Con knocked. A few seconds later Lexi opened the door, her brow knotted in a frown. “What’s the matter?” he asked worriedly.
Surely he hadn’t been wrong about her. She couldn’t back out now. Thorn would be devastated.
She rolled her eyes and walked away. “I should’ve chosen a more traditional dress. He’s going to hate it.”
Con walked into the room and closed the door behind him. Then he took Lexi by the shoulders and turned her so that she faced the floor-length mirror.
They looked at her dress together. The claret velvet skimmed her body enticingly on the bodice. The neckline had scalloped edging that dipped to her breasts. The sleeves were long and narrow with black lace inserts from her shoulders down to upper thighs.
The dress was belted with black leather. Adding to the look was a six-inch drop of leather studded with silver above her right leg before the gown fell open in a slit to show the lining of black in the flowing skirts.
Her hair was pulled over one shoulder, and she had on black velvet booties.
“I think you look like you. In other words, you look perfect. There is no right or wrong way to dress for this. Each mate chooses the gown that best fits them.”
Her shoulders sagged in relief as she briefly closed her eyes. “I love the dress, but as soon as I saw Iona, I began to question my choice.”
“Doona,” Con urged. “Thorn is going to love it.”
Lexi smiled at him through the mirror. “I needed to hear all of that. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” He stepped to the side and held out the black velvet box.
She accepted it with curiosity. Her gasp was loud when she opened the lid then covered her mouth with her hand. Tears misted her eyes when she looked up at him.
“It’s my duty to give a gift. I hope you like them.”
“I’ve always loved garnets,” she said as she took one of the earrings out and put it in.
The curving French wire made it appear as if the five-carat multifaceted rectangle garnet was floating beneath her ear.
Once she had both in, he nodded. “The others are waiting for us below. Shall we go?”
Lexi set aside the velvet box and took his arm. They walked down the stairs and out the back entrance of the manor into the mountain.
Con paused to leave Lexi with the other three. “Count to twenty, then follow me,” he told them.
He walked deeper into the mountain and spotted Laith, Warrick, Arian, and Thorn standing together as they waited for the mating ceremony to begin and their women to walk into the cavern.
He exhaled a long breath as the Kings took their places and Iona came into view first. Laith went to meet her and bring her to the front. Warrick followed suit with Darcy, and Arian did the same with Grace.
When Lexi appeared, Thorn simply stood there looking at her.
“Thorn,” Con said, when the King didn’t go to get her.
“I’m just taking the moment in,” Thorn said with a smile, never moving his gaze from Lexi.
Her smile was wide when Thorn finally approached and whistled in approval. Con winked at her when Lexi gave him a thumbs-up.
In a few moments, there would be four more humans mated to his Kings.
Did that make them stronger—or weaker? Only time would tell. But for the moment, Con approved of each mortal binding themselves to his Kings.
* * *
Daire left Dreagan and teleported to Edinburgh. There he found Cael standing outside a pub looking through the window at a Dark who had targeted two humans.
“Well?” Cael asked.
Daire shrugged and looked at the mortals on the street. “Rhi is just as we thought. I’ve been tracking her for weeks, and she’s unpredictable to be sure. She goes from Dreagan to Balladyn to Ulrik with no rhyme or reason.”
“What of her meeting with Usaeil?”
Daire leaned back against the window and crossed his arms over his chest. “Rhi is a wild card. Usaeil made a mistake that others have yet to see. Rhi, however, knows it. I’m still unsure of what Rhi’s plans are regarding the queen.”
“Where is Rhi now?”
“At Dreagan. The battle with the Dark left her wounded.”
Cael’s head snapped to him. “Should we be worried?”
“Con healed her, but she’s still not woken.”
“I want you there when she does. We need every detail.”
Daire pushed away from the glass. “And if she doesn’t wake?”
“We’ll deal with that when the time comes. We have our orders. The others will be here shortly. We’ll begin to exact justice on the Dark, starting in Edinburgh. I need you to remain with Rhi. She is—”
Daire nodded and interrupted him to say, “Important. I know. Balladyn could win her over.”
Cael drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. “We’ve been too long away from this realm. We’ve turned into legend. The Fae are about to learn they must answer for their crimes. Including Balladyn.”
“I think we should wait before dealing with him,” Daire cautioned. “You don’t know what it might do to Rhi.”
Cael cut his silver eyes to Daire. “You may be right.”
“She knows I’m following her.”
“I would expect nothing less from Rhiannon.”
* * *
V used the thick fog as cover and landed atop the mountain. It felt good to let the wind slide over his wings, to take the current up high and then dive through the clouds.
He shifted into his human form and stood looking down at the village below. A gasp behind him had him turning around. He saw the young woman and smiled. Her windblown blond hair fell half on her face, but it couldn’t hide her bright blue eyes.
“You’re naked,” she said in Italian. When he didn’t answer, she said in English with an Italian accent, “You’re naked.”
“So I am.”
He faced her when her eyes drifted down his body. She smiled when she saw his arousal. Her blue eyes lifted to his. “My home is just there,” she said, pointing behind her.
V walked to her and wrapped one arm around her waist, bringing her against his cock. “Do you really need a bed?”
“No,” she said breathlessly, her arms coming around his neck.
He kissed her while hurriedly removing her clothes. He needed inside her—immediately.
* * *
Darius stood at the back during the mating ceremonies. He hadn’t been able to endure listening to the words, but he had to be there.
As soon as the ceremonies were over, he told Con he was going back to Edinburgh to check on the Dark—and kill more if needed. Darius had gotten into the Lotus Evora in a stunning Nightfall Blue and driven to the city.
He parked near Darcy’s destroyed building and began to make his way around the city. Several times he saw Dark drop dead as they were walking.
Darius didn’t see the reason for the deaths until a Light Fae appeared before a group of Dark gathered outside a pub and killed all seven of them with a single word.
The Light Fae looked his way and vanished. Darius certainly wasn’t upset to find that the Light were helping them clean the streets, but he had a suspicion that the man wasn’t just any Fae.
To Darius’s surprise, he found himself outside the Royal Victoria Hospital. He intended to walk out, but something held him back.
He waited for an hour before he saw the tall, willowy form of Sophie Martin twenty feet in front of him. Her red hair was down, falling about her shoulders in a thick wave.
She walked past him without looking in his direction. Two steps later she halted. Then she slowly turned to him. There were no words, no exchange of pleasantries.
Darius pushed away from the building and strode to her. He slid one hand around the back of her neck and the other around her waist as he kissed her.
She responded immediately with a fire that he had sensed within her. Their kiss turned frantic, scorching. He backed her into an alley and pushed her against a building. She dropped her purse and black bag and wound her arms around his neck.
Darius told himself to be worried about a woman who brought that much need and hunger to his surface, but he was too busy kissing her.