^“We’re doing that again, right?” Eira’s voice sounded blurry as she came to, finding that the men had moved away from her and cleaned up. Probably a good thing, she wouldn’t have been able to do it herself. Then again, maybe Josh had just used his magic and made the whole process ten times quicker. She really should work out what she could do herself now too. Maybe she could even stop babies until she was ready. Then again, she had three mates who clearly weren’t shy about the act itself, in all likelihood, no contraception could contain them. Now there was a scary thought. Looking after kids wasn’t exactly top of her list.

“Right now, E?” Josh asked, chuckling to himself.

“Maybe not right now,” she replied, stretching slightly.

“Has it worked?” Leth’s voice came from the doorway and she looked up, disappointed to see that he was already dressed. Actually, so was Josh. Well that was annoying. At least it sounded like Rueben was still in the shower. She could go enjoy that show if she wanted. Maybe she should...swinging her legs around, she placed them on the floor and winced. Or maybe she wouldn’t be going anywhere. Apparently, there was a drawback to amazing sex.

“Let me help,” Josh said softly, touching her leg and bringing forth his magic. Amazingly it seemed to work, soothing away the pain. She gaped at him.

“You can do that?”

“Evidently,” he deadpanned.

“How didn’t I know that?”

“You didn’t need it last time.” He looked at her with so much devotion in his eyes that it almost hurt, but in the sweetest possible way. She covered his hand with her own, giving it a squeeze.

“True,” she sighed and finally stood.

“So, magic?” Leth prompted, not having moved from the door.

“I don’t know,” Eira responded, reaching inwards. “It feels kind of different.”

“Want to try it out?”

“I kind of need to,” she pointed out, gaining an amused smile from Josh and a somewhat exasperated sigh from Leth.

“I’m serious, Frostie.”

“Because it’s your Mother who’s at fault most likely,” she joked, instantly regretting it when she saw the look that passed over Leth’s face. Instead of heading towards the shower like she’d intended, she made her way over to the door and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him close to her and nuzzling into his neck. “I’m sorry, Leth, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know,” he responded, pulling her closer still. “I just don’t like that she’s done this to you. It can’t be good keeping the frosts so pent up.”

“Huh.” She hadn’t thought about it like that. She was definitely worried for the consequences, but she hadn’t thought about them in terms of herself and how the bottling up of her powers may affect her aversely.

“Realising I’m right, Frostie?” His tone lightened somewhat and she sighed in relief. At least she hadn’t upset him too much.

“Yes,” she admitted reluctantly. “Guess we should get this over with.”

“Erm, Frostie?” he asked as she pulled away and pushed past him so she could get to the door.

“Hmm?”

“Maybe put some clothes on first.” His eyes danced with amusement, but the undercurrent of lust was still there. She hoped it always would be. The moment he stopped wanting her would be a sad day.

“Oh, yes maybe.” She walked over to her wardrobe and pulled out some leggings and a baggy jumper. While looking good would have been preferable, right now, making sure winter came on time was probably the far better option.

Now fully dressed, she made her way to the living room, where she noticed that everything was pushed back from the edge, making room for her.

“We thought it might be easier,” Josh supplied, having followed her out of the bedroom.

“Wouldn’t want to ruin your flat,” Rueben added, walking out of the bathroom, towel drying his hair and making Eira’s mouth water.

“Are you ready?” Josh asked, a caring look in his eyes that was completely at odds with how he’d been looking at her an hour or so ago. Not that she minded, in fact, Eira loved that he seemed to have two completely different sides to him, and that she got to see both.

“As I’ll ever be.” She tried to ignore the knots in her stomach. “She’s going to come through a door, isn’t she?” she asked, turning to Leth.

“Most probably, I don’t think you stealing the frosts back will go unnoticed.”

Great. Another face-off with her Mother-in-law. That’s all Eira wanted. She needed to get on with this, but would probably never be truly ready. Then again, what choice did she have? The frosts were already over a week late, she couldn’t afford any longer.

She stood in the middle of her cleared living area, the three of them in a circle around her. No, not a circle, a triangle. She smiled remembering Leth’s comment over dinner. It seemed like an age ago, even if it really wasn’t.

Closing her eyes, she looked for the frosts again, finding them where they’d been before, except that this time, it did feel a little different. She could feel the frost and snow that’d been with her since she was a child, but she could also feel something considerably warmer, as well as the soft crackle of electricity. That was where Josh and Leth’s magic lived within her. She briefly wondered how Rueben’s would manifest, maybe she’d be able to hypnotise people, that’d be pretty cool, but she pushed the thought away. Now was not the time. Time to worry about whether she’d start craving human blood later, though maybe it wouldn’t be human blood she wanted. Now there was a thought.

“Is it not working?” Rueben asked, sounding a little bored.

“Oh, sorry, got distracted.” They laughed, and she didn’t really blame them, it was a little ridiculous to let herself get so sidetracked with everything else going on.

Refocusing herself, she reached out and pulled the frosts through her, encountering the wall again, but this time, with the help of Josh and Leth’s magic, the wall began to crumble.

Something like wind whistled around her, filling her with the welcome chill of the frosts. As they flowed through her, she realised just how much she’d been missing them. Being distracted by three men seemed to have forgotten about how the frosts should feel. The wind whipped her hair around, and she took a deep breath.

Which was when it changed.

The air turned from icy cold, to lukewarm, and Eira could swear that it was heating even more by the second. She guessed Leth was right then, his Mother was coming. Though it seemed like a dangerous precedent to set to let him know he was right. He was the kind to let that go to his head, even if it was completely unintentional. She smiled to herself, despite the dread pooling in her stomach over what was about to happen, but she just loved the stupid fae too much not to. He was it for her. Well, him and Josh and Rueben. But they were it for her, and she was it for them, she felt it in the very base of her being. Plus, she’d just destroyed a wall built by an incredibly strong fae, more or less due to the bonds that she’d created with them, seemed like a good indication that the mating bonds were true. Or was it just one bond? She wasn’t too sure. While they seemed to be pretty friendly, they clearly didn’t feel the same way about each other as they did about her, but the bond was clearly more than just one on one.

Questions for another day, she guessed.

“Hello, Mother.” The displeasure in Leth’s tone brought Eira out of her introspection. She opened her eyes, and followed where Leth was looking to find his Mother stood in her doorway, a full gown of slightly garish gold surrounding her. She looked on with an expectant expression on her face, but all Eira did was raise her chin defiantly. She wouldn’t bow to this woman any more, Queen or not. Hell, Mother-in-law or not. By stopping the frosts, she was risking serious damage to the world as a whole, and for that reason alone she shouldn’t be bowed down to.

“So, it’s you,” the Queen said, striding forward until she was almost face to face with Eira. Josh made to move forward to her side, but Eira shook her head, warning him off. It was better if he wasn’t close right now.

“Me what? Doing my job and making sure winter comes like it should? Hell yes, it’s me,” she said, silently fuming. Alright, not so silently. But still.

“Don’t stand in my way. My son’s mate or not, I will end you.”

“No. You won’t. Your wall is already down, the frost is coming.”

“Don’t underestimate me. I am a Fae Queen, there is no one more powerful than me.”

“Then why steal the frosts?” Eira asked, genuinely a bit confused.

“Summer should rule supreme.”

“But surely stealing the frosts would make it autumn or spring forever?” Josh whispered off the side, only to be shh-ed by one of the others. She was glad they were dealing with themselves, she clearly couldn’t afford to take her eyes off Leth’s Mother.

“That’s not how it works though. Without balance, the world would cease to exist surely?” At least, that’s what her stupid book of family history had said. Which reminded her, she really needed to inform Leth of his punishment. She’d be kind though, and tell him away from the other two. Otherwise they’d probably just take the piss out of him for the next thirty years. She smiled to herself despite the current situation. Thinking about thirty years from now was a welcome feeling. Her, with the three of them around her, children eventually, Izzy and whoever she ended up with, it’d be perfect.

“Other seasons aren’t needed for summer to reign.”

Wow. Was she for real? No wonder Leth and Rose seemed to dislike their Mother, she was verging on crazy at the worst, one track mind at the best.

“If it was always only summer, then everything would die. Same with if it was only ever winter. Each has their place,” Eira insisted, finding that she firmly believed every word. But maybe that’s because she didn’t belong to any of the Courts. She may be the person in control of winter powers, but ultimately, she wasn’t aligned to any of them politically. Though based on Yuna, the Fae Queen of Winter was probably a bit more stable than the Summer one. At least, Eira hoped so, she didn’t want to have to go through this again.

“What would you know, you’re not even full fae,” the Queen hissed, startling Eira as it seemed like she was reading her thoughts.

“I may not be any kind fae, but I am a Frost.” She watched as the Queen’s face fell, the pieces slotting into place. Definitely a one-track mind then, there was no way she’d have missed the true hints about who Eira was otherwise.

“You can’t be.” The woman took a step back, nearly tripping over the hem of her skirts.

“Why not?”

“You could never be mated to my son if—”

“You wouldn’t be saying that if she’d frozen you,” Leth muttered and Eira stifled a laugh.

“-you were a descendent of that trickster,” the Queen finished, seemingly oblivious to Leth’s interuption. Then again, maybe if she didn’t believe men should be treated as equals anyway, she just chose to ignore him.

“If I’m not, then the real one can definitely come and take their job back.” She was speaking more to herself than the other woman, but at this point the didn’t care. In fact, in front of her, the other woman seemed to be fuming about something. Probably the lack of Eira’s social graces. Guess she shouldn’t have been such an ass then.

While she seemed distracted, Eira reached inside herself for the frosts, concious that it’d leave her vulnerable, but also that her men would make sure no actual harm came to her. That’s what they were there for after all, to love and protect her, as much as she was there to love and protect them.

The frosts slipped easily past the wall this time, especially as the fae Queen didn’t seem to be paying any attention. Instead, she appeared to be ranting about something, but Eira didn’t have the capacity to keep up with pulling on the frosts, and paying attention at the same time.

“NO!” The screech filled the air, wrenching Eira’s attention away from the weather she was calling and back to the woman in front of her. The air around her began to warm again, and Eira began to shake with the change in temperature. It was one thing when it came from Leth, then the warmth was loving and tender, but this heat wasn’t that. It was the kind meant to scold and burn. Or maybe melt would be more apporpriate.

“Eira!” Rueben sounded worried, and she could sense him moving forward, even if she couldn’t take her eyes of the fae before her who seemed to now be glowing. She’d have to see if Leth could do that too, though a quick glance at his confused face suggested maybe not.

Instead of responding to either of them, she refocused on the frosts, locating the place where they seemed stuck and tugging with all her might.

When she’d realised that Leth’s Mother would likely arrive, she’d expected harsh words, and maybe even some kind of fight, but she certainly hadn’t been epecting a magical battle happening semi-inside her. Actually, she should probably make more of an effort to discover where the gate to the frosts was.

She tugged again, this time seeming to gain a little more traction, with more of the frosts bursting free than before. Hopefully it would be enough. Hopefully, it would release the cold snap the world needed and not make anything worse. Giving one final tug, the world exploded into a flurry of white, the chill winds returning, but this time with more force.

A scream pulled Eira back into the room, and she instantly looked around to check on Josh and Leth. Rueben would be fine, as he’d pointed out before, he was already colder than a human, but both of the others needed heat.

Her heart sped up in her chest as she saw Leth on the ground, his normal vibrant complexion seeming duller than normal, but it calmed down to see Josh lean down beside him, a bubble of sparks surrouning him and giving off a little steam. He looked up, his green eyes meeting Eira’s, and gave her a reassuring smile.

Which only left one person to which the scream could belong to. Reluctantly, Eira took a step towards the now cowering Queen, determined to do something to help. It didn’t matter that the Queen had tried to stop something as vital the changing seasons. She reached out to the woman, but had her hand swatted away.

“Don’t touch me,” she snarled, sounding weak.

“If I don’t touch you, then you could die,” Eira pointed out.

“Let her,” Rueben said, resting a hand on Eira’s shoulder.

“I can’t.”

“She doesn’t want your help though.” He kind of had a point, but she couldn’t risk it. After everything, she was her mate’s Mother. But more than that, no one deserved to be ended this way. She bent down and attempted to scoop the woman up, failing miserably even thought the Queen appeared to have lost consciousness. “Eira, stop.”

“No.”

“I mean stop and I’ll lift her. Where to? Your bed?”

She pulled a face. It was kind of weird to take the woman to her bed given the earlier antics there, but really, what other choice did she have?

“Fine, but let me get a new sheet first.”

“She’s dying, Eira, I don’t think she’ll be bothered about a new sheet.” He had another point. Damn him. At this rate, all of them would be right all of the time, and that just wasn’t on.

Walking ahead of Rueben and the collapsed fae Queen, she grabbed the sheet off her bed and replaced it with a fresh one, fetching blankets to cover her with and hoping it was the right thing to do. It made sense to her, after all Eira ran cold and she was related to winter fae, it made sense that summer fae needed warmth. Really, she needed Josh and Leth, they’d probably be able to do a better job.

As if realising her need, the pair stumbled in, Leth propped up on Josh’s shoulder. She shared a look with him, and he nodded, instantly understanding and moving to the woman’s side.