Dark Empathy by Archibald Bradford (inspiring books for teens TXT) 📕

sent her away without an answer.” Volka finished with a slight wrinkle to her brow.

Beet red, Nameless was feeling pretty cornered by his bond-mates.

“That’s enough!” Milly broke in when she picked up on his emotions through their bond; “You’re making him feel bad!”

“No Milly. They’re right.” Nameless brought her braid up to his lips and kissed her heartstone to reassure her; “I should have been clear with her.”

“About what you want?” Nina interjected in a neutral tone as she sat up on the bed.

He nodded.

“And what do you want dearheart?” Ophelia lowered her face slightly closer to his, trapping his muddy brown eyes with her violet gaze.

His response was incredulity.

“Wh-what do you mean? I have five bond-mates!”

Erica stood up and placed a hand on Milly’s shoulder, forestalling the Minotaur’s complaints.

“That isn’t an answer lover.”

He blinked rapidly as stressful tears filled his eyes.

He didn’t know what he wanted, but he knew what he didn’t want.

“I-I don’t want to hurt her.” He whispered.

Erica rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her breasts.

“That’s still not-”

Abruptly he tore free of Ophelia’s arms and rounded on the surprised Katje.

“I don’t know! I don’t know what I’m supposed to say! To her, or to you!”

He regretted his outburst as quickly as it came on, but the pressure he could feel from the girl’s hearts was getting to be too much.

They wanted to know what he felt, but he didn’t know.

“Master...” Milly said with one hand reaching out towards him hesitantly.

“I love her.” He said simply; “I love them all, who wouldn’t? They’re always so kind to me, putting me before themselves. How am I supposed to tell them no when they give up everything for me? I don’t want to hurt any of them like that!”

Abruptly Volka’s translucent wings of gold were wrapped around him from behind as her arms encircled his waist.

“I know, my love. We know, how you feel, I mean. It is fair to say you feel like denying their affections would be tantamount to denying them altogether.” She sighed, her warm breath ruffled his hair as his emotions stilled in the glory of her embrace; “And you rightly feel that they deserve better than that.”

He leaned back against her breasts with a huff as he wiped the moisture from his eyes.

“I don’t get why you all had to come at me about this now, with so much else going on.” He complained.

Volka bit his ear, causing him to yelp.

It wasn’t a sexy bite, it was a bitey bite.

“Self-pity doesn’t become you, Husband. Wear it again at your peril.” Her hot breath washed over his tender lobe as she chastised him.

He rubbed at his ear, still trapped by her wings.

“Alright! But no more biting! That really hurt!”

She clicked her teeth together sharply next to his ear, making him flinch in her arms.

“Fine. But back on topic. I think Alcaia was right.”

Stunned silence filled the room.

“Uh... what the fuck?” Erica said.

“I think Alcaia was right.” She repeated firmly; “He should take an Amazon to wife. And indeed we intended to, with Kar, but she was stolen from us.”

All of their thoughts darkened as they turned towards the circumstances of her death.

“Now, with Kar gone, Escrya struggles. She wants to be with you, with us. But she doesn’t dare try to take Kar’s place. And indeed that is what she fears most, as you discovered today. So the question for you is: can you love her for who she is, totally and honestly?”

“I can’t believe we’re even talking about this.” He muttered, but again Volka’s teeth clacked next to his ear so he spoke up; “Look, this is all super important, I get that, and I promise I’ll think about how I feel and stuff. But Escrya isn’t here now so it’s not like I can go and break her heart right this second.”

“Is that what you want to do? Break her heart?” Milly asked, as surprised as the others by the rapid shift away from what Volka was suggesting.

He turned in his Valkyrie’s arms to look at the gentle Minotaur.

He was the only one in the room that knew the truth about her. Not even Erica, who knew her best, suspected.

They’d all seen her jealousy before, but he had long since found the root of it.

Deep down, deeper than the cow-girl had ever been able to admit, there was a part of her that wished she had him all to herself.

She loved her bond-sisters, especially Erica with all they had been through together, but even then she held on to the tiniest spark of absolute possessiveness for him.

And as much as he cared for Escrya and the other Amazons, he wouldn’t do anything that might risk bringing that out in her again.

The Minotaur’s eyes widened as she felt what he felt, came face to face with it, in herself and in his shared emotions through their bond.

Seeing and feeling the turmoil within her, he forcefully pulled himself out of Volka’s embrace and took a few steps towards his devoted Minotaur.

“Milly I-”

She gasped out a sob, causing the others to look to her suddenly with alarm as her hands came to her mouth.

“M-Master I am so sorry!”

He had his arms around her moments later.

“It’s not your fault baby!” He insisted; “I couldn’t imagine how hard it would be to share you with another man, let alone four! I’ve put you in an impossible position!”

She slumped to the floor and he went down with her while the others exchanged confused and slightly panicked looks.

The guilt welling up in her had him diving into her mind without a second thought.

Chapter 10: What Matters Most

Every day since he had