Chapter Seven
Adelaide
“ W hy does everyone call me at the ass-crack of dawn?” I grumble, trying to disentangle myself from En on my bed. Bryn has already made it to the call mirror. I think he can feel it before it rings. Ossy is still asleep, his big tattooed arm over En’s ribs, holding her to him. They look striking together and my heart sings for the sight of En starting to trust the boys.
Bryn leans back through the door of my reception room, beautifully naked. “It’s Maja.” His voice is relaxed; he thinks I made the correct choice not turning her over to Gitta. I’d be annoyed if I didn’t agree with him, the magnificent asshole.
I grab a robe as I head to the mirror. Maja’s yellow skin looks positively glowing. Ossy had told me that’s a sure sign they’ve been imbibing more than their usual vegetarian fare, which makes me a bit nervous about her mood.
“Good morning, Maja. And what can I do for you?”
She snarls, obviously still annoyed I forced her into spying for me. “I have information for you, Priestess.”
“Excellent.”
“The Upper Council will be meeting in person in Nevada within the next week.”
Bryn slips behind me and lifts my hair to the side, leaning down to kiss my neck. He’s trying to distract me so Maja can’t read the concern on my face. I raise my hand over my head and place it on Bryn’s neck, leaning back against his hard body.
The alf makes a noise of annoyance before continuing. “I have heard snippets regarding your traitor. It seems that the traitor is a female.”
Bryn bites the skin of my shoulder, eliciting a gasp from me. I turn my face towards his, trying to compose my features. Not Declan, then. Or Malcolm, though he’s dead. Eira. It must be her.
I look at Maja hard. “I need a name.”
She snorts. “Do you think I’m a miracle worker?”
Anger flares inside me. Without confirmation, I’m dead in the water. I can do nothing without verification. “You had best become one lest your queen turn you inside out starting at your belly button. Do alves have belly buttons?” I shrug, smiling evilly. “Starting with your intestines, then.”
She stills. Queen Gitta gave me the impression of being merciless. I doubt she’d stand for a traitor in her inner circle.
Maja’s gaze falls on Bryn before she nods. “I’ll do what I can, Priestess.” She blanks the mirror before I can respond, the rude bitch.
My eyebrows pinch together as I turn in the circle of Bryn’s arms. “Why would the Upper Council be meeting now? In secret?”
Bryn runs his tongue along my mouth until I open my lips for him. He lunges in like he would possess me. I melt into him. He always feels so incredible, and my aura positively buzzes when we touch. When he pulls back, his face is soft but sober. “Not for any good reason, a chroí.”
IT’S BEEN A LONG DAY of whoring myself, proverbially, to the heads of the houses. I need as much support as I can muster.
If I had known how much work this would be, I would have just taken the throne , I think sourly. I could have told them all to sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up. But because I’m trying to take the better, kinder route, I have to kiss ass all day. It puts me in an awful mood.
I flop down in my chair in the library. I’m in a nightgown and robe, and a small fire is crackling merrily. The stone of the sithen tends to hold in the cold, and besides, I love the ambiance of a fire. I close my eyes, trying to center myself and master my anger. Soon, I hear the door open behind me. The buzz of my aura tells me all three of my mates have entered.
A glass of Guinness is pressed to my shoulder. “Thank you,” I mutter to Bryn. He places his beer on the coffee table and tosses himself in the comfortable leather chair opposite. Ossy and En settle on the plush couch closer to the fire.
No one says anything as I drink deeply. They can obviously sense my mood. I take some deep breaths. This isn’t their fault. I should not take my shitty attitude out on them. I take another swig, memories of Dublin and drinking fresh-from-the-tap Guinness dancing in my head. I’d loved my time there while I was working on my degree at Trinity. Maybe we could all go visit when this is settled. The thought of Ossy kissing the Blarney Stone makes me grin into my beer.
I take one more calming breath before addressing them. “I appreciate you all giving me time to wallow in silence.”
They each chuckle. En says, “You’re a right bitch when disturbed, birdie. Of course we do.”
I look to Bryn and Ossy, who both nod sagely. Well fuck . I down the rest of my beer and stand, crossing to En and climbing onto her lap, one leg to either side of her. I take her half-empty beer from her hand and toss it down my throat before placing the empty glass on a table.
Bryn
MY EYES ARE GLUED TO Adi as she kisses En like she’s drowning. My poor free-spirited mate. She’s sick of all this shit. I don’t blame her; I am too. We’ll take her mind off things for the night, at least.
I stand and look at Osmund as I start to slowly undress. He grins and also stands to shed his clothes. The ladies are still kissing. I feel their need through the bonds and I hear Adi’s cat-purr, which always brings a smile to my face.
“Metamour, do you have a preference tonight?”
Ossy catches the edge to my voice and I let my gaze fall on Adi and En. He grins in that sweet way of his as he shakes his head.
“Ladies,” I command, “stand and undress for us.”
Two heads whirl to me at the same moment that I feel a delightful frisson of annoyance from them both.
“Don’t make us start this out by spanking each of you,” rumbles Ossy.
En’s eyebrows shoot upwards. She presses Adelaide off of her lap gently and stands. She looks back at Adi. I can almost see them silently discussing this, trying to decide how to let this play out.
I grin. I love this. I love them being good girls for me, but I love them being brats too. One thing is for sure: Adi has already forgotten about court bullshit. That was my main goal.
Osmund decides to make the choice for them. He strides to En and grips the back of her neck. “Get on your knees, sugar, and suck my cock. You can let us know when you’ve made your mind up about your behavior.”
I look to Adi and she pulls a sour face without moving. In a flash, I’m on the couch with her, hand in her hair, pressing her front over the arm. She resists, squirming, and I tug off her robe, flip her dress up, and spank her ass hard. She squirms and struggles, which only earns her more swats.
“You keep misbehaving and I’m going to fuck your ass tonight and leave you wet and wanting. Do you understand, a chroí?”
She immediately quits fighting and I smirk. “Assume the position to take the rest of your spanking like my good girl.”
She huffs out a breath and slowly readjusts herself, knees spread, her forearms on the arm of the couch, her head lowered.
“That’s right, Priestess. Just like that.”
I look to Ossy and En. She’s sucking on the end of his huge dick as he strokes her cheek.
Softly, I hear, “Three taps on my body to red out. Understand?”
A noise of agreement escapes her, though it's strangled by that thick cock.
Ossy wraps her braid around his fist, then cups her cheek with the other hand. “You’re going to deep throat me, sugar. Just relax and open up.”
Adi makes a noise of need as she watches Ossy shove his dick down En’s throat. I spank Adi slowly and rhythmically as we both watch Ossy and Nairna.
“Breathe through your nose when I pull back. You can do this. You will do this,” he growls, hands still holding her face and hair as he thrusts deep into her mouth.
The next noise Adi makes is pain and I pause her punishment to rub and stroke her bottom until her sounds switch back to needy. “I’m almost done pinking your ass. Tomorrow you’ll remember this every time you sit, my heart.”
The sounds of Ossy fucking En’s throat surround us, her groans and his praise and direction. I give Adi a few more swats then I stand, leaving her on the couch. I grab her nightgown and pull it up over her head.
“Up, sugar, and strip for us,” Ossy says to En. He steps back as En does as instructed while wiping her face. But as she pulls at her pajamas, she locks eyes with Adi, a small smile on her face, as if the show is just for Adi. Brats .
I cross to the rug in front of the fire. “Come.” I snap my fingers and hear a low growly sound come from En. It merely makes me smirk. “If you don’t want to be wearing tailed plugs in your sweet little asses while we fuck you, you had both better move now .”
I feel nervousness but also curiosity from them both at that statement. Hmm, so they would like that. Naughty shifters . I smile to myself and make a mental note to custom order them each a tailed butt plug.
When all of my mates have joined me, I direct them like a stage manager. I pull Adi on top of me as I recline on the plush rug.
“Ride me backwards,” I murmur as I turn her body. I love seeing her take me like this, and as soon as she lines us up I grab her hips and tug her down, sinking into her to the hilt. My eyes close at the pleasure of being buried in her heat. She groans, squirming on me. I swat her pink bottom. “Ride.”
As her hips rock, my eyes take in Ossy’s broad chest. He’s on his knees, working his big dick into En from behind. Her pretty face is in the rug and she’s whimpering as her hips twitch backwards onto him. I grin as I hear him praise her.
“Such a good girl, sugar, taking my fat cock so well in that obedient pussy.”
Adi whimpers at that and I spank her ass again. She gasps in shock and her cunt clamps down on me. I grab her hips, rubbing my thumbs into the dimples on her lower back as I follow the movement of her hips. Osmund has rearranged En so they are closer to us and Adi is staring directly at them. A smile curves my lips. “Adelaide, hands on the floor.”
She obeys, of course, and now her and En are face to face. En’s body is rocking, her grey legs splayed wide as she takes Ossy in just the manner of his choosing.
“En, open your eyes,” I command.
She does and, seeing Adi’s face close to hers, immediately starts to kiss Adi. Adi raises one hand to cup En’s cheek as they kiss, tongues touching as they both get well and thoroughly fucked. They are both making the most incredible sounds of pleasure. I could surely die happy with this in my ears.
I lift Adi off me, though she whimpers in protest. “Ossy,” I say, “let the ladies finish each other.”
He pulls out of En with a wet noise and she tackles Adi, pressing her onto her back, knees going to either side of Adi’s head just as she buries her face in Adi’s pussy.
Osmund crawls over to where I’m reclining and lays with me, one hand on his cock, one on mine. My eyes close briefly at the sensation, but I quickly focus back on Adi and En.
They are both using fingers and mouths on each other and, from the sounds, are close to finishing. I lean down to lick the flavor of En off Ossy’s cock. He groans at the feel of my tongue and his hand lands gently on the back of my head. I hear En finish, her loud cries sexy as hell. Shortly after, I heard Adi’s whimpers and breathy moans as En makes her come with her tongue. I sit up, but before I can do anything else, En presses me down and shoves herself onto my cock.
“Fuck,” I groan, then see Adi straddling Ossy’s large body as she leans her head back in pleasure. “Naughty girls. Who said you could take control and get these dicks?” I growl good-naturedly.
Ossy and I are lying next to each other. He turns and kisses me deeply as the ladies ride us hard. En rubs her clit down into my body as I shift upwards, making sure she gets that delicious pressure. Her cunt is gripping me tightly and she’s drenched. I love it. I love that she needed to climb onto my cock without even getting permission. I’ll spank her for it later.
Adi grabs En’s hair and pulls her across for a quick kiss. Ossy starts to play with Adi’s nipples and she quickly loses control, groaning even as he pulls her face to his to kiss her.
“Look at me, En. I love you,” I say, hands digging into her ass cheeks. Her muscles tense, long and lean, as she arches her back and comes for me.
“That’s right, love. Come all over my cock. I fucking love feeling you grip me. Such a good girl.” And at that, I lose control and feel myself shoot inside her, adding to that drenched pussy I love just as much as Adi’s delicious little cunt.
When En’s hips slow, as she had ridden me hard through my orgasm, she smiles down at me softly, her long hair unbound. She slips off of me, my wet cock falling to my body. I stand and offer my hand, but Ossy swoops in and scoops her up in his arms as she squeals. He rumbles softly in her ear, and I know I hear, “I love you as well, sugar. Surely you know that by now?”
I grin and gather up my tired Adelaide. She curls into my chest, her ear over my heart and her beautiful eyes closed. I carry her out of the library to her—our—bed and carefully lay her down as Ossy does the same with En on the other side. The ladies scoot towards each other as Ossy and I climb in, pulling the blankets up over us. En is playing with Adi’s hair and Ossy leans in for a quick kiss. I curl up behind Adi. As she snuggles into me, I take her thigh in my hand and ease her leg over the top of mine, letting my fingers slip down between her legs. Ossy’s seed is slipping from her, so I trail my fingers through it and lazily bring them to her mouth.
“Mmm,” she half-says, half-grumbles as she cleans them.
I smirk. “No babies, no need of keeping cum inside you, my heart. I should make you swallow it all.”
“I’ll agree to swallowing yours only if you eat all of Ossy’s,” she mumbles softly, sounding tiredly snarky.
I grin and nip her ear to the chuckles of my other mates.
NAIRNA AND I EMERGE through the mirror in Orla and Sean’s guest house early in the morning. Rory is sitting at the desk, which is covered in painting supplies, and he looks over his shoulder, grinning at En.
“I finally get to meet Adi’s special lady. ”
Nairna glowers at him silently. I nudge her. “He’s a bit annoying, but he’s very useful.”
He waggles his eyebrows. “Ask Weyland about that.”
Weyland emerges from the bathroom dressed only in linen pants that cling low on his waist. “Don’t tell them to ask me that, Ror.” His voice is a gentle rumble and he nods, his large curved horns lowering, to Nairna. “We’re glad to meet you,” he says kindly.
Before she can respond, the door opens and Orla bursts in, heavy dark eyebrows lowered. She strides up to En and immediately wraps her arms around her. En freezes, her smokey eyes latching onto me for help. I chuckle and Orla leans back, holding En’s upper arms as she surveys her.
“I’m excited to meet you. You must be wonderful if you’re Adi’s mate.” She smiles, turning to look at me, which lays bare the smattering of selkie markings running up her neck. “Bryn. I see Adi has managed not to strangle you.”
I smirk. “Yet.”
En snorts.
Rory laughs as he puts his brushes and small canvas away. “You all ready for today?”
Weyland has carefully pulled a shirt over his head. “Not really, but we don’t have much choice, do we?” he says softly.
HIs words sober us all and I nod as I pull open the guest house door.
WE RETURN TO RIVER’S Edge Tavern where we had met the heads of our EA last time, before the Full Moon rite where Adi killed several Fae who desperately needed it. En, Rory, Weyland, and I are settled at a table upstairs instead of the water tables. I wanted Filib off-kilter and I know he prefers his waterhorse form.
He climbs the stairs, trailed by Elen. I’m shocked by the fact that he took it upon himself to invite her. That jackass. Though I must admit, I’m slightly impressed at his first-ever show of spine.
I nod to them both as they sit at our table, Filib looking nervous and Elen calmly arranging her lightweight gown. A quick round of introductions and I jump straight to it.
“We need your support.”
Elen’s magic rolls over me. I haven’t spent much time in close quarters with gwyllions, but I believe her magic to be conscious and that annoys the fuck out of me. It’s one thing to be wrapped in an aura that is magic, that you have no control over, that causes people to react to it. And it’s another thing entirely to push that magic out consciously. I let my annoyance show on my face, because I probably shouldn’t openly say anything. I dislike her magic forcing me to find her attractive, so I let my anger about it hit her and smirk when she gasps. I feel her magic pull back as she puts up her personal shields.
Filib clears his throat, obviously feeling my frustration as well. “Bryn, I thought we had shown our support and loyalty at your, uh, last meeting.”
The one where I dropped a few council members to the ground. I smile at the memory. “The Upper Council is meeting in secret. None of the heads from any of the FECs have been notified.”
Filib’s eyes widen but Elen understands immediately. “You think the council members you killed were in league with the Upper members.”
I nod. “Yes. I think there are plants in every Lower Council. Similar uprisings to the ones in Glario are being seen in all the FECs I have informants in.”
“But the uprisings here ended ,” Filib says with a bit of whine in his voice.
I spare a moment to remind myself that I shouldn’t call him an idiot in front of everyone. “Yes. Because Osmund, Rory, Weyland, and I killed them all.”
A strangled, surprised noise emerges from Filib but Elen nods. “The dead council members were leading them?”
“Indeed.”
Elen’s eyes settle on Nairna, who has been sitting silently with her best distant-but-on-edge guardsman face on. En ignores her with the utter disregard only a haughty unseelie can produce.
“But why would the Upper Council be causing riots and planting people?” Filib blithely complains.
I close my eyes for a moment but manage not to rub my head. Nepotism at its best. If his father and uncle weren’t the richest and most infamous kelpies ever to grace the Earth, there would be no way he’d be here. Thank Goddess Elen isn’t stupid, at least.
I lean forwards, placing my forearms on the table. “I think they intend to overthrow the US government. Now . I don’t believe they will wait on the Lower Councils’ vote of approval. Because they most likely won’t ever get it.”
“How would uprisings make that happen?” Filib asks.
A look crosses En’s face and her eyes flick to me. I bite my cheek to keep from chuckling. Once you know her, her face is as easy to read as Adi’s and I love it, the cold-hearted bitch. She thinks he’s an utter moron. She’s not wrong.
Filib continues blathering on aimlessly. “This just doesn’t make any sense? What would they gain?”
Nairna apparently can’t take it any longer. “Are all kelpies this dense?” she asks, looking at me. “Or is this a trait particular to him?”
“I beg your pardon?” Filib blurts.
En raises her sculpted grey eyebrows, disdainful look firmly in place. “Then beg, Filib.”
Silence, interrupted only by the clink of silverware from nearby tables, surrounds us for a few heartbeats until Rory, unusually tactful, clears his throat. “Uprisings and riots will make the populace feel unsteady. The Upper Council is sowing discontent. They want the Fae outraged at the US government so they will support a larger uprising. The Upper Council has realized that the Lower Councils won’t push for such radical change. It probably started when we, I mean, Bryn, put down the splinter cell after the Mabon Bombing.”
“No, Rory, we . You have been instrumental,” I correct quietly.
Weyland’s eyes flick to me in approval. He clears his throat, his hand on the table curling into a fist. “My brother Elias is in FEC3. He and his husband have been...involved in some not-strictly-legal activities. I have a feeling he’s connected to the EA there. That is, Bryn, if you need more eyes on the ground.”
Elen nods. “My sister is in FEC6. She is the partner of a powerful family’s scion. I can see what she knows as well.”
I nod slowly as I process the implications of their offers. The Upper Council wants Fae to feel oppressed. This will cause them to either rise up naturally or, at the very least, support the push to separate from the US. A wide-scale approach will be needed to keep bloodshed to a minimum. We need to cow them into submission. Or at least back into waiting in the wings.
“Good, good. Contact them.” I turn and my eyes take in Filib, sitting awkwardly, shaggy brown hair half covering his eyes. I smile at him. “I have a special job for you.”
He swallows noticeably. “And what might that be, Bryn?”
“Sacrificial horse.”
I’M IN THE KITCHEN alone when I hear an odd noise. I grab a knife and tug on the auras of my mates. Adi and Ossy are playing in her room. En is in her room, which is the first one in the hallway that I’m stalking towards. I hear a whimper again and I silently open her door. She’s lying in bed, a toy in her pussy and her fingers rubbing her clit. She’s obviously close to an orgasm. Oh hell no.
I slam the door behind me, dropping my knife and striding to her bed. Her eyes fly open. “Bryn, get the fuck out of my room.”
I grab her ankle and pull her to me, plucking the dildo out of her cunt and rolling her over in a smooth movement. I place a hand on her neck as she growls at me. I spank her ass hard.
“This is for last night. Thinking you can climb on my cock without asking.” She fights me but doesn’t red out, so I keep spanking her. She pushes her chest up and I crack her ass again.
“Best accept your punishments, En.”
She snarls. “Plural?”
Another hard spank. “Yes, plural. I just walked in on you pleasuring yourself. You know I don’t allow Adi that. Not sure why you’d think I didn’t own your pleasure as well.”
“Fuck. That,” she grits out, but she’s still now, taking it. I chuckle, giving her another swat.
“Did you want to red out, En? You can, of course, with no consequence. But if you don’t, I will punish you and you will accept my dominion of your orgasms.” After our talk the other day, I need to make sure she understands that this is a choice for her.
She shivers but is silent. I spank her again. “Do you understand? Answer me.”
“Yes.”
Her arousal is thick in the air. She wants to be controlled. Her reasoning for it, for enjoying it, is much different than Adi’s or Ossy’s, but nonetheless, she wants it.
“Good girl,” I growl “Don’t move.”
I turn and walk out, leaving her door open as I head to my room to grab a vial of lube. When I return, her head is turned on the mattress and her cheeks are rosy with embarrassment. Gorgeous .
I stroke the lube on my cock as I ask, “Have you had your ass fucked, En?”
She gasps but doesn’t move. “Yes. Once,” she answers tightly.
“And did you like that?” I place a wet finger against her bottom and she squirms. I start to circle my finger softly.
“No,” she says in a strangled voice.
“Hmm. This would go better for you if you can find pleasure in it, as I love to fuck a tight ass. However, if you don’t enjoy it, I’ll make sure to use this as your consequence whenever you need an attitude adjustment. Nothing like a good ass-fucking to put a sub in their place.”
She growls at this, as I expected, and I smile. I gently press one finger inside her ass. She gasps and jerks but lays still.
“Once again, En, you can red out,” I say softly. I want her submission given freely; I want her to enjoy my control of her body.
“Shut. Up. Bryn.”
Ohh, she wants it. She just doesn’t want to admit it, wants to be forced a bit. Alright, I can work that angle. I slide a second finger in her ass and she whimpers.
“I’m just getting you ready, pup. You can’t take a cock like mine with no prep.” I let my other hand stroke her back. She growls again, obviously disliking my soft touch.
I slide my two fingers in and out of her bottom at a faster pace. She wiggles and whimpers.
“I see you, En, trying to take your consequences like a good girl. So sweet and submissive.”
At that, she snarls. Good.
“Is your cunt wet? Are you excited by me taking your ass?”
Silence. I gently work a third finger into her tight asshole as she whines. I use my other hand to spread her legs further and cup her pussy.
“ Soaked , love, you’re soaked. You don’t hate this at all , do you?”
I pull my fingers out and she squeals pitifully. I raise an eyebrow and slide two fingers back in. She gasps and rocks her hips. I slowly slide the two fingers out. She squeals again, sounding miserable.
Oh. Ohhh . I think I know what her hang-up is.
I line the head of my cock head up against her and stroke my hand over her back.
“Easy, love. Try to relax, because you’re taking it no matter what.” I lean forwards slowly as she whines but holds perfectly still. Another breath and I pop inside her. I bite back a groan at how good she feels as I freeze, waiting for her to get used to my girth. She whines and pants as her back arches.
“Breath, pup. This sweet little ass was made for me and I intend to use it well and often. Maybe every evening in front of Adi and Ossy.”
She clenches up at that and I can’t hold back my almost-pained groan this time.
“Ohh, do you like the idea of them watching you take my cum up your ass every night? Of me bending you over the dinner table and using this tight bottom for my pleasure?”
“No,” she groans into the bed, but the roll of arousal down the bond can’t be hidden and I smirk.
I start to move, sliding inside her. She pants and squirms.
“You’re taking me so well, En. This view of your body swallowing me in is absolutely captivating.”
I’m buried to the hilt inside her and I lean over her prone body and kiss her back before straightening out and slowly pulling my cock out of her ass. Again, she whines pitifully.
“I love your ass. It’s mine now, En. And I love you taking my cock like this, like my good girl.” I growl the words, but I’m trying to reassure her. “If you don’t believe me, I’ll have you suck Ossy’s cock while I fuck his ass.” The flared head of my cock is pulling against her ring of muscle and she’s whimpering. “Submit, Nairna. I’ll take what I wish and all you can do is ride it out.”
Her arousal grows at that and I slide smoothly all the way back inside her to her pleased groan. I place a hand on the small of her back and I stroke my cock deep in her ass, trying to keep my out-strokes small and quick for her, even though I’m riding her hard. I feel her need grow but I let myself fall off the edge quickly. I groan as I squirt inside her fantastic little ass. She makes a surprised noise at the feel of it and I smirk.
I slide my cock out of her as slowly as possible, enjoying her twinge of embarrassment. We’ll work on it. She’ll get past that hang-up with some help and a few hard anal orgasms, I think to myself. Mayhap watch me take Adi’s bottom .
I pat her ass and I grab a towel to wipe myself off, after cleaning her bottom, to her squirming whine.
She rolls over on the bed, legs wide, waiting.
I smirk. “You don’t get to come. When I next fuck your ass, I’ll make sure you finish with me. But this? No, this was a punishment.”
“What?”
Her outrage is real. I roll my eyes. I make a show of letting out a big sigh.
“Alright, pup.” I sit on the bed next to her and grab her discarded toy, slipping it right into her soaked pussy, as she lies spread open. “Rub your clit for me. Let me see you come, sore bottom and all.”
She whimpers but her hand snakes down her belly obediently, much to my amusement.
WE’RE IN ADI’S HUGE closet, getting ready for Seren’s dinner party.
Adi is in a mood still, huffing loudly and pushing out magic that dances along my aura with a razor’s edge. Perhaps I should have topped her this afternoon within an inch of her life, instead of En.
“I don’t know who introduced Grandmother to the concept of ‘steampunk,’ but I think they should get tossed to the court torturer for a while.” She turns and I notice her hair is pinned up elaborately in big rolls with tiny silver chains worked in.
“Tsk, birdie.” En tugs her plum suit coat down, a look of satisfaction on her face. “You, my gorgeous love, are starting to sound a bit like your crazy cousins.”
Her grey hair is French braided down each side of her head loosely. It’s a departure from her usual style and I like it. I pat her bum as I walk past her and she shoots me an evil look.
Adi glares at her for the low blow about her cousins, but the look turns appraising. En does look delightful: a goldenrod- colored button-up with a leather corset over it, topped by the suit coat, and slim twill pants. Thin chains connect random places of her clothing and, oddly, a fake gear is attached to the corset.
“Shut it and give me a hand, will you?” Adi’s teasing but spins in the rich-navy-blue dress she has on. It bares her legs but almost looks Victorian otherwise. Large brass buttons run up either side of her breasts. A wide leather belt-thing, full of pockets and buttons and whatnot, wraps around the narrowest part of her waist. En laces her tightly, accentuating her gorgeous breasts.
I run my hand down the loud brocade frock coat I’m in. It fits perfectly, I can say that at least. En comes over and straightens the purple bowtie I have on. “Please tell me everyone is going to look this ridiculous,” I grumble.
Adi grins. “Anyone with an atelier worth their salt.”
I turn as Ossy enters, dressed in a navy-blue button-down covered by a leather vest with straps and gizmos hanging from it. His hair is braided down each side of his head with the center stripe tied partially then hanging loose. He looks oddly delectable as well.
He shakes his head looking at the three of us. His face is nervous. He takes a deep breath, looking discomfited.
“Osmund, what is it?” I start, concerned.
He pulls something out of his pocket and kneels.
He spreads his raised hands and there are three bracelets.
Adi gasps. “Is that....”
“Yes, baby. I borrowed it from your jewelry box.” Ossy takes another deep breath then makes eye contact with each of us. “Mates,” he rumbles, “I would ask you to take an oath. To me. To our family. To our bonds. In return, I promise to love you all, to strive to be a better Fae for each of you, to strive to bring out the best in each of you. I promise to love and protect you, now and forever, for you are each more important to me than my own breath. Will you join me in marriage?”
A sob escapes Adi a moment before she throws herself on him. Nairna has a shine to her eyes and approaches him slowly, and when she gets there, he manages, without letting go of Adi, to take one of the beautifully engraved torcs and place it on En’s wrist. She leans down and kisses him deeply, all while Adelaide is curled in his lap. They all look to me, hesitation in Ossy and En’s eyes. But not Adi’s. She knows my heart best.
“Of course, my loves,” I come forwards and Ossy slides the torc on my wrist, a copy of Adi’s that he had made while we were in his stadiz. I place my hand on his face. “Is there one for you, metamour? You should have one too.”
Ossy grins his crooked grin, pulling his sleeve back to reveal it.
I blink rapidly, trying to keep tears at bay. A thought hits me, “Is that what your new tattoos are about?”
He nods, though his face is buried in En’s side, as he’s still kneeling. He turns his hand to show the runes on his knuckles. The first looks almost like a knot, the next is a longer line connected to a shorter one by a slanted line, then on his ring finger is a simple upwards-pointing arrow, and on his pinky is two lines opening like a mouth.
Adi takes his hand from where she is still sitting on his lap, “Tell us, love.” Her fingers trace the first.
Ossy’s voice is unsteady, “That’s yours, baby. Inguz. Creation, a new phase. If there’s a will there’s a way.” He kisses her deeply.
Her fingers move to the next and he answers. “Mine. Uruz. Determination, endurance.” I see Adi’s other hand fist in his shirt as if she’d pull him closer. But her other hand moves to the next knuckle.
Ossy clears his throat. “Bryn’s. Tiwaz. Leadership, honor.” His blue eyes meet mine, love swimming in them.
Someone’s cutting onions in here, I swear. I sniff.
En kneels next to Ossy, Adi between them, and she touches his last knuckle.
He looks to her, “Kenaz. Enlightenment. Seeing clearly.”
Her eyes shimmer with tears and I kneel so we’re all level. Barely six months ago, I would have said I’d never find a single partner I’d want to bind my life to. Now here I am, eager to pledge to three Fae. I wrap my arms around Ossy, before reaching one out and snagging En into the hug, Adi pinned between us all, touching our bodies and purring.