“I need to eat before we do anything else. I’m starting to get hangry,” I warn him, and he pales slightly, but instead of putting me down, he hurries over to the table and dumps me into a seat before piling a plate full of food that is conveniently warming on a sideboard.
Both Nox and Titus join me as the others take seats around the large table. Each of them have drinks in hand, but it’s just the three of us who are eating.
“So you’re mated to all of us now,” Gem points out, looking between the three of us. “That’s good. It means we can return to Aramis, and you can be crowned. That will secure your position, and then we can focus on going after the people who took the children and are raising a shifter army.”
“I also need to inform the council of my decision and face challenge day,” I remind him around a mouthful of food. Sure, it’s not very queenly, but I am seriously starving. I have expended a crap load of energy today, and I’m feeling the fatigue. Shifter mating is no fucking joke.
“Pfft. The shifters are going to take one look at the nine of you crowned, and no one will step forward to challenge you,” my father says wryly, looking at me with warmth and pride in his eyes. It makes me feel warm and tingly, and I hope that with whatever will come that I can cultivate a relationship with this man and my sisters.
“Don’t be so sure. Shifters are nothing if not stubborn. I’m sure she will get a few contenders, because no one knows what she shifts into yet,” Hunter tells him, not taking his eyes off me. I can see the possessive, greedy light of his dragon in his gaze. I blow him a kiss, and he slowly winks at me.
“So now that I’m fully mated, the crowning can take place at any time?” I ask, and Gryffin nods.
“Yes. The average time between a human being marked, gaining their magic, finding their mates, and being crowned is two weeks. You’re a little inside that, but being given a bond group saved you from having to pick from a group of random strangers.”
I wrinkle my nose and shudder. “Yeah, not sad I missed all of that,” I admit.
“You’re welcome,” the goddess tells me. “These men were picked for you from your birth. There was never going to be any other option.”
“Even us?” Micah points to himself and Titus, and the goddess purses her lips.
“No, not originally, but I’m nothing if not flexible. My magic saw an opportunity and grabbed it. Having her mate with not only the strongest shifters of their generation, but three of the shunned breeds, is actually a genius idea, and I’m not sure why I didn’t think of it from the beginning. I always knew there was potential for more for Colbie and—” She breaks off, biting her lip like she’s reluctant to admit something. She sighs. “The magic actually got away from me, took over, and marked both of you, but it all worked out for the best.” She stands up and brushes her hands over her pants. “Now I’m going to get back to my own mates. I’ll see you tomorrow at your coronation.”
“Tomorrow? That soon? Surely it will take a day or two to get back to Aramis. We also need to check in with Nox’s parents to see how they are doing with tracking the children.” A wave of intense nerves floods my body with adrenaline, and my hand starts to shake as I lift it toward my mouth again. Everything that was on my fork falls back to the plate, so I lower it until I can get control of myself.
“Titus will portal you all back to the palace, and yes, I will not risk anything happening to you before we can get that crown on your head. Get a good night’s sleep, and by this time tomorrow, you will be the undisputed queen.”
“But challenge day?” Brodie argues, and the goddess turns her gaze on him. He flinches.
“Challenge day is a ridiculous shifter custom that has nothing to do with any of my instructions. I’d like to see them challenge her in front of me.” Her voice has gone cold, and Brodie blanches, nodding his head.
“Of course,” he agrees solemnly, but then he grins and rubs his hands together. “Tomorrow is going to be fun.”
With a wave goodbye, the goddess disappears without another word.
Another rush of nerves swirls in my stomach, and the food I just ate threatens to reappear. I grab my glass of water, take a big sip, and breathe deeply.
“Baby, are you okay?” Nox reaches out, and I grimace.
“Yeah, it’s just a lot, you know?” I explain, giving his hand a squeeze. My nerves are replaced with a rush of emotions that barrel down my connection with the guys—love, pride, and fierce support flood through me, and I straighten my back and shoulders. “But as long as I have all of you beside me, I’m sure I will be fine.” I send them my own wave of emotions—love and thanks and utter joy at having them as my mates.
“Right, I think everyone needs to go to bed. You will all need a good night’s rest. I have assigned a family suite for you, Colbie. It will be yours whenever you visit my kingdom, and I hope you know you are welcome anytime.”
I smile at my father, hiding my amusement at his very dad-like suggestion.
“Thank you. I promise once we have the council sorted and rescue our missing shifter children, I will come back and spend time with you.”
“Ah, Colbie. I don’t think I have to warn you, but I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell your mother who I am. She only knew me as a human male. I have a feeling if you tell her I am Chaos Kingdom’s king, I may find her on my doorstep, trying to rekindle something.”
I frown. “You’re not wrong, but I don’t think my mother is talking to me at the moment. She did much the same thing to me and was subsequently evicted from the shifter zone.”
“Your mother is a piece of work. I shadowed her for a few weeks before I approached her, and she was constantly hitting on rich and influential men, even ones who had partners. All it took was me flashing around a bit of wealth, and she was attached to my hip like a barnacle. It was like shooting fish in a barrel,” he admits reluctantly, looking at me with worried eyes.
That sounds familiar, but I don’t feel sorry for my dad. There were obviously no feelings involved, and although he gave my mom and grandparents a different narrative to remember, my mother has never been one to be loyal to a man.
“I’m sorry. I know what I did is unforgivable, but I hope that someday, we might have a normal father daughter relationship. It’s my greatest wish for all my daughters.” He glares at where the goddess had been standing. I have a feeling their relationship might be a little dented since his discovery of his blocked mate bond and his other child he knew nothing about.
“I’ll show them to their suite,” Titus offers, seeing that I’ve lost my appetite now that the crowning is imminent, and my nerves are wreaking havoc with my stomach.
