(Rigel)

Amaia’s heightened emotions I have felt for hours. After the prophecy I not only sense a bond with Amaia but also the other four with whom I have taken a Blood Oath.

I despise Alnilam because he has brought pain to my girl but I sense his guilt. Twins, I can faintly understand, and then there is Saiph, the mysterious guy.

He appeared euphoric and then his lust overflowed whatever threads of fate have bonded us, along with Amaia’s.

Somehow the intense, mind-boggling jealousy I feel when the three brothers are with Amaia is missing when I discern that she is being intimate with Saiph.

Instead, a desire to approach and watch them, watch him make love to her. The very thought is making me hard and also sick.

What kind of fucked up thought is that? My mind is so messed up after all the abuse.

It becomes clear to me now. The five of us, the five stars of Orion, are Amaia’s mates.

But...from what I have studied about the constellation, it has more stars.

That does put me at unease. Returning from my hunt I am still battling my thoughts and emotions when Amaia and Saiph knock on my door.

The jealousy should have gripped every cell in my body and yet it doesn’t. His bringing her to me shows he is having the same emotions I do, he is just better at hiding them.

When he threatens me, I don’t bristle as I do with others; there is an unsaid understanding between us.

I ask Amaia if she has mated with Saiph, it does leave her baffled. Holding a white stuffed animal to her chest, she sits snuggly in my lap and questions. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"How do you know?"

"I just do. I have figured it out." My knuckles rub against her cheek.

Amaia smiles with a small blush and leans further into my body, finding comfort and staying relaxed. I guess she is happy that I didn’t make a fuss about it.

"Twins weren’t very pleased about finding the truth."

"I can guess. The new mate bond must be messing with their thinking process." The scent of her blood has me greedily taking in huge gulps of air.

"All of us are finding our path and way around this new reality."

My body goes slightly stiff. "Everyone except Alnilam. That fucker had better not hurt you anymore by sleeping with that perfect doll. I swear I will hurt both of them."

Amaia slowly turns in my hold, her expression serious. She grabs my face. "Rigel, whatever happens between Alnilam and me. Whether he stays with Jamina or..." she pauses unable to say the next words. "Just promise you won’t hurt either of them."

I want to snort but knowing Amaia, I check myself. "No promises. Someone hurts you and I will deal with them. I still need to bring you that garland of bones."

Amaia tiredly sighs but her hands don’t shift from my face. I can imagine how tired all of us make her because we don’t always listen.

At least not me, Alnitak and Alnilam. I don’t know about the rest of them.

"If I show you something will you ease down on these killing instincts?" She gives me that dazzling smile of hers with a tilt of her head.

"Depends on if I like it."

She giggles at my words. "You are going to love it."

"Go ahead."

Amaia places her stuffed toy at the side and stands from my lap, leaving me wanting to wrap my arms around her and plaster her to my chest. I hate it when her warmth is severed from me.

Standing up, she faces me and slowly reaches for her jacket. Taking it off she chucks it on my bed and reaches for her shirt.

For a second I lose my breath. Is she stripping for me?

Leaving herself in her bra, her fingers reach for her chain and she takes it off.

My heart, which jolts for no one, does for this transforming goddess.

The soft orange glow of the candle illuminates my beautiful mate. No woman can hold a mirror to Amaia, at least for me. Be in her cloaked self or her transformed self, Amaia is the epitome of perfection for me.

With greed, I watch her appearance change. But I hear something peculiar and surprise makes me almost jump out of my seat.

I perceive and sense them before I can see them. The faint ripple in the air by the rapid and excited flutter of wings.

Wait!

Did she?

To my utmost surprise, she winks, turns and shows me her back. And there I see them.

They are the size of my forearm, delicate and flimsy like tracing paper with intricate patterns. But it’s the colours that shimmer in them that attract me the most.

Crimson with hints of black, they weave through them like patterns, like a low pulse of energy. Tranced, I reach and touch them with my index finger.

Soft and smooth, their hues change like a kaleidoscope while they rapidly shift, like excited flags on poles.

"My goddess has wings now."

"Do you like them?" Amaia expectantly asks, watching me with awe over her shoulder.

"Yes! I love everything that is you." My fingers continue to caress them and they seem to respond to my touch.

"Let’s see you try and take flight," my words make Amaia sharply turn to face me with amusement written all over.

"I can’t, they are too tiny."

"We can’t know until you try. What’s the worst that can happen?"

She shrugs her shoulders at my question. "You are right. All that can happen is I won’t be able to lift myself up. No harm in not trying."

Leaning forward, I hold both of her hands in encouragement. Amaia concentrates, her wings increase their movements back and forth, and the sound intensifies. The air rapidly shifts.

Concentration makes her forehead develop ridges, and her eyes narrow, and then her feet slowly lift from the ground.

First her heels and then her toes.

To the utter surprise of both of us, Amaia hovers in the air just a few inches from the ground, but my mate is flying like the true Fae she is.