Page 103 of Anywhere

Rhys looked up from what he was reading, and our eyes locked.

“So here’s the thing, Devlin. I’ve changed my mind about my triad.” I took a step farther into the room, and the air between us sizzled. “In fact, I’m looking forward to it.”

“What the fuck did they feed you? Are you drunk? Did they poison you? Have you been spelled? Shit, do I need to send someone to help you? Like, are you trying to send me a cryptic message? Say yes, and I’ll send help right now.”

“No,” I said, and yanked my T-shirt off with one hand, tossing it aside. Rhys’s eyes flared as I continued to stalk towards him. “I’m actually about to fuck my second in the library so hard that he’s not going to be able to sit down for a week. So if you’ll excuse me, brother, I need to go.”

“What the—”

I hit end on the call before turning it off and tossing it aside.

“We were in the middle of something, and you took off. I’m tired of you disappearing, Rhys. Like really fucking tired of it.” Putting my hands on the table, I leaned towards him. “So now I’m going to have to make sure you know what happens when you run. You need to be punished. I’m going to shove my fucking cock so far down your throat, you’re going to choke on it while I come.”

Rhys wiggled in his seat. “I’ma actually really wantin’ dat punishment, but I didn’ run. When we were talkin’, there be somethin’ ya said twigged in me mind, and I needed ta find dis before I forgot. Ya are kinda distractin’,” Rhys said and smiled as he turned the massive book in my direction to read. “Besides, figured ya’d need a few minutes with yer brother. I already heard about his rantin’ about his triad from Caleb and just how fecked off Devlin is with who his third is. Naw offence, but yer brotha can be a cunt, so he kinda deserves it,” Rhys smirked, and it made me laugh.

“What am I looking at?”

Rhys stood and came around the table, and as he did, the charge between us grew. “Fuck, ya smell good,” Rhys said, and leaned in towards me, his chest brushing against my arm.

“If you want me to read this before I take you on this table, you’d better point it out now. My control is quickly slipping,” I said, and didn’t dare look at him as the heat rising from his skin caressed my cheek.

“Dis.” Rhys tapped the page where a paragraph started and then took a step away.

“A power merge? What the heck is that?” I mumbled and kept reading. My eyes skimmed over the lines and then I went back to the top and started all over again. “What the—Is this for real?”

“Aye, it is.” I watched Rhys pace around, his brow furrowed as he thought. “When ya said ya could feel me, I knew I’d heard dat before. Then when you mentioned that you were the one that couldn’t make a decision it clicked and I had to come check. It was so rare and so unusual it stuck wit me from dat lesson.”

“I don’t get it. Why us?”

Rhys shrugged. “Fucked if I know. Nothin’ about our union has made sense.” He held up a finger. “I was supposed ta be da number one—all McGregors are—but naw, I’m now a two.” He held up a second finger. “We be equal in almost all tings. Different powers, sure, but physical strength, power, dominance…On paper we dinnie make a good match. And now da power is becomin’ one. We are becomin’ one.”

“Does this mean we will actually inhabit one body?” I asked, a little horrified, but it made Rhys laugh.

“Naw, not in physical body, but in all da otha ways, yes.” Rhys shook his head and held his arms out to the side. “Da problem now is are ya still willin’ ta be in a triad wit me,” Rhys asked.

I stood straight and ran my thumb over my bottom lip.

“Tell me, Rhys, how do you feel?” I asked, as the words on the page and the long-term implications danced through my mind.

Rhys resumed his pacing in the tight spaces of the library, like a large predatory animal looking for an escape.

“Rook, I told ya before dat I want ta make da union work. Da ting is, I’ma no stupid. I’m da number two, dat means dat I ‘ave a target on me back. It could be a week, a month, or even a year, but dey are comin’ fir me. Dey always come fir da two first.”

“Agreed. The track record is not very good for the number two, but we’re going to be smarter than our ancestors were and make sure that you’re better protected,” I said and meant it.

I didn’t want either Rhys or Elewyen to be hunted or killed, but the possibility was very real. My hand went to my chest at the same time that Rhys’s did.

“It has already begun, Rook. If we complete da triad, if we choose ta do the final ceremony, den we are forever bound. Ya will feel me as I feel you, forever, in all tings. Every emotion, every touch, everythin’, and if one of us dies…”

“We both do,” I finished.

Rhys nodded. “It be very rare to have such a strong connection dat a merge would form. We’d be more powerful den all the couples combined, but we will be at a real risk. Dere will be very few we can trust, and even dose we tink we can, we can’t…”

Rhys crossed his arms over his chest. “It means dat we cannie just leave da house ta go ta town alone. We cannie fly overseas ta visit friends or family. You cannie just go sing without months of plannin’. It means yer goin ta be more tied ta me den ya ever thought. Firget a triad connection, dis is… I ‘ave no words, and no one alive has experienced it. We din’t even know what da consequences be. Last night, ya said, ‘oh yes, fuck me’ wit Elewyen, and I fuckin said it wit ya like it be my words.”

He pointed to me, and I could feel the urge to point at him. It was creepy, and yet… I wasn’t scared like I should’ve been. Was that because he wasn’t scared? Fuck, this was confusing.

“What do you suggest as an alternative?” I asked.