Five to Love Him (Phoenix Immortal: Hive #1)

30. LEOPOLD

thirty

T he thunderstorm with sharp lightning, wind, and the rain-drenched world outside was a sight to see, yes, but that wasn’t the best thing about staying up late.

“What’re you looking at?” I asked one of the hivelings who was sitting in the rocking chair, eyes glued to his phone. The big mug of tea in my hands was warm, and I felt extremely comfortable, even as the buzz from the alcohol was wearing off.

“Wallpaper,” answered another while stroking my already dry hair.

“Really?”

“Yes. Shouldn’t we?” Their hand on my belly tensed possessively.

“Of course, just…I didn’t think you’d be this eager. I know you always have to coordinate how you come and go, and that sucks. At least I don’t really talk to the neighbors, so that’s less attention on the house.”

“We don’t mind that.” “We can work around it, and since we work nights too, it’s easier.” “How would you feel about using the wallpaper as a base but then painting the walls?”

“You live here too. If you think that’s the right decision, go for it.”

“You mean it?” the one who I was leaning against said.

“Sure. I don’t know how to paint either, but that’s probably easier than the wallpapering. I’ll help.”

“Yes, we think so too. You don’t have to help. Oh, but you could watch a few episodes of a new K-drama with us while we work,” they said, but I got the sense they were a good deal more interested in the wallpaper than me.

Which really was their right and prerogative. One thing Instructor Arick had said but I hadn’t really understood before was the way you were treated when mated.

Honestly, it was just insane. Not only did they do so much for me, so much around the house, they also did their best to put a smile on my face daily by picking fresh flowers from the garden, making sure we never ran out of cashew milk, or always sharpening the pencils back at the office that I liked to use.

It wasn’t just me either, they went out of their way to be nice to the single friend I had. The hive had told him how amazing his brownies were right away, and Tate had totally warmed to them and had become one of their biggest fans.

And then there were the other things the hive did for me, giving me the kind of sex I’d never have been able to have with anyone else. Like back in the storage room at St. Auguste.

My face flushed at the memory. Had anyone asked me a year ago whether I was someone who’d have sex in a public place—a semi-public place—I would have laughed. But the hive had managed a convincing argument, not that I remembered their talking points right then and there, but letting them have their wicked way with me had been the right thing to do in the moment.

And here they were, so happy about moving in. They’d told me they loved me, loved me and wanted to be with me. I swallowed as thunder struck and lit up the world for a heartbeat.

I was getting the better deal out of being mated, I knew that. Sure, they’d tempted me to do stuff in the storage room, but that had been for me, focusing on my pleasure. I hadn’t failed to notice that they hadn’t cum while sucking me off.

When we did anything together, they didn’t always, and I hadn’t been sure how to bring it up. I’d thought about it, and probably the conclusion was that there was one of me and five of them, and maybe I wasn’t enough, maybe what we were doing together wasn’t enough to satisfy a hive.

I looked at the one across from me. “The two from the Dazzle, when are they going to be here?”

“Not long now. We’re on the subway already.”

I nodded, then sat up. “Oh, do you need umbrellas? We could head out and bring you some. I mean, some of you and I could take umbrellas to the rest of you, you know.”

They stroked my arms and neck. “You are being too good to us today, Leo. Coral gave us rain capes, and we’ll be fine. It’s not a long walk, and the rain is letting up a little bit.”

“Right. Your boss is really nice.”

“We think so too. We’re glad you like him.”

I nodded, drummed my fingers against the cooling mug. They kept saying they liked the sex, but I wasn’t so sure they weren’t just saying that for my benefit. If I could complain about how Tate and Ezra were lacking in effective communications skills, I had to make sure I was doing my part with the hive as well.

“I was thinking.”

“Yes?”

I cleared my throat. “I was thinking about sex.”

I saw their expression change, and they looked up from their phone too. Apparently, some things were more interesting than wallpaper. Good to know.

“Is there anything that we’re not doing, something that you’d like us to do?”

I closed my eyes, thinking, just say it, just say it, just say it. “You know, you don’t always—” If I did say it, would they see it as criticism though? Would they feel like I expected them to cum each time? You didn’t have to as far as my research went. Not everyone wanted to. And sometimes some of them cummed, just not all of them. I didn’t want to make them self-conscious because I was being ignorant, so I pivoted and said, “Maybe we could try a little more? Penetration maybe? A-and maybe even with two? Once you get here and are all here, maybe we can experiment? I’d really, uhm, like to experiment.” I licked my lips. “Or be experimented on. You can experiment on me, hive. If you want to, obviously.”

The rain out there made the world feel smaller. Cozy, as my hive would say. Their hold on me tightened.

“Did you have too much to drink after all?”

I shook my head. “I’ve actually sobered up. It’s fine. Look, I’m not slurring or anything, and you made me drink water. Even with that third virgin cocktail.”

They had the decency to look guilty, at least with one of them. “We are sorry about that. But sleeping with someone when they’re drunk—”

“I know. I went to college. Gran had this whole big speech about consent and about looking out for others, about not succumbing to the pressure of my peers when I know something isn’t right. But I’m not that drunk, it’s been hours since then, and it’s not like you’re a stranger who would take advantage of me. Do you want me to do math to prove I’m able to consent?”

They narrowed their eyes. “Square root of 1,369?”

“Uhm, that’s—how would I know? Something with either a three or a seven at the end though.”

“Cube of 343?” the one with the phone still in hand asked.

I stuck out my tongue at that one. “Are you serious? Who knows that sort of thing? I’m a paralegal who hates that job. And it’s seven. Did you have that kind of thing on your dating profile?”

“We never had a dating profile.” “Did you?”

“No, but I shouldn’t have to answer that either. Well. How about it? Will you make me your experiment?”

I jumped when the door opened and the rest of the hive came in. They were silent for a long time while they took off their shoes and loaned raincapes, and I felt their eyes on me.

“Earlier today, you offered something.” “You made a promise.”

I nodded. “About asking for something that I’d do, right? Did you want to ask me to experiment?”

All of them who were in my field of vision shook their heads. “No. We’d never do that. You will always, always be able to change your mind about how close we can be to you.” “But we did have something in mind, something that we’ve wanted for a long time.” “We think we would like experimenting with you, but we want to tell you what we want first.”

“Should I be curious or uneasy? You’re looking so serious.”

The other two joined us, sliding into the window seat that wasn’t really that big while another flash of lightning painted them in neon colors. I handed them the towel they had used on me. Even with the capes, their hair was slightly wet.

“Thank you. Leo, the thing we would like to ask of you is for you to give us permission to continue your grandmother’s business.” “We would always consult you, and we’ll learn about soapmaking. We’ll be diligent.” “And we’d not change its heart.”

My mouth fell open. Truth be told, since their arrival here, I hadn’t thought all that much about Gran’s business. I had wondered when they’d let me clear out the office to make more room, allow them to have more space. It seemed this was why they’d been so adamant about not moving the dining room there, why they insisted on the cozy meals in the kitchen.

And at the same time, it wasn’t anything they would have chosen to do for themselves I was pretty sure. It was something that I just knew they wanted to do for me.

I looked out at where the rain washed the dusty heat from the world.

“Hive. You don’t have to do that. Gran is gone and I’m…I’m fine.” My eyes stung, and grief constricted my throat. “I don’t sound like I am, but I am. I know I have to let her go.” I looked at one of them. “She didn’t know anything like a hive existed, but she would have liked you. She would tell you that you don’t have to hold on to something that was hers. She’d tell you to build something for yourself.” I coughed out a laugh. “She’d tell you to do whatever you damn well please with her walls, because she doesn’t need them anymore.”

With each word out of my mouth, I knew that it was the truth. It was exactly what she would have told the person I loved and what she would have wanted this house that had been hers to become.

The hivelings got very close, but they stopped short just of hugging me.

“We hear you, but you misunderstand us. We have been thinking about this. We may have looked at some of the numbers behind your back. We may have looked at the recipes for the soap. We want to try.” They held each other’s hands. “We are very certain we can make it a success while sharing your grandmother’s soap with many. We didn’t get a chance to meet her, but in this way, we can connect with something that had meaning to her. Something other than you.”

I wanted to tell them no. I opened my mouth to say the word, but I had made a promise, and this was the thing they had picked.

Who was I to tell them to find something else? Perhaps, as a hive, they needed this, didn’t need me to apply human thinking to their choices.

They had asked for something, just like I had told them they should.

I nodded. “Okay. But don’t think I know all that much about soapmaking either.”

“Leo.” “Thank you.” “Oh, we love you so much.” “We’ll be saying it a lot, we think, but we’ll try not to say it too much.”

“Why?”

“We don’t want the word to lose power.”

That made me laugh. I wasn’t even really sure why. “That’s all right, hive. I love you too, extra strong. Times five.”

They laughed, at least some of them. It was really difficult to tell how many, because the window seat was very crowded.