Chapter Thirty-Seven #2
Nox’s mouth drops open, his eyes wide. “You wouldn’t!”
“I so fucking would, so make sure you have a word with him if he is going to live in the palace,” I warn him.
“Maybe I will just leave him with my parents… or maybe my sister. Her kids love to spoil him.” He looks around for clothes, but Titus magicked both of ours off, and there is nothing for us to wear.
He returns, and his hair is brushed back and tied in a ponytail at the nape of his neck, and his wings are away. He’s wearing a pair of sweatpants and nothing else.
“Wow, you look casual,” I comment, running my gaze over his naked chest.
“I still prefer the little black pair of hot pants.” Nox winks, and I laugh. They explained their first meeting to me while we were coming down from all the amazing orgasms.
“Make sure you pack them when you come to the castle,” I say lightly, and he frowns, and my heart sinks.
“You aren’t coming to the castle?” I ask him, and he rubs his head awkwardly.
“I am one of Loki’s assassins and spies. I’m not sure he will allow me to leave.”
“We’ll see about that,” I say stubbornly, crossing my arms and tapping a foot, but then something occurs to me. “Unless you don’t want to come?”
He looks torn, and my heart aches. He winces and rubs a hand against the bond mark on his chest. “Oh, baby, don’t do that.
I can feel how hurt you are. I didn’t mean for you to think that.
I want to come, but I trained all my life for this position.
It won’t be easy for him to find spies and assassins he trusts as much as me and my brothers. ”
“But surely he won’t need you all anymore, not if the goddesses’ plan comes to fruition and five sisters rule the continents.” I feel hopeful, but Titus scoffs.
“Five sisters who know nothing about one another. Hell, it is one of the best kept secrets because although I know of their existence, none of us know their identity. Loki only shared yours with me once the magic passed to you. I certainly didn’t know I was your mate, and at that stage, I wasn’t.
I think the goddesses are hoping you all get along, but what are the chances of that?
Who knows what kind of upbringings the others had?
Yours certainly wasn’t all roses, but you did have the steady presence of Jenny and Joseph. ”
Titus has a point. “Well, no use speculating,” I say, trying to be positive. “How about you dress us? As much as our other mates may enjoy us coming to dinner naked, I doubt my father and the goddess want to see it.”
Titus flicks his hand, and Nox and I are fully clothed again. He put us both in comfy lounge clothes, Nox’s sweats matching his own, and he has a fitted shirt. I wear a soft pair of pajama style pants with a tank top, and none of us are wearing shoes.
“Shouldn’t we dress more formally around the king?” Nox asks, looking down at the tight shirt that hugs his beautiful body.
“Pfft, some days it’s a struggle to get Loki to wear pants. He prances around in his boxers more often than not, especially in his private living quarters. We will be fine.” Titus waves off Nox’s concerns.
He holds out a hand to each of us, and we both grab hold. I squeeze firmly, not wanting him to lose me somewhere along the ley lines. In a flash, we rematerialize in the family living area we were in before this started. Nausea rolls through me, and I grimace, struggling to get my bearings.
“Fucking finally,” Liam grumbles, speeding over to me and snatching me away from the others. “I missed you.” I lean into him, breathing in his scent to calm my racing heart.
I can hear my other guys and Father congratulating Nox and Titus and welcoming them to the family. The goddess remains seated on one of the sofas, her eyes soft when I meet her gaze.
“Finally. You are ready,” she says triumphantly, but before I can answer, my stomach rumbles again. I blush and press against Liam’s chest, trying to get him to put me down.
“I need to eat before we do anything else. I’m starting to get hangry,” I warn him, and he pales slightly, but instead of putting me down, he hurries over to the table and dumps me into a seat before piling a plate full of food that is conveniently warming on a sideboard.
Both Nox and Titus join me as the others take seats around the large table. Each of them have drinks in hand, but it’s just the three of us who are eating.
“So you’re mated to all of us now,” Gem points out, looking between the three of us. “That’s good. It means we can return to Aramis, and you can be crowned. That will secure your position, and then we can focus on going after the people who took the children and are raising a shifter army.”
“I also need to inform the council of my decision and face challenge day,” I remind him around a mouthful of food. Sure, it’s not very queenly, but I am seriously starving. I have expended a crap load of energy today, and I’m feeling the fatigue. Shifter mating is no fucking joke.
“Pfft. The shifters are going to take one look at the nine of you crowned, and no one will step forward to challenge you,” my father says wryly, looking at me with warmth and pride in his eyes.
It makes me feel warm and tingly, and I hope that with whatever will come that I can cultivate a relationship with this man and my sisters.
“Don’t be so sure. Shifters are nothing if not stubborn.
I’m sure she will get a few contenders, because no one knows what she shifts into yet,” Hunter tells him, not taking his eyes off me.
I can see the possessive, greedy light of his dragon in his gaze.
I blow him a kiss, and he slowly winks at me.
“So now that I’m fully mated, the crowning can take place at any time?” I ask, and Gryffin nods.
“Yes. The average time between a human being marked, gaining their magic, finding their mates, and being crowned is two weeks. You’re a little inside that, but being given a bond group saved you from having to pick from a group of random strangers.”
I wrinkle my nose and shudder. “Yeah, not sad I missed all of that,” I admit.
“You’re welcome,” the goddess tells me. “These men were picked for you from your birth. There was never going to be any other option.”
“Even us?” Micah points to himself and Titus, and the goddess purses her lips.
“No, not originally, but I’m nothing if not flexible.
My magic saw an opportunity and grabbed it.
Having her mate with not only the strongest shifters of their generation, but three of the shunned breeds, is actually a genius idea, and I’m not sure why I didn’t think of it from the beginning.
I always knew there was potential for more for Colbie and—” She breaks off, biting her lip like she’s reluctant to admit something.
She sighs. “The magic actually got away from me, took over, and marked both of you, but it all worked out for the best.” She stands up and brushes her hands over her pants.
“Now I’m going to get back to my own mates.
I’ll see you tomorrow at your coronation. ”
“Tomorrow? That soon? Surely it will take a day or two to get back to Aramis. We also need to check in with Nox’s parents to see how they are doing with tracking the children.
” A wave of intense nerves floods my body with adrenaline, and my hand starts to shake as I lift it toward my mouth again.
Everything that was on my fork falls back to the plate, so I lower it until I can get control of myself.
“Titus will portal you all back to the palace, and yes, I will not risk anything happening to you before we can get that crown on your head. Get a good night’s sleep, and by this time tomorrow, you will be the undisputed queen.”
“But challenge day?” Brodie argues, and the goddess turns her gaze on him. He flinches.
“Challenge day is a ridiculous shifter custom that has nothing to do with any of my instructions. I’d like to see them challenge her in front of me.” Her voice has gone cold, and Brodie blanches, nodding his head.
“Of course,” he agrees solemnly, but then he grins and rubs his hands together. “Tomorrow is going to be fun.”
With a wave goodbye, the goddess disappears without another word.
Another rush of nerves swirls in my stomach, and the food I just ate threatens to reappear. I grab my glass of water, take a big sip, and breathe deeply.
“Baby, are you okay?” Nox reaches out, and I grimace.
“Yeah, it’s just a lot, you know?” I explain, giving his hand a squeeze.
My nerves are replaced with a rush of emotions that barrel down my connection with the guys—love, pride, and fierce support flood through me, and I straighten my back and shoulders.
“But as long as I have all of you beside me, I’m sure I will be fine.
” I send them my own wave of emotions—love and thanks and utter joy at having them as my mates.
“Right, I think everyone needs to go to bed. You will all need a good night’s rest. I have assigned a family suite for you, Colbie. It will be yours whenever you visit my kingdom, and I hope you know you are welcome anytime.”
I smile at my father, hiding my amusement at his very dad-like suggestion.
“Thank you. I promise once we have the council sorted and rescue our missing shifter children, I will come back and spend time with you.”
“Ah, Colbie. I don’t think I have to warn you, but I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell your mother who I am. She only knew me as a human male. I have a feeling if you tell her I am Chaos Kingdom’s king, I may find her on my doorstep, trying to rekindle something.”
I frown. “You’re not wrong, but I don’t think my mother is talking to me at the moment. She did much the same thing to me and was subsequently evicted from the shifter zone.”