Flames of Fury

Magnolia

It feels like it did five months ago between Ro and Varian and me. The inescapable pull towards each other, the insatiable need to maintain physical contact with them any chance I can get. I think we all needed this morning to happen, we all needed to exorcize our own demons.

Although I’m still aching for their touch to bring me sweet relief, they’ve showered me with tender affection. They lathered my body in lush soap and then rinsed me off just as thoroughly. They refused to let me dry myself, opting instead to have the pleasure of doing it themselves by hand. They barely allow me to lift so much as my toothbrush, they’re that protective of and attentive to me.

“We told you, you deserve to have the most serene pregnancy. We don’t want you lifting a finger, we don’t want you stressing your mind or your body.” Varian splays his fingers across my now clothed belly. “Mm, such a magnificent body it is growing our pups so perfectly. You’re fucking incredible.” He purrs and then captures my mouth with his.

“Var,” Ro warns, “she needs to eat. Let’s head down before we all end up back in bed.”

Not that I’d mind. I think to myself but allow the twins to hear.

Varian grins but Ro just huffs and leads us out of the room.

Everyone else is already in the kitchen by the time we get downstairs. Xander and Ember sit across from one another on opposite ends of the island while Kat and Incandis occupy the middle. Kat’s covered in bruises that weren’t there yesterday, but she’s practically sitting in Incandis’ lap while he feeds her grapes one at a time. They must have exorcized their demons too…and then some.

Seeing him smile the way he does at her, the way he cares for her, makes me forget for a second that he was the orchestrator behind invading my mind and betraying my trust.

I chance a glance at Ro and Varian, smirking in anticipation of their reactions to seeing Kat in this state. They stand stark still next to me, nostrils flaring, eyes flashing between their usual color to black. I run my hand over Ro’s broad chest, pecking a chaste kiss on his cheek and then turning to Varian and repeating my action. This seems to break them of their thoughts and they follow me towards the breakfast bar.

No one makes a sound, no one dares to look at one another unless it’s with a scowl. There is only the clanking of forks against plates and the scraping of bar stools against the wooden floor.

I take a deep breath in and steel myself for the work that needs to be done today, not just in repairing – or at least addressing – the ways in which we’ve all hurt one another, but in calming the colony, getting caught up on the events here in the last five months, and planning our final take down of Ian and the pit he calls his kingdom.

“Incandis I need you to have our parents and the guards meet us in the war room in 45 minutes. Xander, set up a schedule for me to visit each sector of the grove today and notify the occupants. Then I need the four of you in my office as soon as you’re done.”

I turn away from the kitchen and begin to head out. I don’t need to look back to know that Ro and Varian are following right behind me. Together we head up to my office to await the rest of the group.

I feel better today than I did yesterday, but there’s still something gnawing at my insides. I just don’t know how to bring it up to the guys.

Of course, Ro senses this and he breaches the conversation for me.

“What’s on your mind, Princess?” He holds his hand out to me and pulls me down into his lap on the couch in my office. I rest my head on his shoulder and sigh. This might hurt.

“While I was gone, when you didn’t remember me, did you fuck anyone?”

Ro tenses at my bluntness but then softens and nuzzles my neck while Varian sits next to him and lifts my legs so they drape across his lap.

“I won’t lie to you, Love,” Varian says cautiously and I brace my heart for the blow. “Women have always thrown themselves at us, at the club, at events with other packs. But, for some reason we didn’t understand at the time, we couldn’t bring ourselves to even kiss another woman, let alone sleep with one.”

Ro turns my face towards him so he can rest his forehead against mine. “Xander may have erased our memories, but that didn’t erase our actual bond. It felt physically wrong getting close to anyone, and honestly it was aggravating because it was like our bodies knew something we didn’t and we couldn’t figure it out.”

I puddle in the twins’ hold, slightly relieved that my men didn’t betray me due to Xander’s actions. I say slightly because in the pit of my stomach I sense that had our bond been severed there would have been nothing stopping them from fulfilling their carnal desires with anything in a skirt.

“Mags stop thinking about what could have been, it didn’t happen. It’s not going to happen. We’re yours and yours alone.” Ro licks my neck but I don’t fight the shiver it sends through me.

Ember walks in through the door but the twins don’t release me, they’re perfectly unbothered by showing their affection for me in front of others.

“Good morning…Magnolia.”

I know what she’s thinking before she says it, her thoughts swim in her eyes. This is the first time in months that we haven’t spent breakfast together – together with Griffin. We’re home now, and things are different. No more lounging around gossiping all day, no more whispered kitchen conversations while I nap on the couch. We’re back to business and Ember isn’t sure where that leaves her.

I slip out of Ro’s lap and grab his and Varian’s hands, pulling them slightly so they receive the message that I want them to stand alongside me.

“Nothing has to change between us, Ember. I’m still just ‘Mags’.” I smile warmly at her and she returns the expression in kind. “I don’t think you met properly last night.” I turn to look at my mates and gesture towards Ember. “Guys this is Ember, she’s part of the reason I’m alive right now. Ember this is Ro and Varian.” I gesture to the guys as I introduce them.

Each of them takes a turn shaking Ember’s hand before Varian says, “When this is all over and Ian is obliterated, we will find a proper way to show you our gratitude for all that you’ve done for Mags.”

A moment later Incandis walks in, followed by Kat and Xander. The girls have a seat on the couch, but I shoot a look to my brother and Xander daring them to sit down before I’ve authorized it.

“Did you do as I asked?” The two of them nod wordlessly. “Good. I’m going to cut right to the chase.” There’s no point in prolonging this, I don’t want the theatrics of a trial – I want to move on. “You colluded with one another to violate my mind and erase a memory without my consent. Then you kept that secret from me for a century. And you, Xander. You knew what you had done and yet you allowed us to grow closer, beyond friendship. Our entire relationship, both professional and personal – a sham.”

“Mags no, it’s not –” Xander begins but I put a palm up to stop him.

“Do not fucking interrupt me.” I give myself a second to cool the heat that’s flaring to the surface of my skin. “It’s not okay. Incandis, I don’t care what your reasons and motivations were – they were selfish, you did that to me so that you wouldn’t have to feel guilty about the accident.”

I pause for several beats, letting that sink into their brains. “But…” I whisper the word, because this is the hard part. It’s easy to play the victim, the one that’s angry and justified. It’s harder to admit your faults and own up to the mistakes you’ve made as well. “But I fucked up too.”

I lift my head to look them both in the eye. “I lied to you, too. I wasn’t honest, I kept that picture a secret and chose to run off rather than trust you. I’m sorry.”

The tension in Xander and Incandis’ posture relaxes at my words but still they don’t move and they don’t speak. Good boys.

“So, I guess that makes us even. Now…with that said, you didn’t just wipe my memory you wiped Ro’s, Varian’s, and Kat’s too. Originally, I was going to have you all work out your own shit and leave me out of it. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that that’s my fault too. If I hadn’t run off, the twins wouldn’t have suffered, and you wouldn’t have had to do what you did. I’m sorry for the position I put you in, Xander.”

“Don’t apologize to him, Mags, he still had a choice.” Ro spits.

“Did he though?” I turn to look at my mates. “Did he honestly have a choice? You were wasting away. His job, his purpose, is to protect me. And seeing as how you two,” I poke Ro and Varian in the chest for emphasis, “are a part of me, that means he has to protect you, too.”

The twins’ mouths press into thin lines, I can tell they’re seething but they know I’m right. They just don’t want to admit it aloud that everything was ultimately my own fault. If they did, though, then they could punish me some more. That delicious thought trickles down my body like rain on a window pane, accumulating deep within my belly warming me to the core.

The deep rumbling coming from Ro’s and Varian’s chests indicate that they know exactly where my wayward thoughts are headed.

“So, shall we say that’s that then?” I ask as I turn sideways so I can look between my four boys, wolves on my left, dragons on my right.

Xander looks over to where the girls are sitting and I catch the discrete nod Ember gives him before he responds. What the hell is that about?

“Yes, my queen. I’d like that.” Xander approaches me and wraps his arms around me while the twins growl. For fuck’s sake, these boys will be the death of me. I kick Ro in the shin to shut him up, Xander did technically save his life he should be a little more grateful. Ro responds by yanking me out of Xander’s arms and invading my mouth with his tongue. He holds me by the back of my head so I can’t break away from our kiss, not that I’d want to.

Incandis clears his throat and Ro releases me from his grip, though it’s not because of Incandis, it’s because he’s satisfied with the claim he’s laid on me in front of Xander and I know it.

“I’m sorry for everything, Mags. Truly I am. I’m sorry about the accident, for handling it the way I did, and I’m sorry for everything you went through the last five months. I’m just glad you’re home.” Incandis hugs me close to him, kissing the top of my head.

“You’re on thin ice, Incandis.” Varian threatens Incandis from behind me. “If you hurt my mate or my baby sister again, I can’t be held responsible for what my wolf and I do.” Varian reaches his hand out to shake Incandis’ as some placebo peace offering, and I appreciate him putting up appearances if only just for my sake.

“Right,” I clasp my hands together with a satisfying clap, grinning like a fool and becoming practically giddy at what is next on the agenda, “off to the war room, we’ve got battle plans to make.”