“I need your touch,” I admitted.
His shaking fingers tangled in my wet curls.
Memories of him taking me in the field in the Legionnaire Games played through my head on repeat.
I swayed, but he held me up.
“No more,” John begged, lips pressed against my head. “Please—no more secrets. I don’t think I can survive it.”
I felt nauseous.
I inhaled courage and blurted out, “I-think-you’re-in-pain-because-I don’t-have-a-soul.” Water sprayed off my frozen lips.
He didn’t rear back like I expected.
John squeezed me tighter and whispered, “That’s bullshit—you’re wrong. If you were missing a soul, there would be no bond to form.”
I pulled back to put some space between us, which put me flush against Luka, who rubbed his hands up and down over my arms like he was trying to warm me.
The Necklace of Death pulsed against my chest.
I reached my hand up under my sweatshirt and held it; the stone was warm and vibrating like it was alive.
John’s eyes widened as he stared at where I gripped the necklace under my clothes.
I said quietly, “I need to take the jewelry off so you both can stop hurting.”
Luka stopped rubbing my arms comfortingly. His hands stilled, and he gripped my biceps tightly.
John shook his head. “It has already completed the bond. Taking it off will do nothing.” He moved closer.
My back was flush against Luka.
I was pinned between the twins.
Luka whispered in my ear, “The jewelry is a symbol of our love for you. Now that we’ve bonded, it’s connected us, body and soul. We’re your husbands, and you’re our wife.” His voice strummed with possessiveness, then the inflection changed and he begged, “Please don’t take it off.”
John trembled like he was freaking out.
“But it’s hurting you both?”
“You think we care about a little pain?” Luka asked in disbelief.
“That’s exactly how I felt,” I countered.
He frowned.
John tangled both his hands in my hair and said, “We’d walk through hell for you. This pain is nothing to us. What matters is your pain. You’re our wife. It’s our duty to protect you, and we’ve failed.”
“You don’t need to protect me,” I said. “I can protect myself.”
That was the part the men kept forgetting.
John’s eyes filled with sadness as he twirled a wet curl. “We don’t need to love you, but we do. We know you can protect yourself, but you shouldn’t have to—please don’t keep secrets.”
I dropped the necklace. Feeling pathetic, I admitted, “I don’t want to take it off.”
It vibrated warmly against my chest, a comforting reminder that they cared.
I wasn’t alone.
Not anymore.
The twins exhaled loudly with relief.
Malum turned off the shower, and I was startled as I realized the kings had moved. The three of them were crowding around the edge of the tub.
Five sets of eyes stared at me like they were trying to see into my soul and uncover any secrets I might have.
There was a loud crash, and the twins shifted to shield me with their bodies. The kings whirled and crouched in unison, a shield of muscles and aggression.
I stood on my tiptoes to look over John’s shoulder.
Malum flung fire through the bathroom.
The door, which was already half hanging off its hinges because of Malum, was thrown open.
The demons dodged the ball of flames.
The men relaxed.
Vegar’s eyes widened as he took in the ruined bathroom, and Zenith blinked in shock behind him.
The demon’s mouths opened and closed as they took in the scene.
Vegar pointed at me. “You’re an idiot.” He shook his head like he was disappointed.
“Wow,” I said, “Blame the only woman for the men’s destruction.”
Vegar flung his hands in the air, inky lines trailing down his face. “They’re fucking idiots—their bullshit is expected.” He waved dismissively at the men, then pointed again at me. “But I thought you were better than them. You’re supposed to be beyond this display of stupidness.”
I glared back at him. I totally respected holding women to a higher standard （because we were better than men in every way）， but this was taking it too far.
“But I did nothing,” I deadpanned.
Vegar rolled his eyes. “Control them.” Zenith winked at me.
I choked. “They’re not my dogs?”