Ever Cynical

Chapter 64- Nexus Might Have the Answers

Anais POV

All the delicious mating was completed, finally. Listen, I love s*x. A lot, even if I'm pretty new to it. Don't get me wrong. I just... we have so much more to deal with, that as much as I need that bonding with my fantastic mates, I want us to get our s**t together. I had noticed that Nexus seemed to know almost everything. He didn't know who or where I personally was because my wolf had been hidden, but he was older than anyone still breathing. It was nice that one of my mates was older, not gonna lie. I like the group, Lords of Acid, but I was not trying to make Young Boys autobiographical.

We had piled into our massive bed after our romp in the forest. Kieran and Erik had passed out completely, but Jothan was holding me as we lay awake. When I looked up at him, I noticed his eyes were blacked out, and yet the gaze was full of love and tenderness.

"Nexus." I whispered. He grinned, canines out. Okay, I said it was creepy but it's quickly growing on me.

"My Queen." He whispered back, placing a cherishing kiss on my lips before moving to my neck. It seems my Fae/Elemental mate is more amorous to me personally. Erik and Kier are pretty equal in their lust and affection. Nexus in particular, seems especially attached to me. Gently pulling him away from his descending trail of kisses, so I could look into his blacked out eyes, I tilted my head.

"Tell me, Nexus. Why are you so..." I trailed off, uncertain how to exactly say what I wanted.

"Obsessed?" He queried. "Lustful towards you in particular? Unable to keep from touching you? Desperate to hold you?" When I nodded, he laughed, a sinfully rich and dark sound that sent tendrils of desire, just like his vines, throughout my body. Goddess, as if Kier's giggle wasn't enough, now this. That's it, I'm doomed. Doomed to be a mindlessly horny babymaker. I sighed in resignation and desire as his lips landed on my neck again. Wait a minute. He's got a vine wrapping around my ankle. This troublemaker. He pouted as I pointed at it, and moved his head away from my neck yet again. Whoa. Both my dragon and wolf purred at him, apparently in agreement that his pout was beyond sexy.

"Yes, all of those things." I said, trying to focus. He ran his nose slowly along my jaw as he inhaled my scent. He wasn't making this easy on me, that's for sure. My core wept for him, just with that. Such a freaking hussy I can't even get over myself! f*****g hell!

"Well, my Queen, I've been waiting for you since the dawn of Elementals. Countless millenia, really." He murmured as he kissed the corner of my mouth gently, then turned serious. "Had I found you sooner, no harm would ever have come to you. Even if I could not mate you until you found Jothan, I would have kept you safe" He growled fiercely, rousing Erik and Kieran from sleep. When they realized we were just talking, they smiled and leaned up against the pillows, watching and listening to our soft words. I patted his shoulder.

"These things were to make me stronger, mon ange. Selene-" I started and he covered my mouth with his hand, making our other mates growl lightly. Nexus dropped his hand immediately, making kissy faces at both of them. He was so very naughty.

"Selene is not always as helpful as she seems. It's best not to invoke the names of the gods too often. It's like inviting them in." He muttered, eyes darting around. "I do not want gods in our nest." He huffed. "Still, you should not have had to suffer. Even if my prior hosts were not your mates, they could at least have helped you." He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Our mates each laid a hand on him in reassurance, and he cracked a lopsided smile.

Weird that his smug grin with one canine popping out made me want to jump him, yet again? Definitely, but I was beginning to learn that it was par for the course. I'd probably somehow find them scratching their d***s sexy, and that's just messed up.

"So you say gods are not so helpful?" Erik said thoughtfully. Such a thing probably never occurred to the bears, given their commitment to all things mate bond.

"Well, they make rules and change favor as it suits them. Sometimes they are forced to stay out of things as well. Technically, the moon goddess is on our side. The problem is, at any time she could be absent when we need her. I've seen it happen. In fact, Anais, it happened to your own parents." He said to me, and my mouth dropped in shock. "It's not that she would deliberately cause harm, it's that she'd stand aside completely, whether by her own volition or not. Put simply, we cannot rely on them."

"Because nobody really wants anyone truly in charge." Kieran mused, stroking his chin. Suddenly, he sat up a little. "Mirgadok said something similar when I asked if he trusted her decisions on mates. He basically indicated you could never be too sure." Nexus nodded.

"It's all a massive game of chess and we are the pieces. Except, Anais is more like the King on our chessboard, and all three of us are the Queen." He murmured lowly. I shook my head slowly. He was still keeping things back from us. He needed to be so much more transparent if we were to be an effective team.

"No, ma doux, I am not." I looked straight at him, more sure than anything else. "While our hierarchy in the pack is a little different, you, Nexus, are our King." I gasped. "That's why you are so... everything."

"My dear Queen, regardless of that, everyone in this room is equally important and holds equal status unless we intentionally subjugate ourselves. Even then, we'd be kings just second to our leaders. Still well above the rest of the world, honestly. While you are not entirely wrong, our mates are just as much kings as I am. I'm a little more ancient, is all." He laughed, and both Kier and Erik snapped their eyes to him, full of desire. He shrugged, as if the notion of spending our lives doing nothing but f**k didn't bother him one bit.

"We are going to have so much trouble just getting things done." Kieran huffed. "Every time I think we're done with our fuckfest, someone giggles. It's like some kind of damned curse."

"Shhh don't say that. You enver know. That Therosia is one that would find great amusement in such a thing. A pack destroyed due to lust? Right up her alley. She does so much s*x magic it's a little concerning." Nexus huffed, then kissed Kier quickly before leaning and doing the same to Erik. Both men blushed, and I choked back a giggle.

"So you actually know our main opponent personally?" Erik questioned, trying desperately to ignore the vines that Nexus was sneaking out to touch all of us. Probably hoping to distract us so he didn't have to show all of his cards. I steeled myself to the pull of insane craving and tried to really hear what he was saying. I had this feeling he wasn't going to repeat it.

"Unfortunately, yes. You know, of course, that Elementals often bond to either Fae or witches. Well, I used to bond with whoever seemed to have decent earth recognition for a very long time. I wasn't all that particular. It wasn't until about 800 years ago that I switched exclusively to Fae, really, because of Therosia herself. I ran into her while with some of my witches. She even killed a few trying to obtain my power, but Elementals are sentient and have a choice. Animal spirits don't really get that option. I knew she was horribly corrupted and greed-driven. Had my hosts been stronger, and of course, my queen been by my side, I would have already killed her." He sighed, clearly feeling a lot of regret and sadness for his lost friends.

"Well, I'm here now. Do you know what all we need to do to defeat her?" I probed. He knew so much! Maybe not everything, but a lot more than even my ancient dragon uncle. He could help us plan defenses that might actually work.

"Your uncle, he told you we need to find all three of your parents, right?" I nodded. "Good. That is the truth. We need them to complete their marking so that your title is solidified and your power complete. I know, my Queen, you already feel quite powerful, but this will be different, you shall see." He kissed the top of my hand that he was holding. "And as far as everyone else, we'll take it one opponent at a time. There's no way we can fail. Nobody." His voice dropping to an inky growl, "Nobody will ever harm our young ones, or any of you, ever again."

While I believed him, and loved how protective he was, that had never been in doubt. All of mates were like helicopters of protectiveness hovering around me constantly. Being alone with Tengjing had been rare. I knew they tried to hide it by rotating between Kier, Erik, and Lugh, sometimes Helga, but I was aware of what they were doing. Watching me like a damned hawk, that's what.

To be fair, I suck at asking for help, sooo... I get why they all do it.

"Do you know what they want from me as a breeder, Nexus?" I asked him. We had as much as was helpful on my parents and Therosia, for now. He sighed, pulling my head to his chest as his vines delicately ran over us. This time, they were soothing. Almost like a Gamma charm. Sneaky! Lugh had tried to use his a few times, and while it does indeed work, I let him know it was emergency-only use. I didn't like my emotions being controlled, even if it was for my own benefit.

"They don't know that you are an Immortal wolf, but they think that you are a one-of-a-kind being that will reshape their future, with different motivations." He sighed again. "I don't want to say anything nice about Donato, but as much as his wanted poster looks like he wants a breeder, it's more, he wants a relief from monotony, and sees you as this creature of light that can make him into a new man." I wrinkled my nose. That's not how that works. Either you want to be good or you don't. "Ludolf, on the other hand, is being guided by his wolf. His wolf may have some inkling that you are more than just human, but his wolf is not sharing that with Ludolf. He is driving him mad telling him he needs you."

"How do you know all of this?" I asked him. A vine lifted and caressed my cheek.

"Because I can reach any plant and use it to see and hear." He said smokily before ending our conversation with his body.

He exhausted us until we passed out.

Dammit.

I still had questions!