When Three Points Collide: Ra's Story, page 17
“You’re a closet romantic, aren’t you?”
“I’m not in the closet about anything.” Arvyn took the step that was separating them, his long body fitting Kirill’s like a glove as his hand moved from Kirill’s mouth to trail down his back. “Ra needs to hear this from your lips too, and as soon as he wakes up you can tell him. But you should know my wolf fell in love with you from the moment we held each other that first time and you need to hear that too.”
“I’d kinda hoped,” Kirill hoped his teasing covered the way his heart swelled in his chest. “I don’t give my ass to anyone except my amazing beloveds.”
“Oh wow, that has to be the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard,” Arvyn chuckled. Then his voice lowered. “I never imagined what it might be like to be in a permanent menage. We’re all so different, and yet we do fit, don’t we? No one is being left out or anything, are they?”
Kirill shook his head firmly. “We do fit and there’s no missing out for any of us. We’ve only been together three days as fully claimed, and yes, we are all totally different in personality, but I think, once we all learn to trust in each other, we’ll be stronger for it.”
“You mean… like that business with Seth?”
“Exactly. If we’re immortal, then we fight by our beloved’s side, even if we don’t have powers. Fates knows your wolf is far bigger than it was before Ra came along, and I don’t think for a moment that the Fates left me out of the gift giving when they bound us three together, even though I haven’t had a reason to take on my second form since we’ve all met.”
“I can’t wait to see that.” Arvyn’s eyes gleamed. “Babe, this pregnancy business. Are you sure you’re going to be all right if we do find out one of us is expecting?”
“I don’t hate kids,” Kirill said quickly. “It’s just in six hundred years I never expected to have any. Vampire couples are blessed if they ever have one child, and they’re rare even among fated couples. I’ve always known I’ve preferred men and it’s not as though I ever dreamed of having an ancient god as one of my beloveds until a week ago.”
“One of the best shocks, next to meeting you.” Arvyn’s hand trailed around to Kirill’s belly. “So, you’re okay with kids even if you’re the one who’s pregnant?”
Kirill was sure the swallowing of the sudden lump in his throat was noticeable, so he settled for nodding. “I just think things could get a bit hectic if all three of us are pregnant at the same time, and with your genetics that’s always possible.” He swallowed again. “Can you tell… you know… if I am?”
“I’ll ask my animal spirit in a minute, but first, I have to know…” Arvyn’s dark eyes blazed into his. “We’re three different beings. Are you going to be okay with children if they’re not fully vampire?”
“Are you asking because vampires are known for being arrogant snobs who believe my kind are at the top of the food chain?”
“Well, when you put it like that.” Arvyn’s grin transformed his whole face. “Yep.”
“Honestly, babe, it wouldn’t matter.” Kirill tightened his hold on his beloved’s nape. “Children are a gift, no matter who or what they can change into.”
“So, you won’t mind even if they get furry and bite the furniture?”
“Even if they turn furry or start showing off powers from day one, they’ll be a living embodiment of our love.”
“Oh, my gods you are romantic.” Arvyn dropped a quick kiss on Kirill’s lips. “And did you want to know now, or when Ra’s awake? Because honestly, I think this is a discussion for the three of us, don’t you?”
Kirill knew his beloved was right. “Fair enough. Let’s go deal with Sven while Ra is sleeping and then we’ll put together a lovely meal. Ra is going to need more than pancakes to keep his body fueled if Seth comes back again.”
“Hopefully Seth’s got more sense, but if he doesn’t, he can see what the wrath of three of us can do. Let’s go. Did you want me to shift again?”
There was definitely some puppy bouncing in Arvyn’s expression. “Ra said the land was warded when we arrived. Let’s see if those longer legs of yours can beat a vampire’s speed.”
“Ooh, you’re on.” Arvyn kicked off his boots. “Get the door, Kir, and I’ll show you who’s fast.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
A delicious scent of roast meat woke Ra from a deep sleep and his stomach rumbled, letting him know it’d been hours since he’d eaten. The darkness out the window reinforced his thoughts. Sending his senses out, he found his mates in the kitchen and he lay for a moment, absorbing the feeling of “home” that came from his little house now his mates were with him.
Is it possible? Could I finally have a semi-normal life? Completely normal was never going to be possible because of who he was – Ra would always have people to rule and a realm to control. But one of the reasons Ra loved being on earth was because he was fascinated with all the little everyday things that mortals did. Going out for a meal, wandering around an afternoon market, sitting in a park watching the young people play and the older people soak up the sun. Shopping, working, even fixing a car – all of it had fascinated Ra, but most of the things he’d never done. Maybe now I can.
Hopping out of bed, Ra stopped for a second when he got dizzy for a moment. I have been lying down too long. But then he heard Arvyn laugh and he wanted to be with his men. Hurrying to the bathroom, Ra emptied his bladder and washed his hands and face, before checking his reflection in the mirror. He was naked and it was tempting to stay that way, but Ra still wasn’t feeling a hundred percent, so he clicked up a pair of comfortable jeans and a pale gray Henley.
Padding out to the kitchen with his feet bare, Ra smiled as he caught sight of his mates. Someone had lit the lamps, and the fire was still burning merrily, giving the whole living area a warm glow.
“Please tell me there’s some extra plates and cutlery in this house.” Kirill was busy searching the cupboards while Arvyn was stirring something in a pot on the stove top.
Oops. Ra waved quickly at the hutch sitting in the dining area. “They’re in the cupboard in the dining room,” he said brightly. “Is there anything I can help with?”
“Ra!” Both men stopped what they were doing, and Ra was quickly in his favorite place, being held by both his mates.
“Are you feeling okay now, sweetie?” Arvyn got his front this time.
“I feel fine.” Ra held up his face for a kiss with Arvyn, and then turned his head so he could get one from Kirill. “Starving though. Whatever you’ve got cooking smells amazing. Where did you get the food?”
“Kirill went shopping. Oh, my gods, it was hilarious.” Arvyn stole another kiss and then went back to his stove. “You tell him Kir.”
“Your neighbor took me to the shops.” Kirill was grinning as he took a seat, keeping Ra on his lap. “It was really funny when you think about it. We heard this old tractor. Arvyn was in his wolf form because we were in the woodshed dealing with Sven. So, I have two dead bodies, because Sven was just as guilty as Yakov, and a wolf who’d left his clothes in the house. I went outside, and there’s this old guy there who had to be ninety if he was a day. He’d seen the lights up here and had come to see if we were all right because of the earth rumbles, his words, not mine, that apparently could be felt right around the harbor.”
“Oh, no. That must have been when Seth and I were fighting. I thought the wards would stop the noise.” Ra covered his mouth with his hand.
“It was fine,” Arvyn called over his shoulder as he turned the stove top off and carried his pot to the counter. “The old guy took pains to tell Kirill that no one was hurt, and that the rumbling was probably caused by Dagda dropping his cauldron.”
“Dagda, from the Celtic pantheon?”
“Actually, what he said was An Dagda, the Good God, but yes, I’m sure that’s who he meant,” Kirill said with a chuckle. “I didn’t have the heart to tell your helpful neighbor he had the wrong pantheon. But anyway, he seemed a friendly chap. I told him I was a friend of yours, because he asked where you were – that little chap with a smile like the sun, he called you.”
“My goodness I’m surprised he’s still alive.” Ra was pleased to hear that his neighbor was still going strong. “I haven’t seen him in three years. He stopped to chat one day when I was sitting out enjoying the sun. I never could pronounce his name.”
“I don’t think Kir could either, but our vampire mentioned that we hadn’t had a chance to do any shopping,” Arvyn laughed. “Watching Kir climb on that rickety tractor was so funny.”
“He insisted.” But Kirill was laughing too. “Fortunately, we only had to travel by tractor as far as his farm, and then he drove me to town in his car which isn’t in much better shape than his tractor. But all I could think was I was leaving you in bed, Arvyn stuck in the woodshed in his wolf form and two dead bodies that we’re going to have to get rid of. Should I call the council, do you think?”
“No, no.” Ra didn’t like the idea of any council visiting their house. That would be hard to hide from the likes of his elderly neighbor. There was nothing wrong with the guy’s eyesight. “I’ll take care of them so long as it doesn’t cause any problems for you.”
“The neighbor did ask me how the heck we got up here.” Kirill was still chuckling. “He claimed he’d never seen a car come up this driveway.”
“Kir told him we came in at night because we’re from the States.” Arvyn came around to the dining table, a huge roast in a platter in his hands. Ra’s stomach rumbled again. “The neighbor figured we’re just weird Americans and didn’t pry. He probably thinks we get parachuted in or dropped off by helicopter. Now, who’s hungry?”
“Me please.” Ra got up to get the plates. Arvyn was an amazing cook.
/~/~/~/~/
There was nothing Arvyn liked more than to see his mates well fed. It was part of his shifter nature to ensure his two men were well fed, warm and comfortable, and as the three of them piled on the couch after the food had been eaten and the dishes done, he was in his element. The fire was merrily crackling away, and the home was a warm oasis from the wind that had picked up outside. The only thing that would’ve made the scene better is if they were all naked in bed, but Arvyn knew they had to talk.
Even so, it was Ra that spoke up first. “Kirill, my mate, if the idea of any of us being pregnant upsets you so much, I can try appealing to the Fates to ask if they could hold off…”
“No. No. That’s not necessary.” Ra was sitting on Arvyn’s lap, with his feet on Kirill’s thighs, but Kirill took his hands in his. “Please understand my pint-sized precious, I wasn’t angry at you this morning, I wasn’t even what you would call upset. I was shocked – completely mind-blowingly shocked. In all the years I’ve lived, male pregnancy is never something I’d ever considered possible and given how rare vampire children are, it was definitely not something I thought could happen to me in my mating.”
“But I knew it was possible,” Ra insisted. “I was at the party they held for Hades and Ali’s mating when Silvanus gave us the message from the Mother. I should’ve warned you both before you came anywhere near me.”
“To be fair,” Arvyn said, not liking how Ra was taking the blame for something that had no blame attached, “I should’ve warned you both before I bit you both that I’m hellishly protective and possessive, that there is no such thing as a divorce and mating is forever, and that the bite I gave you would render you unable to get a hard on for anyone else.”
“And I should’ve warned you both about the same thing.” Arvyn knew Kirill would back him up just to help Ra feel better. “I can’t feed or take blood from anyone or anything else anymore, and I’m just as protective and possessive as our beloved wolf. Are you going to be angry at me about that?”
“No, of course not.” Ra was so cute when he got all puffed up. “You have quirks that relate to who you are…”
“And so do you,” Arvyn said gently, because honestly he loved it when Ra was so protective in his own way. “One of your quirks happens to be that the three of us can get pregnant, and have our own family, which is pretty incredible when you think about it.”
“Did you think it was incredible too, Kir?” Ra asked.
“Yep, and in fact, Arvyn is going to tell us if any of us are pregnant shortly. But,” Kirill held up his finger, “first, we need you to explain to us how this immortality business works. I assume, when we all claimed each other, that our life threads are bound to yours?”
“Yes.” Ra nodded. “The Fates would never be so cruel as to tie a mortal’s lifeline to any of the gods, when by virtue of who we are and what we mean to the tapestry of life, we can never die. If just one of the gods did, millions of people would die with us and the tear in the fabric of life would be horrific. So yes, we have eternity to be together.”
“So Kir and I can’t die.” Arvyn needed to be sure.
“No, my precious wolf. I could not survive in any world where my wolf and vampire weren’t with me and the Fates know that.”
“Awesome.” Kirill stretched out his legs. “So that means, the next time you have to face a fight, like you did today, you will have us by your side, agreed?”
“But…?” Ra looked between the two of them.
“You said when you left to fight Seth on your own, that the powers a god can wield could kill us both. That wasn’t true, though, was it?” Arvyn stroked down Ra’s back.
“Oh, no, I just didn’t think. It’s in my nature to hide my powers from mortals.” Ra buried his face in his hands. “I really am failing at this mating business. Orin and Paulie are going to lecture me so bad.”
“No, they won’t,” Arvyn shared a look with Kirill, “we’ll be with you when you face them too. But no more thinking you have to fight alone. Babe, you’re not alone. You have me and Kirill and we’ll stand by your side fighting assholes like Seth until the sun burns from the sky.” The words were right there on the tip of his tongue, but…
“You know how much I love you both, don’t you, precious,” Kirill said softly.
Yes! Arvyn hadn’t been sure if Kirill would actually say the words.
“Love… me…” His eyes wide, Ra looked at Kirill and then back at Arvyn.
“Me too.” Arvyn nodded. “Apparently our ancient vampire isn’t overly romantic, so there’s no wine, or flowers, or a meal at a fancy restaurant, but like Kir, I love you both with all I am and always will.”
“You love me? Like really love me, just the way I am?” Ra had tears pouring down his face.
Arvyn crooked his finger at Kirill, wrapping Ra in his arms, Kirill doing the same. “Exactly the way you are,” Kirill said fiercely. “Your snuffly little snores…”
“The way your hair all sticks up in the morning…” Arvyn added.
“The sheer joy you take in simple things like sending a text…”
“And how you want to try every new thing…”
“The way your smile lights up a room…”
“We didn’t mean to make you cry,” Arvyn said, “and it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way yet…”
“I do!” Ra burst out sobbing again. “These…” he hiccupped, “these are happy tears. I just… I’ve spent an eternity up to now thinking all I was fit for was worship and adoration, but never love... Not the love that comes from the very essence of a soul. I love you both so much, please believe me. I would pluck the sun from the sky for you.”
“Doesn’t your friend Helios ride the sun chariot across the sky every day?” Arvyn chuckled his heart bursting that both of his mates loved him too. “He might object.”
“He might, but only because it will interfere with his mate hunting.” Ra sniffed and rubbed his hands down his cheeks. “So, does that mean we can go back to bed now? I need to show you…”
“We’ve all got that need, babe,” Kirill said roughly, grazing his fangs up Ra’s neck before pulling back. “But first, Arvyn, babe, do you have any news for us?”
Yes. Gods, Arvyn had had to sit on his wolf all afternoon so that none of his news leaked to his mates across the bond. “We’re pregnant.” He grinned widely.
“We’re… Who?” Kirill looked confused. “Me, you, Ra? Who’s we? Is that we in that we all participated, or…”
“We, as in we’re all expecting a child, but our precious Ra is the one who’ll be carrying it.” Arvyn felt like his face would split he was so happy. “Isn’t that wonderful?”
“Holy shit, we actually did it.” Kirill’s face went white and seconds later he slumped on the couch, his eyes closed.
“I think he fainted.” Ra leaned forward, tapping Kirill’s face gently. “Babe. Babe, are you in there?”
Arvyn chuckled, and then he started to laugh. The next few months were going to be interesting.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Why are all the doorways and windows so tall?” Kirill tried not to look like a kid in Disney World as he looked around Ra’s realm. It’d been a week since Arvyn’s startling revelation about their expected baby and Kirill had taken his beloveds’ ribbing about his fainting fit in good grace. Now he bristled, his protective urges surging in an unfamiliar place.
“Everything is bigger here,” Ra explained, lifting the hem of his robe as they climbed the steps leading to his ‘palace’. Although the place was unlike any palace Kirill had ever seen. Tall, that was a given seeing how tall the doors were, but it was made out of what looked like sandstone, very squared and with very little ornamentation to break up the stark façade. “Once upon a time, it was important to keep up appearances with other pantheons.”
“It smells sterile.” Arvyn’s nose was twitching madly. The wolf had no idea how cute that made him look when he was in his human form. “Almost lifeless.”
“People don’t really live here.” Ra swept through the doors as if he owned the place, which of course he did. “Decades ago, this place teemed with life, but one by one a lot of the gods decided living on earth, starting their own businesses, and forming lives for themselves was more fun than sitting around picking at each other.”
