Chapter 7: Three Mates

*Lilly*

“Are the plants here always this giant?” I asked Adam, who was preparing the dry branches to become the bonfire. It was getting dark and the cold air was starting to bite our skin. I am a Dryad. The cold forest air usually doesn't bother me. But this place is different. Adam even looked cold too.

Luca was not far from us, collecting wood and hunting wild animals that would be our dinner for tonight.

“I guess, yeah.” Adam nodded. He gathered the firewood, piled it together, and started making a fire.

We decided to rest in a fairly open area. According to Adam, it is better to avoid places under those giant plants because they could become meat eaters if we are careless.

I shuddered when I remembered what happened with that orange bird this afternoon.

We haven't talked about Mira since then. At that time, I just answered him with a nod and waited for his response.

I was relieved because he didn't seem angry when we had brought the Dark Witch here. He said, "Good. She's here. Now she can pay for what she did. It's best not to talk about it now, she's somewhere around here.”

Luca was right. At that time, Mira was around us. I thought he got tense because he felt Adam's presence and thought this guy was the danger. But it turned out I was wrong, the danger Luca felt was not Adam.

But me… I don't feel any danger will attack us soon. I don't know why, but I did could feel that Mira was not far from us, and I knew for sure that she wouldn't be able to attack now.

She is too weak.

I looked at Luca who seemed quite far away, but I could still see him skinning the meat from the wild animal he hunted earlier. I quickly turned back towards the campfire that Adam was preparing.

"Is your way of starting a fire the same as ours at Valeria?" I heard Adam mumble. I saw him using wood which was rubbed tightly between two black stones. Soon sparks could be seen and he placed dry leaves on top of the wood and it burning slowly.

I smiled, “Are you guys really that old-fashioned?” I giggled.

I saw Adam looking at me with a 'Do I look like that?' look.

“Yeah, we, at Theta start the fire with matches of course.” I smiled broadly.

“Of course we also use matches.” Adam rolled his eyes. "I asked when you were in a forest like this, somehow urgent condition..."

While I listened to his explanation, accidentally, my brain replayed the times when I was at the Rogues' headquarters…

It was in the middle of nowhere too. I was clueless, and afraid, I did everything on my own, I did everything they ordered me…. I light the fire, using the stones to warm my injured body…

“Cyllina, are you, okay?”

Instantly my heart beat fast. My hand spontaneously squeezed my chest. I felt like the air was not enough even though I kept sucking it as much as I could. My memories were back, back when I was tortured, forced to do very painful things...

“Love… Lilly?”

I gasped loudly and snapped my head in Luca's direction as I felt the spark of our mate bond on my shoulder.

“Luca…” I looked at him with wide eyes. He was already sitting right next to me, embracing me with a very worried look.

I squeezed his hand and looked around, convincing myself that I was no longer among those vile monsters.

“Cyllina, are you okay?”

I looked at Adam and sighed a little before bopping my head repeatedly.

“Yeah…. Hehe… I'm fine…” I laughed awkwardly trying to hide my panicked face. I know that they know I'm not fine. But I won't admit it. I no longer want to discuss my past, it was so dark, and so painful.

“Are you cold?” Luca hugged me.

"No, I'm fine..." I smiled a little.

"Look, I'm sorry if I said something wrong... I don't know if..." Adam tried to apologize but I shook my head while smiling at him.

“I'm fine. Really..." I assured him. I don't want other people to give me that look of pity again. It just reminds me how weak and helpless I am. I want to be strong. I want to be able to take care of myself.

"Where was your prey earlier?" I turned to Luca and showed my sweetest smile. I don't want him to worry all the time. I know Luca won't be able to stop himself if I smile at him.

"There... I'll grill it for you..." Sure enough, his blue eyes flashed with dark yellow. He stroked my cheek gently. I looked down shyly. In the corner of my eye, I could see Adam trying to focus on the fire and not look at us.

“Hm.” I answered briefly. Luca kissed my forehead before leaving. "Don't worry, Love. I'm here for you.” He said. As if he knew that I had just remembered bad things in the past.

Luca stood and walked in the direction where he cleaned the meat earlier. But not before giving Adam one sharp look.

I took a breath. I feel bad. I know that look. He was threatening Adam.

"Sorry about that..." I said softly when Luca was already far enough. Adam looked at me, then a smirk appeared on his slightly pale face.

“Yeah... It’s not your fault, though. Everyone has something that makes them remember uncomfortable things. I didn't know, so I'm sorry.” He said. But I felt guilty.

I gulped. I'm not a person who likes to talk before other people ask me something. It's become a habit I guess. But this time I wanted to try something different. Especially because the one in front of me is a half-Dryad, just like me.

Maybe I can make a friend from my own people, right?

"Hey, didn't you ask what we use to light fires in times of urgency or forests like this?" I tried to change the atmosphere which had previously been awkward.

Adam looked at me and nodded. Good, he seemed to agree to get out of the awkward atmosphere.

“Well, I've seen Finn scraping rocks with his sharp nails. Then a lot of sparks came out.” I said while trying to help Adam prepare the branch for grilling the meat, from the wood he collected.

“Really? Why didn't I think of that before?” Adam raised his index finger and his sharp, pointed nails looked shiny in the light of the fire.

His nails were definitely sharp. But I've seen sharp nails that were longer and more terrifying than those of my own mates. So I don't think his is scary at all.

“Yeah... As far as I remember, Declan did it too. The fire he made was even bigger.” I said, giggling, remembering when we stayed overnight in the forest during the mating ritual at that time. Luckily, I was sitting by the fire and seemed to be blushing from the heat, rather than from the erotic memory of the moment.

“Finn? Declan? You call him with so many nicknames…” Adam chuckled while shaking his head.

“Huh? Nicknames?” I tilted my head, confused.

“Yeah, I understand. Luca calls you Lilly, even though your name is Cylliana. You call him Finn, Declan… I'm not that familiar with it, but yeah, I know, Couples….”

His words made me stop for a moment. But then I understood.

“Ah… No, it's not like that.” I shook my head. “Declan, Luca and Finn are three different people. They are all my mates.”

“Excuse me, what?”

I looked at Adam who was looking at me with wide eyes and a slightly agape mouth. For a pale Vampire who is tall, handsome, and has an aura of authority that radiates from within him, this time Adam looked adorable.

"Yeah... They are my mates." I answered him innocently.

"You have three mates..." Adam seemed shocked by that fact. Well, I found it also strange at the first time. But then it seemed nothing strange to the people there. In Blue Moon I knew a Lycan who had two shewolves as his fated mates.

Finally, I could only nod at Adam who looked like he had just heard something strange.

"Yes. At Theta it's not surprising to have two or three mates.” Luca came with meat that had been cut into pieces.

“Wait, let me guess. The three of you… brothers?” Adam looked at him with that look again. He was still digesting this information in shock.

“Of course. We are triplets, and all of us are destined to have one mate.”