~Valentina~
"Is he okay?" Hazel looks concerned for Tae.
"It is really hard for him to control his impulses right now. Especially with you being naked, so he is giving you some time to get dressed before he comes back." I gave the clothes to her, and she thanked me."Do you want me to get dressed in the bathroom, or does it not affect you the same way it affects him?" I realize Hazel is trying to figure out what kind of relationship she and I will have."You affect us both very much, so you can dress in here while I go take my shower. We would love to get to know you more before we start getting physical." Women can be overly possessive sometimes, so I want her to feel welcome by me."You seem incredibly nice. This is a lot for me to take in, even though I thought I was fully prepared for it when I left home." She sits on the bed, and a flash of sadness crosses her face."You don't want to be here?" I may not know her yet, but the thought of her being unhappy with us makes me uneasy."I do want to be here. I don't belong in Mortal Grounds, but it still hurts to think about the ones I left behind. When Monday evening comes around, my students will go into class and find a new instructor. They knew I planned on attending the gala, but I don't think they truly believed I would be gone for good after today. Those kids were my life." Knowing she has a love for children gives me peace of mind. I can sense the heaviness in her chest, and it makes me sad for her."I'm so sorry, Hazel. What do you teach?" Maybe working with the kids here will help make her feel better."I'm a dance instructor in the evening, but my day job is factory work." I could never imagine Hazel working in those conditions. Factory labor in Mortal Grounds is dangerous. I can't help but get angry as I think about it."The factory is no place for a queen. You will never do that kind of work here, but you can open your own dance studio. It is our duty to stay connected with the packs within our territory, so I think opening a dance studio would be great for our community. I can't bring back your students, but you can make new ones here." Her face lights up with excitement."Wow. Opening a studio would be a dream come true. This entire night has been a fairytale for me, and I couldn't be happier. I was so worried that you two wouldn't want me." I can understand why she would have that fear. When I met Tae, it was a disaster."We might want you a little too much. I'm getting in the shower now, but I'll be very quick." I don't want to leave her alone, but I have to get this hairspray out of my hair and get the makeup washed off my face."I'll be here, clothed and dry." Hazel is a little awkward, but it makes her adorable. I can't contain the smile on my face as I go into the bathroom and into the shower. I have never washed my hair and body so fast, and I accidentally cut my knee while shaving. Thankfully, it'll heal in no time.I rinse, dry off, and get dressed in record time. When I open the bathroom door, Hazel is lying back on the bed and playing on her cell phone. The shorts I gave her fit her perfectly, but the t-shirt is a little baggy. What pulls at my heart the most is seeing her so relaxed in our bed. She looks up from her phone and smiles."I expected you to have super fancy bedtime clothes. I love the simplicity, though." I look down at my plain yellow t-shirt and white shorts. Being a Royal, I can understand why she would assume I slept in the finest silk."Our home is our safe place to be ugly and imperfect. I look forward to it every night." She looks up and down my body again, but this time I can feel the heat in her gaze."Ugly is not the word I was thinking. I was going to say you seem more real and personal. It makes me feel like we're on the same level." Tae and I are physically superior right now, but she will feel equal once she shifts and completes her transition."We are on the same level; The Fates made it so. Come on, let's go eat before I become hangry." I do turn into a monster when I get hungry. Food makes me happier than diamonds and pearls."Food sounds good. I haven't eaten all day because I've been a nervous wreck." I think about my first gala. I remember feeling the same anxiousness. I wish my experience were as welcoming as hers, but I guess it made Tae and I closer in the long run.I show her around the castle on our way to the great chamber. Hazel is amazed by the designs on the ceiling, and occasionally, she runs her fingers over the wall. The castle is very beautiful, so I appreciate the architecture as well. As we reach the great chamber, I can smell the aroma of our dinner.I open the door, and Tae already has the TV turned on. He set up folding tray tables at the couches, and our plates are served. Thankfully, we have extra trays for when we have friends over."You guys eat in your entertainment room? And you have portable dining tables?" She looks confused as if she has never seen food trays."Sometimes we eat in here to be more comfortable, and it's a relaxed setting. We use the great hall for social events and larger gatherings." Tae answers, and she nods in understanding. "Do humans do things differently?""Yes, I have never eaten a meal in an entertainment room. I have never met any human who does not eat at the dining table either. This is the first time I have ever seen little portable dining tables. How cute!" The difference between us and them is gradually showing. I'm eager to learn more."These are called food trays. I don't know how much you eat, so I hope there's enough on your plate." He motions to the tray in the middle. I like that he has her placed there so that she can focus on both of us as we get to know her."It's perfect, thank you. And it looks delicious. What kind of chicken is this?" She takes her seat and smells the food."Chicken marsala." We take our seats next to her and raise our glasses of wine. "Here's a toast to The Fates. Tonight was a huge surprise for all of us, but we will love each other properly and grow together.""To The Fates!" Hazel and I touch glasses with Tae and take a sip.~Hazel~Is it too soon to say I'm in love? Val is silly, and she's the most kind-hearted woman. I know she has gone above and beyond to make me feel welcome in their home instead of being jealous or malicious. Obviously, the spiritual bond is a huge factor in how we feel for each other because there is a strong connection between the three of us naturally. How anyone could reject this feeling is beyond me.Tae is equally goofy, but he looks intimidating and mean. If he were not mated to me, I would stay out of his way. Having a man who is gentle and funny for just his two women is a huge turn-on, though. No one else gets this side of Tae, except for their three-year-old son they told me about over dinner last night. I get to meet him today, and I can't wait. When they showed me a picture of him, my heart melted.Val is still asleep with her arm wrapped around me, but I felt Tae get up early. He must have had work to do because he kissed our heads before leaving the room. Val pulls me
~Octavius~I'm sitting in my home office to schedule a meeting with the alpha of the Dark Forest Pack when I feel a sensation form in my stomach. I can sense Val's arousal, but she always is when she wakes up. I would be fulfilling her needs right now, but we have to respect Hazel. I'm sure the feeling will go away soon when they get out of bed.I brush it off and called Alpha Jakobe to confirm the day and time of our meeting. By the time we hung up the phone, the sensation spreaded through my body, and I began to sweat. I can feel the touch of Hazel on Val's body. There is no way in Hell I will keep working while my two mates are getting frisky for the first time. As I get closer to our room, my breathing becomes unsteady, and eagerness takes over. When I open the door, Val and Hazel are stripped naked. Val is between Hazel's legs, but when she looks back at me, I can see the mischief in her eyes while Hazel is trying not to laugh. There is no doubt in my mind Val did this on purpose
~Octavius~"Daddy!" Lucas jumps into my arms, and I toss him into the air to hear his laughter. Val stayed at the castle with Hazel while I ran to get our son from my brother's house."Hey, Buddy! Did you have fun with Uncle Ash and Aunt Carlie?" He nodded enthusiastically."We made cookies!" He rubs his little tummy."Where are my cookies?" Lucas wiggles out of my arms and runs into the kitchen; Carlie follows him."So, a second mate?" Ash asks quietly."Hazel is so innocent and sweet. She and Val are already hitting it off as if they've been best friends forever, and she loves kids. I'm nervous about them meeting, but I know he will love her as much as we do." Hazel fits us like a glove, so there is no doubt in my mind Lucas will love her too."How will you explain it to him? Will he see her as a second mother?" Ash looks slightly concerned because this is not typically the Lycan way."He's only three, so it'll be a simple explanation. As he ages, he will form a proper understanding
~Hazel~Lucas is a ball of energy. I'm a pretty fit woman, but this little guy made me doubt my athleticism while playing on the playground. Today has been the best day of my life. Val and I went shopping for new clothes this evening while Tae took Lucas to an arcade in the mall. After dinner, we played Go Fish with Lucas and did a couple of rounds of hide-and-seek. Lucas said he wanted to be on my team, so we hid and found his parents together. Now that I'm showered and lying down in the bed, I feel exhausted. Val is giving Lucas a bath in the bathroom attached to his bedroom while Tae is showering in our bathroom. The privacy gives me time to call my parents. After two rings, my mom answers."I'm assuming you found a beast to corrupt you since you never returned home." I knew my mom would be upset, but I did not expect her to say something like this when she answered my call."Hello, sunshine. Put Dad on the phone." I don't feel like talking to her. Dad might not be any better."Haz
~Hazel~Sex is intimate, but Tae cleaning me up after I noticed the aftermath is a different type of intimacy. When your body is no longer running on adrenaline and lust, you feel raw and vulnerable. I wanted to rush to the bathroom and clean myself, but there's no way in hell I will be rushing anywhere after what he had just done to me. Val helped me up so I could use the restroom while Tae changed the comforter on our bed. He just left to check on Lucas to make sure he was still asleep, so Val and I are lying in bed, facing each other and waiting for him to join us."Sorry about the blanket." I don't know why I'm embarrassed right now. I'm assuming this is normal."I know how you feel, don't worry. It didn't bother Tae during my first time either. To be honest? I think he loves it. He did well with not getting too crazy. I can't say he'll be as easy next time." So that was him being easy. Noted."I assume he was gentle with you last night so I wouldn't get scared about my first time
~Valentina~Why isn't she awake? It has been seven days, and Hazel's heart sounds weak. Our family doctor came right after she closed her eyes to insert a catheter, hook her up to a heart monitor, and put her on oxygen to take the stress off of her body. Doctor Green said it would most likely take her longer than most to wake because of the amount of neutralizer in her system, but she needed it from both of us to complete the bond. There was no other way, but I'm getting scared. What if something goes majorly wrong? Werewolves have more than one mate all the time, but they always recover quickly after being marked.Tae is beginning to get anxious too. I know he is trying to be strong and positive for me, but we can sense something isn't right. I hate leaving Hazel's side because Lucas doesn't understand these things yet, and we won't let him come into our room while Hazel is in a coma. Thankfully, Tae and I can take turns sitting with her most of the time, but he can't always put work
~Valentina~"I'm going to mindlink you, okay? To respond, all you have to do is direct your thoughts to me. That will open our communication, and you can try it with Tae later. We will receive it as long as we keep our minds open to one another." I have a ton to talk to her about, and these simple questions are limiting us tremendously.Do you hear my voice? She squeezes my hand so I know she hears me.Kill that fucking doctor, Val. I get back into the bed and lie next to her.What has he done? I need to know everything. He's a dead man, for sure. Being able to talk to her lifts so much weight from my chest.He keeps injecting me with something that makes my pulse slow. I think he called it a beta-blocker, but it also contains a muscle paralytic. As far as touching goes, he makes me uncomfortable as hell. He ran his finger across my chest while I was regaining feeling a couple of days ago and told me he's doing this for the greater good. He also talked about my body and said it's a sh
~Octavius~This can't be the man who cared for me for over half of my life. He has never given me a reason not to trust him, but now has shown the utmost disrespect. I'll be sure to get the answers I need before I snap his neck. Niko opens the cell for me as I put on gloves."You're making a mistake! You should have rejected her!" Doctor Green is sweating profusely."Why the hell would we reject our mate? The Fates made her for us for a reason." It seems I won't have to beat the information out of him."The prophecy! She said I must kill her!" I don't even recognize him. His eyes are cold, and his body is fidgeting."Who said it? What is the prophecy?" It has to be a witch. I wish he would get to the fucking point."It's a Tribrid. She's here to ensure Hazel dies. If I do not execute it, she will kill me!" I feel my heart sink into my stomach. How did a Tribrid get into my territory? A Tribrid is the last being I would want to deal with, but I will do anything to protect our people an