After a restless night, I finally fell asleep just as the sun began to rise. I’d only been asleep for a short while when I was awoken by someone slipping under the blankets behind me and snuggling up against my back. I instantly stiffened, even though the added warmth was undeniably pleasant.

This was exactly the kind of thing I had stayed up all night thinking about. How could they be so affectionate with me? Did they really want me to stay? Did both of them truly feel the same as I? Their conversation hadn’t left much room for misinterpretation, so I had to assume that they did.

A part of me was so happy that I wanted to cheer. Although I had only known them for a very short time, I felt like I belonged with them.

Perhaps I should have felt some sort of aversion to the idea. Not only were they men, but they were also beastmen. I wasn't supposed to want this. But I did. So much so that it hurt.

To be honest, I'd never once had an interest in taking a wife, and I oftentimes wondered if there was something inherently wrong with me. Why didn’t I want what everyone else seemed to want? But now, I was starting to wonder if this was what I was waiting for all along.

Perhaps this was why fate had led me here.

But still, I had to go home. My family needed to know I was alive, and I had a responsibility to report what happened to my superiors.

Trolls were usually solitary creatures, found in groups of two or three at most. A grouping of ten, possibly more, was a terrifying prospect.

Perhaps it was simply an unlucky coincidence. Maybe multiple but separate groups had come upon us at the same time. It was possible that it was nothing. But if the trolls were organizing, then I couldn't let the Northern Army be caught by surprise. It would be a slaughter.

Upon my return, I would almost certainly be assigned to the follow-up mission, since I already knew the area. Refusing wouldn’t be an option. After that, they would assign me to another mission. Then another. And none of those missions would lead me back here.

Zale’s words from the night before echoed through my mind. If I was leaving, there wasn't any point in considering it. Long before we even met, my choice was already made for me. At most, I could bask in their affection for a short time, then bid them goodbye.

I wondered if it would have been better never to have known such enrapturing warmth than to have experienced it and then be forced to give it up.

Not that the fox curled against my back was giving me much of a choice in the matter. A sly little fox, indeed.

“Bryy-yyyn,” he teased, his voice smooth and soft, “I know you’re awake.”

He wrapped his arm around my waist and cuddled even closer, his chest now flush against my back. Heat bloomed through my entire body, and my stupid heart betrayed me once more. The worst part was that I knew he could hear it. There was no point in pretending.

Which also meant that there was no point in resisting. Why deny myself what was being freely offered? I let myself relax, leaning into his warmth.

“Zale thinks we shouldn’t,” Elio murmured, his breath teasing my neck, “but he’s just afraid of getting hurt. Me? I'm not scared at all. I think you're worth a little heartache. I've seen the way you look at us. You like us as much as we like you. Tell me I'm wrong and I'll leave you alone.”

When I didn't respond, he pressed his lips against the back of my neck, just the slightest of touches, tentative but direct. I drew in a ragged breath, shuddering against him.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asked, giving me a chance to refuse.

I didn't want him to stop. That was the problem. Even if I knew we shouldn't, I couldn't bring myself to stop him.

I shook my head and whispered, "Don't stop."

Elio pressed his lips to my neck once more. His breath, his feather-light kisses, the small flicks of his tongue against my skin; every touch sent shivers rippling down my spine.

His lips trailed lower, brushing across the exposed skin of my shoulders, suckling the tender flesh. The hand that had been gently stroking my stomach moved higher, caressing my chest. Then his teeth lightly pressed into the skin of my nape, just as his fingers found the sensitive nubs that decorated my chest. A low moan escaped from my lips before I could stop it.

Suddenly, I found myself on my back with Elio hovering above me. He looked down at me with a wild, almost feral gleam in his eyes. But when he spoke, his voice was low and calm.

“May I kiss you, my sweet?”

Wide-eyed, I nodded. How could I possibly say no?

He leaned in so close that our noses were touching. He paused there, waiting, asking. Giving me one final chance say no. I didn’t have the courage to close the distance between us, but I didn’t turn away.

Finally, he pressed our lips together, slow and lingering, allowing me time to savor the sweetness of our first kiss.

He pulled back and looked down at me, a satisfied smile gracing his lips, “Again?”

I nodded, no longer trusting my voice.

His lips met mine again. He teased my mouth, gently nibbling my lower lip, before tracing his tongue along the seam of my lips, as if asking for permission. I parted them in response, granting him access.

His tongue was like honey as it slowly slipped inside, sliding sensually along my own. I twisted my tongue around his, accepting his gentle exploration. It was my first time ever kissing someone, so I was acting on instinct alone, but I did my best to follow along with his more experienced movements.

My hands moved of their own accord, one finding the small of Elio’s back, the other sliding into his hair. He groaned against my lips and ground his hips into mine. A wave of arousal crashed over me. I gave myself over to the electrifying sensations and melted into his embrace.

I was so completely lost in the moment that my heart skipped a beat when someone loudly cleared their throat. I instantly sat up, pushing Elio off of me in the process.

Zale stood near the doorway to the bedroom, watching us with an unreadable expression.

“I hope I’m not interrupting,” he said with an eyebrow arched in Elio’s direction, “but I thought we agreed to forget about this.”

“You agreed, not me,” Elio shot back with a sassy smile, “and you could have said something earlier. You’ve been watching us for a while.”

My entire body felt like it was on fire, but I wasn’t sure if I was embarrassed or excited. Zale had been watching us?

“Have to admit, I got distracted,” Zale replied roughly, “That wasn’t exactly what I expected to wake up to. Not that I’m complaining. I was enjoying the show.”

“Zale, baby,” Elio crooned, his lips curving in a sultry pout, “You’re so far away. Why don’t you come join us? I bet Bryn would like it if you did. I'm pretty sure he likes you most.”

Zale’s gaze shifted to me. I had trouble looking him in the eye, but I still managed a small nod. Yes, I definitely wanted him to join us.

He moved toward us slowly, his eyes focused solely on me. He looked hesitant, unsure, but he didn’t stop until he was kneeling beside me.

His face was a mix of emotions as he confessed, “Bryn, I… I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want this. But honestly, I’m afraid of getting too close to someone who’s going to leave me. Maybe I’m being selfish, but I’ve had enough loss in my life. At the same time, something's telling me that this is supposed to happen. That this, whatever this is, is meant to be. I know you can’t promise us anything, and I know you feel honor bound to go back, but I’m still going to ask. Would you consider staying here with us?”

“I can’t stay,” I told him honestly, “but I also can’t deny what I’m feeling. To be honest, I’m just as afraid of this as you are. I don’t want to fall for you, only to have to give you up. But I also don't want to miss the chance to be with you. Both of you.”

“If you can’t promise to stay, then could you promise you’ll try to come back?” he asked hopefully. Zale lifted a hand to my cheek, his eyes pleading with me.

In that moment, I knew that if there was any way for me to return to them, I would. The war didn’t matter. The army didn’t matter. All that mattered was that I wanted to be by their sides.

“I will,” I finally answered, “come back, that is. Not just a promise to try, but a promise that I will. Once honor is satisfied, I will find a way back to you.”

Plucking up all my courage, I leaned forward and kissed him; a long, gentle kiss, just like the first one Elio had given me. Just as I was about to pull away, the hand on my cheek slid behind my head, cradling me gently and holding me in place. Zale deepened the kiss, his tongue slipping into my mouth.

It was different from how Elio had kissed me. Rougher, less skilled, more primal. But I liked it just as much. Zale growled low in his throat, tasting every inch of my mouth like he was claiming me.

“Wow…” Elio murmured as he watched us, “I think I understand why you got distracted earlier. That was very entertaining.”

Zale pulled away from me to claim Elio’s lips with the same ferocity. Watching the two of them, so familiar with each other, so loving and passionate, made something inside me ache. It was a good ache. I loved the way they loved each other.

When they finally broke apart, they wrapped their arms around me and we fell into a lazy pile on the blankets.

It was just as I had imagined it, laying between them, wrapped in their loving embrace.

“This is almost perfect,” Elio stated, sounding relaxed and content.

“Only almost?” Zale asked, raising an eyebrow, “What else could my greedy little fox possibly want?”

As if on cue, Elio’s stomach rumbled, indicating exactly what was missing.

“It’ll be perfect if Bryn makes us breakfast,” Elio declared cheekily, “Can you do that thing with the grilled potatoes again?”

I laughed, filled with a warm feeling of contentment, and assured him that I could.