“It doesn’t matter any—”
“It matters. It matters because I am going to string them up by their entrails for all to see what happens to anyone who hurts my mates,” Riordan insisted.
“We can discuss that later when we decide what to do about the brands,” I suggested. I could tell Riordan was beginning to have trouble regulating his emotions.
“Why did you not—”
Don’t youdaremake this about you,I intercepted him through our bond.
Riordan balked at first and was ready to argue with me before he seemed to see my point. He took a moment to recompose himself before he spoke again.
“Amira is right, we can… deal with that later. All you need to know right now is that this changes nothing about how I feel for you. I love you, Orion, and I will continue to love you with my final breaths,” Riordan swore.
“You do not understand,” Orion insisted breathlessly. “My enslavement did not entail working as a labourer or a field hand, Riordan. I am a—was—a whore.”
Easy,I warned Riordan mentally when I could feel his temper spiking again. I could practically hear the medley of questions whirling in his mind.
“I was sold as a child to my mother’s matron, just as my brother was before me. These brands mean that I owe her a life debt. I was supposed to pay it off with my body, but then Iescaped to Ergastiri, and the interest has been accumulating all this time. It will be a small fortune.”
“It is not for you to worry about the cost. That will be up to the woman who branded you to pay with her life,” Riordan assured him. “This changesnothingfor me.”
Orion raised his eyes to look at hisskiáfor the first time as if to see if Riordan meant it. His eyes began to well with tears as he shook his head in confusion.
“Itshould,” he whispered.
“It does not,” Riordan insisted, and Orion suddenly glowered at him in frustration.
“You might not be able to see it or even understand it, but I amfilthy!” Orion shouted, and I nearly lost the battle not to cry for him. “I amdisgusting! Like a discarded canvas painted with the vices of a thousand trespassers. Someone like me shouldn’t even be in the same fucking room as either of you. I should never have bonded to you, but I could not bear you choosing anyone—”
I was surprised when Riordan moved right next to me and pulled Orion abruptly into his arms as if he could not bear to hold back any longer from touching him.
“I love you.I love you,” Riordan repeated with utterly unquestionable fervour as he kissed Orion’s ear and jaw. “I am going to love you so hard there will be no room for these ugly thoughts and feelings about yourself.”
“You cannot. They never go away,” Orion whispered what was probably his worst fear.
“They will. We will, all three of us, drive them away,” Riordan swore as he reached for my hand and squeezed it without raising his head.
I had to smile at his determination, even though Orion and I both knew there was no way to love someone hard enough to make them feel well. But Riordan and I could certainly provide Orion the unshakable framework from which to start reshaping his inner world.
Orion finally melted completely in Riordan’s arms and then was abruptly overcome with sobs. I had never seen another adult cry like that, but I recognized the sound of him letting go of the pain that was eating him alive.
I leaned into them, sinking into the cradle of Riordan’s arms so I could press against Orion’s shaking back and wrap my arms around him. Riordan kissed my head while Orion gripped my arms against his chest.
It was many long moments before he began to quiet, but we all stayed silently locked together.
“Spend the night here with us,” Riordan said finally, and I looked up at him in disbelief when Orion stiffened. “Not forsex,” he clarified in exasperation. “Just stay.”
Orion was quiet for a moment while he contemplated, but it was not long before he was nodding in agreement.
“I will stay,” he said.
Riordan exhaled in relief that I felt to my core, and we began untangling our limbs to stand. Then Riordan took both of our hands and trailed us behind him through the door into our apartment. I could not keep my eyes away from Orion who still looked so fragile with eyes haunted by horrible pain. I was so glad he was staying with us because all I wanted to do was hold him tonight.
We reached the bedchamber where both men began to remove their armour. I usually slept naked, but I doubted that was a good idea with Orion. So I excused myself to the closet where I selected one of the pretty nightdresses that I’d never worn. None of the articles were particularly modest since I was pretty sure Sofia had them made for the first week of my union with Riordan. But they were all I had. Even if a glance in the full-length mirror had me reaching for a robe to pull on over top. The lavender silk was sheer enough to afford a glimpse of my nipples and the dark patch of hair at the apex of my thighs.
Thankfully, Riordan had dimmed the lights before he climbed into the bed behind Orion who had tried to lay on thevery edge of the mattress. Riordan was making him move into the centre while I went around the bed to keep Orion in the middle. Luckily, the new bed was sized for griffin unions, which typically included three people, so there was more than enough room.
The room was dim, but Orion lay facing me as I got to the edge of the mattress and began to untie my thin robe. Riordan had curled up behind him with an arm over him, and they were both watching and waiting for me to get into the bed with them.
