Page 14 of Ravished By the Ravens

Sure, Hanan and Magnus had been perfectly nice—and generous—but there’s a lot about them that makes him want to run. Or should make him want to run. They keep calling him ‘ours’ and have taken him to a place no human will be able to find. They themselves are magic in one sense, and can easily overpower him and keep him here against his will.

His hand travels to his throat, closing around the locket hidden by his T-shirt. He swallows.

They also said they’d take him home today. And he still wants to see if they all can fit in their humongous shower.

With a nod, Asher turns on his heel and throws open the first door he finds. Books line the walls, crammed onto shelves and stacked on tables. On the opposite wall of the door, three beautiful floor-to-ceiling windows show the view of the woods outside. One of them is cracked open. The sun hangs high in the sky. Asher must have slept longer than he thought.

Mornin’, a raven croaks as he flies in through the open window and lands on a pile of books.

“Hi.” Asher walks towards it, leaving the door open behind him. “I don’t know which one you are. Or maybe you’re a secret third one they’ve been keeping from me.”

The raven cocks his head and takes flight again, this time landing on Asher’s shoulder. The apprehension and fear that filled him yesterday are nowhere to be seen today, and Asher has no issue caressing the bird’s head. He’s soft, warmer than he thought he would be, and heavier.

Either Magnus or Hanan—whoever decided this day was perfect for a flight around the castle—nuzzles against Asher’s cheek, gently poking his beak through Asher’s tousled hair. It’s a nice scratch, and it sends a shiver down his spine.

“I have no idea how to get around this place,” Asher says, once again running a hand down the raven’s back. “And I woke up all alone in a cold bed. Would be nice to get a hug right about now.”

The raven croaks a laugh, but still flaps its wings and jumps back into the air. The transformation isn’t as harrowing this time around, and Asher knows what to expect. Instead, he can appreciate the way the skin replaces feathers and the pure magic of how they can go from animal to man in the span of a couple of seconds.

“Good morning.” It’s Hanan in all his glory. Sweatpants hung low on his hips and shirtless, of course. Maybe they only kept shirts around for polite company? Something Asher obviously isn’t. “Sleep well? We didn’t want to wake you.”

Asher only has to take a step closer for Hanan to catch on and open his arms. He hums his answer, snuggling into Hanan’s chest and pressing a soft kiss to his right pec. There’s a particularly nice swirl of black ink right there. And just as he closes his eyes, ready to enjoy the moment, his stomach screams with hunger.

“Breakfast?” Hanan laughs. “Magnus said he was going to make pancakes.”

“Yes, please.”

Hanan smirks at the word. “You’re learning.”

* * *

“So,” Magnus starts, gently massaging Asher’s ankle. They’ve relocated to a living room, which, despite what the aesthetics dictate, is fully modern and complete with a giant TV. Asher lies splayed out on the couch, head in Hanan’s lap, and feet in Magnus’s. “Want us to take you home?”

Hanan’s fingers—which had been busy running through Asher’s hair—still. “We’ll show you how to get through the spells,” he says, forcing each word out like they hurt to speak.

Asher lies in silence for a bit, making them sweat for as long as he has patience for. Then, “I don’t have anywhere to be until Monday.” He checks his imaginary watch and smiles. “Which is in two days.”

Both men straighten, staring at Asher with those dark, wanting eyes. “You want to stay?” Magnus asks incredulously.

“Until Monday?” Hanan adds.

“I have work on Monday, so probably Sunday night, if you two don’t take me straight to work from here.”

The shifters exchange a look above him. Sometimes it feels like they can communicate with nothing but their eyes. “We can do that,” Hanan says eventually.

“Easy.” Magnus’s face lights up with the widest smile ever, all his straight, white teeth on display.

Laughter bubbles up Asher’s throat, and he curls to the side and holds his stomach. “You two are impossible. And hilarious.”

“Hey now.” Magnus grabs Asher’s ankle and pulls hard. “We’re just very excited, okay? It’s not every day you get to meet your new mate.”

With Magnus effectively having pulled him into his lap, Asher sits up and throws his arms around the man’s neck. He looks to the side, gesturing for Hanan to come close too.

“You know,” he starts, once again fiddling with the locket around his neck. “I’m starting to actually believe all that.” Warmth spread in his chest. It feels true down to his very soul. “About being your mate. It just feels right.”

“I know,” Hanan smiles, cupping Asher’s cheek. “I know humans don’t feel it as strongly as we do. But I’m happy you can. Even though we’re happy to take it slow.”

“I wouldn’t say we took it slow last night.” Magnus wiggles his eyebrows.