It was quiet as the party eventually broke up in the early hours of the morning. North walked beside Eamon and Orin, with Eli bringing up the rear, and Ryland, Marek, and Kriss moving in strategic places around her. They were all a little tipsy, but she was certain her men were as alert as ever.

When they reached her room, they walked her inside, and she was the last one through. North locked the door behind them, and they frowned as they turned to her. She leaned against it, as though forming a barrier with her body. Eli appeared resistant, while the others were either intrigued or slightly befuddled. Only Marek and Kriss looked completely amused, so they must’ve guessed what her plan was.

“I’ve made my decision.”

The four of them stiffened, while Marek and Kriss leaned back against separate posts on her fourposter bed, crossing arms over their chests in a relaxed fashion.

“Who is it?” asked Eamon with a hint of hope, but a trace of mild despair. His ears had turned red, which they hadn’t done for a while when speaking to her.

“She chose Marek and Kriss,” growled Eli.

The others let out varying sounds of disappointment before North raised her hand.

“Eli’s right, but only partially. I’ve chosen Kriss and Marek, but I’ve also chosen all of you. I want to be with each of you, and all of you. I don’t know what’s ahead of us, or what we’ll discover, but I know I want each of you at my side.”

“How is that supposed to work?” Eli sounded angry.

“It works by me trying to give each of you as much attention as I can, and seeing to your needs. Sometimes, I’ll be with one of you, and sometimes more.” She looked down, feeling shy. “I’m certain there will be times when I want all of you at the same time.”

“Like tonight?” Orin asked with a wink.

She winced, and a phantom pain shot between her legs. “Perhaps not tonight. I need a little recovery time from earlier…” She trailed off, allowing them to draw their own conclusions. One by one, the men glanced at Kriss and Marek, and she saw varying degrees of envy before their expressions faded to acceptance.

All except Eli. She licked her lips. “I’d like to speak with Eli from a while, and that gives you guys time to decide if you can handle sharing me.”

“I don’t need any time to decide that,” said Orin. “You’ve been mine since the moment I laid eyes on you, and I imagine it was the same for the rest of us. I lived in fear of the day you made your decision, and it wasn’t me. I know we’ll figure out the details, and I’m just relieved to know I’m among your chosen.”

“What he said,” said Eamon. As the others laughed, his ears turned red, but then he snickered too. He sounded nervous and unsure, and North could relate. She felt the same way as the bond she had with her men changed infinitesimally, but also infinitely. They were on a new path now, one that was completely different and unexpected for all of them, and they would have to find their way together.

“I agree with them.” Ryland stepped closer and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss before he slipped past her, urging her to move out of the way of the door that she still blocked.

Relief swept through her, and she nodded before accepting a kiss from Eamon, and then Orin. Eli still stood with his back to her, and she didn’t look at him for a moment as she spent a few seconds focusing first on Kriss, and then Marek, giving them equal time to kiss her as she had shared with the others. After they slipped through the door, she closed it behind them.

With a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and moved across the room to approach Eli. She reached out a hand to touch his shoulder, but he whirled to face her. She expected anger or naked jealousy, but not complete devastation. It broke her heart to see, and her stomach clenched as she reached out to place a palm against his cheek. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“I don’t want to share you. I feel so much for you, and I don’t understand how you can’t feel the same for me. If you cared for me as much as I do you, you wouldn’t have room for the others.”

She drew a sharp breath at the accusation, searching for a way to refute it. “That isn’t true. I care beyond reason. I feel the same way about the others, but it’s also different. You each make me feel something different, but together, you complete me. I know I’ll survive if you decide you can’t be with me, but I swear to you that there will always be a part missing. It’s only when we’re all together, and I feel the caring from all of you, that I’m going to feel whole.”

He bowed his head. “I want to believe you, but I don’t want to be the one who loves you more than you love me. I can’t stand to watch you drift away from me and fall deeper in love with one of them.”

She moved forward, acting on instinct to put her arms around him. Eli stiffened for a moment, but then relaxed against her, placing his chin against the top of her head. “My love isn’t like that. I have enough for all of you. Maybe it’s because I spent my entire life with just my dad, but I have so much love that I’m certain none of you will feel slighted.

“It’s like the universe rewarded me for a lifetime of loneliness by giving me six perfect men, with six wonderful hearts, to claim as mine.” She moved back slightly, cupping his face in her hands. “I’m falling in love with you, Eli. It’s not a portion of my love. It’s my whole heart that is falling for you. It probably doesn’t make any mathematical sense, but I fully understand it and comprehend it in here.” She touched her chest briefly before putting her hand on his shoulder, while keeping his cheek cupped with her other hand. “I respect your decision, but I hope you find your way to accepting what I feel for you is real and genuine, and not lesser than what I feel for the others.”

He growled again, but his fur didn’t bristle, and his eyes stayed brown with the outer ring of gold. He stared into her gaze for a moment, and she could see the indecision in his eyes. He was clearly at war with himself, and she wasn’t certain whether it was a victory or defeat when he finally relaxed against her, and his arms fully encompassed her. She decided not to press her luck by asking for more, or trying to determine exactly what he was feeling. Instead, she lifted her head blindly to offer her mouth.

Eli kissed her ferociously, as though he wanted to brand her as his. At the same time, there was gentleness in his touch, and she wasn’t frightened. She didn’t feel claimed or marked. She simply felt cosseted and protected.

She surrendered to her animal instincts as she moved closer to him. He ripped the fae fabric from her body, rending it in the process, which made her whimper in protest, but she soon forgot as he became unclothed before her.

His mouth didn’t leave hers as he lifted her into his arms, cupping her buttocks and bringing her opening in line with his cock. He probed her entrance, where she was wet and ready, before sliding inside her a moment later. Eli filled her fully, reminding her overused muscles they were stretched from earlier. She pushed through the discomfort, chasing the pleasure that coursed through her within seconds.

She rocked against him, nails digging into his back, as he supported her buttocks with his hands, almost throwing his body against hers. It was raw and animalistic—completely different from the sex she’d had with Kriss and Marek—but it was just what they both needed. As he started to come inside her, she surrendered to her own orgasm and bit his shoulder to keep in her cries of pleasure.

As she did so, her teeth elongated to break through the tough sinew of his muscled shoulder. A coppery taste lingered on her tongue, and it was enough to restore control. She trembled against him, but turned her head away, keeping her teeth from the temptation of his flesh.

When he’d spilled himself completely, he cradled her against him as he moved across the room to lay her on the bed. “Precious,” he whispered against her temple.

He lay down beside her, pulling the blanket over both of them. She couldn’t help wishing she had all of them with her, though she wasn’t up to consummating the relationship with all six men that evening.

A few minutes after they had laid down together, Eli was snoring softly. Though he hadn’t spoken, his body seemed to be conveying his acceptance of her choice to keep them all.

There was a knock at her door, but she was too lazy to move. “Who is it?” she called softly.

“It’s us,” said Eamon.

She wasn’t certain who us encompassed, but knew it had to be at least Eamon and one of the others. “Come in.”

She was happy to see the other five slip in behind Eamon, but braced herself for negative reactions when they realized she’d taken Eli as her lover. She was pleased to see no betrayal of anger or jealousy on any of the expressions surrounding her. She held out her hand, the one that wasn’t currently trapped under Eli’s body, and patted the bed beside her. “Join me. I need all of you.”

They didn’t have to be asked again. Somehow, they managed to fit onto the bed after dragging over a chaise lounge and the trunk at the foot of the bed to accommodate everyone. A tangle of arms and legs surrounded her, and their regular, deep breathing was soothing.

She listened as each of them fell asleep, one after the other, leaving just her awake. She stared up at the canopy of her bed, wondering for a moment why sleep was elusive. Tentatively, she decided it was because she was too happy. She was almost bursting with joy, and her heart was completely full of emotion for the men surrounding her.

There would be challenges ahead of them, and she would need to find time to consummate a relationship with all six of them, which would be a priority. They would return to Earth, and all the dangers waiting for her there, tomorrow but tonight, she had this moment with all of them, and she couldn’t ask for anything else.

* * *