Aedan wasn’t afraid to admit it. He was drunk. After finishing their delivery and having a hefty amount of credits sent to their account, they were celebrating. Music played loudly in their bedroom while an almost wasteful amount of food covered their little table. Everyone was laughing and talking.
It was like all the tension of the last few years had melted away.
Aedan grinned, watching Drustan explaining all the many worlds with intelligent life on them to Mara.
“Is he boring you yet?”
She glanced at him, sipping the sweet liquor, her eyelids half-lowered. “Not at all.”
Aedan leaned back in his chair. “I know all I can think about is getting to our home.”
She smiled. “What’s it like?”
“Our home and lands surround a lake known as Iris Lake. Natural hot springs flow into it creating warm water and lands that are green and full of rare life, not seen on most of Iceila.” Drustan answered for him, then shot him a warning glance.
Aedan ignored him. “And we’ve built an incredible home on it. I think any female would be happy there.”
Except our mate, Sirenta. She will complain about it night and day.
Aedan drank another long sip from his own glass. So what if their people saw the lands as unfavorable? Too hot. Lacking the beauty of the smooth, rolling waves of ice that covered most of their planet. A place where their pale blue trees with sweet fruits couldn’t grow, nor the animals they liked to hunt. It was the largest piece of land they could afford that fulfilled their mate-to-be’s ridiculous requests.
“It sounds amazing,” she said, sounding sincere.
Drustan frowned, his eyes turning a pale shade of brown with his concern. “You wouldn’t mind the heat?”
“Heat?”
“Yes, it lacks hills of ice. It’s lush with greenery and strange animals and life.”
She laughed. “I don’t like the cold. I’ve always chosen warm places to live.”
He and Drustan exchanged a glance. This female truly was perfect for them.
The doors to their bedroom slid open, and Bricus entered, looking pleased.
“Where have you been?” Aedan poured him a glass of Sweet Nectar.
Bricus took it and slammed the drink, before pouring himself another. “I was speaking to Sirenta.”
Uh oh.
“Our mate-to-be,” Bricus explained for Mara’s sake. “She has said that because we fulfilled all her requests, she’ll keep her word and marry us.”
Mara paled, then stared down at her glass. “Oh, good.”
Anger suddenly coursed through Aedan. Were they really going to let an amazing female like Mara go to accept one who didn’t even want to be with them?
“I’m sure she’ll find a way to get out of it.”
Drustan glanced at him, his expression shocked.
Bricus froze, his glass nearly to his lips. “No, she won’t.”
“They always do.”
“Well,” Bricus drained his cup, and slammed it back down on the table. “She’s different. She won’t.”
Aedan shrugged. “Maybe you’re right. She might not want to marry us, but being such a greedy pain-in-the-ass, maybe knowing no other males would accept her will be enough for her to follow through with her word.”
Bricus’ hands curled into fists. “Don’t speak of her that way.”
Aedan knew he should shut up, but whether it was the six glasses of nectar talking, or the fact that in just a few days he could be forced to bond with a woman who irritated him to his core, he couldn’t stop the words from flowing. For the first time since they met Sirenta, he didn’t feel like they had to accept her for their brother’s sake.
“How else should I speak of a female who would only marry us if we were wealthy enough to please her?”
“All females wish to be secure!” Bricus was almost shouting, his eyes a brown so dark they were nearly black.
Time to shut my mouth.
Which of course, was the exact moment Mara spoke up. “Every woman wants to feel secure. But wealth shouldn’t be a factor in deciding who a woman chooses. If she loves you enough, she should want to be with you, money or not.”
Bricus whirled on her. “You could not possibly understand a female like her. A human… a primitive creature made for fucking and nothing more.”
Her eyes widened, and she stood. “That. Is. Not. What. I. Am!”
He crossed his massive arms over his chest and glared down at her.”Yes, it is.”
She moved closer to him, her expression thunderous. “At least I don’t have to buy someone to love me!”
Aedan cringed, rising and putting his hands between them, as if he could stop their flow of words. As if he had the power to take back what was said.
Hurt swam across Bricus’ expression for one long painful second before he whirled and stormed from the room.
No one spoke for a long time. But what could they say? That Mara’s words cut Bricus deeper and harder than she could ever possibly understand, because she said exactly what their bond-brother feared most deep inside.
That the only way he could ever be loved was this way.
They turned off the music and cleared the table in silence. When they all slipped into bed together and turned off the lights, Bricus still had yet to return. Aedan longed to go to his brother and reassure him. To take his pain away. But he knew Bricus too well. Right now what he needed more than anything was to lick his wounds in private.
And so, he closed his eyes. But almost immediately he felt a soft hand slide down his stomach. He groaned. He couldn’t let this happen. If Bricus returned and found them all together, if Aedan gave into his feelings of desire, it would destroy his brother.
Yet, as her lips ran along his pulse at his neck, he felt his resolve slipping away…