“Absolutely.” Nevarre adjusted the crown deeper into the cascade of my hair, using two narrow braids and pins to help secure it. “The Morrigan loves you in white.”
I couldn’t help but mutter, “I’m going to be the same as naked.”
His lips quirked. “You’ve got a bikini underneath.”
“More like a string and a couple of postage stamps. G’s going to be one happy stallion.”
:I’m always happy, my queen. Especially when I can feel your bare pussy on my back.:
Daire came in with the jewelry I’d inherited from Desideria. As soon as he saw I was already dressed, he pouted. “Can I at least help braid your hair?”
“The vision I had in my mind was her hair flowing wild and free like the river,” Nevarre said. “Chaos. Not trapped and tidy.”
“For once, I actually like leaving it loose like this. It’ll help cover me up a little.” I met his gaze in the mirror. “Would you mind giving us a few minutes, Nevarre?”
“Of course, my queen.” He inclined his head and then turned to the door, giving his hips a hard enough jerk his kilt fluttered around his thighs. Enough for me to see that he wasn’t wearing anything underneath.
“You did that on purpose,” Daire growled.
Nevarre laughed softly as he shut the door behind him. “Most definitely.”
I turned away from the mirror and stepped closer to Rik. He sat in a massive armchair, plenty big enough for him though not as big as the one we used at home. Rather than sitting in front of him, I climbed onto his lap and draped my arm over his shoulders. Snuggling up against his chest, I breathed deeply, letting my rising hunger roll through our bonds.
“I’m glad you’re here, Daire. I could use a little help.”
Daire dropped down to his knees between Rik’s legs, though he didn’t purr.
Which told me more than anything exactly how upset my warcat was.
I slid my other arm around his neck and tugged him closer. “Rik’s big enough for us both.”
“That I am, my queen.” Rik spread his thighs wider, easily taking on more of the other man’s weight onto his lap, though Daire didn’t come up on top of him all the way. “As long as the chair holds.”
“It will.” I think. “And I’m queen enough to let you love each other too.”
“My queen.” A small, pained gasp escaped Daire’s throat and he buried his face against my chest. “I’m so sorry.”
I pressed gentle kisses against the top of his head, hugging him. “Don’t be sorry. I love being the kind of queen who can look at her Blood and see that they love each other, too.”
“But if I had to choose?—”
“I’m not asking you to choose,” I broke in quickly. “I’ve never asked you to love me more than you love Rik.”
Daire tipped his head back enough to let me see the agony raging in his shimmering eyes. “The general’s right, though. If you ever needed me to do something against Rik, I couldn’t.”
I kept my tone gentle, rubbing my thumb back and forth over his bottom lip. “Am I the kind of queen who’d ever force one of my Blood to hurt anyone? Especially another one of my loves against their will?”
“No, but?—”
“Exactly,” I broke in, though I kept my voice soft. “Sekh is All Seeing but he’s not All Knowing, or he’d know I’m only here because the goddess chose you and Rik to come to me first. I needed to see the way you two loved each other to know it was possible for me to love the same way. I didn’t know anything about any of this. Let alone how to love another Aima. You showed me how from the very first moment you found me.”
“But if something happens to Rik?—”
I pressed my forehead to his. “Then I’m dead too. So I swore to the Mother of the Gods. Rik’s my alpha and always will be. Your love is safe with me, Daire. Always. As safe as we both are with Rik.”
My alpha pulled Daire up all the way onto his lap, playfully jostling us both against him so we’d be sure to feel how much he enjoyed having us on top of him. “See? I’m big enough to hold you both.”
“That’s why I need your help, Daire. I need you to bite him for me, so he doesn’t have to change his clothes before we head to Texas.”