Embrace the Dark

6

“Now we just need to wait for your final mate and then we can start visiting the temples,” Erroh said, with a wide grin.

“I’m sure we’re all looking forward to that,” Carth said, his smile turning naughty.

I glanced between the three of them. “Are you all okay with this—with sharing me?”

“I always knew it was your destiny,” Erroh said. “I’m just glad I get to be one of your mates.”

Carth shrugged. “Doesn’t bother me. The more the merrier.”

“I was raised by four fathers,” Zain said. “I understand the dynamics of it.”

I let out a relieved sigh. “Good. All I can hope now is that they’ve chosen well for my fourth mate.”

I thought back to my dream. That black-haired man must be the one chosen by the Earth God. Perhaps I didn’t have dreams of these three because I already knew them?

My mother walked in, along with my father Slade. “We heard you were having a late breakfast,” Mom said. “Did you have a restless night dreaming of your mates?”

I glanced quickly at the three men. “Something like that.”

“I’m sure they’ll be arriving soon,” Slade said, as he grabbed a piece of bread.

“Actually, three of them already have.” I gestured to Erroh, Carth, and Zain. “The Gods have chosen them for Air, Water, and Fire.” Mom blinked at the men, her face showing obvious surprise. “Oh! How…unexpected.”

Slade’s brow furrowed as he studied the three men, in particular, Carth. “These are the men the Gods chose?”

Mom elbowed him in the side and smiled at me. “How nice that you already know each other. That will save you a lot of trouble.”

Slade grunted and grudgingly said, “I suppose the Gods know what is best for Sora.”

I knew things would be awkward between my mates and my fathers, but this was worse than I’d expected. These men had known my parents all their lives. My parents had watched them grow up beside me, from the time we were children. Now they would have to train them and watch them become my mates. We all knew what that involved.

Zain cleared his throat. “We’re all very honored and excited to begin training with you.”

“Don’t expect us to go easy on you because you’re Sora’s friends,” my other father Revan said from behind me. He was so stealthy I hadn’t even heard him come in, and now he eyed Carth with disdain. “If you hurt her or break her heart, we will end your life. Painfully. And no one will find the bodies.”

Mom held up a hand. “That’s enough of that, Revan.”

“He’s right though,” Slade grumbled.

“Don’t worry Uncle Slade, we’ll take good care of her,” Carth said, then gave Slade a friendly punch in the arm. Slade growled at him in response.

“No one is going to hurt Sora,” Erroh said. “We all care about her very much.”

“I hope that’s true…for your sakes,” Revan said.

I covered my face with my hands. This was going to be a disaster.

My parents always knew this day would come, so two years ago they moved me into a separate wing of the palace in preparation. My suite had a huge living space plus an equally large bedroom, and was surrounded by four other smaller suites prepared for my mates. Each of those rooms sat empty for years…until today.

Over the course of a few hours, my three mates moved into their new suites. Each one was decorated for their element—Carth’s was done in deep blue and sea green hues, Zain’s in fiery red and black, and Erroh’s in pale yellow and sky blue. The last room was hunter green and warm brown, still sitting empty, but not for long.

Once the three men were all moved in, we had supper sent up so we could share a meal together in our new dining area. I gazed across the stone table at my three friends, now my three mates, marveling over how things could change so quickly for us overnight. And yet, everything about it felt right. These men had always been destined to be mine.

Things were already different though. Zain and Erroh were both in plain clothes, no longer wearing the uniforms of their previous stations. They were both giving up their careers to become my mates.

“I’m sorry you had to say goodbye to your previous lives,” I told them, as we began to eat. “I’m sure this is a big change for all of you.”

Erroh shrugged. “I only joined the Silver Guard so I could protect you and be near you. This is even better.”

“I did always wonder why you joined,” I said with a smile. Growing up, Erroh had always had his nose in a book, until I dragged him off on some adventure and got us both into trouble. When he’d joined the Silver Guard at eighteen it had been a total shock. Now it made a lot more sense. My heart warmed knowing he’d done it to be near me, even though he thought he could never have me. “What about you, Zain? Are you sad you had to leave the Fire Temple for Soulspire?”

Zain shook his head. “I served the Fire God at the temple, and now I serve him here. I’ll miss my family, but I’m confident this is the best place for me.”

“And you, Carth?” I asked. He still wore his nobleman’s finery, with his silk shirt open just enough to give me a peek of his tan, sculpted chest.