Chapter Fifteen #2
“I really have no idea why you seem so sure that my mother will listen to you, Oleander,” Vale ponders as he sits, back straight, across the fire from her, where she leans into Kai.
A tiny smile plays at her lips and she takes a sip of tea. “She likes me,” Ollie responds a bit too casually.
I fight the urge to arch a brow.
“Everyone likes you Ollie,” Lonan says, voice gentle. “You’ll make a great queen.”
“Yes, I imagine you learned that in the five minutes that you’ve known her,” Vale purrs sweetly.
Kai rolls his eyes and grumbles, “Yeah, and we spent four of those fucking her brains out so...”
“Okay, enough,” Ollie states, voice firm. “How about we sing campfire songs?”
I laugh, as does Lo. “I know a few,” I offer. “Our griffonmaster had quite the baritone.”
Vale’s eyes gleam, “Please do sing for me, Finn.”
I look at him, trying to discern his meaning, but his blue face is innocent.
Lonan stands and stretches, placing his empty metal tea cup back in his bag. “Well, I think since Finn, Vale, and I got off today, it’s only polite that Kai gets some alone time with Ollie tonight.”
I freeze, eyes on my almost-empty tea.
Both Kai and Ollie start to talk at the same time.
“—You wouldn’t have—”
“Oh, did you three—”
“I thought you were teasing!”
“—that’s just lovely!”
“—never in my life, would I have—”
Ollie shakes her head and stands, grabbing Kai’s hand. She tugs a protesting Kai to the smaller tent. “No, this is wonderful, flame, I can ride your cock all night long,” she purrs, hand to his chest, obviously trying to distract him.
Lonan turns his back, trying not to laugh. Vale watches Ollie go mournfully.
When their tent flap is securely in place and their talk is sufficiently muffled, Vale turns his icy-blue eyes to Lo.
“Well.” He pouts, just a little bit, and it’s honestly adorable. “I guess that is that.”
I clear my throat. “Do we need to set a watch?”
Vale chuckles, obviously letting go of his pique easily, “With the scent of a full grown male dragon? No. We’ll be fine.”
Lonan’s hand is on his sword hilt. “I’m not concerned about predators, but about spies.”
“The tents are enchanted. How do you think dragons are rarely seen outside of Guivre Shores?” Vale’s cavalier look is firmly back in place.
Vale’s gaze changes a bit. Not softens, but... something. “Are you taking the other half of your winnings tonight, Commander?”
Lonan makes a sound low in his throat, at being called that by Vale, but his head shakes. “No, I’m waiting on that, I do believe.” He lets the silence stretch until Vale looks away.
Quiet, insistent noises are starting to emerge from the other tent, noises of Ollie’s, noises that tell me that Kai is not in a forgiving mood.
“I was hoping we might talk,” I blurt.
Both Vale and Lonan’s hard gazes turn to me. They are both extremely intimidating men. Kai as well, honestly, shit, more than either of them, actually.
I swallow and sit straighter, putting the kettle back on the fire hook.
“Sit. Please,” I add quickly. I grab three tea bags that Ollie had prepared and hold out two.
They both take one and I stand and pour the near-boiling water in each of our cups.
As I sit back down, I replay the words in my head as my hands shake.
I wrap them around my hot mug, both to stop the nervous shaking and to warm them; the nights here in the desert are properly cold.
Vale dips the tea bag in and out of his mug while staring at me. Lonan leans back and raises an eyebrow. I had thought bringing this to these two first would go best. Vale because he worships Ollie and Lonan because he loves Kai so deeply that they bonded. I take a deep breath.
I can do this. What’s the worst that could happen?
Both the men that I think I could be falling in love with look at me expectantly.
I sip my tea nervously, to wet my throat, pondering how I found myself in this situation: loving my future wife, though ours is a marriage of convenience, in love already with one of her spirit mates, and falling in love with her other mates.
“I want to ask Ollie for a heart bond.” The words rush out, blurring together a bit. I flick my gaze up from my tea to their faces.
Vale’s face shutters immediately. Because Ollie never agreed to one with him. Lonan merely looks contemplative.
“But not just me!” I add hurriedly. “I want us all to bond. To... form a unit. A family. We’ll... be stronger this way. More secure. We’ll keep Ollie safe and firmly on the throne. We’ll always have each other, if we heart bond.”
Vale’s face softens and his hand reaches out to me, placing his large blue palm on my knee.
Lo speaks, voice gentle, “Finnick, you don’t need a bond to know that we have you, right?”
My eyes fill with tears and I stare at the fire in silence.
Lo continues, “We’d have to convince Kai to not kill the dragon here, and that’s going to be near impossible.”
Vale chuckles darkly, “Do you not want to kill me any longer, Commander?”
Lonan’s deep red eyes are alight from within. “Undecided, dragon.”
Vale stares at him for a moment before breaking their gaze.
But I can see it. Lonan is warming to him. It makes me feel lighter. It’s what we all need, if this is to work.
“I think...” I pause, swallowing, “I think it would be constructive for all of us, Kai especially, if we could find a way for us all to... play together.”
When Vale huffs out a deep laugh, I blush. “Hopscotch, perhaps? Or maybe jacks?”
I shake my head but Lonan answers, a tinge of protectiveness in his tone, “Kai... does not share well. I cannot imagine him wanting to watch Ollie with another man besides me, and mayhap you, Finnick.”
I blush deeper, for the implication that I’ve never fucked my wife is clear. I shake my head. It doesn’t matter, if it works for us, my brain insists. But I can almost hear my brothers’ sing-song voices teasing me in my head.
Vale’s rich voice suggests, “What if I directed? No touchy.”
Lonan shrugs, “I don’t know. He’s a fickle beast, as much as Ollie. He might do better if you bend over and take his huge cock up your ass, dragon.”
I swear Vale blushes a deeper shade of blue. “Unlikely. I’d much rather fuck him.”
Lonan snorts, “I don’t see that happening.” He pauses and the quiet crackling of the fire fills the space between us. “Well, alright then. So... who is sucking my dick so I can sleep over the noise of Kai edging Ollie until she snaps?”
Both Vale and I snort. Vale turns to me, a gentle look upon his face and I smile back at him.