Chapter 59
Raven
The conversation hummed around me, but I barely registered it. I was still in shock from my surprise bonding ceremony. Glynda pressed a glass of something pink and fruity into my hand.
“Drink,” she ordered. “You need to keep your strength up.”
“I do?” Oh my goddess, was I expected to give another speech?!
“Yes, for the bondmoon.”
“Bondmoon?” I repeated. The drink tasted pleasant. Of berries with a sharp aftertaste that made my tongue sizzle.
“Yes, the bit where you…” My bestie leaned in and whispered in my ear, “…bang all your mates at the same time.”
I choked on my drink, coughing up a storm while Glynda slapped my back. Maverick turned to check on me, presumably to make sure I wasn’t dying on his watch.
“I’m fine!” I croaked, waving to reassure him. His shoulders relaxed, and he carried on with his conversation with Uncle Patrick. “I can’t have sex with all of them at the same time!”
“Why not?” Glynda seemed genuinely confused. Did she know something I didn’t?
“Because I don’t have enough…” I gestured downward and grimaced. “Orifices?”
Now it was Glynda’s turn to choke and wheeze, thus attracting even more unwanted attention from Maverick.
And also Zane, who’d grown bored with advising my father on how best to juggle emotional females with extreme jealousy issues.
It transpired demonesses were not shy about expressing their dissatisfaction with male partners.
Zane had been all agog until Dad mentioned how female demons exacted revenge on partners deemed unsatisfactory. It was a miracle my father had, um, fathered me.
“Raven’s worried about the bondmoon.” Glynda snickered at Zane while I swallowed more pink drink to hide my embarrassment about being so uneducated.
“Why? It’s all about your pleasure, pet.” Zane plucked me off the bench and placed me on his lap.
“Yes, but…all five of you?” I gulped. “At the same time?!”
“Hopefully all of us, but fish boy might opt out.”
“Kai won’t be with us?” That made me sad. I hated that he often stayed apart from the others. He was my mate too, and equally important.
For once in his life, Zane didn’t make light of my concerns.
“He will be there, pet. I’ll make sure of it. Even if I have to tie the fucker to the bed.” From his grin, the idea appealed, although I was fairly certain Kai would not appreciate being tied up.
Glynda swallowed the last of her drink and stood. “It’s time for me to go, so have a wonderful bondmoon.”
“Wait…what? You’re going back to school now?”
She pulled a potion bottle from her clutch bag. “Yeah. Miss Windborne gave me a portal potion so I could come to the ceremony, but she said I had to be back for lessons tomorrow.”
I’d barely seen my friend lately and had been hoping we could hang out for a bit, so her leaving made me sad.
“Thank you for coming,” I said, forcing a smile. “Although I’d have appreciated a head’s up about this!”
“I know, and I’m sorry, but the guys made me promise not to say a word,” she said sheepishly.
“Ugh, I forgive you.” I clambered off Zane’s knee and hugged my bestie. “How long is a bondmoon exactly?” I feared for my poor pussy if it lasted for weeks. As much as I loved my mates, it would be me asking Zane for anti-chafing potions before long.
“Three days.” Glynda winked. “Have fun!” She moved away from me and dropped the potion. A small portal opened behind her, giving me a glimpse of the witch dorm before she stepped through it and vanished.
“Right, pet, wait here while I gather the fun crew so we can start our bondmoon.”
Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Did I have time to down a few more of these pink drinks? I sure hoped so, or my nerves might just get the better of me.
There was so much snow outside. Like, piles of the stuff.
“I was hoping for tropical sun,” I admitted, while trying not to sound ungrateful.
“I’m sorry, little mate. The incubus said he couldn’t teleport us that far, and since Miss Windborne has only given us three days, we didn’t have time to travel via more conventional means.”
“This cabin is luxurious by most standards,” grumbled Alaric. “My father paid serious cash for it.”
“It’s lovely. Super luxurious,” I said to placate him because none of us needed a storm on top of endless snow. Besides, Alaric was right—the cabin was lovely.
Thick rugs covered polished hardwood floors, and the furniture was all beautifully crafted from teak and rosewood. I hadn’t seen the bedrooms yet, but the kitchen looked like it contained every appliance we could possibly need, and better still, the refrigerator was well-stocked.
“Will Fig be alright with your father?” I asked Maverick. Dad had taken Daisy after Zane had advised him that having a pet made a male more attractive on dating apps. Something about emotional availability. I’m not sure hellhounds counted as cute pets, but whatever.
“Fig will be fine, little mate. My dad will benefit from the distraction.”
“The only thing you need to worry about for the next three days is relaxing, darling,” Rasmus assured me. Kai dropped his bag in the doorway and nodded.
“Is there anywhere for Kai to swim?” I didn’t want my merman to suffer.
“Yeah. There’s a lake at the bottom of the hill. Can’t see it right now because of the snow, but it’s deep enough to swim in.”
“I’ll go check it out.” Before I could protest, Kai had slipped away into the night.
I yawned. The excitement of the surprise bonding ceremony, plus the multiple glasses of pink drink, had left me exhausted.
Never mind three days of kinky sex. I was more interested in sleeping.
“I’ll go run you a hot bath,” Maverick announced, taking charge as usual. “Zane, fetch more logs.”
“Why me? Let Captain Fangs do it!”
“It has to be you because you’re the one she’ll miss the least if you freeze to death,” Alaric said with a smirk.
Zane grabbed Alaric’s arm and they both disappeared. A few seconds later, Zane returned on his own, brushing snow off his shoulders.
“For fuck’s sake, where did you leave him?” Fur bristled down Maverick’s arms as his nails lengthened into claws, a sure sign he was about to hulk out. I yawned again and stumbled toward the staircase. Alaric could take care of himself. I’d vowed a week ago to stay out of my mates’ arguments.
“He’ll be back in a few hours,” Zane snickered. “Maybe.”
The bathroom on the first floor had a large soaker tub. I picked up one of the small pots of scented bath salts from a shelf and dumped it under the steaming hot water flowing from the faucet. The scents of lavender and passion berries soon filled the room, helping me to relax.
The dress Rasmus had conjured hit the floor before I climbed into the tub, letting the heat soak into my bones as wet snow slapped against the window.
It would have been nice to wake up tomorrow to sunshine and the sound of waves lapping a sandy shore, but all that really mattered was spending quality time with my mates.
My thoughts drifted until the click of the door opening jolted me into alertness.
Alaric padded in, shaking snow from his head. It quickly melted in the steamy bathroom. He grinned at my shocked expression.
“Zane said it would take you ages to get back.”
“I had a spare portal potion in my pocket. The moment he left, I came straight back and sneaked in via the mudroom at the rear of the cabin.”
The sound of an argument drifted through the door, and when I checked the bond tether with Maverick, it vibrated with anger. He and Zane must still be bickering.
Alaric wasted no time stripping off his clothes. I gulped, momentarily stunned into lustful silence at the sight of my storm mage’s ripped abs.
Water splashed over the side when he stepped into the tub.
“Fuck, the water’s hot,” he hissed.
I grumbled at having my peaceful soak hijacked, but made room for him. Icy hands slid around my waist, provoking a yelp.
“Sorry,” he muttered. “It’s well below zero outside now.”
“Stars, I hope Kai’s alright!”
“I’m fine,” my merman said from the doorway. Like Rasmus, he had an uncanny ability to glide around like a ghost. Ice crystals glittered in his braids.
“Come and warm up,” Alaric offered. “The tub’s plenty big enough.”
“If you’re sure?”
“Yeah, get in. I don’t mind.” Alaric’s attitude surprised me, given his previous issues about sharing.
“I thought you hated sharing,” I teased.
“That was before I passed beyond the veil,” he replied, his arms tightening around my waist. “Being given a second chance at life made me realize I needed to stop sweating the small stuff.”
Any reply I might have had stuttered and died. I still had nightmares where he lay dead in my arms and nothing I did brought him back.
Kai slid into the tub in front of me, melting ice dripping down his chest. I followed each drop as it hit the steaming water. My merman shivered under my heated gaze, and behind me, Alaric stiffened. In all ways.
“We should make the most of the peace while the others are busy,” he said with a laugh.
“Where’s Rasmus?” I could still hear Zane and Maverick, but not my vampire.
“He’s gone hunting so we could have some meat. The freezer was lacking in that area. Dad mostly used this place to entertain, which meant booze and drugs were prioritized over actual food.”
Grim. I hope someone changed the sheets.
“Let’s not talk about your father.”
Alaric’s lips brushed the side of my neck as steam rose. “Agreed.” He slid his hands up my rib cage and cupped my breasts.
Kai’s gaze dipped, his eyes darkening. “Does Alaric’s touch feel good?”
I shuddered, despite how warm the water was against my flushed skin.
“Yes.” My eyes fluttered shut as Alaric pinched and twisted my nipples, sparking shocks of pleasure through my body. Kai’s hand dipped below the surface. Was he touching himself?
I hoped so because I wanted him to unleash his feral side.
“Do you want me and Kai to share you?” Alaric asked in a husky voice.
“Share me?” A series of increasingly hot images flooded my mind, sending my heart rate rocketing. I knew Zane must have picked up on our lust by now, but to my surprise, he stayed away.
I guess Maverick had torn him a new asshole, and he was sulking.
“Yes, little witch. Share you.”