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Volkan
I was standing outside, watching meat burn on the spit. I watched the fat roll down and sizzle as the flames licked it. I breathed in the scent, and I felt alive. This place was home, and I knew in my heart that it would remain the sweetest and most wonderful place despite all the other worlds in existence. Although Axanar was not going to seek to conquer them, it was impossible to not wish to explore them and perhaps make contact with other lions who had been lost to us for generations. I would be a part of those expeditions too, the trusted right hand who was fiercely loyal to the Alpha, although that loyalty came at a price. It had not escaped my attention that Axanar and Kara had fought alongside each other twice now. He had deemed her worthy of the title of Alpha, and that was not something he did lightly.
I could see the writing on the wall. It was the way of things. The Alpha always got what he wanted, and I had no cause to complain about that, considering the things he had been through, and how impressive Kara had turned out to be. Being with me was a waste of her power, but still it stung. I would have to try and push my desire for her away from my mind and hope that, in time, I could find someone else worthy of my affection. Perhaps with these new worlds being open to us, there would be more opportunities.
Her scent drifted upon the air and came towards me. I turned my head slightly to face her. She looked gorgeous even in ordinary clothes. It was going to be harder than I thought to forget my feelings towards her. She had her hair braided, and she looked a lot calmer than she had before, now that she had accepted her place here with us. I felt bad for her having lost her link with her home, but I was glad that she had found her way here rather than being lost as a lonely soul.
“How are you on this night?” I asked.
“I am very well, and you?”
“My mind is calm,” I lied.
She came to stand beside me. The fire crackled before us, the flames seeming as though they were alive. They burned as fiercely as my heart.
“You know, you were the first one here who was kind to me, even though I didn’t think it at the time.”
“I wanted to be kinder, but Axanar ordered me to be strict,” I said.
“He has a way of doing that. I just wanted to say thank you for all that you did. You helped show me that this place wasn’t necessarily a prison.”
“I’m just glad that you have found a home here. It’s good that you can stay here and be one of us, where you belong. Orestes is better for your presence.”
She inclined her head a little and smiled. “I’m glad you think that way. I’m beginning to believe it myself. There’s something I want to talk to you about, Volkan,” she said. I steeled myself for the worst. I could feel the air ripple with tension, and I knew that within moments my heart would be shattered into a thousand pieces. I thought I might run out to the farthest edge of the world and scream, so that only the eternal abyss would know the depths of my anguish.
“I know what you have come to say,” the words choked in my throat.
“You do?”
I nodded. “You were just with Axanar. It is clear that the two of you share a special bond. You are both powerful warriors. I am sure that you will rule over Orestes fairly, and with great honor. It is only right that the future of Orestes is given life through you. The Alpha and the world walker. It just makes sense. I am happy for the both of you, and I will guard you and your children with my life, for the good of the pride.”
I blinked away my emotions and hardened my heart. I waited for her to speak, hoping that it would be brief, and she would then leave me to my misery. I would be fine with it eventually. There were always things you could not get in this world, not unless you were the Alpha.
But, to my surprise, Kara let out a small laugh. This caught my attention as I did not think she was the type to make light of my feelings. I tore my gaze from the raging flames and gave her a questioning look.
“You are not as wise as you think you are, Volkan. That is not what I came here to tell you, at least, not wholly.”
“What do you mean?”
“Okay, so Axanar and I were talking, and the thought of breeding together came around again, but this time from me. Ever since we visited my world, I have been thinking about what comes next. I never had grand ambitions in my old life, but here… here it feels as though I should. I know what emptiness is like. I know what it’s like to live in a world where there is nobody around, where everything has been taken from me, and I do not want to ever feel like that again. I have lost the only family I ever knew, so now I want to make a new one. Things have not always been straightforward with us, and there have been moments where I have truly hated you, but both you and Axanar have shown your true selves to me, and I cannot ignore them. I cannot think of worthier mates.”
“Mates?” I asked.
A smile crept upon her face. “Axanar and I were talking. You are right; he and I do share a special bond. We have hunted together. He saved my life, and I saved his. I cared for him and went to another world to find a cure for him and then, he went to another world to help avenge my family. But the same is true for you, Volkan. You were the one who brought me food, you were the one who trained me, and you came with me to a new world even though you had no idea what we were going to face together. And you were the first here to kiss me as well,” she said, and she sidled closer to me as she said this. “That is something that I cannot forget, and it seems wrong to ignore those feelings.”
“Is this the way of your world?” I asked.
She let out a low chuckle again. “No, not usually, and it’s not something that I ever thought would happen to me either, but it just feels right. I have strong feelings for the both of you, so why should I have to choose? If there’s one thing, I’ve learned it’s that there are always possibilities out there for us, and there are so many worlds; we should not close our minds to the opportunities that present themselves to us. I know that this is not perhaps the way you would have liked things to happen, but I come here with this offer to be my mate, to be in a triad with myself and Axanar, if you would do me the honor.”
I thought all had been lost. I thought I would be cast out into the wilderness and have to find some way back to sanity, but here she offered me a new lease on life, and I would have been a fool not to take it. I knew there was enough love in her heart to share between me and Axanar, and I would always be there for them both. I found myself nodding. She slipped her hand into mine and then led me away, back into the tower, where the rest of my life was waiting to begin.
Chapter Thirty-One
Kara
My heart thudded as I ascended the tower with Volkan by my side. I squeezed his hand tightly, finding it incredible that I was about to do this. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I would give myself to two men at the same time, but it had been impossible to separate them in my heart. The time I had spent with both of them had been precious and to choose one over the other would have been a disservice to all that I had felt, so in the end, I had decided that there should be no choice. Axanar and Volkan trusted each other and had been so close all their lives that there was no hesitation from either man, and I liked how open minded they were about this. Although I was nervous, I did not feel like this was a mistake. These two men both offered something unique; Axanar was strong and forthright, burdened with anguish, always eager to lead his pride into the future. Volkan was gentle and tender, compassionate. He was willing to do anything he needed to help.
I knew that the future of our pride was in good hands. Yes, I said our pride. After stepping away from my old world, I came to realize that my future was here. I had lost everyone I had known, so it was time for me to lay down new roots as I did not want to spend my life shrouded in regret. My life had been waiting to begin, and what I hadn’t realized until recently was that I had been waiting to come to Orestes. There was still much to learn about walking between worlds, but for now, I just wanted to know what it was like to travel to the realm of desire.
