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Sierra
I rode the last leg of the day’s journey with Ander, and after fuming for the first half hour, I finally allowed myself to enjoy the ride. Ander was a great listener and had an intuitive ability to know when someone needed distraction. At one point, as we were discussing his childhood, I realized with a jolt that my husband and he were brothers. Well, half-brothers. I still couldn’t believe their father had been such a despicable man. Based on his hatred for House Trajan, I assumed Lucius had been told, probably by his family, that he was a product of rape. I hoped it was something he’d never learn, though.
In my eyes, it didn’t matter how he had arrived in the world. Both his mother and Lucius were innocent. But I wasn’t naive to think that a man like Lucius wouldn’t feel shame for it, or worse, think his blood was tainted. Men were strange, though, always wanting a clean, worthy slate to mar all on their own.
Demos rode beside us, Phobius behind him. Up ahead were Fadon and Lucius, both of whom I’d left with a task: bare it all and accept each other once and for all. Even though I was confident in their love for me, what I wasn’t confident in was their promise to see this work. Both men were too stubborn. I had to admit, though, it was a lot I was asking of them, especially Fadon, who captained a rival House army and was brother to the Ongahri queen.
After all this was over—the Owl, the reckoning—then what? How would life with the three of them work? And when would we be able to start? Last night in Lucius’ tent, when he and the men were going over their plans, I’d barely paid attention. But I knew where we were headed. I learned about this grand weapon the higher-ups in the Tributary of Titus and the Owl Order had in their possession. Lucius had said things were looking grim, that things were far more serious than I’d thought. But what I didn’t know was what exactly the Ongahri planned to do.
My eyes grew heavier as the scenery repeated on an endless dark loop of trees and royal blue sky. By the time I started leaning on Ander to keep me upright, we stopped.
I was freezing. From sitting on a horse for so long, I couldn’t feel my bottom anymore. When Ander helped me down, my legs buckled and he had to steady me. I was not used to riding for so long on horseback, and I dreaded how I’d feel in the morning. But I’d take it over riding in a carriage any day.
Groaning, I looked at him. “It’s amazing how much riding takes out of you when all you have to do is sit there.” I rubbed my bottom, not caring if everyone could see me do it. I could hear Lucinda now, chastising me, could hear myself retorting back: It was my bottom, not theirs.
But Lucinda was gone, and here I was, in the middle of an Ongarhi war, in love with three men who had kept me in the dark for way too long. It was time to end that.
Demos appeared, stepping beside me. “Come on, Sierra. The fire has been lit, and you can sit and warm yourself while they erect the tents.”
Like a moth to its flame, I wobbled over to it. “Any idea where we are?” I asked him, sitting down and stretching out my legs. Demos sat close behind me, caging me in his arms.
“Without a map, I couldn’t tell you exactly, but somewhere south of Atrades.”
Ander joined us, groaning as well. “Where I hope we’ll be this time tomorrow night. What I wouldn’t do for a room at an inn and a mug of sweet ale.”
I nodded with a yawn and leaned back on Demos. He was warm and solid and smelled wonderful. When his mouth went to my neck, his lips ghosting the skin there, my frozen toes curled. I wanted to be with him right here on the forest floor, but I knew I couldn’t. I’d promised Lucius I’d find his bed tonight. Which I also wanted.
If only all three of them… My heart rate picked up at the image of having Lucius, Fadon, and Demos at the same time, in the same tent. Gods. Then I laughed. There was no way on Titus that would happen, not with the amount of territorial instinct each had.
“Melos,” Demos whispered in my ear, making me arch my back. I was instantly awake now. “Soon, I’m meeting with Lucius and Fadon to tell them everything.”
My lust instantly disappeared. Did he mean everything everything?
“Can I be there?” I whispered back. In the corner of my eye, I checked to make sure Ander couldn’t hear us. These secrets weren’t for his ears, only for me and my mates.
“Of course.” His fingertip caressed his bite mark behind my hair. I could still feel his teeth sinking into me. It had hurt but in a way that made no sense. Kind of like the bite Lucius had given me.
And there came the images of being with all three of them again.
“By the Wind, I want you,” he breathed, his nose going to my throat. “You—”
“Demos, the tent’s been set up,” Lucius interrupted. I straightened and took in my husband. His jaw was clenched, eyes bright, hands fisted. Poor Lucius, I thought. And poor me. I knew Lucius wasn’t going to be gentle when I came to his bed later, and my sex tightened just thinking about it.
Demos helped me to my feet. “She’ll be coming with us.”
“Very well.” Lucius turned on his heel and we followed. Fadon was just entering the tent as Pateus was leaving. The latter smiled at me.
“I left you some food, Lady Dega. You as well, Chieftain.” He bowed his head and whispered something in Lucius’ ear. Lucius nodded, and we went inside.
“Pateus has assured us some privacy for the next few hours,” my husband explained. “There’s tea and some food, so take a seat and let’s start.”
With tea in hand, boots off, a blanket around my legs, and with my mates surrounding me, I looked expectantly at them, waiting to see who would speak first. Demos, sitting directly across from me, was the only one who seemed calm, but because I knew him so well, I could see that he wasn’t. He was still lost to his own form of rut haze, and he watched the men next to him with a warrior’s wariness before he seemed to remember why we all were here.
“What I have to tell you cannot be repeated or alluded to out there. Ever,” Demos began. His blue eyes were cold, serious, taking measure of Fadon and Lucius.
Dear gods, he was going to share with them what he was. He’d said “everything,” when he’d told me he was meeting them, but I didn’t think it would be this. My instinct was to stop him. Such a secret could get him killed so easily, or worse. I had to swallow down the horrifying image of him being shot down with an arrow in his owl form.
“Do you swear to it that this stays between us?” Demos asked.
