by Erin R Flynn
“Yeah, you’ve had a lot of bad blows.” He cleared his throat as I cut into my salmon. “Not going to yell at me for kissing you?”
“No, was thinking about asking for another one. It made me feel warm and fuzzy, and I’ve felt nothing but numb for a while.” His fork dropped, and I smirked at his shocked face. “Eat your salmon. This is my creation.”
“I’m not sure I have the room,” he confessed even as he took a bite. “You guys are giving us paranormal amounts of food here.”
“And why was beef before fish? Isn’t it normally the other way around?” Jason asked from the other end of the table, frowning as he took in how I was about sitting on Brian’s lap.
“We decided to do heavy then lighter fish before heavy dessert.”
“I’m going to explode,” Eric Corbin groaned. “But what a way to go. Where did you get these lobsters, Chief?” He was digging into his plates with happy noises and expressions, and I found myself smiling a bit.
“Elves actually.” I really smiled when I got several confused looks my way. “Fairies are really good with plants, and while elves are fae and are under the queen, they are separate and normally looked down on, as they’re not as magically gifted. But they are really good with animals, and there’s a whole bloodline that wants to get the hell out of where they’re at before they’re found out and shot on sight since it’s bad there.
“And they heard about us, what we were up to, and the next thing we knew, there was a massive cargo container full of seafood for us and the club. They’re trying to show us what they could bring to us and the area if we get someone to sponsor them and help them here.”
“Because even with visas they can’t buy businesses or land until they’re citizens,” Jason filled in for the others at the table. “You going to do it?” I opened my mouth to tell him yes, but he snorted. “Of course you will. Big softie.”
I shrugged. “You should see the pictures we got too. Such cute kids. Tasar found a hundred and fifty-acre farm for sale in Kane County that’s not too far should they need us.”
“If I took a drive out there and spoke with the local law about them being refugees and friends of the FBI, would I get dinners like this?” Brian asked, stabbing his fork into the massive lobster and holding it up with a raised eyebrow. “In what world did you think we could eat all of this? We’re mere humans, Sera.”
I threw back my head and laughed, leaning into him and kissing under his chin before flagging Gayle. “Can you get some boxes for our overfed humans here? We can put them in the fridge until they’re ready to leave the club later. It’s a school night, after all.”
“Of course, Alpha.” She dipped her head and hurried off.
“She looks much better than when I met her,” Brian told me as he set down his lobster. “So seriously, do I get fed like this?”
“I’ll even throw in a bottle of fairy nectar since you’d be taking something off my list,” I assured him. “Freddie and Jessica Powell put in paperwork to sponsor them, I believe. The farm will be under their name until the elves get citizen papers. They liked the idea of getting to hunt deer on the land since Ashley’s having trouble with her shift.”
“Poor kid. She still having nightmares?”
“Yeah, saving her doesn’t take away from the trauma of being told she would have to do such sick shit one day. She keeps waiting for someone to order her for an induction.” I let out a shaky breath. “Makes me worry about the ones who did have to go through something so sick.”
“Another problem for another day,” he murmured as he leaned in. He froze, a soft gasp escaping. “Are you completely naked under that?”
Several groups around us laughed, more than able to hear him. I flicked his forehead. “Yes, Brian. I’m not sure what could be worn under this type of dress without being seen.”
“I’m completely naked under mine as well, Chief Havers,” Simone purred, getting to her feet and playing with one of the slits. “Want to see?” I knew she did it to tease him and take the heat off of me, but my siren didn’t like it, and power flooded the restaurant. Lots of people gasped, and Simone’s eyes went wide.
“Sorry, guess she’s not sharing,” I muttered as my cheeks flushed.
“That’s fine. I have some I won’t share too,” she assured me easily.
“Did you just stake claim on me to all the paranormals here?” he asked under his breath when everyone else went back to food. I gave a slight nod. “Would you do that for Jason as well?”
“She might,” I answered, talking about my siren. “But even just me, I wouldn’t be okay with you and Simone. She’s become my best friend along with Terry Davis. That breaks girl code since you said you were more than bed friends with me.”
“Admit that it’s more than that, and I’ll tell you what I think of your salmon.”
I met his eyes and nodded. “It’s more than that. You’ve been Brian again the past several times I’ve seen you.”
He bobbed his head, taking the implied criticism. “I handled everything so wrong, Sera. It happened to you, but it happened to me too.” I opened my mouth to object, but he hurried on. “I realized that after speaking to someone. You got hurt on my watch. You weren’t just my lover but on my team on an op I designed and placed you undercover on. You didn’t die, so it never occurred to me the guilt I was feeling.
“But you lost your whole life. It’s helped that I think you were born to be a wolf and really, this turned out to be good for you. It was a mistake though, and one I let happen to the woman I loved. I-I couldn’t come to terms with that. I was so, so angry. I thought I was going to kill Frank when he made some comment when Corbin suggested we send you flowers in the hospital. And then I fucked up with who to put in your position and—”
“You should tell me this later,” I murmured, nodding to all the interested parties. “But I appreciate you sharing this with me. I think I needed to hear it too. I—it hurt that you seem to just be able to cut me out then go so hot and cold.”
“It’s like I’m not perfect,” he joked, snuggling closer since his left arm was the one around me. “I’m excited to see the show. I heard your costume’s wild.”
“Oh, that’s one way to put it.” Crazy was another and probably what I would have said.
I ended up staying at their table for dessert, comforted by Brian, and my table had pain with the twins. I laughed so hard as all the guys there groaned as desserts were brought out.
One of the things I had stated very clearly and from the beginning was if I was part owner at a restaurant, they had to be amazing and big portions. Nothing was more maddening than being at a restaurant and ordering a dessert and they bring out some tiny piece of crap that was obviously bought frozen and defrosted and it cost like seven bucks. No way.
“We’re sharing,” I assured them as three of those huge daiquiri glasses that were for multiple people drinks were set down with different types of trifle. I went first, moaning at how good the caramel apple one was before passing it on to Brian. Then I almost passed out at the amazing chocolate cherry cheesecake one. And lastly, I snuck two bites from the black forest before passing it on.
“I forgot how watching you eat desserts was better than sex with some women,” Jason announced loudly. My eyes went wide as I opened my mouth to say something unflattering but stopped when I saw the heat in his eyes. “Sera, you moan and make happy noises I normally get from a woman when going down—”
“Yes, yes, I love dessert. Don’t be crude.”
“And don’t ruin our fun,” a panther from another table complained. “Watching her moan and squirm was turning us all on.”
“Shoot me now,” I grumbled as I turned to hide myself against Brian’s chest. But that gave me a whiff of his scent… His very turned on scent. “You too?”
“Why do you think I always brought in cupcakes or anything yummy to the office once a week?”
“I’m not that bad,” I hissed, shoving at him.
“Yeah you are, Thomas,” Monroe called over from a few tables away. “You were too busy enjoying that last office cake to notice just about every male enjoyed watching you eat it.”
“It was good fucking cake.” I smiled when most everyone laughed easily and took back the black forest trifle just to be cheeky. “I’m not sharing then.”
Corbin snorted. “I have no room.” He was a bit awkward like me, and I’d always liked him because he jumped in to help as I did for him when we did something others teased us for. “Is it true the fairy nectar is a hundred dollars a bottle?”
“Yeah, I flinched at that too,” I admitted in between bites. “But when you think about it, they’ve got the market. I mean, you tried it. Wasn’t it awesome?”
“Totally, but a hundred bucks?”
“Good wines can go up for a grand or more,” I reminded him. “Plus, there’s a real kick to it for humans, so that was part of the pricing. It’s not cheap chugging wine or booze. Someone could get hurt if they take it lightly, and at that price, they won’t take it lightly.”
“Yeah, but it’s still out of my price range.”
I mulled that over as I stuffed my face. “You still in good with the techies in your office?”
“Yeah. They always fix my personal shit for free lunch,” he confessed, smiling when Brian rolled his eyes. “Hey, they offer.”
“Think you could hook something up for one of my little brothers? Apparently Cory is already way past what Brutus can teach him, and he’s got a knack for computers and electronics. He’s getting caught up on his other studies, but if he likes it so much, the others are getting extra studies too, but it’s not my area.”
“Yeah, I could ask. What are you thinking of paying them?”
“I have no idea. Ask what they’d want. If they work for food, we’ve got a ton coming in from the greenhouse and freezers full of seafood still with a constant hook up coming.”
“Yeah, they accept cooked food because they can’t feed themselves besides takeout,” he corrected me.
“I have a master chef a block away teaching cooking classes to three of the boys since someone didn’t keep his promise to learn to cook.” I flinched as I realized Hagan and Reagan were behind me.
“Alpha, Gayle asked us to remind you it’s time for costume and makeup,” Hagan said quietly.
“Yeah, okay. Someone vote for this for me even if I don’t get to try the rest.”
“There’s more?” Jason asked, his eyes going wide. “Did you guys rob a bakery?”
“No, a wolf who studied in Paris asked to be admitted to the pack because her parents were forcing her to mate and the Alpha refused to get involved,” I answered honestly as I got to my feet. “She’s going to handle the desserts here for way below what she’s worth to use the kitchen in the mornings and access to bulk ingredients, as she wants to start a part time cake and party dessert business. You should see what she’s got planned for Jared’s birthday next week. It’s some huge ass cake.”
“Did you see his Amazon birthday wish list he sent out to everyone you guys invited?” Brian asked me, his eyes dancing with the need to laugh. I shook my head. “He might be taking cooking classes, but that kid’s a baker at heart. The whole list is Wilton cake stuff and chocolate molds.”
“What did you get him?”
“Actually I got him a bunch of stuff from that YouTube channel he loves, HowToCakeIt, that I knew he wanted.”
“Shit, so did we,” Hagan groaned.
“Thanks,” I told Brian, leaning over and giving him a kiss. “And thanks for offering to go out with Freddie and Jessica to talk to the locals.”
“Thanks for letting me see down your dress,” he breathed, and I shivered at the intensity of his words.
“Alpha, Gayle is waiting,” Reagan reminded me, tension in his tone.
“Sorry, just enjoying someone flirting with me instead of jumping to sex and then insulting me.” Everyone at the table gave me shocked looks, and I was a bit at myself, but I felt good saying it. They didn’t flirt or seduce me really. We’d joked around, and then I gave them sex. Since then, it had just been sex, and I think that was part of why I’d gone so numb.
Maybe? Who knew? I sure as fuck didn’t.
I hurried to the bathroom before meeting up with Gayle in the dressing room. Even with the practice we’d done, it still took a while to airbrush someone’s entire body… And we weren’t even doing the super complicated stuff I’d seen in some of the pictures and videos she’d shown me.
Then came the actual eye makeup, and by then the rest of the paint was dry, so she applied some black tribal type of designs. Not too many, because if she had to do this every night, too intricate would be crazy. We’d already put my hair up under a cap so it wasn’t in the way. Now she added a wig that had been painted gold as well with an elaborate golden feather design.
Over that she helped me into the sheer golden robe and hood, making sure it wasn’t caught on anything and I was good to go. Luckily someone had thought ahead and had added some hidden Velcro to connect the two sides. Last came getting into the chair litter that I would be carried out in.
Yeah, that was really how I was going to go out for the siren show. After a lot of debate between Simone, the choreographers, myself, Laila, and even Alena, it was decided to make it a real act with all the fanfare.
I moved to get on it carefully, but suddenly Reagan was in front of me.
“You may hate us, you may hate me, and I wouldn’t blame you, but I want you to know I think it’s really brave what you’re doing for the pack and to help all of us. You look amazing, Sera, so just take a deep breath and relax. It’s not you they’ll see. It’s just another mask like when you were undercover.”
“Thanks.” I stepped over the litter pole and turned to sit but then froze. “I don’t hate you. I’m crushed. I’m crushed in a way I didn’t know I could be crushed as an adult, as the only other person who’s ever made me feel this way was Jason, and I thought that was just because I was a stupid kid. You’re right, you didn’t deserve me faking sex or not telling you I didn’t want it. But you both acted like all I am is sex, and that’s what pushed me to go numb.”
“We thought if we were romantic or mushy that it would put pressure on you that you had to be with us too,” he rasped, tears rolling down his cheeks. “You are so much more than sex to us, Sera. I love you so fucking much it kills me to see you in pain.”
“Then you shouldn’t have added to it,” I choked out, swallowing down the rest when I heard the music intro, quickly taking my place in the chair.
“For many, many years there have been goddesses among the humans, and while legends and myths were spread, most believing in this new age they didn’t exist,” Dain announced when the music stopped. “They were wrong. There are goddesses, rare, and jewels many will never see. But one has decided to come among us, grace us with her presence here in Chicago, instead of where other goddesses live in Europe and Asia.
“Never has a goddess traveled to this side of the world. It is a blessing of prosperity she brings to Chicago, a rare gift for us unworthy men and women to receive. And as all goddesses deserve, she shall be worshipped.”
I swallowed a yelp as Hagan, Reagan, Goran, and Zlat lifted the litter, the four of them demanding to be the ones for the entire first week when I would be most nervous. After that, it wouldn’t always be me, as Alena was bringing candidates to take show nights and be my siren advisor person.
It was blinding to come out from the dark into the stage area lights. It seemed funny that they would bring me to the edge of the stage only to set me down before I went to the dance floor to a fancy chair, but that was showy. I made sure not to flinch as they set me down, accepting Zlat’s waiting hand to stand. Then I carefully pulled back the hood of the robe and unfastened it before Hagan and Reagan took it from my shoulders.
I took Zlat’s hand again and walked after him down the few stairs, wondering if Simone had been right and bare
feet was weird. It had seemed weird to me to wear nothing but shoes. I did find I was walking on my toes though, not that it mattered as I sat seconds later on my “throne” glad it was comfy at least.
“Humble yourselves, as you are in the presence of a goddess!” Dain demanded loudly. “Who will worship her as she deserves? Who will feed her hunger?” That was my cue to let out my power throughout the room, even to the level humans would feel turned on, basically finding food for my siren. “Come forth if you wish to receive a blessing from our goddess, a kiss the weak may not survive, but it would be a miraculous way to die in sacrifice to our goddess.”
Now was the moment I had been most scared of. What if no one volunteered? What if we went through all of this, even in the preview, and no one offered?
Well, it was stupid because I knew my people would, Noah first to get in the line Hagan and Reagan would handle off to the side, the cue from Dain on where they should go.
“You look fucking amazing,” Noah whispered under his breath as he knelt before me. I leaned in and kissed him, feeding a big gulp because some who would line up I would give that energy to. That was the whole point of this, and I wasn’t strong enough to take gobs without letting some of it go soon.
He groaned and shivered, slowly getting to his feet again. There had been some debate on the kneeling or not, as it was a bit much. Except people couldn’t see anything but their butt if they didn’t kneel.
Brian was next, his eyes drinking in every inch of me. “It’s not fair I’m in a damn towel that can show how much I like the outfit.”
Oh, it was hard not to laugh at that, but he looked great in the fairy material red wrap the guys open for being with girls wore. I’d originally said pink, like blue for boys, pink for girls, but a lot thought there would be frowns at wearing pink. But it was a bright red, so it was easily seen in the darkness of the club. That had been my concern. Light or bright still showed in dark. If we had wine and deep blue, etc., who could tell the difference?
I fed only a bit from him since he was human, no matter how strong he was, and then rubbed my cheek against his so my lips were by his ear. “I don’t know if I’ll be up for sex for a while, but I could use help washing it all off once this done.”