Page 47 of The Queen of Ash and Magic

“She just gave them to you?” Drake asks. “That’s a bit cold.”

“Yeah. I guess my bond with Lysa was stronger… I’m sorry, Drake.”

“Did you do it intentionally?” he asks.

“No. Never.”

“Then we are good,” he shrugs. “Shit happens. I’m more upset she lost the baby and didn’t say anything before cremating her. What did you do with the remains?”

I take my necklace off and hand it to him. He sighs and closes his eyes when he sees the new stone. “Erin,” I say. “That is her name.”

“Erin,” he says quietly. “Me, you, and Lysa can make an offering to the Gods to welcome her to the afterlife, okay?”

“Really?” I sniff.

“Of course,” he says, hugging me again. “Lysa has two primary mates now. Don’t try to force yourself into breeding just because she and I are ready. We can wait as long as you want.”

“No, I want to. It’s not replacing Erin, and I know Lysa will agree,” I say.

“So, we both breed her and raise the child together,” he says. “Let’s go lay down before she wakes.”

“You don’t want to talk to Julianna?” I ask.

“Why would I?” he asks seriously.

It dawns on me that Julianna is betraying more than just me. The connection she had with her brother is gone and he doesn’t realize or care. That must be why Lysa is so much more relaxed tonight when she wasn't around her.

I undress and lay behind Lysa. Drake gets into bed also and she rolls to face me. She takes my pendant and gently kisses the small stone made of my daughter's remains before snuggling into my chest. I sniff back tears, and she wraps her arms around me the best she can.

“I’m so sorry, Eyrx,” Lysa whispers.

“Thank you,” I say tearfully as I hug her to my chest.

“I love you to the moon and beyond,” she says. “Erin too.”

“We are here for you, man,” Drake says as he moves in closer to Lysa and kisses her shoulder before resting his hand on her waist.

“Are you okay?” I ask him. “She was your niece.”

“We have each other,” he says. “The three of us are bonded for life, so we will heal together.”

“Is it my fault?” Lysa asks with a small voice. I lift her chin and wipe away a stray tear.

“No, my love. It isn’t your fault, or mine,” I say. “Sleep now. Tomorrow is a new day.”

She nods and snuggles into my chest again. Sleep won’t come easily for me, but laying with my mate in my arms, the pain is manageable, and rest is possible.

Chapter Sixteen

Lysa

One Week Later

Pressure fills me suddenlyand a hand covers my mouth to muffle a moan. My ass is up in the air and Eyrx is slowly fucking me. He is deep in my pussy, and it feels so amazing. He has put all his emotion the last week into me and much of it has been anger. I can’t even begin to imagine what he is feeling after losing his daughter. Especially when Julianna is walking around without a care in the world. Neither Drake nor Eyrx speak to her or even pay her any attention. I’m just happy she’s not around much. She makes me feel uneasy now.

Eyrx realizes that I am awake now and quickens his pace so it is unrelenting. He is fucking me so hard that he ends up pushing me flat to pound me into the bed. “Fuuuuck,” I moan. “Gods, yes!”

My orgasm explodes out of me and Eyrx groans as he pushes deep to come. It took me a lot longer to wake up than past mornings.My pussy is literally throbbing, so he was definitely fucking me for a while. He brings himself down and lays his head in my back with a sigh.

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