AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It doesn’t matter if I was supposed to be mated to that pathetic king, and it doesn’t matter if this was only supposed to be a judge’s bond. It’s so much more. I’m theirs, and they are mine.
We are choosing each other, and that is worth fighting for, even in the darkest of times.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-NINE
ALTHEA
Ifell asleep in Reve’s bed last night, wrapped around him, but when I wake up, there are more bodies that must have come in during the night. Azul is curled around my feet, and Lycus is at my back, snoring away.
I relax and reach out to all of them, checking on each one. Osis is outside, padding around in tiger form, Nathair is in the library, Zale is with his wine, and Conall is with his tea. Closing my eyes, I let my mind wander as I absorb the silence and peace. I have nowhere to be and nothing to do for once, so I just let my thoughts drift, and they turn to my mother, wondering if she knew this was always coming.
She said I would die young, but I’ve done that, so it makes me wonder what else she knew.
Did she always know they would be my mates? It also makes me think about my father. Who was he? She never mentioned, and no one else knew. Was he her mate? Did he love her? Did he want me? Would he want me? Would he love me? Does he even know?
I suppose it doesn’t matter, but a small part of me can’t help but wonder why I never knew him—unless he was just a one-time thing. I guess I will never know.
“You are thinking awfully hard this early in the morning,” Lycus grumbles in my ear, tugging me closer like a giant teddy bear. “Sleep, pretty girl.”
“I would, but I seem to have become a vampyr blanket,” I tease, making him huff. Reve moves closer, and I stroke my hand across his bare chest and the gravestones there. There are two above his heart, and now that I know what they mean, my heart breaks a little for my love.
“But you’re so comfy,” Lycus whines, tugging me closer. Reve whimpers and shuffles closer so he’s pressed against me again, making me giggle.
Azul sighs, crawling up my body until he’s propped on my hip, and then his gaze goes to Reve. I see his worry there, so I reach down and stroke his hair, watching his eyes close for a moment. “He will be okay,” I assure him.
“Are you sure?” Azul whispers, his voice tight, no doubt worried he caused his brother pain.
“Yes, I am.” My eyes go back to Reve. “He’s stronger than any of us. He will be okay.”
“Not physically. I am the strongest,” Lycus mutters, flexing his arm, and I grab his bicep and grin at him. He wiggles his eyebrows as he shoots me a toothy grin, and even Azul chuckles.
Motherfucker. Lycus, you dick, why is your spider’s silk all over the training room?Zale grouses, and I get a vision of him with his arms half held in the air, his body tangled in the silk harness we played in.
I descend into laughter, then the vision of what we did slips into Zale’s mind, and he fake gags.
Oh my god, is this actual cum? Am I tangled in your cum web?
Reve flops onto his back, grinning with his eyes closed, his hair sweeping across his face. He cracks an eye open.I didn’t know you had it in you, baby. Good on you.
Nathair, we need a new rule. If they have weird spider sex, they have to clean it up!Zale complains indignantly.
I get a mental eye roll from Nathair.He’s right, but Zale, please calm down. It isn’t the first nor the last time you will be covered in someone else’s cum.
We all burst into laughter, even Osis and Conall who are deep in the court. It fills the air, and for a moment, I get a sliver of pure happiness from Nathair that his home is filled with love and joy once more before he shuts it down.
“I’m going to cover his room in a web,” Lycus whispers to me.
“Oh, I want to help.” Reve pops up, and Azul grins and nods.
As I watch, they all stumble from the bed and then the room so they can prank their brother. Honestly, I’m not even mad. I can’t help smiling as I get up and slip on one of Reve’s robes, which just so happens to be silk with his initials monogrammed on it—no doubt a present from Nathair—before I go to find the others.
I reach the kitchen, which is the hub for everything, but no one is here, so I pour myself a cup of coffee, slip on some oversized shoes, and then head outside where I have not explored much yet.
Beautiful flowers reach up towards the sky, and I spot roses, lilies, dahlias, irises, and so many more spread around the area. There’s a fountain in the middle with a pentagon courtyard. It’s stunning beneath the stars. To the right is a telescope positioned in a seating area with a fire pit and chairs surrounding it.
Wandering into a flower and wild plant garden, I find a huge oak tree with a swing hanging from it, and I can’t resist. I kick off my shoes, feeling the grass and flowers under my feet as I wander over and sit, my coffee in hand as I start to swing. It’s on a slight hill, and the rest of the court’s land is spread before us.
I see a tennis court, a pool, and some outbuildings, and beyond those are woods. Beautiful trees stretch up into the midnight sky. Some people fear the dark, but I’ve always loved the stillness between dusk and dawn and all the endless possibilities. Maybe it’s a vampyr thing, but I can’t deny there is so much beauty in the dark.
