by KC Kean
Releasing a deep breath, I feel a little better now I’ve finally spoken the words out loud. No one has said anything, and as much as I don’t want to look at their reactions, I have to. This is life-changing, and Luna makes me stronger, so discussing it with these guys is nothing in the grand scheme of things.
I look to Roman first, my other source of strength, and the way his eyes tighten I can see his brain working overtime to understand what I just said. Glancing to Kai, he’s as frozen in place as Roman, openly gaping at me. Bringing my eyes to Oscar, I’m surprised to see him frowning, hurt in his eyes, and his usual mischief nowhere to be seen.
“So, she asked you to marry her?” Oscar mumbles, lost in his own mind as he tastes the words against his lips. Finally lifting his gaze to mine, his frown deepens. “What does that mean for me? This is supposed to be about all of us, but it can’t be if she marries you.” There’s no venom towards me in his voice, but I can tell he’s upset.
“It doesn’t have to make anything different, Oscar,” Luna says, gaining all of our attention. She leans against the doorframe with her gaze fixed solely on Oscar, her tired eyes tracking his every movement. Attempting to smooth out her ruffled hair, it’s clearly too much effort, so she wraps her arms around herself.
“What does it mean then?” Roman asks, his knuckles white as he grips the countertop as though his life depends on it.
“Can we sit back in the lounge? I really am tired, but I want to have this conversation.” She offers a soft smile, and it eases some of the tension in the room. Kai is the first to move and plants a kiss on her head.
“Let me grab you a coffee, Sakura. I’ll catch up with you guys in a minute,” he mutters, before busying himself around the kitchen. There’s a tightness in his shoulders, more so than usual. He’s trying to act fine, and give Luna what she needs, but the internal turmoil seeps through him. Tapping his fingers obsessively beside the coffee machine is only one of the noticeable signs.
Patting Roman on the shoulder, I lead the way into the lounge with him right behind me. I can hear Luna murmuring to Oscar, but I don’t catch what she’s actually saying. They soon follow us into the lounge though, taking a seat on the other sofa. When Kai steps in with Luna’s coffee, he sits with Roman and me.
Taking a deep breath, Luna wastes no time getting straight into the conversation. A completely different person to the one sitting in the car earlier. I don’t think the guys would believe me if I described the emotions she showed, or how her fear took over earlier.
“While I was in New York, as I mentioned to Parker earlier, Rafe and Juliana wouldn’t let up about having a conversation about you guys. A lot of which was focused on Parker and his bloodline.” She places her hand on Oscar’s knee in reassurance, stopping the slight bounce in his leg, as she looks to the rest of us. Each of us sitting tensely, side by side, as she explains. “After The Pyramid, I vowed that I would tear them all down, and I meant it.” Her eyes search mine, but she won’t see me arguing with her, we’re all in agreement there.
Roman shuffles beside me, leaning forward with his arms propped up on his thighs as he focuses on her words. Looking past him to Kai, I’m surprised to see him as relaxed as me. Clearly, we know Luna would only ever put us all first.
“It took a lot of discussions before Rafe finally told me Parker’s bloodline. Yet when he said it, it didn’t make me feel any better for him. It actually made me sick in the pit of my stomach, knowing that one significant word would strengthen Rico’s hold over Parker.” Hands clenched tightly in her lap, Luna’s eyes flash with anger as she looks directly at me. “I refuse to let that fucker control and destroy you, Parker. Because he will.” I can’t help it as my body ignites with goosebumps knowing how much she really does care for me.
Besides Roman, this is the first time someone is willing to put me first. To give herself so selflessly, simply to allow me to be myself, it completely floors me. My heart drums in my ears as I truly feel accepted.
“This is my family, here in this room. Nobody else. This is my safe place, and whenever we are together, I’m home.” The words flow freely from my mouth, without thought, which only seems to make them more powerful. Bracing my elbows on my knees, my hands clasped together, I stare straight into Luna’s eyes.
I feel Roman’s hand squeeze my thigh in support, and when I meet his gaze, the contentment I see is surely a reflection of my own. A sniffling sound makes me frown. Glancing over to Luna, I’m shocked to see her face buried in Oscar’s chest, shoulders shaking. He’s gently stroking his fingers through her hair, as she clings to him with her arms wrapped around his neck.
Is she crying? Did I break her?
I look to Roman and Kai for guidance, but they’re both staring in shock too.
“It’s okay, baby girl. I understand now,” Oscar says in her ear, loud enough for all of us to hear. His eyes finally meet mine over the top of her head. “You want to protect Parker and offer him a real family in the process. With you, with us. A family that’s without expectation or hatred.” His words hit me square in the chest, making me feel lighter than I ever have before. I watch as he brings his fingers beneath her chin, tipping her face back to capture her eyes. “Luna, tell me how we do that together, and I’m all in.”
She stares into his eyes for the longest moment, her tears stop, and a smile takes over her face. Lifting up off his chest, she looks around at all us all with her puffy eyes.
The crazy joker, O’Shay.
The quiet, observant, Fuse.
The hot-headed, alpha Rivera.
And me, the obedient bastard. Soon to be Parker Steele.
CHAPTER TWO
(Parker)
** Six Days Before The Games **
Checking myself out in the mirror one last time, I can’t stop the slight tremble that runs through my fingers as I straighten my silver feather cufflinks. My tattoo tingles on my arm at the memory, as my heart soars, knowing I have more happy memories to come. I’m not nervous, excitement courses through my body as if it knows what today means for me. Today is another stepping stone towards being who I’m supposed to be.
Tucking my white shirt into my navy pants, I run my fingers through my curly brown hair one last time before I head into the lounge. The guys are all sitting patiently on the sofas, with some football game on the television, but the second they hear the bedroom door creak, they each cast their gaze in my direction.
The sound of heeled footsteps catches all of our attention, as Luna waltzes into Roman’s apartment as casual as ever. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on, and today she’ll be officially ours. Her heels instantly take me back to the night of the Fall Ball, when I willingly handed over, not only my virginity but my soul. Look how far we’ve all come since then.
“Holy fuck, baby girl. You look divine,” Oscar says, as he stands to approach her. Luna rolls her eyes at him as he grabs her hand and twirls her around.
Luna’s off-white dress sits just above her knees, the lace paneling teasing me with her stunning body that lies beneath. Her golden skin pops with the angelic color, somewhat symbolic for my angel.
“You look beautiful, Sakura,” Kai murmurs, wrapping his arms around her from behind, even though Oscar refuses to let go.
Her eyes stray to Roman, who slowly stalks her way, an instant reminder of the power and control he has. I can see from the sparkle in her eyes, she loves offering that submissive side of herself to him.
I don’t know exactly what happened at the vaults yesterday, but they came back different. Not completely whole, but a lot less broken. There is a new softness between them, another layer of comfort that they take from each other. After that, everything went to hell. Luna was finally able to sit down with the agent, and nothing went her way, our way. We’re a team, a family, so if anything affects our girl, it affects us too.
“Princess, you are stunning as always.” He steps in beside her and brings his lips down on hers. The gentleness surpri
ses me, as he delicately cups her face, consuming her.
I stand exactly where I am, watching them all with her, letting them have this moment because I’m sure as hell going to be getting mine soon enough. Luna must feel my eyes on her, as she pulls back from Roman, with Oscar and Kai still caging her in, and stares at me with her eyebrow raised. With that one look, she’s taunting me, sending a nonverbal challenge, daring me to stay on the sidelines.
Not today, not ever again, I think, as I smile at her taunt.
Joining the group, I stand to her side and place a gentle kiss on her cheek. The four of us wrap our arms around each other, cocooning her in the middle. Surrounded by my family, with my angel between us, I’ve never felt this content. My best friends relax as we all bask in this moment together. This is us.
Looking at Luna, it blows my mind how she instinctively touches us all. Her back leaning against Kai, her head on Oscar’s shoulder while her hands reach out touching both Roman and I.
“I can’t fucking breathe, you Aceholes,” she groans, making us finally give her some room. “Are you ready?” She turns to face me, straightening my collar, waiting for me to answer her question.
“You know it, angel,” I answer, looking around at the others.
Since our talk, everyone has been one hundred percent on board. Rafe, and Luna’s grandmother, Maria, have offered a lot of help and guidance in what is expected in a traditional Featherstone marriage.
“How are your tattoos?” I ask, and the guys all look at me with wide smiles and pride in their eyes. They’re topless already, in only their sweatpants. Stepping back, they all drop their waistband a little, showing off their hips where the brand new ink marks their skin.
The Diana, Goddess of the Hunt symbol, sits perfectly in black strokes. Three arrows pointing upwards, with a crescent moon wrapping around them. I haven’t gotten mine yet, the tradition states that the party who marries into the specific bloodline by law has to be marked by a specific bloodline within Featherstone. The tradition for multiple parties in a Featherstone marriage is that one is legally married, while the others bear the bloodline symbol. It didn’t state anything about who had to tattoo the others, so Luna did it herself. Which I think only strengthened the emotional bond between them, making it even more personal. By the end of today, we will all wear the tattoo of the Steele bloodline.
My angel agreed to leave no one out, making us all one family. I will become Parker Steele, while the others will have a double surname, with Steele at the front. It fits perfectly for each of them as if it was always meant to happen.
Roman Steele-Rivera.
Oscar Steele-O’Shay.
Kai Steele-Fuse.
“You better get someone to FaceTime us, understood? I hate that we can’t go. I know we have to keep it under wraps, so this is my compromise. I want to watch, okay?” Roman says, looking between Luna and me.
“I promise, baby,” Luna whispers, rising up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his lips.
Oscar moves in, tapping her on the shoulder expectantly. He doesn’t say a word, just closes his eyes and puckers his lips for her. When she releases Roman and catches sight of him, her eyes soften instead of the eye roll I was expecting.
Lifting her hands to his jaw, she strokes his cheek as she presses her lips to his. Glancing at Kai and Roman, they’re just as surprised as I am at the delicateness Oscar shows in return. Usually, when Luna and Oscar are together they bite and nip at each other, always wanting to leave a mark. Right now in front of us, they’re taking their time, and they’ve never looked hotter together.
Kai seems to have had enough and steps up behind her, kissing down her neck and making her moan into Oscar’s mouth. Turning between them, she crushes her mouth to Kai’s, whose grip on her hips has his knuckles turning white. Huh, apparently Kai can get a little feisty.
“Hurry home,” Kai murmurs, placing a kiss on her head and maneuvering her to stand in front of me. The shy smile on her face gets my heart racing, and I reach my hand out intertwining our fingers.
“Let’s go and forge our own path, angel.”
*****
(Kai)
Roman holds his door open for me as I silently enter, his grey wooden floors, white walls, and black gloss furniture coming into view. Parker and my Sakura should be calling any minute now, for us to watch the ceremony. I’m trying to exude a calm demeanor even though I’m nervous inside.
The three of us decided to go to the gym to work out while we waited, instead of sitting around in foul moods. We sparred until our bodies ached, pushing through the lingering aggression we had. It helped a little, but I’ll feel better when my Sakura is home. I hate that we couldn’t be there with them.
After our chat the other day, it was without question that we all agreed this is the right decision. Making sure Parker is the legal partner while we all wear the mark of her bloodline and incorporate her surname with ours. The contentedness that has settled over my soul is indescribable. Luna continued to say that it’s all about Parker’s safety, but we all know it’s more than that. If it weren’t, none of us would be doing this, including her.
Taking a seat on Roman’s sofa, I place my phone on the table, ready for it to ring. I’ve already set up the Bluetooth connections between my phone and Roman’s television, so when they do call we can watch the ceremony on the big screen.
Oscar is already here, sitting on the other sofa, but we’re all too on edge again to talk. The anxiety in the room is palpable. No one is happy that we are so far away, but we can have a do-over. We can go all out when it’s safer and really show our girl she is the only one for us.
Roman takes the seat beside me, his leg bouncing in anticipation as he finally breaks the silence.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” he mutters, rubbing a hand through his damp brown hair. “She is so willing to put others first, taking care of us without question. She doesn’t even realize the impact she has on us. What do I offer her in return? Nothing, I just keep the past a fucking secret and …”
“Shut your mouth, Rome. You can’t stay in the past, man. She’s moved on from all of that, and you need to as well. We all need each other, but Luna is our glue. Don’t project your own insecurities onto her,” Oscar says in exasperation, frowning at Roman. I can’t deny that I’m slightly impressed with him talking sense and standing his ground.
Before Roman can respond, my simple ringtone fills the room and I rush to answer it. Within a few seconds, the screen comes to life.
“Is this thing even on?” Luna murmurs, with the phone in her hand, the camera directed at her chest.
“Of course it’s on, angel. Honestly, how are you so good at tech but a simple video call throws you off?” Parker chuckles in the background.
“Fucking, Acehole.” I love it when she mumbles that at us, most of the time I don’t think she realizes she’s saying it out loud.
“Hey, baby girl. As much as I love looking at your tits, I love looking at your beautiful face even more,” Oscar calls out, and their faces instantly appear on the screen.
Parker’s chin is resting on Sakura’s shoulder as he stands behind her and holds the phone up, while she crosses her arms and glares. Everyone chuckles except Luna, but her face softens at the sound of our laughter.
I can’t see very much around them, with the direction they’re holding the phone, but I can see they’re at the courthouse. Pale blue walls and a few orange cushion chairs are all there is to the room.
I know Rafe and Juliana should be there somewhere, as the two witnesses needed, but I can’t see them yet.
“Are you all set?” I ask, and they nod in response.
“Yes, this very nice man who works here is going to hold the phone,” she says, glancing to her left and a sigh can be heard in the distance.
“Who the fuck just sighed at my Princess? Get him on the screen! I swear to god I’ll come down there and …”
“Baby, chill the fuck out,” Luna sna
ps, stopping Roman’s rant from escalating any further.
“Relax, Roman. I know everyone’s emotions are high right now, but she doesn’t need us adding to that pressure,” I whisper. He takes a deep breath, looking at the ceiling to calm himself down, clenching his hands on his knees as he focuses.
Oscar jumps on the sofa with us, getting in the frame so Luna can see him too.
“Miss Steele, are you ready to begin?” A man asks quietly. Luna nods, blowing a kiss towards the phone, before handing it off to someone.
They stand together in front of an older man in a suit, in the small room. Nothing at all what our Luna deserves, but she looks beautiful all the same. Not a single ounce of worry or tension appears on her face, as she smiles brightly at Parker.
The way this guy is holding the camera I can finally see Rafe and Juliana, standing beside them. I notice Rafe is beginning to get emotional like he doesn’t know what to do with himself.
I feel a hand squeeze my shoulder, but I don’t see who it belongs to because I can’t pull my eyes away from the couple on the screen. Parker and Luna stand with their hands joined between them as the officiant goes through the motions.
“Do you, Parker Manetti, promise to love and cherish this woman, in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, for better for worse, until death do you part?”
I see his mouth move as he says ‘I do’ but my brain is frozen on his name. It completely slipped my mind that Luna found out his surname in the midst of the whole marriage talk. Glancing to my left the other two also look in a state of shock.
“Do you, Luna Steele, promise to love and cherish this man, in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, for better for worse, until death do you part?”
“I do,” she responds confidently. She looks brighter, her body completely relaxed.
“I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.” The officiant steps back as Parker pulls Luna towards him, his fingers tight around her waist. Luna’s hands rise to his neck. The smile they share hits me straight in the heart, as they lean in to kiss each other. The respect and appreciation they feel for one another blows me away.