Chapter Eight
V ine walked into the main house with a man with a painful expression on his face, carrying a lot of bags. “Hey, Jenn. I am going to try to undo your snack attack.”
Jennika grinned. “I read the email. You think it will work?”
“I know it will. Now, out of my way, I need your kitchen. Thanks, Mao. Just drop everything. I am going to sort it. You can return with Kazuya for dinner if you want.”
Mao grinned. “Thank you. How did you not go insane?”
“You are carrying thirty percent. The true pain is much sharper and becomes your whole world.”
He nodded and sobered. “In that case, thank you for your mercy.”
“You are welcome. Now shoo. I need to focus.”
He left and nodded to the ladies in the room. “See you later, ladies.”
Jennika smiled and waved.
As soon as he was gone, Jenn looked at Vine. “You look comfortable.”
“Do I?” Vine looked at her with a twist of her lips. “I don’t know what that looks like.”
“You didn’t pull your beta appearance up.”
“Oh. Yeah, that would do it.” She chuckled as she pulled the silver skin off the replacement ribs. She hummed, went to get her spice mix from the cabinet, rubbed it into the ribs, and then got everything into foil packs and set them in the low oven.
She finished and washed her hands, grinning at Jennika. “So, were they good?”
“Oh. My. God. They were magic.” Jenn grinned.
They laughed, and Vine finished handling the food while Jennika made her a cup of coffee.
“Thanks for making up for my snack attack.”
“Thanks for giving me enough time to make it up so we make a good impression on your intended.”
“That makes it sound so formal for a guy I was tossed on top of.”
“Well, give me the coffee, and I will remember my manners.” Her hands opened and closed in the most omega-like move. She was rarely greedy, but coffee was her Achilles’ heel.
Jenn added cream and sugar and then brought the mug over to her. “You look... well.”
“Uh, yeah. Kazuya is a solid healer. I have to go back again on Tuesday. He isn’t doing too much at a time, but I am already an inch taller.”
Jenn looked at her. “Holy shit. Did it hurt?”
“Well, I would not recommend it on a daily basis, but it didn’t hurt.”
“So, details. Spill.”
“Oh. Well, he gets bigger, his lower body is an octopus, and everything about him is enormous.”
Jenn raised her brows and grinned. “Do tell.”
“Oh, don’t be gross. He has tentacles and was breathing for me while his limbs worked on mine.” She sipped at her coffee. “Besides, octopuses don’t have penises; they just have one tentacle that does the job. Don’t you watch Animal Planet ?”
Jenn laughed. “Not enough, apparently.”
Vine wiggled happily and drank from her mug.
“Was it bad?”
“No. It was quite pleasant. It isn’t something that will catch on. You really have to have no other option.”
“And that is where things ended.”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Because you have a hickey that doesn’t seem medically necessary.”
Vine blushed. “Oh. That. Contact with me seemed to have edged him toward his rut.”
Jenn drummed her fingers on her belly. “Yeah, you have to watch an elf in rut. They are sneaky.”
Vine grinned. “But the result is going to be adorable. I am not due for a heat for months, and I am just going to bottle the sucker.”
“Uh-huh. What are you going to do if you have a boyfriend during that time?”
“Tell him that I am bottling the heat? Buying him a pizza while I do it?”
Jennika laughed. Her little relative had no clue as to what kind of attraction the elves could wield.
She would figure it out, or she would be surprised.
Vine and Kazuya were very well matched. Dark and light energy pulsed and twisted in equal measure when they sat side by side.
Vine was cute, and he was striking. They made a regularly adorable couple as well.
Vine said, “He does know that I bottle them. He asked, and I told him.”
“He asked?”
“It was a medical thing. He wanted to know how my body handled it, so I told him I didn’t.”
“I see. Baby’s dancing. Do you want to feel?”
Vine scooted over, put her hand on Jenn’s abdomen, and smiled as the little hands and feet made themselves known.
Jenn blinked back tears. Vine’s hands were relaxed, they looked smooth, and her posture was far more supple than Jenn had seen before. The healing was working. Kazuya was getting extra ribs. Damn. Those were good ribs .
Vine patted her belly and smiled. “Have to go back to the workshop. Things to enchant, places to hide. I will be out at five to start the grills.”
Jenn laughed. “Right. The other two are out getting side dishes.”
“Let them know we are having ribs, steak, and burgers. It will help them make better choices. How is Sable holding up today?”
“She’s on a five-hour switch cycle for her charms.”
“Okay. I will make a few more. Does Xao hold the answer?”
“He’s willing to ask the question, repeatedly.” Jennika chuckled. “We might drift geographically apart, but I know where you work. All of you.”
“Oh. Right. You are probably moving in with Xiroth once the speed-courtship is over.”
Jennika took her hand. “Probably.”
“The end of the three musketeers and Merlin.”
“We are still the three musketeers, and Merlin will always be Merlin.” Jennika grinned. “I could ask Xiroth to build you a workshop in the back of his place.”
Vine smiled. “I will consider it, but with all three of you big goofs scattered to the winds, I might be able to move back in and make each of your rooms a different enchantment space.”
Jennika laughed. “But you will keep the baby’s room.”
“Of course. He and I are going to be best buds.” Vine left to return to her workspace. “Toodles.”
Jenn smiled and let the tears come and flow down her cheeks. Vine wasn’t limping. She was moving slowly, but the jerky limp was gone. She was moving like she didn’t have to think about it, and Jenn was going to hug the stuffing out of Kazuya.
Vine called out from outside, “Can I invite some people?”
Jenn wiped her cheeks. “Of course. How many?”
“Two, but they will bring pasta salad.”
Jennika laughed. “Sure. Bring them.”
“Cool.”
Jenn smiled and started making some sauces. She wanted to meet with Eudora to see if she wanted to go commercial with hers. It was really good and deserved to be shared.
She sent them a text but guessed the happy couple was still enjoying privacy. To her surprise, she got a reply halfway through the cake she was baking for a trifle. The text was an affirmative for their attendance at the back yard party.
For something they decided on a whim, this party was growing rapidly.
She sighed and sent invitations to the others living on the lane.
She got several responses and sent messages to Ivy and Sable.
This was going to be quite the party. As an afterthought, she sent a message to Xiroth, and he sent back a laughing emoji.
His next message mentioned that he had invited a few people as well.
This casual get-together had just gotten a lot bigger. This was going to be quite the Sunday evening. It was a good thing that most of them had work in the morning. It would draw a line under the events.
How big could one little get-together get?
Jennika looked out at the yard full of tables, families, people relaxing, and chatting.
Vine was at the grill with the ribs, and Eudora was at the one Sern had transported, grilling steaks.
A third woman, who was older, knew Vine, and was good with a spatula, was on burgers and hot dogs.
A solemn beta moved between the three women and kept everything moving to the final table, where Sable sliced the beef into strips and piled it in chafing dishes by doneness. The buffet would have done work proud.
The side dishes filled another two tables, and the dark elves looked like they were having fun being out without glamour for once.
Some of the guys brought instruments and played softly, and sang songs the other guys knew.
Jennika looked at the folks having a nice time and smiled. Xiroth wrapped his arms around her from behind and whispered in her ear, “You throw one hell of a small party.”
She chuckled. “It got away from me. Oh, shit. There are my boss and his wife. Okay, really got away from me.”
Jenn turned her head toward him. “Don’t tell me you didn’t mention this to a few people.”
He grinned. “They brought snacks and drinks.”
She laughed and rubbed her belly. He put his hand over the bump, and she saw a soft and blissful expression cross his features.
Polly came over and grinned. “Ivy invited us. Minoru knows Kazuya’s assistant. He’s an ogre-type as well.”
“That explains the hugging.” Jenn looked over and grinned as Polly’s husband hugged the other monster. “The boss looks so happy.”
“He rarely runs into other monster-class alphas.” Polly looked around. “This is a lot of power.”
“And the elves are impressive as well.” Xiroth chuckled.
Jenn leaned back against him. “I am going to start snagging food. You can’t put this kind of a spread out and not expect me to go first.”
“You go, and I will hold the plate.”
“And the second one. I am fairly determined right now.” She grinned at Polly and headed for the thirty feet of food tables.
* * * *
V ine glanced over her shoulder and watched the couple moving from food station to food station. Ivy and Sable were running logistics, and everyone was having a nice time.
The quiet woman that Mia had brought with her moved gracefully without hurry, delivering food to and from the grills. She kept the meat department flowing.
Vine looked at the woman when she came close, but there was only a slight shimmering on her cheeks.
“You are Mia’s assistant?”
“Yes.”
“How long have you been her assistant?”
The woman smiled. “Since she hired me.”
Mia looked over and snorted. “Vine, this is Meeda. My little sister.”
The quiet beta smiled. “Accidental half-sister. Dad’s dick slipped and fell into my mom.”
Mia snorted. “Zip it. She was an IVF baby, and our parents were friends. She always goes for the scandal.”