Triad

[Demeter]

Genesis sat on the bathroom floor, watching as Evan and Angie splashed in the tub. The twins had just celebrated their second birthday by smearing themselves, each other and anyone foolish enough to be anywhere close with a sticky combination of cake crumbs and frosting. Genesis was sure that the little monsters had liberally applied the mixture to her hair. It felt stiff in places and smelled like sugar.

As Angie dumped a bucketful of water on her brother, Genesis pondered the next birthday to be celebrated. Darius’ cake-day was next month and she had no clue what to get him. When one’s husband was rich enough to buy whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, it made present giving that much more difficult. One had to be crafty, sneaky and inventive.

As Evan retaliated by splashing his sister, Genesis’ thoughts slipped from birthday presents to the man himself. Darius had been distracted of late. Ever since the news that Avalon had reappeared in fact. But it wasn’t just thought, Genesis thought. Something else was distracting him and he wasn’t telling her about it.

As Allie, the twins’ nanny, hurried in with towels and dry party clothes, Genesis put the thoughts of her husband aside. Right now, she had to focus on getting two toddlers dried and dressed. She’d ponder husband when she didn’t to wrestle a wet and naked little boy into a shirt.

Once the twins, led by Allie, went back down to the party, Genesis mopped up the nursery bathroom. After tossing the soaked towels into the hamper, she headed across the hall. She needed a shower to get whatever was smeared into her hair out. She headed for the master bath by going through the closest door.

She barely glanced at the painfully empty bedroom suite. Devoid of all furnishings, decorations and even paint, this would be the bedroom suite for the missing third of Darius’ Triad. If they ever found him, that is. Darius had been the bearer of Shattersoul for more than a thousand years and this empty room, like his incomplete Triad, pained him.

A thousand plus years and not a whisper from the sword that the third was near. Not many would be brave enough to say it to his face but Darius had suffered so much loss. Many would only see what he had – God Sword, King of France, Overlord of Europe, Bonds with most of the spirit beasts, large and loving family, not to mention world’s best wife – and not what those things had cost him.

And she couldn’t very well give him a mate as a birthday present – she didn’t even know who that lucky man was, Genesis thought while adjusting the taps in the shared shower. While stripping out of her clothes, her thoughts returned to the birthday problem. Perhaps they could go to the island for some much needed relaxation.

Once she was in the shower, the thoughts were derailed by the task of shampooing her hair. How had those devil-children managed to go so much of it ground in and why was it staining her hair blue? She was so distracted that she didn’t notice when the bathroom door opened.

Darius poked his head into the spacious bathroom. He grinned when he heard the shower running and saw her clothes piled on the floor. When Allie had returned to the twins to the party, he’d wondered where Genesis had gone off too. And then he wandered off to find her. The prospect of spending a little quiet time with her was too tempting.

He loved watching the twins rip into the packages and bag, smearing cake over everything, and his family watching it. To him, there was nothing better than an afternoon with family but the constant chatter and noise made his head pound. Not to mention that he was just tired and in need of restful sleep. This happened every now and then; the exhaustion and the dull, throbbing headache wore away at him until he was snoring at his desk. Even just a few minutes of quiet would help to store him. Just a little bit of time with the person he could completely drop his guard around would make it easier.

He shucked off clothes and quietly entered the shower grinning when he heard Genesis quoting Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth while scrubbing at her hair. Though it made his head hurt, he chuckled when she squealed, danced away and turned around all at once after he goosed her sides.

She stood there, glaring at him and looking adorably cute with shampoo later sliding down her body. It was a testament to just how tired he was that he didn’t prowl forward and have crazy, steamy shower sex with her. He just didn’t have the energy to do a decent job of it.

“How many times have I told you not to do that? I hate it when you do that.”

Darius grinned. “It was just too tempting to resist.”

Genesis kicked up an eyebrow. “Uh-huh, sure it is,” she muttered. She studied him, tilting her head to the side as her eyes traveled down his nude body and back up to his face. She raised the other brow as her eyes traveled back down to his groin.

Now she was concerned. Normally, if Darius caught her in the shower, she had less than a minute to finish whatever task she’d been doing. Only this time he didn’t seem all that interested in shower games. He stood under the spray, arms crossed over his chest, and remained stubbornly flaccid. Even under her gaze, he didn’t rise to the occasion. “Darius, is everything okay? You’ve been distracted lately?”

Darius sighed. “Sorry, Gene. I’ve just been so bloody tired.”

Genesis took a closer look at Darius. Now she could see just how pale he was and just how dark the shadows under his eyes were. She lightly smacked his arm. “You’ve been using a glamour to hide it.”

Darius leaned forward and rested his head on Genesis’ shoulder. The height difference between them meant he was nearly bent in half and his arms were just dangling towards the floor/ “You’d have noticed and forced some nasty restorative smoothie on me.”

“And now you are exhausted,“ she said while bringing her arms around his neck. She feathered her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. “Anything I can do?”

“Just stay here with me for a little while. Head hurts.”

Genesis smiled and stroked her fingers over her neck and shoulders. She could feel just how knotted and tense her muscles were. “Of course I’ll stay here with you.”

Darius sighed again, calming down now that he held his wife and was surrounded by her scent. And, Darius took an experimental sniff, the smell of sugar. He lifted his head and blinked. “Genesis, why do you have a purple spot in your hair?”

She straightened. “Purple? Where in the hell did they get purple frosting? That cake was blue,” she said while handing Darius the shampoo bottle. “Here, scrub,” she said while presenting her back to him. “I look like a tie-dyed Dalmatian because of your devil-children.”

Darius poured shampoo into his hand. “Why is it that they are my devil children when they are being terrors but your children when they are being sweet?” he asked while smearing soap on the purple spot.

Genesis looked at him over shoulder. “Well, they don’t get it from me. I recall a certain man telling me about painting woad all over the high priestess’ horse as a child.”

“I was dared to do it.”

“That’s not what you told me the first time. Is it coming out?”

Darius rinsed the spot with a hand-held shower head. “Frosting free but purple stain remains.”

Genesis sighed. “Guess I’ll have to wear a hat when I go out till it fades away. If it fades away.”

“We could always call out for some of that whitener stuff Trey uses on the horses,” the look Genesis shot him caused him to take a step back, “or not.”

“If you weren’t all tired and headachy right now…” she let the threat trail off, “Now turn around. It’s your turn.”

Blinking, Darius did as requested and turned his front to the spray. With a push of a button, Genesis had all of the showerheads going. She came up behind him and, standing on her tiptoes, ran her hands over the tense muscles of his back. Her healing magic may have been centered on women, children and childbirth but she was able to affect small healing magicks for Darius.

As she ran her hands over the muscles, she mentally marked each knotted spot. She didn’t push at the spots; she kept up a firm, stroking pressure while generating head deep in the tissues. When he started to sway and had to braces himself against the wall, Genesis shut off the water.

After drying off and twisting her hair into a towel, Genesis rubbed a towel of her husband. Judging by the slackness of his face, her massage had done the trick and he was half asleep already. She led him to his bedroom, the one they used the most often. She only used her room to dress, nap, sleep when either Darius or herself was sick, and to hide presents. Since he normally slept in the nude, Genesis wiped off the towel around his waist and pushed him down to the mattress.

Genesis retreated to her room where she hurriedly pulled on leggings and an old, paint splattered t-shirt. After quickly brushing her hair out and tying it up, she grabbed some aromatherapy candles designed for relaxation and healing. After locating the corresponding lotion, she went back to Darius’ side.

After prodding the nearly asleep man into his belly, Genesis knelt by his side and continued to work on those tight muscles, digging into the knots this time. As each muscle released, Darius would groan, shudder and sigh deeply. Within twenty minutes, the man was deeply asleep.

After cleaning up, Genesis sent a text to Carmine, letting him know that she and Darius would be spending the rest of the day hidden away in the bedroom. Carmine would know best what was going on and would see to it that Darius wasn’t disturbed. Once that was done, Genesis gathered up her current books and some work papers. She would spend the rest of the day in Darius’ bed with the TV on a low murmur and wait for him to wake.

But as the second ticked down to midnight, Genesis began to worry. Darius had never slept this deeply for this long before. Nervous, because with the deep sleep, her connection to Darius was cut off, Genesis climbed off the bed and crossed to the sitting area at the front of the room. There, displayed on the mantel, was Shattersoul. The sword was always in contact with Darius. She grabbed the hilt and yanked the blade from the stand. “What is wrong with him?”

“Nothing, mate of his soul. He has just gone too long without proper rest. He will wake in the morning.”

Genesis bit her thumb nail and looked back over her shoulder at him. “Shattersoul, where is the third? How much long can he stand to be without the third? I have the power to sooth him but I don’t have the strength to prop him up under the weight of his duties.”

“Not much longer, mate, but the third is near. I know the third is near but they are never in the same place twice.”

“Well, you are a lot of help,” She said while hoisting the sword back onto its stand.

**************
Tavi surveyed his domain and grinned to himself. All was well in his little world. Kronos was off, stalking something, Akos was sitting in the shade, filing the broken claw of the kit his Wild Rose had dumped on him a few weeks ago and Voski was consoling the young kitchen boy who’d just gotten plowed down by a little green. Or, rather, all would be well in his world once he dealt with the cook.

Tavi turned on his heel and proceeded to rip the cook a new one for suggesting that he needed the kitchen boy more than the little green His tirade ended with dismissing the cook without reference or pay. It left the compound short a cook but they could all pull KP until a new one was found. Please with his morning’s work, Tavi turned and strolled over to Akos. He smiled as he listened to his mate lecturing his red Kit on just what she could and could not do without risking harm to her claws. She’d come barreling up 30 minutes ago, waving the paw with the injured claw at Akos and crying piteously.

And then he noticed a dragon slinking into the outskirts of the compound proper. Tavi blinked once, the size of the dragon confirmed that it was no other then Hell Fire and that could only mean that Darius was coming to call. The old Spirit Dragon had been gravely wounded a few weeks back – a broken wing and torn sail – and Darius must be on his way to check on and visit his friend.

Turning in a circle, Tavi regarded the compound. It looked neat enough, he thought as he observed the young kits and newest caretakers and riders slowly backing away from the 60 foot deep red dragon. He glanced at Voski and wondered what the Black Brood’s reaction to his employer would be. Unless he was mistaken, Voski and Darius had never even spoken to one another. He shifted his attention back to Hell Fire, grinning as the old beast plopped himself down in the middle of the compound and looked around.

Sure enough, some ten minutes later, a whole party of Alati on spirit horses cantered into the compound and created chaos. Kits yelped, chittered and ran for their caretakers at the appearance of horses and the horses freaked at the sight of so many dragons. Tavi watched as Darius, mounted on a young spirit horse, swayed as the animals danced and shimmied at the sight of the dragons. His face calm, Darius leaned over the animals neck when it reared, trying to bring it back down. The only two animals who remained call were Trey’s Khan and Hell Bringer, who’d apparently decided to come along. The old spirit horse, leader of the herd, sedately walked over and touched noses with Hell Fire.

Once the chaos had calmed, Tavi called the compound to attention. The only one who didn’t bother to line up was Akos. He was still working at the red’s broken claw and didn’t feel the need to salute his father. He could get away with it, Tavi thought, because he out ranked everyone who lived at the compound but Tavi. And, Tavi noted, Voski was still trying to calm down the kitchen boy.

Tavi turned his attention back to Darius and watched as he surveyed the new riders, caretakers and kits. He would stop and speak to each one and shake paws with the kits. Once that was done, he crossed to where his oldest bonded friends waited. He greeted Hell Fire by stroking his cheek and rubbing his eye ridges. He must have been speaking to Hell Fire because the dragon unfurled one large wing and tilted it low to the ground. Darius took the short walk to that wing and stroked his hands over the parts that had been injured.

Tavi glanced at Voski as he came up alongside him. “Our illustrious leader. You’ve never met Lord Darius, have you? He was busy when we first met.” And what a meeting that he’d been. He and Kronos had been flying to the rescue of an ambushed group of new riders when they’d encountered the black dragon. While the rest of the riders who made of Tavi’s elite wing had gone after the riders, he and Kronos had gone to sort out the dragons. Except that was already being done by one who Kronos claimed was not a spirit dragon.

Once Darius was done looking over the healed wing, he stopped by and spoke with Akos. Tavi grinned when the Alati Lord shook his finger at the little red kit and she hung her head low under the lecture. And only then did Darius swing around to Tavi. Tavi greeted his employer with a smile. “Afternoon, Darius. What can we do for you?”

“Just here to expose some of the young horses to the dragons and to look in at Hell Fire. The wing is healing nicely, isn’t it?”

“Extremely well. It’s thanks to Voski that we were able to keep an eye on it and care for the wounds. He was able to speak to Hell Fire and convince him to stay around and let us care for him. You haven’t officially met Voski yet, have you?” Tavi made the introductions to the two men.

Darius reached out and shook the brood’s hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Voski. Tavi can’t stop talking about you,” he said.

It was while he was shaking his head that Shattersoul, securely strapped to his back, screamed that the brood was the third. Darius’ gripped tightened on Voski’s hand. At the same time, Hell Fire put his great head against Darius’ back and shoved while Hell Bringer did the same with Voski. Shoved together, Darius gripped Voski around his shoulder, growled out that it was about damned time he showed up, and kissed the man, right there, in the middle of the dragon compound.

[Maira]

Voski wasn't sure how it was that he'd managed to work at the DeLorme dragon compound for nearly three years without actually meeting the Lord that all the riders, dragons, and staff were beholden to. He'd refrained from swearing fealty to the Lord on the grounds that he was still tied to his Brood clan, and small though they were anymore he still had responsibilities to that clan. So, when an entourage of young spirit horses came thundering into the compound and then Tavi called the compound to attention, Voski was able to finally present himself.

When Lord DeLorme shook his hand in greeting and informed him that Tavi had been gushing about him, Voski shot an playful glare at the Alati. It was while he was distracted that Lord DeLorme's grip tightened on his hand, almost painfully so. It was just as Voski turned to look at the older man, fearing he'd done something wrong, that he was shoved by a horse head into the man in front of him. Then he was promptly grabbed by the older man, growled at, and then kissed soundly.

It took Voski a moment to grasp just what had happened to him, and stop kissing the Lord DeLorme back, but when he did, he immediately let his human form slip away and took on his much larger dragon form forcing the (now) much smaller man to lose his death grip on him. Luckily for Voski Hell Fire was used to him in this form, and Hell Bringer wasn't phased by dragons at all and neither of them attacked him when he suddenly shifted forms.

To Tavi, Voski demanded, **What the HELL was that about?!** As he waited for the Alati's answer, he eyed Lord DeLorme suspiciously.

[Demeter]

Darius gave the dragon before him a bemused look and then grinned. "Well, that explains why it took so damned long to find you," he said while looking up at the dragon, "you're one of the brood."

During this whole exchange, Tavi just blinked and then jumped when Voski spoke to him. Grinning, because he had an idea, Tavi turned to Darius and asked, "Yes, just what in the hell was that about?"

Darius, still grinning like a fool, just shrugged. "He's my missing third. I suppose we should probably explain Triads and bossy God Swords to him?"

Tavi nodded and turned to Voski. "It's okay to shift back," he said, "We'll explain everything and I'm sure that Lord Darius promises not to pounce on you until you understand."

From his spot leaning against Hell Fire's head, Darius nodded. "Now that I've found you, I'm content to wait until you understand what is going on."

Once Voski was shifted and dressed, he joined Tavi and the others in Tavi's apartments. Darius leaned against the wall, Shattersoul against the wall next to him. Tavi smiled at Voski. They'd exchanged many facts about their respective cultures and species but some things hadn't been said. "As you know, Voski, almost every Alati in the world is beholden to some deity of some religion. I'm Beholden to Saturn while Darius makes his bows to Hades. Now, almost all of these deities have selected one of their servants to be chief among all of them and these Alati bear what is called a God Weapon, thus making them their deity on earth. I wield Saturn's Scythe and Darius bears Shattersoul, the Blade of Hades.

"That is just one element to being a bearer of a God Weapon. Another is that every bearer will have two people to support them; one to soothe and one to challenge. Akos is the one who soothes me; he is my mate but we are searching for our other mate. Darius is doing the same and it appears that you just might be it. I guess we should attempt the true test. Akos, would you please bring me the Scythe?"

Once Akos returned with Saturn's Scythe, Tavi took it and held it out to Voski. "Are you willing to try and hold a God Weapon? First, the Scythe and then Shattersoul? Only a true mate can hold the weapons of another."

[Maira]

Voski wasn't sure how he felt about how Lord DeLorme was watching him, and he didn't understand what the man meant by it taking so long to find him. Why would anybody be searching for him? As a black Brood he was a pitied member of Brood society at best and a reviled outcast at worst. His time at the dragon compound was Voski's first experience with non-Brood and he had found it refreshing finding that the Alati didn't give a damn about who his parents were or what color his hide was. They were more interested in his skills with the dragons and their caretakers and riders rather than his lineage.

When Tavi and Lord DeLorme began exchanging words with each other, prompted by Voski's question to Tavi, the Brood listened carefully because even though they were mostly talking to each other the information concerned him. Voski had always been better at acclimating to other people if he was allowed to watch them and listen to them first and that was part of why he'd reacted so abruptly to Lord DeLorme's actions. Voski had only just met him, didn't know a thing about him except that relayed to him by Akos and Tavi and the others in the compound. With no firsthand knowledge of the Lord, Voski hadn't been able to handle the sudden change in greeting from a simple handshake to a passionate kiss.

After Tavi, Akos, and Lord DeLorme left to go wait in Tavi's apartments Voski leaped into the air and glided to his den in the compound. Unlike the other men, Voski preferred a traditional dragon's den so that he could have the same quarters regardless of what form he was in. He'd had furniture and other comforts brought into his den, and as soon as he was inside he summoned his human form to the fore again and, naked, padded to his wardrobe to pull out a new set of working leathers in the traditional dragon corp uniform colors and a new pair of boots. As soon as he was once again properly dressed he made his way to Tavi's apartments trying not to focus too much on just how amazing Lord DeLorme's lips had felt on his own. It had been too long since he had kissed anybody, let alone in the manner that Lord DeLorme had kissed him.

Once he was settled in one of the seats set aside for guests in Tavi's quarters, Tavi started to explain what it meant to be a "third" to Lord DeLorme. When Tavi was finished, Voski was thoroughly intrigued at the thought that he could possibly be destined for the Alati Lord staring at him with some unreadable emotion dancing in his eyes. Tavi then mentioned a test to find out if he was truly the third mate in Lord DeLorme's triad, and explained that only true mates could hold their mate's God Weapon. When Tavi then held out his own weapon to Voski and asked if he'd be willing to hold it, Voski scoffed slightly and answered, "You're my friend Tavi but I would think we would have figured out by now if I were your third or not. I'd rather not try to hold yours if it's the Lord DeLorme who thinks I am to be his third."

When Tavi lowered the Scythe and nodded his understanding, Voski then turned his attention to Lord DeLorme. He just watched him for a moment, getting his thoughts in order, and then he asked the older man, "If I do this and I we discover that I am your third, what will be required of me? Is this more a formal arrangement or a personal one?" Then, wanting to lay some basic guidelines for just what kind of person he was, Voski explained his question, "I have no children of my own, blacks are not allowed mates and children of their own, but my uncle's children and grandchildren are close to my heart and I will not abandon them. I am willing to forfeit my duties to my clan, that is truly no great loss, but I will not under any circumstances cut off contact with my family." Arax's children, especially after his death, were the closest that Voski ever got to children of his own and he truly couldn't bear the thought of not being able to see them whenever he wanted just because it was destined for him to be tied to some stranger.

After Lord DeLorme's answers to his questions, Voski thought for another few moments before nodding his understanding of what would be expected of him and in agreement to try holding Shattersoul. He held his hand out for the blade that the older man presented him, Akos and Tavi both watching eagerly, and when his hand grasped the hilt a wave of magic surged up his arm before spreading to the rest of his body. He inhaled sharply once and then let that breath out in a rush when a new awareness spoke in his mind, "You are found, you complete them." Voski stared blinking in surprise at the blade as the magic and awareness retreated back into it leaving only a trace of magic behind on his soul. When he was once again alone in his mind, Voski finally looked again at Lord DeLorme and held the blade reverently out to him, "The sword Shattersoul claims that I am to complete you and your mate, My Lord." The smile on Lord DeLorme's face was like the shining sun after months of rain, but Voski's answering smile was unsure.

Voski hadn't allowed himself any real relationships in years. Now the prospect of suddenly being in a relationship with two people instead of just one was more than a little overwhelming for the quiet contemplative man.

[Demeter]

Darius grinned when he felt the sword’s acceptance of Voski. It eased his heart to see the brood handling Shattersoul. He accepted the sword back from Voski and smiled at him. “I’m sure this is all very sudden to you, Voski, but please take your time. I’m not going to force anything on you.”

After sheathing the sword, Darius looked around. “The forming of Triads can be tricky. You should have Akos tell you about the special kind of hell his brother went through during the forming of his triad. Voski, would you be willing to join Genesis and myself for dinner this Friday? Akos and Tavi can bring you and then watch the twins. It’s their nanny’s weekend off and they haven’t seen Big Brother Akos and Big Brother Tavi for a while.”

Once Voski agreed to dinner, Darius made his farewells. He would have loved to stay and chat with Voski until late evening but he was a busy Alati Lord. Before he left, Darius crossed the room to Voski, lifted the brood’s hand and pressed a kiss to the back of his fingers. “Until Friday, Aravoski’garen. Votre vie me fait complѐte. Mon Coeur est deja le votre.”

(Translation: Your life makes me complete. My heart is already yours)

******************
It was Genesis who answered the door on Friday. She smiled at the three men on the doorstep. “Tavi, Akos, the twins are waiting in the backyard. Along with Ruri. She’s visiting for the night.”

It was Tavi who groaned. “Why would you do that to a man? Last time she was here, Ruri bit me!”

Genesis looked at him. “You try explaining why big brother Tavi can’t come to the party to two toddlers. Akos, Honey, that book you were looking for is on the patio table. You just sit back and take it easy and supervise.”

“Why does he get to sit?” Tavi all but whined.

“You couldn’t come to the party because Akos was sick, right? I wouldn’t want to jeopardize his recovery. Now, go on. Evan wants to show you Leviathan’s new trick.”

Once the two men were headed towards the back of the house, Genesis turned to the person still standing on the porch. “And you must be Voski. Tell me, was either of them sick last Saturday?”

When Voski shook his head, Genesis scowled. “I knew it. Ungrateful sons,” she muttered. She stepped back out of the doorway. “Please, come in. Darius is out back with the children. He’ll join us once he sees that Tavi gets a good soaking. I’m Genesis; the other third of this triad.”

Genesis led the way through the house to the conservatory. “We can watch from her,” she said while raising the blinds. The conservatory looked out on the backyard and she could see Darius laughing as the three children chased Tavi.

Genesis took a seat and motioned for Voski to do the same. I just wanted to tell you how happy I am that you accepted this invitation to dinner. I’ve never seen Darius as happy as he’s been the past few days. Tell me, do you have any questions or concerns? I can try to answer them.”

[Maira]

The rest of the week dragged by after the run in with Lord DeLorme and that blasted sword. The promise to have dinner with Lord DeLorme and his wife Genesis on Friday was like a dark cloud hanging over Voski's head and unfortunately that meant he was rather moody with everybody except the youngest of his charges (dragon and two-leggers alike). When the fateful day finally arrived, it took much convincing from both Akos and Tavi to even leave his den, let alone in a fashion proper for dinner rather than training. By the time the trio was standing on the doorstep of their destination Voski was practically sweating with nerve.

Only when a white-haired woman opened the door did Voski relax ever so slightly. She looked anything but threatening and even before she said a word he had a feeling she was Lord DeLorme's wife. The more she talked to Tavi and Akos the more certain Voski was of who she was. When the other two men wandered off to the backyard and the children, Genesis led Voski inside and to the conservatory where they could watch the antics.

After they had both taken a seat, Genesis started telling him how happy her husband had been since finding him. Then she asked him if he had any questions or concerns about their situation and Voski just blinked slowly in surprise. From what he could tell of her in their very brief time together, Genesis seemed like a very compassionate woman and Voski had a hard time not telling her all the thoughts on his mind. Instead he thought for a moment, watching the kids and men in the yard blindly, before answering her.

"I'm not great at relationships outside of friendship. Brood that are my color, a mix of two others, are not allowed to formally take mates. We're not allowed children of our own. I'm over 700 years old and while I helped raise my uncle's children, my cousins, after he was killed I truly have no idea how to even be in a normal family." The hard parts, those he kept to himself, were the confession that Voski wanted to feel loved and he wanted so badly to hold a child and know that it was part of him. Those were things Voski would hold close to his heart until he was sure of just what this Triad was really going to involve.

Akos had explained that all triads were different, all involved love and caring between the members, but the relationships often varied. Often, the three in the triad were all in relationships with each other. Sometimes each of the two mates to the bearer of the god-weapons had friendships with each other but a romantic relationship only with the bearer of the weapon. Very rarely there was no romantic love involved between any of the triad but they were all so close in other ways that it didn't matter. And of course there were variations of all of those.

Remembering those things that Akos had told him, Voski asked Genesis, "What exactly are you two expecting of me anyway? Akos told me of the different triad relationships and I'm curious to know where I fit into this one. Since you two are married already will I just be a good friend? Or did the shocking kiss Lord DeLorme laid on me back at the dragon compound mean he wants more from me? Like I said, I'm not good at relationships and if he, or both of you, are wanting or expecting more from me than friendship I'm afraid we're all going to be sadly disappointed."

Maybe giving voice to those thoughts wasn't the smartest thing Voski had ever done but he really wanted to be honest with Genesis. She seemed to really want to know what he was thinking to so that made it a lot easier to share with her.

[Demeter]

Genesis smiled at Voski, hoping to put the Brood at ease. "Voski, it may have escaped your notice but no one is this family counts as normal. We are a collection of misfits, outcast, victims, survivors, Clan Heirs, Alati whose mates are Gods, and the bearers of God Weapons. At last count there were," she paused to count off the numbers on her fingers, "six bears of God Weapons within this family, our Grandson Zahir and his half brother Ziya have only recently been selected as bearers, and Carmine is the only one who's managed to complete his Triad and that was...difficult."

Genesis settled deeper into her chair, pulling her feet up to sit cross-legged on the cushion. "We also have some connections to the Brood. Our Granddaughter, Brielle, is the bonded mate to a Halfling brood. Elise is half brood, half Alati who is mated to another Halfling. We also have some very loose connections to a clan of white dragons in Northern Alaska so we know some things about the brood culture. When Darius told me about you, I called Elise and Chastity's Rhea for more information. And let me tell you, Voski, in this family, we don't care about the color of your hide or the nature of your DNA.

"Black brood are considered quite scandalous, if I understand things correctly. Up until a Ibrida, that is a Alati with one parent a Curantis and the other a Custos, became a bearer of a God Weapon a decade ago, it was considered scandalous to be a Alati Halfling. It was even more scandalous to be with one of the opposite line. My father disowned me when I ran away with all ready married Custos. Do you see that child out there, the one with the black hair?" Genesis pointed the girl out.

When Voski nodded, Genesis continued. "That is Ruri and she's a perfect example of what I mean. To start with, she's a interesting mix of Mutari, Alati, both Curantis and Custos, as well as 'Pard. Most of the time she lives with her father, Lysander, and his husband, Dominic, who just happens to Ruri's Mother's Ex-Husband and father of Ruri's elder sister, Lani, who has the same basic genetic makeup as Ruri. As you can tell, we have a strange, complex and dynamic family here."

When Voski questioned what they were expecting of him, Genesis grinned and shook her head. "Well, Darius is not only extremely affectionate but French so he kisses most people. The dynamic of our relationship, should you agree to join us, will develop over time. I don't know how well Triad's have been explained to you, especially for bearers of God Weapons, but there is a specific person. The Alati who bears a God Weapon is essentially that God on Earth. Tavi is Saturn. Carmine is Mars. Zahir is Poseidon. Darius is Hades. Not only do they act in the interest of the God, they receive petitioners, precede over ceremonies and do that God's bidding. In short, there is a very large and very heavy burden on the poor soul who bears a weapon forged by gods.

"Imagine how hard it is on Tavi to see along the lines of time and not be able to tell anyone or do anything. How hard it is on Carmine to always be making war. Zahir has been given the responsibility to Atlantis to its former glory and to then rule the oceans. Darius...Darius has to keep the balance between life and death. He also has the terrible responsibility of judging souls and, if warrented, destroying that soul for all time.

"The purpose of a triad is that one comforts and soothes the bearer while the other acts as outlet and challenger. For Darius, I'm obviously the comforter. I have the basics and can defend myself but I don't last a minute against my husband. I provide him with sanctuary from the outside world. And patch him up when he does something stupid. The challenger, or you, has the strength of physically with side and, well, challenger the bearer. There are not many who can match Darius on the sparring floor without causing all havoc to break loose.

"Carmine has done what he can but, since he wields Talos, they cannot completely engage one another without risking the total annihilation of the world. Have you ever watched those video games or cartoons where the sword or the hero has magical powers that come from their spirit and have the ability to, well, destroy worlds? That's what it's like for a Alati who doesn't bear the weapon of a Fluffy God. The purpose of the challenger is to fully engage the bearer and act as a physical release of the stresses of ruling."

Genesis fluttered her hands. "So, that is the purpose of the Triad. The relationship develops outside of that. Carmine, Rune, and Zhara are all intimate with each other because that is how their Triad developed. I've known Triads that are just very close friends with spouses outside of the Triad. The direction of the relationship between the three of us will be your choice. Additionally, and this is something Darius wouldn't have told you, you are not the only one who could have been the third. Well, you are the third one that Shattersoul as found. Darius' first wife, Chantal, was the first of us to be found but she passed away decades ago. I am in my 4th century and you are in your 7th so neither of us is Chantal reincarnated. There are many possibilities but please don't let the knowledge that there could be someone else out there who can challenge Darius determine your decision."

Genesis reached out and took Voski's hand in hers. "Darius isn't the only one who needs comfort, Voski. Even if that comfort is being a friend to listen when you rant and rave about the unfair segregation caused by your hide. Or if that comfort and easing of your soul means giving you a child of your own and damned what the Brood think of it. Think on it, Voski, while I go check on dinner. Gods know if Darius gets ahold of dinner, it will turn into some sort of science experiment," she said while climbing out of her chair. She smiled, gave his hand a squeeze and walked out of the room.

As she did so, Darius came in from an external door. "Good Evening, Voski. I'm glad that came to the house tonight. "Scuse me while I get some of Leviathan's treats. Evan wants to show off what he trained that fish to do. I swear that boy will end up with a sea god," he said while pulling a few tuna out of a chest refrigerator tucked into corner. "Evan can't carry these damned things on his own yet and he wants to show off. I want to see Tavi soaked. Please, come out and join us if you want," he said while trotting out the door, arms full of fish.

[Maira]

His time talking with Genesis left Voski practically gawking by the time she got up to go tend to dinner. He was staring blankly at the door she'd gone through when he heard an external door open and he snapped to attention, turning toward the door just in time to see Lord DeLorme walk in. He listened with a half smile as the man went on and on about his son training a fish and wanting to see Tavi soaked by said fish. At the invitation to join everybody outside Voski, with the half smile still on his face, answered, "Maybe in a few minutes. Talking with Lady Genesis gave me a bit to think about and that will be easier without poor Tavi screeching from getting wet and cold." With that last, the half smile turned into a mischievous smirk.

Darius left the conservatory with a laugh and when the door shut behind him Voski sighed in relief. He was sure that over time he would eventually get used to the man, but right now he was just completely overwhelming.

Left to the silence of the empty conservatory, Voski's own thoughts started to bubble up and make themselves known. The loudest of them was the one trying to figure out if Genesis had basically offered to be a mother to a child of his blood. He couldn't even fathom why somebody who had just met him would offer to do something so selfless and so dangerous. Surely if the Brood found out about a black being allowed to reproduce, even with another race, the child and himself would be targeted and likely killed. Voski himself was lucky to be alive, and then only thanks to the mercy of his mother and his uncle Arax. Without them he would have met the common fate of black-born Brood.

Not wanting to get his hopes up, Voski tried to focus on another of the thoughts Genesis's words had given him. While implying she might be willing to mother his child, she also made it pretty clear that she was willing to be his friend. That was something Voski knew he could handle. Friendship he was good at. The only thing he wasn't sure he was good at was juggling his work at the dragon compound and making time for friend things. He knew he'd figure it out though if her offer was genuine.

He spent a few more minutes thinking things through, or trying anyway, but even being separated by walls and windows Voski could still hear Tavi screeching. With a laugh of his own, Voski went outside to join the men and the kids. He padded silently to where the group was and watched from a distance for a while but it didn't take long for the little black haired girl to see him. Immediately she ran at him and pounced his legs, nearly knocking him to the ground. She crawled up his legs and hung around his waist until he picked her up and settled her on his hip which made her squeal in joy.

"Grandpapa! He's big and strong, can he stay and play?" the little girl hollered at Lord DeLorme and Voski was fairly certain his face flushed ever so slightly. Like Genesis, there was just something about this girl that made Voski feel welcome. When he looked at Lord DeLorme, he couldn't help but smile at the man and mirror the girl's request, "Can I stay and play?" Though for some reason he had a feeling that maybe he hadn't just meant a rough and tumble game of tag with the kids, but maybe something later with the Lord and that sword of his.

[Demeter]

Darius watched as Voski played with Evan and Ruri. Tavi had gone off to find dry clothing while Angie had snuggled up to her much adored older brother. The remaining two children had abandoned him to explore with the new comer. So, Darius leaned against the trunk of a sprawling oak tree and stroked the head of Brimstone, the alpha of the spirit hound pack and his friend. 

He wondered what Genesis had said to Voski. He'd left it to her to explained Triads to him. She was far more articulate then him about those things. Knowing his wife, she probably done more then just explain. He'd pry it out of her later, he thought as Evan came barreling towards him. 

Eventually, Genesis called everyone into dinner. Tavi and Akos were trapped in the kitchen with the kids. Darius led the way into the small family dining room, stopping at the door to drop his cell phone into a basket. Behind him, Genesis explained the no cell phone at the table rule to Voski. Everyone except the healers or those with children at the sitters had to give up their phones until the meal was over. Ad Voski fished out his phone, Darius took his place at the head of the table. Genesis sat to his right, placing her phone on the next seat over. Darius told Voski as he sat that Genesis had a thriving medical practice. As such, she got to keep her phone through the meal. 

Over a meal of salad, stuffed shells in a meat sauce and warm bread, the trio talked mostly about the dragon compound. Darius wanted to know how the new riders, caretakers and dragons were getting along. Genesis talked with Voski about getting a second healer out there. Neither one brought up the subjects of god swords or triads and wouldn't unless Voski brought them up. 

As the dishes were being cleared, Genesis' phone went off. Sighing, she looked at it and then at the chocolate cake being wheeled in. "At least I got to eat dinner this time. If you will excuse me, gentlemen, but I have a high strung mortal in labour and she refuses to allow my associates to deliver the child."

She stood, collected her phone and kissed Darius on the cheek. "Gods save me from spoiled trophy wives," she muttered while walking over to Voski and kissing his cheek. "I don't know when I'll be back but unless I'm arrested for strangling the woman, I shall return. You two play nice now," she said before leaving the room to change clothes and collect her bag. 

Darius stood and walked over to the intercom on the wall to order up a car and driver for his wife. He returned to the table and sat down. "Business is booming and she's busy. She'd rather spend more time at her free clinic but she has to cater to the wealthy clients since they pay for the clinic." 

After their slices of cake were gone, Darius took Voski on a tour of the house. They ended that tour in the second floor study. The offices on the first floor were for business only while the study was Darius personal retreat. The walls of the room were covered with photographs and paintings of his family. "Someday," he said to Voski, "I'll tell you the story of my family but for now, rest assured that no one in this family will judge you. I've seen what unwarranted judgements can do and I don't tolerate it."

He grinned at Voski. "How about we talk compound business for a bit and then I can show you the sparring and training rooms in the basement and we can see how nicely we can play together."

[Maira]

Dinner had been surprisingly pleasant and not at all awkward. It felt like nothing more that having a meal with a coworker and a friend. Even though Darius was his boss, he didn't even come across that way at all. The older Custos was clearly interested in Voski's thoughts on all things related to the dragon compound and Voski was happy to share them. When Genesis had questioned if there was a need for an additional healer at the compound, Voski had laughed and related multiple stories of freak dragon-induced accidents for the riders and caregivers. "The infirmary is always full and honestly another healer would be nice but so would a bigger infirmary," he finally told the younger woman.

Just as dessert was being brought out, the phone that Genesis had set on the chair next to her started to go off and she had to excuse herself to go attend a birth. She had explained that Darius had a tendency to kiss everybody, but she had never mentioned that she was at least somewhat as affectionate as her husband and when Genesis kissed him on the cheek like she had Darius, in front of Darius, Voski couldn't help but shoot a worried glance the Lord's way. The only reaction he saw on Darius's face shocked Voski, but he recovered quickly. As much as he hadn't expected the kisses from either Darius or Genesis, the genuinely happy smile on Darius's face when Genesis kissed him on the cheek was the most surprising part of the whole situation. The man was seriously happy to see his wife being affectionate with somebody else?

Not wanting to dwell on that too much, Voski turned his attention back to his cake which he made short work of. When he and Darius were both finished, the older man offered to give Voski a tour of the house. Voski couldn't help but be impressed. He had seen his fair share of nice homes, but he had never been in one belonging to Alati royalty and that Darius was royalty was quite clear. Once they made it to Darius's study, Darius suggested they talk a bit more business about the dragon compound before going to check out the sparring and training rooms.

The suggestion of getting to spar with Darius filled Voski with eagerness. It had been a while since he'd truly been tested. The last time was when he had faced off against Tavi and while the fight was good the thrill just wasn't there so he quickly relinquished his place in the sparring ring to another fighter. Just knowing he was going to get to cross blades with Darius made him anxious and excited.

[Demeter]

They talked of dragon business for about an hour, to allow time for their meal to settle. They talked about the pros and cons of building a new medical clinic at the compound or expanding the existing building. Once the rich chocolate cake had settled, Darius led Voski down to the training rooms below the house. 

The training area was built below the basement and was equal in size to the upper levels. Darius showed Voski to to locker rooms for visitors and the members of the Guard who lived at the island house. After showing him where he could find some clothing to wear, Darius retreated to the locker room that had been built for family use only. 

He stripped out of his clothing and pulled on the single pair of pants he typically used for sparring. Tight at the ankles and waist, the loose black pants did little to protect him from blows but offered the least restriction of movement. It wasn't as if he wore these pants on the battle field. He didn't bother with a shirt or any kind of footwear. It was a testament to his skill that he preferred to wear so little against an unknown opponent. 

He stretched out in his locker room. He needed the extra minutes to calm down. There was both the excitement of sparring against Voski and the fact that he genuinely liked the man. There were few who could compete against him and was he was very eager to see if Voski was one of those few. It wasn't just the fact that he wielded a soul killing sword in the name of Hades that made him a dangerous and strong fighter, it was his age and the fact that he'd survived through the bloody ages of the earth that made him dangerous. His skill had been honed through warfare where the opponents battled face to face instead of with long range weapons. 

When his skill was coupled with ShatterSoul, he was nearly unstoppable as he added the power if Hades to his own strength then. That was why it was so important that he have his third. The Third would provide him with a challenge and would be the one to stop him if things got out of control. The Third would be able to slip past his guard and disarm him. When pitted against each other, he and Carma could go for hours. He'd never bested Carma in a battle and his closet friend had never beaten him but Rune could knock a blade from Carma. Rune could make Carma lose his hold on Talos. Darius hoped Voski could do the same to him; he needed the challenge. 

And then there was the man himself. Voski was far from his usual type. In both men and women, he'd alway been attracted to the fair and delicate. Voski was neither fair or delicate looking. Genesis was fair and delicate but one would be a fool to assume that she was also weak. She could be downright vicious if her children were at risk and he'd seen her trick many a unsupportive father to be into believing that he was pregnant. Not to mention that she was also a six wing and could be deadly if that power were to be set free. So he knew not to judge Voski on his appearance alone. The way he looked may not be to Darius' normal tastes but that said very little about the man beneath the skin. 

Finishing his stretching routine, Darius bounced to his feet and out the locker room door. He caught sight of Voski across the way, going through his own stretches, and he headed across the room to meet up with him. Once he was closer, he was intrigued by the full sleeve tattoo the Brood was sporting. All but two of his own tattoos were on display. His deity's name was hidden by his pants and the red dragon marking over his eye, which could be considered a tattoo, was hidden by powerful spells. His nipple piercing was also on display and he caught Voski staring at it. Darius shrugged, "it was the seventies," he said, "Carma dared me to do it and I was drunk enough to take the dare."

There were a few others making use of the training rooms, guards and domestic staff off duty who came down to work out or make use of the steam room and spa after a long day. When one of the guards noticed his lord and master in his sparring outfit and talking with the guy from the dragon compound, he nudged his buddy and pointed the two out. Soon, all the others were lined against the wall to watch the show. 

Darius was well aware of the gathering audience, it happened on a regular basis. He showed Voski where to find the dulled practice swords. While Voski tested the blades to find one that would fit him, Darius drew down a copy of ShatterSoul. It was the same shape and style as the God Sword but it was just cold steel. Once they had their swords, they met in the center of the sword ring and faced off. 

At first they traded cautious blows as they got used to each other but as their confidence grew so did the strength behind the blows. As the minutes ticked by and as they pushed each other around the ring, Darius worked up a sweat. Voski was strong and his different style of sword play was challenging to keep up with. When they locked blades, Darius grinned at the man. They both were made and lived for fighting, he realized as he dug his bare toes into the mat to push against Voski's borrowed blade. What would the Brood be like when his own familiar sword was pitted against ShatterSoul? 

The only sound in the training room was the crack of the blades, the occasional grunt and their panting breath. And then it happened. Voski must have seen a chance because he managed to get past Darius guard and knock the copy of ShatterSoul from his hand with some fancy twist maneuver that he'd be never seen before. Darius wasn't the only one who watched the sword fly up and arc away. The staff lining the wall watched it as well and when it thumped on the mat, they all glanced at each other and then shuffled out of the room. What was happening between these two men wasn't for their eyes to see. 

Darius looked from the sword to Voski. He was sweaty and out of breath, just like the Brood but he still managed to grin at the man. "You are the first person to have disarmed me of any weapon since the 7th century...when I first took hold of ShatterSoul inside of the temple of Hades."

[Maira]

Crossing blades with Darius in the sub-basement training rooms was exhilarating and exhausting all at the same time. The other man was the best he'd ever had the chance to face off against and for the first time in a long time Voski didn't hold back his skill or his blows. As the fight went on, Voski worried that he'd tire before Darius did but then he saw an opening in Darius's form and he knew he wasn't the only one getting winded. Before the opening disappeared, Voski stepped in and twisted his blade just enough to fling it from the older man's grasp and into the air. Immediately he lowered his own weapon and stepped back a few paces, unsure if Darius would continue the fight in hand-to-hand.

When Darius grinned at him and spoke, Voski couldn't help but gawk. Had he just said nobody had disarmed him since the 7th century? And Voski had managed to do it during their first fight. Suddenly Voski wasn't sure if he should be pleased with himself or embarrassed. Should he not have done that?

Nervous, Voski smiled back at Darius and asked curiously and a bit playfully, "Does that mean I pass the Triad test? Or are you going to order me fed to your beast of a dragon for having the gall to disarm you?"

[Demeter]

Darius grinned at Voski. "You past that test the moment you took hold of ShatterSoul. I just wanted to spar with you; wasn't expecting that but I am very, very pleased with that."

Darius bent to pick up the dull bladed sword. "Do you know that I can't disarm Carmine yet my son, Rune, can. Rune is still living a mortal lifespan. Me and Carmine, we just beat each other into exhaustion and mutually give up when we can't move anymore."

He replaced the sword and turned to stare at the black brood standing in his sparing room. "This is the nature of challenger in amy triad formed because of a tool of the gods. Its too disarm and defeat the bearer. Its too, well, challenge and provide competition. Do you know how boring training gets when you can defeat almost anyone. That makes a person grow lazy in training and that makes them open to errors."

He crossed back to Voski. "The nature of the relationship outside of the sparring circle is up to us but, inside the circle, you are the only person who can actually give me a real work out that doesn't lead to exhaustion. Will you at least grant me that?"

He didn't want to sound like a child begging for a new toy but that's exactly what this was. He'd found a person who could give him a thrill in the ring and he didn't want to lose that. 

[Maira]

When Darius essentially asked Voski if he'd continue to be his sparring partner, regardless of whatever relationship developed between the two of them, Voski smiled and nodded his agreement to the idea. "If nothing else, friends and sparring partners is well within what I be for you. The challenge was quite welcome for me too, you know, and I don't really want to give it up either. Tavi is good, but I have to pull my blows even with him and with you I don't. Its been a long time for me, as well, since I've had a partner I could go all out with."

He watched as Darius listened, nodding his head in understanding. When the older man moved to put his blade away, Voski followed and did likewise before heading off to the showers he'd seen while changing into sparring clothes. Just before he slipped into the locker room, Voski turned and watched Darius disappear into the other one and a strange smirk tugged up one corner of his mouth before he went to get clean and redressed in the clothes he'd come to dinner in.

*****

It had been nearly six months since Darius had kissed him at the dragon compound and while the friendship between him and the crazy frenchman was deepening, something was bothering him about how things were between him and Genesis. To say they were friends was accurate to a point, but her level of affection toward him was disconcerting. She was a happily married woman, to the man he was now able to call his closest friend, and yet she showed him nearly the amount of affection that she did for her husband. And, he was certain, if he were more open to it she would be even more affectionate with him.

He was supposed to be going over to the house for dinner that night, but he'd just gotten word that Darius had been pulled away on business. It was part of his routine now, to go over for dinner a couple times a week, but all the times before Darius had been present. On more than one occasion Genesis had been pulled away to tend to a client, but Darius had always been there. For the first time, if he went, Voski would be alone with Genesis and despite how odd it was how affectionate she was with him that wasn't why he was debating going over.

Maybe because of how Genesis acted toward him, Voski had found himself developing an interest in her that was most certainly more intimate than friendship. Between his upbringing that Black brood weren't allowed to love and have a family, and the fact that she was married to his best friend, Voski was at a loss of what to think or feel in regards to her. He wasn't sure that time alone with her would be a great idea because despite his best intentions he did have feelings of some sort for her and he was a brood male in his prime, his intincts to act on those feelings were very strong and without the presence of Darius there as a buffer, Voski worried he would do something that the other man might not forgive.

He had finally decided to call Genesis and tell her that he wouldn't be coming to dinner when, phone already in hand, she called him. The ringing made him jumped and nearly drop the phone but somehow he managed to juggle it and catch it before it hit the floor. He hit the answer button and greeted her, "Hi Genesis, what can I do for you?" He listened as she explained that she'd arranged for his favorite meal to be prepared for dinner and that she'd found a new movie that he might like and how excited she was to finally get to talk to him without her nosey husband around.

He knew she wanted to know more about his past and his upbringing but he'd never been comfortable talking about it in Darius's presence. The two men were close in every other way, but it was an unspoken rule that they didn't talk about his past.

By the time Genesis hung up, Voski realized he hadn't told her he wasn't coming. In fact, the exact opposite was true and he realized that he'd told her he would see her soon because he'd finished up with his duties for the day early. His phone now laying limply in his hand, he stared at it and asked himself nervously, "What have I gotten myself into?"

[Demeter]

Genesis was used to dealing with stubborn people. Her husband was a stubborn ass when he wanted to be one; which was most of the time. And his children, all of them had inherited that trait. Not to mention her patients. But Voski...now there was what had to be the worlds most stubborn man. 

She supposed that seven hundred years of training to not act on certain impulses had something to do with his reluctance to admit to certain feelings. Luckily for them, her abilities as both an empath and low level pre-cog granted her insight into the stubborn dragon currently sitting at the other end of the couch. So far, this evening had not gone as planned. 

With Darius away on business (one of the Chicago offices had fucked up big time and Darius felt the need to ream out the guilty parties in person), Voski was unmistakably avoiding her. This made Operation Capture Voski's Heart difficult. How the heck was she supposed to seduce the man if he kept squirming away from her?

Oh, she knew all about Voski's feelings for her. His skills at guarding against her empathy were weak and his mental walls weren't all that high where she was concerned. Genesis shook her head. The only thing that was stopping him was that Voski respected Darius to much to make a move on her. 

She supposed it was to soon to let Voski know that the only thing keeping Darius from jumping him was that this whole Triad thing was still very overwhelming for the brood. But six months was long enough. Now was the time for action. Genesis thought it was a good thing that she knew several Incubi and Succubi because, honestly, this whole seduction thing was new to her. She'd gotten some tips but decided to go her own way, with a little help from Darius if course. He might not be physically present but his thoughts were always with her. 

She cut her gaze away from Voski to glance at the movie. Pleased that the credits gad started rolling, Genesis used the remote to turn the screen off. She used another to dim the lights in the tv room and yet another to turn on the stereo, smiling to herself when the low, moody jazz music poured from the speakers. She half turned and smiled at Voski. He was staring at her and all but tucked into the corner of the couch. 

He was not getting away this time, she mused as she scooted down the length if the couch until she was next to him. "Got a cold?" She asked. 

When he just stared at her, Genesis leaned into the Brood's side. "Its just that you spent the whole movie all the way down here so I was wondering if you were sick or something and trying not to pass it onto me."

When Voski cough weakly and nodded, Genesis smiled up at him. She stroked his arm, mentally wishing his shirt wasn't in the way. She had a thing for guys with muscled arms. "I could take of that cold for you. In fact, there are many things I could take care of for you. All you have to do is let go of whatever you think is holding you back."

She and Darius had talked about this. They were both attracted to the Brood. They both wanted this to happen, binding the three of them together as tightly as possible. But, since Voski was apparently the worlds most stubborn, they were going to have to go the most obvious route to get his attention and tell him that his feelings were not only okay with them but returned in full. With Darius' presence humming in her mind, Genesis reached down to Voski's lap and cupped him while she leaned in and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "It's all right, Voski, you don't have to keep fighting it. 
****
Halfway across the country, Darius settled back against the headboard of his hotel room bed. Thanks to his connection to Genesis, he could not only feel what was going on in his home but he could see it as well. How he longed to be in that TV room with his mates. How he wanted to kneel before Voski and worship the man and give him the love he so deserved to feel. No one deserved the unconditional love he and Genesis were offering then the very lonely Brood that fate had somehow seen fit to gift him with.

Though the connection, he could tell that Voski was trying his hardest to deny what was already rooted in his heart and it pained him to think that with all they'd told him about Triads and Triad lifestyles, he would do this to himself. It wasn't just that Genesis was married to his best friend or that he'd been raised to view such arrangements as unwanted and wrong but that he'd been so throughly trained to deny his feelings that hurt the most. If Darius could, he'd thrash those who'd done this to the man. 

Reaching through the connection to Voski, Darius spoke to him. "Let the past go, my Love. We are your future and we would never deny you anything. Take what she is offering, Voski."

Darius moaned as he felt the man give in and take the comfort Genesis offered. As the two made love on that couch, he was right there with them, mentally making love to the both of them. As he stroked himself in his cold and lonely hotel room, Darius showed Voski all he wanted to do with him and just how the Brood made the Custos Lord feel. 

[Maira]

Dinner and the movie had been good, if a bit strained. Voski's nerves were stretched so tight that he was pretty sure they were going to snap. Once the credits started, Genesis made her move and Voski nearly bolted. All that held him in place was propriety, it would be rude to outright run away from his hostess. She asked him if he had a cold, then offered to take care of it and all the other things that ailed him and all Voski could thing was, "fuck," over and over again. If she kept things up, Voski knew he would eventually give in and then Darius was going to kill him.

When her hand slipped between his legs to cup him and she placed that tender kiss on the corner of his mouth, Voski would have given up on propriety and launched himself off the couch if a familiar voice hadn't sounded unexpectedly in his mind. He didn't even have time to demand just how Darius had gotten into his mind, however, because the words from the other man coupled with the actions of Genesis, were too much for Voski and he finally let them have their way.

Voski's body had been responding to Genesis for months now and he'd had a hell of a time keeping it under control. Now that he didn't have to keep himself in check anymore, he lavished in exploring every inch of her body. Every curve, every sensitive spot, Voski touched and tasted. Brood were not notoriously gentle lovers but he tried his best to temper his actions to what a non-brood body would be able to handle. Still though, there were a few instances where his instincts got the better of him, mostly drive to a peak thanks to the mental images flowing in from Darius combined with the feel of Genesis's hands on his body, and he left a mark on her that did not immediately fade. The first few times it happened he tried to put away but neither Darius or Genesis would allow it. They were officially staking their claim on not just his person as the Third of their Triad, but on his body as their lover. He was theirs.

Somewhere in his mind, beneath Darius's presence, and mostly beyond even his own conscious thoughts, Voski new he wanted more than just this from them. Knew he wanted to be more than just their Third and their lover. But the conditioning from his past, the memories of being told he wasn't allowed to love, had him convinced that this would have to be enough. It never occurred to him that maybe they too wanted more than just this.

*****

The first time that night had been with Darius present in both of their minds. The times after, it had just been the two of them. When Voski woke to find himself in the bed Genesis shared with Darius, Voski had a moment of panic until he remembered just what had transpired between them the night before. Still, in the morning light, he felt a little strange laying in his best friend's bed with his best friend's wife snuggled into his chest. Too comfortable to let himself worry about it, Voski nuzzled the top of her head, burying his nose in her hair, and went back to sleep. Sated for the first time in longer than he could remember.

*****

Leaving that morning had been difficult. It took him forcefully reminding himself that he had work to be done and that Genesis likely did too. Plus, as much as Darius had insisted the night before, Voski just still wasn't sure what the hell was actually going on between the three of them. As she had kissed him goodbye, Voski told her, "Let me know when Darius gets home."

Luckily he didn't have time to dwell much on the situation with Genesis and Darius because not even a full two hours after he'd returned to the dragon compound Voski was being pulled home to the Holding of his clan. A situation had come up, as it always did, involving newcomers to the clan. These particular newcomers were youngsters, not really old enough to be allowed to leave their home Holding without supervision. They'd heard about the clan that accepted all dragons in need of a home and when they're baby brother was born and their parents had been forced to take him and leave him out for the elements to claim, they had whisked the baby away. The baby was black, his siblings were blue. This meant that either the youngster's parents had gotten exceptionally lucky with them or that their mother had been mated by a male not their father to result in the black boy child.

The elders of the clan were arguing that youngsters, children really, should take the baby and go back to their home Holding, following the wishes of their parents. The blacks in Voski's clan were arguing that the children and the baby could be given a new home with the clan. The arguments upset the baby and the children, and the children were sent away to get fed. Not wanting to listen to the two sides bicker any longer, Voski picked the baby up from the basket he was fussing in and took him for a walk around the holding to try and stave off the headache that was blossoming behind his eyes.

As they walked, Voski talked softly to the days old infant who quieted down almost immediately. After a few moments, the baby's form slipped away and in his arms was now a small black hatchling dragon. Smiling, Voski hiked the hatchling up to his shoulder, rather like humans do with housecats, and kissed the hatchling's shoulder before carring on his way. When the hatchling nuzzled at his neck in response Voski felt a gentle trickle of magic slip into his being, twining almost imperceptibly with his own magic. A gasp of surprise slipped from him, and Voski pulled the hatchling away just far enough to look in his eyes and whispered, "I'm not your papa little guy." Then, understanding hit Voski and he asked, "You chose me?" In his mind, Voski felt warmth and love radiating at him, pure and sweet, from the innocent in his arms.

A funny grin on his face, Voski settled the hatcling back into his place on his shoulder and made his way back to the arguing council. He walked in, cleared his throat and declared, "The boy has chosen me, I bear his mark. He stays with me until he is old enough to be considered an adult among our kind." The gathered crowd gawked and the baby's blue siblings, returned from their meal, wore expressions of mixed relief and sadness. To them he said more softly, "I was raised by my uncle who I bonded at an early age. I will treat him as well as Arax treated me."

Seeing they were not convinced, Voski added, "You should go home to your family and just know that your brother is safe. However, if you ever wish to know how he is doing you may come visit here and I will be alerted to bring him to you." The older sister, emboldened by Voski's gentle tone and upfront attitude, asked, "Will he be named for you? His father is not ours, we don't know his name."

Well, Voski thought to himself, that answered that question. Answering her, Voski told her, "If that is what you'd like then yes, that is what I'll do." The siblings shared a look, clearly communicating with each other mentally, and then both turned and nodded at him that, yes, they would like their baby brother to be named for the man who would be raising him.

The hatchling sneezed then, his form shifting back to that of a human, and he nearly rolled off of Voski's shoulder. Laughing, Voski resettled the babe before turning his attention back to the two young blues. "Thank you for trusting him to my care. The younger blue female smiled at Voski, then to his surprise she ran to him and hugged his legs. She looked up at him and told him in no uncertain terms, "You're his daddy now but we still love him." Voski reached down and smoothed her hair from her face, smiled at the girl and answered, "I will love him too, I promise."

*****

After the two blues left with an escort back to their clan's territory, Voski disappeared from the still arguing group. It seemed now that they were arguing over whether a caregiver-bond from a week-old infant could truly be used to determine who would raise a child. After all, Voski had many other responsibilities, surely raising a child would be too time consuming. They could argue all they wanted, but ultimately it would be his decision so he didn't bother to wait around to see what they decided. Instead, he headed home with his new son.

And for the first time since Darius had kissed him at the dragon compound, home wasn't actually at the compound or the Holding. It was with Genesis and Darius. He only hoped they would understand about the little bundle happily snoring in his arms.

[Demeter]

The moment she saw the baby in Voski’s arms, Genesis gave a happy squeal and bounced forward. Before he could say anything, Genesis snatched the baby from his arms and cooed at him. When Voski started to speak, Genesis slanted him a look. “I know how to handle Brood babies, Voski. Babies are my business. We’ll both be fine. Darius is in his office, if you would like to speak with him.”

With that, Genesis turned and walked down the hallway towards the stairs, speaking to the baby about how silly Voski was; thinking that she couldn’t handle one baby dragon. She glanced over her shoulder to see the Brood still standing in the hallway. She smiled and shook her head. “Go see Darius, you silly man. I’d would have thought you’d get it by now. Family is not blood. Family is what you make it to be.”

***
Darius sat behind his desk, tapping a pen against the blotter and listening to some subordinate whining about the orders he’d given for the dismissal of another subordinate. The fallout from the mishap in Chicago was going to be massive, he thought. He’d have to send Carma in to handle things until he could get a competent CEO into that office. When Voski stepped into his office, Darius grinned. He held up a finger, asking Voski to wait a moment while he dealt with the whiner. Once that was finished, he signed some papers, delivered the papers to a clerk and then returning to the office, shutting the door behind him.

He grabbed Voski then, kissing him hard. Once he pulled away, Darius rested his forehead against Voski’s. “Genesis said you brought a baby Brood home. How’d that happened? Also, she wants to know what his name is. She can’t keep calling him baby boy Brood.”

[Maira]

Voski had been let into the Delorme home by one of the household staff and when he asked where Genesis was, he wandered off in that direction. He didn't get far though, because apparently she had heard the doorbell and had come to see who had come for a visit. She smiled warmly at him, which he returned nervously before looking down at the now awake infant in his arms. The sound of the door closing must have woken him.

When Voski looked up, Genesis was suddenly in front of him and grabbing the baby from him. He tried to protest but was quickly shushed with a look. Genesis reminded him, with no room for argument, that babies were her business and she assured him that the two of them would be fine. He wasn't so sure. On their first meeting she had told them that they had loose connections to the Brood and he wasn't sure just how much knowledge she had about infant purebred brood and their tendancies to shift forms unexpectedly.

Still, when she shooed him off to go see Darius before wandering off down the hall talking to his adopted son, Voski gave up and let her have her way. She either knew about Brood babies, or she was about to find out.

He made it to Darius's office without much thought about what would happen when he saw the man. He was too distracted by thoughts of poor Genesis getting singed by the baby. As he stepped through the already open door, Darius gestured for him to wait a moment so he stepped over near the chairs reserved for guests and watched as the other man went about finishing up business.

When Darius finally shut the door and turned to him, Voski was startled to be grabbed and kissed without any warning. Immediately his body tensed. Darius hadn't touched him much outside of sparring since their first meeting and to be kissed in such a way after the intimacy of the night before, even if it was only through their mental connection from their Triad bond, left Voski in quite a state when Darius pulled away.

His body demanded action, wanted Voski to push Darius up against the wall and start what Darius had promised the night before, but when the other man started talking about the baby he'd brought home a pained moan escaped him. Wanting to soothe Genesis so she would leave Darius alone, Voski rushed to answer all of the woman's questions while forcing his body to remain where it was, only touching the other man where their foreheads touched. "He doesn't have a name yet, I was only chosen by him little over an hour ago and haven't had a chance to decide on one. If she wishes to try out a few names we can talk about them later. I've never named a child and some input would be welcome. He was brought to my clan by his two older sisters who had heard of our acceptance of all Brood regardless of color. They left him in my care because their parents had left him out in the elements to die, as is normal and accepted practice for blacks."

His answer given, Voski tangled his fingers in the hair on either side of Darius's head and planted a hard kiss of his own on the other man's lips. As he kissed him, he gave in to what his body was demanding and shoved Darius up against the wall, pinning him there by pressing his body against Darius's. Darius didn't fight him and after a moment the kiss on the lips turned into Voski nuzzling at Darius's neck, kissing his way down to the collar of the other man's blasted shirt. Frustrated by the presence of clothing, Voski nipped at Darius's neck none too gently and growled, "Please take the day off, or at the very least a break."

[Demeter]

Darius relayed Voski’s responses to Genesis and then told her to go play with the baby. He was going to play with the dragon that brought the baby to the house. Up in the nursery, Genesis smirked while she cradled the baby while waiting for her Brood contacts pick up their phones. She knew the basics but wanted more. It would keep her busy while her boys enjoyed each other.

Down in the study, Darius tilted his head to allow Voski better access. “You know the great thing about being the boss? I can take a day off whenever I damn well please,” he said while his hand patted against the books of the case he was shoved against. “This house is old, it’s chock full of secret passages. The one in here leads straight to my bedroom,” he said, gasping at the feel of Voski’s lips against his skin. He eventually found the right book and yanked at it. Both of them stumbled into the clean passage behind the bookcase.

He sort of led Voski up the stairs. They were tangled together, stumbling and tripping up the steps. Darius, driven by the events of the nights before when he could see but not taste or feel him, wanted Voski and wanted him now. He tugged at Voski’s clothing as they hit the panel that would let them into the bedroom. With frenzied movements, Darius hit the button that would let them into the room. They stumbled in and went to the bed. Darius flopped down and pulled Voski down. “Get down here and fuck me,” he growled out while doing so.

[Maira]

The stumbling, breathless, tangled trip through the passage to Darius's bedroom was hazy to Voski. He knew, even as they finally stumbled into the bedroom, that he wouldn't remember how they'd gotten there. Once in the bedroom, they immediately made their way to the bed that Voski had been in only mere hours ago with Genesis. Clothes already askew from their trip through the passage, Voski managed to get his own shirt off before Darius flopped onto the bed, pulled him with, and demanded to be fucked.

Darius was not delicate by any means, was in fact rather forceful in his desires, and even though Voski tried to temper his actions to what a non-Brood body could withstand he was rather afraid it was a losing battle because he kept getting distracted by what Darius was doing to him.

*****

He wasn't sure how many times they'd taken each other, it was many, but he was rather sure it was quite a few hours later when he was woken up by the feeling of a second connection to Genesis twining through his own magic and merging with the baby's. With a smile, he realized that the child must have chosen her as a caretaker as well. He pulled Darius closer against him, nipped his shoulder, and informed him hoarsely, "Its time for you to meet the baby, he just claimed your wife as his mama and laid his claim on me before I even left the Holding with him. If we're going to make this Triad into a family thing, as Genesis has implied is what you two want, then the boy needs to meet his other father."