“What, so he can lose another wrestling match?”
“I heard that, runt,” Sander said from somewhere behind him.
Amused, Leander tilted a look over his shoulder. Sander, dancing with Chey, was grinning ear to ear.
“Oh no you don't.” Wynn applied pressure with her arms and her body, turning Leander away from the dancing pair. “No wrestling discussions allowed. We've already cut the cake, so it's just the bouquet toss left. I'm not ready to leave yet.”
Leander smoothed his hand to the low of her back. “We won't go until you're ready, love.”
“Leave it to Leander to want to ditch out early,” Mattias said, dancing into view with Alannah.
Wynn flashed the woman a smile, as if she'd made fast friends with Mattias's girlfriend over the course of the reception so far.
Alannah winked and in her lyrical Australian accent said, “Make him stay right up to the end, lovely.”
“A big help you two are.” Leander determinedly guided Wynn away from the pair, grinning to hear Mattias and Alannah laugh at his antics.
“You know, I'd like to get to know Alannah and Kate and Sessily more. The few times we've met, it's always been at a function where we didn't get a chance to really talk or interact. That way, when Chayton, Ahsan and Mattias are with you, us girls can do something fun.”
“That sounds like a good idea.” Leander encouraged Wynn's extracurricular activities since she'd been so generous with his own. Besides that, he knew the women to be kind at heart and mostly easy to get along with.
“So you wouldn't mind if we all went, say, to Monte Carlo together for a weekend?” Wynn arched a brow and tilted her head just so, a curious gleam in her eyes.
“As long as you have adequate protection with you. Running around with a queen and other women who might have targets on their backs means having guards at all times.” He paused, then added, “And as long as you all don't show up at another situation we might have.”
“We would never do that.” Wynn batted her lashes.
Leander laughed, even if it wasn't a laughing matter. Chey's appearance in Ankara had been troublesome and tricky. All the women showing up at the same time would be a disaster. “Sure you wouldn't. Chey just happened to be in Ankara on a whim.”
“You know how she is. Once she made up her mind to retrieve you, nothing would have kept her away.”
“Stubborn, just like you.” He grunted.
Over the speakers, the emcee for the evening made an announcement. “Wynn to the front of the dance floor, please! All the single women present, gather round for the bouquet toss. Come on, ladies, let's see who is the next to be married!”
“The bouquet toss! Give me a kiss.” Wynn stood on her tiptoes, kissed Leander's lips, then bustled away to retrieve the bouquet.
Leander stole one more kiss before she got away, watching from the sidelines as she accepted the flowers from Krislin. He put his hands near his mouth to make his voice carry across the floor. “Stand a few feet to the right, Alannah.”
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
“Sure, you don't mind getting my girlfriend the bouquet now that you're off the hook,” Mattias said at his elbow.
Leander rocked back and forth on the soles of his shoes, smiled at Mattias, then cupped his hands around his mouth. He wasn't done yet. “Sessily, stand right behind Alannah.”
“Hey, hey.” Ahsan knocked his elbow into Leander's hands, disrupting the cat calling. “Stop that.”
“Mattias has a ring already. He just has to pop the question. Sessily doesn't have a ring yet--”
“How do you know?” Ahsan said.
“Because you would have gloated about it,” Mattias added. “The Uncatchable, finally caught.”
Leander laughed.
Chayton and Sander joined the men, forming a loose half circle. Sander rubbed his hands together. “Who's up for a bet? I think Sessily will catch it.”
A moment later, a heated debate and much wagering began.
. . .
“Give it a good toss. No wimpy throws now,” Chey said. She raised her voice and pointed beyond Wynn to the room. “Natalia! You're still single, get out there!”
Wynn, with her back to the dance floor and the gathered girls, shook with laughter at Chey's commands. Chey and Natalia—Sander's sister—had come a long way since their first meeting—for that matter, Natalia had come a long way period. Wynn would never count the woman as a close friend or confidant, but Natalia was tolerable these days, her witchly tongue curbed somewhat by the steady relationship with her prince.
“Is she going?” Wynn whispered.
“Reluctantly. This isn't her thing, to stand out there with common women and try to catch a bouquet. Oh, but she's out there now and not complaining. Wonders will never cease,” Chey said.
“And I don't have a wimpy throw!” Wynn protested the very idea. Secretly, she knew she had terrible aim. The bouquet would wind up somewhere it shouldn't. Guaranteed.
“All right. Everyone ready?” the emcee announced.
The women raised a mild cheer.
“Okay Wynn. Let that thing fly,” Chey said, picking up her own camera to take some pictures.
Wynn experienced a jolt of nostalgia to see Chey with the camera. A photographer by trade, it had been the catalyst for what brought Chey to Latvala in the first place. Chey had beat astronomical odds, found love, and now had a happy new life. Had Chey not made the journey, Wynn wouldn't have followed and wouldn't ever have met Leander.
Fate really did work in mysterious ways.
“Wynn? You're zoning out.”
Snapping back too attention, Wynn gave Chey a sheepish smile, then gripped the bouquet with both hands. “Ready.”
“Okay ladies!” the emcee said. “Three, two, one...”
Wynn flipped the bouquet over her head. She knew the instant it left her hands that the thing was way off trajectory, and gasped as she twisted around, almost afraid to see where it landed. Not only was it way wide of the group of women standing in the middle of the floor, the bouquet sailed toward the knot of smug looking men on the sidelines. Mattias caught it with a grunt of surprise, then flicked it into the air as if it was a hot potato, hasty to be rid of it. Ahsan dodged the thing like it was a hand grenade, drawing guffaws from the crowd.
Leander saved her (and the bouquet). Snatching it out of the air, he tossed it back to the group of girls, laughing while he did so. The flowers arched high, then plopped straight down into Alannah's hands.
Looking momentarily startled, Alannah glanced at Mattias as if to say, should I flick it to someone else?
“Alannah's got it!” Chey called from the front.
“Congratulations to his Highness and Alannah!” the emcee announced, earning a cheer and more applause from the guests.
Mattias, put on the spot, strolled over to Alannah and, without warning, dipped her back over his arm for a dramatic kiss. When he righted her, Alannah was blushing and laughing, and swatted his chest.
Wynn watched it all through misty eyes, enjoying the spectacle. Catching Leander's gaze, she smiled, a little choked up at how perfect her day had been. The next thing she knew, Leander was stalking her way with determination.
“Ladies and gentlemen, let's have a round of applause for the newlyweds and wish them well as they depart for their honeymoon!” The emcee, proving to be astute and alert, diverted the crowd's attention to the front of the dance floor.
Several guests picked up baskets of rose petals set out on the tables for this occasion, and after Leander swept Wynn up into his arms, tossed the white petals into the air.
“Thank you! We'll see you in two weeks!” Wynn wrapped one arm around Leander and waved goodbye to their friends and family. Silky petals rained down landing in her hair, on her dress, and on Leander's shoulders.
Leander stalked out of the great hall, through the foyer, and down the front steps of the castle. Lights strung around the courtyard beat back the da
rkness, illuminating a sleek limousine waiting with the doors already open. As guests shouted well wishes, following in their wake, Wynn settled on the seat with Leander's help, and waved a final time before he climbed in and closed the door.
It reminded Wynn of a whirlwind, her own personal fairytale.
“I love you so much,” she said to Leander, then chuckled when he began tugging on the knot to the tie. She knew he couldn't wait to be rid of it.
He winked and said, “I love you, Wynn. How about a quickie on the way to the airport?”
“You're incorrigible!” She didn't know whether to blush or belly laugh.
“You wouldn't have me any other way.”
He was right. She wouldn't.
Epilogue
The icy grip of winter cut through Leander's heavy coat as if he wore nothing at all, sending chills through his skin and into his bones. Rubbing his gloved hands together for friction, he made a last circuit outside Kallaster castle, gaze sharp on the dark night and snow covered landscape. With three guards out sick, Leander had volunteered to take up the slack.
All was as it should be. Nothing but the casual patrol of other guards moved in the darkness.
Leander took the front steps in pairs, careful not to slip on the ice. Inside, he strolled through the immense foyer, gravitating toward a waiting employee who took his coat and gloves. Once done, Leander followed a long hall, turned right at the last juncture of corridors, and pushed into a formal room half as big as the great hall.
Winter decorations covered most surfaces, from draping pine boughs to colored twinkle lights and nutcrackers as tall as he was. An enormous tree sat in one corner, laden with all manner of ornaments from the elaborate to the primitive home made. Fire cracked in a broad fireplace and seasonal music spilled from hidden speakers, adding to the festive atmosphere.
Natalia was the first to notice him. Dressed stylishly in some top-of-the-line design, looking ready for a runway, the only Ahtissari sister smiled from her position on a piano seat next to her fiance. A prince, of course, because Natalia would settle for no less.
He winked, closing in on a small cluster of people huddled around Wynn's chair.
“There he is. I thought I was going to have to come search for you,” Sander said. He stood casually by, drink in hand, one hip braced against a chair. Chey glanced up briefly with a smile, then stroked her fingertip down the cheek of a newborn in Wynn's arms.
“I was only gone for fifteen minutes,” Leander retorted, nudging Sander's elbow on his way by just as the king was about to take a drink.
Sputtering, Sander 'nudged' Leander in return. “I think it was more like thirty.”
Mattias and Alannah stood on the other side of Wynn, alternating between quiet conversation and admiring the child. Gunnar and Krislin were busy pointing out decorations on the tree to a second newborn that Krislin rocked in her arms.
“Fifteen and not a second more.” Leander leaned over the side of Wynn's chair and kissed her temple, unable to resist dragging a gentle touch over his son's crown. Three weeks old, Leander thought the baby was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. “How is he?” he whispered near Wynn's ear.
“Little mister Jeremiah Morgan has been an angel this evening,” Wynn said, barely able to tear her eyes off the infant. Wrapped in a blanket, only Jeremiah's face and part of his head were visible.
“He's always an angel though,” Chey crooned.
“Not as good as Erick,” Sander replied, puffing up with pride.
Just then, as if on cue, a tiny cry rose above the music. Sander set down his drink and headed for Gunnar and Krislin, grinning as he approached. Krislin handed the newborn, only four weeks older than Jeremiah, over to Sander.
“There's my big boy. Awake and hungry again. You've got an appetite like mine, son,” Sander said. He tucked the baby into the crook of his arm and sauntered back toward the others.
“You two will not start goading these babies into wrestling matches the second they can walk.” Wynn chided Leander and Sander with a smile in her eyes.
Leander chuckled, kissed his wife's brow, then straightened. Walking over to a side bar, he plucked a cold bottle of water from a mini-fridge and twisted off the cap. After a long swallow, he sat down in a chair adjacent to Wynn.
More than a year had passed since their wedding, a year of travel, wedded bliss and now a baby. Chey, having conceived right before Wynn (Leander swore the girls planned to try and get pregnant 'together'), gave birth to her third child mere weeks before Wynn. Looking ahead to the next year, he imagined Erick and Jeremiah growing up together and becoming as close as him and Sander. Maybe as close as him and Mattias. Life had been good, with missions tucked between travel that gave him the adrenaline rush he loved. Wynn hadn't complained like he thought she might, though he'd caught a few wistful, worried glances before he left or when he returned. He didn't begrudge her those feelings.
“What do you think, Leander? Should we retire and put him down for the night?” Wynn asked.
“We can. Are you ready to go?” Leander finished the water and set the bottle aside. They'd been visiting with the Ahtissari family for hours, spending quality time with the infants while the toddlers were fast asleep. Earlier in the week, Ahsan and Chayton had arrived for a two day stay with their significant others. As ever, Leander found it good to catch up with his brethren.
“I think so. I'd like to get some sleep tonight before tomorrow and all the chaos of gift exchanges,” Wynn said.
“We'll be here early, so feel free to come over whenever you get up,” Chey said, stroking Erick's arm while she leaned against Sander's side. She looked content, a lazy smile shared between Wynn and Leander.
“We will.” Wynn, with Leander's help, stood up from the chair.
Leander eased his son into his arms, cradling the baby with all due care. Sometimes he still couldn't believe he was a father. His protective instincts, strong to begin with over Wynn, had increased tenfold since the arrival of Jeremiah.
Goodbyes consisted of gentle hugs and cheek kisses. Leander heckled Mattias, Sander and even Natalia's beau—he didn't miss the sparkle of a ring on Natalia's finger, and decided he'd get the story tomorrow—before escorting Wynn out of the sitting room.
For the occasion, he and Wynn had taken up temporary residence in Kallaster castle. It was easier than combatting the vicious snow storms that had plagued the country for the last two weeks going back and forth between the castle and the cottage.
In short order, Leander opened the door to their suite, automatically extending his senses for signs of an intruder.
Some habits were hard to break.
He heard and saw nothing suspicious. Closing the door behind Wynn, he snapped the bolt over, then walked Jeremiah to the bassinet next to the bed. He nestled the baby into the confines, pausing with Wynn to stare down at the perfection of Jeremiah's tiny nose and chubby cheeks.
“We're very lucky,” Wynn whispered.
“I agree. He's a good baby.”
“I think he looks like you.”
“Really? He's got your darker hair though.” In all honesty, Leander couldn't make heads or tails of who the baby looked like with his wrinkled, pinched face.
“I think we should have another.”
Leander sent a startled look at his wife. “What?”
Wynn laughed. “Not right this second. But maybe in a year.”
“We'll see how we do with this one.” He pulled her against him, rocking her with tender care against his body. Then he plucked a kiss from her lips and went to turn the television on.
“Let's see how much snow we're supposed to get tomorrow.” Leander pulled his shirt up over his head as the news came on. Instead of the weather, which had dominated the news for weeks, there was an urgent report of an outbreak in the Congo. Three-thousand and fifty-two people dead. So far. According to the news anchor, it was the largest outbreak in recent years. Fears that it might spread worldwide had sent reporter
s into overdrive; every channel Leander tried was reporting on the crisis.
The first thing he thought of was his father. Of course. It was always who he thought of when he saw things like this. Could his father be the backbone of the virus or whatever had taken hold in the population? The one responsible for so many deaths, even if he hadn't physically released it into the open?
Leander turned the television off and glanced at Wynn. He could see the same thoughts reflected in her eyes. Maybe a little horror, too, as well as a new understanding of what he'd lived with most of his life.
Tossing the shirt aside, Leander flipped open the button on his pants, leaving the flaps hanging wide.
“Turn around. I'll get the zipper on your dress,” he said in a quiet voice.
Wynn glanced at the dark television screen, then his eyes. She turned around, giving him access to the back of the pretty, brocade dress. “If we can get a signal tomorrow, we should get your mom on the webcam and have another little session with Jeremiah. She enjoys getting to see him.”
In that moment, Leander couldn't have loved Wynn more. Rather than dive into discourse about what they'd seen on television, and what was clearly on both their minds, she deviated to save the mood from a certain downward spiral. He got his fingers on the zipper and buzzed it toward the low of her spine, exposing a wealth of silky skin. He put his mouth on her nape, eliciting a soft noise of pleasure.
“We'll do that. I've promised to fly her out, too, once the weather is somewhat cooperative. I hope you don't mind,” he said.
“I don't mind at all. My parents are coming again for two weeks as soon as the storms break.”
He laughed, breath brushing the side of her throat. The way she shivered tantalized him. “When were you going to tell me?”
“Soon-ish.”
“Soon-ish. You mean two seconds before they walked in the door.” He nipped the side of her neck, using his hands to glide the straps to the dress down her arms. Slow. He was in no hurry.
“Well. I've been distracted.”
“That's no excuse.”
Royal Elite: Leander Page 19