Chapter 32
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I very big like my brothers-to-be. Especially the crazy one.
Maelin
By some miracle, I did not trip on the red carpet. My eyes are bleeding, though. After a long drive in a mood-lit limo (complete with a flat screen TV and a snack and drink bar), walking through a ruckus of flashing cameras into a glittering ballroom equates to having peered directly at the sun.
Because I didn’t want any surprises, I did check Harry’s Leopard to learn that, yes, he and MoonWoof are still together and he was invited, but I suppose it doesn’t matter now. After all, I can’t be worried I’ll see him if I’m unlikely to ever see again after this, right?
Agonizing, I squint, finding myself cocooned by all my brothers-to-be while Zakery helps wipe the weeping from my eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, blinking as fast as I can. “All the headlines are going to say horrible things about the squinty albino walking into the fancy Creator’s Ball with the Bachelors.”
I think Kaleb turns toward me. It’s his voice that comes from the tall dark blob, at any rate. “Do you need sunglasses? I can head out to the limo and get some. I didn’t park that far away.”
I shake my head. “No. No, thank you. I don’t want to be pretentious and uppity, wearing sunglasses inside like I think I’m cool.”
Cool people probably don’t cry like this.
My eyes begin to adjust at long last, and I find myself truly circled by four men, each tall, each dark-haired, each depicting varying levels of concern. Kyran, as far as I can tell, looks bored and broody, but he keeps glancing at me anyway, so I know he cares about his soon-to-be sister.
Even though, I should mention, the three of them only learned I’d become their sister about four minutes before Kaleb stopped the limo in front of the red carpet.
Zakery mentioned it, casually, after the venue came into view. It was a real, Oh, yeah, right. Maelin and I might be getting married later. I’ve got an officiator on speed dial, and we got our marriage license on Wednesday.
Very large no big deal energy. Surplus might not happen vibes. Explicit: if it does, though, can someone take lots of pictures? It’s physically ailing me to not be drawing her in her dress right now.
Kaleb said, Congratulations. Viktor said, It’s not a race to see who can get married first. Kyran said, You could have brought your LeoPad if you wanted to draw, idiot.
For the following three minutes, Zakery argued that drawing in a vehicle was not acceptable conditions for obtaining the likeness of an angel, and I blushed my head off.
Now, I’m here.
Protected.
Beholding the expansive room, the crowds, and the chaos for the first time.
Dozens of small groups gather throughout the splendor. More people mingle upon a balcony that runs the full perimeter of the pearl tile before me, accessible only from stairs at the crest of the room. A handful of men and women with cameras speckle the space on both floors, capturing shots, requesting interviews…
It’s…very much . Quite much, actually.
There’s just a lot going on.
Kyran mutters, “Viktor, how bad for image would it be if I go sit in the car?”
“Don’t you dare.”
“You could tell people I’m not feeling well if they ask. Say I ate some bad caviar.”
Ew, fish babies. Crisis would riot.
My limited interactions with her have led me to conclude that she loves fish more than she loves her fiance, Viktor. Like. It’s a good thing fish don’t drown, because if her pufferfish and her fiance were drowning, she would save Potato.
Is there caviar here? I’ve never been in a place where trying caviar was an option. That’s so swank.
“Brothers!” the cheer booms beneath the ruckus—or possibly over top of it—and I turn to find Lukas Bachelor —known to most fans as King —striding toward us, arms open, dual-colored eyes wild. Laughing, he pulls Viktor into a hug against his displayed eight pack, and…
I think I’m going blind again.
Zakery wasn’t kidding when he said his family had the eight pack genetics.
I guess my brief glimpses of Lukas in music videos, wearing his iconic long, open trench coats did not prepare me for the sight in person. Wow. Just… Wow.
Zakery covers my eyes. “Knock that off.”
I pull down his hand. “Did you do his tattoos?”
Pouting, Zakery murmurs, “Yes.”
They’re fire and phoenixes across his chest, a dragon tail wrapped around his waist. They are more things I never gave a second thought to whenever I’ve seen them in music videos. Pop stars have tattoos. It’s not a big deal. But knowing where they came from…knowing the person who not only did but also designed them…that makes a world of difference.
They’re not blending into Lukas’s branding anymore.
He’s more than a celebrity now.
He’s a real person, with connection to me .
Tossing his long mane of dark hair, Lukas musses Kyran’s locks and says, “Hey, squirt. Did you get taller?”
Taller . Yet another thing the music videos never prepared me for.
Lukas is tall . Egregiously so. All the Bachelor brothers are, of course, but Lukas? Lukas is standing over half a foot higher than everyone around me, and I don’t think it’s all in the knee-high boots he’s wearing.
His multicolored eyes hit me, and I straighten when a predatory gleam pours through them. One black iris. One so pale it’s practically white. In person, it’s terrifying . Otherworldly. Supernatural. Befitting of his alluring melodies. “Who’s this?” he asks, and I tuck myself behind Zakery, knowing his slender form is not going to do a thing to hide me in this dress. It’s got over ten layers of tulle. Because I said fluffy and lost my mind.
“ This ,” Zakery says, tone biting as he holds his in public smile, “is the woman I plan to marry. Possibly tonight. If you’re able, I’d like you to be there.”
“ You’re getting married?” Lukas whistles. “I’ve not been gone that long, have I?”
“Not long enough,” Kyran mutters, swatting Lukas’s hand out of his hair.
This does nothing but prompt Lukas to put Kyran in a headlock and noogie him, while letting loose a deep, reverberating laugh. “Don’t hurt my feelings, baby bro.”
“Lukas,” Viktor warns.
“Oop.” Lukas frees his youngest brother. “Sorry, sorry. I just miss you all so much. September can’t get here soon enough. I want to be back home, in the studio, recording, sleeping . I was up at four today.” He rubs his neck. “It’s brutal out here. I miss breakfasts that don’t happen in moving tour buses…”
Arms crossed, Kyran murmurs, “Month and a half left, then you can come home.”
Side-eyeing him, Lukas smirks. “See? You do care.”
“Don’t push it.”
Shifting his attention, Lukas nudges Kaleb in the shoulder. “Kyran’s the same, Viktor’s the same, Zakery’s getting married. How’ve you been? Plant any great flowers lately?”
Kaleb chuckles. “Viktor’s also getting married, actually.”
Lukas whirls, blurting, “ What? You and Crisis? Finally?”
Soft, Viktor murmurs, “Yeah. I wanted to tell you in person. I invited her to come today, but she said she didn’t want to risk our limo getting a flat on the two-hour drive, then when I said we could account for up to three flats, she began listing other disasters, ending with oh yeah, and also I don’t want to go .”
“That Crisis.” Lukas grins, baring canines just short of looking like fangs.
The reunion chatter comfortably drowns out the overwhelm of the setting, giving me the space to breathe as I peruse the scene further. Tables with food and beverages line the walls on either side of the room while waiters in white tailcoats and bowties meander with trays of flute glasses, offering them to the guests.
The flute glasses remind me of my picnic with Zakery, the toast, the us .
I like us.
I like this . The warmth of being in this circle, surrounded by this family. I like it, even amidst the unfamiliar.
“Are you hungry?” Zakery murmurs in my ear. “Do you want me to make you a plate?”
My head shakes. “Absolutely not. I know how this works in stories. The second we separate, my ex will appear, and I’ll have to experience hardship in order to get character development . I do not want character development.”
Zakery laughs. “Maelin, if anyone in wolf ears tries to get close to you, Lukas will break his legs.”
Lukas perks, halting his conversation with Kaleb. With more excitement than makes sense, he asks, “Whose kneecaps am I turning inside out?”
“Maelin’s ex is supposed to be here. He’s probably wearing faux fur wolf ears and hanging around someone known online as MoonWoof .”
Lukas’s face contorts. “Moon… Woof ?”
“Yep.”
“Hm. Never heard of them.”
“They’re a niche. You run in more of a…widespread, top of the charts, double platinum sort of crowd.” Zakery relaxes, devious. “They’re more…run in circles…chasing their tails…sort of people. Or at least he is. I don’t want to do MoonWoof the disservice of my ire until I meet her. If I meet her. I may never. I might be so lucky.”
Lukas’s hand lands on my shoulder. “If you point him out, I will break his legs for you. No worries. I’ll even enjoy it.”
I shudder. “Um. Thank…you?”
Reassuring, Kaleb says, “You’re guaranteed to be with at least one of us all night, Maelin. Try to enjoy yourself. We’ll make sure you’re safe.”
I appreciate that, more than words can express, especially since it is at this exact moment…I see the swish of a fake tail following behind a familiar man, as he swiftly marches toward me.