“Thank you,” she whispered before turning her gaze to me. “Both of you.”
I grunted as Torin smiled, inching his head slightly. “Anything for you, wife.”
Ellowyn blushed prettily as her fingers wound into a stray thread on the comforter.
“What can I do to help now that I’m . . . awake?”
Torin paused for a moment, an unspoken conversation passing between him and me before he spoke again.
“I have a favor to ask of you, Ellowyn.”
“Anything,” Ellowyn intoned vehemently, tugging at the roots of her hair as she ran her hands through it.
“I need you in Hestin.”
Chapter Eighty-Five
Folami
Lex collapsed with a pained groan on the two mattresses we’d pushed together in our room to create a bed large enough for all four of us to sleep together.
“The training was notthatbad today. You are overreacting,” I playfully admonished, even as my own muscles shook and twitched.
We’d escalated our training ever since Torin returned a few weeks ago, a new fervor taking hold as we prepared for the inevitable. Solacewouldattack, and we had to be prepared for whenever that came.
My body ached in ways it hadn’t since I’d first started training with a spear nearly twenty years ago. Months of doing little more than staring at a wall atrophied my muscles to the point that they screamed in protest when I simply held my spear in front of my body.
Weeks later, and I was finally starting to progress into the more advanced movements I’d honed previously.
My muscles screamed in agony, though it was agoodkind of ache.
“I amnotoverreacting,” Lex griped, voice muffled by the thick comforter. Peytor entered next, dramatically flopping next to Lex, jostling the bed.
“Sorry,” he muttered. “I have to agree with Lex, Folami. That training was torturous.”
Lex turned onto his side enough to draw Peytor into his chest, the two cuddling together. “This is why Peytor is now my favorite.”
Ilyas chuffed a laugh at the sight, the door closing with a softsnickin his wakeas his large hands encapsulated my shoulders, strong fingers digging into the muscles in my back.
I groaned openly and deeply, the sound freezing all three men’s movements.
“Folami,” Lex whined as Ilyas huffed into my braids, large body quaking with laughter.
“I can’t help it. His fingers just feel sogood,” I said, head tilted back, and eyes closed as I relaxed into Ilyas’ ministrations. “He’smyfavorite,” I teased, echoing Lex’s earlier jab.
Peytor gasped in mock outrage before the sounds of lips meeting lips filled the space. Clearly, Lex had taken it upon himself to silence Peytor in the only way he knew.
I cracked an eye open, curious to see the sight of two of my loves together. It was as arousing as I expected. Both men were of similar height, but Peytor was significantly broader, his body curling protectively around Lex’s lithe form.
Ilyas’ mouth moved to my ear, hot breath fanning over my neck and chest. “Should we join them,ayaba?”
Arousal pulsed through my veins, hot and insistent, before pooling low in my belly. It was a welcome sensation after going without for months, and I wanted nothing more than to simply reinsert myself in this dynamic, especially now that Peytor was involved.
But my rising desire fell to a low simmer at the memory of my withdrawal, of my inability to be present for those I loved.
“Yes,” I whispered, clinging to Ilyas’ hand as it stilled on my shoulder.
“But?”
