Harlee POV
"No fair! Trade shifts!" Ash demanded.
"Nope!" I cried and Zeev pushed Ash off the bed with his leg. I giggled and hid behind Zeev.
"Do it, I dare you." Zeev growled, cracking his knuckles.
"Fine, I know when I'm not wanted." Ash sniffed and sauntered from the bedroom.
"Oh Ash, wait!" I jumped off the bed, snagging a package off the bedside table and raced after them. "Here, I figured you're probably running low. These are some of my favorites. I hope you like them." I pushed a package of peach rings into Ash's hands. Ash looked at me with tears in their eyes.
"Mistress..I.." Ash scooped me up in a big hug, then snagged the candy and was gone. Zeev wrapped his arm around my ribs from behind.
"You've surprised Ash more than once by your accepting behavior." Zeev commented.
"You two seem awful chummy lately." I turned to look at him.
"We have become.. unfortunate allies." Zeev remarked with a tsk. I placed a hand on his chest.
"I'm not complaining. The Bond between us all is strong and feels right for now. Even my soul feels better-but I was wondering.. if you might stay with me at work this afternoon? It's Ash's first full day and he's gonna be the only one there besides me this afternoon, so it'd just be the three of us and-" Zeev placed a finger on my lips.
"Of course, My Lady." He smiled. I leapt into his arms.
Zeev POV
Several days had passed, during which Harlee and I spent vast quantities of time together in order for her soul to heal. It also enabled us to further work through our problems. My betrayal still hurt her, and that pain resonated back through our link like a sore tooth, but the tooth wasn't mine. Instead, I caused the decay and was forced to feel the pain I inflicted. I truly wished I could eradicate it. I held Harlee against my chest a little tighter.
"Damn, you don't have to squeeze her so hard-do you want to break her?" Ash asked from the foot of the bed.
"What do you want, snake?" I retorted.
"Nothing, my shift's up, so I just came to see where everybody was." Ash collapsed at the foot of the bed. "She sure is sleeping a lot." Ash commented.
"Her soul.. was badly damaged. She acts like she's fine, but she was in immense pain most of the time." I said softly. Ash winced.
"I.. can't believe I almost killed her." Ash murmured. "I was trying to help.." Ash looked at me pitifully.
"I know, but, the pain reminded us the soul needed its connection to survive. You stopped that pain, and she was able to forget. It was a heavy lesson for us all. But none so heavy as for me." I looked at Harlee with regret.
"So listen, I want you and Josh to start counting me in on your little practice soirees." Ash said abruptly. I growled.
"I don't know if he'll be comfortable with that. I don't know that I'm comfortable with that. Josh and I have a Contract.." I responded.
"Then I'll make one with him too, if it makes him more comfortable!" Ash exclaimed.
"No!" I yelled, then looked at Harlee swiftly, before lowering my voice. "No. For Harlee's sake, it's not for his soul, it's to protect him."
"Listen-they're gonna send an army-you know it, I know it. We need help. To save Harlee. This isn't just about my own hide 'Zeev'. Look, the Bond I formed with her-you never told her, did you? That it affects you too because you carry half her soul? Then here 'Zeev', let me finalize that Bond between us, that way you can see that my only aim here is to protect Harlee, my Mistress, my love." Ash slapped a hand against the exposed skin of my ankle. I growled in warning.
"By holding half of my Mistress's soul, to whom I am Bound for eternity, I now Bind myself to you too. This Mark shall signify this Bond and the relationship it represents between us three. May we be permanently Bound for eternity." Ash stated. I kicked at the cool hand, growling.
"Don't Bind me to you too, you monster." I snarled, but too late, the thin thread that had already connected us snapped taught and solidified. The icy spot Ash had touched on my ankle shimmered and became a thorny vine encircling my ankle. "Ah fuck, it's as slimy as you are."
"No, it's as prickly as you are." Ash replied, stroking it, which of course sent the reciprocating Mark Ash's direction. "Ow!" Ash yelped. "You could at least be more gentle!" Ash lifted their shirt to expose a coiled white snake with red eyes and fangs bared on their lower right abdomen. I smirked.
"How many times do I have to tell you DRAGON!!" Ash growled.
"Don't Mark people without their permission." I retorted.
"You knew it was gonna have to happen one day anyway. As long as you carry half her soul." Ash sniffed.
"I was hoping to avoid it." I snarled.
"Too late now." Ash snorted.
"Guys.. What time is it?" Harlee asked sleepily.
"Look what you did! You woke the Mistress!" Ash cried. I kicked the snake off the end of the bed.
Harlee POV
I dropped my toast abruptly. Zeev's eyes shot to me.
"Harlee, what's wrong?" The barrier was completely down between us and I could feel him rummaging around in my mind. I dropped a hand to my midriff.
"Do you feel it Zeev? The throbbing, like with my heartbeat?" I asked. There was a snap of electricity, and I jumped, looking at Zeev with fear. "Am I having a miscarriage?" The little hot spot suddenly got more intense, and I felt my body cramp. I bent over double and Zeev came around the counter to grab me before I could topple off the chair.
"I don't feel so good." I murmured, holding my stomach. Zeev looked grim as he scooped me up and carried me to the bedroom. "I don't understand." I panted. "What's going on?"
"Implantation." Zeev said with a grimace. "But your body might not be strong enough to handle it yet."
"But I don't wanna lose it!" I cried as he laid me down on the bed. I curled up around my stomach immediately as if I could protect the little burning place within me.
"Ash!" Zeev called out loud.
"Ash is at work." I reminded him.
"Oh, Ash can hear me." Zeev said grimly. Ash materialized beside Zeev, panting.
"Got here as fast as I could. What's going on?" Ash looked at me. "Mistress!" I groaned.
Zeev POV
"What can you do for her?" I asked abruptly.
"What do you mean, what can I do for her? I'm a sex Demon, not a doctor!" Ash cried.
"You're an Incubus-you specialize in these kinds of things. Don't tell me you haven't impregnated your fair share of women and Demons. Hell, you spend half you time as a woman, don't tell me you haven't BEEN pregnant." I snarled.
"Alright, alright. Damn. Relax." Ash sat down next to Harlee and placed a hand on the Mark on her collar.
"I dunno what you want me to tell you." Ash shrugged. Harlee grabbed Ash's hand and placed it over her abdomen.
"Is the baby ok?" She asked breathlessly. Ash smoothed her hair.
"It's not a baby yet Harlee." Ash said soothingly. "It's just a clump of your genetic matter fused with bird brain's Core that's trying to burrow into your uterus."
"But is it healthy?" Harlee demanded desperately, clutching Ash's arm.
"Yes, it's developing right on track." Ash replied in a soothing voice.
"Can you remove it?" I asked Ash.
"What? No!" Harlee cried. I knelt beside the bed.
"Harlee, it may be putting your life in danger. It may be too soon with the damage to your soul being so recent.." I said softly.