(Amaia)

He turns my dagger in his hand, checking it while he says, "No promises. He hurt you, and we will have a serious problem. Even if he tries to snatch you away from me. I am not going to give up that easily on you."

We enter a deserted corridor and he moves so swiftly, pinning me against the wall. His left hand grabs my wrists and raises them above my head.

All that playfulness suddenly disappears from his voice replaced by this hoarseness.

His rapidly changing coloured eyes find me. There has to be a mess in his brain.

"I am remaining cheerful, Lassie. Doesn’t mean my heart is not breaking with every new truth I am learning about you and this relationship we are sharing."

He bore his truths. "And you either not knowing or sharing devastates me. But remember, I will be the first one to have you. I am only waiting to tell my mother before owning you. No way I am waiting till the end of this year."

The earthy scent, which only he possesses, makes me dizzy as if it has somehow intensified for me.

Jealous and somehow insecure, he feels and it just hurts.

I arch my body, rising on my toes and crash my lips against his. A visceral growl resonates in his throat as his body presses me into the hard, cold wall.

He kisses me like a madman, not sweetly like he used to. His tongue invades me deep while his body rubs against mine, feeling every inch of it.

By the time he is done, I am soaking wet and out of breath.

This man will be the end of me.

"...I need to change," I tell him breathlessly as he lets go of my lips.

"Go." He hands me my dagger.

Unwillingly, I untangle myself from him and rush to my room. Changing out of my attire, I take a quick bath and put on comfy wear.

I place the dagger inside the cupboard with my sword and just climb into bed to sleep. Everything going on has me exhausted and all I want is a few hours of sleep.

Zille’s pecking wakes me up. As usual, he is sitting on the top of my chest, pecking at my ear.

"Zille!" I softly call him out and he hums in return, rubbing his beak on my cheek.

My eyes dart towards the clock and it’s already night. Slowly I sit up and find someone has left me food. Has to be Kacir. He is the only one considerate enough not to wake me. I glance at his bed and it’s empty and made up.

He is out, maybe with Rahria.

I pick up the plate. It’s a steak with creamy spinach and baked potato. Happily, I dig in and offer potatoes to Zille. He makes delightful noises while eating.

Bless him.

After eating, I put away the plate and remember Mintaka. He wasn’t with us today, and Alnitak had said he had a temperature.

I should go and check up on him. Getting down from the bed, I slip on my slippers, run a hand through my hair, and bind them into a ponytail. Zille stays on my shoulder, refusing to sleep or go to his wooden house.

Opening my door I leave my room and quietly stride towards theirs. My heartbeats pick up. The last time I saw him, he ran away from me when his incubus self tried to surface. I am not sure how he will take my presence now.

I pause my hand and bend my fingers. Gently I knock on their door, trying not to freak out. Anticipation builds in my chest and I can’t even breathe.

"It’s open," Alnitak’s lazy voice seeps through, and I hope that I haven’t interrupted their sleep.

Twisting the doorknob, I slowly push open the door and stand at the entrance.

"Amaia?" Alnitak’s amused voice comes.

"Come." he invites me in from somewhere in their dark room. Their scents have blended perfectly. But I can clearly distinguish his scent from his brother’s.

Mintaka is in the room too but hasn’t spoken.

"I hope I am not disturbing your sleep," I carefully ask. Tentatively, taking a step inside.

"Never, we were just talking." I hear the creaking of the bed, and then Alnitak’s scent intensifies as his warm and large hand grabs my arm and pulls me inside, shutting the door behind him, plunging the room into partial darkness. Some moonlight filters through the window.

I fear that Zille will freak out but he remains perched up on my shoulder in a relaxed position.

Alnitak guides me towards his bed and sits down, adjusting me between his legs. His chin rests on the top of my head while his arms shackle my waist, pressing my body to his naked chest.

He is not even wearing a shirt...

"Were you missing me?" He purrs.

"Umm, I came to ask about Mintaka. You said he had a temperature." My eyes begin to adjust and I can now make out Min’s silhouette on the bed in front.

Arching his arm, Mintaka is resting lazily with his hand holding his head up from the bed. Just like his brother, he has no shirt on, just the night trousers. Open hair rests on his broad shoulders, while some spreads on his chest. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Yeah, I am good," his heavy voice comes, making my breath rise.

"Glad to hear." I want to bring up yesterday but I don’t think he is ready for that conversation in front of his brother.

He intently stares at me, now that I can see better than before and I can’t look away.

Alnitak’s hands gently graze both my arms. "Did something happen between both of you in the infirmary?" Alnitak casually asks and I almost jump out of his lap.

"NO!" Both of us speak out at the same time. More like freak out.

Alnitak snorts. His mocking laugh rings out.

"Both of you are terrible liars." His breath comes hot and pricks the back of my neck as he whispers.

"Funny though, that Amaia felt sick at exactly the same time, Mintaka decided to have sex with someone else."