I looked up at Zane through the dim veil of light coming from the fire. It was getting close to morning. We had just finished making love and he was snoozing underneath me, his soft snores gently parting the silence of the bedroom. The hearth under my arm had grown cold since the fire had gone out, the only remaining warmth coming from Zane and the gently burning coals.

I smiled and planted a kiss on his cheek. His face twitched from the gesture as he wrapped a loving arm around my shoulders. It made me sigh with pleasure to see him so peaceful. He deserved that kind of peace. I could see the worry etched into his features and the weight on his back from carrying his pack. It must have been difficult to lose this much in such a short amount of years. And with eternity staring you in the face, a century would feel like a week. He must have suffered greatly.

When I kissed him again, he stirred.

“Are you going back to your room, Riley?” he whispered.

I allowed my lips to linger around his chin.

“Yes. I must get to bed soon,” I replied.

“Take this with you.”

Sleepily, he pulled himself from the ground and slumped lazily over to the bedside table next to his bed. I stood up and stretched the kinks out of my back from lying on the ground. For him, it must have felt like a four-post bed, but for me, it was like lying in a wooden coffin. I cracked my back as he shuffled through a drawer.

“What is it?” I implored.

When he turned, he wore the sweetest smile I had ever seen. He cradled a necklace in his hands. The color of the stone on the silver chain caught the dwindling embers of the fire and I gasped. It was glorious. Each etching of the stone reflected a different light, blasting with color from the center.

“A blood stone?” I gasped.

“One of the rarest ones in existence. I found this several decades ago on a hunt. Someone important must have dropped it,” he explained.

“I couldn't.”

“But you can.”

He held it out without another word, wrapping the silver chain around my neck delicately. It glittered in the dim light. As I admired the stone between my fingers, I noticed the silver chain wasn't made of actual silver. It would have burned him otherwise. It seemed to be some kind of metal that could withstand the years of wear. In fact, it didn't look very old at all. The color was vibrant, having been polished into life.

“This is a testament of my trust in you, Riley,” he spoke. “And it will stand as my token of affection. From now on, I am yours and you are mine.”

I studied the beautiful crimson color that filled my vision.

“But what about Forrest? Leo?” I inquired.

“They can be yours for as long as you'll have them.”

I shook my head. “But I don't understand.”

“Our ways are not your ways. They are much different. But that doesn't mean you can't participate if you want to,” he offered.

I studied the blood stone once again, curling my fingers around the warm trinket that had been given to me out of love.

“I can't express how much I appreciate this token,” I admired. “And I intend to wear it for as long as I'm able to wear it.”

He smiled warmly.

“That's all I ask, Riley. Should you not return the same affection, simply return it.”

“I don't think that's going to happen,” I grinned.

As I stood in the dim light, he wrapped his muscular arms around me and gave me a comforting embrace. He kissed my temple before walking me to the door.

“Sleep well, Riley. We'll wake you in the evening.”

“Good night, Zane.”

After closing the door, I swelled with emotions. But these weren't the confused and guilty emotions of mere hours before. They were ones of passion, determination, and tenderness. I allowed each one to fill me completely and then tucked them away for safekeeping. I made my way slowly down the hall towards my room, not minding that the sun was about to burst out from beneath the horizon. I could feel it coming. I didn't care.

One foot after the other leisurely drew me closer to my door. When I approached it, I noticed that it was cracked open. Someone had been in my room. In a fit of panic, I pushed carefully on the wood and peeked curiously inside. I reached for my hip to locate my dagger, but realized I had left my utility belt in Zane's room. He might be asleep again. I didn't want to wake him.

While clutching the blood stone, I stepped into my room. A fire raged in the fireplace, but no soul could be found. I sniffed the air and rolled my eyes when I recognized the familiar scents.

“You two realize you can't surprise a fang like that,” I announced. “My nose can detect you even if my other senses can't.”

A chuckle came from the corner.

“Well, we just wanted to surprise you,” Leo said.

He emerged from the shadows with Forrest following, the two of them glowing in the bright firelight. It felt warm and smelled like cedar. I inhaled the sweet scent that immediately caused me to relax. I propped a hand on my hip, raising a mischievous brow.

“And what were you going to surprise me with?” I implored.

A smirk crossed Leo's lips as he stepped forward. I sat on the edge of my bed while fixing my socks over my feet, noticing that I had also left my boots behind in Zane's room. I hoped Leo didn't notice, or that he wouldn't care if he did. Forrest crossed the room and took a seat next to me. I turned to offer him a smile.

“A little morning surprise, if you will,” he offered. “A two-for-one special.”

Could I handle more? I wasn't even positive. My thighs were still sore from Zane who had properly pummeled me into fits of joy. Though I desperately wanted to take them both, I knew my limits. This would, unfortunately, be one of them.

“I'm not sure I can handle two at the moment,” I lamented.

Leo knelt down in front of me and wrapped his arms around my thighs, running his thumbs over my hips. He smiled sweetly and rested his head on my lap.

“That's perfectly fine. We can cuddle you until you fall asleep,” he whispered.

I blinked in utter shock.

“Really?” I asked.

“Yes, of course. Why wouldn't we?” Forrest responded.

His fingers were running through my hair and coaxing me down to the comfortable cotton sheets waiting to embrace me. Exhaustion was quickly taking over from my night spent with Zane. Part of me felt some level of guilt for denying these two men who had done everything in their skill set to give me comfort and affection. But there was no time for that. I was too tired.

“I guess I'm just used to...” I faded and shrugged. “I'm not sure. This isn't my usual scene.”

“That's fair. I don't imagine those fangs over there have any respect,” Leo supposed.

“I mean, they do. It's just...they're somewhat rigid. One partner for nearly eternity and one position. They don't really explore,” I elucidated.

Forrest grimaced. “That sounds awful.”

I nodded. “There's just nothing exciting about an eternity spent on the bottom.”

With glowing eyes, he bit his lower lip and leaned against my shoulder.

“Well, I'll have to remember that next time,” he whispered. “My apologies for being boring.”

“Oh, I didn't mean to offend!”

Laughter erupted from the two and I sank back into the bed, shaking my head nervously while trying to offer the same laugh. I was still bashful around them, and their sense of humor hadn't quite settled in as much as their affection.

“You haven't offended me, Riley. I'm not like those snooty fangs who expect you to know everything,” Forrest chuckled.

“We're simple men with simple desires...Well, some of our desires are simple,” Leo teased.

He crawled up on the bed next to me and curled into my side as Forrest wrapped an arm around my waist. This was exactly where I wanted to be. I relished the attention I received, marveled at the skilled hands running over my smooth skin, and cherished each kiss. They were sweet beasts who had my best interests in mind, and I wanted nothing more than to reciprocate what they've shown me.

With a mischievous smirk, I sat up from their arms and looked them both in the eye. They curiously watched my fingers dance over their torsos and sink down to the edge of their pants. I winked and sank further, allowing my fingers to graze through hair to find the source of pleasure that I knew would bring them both to their knees. As they sighed, I smiled wider and relished the sound of their moans.

Yes, this was exactly where I wanted to be.