Leaving Eden

by Kelly A Walker et al.

  There was no awkward discussion of the logistics. It was a tangle of bodies and lust, Ava passing between them until they lay spent and exhausted, the weight of them nearly making her bed collapse.

  Their passions sated now, unease found its way back into Ava’s psyche.

  What the hell was that?

  Staring at her ceiling, she listened to her men as their breathing evened out, sleep claiming them. Her men. How easily her spirit had claimed them.

  She rolled her eyes. How could those assholes sleep at a time like this?

  Panic flooded her system. She had just slept with not one, but three men. It wasn’t the fact that they were men that made her blood run cold. While she may not have partners often, Ava was open with her sexuality. No, it was that they were marks. You never slept with a mark. Ever. What would her mother think, knowing she broke the cardinal rule?

  She gripped her sheet to her chest, shame bombarding her.

  “Ava, don’t do that.”

  Ava turned, surprised to see Midas still awake, his intelligent eyes locked with hers.

  “Do what?” she asked, returning her gaze to the ceiling. She couldn’t look at him right now. What must he think of her?

  “Don’t ruin this with overthinking it. We’re dealing with something extraordinary here. In all my research, I have never heard of auras merging before. It’s...magic.”

  Ava did turn towards him then, her eyes searching his. “Magic? Is that what you would call that? I couldn’t control myself, Midas. None of us could. That doesn’t feel very magical to me.” She fought to keep her voice down, not wanting to wake the others.

  Midas frowned, his golden eyes turning sad. She didn’t want him sad. She wanted to pull him to her, to kiss between his brow until those frown lines disappeared. She wanted to hold him and never let him go. For the first time in her existence, Ava felt satiated. As if she had found the riches she had always been searching for.

  And it terrified her.

  “You never have to fear us. We would never hurt you,” Midas said.

  “Oh, so you can read my thoughts now?” Ava snapped, fear making her voice sharp.

  Midas’ brow softened, his mouth tugging up a little in the corner before he caught himself. He must have known that, if he laughed at her in that moment, he wouldn’t survive it. Damn straight.

  “I’m somewhat of an empath,” he said. “I’ve always been able to read emotions, even before...this.”

  “Oh,” Ava said, feeling like an asshole. Curiosity pushed at her, making her curl up on her side so she could see him better. She tried to ignore the very naked body curled up behind her. “What’s that like?”

  It was Midas’s turn to look away. He stared up at the ceiling and shrugged. “It’s an asset. It makes our jobs easier.”

  Ava reached out, placing her hand on his bare chest. He put his own hand on top of hers, holding her to him. “It’s okay. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” she said, knowing what it was like to enjoy your privacy. He didn’t owe her difficult conversations. Hell, they barely knew one another.

  Midas shook his head, staring at where their hands intertwined. “No, it’s okay. I just don’t talk about it very often, is all.” He turned towards her, his hand gliding up her arm. It felt...nice. Like it was caressing her soul as well as her skin. “When I was a boy, I would hide in the woods, sometimes for days at a time. I couldn’t figure out how to block the emotions. It was… overwhelming to say the least. And then I met Ody,”

  Thinking of him, Ava could feel Ody’s aura. Oddly, his foot moved, touching hers.

  “He helped me learn control. He was a military brat, even back then.” Midas snorted. “I’ve never met more of a control freak. He taught me to use my head to block my heart. Focus on the intellect behind the emotions. Use them to our advantage.” He stopped, his hand settling on her cheek. “And then you came along. So much for control, huh?” he chuckled.

  Ava grinned, looking down bashfully. “Do you have any theories? About our auras, I mean?”

  Midas laid back once more, blowing out a breath. “I have heard rumors of bonds. More like legends, really. But nothing confirmed.”

  “What kind of legends?”

  He looked at her sideways. “You aren’t going to like it.”

  Ava felt her heart rate spike. Ramé’s arms moved over her, pulling her back into him in a comforting hug. How could she find comfort in a stranger?

  “Tell me,” she whispered.

  Midas took a deep breath. “I’ve seen hints in the old legends that say Affinities can mate.”

  Ava blinked. “Come again?”

  “Mate. As in soulmate bonding. It’s rumored that if an Affinity finds their true mate, their energies will merge, putting together their missing pieces, and allowing them to gain their true abilities back.”

  Ava sat up, shoving Ramé’s restricting arm off of her and staring down at Midas as if he had grown another head. “What?”

  Midas sat up as well, running his hand through his tousled hair. She knew the others had woken up already, but she paid them no mind.

  “It’s only rumors,” he continued. “In all of my research, I’ve never come across anything concrete. None of us exactly sprouted wings, so I’m assuming shapeshifting isn’t in the cards.”

  “You assume?” Ava barked, fear spiking.

  Ody’s hand ran up her thigh, trying to comfort her. “It’s alright, Sunshine. We’ll figure it out.” How could he be so calm right now? Who knew what this meant for them?

  “Wait. This doesn’t make sense. Why would I mate with all three of you?” Ava asked, desperately trying to resist the urge to lean back into Ramé’s embrace.

  Midas shrugged, dropping his head back against the wall. “I don’t know. Everything I have read on it has been ancient. It’s like a game of telephone, the stories morphing over time. No one even knows if Affinities ever were truly able to shift. It’s all conjecture at this point.” He grinned then, the smirk reminding her of the man at her back. “Perhaps you’re just greedy.”

  Ava stared at him utterly unamused.

  “Why now? Surely if mating bonds were a thing, we would have heard of it by now, right?”

  “The girl,” Ramé said.

  “What girl?” Ava snarled, her fingers gripping the sheet. White hot possessiveness shot through her. They were hers. She would tear apart anyone that tried to come between her and her golden men…

  “The one the bounty is on. I overheard the Council discussing her before they set the bounty. They said she was dabbling in ancient magic. Magic they needed access to. That’s why they want her alive. Awful big coincidence, don’t you think?”

  Ava stared down at Ramé, his dark hair fanned out on her pillow. He was the embodiment of sex, with his golden skin and sensual mouth. Ava could see deeper than that, though. Perhaps it was the bond, but Ava now saw the loneliness Ramé tried so hard to conceal, the intelligence behind his beautiful eyes. She reached down, smoothing a hand through his thick hair, comforting him from Lord knows what. She knew nothing of these men, even if her heart tried to convince her otherwise.

  “Who was the mark?” Ava asked

  “Loba Pontiki” Ody replied, massaging her calf.

  Ava froze, her heart stuttering a little.

  Loba. Her only true friend in the world. Loba was what some in their bay would call the Princess Pirate. Her Uncle ran the entire coast.

  “You know her?” Midas asked, obviously sensing her unease.

  “And if I did?” Ava looked up, glaring at him.

  Midas held his hands up in surrender. “Easy, love. It’s just a mark. We don’t have to take her in.”

  Ava felt the snarl building in the back of her throat and fought to push it back. Friends were rarer than treasure, in these parts. She hoarded them just as possessively as she would any trinket or shiny.

  It was Ramé’s turn to comfort her. His large hands slid up her arms, the simple t
ouch shooting straight to her center and effectively distracting her from her anger. “Calm down, wild cat. No one is going to hurt your friend. We should talk to her, though. Find out why the Council wants her so badly.”

  Ava nodded, trying to bring her focus back to the problem at hand.

  Mates. Bonds. Her mouth felt dry, all of a sudden. Ava fought hard to keep her attachments to a minimum. Relationships were weaknesses. Everyone had an agenda, and it was better to not feel that sharp blade of inevitable betrayal.

  Ody sat up beside her, his broad chest covered in scars. The tiny markings looked like constellations across his flesh. What had he been through in this life? How did he survive that and still manage to trust his friends so completely?

  He tilted his head, assessing her even as she tried to figure him out. How could someone so scarred be so soft? She would never tell him that, of course, but Ava could see how gentle he was with her. She could imagine him cooking pancakes on a Sunday morning, flour coating his muscled body…

  Ava blinked. Was she seriously contemplating Sunday mornings with these men? Panic swelled again, nearly choking her.

  “I need some water,” she mumbled, disentangling herself from the pile of nakedness and crawling from the bed, carefully wrapping the sheet around herself to give her some sense of modesty.

  The men watched her like lions, their gazes intense and predatory. Ava straightened as she headed towards what accounted for a kitchen in her tiny abode.

  After chugging an entire glass of water, Ava felt collected enough to address the problem on her bed. Turning, she took them all in, the sight slamming into her heart like a sledgehammer.

  They sat on the edge of the bed, their golden skin reflecting the sunset shining through the small window in the wall. The fading sunlight almost made them sparkle. It was as if she had woken up to an actual treasure trove. Her inner Wyvern purred, aching for them.

  “I’ll set up a meeting with her tomorrow,” Ava whispered, trying to catch her breath.

  They only nodded, never taking their eyes off of her.

  Not. Good.

  She was supposed to own her shinies, not the other way around.

  “Come to bed,” Ramé said, his hair sliding forward over his face until the urge to push it back was too much for her to resist.

  Ava went to them, surprised when the ache that had built in her chest evaporated almost instantly.

  What was she going to do?

  As she felt their hands running over her body, their mouths becoming familiar with her skin, she wondered if she would simply allow them to consume her whole?

  8

  AVA

  Her mother always used to say that three a.m. was the time of demons and thieves. Ava never quite understood that. Until now.

  With her men asleep, Ava slipped from the bed, careful to avoid the creaky floorboards she knew were nearest her. Quietly, she dressed, her dark clothing covering her like a suit of armor. This. This was who she was. Not some mindless mate. No. Ava was a thief.

  She headed towards the door but paused when she reached the closet. Swallowing, Ava silently opened the closet door, sliding open the drawer containing the ruby she had stolen. She gnawed at her lip, debating for a moment before removing the ruby and slipping it into her pocket. The men had said they planned on trading the ruby. Had they lied about it being their mother’s? Surely, they wouldn’t consider selling something that had any sentimental value to it. Maybe they were simply manipulating her?

  Ava shook her head, leaving the boathouse before she could change her mind. She wouldn’t sell the ruby. Yet. But she didn’t trust the men not to take it and run, either. A deep pang resonated in her chest at the thought. She didn’t want to lose them. How had she gotten attached so damn quickly? It had to be the magic. Which was exactly why it was so important for her to find Loba and see what she knew. Maybe she could break this curse before it broke her.

  Slipping on the dock, Ava picked up her pace, her heart racing. She couldn’t be sure how long it would take the men to notice she was gone. What would they do when they realized she wasn’t there? Fear slid under her skin, mixed with a tad bit of excitement. Adrenaline coursed through her. She wasn’t used to feeling like prey, and the thought was exhilarating. She could just imagine them stalking her...Capturing her. Then maybe they would have to claim her all over again.

  Ava stumbled, her dirty thoughts distracting her from the rough path she was sprinting down. She knew the alleys that led to the right dock. Loba’s uncle’s boat settled there on occasion. Loba had offered to let Ava stay with them, but Ava turned her down. She was a loner at heart. She simply didn’t want to be tied down. By anyone.

  Fingering the ruby in her pocket, Ava thought about the men that were now in her life. A few days ago she was blissfully content in her loneliness. She had all the trinkets and shiny things she needed to keep herself warm at night. Or had she? She thought back on the feeling of needing more. On how, no matter what she stole or collected, it was never enough. That feeling evaporated the moment Ramé licked the blood from his finger.

  “Ava!”

  Ava jumped at the faint sound of Ody calling out to her in the distance. Picking up speed, she quickly ducked into another alley, going deeper and deeper into the city. They would smell her, no doubt, but if she could get down to the docks, she could lose them in the water. She just needed a little time to get her head on straight. She needed space to be able to think without all of their sexy magic clouding her judgement.

  Ava cried out as someone grabbed her arm, yanking her up against the wall.

  “A bit late to be out and about, isn’t it, little girl?” Saltos hissed, shoving an arm up under her throat.

  Ava sneered, staring up into his greasy face. “Didn’t realize you owned the night, Saltos,”

  He chuckled, pressing harder against her neck. “What did I tell you about coming into my territory again?”

  Ava’s heart pounded. Had she run that far? She had been so distracted trying to escape her men that she hadn’t realized just how deep into the city she had gotten.

  “Nothing to say, hmm?” Saltos’s other hand slid up her stomach, creeping towards her breast.

  Ava brought her knee up sharply, landing a solid blow to his groin.

  Saltos cursed, falling back slightly. It was enough. Ava took the brief reprieve to push off the wall, sprinting in the opposite direction.

  Or that’s what she tried to do. She got two-feet ahead before Saltos snatched her ponytail, nearly yanking her off her feet. Ava yelped, her scalp screaming as he used her hair to jerk her around to face him, his other bony hand wrapping around her throat.

  “That wasn’t very nice,” he growled.

  Ava spit in his face.

  The last thing she saw was his ring-covered fist before everything went black.

  9

  RAMÉ

  This is turning out to be one hell of a night, Ramé thought as he scoured the alleyways, searching for a flip of blonde hair or the smell of sunlight. The rain that layered the cobbled streets effectively dampened his sense of smell, which was unfortunate at a time like this.

  Why had she run? Ramé snorted at that thought. He knew why she had run. Hell, he had felt like running at multiple points throughout the evening. The lure that she had on him, on all of them, was terrifying. Ramé was not a man used to feeling afraid. Especially of a woman.

  Shaking his head, he paused, wincing as something dug into his backside. Reaching back and slipping his hand down the back of his pants, he frowned as he pulled the annoying culprit that seemed to be stuck to his butt cheek. He laughed as he stared down at a bronze medallion with a red apple engraved on the front. Did anyone even accept that currency anymore?

  His wild cat was a fucking hoarder. Who slept with medallions and pearls? Honestly...

  Sliding the coin into his pocket, Ramé’s mind raced as he thought about the small woman who had slipped into his life. He had never felt such an
instant attraction to a woman. Sure, he had his fair share of ladies in his time, but their looks were mostly an afterthought. He was self-aware enough to admit the real reason he sought their company.

  Not with Ava, though. The way his body had been drawn to her from the moment he laid eyes on her... How irresistible she had been back at that boathouse. He thought of the way she blushed when he caught her gazing at him, his heart clenching. He cared for her.

  He was losing his damn mind.

  Lost in thought, Ramé nearly missed the cry of pain echoing in the distance to his right. Ava. He took off in that direction, pushing his legs, his footsteps slamming into the pavement as he closed the distance. She was too far. He wasn’t going to make it.

  Almost there. Just hold on. Almost there. He and his brothers had split up to cover more distance. They had thought she was just making a run for it. They hadn’t considered the dangers that lurked in the city at night. If anything happened to her...

  Ramé cursed, jerking himself away from that train of thought. Pulling out his phone, he quickly dialed Ody. “South-side, down by the market. She’s in trouble. Call Midas.” He was barely able to get the words out between ragged breaths as he sprinted, ending the call and shoving the phone back into his pocket.

  Had he been asked a week ago if he would be trying to rescue some dame he was smitten with, in the dead of night, he would have laughed. Ramé wasn’t one to settle down. Sure, someday he had hoped to find the perfect one. The one who he could make a home with. But he knew how dangerous attachments were in his world. Rare Affinities were hunted constantly. The powerful affinities didn’t like the idea of having competition out there. They knew if creatures such as he were allowed to breed, to expand their numbers, they would become the dominant species in their hierarchy. Having a woman, or God forbid, children, was simply too dangerous. All he had to do was think of his parents to prove that point.

  But then the little thief had stolen her way into his heart.

  Ramé darted around the final corner, aghast to find no trace of his woman. Her smell covered the alleyway, and yet she wasn’t there. Searching, he tried to catch his breath, attempting to focus through the sheer panic pounding in his veins.