I flinched, and Trevor laughed in a rich timbre as he spun me into Kirill's embrace. It went that way until Re announced dinner; each man taking their turn to whisk me around the open floor and kiss me beneath the moon and candlelight. A giddy joy bubbled inside me by the time we sat down to dine, and then Re placed a glass of champagne in my hand, and my happiness expanded. But the table lacked food. Instead, each plate held a fancy envelope with gold lettering. The men were still standing, and I looked at them askance.
“Before we dine, we wanted to give you our Valentine's Day gifts,” Odin said. “Spin the table, Vervain.”
“What?” I asked in surprise.
“Spin it,” Re moved the table to show me. “Each setting has a gift on it from one of us. To keep things fair, spin it and choose one randomly.”
“How intriguing.” I grinned as I moved the tabletop like one of those playground roundabouts.
When it stopped, Trevor's name stared up at me from a cream-colored envelope, engraved in gold. He watched me anxiously as I opened the envelope and removed a brochure. I frowned in confusion as I looked it over. It was for Glacier National Park in Montana.
“There are amazing trails there, forests, meadows, mountains, and lakes,” Trevor said nervously. “I thought we could go camping and explore as wolves.”
“Oh! That sounds wonderful.” I tugged on Trevor's hand until he leaned down, and I hugged him. “Thank you.”
Trevor beamed at me. “Spin again, Minn Elska.”
I laughed and turned the table further until an envelope marked “Odin” sat before me. Inside it was another brochure; this one for the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, Indonesia. My jaw dropped at the pictures of the suspension bridge entrance and the riverside guest villas with lily ponds on the roofs. Each one had an outdoor living room and a pool.
“We haven't been to Indonesia yet,” Odin said.
“And I can't wait to go.” I pulled him down to kiss his cheek. “Thank you, Odin.”
Another spin brought me to Toby's envelope. There were pictures inside of Machu Picchu and a luxurious hotel called Inkaterra La Casona.
“We can trace in when they have the peak closed and roam the ruins alone without being hampered by tour groups,” Toby said. “Being Gods has its perks; we won't have to worry about getting acclimated to the high elevation either. And then we can have massages in Peru's premier hotel and maybe do some shopping. How does that sound?”
“It sounds right up my alley.” I grinned at him. “Especially the shopping. Thank you.”
Next came Re's gift; a stay at Inverlochy Castle in Scotland.
“I figured that we've done Ireland so now we should see Scotland,” Re said. “They have great skiing if you'd like to try it.”
“I'll probably do more falling than skiing but I'm game,” I said. “Thank you, Re; it's lovely.”
Next was Kirill's gift. A palace-like hotel gleamed off the pages of a shiny brochure. The Oberoi Amarvilas. With views of the Taj Mahal, starlight dining in private pavilions, and a luxury spa, it looked incredibly luxurious.
“I booked us Kohinoor Suite,” Kirill said. “It has view of Taj Mahal from every window, its own dining room, and a terrace.”
“Thank you, Kirill, it looks amazing.”
Finally, there was Azrael's envelope. I grinned at him as I opened it. There was a brochure for a hotel called Tierra Patagonia in Chile. The hotel spread out across an alien landscape in a single curved line that blended with the terrain. Behind it, snow-capped mountains soared.
“Every room has a view of the Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia,” Azrael said. “They have a luxury spa, hiking, catamaran trips through the glaciers, and horseback riding.”
“It looks as if I'm being given the world,” I said softly as I looked from Az to each of the others. “Thank you. I don't know what to say beyond; I have no idea when we'll find time for all of this.”
“We're making the time now,” Re said. “That's the point. After dinner, we'll decide who goes first. Then starting tomorrow, we're taking you on our mini-vacations.”
“Really?” I asked in surprise. “What about Lesya?”
“You'll only be going with one of us at a time,” Kirill said. “The rest of us can manage Lesya without you.”
“Okay.” I chewed at my lip as I considered it. Then, in a steadier voice, “Yes; let's do it.”
The men smirked and swept away their envelopes as they replaced them with tantalizing dishes they'd cooked themselves. A wide array of cuisines clustered on the table and somehow they went together. I gleefully ate a bite of Kirill's Beef Stroganoff and followed it with some of Toby's flatbread dipped in Re's hummus. Oh, that sounded naughty.
We talked and laughed and enjoyed each others company in a way we hadn't for a very long time. My lioness magic made the men like brothers but—as with real siblings—they had their disagreements. Things could get rough and tense between them, stretching their bonds. This dinner was just what all of us needed; a chance to reconnect and strengthen our connection to each other. An opportunity to remember what was most important to us.
“Time for dessert!” Re exclaimed.
The men stood and started clearing the table.
“What's for dessert?” I asked eagerly.
“You are, my sweet wife.” Re's wicked smile was back.
“Excuse me?” I looked warily from man to man.
Not that I haven't been with all of them at once before but the last time had been when I was under the influence of lioness hormones, and the time before happened when there were fewer men involved.
“This is how we'll determine who goes first with the Valentine's excursions,” Trevor explained. “You will be blindfolded, we will have dessert, and then you will pick who dined the best.”
“Who dined... ?” I gaped at him.
“Re came up with it.” Odin rolled his eyes. “But we all agreed. This night is supposed to be about you.”
“We will each have a chance to
