Page 8 of Hexes & Heartstrings (Shifters of Bastion Keep #2)

Sergiy popped one eye open, made a quick visual check to confirm that Bruin was still decent—his loveable mate always got embarrassed when he was caught naked, which was an adorable quirk—then called out.

"Come in!"

Sergiy smelled his brother and recognized the pattern of footsteps before he could see him as Markos walked around the coffee table so that he was in view.

"Good afternoon, brother!" he said, crossing his arms. "I'm really loving this domestic scene. Do you want me to take a picture for you? Maybe inspiration for a painting?"

Sergiy's automatic reply of 'No' was drowned out by an enthusiastic 'Yes!

' from Bruin, so Sergiy waited patiently while Markos pulled out a phone and snapped a few pictures.

Then a couple more, after Bruin demanded that Sergiy lay back and close his eyes and remove his scowl, pretending that it was a candid shot.

"Send them to Bruin," Sergiy said gruffly, making a mental note to check them out himself later. "What did you want?"

"Ah." Markos spread his arms apologetically. "Mom says you need to dress your best for dinner in the Great Hall, tonight."

Sergiy frowned, but before he could open his mouth, Markos continued.

"Lady Yi of House Rhindon is on her way in."

Sergiy felt Russ go still behind him, and he bit back his own grumble.

"Of course she didn't bother giving us notice that she'd be arriving a week early."

"The day that cold-hearted tigress thinks about someone else will be the day I retire," Markos said, laughing. "But yes. She'll arrive at seven, mom says, so the main course will be pushed back until that point. However…"

Sergiy nodded, then began sitting up, dislodging a wounded-faced Bruin.

"She'll expect us all to be waiting for her, of course. Thank you, brother. I'll start getting ready. Be prepared for a late night, though. I expect that she'll insist on a war council meeting so she can be brought up to date."

"You don't think—" Markos cut himself off with a grimace. "No, you're right, she totally would. I'll let the other pack leaders know."

"And I'll start informing the staff. Leona won't be pleased, pushing back dinner."

Markos gave him a last nod, then left the room, closing the door behind himself.

"So no more cuddle time?" Bruin asked, sitting up on the couch.

Sergiy disentangled himself from his two mates and stood, turning around. Bruin looked upset, and Russ didn't seem best pleased either—his expression might be neutral, but Russ's shoulder was turned towards him, and he had an arm draped protectively over Bruin's chest.

"I'm afraid not," Sergiy said. "Duty calls."

"Duty has been calling for months," Bruin said grumpily, then hurried on before Sergiy could interrupt.

"Yes, I know. I know. We're kind of in the middle of a conflict, and you're just doing your job.

But you haven't had a free day in weeks, now, and I'd gotten my hopes up that tonight you might finally be able to relax, like you said you would. "

Ouch. And it wasn't just the pointed words, Sergiy's inner flame roared its displeasure at disappointing his promised mate, a crackling in his head like snapping wood.

"I'm sorry. Really I am. But properly receiving a fellow noble isn't something I can skip out on, barring major injury."

Bruin looked up at him, and though his arms were still crossed, he seemed to be forcing a playful expression as he nodded towards Sergiy's balcony patio.

"I mean, that opens up options. You'd survive a push, ahem, I mean an accidental fall from a third story window, right?"

Sergiy grinned. "You'd have to explain why I didn't use my wings. But I misspoke. Normally I might be able to plead illness or injury, but Lady Yi is the type where even if her host were in the middle of childbirth, she'd expect to be invited in."

"Well, there goes plan B."

Russ growled, wagging a finger at Bruin. "No babies."

"Russell, sweetheart, I don't know what kind of witch you take me for, but I promise you—"

"I need to get ready," Sergiy interrupted, leaning down to kiss first Russ, then Bruin. "Again, I'm sorry. I'll try to make it up to both of you."

"Do we need to wear fancy clothes, too?" Bruin asked.

Sergiy was about to shake his head as he grabbed his phone and headed to the door, then remembered that his rough-hewn boyfriend considered merely tucking in his shirt to be fancy.

"If it's not too much trouble, yes. Really, just make sure that there aren't any rips or stains, and you'll be fine."

"Can do!"

Sergiy gave a wave, then left his room so that he could head to the kitchens and begin spreading the word, and the last thing he heard was Bruin asking Russ if going shirtless was an option.

◆◆◆

"Do you think she'll be late?" Marka asked him, drumming her fingers on the table that was populated by appetizers and alcohol. "You know, as a power play?"

Sergiy double-checked that his diadem was affixed properly on his forehead, a simple platinum band with an orange gemstone set in the center.

"She can't. House Rhindon might have an equal vote to House Usenko on the mythic council, but mother is both a land owner and a well-venerated warlord. Lady Yi doesn't have the rank to pull something like that, and even she's not audacious enough to try."

"I wouldn't put it past her," his sister muttered.

"Hmm, maybe , but she's already in the castle," Sergiy said.

Marka perked up, looking at him suspiciously.

"You missed it just now when Mrs. Black spoke with mom.

Lady Yi's caravan arrived a short while ago, and she's been escorted to her rooms on the fourth floor.

Assume fifteen minutes to freshen up and change out of her traveling garb, and she should be here any moment. "

Even as Sergiy spoke, a footman appeared at the entrance to the Great Hall, and most of the babble of impatient and hungry guardians ceased.

Sergiy's mom, Lady Galina Usenko, stood up from her chair.

Tonight, she'd foregone her usual t-shirt and intentionally ripped jeans for Bastion's traditional red-and-gold kilt and white Ghillie shirt, same as Sergiy.

A suit or waistcoat with the kilt might have been more decorous, but Bastion Keep was also a fort, and Lady Yi was a former soldier herself, besides.

Galina gestured to the footman. He nodded, making a half turn.

"Lady Yi of House Rhindon, and pack."

She strode into the room like she owned it, head lifted, and made straight for the High Table.

Lady Yi had East Asian features, cropped black hair with magenta-dyed bangs, and a crooked nose that Sergiy remembered had been caused by being smashed in the face by a spirit king's club, and that she'd worn proudly thereafter, refusing corrective surgery or magics.

Her outfit was a skin-tight leotard, a fire-engine red piece with patterns of falling leaves, and a white hip scarf with golden tassels—a matching color scheme to Bastion's own colors, which could be seen as a compliment.

Behind her were ten others, nine shifters and a willworker.

Sergiy recognized a few who had served previously as guardians, collected by Lady Yi after they'd left service, but most he didn't know.

Her pack were in a mix of person, animal, and werebeast forms, most in the blue of House Rhindon if they wore anything at all other than their weapons, and while there was probably some kind of subtle message in the way that they were arranged, it was beyond Sergiy's knowledge.

"Lady Yi, welcome!" his mom said, right before vaulting over the High Table to land in the middle of the room.

Giving a wide grin to the younger woman, Galina gave her a crushing hug.

"It is good to have you back with us. I trust that your trip was uneventful?

Situate your pack at any of the tables, and then join me and my family for dinner. "

Sergiy stood from his chair, giving a nod to Yi as she took her seat beside him. He was sure that her bow was adjusted to the finest centimeter, and her demeanor was cool.

He tried not to scowl. Three years didn't seem to have changed her.

But Bastion needed the manpower, and Lady Yi had been one of the most competent alphas Sergiy had worked with, personality differences notwithstanding.

Her coming with a pack of well-trained warriors could only be more useful for the keep's defenses.

As the evening's dinner was brought out, head chef Leona serving the braised duck herself to Sergiy's mom, he looked out longingly at where a shirtless but admittedly well-groomed Bruin was sharing a laugh with Russ and his coven.

It looked like they were focused on one of the newcomers, and from the way that Bruin spread his hands apart, Sergiy wasn't sure if they were talking about the wererhino's physical stature, his prestigious member that was readily visible through his tight pants, or his sizeable battle-axe, larger even than Yacob's maul.

Holding back a sigh, he turned to Lady Yi, waiting until his mom had finished speaking.

"Welcome back to the keep," he said politely. "We'll have much to discuss later, about putting you in charge of our garrison forces—"

"We will," she said, hands perfectly poised as she began carving meat onto her plate.

"—which we'll get into after dinner. For now, may I ask about your travels? I hope they weren't too onerous."

"The road to the keep could use expansion," she said bluntly. "It's barely wide enough for two humvee's to pass each other, which could slow response times."

As Yi began suggesting that they hire a druid to cut more into the mountain in order to widen the main road, Sergiy put on a polite smile, glad he'd chosen to wear cologne to hide any wearied scent he might put out over the next who-knows-how-many hours.