Shook my head, feeling my cheeks heat despite the cool water. “No Aiden yet. Well, not completely.” My whole face flushed hot as I remembered the feel of him coming hard down my throat last night.
“Holy shit,” she breathed, eyes bulging wide. “You fucked Percy Whitlock?!”
Tye, who had been floating nearby, shook his head with a laugh. “I knew those guys would be fucking goners once they spent any time with you. You’re too much for most men to handle.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, splashing him.
He grinned. “You’re a force of nature, Jupe. Always have been. They keep giving me these death glares whenever I see them, by the way,” he added, swimming closer. “Like they’re imagining creative ways to murder me.”
I laughed. “They probably think we’ve hooked up before. They’re kinda possessive.”
Tye made an exaggerated gagging noise. “God, no. No offense, Jupe, but that would be like kissing my sister.”
“None taken,” I assured him. There had never been anything romantic between Tye and me, not even a moment’s consideration on either side. Our friendship had always been purely platonic.
Lydia floated over to us. “Speaking of, how’s Kassie handling everything?” she asked Tye, referring to his very serious human girlfriend.
Tye’s expression darkened. “Not great. I still haven’t figured out how to tell her that I need to bond with a shield or form a new one soon. It feels like cheating, you know? Even though it’s not exactly the same thing.”
I watched the conflict play across his face, feeling guilty that my own bond—unexpected and initially unwanted—had fallen into place so easily when he was struggling with the inevitable choice between his zodiac responsibilities and his relationship.
“Have you thought about bringing her into the fold?” I suggested. “Telling her the truth about what you are?”
He sighed, staring up at the sky. “Every day. But you know the rules. Humans aren’t supposed to know unless they’re ready to be bonded to a zodiac, and even then, only after years of proven loyalty and conditioning to be able to handle magic.”
“Rules are made to be broken,” I said softly. “But I get it.”
We fell silent for a moment, floating in the clear water, the sunlight dancing across the surface.
“So,” Tye finally said, clearly wanting to change the subject, “what’s it like? Having four guys in your head all the time?”
I groaned. “Overwhelming. Irritating. It’s like never being alone, even when you’re by yourself. They can feel what I’m feeling, know when I’m upset or happy or...”
“Horny?” Lydia supplied helpfully.
“Yes, thank you, Lydia. That too.”
“They can’t feel you taking a shit, can they?” Tye asked in horror.
I choked, sitting up in the water and splashing him again. “Well now I have to ask!” The thought was momentarily horrifying. But it made me feel a bit better realizing that I hadn’t felt any ofthemtake a shit, so I probably had my answer.
“And the sex?” Lydia pressed, wiggling her eyebrows again. “Scale of one to ten.”
I ducked under the water to hide my blush, but when I resurfaced, they were both staring at me expectantly.
“Eleven,” I admitted. “Maybe twelve.”
Lydia whooped so loudly that birds scattered from nearby trees. “I KNEW IT!”
Tye covered his ears. “TMI, ladies. TMI.”
“Oh please,” Lydia scoffed. “Like you haven’t been wondering too.”
“Ireallyhaven’t,” he assured her, but he was grinning. “Though I am curious about one thing. Do they know about each other? Like, are they aware when you’re with one of them?”
I sank lower in the water, only my eyes above the surface. “They can feel it through the bond,” I mumbled after coming back up. “All of them can. It’s super intense.”
“Holy shit,” Lydia breathed. “That’s like... the ultimate voyeurism.”
