Anala stepped out of the steaming shower and wrapped a towel around herself. Admittedly, she missed the temple hot springs. She dried her body before wrapping her wet hair in the towel. She looked in the mirror. Nolan stated very clearly he didn't want her working herself up about Mike. She would follow his example, she didn't want to put her entire life on hold again. Anala wasn't worried. She was afraid. Her mind threatened to release a tsunami of thoughts that could send her into a panic but Anala didn't want to give into them. If she did, memories she'd rather not revisit would surface. Memories that fueled her fear. On top of it, Anala sincerely doubted Mike even knew he had the option to bring Carus back and even if he did, he would need the information on how to do it and the power required to bring him back was surely far beyond his capabilities. He had been human once after all. But still, the thought of him walking around . . .

Her brother had suggested she return to the temple but she had declined. Anala loved it there, she had missed Iliana and her sisters more than she could describe, and Anala had always felt a sense of peace in there. She knew she would have had to leave at some point, she just wished it hadn't been so soon. Besides, she was needed here, not there. Anala slipped on the snug black cotton shorts before letting her wet hair fall around her. She pulled on a soft purple tee and looked down at it for a moment. Granted, she had gotten it from Rose's closet but the woman had pulled her into the habit of raiding her closet, borrowing clothes, and dressing her up so often Anala couldn't be sure what belonged to who anymore. The only thing left alone were her jeans since they wore different sizes.

Anala combed out her hair before running a hand through the untangled locks, she sighed, tired and still feeling anxious. When she stepped out of the bathroom, the sight of Emmett sitting on the bed greeted her. She turned off the bathroom light and walked across the light wood floors of his bedroom. Anala paused at the look on his face. He had changed clothes, wearing black track pants with white stripes going down the side of each pant leg and a plain white t-shirt. Emmett had gotten strangely quiet since coming back and Anala wasn't sure what to make of it. Once she was close enough Emmett's pale hands flashed out and caught her around the waist and pulled her into his lap. He was quiet as he wound his arms around her. Anala ran her hand up and down his muscular arm slowly as they sat in the dark quietly.

"What's wrong, my love?"

Emmett's brow furrowed before it smoothed out and he looked at her. "I need you to listen okay? Just let me get through this."

Anala nodded. Her hand stilled and his hold tightened fractionally.

"I know that you've suffered. I know that everything you've been through with Carus in your life has changed you in ways I'll never know. Your entire life was ripped away from you and you grew up in a way no one ever should." his eyes flashed angrily. "I know you. I know how you worry for the people you love and you would do anything to protect them."

His gaze didn't waver.

"They took you away from me once and it nearly destroyed me. I love you. I love you so much it's certifiably unhealthy. You are my mate and I will do whatever I can to keep you alive and healthy but I'll be honest. I can't worry you'll go off on your own because you think you're doing the right thing. I can't have the thought that you'll leave and end up . . . I don't think I—we can survive that. I won't put our relationship through that again. Don't think I don't trust you, I do, and that's not what this is about. I'm not going to lose you Anala. I can't, and I sure as hell won't let a slimy fuck like Newton jeopardize that. But whatever happens, whatever comes good or bad we need to do it together."

Anala reached out and pressed her hands to his chest. His eyes were resolute, but there was an uncertainty there, a vulnerability. He needed to be reassured. "I never thought we'd be sitting here again. I never thought I would feel your touch or be in your presence." she shook her head. "I wish I could've spared you from that pain Em and I'll never be able to apologize enough. You're right. We won't make it through that kind of strain. Not again. We will face what comes together. I promise you." She raised her hands to his face. "I lost you too. All I ask in return is that you trust me, and I know I already have that. I just hope you don't come to resent me for whatever this could lead to."

He kissed her brow. "Never."

She lay a hand over his heart.

"I'm going to kill him for you, Angel."

Anala frowned. "Em."

"I am," he said softly. "I'm going to kill him for what he did. He's not going to slip through my fingers this time."

"You can't."

"I can and I will. I can't let it go, love. I'm violent by design and he threatened my Mate. I'll bring you his head."

Anala sighed. "Freaking Vampires."

Emmett's amber eyes narrowed and he leaned close to her. "You got something against Vampires little lady?"

"Only everything."

He growled against her jaw. "I'm going to have to make you take that back."

"Yeah, yeah." Anala turned her head and caught his lips with her own.

"Are you hungry?"

She stood and Emmett's hands stayed on her hips. "Not really. I'm kind of tired."

"Come on then." he lifted the hem of her t-shirt a bit and pressed a prolonged kiss to her hip. "Your ass looks phenomenal in these shorts by the way."

Anala rested a hand on his head. "I knew you only loved me for my ass."

"yup." his hand was suddenly squeezing her backside and Anala jumped before smacking his hand away. Arms wrapped around her waist tightly and Emmett fell back, pulling her with him and rolled so they were laying on the bed. Anala pushed at him and he growled.

"Emmett!"

He was laughing lowly, shifting to hold her against him. He bit her breast through her shirt. Anala leaned away, squirming, and a sharp smack landed on her ass. That stings! She growled in exasperation. Anala huffed and glared at him as she tried to get him off her.

"I'm mated to a caveman."

He leaned over her, grinning wolfishly. "Nuh-uh love. Vampire."

"Lucky me."

Emmett shifted and pinned her wrists above her head, moving to lie between her legs. The hard span of his compacted body on hers pinned her in place. He grinned widely. "Got you. Now, be good and admit vampires are amazing."

"Be good? Fuck you."

He shook his head mockingly. "Come on, don't be stubborn baby."

Anala tugged against his hold. "Get off me!"

"God you're sexy." she felt her cheeks warm. "Vampires . . .? Anala, 'vampires are . . .'"

"Evil."

"How tired are you? I can keep you up, you know." he looked to her mouth. "Just one little comment, for me?"

Anala sighed. "Fine, fine. You are manna from heaven, a precious gift from the Gods now move your ass!"

Emmett leaned in and pressed a dizzying kiss to her lips, making her exasperation and annoyance melt away like ice in a desert. Damn him. His lips moved slowly along her own, coaxing her to return it as her muscles loosened and liquefied. When he pulled away Anala was a pliant mass of mush on the bed. Emmett released her but her hands returned to him, pulling him down to taste his lips once again. It was safe to say she was addicted to his kisses. To the feel of his smooth lips and the way his tongue teased her own, hinting to greater things. Emmett moved back and rearranged them to pull her back against his chest. He pulled the covers up around her middle and his arms wrapped around her, drawing her hips against his groin. Anala could feel his cock stir against her though Emmett seemed to have no intention of acting upon it. They lay in the quiet and Anala felt herself drifting closer to sleep. Lips kissed the hollow beneath her ear.

"Sleep, Angel."

Anala pressed closer to him and took his hand. "Will you be here?" she whispered, closing her eyes.

She could hear the smile in his low voice. "Always."

Emmett stared at Rowan. It was ridiculous how fucking beautiful this guy was. His pale blonde hair fell into his eyes. The strands shone, more white than golden. The mauve orbs of his eyes were framed in pale golden lashes, only a shade or two darker than his brilliant hair. The look in them was soft and the hint of a smile was on his pink lips. He was watching his finger travel the gentle slope of Anala's cheekbone. He lay on her other side, lean frame relaxed. The other had been there for over twenty minutes and a comfortable silence had settled over the two men. Anala had barely shifted as she slumbered, sleeping deeply in Emmett's arms. His finger lightly caught on Anala's bottom lip and his fascinating eyes lowered to follow it. Rowan's lips pulled up a bit more, an actual smile touching them.

"What?" Emmett murmured curiously, breaking the silence.

"She's dreaming." the vampire didn't envy the fact he knew that. He could get in her head, hell he probably knew her better than even Javan did. While it drove him insane more often than not, Emmett had always been attracted to the mysterious air his mate exuded. It always made him feel like even after an eternity he would still be able to discover something new, another piece to the never ending puzzle that made up this woman. Lavender clashed against him. "She's dreaming about you."

His eyes returned to Anala's face, watching her dark lashes flutter. Emmett grinned. "Is it hot?"

"Not anymore, not you anyway."

That made his curiosity peak. "Well why not?"

"You've been replaced by Rosalie," he replied simply.

Screw the mystery, he wanted to see that. Emmett groaned softly, resting his head on Anala's shoulder. "Bless you, Angel. That's what dreams should be made of."

"I never knew you were so beautiful. I can see you are but naked . . . "

"You've seen me half naked," Emmett offered. He wasn't wearing a shirt at the moment either, having discarded it hours ago.

Rowan sighed softly, tilting his head up a bit as he looked to Emmett again. His hair spilled over the pillow like a halo. "I know," he murmured. "What a pity."

Emmett's gaze traveled over his angelic face and down his pale throat. The edge of his shirt showed hints of his collar and his clothes hid his body away, only leaving one to wonder what was hidden beneath it. Despite his beauty, it didn't take away from the masculinity of his features, instead adding on to the appeal. The line of his jaw, his pale Adam's apple, the set of his brow and the broadened shoulders, Emmett wanted to see for himself what was beneath the white shirt and black jeans. The curiosity ate at him. But there was a problem with this situation. It wasn't the attraction he held for another man or that Emmett held his sleeping mate as he thought of it. Rowan was Carlisle's brother, completely different and sexy, but still. Did that technically make the man his uncle? It wasn't a blood relation, but did it still count? And if it did, would it be wrong to still act on the attraction?

Details, a voice snorted dismissively in his head.

Anala stirred lightly. Her ass pressed against his groin. She wriggled this way and that and Emmett growled lowly, grasping her hip to keep her still. Even in sleep she was tempting him. Anala rolled onto her belly, leg bending beneath the covers. He ran a hand down her back. Anala's heart beat steadily beneath his hand and her shirt rode up, exposing her lower back and the black markings that lined her spine. Emmett looked up to see Rowan moving her hair from her face. The care in the movement was subtle but unmistakable.

Rowan had the uncanny ability to express volumes in very few words or actions. Despite that, Emmett was sure he fucked as amazingly as he fought. The power in him attracted Emmett on a deeply instinctual level. He supposed it was the fact his Monster recognized another male with power, maybe it was because it came from his Mate, he couldn't be sure. Maybe Jas would know, his brother was incredibly fond of Elias and he was Nolan's Vayar. Rowan stood slowly, rolling up in a smooth motion. He moved towards the large window, mussing his pale hair as he ran a hand over it. He moved slowly, lethargically. Like a serpent. He leaned against the wall, staring out.

Emmett's eyes narrowed a bit. Rowan had lived amongst layame for a long time. Now that he had been there himself, Emmett could understand some of the man's behaviors but he wasn't a telepath and he could be wrong. "You want me, don't you?"

Rowan shifted his gaze over to him. The early dawn light made his eyes look much paler than they were. "I do."

"Then why . . .?" why haven't I fucked you yet? Better yet, why hadn't Anala? He was hers after all. Emmet was getting frustrated with himself. His thoughts were getting annoying. Emmett had never been a 'think before you act' kind of person. He was driven by impulse. If he was thirsty, he hunted. If he saw someone he liked, he had sex. Why was this so different?

Rowan grinned. "Why haven't I acted on it?"

"Yeah."

"Because you're questioning it. I don't like hesitation, either you are sure or you are not."

Emmett stared at him. "I can see why Javan wants to fuck you so badly."

The blonde smirked, but said nothing.

"And I'm not questioning it. I already know I want to you. I'm trying to figure out if we're related and if making my fantasies into reality will make things awkward."

His head tilted curiously. "Awkward?"

"This isn't a situation I've been in before."

"Multiple partners?"

"What? No, dude. I just don't know if it'll affect my relationship with Anala. We went through some really hard shit." they were definitely loads better than before they left but was it too early? Had their relationship recovered enough that something like this wouldn't be an issue? How big of an effect could this have? Emmett had witnessed enough, hell participated enough to see that these things could go south real quick. One stray thought or action or insecurity and bam! Relationship over. Issues like monogamy were tricky. As a man in love, being faithful was not the issue. He wouldn't stray from Anala. But as a physiologically dominant male, vampire, and half-layame, a prehistoric instinct to fuck multiple people was nothing new to him. However, Emmett wasn't sure where Anala stood on the matter. They had never really talked about it. As sexually liberated as she was, Anala had never put a name to anything nor expressed the need to. He knew of some lovers of the past, mentioned in stories she had told him before. They varied in gender, age, even species. But she had never taken a Mate and even though he previously had thought he found his, neither had Emmett. Her reaction could go either way and upsetting her wasn't on his to-do list.

Rowan licked his lips and shook his head a bit. "You're overthinking this. Anala knows who her mate is. The bond isn't the same as a marriage or simple relationship. Unlike our bond, which stems from the link that attaches me to her, yours is a physical and spiritual connection, it will never be the same between anyone else and you because you're the one she's destined to share that connection with. She is an adult. Anala can understand the dynamic of the relationship and be comfortable sharing yourselves, if you so wish it."

The blonde knew that from experience. Emmett could already tell. He was suddenly jealous, not of Rowan but of whoever the hell the other person or persons were that got the chance to explore them, to know their bodies long before he did, it didn't matter who.

"But Emmett, she won't act on it. Anala has left that decision to you, and you alone. As a man on this plane I can see why you'd hesitate, but you are sexual creatures at your core. Human societies create restrictions on what should come naturally. I could never understand it. If we aren't supposed to express ourselves freely then why do we have those emotions? Take Lilith for example—"

"Lilith?"

"She is a succubus and one of Anala's oldest friends. It should not surprise you. The attraction is beautiful." he smirked a bit. "I would know."

Emmett looked to Anala. Her and Lilith . . . nice. Rowan paused. "Wait, related?"

"Carlisle is all but my father. Does that make you my uncle?"

Rowan laughed softly. "I should hope not. I can't think of stripping you naked and calling you my nephew. Besides, you and I are linked through Anala. It wouldn't have worked if the initial attraction was not there."

Emmett groaned. "Disturbing . . . and sexy. You don't play fair. We gotta start warning people about you."

The blonde man was smirking again and Emmett suddenly understood Javan's fascination with the other man. He knew exactly what he was doing. Sneaky little . . . "don't give me away."