Page 27

V ictor had slept little the previous night, but his emotions were so buoyant he barely noticed his fatigue. After making love with Keegan and Phillip, Victor had cuddled with his men. They’d stayed up for hours, partly due to the afterglow of fantastic sex, but mostly because they kept sharing soft words of affection.

Although Victor had known Phillip and Keegan cared for him, he hadn’t realized until his sentinel blurted the words how much he and his cat had needed to hear it—especially with the unexpected dropping of his fangs. His kitty had been ready to claim Phillip and Keegan. It was a relief to know Phillip’s dragon struggled with the same desire.

With a radiant glow, Victor had made it through the day, cleaning and cooking as usual. Evergreen had made several pointed comments at lunch, but Victor had ignored them. Tomorrow night they were traveling to D’Vaire, and Victor and his mates had decided the best plan was to make the announcement about their upcoming matebond when the entire family was together.

Throughout dinner with the Darays, Victor had wanted to shout their news, but he’d survived without making a peep about it. Several days ago, they’d made plans to hang out at Evergreen and Dudley’s apartment, and Victor wished they could gracefully postpone. But it would hurt their feelings, and it wasn’t as if Victor didn’t want to be around them. He just wasn’t sure how long he could keep his mouth shut.

Victor had driven them over to the apartment building, and he grabbed a bottle of wine as Phillip and Keegan exited the car.

“Are you okay, Sparkles?” Keegan asked, plucking the bottle from Victor’s grasp and taking his hand.

“I’m afraid Evergreen is going to wring our big news from me,” Victor replied as he held out his free arm toward Phillip, who laced their fingers as they wove their way inside to the elevator.

“He runs our office and is used to being on top of everything, but he must only wait until tomorrow to learn about our upcoming matebond,” Phillip said.

“I’m so excited,” Keegan enthused. “Oh, and I haven’t said it or texted it in about an hour…I love you both.”

Victor chuckled. “I love you too. Both of you.”

“I love you both wholeheartedly. So does my dragon.”

“Oh, now my kitty is feeling competitive and wants to assure you he adores and worships you both,” Victor commented as they stepped into the elevator and Phillip hit the button for the correct floor.

“No fair, I don’t have a beast to brag about,” Keegan bemoaned.

“Do you think it’s worth asking Chand to shadow walk again to see if we can learn anything about your past?” Victor asked.

Keegan shrugged. “Unless it bothers anyone else, I’m good with things. While it’d be nice to know why Phillip’s dragon can get overprotective, we didn’t get even a hint of anything on our shadow walk. Spicy, what do you think?”

The elevator dinged, and they stepped out into the hallway.

“I am no longer on potions or require stasis. If you are content with the knowledge we have, so am I. Honestly, I am relieved you do not have to endure being reunited with a beast or having a past life restored to your memory. I have no desire for you to suffer any pain or recall your death.”

“Those aren’t high on my list of things to do either, but I’d face anything if it meant making you and your dragon happy,” Keegan replied.

Victor reached up and kissed him. “That’s why you’re our Sunshine.”

Phillip brushed his lips first with Keegan’s, then leaned close to do the same to Victor. “Your kindness is a gift beyond measure, Sunshine.”

Since Victor was at risk of melting into a pile of romantically charged goo in the hall, he knocked on the Tenebri condo door. It swung open to reveal a sentinel in a casual uniform identical to Phillip’s.

“He still won’t let me answer the damn door,” Evergreen called out from behind him in a pair of striped shorts and a cold shoulder T-shirt in a soft green.

“It is for your safety,” Dudley insisted.

“We brought wine,” Keegan said.

“Get in here,” Evergreen insisted. “There’s beer in the fridge. I already opened a bottle of white for us, Victor, or we could mix drinks.”

“Wine is good.”

His mates fetched beers for themselves, and Victor followed Evergreen into the kitchen to take a freshly poured goblet of wine from him. The apartment Dudley and Evergreen shared wasn’t the same one Victor had crashed in for a few months decades ago, when his employment had been temporarily ended by Chander. Dudley and the druid-necro formerly attached to his soul had eventually purchased a condo together, and it was decorated in the same soft greens and grays as Evergreen’s eyes.

The floors were a pale wood, and the place was kept from being too monochromatic by crisp white furniture and lots of texture. It was soothing. Dudley kept the plants draped throughout the living spaces alive since Evergreen unfailingly killed everything he watered. It was a three-bedroom unit, but Victor doubted anyone besides Evergreen’s parents had ever stayed in the guest space.

Off the living room was a set of glass doors leading to an office that was more reading nook than workspace. It was dominated by an oversized chair and massive ottoman, and the wall-to-wall shelves were crammed with books since both Evergreen and Dudley were avid bookworms.

Dudley preferred mysteries, while Victor secured every romance recommendation his heart desired from Evergreen. The hybrid with a love of swoony stories curled up on a tonal striped chair with his bare feet underneath him.

Victor chose a spot in the middle of the coordinating sofa and was pleased by the sentinel and fallen knight squeezing in on either side of him. Across from them, Dudley chose the remaining chair.

“Okay, Victor, you’re still wearing that little smile,” Evergreen said, his lips pursed. “I looked at it all through lunch, and you swore nothing was up, but you aren’t fooling me. What’s going on in that kitty head of yours?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Victor replied.

Dudley’s brows drew together. “That is a lie.”

“Excuse me, sentinels are supposed to keep that information to themselves unless they’re working on a case. I didn’t commit any crimes,” Victor retorted.

“That is thankfully the truth,” Dudley muttered. “But I am your friend, which is why I mentioned how untruthful you are being.”

“Besides, I didn’t need a sentinel to tell me you’re full of shit,” Evergreen commented, taking a gulp of his wine, then setting it beside him on a coaster on the wooden end table.

Phillip’s hand landed on Victor’s thigh. “What do you want to do, Sparkles?”

“I’m fine with telling them if you two are,” Keegan said. “They only have to keep it a secret until this weekend when we announce it at D’Vaire.”

“I guess it’s up to Evergreen and Dudley if they want to keep a secret, because we haven’t even told our Darays yet,” Victor remarked.

“For Fate’s sake, you have to tell me now,” Evergreen insisted. “I can’t take the suspense.”

“Perhaps I do not wish to keep a secret from everyone,” Dudley commented. “We have the entire day tomorrow to avoid telling anyone in our office about whatever news Victor, Phillip, and Keegan have.”

“Too damn bad, Dudley,” Evergreen countered. “If you don’t want to know, go to your room and stick your fingers in your ears.”

“Dudley, do you want us to give you a minute to leave?” Victor asked.

“No, I said perhaps , but I was speaking hypothetically. I wish to know your secret, and you have my vow that I will not say a word tomorrow.”

“Big surprise, he’s just as nosey as me,” Evergreen muttered.

“I blame your influence on my inability to mind my own business,” Dudley stated with a grin.

“Corrupting you is part of my life’s mission. But spill it already, Victor.”

“Okay, last night Keegan, Phillip, and I finally told each other that we’re in love,” Victor said.

Evergreen stared balefully at Victor. “Okay, well, I’m honestly shocked it took you guys that long because I figured it out forever ago. Now, tell me the rest because you aren’t going to make some big grandiose announcement at D’Vaire about that.”

Victor laughed. “No, there’s more. We’ve decided to have our matebond ceremony.”

“Yay!” Evergreen enthused. “Congratulations, that is so exciting. Everyone is going to be so happy to help you plan. I assume you’re doing the ceremony at D’Vaire too.”

“We haven’t actually talked about it, but it’s pretty traditional for our family,” Victor replied.

“Of course we wish to honor tradition,” Phillip responded.

“And it’s where Phillip first shifted and flew,” Keegan added. “It’s a special place for his dragon. I love the idea of adding to our memories there.”

“You guys, we need to have a toast,” Evergreen insisted, snatching his goblet off the end table and raising it up. “To Victor for answering that ad and becoming part of my family. To Chand for resurrecting your two beautiful men. To Fate for bringing you three together. And to love, which will bind you for eternity.”

“I will definitely drink to that,” Phillip said, shifting so he could tap his beer bottle against everyone else’s drinks.

Victor used one hand to toast his dear friends and his mates as he used his other to wipe happy tears from under his eyes.

“That’s a beautiful toast. Thank you,” Victor said, blowing an air kiss at Evergreen. “I want to add a little wish for Fate. Dear Fate, if you’re listening, please bring Evergreen and Dudley the men who will complete their lives.”

“And Fate, don’t be afraid to give me a couple of mates if you want,” Evergreen shouted, hooting with laughter.

“But not too many because Evergreen will need to quit his job and I will not survive as office manager by myself,” Dudley added.

“You both deserve the best mates,” Keegan said. “I’m trying to picture who you could wind up with.”

“If either of them are going to wind up with fallen knights, reapers, or sentinels, they will have to wait until Chand resurrects new ones since both Evergreen and Dudley have met all the current living ones,” Phillip pointed out.

“At least my mom isn’t afraid of sentinels anymore,” Evergreen said. “If it weren’t for me insisting she hang out with Dudley, she’d still avoid them.”

“She has conquered her fear admirably,” Dudley defended. “She treats me with kindness and has called me family.”

“Do you want to be with a sentinel? Is that your first choice?” Keegan asked.

Evergreen shrugged. “Mostly I think if I was with a sentinel, he’d wind up hanging out with Dudley more than me since I don’t weapon train or anything like that.”

“No, because I would move out. If you meet your mate, it will be awkward for the three of us to continue living here together,” Dudley stated.

“Don’t start this shit with me again, Dudley. We’re a family. We’re staying together. Did Victor move out when he met his mates? Did everyone move out of the Daray condo after Chand and Alaric reunited? No. Plenty of Darays have added their mates to the condo since then too. Everyone stayed right where they were. If you meet your mate first, I’m staying here with you guys. Just try to boot me out on my ass. It won’t work.”

“Dudley, Evergreen’s right,” Victor said. “His feelings about living with you aren’t going to change if he meets his mate or mates first. They would love to have you to hang out with. Plus, all the plants will die. You can’t do that to them or Evergreen.”

“Victor is correct. Families should stay together if they love each other,” Phillip stated. “That is what Alaric would tell you, is it not?”

Dudley scowled. “I suppose you are right.”

“Of course he is,” Keegan insisted. “You’re Evergreen’s best friend. Nothing will change that unless you let it.”

“Your mates are smart and beautiful,” Evergreen enthused to Victor.

“Trust me, I know.”

“Saucy bitch.”

“Takes one to know one.”

Evergreen threw his head back as he laughed. “Girl, we have to make an appointment to have manicures and pedicures next week. We’re overdue. You’re spending so much time getting dick that I almost had to paint my own nails. You know I suck at it and would hate them until they were repainted.”

“I’ll call you at the office tomorrow, and we can figure out when to go,” Victor said through his chuckles. “I need my nails done too.”

“Do you mind if I go with you?” Keegan asked. “I wouldn’t mind getting pampered, and I was thinking it’d be fun to get at least my toenails a pretty color.”

“Of course you can come,” Evergreen replied before Victor could enthusiastically answer in the affirmative. “Right, Victor?”

“Absolutely, I’d love that,” Victor said. “Then we can meet up with Phillip and Dudley for a movie or something.”

“We can train while you guys are at the nail salon,” Dudley commented.

“Excellent plan,” Phillip replied.

“On an entirely different topic…Victor, are you going to invite the Antonovs to your matebond ceremony?” Evergreen asked.

“I don’t know. They haven’t even met Phillip and Keegan yet,” Victor responded. “If we want to include them, we’d have to do that first because I need to know how they’re going to react. The last thing I want is any drama.”

“I would like to include them if that is their desire,” Phillip said.

“Me too; we should meet them prior to picking a date for our ceremony,” Keegan added.

Victor frowned, and his cat growled in a rare show of displeasure. “I don’t really like delaying it, but we can do that. We can visit them next Sunday. I’ll call my mom tomorrow and let her know we’ll be there. But we can still pick the weekend after that for our ceremony. They can either attend because they approve or they can stay home if they don’t. No sense in putting our lives on hold, okay?”

“That works,” Keegan answered.

“Yes, my dragon is happy to have a date.”

“Good, my cat is good too. He got a little feisty at the idea of not scheduling it.”

“As he should,” Evergreen said. “You three deserve happiness, and if you’re ready, we want you to bind your souls. I honestly can’t wait, so I know you guys must be over the moon. I’m already envisioning the beautiful pictures Teverild is going to take. We’ll have to hang a big one right in the damn lobby of the Sentinel Brotherhood.”

Sighing with happiness, Victor grabbed Phillip and Keegan’s hands and raised them to his lips for kisses.

“It’s going to be the best damn day of my life,” Victor commented softly.

Keegan snuggled closer to Victor on the couch, and Phillip squeezed his palm affectionately.

“Now they’re going to cuddle and make me green with envy,” Evergreen complained to Dudley. “Is it time for them to go home yet?”

“No, but if they are bothering you, Evergreen, you can go to your room and put your fingers in your ears.”

Victor laughed at the sour look Evergreen aimed at the sentinel formerly tied to his soul.