“It’s taking them too long,” I complain, pacing the floor. After the Faelight mishap, I’d tried to get in a quick ten-minute nap to refresh my tired mind and body, but I’m too wound up.

Old Haven’s become something like a warzone. A crack of gunfire pops in the distance, proving the point.

It scares me to think the rioting is because of me, because of that damn video circulating all over the news.

Not in a million years would I have ever thought I’d be the spark that set ablaze the tinderbox of tensions underneath New Haven and Old Haven.

Whoever leaked the damn video had to know this was a possibility. It’s apparently caused every gun-toting Anti-Para asshole in New Haven to pull on their duds, lock and load a few rounds, and harass every Paranormal they can find. Not just the Street Sweepers, from the sounds of it, but every vigilante and hate-filled idiot seems to be shooting up Old Haven like it’s the Wild West.

The Paranormals, of course, are starting to fight back, and right now, Cole and Noah are in the middle of all that mayhem.

They might be trained warriors, but the odds of those two avoiding trouble right now . . . they could easily get lost in the tumult. Also, it doesn’t help that three more drones have flown down the block, clearly intent on finding me but not giving two shits about the shooting and fighting down below.

Punctuating my worries, another drone goes by, along with a double-blast from shotguns down at the street level. “They’re trained. They know what to do,” Tyler says before I can protest again. “They’ll return.”

They seem calm, confident in their compatriots, but I’m getting antsy. More so because I want to hold Alyssa in my arms. “Something could’ve happened to them!” I say, despite how trained they might be.

Jacob draws his blade along his stone again, the hissing sound perhaps relaxing to him but grating on my nerves. “They’re fine. We’ve dealt with this kind of stuff for centuries. We’ve handled enemies that make vampires look like a Girl Scout parade. Cole and Noah know how to take care of themselves.”

“I’m sure they can, but they can’t avoid a literal wall of silver rounds coming at them from all directions. Which might just happen if they run into a setup.”

Jacob laughs, reaching behind him and plucking something out of his pocket. “You mean one of these rounds?” He tosses it to me and I catch it, seeing it’s a standard law enforcement silver round. “Silver nitrate hollow-point with a silver core. That won’t do anything to us but feel like a bee sting.”

“Oh, yeah? I’ve heard a lot of talk, and I saw the aftermath of you taking down some guards, but other than that, just a lot of bragging. How about you show me what you’ve got?” It's a childish challenge, but I need to move, need the adrenaline of a fight to help tamper the anxiety. I need someone to take my frustration out on.

Jacob glances at Tyler, who shrugs. Jacob nods, setting his knife and stone aside and standing in the middle of the open space in the living room.

When they’re in position, I launch myself at Jacob with a kick to his shin while spinning to avoid Tyler.

Tyler reaches for me first, and I twist, trying to grab his wrist as he moves, but he adjusts with me and I need to roll to avoid his grasp.

Coming up, I see Jacob coming for me, that cocky smirk on his face not fading as he aims a kick for my hip. I block it, but it still knocks me to the side and my foot sweep only catches his left calf.

“Ouch,” Jacob mocks as he cartwheels and comes to his feet. “Princess is tough.”

I wheel, throwing a punch at Tyler, who’s coming up behind me, but again, he somehow avoids me, this time grabbing me, the two of us tumbling to the ground.

I’m not ready to give up, rolling, words replaced with grunts and panting breaths as our bodies strain against each other. Tyler’s hard body makes my skin tingle as we maneuver, my last-ditch armbar attempt blocked, and I’m flipped to my belly, Tyler pressed against me. With a shock and slight moan, I can feel him, long and thick against my ass, his breath tickling my ear. “Yield,” he whispers, licking my ear. “Yield, and listen.”

“Listen to what?” I ask as Tyler pins my arms and turns us over, his cock still pressed against my ass as Jacob straddles both our thighs, chuckling. “What’re you laughing at? He’s the one who took me down.”

“Who do you think taught him?” Jacob reminds me. “But that was fun. Now, are you satisfied?”

My body says that no, I’m not quite satisfied . . . but my pride wants to admit nothing. “Please. It was two on one.”

“Listen, Eve,” Tyler whispers, his hips grinding against me as we roll to the side. Jacob lies down, pressing against my front and distracting me even more. “The four of us . . . we are bonded.”

“Bonded?” I ask, and Tyler hums. “What do you mean?”

“Hundreds of years of shared memories,” Tyler whispers, nibbling at my neck and making me not want to get away anymore. Instead, I moan, Jacob running his hand under my shirt to cup my breast and making me gasp. “We would know if either was hurt. Or worse.”

“Faeries have bonds?” I whimper as Jacob begins to lift my shirt.

Jacob pauses to smile. “You think that you and I don’t share a bond now? You’ve taken us in your mouth and inside you. What do you think that does to you?”

The simple question makes me stop and think. “Eve, the more you have sex with us, the stronger the bond will be,” Tyler says as his hand rubs my ass. “Eventually, well, it’s a Mate Bond.”

“If you concentrate, listen for Cole,” Jacob says as he delivers a kiss my breast, eliciting a soft moan. “You will see.”

I close my eyes, sighing as Tyler’s fingers come dangerously close to . . . “Tyler.”

“Just focus. Let the good feelings fill you,” Tyler says, licking my ear again. “Reach out to him.”

I try, thinking of Cole, the way he felt filling me, the look in his eyes as I rode him, the good feelings he caused in me. Slowly, I feel it, and my eyes pop open when I feel something else.

I jump up, suddenly remembering my predicament, and pull away from their intoxicating grip. “I can’t do this right now,” I rasp, my body and voice shaking as I point a trembling finger at the window. “Not with what’s going on outside. Not with what’s going on with . . .” I swallow, feeling a wave of guilt in the pit of my stomach.

Jacob is on his feet in a heartbeat, closing the distance between us, pulling me against his rock-hard body. Tyler’s right behind him. “Don’t deny what your body needs, Eve,” he says softly.

My body burns with fire, and I nearly give in, knowing how it calmed me before. “Jacob,” I whisper, “as badly as I want this right now from the both of you, I don’t think I can.”

“Shh,” Jacob murmurs, kissing me and drawing a soft sigh from my lips. “I can feel how anxious you are through our bond, how tense your body is. We’ve already seen what happens when the pressure inside you gets too high. Someone gets hurt. You don’t want that happening again, do you? Let us take care of you.”

His words drape over my emotions like a silk blanket, muting my worries. I want to protest, but the urge is fleeting, washed away like a grain of sand on the shore of a windy beach.

For a moment, I worry he is glamoring me, like Cole has in the past, but a part of me doesn’t even care. A part of me feels like he’s right. I need to release the built-up tension inside me before I explode and someone gets hurt.

I look at Tyler in question as Jacob pulls me closer to him.

“Tyler’s my brother in so many ways. He’ll have his chance.” He gives me a kiss that nearly makes me melt.

I whimper, looking over my shoulder at Tyler as he smiles, nodding. He closes in behind me, and he and Jacob place their hands on my hips, pulling me back onto the floor in one smooth motion.

Within a breath, Jacob’s lips smash into mine while he lifts my leg into the air. He teases me, the head of his cock brushing against my clit again and again as Tyler reaches around, cupping my breasts. I feel his hips shift, and suddenly, the heat against my ass increases. He’s out and skin to skin with me too. I grab Jacob’s hair, pulling his face back.

“I can’t take anymore. Give it to me,” I command him, making Jacob grin. His hips pull back, and with the next thrust, he fills me, my pussy clenching around him as all three of us moan.

Aware of what might be happening, I try to open my mind, feeling not only Jacob, but through him, Tyler. With every stroke, I feel our connection grow, and I roll, pressed between two men who fill my heart and soul with joy with every touch. Jacob smiles, not the cocky grin of the Alpha male who hides his inner torment but the honest smile of a man who feels accepted.

Gods, what our bond is bringing me. The years growing up unsure of himself, accepted in neither the human realm or the faerie realm . . . the independence it created, and the longing for those who accepted him. His deepest wish is a woman who will love him as him, who will be strong enough to accept him, for none have before. None, in five hundred years.

I can feel the loyalty, the love he has for Tyler, his brother in all the right ways, and his friends. I give it back, staring in those golden eyes swirled with silver as he goes faster, my leg wrapping around his ass to rest on his hips as he strokes deeply inside me, giving it to me the way he seems to know I like.

“That’s it,” I rasp, my pussy clenching around him as I feel his balls tighten. I’ve come so many times tonight that I don’t need to come yet, but he does, and I want him to. Fill me, my lonely Guardian. Fill me because I understand you. I accept you.

“Eve. Oh, fuck, I’m . . .” He growls before crushing my lips in a deep, fiery kiss. I bite his lip, sending him crashing over the edge as he cries out, his cock spasming and filling me with his tingly, powerful, magical cum.

Jacob sags, and I kiss his bruised lip tenderly, pushing him back. “Let me clean you,” I whisper as I follow him, getting on my knees. I lick and suck the last bit off his cock as Tyler strokes a finger through my soaked folds, patiently waiting his turn until I release Jacob with a loud pop. I look back, and Tyler nods and helps me turn over, spreading my legs wide before holding himself ready, guiding himself toward my aching depths.

He’s angelic, with an innocent face that could and has broken hearts, but his cock is long and true, the arrow he’s going to fill me with as I pull my knees up. Jacob’s collapsed, watching with a satisfied look on his face and no words as Tyler slips into me, always tender, always focused on me.

“You . . . you are so perfect,” I whisper in his ear as he pulls back and strokes slowly into me again, making us both shiver.

“You’re perfect, and perfect for us,” Tyler whispers back as he raises up on his arms, locking eyes with me as he starts stroking in and out of me. Despite his lean, almost narrow shoulders, he’s immensely strong, and he gives it to me with faster and faster strokes as he feels my body respond to him. I’m filled with energy, the joy of Jacob filling me with more light as Tyler adds to it, the light brightened and increased as we go harder and deeper.

Tyler grabs my thighs, pulling me tight against him as he rolls me back, his cock pounding me deeply as he doubles me nearly into a ball, pinning me with his cock and his body. He growls, his inner feral side coming out and thrilling me. We kiss deeply, my body on fire as he rolls his hips, grinding against me.

“That’s it . . . fuck, yes,” I groan as my orgasm builds. “Oh, fuck, Tyler, make me come.”

“Take it, make it yours,” Tyler growls, our hips slapping together. His cock swells, and I squeeze him, both of us crying out as we come together. I feel his mind open to me, the beauty of his perfect intellect, tender soul, strong will, and warm loyalty overwhelming me as he empties himself inside me.

I collapse, clutching Tyler and not letting him go as his legs give out and he falls to the floor, Jacob cushioning my head as the warmth fills me and the joy starts to take over. I close my eyes, knowing it won’t last long but wanting to hold onto every second I can.

“That was amazing times two,” I admit after the high passes and I snuggle with both of them. It’s nice being the middle of a sandwich.

“Is that so?” Jacob chuckles. “And I thought it was amazing last time.”

“Oh, it was,” I admit. “This was good too. Different, but just as good.”

I chuckle, shaking my head and kissing Tyler’s jawline. I can hardly believe it, really. Seventy-two hours ago, I would have sworn that I was a job-addicted, relationshipless workaholic who was going to greet her thirties married to the badge. I’m not saying I’m marrying these four handsome hunks—I don’t even know how that’d work—but talk about flipping the damn script.

“Oh, poor girl just doesn’t know,” Jacob says, chuckling. “I think I work better alone.”

“You never have liked having your lack of skill highlighted,” Tyler says teasingly.

Jacob laughs softly. “Keep thinking that, Tyler. Eve, give me one night with you alone, and I’ll show you that the other three are just the warmup appetizers. I’m your main course and dessert all in one.”

Desire burns through me, and I chuckle. “You’re all different,” I reply, rubbing Jacob’s arm, “and I admit, I’m looking forward to having individual time with every one of you. But when we’re together, I feel special. Cole called me Princess . . . and when I have you all, I feel that way. Special.”

“You are special,” Tyler promises me, “even if the scoundrel here won’t admit it.”

“Scoundrel? I like the sound of that,” Jacob says with a chuckle. “And Eve, you are a princess. A warrior princess.”

Outside, there’s a crack of gunfire and I sigh. “A warrior princess should be out there,” I murmur. “The whole world’s going to shit. I don’t know if I could do much about that, but I could comfort Alyssa.”

“We know,” Tyler says. “And when Cole and Noah are back, we’ll figure out how we’re going to do this.”

I nod, not placated. I just want to jump through the window to escape, not wait on Cole and Noah. A thought forms in my head, and I bite my lip. Can I do it?

“I wonder who my parents are?” I ask, curious and trying to distract Tyler and Jacob at the same time. “Like, how does a faerie and a human happen?”

Jacob hums, kissing my shoulder. “From time to time, a human is brought to the faerie realms, and there have been tales of extremely learned humans who have discovered ways to create a portal to us. And of course, we visit from time to time. But it is not unheard of for a fae to take a human as a mate. Our DNA is compatible, after all.”

“How come we don’t know more about it then?”

“When humans visit, they rarely come back. Those who do are usually branded liars and braggarts,” Tyler says. “Humans don’t think such a place exists. It was likely your parents were in a similar situation.

It makes me feel awful. “My parents, human or Fae, left me on a doorstep,” I whisper, holding back tears. “How could they do that?”

I fight back the blackness of depression, reassuring myself with the mantra that it doesn’t matter. They didn’t care enough about me, so why should I care about them? Instead, I have Alyssa . . . and that’s what I need to focus on.

“Ohh . . . seems that the sleepiness is coming again. You two wore me out,” I tell them, willing myself to yawn.

This time, Jacob yawns too, snuggling against me. “Wore you out? I held back.”

Tyler chuckles but yawns too. I smile, kissing his lips softly. “Maybe all three of us should nap. A little sleep will do our bodies good.”

Tyler blinks, his eyes drooping, and in moments, I feel Jacob’s hand relax. I stay between them until they’re both snoring softly before silently climbing to my feet, adjusting my clothes. It’s cold out, so I grab Jacob’s hooded sweatshirt and head for the door.

I pause, looking back at my two . . . I’m not sure what to call them. Guardians isn’t enough. Lovers doesn’t cover it all. Whatever. I feel bad, knowing that I somehow used my fledgling powers to influence them. But they would never allow me to leave. Cole said to wait for his return, and their sense of duty and loyalty are unmatched. But I have a duty too.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “But I won’t risk your lives undoing the mess that I’ve created. I hope you guys can forgive me.”

Jacob snuffles and half rolls before snoring again, and I blink back a tear. “If I can, I’ll be back.”

I don’t dare risk staying any longer, and I open the door silently, slipping out into the hallway and closing it carefully behind me.

It’s easily two or three in the morning. I’m trembling on the edge of exhaustion, freshly double-fucked, and unarmed in a town of Paras and humans who want to kill me.

It could be worse. Not sure how . . . but I’m sure it could be worse.