The only thing she would change was his weight. She and Jax needed to feed him as often as possible.

  “Who said I was running?” Elvine asked with a squeak. Then she cleared her throat, hoping to regain some of her dignity. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, honey bunny.”

  A grin slid across his face. “You were thinking about sex, weren’t you?” His smile softened. “I’ve never been with two people at once, either.” He ran his hand across his cheek where Jax had caressed him. “There’s no rush, Elvine. It’s not like I’m jumping for joy for you guys to see my body.”

  Walking fast was exhausting when you were used to flying. Elvine’s thighs and calves started to cramp. Slowing, she looked behind her to see how far behind they’d left Jax.

  “Will you stop doing that!” Her heart was hammering even harder now. Jax was right behind her, like almost on top of her. How had she not felt his close presence?

  “I’m just thanking my lucky stars I’m a rhino instead of an argonaut octopus.” He wiggled his brows. “If my cock is going to detach to find some sex, I want to be there.”

  Arion burst out laughing. The fae world was filled with magic, but Arion’s enchanting laugh put all that magic to shame.

  “You have to loosen up and stop looking like one or both of us is about to get frisky with you,” Arion teased.

  It really said something about his character that not even thirty minutes ago he was barely alive, and now he was having fun. A freaking ghoul had tried to eat him, and Arion was laughing. Elvine was in love with his personality already.

  With the house finally in sight, she stopped walking. “Fine, Mr. Nippy Nose and Honey Bunny, I’ll tell you the truth,” she huffed. “My mom is very strict with me. Not the bad kind. She’s just very adamant that I stay…” Goodness. She couldn’t even get through this without feeling as if her face would melt off from so much heat.

  “A virgin?” Arion guessed.

  “Yes.” They were her mates, and she was choking when talking about sex. Jeez. “I didn’t listen.”

  “You naughty kitten,” Jax said teasingly. He held up his hands, palms out, his grin still on his face. “I promise not to tell my mother-in-law you sowed your oats before Arion and I found you.”

  The toad had the nerve to wink.

  “Will you let me finish?” she growled.

  “That was a sexy growl, ma petite.” Jax was so close she stared at his muscular chest.

  “Thank you.” She beamed. “I’ve been hanging around wolf shifters too long. Now I’m beginning to sound like one.”

  Arion reached out as if he wanted to touch her but curled his fingers in and dropped his arm. “I don’t get the correlation. What does your mother have to do with our mating?”

  She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she closed her eyes. “Female fae are expected to remain virtuous until they meet their mate. I was risking a lot being intimate.” She dropped her hand and looked at them. “I haven’t had sex in a couple centuries.”

  “Damn,” Jax said with exaggeration. “My pretty baby is well overdue.”

  “That’s, uh… Wow, really?” Arion stared wide-eyed at her. “I mean, don’t you get aroused?”

  Elvine didn’t like their intense gazes. “Of course I do. I’m just out of practice, and now I’m going to be drowning in testosterone. So I’m nervous, okay?”

  Jax furrowed his brows. “Is your council going to come after you for mating outside your race?” He appeared deeply concerned.

  “What’re you talking about?” Arion asked.

  “The Unseelie has a dumbass law that prohibits dark fae from mating anyone other than another dark fae,” Jax replied with a low growl.

  “That’s moronic,” Arion said. “How can you outlaw such a thing when only fate decides who will be together?”

  Elvine had wondered that same thing her entire life. “That is a prickle.” She tapped her finger against her chin.

  “That is a pickle,” Arion corrected her.

  Jax ran his hand over Arion’s nape. “Many a man has tried to correct her, pumpkin. I like her bungles. They’ve become very endearing.”

  “Since we don’t have a solution at the moment, I just want to get to your house and rest my feet. Walking is for the…” She looked between them.

  “Birds,” Jax and Arion said in unison, both men smirking.

  The two were definitely trouble.

  Chapter Three

  Even in a house with wolf shifters and dark fairies, Arion didn’t feel safe. As soon as his coven leader found out where his “pet” was hiding, everyone under Jax’s roof would be in danger.

  Jax and Elvine should have left him to die in that pile of leaves. Arion still found it hard to believe a ghoul had tried to eat him. The only reason he hadn’t finished the job was because Akai, the coven leader’s son, had been impatient, ready to go to war with the same fae warrior they’d ambush a few days prior. Arion still didn’t know the reason Akai wanted Casimir dead, but it wasn’t like the guy told him anything.

  And because Arion had no choice but to do what Axia demanded, Casimir hated Arion’s guts for setting him up for an ambush. He didn’t blame the guy for the hate, but even worse, Casimir lived here. Arion was positive since he could smell the fae’s lingering scent all around him.

  The warrior had tried to choke-out Arion tonight. He had no doubt in his mind Casimir would try again now that they would be in the same house.

  With a slight shiver from those thoughts, Arion watched as Jax secured the bedroom windows from the sun’s deadly rays, which would shine in a few hours.

  “While it’s still dark out, let me show you around.” Elvine gripped Arion’s hand and dragged him from the bedroom like he was her personal tug toy.

  As she pointed to doors, she told him whose bedroom was whose. When Elvine pointed to the last one, she said, “This one is mine. Kalen gave it to me because I’m here so much.”

  “Who’s Kalen?” Arion asked. She’d already pointed to the man’s room, but he had no idea who the person was.

  “Jax’s dad.” There was nothing but adoration in her eyes as she spoke those two words. “Damon and Jaytee are Jax’s brothers. The two are twins. Raidh is Jaytee’s mate, and Casimir is Damon’s.”

  Arion nodded, unsure he would remember some of the names as he stepped into her bedroom. He liked how the room was simple, yet it felt so cozy. Even with minimal decorations, it was far better than the conditions he was living in.

  “Aren’t you going to move into Jax’s room now that you’re mates?” He absentmindedly ran his fingers over the smooth surface of her white dresser. His own dresser, the wood faded and scratched, consisted of three nearly empty drawers.

  “Why did you say it like that?” Elvine studied him. She was so beautiful, while Arion felt like a beast compared to her and Jax. How could fate have played such a cruel trick on them?

  “What’re you talking about?” His gaze traveled down her body, imagining all the ways he could worship her.

  “You made it sound like only Jax and I are mates, leaving yourself out of the equation.”

  Her closeness made it hard for Arion to breathe. Her fae scent didn’t affect him the way it did others, but it still had an intoxicating quality to it. But he didn’t want to drain her. He wanted to fuck her senseless.

  A lowly pet didn’t have the right to touch… Arion took a deep breath and tried to push away the self-deprecating thoughts. That wouldn’t help his already damaged self-esteem.

  Without glancing at Elvine’s beauty, he said, “I don’t belong here. You and Jax are perfect for each other. I’m just a third wheel who—”

  Elvine suddenly yanked him close and pressed her lips against his in a fiery kiss. Arion could say it was the best kiss of his life after the first two seconds.

  He hated the whimper that escaped. It always made him feel weak, but her lips caused his mind to go wild.

  And then she slipped her tongue inside his mouth, igniting every nerve ending in his body and rattling his senses. Unable to resist, Arion slid his hands around her small waist and pulled her even closer.

  For a moment, he allowed himself to believe that maybe he could actually be what his mates needed instead of what he’d been forced to become. Allowed himself to believe he was worthy of someone like Elvine and Jax and not some pathetic, broken being who had no idea where he belonged in the world.

  When they finally broke apart, Arion’s eyes remained closed, his breathing shallow and erratic.

  “Open your eyes, honey bunny,” she whispered in the sweetest, softest voice, causing him to immediately obey.

  For giving him the first kiss that made him feel worth something, Arion would do anything for her.

  He gazed into her meadow-green eyes, fell into them, and then Arion noticed Jax leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed, wearing an odd expression.

  Arion quickly took a few steps back, glancing toward the floor and bracing himself for the berating he was so used to receiving.

  “You don’t have to act like you’ve been caught doing something wrong, pumpkin. We’re mates.” Jax’s gaze swept over him, and Arion knew that look, had experienced it for a decade.

  Pure lust.

  “It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever witnessed.” Jax smiled with a wink. “Feel free to kiss Elvine anytime you want, handsome. It’s very erotic to watch.”

  Elvine glared at Jax. “So glad you’re deciding when I can be kissed,” she growled, and it was the cutest sound Arion had ever heard.

  “You know that’s not what I meant, brat. You’re not spinning what I said like Jaytee’s and Damon’s mates did.”

  Arion had no idea what they were talking about, and didn’t care. He was more interested in kissing Elvine again while also craving Jax’s lips. Arion wanted to know how his mate’s beard would feel abrading his skin, to know if Jax’s lips were as soft as they looked. Without realizing what he was doing, Arion licked his lips.

  His body might be a collection of scars brought about by cruel punishments, but that didn’t stop him from yearning to be a part of this mating.

  To be a part of something beautiful instead of condemned to something cruel and meaningless.

  Jax stepped to him, leaving no personal space between them. Arion’s lips slightly parted at the hungry way the wolf shifter gazed at him, causing his throat to grow tight. He knew Jax was moving in for a kiss.

  Arion wasn’t entirely sure why he was so nervous. This wouldn’t be his first kiss, but maybe his subtle trembling was due to the fact it would be the most important one of his life.

  Tilting his head, Jax slowly glided his lips over Arion’s, as if his mate wanted to draw out the pleasure.

  That was something else Arion knew all too well. Only, this kiss wouldn’t precede pain or humiliation, and Akai wouldn’t drag Arion off to be tortured afterward.

  Don’t think of the sadist. Just…sink into the moment.

  The way Jax watched him, Arion had never felt so possessed by a single glance and a simple brush of the lips. How could an intense moment such as this capture him so completely?

  This time, Jax cradled Arion’s cheek, kissing him deeply. His mate could kiss like a wet dream. The scrape of his facial hair against sensitive skin caused Arion to moan. Wanting closer, he rested his palms against Jax’s broad chest while also telling himself not to get too attached or involved.

  If you leave now and return home, Akai won’t find and hurt Jax’s family.

  If he stayed, Jax and Elvine would discover the mortifying truth about his life.

  Despite that, he couldn’t make himself pull away, couldn’t muster the strength to abandon Jax’s soft lips or deny the way Jax’s touch made Arion feel like he truly mattered for once in his life.

  Jax moved his hand to cup the back of Arion’s head, while the other rested against his neck, completely focused on seducing him into feeling cherished.

  Then he sensed Elvine move in behind him, felt the nervousness radiating off her like a scared deer trying to be brave.

  Reaching back, he held on to her hip as she timidly kissed his bare shoulder. He could feel her slight quiver and her trembling breath against his skin and wanted to reassure her, but he didn’t want to break the kiss.

  Jesus. Arion had never felt so surrounded by pure body heat before. Elvine’s soft lips glided across his shoulder, causing goose bumps to break out all over him.

  Jax’s tongue delved inside Arion’s mouth, devoured him as if he was some type of delicacy to savor.

  Arion’s heart was thundering like crazy, his breaths shooting out in rapid shudders as Elvine flicked her tongue gently against his body.

  His insides grew hot and racy, turning his blood into an electrical current as his mates focused their attention on him… Until their hands began to wander over his patchwork of scars.

  Panic set in, and there was no way to shut it down. Their touches had triggered him, flooded him with memories he desperately wished he could escape.

  He ripped away from them and hugged his arms tightly to his chest as if he could hide the shame beneath them.

  “Please, don’t.” Jax tried to reach for him, but Arion took a few steps back. “Baby, your scars don’t matter to us.”

  Elvine looked as if her heart was breaking. Arion didn’t want her pity, didn’t want her to feel sorry for him. Then he would always wonder if she touched him out of sympathy or genuine attraction.

  There was no goddamn way Arion would become another form of a pet, one Elvine and Jax felt obligated to care for.

  “Of course they don’t matter to you,” Arion argued. “You’re not the one who has to live with them. I don’t need your fucking pity, either.”

  Arion clutched his upper arm in his hand, looking toward the floor and wondering how they truly saw him, because he felt like a puzzle with missing pieces, a canvas with unfinished patches.

  Jax and Elvine exchanged a glance between them.

  Finally, Jax spoke up. “Arion, we understand your scars are a part of you, and we don’t want you to ever feel like we’re pitying you. That’s not what this is about.”

  They seemed sincere, and Arion wanted to believe them, but it was hard to shake off a decade of abuse, to become vulnerable, even for his mates.

  “You’re right. We can’t understand what it’s like to have to live with those scars,” Elvine said. “But we can understand the pain they represent, the hurt they symbolize.” She held out her hands and wiggled her fingers. “My two cuties need to trust me. I think this will benefit all of us.”

  Unsure what Elvine was up to, Arion slowly placed his hand in hers. As did Jax, though he looked like he wanted to snatch his hand back.

  “Are you about to voodoo us?” Jax asked.

  “In a way, yes.” She smirked. “Raidh taught me how to do this, but don’t tell him I’m much better at it than he is.”

  “Better at what?” Arion tried to pull his hand away, but for a tiny fairy, Elvine was strong.

  “Do you think I would honestly do something kinky to you?” she huffed.

  Arion frowned.

  Jax choked on a laugh. “Babe, I think you mean hinky,” he said. “But feel free to do all kinds of kinky things to me, sexy.”

  “Me too!” Then Arion curled his lips in, embarrassed he’d just blurted that out.

  “I’m trying to be serious.” Elvine stomped her foot.

  “So were Arion and me.” Jax wiggled his brows. “Hell, I’ll strip my clothes off and lay spread-eagle on your bed. I won’t even mind if you and Arion get freaky with each other while laying on top of my chest, ma petite.”

  Arion nearly swallowed his tongue. As for Elvine, he was pretty sure Jax had broken her. Her lips were parted, and she just kept blinking over and over again.

  In a low, seductive voice, Jax said, “You two have no idea just how kinky I am.”

  Arion wasn’t sure how to respond to that, but the image was now seared into his brain. He shook Elvine’s hand while still clutching hers. “Are you going to voodoo us or try Jax’s suggestion?”

  Not a chance was Arion going to get fully naked, but the humor had just slipped free.

  Finally, Elvine cleared her throat, but it took a moment for her to tear her gaze away from Jax. Arion knew how she felt. Jax was seven kinds of wicked sin rolled into a gorgeous body.

  “Close your eyes,” Elvine said, eyeballing Jax again before she turned to stare at Arion.

  “Don’t look at me,” Arion squeaked. “Jax said he would get naked. He never said we had to do the same.”

  One thing was for certain, Jax knew how to throw a verbal left and knock Arion right out of his moroseness. Now all he thought about was getting freaky with Elvine while they squirmed on top of Jax.

  “Okay, we’ll do this first,” Jax said. “Then I want you both to consider getting hinky.” He winked at Elvine.

  She quickly closed her eyes, but her cheeks were the prettiest shade of dark red. Jax lustful gaze swept over Arion, causing him to flush with embarrassment. Then his mate mouthed, “I want to suck your dick, beautiful.”

  Oh boy. Arion slammed his eyes closed to the sound of Jax’s soft chuckle and a light squeeze to their joined hands.

  As Elvine started to softly chant, Arion felt a strange sensation rippling inside of him. He began to yank his hand away, to tell Elvine to stop, until he saw snapshots of his mates’ lives.

  Of Jax fighting the ancient vampire, the heart-wrenching sorrow when he thought his brother had died. It was as if Arion could feel what Jax had felt in those moments. He saw the vampire attack that had almost taken Raidh’s life. He wasn’t sure how he knew that was who it was, but he just did. The vampire army that tried to kill Jax’s entire family.

  It was a miracle the wolf shifter wanted any part of Arion considering he was a vampire himself.