Chapter 28 Surprise for You
Seri
Three days later, I stood in our bedroom, staring at the lavender gown laid out on our bed, a gift from my husbands for tonight’s celebration at the werewolf palace. The silk shimmered and the beadwork glittered as I ran my fingers over the fabric.
The boys had insisted on buying me something special for the occasion.
“Special” turned out to be an understatement.
The dress was a flowing creation of lavender silk that shifted to silver in the right light.
It hugged my body in ways that made all three of my husbands go speechless during the fitting, a feat I considered the dress’s most impressive quality.
“You’re thinking too loud,” Koa said from the doorway.
I turned to find him watching me, already dressed in a charcoal suit that fit his powerful frame in all the right places, his black hair pulled back in a tidy man bun. The sight of him, so handsome, so mine, still caught me off guard sometimes.
“Just nervous,” I admitted. “I’ve never been to a royal celebration before.”
Koa crossed the room and slid his hands around my waist.
“They invited us to honor you, baby. You’re the hero of the hour.”
“I’m no hero.” I leaned back against his chest. “I just survived.”
“Survival is heroic when the odds are stacked against you, beloved.” His arms tightened. “Now get dressed before Zane comes up to help, and we both know how that ends. With you very thoroughly helped and us very late to the party.”
That made me laugh, as he’d intended.
“He’s wearing a real suit, right?”
“Cas threatened to burn all his graphic tees if he didn’t.”
“All right.” I fluttered my fingers at him. “Shoo, Mr. Cimmerian, before you decide to very thoroughly help me.”
“That would be an honor and a privilege, Mrs. Cimmerian,” he rumbled in my neck, sending goosebumps rioting along my skin. “I’ll cash that check when we get home.”
Twenty minutes later, I descended the stairs to find my husbands in the foyer.
Casimir stood closest to the door in a navy suit that made his loose hair look like spun gold.
Koa waited at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes warming as they tracked my descent.
And my irreverent, impossible Zoodle was sprawled across the sofa in a dark green suit that brought out the fire in his hair, which he’d made a halfhearted attempt to tame.
“Cruor!” he whispered as I reached the bottom step, his gingerbread eyes running up and down me like hands. “We’re going to have to fight off every supernatural creature in that ballroom tonight.”
“Beautiful, little wife.” Casimir’s eyes never left my face.
“Beautiful? She’s stunning!” Zane bounced up from his seat and spun me in a circle. “A knock-out. An eleven. A sexy edible sn—”
“If you say ‘snack,’ I will end you,” Koa warned, adjusting his cufflinks.
“Fine, fine.” Zane grinned and dropped a quick kiss on my lips. “But let the record show I’m the one who picked this dress and look what a fine job I did. I knew it would showcase your perky—”
“Zane!”
“—assets.” He dared to look wounded as he glanced at Casimir.
I felt heat rise to my cheeks. Months of marriage, and they could still make me blush like we’d just met.
“Where are the other two?” I asked, looking around for Foster and Brumous.
The question was answered by a crash from the kitchen, followed by Foster’s deep voice.
“See? I told you not to, Brums.”
Then a familiar scramble of claws announced Brumous’ arrival. He ran into the foyer, his gray fur freshly brushed, wearing his tiny black top hat.
“Pretty Seri,” Zane translated for us.
“And you’re very handsome, Brummy.” I scratched behind his ears, earning a lolling tongue
Foster appeared next, straightening the cuffs of his black dress shirt. The boys and I were surprised he’d stuck around after everything ended, but I was happy he had. He’d become part of our strange little family, whether he’d really wanted to or not.
His black eyes darted to me and widened.
“Hot damn, Little Boss! If you weren’t already taken—”
“She is,” three voices growled, making Foster chuckle as he threw up his hands in surrender.
“Should’ve sent you on your way,” Casimir sighed as he straightened Foster’s tie. “But noooo. Someone had to name you.”
Foster raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Then, “Love Alpha Toast!” Brummy shouted through Zane, who snickered, and crouched down to hug the pup.
“Yeah, yeah, Brumster. Now, are you ready to go charm the royal court with your winning personality and minimal drooling?”
Brumous’ tail wagged furiously, nearly knocking Zane over.
“That’s my good little murder dog.”
#
The drive to the palace was quiet, each of us lost in our own thoughts.
I watched the landscape slip by as Koa held my hand in his, his thumb tracing patterns on my skin.
Casimir drove with his usual focus, Zane humming in the passenger seat next to him, while Foster sprawled in the backseat with Brummy dozing next to him.
As we passed through the imposing gates of the werewolf kingdom’s palace, I remembered the one and only time I’d been here before and shivered a little.
“You okay, baby?” Koa squeezed my hand as Casimir parked.
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak as memories washed over me in waves.
The weak, hollowed-out feeling after months of Arabesque siphoning my magic.
Brummy a silent shadow of scars and bones next to me.
The tiny bundle in my arms, so innocent, so vulnerable.
The dread of leaving her, the fear that I would fail her.
“Find my sister a good home,” I’d begged King Julian and Queen Lilah. “One with parents who will love her, but can also protect her if my stepmother breaks our contract and ever tries to find her.”
They’d promised they would, and in the chaos that followed—meeting the Cimmerians, discovering I was their beloved, the battle with Arabesque—all I could do was trust that they’d kept their word.
“You’re thinking about her, aren’t you?” Koa whispered in my ear. “The baby.”
“Yes.” I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. “I just wish I knew if she’s okay.”
“She is. King Julian wouldn’t break a promise like that.”
Casimir came around and opened my door, offering his hand.
“Ready, my love?”
“As I’ll ever be,” I said, accepting his help.
Before we headed inside, Casimir checked each of us over, straightening Foster’s tie one last time with a scowl.
“Photo.” Koa held his phone out to a guard standing nearby. “Take several.”
The wide-eyed guard took the phone after a single look at my monsters’ faces and told us to smile. Zane, of course, struck a pose as Brummy circled his legs excitedly. When Foster tried to sneak out of frame, Casimir reeled him back in with narrowed eyes.
“If anyone asks,” Zane chirped as we walked inside, “I’m the pretty husband, Cas is the scary one, and Koa is the sexy brooding one.”
“And what am I?” I asked, playing along.
“You, my gorgeous moonbeam, are the one who had the exquisite taste to marry all three of us. A victorious warrior queen with three smoking hot husbands.”
I rolled my eyes as I slipped my fingers in Koa’s elbow, Casimir on my other side.
Zane bounced ahead, Brummy at his heels.
Foster trailed behind, maintaining a careful distance that marked him as both part of our group and separate from it.
It was the space he’d chosen for himself, and I tried to remember to respect that.
As we approached the ballroom, my husbands flanking me like avenging angels, nerves made me shake under my beaded lavender silk.
“Beloved, you survived Arabesque,” Koa breathed in my ear. “You can survive a royal ball.”
“And you’re not alone,” Casimir added. “You have three husbands and a dire wolf who would kill and die for you.”
“And a Foster,” Zane called over his shoulder with a smirk at Foster’s deadpan expression.
Lifting my chin, I nodded, and Zane led us into the ballroom, which glittered like a winter night, all crystal and soft light as if someone had captured the stars and strung them from the ceiling.
Everyone’s eyes went right to us, unsurprisingly.
The Cimmerians were infamous enough on their own; with me on their arm and a dire wolf in tow, we made quite an entrance.
Brumous leaned against my leg, offering comfort in his own way.
His top hat somehow stayed on despite his excitement.
Every few steps, he’d pause to sniff the air or stare curiously at the ornate decorations.
He drew almost as many stares as we did, but no one dared to question.
“Everyone’s staring.” I fought the urge to shrink into Casimir’s side.
“Let them,” Koa scoffed. “Let them see what strength looks like.”
“Breathe, badass.” Zane gave me a wild grin.
“The king and queen are at the far end.” Casimir pointed with his chin. “We should pay our respects first.”
“Code for, ‘Let’s get the boring part over with so I can go stand in a corner and glare at everyone,’ ” Zane stage-whispered, earning him a withering look from Casimir.
I followed his gaze to where the werewolf monarchs stood greeting guests. Queen Lilah was a vision in a copper gown that made her red-gold hair look like living flame, while King Julian cut an imposing figure in a formal navy suit that brought out his blue eyes.
We crossed the ballroom, the crowd parting before us like water around stones. King Julian spotted us first, his eyebrows rising slightly as we approached. We stopped at a respectful distance, and I dipped into a curtsy.
“Your Majesties,” I greeted them. “Thank you for including us in your celebration.”
“The whole party is for you. You, Foster, and this handsome fellow.” Queen Lilah smiled at Brummy, who sat at attention beside me. “Mr. Brumous Cimmerian! Look at you in your fancy hat!” she cooed, scratching him gently under his chin. “You’re so handsome!”
“He’s quite the gentleman,” I said as pride swelled in my chest. His coat gleamed with health and his blue eyes sparkled with joy.