“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” Sally said. The brunette walked into the large living room carrying another box of ornaments. “Thia runs around yelling hell and dammit at the top of her lungs all the time. Not to mention, she literally sits in front of Slate sounding the words out for him.”
“You’re not helping, Sally.” Jen snarled.
“Wasn’t trying to,” Sally sang.
“Thia,” Jacque huffed. “Stop saying dammit.” Slate clapped his hands and grinned as he laughed. Okay, so maybe his mother saying dammit wasn’t such a good example. Jacque walked over to where Slate sat on the floor, chewing on a bow. “Slate, say da-da,” she said in that ridiculous baby voice all adults suddenly adopt when addressing a child.
Slate babbled and then said, “Da-mut.”
Jacque heard Fane’s laughter as he walked up behind her. “You might as well give it up, Luna,” he said before leaning down and lifting Slate up. Fane tossed him into the air and caught him, grinning as Slate laughed and kicked his little legs. “It could be worse.”
“How?” Jacque leaned back on her hands, her legs stretched out in front of her, and looked up at her mate.
“He could be saying witch with a ‘b.’”
“I’d prefer that, especially if he was talking to his Aunt Jen.”
“Not nice, Red,” Jen said from behind the massive tree.
“But true,” Jacque tossed back.
Thia walked over to Jacque and climbed in her lap. She patted Jacque’s cheek and smiled. It was impossible to stay mad at the adorable little girl. Even though her potty mouth was nearly as bad as her mother’s. It was freaking hilarious. It was even more hilarious that her dad didn’t find it funny and continually growled at anyone who laughed about it, which was everyone. Now that Slate’s first word sounded too much like dammit, Jacque understood how Decebel felt.
“I thought Christmas was supposed to be ‘the most wonderful time of the year,’ with the decking of balls and having a good beer.” The voice of Perizada, the high fae, filled the room. Jacque turned to see she and her mate, Lucian, had appeared.
Jacque rolled her eyes. “It’s deck the halls and be of good cheer, you dork. Maybe if you weren’t off keeping secrets with the warlock queen, then you’d know that.”
“Secrets?” Jen’s head popped around the side of the tree as her eyes narrowed on the fae. “You’re keeping secrets from us now? After everything we’ve been through?” Jen dropped the strand of lights and marched around the tree with her hands on her hips. Her lips had drawn tightly across her face in a severe line. “We were just over to see Lilly a few weeks ago. Has something happened? Nobody mentioned anything while we were there having some serious girl bonding time.”
“My bad,” Jacque muttered under her breath.
Peri shot Jacque a glare as Jen stomped her foot.
“Secrets are for pussies, Peri.”
“Oh, snap.” Sally sighed. “She’s busting out the ‘P’ word. The last time she did that things got messy.”
“Did you just call me a cat?” Peri asked. “You’re losing your touch, Jen, if that’s your idea of an insult.”
“No, she just called you a vagina,” Jacque offered.
“That’s right.” Jen nodded, her hands still on her hip. “You’re a secret-keeping vagina, and we don’t tolerate them.”
“I’m pretty sure the men would disagree.” Fane chuckled. “We tolerate vaginas just fine. Even Peri’s apparently. After all, she is mated to my uncle. But Jen is right, we shouldn’t be keeping secrets.”
Lucian growled while Peri’s head turned slowly, her piercing gaze landing on Fane.
“He’s had a little too much spiked eggnog, Peri,” Jacque said quickly. She shot a look at her mate. “Do you have a death wish?” she asked him through the bond.
“What?” he asked, feigning confusion. “It’s the truth. She has a va—”
“Stop talking, Fane.”
“No secrets, you say,” Peri said slowly. Jacque did not like the devilish gleam in the high fae’s eyes.
“Exactly,” Fane nodded. “Vaginas, yes. Secrets, no.”
Jacque was trying to count just how many glasses of eggnog her mate had drank when suddenly Peri chuckled and then snapped her fingers.
“All right then, here ya go,” the high fae said, sounding much too pleased with herself.
A minute later, everyone, except the wiggling children, instantly froze. Jacque’s head felt as if it were about to explode, and then there was a memory, or it felt like a memory, of Thia. The girl was … blue? Then, an instant later, Jacque was able to move again.
“What. The. Actual. Frucker?” Jen spat as she turned her stare from Peri to Fane. “You and Costin dyed Thia blue?!”
Fane looked as confused as Jacque felt, as he scratched his head.
“Peri, what did you just do?” Sally asked, wild eyed.
“Alpha Fane said he doesn’t like secrets.” Her voice dropped as she added, “But he tolerates my vagina.”
“And that’s my cue to turn around,” Wadim said just as he stepped into the living room. The historian spun on his heel and marched back out. Lucky bastard, Jacque thought as she tried to figure out why she remembered Thia being blue. She recalled it was Fane and Costin’s fault, but not much else.
“Okay, wait,” Jacque said as she looked around the room. “Does anyone else remember Thia being turned blue? I think Fane and Costin did it, but I don’t remember anything else.”
Sally nodded. “That’s exactly what I got.”
“I would never turn Thia blue,” Fane said, but he did not look convinced of his own words. “And neither would Costin. I mean, how would we even do that?”
“It happened.” Peri sighed as she plopped down on the couch. “Right after Thia was born. Jen was losing her shit because, ya know, post-pregnancy hormones. And the girls, in a show of pure brilliance, kidnapped Thia. Costin and Fane, to their credit, recognized the potential disaster and stole her back, hoping to return the girl to her crib before Jen and Decebel realized she was
