Chapter 25: Three Hearts Aligned- part 3

Chapter 25: Three Hearts Aligned- part 3
Cassian’s POV

Mara’s presence in the study is like a comet streaking through my sky, her Aetherborn power blazing so fiercely I can barely breathe. When she strides in, all confidence and swagger, declaring she wants us three—Silas, me, her—my heart stutters, a wild mix of excitement and disbelief. She’s choosing me too, holy hell, I think, the mate bond thrumming like a plucked string, electric and undeniable. Her love for Silas is a mountain, but that spark for me? It’s a fire I want to fan into a blaze. She’s teasing Silas about diagrams, and I can’t resist jumping in, my voice a playful drawl. “I’m game, Mara, but only if Silas stops growling like he’s auditioning for a werewolf flick.”

Silas scoffs, propped against the fireplace like a brooding statue. “Keep dreaming, poet. I’m just making sure you don’t trip over that ego of yours.”
“Play nice, boys,” Mara quips, her smirk sharp enough to cut glass, “or I’ll have you both running laps.” Her confidence is intoxicating, and I’m drowning in it, my excitement bubbling like I’m a kid again, not a four-hundred-year-old vampire.

Silas moves first, pulling her into a kiss that’s all heat and possession, and I feel her light flare through the bond, a pulse that tugs at my core. I’m not jealous—just hungry to be part of that fire. He steps back, gray eyes softening, and gives me a nod. “Your turn, Cass,” he says, voice rough, a smirk that’s half dare, half trust. My pulse races, anticipation crackling like static.

Mara’s eyes lock on mine, silver and searing, and I step closer. She cups my face, pulling me into our first kiss, and it’s a goddamn lightning bolt—her lips soft, then bold, igniting a spark that sets my blood alight. I deepen it, tasting her need, her desire, the mate bond humming like a star finding its orbit. She’s mine, too, I think, my hands in her hair, her body pressing close. We pull back, her glow lighting the room, and she grins, voice husky. “Not bad, poet. You might keep up.”

I smirk, diving in for a second kiss, hungrier, more dominant, like I’ve been craving her for centuries. Her moan sends a thrill through me, and I hoist her up, her legs wrapping around my waist, her soaked panties pressing against me. I inhale her arousal, grinning as she blushes crimson. “Patience, marine,” I tease, sliding her down my body, feeling her brush against my hard length, her flush deepening. The excitement’s a live wire, but I temper it, wanting to savor every second.

We settle by the fire, her warmth against me, the air soft. She nudges me, playful. “So, Cassian, how old are you? And how’d you get the fangs?” My smile falters, excitement giving way to a heavy sorrow that claws at my chest. “Been holding that one back, huh?” I say, forcing a grin, raking a hand through my hair. “I’m pushing four centuries.” My voice drops, the pain surfacing like a bruise. “Was a soldier in the 1600s, chasing glory, until Isabella, a vampire, found me. She spun a tale of a mate bond, said I was her forever.” I let out a bitter chuckle, the memory raw. “I believed her, let her turn me. Woke up alone, her ‘bond’ a lie to make me a monster. I was broken, lost, for decades. Tracked her down, made her pay—slowly. She begged, but I ended her. No regrets.” The cold edge in my voice hides the ache, but Mara’s hand on mine, her light pulsing gently, soothes it. “You’re not a monster, Cass,” she says, eyes soft. “You’re here, with us.” The bond strengthens, and my sorrow eases, replaced by a quiet joy at her acceptance.

Silas taps the doorframe, a naughty smirk on his face, and saunters in, laying his head in Mara’s lap. Her fingers in his hair, their ease, it’s perfect, and I feel part of it. His gray eyes flash up to hers, darkening, a devilish chuckle rumbling. “You know, poet,” he says, voice gruff, “our little marine needs some help.” Mara’s blush is instant, her thoughts a flustered Fuck, and I grin, excitement surging again. Whatever comes next, I’m ready, it’s worth every scar I carry.
​​The bedroom glowed in candlelight, a golden haze that made Mara’s skin shimmer, I chuckled, not realizing that Silas could be so thoughtful. Silas pours the wine, his gruff toast—“To the marine who’s got us both wrapped around her finger”—drawing a laugh from her. I clink my glass with theirs, the wine’s rich warmth loosening the electric air, but it’s Mara’s silver eyes, locked on mine, that set my blood ablaze. Silas steps behind her, his hands on her shoulders, murmuring, “Ready, marine?” as his fangs graze her neck. My cock twitches, anticipation, a live wire in my veins, the mate bond humming with her need, pulling me in.

She nods, her Aetherborn light flaring, and Silas guides her to the bed, his voice husky. “Your move, poet.” My eyes burn as I close the distance.I've been waiting patiently, pulling Mara into a deep kiss, my tongue tasting her heat, her moan vibrating against my lips. I peel her shirt away, her curves bared, glowing in the candlelight, and my hands tremble with reverence. “Fuck, Mara,” I whisper, my voice raw, as I undress her further,  I couldn’t hold back any longer ,my fingers brushing her soaked folds, as I start pumping my fingers in gently to get her warmed up and ready to take my thick cock, drawing out gentle moans. Having any form of self control is no longer an option. I line up with her entrance and I enter her slowly, savouring the feeling of her stretching around my cock, sliding into her tight warmth, a groan tearing from my throat as she gasps, “Cass…” Her light pulses, a cosmic thread binding us, and I feel Silas’s arousal through the bond, a shared heat that makes my thrusts deeper, more desperate.

Silas sheds his clothes, stroking himself, his eyes dark with want as he joins us. His hands trace Mara’s back, and he kisses her, swallowing her moans as I thrust, her pussy clenching around me. She’s close, her light blazing, and I feel her unravel, her climax a shuddering wave that pulls me under as we came undone together. “Beautiful,” I murmur breathlessly, pulling back, my heart pounding as Silas growls, “My turn.” He claims her from behind, his thick length stretching her, drawing a cry that sends a jolt through me. I place my lips on her breasts, tongue teasing her nipples, my fingers circling her clit, slick with her arousal. “Silas, Cass,” she breathes, her hands gripping us, guiding our rhythm.

Her light flares brighter, merging with our strength, a cosmic dance that binds us—three hearts, one soul. I stroke myself, matching their pace, her moans fueling my release. We climax together, her supernova light washing over us, my cock pulsing as I come again, Silas’s growl echoing her cries. We collapse, trembling, entwined, her laughter soft. “You two,” she murmurs, kissing us, “are trouble.”