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“It would be my suggestion you leave in the morning,” Elder Vali said. “We will begin preparations here and start moving the non-combatants. You can use tonight to bond.”
Claire blushed as the gazes of her Triad locked on her.Fuck.
44
Claire couldn’t tell you how everyone got dismissed from the meeting as her Triad seemed determined to tease her to the point of breaking. Malcolm didn’t let her up from his lap and kept his hand high on her thigh. Not moving it, just radiating heat from it. A heat that zinged up her spine and settled in her stomach, causing her to shift on his lap till he clamped his hand down, stilling her movements.
Holly took over the meeting, assigning tasks with an organized efficiency as Desmond tried to push teasing images into her mind. She tried glaring at him, she was the ruler of the Fae and the Elves for the Realm’s sake and needed to focus on this meeting. He just smiled at her glare and sent an image of her riding him at the Dragon Mountains that almost had Claire falling off Malcolm’s lap.
Thankfully, everyone started getting up and leaving so Claire’s clear distraction wasn’t on display for much longer. Malcolm let Claire stand and Holly hugged her, slipping a piece of paper into Claire’s hand and closing her fist around it. Kallan dropped a set of keys in Everett’s hands and whispered something to him. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire.
As much as Claire wanted to sink to the floor in embarrassment from everyone knowing what they were about to go do, she also couldn’t deny the rising heat. While they had sex together before, this was going to bebonding. She was about to be connected to these men in a way she never had with anyone before. A deeper connection that would tie their life forces together and not only build a deeper bond between them but also amplify each other’s magic. They would know her as well if not better than she would know herself and that equal parts terrified and excited her.
Her Triad seemed to share her building excitement because as soon as they were outside, Malcolm was scooping her up over his shoulder. She let out a giggle that turned into an ‘oomph’ as her stomach hit his shoulder.
“Malcolm,” she complained when she got her breath back.
“What, little treasure? A dragon has to take care of his greatest treasure and keep it from running away.” She rolled her eyes at his cheesiness.
“I don’t want to run away though,” Claire propped her hand up on his lower back so she could see Everett and Desmond. “I want this,” she confessed softly.
Everett’s eyes softened into a deep green and Desmond smiled at her. “We do too,” Desmond said as Malcolm’s hand moved and started stroking the back of her leg, inching closer to her butt. “But you have to let the grumbly dragon do his thing,” Desmond teased.
“He is grumbly, isn’t he?” Claire teased and then let out a surprised squeak when Malcolm smacked her ass. “Malcolm!”
“Chatty treasure,” Malcolm grumbled but Claire could feel the grin behind his words.
They didn’t head back to the manor house where they had been staying instead heading to the far right manor. Malcolm let her down with a soft growl and Everett let them in with the keys Kallan had given him, smiling at her confused look.
“After the war, they converted this manor into an escape for the Fae. It’s a sacred temple of sorts and used to celebrate all sorts of ceremonies. Including ours.”
Claire’s breath hitched in her throat as his green eyes seemed to flame. The air seemed to heat and crackle around her as Malcolm trailed a finger up her arm, across her shoulder and up her jaw. Despite the heat, his finger left goosebumps across her skin and she shivered. He tilted her head up and captured her lips in a searing kiss.
She felt Desmond leave the room only because her bond with him stretched thinner. The bonds between them all seemed supercharged in the house and Claire wasn’t sure if it was because of the sacredness of the space around them or just her own magic and anticipation.
Malcolm tangled his fingers into her curls and tilted her head to kiss her impossibly deeper until cinnamon and smoke flooded her senses. Forest and spice pressed against her back as Everett stepped in closer. Malcolm gathered her curls with his hands to bare her neck for Everett.
Everett placed soft, gentle kisses at the base of her neck, causing her to shiver at the light brushes of his lips at one of her sensitive areas. Her core clenched on nothing as Everett settled his hands on her hips, his thumbs rubbing her hip bones gently. Claire arched into Malcolm, rocking up against his hardness. He growled and pulled her closer, his tongue thrusting into her mouth causing a whimper to catch in her throat.
He broke the kiss and Claire gasped for air. She gasped again when Everett took the opportunity to pull her shirt over her head and she stood between them in just her bra and pants.
“As lovely as this view is,” Desmond drawled from the doorway to the right, “we’ve got five bonding rituals to do tonight.” He held up the piece of paper that Holly had given Claire. It must have fallen out of her grip when Malcolm had thrown her over his shoulder.
Everett reluctantly let go of her hips, his fingers trailing on her skin as she moved towards Desmond. Desmond’s blue eyes darkened and swirled as Claire approached. He held out his hand and she accepted it, allowing him to lead her into the room behind him.
He had been busy in the short amount of time Claire had been distracted. Or maybe it was a long amount of time and Claire was just really distracted. The room behind them sparkled with the remnants of Desmond’s magic and when Claire focused she realized Desmond had cleaned and aired out the room ahead of them. A large, low platform bed dominated the room with a low table directly in front of it. On it, Desmond had laid out the pouch of herbs that Greta had given her, as well as a velvet cloth folded up as wide as her hand and as long as her forearm. He handed the piece of paper back to Claire who shivered as he let his fingers graze the side of her palm.
Claire blushed, feeling shy for some reason. It wasn’t like she hadn’t had sex with all of them before but this time felt different. There was something… more in the air here. Claire opened the paper with shaky fingers, reading quickly over the words with a furrowed brow.
Holly had found the Fae’s bonding ritual it seemed. It was specific to the Fae’s affinity apparently and for Claire would involve sharing a piece of Energy with each of them as well as taking a piece of their Energy into hers.
Claire looked up at Desmond shyly. “How do we do this?” she asked. “I mean is there an order…”
“Whatever feels right, little love.” Desmond smiled at her, tilting her head up and pressing a soft kiss against her lips. “Why don’t we start with the Elven ritual as I’m pretty sure that involves tea and we can go from there.”
“There’s no pressure tonight,” Everett said from behind her. “I know it might seem like it but if you want to wait we can wait.”
“No,” Claire’s answer was quick and sure. “I want this. And it feels weird to be awkward about this but…”
