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He looked away, his fingers drumming against the table.

"Sierra—" he started, then stopped. Pain contorted his features as he closed his eyes. "Can we just... spend today enjoying each other? Please?" His voice broke slightly on the last word. "Let's just be together. The four of us."

The raw emotion in his plea sent a chill through me that had nothing to do with shadow realms. Whatever knowledge that book contained, it was crushing him.

I rose from Callum's lap, ignoring his soft sound of protest. Crossing to Archer, I took his hand in mine. His skin was unnaturally warm, it always was, but there was a tremor beneath the surface that betrayed his composure.

"Come with me," I said, tugging him gently to his feet.

He followed without resistance as I led him from the kitchen, through the hallway, and into the massive bathroom adjoining Rowen's bedroom. The space was ridiculous. All black marble and gold fixtures, with a shower large enough for at least four people. Which, I supposed, was precisely the point.

I closed the door behind us, then turned to face him.

"Talk to me," I said, reaching up to cup his face. "What's haunting you?"

Archer leaned into my touch, his eyes closing briefly. "The prophecy," he whispered. "It demands a sacrifice I'm not sure I can make."

I reached past him to turn on the shower, letting steam begin to fill the room. "Tell me."

He shook his head. "Not yet. Please."

"Then let me help you forget, just for a little while." I began unbuttoning his shirt, my fingers working the fabric apart to reveal the tanned skin beneath. "The way you all helped me forget last night."

His breath caught as I pushed the shirt from his shoulders. "Sierra..."

"Shh." I pressed my lips to his collarbone, tasting salt and that unique flavor that was purely Archer. "Let me take care of you for once."

Steam curled around us as I undressed him piece by piece, then allowed him to do the same for me. Under the spray of hot water, I traced the lines of his body. The hard planes of muscle, the few scattered scars that even his healing abilities hadn't erased completely.

"You're beautiful." I watched the water cascade down his chest, mesmerized.

A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "That's my line."

I reached for the soap, working it into a lather between my palms before spreading it across his shoulders and down his arms. "Not today. Today you let someone else carry the weight."

Something in him seemed to break at my words. He pulled me against him, burying his face in my neck as water pounded against his back. I held him, feeling the tremors that ran through his powerful frame.

"I can't lose you," he whispered against my skin. "Any of you."

"You won't," I promised, though I had no right to make such guarantees. "We're stronger together."

His hands slid down my back, cupping my ass and lifting me effortlessly. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he pressedme against the cool tile wall, the contrast of temperatures making me gasp.

"Show me," he said, his voice rough with need. "Show me we're unbreakable."

I tangled my fingers in his wet hair, pulling his mouth to mine. The kiss was desperate, all teeth and tongue and hunger. Water streamed down our joined bodies as he aligned himself with my entrance, pausing just long enough to meet my eyes.

"Please," I breathed.

He thrust upward, filling me completely in one smooth motion. I cried out, the sound echoing off the marble walls as he set a punishing pace. This wasn't like our previous encounters. This was raw, almost frantic, as if he was trying to lose himself in my body.

I matched his urgency, nails digging into his shoulders as I chased the building pressure. When the bathroom door opened, I wasn't surprised to see Callum and Rowen standing there, watching us with hungry eyes.

"Couldn't wait for us?" Callum asked, his voice husky as he began stripping off his clothes.

Archer didn't slow his pace, driving into me with single-minded focus. "Needed her," he grunted.

Rowen approached us, already naked, his obsidian eyes gleaming with desire. "And we need both of you."