exasperated sigh. “Charmaine has set in motion a path that will allow me to be with the woman I believe to be my own soulmate, and I don’t intend to let her slip away, so I must leave you now. I hope you choose the right path for yourself as well, Andreas.”

  An instant later, Prince Gregory had vanished.

  Enzo and Corbin stared at me expectantly as a thousand thoughts ran through my head.

  No matter how angry I’d become with Charmaine these last few months, no matter how muc
h I said I hated her for taking up with Kosandra, my heart and mind knew nothing would ever remove my true feelings. She’d had my heart for as long as I could remember, and I’d only just gotten up the nerve to explore those feelings when she and Corbin began their relationship. If I was being honest with myself, their relationship was part of the reason I’d become so hostile toward her.

  I ran a hand over my jaw, then let my arm drop to my side as I met my brothers’ eyes. I’d barely been able to share toys with them growing up, and now I was being asked to share the woman I loved? Shaking my head, I looked at them. “How? How would it work?”

  Corbin sighed. “I would suggest speaking with Charmaine about that, Andreas. But this is a chance for us—all of us—to be happy.”

  “And what about children?”

  The corner of Enzo’s mouth quirked up before he responded. “We’re all quite aware of how children are formed, but…I would imagine that would be a larger discussion, should we choose to go down that path.”

  “Go speak with her,” Corbin said. “She won’t come to you, Andreas. She’s terrified.”

  I suppose I’d done what I’d set out to do, then. I’d wanted to push her as far away as I could, avoid seeing the woman who broke my heart, seeing her smile, hearing her laugh. I had seen her collusion with Kosandra as a betrayal of trust, but if what the prince said was true…

  My eyes flicked toward the closed door. “Go back to the ball, help Gregory unwind whatever she’s done. You won’t convince me that regicide is the correct route to take, but…I can also see why these circumstances may not be the best for a girl like Helena.”

  “You think we should help the Prince, then?” Enzo eyed me curiously. “Help him take her away?”

  “That’s not for me to decide. For now, try to keep anyone from killing him. Innocent men don’t deserve to be punished for the schemes of a cursed woman.”

  Enzo turned to leave, but Corbin continued to watch me. “Don’t be cruel to her, Andreas. If this isn’t something you want…please, just don’t be cruel.”