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Felix

“This is a terrible idea,” I mutter. “How did she convince all four of you perfectly intelligent shifters to take her and two of her friends to a fucking outdoor festival?”

My twin rolls his eyes, bouncing around the living room of the townhouse. “Because it’s Spring Break, duh! Baby Girl wants to have fun like a normal girl and fuck if I’m going to deny her.”

Chess shrugs, giving me an apologetic smile. “Sorry to overrule you, Felix, but Fitz is right. Campus is no safer than this place with bodies dropping. Dolly might as well have some fun before school starts up again.”

Rubbing my hand over my face, I growl softly. While they have a point, I’m not sure the extra work on self-defense she’s been doing with my twin is enough to feel secure. The annual Shifter Fantasy Festival in Cambridge draws a crowd from all over the country; I’m not comfortable having that many unknowns around the princess. The five of us are formidable opponents—if we can get to her fast enough. Knowing our girl, she’ll make that a challenge every second we’re there.

Besides, who the hell wants to camp out on the dirty fairground rather than sleep on Egyptian cotton?

“Don’t act like a tiger caught by the toe, bro,” Fitz says as he stuffs shit into a duffel. “Poetrypants even bought some sort of fancy glamping tent or some shit. He says we’re partying in style to make the spicy lizard happy. This shit is his jam, you know.”

My head turns to give my brother a look of complete bafflement. “What in the actual goddamn fuck is glamping?”

The asshole just starts howling with laughter, slapping his knee as he snickers. Chess is no more helpful because he’s smirking like a dick, too.

I’m going to hate this shit; I just know it.

Maybe it’s time for that spanking I keep threatening.

“Oh, they’re here!”

My eyes widen to giant saucers as a Mystery Machine looking fucking van decorated like a moving disco ball comes roaring up the drive to Apex. When it squeals to a stop in front of the enormous piles of crap everyone seems to be determined to bring, I have to pick my jaw up off of the ground. The princess claps her hands and bounces, which is all Chess, Ren, and Fitz need because they’re whipped as hell.

A head full of rainbow colored curls pops out of the passenger window. “Girl, it’s been too long!”

Why are teens so dramatic? They’ve only been gone for four damn days.

Aubrey looks skeptical of the van, but he’s been all in on this shit because no one would go to these nightmare fuel events before the princess. He loads bag after bag of shit into the back of the honey badger’s Magical Mystery Tour Van with a big grin. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was getting off on this.

Everyone I know has lost their ever-loving mind and I’m the only sane tiger in the asylum.

“I’m so excited! Ru-Ru, thanks for taking us all in your van. I didn’t know you kept a car off-site,” the princess says as she hops into the van with a grin.

The punk rocker gives her a smirk full of innuendo. “I don’t share the Love Machine with just anyone, Queen D. But since your harem of hunks bought all the fab camping shit I suggested, I’m making my contribution.”

‘Love Machine?’ Fucking hell.

I look around as I climb into the third row, hoping I’m not sitting anywhere that’s been sprayed with closeted jock spooge. Aubrey and Ren huff laughs as they join me, letting Chess and Fitz flank our girl in the first row.

“Oh, don’t worry your pretty face, Your Majesty,” the cheerful polar bear says as she snickers. “I made sure we got this rolling mattress detailed before today. I’m not eager to stew in Ru-Ru’s conquest juices, either.”

Huffing, I roll my eyes at her. “I’ll be fine for the next few days.”

She and the badger laugh, making Dolly turn around and look at me with bright blue eyes I could drown in. “Thank you for coming. I know you’ve been reluctant for a bajillion good reasons, but I’m really looking forward to having fun with all the people I care about.”

Her sincerity melts the crankiness right out of me and I take her hand, lifting it to my lips. “You’re welcome, Princess.”

I’m rewarded with a bright pink flush and three groans. When I arch a brow, my twin just smirks at me like an asshole. Leaning forward, I put him in a headlock and give him a noogie regardless of his howls of protest.

Take that, you little shit.

“Okayyyy, adults acting like children! Buckle up and keep your hands and arms inside the ride. We’re off,” Rufus says from the front. “ETA one hour and twenty minutes, followed by camp setup. I’m your tour guide for this lovely journey into EDM festivals, so sit down and behave.”

Freya, save me. The horny badger is in charge.

Fuck my life.

After I helped Fitz set up the family sized monstrosity they picked out, I claimed a chair on the porch of our luxurious setup. Apparently, that sneaky French asshole had this collection of amenities delivered before we arrived. A group of sword swinging raccoons were here guarding it and summarily hopped in an Uber once we got settled.

Sipping my ice cold beer, I look at the other shifters running around like human hippies with yurts and tiny sport tents. Aubrey walks out to join me, sitting down in the extra large sized rocker on the other end of the deck. He has a scotch in what looks to be a very convincing plastic rocks glass. I salute him as my body relaxes.

“Our girl is in her friends’ tent getting ready?” I ask as he sighs and watches the surrounding crowds with a tiny grin.

“Yes. She left outfits for each of us—I’m concerned she believes us to be her private Ken dolls. ”

The thought makes me snort, almost spitting my beer out. “Damn, I needed that, lizard. Good on you.”

He grins and shrugs. “I have always wanted to attend something like this. Ren will always follow and the other two appreciate chaos in a way you do not. Snacklet wants us all to have a good time, so improving your mood is a priority, Raj.”

“That’s why we’re so fancy, huh?”

The gargoyle saunters up, draping himself in the armchair next to Aubrey like he’s part feline. “Oh, we’re not accustomed to outdoor lives, either. But it’s good to be the kings, non ?”

I chuckle, shaking my head. “Any idea how we’re keeping everyone safe in this giant, drugged up clusterfuck?”

They blink, tilting their heads at me eerily similarly. Finally, Aubrey speaks. “We’re alpha tier, apex preds. Scent mark her and only the stupidest motherfuckers on the planet will even approach.”

Well, shit. I suppose that’s true for any horny college kid or random cradle robber.

“What about those dumb enough to intrude?” I ask, arching a brow.

“Fitz will kill them. I doubt we’d have to lift a finger,” Chess says as he walks out. “Any of us could, but his ADHD is going to be off the charts once that music and light show starts.”

The tiger in question comes running out of the crowd in front of us, and my jaw drops. He’s drinking some weird pink concoction in a fishbowl with flashing lights and fruit and various shit sticking out of it. They adorned his limbs in enough glow bands to make him look like a ‘My Little Pony’. Then someone painted his face and chest in neon paints around the weird strapped harness he’s wearing instead of a shirt. The psychedelic shorts he’s wearing are barely there and the look in his eyes is just as crazed as the pattern on his pants .

Turning my head slowly to look at my friends, I mutter, “Who let him bring pred-stasy?”

“No one, big bro! I’m making friends everywhere I go. Look at this baller fucking drink! It tastes like magical unicorns, like my baby girl!”

I can feel the hyperactivity vibrating off of him.

Holy Mother of eight-legged horses, this is a red level emergency.

Before I can tell the others, I see our young counterparts exiting the other tent. They dressed the bear in straps and tutus with high boots and sparkles. Her badger friend is wearing some sort of electric cowboy contraption that leaves way less to the imagination than I’m comfortable with. But the silence I can’t seem to surmount is for our princess as she strides over.

Delores is barely covered, and it makes my tiger snarl possessively inside of me. Her outfit consists of a pink, shimmering two piece bikini with pastel rainbow flowers adorning the cups. Her bunny tail is out and under it, a matching light rainbow train of sparkling tulle trails to her feet. Holographic platform boots that meet pink thigh harnesses with bunny shaped rings adorn her legs. To top it off, she’s sporting adorable ponytails, her bunny ears, and matching day-glo rabbit makeup.

She’s a bunny shaped, glow-in-the-dark, fantasy lovers’ wet dream.

“Holy fuck,” Aubrey says in a reverent whisper.

Fitz turns and runs over to her with a whoop. “Baby Girl, you got Saucy McStuffyshirt to say ‘fuck’! It’s a festival miracle!”

“Fitzy, maybe tone down all the yelling? I feel like we’re in a cheerleading movie,” Chess says as he walks over to them. He leans in and pecks the princess on the cheek. “You look sexy as hell, Angel.”

Her face lights up as she basks in the attention of my twin and his consort before she sashays over to the rest of us. Doing a small twirl, she looks at the ancients and me. “Is Fitz right? Do I look okay?”

Renard uncurls his body, stalking over to her before leaning in to whisper something in her ear. Our girl turns bright pink, smacking him lightly, and he laughs darkly. “Keep that in mind, ma petite .”

I wait as she walks over to Aubrey, who seems to have lost his ability to speak entirely. Finally, she comes over to me and I tug her into my lap. “You’re playing a very dangerous game, Princess. That’s less clothing than you wear in the lake for class.”

One of her ears wiggles at me and she shrugs. “I’m no one’s victim, Felix—not anymore.”

Arching a brow, I cup her cheek with my hand, pride shimmering in my eyes. “That’s right, Princess. You’re learning to take care of yourself and if that fails, you have all of us behind you.”

“Thank you, Sir,” she murmurs with a playful grin and I groan.

Of fucking course she did.

Popping off my lap, she bounces over to her friends, gesturing at everyone but my twin. “Now all of you get yourselves together before it gets dark. Come on, Fitz… join us while they get ready.”

I watch my hyper, drunken, likely high brother take our girl’s hand as they follow the bear and the badger into a writhing crowd of people.

“Fuck, we’re whipped.”

Chess shrugs and continues watching them leave. “I can’t find it in me to care, Raj.”

Pondering the outfit Dolly is wearing, I pause before I reply. “Truth, brother.”