She flashed a smile. “The bride requested we all wear the cuffs since Jase refuses to remove the one from her wrist.”
How odd. He and his brothers were all mated. Happily mated to incredible women. Dage forced a smile to hide his concern and took a swig from his ever-present grape energy drink.
Emma lifted an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”
He gave a sheepish smile and tossed the can in the garbage. “Everyone is happy for the moment. Just waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“I thought a real clodhopper dropped earlier this morning?” She removed a clutch sitting on the dresser.
“Good point.” He lifted a jewelry box from his tuxedo pants and flipped the lid open.
She gasped, reaching for the beautiful necklace. “The stone is beautiful—what is it?”
“Red diamond.” He’d searched the globe for the rare stone, and it had taken two years to broker the sale. “Its beauty isn’t close to yours.”
She grinned. “Charming, King. Very charming.”
Well, a guy liked to try. “Thank you, love.” He turned her and quickly fastened the necklace, turning her back around. “Now, that’s pretty.” Of course, he was talking about her smooth skin, but the jewelry wasn’t bad, either.
She smoothed down his lapels. “Did you tell your brothers about the offer?”
“Yes.” Now wasn’t the time to discuss this.
She tightened her hold. “Did you tell Jase?”
“No.” Dage ran his palms down her toned arms—such delicate bones to protect. “I figure we’ll inform him after the honeymoon.”
“Tell him now.” Emma shook her head. “No more protecting him for his own good. He deserves better.”
When his little scientist was right, she was right. “I’ll talk to him today after the wedding.”
“Good.” Emma fingered the diamond pendant at her throat. “Do you think the demons really want a truce?”
“I don’t know. We took out Willa and Malco, so Suri is scrambling. He also knows Jase will find him sometime, so maybe he really does want a truce.” The demon leader had called to offer negotiation that morning. “He seemed to think he could get the Kurjans to the table.” Ending the war would be the best thing for the Realm —for Janie. But first Dage had to convince his brothers to end the war. Damn. He had to convince himself.
Emma pursed her lips. “Considering the timing, it’s probably a trick.”
“What timing?”
“Janie. The Kurjans want her alive, the demons want her dead, and countless other species want her, too. She’d an adult . . . and something is coming.”
Dage exhaled slowly. Sometimes he forgot the human woman he’d married had been a psychic even before they’d mated. “I feel it, too. Something is coming.”
Emma took his hand and led him to the door. “But today we celebrate. Our family is strong and whole. Let’s go pick up Talen and Cara and worry about the rest tomorrow.”
Three centuries ago, the king had learned to enjoy the good days to the fullest, because they rarely lasted. But this woman? She lasted. No matter what happened, they’d last. So he took her hand and followed her toward the chaos that was a family gathering. “I love you, Emma,” he whispered.
She turned, surprise in her eyes. Then she smiled. “I love you, King.”
Talen watched his mate try to make the gold cuff fasten to her wrist. The cuff’s magic lay in the mating bond, and his had been damaged the second she’d been infected with Virus-27. So far, the virus had weakened her and messed with their mating bond by slowly unraveling her chromosomal pairs. She was currently somewhere between a vampire mate and a human. Safe for now.
But they had to figure out a way to stop the damn things from unraveling.
“There,” Cara said triumphantly, nearly dislodging one of several potted plants on their dresser. “I used tape.”
He forced his lips to curve and mask his fury at the virus. “You look beautiful.” And she did. Her hair was down around her shoulders, and she wore a blue gown that matched her eyes. Almost. Her eyes held a luminosity no fabric could duplicate.
“We’re all wearing blue. Brenna’s a bossy bride,” she said.
Yeah. She’d insisted the brothers wear tuxedos. Talen belonged in a tuxedo as much as a Doberman belonged in high heels. But any sacrifice was worth it if Jase had found some peace. Maybe even happiness. “Jase is doing better, right?” he asked, tucking a weapon beneath his jacket.
The little empath grinned. “Yeah. Jase is on the mend, so stop worrying.”
Thank God. “I don’t worry. I fix.”
“Right. Speaking of which, your temper has seemed rather dormant considering your daughter gave the Kurjans info on our tunnels and tried to sacrifice herself for her brother.” Cara slid gold earrings into her ears.
Talen sighed. “She did what any of us would do to save family. The idea of either Janie or Garrett in danger makes my gut hurt, but they’re well-trained, and they’re smart.”
Cara snorted. “You increased security on them both.”
Well, of course he had, right after he’d increased security on Cara. “I don’t know what you mean, mate.”
“Hmmm.” Cara shook her head. “What do you think of the demon leader’s offer to end the war?”
“It’s a good strategic move, considering we took out several of his lieutenants this year.” Talen kept his voice calm and his face bland. As the strategic leader of the Realm, he’d end up between Dage, who’d want to end the war, and Jase, who’d want to kill Suri first. But that was a problem for another day. So he stepped into his mate and backed her into the wall. “We have a few minutes here.”
A pretty blush covered her cheekbones, and she batted at his tie. “Knock it off. Emma and Dage will arrive any minute to take us to the main lodge.”
“No.” He wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her until they were eye-to-eye.
“Yes.” She slid her palms over his shoulders, a feminine smirk on her lips. “If you smudge my makeup, the bride, who is a rather powerful witch, will throw plasma at you.”
He’d been burned before. So he covered Cara’s mouth with his, taking one simple taste to assure him of their future. To assure him they’d beat the virus, beat the demons, destroy the Kurjans, and find peace for their children. Releasing her, he smiled at the bemused look in her eyes. “How long do we have to stay at the reception?”
“We have to stay until the speeches and cake.” Cara fixed his tie. “But I have a feeling you and your brothers will start celebrating, so my guess is we’ll be home around dawn.”
That’s what she thought. They needed time alone, and he needed her. “We’ll see about that, little mate.”
Max Petrovsky hated tuxedos, he hated social functions, and he hated wearing boxers. “The boxers are too much.”
His mate glanced up from securing a pretty anklet around her ankle, her foot on a kitchen chair. “I read boxers increase sperm count. You want to have a baby, right?”
“I’m a damn vampire and have more sperm than you can imagine.” By all that was holy. It took centuries for vampires to have kids, as it should. They lived forever usually. He and Sarah had only been mated for a short time, and kids would come someday.
“Did you just swear at me?” Sarah’s brown eyes sparkled.
“Ah, no.” He tugged on his tie. “I would never swear at you.” Jeez. He shuffled his size-eighteen feet. “I’m sorry.”
She sauntered toward him, the sweetest woman he’d ever met, to straighten his shirt. “You’re forgiven.”
