Chapter Twenty-One
Ambrosia
A smile adorned my face as I rocked back on my heels. Typhon seemed a lot calmer than he had been before. I still held his hands as I feared he would rush off in a frenzy of anger to kill Vance, but he seemed to heed my warnings. I was concerned for him because what he had been exposed to had been worrisome and might well have cracked his psyche. It was difficult enough for me to wrap my head around and I had not been the one who had been abused and mocked all my life for something that was out of my control. To learn that countless others were being brought into the world must have been terrifying. It was as though the abusers had a conveyor belt of victims to bring into the world and none of them would ever know anything different.
Typhon and I walked back to the others. Kull was pacing around, a pensive look on his face. He must have been struggling with this as well. I was going to have to be strong for them, bridging their emotions. I came towards him and held his hand as well. My two wolves were either side of me and for the first time I felt as though I was protecting them just as much as they were protecting me.
“We should return to our home and think of a plan. Are you willing to help us?” Vali asked.
“After what we learned? Yes,” Kull replied without hesitation. Typhon nodded in agreement.
“This cannot be allowed to continue,” he said.
“We’re going to need to move quickly. We have to stop this war before it has a chance to begin.”
We set off at a good pace and returned to the village. Night had set in. The moon was beautiful and large, while the stars twinkled like lanterns. The sky was more vivid and vibrant out here than what I was used to seeing in the city. There was no artificial light dulling the wonder of the night sky. I took a moment to appreciate it despite the circumstances. Vali suggested that we take some time to rest for the evening. It had been a long day, and emotions were running high. He pointed out that there was a waterfall nearby in which we could bathe if we wished to refresh ourselves, which seemed like a good idea.
After eating, we ventured towards the waterfall. The sound of the water crashing into the small lake was a welcome distraction. The grass beside the lake was lush, and there was a strange luminescence emerging from the water, making it glow. The spray from the water cooled the air and the frothy, churning bubbles made it seem as though the water itself was a living thing. Typhon and Kull came to stand beside me. I held their hands and pulled them closer, wanting to envelop them both.
“I know that what you discovered today was difficult for you, but it doesn’t have to ruin your emotions. We will find a way to get through this and we will protect those who cannot protect themselves. I know that you can achieve the impossible. I have faith in both of you,” I said, “but for now I think it’s important that we take some time for ourselves. We need to connect with each other in order to keep our emotions balanced. There’s not much we can do until we speak with Vali tomorrow, so we might as well enjoy the night. Since it has been a long day, I know that we could rest but if not then, well, there’s other things we could do,” I gave them a meaningful glance. The honeyed words dripped from my mouth and my eyes shimmered with desire. I ran my hands along their collarbones, feeling the warmth that seeped out of their muscles. I kissed Kull and then Typhon, losing myself between both men, barely able to keep track of which was which as my mind became a blur and my eyelids fell shut. Their arms wrapped around me and held me tightly. They lifted me from the ground, and I was cocooned in their arms, fully supported, yet feeling as though I was floating. My mind soared as my lips were smeared between their mouths. I could hear the water crashing all around us. It was growing closer as they carried me towards the water.
Little did I know that they had a secret plan, because within moments I truly was flying. They used their strong muscles to hoist me through the air and I was away, my arms splayed out in panic, panic that lasted only for a few moments because then I careened into the water with a loud splash. I was submerged, my limbs kicking out, my senses robbed, before I rose and broke through the surface again. I rubbed the water from my eyes and pulled back lank strands of hair from my face. My clothes were soaked, clinging to my skin, leaving nothing to the imagination. Typhon and Kull smirked.
“This isn’t how you treat a lady,” I said, having to raise my voice in order to be heard over the cacophony of the waterfall, “and are you going to stand there and let me be in here all by myself? I’m sure we could make this water a little warmer,” I said. I could barely believe that I was speaking like this. It sounded like someone else, someone who was far more confident with her sexuality than I had ever been before, but perhaps this was just the way these men made me feel. I could be more than I was. I could be sensual as well as professional, romantic instead of clinical and sometimes I could allow my emotions and desires to rule me rather than trying to keep them shackled and being afraid of where they might lead. I could be a little more wild; so I swam to the edge of the water and pulled myself up a little, allowing the generous curves of my body to entice them.