Altered

Two become three

Amita's POV

I follow behind Sadmir, and even though I do not know him, I trust him. His whole body is cast in yellow light, and when the pressure in my back increased when we locked eyes, I knew instantly he was mine. Sadmir, what a handsome name for a man, and it seems to fit him as well. Sadmir is just as gorgeous as his name, and I cannot help but want to be near him. I know who he is to me, but does he know who I am to him? Of course, not he said so himself, but the way he touched me felt like he knew.

Somewhere deep down, he knows who I am, and I am petrified he will deny me for some reason. With Adbay, I am learning how to love, how to both receive it and give it. I am also learning how to stay at peace and accept the things that are but change the things I can. I wonder what I will learn from Sadmir.

Sadmir takes us up a winding hill, and a medium-size house sits upon it.

"This is my home."

His house is one of the biggest I have ever seen. There are no houses like this in Anahata. We all live a simplistic lifestyle, whereas here, bigger is better. His house is a two-story gray structure with stairs leading up to its front doors. We walk up the steps, and I notice the porch wraps around the house with chairs lining it for people to sit. Already I feel like Sadmir is too good for me, and dread fills my veins. Adbay reaches for my hand and draws my attention to him. He kisses my knuckles and gives me a wink. Sadmir, who has opened the door and is waiting for us, wears a look of confusion on his face from Adbay's display of affection towards me.

We walk into the home, and Sadmir leads us to the back porch but out of the sun. He gestures for us to take a place around a round table with chairs. As we sit down, Sadmir stands with his hands place at his back, making sure he has our attention before he speaks.

"I'll go get us some drinks and food and then you can start telling me whats going on. Fair?" he asks, and I look to Adbay, who sits back and nods his head. Sadmir looks at me, and I hold his gaze for just a second before I lower mine to the floor. He walks back inside, and the door closes behind him.

"What do you think?" I ask Adbay.

"I think he wants to f**k you but hates himself for that being he first instinct." Adbay confesses.

"Why would you say that?"

"You asked me what I thought."

"Okay fair why do you think that?"

"Because when we were at the shop your lips were trembling and that can be very sexy to a man. He had to touch you, he wanted you. But he is a honest man and he feels conflicted for feeling such a primal need towards you."

"I feel it to, every time I look at him."

My stomach growls even though I ate a satisfying breakfast at the inn this morning. The door bangs open, and Sadmir walks out with cups and a food platter. He sets the cups and platter of food down on the table and takes his seat.

We all take pieces of food or a cup before another word is said. I clear my throat and turn towards Sadmir.

"Sadmir how much do you know about our kingdom before Vipin?"

"Not much I was just a boy. I remember we had a queen or sorts but Vipin killed her and took over and now we are slaves at the beck and call of the vipers."

"Thats good you know that Vipin is not the rightful ruler of our people. Well what if I told you there was a long lost princess and that we need your help to put her back on the throne and drive out the vipers?"

He says nothing for a long moment, and I fear he may not believe me after all until he nods his head.

"If you can prove to me there is a princess from the fallen queen then of course I would help but there is no such thing."

"I am that princess and I need your help. You are my chakra mate. You are my Manipura."

"Prove it to me."

I look to Adbay uncertainly, the only power I have manifested so far is Kundalini sight, and I'm not sure if that will be enough.

"We can prove it to you tonight if you like." Adbay interjects and saves me from my failure to convenience my own mate of who I am.

"How?"

"Tonight I will bring a Tiger's eye stone with me and you will unlock her chakra. The power you both will feel will be proof enough."

"Chakra? What is a chakra?" Sadmir asks, and Adbay fills him in on all most important details he needs to know. He tells Sadmir everything starting from the beginning when his parents woke him up with a screaming babe. How he had to take me to safety. How he has watched over me all this time, and as he tells Sadmir the story, I realize we will have to do this five more times. Retell our story to five other men, and we will have to convince them as well.

What if one does not agree to the task. I mean, I am not worried about providing proof of who I am but what if they just flat out say no or worse, what if my mate is not a good man. I have to force myself to focus on the conversation being had right in front of me. Adbay stops talking and looks over at me. I forget still that the mate bond between Adbay and me grows stronger the longer we are together. Our emotions mingle, and he can hear my mind if I feel something strongly enough.

"Amita." Adbay starts, but I don't allow him to finish. I stand and make my way towards the door, but Sadmir grabs my hand and stops me. He brings me to him and hugs me tightly while his fingers sink into my hair. My body relaxes instantly, and I start to cry. I feel strength flow from him to me with every tear I release, and I cry harder because things are more complicated.

"Come see me tonight Amita, I want to help you."

I nod my head and release my hold on Sadmir and take a step back and then another until I have backed up into Adbay's chest. His arms wrap around my front as I close my eyes and sink into him. He lifts me into his arms and carries me out as I fall asleep in his arms and on his chest.

The sun falls down into the horizon, making way for the moon before I a prepared for them to do so, but time stops for no one, not even a princess. Adbay holds my hand as we make our way up the big hill that will take us back to Sadmir's home. I am nervous to see him again and even more anxious to have another chakra unlock. I wonder if it will be slow and sweet like with Adbay. I remember the pleasure-pain mixture I felt most, how I was breaking apart in the most beautiful ways just to bring me back with the most intense pleasure I have ever felt.

If Adbay is correct, I will know my true identity when Sadmir unlocks my solar plexus chakra. There should be no doubt left of who I am and what I was put forth to do. It's a lot to hope for, and I hope I let no one down.

We reach the door to Sadmir's house, and a woman with the same dirty blond hair and brown eyes as Sadmir opens the door before we have a chance to knock. She eyes us up and down before moving aside letting us in.

"Sadmir is on the back porch."

She tells us in a hushed whisper as if she is afraid of being overheard by someone. I look to the back of the house and spot Sadmir filling in the back doorway waiting for us. Sadmir must have filled her in on who we are and what we came here to do.

"Thank you mother for letting them in."

I look back at the woman, and she gives me a small smile, and I return it. I turn toward her and stick out my hand.

"I'm Amita, your son's friend."

"I know who you are Amita."

She grabs my hand back and shakes it.

"My son has told me about today's adventures in the market. You are the princess of our people and my son is one of your mates. I have been around long enough to remember the old ways."

Realizing this woman could probably help me get to know my mother in a way that I have never known or at least help me fill in the past forces me to take a step back. I look at her with hope in my eyes and heart.

"If its not too much of trouble I would like to ask you some questions about my mother and the kingdom before." My voice shakes, and she grabs my hands in hers and squeezes them.

"I will tell you all that I know I just don't want you to get your hopes up. I did not know your mother personally and I believe all that did were killed."

Tears fill my eyes and run down my face. I am so sick of my tears that now all I feel is frustration at not controlling anything.

"Shush now child, you have great things you need to do now. There will be time for tears later. Show your strength. Activate your chakra and save our people. That is your duty now."

Her words are like a slap in the face but one I desperately needed. She wipes away my tears and gives me a full smile, and directs me to her son. Sadmir is still in the door with a sad smile on his face.

"I hate seeing you cry." He says.

"I'll try to do it less often."

We all take our seats at the table we sat at this afternoon. Sadmir nods his head to Adbay in greeting, and I'm not sure if I should say something or let the men be men. Sadmir's mother comes outback with cups of water and places them on the table.

"Does anyone need anything are you hungry?" She asks, and the three of us shake our heads and remain silent.

"Alright then, I'll be heading to my room then and your father should be arriving home shortly. Send him straight to me and I will explain everything to him."

"Thank you mother." Sadmir stands up and kisses his mother on the cheek, and she retreats back into the house. Once Sadmir has taken his seat, Adbay leans forward, bracing his forearms on the table, and looks at Sadmir.

"Do you accept the fact that you are the princess's chakra mate?"

"Yes." Sadmir answers without hesitation.

"Do you agree to unlock her Manipura chakra this night?"

"Yes." Sadmir answers again without hesitation, and a huge smile appears on Adbay's face and then one on Sadmir's. Both men stand up, walk around the table and embrace each other in a hug.

"Brother."

"Brother."

They both say to one another, and pressure builds at the base of my spine again. The men must feel it, too, because they both jump back and gasp, touching their backs. This must be right, we must be on the right track, and that fills me with a hot and new determination. They both retake their seats, and Adbay goes over how the ritual will be done for us.

"Wait, you wont be there to guide us?" I ask in a shrill voice.

"Do you remember what it was like when I unlocked your chakra? It is a very intimate process one that should be done in privacy with just the two of you." Adbay tells me, and I feel my heart beating faster with panic. I have only ever been with Adbay, and that is still recent. How am I supposed to give myself to another whom I have just met this afternoon?

"I'm not ready Adbay." I confess, "I'm not so sure I can do this."

"Lets take it step by step. All we are doing right now is talking. I will go over the ritual as many times as you need me to. s*x is not something that has to happen, its not necessary to unlock your chakra. But when you do unlock your chakra it opens a link between you and Sadmir. You wont be able to hide from each other. Your feelings will grow as you get to know one another and only when you both are ready do you have to commit to a s****l relationship."

I let out a sigh of relief and sit back in my chair. Sadmir stands up abruptly and walks back into the house without saying a word. My face drops as it dawns on me that Sadmir just heard that entire conversation. I feel sick to my stomach at the thought of him thinking I don't want him. It's not that at all. I stand up and walk into the house after Sadmir.

I find him in the kitchen drinking from another cup, but this time the smells make me think it is something more substantial than water. I take a tiny step forward and place my hands in front of me.

"Its not that I don't want you Sadmir."

"Then what is it? I am not a rapist I would never force you but I would be lying if I said I was not excited to have that experience with you."

I take a deep breath to steady my beating heart. I take another step closer to him because I rather not have someone overhear my truth.

"I was a virgin before Adbay. That was just weeks ago. It was hard to wrap my mind around being with him too until the mate bond. I just don't want to be forced to give myself to another. I want to choose when and how if ever at all. Can you understand that? I want you Sadmir but I don't want to give you that piece of myself until I feel like I know you."

"But you do want me? As a mate and as a lover?"

"Yes"

"Then we are all good. I just would hate to be bonded to a woman who could not stomach me." He laughs, but I do not find it funny, and I take the remaining steps to get to him. I stand on the tips of my toes and bring my lips down on his. I kiss him slow and deeply, letting him feel my want. I don't ever want him to doubt us, only that we need to move slowly. He places his hands on my hips and kisses me back before pushing me away.

"Lets get back out there so we can do this huh?"

I smile up at him for being the bigger man and ending it before it got too far. He grabs my hand, and we walk back outside.