Her eyes snapped open. White light made her momentarily blind so she closed them. Trying to keep her breathing even, Tanya slowly cracked them open a second time. Taking her time so that she could acclimatize. A machine beeped softly somewhere in the background. Low murmuring voices, footsteps down the hall. She lay in a semi reclined position, the IV still attached to her arm. The sides were up on her hospital bed, caging her in.

Brant slept in a chair to her left and Zane in one to her right. Both males looked like hell. Brant’s hair was mussed and Zane had dark smudges under his eyes. Neither looked comfortable. She slid her free hand under her hospital issue gown, holding her breath and was shocked when she met with skin instead of a bandage. Maybe they hadn’t operated after all. Maybe she was still pregnant. She couldn’t be. Everyone had been dead set on cutting her child from her belly. They had been so sure that she was losing the baby. Maybe they hadn’t operated because she had miscarried in the end.

She whimpered. Couldn’t help the small sound that escaped her at the thought of the loss of her baby.

Zane stirred, his eyes opened and locked with hers.

It was all it took to start up her tears which rolled down her cheeks, splashing on the gown.

“Ysnaar, thank God.” He stood in one swift move that brought him to her side. Then Brant was there too on the opposite side.

“You scared the crap out of us.” Brant clasped her hand.

“How long have I been asleep?” She asked not wanting to know the answer to the most pressing question. She wasn’t ready to deal with it.

Brant looked at the Rolex on his wrist. “Two days and one hour give or take a few minutes.”

“Okay.” She swallowed hard. Blinking until the tears stopped threatening to fall. Zane used the pad of his thumb to wipe away a lone tear that had managed to escape. Brant swept a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.

The two males locked eyes.

Zane finally broke the stare and looked at her. “You are still pregnant, Ysnaar.”

She let out all her breath on a sigh. The water works started up again but this time they were tears of joy. “Oh, thank God. Thank you for listening to me.”

“You could have died. There were a few times there that I nearly changed my mind,” Brant said. His eyes dark and churning with emotion.

“For a while I was sure we had made the wrong decision.” Zane’s brow was creased, he looked ready to kill.

“I’m fine. We’re fine.” She smiled broadly.

“You’re coming home with us,” Brant declared squeezing her hand a little too hard.

Tanya winced, glancing down at where he clasped her poor fingers. “Hello! I break remember?”

“Sorry.” He eased his hold.

“Brant is right, you are coming home with us and we’re mating come the new moon.” Zane scowled at her. “Both of us,” he growled. She could see that he expected her to disagree and he was right.

“No. Nothing has changed. You are both still pig headed royals. Both too dominant to ever be able to both take me as a mate. Too freaking dominant to both rule the covens. Are you telling me that one of you has conceded?”

They both looked away. Brant’s jaw locked. Zane looked sheepish for a few beats before trying to entwine his fingers in hers. The IV got in the way so he stroked the top of her hand instead. 

“I thought so,” she said trying not to sound so disappointed.

“We will make it work,” Brant said.

“Let’s give it a little time,” Zane added.

“Where have I heard that before? It’s not going to happen.” She shook her head trying hard not to cry. “It won’t be long and you’ll be at each other’s throats again. I don’t want to raise a child under those conditions. I know how it feels to…” She knew all too well what growing up in an unhappy home felt like. “Never mind.” She didn’t have the strength right now.

Neither male even tried to tell her that she had it wrong.

She chewed her lip. So tempted to give them another chance, but how could she? “It won’t work.”

“At least come back with us. We don’t want you working right now.”  Brant looked over at Zane. “Not after what happened.” His eyes turned stormy.

“Yeah,” Zane said. “Too much stress won’t be good for the baby. Stephany and Charlotte will take care of you. You should not be alone right now.” He glanced back at Brant.

“Please, we have discussed this. It would be for the best,” Brant said.

“I can take care of myself.”

“Think of the baby.” Zane raised his eyebrows.

“You need rest and care. The doctors will tell you. They have already spoken with us. You need to be in bed for a week…maybe more and will need to take it easy.” Brant leaned in a little closer.

“At least until we mate, at which point you will grow stronger.” Zane narrowed his eyes looking deep into hers.

“There will be no mating.” She couldn’t disagree with needing bed rest, though she’d be sure to confirm it with the doctor first.

“Please, Cenwein. Just come back with us. The new moon isn’t for another week. If we mess up, then you can always change your mind.”

“I want my own room.”

“Done,” Zane said.

“No sex.”

“The doctor said that you will be fine by the new moon, but until then it’s strict bed rest…no sex”—Brant conceded looking miserable—“It would be for the best for both of you.”

“It’s not about what the doctor said dummy. Even if he’d told me hours of sweaty, hard core sex was perfectly okay, the no sex rule would still apply.” His jaw tightened. “I’ll go back with you for the sake of the baby, but we are no longer in a relationship and that still stands.” It hurt her to say it but she had to stick to her guns. Needed her feelings to be clear.

“We can discuss it.”

She never thought she’d ever hear Zane say those words and was momentarily stunned. After blinking a few times, she managed to get her vocal cords to work again. “Unless you can prove to me that you can get along and this can work, all bets are off. And by work I mean double king size bed and all or”—she paused—“nothing. Once I’ve had my bed rest, I’ll go back to my apartment.”

The males locked eyes. Something they were doing far too often for her liking because she got the feeling that they were in cahoots to win her back. A short term truce of sorts, all hell would break loose the moment she mated them though. Tanya refused to believe their so called friendship went any deeper than that. She really didn’t want to have her heart stomped on all over again. She couldn’t take it.

“Did you hear that?” Brant asked.

Zane nodded once. “The part where our little flower made a bet?”

Brant grinned. “Yeah, that would be the very part I am referring to.”

“I definitely heard it.” Zane raised his brows.

“Wait,” she said, her eyes wide. “I didn’t make a bet.”

Both males raised their eyebrows. “You said that we had to prove that we could get along or all bets were off. I accept.” Zane grinned.

“Yeah. Sounded that way to me too and I also accept.” Brant winked at her.

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Once they won the stupid bet it would be back to the same old bickering and shuffling her around until one finally killed the other.

They both turned to her. “Too late to change your mind.” Brant smiled.

“We already accepted and, Ysnaar”—Zane’s voice had grown husky so she kept quiet not wanting to encourage him—“when we win, you will owe us.” His predatory stare bore into her for a few beats before he turned his eyes on Brant. The males actually smiled and nodded at one another. Tanya almost expected them to pat one another on the back. “After the new moon, and our mating, we will stay in bed for several days and explore all the opportunities a three way mating has to offer.”

Brant chuckled. “I really like the sound of that.”

There was still a whole string of arguments she wanted to bring to the table, but her blasted vocal cords seized on her…again. Watching the two of them grinning at each other like old buddies was just plain weird.

“We will win this little bet before the new moon,” Brant said.

“Then you will be ours.” Zane’s voice was so low that it sent flames of heat licking up her spine. “We will claim you in so many ways…”

“You will scream my name so often…” Brant’s voice was just as deep, just as seductive.

“Our name,” Zane growled.

“Our name,” Brant agreed.

It wouldn’t last. She would be fooling herself if she thought that they had a chance. No freaking way. Tanya refused to allow herself to believe.

“I demand to be let through,” a familiar voice sounded from the hall. “That is my best friend in there. I’m a doctor dammit.”

“Ma’am it’s family only at this stage.”

“I. Am. A. Doctor. What part of that don’t you understand, nurse?”

“You are not Miss Milan’s treating physician. I would be happy to set up an appointment for you to see Doctor Pollard to discuss Miss Milan’s progress,” a woman said clearly distressed.

“Move it or freaking lose it, darling. I’m going in.” Becky was using that tone. The one that meant trouble would follow close behind. Tanya cringed. So did Zane and Brant.

“Please.” A male voice, she recognized but couldn’t quite place, chimed in. “Let her have five minutes. What is your name?”

“Emma and I really shouldn’t.” The feminine voice had turned a little giggly.

“Tanya would want this female to visit. She is both a family friend and Miss Milan’s health advisor. Two minutes please.”

“Fine.” A giggle. “Two minutes,” her voice had turned hard which meant she was probably addressing Becky the second time around. 

“Thanks, babe,” Becky crooned.

“Anytime,” replied the same male voice, only this time husky and full of promise. It was Ross.

“How’s that petition coming along?”

“Very well. I hope you’re ready for me little human,” Ross murmured.

“Oh, you have no idea, big boy,” Becky giggled.

Tanya covered her mouth with her hand to hide a smile. Zane and Brant’s expressions had both turned stormy.

“We need to do something about that,” Brant mumbled running a hand through his hair.

“Yeah.” Zane’s jaw worked.

“You need to control your male,” Brant growled.

“How would you recommend I do that? Cut off his dick, remove his fangs?” Zane chuckled.

Brant shrugged. “Threaten him, beat him, I don’t really care…he can’t have her.”

“I will talk with him.”

Becky came through the door. She breezed towards them trying to look carefree and happy, but Tanya could see right through it. Her bestie’s folks were both surgeons. Their careers were everything to them. Both worked long hours and both believed that appearances were everything. No public showing of emotion. No major outbursts. When it came to almost every situation, Becky defied this rule. It was why she was so out there so…utterly Becky. Yet, when faced with difficult situations, she struggled to show emotions. Pain, suffering, serious anger, she plastered on a fake smile and acted like nothing was wrong. Today was no different.

“My friendykins. So glad you are doing better.” She waltzed over, shouldering Brant out of the way and kissing Tanya on the cheek. “You gave us quite the scare you little skank. If you were looking for attention then you should’ve just asked.”

Zane growled but Becky ignored him.

“You will be coming home with me. I’ve already hired a nurse to take care of you while I’m at work and I’ll take personal care of you when I am home.”

“It’s already settled, our female is coming home with us. A healer…one of your human nurses, is already in place at the castle,” Brant said shoving his hands into his jeans pockets.

“Someone’s a little testy,” Becky giggled. “Are you sure it’s what you want?” She raised her eyebrows. “I’m game for a little sleepover if you are.”

“We’ll have that sleepover, just not right now. I need loads of sleep…” She yawned. Every muscle in her body ached.

“Our female needs to rest.” Zane’s brow creased. He looked so freaking cute when he was being bossy. Tanya hoped that she was making the right decision.

“You call me if you need me.” Becky sounded way too serious, but thankfully it didn’t last. “I throw the best sleepovers. I’ll invite some male strippers and we can have an all you can eat ice cream buffet…on their hot naked bodies.” This time Brant’s lip curled up to expose a fang when he growled in Becky’s direction. Her best friend ignored him flat out. “Any nonsense from these two and you’re with me.”

“I’ll call.”

“Do you pinkie swear? I’m not fooling around here. I really could do with some Rocky Road on some rock hard abs.” Becky did a great job of licking her lips and bobbing her eyebrows.

“I swear, I’ll call you.” Tanya couldn’t help but to giggle.

“If you decide to go back to these jerks, I need to visit you often.” Darn it all, Becky looked serious again. Her eyes stern and fixed on Tanya, her mouth a white line while she waited for an answer. This wasn’t normal behavior for her friend. “Often,” she repeated.

“Of course you can and I’ll visit you too. I’m fine, Becky.”

“I almost lost you,” Becky whispered, her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. Tanya felt a lump rise in her throat. She knew she had been in a bad way and knew she nearly lost the baby, but she hadn’t realized how close she’d actually come to dying. Becky leaned forward, narrowing her eyes. “I would’ve followed you through the gates of heaven and beat your ass if you had left me. Don’t freaking do that again. Not ever. Do you understand me?”

Tanya smiled. “I pinkie swear on all counts.”

They locked pinkie fingers and hugged. Both giggled. It was amazing how much better she felt.

There were voices outside the door. It was the same feminine voice from a few minutes ago. “That’s my cue. Call me. I want all the slutty make-up details.” She turned to Zane and Brant. “For efforts sake boys”—Becky put her hands on her hips—“give the girl her vampire sandwich already.”

Tanya gasped, she felt her face heat. She wanted to set Becky straight. She had so not agreed to making up with them, but two sets of intense, dark eyes turned on her. She pursed her lips.

Becky gave her an air kiss, skipped to the door, turned and waved at them with one finger before leaving.

Zane stepped closer, running a finger down her arm. She was going to have to enforce a no touching rule. Brant came up close to the opposite side and thread his fingers through her hair before planting a kiss on her forehead. Zane trailed back up using just the very tip of his finger. Tanya had to suppress a sigh. She would so make the rule…tomorrow. Right now her eyelids felt heavy.

“Sleep, Cenwein.”

“We’ll be here when you wake up, sweetness.”

Although her body gave in and she felt her limbs grow heavy as she started to drift off, her mind was in turmoil. She couldn’t allow herself to forget that nothing had really changed since they declared that they would be fighting to the death. They were still the same males she had left. It was only a matter of time before they came to blows even if they didn’t realize it themselves. Yet she loved them so very freaking much. There had to be a way to solve this dilemma, only she didn’t have a clue as to what that was.