Page 113 of Gift from the Stone

“I’m not even trying. They’re coming in strong. The moment you think it, I hear it. Not that I’m complaining, but you could back off those thoughts for the time being.” He groans, repositioning me away from his cock that’s growing harder by the second. I try, I really do, to get my mind out of the gutter, but the more I try, the more that comes.

“Sorry…sorry. Tell me the plan for the day.” I laugh as I purposely picture another very naughty scenario out in my mind, causing him to growl.

“Breakfast, the academy for debrief, then back home,” he grits out, lathering his hands in my bodywash. I smirk to myself, very pleased I got him all hot and bothered as I lean my body back into his.

He takes his time working out every kink and knot in my muscles, softly smoothing away the rest of my aches from last night as he washes me clean.

His sweet attention, although his hands are roaming all over me, does cause the sexual thoughts to subside, and I fall blissfully into a relaxed state, thinking about how wonderfully they treat me.

Smiling down at my new bracelet, I can’t help but picture how I could spend my days just consumed in my Nexus if we didn’t literally have the weight of the realm lingering over us. I push the bitterness away as fast as it comes, instantly feeling shitty about those thoughts when the made-up faces of all the innocent people still in the Mastery’s hands pop into my mind. I don’t like this responsibility, nor do I want it, but someone came to my rescue when I needed it the most, so I can at least try to do that for them.

“It won’t always be like this, little warrior. I won’t allow this war to consume our lives. We’ll make time for our Nexus. I swear it,” Tillman murmurs as he kisses my shoulder and washes away the suds from my body.

I cling to his words as he lifts me out of the bath and I dry us off. I know it’s me being a little selfish, but really, I’ve never been a selfish person. I’ve never had the opportunity to, but with them, I can be. I can be selfish over them. They’re all mine, and I don’t have to share them with anyone, so one day, hopefully one day soon, I can selfishly suck up all that attention.

My body shivers as Tillman teasingly slides me down his body, a little payback, and his gift cloaks me, dressing me in a baby blue sundress and strappy sandals. I flood the bond with my giddiness over my dress and watch his eyes light with surprise. We all have felt snippets of each other’s feelings even without the bond; like right now, I can feel the other three’s impatience, but this is his first time experiencing me directly sending him a feeling. And the look on his face makes me blush. I love that he looks at me like I’m treasure.

“You’re a priceless fucking gem, Will,” he says before pulling me to him, stealing the smile from my face with a burning kiss. “Come on before the others come looking.”

I send Draken some love and calm down our bond as I feel him growing more and more restless, and he sends me a feeling I can only describe as ‘hurry the fuck up.’ Checking on the other two, I’m a little surprised and startled at the jealousy and envy I’m picking up. It sets my bond off, worry and need overwhelming me to get to them to make it better.

Now that this is the second bond to solidify, I can better tell how my bond works as a whole. It’s much like a tree. The roots that are deep beneath the surface embed themselves into my soul, my tether to life. Then the trunk is the bond itself, thick and sturdy, the foundation that gives the branches strength. That’s where the guys are; they’re the branches that grow from the trunk like arms, stretching toward the heavens.

Both times I bonded, those branches that represent Draken and Tillman, grew, bearing fruit now, if you will. The other two are still thick, growing outwards, but they’re awaiting their fruit, and when they shake, it shakes the whole tree. So now that they’re both feeling these strong emotions, it’s jolting my trunk.

Walking into the breakfast room, I barely make it two steps in before I’m whisked off my feet and a surprised squeal slips out as Draken twirls me around like he hasn’t seen me in days, not twelve hours.

“Little wanderer, I know you weren’t fucking in the shower again, so what took you two so long this morning?” he asks before attacking my mouth.

“Draken,” the other three shout.

“There’s not an again, if it hasn’t happened in the first place, and how would you know if we were?” I ask him with a small smile on my now red, swollen lips.

“Because he spent the night spying down your bond to feel what you were up to,” Caspian says with a smug smirk on his face.

“You what?” Tillman yells, while I snort and shake my head, amused rather than mad at Draken’s bullshit. I knew I felt his bond’s presence last night, just couldn’t be for sure or tell why.

“First of all, let me explain that better,” Draken growls, shooting Caspian a withering look. “I’d never invade on such a personal and special moment, but I felt when your bond snapped in place. It was like mine and your bond strengthened, then mine and Willow’s glowed, so I kinda took it as you two were inviting me to observe.”

“So you thought we were asking you to, quote, observe, so then you what, felt us down the bond the whole time?” Tillman asks in disbelief.

“Well, I mean, I had to really focus to feel her. It took a good bit of concentration, but once I figured it out, I felt her the whole time,” Draken tells him blissfully and I throw my head back, laughing, nestling into Corentin’s open arms.

The others stare at him like he’s creepy as hell, knowing good and well they all spy on me one way or another. Well, Corentin doesn’t, but he attempts to boss me around the most, so it evens out.

“How are you feeling, princess?” Corentin asks as he pulls me around to face him and gives my forehead a sweet kiss.

“Amazing,” I tell him honestly.

My cheeks blush as his jealousy gives way to sincere happiness and he graces me with a smile that’s brighter than the sun. It makes my heart swell knowing that he may feel some envy, but his happiness for us outweighs those feelings. We’ll have our time, that I can promise.

A coolness seeps into my back as another body presses in. The mixture of Corentin’s airy but warm intensity, mixing with Caspian’s chill, is a sensory experience like no other. My body doesn’t know whether it’s on fire, freezing, or getting ready to float away. As his shadows twirl around my body, I run my fingers through the ones circling my waist, causing him to step closer to me.

He hasn’t admitted it, and the others wouldn’t tell me cause it’s Caspian’s power to explain, but I’ve pieced together on my own that he can control what he wants to feel and doesn’t want to feel through his shadows much like Tillman can control what he wants to hear. So I know every time he surrounds me in his shadows, it’s his way of expressing physical contact, and he doesn’t make me stop my own exploration, so I know he likes it.

“Did you enjoy yourself last night, Primary?” His question is low, gravelly, and drenched in longing.

“Yes,” I whisper.

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