79: Ada's POV

Lilith of the Alpenglow was quite the character. As a High Fae who denounced her heritage, she was able to keep her magick but lost her people. Somehow, this seemed to shape her. She was eccentric, loving bright colors and extravagant parties. Her makeup was always something unexpected, and her outfits showed a lot more skin than those of the typical court member or even most packs. The only things that seemed to remain constant with her were her hair and her warmth.

Warmth radiated from her as if she were the sun herself. I’d told her as much a few times over the years, but she always laughed it off and said that’s how all Fae were. It wasn’t until I was at The Farm and overheard a few men speaking that I understood why: Fae can sustain themselves on regular food, but enjoy *offerings* even more. They’ll take offerings of any kind, ranging from blood and babies to gold and sex. The more alluring they were to those around them, the more likely they were to get offerings.

She’d never struck me as a Fae that was open to such offerings, but I also didn’t know her very well. Clearly, based on how she’d reacted when the Princes told her to come clean about her past, she had no interest in having me know her all that well.

Still, I was rather glad for the company.

We were sitting on the couches surrounding the fire in the sitting area of my quarters, sipping on cups of coffee. So far, we’d been pretty silent beyond pleasantries. I had a woven throw draped over my legs, and my eyes were locked on the picture that led to the secret passageways. Any of the Princes could waltz in at any time, and they’d taught me the passages openly. Why didn’t I use the passages to see them whenever *I* wanted?

“So, three mates, huh?” Lilith broke the silence, taking a sip of coffee with a soft smile, “I don’t know how you get anything done with those three. I’d be climbing them like trees all the time.”

“I do my fair share of that,” a light flush crept up my cheeks as I turned my gaze to her, “Why don’t you want to go home?”

She flinched, “You’ve become a lot more forward in your time here, Ada.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I bowed my head slightly, then returned my gaze to her— this time with narrowed eyes, “Answer the question, Lilith.”

“Let’s just say I wouldn’t get a warm welcome,” her voice was laced with bitterness, “Actually, I’ll be lucky if I’m not murdered the second my foot touches the land.”

“What happened?” I asked and took a sip from my mug.

Her green eyes flashed a bright emerald and narrowed at me, “I’m not interested in letting you know that information. It’s bad enough that your mates know.”

I shrugged and took another sip, “It’s your own business, I guess.”

She had to know I didn’t mean that. But, she took the opportunity and changed the subject, “So, speaking of your mates...” Lilith trailed off and waggled her eyebrows at me.

“What about them?” I smiled into my mug, tucking my legs closer to me.

She motioned at my body, “You’re in one of their clothes and weren’t in your rooms last night.” Her lips curved into a lascivious smile, “Which one were you with?”

I wagged my finger at her, the flush on my face deepening, “These are Nik’s clothes.”

“So you were with Nik, then?” she arched an eyebrow, “I feel like he’s probably the kinkiest of the three.”
“And Phoenix.”

“*And* Phoenix?” her eyes widened, “Like together?”

With a short nod, I grinned widely, “And Darius.”

She pretended to faint, “Oh, fuck. I think I would die.”

I shook my head quickly, “No, it’s like I can feel every nerve in my body and they each make different ones feel,” I shuddered as I searched for the word, “It gets better every time. Last night was the first time all four of us did anything.”

“I’m in desperate need of more details,” Lilith pulled her hair back up into a messy bun, “Which one is the biggest?”

“They’re all pretty close,” my heart thudded quickly in my chest as I replayed images of our times together in my mind, “Darius is probably the longest, while Nik is probably the thickest. But Phoenix? He does this *thing* with his hips,” I tossed my head back, “Moon Goddess help me when he does it.”

Lilith squealed and practically bounced in her seat, “Oh my *God.* Are they all as built as they seem?” My nod was fast. She grinned even bigger, “Was my assessment right? Is Nik the kinkiest?”

I thought for a moment. All of them had kept it pretty tame with me. But if I thought about each time I was with them, Nik has been the roughest and had seemed to come undone the most. Plus, his shadows... the way he used them... Again, I nodded, “Yes. I imagine I’ll see a lot more of that side of him as time goes on, though.”

“Which is your favorite?” she asked, deadpan.

“Eh,” I shrugged, “They all cycle through my shit list. Darius confuses me the most, but Nik,” my throat constricted unexpectedly, and I swallowed sharply, “Nik can hurt me more than the other two. He’s so different when it’s just us, and when the others are around, he’s so cold,” Lilith nodded slowly and took a sip from her mug as I reached forward and set my coffee cup on the table, “Phoenix is a little unknown. I haven’t spent much time with him. He seems like the most playful, but is also oddly protective.”

It felt like a fair assessment of the three of them. But, Lilith apparently wanted more, “Why does Darius confuse you?”

“He’s so hot and cold,” I answered quickly, “It’s like he’s at war with himself for who he is and who he thinks he should be.” I rolled my eyes, “Like things started to sweetly with us. He was my first,” I closed my eyes as I thought back to the first night we were together, “and he was so *tender.* But then, it was as if he had flipped a switch. He married Elizabeth, tried to keep me from his brothers,” I trailed off and shrugged.

Lilith’s wings unfolded from behind her as she leaned forward, “Sounds like you’ve got your hands full.”

I laughed lightly, “You know, you’re right. At first, I was in shock because I had three mates, and how blessed could I be by the Moon Goddess?” I shook my head, “But now, I realize that means I have to juggle three Alpha wolves, and just hope for the best.”

“At least the sex is good,” Lilith added hopefully.

“*Fantastic,”* I corrected, “The sex is fantastic.”