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I made it to the bathroom and was washing myself up when a knock came at the half-open door. "Nari?" It was Talin.
"Yeah? It's open."
He stepped in to find me with one leg on the edge of the tub, a wet cloth in my hand, wiping at my pussy. "You ok?" he asked.
"I had cum oozing out," I explained. "Not a pleasant feeling."
"It just…" He paused with a huff. "Of course, it doesn't just disappear, you idiot."
"I didn't think about it either," I assured him. "And it's not really that bad. I just kinda wasn't sure if I was about to leave a pee-sized spot on the rug. I think a towel will work next time."
He nodded. "Warm cloth? Damp?"
I tossed the rag in the tub and looked at him. "You seem really worried about this. Why?"
"Aftercare," he said. "I'm starting to realize what that means. I'm sorry I didn't even think to look it up."
"I am not a research project," I told him.
"No, you aren't, but there's a lot of stuff in the library to help me take care of you better. Well, about all of it. How to please a woman, a man, and such. It's how I..." He stopped to scrub at his face with a hand. "That first night? I'd kinda read up on how to make sure a woman's ready so it won't hurt."
I pulled my leg down and crossed the distance between us to wrap my arms around him. "It didn't hurt," I told him. "At first, it was a bit tight."
"Until you stretch a bit. Yeah. Hymens don't really break. They just kinda stretch, or tear if the guy's an idiot. When you said you hadn't been with a man before, I was kinda glad I'd read all that stuff. I should've kept going to the after parts, but I didn't really think I'd... you know."
"Hey, I'm sorry for just running out like that," I said, wondering if that was why he sounded almost apologetic.
Talin shook his head, proving that wasn't it. "I kinda feel bad for pushing into the middle. For taking over your partner. The three of you have something amazing, and I want so badly to be a part of it. I sometimes forget that I can't just take everything I want."
"I wanted you there," I told him.
His pale blue eyes shifted between mine. "With you, or with him?"
"There, however you want. See, that's why we work. We knew we couldn't be jealous. Eladehl was going to be a Priest of the Body. He'd have countless lovers, and not all good. What he needed was a friend. Well, we all did. Someone to remind us that we're not alone. We have a safe place to fall when we need it, and there will always be someone to pick us up. That's our love, Talin. It started as foolish young kids, and we were just honest enough to let it grow with us. If you truly want to be a part of this, then I think you are. You just can't shut us out, not even when it's less than perfect, becausewe- all four of us - are all we'll ever get."
He wrapped an arm around my back and turned, pressing me into the wall. "I love you, Nariana. You want open? Well, there it is. One single week, and you have managed to rock my whole world. I'm turned on by Eladehl, and I like to think I get along with Wraythe, but I am in love with you. So how does that work?"
"I'm not there yet," I breathed.
He shrugged, refusing to release me. "Don't care. Doesn't matter if you never are. I am your guardian. I'm supposed to love you, so I'm not fighting it. You should also know that you won't be the only one. I've never had a friend like how Eladehl and Wraythe have each other. That thing you just said about not being alone?" He licked his lips. "For the first time since I came to the Temple of Temptation, I finally feel like I belong."
"Then stay the night with us?"
He nodded. "And go tell your partner that he's amazing. He's kinda thinking he hurt you."
"That," I said, slipping out from under him to back toward the door. "That's why we work, and it's why you're already a part. You don't need to try, or hope, or even pray. You're one of our four, Talin."
Then I turned, heading back to the living room so I could spend a little time in Eladehl's arms.
Chapter 53
Nariana
The four of us tumbled to bed together. Eladehl and I ended up in the center. Talin cuddled against him, and Wraythe spooned up to me. We'd managed to prove that the rings no longer caused pain, but they didn't make any attempt for a second round. I had a feeling it was their way of taking care of me, because I felt a little used between my legs. Not painful, but I didn't have much experience stretching around a man yet.
We woke to someone banging on the door the next morning. Both Wraythe and Talin cursed, hurrying out of bed. Each one scrambled to get their clothes from the living room. Eladehl sat up, but didn't get in their way. Yet the moment they were out of the bedroom, he gestured for me to stay in bed, and found a pair of pants for himself.
While most guardians were overly familiar with their wards, it was different for initiates. For the guardians still in training, the emphasis was on respect and protection, not adoration and intimacy. Knowing our pair had spent the night with us? That would be hard to explain. Considering that I already seemed to have people watching my every move? It wouldn't take much for us to get in trouble.
