Page 1 of Sent To A Fantasy World and Now All the Men Want Me: Volume 4

A Muffin in Winter

I loved balls in my face. Just not when they came from Frosty the freaking Snowman.

“That’s it!” I ducked behind the nearest tree to dodge another snowball. “Your muffin privileges are revoked!”

A deep laugh answered me. Snow crunched under Maddox’s boots as he stalked closer. “Come out, come out, wherever you are.”

“No.”

“You’re giving away your position, muffin lord.”

“I was gone for three whole weeks, and this is how you treat me?” I inched around the tree trunk to evade him. “Rude.”

“That’s a lot of time to make up for,” Maddox responded in that low, teasing tone I secretly loved. “And remember, you started it.”

After breakfast, I’d seen the wintery day and got excited. Snow was rare for me, having grown up in the south where we usually only saw a few flurries. I’d then made the mistake of grabbing just a tiny bit and flicking it at Maddox. And thus, the battle began.

“Captain Ice needs to go away and bring back Captain Smolder.” I peeked around the tree to get a location on my sexy stalker. “I like him better. He treated me amazing last night.”

As soon as I’d returned from my trip to Exalos, Maddox and Briar had pulled me into their arms and showered me with love and kisses. Then, they’d dragged my twink ass into the cottage, up the stairs, and to our bed where they’d taken turns ravaging me in the best of ways for the rest of the night. The bite marks and hickeys on my neck were proof of that ravaging, and I wore them with pride.

How quickly everything changed. Doted on and fucked one day and being a target for snowballs by the following morning.

“Then you should learn to behave,” Maddox said, his voice a lot closer than before.

Too close.

I pushed from the tree and dashed toward another. The wooded area behind the cottage was perfect for hiding. Too bad I didn’t have a stealthy bone in my body. Maddox no doubt knew my location and was merely toying with me by dragging out the hunt. And I liked it. Damn him.

The crunch of snow stopped, and everything got quiet.

I pressed my lips together to keep from making a sound. My heart thrashed, exhilarated by the thrill of being stalked by one of the hottest men to ever grace this earth—in both this world and the one I’d come from before being whisked away like the main protagonist in an isekai anime.

Movement came from the branch above me, and I shrieked.

“Gods, you’re so noisy. Get up here.” Rowan snatched my arm and lifted me up into the tree.

“Unhand him, thief,” Maddox snarled as he rounded the trunk. “That muffin is mine.”

“Well, now he’s mine. If you want him back, come fetch him.” Rowan shifted me onto his back and climbed higher to escape the knight captain and his arsenal of snowballs.

Maddox scooped up some snow and packed it between his hands before sending it hurling toward us, barely missing the front of Rowan’s head. Looked like his target had shifted from me to the newest member of our family.

Family.

The word settled over my chest like a warm, fuzzy blanket.

Things were still tense with Rowan. Lake had come to trust him more during the weeks we’d been gone, but Maddox and Briar didn’t know him at all. But hopefully, that would change.

Briar sat on the back porch, smiling as he sipped from a steaming cup of tea. His third cup since breakfast, though it was a lighter brew now instead of the black tea he preferred with his morning toast and jam. Lake sat on the step below his, and my heart swelled when noticing how close they sat, with him resting against Briar’s leg. When Briar lifted a hand to Lake’s head and patted once, Lake’s poofy tail swished.

During our stay in Exalos, Lake said he’d missed Briar’s head pats. And now, he radiated happiness at finally having those pats again.

“You’re such a sap.” Rowan snorted. “Cryin’ like a wee babe.”

“I’m not crying.” I wiped the totally-not-real-at-all tear from my eye. “We’re super high up in a tree right now. You should be watching where you’re going instead of teasing me.”

“I can do both.” He held me tighter as he climbed down and leapt from the lowest hanging branch, landing in the powdery snow. “Not all of us are as clumsy as you are. You can’t walk and breathe at the same time.”

“I can walk and breathe just fine.” I flung out a hand and stepped backward. The back of my shoe caught on a rock under the snow and sent me wobbling like a deer trying to take its first steps.

A warm body pressed to my back, one that was hard with muscle but also somehow soft.

“Seems your time away hasn’t changed those clumsy little legs of yours,” Maddox murmured in my ear. His breath on my neck heated my skin, chasing away the crisp, cold air. “I missed you so much, sweetheart.”

“I see what you did there. Insult my short legs and then hit me with the force of Captain Smolder before I can react.”

I felt him smile. “A soldier must know his opponent’s weaknesses and use them in his favor.”

“That’s called playing dirty.”

“I call it…” Maddox turned me to face him and glided his knuckles along my jaw, “How to woo a muffin lord.”

Rowan scoffed from his spot a few feet away. “Hate to break it to you, oh mighty captain, but that little treasure’s already been wooed. So go play with your sword and leave us be.”

“Slink back into the shadows, thief,” Maddox retorted. “Your presence here isn’t needed.”

I sighed. “Both of you be nice.”

“Guess the truce muffins this morning didn’t work, eh?” Rowan flashed a smile, showing off my favorite tooth. It hung a tad lower than the others and was pointed, reminding me of a vampire fang.

“They were amenity muffins,” I corrected, sticking my nose up in the air. “And they didn’t work because you didn’t eat one.”

Another mischievous grin. “Put peppers in the next batch and I’ll consider it.”

“I think not.” Maddox’s eyes narrowed. “Ruin my muffins and not even Evan’s love for you will be enough to spare your life.”

I laughed so hard I snorted.

Nothing compared to being reunited with my men again. Our cottage was my happy place. More so, because I shared it with them. It was our home. And now that we had Rowan, that home felt even more complete.

A snowflake landed in Rowan’s dark auburn hair. One then tickled my nose, and I sniffled.

“We should head inside.” Briar stood from the porch step. “Or else we’ll all catch a cold.”

“Nothing you can’t fix, Doc,” I said before sniffling again. Dumb runny nose.

Briar looked at Maddox. A mere second later, I was swept off my feet and in my captain’s arms. As he strode toward the porch, I rested my cheek against his shirt, breathing in his scent of leather and warm spice. I’d missed it. Missed him.

Rowan walked beside us and tossed me one of his rare, soft smiles. It radiated the love he’d confessed to me in the carriage ride from Exalos.

“Thanks for rescuing me from the snowball attack,” I told him. “My opponent was too strong. Retreat was my only chance of survival.”

Maddox huffed.

“You’re the only one I’d do that for, little treasure,” Rowan responded, still with that soft smile. “Everyone else can fend for themselves.”

Being his one exception stirred the butterflies in my belly. He reminded me of the bad boys from romance novels who showed disdain toward everyone, yet were devoted and sweet to the one person who captured their heart.

Rowan was definitely a book boyfriend I would’ve become obsessed with. But luckily for me, it wasn’t a book. He was real and all mine.

Lake opened the door for us, and we entered the cottage. The warmth from inside instantly replaced the chill from the wintery afternoon. Delicious smells lingered in the air from breakfast, adding to the cozy warmth. Pumpkin spice muffins, coffee, and traces of bacon, maple sausage, and buttery biscuits.

The happiness bouncing around in my chest came to an abrupt halt as I remembered the secret I carried. One I learned during my last night in Exalos.

My father had been Prince Elias of Bremloc. The king’s younger brother.

Had I told my men that teeny tiny fact? No. Not yet. But I would tell them. Eventually. As soon as I found a good time. It wasn’t exactly something to bring up over breakfast, like, ‘Hey, guys. Turns out, my dad was the prince who pissed off Haran, broke the treaty, and sent the two kingdoms back into war. Can you pass the sugar?’

A prince who’d been hunted down and killed, along with my mom. A fate that possibly awaited me should the wrong person learn who I was.

The feel of lips on my brow pulled me from those dark thoughts. “I sense you fretting.”

Maddox loved teasing me and, more recently, pummeling me with snowballs, but he read me so well without me needing to say a word.

“Muffin lords don’t fret,” I said. “We just think deeply about things.”

“Mhm.” Another brush of his lips. “And what has you so deep in thought right now?”

“Betcha I know the answer.” Rowan hopped up on the counter and brought one knee up to rest his arm. He had a habit of perching on things instead of sitting in chairs. “He’s counting down the seconds until he’s back in my arms.”

“Dreading that moment sounds more plausible.” Maddox placed me on a barstool. “You’re like a gnat that won’t stop buzzing around our heads. No amount of swatting deters you from being a pest.”

Rowan smirked. “What I heard in those words? You think I’m resilient. Quite the compliment.”

Maddox scowled.

“Here.” Briar placed a leftover pumpkin muffin in front of Maddox and kissed the edge of his brow. “Today’s not a day for fighting. We finally have our male returned to us.”

Our grump of a captain softened with the kiss. “And he brought a stray with him.”

“A former stray.” Rowan’s topaz eyes shifted to me. “I finally found a home.”

My heart knocked against my ribs. Rowan had a sharp tongue and enjoyed riling people up, but beneath his many defensive layers existed someone who just wanted to be loved. To belong somewhere.

He’d found that place with us.

“This will help warm you.” Lake set a cup of coffee in front of me.

“Thanks.” I reached up to scratch behind his fluffy wolf ears, and he closed his eyes, welcoming the touch. A sign of his trust in me. “So. Anything exciting happen while we were gone?”

Briar and Maddox exchanged a look.

“Uh oh. I’ll take that as a yes.” Worry gnawed at my chest. “Good exciting or bad exciting? What about the infiltrators from Haran? Did you catch them?”

Before the trip to Exalos, Rowan had used his shadow magic to eavesdrop on conversations whispered in the dark corners of the kingdom, learning about Haran’s plan. He’d then shared the information with Maddox.

“Nothing to worry over, love,” Briar said, eyes tight. Which did the opposite of what he suggested. “All is well.”

“He’s not a child,” Rowan snapped. “Stop babying him and give him a real answer.”

“I’m not babying him, simply wishing to avoid causing him undue stress.”

Maddox turned to Rowan. “The intel you provided proved to be valuable. Several of the infiltrators were identified and… dealt with accordingly.”

Ah. That’s why Briar had tried sparing me the details. Death, even that of an enemy, made my heart sad.

“So they were caught?” I asked.

“Yes.” Maddox sat on the barstool beside me. “Upon interrogation, they gave us the names of other conspirators that we’ve since looked into.”

“What about the mages?” I asked. “The ones who attacked the Third Order knights.”

One of the infiltrators had lured a patrol party into the dark wood under the guise of fending off an approaching demon horde. When really, mages from Haran were lying in wait and ripped the knights apart with spells intended to resemble a demon attack. All to keep Bremloc’s focus on fighting Lord Onyx and his demons. A smokescreen that would allow Haran to slither in and destroy our defenses from the inside.

Because of Rowan, that plan had failed.

“Spies from the Secret Order located their hideout and ambushed them,” Briar answered. “Many of the mages were killed, but two were seized and questioned.”

“About time those spies made themselves useful.” Rowan slid off the counter and went over to pour himself a mug of coffee. Then, he withdrew a flask and ruined it with rum. Such a criminal. “Can’t expect me to keep doing their job for them.”

The Secret Order excelled in stealth missions, scouting, and recon, as well as handled all the behind-the-scenes matters of security that kept the kingdom running smoothly.

“What did the mages say when questioned?” I asked.

Briar adjusted his glasses. A nervous tic of his. “It appears Prince Sawyer remains their target. When the bandit scheme failed, the infiltration was their backup plan.”

“Why go after Sawyer?” I asked, hating the thought of him being targeted.

“Perhaps they believe by capturing him King Eidolon will be forced to agree to Haran’s demands.”

“Which are what?” Rowan asked. “Surrender the throne?”

“Or something of the sort.” Maddox picked at the muffin Briar had given him. “King Silas, much like his father before him, is blinded by greed and the pursuit of power. Tension began long ago over demi-humans and it’s since escalated, becoming a fight for territory and resources.”

Lake’s fluffy ears drooped. “What of the traitors? The knights who switched allegiances. Have they been identified?”

“Yes,” Maddox answered. “Newer recruits in the Third Order. Young and impressionable.”

Relief washed over me. “None in the Secord or First Order?”

“Not to my knowledge.”

“Because you’re too close to this,” Rowan told him. “You can’t fathom one of your men betraying not only the kingdom but you as well. That sense of loyalty blinds you.”

“Perhaps you’re right.” Maddox slowly scrubbed a hand over his face. It drew my attention to the dark circles beneath his ocean blue eyes. He hid his stress well, but it was weighing heavily on him, more noticeable now. “I trust my knights with my life. The thought of them betraying that trust is… painful.”

That pain echoed in his voice, stirring an ache of my own. I hated seeing him like this.

Rowan blinked. “Did I hear that right? You agreed with me? Say it again so I can be sure I haven’t lost my marbles.”

Maddox lowered his hand. “Keep talking and you’ll lose your head along with your marbles.”

Briar pushed the muffin closer to our captain. He was the gentle energy that kept the peace—and kept the others from killing each other. Maddox pinched off a piece and glared as he chewed.

“Oh, stop with that glare.” Rowan smirked. “You’ll make me start to like you.”

“Come on, big guy.” I nudged Maddox’s leg with my foot. “Be nice.”

Maddox expelled a tired breath and took my hand in his, gently squeezing once. “Fortunately for him, I haven’t the energy to throw him out into the snow.”

Rowan scoffed.

“You’ve done enough damage with snowballs today.” I linked our fingers, feeling the brush of his ring. A flat silver band with an emerald green stone in the center. He hadn’t taken it off since the day I’d gifted it to him. However, something seemed different about it. “Is the stone glowing? Or have I had too much coffee and reached a different plane of existence, seeing the usually invisible electromagnetic waves in colors?”

Lake cocked his head. “The… what?”

“Um. Nothing.” I cleared my throat. I’d barely passed science class in high school and had no business trying to explain the mechanics of it to them. I tapped the stone. “There are little glowing swirls inside it.”

Maddox lifted our joined hands and kissed the back of my knuckles. “A lot like the one around your neck, yes?”

Realization slammed into me, and I snapped my head toward Briar. “You crafted him a protection stone?”

He had stressed over it for months, wanting to make it as perfect as possible. Much like how he’d stressed when trying to make mine.

“I did.” With a bashful smile, Briar adjusted his glasses. “It turns out, the stone in the ring is an emerald. I didn’t notice in the beginning, however, after you left for Exalos, the captain and I were in quite the pathetic state missing you. That’s when the emerald reacted, and I sensed the magic. The gem I’d been searching for had been right under my nose all along.”

“Emeralds are powerful?” I asked.

Briar nodded. “They’re heart chakra stones believed to be tokens of eternal love and purity. When one is given from the heart, much like you did for Maddox, the spiritual energy of the gem can sense the giver’s intent and reacts, amplifying the magical properties of that love and bestowing a blessing on the wearer. Even without my magic, the emerald was shielding our captain. Because of you.”

A burning prickled behind my eyes. “My love made it stronger?”

“Yes. When he marches out for missions, the ring will make sure he comes home to us.”

“Oh no,” Rowan said with a sigh. “He’s crying again. Good job, Specs.”

“I’m not crying.” My vision blurred as more tears sprang to my eyes.

Briar came over and slipped his arms around me. “Are they happy tears?”

I nodded and rested my head against his shoulder.

“Such a sappy muffin.” Maddox closed in on my other side and dropped a kiss to my neck. “But I wouldn’t want you any other way.”

Rowan sat at the table and drew both legs up into his chair, looking out the window. Lake sat across from him. Both drank from their mugs in silence, watching the snow fall. They were bonding in their own special way. Two introverts with sky-high walls that hid the beautiful souls within.

The atmosphere in the kitchen was so light.

Now’s a good time to tell them about my parents.

The café was closed, and Briar and Maddox had been given the day to spend with me, so they didn’t have to rush off to the castle. But the words wouldn’t form. They caught in my throat and sank to my gut where they twisted and knotted together.

Waiting was only delaying the inevitable. Lupin had urged me to tell them the truth as soon as possible, but I feared their reaction. Once they knew my dad had been a prince, nothing would be the same.

What if they didn’t look at me the same afterward?

Maddox tugged me closer and pressed his mouth to my ear. “Deep in thought again?”

I reveled in his touch. Took comfort from it. And as Briar’s lips found my temple, I accepted the comfort from him too, wishing this one day would last forever. A day where I was just silly, rambling Evan and not a long-lost member of the royal family.

“I’m okay,” I said, chest tight with the secret I carried. “Just happy to be home.”

***

Briar kissed up my neck as I rode him that night. Delicious tingles spread along my body, amplified by another set of lips pressing to my nape. A second cock then eased into me, filling me so completely I could burst.

Warmth emitted from Briar’s palms as he used magic to erase the sting. Their hands explored my body. Their lips grazed every inch of my skin.

My physician and my knight. They’d barely been able to keep their hands off me in the week I’d been home. Not that I minded.

“Oh fuck.” Pleasure built higher as they fucked me hard, alternating their thrusts to create an intoxicating push-and-go against my sweet spot. I dug my fingers in Briar’s hair and tipped my head back, meeting Maddox for a hot and messy kiss.

I was close already. What pushed me over the edge? Maddox took hold of my cock, stroking me from root to tip.

My orgasm crashed into me, and I shouted a string of unintelligible words, body convulsing. Maddox reclaimed my lips, drinking down my moans. His calloused fingers skated down my sides and over my belly.

“Gods.” Briar faltered as his release rocked into him. His cock pulsed inside of me, a sensation I’d never tire of. I loved making him come. Loved being the one to send him soaring.

Maddox gripped my waist and snapped his hips forward. “Our male feels good, doesn’t he, physician?”

“Yes.” Briar’s mouth opened in a silent cry as the last of his orgasm surged through him.

“Your turn, Captain,” I said, reaching back to grab Maddox’s head. He kissed my cheek. The action was so damn soft it took me off guard. A tender moment that conveyed his true feelings; that this was more than sex to him. That I was someone he loved with his whole heart.

Maddox dropped his face to my shoulder and released a low groan, cock throbbing. I rolled my hips backward, milking him until his body calmed. He slowly withdrew from me, pecking kisses along my nape as he did.

Without him anchoring me in place, I collapsed on Briar’s chest. A thin sheen of sweat coated my skin, and my breaths came rough.

The three of us cuddled afterward, with Briar in the middle. He rested a hand on my thigh and nuzzled Maddox. Our captain kissed the edge of his eye.

I loved seeing them like that; affectionate and expressing the deep bond they felt for each other. It hadn’t started out that way. They’d been rivals in the beginning, but as the months had passed, love had blossomed between them.

“I’ve been curious for a while,” I said. “Have you two ever had sex?”

“No,” Maddox answered.

“Even when I was in Exalos?”

“Even then.” He reached across Briar’s stomach and threaded our fingers together. “We kissed, of course, and lightly touched, but anything beyond that didn’t feel right without you here.”

“But you two love each other.”

Briar nodded. “We do.”

“And I love that you love each other. Meaning, I wouldn’t be upset if you two had sex.”

“Perhaps we will someday,” Briar said before kissing my temple.

“If you ever do, can I watch?” I asked with a little wiggle of my hips.

Maddox chuckled. It sounded gruffer than usual, ringing of his exhaustion. “As if we could say no to that face.”

“Oh, it’s not too hard. You’ve done it plenty.” I then made my voice go deeper. “Stay here, Evan. No, you can’t do that. Too dangerous. Oh, that thing you want to know? Too bad. That’s knightly business, and muffins aren’t knights.”

Briar laughed so hard his body shook. “A fine impersonation of our captain, love.”

Both of them then turned their focus on me. Briar captured my lips while Maddox kissed each of my fingertips. They treated me like I was something precious. Something to be treasured. Warm spice and hints of magnolia blossoms surrounded me.

Another scent then surged forward.

Black cardamom.

“Are you two done with him yet?” Rowan asked. He stood at the foot of the bed, arms crossed. “The pup and I’d like some time with him now.”

Having four men was definitely a challenge. And more were on the way, according to Lupin, the butthole wizard extraordinaire. He’d said my fate had shifted with recent events. Instead of five destined lovers, I now had seven.

Muffin Lord and the Seven Alphas, I had joked. Because it’d either been laugh or cry at that point.

“Doors exist for a reason, thief.” Maddox’s voice dipped into a low growl. The two of them wouldn’t be best friends anytime soon.

“For you, perhaps,” Rowan said. “Shadows are my portals to go wherever I please.”

“Then use them to go back to the foul pit you crawled out of.”

Briar lightly coughed. “Now, Captain. Mind your words.”

“Says the one trying not to laugh at my words.”

Rowan sneered at them. Such a fiery redhead. And I loved it. When his eyes moved to me, they softened. “Look at you, little treasure. A complete mess.”

“I’m guessing you want to make me an even bigger mess?” I asked.

My favorite tooth appeared. He neared my side of the bed and grabbed my hand. “Come with me and find out.”

After I kissed Briar and Maddox, I tugged on my boxers and went with Rowan to the other bedroom. His room now, just like it’d been Lake’s when he first moved into the cottage. That had gradually changed as Lake got more comfortable and started sleeping in bed with me, Maddox, and Briar. I had a feeling Rowan wouldn’t be like that though. Even if he did start to like the others, he was an introvert and preferred his own space.

Lake sat on the bed with a ball of yarn beside him and holding knitting needles. He glanced up as we entered the room, and his fluffy tail wagged once. He looked so damn happy to see me.

“Why are you smiling?” Rowan asked.

“Oh, no reason.” I hopped onto the bed and snuggled up to Lake. He smelled like peaches and springtime. “It’s just cute to see the two of you bonding.”

Lake being in there with him instead of downstairs was proof of that.

Rowan huffed. “No, we aren’t.” He kicked off his shoes and unfastened his tunic, tugging it over his head. Lean muscles moved beneath his bronzed skin, the sight making my mouth water. “Lake didn’t want to see the captain’s naked arse, is all. Said it’d give him nightmares.”

“I didn’t say that,” Lake gently interjected.

“You didn’t have to. It’d give me nightmares, so I put the pieces together.” Rowan slid into bed and brushed his knuckles along my neck. “You too tired?”

“No.” I leaned into his touch and met him for a soft kiss, and then giggled as he shoved me farther down on the bed and straddled me. Out of my four men, he was the only one who preferred to bottom.

“Better not fall asleep on me, little treasure.” He grabbed the vial of oil from the bedside table.

“I won’t.” All the blood swarmed to my groin, and my breaths hitched in my throat.

After minimal prep, Rowan rode me hard, gripping the headboard as he banged me to within an inch of my life. Yet, despite the rough way he fucked me, the softness in his eyes was unmistakable.

I loved every second of it. The way the firelight kissed his tanned skin. Every glide of his body and scrape of his nails. How he groaned and took me deeper. Loved every prolonged gaze where his topaz eyes said so much without him having to say a word.

Even better? Lake was there too.

“My human.” He feathered kisses in my hair.

“You should join us, pup,” Rowan panted, rolling his hips. “His ass is yours for the taking.”

“I’m happy just as I am,” Lake murmured against my skin. He buried his face in the crook of my neck. “This is all I want.”

More and more, I wondered if Lake was asexual. He definitely set the sheets on fire when the mood struck him, but he seemed to prefer other forms of intimacy, like snuggles and kisses. Head pats too.

“Suit yourself.” Rowan’s nails scraped my chest as he threw his head back and moaned. “Gods.”

Jets of warm cum splashed on my belly. As he came down on me faster, ass muscles clenching around me, I joined him in that quaking mess of ecstasy and an intensity that went much deeper than sex. He collapsed on me afterward, turning his face into my neck.

“Save a horse, ride a muffin,” I panted.

“You’re a fool,” Rowan rasped. “But damn if I don’t love you with every bit of my black heart.”

His heart wasn’t black. He just wasn’t used to caring about people—or them caring about him. In his eyes, he saw himself as a villain. Hopefully, with time, he’d see himself the way I saw him. Someone snarky, adorable, and worth more than any amount of coin he could ever steal.

Rowan spooned me while I spooned Lake—my wolf liked being little spoon. Peace settled over my heart. With the addition of Rowan, everything felt more balanced. Perfect.

I hoped the cozy life we’d built together would last forever.