Chapter 9
Alette
Cassius’s words echo in my head. We need to talk.
My heart lurches. Oh gods. This is it. They’re going to tell me I can only be with one of them. That I have to choose between them. I can feel the heat rushing back into my face, my thoughts scrambling over each other before I can catch a single one of them.
“I—okay, I—” I start, and immediately hate how breathless I sound.
I clasp my hands together in front of me, fingers twisting, trying to ground myself and failing completely.
“I’m sorry,” I blurt out again.
The words come too fast, too loud in the silence.
“I didn’t mean for that to happen, I just—I don’t really know what I’m doing,” I rush on, the words tumbling over each other now. “I don’t have a lot of experience with… with any of this, and I know that I’m supposed to—”
I stop, swallow hard, then push through anyway.
“I’m supposed to pick one person.”
There it is. The truth I’ve always known. The rule that makes sense. The rule that suddenly… doesn’t.
“But I can’t,” I admit, my voice softer now, more fragile.
My gaze flicks between them, one by one, like I’m searching for the right answer somewhere in their faces.
“I don’t know how to do that,” I say, shaking my head slightly. “Because it’s not just one of you. It’s all of you, and I know that’s wrong, I know it is, but I—”
The words falter as a painful ache curls through me.
“I’ve never felt like this before,” I go on, quieter now, but no less desperate to make them understand. “Not even close. I don’t even know what this is supposed to be, but I—”
I hesitate, then force myself to say it anyway. “I’m attracted to all of you.”
My cheeks burn hotter.
“I like being around all of you. I feel… better when you’re there. Safer.” My voice dips, softer, more honest than I meant for it to be. “Protected.”
The word hangs there.
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” I finish, almost helpless now, my gaze dropping before I force myself to look back up. “And I feel like I’m doing something wrong.”
The silence that follows feels endless. Then, there’s a quiet huff of breath. Almost… amused.
I blink.
Sylvian is the first to move, his expression softer than I’ve ever seen it. “You’re not doing anything wrong,” he says gently.
Oberon lets out a low breath, shaking his head slightly like something in him has just settled. “Not even close.”
I stare at them. Confused.
Relief flashes across Sylvian’s face, quick and bright. “You have no idea how good that is to hear,” he says, a crooked grin tugging at his mouth.
Cassius studies me for a long moment, then nods once, like I’ve just confirmed something he already suspected. “Your response is logical, given the circumstances.”
That doesn’t help. At all.
“I just told you I can’t choose,” I say weakly.
“Yes,” Sylvian says. “You did.”
“And you’re… okay with that?” I ask, completely thrown.
Oberon’s mouth curves slightly, something rough but genuine in it. “This is not the first time one woman has cared for more than one fae man.”
Cassius nods. “We once mentioned to you that there were even four ruling fae who fell for one woman.”
Ashton huffs out a quiet laugh. “Pretty sure we’re all feeling a lot better at least knowing that you feel something for all of us, rather than some of us getting our hearts broken.”
I look between them again, my confusion only growing.
“That doesn’t make any sense,” I say.
Cassius straightens slightly. “With humans,” he says, “it wouldn’t.”
Sylvian glances at him, then back at me, something careful and deliberate in his expression. “But we’re not human.”
“And things don’t work the same way for us,” Oberon clarifies.
Ashton grins. “Not even a little.”
I stare at them, my heart starting to race again for a completely different reason.
“Then how does it work?” I ask, barely above a whisper.
“We’ll explain,” Cassius says.
He clears his throat, stepping forward slightly. There’s a brief hesitation there, like he’s deciding how much to say, how to say it.
“Remember when we explained that in fae society things work differently?” he begins, voice measured. “It’s not uncommon for a woman to take more than one partner. That’s actually more common that a two person partnership in many of the courts.”
Right. They did tell me about this. But I didn’t imagine such a thing would work between them.
Sylvian nods once. “It happens more often within a single court,” he says. “Where alliances are stable. Where trust already exists.”
Oberon lets out a quiet huff. “Across courts?” he mutters. “That’s where it falls apart. Remember that queen and the four kings who shared her?”
“That was a bloody mess,” Cassius says, looking thoughtful.
Ashton shrugs slightly. “Anyway, there’s been too much history, too much fighting, when fae from different courts share a bride.”
My gaze flicks between them, trying to piece it together.
“So… it does happen?” I ask.
Cassius inclines his head. “Yes.”
“But rarely like this,” he adds.
The weight of that settles immediately.
I swallow. “Because you’re from different courts.”
“Exactly,” Sylvian says.
Oberon’s jaw tightens slightly. “We’re not exactly known for sharing.”
There’s something in his tone that makes my stomach flip.
Cassius exhales quietly, his gaze steady on mine. “Under normal circumstances, this would be… unlikely.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” Ashton mutters.
“But,” Cassius continues, not missing a beat, “we have a lot of time to figure out what this is. Together.”
Oberon nods once. “Which means we don’t need to determine what this looks like. Not yet.”
That… shouldn’t be reassuring. But somehow it is. A little. Time to figure things out is exactly what I need.
“So… how does it work?” I ask again, quieter this time, but more grounded.
Cassius hesitates for just a fraction of a second. “When men share a woman,” he says, more carefully now, “it requires balance.”
Sylvian picks up the thread. “Equality,” he clarifies.
Oberon’s expression darkens slightly. “Or it turns ugly.”
Cassius nods. “Jealousy can destroy the bond if it’s not managed.”
I blink at them, my confusion shifting into something else now.
Something deeper.
“Equal?” I repeat. “What does that mean?”
Cassius’ face flushes, and he glances at the others as if searching for support. When none of them step in, he sighs and turns back to me. “If you were to be with one of us…” He hesitates, his cheeks turning a deeper shade of red. “You’d be with all of us.”
The words land like a lightning strike, heat rushing instantly to my face. “All of you?” I repeat.
He nods, his embarrassment evident. “Yes. That’s… that’s how it works. It’s the only way to keep things balanced. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair to anyone.”
I don’t know what to say. My mind is spinning. But then Cassius’ expression changes, a brief shadow of hurt crossing his face while uncertainty tightens around his eyes.
“Unless,” he says quietly, “you only want Ashton on that level, which would be your right.”
The pain in his voice stabs at my heart, and I shake my head vehemently, the panic bubbling up inside me. “No,” I say quickly. “No, that’s not it. I care about all of you. I want…” I trail off, struggling to find the words that feel right. “I just don’t know how any of this works. I’ve never…”
“We know,” Sylvian says softly, his green eyes warm. “This is new for all of us, too. But we’ll figure it out. Together.”
I nod, my chest tightening. “I care about you all so much,” I say, my voice trembling, the truth spilling from my lips before I can stop it. “More than I’ve ever cared about anyone. You… you mean everything to me. I…”
“And you find us all sexually attractive?” Oberon asks, his voice quiet but firm. There’s no accusation in his tone, just a simple statement of fact.
I shake my head, tears welling in my eyes. “Well, yes, of course, I… I don’t know what I’m saying. It’s more than sexual attraction. I like you. Well, it’s more than that. I don’t know.”
Ashton steps forward, his hand gently brushing against mine. “It’s okay,” he says softly. “We understand. We feel the same way about you.”
“He’s right,” Cassius adds. “You don’t have to be afraid of how you feel, Alette. We’re feeling it too.”
Before I can say anything else, Sylvian steps forward and wraps me in a hug, his arms strong and comforting. But the truth is, I haven’t actually said what I’m trying to say.
“I meant that I love all of you,” I finally manage to murmur against his shoulder.
“We love you too,” he whispers, his voice barely audible, but it makes my heart swell.
When he steps back, Oberon takes his place, his embrace just as firm and comforting. “I–I’ll always be there for you,” he says, his tone softer than I’ve ever heard it, and there’s a vulnerability in his eyes that catches me off guard.
Ashton is next, his hands cupping my face as he presses a gentle kiss to my lips. “I love you too, if that wasn’t obvious” he murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper.
Finally, Cassius steps forward, his touch tentative but warm as he pulls me close.
“I’ve spent a great deal of time analyzing this,” he says quietly, his eyes fixed on mine. “Trying to determine whether what I feel is circumstance, proximity, or something… less reliable.”
His thumb brushes lightly against my arm, almost absentminded. “It isn’t.” A pause. “I care about your safety. Your wellbeing. Your presence.” His voice lowers slightly. “In a way that exceeds reason.”
His eyes soften just a fraction. “That is, by every definition I trust… love.”
No one speaks. No one moves. It feels like the entire world has narrowed to the space between us. Four men, one impossible truth, and me standing at the center of it.
My breath catches, my thoughts tangling together, too much and not enough all at once. “I…” I start, but the words won’t come.
I don’t even know where to begin. And then… a yawn slips out of me. I freeze, mortified, clapping a hand over my mouth like I can take it back.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry—” I mumble, my voice muffled, shaking my head. “I didn’t mean—”
It’s like I’ve flipped a switch.
Everything in the room changes.
Oberon straightens immediately, all distraction gone. “It’s been too long since you slept last. We’re tired, and humans need more sleep.”
“I’m fine,” I insist quickly, dropping my hand. “It’s just been a long day, I—”
“You’re exhausted,” Cassius says, cutting through the denial with quiet certainty.
Ashton exhales sharply. “We should’ve thought about that sooner.”
“I’m okay,” I repeat, even as another smaller yawn threatens to betray me.
No one believes me. Not even a little.
Oberon shakes his head once, already moving. “We need to set up where we’re sleeping in her room.”
“You don’t have to—” I start again, the protest automatic.
“We do,” Oberon cuts in, not even looking back.
Cassius’s gaze snaps to mine, sharp but not unkind. “This place isn’t safe. I don’t care how polite that lord is.”
Sylvian nods immediately. “He’s right.”
Cassius doesn’t take his eyes off me. “We’ve already seen how the labyrinth operates. There’s no reason to assume this is any different.”
Oberon nods once, like that settles it. “We’ll gather what we need.”
Ashton pushes off the wall, already moving. “Blankets, pillows… whatever passes for comfort in this place.”
Oberon glances at me one more time before turning toward the door. “We’ll be back. One of us will stay stationed outside your door while we take turns gathering our things. Don’t leave your room without us.”
I don’t argue. I can’t. Because a part of me, maybe the biggest part, doesn’t want them to go at all. The room feels too large without them the moment the door closes.
Wrapping my arms around myself, I pace once, twice, trying to calm the whirlwind inside me.
They love me. All of them. The thought should terrify me. It should feel wrong. Instead… it feels like something I’ve been falling into for longer than I realized.
The door opens again before I can spiral too far, and they return one by one, arms full of blankets and pillows, the space filling quickly with warmth and movement.
Ashton drops his pile with a soft thud. “It sure beats our thin blankets and the cold wind.”
Sylvian sets his things down more carefully, already smoothing one blanket out across the floor. Oberon doesn’t say anything, just moves to position himself near the door, like it’s the most natural place for him to be. Cassius lingers near me for a moment longer before stepping back to help.
Within minutes, they’ve turned the floor around the bed into something almost… intentional. A barrier. A circle. Around me.
I swallow, my chest tightening again for an entirely different reason. “You’re serious,” I murmur.
Ashton glances up at me, a softer version of his usual grin tugging at his mouth. “Completely.”
My throat tightens.
I nod before I can second-guess it. “Okay.”
It feels like stepping into something I don’t fully understand.
But I don’t pull away. They settle in around me, each taking a place without discussion, like this has already been decided somewhere deeper than words.
Oberon near the door. Sylvian closest to the bed.
Ashton stretching out with an ease that feels almost forced, like he’s pretending this is normal.
Cassius last, positioned where he can see everything.
And me… in the center of it all. Protected. Watched over. Wanted.
I climb onto the bed slowly, pulling the blankets up around me, my heart still racing but softer now, steadier. Safer. The fire crackles quietly in the corner, casting flickering light across the room, shadows dancing along the walls.
For the first time in what feels like forever, the fear doesn’t follow me into the dark. But something else does. Something I don’t have a name for yet.
And as my eyes drift closed, surrounded by them, one thought lingers longer than the rest… I’m not alone anymore.