Chapter 51
RYAN
I looked over at Catherine and Achira, who had just come home from their shopping trip. They had bought a large amount of things, which were being carried in.
She looked at me and Ilay and turned her gaze back to Achira.
"Well, you two? Have you finally made up?" Achira asked us provocatively.
Ilay shrugged his shoulders: "We've never really been at odds before, the fact that we have the same companion was pure coincidence and it's perfectly normal for there to be discussions." He tried to explain.
I rolled my eyes, "We're able to talk sense again, if that answers your question." I said to Achira and winked at her.
"Speaking of talking, we'd like to kidnap Catherine for a few minutes." Ilay glanced at Cate and nodded at her. She bit her lower lip nervously and ran a hand through her hair.
"I'll get to it later to help you." She said to Achira and walked in our direction.
We went into Ilay's office. Ilay sat down in his chair, Catherine and I made ourselves comfortable on the sofa, Cate leaving a huge space between us by sitting at the end of the sofa.
She was playing with her fingernails and I knew she only did that when she was nervous.
She had been completely estranged from me lately, she had changed a lot since Ilay had entered her life.
It was very difficult for me to accept this situation, but did I have any other choice? Not really, at the end of the day she was my companion and my heart beat only for her. I also knew that she had no other choice.
"We've talked and we've come to the decision that for your sake we'll accommodate you by accepting the relationship between the two of us." Ilay began his speech.
"We don't want you to have to choose between one of us, which isn't possible in your case anyway. We've talked about it and we agree that you have the right to have a relationship with both of us, Mother Moon Goddess says." I said, shrugging my shoulders and rolling my eyes inwardly.
"We also want to give you your own home so that you don't feel locked up and have the right to decide for yourself which of us you want to spend time with..." Ilay added.
Cate looked back and forth between the two of us in confusion "U- and what about the baby?" She asked quietly, biting her lower lip.
Have I mentioned that I love her lips?
Ilay smiled at her, "We always look forward to new family members."
Cate glanced over at me, "And you're really okay with this?" She still seemed completely unsure and didn't quite know what to say.
I nodded slightly, "Yes Cate, this won't be a problem for me in the future, I want you to be happy..." Heartbreak. Damn.
Saying it was easy, but actually feeling it? Letting go of a part of her? That was really hard...
"And I'm looking forward to the baby too." I said and had to smile at the thought.
She nodded slightly "I don't want to hurt either of you, but I just feel like I'm cursed... I'm just sorry to have put you in this predicament, you both can't help it and yet here you are..."
She wasn't entirely wrong. If she hadn't taken her own life, she could have simply refused Ilay. The fact that her life force is linked to both of us makes the situation completely different.
What's the saying? Shit happens.
"We'll work it out together." I said to Cate to encourage her. She had had enough and finally deserved to look forward to our baby in peace.
I reached for her hand and suddenly felt embarrassed. "I'm so sorry again... for everything. I wish I had been a little more patient with myself in this situation." I said sincerely and looked into her shining blue eyes. Every time I looked at her, I fell in love with her.
She just stared at me and said nothing "What if this doesn't work?" She said, swallowing hard.
"If it doesn't work, then we'll both disappear from your life without you having to reject either of us."
She laughed and shook her head "You have a lot of nerve..." She muttered, visibly frustrated.
"I don't want you out of my life..." she said desperately, glaring at both of us. "I-I..." she fell silent and suddenly said nothing.
"It won't work anyway," she said and suddenly stood up.
Ilay looked at her and rubbed his temples "Listen... maybe this really is too much for us... but maybe we'll try it this way for the first time and maybe it will work out?" he said to her.
I frowned and looked at them both in confusion, "What exactly are you talking about?"
Catherine shook her head vigorously. "Stop prying into my thoughts." she hissed at Ilay and gave him an angry look.
Ilay shrugged his shoulders "Sorry, force of habit." he finally said and smiled at Catherine.
She looked at me and sighed softly "I'm very attracted to you both, I'd like to have you both with me all the time... I can't explain this phenomenon, but that's the truth." She looked at me sympathetically and looked down sadly. "I'm sorry, Ryan..." she whispered softly.
I stood up and walked towards her. I took her hands and pulled her gently towards me. "You can't help it Cate..." I whispered and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Her rosy scent caught my nose and made all the butterflies I had in my stomach for Catherine flutter up.
Ilay leaned against the table "I'd say we try it for the first time, as we discussed. It doesn't have to mean that it won't work."
I nodded in agreement with him "After all, we can always talk about it and adjust everything again to suit your needs.
Cate looked at me with wide eyes "If you only knew what my needs were right now..." she said quietly and shook her head. Her cheeks turned bright red and she hardly dared to look up again.
Ilay, on the other hand, was grinning like a honey cake horse. I looked at Ilay and rolled my eyes 'Pull yourself together Ilay...'
He raised his hands apologetically 'She's got a super hot head movie going on right now, too bad you're not invited.'
I rolled my eyes and glared at Cate. "Stop worrying so much, I'd suggest you go and help Achira with the decorations, we'll take care of the rest and we'll make the first attempt as soon as everything is ready."
Head cinema... I really wondered what Cate was thinking about. Was she really as keen as Ilay claimed?
Ilay grinned at me 'Quite possibly,' he said into my thoughts.
'OUT' I ordered him out of my head and took a deep breath.
I concentrated on our baby's heartbeat and finally had to smile. It was beating like crazy, even though it was still quite early.
I hugged Cate from behind and put my hands on her stomach "It's going to be okay... I promise" I whispered in her ear.
CATHERINE
Moon goddess in the sky! Help!
His touch caused chaos inside me. I had goose bumps all over my body and at the same time I felt like my heart was about to stop. What was wrong with me? Was it really the lack of marking that was making me so upset?
I watched Ilay trying to stifle his giggles by biting his hand, but to no avail.
"We could put her out of her misery..." Ilay said to Ryan.
Ryan frowned.
"By that I mean that she should finally mark us. That would at least ease the situation and help her clear her mind. It must be hard to dream about the two of us." He winked at me provocatively and smiled at me.
Ryan shook his head "Only when she's ready, we won't do anything before that..." he urged Ilay. Ilay rolled her eyes: "Why did all this mess happen again? Right, because you were too hesitant each time. Ryan, she's going to have to do it, early or late." Ilay said, now leaning forward.
"Only when she's ready." Said Ryan through clenched teeth.
I gently squeezed his hand, "It's all good, it doesn't have to be here and now. I'm going to go to Achira now for the first time to help her. I'll see you at dinner, won't I?" I broke free from Ryan's embrace and looked between the two of them.
They nodded in unison. I gave Ryan and then Ilay each a kiss on the cheek and disappeared out the door.
They both looked after me as I hurried away, not wanting to collapse in a mental orgasm.
I quickly found a bathroom and moistened my face with cold water to regain a clear mind.
Those ten minutes in a room with Ryan and Ilay were just too much of a good thing. I idiot still dared to give them both a kiss on the cheek.
Stupid idea Cate...
'That really wasn't a good idea,' Daeva said, grinning at me in the mirror. 'At least you've accepted our companion, that's half the battle. Now you just have to accept me and we'll be back in business.
I sighed loudly 'Can't you just leave me alone for a moment? I know I'll have to accept you one day, but it won't be today or tomorrow.'
'Oh, are you serious about dumping me? You know nothing good will come of it, Catherine... Let's be honest. I was the one who drove you crazy. It wasn't Ilay's fault at all, it was just mine.' She scowled at me.
Anger rose in me, yes, she was to blame for everything. She had ruined my chance of a beautiful future with Ryan.
'Don't make me laugh... We both agree that the relationship with you and Ryan was hanging by a thread anyway, as much as he screwed up...' Daeva said, grinning wryly at me.
'Shut the fuck up!' I shouted at her and banged my fist against the mirror. I had no patience left for her.
My fist was bleeding and the shards were scattered all over the floor.
'You haven't learned yet, Cate... I'm not going to disappear like this. Accept me or the terror continues.'
Daeva said and I saw several images of her through the brittle mirror.
There was a knock on the door and, grinning, Daeva disappeared from view, leaving only the desperate me to be seen.
"Cate? Are you all right?" Achira asked, almost in a panic.
"Yes, everything's fine. Something just slipped out of my hand, I'll be right there." I said and tried to collect the splinters.
"You're a bad liar, Cate, come on, open the door." Demanded Achira.
I looked down at my bleeding hand and finally admitted defeat. I turned the doorknob in the other direction and caught sight of Achira.
Her eyes widened when she saw my hand: "Oh crap, what have you done?" She asked me and let the water run lukewarm. She grabbed my hand and ran water over it to make sure all the splinters were rinsed off. She looked at the superficial scratches and then pressed a towel to me.
"No sooner are you left alone than something happens." She muttered to herself. I had to smile and appreciated her care immensely. "It's nothing... Really, I'm fine." I tried to convince her.
She shook her head defiantly "Nothing there, you're going to look after the sofa today while I decorate our tree. Got it?" I laughed quietly and nodded "Yes, that's fine." I finally said. She pulled me from the pile of broken glass into the living room with her.
"Do you want to tell me how this happened?" She asked me. I looked at her. Her brown eyes pierced mine, and I couldn't lie to her after all she'd done for me.
"My demoness appeared in the mirror and let's just say she pissed me off, which made me punch the mirror." I said, biting my lower lip.
She raised her eyebrows in surprise: "We'll have to catch up on the anger management. Now let's start by bandaging your hand."
I rolled my eyes, "It's just a scratch, it's not that bad." It really was just a harmless scratch. Achira wasn't convinced, however, and only gave in after she had covered my hand with bandages.
"Now you sit here while I take care of everything." She instructed me.
I nodded obediently and watched her decorate everything beautifully.
"Achira?"
"Yes?"
"How do you lure two guys into the same bed?"
Achira let out a snort and almost fell off the ladder.
"I'm serious!" I said with a laugh and looked at her.
She shook her head in bewilderment. "I'm just a desperate virgin too, Catherine. You'd better tell me how to find two mates." She said with a laugh and turned to the tree.