I laugh. The others have been a bad influence on my ancient warrior, teaching him about all kinds of sex positions and things to try with me.
I slip inside, heading toward my room. We've had a few minor renovations done to my place, knocking out the guest room to make the main room big enough for a huge bed and a second bathroom.
Just as I step into our room, Jessica floats through one of the walls, squinting at me. She's seen me naked plenty of times—more often lately now that I've been shifting so much with Kaenon.
"I'm proud," she announces.
"Of?"
"I was just outside, and I saw that little shimmy. I'm just proud that your wholeno-shimmyingrule went right out the window with your other silly rules when you started boning your husbands."
Husbands.
It's true. A couple of months ago, I married my quintet members and keeper. It was a beautiful, simple, small early-summer wedding held at a little venue in Koasville. The Amatos, the Baird quintet, the entire Decimus clan, Jada and her quintet, Noah, Stephanie, and a few of my friends and coworkers who stuck up for me while I was all over the news showed up for it. Even Zak's demon relatives came, even though I can't count the number of times Asher sighed about having demons at our wedding.
He couldn't complain about infernal things at our wedding, though, since Devil was our ring-bearer.
We also had ghosts.
I let everyone know in the wedding invites that my wedding would be a little haunted, since my maid of honor would be my dead best friend. There were still some shocked looks when she floated down the aisle pretending to hold a bouquet, visible to all, thanks to her passing through Maven first. Athanis was there, too, since he and Jessica have been officially dating since around the time my guys and I bonded.
Neither of them has been reaped yet. I don't fully understand it, but I'm grateful. Kaenon's also been happy to have a friend from his time still around.
The best part of the wedding was being able to share it with so many peoplewithouthaving to feel what they were feeling or worrying that I might accidentally touch someone and project my emotions. After bonding as a quintet, I quickly realized that now, I can choose when to feel others' feelings and when to share my emotions.
My guess is that it has something to do with the altered blessing from Arati on Asher’s back. I have so much control over my empathic abilities now that it'sfantastic.I can choose tojust be normal one moment, and the next, I can be sharing my emotions with one or all of my husbands.
"Oop. El? You're dripping."
Jessica's words draw me out of thought. I frown down at myself, confused about what she means, until I see the little droplet of blood on the floor.
Oh.
My period's starting.
Immediately, I block any of my emotions from my bond with my guys. I've subtly kept them out of the loop every time I've had a period over the last few months, so they won't have to feel the cramps and such.
I also don't want them to sense the twinge of disappointment I have right now.
Which is silly. I shouldn't be frustrated. We've only been trying for a few months—with most legacies, it takes a lot longer to get pregnant, if they ever manage it.
"Hey. You okay?" Jessica checks when she sees my downcast face, her brow furrowed.
"I'm good. I'm just going to hop in the shower, and that'll help. I think I saw your boyfriend haunting Zak's new bike," I add.
"That fae isfascinatedwith modern mechanics," Jess grins. "If he wasn't born thousands of years ago, he would be one of those guys today who drool over cars. I keep telling him completely bullshit facts and acting like I know everything about cars and motorcycles, and he just buys it. I love him."
"You're kind of evil, but I love that for you."
"Me too," she sings, floating back through the wall.
With a sigh, I clean up the droplet and get in the shower, grateful for the warmth and steam when the cramping and other oh-so-wonderful symptoms start. Nearly forty minutes later, I'm dressed in a little sundress with a sweetheart neckline that Ibought recently. As I'm detangling my hair, Zak pokes his head into the bathroom with a slight frown.
"Candy? Why the hells are you keeping your—fuck, I like that dress on you."
I grin at him, doing a little spin. "Nice, right?"
He's thoroughly checking me out now. "Sofucking nice, but I can't remember what I was saying. Oh, right—why are you keeping your feelings from us? Something wrong?"
