39. Not a rogue scent

Again she woke before dawn.

Groaning in torment as she too came to the realization of the time of day it was, frustrated to see yet again the early rising. It was quickly becoming apparent that she couldn't sleep past five in the morning, as she hadn't been able to do since her time in Blue Diamond. Her schedule was so ingrained in her mind from her time in Black Bear, that it was permanently branded into her mind, no longer even needing a clock.

Fuck. Just her luck.

Aware that falling back asleep would be impossible at this point, Netayah lunged out of bed, listening as her bones all popped back into place. Reaching for the silk robe that hung from the hook on the column of the four poster bed, she slid it over her body and tied the belt around her waist. Then stalking out of the room when she had finally made herself presentable, not wanting to disturb either of them by her lack of dress.

She was once again inside of the kitchen preparing the morning meal, humming a gentle tune she'd known in her youth, when Xavier made an appearance. “Good morning, love.”

Netayah turned around to greet the man who'd entered the kitchen, only for the words to lock in her throat, frozen at the sight of him. Xavier stood less than ten feet away, leaning against the wall as he sipped his coffee, dressed in loose fitting shorts hanging low on lean hips. That was the extent of his clothing choice. Unintentionally her eyes roved over his body, to bare witness to the muscular build, six pack that defined his lower abdomen, large pecks. All of it which was presently tanned to perfection, a golden hue almost made him glow and sweat beading down his chest gave him a sparkle. The tattoos that stretched out across his peck on the left side, then more along his ribcage and down the length of his arm only added to the picture.

Fuck, he was gorgeous.

He smirked wickedly. “I'm glad you think so.”

Lurching backwards at the response she'd received from him, she suddenly realized that she'd become so engrossed she'd spoken her thoughts aloud. Blushing crimson in the face of uttering her feelings aloud, she quickly spun around refocusing her attention on the food, rather than the man. It was totally embarrassing to know the man had caught her staring at his body, especially at the words that had come tumbling out of her mouth.

“Oh my love there's no need for you to be embarrassed,” Xavier whispered huskily as he stalked to her before the stove, his mug of coffee placed down on the counter, his hand stroking along her back. His lips came to the ear on the right side of her face, brushing along the lobe as he whispered. “You can look at me whenever you want. In fact, I quite enjoyed having you look at me, to see the glint in your eyes, knowing that you liked what you were seeing.”

She gulped. “That isn't necessary.”

His large hand came around to settle on her side, then slid up along the length of her body, sending sparks of electricity along her skin. “I'm yours Netayah. My body is for you alone to admire. There's no need to hide from it when you do.”

Netayah desperately tried to maintain a calm she simply didn't feel in that moment, as his hands continued to run the course of her side. It was evoking a response inside of her she simply didn't understand, tremors ran a course throughout her body, yearning to reach out for him. She took a breath. “I will keep that in mind.”

“Please do,” Xavier assured her, leaning his body as closely to her as he could imagine, those strong arms of his went around her and buried his face in the curve of her neck. “Gods you smell amazing. I can never get enough of that smell.”

She stiffened in the enclosure of his arms, instantly reminded of the hateful scent that clung to her. “I'm sorry, I know it’s going to take some time getting used to it. The scent of a rogue is repungnant to even me still and I’m wearing it.”

Inhaling deeper of the scent he'd been commenting on, his tongue then ran along her neck, as if trying to taste it off of her. “I never said I didn't like it, your scent is one of the most arous....I mean appealing that I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Actually, you don't smell like a rogue at all. Your scent is like spiced sugar, with a twist of honey, lilac....” he sniffed her again. “Cake. Definitely cake. There's something else in there, something I can't quite put my finger on yet, but fuck it is amazing.”

She jerked in his hold. “I don't smell like a rogue?”

Planting one last kiss on the curve of her neck, neither of them missing how she trembled at the touch, Xavier reached for the coffee mug. “No my love, not even the tiniest. Some would never guess you were one by the smell of you.”

Her face fell. “But I am.”

Pressing a kiss to the crown of her head to sooth the turmoil he could feel growing in her breastbone then, Xavier walked towards the table. “It doesn't matter what you are or were, Netayah. Your here now. This is your home.”

Placing the last of the pancakes on the platter she'd used for breakfast, it was then delivered to the table and placed in the very center. For the next couple of minutes Netayah worked at loading the table down with what she'd prepared for the morning meal, watching him. She eyed him. “Doesn't it bother you what I am? That I'm a rogue.”

He winced in visible pain. “Granted in the beginning I did not react the best of ways at the knowledge of your status, as I'm sure you remember, but my brother is right. It doesn't matter what you are. You are our mate, your our family. We will take you however you are.”

“My brother is right,” the deep voice almost growled into the room, then a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her, burrowing into the warmth of the woman. “We don't care what you are, just that you're here with us.”

She leaned to him. “Thank you Xios, both of you.”

He kissed the side of her face then, none missing how the contact lingered for several moments, before Xios finally backed away from her. “Anytime my love. Now feed your men, we're starving after smelling your food all morning.”

Laughing at the command she'd received from him, though aware that it was all done in jest, she could hear the rumbling growls of their stomach. Both were hungry. Motioning for him to join his brother at the table she saw to dishing out both of them a plate, then she carried another one to her seat. “I made both strawberry and regular syrup, I wasn't sure which one you'd prefer.”

She eyed them curiously as the twins first poured a hefty dose of regular syrup on their pancakes, then immediately poured the strawberry over top.

“Perfect,” they said in unison.

“You do that a lot?,” she mused.

“What?,” they asked.

She motioned a hand between them. “That right there. I've noticed that sometimes, even without really meaning to, the two of you talk at the same exact moment. Sometimes its hard to discern one voice from another.”

Both nodded. “It’s a gift.”

“The hydra thing,” she guessed.

“Exactly,” they said.

This immediately all trailed back to what they had told her yesterday morning, the twins birth enabled them to be known as The Hydra.Two heads, one heart she recited to herself. Her knowledge trailed back to the old ledgers that her father had read to her when she was a little girl, before the cruelty of life took him away.

The story outlining two souls that were so closely connected, so intensely bonded, that it was if they were one single person, bound together for all eternity. Netayah had simply never imagined that something of the like could ever happen, believing it had been nothing more than a bedtime story. Obviously she was wrong.

Following polishing off the breakfast she'd prepared for them, Xavier climbed to his feet and gathering up the dirty dishes took them to the sink. A thought suddenly dawned on him. "Also Netayah our stylish Samantha will be coming to the palace around ten this morning, to take you out to do some shopping."

She hurriedly waved off the offer that the man made to her. "I appreciate everything that you are doing Xavier, but I don't have any money. The clothes I have will be sufficient for now."

Xavier's face broke out int a wide grin. "Oh my sweet little mate, money isn't an issue. You need clothes beyond the garments that you have and we will insure that you get them."

Again she shook her head. "No that really isn't necessary, Xavier. The both of you have already done so much for me, I cannot ask you or allow you to go out of your ways to do this too. "

Xios placed a hand down on her arm, automatically silencing the complaints that she'd been making, staring deeply into her eyes meaningfully. "You are our mate, Tay. It is not only our responsibility, but also our pleasure to take care of you. You need clothes, shoes, personal items. You will go out with Samantha to buy anything you need or want."

"But," she started again.

"No buts," the boys said.

Though she wanted to reject the offer tht'd been made by them this morning, already having more clothes than she knew what to do with. In the time staying with Lucy she had bought her a dozen different outfits and shoes to wear, proclaiming that all the clothes belonged to her. Then even more while she had been at the hospital, having come every day to change her into the clothes chosen, to brighten her mood.

And though she didn't have any of the clothes at the time being, aside from a few outfits, she knew it would only be a matter of time. Of course, neither of them could be talked out of the decision. The twins had made the decision of what needed to be done, proclaiming that she needed a whole new wardrobe and could not be swayed.

Ultimately, coming to see the both of them were far too determined and head strong to be talked sense into, Netayah finally submitted to their wishes. She bowed her head. "I promise to be ready."

Both grinned. "Thank you. Also theirs a matter of her servant?"

She froze. "My servant?"

Xavior continued on, as if blithely unaware of her distress. "Yes, you will need a personal servant that will see to your care, to help you however you needed to. So later on we will gather all the female servants in the castle so that you might be able to chose whoever you would like to service you."

Though she wasn't a person known for servants let alone actually wanting to have one, she knew this was something else neither of them could be talked out of. The sad fact remained that the twins hailed from a totally different world than she'd ever known, where things like servants and wealth existed.

"What about the woman who'd been assisting me in the medical clinic?"

"Anya?" Xavier wondered.

She nodded vigorously, "Yes, that's her. I really liked her during my time at the clinic, she's sweet, peppy and always made me feel better. If I have to have a servant I would want someone like her."

Xios grinned at the choice. "Very good choice. I will inform Anya of her change of post immediately, she should by the time you return from your shopping."

She bobbed her head. "Thank you."

"My pleasure."