Trinket (Reverse Harem)

Into Her Chambers

The Priestess' chambers smelled of a heady floral scent that instantly made me dizzy like a strong gulp of booze. They were cool, dim, lit by careful candles, and her huge bed was on a raised dais in the center of the room, strewn with exquisite blankets and pillows.

Sure, when you're a Priestess of Dreams, made sense your bed would be glorious. Especially when you're a very large shifter-cat.

The two Pantere who had escorted us bowed over their forelegs, clinked their tail-rings together, and backed out of the chambers.

She slithered up to me, traced one long nail over my collarbone, and then between my breasts. "Your trinket is missing."

"It's uncomfortable to wear." Not exactly a lie.

She poked the rough skin between my breasts. "I see your consort is wearing his. And he smells distressed. Are you afraid, wolf?"

"I am unsettled," Asund said.

"Come." She spun and walked to her bed. She seemed to slide through the world, graceful and slinky. She pushed her robe off her shoulders as she stepped up onto the bed.

"What is the scent in here?" Asund asked. To his credit, his eyes were not on her glorious ass.

I didn't care. He could grope her all he wanted, and he probably would no matter how much he told me he wouldn't. Might take a minute for that blood to get flowing, but he'd fall back into old habits.

"A certain type of flower peculiar to the Temple of Dreams. They release the holds on the mind, let the dreams come in their truest form." She curled around, somehow hiding her nakedness while being completely naked. Her hair spilled around her. "They are intoxicating but harmless. Your guard must be down if we are to share dreams. They will also help you drift to sleep. The world of dreams will feel like you are there a moment, but in this world, it will be hours. Hence, it makes for a long evening."

I felt a bit drunk, but it wasn't too bad. My guard being down around anyone sounded dangerous.

She beckoned us with her finger.

Asund glanced at me. I ignored him and approached the bed. I shed my robe and got onto the bed naked as well. The Priestess watched, but said nothing.

"Come, wolf," the priestess purred.

Asund hesitated, then carefully removed his bound clothing, dropped it on the ground, and approached the bed. I moved to the far side, leaving the priestess between us.

"An exquisite example of your kind, wolf," she purred as he carefully got onto the bed, his muscular body flexing and moving with the simple motions. She slid her fingertips along one of the muscles of his upper arm. "Does your consort share?"

Wow. So she hadn't asked me. She'd asked him if I shared. She'd gone ahead and touched him without asking me or him. And I hadn't had a name. I was just consort. Tears stabbed the corners of my eyes and my heart ached, and my scars hurt like talons were getting stabbed into them. And she'd just flagrantly asked if I shared. Because she was a pantere, and pantere did what they wanted that way.

But me? Oh, I was just some random whatever-shifter. I was a that. And a that didn't really get a say, did they?

I turned my back and slowly lowered myself into the blankets. "I don't care what you two do. I'm tired and going to sleep."

I did care, but I'd have to get over it. If it hurt this badly this soon, what would happen if I really let myself believe they loved me? I'd die. Even if I wasn't a unicorn, I'd die. This was awful. This was humiliating. This was degrading. I wasn't going to be this stupid all over again. Tynne had been bad enough and he hadn't even been real.