Page 51 of Essa

"No, I don't think he knows," Adam says, his tone mocking. "You want to marry him, Essa? You want him to crawl into our bed every night? We'll have to make a new arrangement for little spoon."

I'm still facing away from them all, but Adam's let me in his head to see the nonsense he's put into motion. It's all fun and games in his mind as he riles Essa up, but he's forgotten about the others in the room who might not like what he says either. As worked up as he's getting Essa, he's doing the same to her sister. His thoughts shift to defending himself from an attack right as Niivi lunges for him.

He hit a nerve talking about Iddis in our bed. I'd say he planned to get Niivi worked up enough to show her hand, but I'm almost positive it was more to make Essa mad. He isn't ready for someone who might actually hurt him. But before Niivi makes contact, Essa's away from my side, grappling with her sister.

"You do not touch him," Essa snarls.

I don't think she'd hurt her sister. But Niivi threatened Adam, and Essa takes caring for us seriously.

There's no way either of us will let Essa do anything she'll regret. We might not know everything about her, but we know she cares more about her sister than anyone else. Well, maybenot us, but then again, this is all new, and I don't think she's admitted how much we mean to her just yet.

"Essa, princess." Adam's voice is way softer than I think I've heard it when he hasn't just come down from an orgasm. "Let your sister go. She wouldn't hurt me. She was upset, but she wouldn't hurt me."

My whole body is frozen in the chair while I listen to the situation play out. I don't know how Essa has her sister or if she's about to hurt her, but I know Adam's genuinely afraid right now. If I weren't paralyzed in fear, I'd laugh at this being what might make him come to terms with the fact that he does know what fear is. Try as he might to ignore it. I don't think he can this time. Not with how he's responding to it.

"Essa, sweetheart, let her go. She loves him. That's why she was so upset. She wouldn't hurt me. You'd never let anyone hurt me again. I know that, but you need to let her go."

"Please," Iddis's melodic voice tickles the prey part of my brain just right. He's gone all scary face, too, but it's not stronger than Essa's. She's already told us how strong she is—strong enough to be a goddess, strong enough to kill her sister if she's not careful. "Please don't hurt her."

I swallow hard, my fear making my movement feel impossible. First, I move my hand. There's barely a little flicker of movement, but it's enough to know I still have control of my limbs. I force all of my will into my torso, my arms, my legs, shifting enough that I can look to the side so I can see the events in my peripheral. I choke on air as the picture in my vision focuses enough for me to see Essa with her teeth pressed against her sister's neck, her body tensed like she's willing to rip her throat out.

twenty-one

Essa

Seth's choked gasp is what breaks me from the pure rage I feel toward my sister. She lunged for my Adam. I don't think she would've hurt him, but seeing a male under my care, one I've sworn to protect, being threatened was enough to have my full nature come out.

I've always been stronger than my sister. We rarely fought one-on-one unless it was over normal sisterly things, and it's never been this bad.

I step away from Niivi, releasing her at the same time Adam wraps his arms around me, pinning my arms to my body and dragging me toward the wall, where he braces himself as much as he can. Smart male, I'm stronger than him, and he knows it.

This is probably his best chance if he wants to keep me trapped. He can't hold me for long if I fight him, but it's enough time for the other Haventh in the room to help him subdue me if they were thinking of doing that. Neither of my concubines has venom they can inject in me to keep me from feeling the effectsof other Haventh's venom, so I'd be much more vulnerable if I weren't as strong as I am.

Instead, as my fangs begin to retract and my mood starts to lift, Iddis rushes to my sister, cupping her face between his hands, checking to make sure she's okay. I want to snarl and snap my teeth at him for touching Niivi, for trying to think he could still force himself into a head position in this family. Niivi leans into him, accepting the comfort in his touch, and oh–

"Wait," I murmur more to myself than to anyone else.

Seth's still in his chair, frozen in place, probably because my eyes are still constricted, and Iddis looks more than a little angry. My poor human is petrified, and I can't even go to him because then I'll have to interrupt whatever moment Niivi and Iddis are having. A moment I'm just now realizing isn't Iddis trying to take advantage of the situation.

"Yeah, your sister has the hots for your fiancé," Adam growls behind me, his teeth still gritted tight like he's flexing all his muscles in case I try to escape his hold.

I push one of his arms off me easily, ending the charade that he could contain me and earning me a metaphorical dagger thrown at me through his eyes. He's cute when he thinks he's strong. Maybe I'll let him pretend to be strong after this misunderstanding is finally put to rest.

"In our defense, we didn't think you'd come back before the vows were said," Iddis bites toward us, his melodic voice shifting to something more harsh as his anger fades enough for him not to be fully lost to his base instincts.

"We're not supposed to talk of it," Niivi says, pushing at Iddis's hold now that everyone has begun to calm down. Even Seth is back to eating something from his plate, his fear response fading now that we're all in control of our scary faces.

"And what has not speaking of it rewarded us with?" Iddis asks her.

He keeps his hands on his shoulders once he's sure she's okay and stands to his full height, his tail snaking around her ankle, flicking briefly against hers even as she tries to step away from the gesture. Iddis only smiles at her attempt to retreat and steps toward her, making it clear to us all that he's claiming her in the only way he can. It has my own tail flicking around to find one of my males to touch. Adam, for once not being a pain, notices the agitated movements and steps close enough I can latch to him.

"Enough of these secrets," I say, stepping toward my sister and Iddis, hands out by my sides and open to hopefully show I'm no threat. I look at my sister, the tears rimming her eyes, the defeated slump in her shoulders. "Our parents kept many, and we promised we wouldn't do that to one another."

I remind her of our silly little vows to one another growing up. No secrets, no lying, no scheming. Though it seems all those vows have fallen to the wayside now that we're fully grown.

"What does it matter now." Niivi wipes at her eyes in harsh motions, her lips pulling back enough to show off her sharp fangs. They aren't descended, so she isn't too upset, but she's making it clear she's unhappy with all of this.

"It matters because your sister is doing what she thinks she needs to do to protect you," Adam says, moving to stand in front of me, ignoring how my tail tightens on his ankle to get him to shut up.

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