A Bond of Brothers Page 4

Filene answered, "He doesn't want to lose you, Shaylee."

  I chewed on my bottom lip. "What am I supposed to do?"

  "We'd like to perform a test." Adriel said, flipping his long, black hair over his shoulder. He didn't really look like a king were-bear in faded jeans and a henley with the sleeves pushed up, but I could feel how powerful he was just by being in touch with my nature power. He was the king bear for a reason.

  "What sort of test?"

  "A mate test. If you really are drawn to both Lynk and Tavian, then this test will confirm that. If you aren't, and it was just a coincidence that you reacted to Tavian the way that you did, then there is no problem and you can continue on with your relationship with Lynk."

  "But what if I do react to both of them the same way?" I know what I felt when I kissed Tavian. He made me feel exactly the same way that Lynk did, except guilt clouded all of those feelings now.

  "Then you will have a decision to make." Filene answered simply, as if it were something as easily decided as choosing what to make for dinner. "But I should tell you that if you are connected to both of them through the mate-call, then you will need to spend an equal amount of time with Tavian so that you can make an informed choice." A shiver of fear wove through me, tangled around something that felt a whole lot like desire.

  I swallowed hard. "Lynk said that when there are three called together that often the two males fight each other and the loser leaves."

  Adriel shrugged. "It does happen. But you're getting ahead of yourself. First, let us do the test and then we'll go from there."

  He stood up and walked towards the opening of the tent, ducking outside with practiced ease. Filene squeezed my hand comfortingly and motioned towards the opening. I followed her out and found what appeared to be the entire den gathered around a large pit near the market that was lined with stones. The people parted, mostly males I noticed, and upon closer inspection, I saw that the pit was filled with burned logs and lined with black rocks.

  Lynk and Tavian were standing apart from each other. Lynk's posture was straight as an arrow, his arms folded over his chest and his eyes blazing. Tavian looked calm and even excited to see me. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. A part of me, a big part, liked the idea of having two men to love, but remembering how Lynk had talked about how unusual sharing a wife was led me to think he wouldn't want to have anything to do with Tavian. I shook my head at my strange thoughts. Just yesterday I was entirely alone in the human world, shunned from my own people and without companionship for nearly a year. Now...what? Now I was standing in front of two men who were both attracted to me - hell, I was attracted to both of them - and I was going to be tested on my attraction. Nothing good was going to come from this, I just knew it.

  Adriel cleared his throat and silence followed as everyone stopped whispering and focused on him. His voice was clear and authoritative as he spoke, "According to our laws, when a mate-claim has been uttered to a bride already claimed by another in the den, the mate-scent test must be performed. This test will determine if there is a connection between Shaylee and both Lynk and Tavian. If there is no connection, then Lynk's mate-claim stands unbreakable and solitary."

  I waited for him to say what would happen if there was a connection to both men, but he didn't and it hung in the air like wet rags. I knew what would happen. I would tear their family apart. Already they didn't know what was happening with their little sister Daeton, and they had no idea where their brother Griegs was. If Lynk and Tavian fought over me, which seemed to be the only outcome judging from Lynk's angry posture, then one of them would be leaving their family.

  I felt the tears building behind my eyes and I fought not to cry. Filene eased my jacket from my shoulders as Adriel stepped over to me. She folded my coat over her arm and handed him two pieces of black cloth. "We're going to bind your hands behind your back, Shaylee, and blindfold you," Adriel said quietly.

  My heart stopped. "What?" I took a step back. "Why?"

  Filene put her hand on my shoulder and smiled reassuringly. Adriel said, "You can't have the ability to touch them. Touch can alter your senses and we're focusing on scent alone for this test, which is why you also need to be blindfolded. You're perfectly safe here, Shaylee. No harm will come to you."

  I slowly let out the breath that had caught in my throat and looked at Lynk and then Tavian. Tavian said, "It's okay, Shaylee. This is for the best, really."

  Lynk's body tensed and he growled, "Stop acting as if you're even a consideration, Tavian."

  Tavian snorted, "I know what I felt, Lynk. You wouldn't be so pissed if you didn't know it was the truth."

  Just seconds before the blindfold covered my eyes, the tears welled up and I ground my teeth together hard until the sting disappeared. My hands were pulled gently behind my back and a soft cloth tied them loosely but securely. Filene said, "Shaylee, one at a time, the boys will come to you and put their arm in front of your nose. You're to take a deep breath, more than one if you like. After you have scented both men, you'll be asked which one came first to you. If you can tell them apart by scent, then the mate-call does not apply to Tavian and you and Lynk can carry on. If you are unable to tell them apart, then they are both your mates and you'll have a few decisions to make. Are you ready?"

  I nodded, even though I wasn't remotely ready. I heard someone move towards me and my heart leapt into my throat. The arm pressed near my nose, not quite touching, but I could feel the rush of air and the warmth of the limb. I inhaled deeply and little fingers of heat radiated through me, pooling in my belly like a tender caress. It's Lynk. He smells so perfect.

  The arm disappeared and after a few steps, another arm came near and I inhaled deeply. And then again. And again. It smells just like Lynk. Identical.

  "Again." I said, turning my head away from the arm.

  "What?" Adriel asked.

  "I want to smell them both again." I wanted to stomp my foot in frustration.

  "If you wish," Adriel said, although he sounded as if he knew I couldn't tell them apart.

  The footsteps sounded again and an arm appeared and I inhaled over and over until I was nearly drunk on the scent that I was certain was Lynk's. The second arm smelled identical, and while my body responded with liquid heat and tingling awareness, my heart cracked and I stepped back.

  Struggling with the tie on my wrists I couldn't stop the helpless cry that came from my mouth. "No, no!" Arms wrapped around me, strong and sure, and I knew it was Lynk.

  Until the blindfold was pulled away and it was Tavian, his handsome face carved in worry even as hope bloomed in his dark eyes. A whimper escaped my mouth as he tugged the cloth free of my wrists. I allowed myself to stand in the shelter of his warm arms until Lynk put his hand on my shoulder, anger sparking in his eyes. I shoved away from Tavian and stormed through the throng of bears.

  Someone spun me around and it was Lynk. "Where are you going, lilenta?"

  "Home." I tried to extract myself from his grip but it tightened further.

  Tavian said with a soothing tone, "Tell us, Shaylee. What happened with the test?"

  I was so angry just then I could have brought the whole den crashing down around us. "You know what happened, don't act like you don't. You smell the same to me. I couldn't tell you apart. So I'm leaving."

  I let out a frustrated growl when Lynk refused to let me go.

  Their parents joined us, which just compounded my annoyance. Adriel's tone was that of a teacher, soothing but strict, "We should speak, all of us together."

  "No thanks. All I want to do is go home."

  "I'll come with you." Lynk said.

  "Me, too." Tavian offered and Lynk released my arm and spun on his brother, a growl lodged in his throat.

  I shoved at Lynk's shoulder as more tears threatened. "That's why I'm leaving. You can't stand your brother now and I won't come between you. I don't have any family and I won't let you tear your own apart. Forget you ever met me and leave me the hell alone...forever."


  Lynk turned abruptly and reached for me but I jumped back. "NO!" I yelled and the ground shook as my nature power flared with my emotions. I spun on my heels and ran for the stairs, grateful that he'd left the keys in the car.

  I saw them behind me as I slammed the car into gear and took off, and knew it was just a matter of time before they came to the cabin and found me. But it wouldn't matter. I couldn't let them beat each other all to hell over me, and I wouldn't let one of them walk away from their family for me. Family was everything. But maybe you had to lose your entire family like I did to understand its importance.

  As I sped away from the den, I realized that I really didn't know how to get back to my cabin. I hadn't really been paying attention as much as I should have been, and eventually the scenery all looked the same and I was entirely lost. I pulled over onto the side of the road and laid my head on the steering wheel and cried.

  There was a knock on the window and I pressed the button to roll it down.

  "Sweetheart," Tavian said, "what are you doing out here?"

  I turned my head and looked at him as he bent over to look in the window, Lynk next to him. They wore twin expressions of worry and confusion.

  "I got lost. I don't know how to get home." The words came out on choked sobs and I felt so foolish.

  "Come on, sweet angel," Lynk said, opening the door and handing me my jacket that I'd left behind. "Get over on the passenger side and I'll drive us to your home. Tavian's going to follow in the truck. We have a lot to talk about."

  I unbuckled my seat belt, slid my coat on, and scooted over. "There isn't anything to talk about, Lynk."

  "Of course there is," Tavian said, leaning into the open window after Lynk shut the door. "All the stuff in the den happened so quickly and you're not used to our ways. Of course you freaked out, and of course Lynk is upset. But you can't walk away from us, Shaylee. It's impossible for us too, until the matter is settled between us. We have tons to discuss."

  He patted the door and walked away to a pick-up truck parked in front of my car. Lynk put the window up and put my car into gear, turning around and going in the opposite direction I was headed.

  "Shouldn't fairies have a good sense of direction?" He asked after a few quiet minutes while I tried to shrink into the seat and collect my thoughts.

  I blinked at him. "Why would you think that?"

  "Well, directions are a part of nature, right? I mean, animals instinctively know the way home, birds know how to migrate and stuff. With your nature power, I just assumed you'd know how to get home."

  I let out a small chuckle and then started to laugh. "I guess my sense of direction isn't all that hot."

  "That's okay, we were right behind you. You didn't really think you were going to get away that easily, did you?" He reached for my hand and squeezed it, bringing it to rest on his thigh.

  "You don't want to share me with your brother, Lynk. And this stuff between us is really new, anyway. I don't even know how I feel about you entirely; we've only known each other a short time. I can't make a decision that will affect the rest of my life after a day."

  "We're not asking you to, lilenta. We have all the time in the world. But you can't just walk away from us. We'd go mad without you, trust me."

  "So you do accept that I feel drawn to Tavian, too?"

  "I don't like it, exactly, but I can't deny it."

  I sighed, feeling an enormous weight rest on my shoulders. "You're going to lose your brother, one way or the other. I'm not worth it."

  "You're worth your weight in diamonds, love."

  I wasn't so sure.

  The ride back to my cabin was quiet. Lynk let me have the time to think, and I was glad for it, although by the time he stopped next to my home, I had no idea what I was going to do. I just knew that I couldn't split their family apart. That would always hang over my head.

  Tavian pulled in next to us and three of us walked into the cabin. Lynk went to the wood stove and started the fire that had gone out and Tavian moved to the small kitchen area and filled up the kettle I'd left on the stove and turned the stove on. He instinctively seemed to know where everything was, pulling mugs and tea out of the cabinets and setting them on a tray. I pulled off my jacket and put my boots at the door, glad that for the moment things were okay between them.

  When the kettle whistled, Lynk straightened from where he'd been watching the fire in the stove and shut the door, while Tavian carried the tray over to the coffee table. They sat down, leaving a space for me between them. I sat down mutely and looked at the tray and then both of them.

  They reached for my hands at the same time, each taking one, and I closed my eyes for a moment, enjoying the way it felt to touch both of them at the same time. "Shaylee?" Lynk said quietly, and I opened my eyes and looked at him.

  "I'm afraid of what this is going to mean for your family." I said, squeezing both of their hands.

  "This isn't about them, it's about us." Tavian answered. "Do fairies have an instant connection like bears do?"

  "Not that I know of."

  "Then it must have been one of those mysterious twists of fate that happens to our kind. You were driven to find Lynk as he was dying, save him, and..." Tavian stopped talking. What was left unsaid was that I was meant for both of them, not just Lynk alone. It was so strange to think in those terms, as something to be cherished and shared. No one, but my mother, had ever thought I was special.

  "So what now?" I split the silence with my question.

  Lynk squeezed my hand. "Now, Shaylee, we have a proposition for you."

  "Really?"

  He chuckled, but it was forced. He was still having trouble coming to terms with what had happened. But so was I. And at least he'd known in the back of his mind that this mate-call thing had the potential to be for more than one person. I, on the other hand, was as green as fresh grass when it came to were-bear mating rituals.

  "Yes. You and I spent a day together. Although I wasn't conscious for all of it, I'm not going to split hairs. Tavian and I spoke before we caught up to you, and if you're agreeable to it, I'm going to leave in the morning and head back to the den. Tavian is going to stay here with you for the day and I'll come back in the morning."

  I licked my lips. "And then what?"

  He rubbed his thumb on the top of my hand and pressed his lips together. Tavian spoke, drawing my attention to him. "If you have made a decision, then we'll go back to the den together and share the announcement."

  I blanched. "You think after one day I'll be able to make a decision?"

  "Not necessarily. But it's a start. We'll be on equal ground, then. And we'll alternate days, one staying and one leaving, until you're ready to make your decision."

  "That's how you want this to go? Switching days?" I looked at Lynk in shock.

  He cupped my face with his free hand. "Lilenta, I'd love nothing more than to have never left this cabin for all eternity and have you to myself. But this is something we have to deal with now. Both Tavian and I are drawn to you as mates. It's what our kind do. When we scent our mate, when we find her, we want to be with her. Tavian has a right to get to know you, and you have the right to get to know him, too. Until you make a decision, then this will have to do."

  "But you don't want to share me." Defeat and sadness crept into me like ice.

  He looked slightly startled. "I, uh, I don't know the answer to that, Shaylee. I care for you a great deal. I want you to be mine. But to share you with Tavian?" He shook his head slightly. "I just don't know."

  My heart sank. That was what I thought.

  We spent the rest of the evening talking about everything except the elephant in the room. By the time I was too sleepy to keep my eyes open, I found Tavian to be as charming as Lynk and a real sweetheart. He was softer than Lynk, more caring and thoughtful from what I could tell. They actually balanced each other very well.

  Lynk carried me to bed and tucked me in, and although I wanted to ask him to hold me w
hile I slept, I knew I couldn't. He and Tavian were spending the night in the front room, one on the couch and one on an old sleeping bag.

  When I woke up and showered, I yawned my way out into the front room, drawn out by the aroma of bacon and coffee. I kissed both their cheeks and we ate breakfast together. A strained silence filled the room, dotted with Tavian's expectant and heated smile and Lynk's unhappy frown. When I walked Lynk out to the truck, I hugged him tightly.

  "I'm sorry." I said, my words muffled by his thick coat.

  "Sorry for what, lilenta?" He smoothed back my hair and kissed my forehead.

  "For all of this."

  He smiled sadly. "It's not your fault that you're so lovely and enchanting that you attracted two were-bears as mates. I'll be back in the morning, sweetheart."

  He kissed me goodbye and I stood in the snow and watched him leave until the truck was a far dot on the horizon and my teeth were chattering.

  When I stepped back into the cabin and shut the door, I leaned on it and toed off my boots, hanging up my coat and rubbing my hands together to warm them. I took a deep breath and my eyes popped open. Tavian was standing in the short hallway, his arms stretched above his head and his palms pressed to either wall. His eyes were dark, his mouth was open slightly, and he was panting quietly. That scent! It filled the air around me and I stumbled towards him and heard his soft growling.

  I gripped the edges of his flannel shirt and ripped upwards, popping the buttons in my haste and shoving the sides open. His incredibly muscular chest was laid bare for me, inches and inches of coppery flesh carved to perfection, from the indent of his navel to the dark chocolate color of his nipples. I planted my hands on his chest and looked up at him. "You smell so good, Tavian. I could, I could drown in your scent. It's like a beacon for me."

  His fingertips dug into the walls, but he remained still while my hands explored his upper body. His skin vibrated under my fingers as he growled. "Why do you smell so strongly now, when before with Lynk here it wasn't like that?"

  His mouth quirked up into a smile. "I was holding my bear in check. Lynk was, too. We didn't want to overwhelm you, not with things so up in the air."