Page 14 of Tainted Hearts (Dark Witchy Omegaverse #1)

"I don't belong to anyone," Sierra insisted, though the flush on her cheeks deepened. "I'm here for answers, not to be claimed like some possession."

"Stubborn," I murmured, finally allowing my fingers to brush against her cheek.

The contact sent a jolt of electricity through me, the bond between us flaring bright and demanding.

I heard her gasp, felt her inadvertent lean into my touch.

"Your heat says otherwise, flower. Your body knows what it needs, even if your pride won't let you admit it. "

"And what about what you need?" she challenged, recovering her composure enough to meet my gaze directly. "You're awfully confident about claiming me, but what do I get in return?"

The question surprised a laugh out of me – bright and genuine in a way I hadn't laughed in decades.

"What do you get? Power beyond your imagining.

Protection from those who would use you for your abilities.

Pleasure that would make the gods themselves envious.

" I leaned closer, my lips near her ear.

"And me, Sierra. All of me, bound to you as surely as you would be bound to me. "

I saw the shiver that ran through her, felt the corresponding surge in our nascent bond. Her scent grew richer, headier, as her body responded to my words despite her determination to remain detached.

"And them?" she asked quietly, nodding toward Rowen and Archer. "Are they just... extras in this arrangement? Do they get any say?"

I straightened, meeting first Rowen's gaze, then Archer's.

"They are as essential to this as you or I," I said honestly.

"Four points of balance. Four sources of power.

" My eyes lingered on Archer, on the graceful line of his throat, the way his daggers glinted in the sunlight.

"Four mates, bound by more than mere convenience or political necessity. "

Archer's lips parted slightly, his ice-blue eyes darkening as he understood my meaning. Through the bond that had begun to form between us during our brief time together in the Underworld, I felt his surprise – and his interest.

"You want to mark me," he stated, not a question but a realization.

"Yes." I saw no reason to deny it. "Just as Rowen has. Balance, Archer. You understand the concept better than most."

"And you think I'd allow that?" Archer's voice was carefully neutral, but I caught the slight hitch in his breathing, the way his pulse quickened at the hollow of his throat.

"I think you'd more than allow it," I replied, allowing a slow smile to spread across my face. "I think you'd beg for it, given the right incentive."

Sierra's eyes widened at the exchange, her gaze darting between Archer and me with dawning comprehension. "Wait, you two...?"

"Not yet," I said, my eyes never leaving Archer's face. "But soon." I finally turned back to her. "That surprises you? That I desire him as well as you?"

"I..." She hesitated, clearly recalibrating her understanding of the complex dynamics between us. "I hadn't thought about it."

"Perhaps you should," Rowen interjected smoothly, his hand coming to rest possessively on the small of Sierra's back.

"The bond between the four of us isn't merely about reproduction, Sierra.

It's about balance. Completion." His obsidian eyes gleamed with dark amusement. "And pleasure, in all its forms."

I watched the flush spread from Sierra's cheeks down her neck, disappearing beneath the collar of her tunic. Through our strengthening bond, I felt her confusion, her embarrassment – and beneath it, a flicker of arousal at the mental images Rowen's words had conjured.

"This is all so... complicated," she said finally. "I came here for answers, not to get caught up in some supernatural orgy."

I couldn't help the bark of laughter that escaped me. "Blunt as ever, I see," I said, allowing my eyes to roam over her appreciatively. "The orgy, as you so eloquently put it, is an inevitability once your heat reaches its peak. But you're right – we owe you answers first."

I extended my hand to her, palm up in a formal gesture of Fae courtesy.

"Come with me to the palace. There's a library with texts that may help you understand what's happening to you.

And," I added with a slight smile, "private chambers where we can continue this discussion away from the prying eyes of my court. "

Sierra looked at my hand, then at Rowen and Archer, as if seeking their input.

"Your choice," Rowen said with unexpected gentleness. "Always your choice, Sierra."

She squared her shoulders, lifted her chin, and placed her hand in mine. The contact sent another surge of heat through me, the bond between us practically purring with satisfaction.

"Answers first," she said firmly. "Then we'll... discuss the rest."

I curled my fingers around hers, savoring the softness of her skin, the way her pulse raced beneath my touch. "Agreed."

As we turned toward the path that led to the palace, the meadow around us burst into even more vibrant life – flowers blooming out of season, grass growing visibly underfoot, tree branches swaying in a nonexistent breeze.

The realm recognized what was happening, even if Sierra herself did not fully understand.

The four of us were coming together, and all of creation rejoiced.