Me? I was left naked, again, in Destiny’s bed.
I would not meet my queen naked, on my back.
Stripping the bottom sheet off the bed in one vicious tug, I wrapped it around my waist and looked out from behind the canopy to find my mate wrapped in the queen’s embrace. Sobbing.
The sight made me stop in my tracks.
The queen looked over Destiny’s shoulder at me and I knelt, bowing my head. “My Queen. I am Captain Vennix Bryndar. It is an honor to meet you at last.”
“You are my daughter’s mate?”
“Nix is mine, Mom.” Destiny’s laugh struggled past the sobs and she turned, wiping her cheeks to smile at me. “He’s totally mine and I’m not giving him back.”
The queen looked down her regal nose at me, assessing my worth. I stayed down on one knee, but I held her gaze. I was a warrior. And Destiny was mine.
“Very well.” She bent her head to me and I rose. “If Destiny chooses you, I respect her choice.”
Destiny’s smile widened as her gaze traveled over my bare chest. “He’s hot. Seriously. How could I say no to that?”
I had never, not in my entire life, been embarrassed. Never felt my cheeks heat, turn red. Until that moment. My face was on fire as the queen’s gaze meandered down my bare chest to my waist and back to my face, her look assessing. “Indeed.”
Thank the goddess she turned away quickly, hiding a grin. Destiny didn’t even try to hide her amusement.
I’d spank her ass for that later.
“Get dressed, both of you. I have summoned the others as well. Meet me in the queen’s solar at once.” The regal queen was back, all amusement gone.
“But where have you been? What happened to you? Who kidnapped you? How did you get away?” Destiny fired off the questions so quickly no one would have been able to answer. The queen didn’t even try.
“Get dressed. You know I hate to repeat myself. I will tell all of you, together.”
“Okay.” Destiny was still smiling, practically glowing with happiness as her mother turned and walked out of our rooms. When she turned that radiant smile on me, my cock responded. My heart leapt. My entire body on fire for her. Beautiful. She was so fucking beautiful. “That’s my mom.”
“I figured that out on my own.” I smiled as she walked toward me, as she pushed me backward toward the bed. When my knees hit the edge, I sat, unprepared for the seductress who pulled the sheet from my hips and climbed, naked, onto my lap. She took my cock in her small hand and positioned it at the entrance to her warm, wet core.
“You’re mine, Nix. I meant what I said. I’m not giving you up.” She slid down, taking me deep. Claiming me in the most primitive of ways.
“Your mother is waiting.” Fuck. I grabbed her hips, arched up into her. Deeper. Harder. She arched her back and I leaned forward, taking her nipple into my mouth just so I could hear her moan my name, feel the harsh tug of her hands in my hair.
“She can wait ten minutes. I need you.”
I need you.
I gave up arguing. Celene Herakles was my queen, but Destiny was mine. If she needed me, who was I to argue?
3
Destiny, The Queen’s Solar
“I can’t believe you just walked into the palace like you own the place,” I said, for the first time taking my seat at the big table in the queen’s suite used for group powwows. The queen’s solar. Such a fancy name for a living room with comfy chairs, couches and a huge oblong table in the center surrounded by twelve high-backed chairs. The table could easily squeeze in half a dozen more.
After Mom had completely stunned me—and Nix, and I managed to tear myself away from my mate's hard body—it had taken about an hour for the four of us, Mom, Trinity, Faith and myself, to stop hugging and crying once we were all in the same room.
Between sobbing and holding on to each other like we might be separated again, we’d managed to confirm to our mother how we’d arrived on Alera. A
nd that our Ardors had passed. And that Trinity had been acting as ruler. And where we’d been and what we’d been up to, Trinity at the palace, Faith in the Jax household, and me with the clerics. And all three of us had found and fallen in love with our mates. And. And. And. There were a lot of ands to fill the time.
All three of our mates had stayed in the room with us, Leo’s father a stoic guardian at the door, watching over all of us like he’d just won the lottery. The men had remained silent, probably equal parts content that the hunt for Mom was over and equal parts horrified at what four females sounded like when we were finally together and all talking at once.