34. Lucien

34

Lucien

I squinted at the words in the book I was reading, trying to distract myself from what lay ahead, but my mind drifted to Evelyn. The battle against Eris was in a couple of days, and the thought of losing her again made my stomach churn.

The door burst open with a bang. I jerked upright, scowling as Chad and Rafe stumbled in mid-argument.

“No way, dude,” Chad was saying, gesturing wildly. “A hellhound could totally take an angel in a pillow fight.”

Rafe’s brow furrowed. “I don’t understand. Why would we fight with pillows?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Can you two idiots take this elsewhere? Some of us are trying to read.”

Chad’s face lit up. “Aw, look at you, all grumpy and adorable again. You know, you’ve really mellowed out since mating Evelyn.”

“I have not mellowed,” I growled, but even I could hear the lack of venom in my voice.

“Sure, sure,” Chad said, winking. He plopped down in a nearby chair, kicking his feet on the table. “Speaking of mating, our boy Rafe is the last man standing. What’s the holdup?”

Rafe’s cheeks flushed pink. “I just want it to be perfect. For Evelyn.”

“Aw, that’s sweet,” Chad cooed. “But you know, if you need some pointers, I could hook you up with educational videos. You know, the kind that really shows you what to do and what not to do.”

I rolled my eyes. “Please tell me you’re not suggesting that Rafe watches porn.”

Rafe’s eyes went wide. “Oh! No, I couldn’t. The only female I want to see like that is Evelyn.”

Chad clutched his chest dramatically. “Be still my heart! Rafe, you’re making the rest of us look bad with all this sweetness.”

A small smile tugged at my lips. These idiots were ridiculous, but they were my idiots. And they were just as ferocious as I was when it came to keeping our mate safe.

As if summoned by our conversation, Evelyn strode into the room, her long black hair loose and wild. Before she could even say hello, Chad leaped up and pulled her onto his lap.

“Hey there, beautiful.” He grinned, nuzzling her neck.

Surprisingly, I didn’t feel a single sting of jealousy. Chad’s grin made Evelyn laugh, the sound lighting up the room. Watching them, I realized we all had our place in her life—different but essential.

“So, Rafe,” Chad piped up, “how exactly do angels mate? Do you guys, like, glow or something?”

Rafe’s eyes sparkled. “Actually, we give our mate a feather.”

Chad snorted. “A feather?”

“Our feathers,” Rafe explained, his voice softening, “are imbued with our essence. Evelyn will place it over her heart, and it will dissolve into her. A piece of me, always with her.”

Chad’s jaw dropped. “Okay, that’s actually awesome!”

Evelyn smiled at Rafe, her eyes warm. “That’s beautiful, Rafe. And remember, there’s no rush. We can take our time.”

He nodded gently with a smile.

But, of course, Chad couldn’t let the moment stay pure for long. “You know, little witch,” he mused, wiggling his eyebrows, “now that you’re mated to most of us, we could double down.”

Just then, Ryker and Alister walked in.

Chad grinned at his brother. “Right, buddy?”

Evelyn’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“You know,” Chad clarified, “one in the front, one in the back.”

Evelyn’s eyes widened as understanding dawned. She pointed at Ryker. “This one’s enhanced in the pants and has a freaking elephant trunk for a dick! There’s no way I could take you two at a time!”

I choked on air.

“Oh, come on, it’ll be fun! You’ll love it,” Chad persisted, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

Evelyn’s eyes narrowed. “Alright. Why don’t you try it first if it’s so great?”

“Sorry, little witch. Not into dudes. You’ll just have to take my word for it.”

A sly glint appeared in Evelyn’s eyes. She grabbed my laptop and started typing furiously. Chad’s eyes widened in horror.

“There,” she announced, sitting back with a smirk. “I just ordered a strap-on. A big one. If you love it, Chad, I’ll be happy to try.”

Chad swallowed, glancing at each one of us. “Just remember, I’m taking one for the team here.” Then he looked back at her with a pout. “Did it have to be neon pink?”

I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “You’re all idiots,” I muttered, but I couldn’t keep the smile off my face.

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