Chapter Thirty-Three
Fern
Iawake the next morning, pressed between their bodies. The coolness of their skin is soothing on my flesh. I rub my face against my arm, relaxed and oddly at ease.
Why? Because I got some good dick?
I inhale deeply, their scents mingling and heavy in the air. It’s delectable. Something inside me eases, a deep tug inside me that makes my brain itch. What am I missing?
For whatever reason, my body feels safe. Lax. Between these three dangerous and intelligent males.
I shake my head as I yawn, evaluating my body.
Fuck, how am I horny again? Last night, when Arch offered me a choice in punishment, I was shocked at how lenient he was. Neither option he suggested was a true punishment. Though given how I feel about flying, it had been an easy choice.
The looks on their faces when I climbed up and bared myself. How they each, silently, pulled out those incredible cocks and started to pleasure themselves as they watched me. Fuck. It had been incredibly erotic.
Powerful, I realize. I had these three dangerous alpha gargoyles at my beck and call. I could have demanded they kneel and wait their turn to lick my pussy and they’d have done it happily. It was powerful in a way I’ve never experienced before.
I groan breathily.
A tail curls around my thigh. “I smell you, little one,” Arch mumbles. “Would you like some help with that needy pussy?”
My cheeks heat.
“I bet you do, bride,” he murmurs as he leans in, his mouth licking a hot line down my neck. My eyes close in bliss.
His arms curl around me, pulling me close, my body relaxing even more at his cedar and cinnamon scent, reminding me of the precious spice we save for holidays. He tugs me up onto him, my legs curling around his cool, hard body, as I moan.
“Yes, what a good girl I have,” he rumbles, his amusement not hidden.
But it doesn’t make me feel embarrassed or even annoyed. Instead, I feel a laugh bubble up. He nips the skin of my shoulder and I gasp.
I rub against his hard cock, his ridges making me whimper.
“You want that, little rebel?” Arch whispers.
I gasp, both at the shock of his words and at the need that dives right to my clit.
“Yes,” I gasp, as his hands grip my hips harder. He lifts me and my hips rock without thought, lining his hard, huge cock up with my entrance.
“Tell me you want me,” he whispers, “Tell me, little one. Say the words and I’ll give it to you. I’m always here for you.”
“Please...”
“Say it.”
“Please, fuck me,” I moan, broken in the best way.
“Of course,” he purrs, chest rumbling, as he presses my body down.
The mere entrance of his hard cock into my body, pressing me open, full, is enough to make me scream.
My back arches as I come hard.
“Atta girl,” Arch purrs, “Here you go, love,” his voice is tight and as my orgasm ebbs, his cock jerks and twitches inside me. His face presses tightly to my shoulder and I lean into him, relief flowing through me in the oddest way.
brUNCH IS EGGS, WHICH I helped gather from the hen house on the far side of the compound. Theo made them into a delectable omelet with goat cheese and sweet peppers and spinach greens. A glass of apple cider tops it off. The entire meal is heavenly.
“I got news from the Kambon chime,” Arch says, between bites.
Instead of staring at my plate as I have been for previous meals, I have spent this meal looking at their faces, watching their expression and interactions.
Again their smells had danced in my nostrils, even overwhelming the lovely smell of breakfast cooking.
My stomach had ached in a way that had nothing to do with food.
The way they look at each other, tiny smiles playing at their lips, tails sometimes rubbing each other, filling empty cups without being asked... it made something inside me thaw.
“Oh?” Theo asks, eyes flicking to me.
Why is he looking to me?
“The violence is spreading. It’s expected to hit Sylrya within a day or two.”
“Fuck!” I exclaim, shocked as I stand, my fork clattering against the plate. “I have to help!”
“No, flower, it’s not safe,” Ben says, the pussy.
I glare. “Marie just had a babe and her husband was captured a couple months ago. She’ll need help with the kids. And Nann is old, she’ll need a cart to evacuate. I need to—”
I stop, and the guilt of what I was about to say must be clear on my face.
Theo arches a brow. “Do you really think we’d release you to fight against us? To organize a resistance to this battle?”
I raise my chin. “A partner who understood and loved me would.”
The silence is utterly deafening.
Arch stands and crosses to me, scooping me up without a word. I’m quickly deposited in my closet. The door slams in my face.
Immediately, I hear hushed voices. They’re arguing.
I grin, hope budding within me.
Who is advocating for my release? Ben? I could see him just suggesting they let me go, be rid of me.
An unusual pain flutters in my gut. Sorrow at the thought of ‘losing’ them? That’s disturbing. I ignore it, pressing my ear to the door.
“Those are her family!” One of them hisses. Theo, I think.
Holy shit. Their military leader is suggesting letting me go fight against one of their squadrons? My grin takes on a fiercer edge. I have some advantages now, specifically when they need to sleep.
“But the consequences, if we’re found out—” Ben, surely.
“If we want her to trust us, to love us, to be our true center, we must do this,” Arch’s voice, low and urgent.
True center? I have never heard them use that term.
“Will she return to us?” Ben, and I can hear the hurt in his tone. Again, a pang in my belly. He’s officially fucked up from the loss of his parents, I think spitefully.
I mean... fair.
But I wonder again at how they died. Humans, I’d assume. Rebels. My chest aches. How old was he?
Their voices drop and I can no longer hear them. A faint ringing sound. The holo-caller.
I press harder, desperate for more information. Suddenly, the door is yanked open, Theo catching me as I fall out of the closet. His flesh feels good on my arms where my sleeves have been pushed up. He eases me back to my feet and I take a deep breath, feeling warm.
“It’s for you,” he pertly announces.
“Me?” I sputter.
“Mmhmm.” He raises his eyebrows in silent question.
I hurry to the kitchen, his tail wrapped around my hip.
Ben and Arch are both standing, arms over their wide chests, staring at the holo-caller, faces impassive.
I slip between their bodies so I can see it.
Raquel.
If looks could kill, Ben and Arch would be on the floor.
“Fern,” she says, a look of relief crossing her face before she locks it down. “You okay?”
“As can be expected,” I say, raising a shoulder.
She glares at them over my shoulder again just as more than one of their tails curl around my lower legs. I’m surprised they aren’t shoving them down my robe where Raquel can see, and the thought that they are restraining their instincts makes me bite my inner lip.
“There was an uprising. I imagine you weren’t told.” Her rich brown eyes are cold.
“I did hear. Is it going to engulf Sylrya?”
Her eyes flick over my shoulders again, obviously unsure how much to share.
She nods curtly.
“Shit,” I curse angrily, worrying for my neighbors, for my contingent, left without a solid leader. My second in command Lora is talented but still green, in my opinion. I sigh internally. Only one way to stop being green: with the red splashes of blood.
“How did you leave things?” Raquel asks.
She’s asking how much Lora knows; how prepared we are to join the battle.
“Did my best. She has all the knowledge... This was his contingent?” I question cryptically. I hear Arch rumble low in his chest and I shiver.
“Yes.” William’s. “Got out of control.”
I swallow. “Because of me? Being selected as a bride?”
She nods curtly.
“The bats responded harder than expected to the uprising. They wouldn’t drop it. Other villages rose up.”
Secondary militias, either not associated with us, or rather loosely associated. Shit. No wonder the situation got out of hand.
An odd pain jumps in my stomach as I sigh, rubbing my forehead.
“Flower?” Ben asks, hand going to my side.
“Flower??” Raquel repeats, giving me an angry look.
My head snaps up and I give her the stink eye.
“Can you send reinforcements? At least to help evacuate? We have many young and old in our Sylrya.”
She shakes her head grimly. “I cannot. We have to hope she can handle it.”
I swallow hard, nodding. “Alright. Um... keep me updated, if you can?”
She looks at Ben, Arch, and Theo, grimacing. “We’ll see.”
I nod again as she turns off the call.
Arch’s tail wraps around my thigh and he tugs me, causing me to turn to face him, directly behind me.
“Who is she? Who is he? Why will that woman not help Sylrya?” His voice is even but urgent.
I bite my lip, thinking. His hands land on my upper arms but they are not firm and angry. They are gentle and I bring my gaze upward to meet his grey eyes.
“We cannot figure this out without all the information, Fern,” he whispers.
I blink, my heart fluttering bizarrely.
“You would help?”
He growls, leaning in and I cringe. He freezes, eyebrows drawing as sorrow becomes clear on his chiseled face.
He slowly continues leaning, touching the holo-caller. As he types in a number over my shoulder, Theo mutters, “When did you manage to sneak out here and call your friend?
I shrug as Arch straightens and I swear I hear Theo chuckle.
“Earl Archibald?” the voice emerges from the caller even as Ben tugs me hurriedly behind his body.
“Hello, Frederick. I have information that there are many human young and elderly in Sylrya, where the conflict seems to be spreading.”
“Yes?”
I peek around Theo’s wing. It’s that short pink gargoyle who stared at me when I was in that cell, cupping his junk lewdly. I blink, anger rising in me.
“We should be lenient; either reach out to the leaders and ask for a meeting, or at least allow them time to evacuate the civilians,” Arch argues, tone both flippant and firm at the same time.
“Fuck them,” the pink statue mutters, “Stupid humans. Kill them all.”
My mouth opens as I try to duck under Theo’s wing, ready to give him a piece of my mind. Ben’s tail is suddenly around my waist and he yanks me back, firmly behind Arch.
“The terms of the treaty agreement lay out conflict resolution. We have a duty to follow it,” Arch says tightly.
“Nah, no one is gonna complain.”
Arch tilts his head as his wings shift in a manner that I’ve learned is annoyance. He waits Pinky out.
“Cuz we’re gonna raze it,” he confirms smugly.
“I disagree with this plan,” Arch responds succinctly.
“Hm, too bad you weren’t here to call a vote at Quorum. On leave and all.” At that, Pinky blanks the holo-caller.
“Fucker!” I yell, unable to contain myself any longer, my hands in fists.
“Got him,” Ben purrs happily.
“What?” I spin even as his hand lands on my shoulder.
He holds out a small device as he presses a button. “...too bad you weren’t here...” Pinky’s voice emerges before Ben snaps it off.
“Fine, fucking great, but what about my people?” I spit.
“Tell us,” Arch commands.
I take a deep breath. I have to do this. I have to tell them.
“My second in command is untried. She’ll do her best, but Noah, the only other head, besides me and Raquel, is who started this. So his contingent is already fighting. And likely depleted.”
“Because you were chosen in the lottery,” Ben confirms.
“Yes. Noah, an old friend, is embroiled and can’t help with Sylrya. Raquel is too far. I’ve been working on a secondary contingent for a year or so, but...” I pause.
Theo cups my chin, tilting my face up. “But what, sweetling?”
My eyes fill with tears and I curse myself silently. “They keep dying,” I whisper. “Some while on a mission, but many just disappear from their homes.”
“What?” All three of them shout at the same time. I cringe, their combined yells making my insides feel kind of squishy.
“Oh fuck, we barked at her,” I hear Theo say as Arch picks me up.
He glides down to the living space, placing me carefully on the couch.
“Easy, little one,” Arch says, a rumble starting in his chest as he rubs his hands up and down my arms.
I swallow down the bile in my throat. “I must go. I must,” I stop, throat closing thickly. “I have to help. I can’t leave my people.”
Theo growls, spinning to pace. “C’mon, Arch, you know we’d feel the same. Our bride is a warrior. A leader. You’d be climbing out of your skin if you had to leave our squadron in danger on their own! Let alone winglings we cared about!”
Arch’s eyes are on mine as he crouches in front of me. “I know. I agree,” he blurts unexpectedly.
I blink.