Page 104 of A Deal with the Shadow King

“No,” One growls.

I make my way to my infuriatingly stubborn darker half. “Aye.” I entwine our fingers to show him I mean it and tug him closer.

Sometimes, the only thing left to do is take a leap.

Chapter 35

Trois pour Un

The weight of my decision steals my breath, but doubts creep inside my foggy brain, so I clasp One’s hands even harder. “Wait a minute…will the king be able to force himself on me if I’m no longer a maiden?”

Two breaks out in a fit of giggles. “Don’t worry, pet. Losing your virginity has nothing to do with your father’s bet with the king. And we wouldn’t let anyone touch you against your will.”

One glowers at his brother. Something dark and foreign pulses in his eyes, and I anchor my gaze to his. “Not even the king?” I ask.

Two unbuttons his shirt as though it’s a done deal. “Not even him.”

Three caresses my lower back and presses his nose to the side of my face. You belong to us, now.

“What about an unplanned pregnancy?”

“No chance of that happening with all the contraceptive tea we’re drinking,” Two says.

One lets go of me and balls his fists at his sides. “You can’t agree to this.”

I shake from head to toe, overwhelmed by the grim curve of his mouth. “Why not?”

“You’re dying to say yes. Why are you fighting it?” Two asks his brother. He looks giddy, which should alert me that this is the worst decision of my life.

Three of them. Three Fae lovers, when it’s sinful to take just one… Three identical men that couldn’t be more different.

I run a hand down One’s arm and trace the shape of his muscles to the runes tattooed near the crook of his elbow. The caress coaxes a heavy groan from his lips, and my fingers glide along his smooth skin until his liquid gaze meets mine. The other two fade to the background.

“I love you,” I whisper.

“I love you, too. At first I thought I couldn’t…and then tried so hard not to—” A cloud passes over his features, and his throat bobs, “Are you sure you want this, kitten?”

My chest heaves with longing. “I want you. I need you to stop thinking about tomorrow and concentrate on tonight. On us.”

If there’s a chance for us to be together, and maybe even break the curse, we have to take it. The old beliefs I used to cling to are brittle and dry, so I might as well bury them. I want to know what it’s like to be his. I crave his kisses and his smiles, and if he would only give in to our love for one night, I just know it would be enough to carry me through anything.

“I feel safe with you.” I glance at the three of them in turn. “All of you.”

They look even more similar now, standing in a circle around me, and I do not feel like a prey, but a treasure to be cherished and protected.

The intimacy of the moment is almost overwhelming despite the crowded bedroom, like it’s perfectly natural for us to gather here together. The powerful magic that pulses whenever the three of them are in the same place seems at peace. Now that their desires are aligned, their combined energy is smooth and comforting.

Two’s tongue darts out to touch his bottom lip as he pries a long scarf from his pocket. “You need to wear this.”

It’s the exact same piece of silk One used when he first took me through the sceawere, and I shiver at the memory. “Why?”

Two moves to stand behind me, and his soft breath stirs the hairs at the back of my neck. “It’s a secret, but it won’t keep you from enjoying this, I promise.” He ties the fabric around my head, and darkness blinds me completely.

“Wait.” I hike the silk up my brow, just like I did on the first night, unable to leap just yet. “Do you want this?”

One presses his forehead to mine. “Two’s not wrong. I’ve been dying to touch you,” he murmurs against my lips. “All of you.”

The possessive way he squeezes my hips drives me mad with lust, and a low growl quakes his throat, his last defenses shattered by the admission. He plants a fiery series of butterfly kisses down my stomach and kneels at my feet. A searing heat liquifies my gut when he dips his tongue inside my belly button, and I bury my hands in his black hair, holding him close.

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