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Claire nodded softly, throat tight. “Was it worth it? Did we win?”
“Yes, we won,” Everett said and Claire could hear the quiet smile in his voice. “Holly’s been taking care of the aftermath with your uncle and cousins while we’ve been with you.”
Claire felt Holly settle on the bed, her scent of lilies and lavender tickled Claire’s nose. “Everett’s right. We did win although we took some losses.”
Claire squeezed her eyes shut, thinking of the Fae warrior beheaded by Henry Storm she couldn’t save.
Malcolm squeezed her tighter and Claire settled back into him more, letting him help carry the grief.
“The Fae took point in securing the prisoners with the help of the Elves,” Holly continued softly, stroking Claire’s blanket covered leg. She felt some of her grief lift a bit and realized Holly was taking it from her.
“We’ve secured all the prisoners, including Vanya and Roland. What you did left them magically weakened but alive. They are in a prison cell surrounded by Metallicum keeping their Energy levels low. Everyone wanted to wait for you to wake up before any decisions were made.”
Zack picked up the story. “We went public with the story and the Realm is shaken. The Council has been disbanded pending investigations. They’re on house arrest while the ones we know were in on it are in the Capital’s dungeons.”
“And where are we?” Claire asked.
“At the Academy,” Desmond answered her. “When you fell… Greta thought it would be best if you were surrounded by magic you knew. We would have taken you to the Elven Forest but portals inside it still aren’t active yet so we worried about the journey. Helene and Greta have been channeling the Royal Tree the best they could to try to help heal you.”
“It also gave us a central base to work from while we dealt with the aftermath,” Zack said. “There’s a lot to rebuild and figure out.”
“But tomorrow,” Holly said firmly, halting Zack’s words.
“Tomorrow,” Desmond agreed. “For now you need more rest.”
Claire wanted to protest that it felt like she had slept for a thousand years but as Malcolm shifted closer and Everett took up her other side, a wave of exhaustion had her yawning. Desmond shifted her so her head was on his lap and he began a light scalp massage that had Claire moaning softly in appreciation.
She heard rustling from around the bed as her friends settled in around the room. No one was quite ready to leave her just yet and Claire didn’t want them too. She was exactly where she wanted to be, surrounded by her mates and family.
The last thought she had before she succumbed to sleep was actually a question. Did her mother see this ending all along and bound Claire’s sight not only as a way to bind her magic but to ensure that this would be the choice Claire made when it came down to it?
The question wasn’t going to get answered with the few moments of wakefulness she had left but she fell asleep with a smile on her lips. Whether her mother intended this or not, they were all alive and she was surrounded by this new family she had created and loved so fiercely.
53
Claire woke easily, basking in the warm golden glow of being surrounded by her mates. She knew if she opened her eyes, the darkness that still remained would block her view so she kept her eyes shut. Using her other senses, she reached out for her mates. Their bonds strummed softly, but not sleepily, Claire was the last to wake apparently.
That was a common theme over the last few days. Her men seemed unwilling to take their eyes off of her for long and Claire swore they even slept in shifts in case someone stole her away from them in the night. This was the golden honeymoon that Claire should have had after her bonding.
Instead of the battle.
Instead of all the death.
She pushed the memories that threatened to flash before her closed eyes with a gentle shove. She was basking this morning. Enjoying the last few moments of peace before they had to face the real world. Her friends had held it off as much as they could, but there were some things only Claire could face.
A soft purr rumbled through her, the weight on her belly shifting slightly as it vibrated. She dropped a sleepy hand from her chin, running her hand through the soft locks that pressed against her stomach. Malcolm nuzzled her hand and Claire traced her fingertips across his cheek. His purr intensified and Claire shifted as it sparked a different type of languid heat.
Spearmint filled her nostrils as Desmond shifted closer to her on the pillow. His nose brushed hers as he shifted closer and the spearmint intensified. Eyes still closed, she shifted forward a fraction of an inch and brushed her lips against his.
He responded almost instantly, pressing his lips firmer against hers, his tongue sneaking out to taste her mouth. The arm across her chest tightened as she responded to Desmond’s kiss. The arm retracted slightly to brush the hair off of her neck before soft lips pressed against the back of her neck, sending sparks of heat radiating down her spine.
The soft kisses and purrs had a slow rolling heat building inside of her. Claire stretched restlessly, unsure which direction to shift in, surrounded by her men on all sides. Malcolm lifted his head off of her stomach and Claire mewled into Desmond’s kiss at the lost. He didn’t stay away long, just long enough to tug the sheet down off her stomach before he settled back between her legs.
A hand slipped down her side, fingers brushing against the side of her breast. Claire arched her back but Everett had a different destination in mind. His hand ran along the inside of her thigh and hooked behind her knee. He pulled her knee up and back, making even more room for Malcolm.
Claire jumped slightly as Malcolm pressed a soft kiss against one hip bone. He traced soft kisses across to her other hip bone. Everett dragged his hand back up her side but this time he cupped her breast. He gripped it softly in his hand, thumb circling her nipple in a torturous circle.
Claire tried to shift, to press her breast further into his hands or shift her hips to get Malcolm to move faster but her men didn’t seem to have any inclination to move faster. Instead they savored every kiss, every brush of their lips, every touch. She couldn’t blame them even as she twisted restlessly against the slow burn. They were taking advantage of every moment, all of them all too aware of what it was like without each other.
