(NICO)
Her hand feels warm, clasped in my cool one, as we walk back to the castle.
"So, will we…. Tonight are we…?" She doesn't have to finish her question for me to get what she is trying to ask.
"You want to see me again tonight?" I can see a pink color creep into her cheeks. Her question does echo my own thoughts. After already having had my turn with her at the lake, would going to her room tonight be so wrong? After all, tonight was still mine to spend with her.
"I was just wondering, since we already… if tonight you would be with me again. After all, I was supposed to spend tonight with you," Liora remarks.
I nod slowly. I understand her sentiments totally, but sleeping with her again tonight would be having my go with her twice.
That is not the agreement we had for this whole setup. Of course, I would jump at any chance of being with her again and again, but I have to consider the feelings of my fellow Alphas.
"I think you should rest tonight. As much as I would love to spend the night with you, I can promise that there will be no sleep happening if that were to be the case. I don't think I would be able to keep my hands off you." She smiles warmly at me, and the pink color in her cheeks gets more radiant. I wonder if she realizes how absolutely stunning she is.
Once we get inside, I walk her to her room. When we get to her door, she looks up at me with shimmering eyes. This woman has the most hypnotic eyes I have ever seen.
"Go rest now. I can't wait for the next time you get to play with my rod." At this, she giggles, and I lean down to claim her lips. What I had meant to be a short parting kiss lingers as she draws me in when she parts her lips to accommodate mine.
I swirl my tongue in her mouth, tasting and feeling. A small moan comes from somewhere deep within her, and I find my hands reaching down. Cupping her buttocks, I draw her closer to me as I continue exploring the softer parts of her mouth.
I have to break this kiss before I open the door to her room, where we can get some privacy while I take her one more time. Even though I had done so just a few hours ago, I still crave her. I don't think I can get enough of her; she is a temptation I definitely can't fight.
Softly, I move back. I am trying to slow my breathing, and I can tell she is struggling as well.
"Bye," I whisper.
She wriggles her bottom lip and nods. I watch her enter her room, and I turn around. I feel bad walking away, as I miss her already, but I know this might be a problem for the others.
Discord is bound to happen with the other Alphas if they were to find out I'd had at her twice in the same day, and that would not be good for any of us, including Liora.
I can hear voices coming from my room, which leads me to the other Alphas. I wonder how their day went after we finished our basketball game and I left them. An uneasy hush falls upon the room when I walk in. I don't need a faith healer to feel the uneasiness in the room.
"Nico, nice of you to join us. I thought you were still busy with Liora down by the lake," Gavin says. I can feel warmth in my face. I was very sure my little escapade had gone unnoticed, but it seems I've been wrong.
"We went fishing, but we are back now," I say plainly, trying to downplay the events of the day.
A shadow passes over Gavin's face at my response. I know he knows more than he is letting on. I wonder why I am feeling like I have entered a judgment arena. What was so wrong with taking Liora out? If I hadn't, she would have spent the whole day alone in her room, probably bored.
"So, all you did was fish?" This time, Leo asks the question.
I swallow. Why am I suddenly being ganged up on? "No. I mean, we… we enjoyed each other's company."
"You had sex with her at the lake, didn't you?" Gavin throws in. His question sounds more like a statement than a question.
"Yeah," I answer. I don't feel the need to hide the fact at this point. Today was my day with her. They had each gotten a chance to be with her already; what was so wrong with me having my turn?
"You had sex with Liora at the lake?" Theo asks in hushed sternness.
I can't help but roll my eyes at this point. Hadn't I already answered that question? What was their problem?" Yes. I took Liora out to the lake. And point of correction: I didn't have sex with her; I made love to her. Is that not what we are supposed to do to get her pregnant?"
Theo scoffs, and my eyes go to him. "You made love to her at the lake."
I gaze at him in silence, wondering if he wants me to answer or if that was also just a statement.
"Man, you can't be taking her to the lake for sex," Leo chides.
I turn my gaze to him. I am confused now. "Did I not follow the schedule correctly? Wasn't today my turn?" I catch a glimpse of Gavin shaking his head.
"Yeah, but we all did it properly. We didn't take a trip just to have sex with her. We waited for night to arrive and did our duty in the privacy of our rooms."
This time, I laugh out loud. I think I am beginning to understand what is going on here.
"I was spontaneous. I wanted her to experience something fun and different. What is so wrong with that? As much as you all keep referring to this as a duty, you know we all view Liora as more than that—an object to accept our seed and subsequently carry our child. If she were only that, you wouldn't care where or how I took her." None of them says anything. I know I have spoken the truth.
"You won't charm yourself out of this one, mate. You went against the rules," Gavin spits.
"When you took Liora out to the garden and kissed her, was that going against the rules? What rules are we talking about here?" I push back.
Gavin inhales and exhales at my statement. Of course, he didn't know that I had seen them in the garden during his night.
"Yeah, but that was me trying to make sure she was comfortable before our first night," Gavin reasons, and I smirk at him. He jerks his head back as though wondering why his answer had given me a reason to smile.
"Why would you want to make sure she is comfortable? It's just a duty, right?" I interrogate.
Again, there is silence, although the tension I had sensed earlier seems to be evaporating.
"You make us look bad. I mean, you are busy taking her on a rendezvous and fishing. Why not just do what we all did?" Theo presses.
"Huh, there it is. You are all worried about being outshone by me, but that's because you all have formed a bond with Liora. A bond way deeper than just a duty. Hell, I won't deny what I feel for Liora. To me, she is not just my duty. I want to make her happy."
I can hear mumbling amongst them.
"So you would be okay with me taking her out to a romantic dinner on a rooftop somewhere?" Theo asks.
I chuckle. "If you plan to wine and dine her and not throw her off said rooftop, I'd be more than happy with that. Anything that keeps her smiling and happy is good enough for me. If you hurt her, then that will be a problem. If you make her cry, then I'll have a reason to fight you. I treasure
Liora wants her to be happy at all costs. If we do that for her, then what's the problem?"
"Hmm, you have a weird take on things, don't you?" Leo remarks.
"I just have a rational way of viewing things. As much as we are in a competition to impregnate her, we all have the same frame of mind to protect her at all costs. That's good enough for me."
Gavin nods at my statement. I am not much of a mind reader, but I do hope they all follow my lead and stop pitting themselves against each other. Our main priority needs to be to make Liora comfortable and happy if we truly care about her like we say we do.
"So are you planning to go be with her again tonight?" Theo questions, and they all look at me with clear anticipation of my answer.
"We've all had a turn with her in succession, night after night. Tonight, the plan is that she soaks in a warm, fragrant bath and rests. Too much of anything, even good, can become tiring. Our woman needs her beauty rest. Don't you agree?"
They all continue to stare at me. Calling her our woman is probably weird, even to my own mind, but that's the reality we all have to contend with.
She is our precious, sweet love, and we four noble Alphas need to protect her.
I am willing to take part in this journey, however weird it is to share her.
I just wonder if they are all cooperative enough to walk it with me in a way that satisfies our Liora.