Because of the Wolf's conquering manner—the way he swept in and took over—my other husbands and boyfriends (Re was still my fiance at the time) expected Trevor to behave like a dictator. But that wasn't the case at all. Trevor was used to the hierarchy of a pack and once he'd been reconfirmed as the head of ours—joint head with me, thank you very much—he became a confident leader who directed our family unit with expertise and compassion. Trevor had been the one to suggest the new tower rooms. He'd also been the one to encourage Azrael when he started to doubt himself.
Azrael was going to school; the Angelic University to be exact.
I looked over the textbooks the Principal had given Az to help him decide what courses he wanted to take. My fingertips coasted over the supple leather covers of books on human studies such as Art History, Modern Cultures, and Politics. Then there were the larger books on Angelic courses such as Guiding the Will, Generating Compassion, and The Gentle Presence.
“What excites you?” I asked even though I already knew the answer.
“Well, Art History, of course,” he said with a little frown.
Even the frown looked good on him but then he'd always been irresistible to me; from the very first moment we met. With the classic face of an angel, a jawline for days, a body that just wouldn't quit, eyes that could shift from sky blue to sparkling diamond, and a pair of midnight, feathered wings, it would seem obvious why I found Azrael so damn attractive. But it was more than his outward appearance. Az had once touched my soul, and there is no connection like that. And believe me, I have some amazing bonds with my lovers; I know all about them. From Werewolf bindings to the Dragon-Sidhe blood-tasting, I had connected with my men in such profound ways that I could say with absolute certainty that I knew exactly what kind of men they were. But only Azrael had touched my soul.
“You don't think I should take something I'm not familiar with?” Azrael asked.
“This is purely for pleasure, Az,” I pointed out. “Learn what you want to learn and take as many classes as you like. You have nothing holding you back and no goals to reach besides the ones you set for yourself.”
“You're right.” His smile was radiant, nearly as radiant as the Sun God who walked in.
“Off to school, kid?” Re asked Az.
“Choosing my classes,” Azrael said brightly. “I'm going to start with some art courses.”
“Excellent!” Re declared. “Before you run off and gather your paints, do you think you could help me carry in a gift for our wife?”
“A gift?” I asked.
“Sure,” Az said at the same time.
“It's a surprise.” Re winked at me.
Azrael followed Re out with a shrug directed at me. Re loved giving me presents. Sometimes it was something little and sometimes large, but ever since we'd gotten married, the gifts had started coming more frequently. The other men merely shook their heads at his behavior, but it made me nervous. What was prompting the excessive giving? Did Re feel insecure? There was no reason for that; my other husbands had welcomed him into the fold with open arms. Had I done something?
That was the one downside of Trevor allowing the Wolf to take over and seize back the alpha reins. Discovering that Trevor had been unhappy left me wondering if the others were harboring secret resentments as well. I'd always thought that our bonds would let me know if my husbands weren't satisfied, but it seemed that I was wrong. They could hide things from me if they wanted to.
“Surprise!” Re declared as he and Az lugged in a giant mirror.
I blinked in shock. No wonder Re needed help. The thing was nearly twice my height. It hadn't been the weight but the awkwardness of its size that had necessitated assistance. The mirror looked old, perhaps even ancient. But that may have just been the frame. The mirror itself didn't have any of the wobbly surface qualities or black spotting an old mirror usually possessed, and they didn't even have glass mirrors in the ancient world. Unless it was a god mirror.
I peered closer.
The frame was hand-carved wood that had been gilded. Greek columns stood on the vertical sides; flowers wrapping around them and extending up to form a garland that was the top of the frame. The bottom was carved to look like grass. It was extremely detailed work and the gilding was pristine; pressed tightly into the carving to show every blade of grass and even the veining in the leaves. It was also enormous; large enough to show Re, Azrael, and myself together.
“Are those narcissus flowers?” I asked Re.
The Sun God beamed at me and nodded. We had the flowers at our wedding and they would always remind me of him. Not just because of their presence at the ceremony but also because of the laugh we'd had over them when we decided to include them in the first place. Narcissus flowers for the narcissist. It had been perfect.
“It's beautiful,” I said.
“Where would you like it?” Azrael asked.
“The dressing room,” I said absently.
Something about the mirror unsettled me.
“Where did you get it?” I asked as I followed the men into my dressing room. “Right there; just move the other one aside. I'll make it into something else later.”
They moved the full-length mirror that was propped against the wall in my dressing
