"You're trembling," Theron murmured. "Is it fear or want?"
"Both," she admitted, her voice muffled against Aeron's kiss.
"Good," Theron said. "Let it be both."
Aeron broke the kiss, his black eyes locked on hers as he pulled her shirt over her head in one swift motion, exposing her skin to the cool air. She shivered, but Kael's hands were there immediately, cupping her breasts from behind, thumbs circling her nipples until they hardened under his touch. A soft moan escaped her lips, and Theron smiled, his hand trailing down her arm to guide her fingers to the front of his pants.
"Touch me," Theron said. "Show us you mean it."
Her fingers fumbled with the fastening, but she managed, wrapping her hand around his hardening length. He groaned low in his throat as she stroked him slowly, feeling him grow thicker in her grip. Aeron watched, his own hands working at her pants, sliding them down her hips along with her underwear until she stood bare before them. Kael's fingers dipped lower, parting her thighs to find the wetness between her legs, one finger sliding inside her easily.
"So ready," Kael said, his voice rough. "Your body's been waiting for this."
Seren gasped as he added a second finger, pumping slowly while his thumb pressed against her clit in firm circles. Aeron knelt in front of her, his mouth replacing Kael's hand momentarily, tongue flicking out to taste her. She bucked against him, her free hand tangling in his hair as pleasure built sharp and fast.
"Easy," Aeron said against her skin. "We've got time."
Theron guided her hand faster on him, his hips thrusting into her touch. "Don't stop," he growled. "Make me come like this if you want."
But Aeron stood, shaking his head. "Not yet. Bed. Now."
They moved her toward the massive bed, Kael lifting her effortlessly and laying her down on the soft sheets. The three of them stripped quickly, their bodies lean and muscled, marked with scars that spoke of their predatory lives. Aeron climbed over her first, positioning himself between her legs, his erection pressing against her entrance.
"Look at me," he commanded.
She did, holding his gaze as he pushed inside her inch by inch, stretching her until he was fully seated. The fullness made her whimper, her nails digging into his shoulders. He started moving, slow thrusts that built a rhythm, each one hitting deep.
Kael knelt beside them, his hand wrapping around his own cock as he watched. "My turn soon," he said. "But first, open your mouth."
Seren turned her head, taking him between her lips, tongue swirling around the head as she sucked. He hissed, fingers threading through her hair to guide her movements. Theron positioned himself on her other side, his hand reaching down to rub her clit in time with Aeron's thrusts, heightening every sensation.
"You're taking us so well," Theron said. "Like you were made for this."
Aeron's pace quickened, his breaths coming in growls as he drove harder. "Feel that pull? That's the bond starting."
Seren moaned around Kael, the vibrations making him thrust deeper into her mouth. The overload of touches—fingers, mouths, bodies—pushed her toward the edge. Theron pinched her clit lightly, and she shattered, her orgasm clenching around Aeron as waves of pleasure rolled through her.
Aeron followed soon after, spilling inside her with a guttural sound, his body tensing before he pulled out. "Kael," he said, voice strained. "Now."
Kael withdrew from her mouth and switched places with Aeron, sliding into her slick heat without pause. He was thicker, the stretch bordering on pain that quickly turned to bliss as he began thrusting, fast and relentless. Aeron and Theron held her legs apart, their hands roaming her body, pinching nipples and tracing lines down her stomach.
"Harder?" Kael asked, eyes locked on hers.
"Yes," she gasped. "Please."
He obliged, pounding into her until she cried out, another climax building. Theron leaned down, his mouth latching onto one breast, sucking hard while his fingers found her ass, one digit pressing in gently, adding a new layer of fullness.
"Too much?" Aeron asked, watching her face.
"No," she panted. "More."
Kael came with a roar, his release hot inside her, and then Theron took his place, flipping her onto her hands and knees. He entered her from behind, one hand on her hip, the other reaching around to stroke her clit. Aeron and Kael positioned themselves in front, alternating who she took in her mouth as Theron fucked her steadily.
"You're ours now," Theron said, each word punctuated by a thrust. "Feel it?"
The bond hummed stronger, a thread connecting them all, tightening with every movement. Seren's body trembled, oversensitive but craving more. She came again, muffling her screams around Aeron, and Theron followed, pulling out at the last moment to spill across her back.
They collapsed together, bodies entangled, breaths mingling. The bond snapped into place then—truly, completely—like a lock clicking shut, warm and irrevocable. It felt like coming home to somewhere she'd never been.
Seren woke to grey morning light.
She lay tangled in blankets that smelled like cedar and something wilder. Her body ached in unfamiliar ways. For a moment, she couldn't remember where she was.
Then it came back. All of it.
She sat up slowly. The bed was empty except for her. Panic fluttered in her chest until she heard voices from the other room.
"—can't hide this forever—"
"We're not hiding it. We're managing it."
"The council will—"
"The council will accept it because they have no choice."
Footsteps approached. The door opened and Aeron entered, carrying a tray. He stopped when he saw she was awake.
"You're up," he said.
"I'm up." Her voice came out hoarse.
He set the tray on the bedside table and sat on the edge of the bed. "How do you feel?"
"Different."
"Different how?"
She pressed her hand to her chest. Something hummed there now, warm and constant. "Like I'm connected to something. To you. To all of you."
"That's the bond."
"It worked then."
"Yes." He studied her face. "Do you regret it?"
She should. Everything about this was wrong—the speed, the circumstances, the impossibility of it all. But when she reached for regret, she found only certainty.
"No," she said. "I don't."
His expression softened. "Good."
"What happens now?"
"Now?" He stood and held out his hand. "Now we deal with the consequences."
She took his hand and let him pull her up. Through the window, she could see the palace waking. Servants moving through corridors. Guards changing shifts. Life continuing normally.
Except nothing was normal anymore.
She was pack now. Bound to three princes. Marked in ways that went deeper than skin.
There was no return. No going back to who she'd been.
But as Aeron's hand tightened around hers, she realized she didn't want to go back.
She only wanted to move forward.
Whatever came next.