121: Ada's POV

Darius blinked, his body freezing. I waited, watching him as a slow and deep blush crept up my cheeks. The longer he stared, staying silent, the worse it got. Eventually, I started to pick at the nail beds of my fingers. I knew I should probably try to change the topic, but my mind was completely blank.

Was he going to say anything? At this point, even if he didn’t say he loves me back, anything would be better than this. Why the hell was he doing this? I’d just made myself very vulnerable— about so many things— and this was just awkward. My heart began to beat faster. Didn’t he love me back? I was fairly certain all of them did, despite the lack of casual admissions. But just because we were mated didn’t mean that they were there. I mean, I knew about Nik.

But Phoenix was an absolute mystery, and Darius’s behavior sent such mixed signals. It wasn’t that I was unsure of how I felt, but I was certainly embarrassed for admitting it so plainly like that when it clearly was not returned.

The door to my quarters burst open. I jumped as the door banged into the wall loudly. Nik and Phoenix walked in, shoulder-to-shoulder. Phoenix was grinning widely, his hair disheveled. Nik’s face was flat, but his eyes were glittering. Both of them rushed over to the couch, falling to their knees in front of me.

I swallowed, looking between the three of them. Each of them rested their hands on my body— Darius had my hand in his still, Phoenix’s hand cupped the back of my neck, and Nik’s hand was splayed on my left thigh. I cocked my head to the side, my eyes wide.

“Say it,” Phoenix whispered finally, peppermint eyes dancing as they met mine, “Say it again. To all of us.”

My lungs heaved as I sucked in a deep, shaky breath, “I love all three of you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Nik was first to respond. He squeezed my thigh, lips turning up at the corners into a small smile, “I love you. On one of the first days I met you, I pledged my undying loyalty to you,” he stood, “That is more true now than ever.”

Darius was next, his voice watery, “I love you, too. As I said, I’ll spend the rest of my life making up for my mistakes. I will never leave you again.”

“And I love you,” Phoenix placed a gentle kiss on my shoulder, his hand kneading the back of my neck, “I would follow you into the afterlife if you’d let me, Ada Lennox.”

Tears pricked my eyes as I nodded slowly. I sniffled, looking at the three of them. With a short laugh, I sniffled again, “Well, now that we’ve established that, what do we do?”

“We plan your coronation and our mating ceremony,” Nik answered flatly, “All while figuring out our plan to overthrow the rebellion, fight the prophecy, and find more information about your lineage.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem at all, right?” I waved him off, making Darius chuckle.

Phoenix and Darius released me from their grips, both standing up. I also stood and held up a finger, “I’ll change, and then Darius can take me to see Elizabeth.”

Darius scratched the back of his head, “About that.”

Ice laced my fingertips as I turned my head to look at him, “You are *not* going to back out of this.”

“No,” he shook his head and held up his hands, “I’m not. I just think that it would be better if it wasn’t me who went with you.”

The ice melted, sending water droplets falling to the ground. “Then who?”

He glanced at both of his brothers and sighed. His eyes lingered on Nik. Nik cleared his throat and rolled his eyes, straightening his suit jacket, “I’ll take you since I seem to be the only one of us completely immune to the bitch’s charms.”

Gwynn stepped into the room, most likely summoned by one of my mates via mind link. She curtsied at everyone in the room and then stood quietly by the door. Gwynn shot me a wink when all three Kings returned their attention to me. I grinned.

“I’ll get ready,” I said, starting to usher the three of them from my quarters. Just as the four of us reached the door, I held up a finger, “Also, we need to figure out our plans for living and sleeping arrangements.”

Phoenix leaned against the doorframe, smirking, “Don’t want to sleep alone now that you have us?”

Darius elbowed him, but grinned mischievously, “We did tell her she needs to be with one of us at all times,” his gaze burned into me, “She’s just trying to be a *good girl* and follow instructions.”

My blush deepened as warmth shot straight into my lower belly. Gwynn cleared her throat, and both Phoenix and Darius glanced at her before grinning slowly and starting down the hallway.

Nik sighed and stepped up beside me, “I’ll be in the hall while you get ready.”

Gwynn’s voice was soft, “I think she’d let you sit on the couch, Nikolai.”

His onyx eyes flicked over to my lady’s maid. A slow smirk spread across his face. He leaned down and brushed his lips against mine, “After the show she and my brothers gave me earlier, it wouldn’t be safe to have her naked in the same room as me for any length of time.”

Goosebumps littered my skin. My lips parted. I almost went up on my tiptoes, wanting more of the feeling of his lips against mine. Before I could, he released me and stepped back, still smirking. I swallowed and stepped back into the room.

Gwynn slammed the door shut, turning to face me with a loud squeal coming out of her lips, “Please, please, please tell me everything.”

“Absolutely,” I tossed out, casually walking into the bathroom, “What do you want to know about first?”

She arched an eyebrow as I pulled my silk sleep shirt off, “How much is there to tell?”

“Do you want the sordid details of my sex life or the story of how all three of them just confessed their love to me?”

Her eyes widened as another squeal sounded through the room, “Both. The romantic in me says tell me about the love first,” she wagged her eyebrows, “But the part of me that hasn’t been fucked properly in months wants the sex first.”

“Make your choice.”

“Sex. Definitely sex.”