Who is Magpie?
Chapter 96- Leti’s Choice

Azural watched her eyes slowly open again, but as they did he stilled at seeing them dark as coal. “I thought she was kidding,” he replied honestly, his voice soft with shock, though his own wolf purred eagerly.

“I won’t give up on Bantu, and I don’t want to leave Quoba or my pup. I know those are my teeth marks, so it might be possible. I might be a bitch, but Jessamine is stubborn as hell.” Leti’s tone was different, lower than Jessamine’s, being more comfortable being seen as masculine.

“What are you saying?” Azural clarified, moving up the bed toward her.

“I don’t think it’ll work, but I have no way to tell Quoba what is happening to get the energy from him. You know what it is to love Jessamine, this doesn’t work and you need to make the tough decision.” Leti demanded, and Azural nodded. “I need to see your wolf.”

Aizue didn’t hesitate in taking over, pushing Azural back so fast he got spiritual whiplash. “I have waited so long to meet you,” he growled.

Leti returned the sound. “Not as long as Bantu. Don’t get this sideways, I will return to him and Quoba, you are just here.”

A cheeky grin spread over his face. “I’ve always been here, fighting for you.”

Leti hated the jump in her heart at being fought for, she loved fighters, but she didn’t feel any attraction for him the way she did for her real mates. This was a tough choice to survive. “Enough. A week of this and I’ll be dead,” she uttered and Aizue cringed noticeably. “Don’t you dare cover my other marks!”

“Never,” he assured, sliding on to the bed beside her.

She grimaced at his arm wrapping around her. “Never thought I’d be marking someone in such a submissive position,” she snipped, as his lips kissed the mark he already started on the back of her neck.

A deep, soft chuckle hummed on the skin there. “The submissive is always the one in control.” His teeth grazed the skin and she shivered against it.

Leti knew Jessamine was going to be pissed, but she was less worried about her than she was of upsetting her mates. She calmed herself in knowing she wouldn’t lose control, she was too tired to do anything more. As she felt his points she felt an overwhelming desire to win and she sunk her teeth suddenly into his arm.

“Erm, fuck. Leti…” he cursed, eliciting a smile from her lips before he bit her back.

The feeling of a memory drifted through her mind. They were competitive when they were together, Jessamine and Azural, always fighting for what they wanted. It was in this way that he had gotten more of her true self out when they were together, despite the drugs, by using their subtle commands and her ambitious nature to skirt the restrictions.

It was Jessamine who finally released the hold of his arm, feeling the uncomfortable pinch at the back of her neck, but she was too tired for more than that. She quietly cursed Leti out, promising the they would discuss it later. Azural used the arm she had bit into, to lower her back onto her pillow, lying with her.

Soon Oakley was knocking at the door and came in to be the littlest spoon in front of Jessamine. Her arms laced around him and she kissed the back of his head, just as Azural kissed and licked the wound on the back of her neck to help it heal. She stifled a sound in her throat at the sudden touch as she fell back asleep, woken later in a room cloaked in darkness.

—

“Come on, let’s check if she’s awake.” A door opened and a thin stream of light came in.

Oakley ran up and dove on the bed to reach Jessamine in the middle. She quickly reached out and grabbed him, eliciting a startled squeal that turned into giggles from the boy.

“Mommy, you scared me!” Oakley accused.

“I’m sorry me gealach,” she peppered kisses across his head and snuggled him in against her, then curling his legs up to his tummy to cradle him, she giggled, “you’re so big, just be little again for a moment.”

No one changed what they were doing; Jessamine giggled while holding Oakley, who laughed and wiggled to get free. Even Azural stayed at the door grinning at the two together, but they all felt the sadness in those words. The sadness drifted through them and out the door, easily ignored by the family cut from the same rough cloth. Life had been hard enough without them losing the good moments to bad memories.

She moved to sit up, sliding to the edge of the bed while Oakley climbed off.

“Go get dressed to go outside,” Azural told him, shooing him from the room, then moved to help Jessamine stand and she balanced on one foot. “It should be fine now, Aizue and Leti were firm on making that a priority.”

She tested it with her hand and then stepped on it. “Oh fuck, it worked?” She gasped and quickly slapped her hand over her mouth.

Azural stared at her but Oakley said pointedly, “It’s ok mommy, daddy slips when he’s excited too,” and walked off.

“You sound surprised.” Azural stayed with her while she tested a few steps.

She chuckled, watching her steps excitedly as they didn’t hurt anymore. “Of course I am. I was told you could only have one mate. I woke up one day to talk about my first two years with the Fae, had two mates after lunch, to be kidnapped by an apparent third by dinner.”

He stopped with that, feeling her emotions as his own now. He realized what he had felt before was nothing. It paled in comparison to how the bond worked, but more painfully he realized how he had felt before wasn’t the bond at all.

“I’m sorry Jessamine, tomorrow we are meeting with Kookaburra after breakfast, but then I’ll take you back.” She froze with that herself and met his blue eyes. “I can’t make you stay knowing this is what that feels like.”

Her eyes blinked wearily and the words wouldn’t come out straight. “I.. yes. Thank you..”

He nodded, feeling a little better, and led her to the bathroom. “After almost a week in bed I think you’d enjoy a shower. I’ll get you some clothes to change into, so we can go outside to eat dinner.”

After a shower she came out toweling her hair to replace a pair of jeans, boxers, a white tshirt and a pull over sweater. Azural knocked when she was nearly done, coming in after she responded to see her adjusting the jeans that sat low even on her wide hips. He groaned approvingly and she watched his eyes trace over her.

“I wasn’t thinking with the Tshirt, but this time I’m happy for it.” He grinned a toothy grin and her eyes darted down.

Under the pale material the centre of her breasts was clearly visible and she cracked her tongue disapprovingly. “I guess it’s good it’ll likely be cold and I won’t be taking off my sweater.”

As she slipped it over her head Azural closed the space between them and curled his hand over her hip. She pulled the hem down roughly, knocking his hands away and glowered.

Holding his hands up he backed away. “Only going to remark on how you need a belt. You’ll likely fight someone tonight and I wouldn’t want you showing off too much.”

She scoffed at him as he handed her a belt from the dresser. “If I have to fight someone, well first off what else is knew, but, more to the point, I’ll definitely be taking the jeans off. Too restricting.”

“If that’s a guarantee, maybe I’ll be the one to fight you,” he smirked, catching her dark eyes challenging him to dare it now that she can walk.

“So what is it here?” Jessamine asked suddenly, collecting Oakley and moving downstairs to go outside. “Apparently everywhere is different, who gets served, where people sit, who wants to kill me…”

He chuckled lightly. “There are three long tables we bring outside when it’s warm enough, and the households take turns cooking and serving. I’ll serve you as the Alpha, and then the bowls get passed down the table. No one should want to kill you, though I know Mina has been grumbling since we got back.”

Jessamine stretched her arms across her chest, popping her shoulders. “Leti says to take it easy, but I’m not one to back down from a challenge.”

A deep satisfying breath came from him at that. “I wouldn’t expect anything else.”