Romanus withdrew and sank onto the mattress as Eris slid down to Arion's side. Eris took Romanus' hands and brought him close. Part of her was still worried that he would slip and Eris didn't want to lose him. She had just found him.

"It can be like that again but now it doesn't have to." Arion said with rough voice. Eris raised her head from where she was listening to his thundering heart. Her head was dizzy and she laid it back down.

"What do you mean?"

"Pleasure can be found within the family as long as two are involved once the bond is made."

"K." Eris murmured, drifting off to sleep. Arion kissed the top of her head then let his head fall back.

"How are you doing over there, brother?" he asked. Romanus was silent long enough for Arion to make repeat the question mentally. "Romanus?"

"I'm fine." There was a note of awe in his voice. Arion eased Eris onto the pillow and went up onto his elbow.

"Let me see your eyes."

Romanus met them easily and Arion swallowed the lump in his throat. "Your eyes are clear." He fell back onto the bed and Eris snuggled in. Romanus followed, burrowing his head into her neck. "I could love her for that alone," Arion said thickly.

"So could I." Romanus murmured, drifting to sleep.

Arion rested his head on hers' and did the same, with a smile on his face.

Eris woke up alone in that big comfortable bed. She started to roll over and groaned. Everything hurt. Everything ached. Remembering the pleasure from last night, she smiled softly. It was worth it. Wait, was it? Where was Romanus? Eris forced herself into a sitting up position then suddenly felt hands supporting her weight.

"Easy." Arion helped her lean back against the headboard then brushed her hair back. "You had a wild ride and your body is still recovering." Heart pounding and head spinning, Eris looked at him.

"Where's Romanus?" she asked. Arion sat on the side of the bed with a smile.

"Downstairs. He is trying to make you a meal worthy of our mistress." Arion laughed. "Emphasis on trying. I am here to help with your bath. It will ease the muscles and help with the bruising from my own loss of control."

"Are you sure he can be left alone?" Eris asked anxiously. Arion smiled beautifully in a way that took her breath.

"Absolutely." He confirmed without hesitation. Relieved, Eris relaxed back. "You anchored him." Arion continued, his eyes locked onto hers'. "Do you realize what that means?"

"No."

"It means that in the natural order of things, this isn't entirely a ruse anymore. Only a mistress is supposed to be able to anchor a vampire going feral." He held her gaze. "You'll have the authority to do anything after that meeting."

"I don't want authority over the two of you," Eris said firmly. Arion's smile returned with a flash of dimples, but there was a shadow there that worried her.

"We'll cross that bridge soon enough. Now, your bath. I have it all ready. Do you want to make the attempt to walk?"

"Yes," Eris answered with a puzzled look. He sighed and stood.

"Why do the people in my life make things harder than they have to be?" he muttered.

"You're just lucky like that." Eris teased then groaned as she moved over to the side of the bed.

"Let me help you." Arion insisted. "I told you. Walking is going to hurt."

His worried tone had her relenting. "Ok. You can help." He slid his arms under her body and lifted. "Hey, I said help not do all the work."

"My mistake." He said with a smile as he walked towards the bathroom.

Eris shook her head then hissed as the silky water stung the bruises when he eased her onto the seat. Arion trailed his hand over the colorful bruising on her shoulders, especially where Romanus had bitten down.

A troubled look went through his eyes. "What is it?" Eris asked leaning back carefully.

"You took too much of a risk last night."

"It was my risk to take." Her eyes narrowed with annoyance. "I already won this argument with Romanus. You want a shot at the title?"

Arion laughed outright as he adjusted the tub controls. Eris groaned as pulsing jets began soothing aches she didn't realize she had. Bubbles were awesome.

"I know it was necessary for Romanus. But the risk..." he let out a surprised sound when Eris reached up and pulled him into the tub. There was a laugh from the doorway as Romanus came in with a tray covered in food. Arion came up sputtering. He pulled off his shirt and tossed it. His soaked pants followed.

"I warned you," Eris said serenely and leaned against the tub. Eris felt hands on her ankles then Romanus' voice.

"Arion, let her have this one. That will hurt her."

Eris smiled at Arion then stuck out her tongue. He leaned forward and captured it with his mouth. Eris moaned into his mouth as his hands kneaded her legs in caressing strokes. He pulled back.

"I can find other ways to get even," he said huskily. Romanus set the tray down by the tub.

"Not before she eats," he said firmly. Arion slid back to her feet and picked one of them up. Eris groaned as he began massaging it. Romanus sat down on the side of the tub. His fingers slid over the bruising on her shoulder and guilt flashed through his eyes.

"You looking for a bath too? There's room." Eris asked sweetly. He smiled and picked up the plate. Eris laughed when she spotted the wine bottle on the tray. "You guys are trying to turn me into an alcoholic."

"That wine is special," Arion said, switching to her other foot after setting the other down carefully. Curious, Eris looked at the bottle.

"How so?"

"It isn't just wine. It has our blood in it as well." Romanus said easily and slid the first bite of eggs past her parted lips. Eris swallowed. "It will help with the healing."

"How long has that been like that?" Eris asked.

"You remember that glass I had Luke bring of your special stock?" Romanus asked. Eris nodded. "Since then. It was something Arion came up with to soothe the feral in me after that fucking idiot tried to compel you."

Something about the pleasant way he said it had chills going up her spine. "You two are a lot more than you let on, aren't you?" Eris said softly. Romanus smiled and offered another bite. Eris took it.

"What makes you say that?" Arion questioned, his hands leaving her foot and working up her calf.

"Just a feeling." Eris murmured then tensed briefly when he found a tender spot. His touch lightened immediately.

"We naturally live a lot longer than humans. So yes. We have a history." Romanus allowed. Arion worked his way up her legs and Eris relaxed back with a sigh of contentment.

"Well, I'm a history buff so spill."

"He was one of the original Romans," Arion said, shrugging off the glare Romanus sent him. Interested, Eris looked at Arion.

"So he knew Alexander the Great?" Eris asked. Arion grinned as Romanus scoffed.

"That child? Yes. I knew him. He said one of the original Romans."

"How original?" Eris asked.

"One of two." Arion tossed out.

"For crying out loud, Arion, if you're going to tell it like that, I may as well tell her. My original name was Remus. My brother is Romulus. We founded Rome and let Alexander have the historical record because it was a bit dangerous to be a vampire at that time."

"Doesn't myth have him killing you?" Eris asked puzzled and not quite believing. Romanus' face went from exasperated to serious.

"Every myth changes as time passes. My brother would no sooner kill me than cut his own...." he trailed off, a troubled look going through his eyes.

"Bad choice of phrasing there," Arion said gently. Romanus nodded and Eris put a hand on his leg.

"Hey, if it stirs up bad memories, forget I asked."

"It is fine." he cleared his throat. "My brother is fiercely loyal. He wouldn't have killed me over a city or even the empire we built it into. We parted ways with hard words but there was no serious bloodshed." He blew out a breath. "It was a poor choice of words because it was the news of my death that drove my brother to a self-destructive path that led to him attempting suicide. I'll ask you not to mention that to anyone as only four people, including my brother, know of this."

"Of course," Eris said instantly. "News of your death was greatly exaggerated, I take it?"

"It was a ruse I used to escape a prison with Arion's help. It was how we met actually."

"Good times," Arion commented and made her laugh. Romanus shook his head.

"Bullshit. The times sucked. But the company was good. As soon as I could, I found my way to my brother." Eris gestured and he handed her the plate. Eris ate slowly.

"And?" Eris prompted.

"He was recovering from an addiction," Romanus said, his jaw tightening.

"As well as repeated suicide attempts," Arion added when Romanus went silent again. "He had a lover with him that was pulling him through the recovery process."

"For all we know, he is the one who got him addicted to begin with. Remember what happened a few weeks ago?" Romanus said with a snarl.

"We've talked about this, Romanus." Arion reminded him.

"And it is his choice. I'm not disputing that. It is just a bad choice and not the first he's made."

"I'm missing something, aren't I?" Eris said, setting the plate down before they could see the shaking muscles in her arms. They weren't kidding about the need for recovery.

"The man's name is Antares. He is the last full-blooded faery incubus left in the world." Arion explained. "And Romanus doesn't trust him."

"So this isn't because your brother's lover is male then?" Eris asked. "That's what I was assuming."

"I don't care if he wanted to fuck his way through the Roman army." Romanus snapped. Arion snorted.

"This is your brother we're talking about. He probably did. What?" he said when Romanus looked at him sharply. "I was in awe of the man's stamina if his reputation was anything to go by. Male, female it didn't matter. The man had a rep."

Eris laughed. "Ok, then why don't you trust his boyfriend?"

"Faeries can't be trusted to stick around. And this one has my brother dependent on him just to get out of bed in the evening."

"That's not fair, Romanus and you know it." Arion said firmly. Romanus just shrugged.

"Has? So they are still together?"

Romanus nodded and began to massage her shoulders. "Yes. They are. They own a club you may have heard of. "All Roads Lead to Rome"?"

"The mixer? Interesting. I'd like to meet them someday."

"Why?" Romanus asked.

"I'm curious," Eris admitted without hesitation.

"That curiosity is going to get you in trouble," Arion said with a smile, hands resuming their own work. Eris closed her tired eyes and laid her head back.

"Well, it got me here so it can't be the bad kind of trouble."

"Is that what got you here?" Romanus said, his smile easing the tension radiating from him.

"Mmmm... that feels good. Yep. Otherwise, I wouldn't have gone into your club to begin with."

"Then I am grateful for your curiosity," he said softly as his fingers pressed into aching muscles.

Arion worked his way up her legs until he reached the bruises. He frowned as she opened her eyes to see why he stopped. His fingers traced the hand prints and fingertip bruises lightly all the way up her thighs. Chills went across sun-kissed skin as Eris watched. He opened his mouth and Eris spoke.

"Please don't."

"Don't what?" he asked.

"Don't apologize for wanting me that badly. Don't say you're sorry for the best night in my entire life."

"But.."

"You heard the woman, Arion." Romanus interrupted. He shook his head. "Her heart rate sped up and she's genuinely scared."
"I hurt her."
"We hurt her. And we have time to make it up to her."

"I'm definitely going to want to be turned eventually just so I can hear what you guys keep talking about," Eris said, reaching back to poke Romanus in the ribs.

"I was lecturing him," Romanus said with a smile. "Telling him that we had plenty of time to make up for the bruises we gave you last night."

"We do?" Eris asked, heart in her throat. Part of her hadn't even considered the thought of this being permanent. To have it spoken so casually as if it was a foregone conclusion made her nose go red with emotion.

"Yes. We do." Arion confirmed. "But I was thinking about something."

"What were you thinking, Arion?" Romanus asked with a grin.

"There's no better time to start than the present." He ducked his head under water.

Puzzled, Eris started to ask Romanus what he was going to do then moaned as Arion's mouth covered her entrance.

"That is just mean, Arion. You know she won't be able to climax without one of us." Romanus reminded him. "We completed the bond last night."

"This isn't about the climax, Romanus. This is just about pleasure," he responded before turning his focus to his task. It was a slow and hot, with his tongue making love to her with exquisite care. After a few minutes, he lifted his head to slide up her body and kiss her just as deeply as he had taken her body. She felt almost drugged as she responded, tasting herself on his lips and tongue. He pulled back, panting slightly.

"I should..."

"Go see what James is doing. He's been gone too long." Romanus interrupted a hand on Arion's shoulder. "Too soon, my brother. Too soon."

Arion took a deep breath and nodded before exiting the tub. Eris watched as he dried and dressed then went out the door. She looked back at Romanus.

"Spoilsport."