Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“T he house” Satan, aka Amos and Co., invited us to for dinner isn’t a house; it’s a goddamn mansion.
Sprawling is the way I would describe this ridiculousness.
So many square feet I could get lost in it and have to break a window to escape.
Oh, and it doesn’t actually exist in the city.
We took a tunnel, one that I have traveled through on many occasions, and instead of coming out on the other side where the tunnel always spits everyone out, we exited onto a country road lined with trees overhanging it like a romantic Hallmark movie.
At the end of the road, there was the mansion, spread out in the late afternoon light.
We left the brownstone at seven and arrived at the mansion at two in the afternoon (my phone updated my time zone, so that puts us in the UK or some parts of Africa—I’m guessing UK).
It’s been a disorienting experience, and we’ve only just arrived.
The butler lets us into the house, greeting Fox with a forty-five degree bow executed with the kind of deference that makes me wonder if my boyfriend (yes, I think we’re ready for labels) is a prince.
I mean, he’s not related to the Duke of Hell, but he’s almost all mystery, and the wealth on display here makes me wonder things.
The butler leads us to a parlor decorated with rich reds and Victorian brocade patterns. Sitting on the sofas are three men with drinks in hand who stand as soon as we walk in, interrupting their chattering conversation.
“Son!” A man with long pale blue hair and shiny grey eyes floats over to us with a happy smile, widening his arms for a hug.
He has delicate features in both face and body, but he’s taller than Fox.
I can see where Fox gets his lithe form; some might call his father willowy, but I see he’s compact rather than soft, just like his son.
Fox reluctantly wraps his arms around his father. “Athair.”
The man steps back and pats Fox’s cheek with a grimace. “I can’t believe you showed up with this scruff on your face. It’s shameful for a Fae to have body hair.”
One of the other men pulls Athair away from Fox.
He has the same dark hair Fox has and a pointed chin strap beard.
He’s wider than either Fox or his athair, but it’s uncanny how much Fox and this man’s hands are alike.
Strong with veins standing out—oh, and the forearm veins!
Clearly Fox is biologically related to him too.
“Hello, son,” he says with a wicked smirk. “Don’t listen to your father, he’s just jealous you got my dashing good looks.”
“Pater,” Fox sighs, hugging the second man and shooting me a long-suffering side glance. “Where’s Omp?”
Pater waves toward the sky. “Communing with the moon or something. He said he would be back in time for dinner.”
The third man looks like the love child of Thor and Captain America with mid length wavy blond hair and the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen.
He has a strong jaw and cleft chin, but the rest of his features are a bit softer in that boy-next-door way.
His biceps are bigger than the other fathers and his tree trunk legs make me think that at least one of the other two probably climb him regularly.
He’s shorter than both of the other fathers, maybe a little above average, though shorter than Fox.
I have to bite my tongue to wait for introductions, because this is clearly the man Annette told me about, but I slip my hand into Fox’s pocket and retrieve his phone as I ready mine to take a video.
I’m getting my diamond bracelet, dammit.
“Father,” Fox greets his third parent, who kisses his cheek and claps him on the back before all three men turn to me. I start the video and grin brightly at the three men.
“This is my Romily Butcher. These are my fathers, Tag, Amos, and Bear.” He introduces them in the order they greeted him, the Fae first, then the demon, then the Chris. “My other father will join us later.”
I shake each man’s hand in turn and show all three my phone, while pointing it toward Bear—I wouldn’t want anyone to be upset about a secret video, so I make sure they all know they’re being recorded.
You look like a Chris.
Tag and Amos erupt in laughter as Bear narrows his eyes, gritting his teeth. “I’m going to shave that red hair and pluck all her eyelashes and wax her brows off.” He points a thick digit at my phone. “I will have my revenge, woman!”
Laughing, I end the video and wrap my arms around the poor man, hugging it out so that he doesn’t hate me, though clearly he’s already placed the blame on the right person.
He squishes me in a hug, quietly laughing in my ear, “If you ever tell her, I’ll deny it to my dying breath, but I did consider that name for my next identity. I love the Marvel movies.”
I give him an assuring squeeze and pat his back to let him know his secret is safe with me. Unless Annette bribes me with more jewelry, then all bets are off, but he doesn’t need to know that.
Stepping back, the other two fathers take their turns hugging me, welcoming me into their family.
Tag brushes his long, Smurf-blue hair off his shoulder, smiling warmly at me after our initial hug. “How did you get Arlington to agree to marriage? We’ve been trying to get him settled down for two thousand years. He’s ridiculously stubborn about his freedom.”
I shoot Fox a smirk and a wink before typing out my response.
It was totally his own idea. I’m just along for the ride. I have no idea why he would ever want to decorate me in diamonds.
I blink my most innocent, unbelievably naive expression at them all, causing Fox to huff, pulling me into his side, kissing my temple.
“We’re not engaged yet,” he mumbles.
Tag squeals, jumping up and down, clapping his hands. He grabs both of Fox’s other fathers by their arms and shakes them. “Did you hear our boy? He said yet! I am going to get to plan a wedding after all!”
I shake my head and pull up the message from Annette and show it to him:
Daddy: I FOUND YOUR WEDDING PLANNER.
Tag scowls at the phone. “Who is ‘Daddy’ and why do they get to pick your wedding planner?”
I make a show of sending the video of Bear’s reaction to “Daddy” and wink at them.
After a minute, Annette’s reply comes through.
Daddy: Fuck, that’s funny. Let me know the cut of your ring.
Me: Ask Fox. I don’t know anything about cuts.
Daddy: God, you’re just a pretty face, aren’t you?
Me: This is why I need a sugar daddy.
Daddy: Good thing Fox found you.
“Oh my godlings, you are just like her,” Bear gasps, reading our conversation over my shoulder. “Amos! There are TWO OF THEM! ” he bellows with trepidation.
Amos takes my phone, reading the conversation before handing it back. “Arlington, are you marrying both of them?” he demands seriously.
Fox makes a gagging noise, stepping back and dragging me away from his pater. “Fuck no!”
Oh. My. God.
Fox just raised his voice.
Holy shit.
I wish I’d gotten that on video. That’s amazing.
I stare up at my boyfriend in shock and awe, slowly lifting my phone and starting to record just in case he does it again. Actually…
I steal his phone again and type out my demands.
Do that again, just like that so I have video evidence.
Fox reads my message, takes his phone, and hits the stop button on my recording.
He glares at all three of his fathers before walking over to the bar and pouring himself a golden-brown drink from a crystal decanter.
He swallows it all down in one shot, refills his tumbler, and turns back toward us to silently brood.
Man, I had no idea brooding Fox would be just as sexy as murdery Fox. He’s such a temptation.
Sighing because I really don’t need to pop wood in front of Fox’s fathers, I turn back to them, typing out my question.
Did all of you donate to create Fox or what?
What? Mpreg is a thing in some of the books I read. If I can have a magic ward keeping me basically indestructible, males can have babies. That’s all I’m saying.
Tag rubs Amos’ belly affectionately. “Yes, we did, and Amos carried our son for almost a full century, but of course our boy was a bit eager to get into the world. He came three full years early. Scared the shit out of all of us, but he was a strong baby.”
Amos kisses Tag’s hair. “He’d just cooked long enough, he wasn’t premature.”
I widen my eyes at Fox, conveying in no uncertain terms that no one is going to be pregnant for a century, especially not me.
Fox gives me a flat look and subtly shakes his head, agreeing with me that we’ll adopt when the time comes. At least that’s how I’m interpreting that look, and no one is going to convince me otherwise.
The butler returns then, announcing dinner, and we all make the shuffle to a formal dining room where a massive giant of a man occupies the space at the head of the table.
He has hair the color of thunder clouds that stands on end in a puff like he rubbed his head on a balloon.
Dark blue eyes study us impassively as we enter but soften when they fall on me.
He meets me at the table, pulling the chair to the right of him for me.
“Hello, Harbinger. Thank you for joining us for dinner. I’m Dakota, Arlington’s omp,” he greets me, shaking my hand and shocking me with the static electricity coming off him. “Apologies, it takes a while for the energy to rebalance after a storm.”
I give him an enthusiastic smile, trying to figure out what the hell he means, but honestly, I don’t want anyone to just tell me. I really want to figure it out for myself. This is the mystery quarter of my man, and he thinks I can’t guess it.
I sit in the chair Dakota assigned me, with Fox on my right while Dakota sits at the head and the rest of his fathers take up the chairs to Dakota’s left across from us.
As soon as we’re seated, a couple of servers bring the first course of this dinner, setting small amuse-bouche plates in front of everyone.
No one has the same thing on their plates, but everything looks delicious.
I’m a little jealous of what Fox gets, though I’m greedy enough not to want to share mine to taste his.
Do you think the chef has leftovers we can take home, so I don’t miss out on what everyone else has?
I set my phone between me and Fox as I tip the first bite onto my tongue.
The corner of Fox’s mouth lifts for a second before he dips his chin once.
And that’s the extent of our conversation because then Tag takes over, worming his way into my heart and my wedding plans. I haven’t even met my wedding planner yet, but I already know he’s going to have his hands full with my future father-in-law.