He cleared his throat, snapping my attention from his crotch up to his gray eyes. "We need to get going before Peter and his wife think we ditched them."
"Ah, shit, sorry," I cursed, hefting my skirts so I could see to slip my feet into my shoes. I grabbed my robe from the small inn closet and buttoned it up. "Okay, ready."
Rob led us across the snowy street and down a few cold blocks. The moon was full and, thanks to the reflective properties of the snow, bright enough to light our way easily. It was peaceful, actually. No harsh winds, just a blue-tinted night in a pleasant little village.
Peter’s estate was large for a single-family residence—bigger than the inn, in fact—and had candles burning in the center of each window. Shadows raced across the glass panes upstairs, and I had a feeling his kids were up there playing chase. Either that or the place was haunted. Neither would surprise me at this point.
Peter and his wife met us at the door before we even had a chance to knock.
"Hello!" she cooed excitedly. She was short and petite, tucked delicately into Peter’s side as his arm draped over her shoulders.
"Welcome!" Peter added with a pearly smile. "Come in, come in. You must be freezing."
Rob chuckled. "You know the cold doesn’t bother me."
"I don’t think it bothers any of us southerners." Peter ushered us in and shut the door behind us. "It’s your northern family members I’m worried about." He then helped collect our coats and tucked them away into a hidden closet near the door.
"It’s wonderful to finally meet you," his wife said. Her voice was soft and calming. She reminded me of a dove for some reason. "I’m Elenore. And these are…" She looked around, realizing her four children were missing. Smiling sweetly, she excused herself.
Peter rolled his eyes. "Kids, am I right?"
Elenore came around the corner a minute or so later with a chubby little baby on her hip and three skipping children following in her wake. She smiled pleasantly and tried again.
"These are Loraine, Helayna, Selene, and baby Thorin."
"Nice to meet you," the three eldest kids sang in an off-tune chorus, while Thorin huffed excitedly and grinned, slobber dripping down his knobby little chin.
I smiled and bent down to the kids’ level and took their hands in turn. "Excellent to meet you as well. Loraine. Helayna. Selene. You three look strong, intelligent, and fierce. You’re beautiful too. I wonder, are you beautiful on the inside as well?"
The youngest girl, Selene, crossed her arms and frowned at me. "I don’t know what my insides look like. I hear that guts are gross."
I grinned. "I mean, are you kind to people? Do you help people when you can?"
Loraine nodded. She was first in line and the tallest, so I assumed she was the oldest. Maybe ten. "I helped one of the zombies in my class the other day. Her eye popped out and rolled across the room. I picked it up and gave it back to her."
I blinked, but my smile never faltered. "That’s wonderful."
"Ooo!" Helayna cried, bouncing on her toes. "I told Parker, he’s a vampire boy in my class, I told him I liked his sharp teeth."
"Yeah?" I asked, totally amused.
She nodded. "They’re so cool. Uncle Malik has sharp teeth like that. I wish I did."
"What would you do with such sharp teeth?" I asked.
Her nose scrunched, and she grinned. "I’d bite my sisters when they don’t share their dolls with me."
"Helayna!" her mother scolded, but the woman’s voice was too soft to sound harsh.
"I shared my pudding with a kitten," Selene said shyly, her tiny hands twisting in her gown.
"That is so sweet of you." I stood and laced my fingers in front of me. "I can tell you’re going to be very important women when you grow up. Remember to keep that inner beauty glowing bright, and you’ll shine like stars."
Their eyes glittered up at me, full of faith and wonder.
Elenore smiled fondly before gazing up at Peter. "Shall we escort our guests to the dining room? I’m sure Malik and Rosie are wondering where we all are."
Rosie? I hadn’t heard a word of Malik having a wife or girlfriend. I was suddenly curious to meet this mystery woman.
They led us down a hallway and into a brightly lit rectangular room. A chandelier full of candles glittered overhead, and a long, dark table took up most of the space. Food of all shapes and sizes sat piled in the middle—a feast fit for a king, or at least, a large number of hungry princes.
Malik stood at the far side of the table, and a very pregnant woman with dark, wavy hair and full pink lips sat on his right. I didn’t know much about pregnancy, but she looked like she was either carrying twins or she was about to pop any day now.
Malik took her hand and kissed it. "Storms, this is Rosie, my beautiful wife-to-be. Rosie, meet the princes and princess of Blackwood: Calvin, Daniel, Benson, Robert, Asher, Chrissen, and Alexis."
Gods that was a long line of names, but she didn’t seem worried about remembering. She smiled, and I couldn’t help but notice she didn’t have fangs.
"A pleasure to meet our royal highnesses," she said. Her voice had that same soft, dove-like quality that Elenore’s did, except Rosie’s was a touch deeper, more sensual.
Peter clapped his hands together and smiled. "Perfect. Now that everyone’s been introduced, let’s eat!"
We all sat and chatted easily, the conversation never once feeling heavy or slow, while the kids picked at their food like birds and ran around the house like banshees. Peter shot us a pleading glance, but we laughed it off. Kids were kids. After hanging around Gemma’s little siblings in Blackleaf, I’d learned a long time ago that they’d do what they wanted no matter how hard a parent tried to guide them otherwise. I certainly wasn’t about to blame Peter or Elenore for their children being a little hyper. They seemed like good kids, just full of energy.
I learned that Rosie was, in fact, human, and carrying her vampire lover’s baby. Apparently, female vampires couldn’t procreate, and Rosie wanted a baby before agreeing to turn into an immortal undead. The way Malik looked at her like she was his entire world, I knew he’d give her anything. I also knew it must’ve been commonplace for relationships like that to occur, since I’d seen a number of vampire children in town.
Too many times, I found my eyes drifting down to the round ball beneath her dress, imagining what it’d be like to carry a Storm baby in my belly. There was such a fine line between wanting what you didn’t have and not being appreciative for what you did have. One minute, I thought I’d have a baby and I was scared shitless. The next, I got my period and I was suddenly longing for the day when I could hold my own baby in my arms. It was insane.
Blaming it on the period hormones.
After dinner, Ash, Criss, and Dan chased the girls around the house, playing an invigorating game of tag. The girls squealed and giggled as they ran their little legs off. They darted from room to room as the guys jogged lightly behind them, letting them win.
I smiled, nestled tightly between Ben and Cal. The Sky Prince’s arm was draped around my shoulders, while the Sand Prince’s fingers drew invisible patterns on my thigh.
Rob was across from us, drinking whiskey and chatting with Malik, Rosie, Peter, and Elenore. Every once in a while, his gaze would slide over to mine and we’d share a sneaky smirk.
"You’re going to make an excellent mother one day, Peach," Cal murmured, nuzzling his nose into the side of my hair.
I leaned into him and inhaled deeply, getting lost in his spicy scent. "Thanks, Cal."
"What you did back there," Ben said, drawing my attention to his fascinated expression. He shook his head slowly. "You gave those little girls hope in a time when hope is practically lost. You gave them a goal and the will to strive and achieve it. You… you’re amazing, Sailor. Cal’s right. You’re going to be the perfect mother someday. And the perfect queen for Blackwood."
I stared at him long enough to melt into his chocolatey eyes. "You really think we’ll l
ive to see a day when we’re the rulers of the kingdom?"
He smiled, surrounding me with warmth. "I don’t know. But it’s a beautiful enough dream to cling to. I want it to happen more than anything."
Me too.
"We’ll make it happen," I promised him. "One way or another, we’re going to win this war and save this kingdom. After that, we’ll have our happily ever after."
Ben leaned in and touched his index finger to my chin, turning my mouth up toward his. "I can see why Criss calls you Firefly," he murmured, so close our lips nearly touched. "You are so full of burning passion. You’re like a flame that refuses to go out. I love the fiery determination in your eyes when you set your mind to something, and I know nothing in the world will stop you once you do."
I didn’t wait for his kiss; I took it for myself, stealing both of our breath away. I got lost in the twisting and tangling of our tongues for just a moment before a sound registered in my brain. Howling. Our kiss broke, and I listened closely as I panted. Lots of howling.
My gaze darted to Rob who looked ready to move.
"You guys have wolves living in the mountains around here?" Criss asked, abandoning the game of tag in favor of glancing out the living room window.
Peter shook his head. "No. Never saw one in my life."
I looked at Rob again, my heart hammering a mile a minute. "Do you think it’s Werewood? Do you think they answered our call?"
Suddenly we were all on our feet and rushing to the door. We were nothing more than a tangle of limbs as we yanked on our coats and filed through the doorway.
"Thank you for dinner," Cal called over his shoulder as we ran down the street. "It was lovely to meet you all. Sorry for the abrupt departure! Royal duties and whatnot!"
We followed Rob to the edge of town where the buildings abruptly stopped and a long expanse of icy tundra skated on until it met with the bottoms of the mountains. Shadowy trees lined their bases. The moon was still full and bright as ever, giving us quite a decent vista, but everything was calm and quiet. No howling to be heard.
I glanced at Rob who wasn't even fucking winded.
"Do you think they left?" I asked him, trying to hide my breathlessness.
He merely shook his head. "Depends on if it was real wolves or werewolves."
I turned back to the tree line and studied the shadows closely. I kept feeling like I'd seen movement, but when I concentrated, nothing noticeable stood out.
"You ever seen a wolf?" Dan asked Ash in a teasing tone.
He chuckled and strode up beside his brother. "You want me to shift into one? See what's going on?"
Dan shrugged. "I mean, it wouldn't be a bad idea."
"Hang on, guys," Cal demanded, listening intently to the heavy stillness in the air. "Let's just give it a minute and see."
"See what?" Ash asked with a grin. "If they're real wolves, they're not going to hurt me—they'll sense my magic and know that I'm not a threat. And if it's Werewood, they're not going to hurt me either—we're allies, remember? That'd be the only reason they came."
Cal cocked his head, a reluctantly yielding expression on his face. It was hard to argue with Ash's logic, considering it was spot on.
"Fine," Cal allowed. "Just make sure you put the dot on your chest, so we know who you are. And hurry back. I don't like not knowing what's going on."
Ash smirked. "Aye, aye, captain."
His golden magic materialized as if from his very skin and swirled around him, the vortex shrinking his body down to the size and shape of a lone wolf. His fur was a pale gray with white around his ears, muzzle, paws, and tail. And a single black dot rested firmly on his chest.
He howled into the night, the echo of his cry reverberating through the mountain range and ricocheting off the tree trunks.
No howl came in return.
A moment later, Ash was running across the snowy ground, silent as a mouse, and disappearing into the trees.
Cal sighed. "I don't like this."
"Then why'd you let him do it?" Ben asked, glancing at him.
"I'm not his boss." Cal shrugged and ran a hand through his blond hair. "And anyway, he's right. He ought to be safe. I just don't like it. I prefer having all my ducks in a row, knowing shit long before it happens. Not waiting in the dark and wondering what the hell is going on."
Rob grunted his agreement, crossing his arms as he glared into the distance.
"I still think it's Werewood." I forced a smile and tried to lighten the mood.
Ben raised a brow at me. "Then why didn't they howl back?"
"I don't know." I threw my hands up in defense. "Do I look like a wolf expert to you?"
He chuckled. "No, you do not."
"Hey!" I lowered my hands to my hips. I might not have known what the hell I was talking about, but that didn't mean he needed to be so blasé in admitting my shortcomings.
"Shark week," Dan hissed at his brother. "Remember? Back off very slowly."
I turned my glare onto the Sea Prince. "You know I can hear you, asshole? I saw how scared you were of blood. Don't make me bleed on you."
His pale green eyes went wide. "First of all, I'm not scared of blood, okay? And second, you wouldn't dare..."
I chuckled malevolently. "Try me, pretty boy."
Dan moved to stand behind Ben, subtly using him as a shield. "No thanks. I'm good."
I rolled my eyes. "Are you seriously scared of blood?"
Dan peeked out from behind Ben's shoulder. "No. But I have been around a number of terrifying females during that time of the month, and I guess you can say I've been scarred for life."
I shook my head at his ridiculousness.
"That's dumb," Criss admitted. "Women are as different as men are. You punch one, he hits back. You punch another, he glares and walks away."
Dan raised a single brow. "What's your point?"
Criss sighed. "Just because one woman gets irrational and grumpy during her period doesn't mean they all do. It doesn’t mean Alexis does."
I sniffed out a laugh. "Thank you for your vote of confidence, my sweet Soothing Prince, but I'm afraid I really do tend to get irrational and grumpy when I'm helplessly bleeding for days on end. It's not the most fun I've ever had, you know?"
He shrugged. "Ah, well, I tried."
I pointed at Dan. "I'm watching you."
He chuckled but nodded, silently assuring me that he'd be on his best behavior from now on.
"Guys," Cal said, drawing our attention toward the emptiness of the tundra. "Look."
At first, I saw nothing. But after a few seconds, a silhouette became visible before the trees. A wolf. It stalked closer, soundlessly, watching us with an unfaltering expression. He was big, dark, and had no circle on his chest whatsoever. So, clearly this wasn't Ash. But then... where was Ash? Was he okay? Did he get hurt? Killed? Was he now naked in his human form, shivering in the woods?
I took a step forward, ready to help Ash immediately, but Cal grabbed my arm. "Seriously, Peach? There's a fucking rogue wolf approaching us and you want to walk out to meet it?"
I glared at him and yanked my arm away. "I want to find Asher and make sure he's okay, that's what I want. Fuck this rogue wolf. He's not going to keep me away from one of my princes."
Rob smiled over at me. "Again with that fire."
Criss smiled too. "She's definitely my little Firefly."
I felt the warmth of his nickname fill me all the way out to my freezing fingers and toes. It was still new, and therefore it still had a pretty heady effect on my hormones. Oh shit. Or maybe that was the period? Ugh. It was hard to tell.
The wolf started running, dashing straight at us with his teeth bared, lips and nose curled into a vicious snarl.
"Ah, shit," Cal cursed, widening his stance. "Looks like we might have to fight it off."
More shadows lined the edge of the tundra, making my eyes go wide. "Or a whole pack of wolves..."
Magic thrummed to life beneath each of our fingertips—
I could feel it in the air, sense it in their heightened emotions. I could practically see it glowing across our skin.
Right at the last second, the wolf stopped, spraying us with a wave of clumped snow. He howled into the night sky, making the hairs on my arms raise, before he thrashed his head and started to change. With no magical dust or glow or anything, his bones cracked and shifted, his fur retreated, his skin stretched and reshaped, and a moment later, a mostly naked man stood before us in torn-up rags, cackling his handsome face off.
"You should have seen the looks on your faces!" the man howled as he laughed, bending over to clutch his knees as his whole body shook.
"Ha, ha, very funny, Rafe," Cal said flatly.
The werewolf laughed even harder. "It really was. You were scared shitless."
Cal quirked a brow, and he and Rob both crossed their arms at the same time. A defensive tactic, I realized with a small grin.
"We weren't scared," Dan assured him. "We were actually prepared to kick your ass so hard we'd knock you right through yourself. You're lucky you shifted when you did."
Rafe laughed a bit longer before ruffling his wild hair and scratching at his unkempt beard. "So, you guys got any spare clothes?"
Eventually Ben chuckled and stepped forward, offering his hand in greeting. "It's great to see you again, man. This your army?" He pointed to the dark wave of wolves surrounding us in the distance.
"Sure is."
"Is Ash out there with your guys?"
Rafe grinned. "Yeah, he was in on my little joke. I mean, at first he didn't know who we were and he was cautious, but after he realized, he thought it'd be funny to fake you guys out."
Ben's lips quirked and he rolled his eyes. "Come with us. We'll see about getting all of you some clothes."
"And some beer," Rafe added almost sternly. "That was part of the deal, if you recall."
Ben shook his head, an amused look toying at his lips. "I certainly do."
Rafe waved his pack forward, and soon they were all following us back into town under the light of a full moon.
Perfect Storms (Storms of Blackwood Book 4) Page 11
