Crimes of Cupidity (Heart Hassle Book 3)

Sylred leaves to call one of the servants to clean the bedding, and when he gets back, he helps me into a bath. I wash off the blood and let the hot water soothe my cramping belly, and then Mossie comes up and wraps my muffin mound up like a mummy. I have so many layers of cloth stuffed into my underwear that I’m pretty sure it has the liquid contained better than the Hoover Dam.

For the rest of the day, Sylred feeds me, rubs my feet, and tells me stories about what they did while I was gone. Despite my grumpy mood, he makes me feel better. Evert is gone until evening, but when he returns, he takes one sniff and gleans my situation. With Ronak in tow, he carefully makes his way over to me.

I watch him like a hawk. “Hmm. There he is. My mate,” I say in a falsely chipper tone. “The one out gallivanting around all day. While I was just here. Seeping out blood.” His steps stop as my glare takes over my face. “Did you know the fae realm doesn’t have tampons yet? It’s not a thing here, Evert. Which means my vagina has been mummified instead. Mummified,” I say again, just to really drive my point home. “And you’ve been gone. Probably enjoying yourself. Talking. Walking around with a lovely breeze against your groin. Smiling at people and making females fantasize about licking your dimples and having your scruff scrape against their non-bloody thighs.”

Gods, even I know I’m being a bitch. It’s like all my sweetness and reason has drained out along with all of the blood, but I can’t stop it.

Evert approaches me like one might approach a savage lioness. “Hey, Scratch.”

I cock a brow. “Hey? I’m sitting here with my womb trying to squeeze itself out of my body, and you just saunter in and say, hey?”

Evert exchanges a look with Sylred, but they both seem equally unsure how to handle me. He scratches the black scruff on his chin. “For the record, I only smile at you,” Evert finally says. “So, you’re the only one who gets to fantasize about licking my dimples. You know how I am—I tell everyone else to fuck off. Besides, I think the dimple-licking is just a you thing. It’s a bit weird if you ask me. Hot, but weird.”

I just blink at him, trying to figure out if I wanna punch him or not. I think no, but who really knows? When you’re on your period, you kinda always want to punch someone.

He blows out a breath. “So… Bloody elephant in the room—you got your period. I guess that answers that question.”

“What question?”

Sylred takes over. “Well, we’d wondered whether or not you’re…uh, able to breed. This is a good sign, actually.”

I narrow my eyes at him, making his cheeks turn pink from the ferocity of my glare. “Oh, I see. So you were all talking about me. Behind my back. Keeping secrets. Not including me in important breeding discussions.” Tears well into my eyes, and Sylred gets a panicked look on his face. “I didn’t even know you guys wanted kids right away. And what if I didn’t get my period? What if I can’t breed? You guys don’t talk to me enough!” I start ugly crying. Again, I can’t stop it.

Frazzled, in pain, and now freaking out, my emotions are going haywire and the tears gush out like I’m freaking Niagara Falls.

Evert, not knowing how to handle a weepy mate, just sort of stands there and pats me on the back. He keeps saying, “There, there, buddy,” like I’m a coworker who just lost the chance at a promotion.

Sylred, more in touch with his emotional side, slides in next to me on the bed and wraps his arms around me. “Sweetheart, we don’t keep things from you. We were just discussing the likelihood of us having offspring. It’s already difficult for genfins to conceive, and the chances of doing it outside our own breed…”

“I know!” I hiccup. “I told you guys! I told you not to go through with our mating ceremony if you weren’t sure. I didn’t want to condemn you to living a life without kids. But now it’s too late, because we are mates, and I freaking love you! I’ve always wanted to fall in love and now I have, but I’m bleeding and you’re talking about breeding and I’m so hungry!”

I’ve crossed over into totally psycho status. My hormones are bouncing around more than…sports balls that bounce around a lot. I actually don’t know a lot about earth sports, to be honest. I tried to go to a few games, but I never made it past the locker rooms. Which I’m fine with, since I’m sure the balls in there were far more impressive anyway.

Gently, Sylred pulls my hands away from my face. “Breathe. Come on. One, two, three…”

Following his directions, I calm my frenzied, hiccupped gasps and start breathing in and out. After several times of him leading me, he gives me a smile and wipes the tears from my face using the pads of his thumbs. “There. That’s better,” he says, kissing the corner of my eye. “Now. Let’s back up just a bit.”

A rasping grunt sounds from behind me. “Yeah, I’d like to get to the part where she just said she loved us.”

My head snaps up at the voice and my mouth drops open in shock.

“Ronak!”

There at the foot of the bed, is my naked mate, his black eyes looking back at me.

I launch myself at him and he catches me, enveloping me completely with his arms and wings. Pressing my face against his chest, I let myself bask in his warmth, my relief immense. “You’re you again,” I say into his skin.

He pulls me away and grasps my chin, making me look up at him. “I’m back,” he confirms. “My animal really didn’t want to give up its hold. I’d almost lost hope, but then you were crying, and he didn’t like that at all. He finally let me resurface.”

“I won’t go into the Veil again,” I promise. “Not until I can figure out how to do it without you going animal. I was so worried that you wouldn’t come back this time.”

“I’m here,” he says, leaning forward to nip at my bottom lip. When my mouth parts, he dips his tongue inside and licks at my tongue, making a moan slip out of me. “Gods, I missed you, little demon. It was fucking torture watching behind the scenes, unable to get out and be with you.”

“You’re here now.”

“I am,” he nods. “And I was here when you just told us you loved us. Was that true or were you just doing the thing where you ramble?” he asks, his eyes intense as he studies me.

“I don’t ramble.”

“You definitely ramble,” Evert pipes up. “But let’s get back to the question.”

Ronak drops his wings so that we can see the guys, but continues to keep his arms wrapped around me. I fidget on my spot on the bed as all three of them watch me intently. I pinch the comforter between my fingers, avoiding eye contact. I can’t believe I just blurted it out like that. I’m such a rambling idiot.

“Scratch. Talk to us.”

I sigh and flick my eyes up to look at them. “Fine! Yes, I love you. I’m freaking insanely in love with you all. All I’ve wanted since forever was to be in love, and now I am, and it’s…”

“It’s what?” Sylred gently prods.

I meet his eye. “It’s better than I ever imagined. But it’s scary, too.”

“Look at me,” Ronak orders, and my stomach has a little thrill at his authoritative voice. “You don’t ever have to be scared. Not with us. We’re your mates.”

“Exactly,” Evert agrees. “And we fucking love you more than life itself.”

My heart does a flip and my mouth parts in surprise at the vehemency of his declaration.

I look to the other guys in confirmation, and they look steadily back at me, Ronak with a nod and Sylred with a smile.

“You…you love me?”

Evert snorts. “Yeah, we fucking love you. Sylred’s hair turned pink. Ronak has fucking cupid wings. I have Lust leaking out of me every time I fucking sneeze. If that doesn’t show our connection to you, I don’t know what will.”

I wipe my nose on my sleeve, and I know that this is it. This feeling right here. This is what I’ve been chasing for my entire cupid existence. I love them, and they love me right back.

And you know what? It really is the best thing in all the realms.