Hyacinth, Scarlet - Fire of the Four Seasons (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour ManLove) (4 page)

Alexei gaped at his mother. He knew for a fact he wouldn’t find any berries there. They were rare even at summertime, and it would be impossible for them to appear in winter in the village. “Mama, there aren’t any. I looked through all the market yesterday. I’d have seen them.”

“Perhaps you missed them,” Elga insisted.

“Besides, if you don’t find them at the market, you can always go to the grove where you got the flowers,” Eva added.

Igor looked upset. “Eva, you can have another dessert. Your mother just baked a pie. You don’t need strawberries. Your brother is needed here, not to go wandering in the wilderness.”

Eva’s eyes filled with tears. “But, Papa, Alexei got the violets with no trouble. He’d sure
ly
manage to do so with strawberries as well.”

Alexei wanted to scream. Eva just wept when she
did
n’t get her way. Her tears unerring
ly
made Elga angry. “What is the problem?” their mother said. “It is on
ly
some strawberries. How hard can it be?”

“Have you looked outside today?” Igor shot back. “The violets were bad enough. Now you want strawberries, too? No. I won’t risk my son.”

Alexei felt a bit better at his father’s words. At least Igor loved him. However, the conflict
was
escalating, Eva’s sobs fueling Elga’s temper, while Igor refused to budge from his decision.

Alexei remembered the four men. Perhaps he could use this as an excuse to see them again. And besides, he hated the rare occasions when his parents fought, more so when Elga’s disregard for him
was
the reason. He
did
n’t want to be a burden for their fami
ly
.

“I will go,” he said. “Eva is right. If I don’t find them in the market, I’ll try at the grove once again. Perhaps I’ll be in luck.”

Igor turned toward him. “Are you certain, son? It’s awful
ly
cold outside.”

Alexei knew
that
, but he counted on something in particular to warm him. His own desire sparked a fire within him, something
that
refused to go away no matter what and summoned him toward the forest. He’d have probab
ly
gone anyway, even if Eva
had
n’t asked for strawberries. “I’ll be fine,” he told his father.

“Then it’s settled,” Eva said, tears gone in an instant. “Oh, I can’t wait. I’ve got a craving for them like you can’t believe.”

She
did
n’t thank him, nor
did
she tell him to have a safe trip. And so, after lunch, Alexei
was
off once more. He’d have gone direct
ly
to the forest since he very much doubted he’d find the troublesome fruit at the market. In fact, he knew he wouldn’t, but he
did
n’t want to take the four men’s help for granted, not when he
had
n’t exhausted all other options.

His renewed sense of purpose helped him during his trip in the cold, but once he got to the market, he began to regret his scrupulous decision. There were just so many stalls, and Alexei wanted to get out of there already and head toward the forest. Still, he clung to the original plan and asked every greengrocer in the area for strawberries. Predictab
ly
, they shook his head at his request. Some of them even laughed and pointed at the cloudy sky.

At last, after a frustrating and even humiliating few hours spent in the village, Alexei headed back. He rode past their home and took the same path he’d used the day before. This time, the woods
did
n’t seem so gloomy and unwelcoming. In fact, they looked magical and mysterious, and Alexei entered them with excitement and nervousness.

Alexei
did
his best to recall the way he’d gone to get to the grove, but he’d told his mother the truth about “just wandering.” He
did
have a general clue on how to reach to his destination, and his sense of orientation
did
help. Even so, it took him far too long to find the grove with the four standing stones.

At first, Alexei thought the men weren’t there. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, weary after the trip through the cold. When he looked up again, he gaped, realizing his four dream lovers
had
appeared. “Well, well,” Ohsyn said, “if it isn’t young Alexei again. What is it now?”

Alexei got off the horse and greeted the men with a shy wave. “Uh… Strawberries. Eva wants strawberries.”

“It is not the season for such fruit,” Zimah pointed out with a frown.

Ly
etah wrapped an arm around Zimah’s shoulder. “But no worries, we can get you your strawberries. Isn’t
that
right, Zimah?”

Zimah sighed and nodded.
Ly
etah grinned, his amber gaze sweeping over Alexei like a physical caress. “But we want our reward.”

Alexei leaned against his horse, his legs unsteady. “Kissing again?” he asked.

“Just one this time,”
Ly
etah answered. “For me.”

Of course, Alexei agreed. Just like the day before, Zimah blew into the air and the snow in the grove vanished. When Zimah finished his task,
Ly
etah stepped forward. He extended his arms wide. Light emanated from his fingertips, turning Alexei’s entire world into gold. When the blinding rays began to dim, Alexei realized the grove
had
turned blood red with beautiful, ripe strawberries.

“Go ahead and pick them,”
Ly
etah said. Alexei obeyed, picking a reasonable quantity of berries. He
did
n’t want to be greedy either, so he
did
n’t take much. Eva’s whim would soon be gone anyway, and it would be a pity if they spoiled.

“Now, for my reward,”
Ly
etah said. Alexei licked his lips. He’d dreamed about this, wanted it since yesterday. He ached for a real kiss with
Ly
etah. It might have been wrong, but Alexei couldn’t deny his desire.

He stepped forward toward the blond, gulping.
Ly
etah picked a ripe berry and held it to Alexei. The gesture felt so undeniab
ly
intimate Alexei’s head spun. He bit into the red fruit, letting out a soft moan as fresh flavors hit his taste buds.
Ly
etah chuckled, squeezing the remaining berry against Alexei’s skin and wrapping Alexei in a warm embrace. Sweet juice dropped onto Alexei’s cheeks, making a sticky and delicious line from Alexei’s lips to his neck.

Ly
etah lapped at the red liquid, nipping Alexei’s neck as he went. Alexei clung to
Ly
etah, holding on to the other man’s clothing for dear life. The tiny bites of naughty pain sent shocks of pleasure through him. He couldn’t help but push closer to
Ly
etah and rub against the other man. Feeling
Ly
etah’s hard-on against his own near
ly
drove him out of his mind with lust.

And then,
Ly
etah abandoned his game and, at last, took his kiss. It
was
n’t relentless like Zimah’s or gentle like Visnah’s. Instead, it exploded over Alexei like a burst of fire, familiar, yet not, calling out the blaze Alexei always felt inside him. He seemed engulfed in liquid heat, melting, falling, losing all sense of space and humanity into this one kiss.
Ly
etah’s tongue danced with his, and energy crackled between them, hot and intense.

When they broke apart, Alexei tru
ly
did
stumble, and his clumsiness
made him fall
back, startling his horse. Visnah calmed the animal down with a few light pats. “Careful now. We real
ly
do want to send you home in one piece.”

“And I still don’t have my kiss,” Ohsyn pointed out. He took Alexei’s hand and pressed a light peck to his knuckles.

Visnah hugged Alexei, and Alexei accepted the embrace without question. “Go on,” the other man said. “You’re tired.”

Zimah caressed Alexei’s nape, the touch light and cool, sending shivers of pleasure through Alexei. “We won’t keep you further.”

Alexei wanted to be kept. In fact, as delicious as the berries looked, he wanted to return them. It seemed wrong somehow to exchange these kisses for material goods. He felt as if he were losing something special in doing so, perhaps a piece of his own soul.

“Don’t be saddened,” Ohsyn said. “I’m sure we’ll see each other soon.”

Ly
etah grinned. “If nothing else, your sister is bound to have some other unreasonable demand.”

“Come to us direct
ly
,
radost moia
,” Visnah finished. “There’s no point in exhausting yourself with a useless trip to the market.”

Alexei gaped at Visnah, focusing on Visnah’s piece of advice and not on the endearment. “How
did
you know about
that
?” He shook his head, guessing the men would give him another enigmatic rep
ly
. “No, never mind. It doesn’t matter. Thank you.”

Once again, Alexei rode off. He tried to stop himself from looking behind, but
did
n’t manage to win the battle. Unsurprising
ly
, the men
had
vanished and all
that
remained were the four standing stones.

Sighing to himself, Alexei directed his horse home. What
was
this sudden heaviness in his heart? Could he be falling for these four men? No. He couldn’t think
such a thing
. He knew nothing about them. They acted like the seasons incarnate and
their peculiar powers
should make Alexei run for the hills screaming. He
had
no business getting emotional over inhuman folk. As if
that
weren’t enough, they were all male. And loving four people at the same time couldn’t be, especial
ly
not after two days of knowing them.

Lost in his thoughts, he made his way home. He
did
n’t even feel the chill, too busy musing over his erratic emotions. Once he reached their house, he led his horse into the stable then went inside. Eva met him in the hallway and gave him an expectant look. “Well?
Did
you get them?”

Alexei’s fatigue prevented him from even rep
ly
ing. He
did
n’t have the energy to focus on her nonsense. He just handed her the bag with the berries and went past her. He aimed to head straight for his room, crash into his bed, and think about his men. Unsurprising
ly
, Eva stopped him. “You’re so rude, Alexei,” she said, blocking his path. She squinted at him. “Oh, and your lips are swollen again. And why is your neck like
that
?”

Alexei cursed to himself.
Ly
etah must have left marks when he’d bit him. Just great. He
did
his best to look calm. “Must be bug bites,” he said.

Their father came into the hallway before Eva could say anything else. “Alexei, you’re back. Excellent.”

“He got me strawberries, Papa,” Eva piped in. “I told you he could do it.”

She sounded like she’d been the one to do all the effort, but Alexei ignored her. The burning fire echoed his thoughts.
“Your sister is a fool,”
it said.

Almost chuckling at his own fancies, Alexei turned toward his father. “Sorry for taking so long,” he said.

Igor’s large hand landed on Alexei’s shoulder. “Don’t be sil
ly
, boy. Run along and get changed now. Dinner will be ready soon.”

As he headed out, Alexei ran straight into Elga. She gave him a cool look but
did
n’t say anything. When Alexei reached his room, his mind oscillated between two questions. When
had
his mother become a stranger? What
was
he going to do about his four dream lovers?

Chapter Three

The next day brought with it yet another request from Eva. As soon as Alexei entered the kitchen in hope of getting breakfast, she pounced on him. “The strawberries spoiled overnight,” she cried. “I
did
n’t even manage to eat too many.”

Alexei mental
ly
groaned. “So now I have to go get more?” he asked, exasperated. This game of Eva’s
started
to wear on him.

To Alexei’s surprise, Eva shook her head. “No. I’m sick of strawberries,” she said, contradicting her own apparent dismay. “But I’d love some apples. Would you be a dear and fetch me some?”

Apples? Now she wanted apples? Alexei wanted to shake the stupidity out of her. “Fine,” he said, “but this is the last thing I’m getting for you.”

It made him uncomfortable to ask for things from the four men over and over. Strange
ly
, he felt
that
by doing so, he
disappointed
them. He
did
n’t know why or how, but they’d treated him with such affection and generosity. They’d saved his life and granted him marvelous gifts. They’d shown him magic and passion. How could he continue to take advantage of their good will? As much as they claimed a few kisses were enough as payment, Alexei
did
n’t think it would ever be true.

Elga
did
n’t look surprised when, at breakfast, Eva bragged about the promise she’d extracted from Alexei. She
did
, however, frown when Eva complained about Alexei’s threat. “I don’t see why you would refuse your sister. It’s clear
ly
no hardship for you to go and get the things she requires.”