Chapter 13
Harper
My hands gather up the long skirts of the feather-light pale green dress I’m wearing as I move down the hall, heading back to my room at the academy. Dinner ended on a rather tense note, but I didn’t think it could’ve gotten tenser than that.
Unfortunately, I was wrong.
Sevrin walks at my side, his expression mostly hidden behind his face painting, and the three princes walk behind us.
There’s silence, other than the sound of our steps on the stone beneath us.
I can feel their eyes as they slide across me, all four of them, and the intensity of those gazes makes it hard to drag in a full breath.
It’s jealousy, possessiveness, and lust all rolled into one, and I think I’d like it, if it wasn’t coming from four massive men who dominate my space, even in the quiet halls.
We finally come to my door, and I turn to face the princes. “It was a lovely dinner.”
“It was,” Lucien says, but there’s something about his stance, like he’s expecting a fight.
“I think we’ll just head to bed,” I say.
Sevrin turns the handle and opens the door. “That’s a good idea.”
“Uh, no,” Alaric says, gesturing to the two of us.
“No what?” I ask, before it hits me. I was so focused on the stressful dinner, the king and his angry advisor, that I forgot the inner workings of my current relationships.
Gareth draws his shoulders back. “We don’t think Sevrin should be the only one sleeping in your room, especially when we’ll be married tomorrow night.”
I frown. “Then what do you want to do?”
“The simplest answer is that he not sleep in your room,” Alaric explains, but even I can see it in his face—he knows that’s not going to work.
“My bride sleeps with me,” Sevrin tells them, leaving no room for arguments.
Lucien flashes a smile. “Well, I guess we’ll all be bunking together then.” Without another word, he pushes past all of us and into my room.
Alaric gives me a funny look, but then both he and Gareth follow suit.
Sevrin and I stand together outside of my room, staring in.
Neither of us move. I’m pretty sure he’s trying to figure out a way to throw them out without causing a war, but I’m just trying to figure out how the hell all of them are going to spend the night in my room without killing each other.
But I guess it doesn’t really matter. These three men are ridiculously stubborn. If this is what they’ve decided, then I’m not going to change their minds. The best thing I can do as their soon-to-be wife is to keep this from becoming a fight.
Pressing a hand to Sevrin’s chest, I stand on my tiptoes and plant a kiss onto his lips. “This is going to be our life from now on. We might as well figure out how to make it work tonight.”
His honey-colored eyes gentle as they look at me. “You know this won’t be easy. I see you as mine, and I see them as enemies.”
“I understand, but just remember, they see this situation the same way from their perspective.”
His brows rise, and I realize he never thought of it in that way.
We go inside, closing the door behind us, and it’s a little overwhelming to see all the big men in my space.
Glancing at the bed, I realize that I’d always thought it was rather big.
Now, I wonder if it’ll be big enough for all of us.
Harper.
Yes?
Can we speak? Outside your window.
Of course.
I turn to the men who are all staring at me. “Ebron wants to speak to me on the balcony. I’ll be right back. Don’t kill each other.” I wave my finger at them and give them a stern look before hurrying for the balcony.
Sure enough, Ebron is outside my window in the training yard. His big head is close enough to me that I could jump off my balcony and onto his head without much effort. His scales glint, even in the moonlight, making him look dark and mysterious.
What’s going on?
Ebron seems to take a moment to answer. Have you agreed upon the mates I’ve chosen for you?
I think, even though I shouldn’t have to. I marry them tomorrow.
That wasn’t my question.
Drawing in a steadying breath, I say, Yes, I’ve chosen them as my mates. Because I have, right?
Good. He sounds relieved. Then I can finally claim my mates.
My heart aches a little at the wistfulness in his voice. You can. Thank you for being patient with me.
I have lived a long life, Harper. I could be patient enough to make sure my rider was cared for.
You’re a good dragon. I rub the end of his nose.
Tonight, you may… feel some things, but I will try to dampen what you feel through our connection, so you don’t experience what I’ve been experiencing.
My cheeks heat, thinking of my wedding night. How do you… dampen the feelings you send through our connection?
Ebron tilts his head. You just think of glowing golden connection flowing between us, and then imagine the connection going dark. It doesn’t stop all communication and awareness between us, but it helps.
Thanks.
Have a nice night.
Oh, it’ll be a very nice night… with a lot of mating.
That’s more than I needed to know, big guy.
Smiling, I watch as Ebron moves back into the center of the courtyard, then leaps into the sky.
I stare as he joins his mates, flying in circles above the city.
What must it be like to feel so sure? To know just by looking at someone that you’re supposed to be with them, and then it all just clicks, it’s just easy?
I don’t know, and it doesn’t really matter.
Because that’s not exactly how things worked out for me.
But would I really want to change anything that’s led me here?
The truth is, I don’t know. I won’t know until I see if we can all work together. I won’t know until we’re married, and I get to see what married life is like with these four. It’s both scary and exciting, like jumping off of Ebron’s back.
Taking one last look at the night sky, I slip back inside only to find more than a half dozen bottles of liquor on my table, some dice, and little glasses. None of the bottles are open yet, and the men are all standing around awkwardly, like they were waiting for me.
“What did Ebron want?” Sevrin asks, and I can tell he wants to reach out and touch me, but he doesn’t, even though my body wishes he would.
I don’t quite know what to say. “He wanted to make sure I was happy with the mates he’s chosen for me, because he wanted to officially claim his own.”
“What did you say?” Lucien is studying me carefully.
I tug at the fabric of my dress, nibbling my lip. “I told him that we’re getting married tomorrow, so it’s decided, and he can have his mates.”
All three princes seem disappointed by my answer, and now I wish I gave a different one. But I can’t seem to find the words to soften what I said without wearing my heart on my sleeve, so I go with a different tactic. “So, are we trying to get an army drunk?”
Lucien grins. “Nope. Just the five of us. I thought it could help us… get to know each other better. Hollowborn, how well do you hold your liquor?”
“His name is Sevrin,” I correct.
Sevrin gives me a look that’s almost a smile beneath his skull face painting. “Very well, actually.”
Lucien grabs one of the bottles and sits on the floor. After a moment’s hesitation, we all join him on the floor in a circle. He cracks open the first bottle, a dark bourbon, and grins as he begins to fill up the little glasses. “But let’s have some fun with this. I have a few games in mind.”
Uh oh. I wonder how this is going to go.
“Should I be worried?” I ask.
Lucien just grins.
That can’t be good.