Bonds of Cupidity (Heart Hassle Book 2)

Seven days.

Seven days of sex.

Seven days of so many orgasms that I lost count. Seven days of petting, sleeping in a pile of bodies, and genfin purrs. I’ve really become a fan of the purring.

They didn’t talk much in all that time, because they were mostly stuck on their genfin animal sides, but when they did, it was to growl dirty things into my ear or whisper adoring praises. I’m spoiled like that.

I can tell as soon as I wake up that I feel differently. My heat has passed. I no longer feel charged up or stuck in a haze of sexual hunger that took me over during the entire week. It seems the power of the drink has finally worn off, and our mating bond is complete. I officially have four super hot mates.

Yeah, I’m a little smug.

I’m the last one to wake up, and I find myself alone in the massive bed. It’s the first time we’ve been out of the burrow all week except to relieve ourselves, bathe together, or grab food and drink before returning.

The bed is nice, but I kind of miss being in our heat burrow. It was like our own little world in there where all that existed was sex. It was awesome. And the guys were awesome, too.

If I were a teacher, I’d grade them all with an ‘Exceeds Expectations’. Just thinking back to their touches and all the things they did to me, all the sounds they made me make…it’s enough to make me heat up.

I stretch my body, feeling all sorts of aches and pains from our frenzied sex-fest. I have bite marks and bruises marring my skin, and every time I find one, I blush at the memory of how they got there.

When I get up and grab clothes, I make my way into the washroom. I bathe, washing away the musky scent of the genfins’ desire. After I’m clean and dressed, I feel like a new person. A different person. Just like I can feel Okot, I can also feel each of my genfins now. It’s like there are four threads inside my chest, allowing me to feel the mating bonds pulse. It’s both foreign and familiar. Feeling refreshed, I leave the washroom in search of the guys.

Now that I’m out of the mating haze, worry for Okot’s continued absence is at the forefront of my mind. I need answers about where the heck he is.

“I need to find my first mate!” I call out as I round the corner and enter the sitting room.

“Don’t call him your first mate,” I hear Evert call back from outside the open window.

The front door opens, and he and Sylred make their way down the steps and into the room.

“Why not? He became my mate first. That makes him my first mate.”

“First mate makes him sound like he’s your favorite. Or a sailor. He’s neither,” Evert says, coming up to me.

“Maybe he is my favorite,” I tease.

Evert looks ridiculously sexy today. His wavy black hair is tousled perfectly and he has dark stubble shading his jaw that I just want to run my palms over.

He looks at me sardonically. “Really? The fucking lamassu is your favorite?”

I tilt my chin up. “Maybe…”

Evert glances over at Sylred. “Remind me—my animal side is kind of hazy with memories, but what was it that she screamed out last night?”

Sylred tries to stifle his smile but the corners of his eyes crinkle anyway. “I think it was something like, ‘Holy mothballs you guys are the best at orgasms. I dub you the Orgasm Kings. You’re my very favorite fae in all the realms everywhere, forever and ever. And ever,’” he adds helpfully, rolling back on the balls of his feet.

Yeah, okay. I said it.

“Fine,” I concede. “If you want honesty, then no one is my favorite because all of you are my favorite. But stop distracting me. Okot’s been gone too long. I’m worried.”

“Ronak left first thing this morning to go make some careful inquiries,” Sylred says.

I perk up at that. “He did? How?”

“Genfins aren’t exactly big fans of the high fae prince, either. There are some of us that are involved in the resistance,” Sylred says.

“Really?”

“Yeah, except when we were last here, the ‘resistance’ was nothing more than a few grumbles and disorganized meetings, where all they did was get together to drink and complain,” Evert admits as he sits down on the sofa. “It’s gotten a lot more structured since our banishment.”

I blink at him. “I think that’s the longest speech I’ve ever heard from you without you cussing.”

He reaches over and yanks me down to sit on his lap. I settle my head against his shoulder. “I can talk fancy and shit when I want to,” he says, making me laugh.

“Well, your animal side definitely can’t. All he did this week was talk dirty and growl.”

“Yeah, but be honest. You like that better.”

I laugh again and smack him lightly on the arm. Sylred wanders in from the kitchen and starts setting out some food, making me instantly jump out of Evert’s lap and start picking up what I want to eat.

“Wow,” Evert drawls, sitting up from my sudden departure. “It’s obvious in a competition between us and food that we don’t stand a bloody chance.”

I already have a couple slices of peaches stuffed into my mouth, so when I try to grimace out a look of apology, it doesn’t really come through because of the chipmunk cheeks and all. “Sorry,” I mumble out. “I’m starving.”

“Ignore him,” Sylred says. “Eat. You expended a lot of energy this week,” he winks. I swallow the bite in my mouth and pick up some cheese and bread to make into a sandwich.

“Speaking of that, when Ronak comes back, can we do it again? I’d like another orgasm. Also, I think I’m ready to graduate to my next sexual experience.”

Evert cocks his head, a smile spreading across his face. “Oh, yeah? And what’s the next ‘experience’ you’d like?”

“Well,” I begin seriously. “Double penetration, of course. And I mean my lady hollow and my pucker star.”

Sylred starts choking on the food in his mouth while Evert’s blue eyes widen. I go on. “I’ve been doing this sex thing for a week now, so I’m pretty sure I’m ready for back door admittance. We’ll just have to get some oil, right?” I ask, looking at them expectantly.

“Ummm…”

“And do we always have to do it together as a covey? Or are we allowed to do it one-on-one, too? I just want to make sure I understand the covey sex rules.”

Sylred’s still coughing, but Evert’s eyes look like he’s about to devour me. “You’re something else.”

I tilt my head. “Does ‘something else’ mean awesome?”

He shakes his head. “No. It means fucking perfect.”

I beam.

“You just can’t get enough of us, eh Scratch?”

“Well, this is why I mated you, isn’t it?” I shoot back.

He leans forward, plucking the sandwich from my hand and eating half of it in one bite. I scowl at him. “Maybe,” he says around the bite. “Or maybe it’s because you just really fucking like us.”

My heart starts racing. You’d think after all that we did together during our heat that it wouldn’t be possible to feel shy again, but I do. His words are teasing, but he’s right. I like them way more than I thought I ever could.

It isn’t just about sex or loneliness, either. Through all the craziness, I definitely caught a case of the feels. But I don’t want to freak them out by admitting just how much.

Before I can think of what to say, the door bursts open, hitting the wall.

“Emelle!”

I startle at Ronak’s bellow, knocking over a plate of food and making it crash to the floor.

“What the fuck?” Evert snaps, jumping to his feet.

When Ronak rounds the corner and comes into the room, we all just stare. And stare. And…

“What…what the actual fuck?” Evert says disbelievingly.

That’s my sentiment exactly, because Ronak is suddenly sporting a pair of wings.

Wings.

And they aren’t genfin wings, either. No, these wings are bright red and feathered.

He’s sprouted cupid wings.

I grimace. “Whoops.”