Page 27

Smiling, I brushed a hand down Bastian’s cheek. “What do you think you’ll love most about being a king?” I wondered.

His smirk widened. “Besides you being my queen?”

That made me laugh. “Besides that. What else?”

Bastian held me tighter and kissed me again, his expression serious. “Honestly, I never allowed myself to think about anything like that; I can’t. I’m cursed, Lia. I’m not supposed to know what love is, yet I feel it.” He brushed a hand down my cheek. “I don’t know why my brother and I were given a chance to love you, but when I felt it building inside me, I held onto it with all my might. At first, I didn’t know what it was. But then, I just knew I needed to be with you, around you, and as close to you as possible.”

“When did you first realize you were in love with me?” I asked.

Bastian tightened his hold around me, his answer instant. “It was ten years ago at the Winter Solstice Ball. I watched how you were passed around the dance floor with all those men wanting to catch your eye. You went through the motions, but I knew you were unhappy. I could tell you were about to explode.”

My eyes widened. “You ended up cutting in on one of the dances. I remember that night. The guy I was dancing with was getting a little too adventurous with his hands. I was about to break every single one of his fingers.”

Bastian laughed. “And I knew you would.”

As I recalled that night in my mind, I couldn’t help but smile. It was the same night I started having feelings for him and Bayleon, but I did my best to ignore them. I knew nothing could ever happen between us, not with them being part of the Tyvar. The only way I knew how to get them out of my mind was to be with someone else. That was when Cas became one of my lovers. He helped for a while, but there was no pretending when Bayleon and Bastian became my protectors. I couldn’t fathom the thought of being intimate with other men when my heart clearly belonged to them.

“I’m sorry you had to see me with other men. I never wanted to hurt you or Bayleon,” I murmured.

Bastian shook his head. “No need to apologize. However, there were several times I wanted to rip Cas’s arms off. I thought for sure he was going to be the one you chose.”

Footsteps sounded down the hall and Bastian let me go. We turned to face the door and when it opened, Bayleon and Aidan strolled in, dressed in clean clothes.

Bayleon’s gaze instantly found us, and Bastian rested a hand on my back. “I’ll let you and my brother have some time.”

Bastian strolled away toward Aidan and Bayleon stepped closer, his eyes skimming the bookshelf behind me. His long, white-blond hair was as soft as a feather, and I wanted to trace my fingers through it.

“How many of these have you gone through?” he asked, his lips curving up ever so slightly. It was remarkable how two siblings could look alike but be entirely different. His seriousness drew me in, as did his brother’s playfulness. They were yin and yang but combined they were perfect.

“Actually, I haven’t looked through them,” I confessed, turning to the bookshelf. “Bastian and I talked the whole time.”

Bayleon stepped closer, his presence radiating heat against my back, and I turned to him. His eyes met mine, and I felt my heart flutter in response. Across the room, Bastian leaned against the wall watching us, a hint of longing in his gaze. Aidan was speaking to him but his focus was on me.

“What did you two talk about?” Bayleon asked.

A grin spread across my face. “For starters, we talked about the Winter Solstice Ball ten years ago. It was the night I realized I had feelings for you both.” Bayleon’s lips tilted up more and I loved that I could get him to smile.

“I wish I would’ve told you how I felt sooner.”

I nodded in agreement. “Me too. I never would’ve wasted my time with Cas or anyone else. I feel horrible for putting you and Bastian through that.”

Bayleon shook his head and clutched my cheeks. “Let’s leave the past in the past, Lia. All that matters is what happens between us now.” He leaned in, pressing his lips to mine in a gentle kiss. My eyes fluttered shut as I savored the feel of his touch. When I opened my eyes, we rested our foreheads together for a few blissful seconds before reluctantly stepping back.

“How are you feeling, by the way?” I asked him, my voice barely a whisper. “Do you have any pain?”

I knew that one night of lovemaking wasn’t going to heal the years of deprivation Bayleon and Bastian had gone through. He sighed and averted his gaze from mine.

“It’s still there, but not like it was before.” His voice was heavy with emotion. “I fear that knowing you’re mine will only increase my desires for you. And if we don’t break this curse, I’m afraid my needs will become too much for you to handle, especially with Bastian in the equation.”

He raised his gaze back to meet mine and even through the obscurity of the mask, the intensity of his deep blue eyes left me breathless. If he only knew how much I needed him and Bastian.

“Being desired isn’t a bad thing, Bayleon.”

He scoffed. “It is when it becomes too much. All I can think about is being with you—of feeling you wrapped around me.” He sighed heavily, shaking his head in frustration. “I don’t want my brother and me to hurt you.”

I placed my hands on his cheeks and smiled reassuringly up at him. “You won’t,” I said softly. “I can handle this. And as far as the curse goes—Iamgoing to break it. Until then,” I continued, my voice gentle, “I’ll do whatever I can to heal you both.”

The sound of Aelfric and Rhoswen’s voices reverberated through the hallway, and I felt my pulse quicken. My breathing grew shallow as Bastian stepped up beside Bayleon and me, our eyes trained on the door. Each second felt like an eternity as I tried to prepare myself for what was coming. I didn’t know what we were about to find out, but I had to believe it would be the answers we were seeking.