aurelie

Sensing the change in you, Peter’s fingers moved differently over the holes of his pipe. The wild, frantic rhythm slowed. The sharp notes smoothed out, transitioning into a low, droning, hypnotic melody that felt like velvet dragged over moss.

The boys instinctively followed the music. Their chaotic leaping subsided into a slow, swaying, trance-like dance. They moved in a wide, rhythmic circle, their heads bowed, completely captured by the heavy lullaby Pan was weaving. The entire clearing began to feel sleepy, wrapped in an eerie, stifling calm.

You fought to keep your eyes open, but the heat of the fire in front of you was so warm, and the cold stillness of the boy behind you was so comforting. With a soft sigh, your eyes fluttered closed, the dancing boys turning into a soft blur before everything went dark.

The moment your breathing deepened into sleep and your weight went completely slack against his legs, Peter moved. The music didn't stop, he didn't miss a single note, but with supreme, effortless grace, he transitioned to playing the pipe with just his left hand, keeping the low, haunting melody humming through the air without a single stammer in the rhythm.

With his right hand, he reached down. His long, calloused fingers curled securely under your arms, and with a single, fluid pull, he lifted you off the dirt and right onto him. 

You murmured something soft and incoherent in your sleep, a tiny sigh escaping your lips as the sudden movement shifted you. Instinctively, your body sought out his familiar warmth, and you settled directly onto his lap. Your face tucked perfectly into the crook of his neck, your nose pressing against the cool skin of his collarbone, while your hands loosely clutched the fabric of his green tunic. Peter adjusted his hold, wrapping his strong arm firmly around your waist, pulling you so flush against his chest that there wasn't a breath of space left between you. He cradled you there, the wooden pipe held steady with his other hand as the music continued to breathe life into the shadows around the fire.

He looked down, his emerald eyes dark and heavy as they fixed on your sleeping face. In the flickering orange glow of the bonfire, your features were soft, completely devoid of the sharp edges of fear that plagued every other soul on this island.

A quiet, terrifying sense of triumph swelled in his chest as he watched you. He thought about how easily you surrendered to the dark, how completely you trusted the very monster the rest of the world ran from. He noted the way your fingers tightened slightly on his tunic, even in sleep, as if your subconscious knew exactly who held you. 

You aren't going anywhere, he thought, a slow, predatory smirk touching the corners of his lips as the pipe continued its low hum.

The world can search for you, the heroes can fight for you, but you sleep in the arms of the beast, and you choose to stay.

He leaned his head down just enough to let his lips brush against your hair, inhaling the sweet, wild scent of jasmine and woodsmoke that belonged entirely to his favourite prize. 

As the boys continued their mindless, rhythmic swaying in the background, Peter kept playing, his mind wrapping around the terrifying, beautiful reality that you were exactly where you would remain forever.

With you locked securely in his embrace, he brought his hand back up to the wooden pipe. The full, rich depth of the melody returned, vibrating directly through his chest and into your sleeping frame.

The haunting tune echoed into the dark, a private tether disguised as a melody, keeping his only Lost Girl exactly where she belonged, dreaming under the watchful gaze of her king.

xoxo aurelie

By day six, they had both told you clearly, repeatedly…

“You need to sleep.”

Your response had been consistent.

“No.”

So by day ten…

You ran.

—

You hear them before you see them.

That was part of the game.

You dart down a side corridor, breath uneven, not from exhaustion exactly, but from something close to it. Your movements were still fast, still sharp, but not as precise. 

Not as controlled.

“Don’t you dare,” you mutter under your breath as you turn sharply, slipping into a narrow passage you know most guards avoid.

Footsteps behind you.

Not rushed.

Not frantic.

Worse.

Certain.

You grin despite yourself, adrenaline sparking. “You’re not going to catch me.”

“You misunderstand,” Jane’s voice echoes, calm and cutting.

You freeze for half a second.

That was all it took.

A presence behind you.

A hand catches your arm.

Alec.

You twist immediately. “No!”

Too late.

He has you.

Not rough.

Not hurting.

Unavoidable.

“Let go,” you snap, trying to pull free.

“No.”

Jane appears in front of you now, blocking the only path forward.

Your eyes flick between them, frustration flaring fast.

“I’m not tired.”

“You are unstable,” Jane corrects.

“I’m fine.”

“You are not,” Alec says evenly.

You yank against his grip again. “I said I’m fine!”

Alec doesn’t tighten his hold.

He doesn’t need to.

“You do not run from us.”

The words were quiet.

Final.

Jane steps closer, her gaze sharp, unyielding.

“You do not hide from us.”

Your jaw clenches. “I wasn’t hiding,”

“You do not avoid us,” They finish.

Silence snaps tight between you.

Your defiance burns, but it flickers, uneven now. 

“I don’t want to sleep,” you mutter.

Alec doesn’t argue.

He simply moves.

One second, you are standing.

The next…

You are off the ground.

“Alec!”

He lifts you effortlessly, one arm under your legs, the other steady at your back as you struggle immediately.

“Put me down!”

They ignore you.

Jane turns without another word, already heading toward your chambers.

You kick lightly, twisting. “I mean it, I’m not going!”

Alec adjusts his hold, tighter now.

Not hurting, just removing the option of escape.

“You are.”

—

The door shuts behind you with finality.

You are set down, but not released.

You try to step back.

Jane is already there.

You groan. “You’re both impossible.”

“And you are exhausted,” Jane replies.

“I said I’m not-”

Alec’s hand comes to your jaw, not forceful, but firm enough to make you look at him.

“You are not thinking clearly,” he says.

That hits something.

Not enough to stop you.

But enough to make you hesitate.

“I don’t want to sleep,” you repeat, quieter now, but stubborn.

Jane moves closer behind you.

“You don’t get to choose that anymore.”

You roll your eyes. “That’s dramatic.”

Alec doesn’t respond.

Instead, he reaches for the edge of your shirt.

You jerk back immediately. “What are you-no!”

“You are showering,” Jane says.

“I can shower later.”

“No.”

You try to twist away again.

Alec catches your wrist.

Jane catches the other.

Not aggressive.

Not angry.

Just done.

“Stop fighting us,” Alec says.

“I’m not fighting-”

“You are,” Jane cuts in.

A beat.

Then, lower…

“And you are losing.”

That was enough.

Not surrender.

But the fight drains just a little.

Just enough.

—

The process is not graceful.

You complain the entire time.

You resist when they guide you into the shower, flinching at the water as if it offended you personally, muttering under your breath about “being kidnapped by your own mates.”

Jane ignores it.

Alec ignores it.

They move with quiet efficiency. 

Helping, guiding, steadying when you sway just slightly more than you should.

By the time you were clean, dressed, and halfway dry, your energy shifts.

Still restless.

But heavier.

Slower.

Jane sits you down without asking.

“Stay.”

You slump slightly. “You’re both so bossy.”

Jane picks up a brush.

“Yes.”

She starts working through your hair.

Slow, careful, methodical.

You go quiet.

Not fully.

But quieter.

Alec stands nearby, watching. 

Not tense, not distant. Just present.

Your eyes dift closed.

Then snap open again.

“I’m not sleeping,” you mumble.

Jane doesn’t stop brushing. “You are.”

“I’m not!”

Alec steps closer, his hand resting lightly at the back of your neck.

“Enough.”

Soft.

Final.

—

The bed feels too still.

Too quiet.

You shift immediately when they guide you down, trying to sit back up.

“No.”

Alec’s hand presses gently on your shoulder.

Jane adjusts the blankets around you.

“I don’t like this,” you mutter.

“You will,” Jane says.

“I won’t-”

Alec lies down beside you.

Jane lies on the other side.

That stops you.

You look between them, something soft flickering through the exhaustion.

“…You’re both staying?”

“Yes,” Alec says.

Your resistance cracks.

Just a little. 

“…Okay.”

Alec’s hand moves slowly along your back, steady, grounding.

Jane’s fingers slip into your hair again, gentler now, smoothing it back from your face.

You shift closer without thinking, curling into Alec, one hand reaching blindly for Jane.

They both let you.

Hold you.

Keep you there.

“You’re both very annoying,” you mumble.

Alec’s voice is low, near your ear. “Sleep.”

Jane presses a soft kiss to your temple.

“You’re safe,” she says quietly.

You exhale.

Long.

Heavy.

The tension finally leaving your body in pieces.

Your grip loosens.

Your breathing slows.

“…Don’t leave,” you murmur.

“We won’t,” Alec says.

Jane’s hand continues its slow, soothing rhythm through your hair.

Another soft kiss.

“Sleep.”

And finally…

You do.

xoxo aurelie

For the first time in his immortal life, his target is actively glitching in his mind.

"You are jumping," Demetri hisses, his voice a low, dangerous vibration. "Every time I lock on, the space between us folds."

The chase lasts weeks, a feat of supernatural endurance that quickly becomes legend among the guard.

Demetri tracks you to the black forests of Germany, only to find the lingering scent of your skin in a clearing while you are already traversing the snowy peaks of the Alps. 

He gets close enough to see the shimmer of your hair, but the moment his fingers brush the air where you stand, you vanish.

In a crowded market in Vienna, Demetri is inches away. 

He can hear your heart, that frantic, hybrid rhythm. But the air is empty. You have pulled the light around yourself, becoming a literal hole in reality. He lunges, but his hands meet only cold stone.

He finally corners you in a crumbling abbey in France. 

"Stop!" he roars, his voice cracking with the strain of the hunt. "You cannot run from what we are!"

You look at him then, eyes wide and terrified, filled with a longing you refuse to acknowledge. "I won't be a trophy, Demetri!"

With a sharp crack of displaced air, you are gone again.

Eventually, even your hybrid energy hits a limit. You have jumped so many times that your physical form is beginning to fray; your teleportation is becoming short, erratic, and painful.

Demetri finds you in a remote coastal cave in Cornwall, the Atlantic Ocean thundering against the rocks outside. You are slumped against the damp stone, too exhausted to even turn invisible. You flicker weakly, like a dying candle in the dark.

He doesn't run this time. He walks. Every step is deliberate, his eyes fixed on you with a terrifying, possessive focus.

"You are the first," Demetri whispers, his voice echoing against the salt-sprayed cavern walls. "The only soul in five centuries to leave me behind. Do you have any idea what that did to me? To know you were out here, fading, while I was a world away?"

Despite the tremors in your limbs, you claw at the stone wall, trying to drag yourself away from him. You don't want to be caught. You don't want to be the tracker's prize.

"Don't touch me," you rasp, your voice raw from the salt air. 

As he reaches for you, you force one last, desperate jump. You only move five feet, a pathetic, staggering glitch in space, but it drains the last of your strength. You collapse onto the wet sand, your skin marble-pale.

Demetri is over you in a heartbeat. He doesn't grab you roughly; instead, he slams his hands against the stone on either side of your head, pinning you within his shadow.

"Don't," he commands, his breath cold against your cheek. "If you jump again, your heart will stop. I will not let you kill yourself to escape me."

You look up at him, your chest heaving, your eyes blazing with a final, flickering spark of defiance. "Then let me go. Truly go. I am not a thing to be tracked."

"Never," Demetri rasps, his eyes darkening with an intensity that steals the air from your lungs. 

He leans in, his forehead dropping against yours. The contact is electric, the mate bond finally snapping into place with a force that makes you both shudder. 

"Run to the ends of the earth. I will follow. I will always find you. You are the only thing in this world I cannot lose."

He doesn't drag you back in chains. 

He carries you.

You stay silent, your head resting on his shoulder, your hand instinctively clutching the lapel of his coat.

When you cross the threshold of the castle, the lower guard steps back in genuine awe. Demetri looks battle-worn, his clothes stained with travel, but the look in his eyes is one of absolute, terrifying triumph.

He takes you straight to his private quarters, locking the world away.

"Sleep," he murmurs, tucking you into heavy velvet furs. 

He doesn't leave your side. He sits on the edge of the bed, his hand locked firmly around your wrist. Even in sleep, your fingers curl around his, your silent surrender finally complete. 

You won't run again, not because you can't, but because the tracker has finally caught your heart.

xoxo aurelie

You turn immediately, a bright grin already forming. “Oh, there you are.”

Alec’s gaze shifts briefly to the faint scorch mark forming on the edge of the table. Then back to you.

“Behave.”

You look down at the fire in your hand, then back at him.

“I am behaving.”

The flame flares slightly, as if in protest.

Alec steps closer. “You are standing on a table.”

“Elevated perspective,” You say easily.

“You are holding fire in a library.”

“It’s controlled.”

“You said that last time.”

“And I was right,” You shoot back.

Alec stops at the edge of the table, looking up at you, not impressed, not angry. Unwavering.

The guard in the corner visibly relaxes now that Alec has arrived, though he does not dare leave.

You tilt your head down at Alec, studying him like you are deciding how much trouble you want to be in today.

“Are you going to make me get down?” you ask.

“Yes.”

You smile wider. “Or?”

Alec doesn’t blink. “Or I will come up there and remove you myself.”

That, predictably, delights you.

“I’d like to see that,” you say.

Alec moves. Fast enough that the air barely has time to notice.

One moment, he is below you. The next, he is standing on the table. Close. Very close.

The flame in your hand wavers, not from fear, but from the sudden shift in your focus.

“Oh,” you say softly, amused. “You did come up here.”

Alec doesn’t indulge your tone.

“Put it out,” he says.

You glance at the flame again, then back at him. “Make me.”

Alec exhales slowly through his nose. This again.

He reaches out, not to grab you, not to force anything, but to close his fingers loosely around your wrist.

Not restricting. 

Grounding.

Your fire reacts instantly, shrinking, flickering uncertainly. Not extinguished. 

Just… listening.

“You are testing limits that do not belong to you,” Alec says quietly.

You hold his gaze. “And you’re stopping me,” you repy, just as softly.

“Yes.”

The room feels smaller. The guard in the corner has gone completely still.

Your expression shifts, not losing its brightness, but softening at the edges where only Alec ever gets to see.

“You always do,” you murmur.

Alec doesn’t deny it.

The flame flickers once more. Then goes out. Just like that.

Silence settles back into the library, heavy and immediate.

Alec releases your wrist.

“Down,” he says.

You make a face, but step off the table anyway.

“That was harmless,” you mutter.

Alec steps down after you, adjusting nothing, as if he had never been out of place at all.

“That is not the standard,” he replies.

You glance sideways at him as you both start towards the exit.

“Your standards are very strict.”

“They are effective.”

You huff a quiet laugh. 

“You like me anyway,” you say.

Alec doesn’t look at you.

“Yes.”

Immediate. Certain.

That earns him a softer smile. 

You slip your hand into his without asking. 

He lets you.

You walk in silence for a moment before you speak again.

“If I set something on fire later,” you say casually, “you’ll come find me again, right?”

Alec’s grip tightens just slightly.

“I always do.”

You seem satisfied with that.

“Good,” you say.

Then, brighter, “I’ll try to make it interesting.”

Alec sighs.

“Behave.”

You grin.

“No promises.”

xoxo aurelie

You pause just beyond the archway, a slow grin spreading across your face as two guards go abruptly silent mid-conversation.

“Oh no,” you say, stepping into view. “Don’t stop on my account. I love gossip.”

Both guards stiffen immediately.

One tries to recover. “We weren’t…”

“Talking about me?” you finish sweetly.

A flicker of flame curls lazily around your fingers.

Not threatening.

Just present.

The second guard swallows. “We meant no disrespect.”

You tilt your head. “That’s a shame. I usually enjoy disrespect.”

Then, a third voice cuts in, cool, precise.

“You will enjoy silence more.”

Jane.

She appears without hurry, but the effect was immediate. The guards drop their gaze, tension snapping tight in the air.

Your smile shifts, less sharp now, more familiar.

“You heard that?” You ask.

“I hear everything worth hearing,” Jane replies.

Alec steps in beside her a moment later, his presence quieter, but heavier.

You glance between them, then back at the guards.

“They called me your mate,” You say, tone light but curious underneath.

Jane’s expression doesn’t change. “You are.”

Alec’s gaze rests on you. “It is accurate.”

You hum, considering that.

“They said it like it’s a threat.”

Jane’s lips curve slightly. “It is.”

That made you laugh.

Bright. Unbothered.

“Good,” you say. “I was hoping I had a reputation.”

Alec steps closer, his attention shifting fully to you now.

“You do,” he says.

You raise a brow. “Oh?”

“Unpredictable,” Jane adds.

“Uncontrolled,” Alec continues.

You fold your arms. “Rude.”

Jane’s gaze flicks over you. “Dangerous.”

Alec’s voice drops slightly. “Ours.”

That one lands differently.

Your expression softens, just for a second.

Then you grin again, wider this time.

“So what you’re saying,” you drawl, stepping closer into their space, “is that I’m terrifying by association.”

Jane tilts her head. “You were already terrifying.”

Alec doesn’t disagree.

You look between them, clearly pleased.

“I like the sound of that,” you say.

You reach out, catching Jane’s hand first, quick, impulsive, tugging her just slightly closer. Jane allows it without resistance.

Then your other hand finds Alec’s sleeve, fingers curling there easily.

“‘The Witch Twins’ mate,’” you repeat, testing the words.

Jane watches you carefully. “Does it bother you?”

You shake your head immediately. “No.”

You pause.

Then, softer.

“It kind of feels like I belong somewhere.”

Alec’s hand comes up, steady and familiar, to the back of your neck.

“You do,” he says.

Jane steps in closer on your other side, her presence just as grounding, but different, sharper, but no less certain.

“You belong with us,” Jane adds.

You exhale slowly, something in you settling.

Then, of course, you ruin the softness, just a little.

“So,” you say brightly, “does this mean I outrank everyone now?”

Jane’s expression goes flat. “No.”

Alec’s tone was just as calm. “Not us.”

You sigh dramatically. “Worth a try.”

But you don’t step away.

Don’t pull out of their space.

If anything, you lean in more, balanced between them, exactly where you were meant to be.

Behind them, the guards don’t dare speak again.

Not because of Alec.

Not because of Jane.

But because now they understand something much worse. 

You weren’t just with them.

You were part of them.

And somehow,

That made all three of you more dangerous.

xoxo aurelie

Caspian moves closer, slow enough not to startle you. Male sirens are larger, built for endurance and distance, not the delicate lure of their female counterparts. His presence can be overwhelming if he isn’t careful.

A hand closes around your wrist.

Firm. Unyielding.

“You’re fighting it,” he says.

His grip keeps you anchored when your body tries to twist away from itself.

“Don’t.”

Another presence circles behind you.

You don’t hear him approach. You feel him.

A brush of movement. A shift in the current.

Then, fingers, lighter, trailing along your spine where the change burns brightest.

Eerie murmurs, his voice softer, but edged with something sharper. 

“The body breaks before it becomes.”

Your eyes snap open.

For a moment, they are human, wide, searching, confused. Then the shift comes. The pupils stretch, the colour deepens, and something ancient flickers behind them.

You inhale sharply and panic.

Your hands fly to your throat, your body jerking upward as if trying to breach a surface that is no longer necessary.

“It’s all right,” Caspain murmurs, closing the distance now. “You don’t need air anymore.”

You don’t understand the words. Not yet. Their language still a stranger to you. But you understand the tone. Fear meets calm, and for a heartbeat, they hold you against each other.

Then you thrash.

They expect it.

Eerie pulls you into his arms, wrapping around you from behind, anchoring you against his chest, letting you feel something steady, something unyielding but not cruel.

You fight him at first. Of course you do.

But then, your movements falter.

The ocean is patient. It teaches quickly.

Your lungs don’t burn. Your chest doesn’t tighten. There is no suffocation waiting for you, no desperate need to reach a surface that has already lost its meaning.

Your panic has nowhere to go.

It unravels.

Slowly, you still in his arms.

“That’s it,” he says, softer now. “You’re safe.”

Safe.

Even the tide seems to hush at that as it slips between the rocks, dark water folding in on itself like something alive, something listening. The surface barely stirs, but beneath it, everything shifts.

You tremble between them.

“It hurts…” Your voice breaks into a thin, panicked breath. “Please, I can’t,”

“You can.”

They hold you firmly between them. Eerie’s arms braced around your shoulders and waist, Caspian locking your hands gently but securely so you can’t thrash against the stone. Their presence is solid, immovable, the kind that does not break, not even by the sea.

Their voice follows that same pattern. Calm. Certain.

The pain surges again, violent this time. 

Your legs jerk, muscles seizing as the bones beneath begin to fuse and reshape. The sound, faint, internal, wrong, makes you choke on a sob.

“Please… make it stop,”

“You know we can’t,” 

Another hand comes up to your shoulder, pressing you down gently as the water rises around you. Not forcing, guiding.

Holding.

Behind you, Eerie leans closer.

You feel his breath near your ear, cool, almost curious.

“You’re almost through it.”

“I’m not,” you gasp, body arching as the change tears through you again. “It’s getting worse.”

A second pair of hands slides over you, slower.

Reverent.

From behind, Eerie traces the line of your spine as it shudders, fingers lingering where the transformation hurts the most. There is a strange care in it, too attentive, too precise.

Caspian’s grip tightens again, not to hurt, but to steady you as your body convulses again, your legs pulling together, the last remnants of what you have been dissolving beneath glistening scales.

Your body lurches again, and this time you scream, raw and broken as your legs seal together completely, scales blooming across your skin in a ripple of dark, glistening colour.

Caspian moves instantly.

He pulls you against him, not roughly, but with undeniable strength, one arm bracing your back while the other holds your wrists still as they tremble and claw.

“Look at me.”

You can’t.

“I said, look at me.”

There is no anger in his voice. That makes it worse.

You force your eyes up.

“Breathe,” he says.

Behind you, Eerie’s hands slide along your sides, slow and deliberate, feeling the transformation as it settles, as if studying it.

“See?” Caspian murmurs. “It’s almost over.”

You shake your head weakly. “It doesn’t feel like it…”

They whisper to you, cutting you off, their voices overlapping around you, not raised, but threaded with something tight beneath the surface.

Possessive. Concerned. Shared.

Another wave of pain rips through you and ends the exchange entirely. You cry out, body curling inward, but you can’t escape it, can’t escape them.

They won’t let you.

“Look at me,” Caspian says again, firmer now.

You shake your head weakly, tears slipping into the water.

A hand, cool, careful, tilts your chin up.

Not his.

Eerie has moved closer again, just enough that you can feel him beside you now, not behind.

“Look,” he coaxes softly.

Between them. At them.

Your gaze lifts, unfocused at first, then catches.

They are both watching you.

Too closely.

Not just concern. Not just care.

Something deeper. Hungrier.

“You’re ours,” Eerie murmurs, almost gently. “Our pearl. You should see the moment you become it.”

Your breath hitches.

Caspian’s arm shifts around you, pulling you tighter against him as the final change begins, slower this time, but deeper. 

Your body lengthens, reshapes, and your tail forms fully beneath the surface in a powerful, fluid line.

You gasp, not from pain this time, but from the overwhelming wrongness of it.

Another wave hits.

But this time, it doesn’t tear through you.

It settles.

The pain dulls, draining out of you like ink into the sea, leaving behind something heavy. Strange. New.

Your body floats differently now.

Not resisting.

Belonging.

You go still in Caspian’s arms, your breathing uneven but slowing.

“I can’t feel my legs,” you whisper.

“You don’t have them anymore,” he says lightly.

Caspian adjusts his hold, more careful now, one hand supporting you as the water carries more of your weight.

His hand moves from your wrist to your back, broad palm pressing steadily and warm as if he can hold you together through sheer will.

Eerie’s fingers slide down along your new form again, less curious now, more certain.

Claiming.

“You feel that?” he asks softly.

You do.

The water holds you differently now. It doesn’t press, it welcomes. Your body responds without asking your permission, shifting, adjusting, belonging in a way that makes your chest tighten with something dangerously close to relief.

“…yes,” you whisper.

“There it is,” he says.

They both exhale, something easing in their posture for the first time.

“She’s through it.”

“Of course she is,” Caspian says, the eccentric gleam returning in his tone.

“Try moving,” he says.

You hesitate.

Behind you, Eerie’s hand slides down, guiding, not asking, until it rests along the length of your newly formed tail.

“Like this,” he murmurs.

He moves it slightly.

Your body follows.

You gasp.

The motion is smooth.

Effortless.

Wrong, but right in a way that makes your chest tighten.

“There,” he says quietly. “You feel it.”

You nod faintly, eyes wide.

His grip lingers a moment longer than necessary before releasing, drifting back into the darker water behind you.

Watching. Waiting.

Caspian loosens his hold, giving you space while staying close enough to catch you again if fear returns. 

You don’t bolt this time.

Instead, you look at your hands.

Webbing stretches between your fingers, delicate and translucent. You flex them, watching how the water moves differently around you now. Your tail flicks, tentative, curious.

Confusion replaces terror.

Better.

Caspian reaches out, slowly, letting you see the movement before he makes contact. His fingers brush yours, guiding your hand through the water.

You swallow hard. “I don’t… feel like me.”

Eerie’s hands return, and he doesn’t let go.

“You are.” he says.

Caspian tilts his head, voice threading through the water again.

“Just different.”

Silence folds in around them.

The cove, the dark water, the slow pull of the tide, it all feels closer now. Like it is listening.

Your fingers twitch, but they are still holding you, one solid and grounding, the other light but ever-present, never quite letting you drift too far.

Suddenly, your eyes widen.

A new feeling. 

A different kind of breath catches in your chest, something closer to wonder.

They feel a faint pull then.

Not physical.

Something deeper. 

The bond.

It forms the moment you change, a tether between the three of you, quiet but undeniable. 

They felt it before you even opened your eyes, a sudden awareness, like a third heartbeat that wasn’t their own.

Now you feel it too.

Your gaze snaps to theirs.

There it is, recognition without understanding.

They give you a small, reassuring smile.

“I know,” Eerie says. “It’s strange.”

You drift closer this time, not out of fear, but curiosity. The space between them shrinks until their foreheads nearly touch yours.

The bond pulses.

A flicker of sensation passes between them, Eerie’s calm, Caspian’s excitement, your uncertainty, shared in a way that has nothing to do with words.

Your expression softens.

Not fully. Not completely.

But enough.

The tide begins to pull you inward, then, deeper into the cove where the light doesn’t reach at all. The water closes over you slowly, like a curtain.

You tense, but neither of them lets go.

“Easy,” Eerie murmurs.

“Let it take you,” Caspian adds.

Between them, held on both sides, you let the water carry you.

And this time, you don’t fight it.

Behind you, their voices drop low, just beneath the surface, meant for each other now.

“She’ll adjust quickly.”

“She has to.”

There’s a pause.

Then, quieter still, “She’s perfect like this.”

There’s a soft hum of agreement.

“Better.”

Their hands never leave you as they thread their fingers through each other's, disappearing fully into the dark.

And though the pain is gone, replaced by the slow, strange rhythm of the sea inside you, their hold doesn’t loosen. 

If anything, 

It settles.

xoxo aurelie

"You're so bright," he whispers, the sound barely a ripple in the air. "It’s almost a pity."

You stir, your eyes fluttering open. Seeing him there doesn't startle you. You simply reach out, your hand finding his cold one and pulling it to your cheek.

"Peter," you murmur, your voice thick with sleep. "Did you find the star I asked for?"

"The stars are busy tonight," he says, his voice dropping into that smooth, manipulative honey. "But I found something better."

He pulls a small, delicate bracelet from his pocket. It is woven from golden vines that only grow in the heart of the island, vines that never wilt and are nearly impossible to break.

"Oh, it’s lovely!" you exclaim, sitting up and brushing your messy hair from your face. You hold out your wrist, completely oblivious to the weight of the gift. "Is it magic?"

"In a way," Pan says. He kneels before you, his fingers nimble and sure as he fastens the gold around your wrist. As the clasp clicks shut, a faint green light pulses through the vines before fading into the metal.

"It’s so I can always find you. No matter where you wander on my island, I’ll know exactly where your heart is beating."

You laugh, the sound bright and jarring in the eerie quiet of the night. "You’re so silly, Peter. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere."

"No," he says, his grip on your wrist tightening just a fraction too much, his eyes flashing with a dark, possessive fire. "You aren't. Not ever."

He climbs into the hollow beside you, pulling you back against him. He likes the way you feel, small and warm against his cold, eternal stillness. He buries his face in the crook of your neck, inhaling the scent of wild jasmine and the sea. You lean your head back against his shoulder, watching the moon through the branches.

"The island feels happy tonight," you remark, patting his arm. "The trees are humming."

"The island is happy because I am happy," Pan corrects. He closes his eyes, his arms winding around you like a vice.

He doesn't care if you understand the darkness of his love. He doesn't care if you see the bars of the cage he is building around you. In his mind, your lightness is a resource to be hoarded, a flame he will keep behind glass so the wind can never blow it out.

"Go back to sleep, little bird," he commands softly. "I'll be here when you wake. And the day after that. And every day until the sun forgets to rise."

You sigh contentedly, closing your eyes, safe in the arms of the boy who will never let the world have you back. And Pan stays awake, listening to the golden vine around your wrist hum in perfect synchronisation with his own dark heart.

xoxo aurelie

The shout cracks through the corridor like lightning.

He didn’t have time to react.

You collide into him at full force.

Not an attack. Not even close.

An impact of pure momentum and zero restraint. Arms wrapping tightly around him, nearly knocking him a step back as you cling to him like you have no intention of ever letting go again.

“You’re back,” you say, breathless, like you’ve been holding it for hours. “You’re actually back.”

Alec goes still for half a second.

Then, his arms come up automatically, steadying you before you could lose your balance.

“I said I would return,” he replies.

“Yeah, well,” you mutter into his shoulder, tightening your grip, “people say things all the time.”

Your voice isn’t loud.

That alone told him everything he needed to know.

Alec glances down at you.

You didn’t even try to pretend otherwise, face pressing against him, fingers curling into the fabric at his back, as if he might disappear again if you loosen your grip.

“You were gone for three days,” you add.

“It was two,” he corrects. 

“Felt like five.”

“That is not how time works.”

“Shut up.”

There’s a beat.

Your hold tightens again.

“I missed you,” you say, quieter now.

Simple.

Unfiltered.

No chaos. No teasing.

Just truth.

Something in Alec shifts.

Not visibly, but enough.

“I was not in danger,” he says.

“I know that.”

“Then there was no cause for concern.”

“I didn’t say I was concerned,” you scoff, pulling back just enough to look at him. “I said I missed you. Different thing.”

He studies your face.

There was faint signs of restlessness, like you’d been pacing, waiting, burning off energy with no-where to put it. 

But, your eyes were steady.

Focused on him.

“You did not remain occupied,” he observes.

“I tried,” you say. “Jane got annoyed at me after, like, a day.” (Which was, honestly, impressive.)

“And the rest?”

You shrug. “Everything’s less interesting when you’re not here.”

Alec raises a brow slightly.

“That is unproductive.”

“It’s honest.”

Before he could respond, you step forward again, this time slower, and wrap your arms around him once more.

Not crashing into him.

Choosing it.

Your cheek rests against his chest, your grip firm but less desperate now.

Grounded.

Alec hesitates for only a moment this time.

Then, his hand settles against your back. 

Steady. Deliberate.

“You are very attached today,” he says.

“Mhm.”

“That could be considered a weakness.”

“Or,” you counter, voice muffled slightly, “a very good reason for you to come back.”

He pauses, then shifts his hand slightly against your back, a small, absent movement, almost a reassurance.

“I would return regardless,” he says.

“Yeah,” you reply softly. “But now you’ve got someone waiting.”

Silence stretches between you.

Not empty.

Heavy. 

But comfortable. 

You pull back just enough to look up at him again, your usual spark returning, but softer around the edges.

“You smell like outside,” you say suddenly.

Alec blinks once.

“That is accurate.”

“I like it.”

“That is irrelevant.”

“Nothing about me is irrelevant,” you shoot back automatically.

He pauses again. 

“That is also accurate,” he admits.

Your grin breaks through then; bright, chaotic, familiar.

“I missed you.”

“I was gone for two days.”

“Still counts.”

You couldn’t help yourself, “Did you at least think about me while you were gone?”

Alec looks at you.

Really looks.

“Yes,” he says.

No hesitation.

That caught you off guard.

“Oh.”

Your expression softens, genuine, a little surprised.

“Good,” you say, quieter now.

Then, just as quickly, the chaos slips back in.

“Because I definitely thought about you. A lot. Like, an unreasonable amount. It was borderline embarrassing.”

“I can believe that.”

“Rude.”

But you were smiling.

Still close.

Still not letting go completely.

Alec didn’t try to make you.

xoxo aurelie

You burst into the clearing of the camp, but the Lost Boys were nowhere to be seen, likely cowering in the caves to escape Pan’s localised wrath. 

In the centre of the camp, standing perfectly still while the world tore itself apart around him, was Peter Pan.

He stands with his back to you, his green tunic damp, his shadow stretching out unnaturally long and jagged across the dirt. He looks like a god of ruin.

Another bolt of lightning struck a tree barely twenty feet away, the scent of ozone and burning wood filling the air. With a small cry of genuine terror, you bolt. You didn't think, you just acted on pure instinct, sprinting across the clearing and throwing yourself at him.

You crash into his back, your arms wrapping tightly around his waist, your face buried between his shoulder blades. You were trembling, your heart hammering a frantic rhythm against his spine.

The effect was instantaneous.

The howling wind dies down to a low whistle. The violent rain slows to a soft, rhythmic pattern. The oppressive weight in the air evaporates, replaced by a sudden, eerie stillness.

Peter doesn’t move for a long moment. He looks down at your hands clasped over his stomach. A slow, dark smile spreads across his face, not one of comfort, but of supreme, terrifying triumph. He loves it when the world scares you, because it drives you straight into the cage of his arms.

He turns slowly within your grasp, peeling you off his back only to tuck you firmly against his chest. He hooks a finger under your chin, forcing you to look up at him. Your eyes are wide and watery, a stark contrast to his, which were cold and calculating.

"There you are," he murmurs, his voice a low hum that vibrates through your chest. "Back where you belong."

"The sky... it was breaking," you whisper, clutching the front of his tunic. Your eccentric bravado has vanished, leaving only the fragile girl he works so hard to keep dependent.

"The sky does what I tell it to do," Peter says softly, his hand sliding into your hair and gripping just firmly enough to let you know you weren't going anywhere. He leans down, his nose brushing against yours.

"Are you frightened, little bird?"

"Yes," you admit, shivering.

"Good," he whispers, his thumb tracing the curve of your bottom lip. His gaze was obsessive, drinking in the sight of your vulnerability. He didn't want to soothe your fear so much as he wanted to be the only thing that could protect you from it.

"Remember this feeling," he warns, his voice dropping to a haunting, melodic tone. 

"The world is a cruel, dark place. The stars are cold, and the shadows have teeth. But here, with me? You're the safest thing in existence. Because the monsters are all afraid of me."

You nod, leaning your head against his heart. You can’t hear a heartbeat, just the faint, rhythmic ticking of a clock that didn't exist. To you, it was the sound of home. To him, it was the sound of a trap finally snapping shut.

He wraps his cloak around you, shielding you from the dying rain, his eyes watch the tree-line with a predatory glint. 

He has you right where he wants you: terrified of everything but him.

xoxo aurelie

A flicker of amusement touches Alec’s expression, but only briefly. “You are not required to be here.”

“And yet,” you say brightly, “I am.”

He turns down another corridor. You follow immediately.

“I am on duty,” he adds.

“Yeah, I gathered that from the whole ‘intense brooding patrol walk’ thing you’ve got going on.”

“It is not,”

“It is,” you cut in, pointing at him. “Very dramatic. Ten out of ten. A little intimidating. I respect it.”

Alec stops walking.

You take two more steps before realising, then pivot back to face him, grinning like you’d just won something.

“You stopped,” you say. 

“Yes.”

“Because of me?”

“Yes.”

“Progress.”

Alec stares at you.

“You are a distraction.”

“Thank you,” you grin. 

“That was not a compliment.”

“It is in my world.”

He resumes walking.

You fall into step instantly.

“Okay, serious question,” you continue, undeterred. “What do you actually do on these patrols? Because from what I’ve seen, it’s a lot of walking and glaring.”

“We ensure order is maintained,” Alec responds. 

You nod thoughtfully. “So… walking and glaring.”

“And observing.”

“Oooh,” you say, impressed. “Multi-tasking.”

A guard at the end of the hall straightens as you both approach.

You wave.

The guard does not wave back.

“Your co-workers are weird,” you stage-whisper.

“They are not my co-workers.”

“They absolutely are.”

“They are subordinates.”

“That’s even worse.”

Alec ignores that.

You turn another corner, deeper into the quieter parts of the castle. Fewer torches. Fewer people.

You glance around, then lean in closer.

“Do you ever get bored?” you ask.

“No.”

“That’s a lie.”

“It is not.”

You study his face, searching. “You don’t look bored,” you admit. “You just look… permanently unimpressed.”

“That is accurate.”

You laugh.

A small spark flickers at your fingertips, absentmindedly, restless. It dances there as you talk, rising and falling with your energy.

Alec notices.

“Control,” he says without looking at you.

“I am controlling it.”

The flame pops slightly, growing an inch taller.

Alec stops again.

You groan. “Oh, come on, that was barely anything.”

“It is unnecessary.”

“It’s expressive.”

“It is fire.”

“Details.”

He turns to face you fully now, his presence settling over the space like a quiet weight.

He says your name. 

You still.

The flame dims.

“Focus,” he says.

You hold his gaze for a second, then sigh dramatically.

“Fine.”

The fire vanishes.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” you mutter, then brighten immediately. “Okay, next question, how old are you, actually? Because you’ve got this whole ‘ancient vampire teenager’ thing going on, and I need numbers.”

Alec blinks once.

“No.”

“No?”

“No.”

“Not even a range?”

“No.”

“Rude.”

He resumes walking.

You follow.

“Are you always this difficult?” you press.

“Yes.”

“I like that.”

“I am aware.”

You grin sideways at him. “You’re getting used to me.”

“I am tolerating you.”

“Same difference.”

“It is not.”

“It is to me.”

Silence grows.

Then…

“Do you like anything?” You ask suddenly.

Alec glances at you. “Explain.”

“Like, anything. Food, obviously not. Sunlight, also no. Hobbies? Interests? Secret passions? Do you, like, collect things? Read? Judge people recreationally?”

“I do not judge people recreationally.”

You give him a look. “You absolutely do.”

“That is not a hobby.”

“It is if you enjoy it.”

Alec exhales softly.

“Do you intend to continue this?” he asks.

“Oh, definitely.”

“For how long?”

You beam.

“Until you tell me something real about you.”

There’s a pause.

“You have not stopped talking,” he points out.

“And yet, you haven’t made me leave.”

That was true.

Alec slows slightly, not enough to be obvious, but enough that you don’t have to match his pace as carefully.

“I am working,” he says.

“Yeah,” you reply, softer now. “I know.”

For once, your voice didn’t fill the entire corridor.

It stays close. Contained.

“Does it bother you?” you ask, “Me being here.”

Alec looks ahead.

“No.”

You blink, surprised.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

A small smile tugs at the corners of your mouth.

“Cool,” you say quietly.

The silence that follows isn’t forced this time.

It stretches between you, not empty, just different, comfortable.

You walk like that for a while.

Then, inevitably…

“What’s your favourite colour?” 

You break it.

Alec closes his eyes briefly.

And keeps walking.

xoxo aurelie

“Look at me.”

“I am looking at you,” you snap, then immediately flinch at your own tone, tears catching harder. “I am… I am trying.”

Your breathing was uneven now. Overloaded.

“I can’t think properly,” you whisper, more to yourself than him. “It won’t slow down.”

Alec steps closer.

You step back instantly.

“No,” you say, sharper. “Don’t touch me right now.”

He stops immediately.

No frustration. No pressure.

Just stillness.

“I understand,” he says quietly.

That only makes you cry harder.

“I don’t want this,” you say, voice breaking. “I don’t want my head like this.”

Alec watches you for a long moment.

Then he makes a choice.

Not physical yet.

Just a shift in presence.

“There is another way,” he says.

You shake your head quickly. “No. No, I don’t want whatever you’re about to say.”

“It will quiet it.”

“I don’t want to lose control,” you say immediately, panicked now. “I don’t want to be put under your gift.”

There’s a long pause.

Then Alec’s voice softens, but stays absolute.

“You will not lose yourself,” he says.

“That’s not what it feels like.”

“I will be here,” he says.

That makes you hesitate for the first time.

Not calm.

Just stuck between fear and exhaustion.

Alec steps forward slowly now, not closing the distance fully, just enough that you can see him clearly through the noise in your head.

“You are overwhelmed,” he says. “You are not unsafe with me.”

Your breath hitches.

“I don’t like it,” you whisper.

“I know.”

Another pause.

“I am your mate.”

That makes you look up.

Tearful. Fractured. Listening despite everything.

“You are mine,” he says simply.

Not possessive in a way that pushed.

In a way that anchored.

A truth he was offering you to hold onto.

“Trust me,” he adds.

Your lips tremble.

“I can’t think,” you admit. 

“Then do not,” Alec says quietly. “Just focus on me.”

You breathe.

“I will keep you safe,” he continues. “I will take care of you.”

Your hands shake at your sides.

The overstimulation doesn’t stop but it has something to collide with now. Something steady. Something unmovable.

Alec opens his arms.

Not reaching for you.

Waiting.

“I will not let you go,” he says.

Silence stretches.

You stand there, crying quietly now, torn between instinct and exhaustion.

Then you move.

Slowly.

You step into him.

Alec catches you immediately, arms closing around you with absolute steadiness. No force. No pressure. Just containment.

Your forehead presses into his chest.

“I don’t like this,” you whispers again, broken.

“I know,” he replies softly.

His hand comes to the back of your head, holding you there gently.

“Are you ready?” he asks.

There’s a distinct pause, a waiting.

“…I trust you.”

That was enough.

Alec’s power settles over you; his sensory deprivation gift, the mist, unfolding like a controlled silence.

The world didn’t go dark violently.

It faded.

Sound thinning first.

Then weight.

Then thought itself losing its tension.

You tense for half a second. 

The fear of losing control flaring. 

“I’m here,” Alec says immediately, his voice the only thing left solid enough to reach you. “Focus on me.”

Your fingers tighten weakly in his clothing.

And then, nothing pressed in anymore.

No sound. 

No smell. 

No sight. 

No touch. 

No flicker of thought spiraling out of control.

Just Alec.

Holding you.

“I’ve got you,” he says quietly. 

And finally, you let go into the silence.

xoxo aurelie

“You’re quiet.” 

Caspian’s voice breaks through the silence; you hadn’t even realised had begun to grow tense. 

They knew you were hiding something. They always knew. 

Caspian drifts slowly beside you. 

Close. 

Too close. 

You angle your body away slightly, not wanting him to catch on to how you were feeling. 

But all that does is grow his suspicion. 

“I’m just tired,” You say, hoping he’ll drop it. 

“Mm.” 

That sound alone tells you your white-haired mate does not believe you. 

A shadow slips into your peripheral vision, Eerie. He is circling in closer, quieter than Caspian but still his strong, commanding self. 

“You’re avoiding us,” He notes. 

“I’m not avoiding you,” You say, whipping around to face them a little sharper than you meant to. 

Your head spins at the motion. Not enough to throw you off balance, but enough to make you pause and dissociate for a second. 

A second too long for them not to notice. 

Caspian narrows his eyes just slightly, something shifting, calculating behind them. 

“You’re unsteady.” 

“I’m fine.” 

Eerie is already moving closer. 

His hands settle on your forearms, ready, bracing you, pulling you to stop mid-water.

Not rough, never rough, but firm, controlled. 

“You’re swaying,” He adds. 

“I said I’m fine,” You huff, wanting to get away from this as fast as possible, but all that aids in doing is sending you hurling into another dizzy spell, this one not as easily ignored as the other. 

Caspian’s expression changes completely. 

“Come here.” 

It’s not a suggestion, but you shake your head immediately, slightly pulling away from Eerie’s hold.

“No, there’s nothing wrong.”

Eerie’s hand tightens in response. 

Caspian is suddenly in front of you, his hand catching your wrist mid-motion as you reach to pry one of Eerie’s hands off your arm. 

“No,” He says. 

Soft.

Absolute. 

Enough to stop your squirming for a second. 

“I’m fine, Caspian,” You practically whine. 

“You’re lying.”

The words land quietly. 

Firmly. 

You open your mouth to argue again, but Eerie’s hands shift from your arms to around your waist, pulling you just a little closer, effectively disintegrating the space you had tried to create. 

“I don’t want to be checked,” You insist, already seeing the clinical doctor on duty look in Caspian’s eyes. 

“You don’t get to decide that,” Caspian replies. 

You huff at the calm certainty in his tone, “I’m not one of your patients.” 

“No,” He grins softly, “You’re worse.” 

Caspian and Eerie share a look before they move in sync. 

Eerie’s hold tightens on you, his body angling behind you as he starts taking you in a different direction through the cave, a deep part of the cove.

You instantly clock where. 

“No, wait!” You twist, trying to pull free. “I don’t want to go down there.”

“That’s too bad,” Caspian coos in mock sympathy, but threads his fingers through yours and holds your hand to settle you. 

You grit your teeth in frustration, knowing you have more to say, but it’s getting harder to hold onto; you feel weaker by the minute. 

The deeper part of the cave opens up ahead. It’s darker down here, quieter. Carved stone, layered and shaped by time, and Caspian. 

This was his space.

His work. 

His lab. 

“No,” you resist again, but quieter this time, “I don’t want to.” 

“It’s cute you think you have a choice.” 

You cross into the space, and the change is immediate. The water is stiller here, heavier. It’s a strange place; faint glows line the walls, pulsing softly around you. 

There are shelves carved into stone, holding things you don’t understand; vials, herbs, things in glass jars that move when you look too closely.

You’ve only been in here a couple of times. 

Each time watching Caspian work on something new. 

Never being the one he worked on. 

Eerie shifts behind you, his arms sliding more securely around your middle as he pauses in the water. Suddenly, you feel your world tilt as your mate in question presses you downward to lie on a flat stone ledge. 

“No,” You gasp, “I don’t want to lie down.”

You try pushing to sit back up, but your warrior mate pushes gently, but firmly, on your shoulders, keeping you flat on your back. 

“Stay,” is all he says. 

You continue to squirm, hating the feel of being the patient. 

“Enough.”

The word lands like a bomb. You freeze instantly at the tone. 

Caspian doesn’t hesitate to move in immediately now that you’re still; he’s focused, careful. 

His fingers move up along your wrist, then up your arms, pausing at your shoulder, your neck; checking, feeling, reading signs you can’t. 

“I hate this,” You mutter. 

“We know,” Caspian responds, “But I have to make sure you’re okay, treasure.” 

“I am,” You whine.

Tension rises, you try to squirm away again, but Eerie holds you still, “Eerie…” 

“Let him check you.”

You huff softly, frustrated. Your body feels weaker than you want it to; your resolve is crumbling slowly, your resistance fading with it quicker than it should. 

Caspian’s hand moves to your jaw, tilting your face slightly. 

“Look at me.” 

You avoid his eyes in defiance. 

“Look at me,” He repeats, firmer this time. 

You reluctantly force your eyes to his. 

Big mistake. 

He sees everything. 

The dizziness. 

The discomfort. 

The pretending you’re fine. 

“You’re sick.”

You shake your head, ready to argue again, but he’s already locked eyes with his other mate above you. 

“She’s weak. Her pulse is off, her breathing is uneven, and she’s holding tension in her chest.” 

Caspian strokes your jaw, fingers trailing up and down your neck before resting gently above your brow, “She’s warm.”

“I’m always warm,” you retort. 

Both siren’s flick their eyes back down to you.

“A different warm,” Caspian says.

Eerie’s hold shifts, one hand moving up to brush your wet hair away from your face, the other coming down to rest against your chest, steady and grounding. 

“You should have told us,” He says. 

You don’t say anything, starting to feel the effects of your sickness now that you’ve stopped trying to fight it. 

Caspian moves away, coming back momentarily after reaching towards one of the carved shelves, retrieving a small vial, dark, faintly glowing. 

You immediately tense, “No.” 

“Yes.” 

“I’m not taking that.” 

“You are.” 

Your fidgeting restarts, “I don’t even know what that is.”

“Medicine.” 

You shake your head, “I don’t want it.” 

“You need it.” 

“I’ll be fine without it.” 

“No, you won’t.” Caspian finishes, popping the cork open and moving closer. 

You shake your head, trying again to pull away. 

Eerie’s hands return to your shoulders, pressing down to keep you from shifting off the stone. 

Caspian sighs dramatically as you try to find a way to free yourself from your black-haired mate. 

His lips twitch up at you in amusement before tipping the vial back against his own lips. 

You, who is too preoccupied with trying to rid yourself of Eerie’s grip, are stunned into submission when Caspian crashes and seals his lips over yours. 

From the sudden shock, you don’t have time to press your own lips together before you feel the liquid pass from his mouth to yours. 

Caspian keeps his lips locked on yours, fingers brushing lightly along your throat, feeling you swallow and making sure it’s gone down before releasing you. 

He smirks at your reaction, a mix of flabbergasted and betrayed, while also cringing at the taste of the potion; bitter, sharp, strange. 

“Good, pearl,” His eyes glimmer with mischief, as he plants another quick peck to your lips and gives you an eskimo kiss before pulling away. 

You try to pin him with a glare, but your body already feels heavier, tired. Caspian’s eyes light up once again, seeing that the mixture is already working. 

Eerie’s hands move again, fingers tracing lightly along your sides; checking, reassuring, grounding all at once. 

“You should’ve come to us.” 

You exhale softly, fighting off the sleepy side effects of Caspian’s potion, too tired to argue anymore. 

“I know.” 

Caspian’s hand slips into yours, gentle but certain. 

“We take care of you.” He says. 

Too tired to resist, too tired to pretend, you just sleepily nod. 

“Rest”, you hear as you drift off to sleep, “Our treasure.”

xoxo aurelie

Caspian was cleaning the cave, tidying up the remnants of the day.

You watched in silence, not sure what to do or where to help. They had such a groove with each other that you felt like you were just in the way and ruining the routines they had already created together. 

“Now, now, treasure,” You look up at the voice to see that Caspian has paused in his cleaning in favour of looking at you. “Whatever you’re thinking, I want it to stop.” 

You blush, curling in on yourself at the thought of forgetting what they said about feeling each other's emotions through the mate bond. 

Caspian, ever the nurturer, had already made sure to help you get ready for sleep, brushing your hair and removing the pearls he’d threaded through it earlier today. This is how you found yourself watching your mates go through their bedtime motions while you sulked to yourself about being useless. 

Emerging from around the opening (now closed off) of the cave, Eerie swims through the main area and up behind where you were seated, dropping a light kiss to the top of your head in silent comfort to the subtle gloom he was feeling from you through the bond. 

“Scare everything away, gorgeous?” Caspian teases, finishing up the last bits of tidying he was doing before swimming over to join the two of you. 

Eerie smirks against your hair in response to the pet name Caspian uses for him, but definitely doesn’t miss the way you tense up when thinking about him needing to scare something away from the cave. 

“You know there’s nothing out there that would be brave enough to ever come near our home, especially when we’re around,” Eerie catches Caspian’s eyes and nods his chin down in motion to you, who is still stuck in your thoughts about the implication of what Caspian said. Caspian clocks what he’s relaying instantly, gazing at your spaced-out face, and silently curses himself for his words before trying to rid the growing tension from your mind. 

“You are the strongest warrior after all,” Caspian gushes, “And I, the greatest sea witch.” 

Caspian surges forward to cup your cheeks in his hands, bringing you back to them, “Don’t you agree, treasure?”

You, just catching those last few words, nod in agreement, not really knowing what you’re agreeing to.

“I would love to show you a thing or two, pearl,” Caspian says, “I’m sure you would be most impressed with my natural gifts.”

“Perhaps that is an activity for tomorrow,” Eerie suggests, “For now, let’s get our treasure to bed.”

So the three of you descend further into the cave, where you assume that wherever they sleep is. Eerie is holding and guiding you along, as you don’t quite have your swimming down pat yet, before you enter a new part of the cave.

“We sleep here.” 

You were astounded to see the massive clam within the room. The clam is on its side, half open, with soft-looking coral and sea moss acting as the bed. 

“Sirens typically sleep within their caves like this on soft moss or concealed within coral,” Caspain explains. 

“Cas just likes to be extra with the clam,” Eerie teases, earning a hiss that held no malice from the siren in question.

You nod in understanding.

“Where would you like me to go?” You say, not wanting to intrude on their space. 

Caspian hums, “I would like you in the middle between us. How about you, Eerie?” 

“I think that’s the perfect spot for her.”

You blink, “You want me to sleep with you?”

Caspian looks taken aback at your question, “Of course, pearl. You’re our mate. I couldn’t stand the thought of you sleeping anywhere other than our arms.” 

“Unless,” Eerie pins Caspian with a sharp look, “You would be more comfortable with us setting something else up for you.” 

Caspian pouts at this, clearly not fond of that idea. You’re silent until you realise they’re waiting for an answer. 

You blush, embarrassed by what they want you to say. 

“I would like to sleep with you…” You murmur.

“Of course you do!” Caspian grabs you from Eerie and twirls you around, swimming to the moss-bed with you in his arms. 

When you’re over the bed, Caspian wraps his tail around yours, effectively cutting off your movement. 

You gasp in surprise, unsure what he’s doing. 

“Caspian,” Eerie reminds him. 

“My apologies, pearl, this is how merefolk sleep with their mates and kin. It keeps them together and stops them from floating away from each other during the night.” He explains. 

“I’ll wrap my tail around yours like this,” He looks down pointedly at where your tails are now joined, “And then our darling mate will wrap his tail around both of us.” 

You hear Eerie’s low chuckle as he rolls a boulder in front of the entrance, effectively cutting off all and any light. 

You gasp again, instinctively moving closer to the mate in front of you. “Oh my, scared of the dark, are we?”

You shake your head, although you doubt they believe you. 

Eerie comes up behind you, stroking your spine to let you know he’s there. You tense at the feeling until you hear his voice, “You ready to sleep, treasure?” 

You nod, ready to try to escape the darkness in the room. 

You feel Eerie’s front make contact with your back, his hands resting on your hips as he wraps his long tail around you and Caspian, effectively trapping you three together. He grabs onto a piece of the coral and brings the three of you down to rest on your sides on the soft moss. 

Your mates cocoon you between them. No room to wriggle; your head is tucked under Caspian's chin, your face pressed to the base of his neck, chest to chest, with Eerie’s chest connecting to your back. Four arms are keeping you weighed down and caged in, in addition to the lack of mobility you now have in your tail. 

A hand is rubbing up and down your hip, you think it’s Eerie, somehow being able to sense it without actually seeing. The claw-like fingernails feel shorter than Caspian’s, who loves to sharpen and paint them to perfection. 

It feels weird trying to sleep underwater. You feel scared, worried about the monsters you’ve been warned about that lurk in the deep depths of the sea. You try to close your eyes, but instantly open them again to attempt to check whatever surroundings you can see, which isn’t much considering how tightly you’re pressed against the two sirens. You should feel at ease, being shielded between both your mates, but you can’t escape the feeling of fear that digs in your chest. 

“Calm, our pearl,” You hear Eerie hush you. Once again, feeling your growing distress through your bond, “You are safe.”

You try to believe it, you really try, but no matter how much you will it into your heart, the anxiety overrides it, and the sirens both sense it. 

“Danger…” You whisper your thoughts, not wanting to be loud in case there really was. 

“No danger.” Eerie corrects, “No predators can get in here. It’s concealed from the outside, and we still keep it locked behind the rock and my spear”

“And then the rock for this room,” You trail off, noting again the rock Eerie rolled to close up this room. 

“That’s right,” he affirms. 

“It’s so dark,” you mumble, continuing to try to look around.

“It is, isn’t it?” Caspian offers, “We can look at getting some bio-luminous algae for a little light at night if you would like.” 

You shake your head, “I don’t want to change your home.” 

“Our home,” Caspian tuts, “This is your home too. You can change what you like.” 

You hope you feel at home soon, feel a part of their routine and feel like a proper siren who isn’t scared of everything in this new world of yours. 

You hear someone start to hum above you, a soft melody that sounds familiar. You remember it from when you were still human, the night you met the ones you call your mates. It’s the most calming sound you’ve ever heard. 

You feel a hand brush over your face, stroking your cheekbone reverently before sliding and securing over your eyes, effectively blocking out the world around you. 

“You’re safe with us, guppy.” 

The song continues, lulling you into security, “Nothing can harm you with us around.” 

There are so many sensations. The song in your head, clouding your thoughts and forcing them to float away. The hand over your eyes, thumb softly rubbing your temple in a soothing rhythm. Another hand, continuing to caress up and down the base of your tail, settling you into the bed. A set of arms, solid and grounding, wrapped around your sides, and the nuzzling at the top of your head, with the occasional kiss landing too. 

“Go to sleep.”

You sigh, the last of your dread being whisked away, your mates chasing away your internal darkness. 

“Goodnight, treasure.”

xoxo aurelie

It was still fun to watch Eerie fight it, though. No matter how long he’s been doing this for.

“No mate of mine will be swimming out of this cave without being properly groomed.” Caspian hisses at Eerie’s declaration that he didn’t need his hair brushed today. 

Eerie stares his mate down, “I’m going to be late, Cas.” 

“Tough”, Cas tsks, “I like you when you’re pretty.” 

“I thought you said I’m always pretty.”

You giggle at Eerie’s teasing. You like it when your black-haired mate has a break from being Mr Serious. Eerie’s eyes flick towards you, giving you a wink, before focusing back on his other mate, who looks like he’s three seconds away from hitting him with the brush. 

“I’m glad our darling pearl finds you amusing, because I certainly do not”, Caspian scolds. 

Eerie rolls his eyes, seemingly accepting that he’s once again not going to escape his eccentric mate, and sits down on the rock in front of Caspian’s setup. Caspian’s mood instantly shifts, smiling in triumph as he gathers his brush to clean up Eerie’s hair. 

Although Eerie only has short hair, Caspian manages to take his sweet time brushing through it, checking his mate’s face to ensure everything is up to his standards and doesn’t need any additional primping. Once Caspian is pleased, he places the brush down and cups his mate’s cheeks.

“And you know I always think you’re pretty,” Caspian finishes, giving Eerie a quick kiss on the nose before Eerie reaches up and pulls him into a lingering one on the lips. Pulling away, the sirens share an eskimo kiss before Eerie grabs his spear. Eerie makes his way over to you, who is occupied with looking at the shells you had been collecting with Caspian recently. He presses a lingering kiss to your forehead, then gives you a peck on your cheek and your nose and your other cheek, leaving you to close your eyes. Giggling, you look up at him as he looks you in your eyes for permission. You nod, and he smiles as he softly places a gentle kiss on your lips, cupping one of your cheeks with his palm. 

“Have a good day today, okay? I’ll see you after I finish training. Tell me if Cas has been up to no good, won’t you?” 

You grin in response, nodding your head cheekily. 

He strokes your cheek with his thumb before swimming out of your shared cave. You watch him go, turning back around to find Caspian smiling adoringly at you. 

“Ahhh, you are the most adorable mer I have ever seen. I love watching you two. My perfect mates,” Caspian gushes. 

You blush at the compliment and the idea of Caspian watching Eerie kiss you, despite both sirens being your mate and the number of times you’ve seen them kiss each other. 

“Come now, Pearl”, Caspian grins, “Just because you’re so adorable, doesn’t mean you’re getting away with those knots in your hair.”

Which is how you once again found yourself sitting in front of Caspian as he gently (as gentle as Caspian can be) brushes your hair. It had become a part of your routine by now; a habit, if you will. Even when you were still human, Caspian loved to play with your hair.

Today, Caspian had already adorned himself with gems and pearls of varying colours and sizes. He had many small braids throughout his long platinum hair, littered with white and blue pearls strung through them. He had one larger braid on the left side of his head, which was clipped at the top with a silver clip he made himself. It held three large sapphires, and he even stuck tiny pearls around the side of his eyes to pull it all together. 

Caspian was expressive alright. 

He hums as he works the brush through your hair. You noticed your hair had definitely grown longer and faster since becoming a mermaid yourself, so you were kinda glad that Caspian had taken an interest in caring for it, so you didn’t have to. 

“You have the most beautiful hair, my pearl. I would say it even rivals mine”, Caspian says as he puts the brush down. You blush at the sentiment, although you doubt your hair would come close to the shimmering silver Caspian holds on his head. The siren in question hums, his hands raking through your hair.

“You wouldn’t mind if I braid it, would you, treasure?” Caspian asks, massaging your head softly with his hands. 

You shake your head, giving him permission to do whatever he wants. 

“Whatever I want?”, Caspian grins, “Well, in that case…”

Caspian continues his melody from earlier, making you buzz with happiness. He doesn’t tell you what he’s doing, but you think there’s more than one braid in there. You sit patiently, letting Caspian do what he does best. You see him pick up some pearls of different sizes now and then, piquing your curiosity with the different ones he’s chosen. 

“Just need the finishing touch,” He leaves for a second, seemingly to get something, and comes back to clip something in your hair. “Perfect, all done!” 

Caspian tugs on your hands to lead you in front of a mirror he stole from a ship he sunk once upon a time. You gaze into that mirror as he stands behind you, not believing what you see. 

“We’re matching, treasure! Don’t you look beautiful.” Caspian gushes, taking your hand again and twirling you around. 

You face back in the mirror and admire what he’s done. He’s given you the same hairstyle as himself, threading the same amount of pearls throughout it in different colours and even clipped the same style clip at the top of the big braid on the side of your head. This clip is holding three pink rose quartz gems instead. 

“Do you love it?” He gushes again, very proud of his work. 

You nod instantly and spin around to wrap your arms around him. He preens at your gratitude and the contact you’ve initiated. He waits until you pull away, soaking up the moment for as long as he can before giving you a few eskimo kisses and bumping his forehead to yours; classic merfolk affection. 

“Oh no! I’ve forgotten the pearls around your eyes!” He exclaims, before dragging you back to his setup. 

No wonder it takes Caspian so long to get ready.

xoxo aurelie

As Captain, Eerie blames himself for their deaths and feels it heavily, not that he would ever let anyone outside his mate, now mates, see it. Eerie continues to train well past his usual time, pushing himself harder in almost punishment for the mer-lives lost.

When the sun had well and truly dipped below the horizon, Caspian decided it was time for Eerie to come home and went to retrieve him, with you following along.

You watch as Caspian enters the training circle within the rock dome. Eerie ignores his mate, moving to change his choice of weapon he was training with. Caspian quickly swims in front of him before he can pick up another. There was a lot of hissing after that; your mates were in an argument with each other. You are unsure what they’re saying, still struggling with mer-language, but you knew you had been brought up when Eerie’s head snaps to you.

Eerie seems to concede after a few moments, looking at you, who is slightly hiding behind one of the pillars supporting the dome. Eerie takes a breath and quietly hisses at Caspian again, who bumps his forehead to Eerie’s in return and grabs his hand to lead him to the cave. 

Being back inside the home you three shared, Eerie seemed not to be on edge as much and was now able to focus on Caspian without the hissing and constantly assessing for danger.

Unsure what to do, you linger around the rock wall of your home. Caspian and Eerie were face-to-face. Caspian has his tail wrapped around his mate’s and his hands stroking up and down Eerie’s body soothingly. Eerie clearly wanted the affection of his mate despite his earlier refusal to come home, and tucks himself against Caspian’s chest. He closes his eyes, slowly breathing and basking in the calming energy. He pulls his head away from resting on Caspian’s shoulder in favour of pressing his lips to his mate’s.

You watch them shyly, feeling like you are intruding on something private by seeing your mates kiss each other. Eerie and Caspian smile at each other as they pull away. Instantaneously, they turn their heads to you, who immediately start to blush at being caught staring. Caspian has a glimmer in his eye at the way you were looking at them like you had been caught doing something bad.

“You can come, treasure.” Caspian tells you, smiling as you pull yourself away from your makeshift hiding spot and swim up to them, stopping a little short of arm's length like you were afraid they would shoo you away. 

“Eerie needs you, starfish, no use being so far.” 

Your eyes flicker to Eerie’s, noting he’s already staring at you intensely. Wanting to help in any way you could, you move closer to the pair, reaching out to touch Eerie like you saw Caspian do. You quickly flick your gaze back to the white-haired siren for reassurance that you were doing the right thing. Caspian grins back, placing a hand on the small of your back to further push you forward, towards Eerie.

You reach up around Eerie’s neck to bring him into an embrace of your own. Eerie sighs in what sounds like relief as his exhale follows his muscles relaxing and his body melting into yours. He rests his head on your shoulder, his face in the crook of your neck. Eerie breaths in, his arms coming to wrap around Caspian and pull your other mate tightly against your back, effectively sandwiching you between the two of them. Caspian rests his chin on top of your head; one hand massaging the back of Eerie’s head, the other wrapped around your waist and landing on Eerie’s hip, rubbing small circles.

You feel Caspian’s lips press against the top of your head, leaning down to whisper encouraging words in your ear, letting you know you were doing a good job at comforting your mate, who quite often doesn’t feel deserving of it. You frown at the new knowledge about your warrior mate and squeeze him tighter against you; he presses his lips against your neck in return, basking in the comfort of the two mer he loves the most.

xoxo aurelie