(Amaia)

(This Chapter is dedicated to my amazing reader who is bit under the weather. @Riemc. I hope you feel better.)

Saiph’s massive figure envelops me in his embrace, and I let my face rest on his broad chest with a sniffle.

"You are crying? I thought I trained you better than this," he says in his rough voice, which is prickly at the edges but still holds concerns in the centre.

His gloved hand holds my chin steady and he lifts it up.

"You are not a crybaby. You are Amaia Zhāng, the last of her kind. You bend others and give them strength," he says fiercely and firmly.

Saiph’s words give me clarity. He is wise beyond age, has to be the wisest in the rowdy bunch of five. He keeps me grounded, he keeps me in check, and he shows me the mirror.

"I am afraid..." I say with a sniffle, trying not to cry but Alnilam’s words keep echoing in my brain.

"Of what? Of death? Everyone is going to die one day. It’s the post-apocalyptic world we are living in." Saiph’s other hand crawls to my handcuffed hands and he slowly rubs my wrist.

"But until we are alive, we are not going to cower or cry. We will fight the good fight and protect what’s ours." He gives my chin a small squeeze, his head lowers and hovers just above my lips. "You are ours and worth fighting for."

His lips graze mine, slow, sensual. "One day we will fight together but today is not that day."

Ardently he kisses me, taking his time to devour my lips before letting go.

"But..." I try to speak, not knowing how to tell him what Alnilam had said.

Somehow, he knows. His hands hold my wrists. "I promise to bring him back. Nothing will happen to Alnilam, so relax."

And somehow all those pent-up emotions and frustration lower. A sliver of hope ropes inside my heart, binding around it and easing it.

I let my head drop on his chest again. So much has been happening, and I find myself drowning, but I forget how much they care for me. Even Alnilam’s demented self and Rigel’s psychotic self and yet it only shows the deep care they hold for me.

Having multiple mates means I will always have to worry about one or the other.

In my blind worry about Alnilam, have I forgotten that Saiph is my mate too? That he is equally important to me. That I shouldn’t expect him to save Alnilam but he needs to stay safe as well.

How selfishly I am acting and how little trust I have in them. Only once have I used my powers and I think I am invincible.

Has my head become blotted?

They are capable, they are strong and they will return victorious. Both of them and their companions too.

"I want you to return with him, and next time, I am not letting any of you leave just like that by binding me without my consent." I lift my bound wrists and show him.

"Yes, Ma’am." Saiph smiles and it touches his gorgeous eyes.

"Alnilam is doing everything in his power to keep you safe. Don’t let his efforts go to waste. Stay put. Alnitak and Mintaka are here with you and we will return soon."

My heart eases down with this conversation with Saiph. He is rational instead of being emotional like me, Alnitak and Rigel. He keeps his emotions in check.

"That’s my good girl. Once I return, I am going to taste this delicious skin of yours, especially the one between your valleys and legs," he teases and takes a step back.

A smile finally erupts on my face.

Taking out his white handkerchief, he folds it with concentration and then blows on it, creating a fluffy creature that remotely resembles a yeti, as I call him.

"Here, it will keep you company." He extends it towards me and I hold it in my bound hands.

Saiph, always so thoughtful. The handkerchief was the first gift he gave me and I still have it with me. After that, he has given me handkerchiefs, numerous times.

"You are my bunny. Be a good bunny." This nickname is going to stick, he is not going to give up.

Seating me on the sofa, Saiph opens the partition. With one lingering glance, where I reassuringly nod at him, he turns around, letting his scythe gleam in the candlelight for one last time before walking out.

I deflated on the sofa, but his words have given me strength. I am not going to cry anymore.

Mintaka and Alnitak enter and I offer them an apologetic look. Their carmine hair is bound on the top of their heads. Wearing matching attire, they are nothing less than demi-gods.

While Mintaka snatches me up from the sofa and sits on it before settling me in his lap, Alnitak settles on the rug near the sofa and places his head on my thigh.

"I am sorry guys, I acted so poorly." In my dazed state, I forgot that Alnilam is their older brother, and they are as tense about him as I am.

"Nah! He blind sided us too. Your reaction was genuine. We were expecting it." Alnitak places a kiss on my thigh, making little sparks fly and I relax in Mintaka’s arms.

The handkerchief yeti stays in my arms while my eyes drift to the hair bracelet on my wrist, right above where the handcuffs and black rose are.

The bracelet is constantly changing shapes, between a star, a heart, a moon and a wolf. I hadn’t expected Alnilam to make such a gesture.

It makes me smile.

"He is going to be alright?" I don’t know if I have posed it as a question or made a statement.

"He will be. They all will be." Mintaka’s soft caress I sense in my hair. His nose rests in them as he takes in deep breaths, soaking my scent in.

"Tell me everything," I quietly ask and Mintaka reveals what Alnilam had told him regarding the deal he had made with the Dread Army.

My mates, my protectors. I truly am blessed to have them, even though it’s overwhelming, even though we don’t agree on every situation. Even though Alnilam might reject me and later there will be other complications but for now all five of them are mine.