“Is that a new dress?” King Kincaid asked skeptically into the somewhat hush, as the Elders and Kings had begun talking quietly amongst themselves.
My gaze snapped to him. “Yep, you like?” It wasn’t normal Shifter wear. He may not approve.
He eyed it. “Can you shift easily?”
Ah. The main concern. “Yes, it’s more functional than my normal clothes.” I pulled back the coat, showing my side. “It has a side zipper so I can remove it easily, and I’m not wearing anything under it.” I shrugged. Easy shifting.
Thump.
King Kincaid had been in the process of nodding in approval, but everyone went quiet as their attention turned to the Vampire across from me.
Ezra had toppled back in his chair to the floor.
I couldn’t see him because of the table, but from the ground I heard him mutter, “Fucking shit.” He blurred, and he was on his feet, brushing off his clothes. He waved a negligent hand, not looking at anyone. “Just lost my balance. I’m fine.” He sat his chair to rights.
“You sure, son?” his dad drawled lazily.
Ezra did glance at him. His gaze was blank. It would have been perfect if his cheeks weren’t flushed. “Yes. I’m fine.”
King Venclaire’s lips twitched. “Perhaps you should sit in your seat correctly from now on.”
Ezra grunted, his fingers tight on the back of his chair.
“So, what have we heard…,” King Kincaid began asking, and I tuned him out.
‘Cause Ezra was beginning to agitatedly remove his robe with movements that were just a touch too quick. I barely withheld my grin, watching him. I knew exactly what he was doing. The man had just fallen out of his chair at my words, and now he was trying to even the score, since he had embarrassed himself. It wasn’t my fault that saying I was wearing no underwear had made his concentration falter.
But his body still had its normal impact on me. He wore a thermal white shirt, a pair of holey blue jeans that hugged his hips, and a belt with a black buckle. Simple, and quickly thrown together since he had been working that morning, the combination hugged his hard body to perfection, his mocha skin gleaming. Lord, have mercy.
And the f**ker went and turned around, sauntering to the bar to grab a drink. And the back half of his clothes molded just as perfectly as the front did. His back muscles moved under his white thermal like a cat’s — the Vampire’s Vizoac was a great representation — and his ass tightened with the movement, those long, defined legs hardening with each step.
Just. Not. Fair.
“Close your mouth,” Pearl whispered down to Buttercup.
Knowing it was meant for me, I did so as I made myself turn away from the sight. A little out of sorts, I tentatively reached a hand over Buttercup’s head. Pearl held her breath as Buttercup sniffed my hand then lifted and jumped into my lap, rubbing against me.
“Remarkable,” Pearl murmured, sounding awed again and reaching out her own hand to Clyde and Bonnie. Gradually, she lowered it, petting them in soft strokes. Waking slightly, they both sniffed, their noses moving against each other’s before they fell back asleep. “It’s just remarkable.”
“Yes, it is,” Ezra said softly, moving between Antonio and myself to rest a hip against the table, only inches from me. He rested his coffee on the table and bent over me with a hand extended toward Buttercup. She sniffed it, and when she didn’t bite him, Ezra’s hand joined mine in petting her, repeatedly and deliberately brushing against mine. Buttercup ate up the attention as Ezra’s fingers grazed under my wrist, making my pulse jump.
Our hands moved away from each other’s as Buttercup hopped onto the table and sniffed at Bonnie and Clyde, circling them to lie at their heads, curling around them. I watched with amusement as Bonnie swatted Buttercup’s wayward paw off Clyde’s shoulder, almost lazily, before putting her paw back on Clyde’s head, not seeming to mind Buttercup lying against her. Clyde made a grunting noise, but readjusted so Buttercup wasn’t touching him anywhere else.
Pearl blinked, then snickered quietly. “Oh, that’s precious.”
Ezra grunted, his own body angled possessively next to mine.
“He’s all cleaned up,” Jack stated, all business, as he hurried into the room.
West was clean, his fur around his ear matted with water. Anyone with half a brain would know Jack could have done that from his chair using his magic, but the Kings and Elders weren’t paying much attention as they continued their conversation. Jack set West on the table, who gazed up at him with pleading eyes. Jack considered the sleeping cubs, then nodded with approval. “As long as you behave.”
West’s nose crinkled, but he bounded over to the cubs and, not going anywhere near Bonnie, he curled up around Buttercup, resting his head on her flank and tossing a few paws over her and Clyde. They both grunted, but didn’t move. In fact, Buttercup lifted her face and licked West’s bum ear a few times before lowering her head. Then they were all adorably asleep.
“I wonder,” Antonio whispered quietly, reaching out a hand.
Cahal’s attention went to him. “What are you doing?”
“Testing a theory,” Antonio answered calmly.
I watched in horrified fascination as Antonio’s fingers inched closer to Bonnie.
Cahal reached across the table and grabbed his wrist, eyes flashing. “It won’t work, and you know it.” He shoved Antonio’s wrist back at him. “Let them rest.”
I blinked because Antonio rarely ever did anything without caution. “Maybe he’s right.” I paused. “Bonnie might not attack him.”
Cahal turned heated eyes on me. “Not forgetting Jacobs, she also scratched King Kincaid.”
That stopped me, even as Ezra re-positioned himself to cut off my view of his dad. I sat mute for a moment, then peeked around his hip to Cahal. “You’re right.” She probably would attack Antonio if she had attacked King Kincaid.
Cahal nodded once and gestured at the slumbering cubs, turning his glare on Antonio. “Just let them sleep while they can.”
Antonio watched him with a cocky expression, giving him a blatant ‘fuck you’ glance, before turning his attention away. Though, he didn’t reach out again to pet Bonnie, apparently thinking better of the idea.
Seriously, I had no clue how those four had managed to be Rulers together, every single one of them constantly bickering with each other. I perused all four of my besties and thanked God that I had the relationship I did with them. Pearl smiled at me as she petted the cubs, Jack also smirking as he petted them, and Ezra began doing the same. I place my hand next to theirs and joined in loving our affectionate cubs.