Page 46 of Faeheart
“The faster we master this, the sooner we can focus on more... pleasurable activities.” Wild waggled his eyebrows suggestively, making me laugh despite my reluctance.
“Fine,” I conceded, throwing back the covers. “Give me fifteen minutes to shower.”
Wild’s eyes darkened as they traced over my sleep-rumpled form, lingering on the obvious bulge in my boxers. “Need any help with that?”
For a moment, I was tempted. The thought of Wild’s hands on me, of water cascading over both our bodies... but my familiar anxiety resurfaced, dampening the spark before it could fully ignite.
“Maybe next time,” I said, trying to hide my disappointment in myself.
Wild just smiled, pressing a quick kiss to my forehead. “I’ll save you some breakfast. The ethereal servants have been working at it all morning. I could smell it wafting up through the halls.”
After he left, I stood under the shower’s hot spray, trying to sort through my tangled emotions. Why was I still holding back? Wild had made it clear he wanted me. I certainly wanted him. We’d already been intimate in several ways, yet something still stopped me from taking that final step. I didn’t know if it was the finalization of our bond that scared me or just plain performance anxiety. He clearly liked my cock, but I had zero practice using it. After his years of fae-fueled orgies, wouldn’t I just be a disappointment to him?
By the time I made it downstairs to the kitchen, the others were already finishing their breakfast. Atlas was gesturing animatedly, his massive hands sketching patterns in the air ashe explained something to Caden and Wild. There was half a sausage still hanging out of his mouth as he spoke.
“—and if we position ourselves at the cardinal points, the power should flow in a perfect circuit,” he was saying as I entered.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” Caden greeted me with a warm smile. “We saved you some of everything.”
The plate waiting for me held what looked like ordinary pancakes, but they shimmered with an iridescent glow and smelled like nothing I’d ever encountered before. It was a mix of honey, wildflowers, and something indefinably magical. Next to it was another plate filled entirely with meats, clearly Atlas’s contribution to my nutrition. It was adorable.
“Thanks,” I said, sliding into the empty chair beside Wild. His hand immediately found my knee under the table, a casual touch that sent warmth spreading through me. “What’s this about cardinal points?”
Atlas pushed the crimson journal toward me, and I looked down at the open page. It showed intricate diagrams of four figures positioned at what appeared to be the cardinal directions, with lines of magical energy flowing between them in complex patterns.
“Tetrad combat formations,” Atlas explained, swallowing the rest of his sausage. “According to this, when we position ourselves correctly and synchronize our magical signatures, we can create a power matrix that’s exponentially stronger than anything we’ve managed so far.”
I studied the diagrams more closely, my academic mind immediately drawn to the mathematical precision of the formations. “It’s based on sacred geometry,” I murmured, tracing one of the energy patterns with my finger. “Each position corresponds to our individual magical natures, but the real power comes from the intersection points.”
“Exactly,” Caden said, leaning forward with excitement. “And look at this part.” He pointed to a passage written in what appeared to be multiple languages. “It says that once we master the basic formation, we can layer different types of magic on top of each other. Defensive shields, offensive strikes, even healing energies.”
Wild squeezed my knee, his enthusiasm bleeding through our bond. “We could actually stand a chance against the Purity Front if we can pull this off.”
The thought sobered me immediately. Despite our attempts to focus on our relationships and bond development, the reality of our situation was never far from my mind. The Purity Front was still out there, still growing stronger, still hunting people like us.
“There’s just one problem,” Atlas said, his expression growing serious. “The formation requires complete trust and synchronization between all four participants. Any hesitation or emotional barriers could cause the entire matrix to collapse. Or worse, backfire.”
I felt my stomach clench as his words sank in. Through our bond, I sensed Wild’s immediate understanding of the implication. My ongoing struggles with intimacy and trust weren’t just affecting our personal relationship anymore, they could potentially endanger all of us.
“Maybe we should wait,” I said quietly, pushing my plate away despite having barely touched the magical pancakes. “Until I can get my head sorted out.”
“No,” Wild said firmly, his hand sliding up to cover mine. “We practice together, we figure it out together. That’s what we agreed on.”
“But if my issues cause the magic to backfire?—”
“Then we’ll deal with it,” Caden interrupted gently. He reached across the table, taking my hand in his. It was anintimate gesture, and I felt his affection toward me surge through the bond. “Elias, we’re all struggling with different aspects of this bond. You’re not the only one with barriers to work through.”
Atlas nodded in agreement, adding his hand to the mix. “The mate bond with Caden was terrifying at first. I kept trying to convince myself it wasn’t real or that it was something else. There was a moment where I thought it would consume me.”
“And I spent the first week after we bonded, convinced Atlas was going to realize I wasn’t worth the trouble and leave,” Caden added with a rueful smile. “Emotional barriers come in all shapes and sizes.”
I could feel all four of us in that moment, Caden and Atlas’s hands on mine, Wild’s hand on my knee. All of their affection flowed through our bond, filling me with warmth from head to toe. Behind it, I felt a surge of lust, but it wasn’t coming from them. It was coming from me. I realized, for the first time, that I really didtrustthese three. And that I was happy to be with them despite the circumstances.
“Thank you,” I said, feeling a sudden rush of gratitude for these three men who had become so much more than friends. “I think I’m ready to try.”
We finished breakfast quickly, eager to test the tetrad formation. The mansion seemed to sense our intentions, corridors shifting to lead us directly to a circular chamber I hadn’t seen before. The room was massive, with a domed ceiling painted with constellations that moved subtly when I wasn’t looking directly at them. The floor featured an intricate mosaic of interlocking geometric patterns, with clear markers at the four cardinal points.
“This is perfect,” Atlas said, his golden eyes wide with wonder. “It’s like the house knew exactly what we needed.”
