Chapter Twenty-three
Audrey
T he walk back to Donovan and Wraith’s house is nice as I cuddle into Donovan’s side. It never really gets hot or cold here, sitting at pretty much the perfect temperature. It had surprised me at first, but I’m used to it by now. It also makes some sense because of how the underworld is set up, something Professor Gregory taught us the other day in class.
Scythe Academy is on the island of Bristix that sits in the middle of the underworld. The water surrounding the island is mostly made up of the River Styx, but it’s also where the other four rivers meet the River Styx. The five rivers—the River Styx, the River Lethe, the River Phlegethon, the River Acheron, and the River Cocytus—break up the seven different areas of the underworld.
Besides Bristix, there’s Ephonia, which is where Lucifer/Hades rules and is the major city of the underworld. Then there’s Caligo, where the god of darkness, Erebus, rules. The entire land is apparently in an eternal night. There’s Dolorem, an icy landscape that Nyx, the goddess of night, rules over. The other three lands are the ones most people think of when they think of the underworld—Asphodel, Tartarus, and Elysium. They’re ruled by Hypnos, the god of sleep, Thanatos, the god of the dead, and Hecate, the goddess of magic. One day, I’d love to be able to see the other areas of the underworld. Maybe that’s something I can convince Donovan to do with me.
“Are you alright, pretty girl?” Donovan asks, interrupting my thoughts.
“Of course, I am. Why do you ask?”
He laughs. “I asked you a question five minutes ago, and you still haven’t answered me, leading me to believe you weren’t paying attention.”
“Shit, I’m sorry.” I can feel the heat rising to my cheeks. “I was just thinking about the rest of the underworld and how I’d love to see the rest of it someday. What did you ask me?”
“I’m sure that can be arranged,” he says with a grin. “As far as what I asked, it’s not important since we’re home.”
Home. Huh. Not exactly how I think of the house but maybe one day.
“Come on. We don’t want to keep Wraith waiting.” Donovan tugs me along toward the house.
I kind of want to know what the hell he asked me. Now, he’s the one acting strangely. “Are you sure you don’t want to ask me again?”
He shakes his head, pulling me into the house. “Nope. Too late now.”
Too late? What’s too late?
“Ahhh, you’re home.” Wraith smiles as he steps into the doorway that leads to the living room. “Good evening, Audrey.”
“Good evening, Wraith,” I reply with a shy smile. “I hear there’s creme brulee?”
Wraith chuckles. “There is, although it was meant to be a surprise, which Donovan knew.”
The idea of Wraith doing something to surprise me has my stomach fluttering. What the hell?
“Well, hurry along,” Donovan practically barks before he shoves me toward Wraith.
I try to catch myself before I run into him, but I can’t stop the forward momentum. I crash into him and his arms wrap around me, sending electricity through my body. I tilt my head to look up at him with wide eyes.
“Is that what I think it is?”
“Well, fuck,” Wraith sighs, helping me right myself before stepping back.
My face falls, my stomach clenching as hurt rushes through me. “Is it really that bad to be my mate?”
“What? No. That’s not what—“ Wraith breaks off, running his hand over his face. “I’m sorry, Audrey. Being fated to you is honestly a dream come true. I just never thought that I would have a fated mate, and there’s so much other shit that you know nothing about. Why don’t we sit and enjoy our creme brulee while we chat.”
He offers me his hand, and I consider being a petty bitch and ignoring it. Only, I can’t seem to make myself do that. I’m reaching for him before I even realize what I’m doing. The smile he shoots me leaves me breathless as he leads me to the dining room table. He pulls out my chair, waiting until I’m seated before pushing it back in.
“Let me grab the creme brulee. The two of you had perfect timing. I had just finished them when I heard the door.” Wraith dashes to the kitchen as Donovan drops into the seat across from me.
I glare at him as I hiss, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
He shrugs. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
“Oh, he definitely did it on purpose—something I don’t approve of, pet. Don’t think you’re getting away with that. There will be a punishment.”
I bite down on my lip at his voice that sounds like liquid lust. Heat rushes through me as I clench my thighs together. The idea of the two of them together is a turn on, but the idea of Wraith punishing Donovan? A panty melter for sure.
“Pretty girl likes the idea of that,” Donovan says with a smirk. “It seems our mate is a dirty girl.”
Now it’s time to rub my thighs together as I seek some kind of relief from what their words are doing to me.
“Don’t worry, Audrey, you can help me punish our hellhound,” Wraith says as he sets the creme brulee before me. “But for now, I want you to enjoy your dessert while we talk.”
“Yeah, okay.” Because it’s totally that easy to ignore the desire that’s flushing my skin. Glancing at Donovan, I find him sniffing the air with a predatory look in his eyes as he watches me. I force my head down as I spoon a bite of the creme brulee. Lifting it to my mouth, I moan as it hits my tongue. “Holy shit. This is one of the most delicious things I’ve had in my mouth.”
Around me, the room has fallen silent, so I lift my head with a frown. I find both of my mates staring at me with hunger in their eyes. Jerking my head back to my dessert, I scoop another bite and shove it into my mouth. I have to bite back my moan. It really is divine.
Wraith clears his throat. “As I said before, I’m sorry for making you think I didn’t want you as a mate, Audrey. I was just surprised. I didn’t think myself or the other four horsemen would have fated mates. Nothing makes me happier than sharing a mate with Donovan. It definitely makes all of this much easier to figure out, don’t you think?”
“Ummm, yeah. I guess so.” I keep my eyes on my dessert as I admit, “Though, you kind of scare me.”
Wraith laughs and when I glance up at him, I find he’s thrown his head back as he holds his stomach.
“I told you so,” Donovan says with a grin, eyes on Wraith. “You make yourself so scary to the newly dead that even your own mate is scared of you.”
“Yes, you did tell me that.” Wraith reaches over and pats Donovan’s hand before wiping away the tears from his face.
I’ve made Death laugh so hard he cried. I’m not sure how I feel about that.
“Audrey, I promise I’m not nearly as scary as I make myself out to be. I would hope that based on our interactions over the last few days, you would’ve guessed that yourself. You have nothing to fear from me, darling. That I vow to you.” Wraith’s eyes are so serious that I believe him. “I know actions speak louder than words, but for now, I just ask you to take me at my word until I can prove myself to you.”
“Okay,” I say softly. “I think I can do that.”
His smile lights up his face. “Good. Now, finish up your creme brulee.”
I immediately lift another spoonful to my lips. He doesn’t have to tell me twice. This shit is amazing.
“I know we’ll need to have a conversation with Brenden soon, but we would like both of you to move into our home,” Wraith continues. “I will do my very best to make sure that both of you remain as students at Scythe Academy and make it through the program. If for some reason, one of you doesn’t make it, you won’t be sent for judgment. I’ll hold your souls back until we figure out what to do from there.
“I had already planned on having this conversation with you, but with the knowledge that you’re my mate too, I feel it’s extra important to lay everything on the table. While it would have been easier for you if we didn’t find out we were mates until after you graduate, I can’t say I’m sorry. It’ll change the way the professors treat you, some for the better and some? Not so much. Even the students might treat you differently. For that, I apologize. Though, it likely would’ve happened with Donovan being your mate anyway.”
I nod slowly. Of course others will treat me differently. Isn’t that how life always goes? Honestly? I don’t even care as I look at two of my mates. I barely know either of them—especially Wraith—but there’s part of me that feels like I’ve known them my entire life. Fated mates are weird as fuck.
“I understand.”
“Excellent.” Wraith gives me a quick smile. “We’d love it if you stayed the night tonight. Tomorrow, maybe we can have Brenden over for dinner so the four of us can get to know one another.”
“When you say stay over, do you mean with the two of you? Or in my room?”
Now, it’s Donovan’s turn to grin. “Obviously, we’d love you to stay with us, pretty girl. Think of all the things the two of us could do to you together.”
“But the decision is up to you, Audrey. We would never pressure you into anything you weren’t ready for. No matter what Donovan says.” Wraith glares at Donovan, who looks unrepentant.
“Just know one thing, pretty girl. If you come to bed with us, I will bite you. My hellhound has been screaming at me since you arrived to bite you, and even Wraith wouldn’t be able to stop me.” He shrugs. “I figured you should have all the information before making your decision.”
Glancing between the two of them, I take the last bite of my dessert as I attempt to decide where I should sleep. After all, just yesterday I'd been thinking how I don’t know Donovan well enough to bond with him. But right now, I can’t think of anything better than bonding with both of them.
Fuck it. I can always get to know them after we bond, right?
“I think I’ll stay with you two.”