"You look beautiful, Makoto. Stop being so nervous." Midnight entered my mind. I bet all my spirits could feel how nervous I was – my hands trembled with nerves.
"But this is my first event with other people and humans. What if I don't fit in? Or people don't like me? I know Kai and the others said they wouldn't leave my side, but I'm scared to interact with strangers." I disclosed.
I walked back to the standing mirror in the corner of the room, looking at my reflection for the twentieth time.
I wore a maxi, sequin gown; the material started as white, transitioning into rose gold and finishing in orange – the entire material was lathered in sparkling crystals that glittered in the light. The extravagant cloth clung to my figure, accenting every curve. The sleeveless top half with the sewn in padding held my breasts in place; as if it was a bra itself. I even ran around the room in an attempt to see if I'd have a slip-up, but the material covered my lady bits well, making me wonder where Kai had purchased this dress and if they could make my entire wardrobe.
Sure, I loved fancy, lace bras and their beautiful jeweled designs, but every female shifter would come to a unanimous agreement that the best feeling in the world was taking off that steel infused material and throwing it as far as possible. Boobs deserved to be free.
I guess it would be a problem in a group of attractive men. Hard nipples and thin t-shirts would catch more attention than I needed. I got enough attention fully clothed.
I shook my mind out of the thoughts, continuing to inspect my outfit.
I wore a Swarovski necklace – the rose gold ensemble flickered in the light. It had one large stone followed by multiple miniature ones. In between the jewels were white pearls; each pearl had a few mini silver crystals. The remainder of the necklace alternated between silver and pearl beads. They matched the rose gold studded earrings I wore – a dangling pearl with two silver beads hung from the stud.
I wore white shoes from this brand called Christian Louboutin. I didn't know what was so special about them. I just thought it was a tad weird to put red underneath a shoe when no one would see it. Like, did people lift their feet in pictures just to show off the brand? Actually, scratch that. They probably did. With the female shifters of Knightwood, I bet they would do high kicks that showed their underwear and pose on cars to show off their designer shoes.
My nails were done, courtesy of Marcus. You would have never expected my big buff dragon knight to delicately apply nail polish with such accuracy; you would’ve thought one wrong stroke would be the end of the world. He admitted he used to paint Eli's nails when they were younger just to cheer her up.
Daniel did my hair which was in multiple loose curls, many of my front strands pulled back and put together in an interesting knot work I knew I would never be able to achieve on my own. He had inserted rose gold flowers – the little hair pieces were sprinkled in the pinkish color and then he carefully added a little glitter in my hair to finish the look.
EliaseAnne had finished my makeup, giving me a smokey eye with white, silver and black shadows transitioning in an ombre effect. Add in the black, waterproof eyeliner, double boost mascara, and false lashes and my eyes looked full and dynamic.
I didn't need to use contacts for this event, seeing as many of the guests would be shifters who "played" human. We were still required to hide our auras for the human’s sake. Didn't want to be in a room with aura leaking shifters. The venue would be packed with many people, and it would be humid inside. Our multiple auras would just make things worse.
Finally, I wore light blush and a nice shimmer highlight to match the red lipstick that completed my look. The shade always brought out my eyes the best, and EliaseAnne insisted I wear the color again. Even Scarlet and Cece had text messaged earlier to declare red lipstick was a must. I was excited to see the duo with their group of friends; or in Scarlet's case, love interests.
I took a deep breath.
You got this Mako. You're not gonna screw up and become a laughing stock to the entire human race. Nope, you're totally gonna be just fine. You look decent. Just smile and try not to burn the place down...or trip on air...or bump into anyone...or ask for milk. Hmm, I wonder if they have milk. Do they have champagne? Isn't that what Ryder called it? Does it taste like milk? From the picture, it looked like sparkling pee...hmmm. That would be pretty nasty.
"Baby, I pray to Starlight the champagne isn't urine and no alcohol for you. Remember last time?"
I turned my head to the doorway; Ryder closed the door gently behind him before his eyes landed on mine.
His smile widened into a teeth-revealing smile, and his expression softened before he walked towards me.
My eyes roamed his maroon colored suit – his white silk dress shirt matched with his fitted maroon pants and coat complimented him perfectly. Add in the Christmas inspired purple tie with gold and turquoise snowflakes, gold cufflinks and black dress shoes, he looked beyond attractive. His jet-black hair was styled to the side; a few strands fell to his face but merely complimented his features.
It made me want him all to myself tonight and if that was the case, I couldn't imagine how the others looked. My eyes would be having a lot of trouble not getting distracted.
When he stopped before me I smiled, licking my lips as I allowed my hand to roam against the soft material of his coat, pressing my body against him as I whispered into his ear.
"Why are you so hot? It's distracting."
"You’re one to talk, my princess. You're the queen of distraction." He whispered back; his arm wrapped around my waist before placing a light kiss on my neck.
"Hey, no hickeys. You know how hard it was to hide the multiple ones everyone else slathered on me." I complained. Ryder pulled away to give me a look – his eyebrow raised.
"Uh huh. Yet, three little birdies told me that a dragon shifter kidnapped their princess and whisked her away to his lair, but instead of cries for help, they heard what sounded like a lot of moaning." He mused, chuckling as my face flushed.
"That...that doesn't count! I was uh...charmed. Yes, charmed."
"By what, Marcus' handsome features or his seductive voice? No, it was his hair, wasn't it?" Ryder inquired. I smacked his chest; my face red with embarrassment.
"You’re just jealous it wasn't you." I countered back, narrowing my eyes. He took a moment to think before returning my scrutinizing look.
"Yes. I'm very hurt that he took my idea to kidnap you first. I'm supposed to get first dibs remember?"
"You were too slow." I joked; my hands hooked around his neck, pressing my body against him. He took a glance down at my breasts, which were extra plump with them pressed against his chest. I was glad the gown material was thick, hiding my arousal. It would be quite eye-catching if my hard nipples were on display.
"Hmm, it seems so. But I won't miss out next time." He whispered, pressing his forehead against mine – those lovely lips barely touched mine.
"If it wasn't for the fact Eli's banned me from kissing any of you in fear of ruining her hard work, I would be kissing you right now," I admitted; my breathy voice filled with desire. I didn't realize how much my body craved my demon knight until this very moment – being so close but unable to please one another. I already ached to feel him slide inside me – to fill me and fuck me till I cried in ecstasy.
From the heated gaze he gave me to his hands which had somehow gripped my ass, I knew the feeling was mutual. I knew our date wouldn't happen until tomorrow, but I definitely needed some Ryder time.
"I know." He whispered; his eyes flickered back and forth. Rose was already at the edge of my mind. I gave her a moment to take control – Ryder's eyes bled to black as Stryker took over.
~ROSE~
I blinked out of my temporary daze, smiling as my lover pressed against me; his lips mere centimeters from mine.
"Hello, handsome."
"Hello, beautiful."
He pulled me into a hug; my nose inhaled his rosy scent which was mixed with
a nice cologne. I couldn't name what scent it was, but the combined aroma made me melt into his arms, enjoying every inhale.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better. Much better. Thank you, my love." I whispered, hoping my words could demonstrate how truly thankful I was to have him in my life.
"Always, my flower. I'll always be here to listen and comfort you."
"I know," I replied, giving him a squeeze. We pulled apart slightly, to look into one another's eyes, enjoying the silence surrounding us.
"We have a date tomorrow night. Make sure you aren't late." Stryker reminded.
"I'm never late," I argued.
"Remember when we were in Earthala last time and you promised to be on time for that event, but Mako couldn't wake you up."
I blushed, the memory flashed through my mind.
"That wasn't my fault! Uh...it was the alcohol, I swear." I argued, trying to think of an excuse. If humans could blame alcohol, so could I.
He chuckled, amused with my answer before shaking his head.
"Yup, blame the poor liquid that causes you to sleep through our date."
"I woke up later on."
"Ya. That was fun." He agreed, winking.
He closed his eyes, pressing his lips against my forehead. I smiled; enjoying the affection Stryker rarely portrayed. It was something I truly cherished.
"I think we should let our hosts go have fun. I don't need to listen to Eli's nagging about how late we are." Stryker sighed, sounding irritated.
"Oh please. EliaseAnne doesn't nag. She just repeats over and over again about how unprofessional it is to be late, while attempting not to break anything five inches away. Totally, not considered nagging." I retorted.
"Definitely nagging in my book."
"Your book needs an update."
"And we need to go." Stryker reminded me.
"Fine, fine. I'll fall to your demands today." I joked.
"I'm not demanding."
"You are in bed."
"That's not demanding. That's me being dominant."
"Same thing."
"It's certainly not."
Stryker flinched; a curse left his lips. I tilted my head in amusement.
"Let me guess; Eli snuck into the knight bond and just told you to hurry the fuck up."
He groaned, rolling his eyes.
"Elyion! Don't make me come out there if you keep that nagging up." Stryker called out. His threat was greeted with silence. He returned to face me.
"Sorry, I seriously can't stand when she does that. I don't get how Ryder has so much patience with that bond feeling shit. It's a pain in the ass. I'm switching back for the sake of my sanity. Let's have fun later." He bid farewell.
"Okay," I replied. I didn't catch his movement until his lips were already on mine; placing a quick peck on my red lips before retreating.
"Hey!" I called out, but he was already gone – Ryder returned as he blinked a few times.
"You know he doesn't play by the Do not kiss the princess rules," Ryder revealed, giving me a slight smile.
"I know. Demons don't like to follow rules." I admitted. I leaned forward giving Ryder a peck on the lips; my sudden gesture made him look confused.
"Have fun with my Makoto. You look hot." I finished, pulling back to give Makoto control.
~MAKOTO~
Ryder’s arms tightened around me, keeping me from losing balance as I tried to reorient myself.
"Thanks." He nodded.
"We should get going. Eli's annoying Elias which makes him anxious. I can already feel it leaking into our bond.
"Eli really hates being late."
"Yup. I think it’s one of those pet peeves." Ryder replied. He let go of me before taking a step back, giving me a deep bow as he gestured with his hand.
"May I have the honour to escort our Princess to the other knights?" I giggled, shaking my head at his gallant display.
"Of course. Just don't bow anymore. It's my pet peeve." I reminded with an amused grin.
"I know." He acknowledged, rising up with his hand still outstretched; my hand landed in his.
He escorted me out into the hallway, turning to our left to reveal my remaining three-star knights.
I sighed in awe; my eyes struggled to stay on one knight for too long before moving to the next.
Marcus was on the far right. He wore a sapphire silk dress shirt, black pants and navy dress shoes that looked shiny against the light. His hand held the collar of his suit jacket which was black with blue lining, draped against his back.
His caramel brown hair was in his famous man bun style; every strand placed perfectly and held with a black band. He'd shaved his beard to a small stubble style, and wore a blue, bow tie. His ring that had a sapphire jewel in the middle and silver cufflinks complimented him well.
Elias was in the middle; sporting an emerald green dress shirt, white pants, and dark green shoes. His white tie had a chibi little elf with fairy wings carrying a large gold present.
He wasn't wearing a coat like the others, but a white vest embroidered with a nice detailed pattern. His blonde locks looked like his usual hairstyle but were styled to give him a neat, sophisticated appearance. Those emerald jeweled-like eyes I adored were now black thanks to what I assumed were contacts, making him look different.
Daniel stood to my far left. He wore mustard colored dress pants; the black and grey, multiple square designed belt with the letters LV at the center of his waist complimented the black dress shirt and gold tie which had different colored presents falling from the top half. His jacket was the same mustard color as his pants but outlined with black. He wore black shoes and gold cufflinks to complete the look.
His ashy blonde hair was tied up in a neat ponytail, every strand in place and gelled to stay that way. He had his gold-rimmed glasses on; bright brown contacts in place to hide his normal golden ones. I knew he and the others would have to wear contacts. Only, Marcus could get away with his eye color – most people thought he wore colored contacts to begin with.
I could only imagine how Kai looked – probably wearing something centered around his favorite, designated color – orange.
I wasn't the only one taking my time to analyze our glammed-up appearance. All three of my knights had been looking me up and down the entire time – admiration present in their eyes but also a hint of lust. They were doing a better job than Ryder who hadn't tried to hide his desire for me.
"Good evening Princess." They said in unison.
"Hello, my handsome star knights." I replied, earnestly. The three of them walked forward to reach our side.
"You look as hot as hot chocolate," Elias commented. I giggled.
"I like hot chocolate, so I guess that's a good thing."
"I do too…especially when I get to devour it." Marcus disclosed, winking. I blushed before Lexi took over for a split second.
"Of course, you do." She winked, retreating after witnessing Marcus' face grow tomato red. The others laughed.
"Marcus can't handle Lexi haha," Daniel commented.
"Right? I'm surprised Ryuu can. She's far too daring." Ryder chuckled.
"Hey, I so too can handle her...when she's not as dominant in nature."
"Which is when?" Elias questioned. Marcus frowned, looking away.
"Never."
We all broke out in laughter – Marcus' flustered face looked beyond cute.
"Are we ready to go? And wait a minute, I thought you guys weren’t going to wear contacts? And, Ryder. Why aren't you wearing contacts if the others are?" I turned to face him, my hand still in his.
"They irritate my eyes. Plus, if Stryker takes over he always dissolves them due to the power shift in our eyes. It's such a waste. Contacts are expensive." Ryder complained.
"I'll place a glamour on him. Doesn't take much energy to hold for the night, so we should be good." Elias confirmed.
“But, do you have to wear them?” I pondered.
“It makes our lives easie
r. Sure, there are other shifters there, but our group stands out to begin with. We like to attempt to blend in and not give the impression that all of us are shifters.” Marcus explained.
"Okay. Shall we go?" I questioned.
"Of course. Let's have fun tonight, Princess." Ryder declared, the others nodded in agreement.
"Yes. Off to the Galleria."
Chapter Thirteen
It had been a marvelous night so far; my nervousness morphed into enjoyment when we arrived exactly as Scarlet's crew showed up – their white limo an identical model to our black one. Ryder and Daniel took to my sides – their arms hooked in mine as they escorted me on the red carpet.
Can you believe they put such a high-quality rug on the ground just for people to walk on? Like sure, maybe if you were the King or Queen of Earthala, you got some special privileges, but I didn't see what the hype was all about. Marcus and Elias were right behind us as we made our way to the entrance.
My group of knights stood out from the vast amount of people. I swear, people practically gave the group space as they stood there in fancy attire. Not to mention they were like giants! Most of them taller than my Marcus. They must have drank tons of milk when they were young to make them stretch out to such heights.
One of the males who had ashy blonde hair currently hanging loose but elegantly down his back turned around to face us – enchanting gold eyes greeted us. I gawked, attempting not to lose my footing as we continued our walk towards the group.
Holy Starlight, it’s a copy of Daniel. But, older?
Daniel chuckled, Ryder, Marcus, and Elias snickered.
"Yes Makoto, it's my older self who traveled from the future to greet us at such an event he'd experienced ten cycles ago."
I turned to eye him; unable to determine whether he was actually serious or pulling my leg. The older Daniel look-alike took five steps forward – meeting us halfway.
"Well, I'll be. If you’re able to make my younger brother laugh, it must mean you’re Makoto." He gave me a serene smile. I had to take another double take, looking at the man hooked around my arm on my left versus the man before me.
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