I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing but little amused sounds were puffing out of my nose.
“But you're a girl,” Aidan argued. “It's okay for you to scream like a girl if you are a girl.”
“That sounds sexist.” Lesya crossed her arms and glared at Aidan.
Aidan gaped at Lesya while the rest of us burst out laughing.
“Where did you even hear that word?” Aidan asked Lesya in bafflement.
“Mommy.”
“Of course.” Aidan grimaced and rolled his eyes. “It wasn't sexist, Lesya. The Intare are led by a goddess; your mother. We obey a woman so we can't be sexist. It's impossible.”
“I'm not sure that's right.” Lesya frowned deeper in thought.
“That's my girl!” I stroked Lesya's long, raven curls affectionately. “So smart.”
Lesya beamed at me.
“I'd flee before Lesya remembers you're here,” Viper whispered to Aidan.
“This isn't over, Snake,” Aidan vowed as he pushed through the crowd of laughing lions and disappeared into the palace.
“I'm a viper; get it right!” Viper called after Aidan.
“Slithering snake!” Aidan shouted back. “Belly-crawler! Ankle-biter!”
“Aren't ankle-biters dogs?” Kevin asked conversationally.
The lions started another round of laughter.
After congratulating Viper on his latest victory, the werelions went back into the palace, and Viper leaned forward to check out the plates of tiny sandwiches and little teacups of juice that Lesya and I had arranged between us.
“Can Uncle Viper have some tea too?” He asked Lesya.
“Yes!” Lesya cried excitedly and quickly gathered a new place setting from the wooden box that held the coveted tea set she'd gotten as a birthday present.
Lesya set a teacup down on its saucer then filled it from the pitcher of apple juice nearby. A tiny plate painted in delicate roses joined it then a miniature sandwich and one cookie went onto the plate; everything set precisely.
“Here's your tea, Uncle Viper. You can have more when you're finished, but Mommy says you can't put too much on your plate at one time. It's not proper eti-cake.”
“Etiquette,” I whispered to her.
“Thank you, pretty girl.” Viper slid off the chair and sat on the rug between Lesya and me. “And Mommy is right; she knows all about having too much on her plate.”
I lifted a brow at Viper as he got settled into a cross-legged position. He grinned back innocently and lifted his little teacup to his sensual lips. I shook my head and chuckled but as I looked away, my glance landed in Viper's lap... on the tempting display of silky, flushed flesh nestled in dark curls.
“Here, honey, have a napkin.” I laid a linen napkin over Viper's lap.
“Why, thank you.” He winked at me. “I wouldn't want to get crumbs all over myself.”
“No, that would be bad.” I rolled my eyes.
Viper popped the sandwich into his mouth and quickly followed it with the cookie.
“This one is my favorite,” Lesya said as she refilled Viper's plate. “But try to eat slower. Mommy says that you eat slowly when you have tea. You nibble.”
“Oh?” Viper looked from Lesya to me. “You eat slowly with tea, eh? Nibble?”
“I don't know where you're intending on taking that sentence, but don't go there.” I narrowed my eyes at Viper.
“Whatever do you mean?” Viper blinked his long lashes at me and grinned like a devil.
“You're silly, Uncle Viper!” Lesya declared.
“Thank you,” Viper nodded to Lesya as if she'd just given him the most prestigious compliment.
“When you drink tea, you're supposed to lift your pinky finger like this.” Lesya showed Viper the proper pinky position as she took a sip.
“Vervain, we...” Trevor stepped out onto the veranda, his words trailing away as he took in the tea party and its guests.
“Yes?” I lifted my brows at Trevor as if having a tea party with my daughter and a naked star god was perfectly normal.
“Would you care for some tea?” Viper asked in a British accent and then lifted his tiny cup with his pinky extended.
“Would you care for a top hat done in the style of 10/6?” Trevor shot back.
I giggled, but Viper stared at Trevor blankly.
“It's a book reference.” I patted Viper's knee. “Alice in Wonderland.”
“It's my favorite story,” Lesya announced. “A girl follows a rabbit down a hole where there are giant, talking flowers and people who drink tea all day! Don't worry, Uncle Viper, Mommy will read it to you at bedtime.”
“Will she now?” Viper smirked from Lesya to me. “Well, I'm looking forward to that.”
“Sorry to break up the party, but we need you in here, Minn Elska,” Trevor interrupted before Viper got carried away. “You have a guest.”
“Go ahead,” Viper said to me. “I'll stay with Lesya.”
“Thanks, honey.” I kissed Viper's cheek and then my daughter's. “I'll be right back. Don't let Uncle Viper eat all the food, Lesya. Protect it with tooth and claw like a proper lioness.”
“Okay, Mommy!” Lesya held up her hand and tiny claws sprouted from her fingertips.
“How rude! I come for tea and get threatened by a lioness!” Viper exclaimed and set Lesya to laughing again.
I went inside with Trevor and then through the doorway to the left, into the dining hall. Pride Palace's dining hall is enormous but only has one table in it. One ridiculously-long table that extends the entire length of the ridiculously-long room. It's gigantic enough to sit all of my eighty-plus werelions with seats to spare. Sideboards stretch along the left wall—a place for all the food that's needed to feed our leonine household—leaving the right side bare except for a sitting area in the center of the room. That was where my guest waited, in an armchair beside the fireplace, but I stopped short before I reached him.
“Qaus?” I asked in surprise.
The Arabian weather god got to his feet and gave me a somber look. “Vervain, we need to talk.”
I closed the distance and automatically held my hand out to him. “It's good to see you. Uh, how have you been?”
“How have I been?” Qaus raised his brows and then promptly lowered them over his narrowed eyes. “You think I don't remember,” he whispered in
