The walk to the tribe this morning is awkward and quiet. I, of course, have been happy the entire time. I woke up freshly wooed and cuddled. Nia woke up unsatisfied and alone. And Beren is always just Beren. Who knows if he is happy or sad or angry? Well, me because I have learned his tells, and Nia hopefully will as well. But still, that does not really work for my hypothetical.

“Did you touch yourself while your mate was inside of me last night?” I ask Nia just as Beren opens the great hall door for us to go through.

Beren slams the great hall door closed before any of us can go through it and wraps a hand around one of my horns and one around Nia’s wrist. He drags us off through the tribe. We’re not told where he is taking us, but I already know it will be a wonderful time. Beren stops when we are situated behind one of the abandoned houses, somewhere that no brothers are likely to stumble upon by accident.

Beren was upset last night when Nia said that she knew what we were doing was not real. She still does not realize that her nose soul is affected by Beren because she is his mate and meant to be his in all ways. When she made it clear she did not know this, he tried to lunge for her. He would have had her on her hands and knees, his cock buried in her, in an instant to show her where she belongs. It is why I had to step in because he was past rational thought. If he had stayed rational, maybe we would be all together right now instead of having this tension between us.

“Get your cock out.” Beren pushes me against the wall and then clashes his horns into mine. His eyes are deep red, and his lips are pulled back in an angry snarl.

I am an obedient male when it is time for games in the bedroom. I always have been. I pull my cock out and let my eyes fall to where Nia is standing. I smile even brighter when her eyes drop down to my hardened length. Beren’s hiss pulls me back to what we are talking about, but Nia keeps her eyes on me.

I do not feel worried in the slightest because this is exactly what I wanted when I made my remark about Nia touching herself last night. Beren can get worked up. Maybe he will let it slip that he would enjoy working some of his frustrations out on Nia’s body. Nia can see him in all his glory when he is in control. Beren is glorious when he is commanding in the bedroom.

“Your mate is admiring me.” I wiggle my brows at Beren, which causes him more frustration. He huffs and turns to face Nia.

Before focusing on her completely, he presses a hand into my chest, “Stay.”

He does not check to make sure I do as he says. He knows I am his good mate in the bedroom. I always do what he says and enjoy the pleasures he gives me when I am good for him.

Nia’s cheeks darken in color as she licks at her lips. Her eyes fall down my body again, and then she looks down at where Beren’s cock is straining in his pants. For a moment, I think she might be interested in the way Beren and I play. I do not let myself get my hopes up too much. It is already enough that she wishes to be with us. I can not push the goddess to make her also wish to play the same bedroom games that Beren and I play.

Beren grabs Nia’s waist in his hands and lifts her off the ground. He spins her around until she is standing next to me, and then he kneels in front of her, red eyes still blazing. There’s something else in that look, something that tells me he is getting very close to making love to her right now.

“What are you doing?” Nia stammers out the words as her breathing grows more ragged.

“Deciding if I am done waiting on you to tell your mate that you need cock,” Beren says coolly, just like he says most things. I can hear the need in his words, though, the way his eyes are pleading with her just to ask him to be with her. “Are you still unwilling to ask it of your mate?”

“I—“ Nia’s voice catches in her throat as Beren places one of his clawed hands on the wall behind her, caging her in as he leans closer to her face. His tongue flicks at her lips and makes her gasp. The smile he gives her is one that seems more cruel than happy, but it has my cock begging for attention. I know that smile. I have been on the receiving end of that smile many times.

“You’re going to punish Lyath?” Nia slides her eyes up and to the right to glance a peek at me.

I wiggle my brows at her, hoping to convey to her that all of this is very good. We are making much progress in getting her and her mate fully acquainted with one another.

Beren’s eyes narrow barely a fraction before he tilts his head to the side. His hand slides down the wall, claws leaving white lines in the stones as they drag. He stops when he’s level with my waist and then reaches for my cock and begins to stroke it. I throw my head against the wall and let a hiss escape my lips, long and loud.

“I will punish him, yes. Why?” Beren keeps his eyes on Nia as he continues to stroke my cock as though it is not extremely distracting when I am trying to focus on their conversation.

It takes all my willpower to open my eyes and look back down at them, and even more to not come in Beren’s palm when he does not slow his movements. It is made even more difficult when I see that Nia is having trouble paying any attention to him since she is so focused on how he is pleasuring me.

Beren uses his other hand to grab Nia’s chin and force her eyes to his. “You are my mate. You will answer when I ask you a question.”

“Bossy.” Nia rolls her eyes, earning her chin a fierce pinch that has her brows pulling together. Beren beams even brighter, moving his hand to clasp her cheeks and squeeze so her lips are puffed. She is beautiful in all ways, but I cannot deny that the way she looks now has me imagining what she will look like with my cock on her lips. I have to force the thought away so I do not release yet.

“I am bossy and demanding and possessive,” Beren says, his forehead resting against Nia’s, obscuring my view of her. I am sure he is flicking his tongue against her plush lips. It is what I wish to be doing. Well, that and finding a way to ask her to wrap them around—

Nia whines in the back of her throat. It is a sound like the ones she made last night when she was desperate and needy. My cock pulses in Beren’s hand, but he continues teasing me.

“I told you he would like that sound,” I say through gritted teeth. Beren tries to hiss, but the sound is muffled. It takes me a moment to figure out why, but then I am very envious. He has his tongue in her mouth, kissing her in the only way he can. He has done much more with Nia in these last few moments, thanks to me, than he was done with her since they mated.

He leans away from Nia, smiling at her like he has been triumphant, which maybe he has since she has allowed his tongue in her mouth.

“Do not come,” Beren hisses, his eyes making one long journey from my face that is contorted in pleasure all the way down to where my cock is leaking.

“You are cruel,” I say through clenched teeth.

Beren does not respond to me. Instead, he refocuses his attention on his other mate. I do not care in the slightest. Well, okay, I do care because he is going to punish me for getting them together.

I cannot complain too much when he knows just how much I enjoy his punishments. Maybe it is wrong that I enjoy being denied and made to beg, but Beren has never made me feel less male for being this way. I have no doubt that Nia will either be a beggar as I am or will find enjoyment in treating me as a toy much like my Beren does. The idea of it has my length swelling even more, begging for release much too soon.