Chapter 47
Hestia
I’m quiet as the crowd cheers.
I clap along with everyone else, but I’m afraid if I open my mouth I’ll yell fuck me, and that would certainly blow our cover.
Another axe thunks into the target, and the crowd goes wild again.
Thank goodness I remembered to use descenter before we left the station. I’m out of the habit after foregoing it for days, but remembered at the last minute that I need to hide their scents on me.
If I hadn’t used the descenter, everyone would know how wet I am now from watching Magnus throw axes and obliterate the wooden targets.
He’s now the highest-ranked participant, unsurprising since he hits the bullseye every time. He only has a few more axes left to throw, and I’m sure he’ll nail those too.
Before he started, Magnus took off his coat so it wouldn’t restrict his movements. That means his tight little sweater leaves little to the imagination as his large muscles bulge and strain and dance with each throw.
Come to think of it, is that why the crowd is going crazy?
I glare at the people around us, eyeing them suspiciously to see if they’re ogling my alpha, or if they’re simply admiring his throws.
I zero in on a few who seem to be looking at him with lustful eyes. And here I am, having finished my drink, so I can’t even dump coffee on them for trying to take my mate.
I almost miss Magnus’s next throw, but turn back just in time to watch him finish up and earn the top spot on the leaderboard.
I clap along with everyone else, biting my lip so I don’t cheer, that’s my alpha.
Magnus looks into the crowd and smiles when we lock eyes. I grin back at him.
The game attendant moves him to the next portion of the competition where they’ll have him chopping wood.
The crowd shifts in that direction too, and we pass near a group of young women.
“He’s so hot!” one says.
“I know! That was better than watching a hockey game,” her friend replies to a chorus of giggles.
My blood boils, and I whip my head around, planning how to strike.
Cato bumps into them, distracting the women from their conversation and pushing them away from us.
I take a deep breath, deciding to be the bigger person and ignore them. There’s no way Magnus would leave me anyway. I just wish I could tell them to keep my alpha out of their thoughts.
Someday I’ll be able to ward off people without getting fired.
I smile at Cato gratefully. He grins and hustles us over to get a front-row spot.
Magnus looks just as hot chopping wood. Those little logs never stood a chance with the way he’s smashing through them. His sleeves are rolled up now, veiny forearms prominently displayed. I’m so glad Cato got us good seats.
The judge is timing to see how much wood Magnus can chop in five minutes. They had to send up a second person to load logs for him because he’s so fast that just one loader couldn’t keep up.
I miss them calling out the final total, all I can focus on is Magnus’s heaving chest. I’m going to make him look like that later.
Based on the roar of the crowd, it’s another record.
They give Magnus his prize, a fancy wooden goblet. He accepts it with a blush and nods at his cheering fans before hurrying back to our pack.
“That was amazing! I’m sure you’ll have the high score for the whole festival!” I say, squeezing my hands together to keep myself from hugging him.
“It was nothing. Just chopping a little quicker than I normally do,” Magnus says bashfully.
“And you looked great doing it,” Cato says.
I flush and look away, although when we’re at home, I’ll be echoing that sentiment.
People congratulate Magnus as we leave, and he accepts the praise stoically at first, but by the time we’re out of the crowd, he’s smiling.
We need a break to cool down after all of that (I know my pussy does), so we get in line at the giant vat of spiced cider. It smells delicious, and we order giant mugs of it.
I peek in the pot while the worker ladles our drinks, trying to see what ingredients are bobbing around. I can make out apple and orange slices, pomegranate seeds, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, and allspice.
The worker notices me looking and says the farms around Starsfalls donated the ingredients, so the cider is full of small-town charm. He adds the last with a wink.
I take a sip and it’s delicious, definitely the most unique cider I’ve ever had. I tell the worker how good it is and agree the ingredients are high quality. Since my scent is similar to spiced cider, I like to think I have some authority on this matter.
We look for a picnic table to sit at and enjoy our drinks, but pause as a carriage rolls up.
“Look at the horses!” I say.
There are two giant, fluffy white horses drawing the carriage. They have sleigh bells on their harnesses and red bows are woven into their manes and tails. The horses’ horns look freshly polished, glittering under the holiday lights.
“Do you want to pet them?” Charm asks.
“Yes! If we’re allowed to,” I say.
The driver waves us on, and the closest horse drops his head so I can reach it. I tentatively pet his nose. It’s so soft and warm. The horse huffs as I stroke between his eyes and leans into my touch, careful to avoid hitting me with his horn.
The other horse is looking at me, and I hand Charm my drink so I can pet both of them.
“Do you want to go for a ride?” Orion asks.
“Really? All of us?” I say, peering around the horses to see how big the carriage is.
“Yes, if you want to,” he says with a smile.
Of course I agree, and Orion helps me up. There’s a blanket on the seat that Henri drapes over us.
The driver takes off with a jingle of bells.
We ride through downtown where all the buildings are covered in lights and garlands and other decorations.
This is the most romantic thing we’ve done at the festival, and we have some privacy. I smile at my alphas, a sappy smile that I don’t have to worry about anyone else catching.
Cato’s hand is on my thigh under the blanket. I sneak my hand under and put it on Orion’s lap, and he laces his fingers with mine. If it weren’t for my cider, I’d hold Cato’s hand too. Instead, I lean against him, and he strokes my leg.
The driver takes us all around downtown, down every side street, but the ride feels short. All too soon, we’re back at the town square, and it’s time to let go of them.
They help me out of the carriage and step back.
The wind is biting as it cuts between us, and I shiver despite my warm coat.
We return our empty cider mugs and wade back into the fair.
It’s just like we left it, bright and colorful, but the magic has dimmed.
Couples kiss under the mistletoe as packs wander past, clustered around their omega. Love is everywhere, obvious even among the groups of friends and families with children.
It’s possible no one here would turn us in if they knew I’m dating my bosses, but the risk is too great. I have to ignore the urge to cling to my alphas. It’s for their protection as well as mine.
I try to just enjoy the moment like I was before. We’ll be home in a few hours, and I can smother them in affection then.
Charm pulls us over to the Moo Point food stall, which is surprisingly busy despite the cold weather. He seems really excited for it, so the ice cream must be good.
The worker is wearing a pink cow-print dress and a cute little collar with a name tag identifying her as Bethany. She suggests the peppermint ice cream when she sees me staring at the menu, and I quickly accept.
I’m always happy for a taste of my alphas, and I can’t think of anything better since I’m worried about eating it in the cold. If I were inside by the fire, ice cream would be an easy yes.
Charm licks his ice cream cone as soon as Bethany hands it to him. I’m so distracted watching his tongue move that she has to poke me in the arm to get me to notice mine is ready. I take it and thank her, averting my eyes from the guys as they enthusiastically eat theirs.
I got mine in a cup rather than a cone, so I scoop out a little bite to try, concerned about brain freeze.
The ice cream is strong and sweet, just like Orion, and deliciously creamy.
It’s the best ice cream I’ve ever had, and not just because it reminds me of his come.
The line for their stall makes sense now.
We finish our ice cream quickly, and it’s so good I forget to worry about brain freeze.
We skirt the crowd around Moo Point, only to run into another packed booth.
I already know why this place is busy. I happily dive between the stacks of Pen and Tellem’s pop-up.
The books are curated for the festival, so it’s all winter or Yule-themed. They have everything from alien romances on a cold planet to how to care for your chickens over winter.
My books pile up in Magnus’s arms, a mix of novels and non-fiction stuff for work.
I circle one of the shelves to find Charm looking at a Big Tex book. He smiles and shows it to me.
“Look, it’s a new novella, Big Tex & Pete Moss: Snow Retreat,” he says excitedly.
“That sounds like an interesting one,” I say, trying to stifle my giggles.
Now that I know frog Pete is named after Pete Moss, all I can imagine is frog Pete doing the things in the books, wearing a cowboy hat and helping his friend on their adventures.
“You can read it first,” Charm says, adding it to the stack in Magnus’s arms and ignoring his packmate’s glare.
“Aw, thank you. It will be my next read,” I say.
I help Henri and Charm find a few more Big Tex books to add to our collection, and we head for the checkout where Alice greets us.
“I’m glad to see you’re doing well! Settling into town okay?” she asks me.
Before I can reply, she leans closer to add, “It looks like you found some nice guys to settle down with.”
I flush red and again can’t bring myself to deny them.
Charm saves me from having to answer by asking if Alice has read the newest Big Tex book. That turns into a discussion of their favorites in the series, and they mention several I haven’t read yet. Clearly there’s still a lot of Big Tex for me to catch up on.
Orion pays and Magnus gathers up our books. We say goodbye, and Cato puts his hand on my back to guide me around the next customers in line. Alice catches my eye and gives me a thumbs up.
I smile and nod before we pass out of view.
It feels good to acknowledge my alphas even with such a small gesture. I doubt Alice would tell on us if she knew they’re my bosses, and I could always claim she misunderstood things.
The next booth is another food stand, which I have no complaints about. It’s for a bakery called Flourist that seems to specialize in flower-themed cookies, cakes, and other desserts. We choose a few of each to try, and an alpha with pale blonde hair in a messy bun boxes them up.
“We’re lucky Sterling made extra desserts for the street fair. Usually he’s sold out by this time of day,” the customer ahead of us says.
The blonde alpha blushes and says, “I’m sorry, I make as much as I can. Our operation isn’t very big.”
“It wasn’t a complaint, my man! Just letting everyone know they should appreciate your efforts for the festival,” he says with a laugh.
When we get to the register, Sterling is still red-faced as he hands over our food.
I empathize with a complexion that so easily shows a blush.
“I haven’t been to Flourist before. Your desserts smell so good, I’m excited to try everything!” I say cheerfully, hoping to distract him.
“I hope you enjoy—” Sterling says, but Henri cuts him off.
“I cook for my pack,” he says in a cool tone.
“And your food is amazing. You make so many delicious things for us,” I say, putting my hand on his arm. It relaxes under my touch, and he stops glaring at the other alpha to smile down at me.
“I specialize in floral desserts, I’m not good at making much else,” Sterling says modestly.
“That’s why your bakery is the best in town. We should have brought Hestia by sooner. She moved here a few months ago and we haven’t had a chance to show her everything yet,” Henri says, apparently mollified that I’m not looking for another alpha to cook for me.
I don’t know why he was so worried anyway, Sterling has a bond mark on his neck.
We leave Flourist on good terms with the baker and wander over to watch the ice carving competition while we eat our desserts.
They’re as delicious as everyone says, though my favorite sweets are still the ones that are the scentsakes of my alphas, chocolate, peppermint, sugar cookies, gingerbread, and even the conifer needle cookies Henri makes that smell like Charm.
The next booth, funnily enough, is more flowers, fresh ones at the Queen of Hearts florist. Their tent is full of poinsettias, flower bouquets, wreaths, Yule cactuses, and mini evergreen trees, along with several space heaters so the plants don’t freeze.
I’m smelling an amaryllis flower when a feminine voice startles me.
“You smell like peonies,” she says accusingly.
I jump and spin around to find a short omega glaring at me.
“Um?” I say, unsure.
I don’t think I’ve even seen any peonies in here. I look down at myself as if I’ll find the offending pollen on my coat, a clue to my crime.
“We were just at Flourist, that’s probably where we picked up the scent,” Charm says with a smile.
The omega relaxes. “Oh, right, of course. Sorry about that.”
“No problem,” I say, although I’m still confused about what’s wrong with peonies.
“I should be used to catching Sterling’s scent on other people by now, I don’t know why it still surprises me. Besides, you have your own pack,” she says with an embarrassed laugh.
Ohhhh.
She must be the source of the baker’s bond mark. I’m so distracted by the realization I don’t even think to correct her about the guys being my pack.
The omega introduces herself as Daphne and drags me deeper into the tent, where she forces us to take part in a wreath-decorating activity as an apology.
Daphne shows us how to weave evergreen branches into a circle as our base, and then lets us decorate them however we want.
I make a cedar and pine wreath with cinnamon sticks and nutmeg so it smells like Charm and Magnus, topping it off with a big red bow.
Henri’s wreath is mostly flowers tucked into the evergreen branches, and Cato’s seems to be just a bunch of mistletoe knotted together. He grins when he sees me looking.
Daphne doesn’t charge us for the wreaths, which feels like overkill for an apology, but whatever makes her feel better. I had a good time, and she was fun to hang out with when not accusing me of being pollinated by her alpha.
We buy a few plants before leaving, some bulbs, poinsettias, tiny evergreen trees, and small flower bouquets. Just the basics. We already have tons of plants at the station thanks to Magnus, but there’s always room for more.