*
Lavinia stood just behind the drapes at the head of the ballroom. She had been distracting herself by peeking into the wedding celebration before she and her new husbands were officially announced to the Tribe. Currently, the men were standing behind her whispering in hushed voices, each pointing at text on their cell phones. Lavinia wondered if this was the view of life to come.
A prettier sight was the space on the other side of the red velvet curtain: the party was being held in the palace ballroom and the entire room looked like it was dripping with crystals. The staff had decided to base the decor around Lavinia’s dress. Since Lavinia loved the dress, she’d assumed she would love the décor, too. Callia had been leading the decorating team and she had kept quiet about their exact plans. Lavinia was so happy she had allowed it to be a surprise.
The tables were covered with antique lace that had been hand beaded with crystals and pearls just like Lavinia’s dress. The centerpieces were bountiful bouquets of red flowers, in direct contrast to Lavinia’s all white bouquet and the smell of roses permeated the room. The entire gesture felt like a big hug from her bestie.
Lavinia allowed half of her mind to tune into what the men were talking about. It sounded like political business regarding Mardi Gras and the Loupbrun Tribe. Lavinia was growing interested in the debate over whether the situation was political or security-based, but when Parker and Thearon noticed that Lavinia had rejoined the group, they stopped talking. The silence that ensued was awkward. Lavinia figured it would take time before they would all be comfortable enough to share confidences.
Parker broke the ice, “What do you think of the room? I hear that you weren’t a part of planning it.”
Lavinia shook her head, “No, it was a surprise from my staff. My handmaiden, Callia, led the design. I think it’s lovely.”
“It looks like your dress,” Thearon noted.
Lavinia's eyebrows raised in surprise. Thearon was not the husband she would have pegged to notice such things. “You’re right, actually. Callia planned the decor around my dress. It was her way of including my choices into the event without actually picking options. I worked for months with a designer to design the dress.”
“I must admit that I prefer the woman in the dress, to the dress itself,” Parker said smoothly, as a staff member arrived to let them know they’d shortly be entering the ballroom.
Parker and Thearon each took one of Lavinia’s arms and directed her to the wall of curtains. Just before the velvet parted, Lavinia felt Thearon’s fingers brush along the rim of her ear and shivers moved down her spine.
“You had one single hair out of place,” his warm breath whispered in her ear, “I couldn’t let you face the Tribe looking less than the Queen you are.”
Lavinia felt her body warm to the intimate touch and deep timbre of Thearon’s voice. Straightening her shoulders, she allowed a soft smile to play on her lips and watched as the curtains parted to reveal the party in full swing. Suddenly, a spotlight was on the three of them and Lavinia felt her training kick in. The smile on her face became genuine and Lavinia concentrated on looking welcoming to each and every Tribe member..
The entire Tribe didn’t fit in the ballroom, but unlike the ceremony, the celebration was based on rank. Family, friends and the upper echelon of Werebeast and Tribe society sat around the dance floor, glittering in diamonds and jewels. Outside the Palace walls, New Orleans would be even more of a party than normal, though humans would wonder where the upswing was coming from.
Lavinia felt Parker direct both herself and Thearon around the ballroom. He seemed to know the route they should take so as not to offend anyone. Lavinia recognized the people she’d been memorizing for years. Though Parker must have planned the route in advance, it was far too fluid to have been created on the fly. Perhaps he’d even been a part of the seating arrangements. After the grand tour of the ballroom was complete, Callia stepped forward and took Lavinia’s bouquet from her and Lavinia turned to face Parker and Thearon. It was time for the first dance.
In the relationship, the Alpha would always go first. He got the first kiss during the ceremony, he would be announced first, and Lavinia was always to bow to him first. But Werebear ritual placed heavy emphasis on the first dance. A highly physical Tribe, there was no way the pride of the husbands, and leaders of the Tribe, would allow for Lavinia to dance with the Alpha first and the Omega second. Instead, they would begin an ancient dance where all three would dance with one another simultaneously.
Lavinia found her palms sweating in anticipation of dancing the complex moves with two new partners in front of the Who’s Who of Werebeast Tribesmen. No big deal that it was the first time they were being introduced to Lavinia, too. If this went badly, it would all fall on her shoulders. In the LeKing Tribe's dance, it was the Queen who led. So far, she’d been practicing with Callia and Tutor, both of whom were easily a foot shorter than either of her husbands and nowhere near as sexy.
As the music started up Lavinia circled the men. The dance itself was based on court dances of medieval times. It should be a stiff and formal dance, but it was threaded with physical contact where Lavinia was sandwiched, at times, by the hard bodies of both men. Now as they weaved in and out of one another, Lavinia could see that it was play-by-play of sex. The realization struck her just as she found herself pressed intimately against Parker and Thearon. Parker to her front for one step and then a tango-type twist had her facing Thearon for the next.
She could feel that both men were growing hard for her and the sensation of the full body contact, coupled with the sexual nature of her thoughts, was overwhelming. Lavinia didn’t know if she needed a glass of champagne or if it would only ruin the physical high. The dance she had been dreading was suddenly over quicker than she wanted. The three spun out, forming a single line and simultaneously, the men each placed one hand on her lower back to present her to the crowd. Stepping forward, Lavinia dropped into a deep curtsy as the crowd applauded her in a standing ovation.
Flushed with pride and desire, she looked back at her husbands and eyed each in turn. Her gaze must have held the twinge of passion she felt coursing through her body, because their own eyes darkened in turn. Lavinia swallowed hard as she approached the men again.
“I believe I want champagne after that,” she said with a smile.
“I believe I you deserve a whole bottle after that.” Parker said motioning to a servant.
“Well done, my queen. You’ve made a dancer out of even me,” Thearon said kissing her hand.
“That may be the feat of the evening. Thearon has always had two left feet,” Parker commented as he gathered three champagne flutes from the servant's tray.
“I don’t know, when I put my shoes on this evening I saw one right and one left. Perhaps I’ve just never cared as much before.” Thearon’s stare seemed to move through Lavinia.
Parker noticed the look and raised his eyebrows, “Well I’ve never known for you to care for much; our bride should consider herself a lucky woman.”
Before Thearon could respond, the threesome were directed to a head table where they were surrounded by the council members and their wives. So began Lavinia’s literal introduction to the Tribe. It was surreal meeting so many of the people she’d been memorizing and studying for years. She knew each one’s connections and network and their place in the Tribe. To see them for the real people that they were was a surprise – it filled in gaps she hadn’t realized she had been missing.
The rest of the night was really a grand political statement. Lavinia had figured that she would be dancing with her husbands and getting to know one another over dinner and drinks, but in the end, her dance card was full with council members and leaders of other Tribes. Groups of women cornered her to ooh and ahh over her dress, rings and hair, all the while trying to pick her brain like groups of feral hens. Well, Lavinia had to give them credit – they had more etiquette than feral hens...but not much.
When the
lights began to brighten slightly, the bandleader announced the party was over. It had seemed to go by with a snap of her fingers. The guests gathered their things and moved toward the exits. Lavinia was caught up in saying goodbye to some of the visiting Werebeast leaders when a hand caught around her waist, making her jump.
Spinning around, Lavinia found herself face-to-face with Thearon.
“It’s time to retire to the royal suite,” Thearon said gruffly.
Lavinia blinked into Thearon’s eyes and then glanced at Parker over his shoulder. Parker gave an encouraging smile and motioned to the opposite end of the room from where the guests were exiting.
“Yes, of course. Just let me get my bouquet.” Thearon paused for a moment, clearly wondering what purpose the flowers were going to serve on their wedding night, but Lavinia needed a moment to clear her head. He released her to the head table to gather the blooms and trailed behind her as she met Parker at the entrance to the royal chambers.
Walking down the long hall, Lavinia felt the tension within her rise. She had been relaxed during the celebration, jubilant even, after the first dance had gone so well. Lavinia had almost forgotten that at the end of the event she would be going to bed with her new husbands.
In the last few years, Lavinia had participated in a schedule of sexual training. Thank the gods, it hadn’t involved Tutor, she had no desire to see her father figure explain the birds and the bees or how to entice and please two Werebears at once. Instead, they'd brought someone in from the brothels of New Orleans, an expensive escort who had both training and experience.
The woman had been perfect. She was quiet and unassuming and completely natural about it all. She laid it all out on the table like it was nothing more than factual statements. She’d expected Lavinia to study the positions, touches, and male sensation areas as if Lavinia had been memorizing the various tribes and their histories. In the course of her training, Lavinia had memorized step-by-step where she should touch and what she should lick.
But the fact of the matter was, the kiss earlier that evening during her wedding, had been her first kiss. For all of the lessons The Queen was inexperienced, yet was expected to be “a lady on the street but a freak in the sheets,” as Callia would say. The pressure was real.
Standing outside the engraved wooden door of the royal suite, Lavinia mentally prepared to get her freak on, as she waited for the men to unlock the door. After they’d completed the ceremony of spending the next twenty-four hours in the rooms together, she would officially be Queen and be given a key to unlock the door on her own.
Entering the sitting room, Lavinia could see that it was set up for romance. Someone had filled the space with red roses and candlelight with "getting it on" music in the background to set the mood. Lavinia fought off the overwhelming urge to check the closet for her tatty bathrobe, if only to give her the comfort and courage she so desperately needed at this moment.
There were four rooms total that made up the suite: a bedroom for the Alpha and Omega, respectively, and one for the Queen that had a connecting door to both men’s bedrooms. The space itself was decked out in the finest of antiques. But for the wealth of all the items present – from the Ming dynasty vases to the Aubusson rugs – the space felt comfortable. It wasn’t a showy room meant to impress, instead, the soothing jewel tones seemed to invite rest and relaxation. Exactly what the Alpha and Omega would want in their personal space.
Lavinia couldn’t help herself; she moved forward to the center bedroom and pushed the door open further. The room she found was done up entirely in shades of green, from the deepest forest to the palest sage. Lavinia instinctively knew it had been redone for her. Green had always been one of the best colors on her because it darkened her hair and set off her pale skin. It was a room meant to show her beauty to its best effect. Probably also what the Alpha and Omega would desire.
Setting her bouquet in a waiting vase on the dresser, Lavinia turned back to the sitting area to find Parker uncorking a bottle of champagne. With the skim of a knife, the cork flew through the air and hit the ceiling with a “pop.” Thearon ducked in alarm and Lavinia couldn’t help but giggle.
“Our head of military strategy is scared of a flying piece of bark?” she teased.
“From my angle, I was truly scared about the potential of a flying knife,” Thearon explained, “but I’ve also been hit by one of Parker’s corks in the past. They leave a nasty bruise.”
Parker scoffed, “I was just a cub when I hit you. I can’t be judged forever on the actions of a drunken teen. I haven’t hit you since.” Parker looked up innocently at Lavinia and seeing Thearon’s raised eyebrow, Parker amended, “Well, that’s the last time I hit you with a champagne cork.”
Thearon moved to pick up three champagne flutes from a bar cart in the corner of the room, “Lavinia, would you like some?”
“Yes, please. I feel like I barely ate or drank at the reception. Champagne sounds lovely.”
“I never end up eating at big events. There are too many people who want to talk.” Thearon commiserated as he handed off a flute to Lavinia.
“Would you like to sit for a moment? We have twenty-four hours, there’s no need to rush anything,” Parker said joining the pair on the couches.
Both Lavinia and Thearon visibly relaxed with the comment. So, Lavinia thought, she wasn’t the only one feeling the pressure of a menage et trois. Sitting up straight, Lavinia sipped on her drink, “So the two of you have lived together since you were boys?”
Thearon answered her. “Yes, since the age of ten we’ve been officially living in the palace, though we didn’t take residence in these rooms until the coronation. But you already knew that.”
Lavinia cleared her throat, “Well, yes. In theory, I know just about everything. Every custom of the court and every move of its people. It’s part of the training.”
“How odd that you know so much about us and yet we know very little about you. It doesn’t seem quite fair to keep such a beautiful woman hidden for so long,” Parker’s eyes were alight with mischief as he watched the bubbles of champagne swirl in his glass.
“The purpose is to keep me pure,” Lavinia blushed, “Well, pure in the sense that when I marry I’m only familiar with the workings of the Tribe and the Werebeast community at large. I’m taught popular culture references insofar as they have popularity or affect the politics or culture of the tribe.”
Thearon looked confused, “So you aren’t allowed to have your own preferences when it comes to music or movies?”
“It’s weird actually, I haven’t had access to the internet, but I get to watch TV shows like Breaking Bad because everyone will be talking about the ending to the show. I get to pick the music or books I like best, but only from the ones that have been shared with me. I’m like a highly assembled project. They’ve set me up to the best of my potential and hope and pray I make the right choices to continue the tradition.”
Thearon tipped back his glass, “We’ve been given more freedom but we’re still as assembled.”
“Oh I don’t know Thearon, I think we kicked a lot of the suggestions to the curb. I can think of more than a few nights where any and all suggestions were tossed on their ass,” Parker said wiggling his eyebrows.
“That is not wedding night appropriate, Alpha.” Lavinia looked between the two men, beginning to get an idea of each personality and how they worked together.
“Oh I’m tired of being appropriate...what rules were you breaking. I love a good story,” Lavinia said, trying to tuck her feet up underneath her on the couch but finding the dress too constricting to finish the movement. She ended up looking like the mermaid her dress style was named after. Lavinia was suddenly overwhelmed with a feeling of empathy for the mer-people of the world.
Parker set down his glass and moved to the overstuffed ottoman in front of Lavinia to tell his tale, “Oh there was one night, when we were still technically cubs, so we can blame it on the immaturity and hormones, wh
ere Thearon and I found ourselves in a difficult spot. Literally, between a rock and a hard place.”
Lavinia watched as Thearon groaned in response and covered his eyes with one hand. “You are not about to tell this story!”
Parker lifted one of Lavinia’s feet into his lap and began to untie the sky-high strappy sandals she’d tied herself into, hours before. “Well, only the pertinent details. Let’s just say that Thearon and I found ourselves stuck in a bedroom of one of the old brick buildings in the historic district downtown. It was a brothel…”
“A place where we had no business being,” Thearon interjected
“...of course not! We were dragged there by others, I’m sure, my memory is hazy due to the beer. But I’m fairly positive it was not your idea, Thearon.”
Thearon grunted in response as Lavinia giggled.
“Anyway, we were stuck in the room, about to be late for morning check-in because we were still out from the night before. And we couldn’t get out of the room because it’s next occupants were standing on the other side of the door – being quite loud with their foreplay.”
Thearon laughed and took over the story, “Oh gods, that’s right! And that man was making such a racket. We panicked, the only escape was the window and it gave us about two feet of clearance between the building next to it. We were facing a sheer brick wall.”
“So how did you get out? Walk past the next occupants?” Lavinia wondered.
“No, our next occupant was one of our tutors. It was not an option. He was going to be late to morning check-in, too,” Parker said as he slipped a shoe off of Lavinia’s foot and began a soft massage of her arch. Between the champagne and Parker’s touch, she was starting to feel very relaxed.
“We ended up scaling the wall. Thank the gods we were still drunk off our asses, because sober, we never would have attempted it. I still think it was a small miracle that we were able to make it to the roof to escape,” Thearon finished downing the last of his drink and moved behind the couch where Parker was still working his magic fingers. Lavinia tried again to sit back into the plush cushions but was halted by the corseting of the dress. Damn boning, it really was becoming an issue.
Simply Bears: A Ten Book Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance Collection Page 69
