Devon acts indifferent, but I’m confident he feels as I do. It is difficult to hear her call out their names when she reaches her peak, knowing that they are allowed to worship her body and give her pleasure while we... are not.
I am happy for my brothers, even if I do envy them.
As I step outside the cottage to fortify the magic barrier, Ella’s voice stops me abruptly. “Wait!”
I spin to face her.
She smiles. “Can I come with you?”
“If you wish.”
“After you’re finished, we can train some more,” she offers.
I’ve been showing her mostly defensive moves the past few days. It is best to start with these first so that if she has need to defend herself, she has the tools to do so. Later on, we will begin moving to more complicated styles of fighting. But for now, she wishes to be able to fend off attackers if she must.
In truth, I love spending time with her and am thrilled she wishes to come with me while I check the barrier.
We are near the property’s outer edge, and I’m surprised she has not complained about the long walk. It is quite far, but she seems to enjoy it. And as we continue, we talk back and forth.
When we reach the barrier, I begin a more potent spell. That is why I wished to come out this far. I could have cast a weaker one closer to the cottage, but my nightmares of Ella’s death have plagued me the past few nights, and I want to make certain our shields are strong.
As I am casting, Ella begins singing softly behind me. Her lovely voice fills the air, and I am once again completely enchanted by her. When I finish, I creep back to where she is waiting nearby and listen as she sings.
A loud crack of thunder sounds overhead, and dark clouds roll across the sky so quickly, I stare up at them in shock. Is this some kind of side effect of my spell? It is well-known that all magic has consequences, both good and bad. And the power of my spell may be the reason this storm developed so quickly. There is no way it is a naturally occurring event.
The sky seems to open up, and rain pours down in thick sheets. I look at Ella. “We are far from the cottage, but there is a cave nearby. We can shelter there while we wait out the storm.”
She nods, her eyes wide. I take her hand, pulling her along behind me as we make our way to the cavern.
Desire burns through my veins so intense I feel as if I can hardly contain it. This, I know for sure, is an effect of the spell casting. It makes everything heightened, including longing and want. Something deep and primal unfurls from inside me at the thought of taking her to the cave. It is as if we are a mated pair and I am taking her to our burrow.
The sounds of her soft cries and moans of pleasure last night made me jealous, but it also stoked the flames of my need. I long to bury myself deep in her warmth. To fill her with my essence and claim her as my mate.
When we reach the cave, I turn to find her thoroughly drenched. Her simple white dress clings tightly to her form, outlining her breasts and the curve of her hips. Cool air blows through the cavern, and her nipples bead from the cold. The perfect outline of them, pink and visible beneath the cloth, makes my mouth water.
I have never seen a more beautiful or tempting creature before. As she moves toward me, I flex my fingers with want to touch her. But I will not unless she asks me to. I do not wish to presume that she wants all of us when she has only chosen Cash and Finn thus far.
I force my gaze away from her and move to find some wood. “I will start a fire to warm us.”
She nods and sits on a nearby rock.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice her shivering slightly. I turn to face her. “You should remove your dress so that we may dry it near the flames.”
She gives me a hesitant look as she nervously tucks a stray tendril of hair behind her ear. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course. Anything.”
She carefully removes her wet dress and hands it to me. I spread it out on a rock beside the fire, purposefully making sure to keep my gaze on the ground instead of her body. She is human. Nudity is not as acceptable to her people as it is to mine. And while she has grown more comfortable with me, I dare not presume it is all right to gaze upon her naked form.
“Cash and Finn said it isn’t wrong among your... kind to take more than one mate.”
My eyes snap up to meet hers, and I notice how she bands one arm across her breasts to hide them from my gaze, as if timid.
She continues, “I know that I’ve already bound myself to Cash and Finn, but they’re twins... and they said they were fine with sharing me, but...” her voice trails off.
I take her hand, anxious to understand what it is that she hesitates to tell me. I hope that she will take all of us as hers, but I don’t expect her to do this. I merely pray that it happens. “It is acceptable among our people. Not everyone takes more than one mate, but many of us do. What is wrong, Ella?” I pause as dread settles deep in my
