AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ela's lips curled in a sly smile. "So, does this mean we're going to start bringing sexy priests home and having our way with them?"
"I think we should," Nari said, glancing back at Wraythe as if checking to make sure that was ok. "We need to learn."
There was also one more thing I wanted to bring up, and I wasn't sure how they'd take it. I almost said nothing. Wraythe nodded at Nari as if her idea made sense, but he was only thinking about her and Ela together. When she was alone, she was my responsibility, and I could actually handle that. It was Ela that bothered me, and while it wasn't my place to say anything, I had to.
"I'd prefer Ela has his lessons with Faylie a little closer," I blurted out.
All three of them turned to look at me.
So I decided to just keep going. "I don't like the idea of him walking all the way across the temple after that. He tries to act like this is easy for him, but it's not. There's no need for him to keep it together when what he really needs is us. Across the hall is better, and if things get out of control, I'll be close enough to help Wraythe."
"It's too close," Ela said, but his face had turned hard and cold again.
Letting out a breath, I closed the distance between us and reached up to clasp his arm. "We know where you are. We know what you're doing. This isn't a secret, and it shouldn't be."
"I don't want you to hear her," he grumbled. "I don't want - " His mouth snapped shut and he looked at Nari.
"Her screams," Nari realized.
Ela simply swallowed, not even nodding to show she was right.
So I moved my hand to his face, forcing him to focus on me. "Ela, is it better for her to hear it, know it, and brace for the first time she has to see it? Or do you think Nari would handle it better if she had no idea of what you're capable of?"
His dark eyes searched mine. "I promised Wraythe I'd learn how to control it."
That wasn't an answer, and yet it was. In his own proud way, Ela was begging me to get him out of this without letting Nari see his flaws. The only problem was that she already did. She just didn't care about them at all. Then again, maybe that was what he needed to hear.
"Do you honestly think that being perfect helps her?" I asked. "How much harder will she have to work to try to keep up? Ela, this is us. All we want is to help you. We don't think less of you for being who you are."
"We all know you can be cruel for us," Nari told him. "But that's the thing. It's alwaysforus. Nevertous."
The words were barely out of her mouth before this beautiful, golden man relaxed. Immediately, I stepped in to wrap my arms around him, pulling him against my chest. He felt so good there, so strong and powerful. The fact that he'd even let me hold him proved that this was a heavier burden than he wanted to admit.
I bent to kiss the side of his face. "It's always the four of us, ok? Never just you. Not even you and Wraythe. Nari and I are ok with this. We're also not shocked."
She turned to sit on the foot of the bed and scooted higher. "It's actually kinda sexy, Ela."
"It's really not," Wraythe told her.
She gave him a warning look. "Not to you. To me, Wraythe. I have this lover, and he's deadly. He could snap me in half if he wanted, but he chooses not to. Now, you three figure out which one of you I'm talking about."
Ela chuckled once against my chest, then pulled back. "You're not worried about being with me?"
"Not in the slightest," she promised.
"You've never seen me lose control," he reminded her.
She just shrugged. "I also don't need to. You, Ela, are the Temptation. Talin's the Blade. Wraythe's the Shield. Of all those things, I'd think that we - as priests - should know that temptation is the most dangerous. Ela, I'vealwaysknown that you're dangerous, even before we became friends. Back when we were kids, I realized something else about you. The most important thing of all."
"What?" he asked.
She simply pointed at Wraythe. "He isn't your lover, and you didn't care. All through school, everyone in our class knew that the pair of you were dangerous. Mess with you, and Wraythe would step in. But messing with Wraythe was actually scarier, because no one wantedyouto step in. You protected him as much as he protected you, and you made it hurt more."
I looked at Wraythe. "Got in a few fights, huh?"
"Not as many as you'd think," Wraythe assured me. "Pulled a few guys around, shoved a couple of others, and that was usually all it took to make them leave us alone."
But Ela was still standing there, looking like he was weighing something. "I want to be a good man for you, Nari."
