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Cursing himself, he laid his cheek against her cold one. “I’ll take you back to the others. But I do want to finish this conversation.”
She remained turned away, but she nodded. Slightly.
Fadon sighed. “And I’ll talk to Lucius, dammit. Just set up a time and I’ll be there.”
“Talk to Lucius about what, Fadon?” the deep, familiar voice asked.
Lucius stood a few feet away, leaning against his own tree, arms crossed, head tilted. “I’m available now if you wish.”
How had he not heard him approach?
Fadon growled low and took a step back. He wasn’t anywhere near ready to have this conversation yet, if at all. But for Sierra, he’d bite his pride. He turned around and walked over to him, Sierra following behind him.
Deciding to get right to the point, Fadon said, “Sierra wants to claim me as her mate, Lucius.”
Silver eyes burned bright as they cut to the woman in question. “Does she now.”
Fadon braced for the fight that was long overdue.
But Lucius surprised him. In a graceful movement, Lucius straightened and uncrossed his arms, his eyes now soft as he looked at the woman they both loved with all their heart. No longer could Fadon deny the man really did love her.
“If that is your desire, Sierra,” Lucius said, his tone gentle, genuine, “I’ll stand by your wishes.”
“It is,” she said, stepping in between them. “It’s going to be a challenge, no doubt about that. So I hope the two of you can come to terms with it and try to mend whatever it is between you. If you trust me and love me, then you’d also have to love my heart, a heart that sees each of you as precious to me.”
Then she reached out and took one of their hands and held them. “But. There can be no secrets between us. Ever. Not anymore. Those days are over, and I will not fold on that. If you can honestly commit to that, then this will work. If not… Well, I will not be happy.”
And with that, she had them join hands before she walked off, leaving them to hurriedly back away from each other as if they’d been burned.
“Cheeky thing.” Fadon watched her leave.
“Clever,” Lucius said.
They both fell silent. It was awkward and infuriating.
“Well, Trajan. Here we are. A woman we both want who is ready to accept us. But neither one of us wants to bend. What do you suggest?”
“Well, I for one suggest you both do what she asked and work this out. We’re running out of time.”
Both men turned as Demos sauntered over.
“We have no time for secrets, not with what’s coming,” Demos said with conviction. Even though he no longer wore the robes of the Owl Order, the man was fully Servant, all the way down to his toes.
“Does that include your own secrets?” Fadon asked, crossing his arms.
As if the whole conversation had been orchestrated, a gust of winter wind gathered in the middle of the trio, swirling the dark crinkling leaves at their feet. A chill marched up Fadon’s spine, and he looked at each man in turn, wondering if they’d felt it too. A darkness. A deep dread on the wind.
“It does.” Demos watched the macabre-like dance of the debris carry past them. “Tonight, once we’ve camped, we need to talk. Privately. There is much to tell you.”
Lucius eyed the Servant sharply. “Then we should be off. We’ve wasted enough time already.” He looked at Fadon, the meaning clear. “It will give you time to think on whether you want to do this or not, Trajan.”
Now alone, Fadon watched as the two men, his heart’s mates, returned to their horses to join up with the rest of the calvary in this cause they’d found themselves in.
He could imagine a future with Sierra as clear as a glass of water. But if it meant sharing her with Lucius and Demos, that future was as murky as a mud puddle.
Ongar, why had he ever wished months ago that life wasn’t so boring?
Chapter Twenty-One
