Chapter 12

I woke up with a start, not knowing where I was. A warm arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me tight against a hard body.

“If you wake up running, I’m going to be grumpy.” Arius mumbled from behind me.

I relaxed again. “No. I hate mornings, at any time of the day.” I wiggled in his hold until I was on my back, so I could look at him. “How long have we been sleeping?”

He pulled me tight against him again. “No idea. Don’t care.”

I grinned. “Where did that fierce warden guy go?”

He groaned and buried his face in my neck. “He’s dormant until after coffee.” Sighing, he lifted his head. “It’s going to take an hour to get the tangles out of my hair. I never sleep with it loose.”

“It can’t be that bad.” I sat up and looked down at him.

“Your expression says otherwise.” Rolling to his back, he lifted his hips and pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at it. Turning it toward me, he grimaced. “Twenty-five messages.”

“I’m sure if it was important they would have come and got you.”

He dropped his hand to the bed and looked at me. “I can’t believe we slept.”

I gave him a wide-eyed look. “Wasn’t that the point?”

“Yeah, just—” He sat up, shifting so he could flip his hair back. “I didn’t even feel my phone vibrate.”

“That’s a good thing.” I started sliding toward the end of the bed.

He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me on his lap. “Not so fast.” Leaning back, he pulled me down with him. Propped on his elbow, he searched my eyes and must have found what he was looking for when his mouth covered mine. He kissed me in a slow exploratory way, teasing and gentle.

Lifting his head, he rested his forehead against mine. “Thank you for trusting me enough to help you.” He kissed me softly. “I’m fighting the impulse to mark you and force things, but this connection will help me as much as it will you.”

Grasping his face, I smiled, “less talk, more sleepy kisses.”

He grinned. “As you wish.” He brushed his lips over mine, then both of us froze as his phone vibrated on the bed. “Good morning, reality.” He whispered, reaching over me. He picked it up and looked at it. Then put it to his ear. “Barely.” His gaze moved over my face. “She is.” He stared at my mouth. “We’ll be there shortly.” He clicked the button and tossed the phone behind me again. “That was Daxx—the fitting was postponed last night, it’s in an hour. Breakfast is waiting for us.” He rolled, so we were both sitting up.

I wiggled off his lap and stood up. “Where’s your brush? I’ll help with your hair.”

He gave me a surprised look, then pointed to the dresser on the other side of the room.

I went over. “I used to have really long hair, so I know what mornings are like.” I stopped. “Is it even morning or is it this night-morning thing? The two kings, different times is confusing.”

Moving, he stood up and stretched. “It’s actual, daylight morning. We slept for six hours.”

I paused and watched muscles extend and flex as he moved.

Arius growled and closed the distance between us. Grabbing me by the waist, he lifted me up so our faces were level. “Stop inviting me to do what I want to.”

I bit my lip. “Stop looking so damn good.”

Laughing, he kissed me hard on the mouth, then set me on my feet.

I motioned to the bed. “Sit.”

Alona glanced up from watching the seamstress pin the hem of her dress. “I can’t believe he just laid there and held you all night.” She adjusted the red sash across her shoulder. “I love the red on black.”

Bethany turned and looked at herself in the mirror. “Royal blue is going to look so good on Leone.” She turned and looked at me. “I’d like to say Leone was that sweet, but I was broken when we did that, so I don’t think it counts.”

Crissy walked in. Her gown was black with a deep emerald, green waist sash. She turned slowly. “It’s so pretty. I’ve never had a dress like this before.”

“You look lovely.” Alona told her.

I lifted my arm, so the seamstress could adjust the side of my gown. I was still in shock. When they’d said I was wearing a gown, I would never have pictured a full fairy tale, Cinderella goes to the ball, gown.

“That deep purple is almost the shade of the lipstick you have.” Bethany said, smiling as I blushed.

“Imagine that, Arius knowing the exact shade my gown would be trimmed with.” I said smirking.

“Mmm, he’s got subtle down.” Alona nodded.

“I feel like a cake ornament.” Daxx walked in, her gown swaying as she came in.

“You look wonderful.” Bethany told her.

Daxx’s gown was black with red trim as the other queen’s was.

She turned around and looked in the mirror. “Do we have to keep the big bow on my ass?”

I covered my mouth and laughed. “We all have one.” I turned so she could see mine.

“Why can’t we put a bow on the men’s asses for a change?” She mumbled.

Alona got down off the platform. “At least they made you one without a tight bodice.”

Daxx sighed. “That is something.”

Mitz came in looking completely energized, carrying a box.

Daxx pasted a smile on her face, but no one was fooled.

Putting the box down on the table, she turned and looked at each one of us. Covering her mouth, she shook her head. “You are all so beautiful.” Her eyes teared up.

Daxx lunged toward her. “What’s in the box?” She said loudly, while giving Mitz a wary look.

“Oh.” Mitz opened it. She glanced to Alona, “this was your mate’s suggestion.”

Daxx frowned, “Suggestions are allowed?”

Smiling Mitz nodded. “Especially from one of the kings.”

Daxx rolled her eyes. “Of course, they get to wear pants.”

Mitz pulled a pair of black ankle boots out and looked at them. “These are yours.” She handed them to Alona.

She held them up and looked at them. “Oh, that sweet man.” Leaning down, she lifted the hem of her dress carefully and put her foot in the first boot. “Oh, they’re comfy.” Putting on the other, she stood up and went to the mirror. Grinning, she lifted the hem and looked. “They’re flirty.”

Mitz clapped her hands once, then turned and pulled out the next pair and handed them to Bethany.

When she handed me a pair, I wasted no time putting them on, then went over to the mirror and looked. “They’re great. Barely any heel so we can dance.” I looked at Mitz. “I love the boots.” An idea hit me. “Boots.” I ran over and picked up my phone and started scrolling through songs. I nodded, then looked at Bethany. “It’s an old song, but sassy, I could pump up the base and add some techno,” My jaw dropped, and I turned to Alona, “we could do a sassy little line dance for those brothers.” I nodded again and started flipping through songs I could mix it with.

“A line dance?” Daxx looked at me.

I nodded, my whole body vibrating with the excitement of it. “Not a prissy line dance, one with attitude.”

Her expression changed slightly, but I still wasn’t sure if we’d convince her.

“Like fighting moves, to a beat.”

Her eyebrows went up.

“I love it.” Bethany nodded.

Alona laughed. “You had me at boots.”

Mitz wiped a tear off her cheek. “It’s been a long wait for my boys’ mates—you all, each one of you, light up this entire realm.” She nodded, patted my cheek and walked out of the room.

Daxx with her eyes huge looked around at us. “Not a single tear. Seriously, all this crying and emotional stuff, is killing me.”

The phone ringing in my hand startled me and I almost dropped it. “Hello?”

“How is the fitting going? Has Daxx stabbed anyone yet?” Arius asked.

I smiled and looked at her. “Not yet, but it’s been close a few times.”

Alona grinned at me. “She’s blushing, I wonder who is on the other end of that phone.”

“Hmm, that’s a hard one.” Bethany said with a smirk.

I waved them off and walked to the other side of the room.

“Women harassing you?”

I sighed, “Yeah, apparently there were bets placed on whether we’d walk in this morning sporting new tattoos.”

He laughed. “Yes, I heard that too.” He cleared his throat. “I just sensed a high spike of energy and wondered for a moment if something was wrong.”

I pouted, even though he couldn’t see me. “Does this bond thing come with instructions? I haven’t picked up anything on your end.”

He chuckled, “I’ve had a few hundred years to master it.”

“That’s cheating. I was talking about music.”

“That would explain it.” He made a sound of annoyance, “my brothers are banging on the door to get in, I had better let you go. See you shortly.”

“Okay.” I hung up and turned.

“He picked up on how excited you got?” Bethany was taking her boots off.

I nodded. “I haven’t sensed anything.”

Daxx impatiently watched the seamstress undo her gown. “They’re cold as ice unless they want us to sense something.”

I held up my arms when she came over to get me out of the gown. I was still afraid I’d rip it if I moved. “How is that fair?” I frowned, “and how are we supposed to keep this a secret?”

Crissy turned one last time and looked in the mirror before standing still to get the gown unzipped. “We could say we’re working out together—which by all technical points that define working out, we will be.” She looked up from what the woman was doing and nodded.

Alona looked from her to the rest of us. “It could work.”

Holding the gown up as Daxx walked to the other room, she shook her head. “They’ll want to watch.”

“Oh.” Alona sighed, “She’s right.”

Bethany shrugged. “We have large guards for a reason.”

Crissy laughed, “Vic is not going to like it.” She stopped moving completely and looked at me. “I like it.”

“Okay. We’ll figure out practice time later. Keep the moves simple. I’ll figure out the mix later and see if you like it.” I looked one more time at myself in the mirror. I was in another realm, wearing a ball gown. Life was full of surprises.

“Leone just messaged, meeting in Victor’s office as soon as possible.” Bethany called out as she walked into the changing room.

~

“No, we turn here.” Daxx looked back the way we’d gone.

Alona peeked around the corner. “I’m hopelessly lost.”

I scrolled through another few songs. “I know how to find our cave, that’s it.”

“Don’t look at me, I just message Leone to come find me.” Bethany waved her phone.

Crissy giggled. “Can I help now?”

Daxx sighed. “Fine, yes miss map, which way do we go to get to Victor’s office?

She turned and pointed in the direction we’d come from. “The hall back there.”

Throwing her hands in the air, Daxx turned around and went back.

When we saw the pink arrows, we all knew where we were.

“You need to make us a map we can put in our phones.” Alona told Crissy.

Crissy nodded. “I can do that.”

They all stopped walking, I bumped into Alona and looked up from my phone.

“That’s not lipstick.” Daxx said with a grin.

I looked to see we were outside my room. In front of the door was a large, wrapped box that went up to my hip.

“Definitely not lipstick.” Alona agreed.

Tucking my phone in my pocket, I dropped down and opened the paper on the top and peeked in. I squealed and ripped it off. It was a sound system. “It’s got a subwoofer and mixing board,” I tore the rest of the paper off, “and two monitor speakers.” I hugged the box.

“Damn he’s good, she’s a puddle right now.” Alona said quietly.

“You’re going to have to make love to it later, Paize, the guys will be waiting.”

I nodded. Standing up, I opened the door and pushed the box inside. I stood there looking at it. “I’ve never had a real mixing board before.”

Beth laughed. “I don’t know what that is, but I guess changing that song will be easier now?

I nodded and closed the door. “Yes. Oh my god, it’s going to rock.” I was half-skipping down the hall.

As we rounded the corner that lead to the practice room and Victor’s office, Arius was leaning against the wall. His expression gave nothing away. I continued to walk the same pace as the women until he raised one eyebrow slightly. I squealed and ran toward him, unable to play it cool a second longer. I launched myself at him when I was a few feet away, he caught me without pause. I wrapped my legs around his waist and grabbed his face, kissing all over it.

He laughed.

“Gods, I thought we were under attack.” Chase stood outside Victor’s office with his hand over his heart.

“Why don’t you catch me like that?” Alona asked.

Chase looked from her to Arius and me. “You don’t throw yourself at me with a battle cry?”

Alona grinned. “Fine. Be accurate, and pedantic.”

Michael stood there with his eyes huge, he glanced to Leone, who shrugged.

“He got her a subwoofer, mixing something-or-other and speakers.” Daxx said as Troy stood there with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Little brother is making you old guys look bad.” Rafael gave Arius a thumb up.

Chase looked at Alona, “I buy you shelves of boots and endless rivers of wine.”

She smiled at him. “You do, I’ll throw myself at you later.”

He rubbed his chest and nodded. “Damn right you will.”

Victor stood hugging Crissy against his side.

Quinton lifted his hands and started waving them toward the door. “Let’s give them a minute, so we can get back to having this meeting.”

We watched them go in and close the door. I grabbed his face again. “You knew the second I opened it didn’t you?”

He laughed. “I almost had a heart attack. My brothers’ thought I was.”

I kissed his mouth hard. “Thank you. I love it.”

His grey eyes held mine. “I just want you to be happy.”

“I’ve never had a real mixing board before.”

He smirked, “I had no idea what I was telling them to buy, just told them make it portable so I wasn’t lugging it all over the realm.” He sighed, his expression changing. Shifting, he grasped the back of my head and kissed me, slow.

When he lifted his head, I sighed. “This isn’t a meeting we can just skip, is it?”

He shook his head. “It’s about the island.”

I rested my head on his shoulder. “That’s like a cold shower on my giddiness.”

“Sorry, babe.” He lowered me to the floor. “You have that system to play with when it’s over.” Dropping a light kiss on my mouth, he patted my hip and straightened from the wall. “Did the lab guy find you at the seamstress’ for the blood test?”

I nodded.

“I thought you’d want to get that done as soon as possible.”

“Thank you.”

He opened the door and motioned for me to go in.