The Power of Fate (The Triad Series Book 5) (12 page)

“This, at least, hasn’t changed a bit,” Rekk said slowly.

“Yeah, I think it’s been the same for thousands of years. Thank the Gods.”

Just the sight of the Temple gave Orin hope. The Oracle within was renowned for her ability to make Triad matches, discern the future, and perform the spiritual ceremonies that ensured the Pavlovian world still functioned. No one, not even the Senate or the Etruscans, had ever succeeded in destroying the Oracle or her Temple.

“There’s a lot more security now.” Orin pointed at the lower gates. “Since that last attack on the Oracle, the heir’s mate Ian Mac has been implementing a whole series of new checks and levels to keep the Oracle safe.”

“That is good to know.”

“You’ll be safe there.”

“Thank you.” Rekk offered him a half-smile.

“Now, let’s find Mya.”

They found her sitting cross-legged in front of a fire, her bedding already laid out under a tree. She was stirring something in a pot that hung over the blaze. Rekk put his backpack down and went to stand opposite her.

“May I sit with you?”

She looked up and nodded. She had been crying. The sight of her reddened eyes made his gut clench.

“I wish to apologize for my outburst. It was uncalled for.”

“But not unprovoked.”

Orin hunkered down next to him. “I’m sorry, too, Mya. I’m an idiot.”

Rekk was ashamed to say that Mya’s lack of reaction to Orin’s apology made him feel slightly more hopeful.

She ladled out whatever was in the pot onto three large leaves and offered them both one. Rekk curled the sides of the leaf up within his palm and slid the fragrant meat and fruit into his mouth.

“This is good. Thank you.”

Orin paused with his hand close to his mouth. “Er, what exactly am I eating?”

“Best not to know out here.” Rekk took another mouthful. “I’m too hungry to care.”

Orin laughed. “Yeah.” He nibbled at a chunk of meat. “Hey, it’s good.”

“Thank you.” Mya had removed her jacket and released her hair around her shoulders. Her green skin blended in perfectly with the forest, making her look like some kind of tree spirit. If she had chosen to abandon them on the path, he doubted they would’ve been able to track her without their telepathic connection.

She set down her leaf and drank some water. “I am sorry as well.”

“There is no need for you to apologize. We both behaved badly.”

“But I overreacted.” She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. “I…don’t respond well to aggression in males.”

“Was that because of your father?” Orin asked.

Rekk just looked at him. “
Really? You’re just going to blurt it out like that?”

“Why not?”

Mya raised an eyebrow. “Why would you think that?”

Orin shrugged. “Just a theory.”

“My father was an honorable man,”

Rekk studied her now-tense body language. “What about the new member of your mother’s Triad? Was he or she a good person?”

She slowly let out her breath. “No. He was not.”

“Yet your mother stayed with him.”

“She was Hakron. A vow once taken for a Hakron is a sacred thing.” She drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “She refused to leave until it was too late.”

“What do you mean?” Orin asked.

“He killed her when he found out she was carrying his Second’s child.”

Rekk briefly closed his eyes to say a prayer for Mya’s mother.

“The Second Male took me back to my father’s village. I was raised there by my grandparents.”

Orin leapt to his feet. “Why didn’t I know this?”

“Because I was ashamed and the Hakron will not speak of these things.” Despite her words, Mya met his gaze straight on, her bearing as regal as a queen’s. “I didn’t want you to know my mother had been murdered by her own mate.”

“But I should have asked. I should have
known
…” Orin slapped the side of his head. “I am a complete loser as a Male and a mate!”

“You are not at fault.” She swallowed hard. “I was going to tell you when I came back from my mission. I knew you wanted a Third and a baby and… I knew I had some issues with those things.”

Orin came down on one knee in front of her. “Mya, if I’d known about this… I would never have pressed you at all.”

She smiled shakily. “But it doesn’t matter anymore, does it? Because whatever else happens between the three of us, I obviously have the ability to put my fear behind me and contemplate a new future with you two. Being close to death taught me something.”

Rekk stared at her. How could she be so strong? He doubted his own name, and she had the courage he lacked to move onward. But surely it made his decision to wait until he’d seen the Oracle more important? He could not betray Mya or Orin and let them down again.

He gathered his own courage. “If I am your choice, and if the Oracle can tell me
who
I am, then I will gladly ask you both if I am still acceptable as a Third.”

“On your knees?” Orin asked.

Rekk gave him a wry look. “If I must.”

Mya studied the two men carefully. Neither of them seemed disturbed by the evidence of her violent past—their concern was all for her.

“I
am
afraid of being in a committed Triad and of having offspring.” She offered the truth willingly now. “I always wondered if I might be too like my mother—too soft, too used to submitting to the old ways—which is why I suppose I went into the military to prove her and myself wrong.”

“You are one of the strongest females I have ever met, Mya,” Rekk said.

“I’d have to agree.” Orin grinned at her. “You’ve never taken any shit from me and, apparently, I’m not easy to live with.”

Impulsively, Mya reached out her hand to him. “You’re my mate. I’ve always known you were on my side—even when I was afraid I couldn’t live up to your expectations.”

He frowned. “I would
never
have forced a child or a mate on you. You know what I’m like, Mya. I just hated not knowing what the problem was and how to solve it. I just rushed ahead, trying to do it all anyway.”

“I know. I was more worried that I would give in—does that make sense? That I would somehow become my mother.”

“How did the Oracle allow such a remarriage?” Rekk asked slowly.

“She does get it wrong sometimes.” Mya took his hand as well. Somehow it seemed right. “But my mother didn’t consult with her. She just made her decision and went with it.”

He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm. “May your mother have found peace in her rebirth with the Gods.”

“Thank you.”

Orin finished his food. “What happened to him?”

“To whom?”

“The man who killed your mother?”

“He’s dead.”

“Good, because otherwise I’d be finding him and having a few words about beating up on a defenseless pregnant women.” Orin was all business now, the amusement gone from his face. “There is a special place in the underworld for vermin like that.”

“Agreed.” Rekk gathered the used leaves. “We should try to sleep. It will be a long day tomorrow.”

Mya scraped out the pot and repacked her backpack. When she returned from washing out the utensils in the stream, Orin had banked up the fire and laid the other two sleeping mats on either side of hers. Her steps slowed as she considered the implications of the sleeping arrangements.

Rekk caught her eye. “I can sleep over there if you prefer it.”

“No, I’d… like us all to be together on this final night. Things might never be the same after we meet the Oracle.”

Rekk would find out that he was an aristocrat descended from the highest in the land, and that he’d been missing for over a hundred years. How would he feel then? Was it fair not to warn him that his humble offer to be their Third might seem laughable when he realized how far above them he was? She’d promised her superior officers not to reveal that information to him, but that was before he’d become so special to her and Orin.

Rekk moved away to take off his boots.

Orin spoke from behind her, his voice low. “We’re going to lose him tomorrow, aren’t we?”

“Possibly,” Mya agreed. “But we can’t stop him from reclaiming his birthright.”

“Maybe he was right about us not making any promises before we saw the Oracle after all, but Gods, I just wish we’d all…”

Mya placed her finger on his lips and then replaced it with her mouth. His eyes widened, as she pressed close, her mind blending effortlessly with his.

“
We have tonight… If he is willing.”

He kissed her back.
“Let’s go and see, shall we?”

Rekk looked up as they approached, his gaze fixing on Mya’s lips as if he was intent on tasting the shared kiss.

Mya pointed at the sleeping mat in the center. “This one is yours, Rekk.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” Orin knelt on the left mat at Rekk’s level. “Lie down.”

Rekk stretched out, his breathing uneven as if the force of their combined attention was difficult to take. Mya cupped his chin, turning his face toward her. He was truly beautiful, his wary gaze golden, his lips slightly parted as he regarded them both. But he was so much more than that. He had such strength and patience, things both she and Orin lacked. He would be their anchor and the very center of their bonded Triad. If he wanted them.

“As this is the end of our journey, the end of our mission, and perhaps the end of the world as we know it, perhaps we can finish in style?”

Rekk licked his lips. “In what way?”

“In a way that means we can all start fresh tomorrow?” She leaned in and kissed his nose, then each slanted cheekbone, and finally his luscious mouth. “With no regrets and without worrying about the future.”

“Time out of mind,” Orin suggested as he trailed his fingers down over Rekk’s T-shirt, making him shiver. “One night to enjoy each other, no questions asked.”

“Don’t you think it will simply make things worse?”

“I don’t think they could be much worse, do you?” Mya countered. “Orin and I both want to be with you so much. Are you willing?”

Rekk’s eyes widened as Orin’s roving finger settled on the already prominent bulge of his cock and made small circles.

“Just two Males and their Female enjoying a night of lovemaking together.” Mya kissed him deep.

Orin snorted. “Yeah, that’s us all right.” He cupped Rekk’s balls, his thumb rubbing up and down his shaft. “All I want at this moment is to have your cock in my mouth while I suck you off.”

“Only if Rekk agrees, Orin,” Mya spoke over her frank and unfiltered lover. “Only if his conscience allows it.”

“What is it you fear for me tomorrow that you both offer me this gift?” Rekk said softly. “That I will go back on my word?”

“Consider this more as a hope that you won’t. We want you to be happy, Rekk.”

“You know I want you both.”

“That’s a start,” Orin murmured. “Come on, Rekk. Let us love you just for one night. We really want to.”

Rekk slowly exhaled. “Then I am yours.”

Mya kissed him, easing her hand inside his T-shirt to pull it off him, exposing his long, golden limbs and muscular chest. Orin started work on his pants, coaxing the buttons to open to reveal the thick length of Rekk’s already hard cock.

“Yeah,” Orin breathed the word like a prayer and bent his head to lick and suck Rekk’s skin as it slowly emerged from his pants. “Fucking nice.”

Rekk groaned and arched his back, allowing Orin to pull down his pants completely. He kicked them off and lay naked before them. Mya couldn’t contain a whimper of need, her body already aroused, hot and wet, just by the sight of him.

“Beautiful.” Orin moved up and kissed Rekk’s mouth, taking his time, giving the other man everything. Mya shucked off her clothes as she watched the intimate mating of mouths. Orin reached down and wrapped a hand around Rekk’s cock rubbing him in time to his deep, thrusting kisses.

“
Mya.”

Rekk was in her head, and so was Orin, making the experience of watching them kiss doubly erotic when she could also sense their feelings. And Gods, they both wanted it—wanted each other as much as they wanted her.

Rekk’s hand grazed her hip and slid down, coming to rest with his palm upward, cupping her wet heat, his thumb wedged against her clit. She came so fast she bent over with the pleasure, grasping Rekk’s shoulder as she panted out his name. Orin’s fingers curved over her breast, tugging at her nipple, making her widen her legs to capture every slide of Rekk’s still-working fingers.

She gasped as Rekk lifted her in one easy motion, setting her over his face while Orin moved down to attend to Rekk’s cock. Rekk’s tongue flicked and circled her already pulsing clit, and she rolled her hips, shoving herself down on him. Her second climax was even better than the first.

“I want… you both,” Rekk managed to say. “With me right now.”

“Not a problem.” Orin said. “Sit up, Rekk, with your back against the tree.”

She was lifted again, turned and slowly lowered over Rekk’s big cock. She rocked back and forth, taking him inch-by-inch, aware of both men watching her progress, eager to proceed but enjoying the show anyway.

“Nice,” Orin murmured. He sucked her nipple into his mouth and then kissed his way down to her cunt and licked her clit making her come and Rekk hiss a curse.

“I want my cock in your ass so bad, Rekk, but I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I don’t care.” Rekk lifted his head to gaze at Orin. “I want you there.”

“But—”

“Please. Let me make my own choices. Don’t make them for me.”

Mya grabbed Orin’s arm. “Oil in my backpack, for the cooking pot.”

Orin made a face. “Better than nothing? Be right back.”

Mya returned her full attention to Rekk who was smiling up at her.

“Would you rather be on top?” she asked. “I forgot how much you hate being held down.”

“Not by you.” His gaze narrowed as he rolled his hips. “With you, everything feels good and right.”

“But if you want Orin…”

“I’m going to have to move.” His hands rested on her hips, holding her down hard on his thick length. “But let me enjoy the view for a moment longer.”

She dropped her shoulder so that her breast swung close to his face. With a stifled sound, he took her offering, drawing her into his mouth, sending a sharp pang of need straight to her sex that almost made her cry out.