Felicity hisses, glancing back at us.
Gael rests his head on my shoulder, and we both stare at her, daring her to make any kind of remark in front of us in our own house.
Felicity straightens her spine and turns her attention back to Phineas. “Why is your mate kissing another man? This isn’t how mates act. You said Sin was your fated mate. That’s not—” She stops talking, angrily gesturing to me and Gael. “This isn’t finding your fated mate. You’re confused, and moving in with Sin and Gael is a mistake.”
I stare at Phin over Felicity’s shoulder. His beautiful eyes remain affixed on his sister, but Gael speaks, pulling his attention back to us. “Phineas has not made a mistake.”
Phin stares at us with longing, and I mouth to him, “I love you.”
I don’t understand the context of this conversation, but Phin is ours and we are his, and Felicity is out of line.
Phin moves around her toward us, and we separate to welcome him between us. Gael rests his hand on Phin’s nape, and I turn, grabbing his ass as I slide my other hand up under his beard to rest it against his sternum. The three of us stare at Felicity.
Without him telling us, Gael and I know that Phin can’t get the words out, so I do it for him. “We can’t live apart from Phin. He belongs to us both.”
Gael weaves his other hand into Phin’s beard, pulling our lover’s face down to his. “And we belong to him.” Gael kisses Phin softly, and I watch Felicity’s eyes widen in surprise and maybe a little horror.
Before she recovers, I narrow my gaze on her. “If you have a problem with us, it is perhaps better if you leave. Phin deserves the best of everything in this life, and that means we’re not going to let whatever this bigotry is into this house.”
Phin sighs, whispering, “This is my sacred place. With both of them.”
Felicity draws in a sharp breath, darting her gaze back to Phin. I don’t know what she sees or hears, but some kind of decision happens in her expression and her entire demeanor softens toward Phineas. “Oh. I—I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize?—”
Phin shrugs helplessly. “Neither did I.”
She reaches out, pressing a hand to his chest next to mine. “I don’t know how this is possible, but so few of us ever find our sacred place. I’m so, so jealous right now, and happy for you.” She blinks tears out of her eyes, frowning and smiling at the same time.
Phin smiles, flushing with happiness. “Thank you.”
I’m going to have to find out what a sacred place means to them, but I suspect it has to do with the scar they’re callinga mate mark I left on him. Gael owes him one, too. I still remember that visceral instinct when I bit him that told me Gael needed to add his own to the other side of Phin’s neck.
A wave of Gael’s power washes over me again. “Then you’re still welcome here, sister,” he greets her, then to me, an order in a word: “Sin.”
He doesn’t have to tell me what to do. I kiss Phin again, release him, and head to the kitchen. Time to feed my family.
Thirteen Days After Gael Left
Gael
I Just Want to Go Home
As soon as I register the words, the power my grandfather conveyed to me settles on my shoulders with a gentle touch. It’s there, but it’s not quite official. I have to be recognized by the other leaders of the other clans before the mantle of leadership will really settle on me.
It will take some time to organize the summit to appoint a new leader for the mare, but I know it’s already in the works. The leadership of the different species clans appointed a committee that organizes these things so that the leaders can focus on their people rather than the logistics of interspecies politics.
Fuck me. Who knew the years of evening conversations with my grandfather were meant to teach me the ins and outs of being the clan leader?
Taking a breath to clear my head, I open my eyes to the chaos of my family yelling about who should have been Grandpa’s successor. “Silence,” I order them, pushing a tiny amount of thrall through the mantle of leadership.
The room slowly quiets as the thrall takes almost every person willing to follow my lead. Ron’s voice is the last to drop off when he realizes that no one else is speaking. He’s not affected by the thrall because he doesn’t recognize my authority, but that’s fine. Most of the people in this room do, and that strengthens the mantle of magic on my shoulders.
“Someone in this room murdered my grandfather.” The words leave me in a steady, calm voice, disguising the internal rage and grief broiling within me.
“Oh sweetie,” my mother coos, sympathetically. “He died in his sleep. No one?—”
I lift a hand to stop her denial. “Vernon was healthy, and our species lives a hundred and fifty years on average. He had at least thirty good years ahead of him. Someone killed him, and that person is in this room. I’m going to find out who it was, and the life of the murderer will be forfeit. There is no room in our clan for people who have no respect for the sanctity of a person’s life.” I hear the irony of my pronouncement, but I’m not in the mood for mercy. I’ll think about it when I figure out who killed my beloved grandfather.
I close my eyes to filter through the energies in the room. There’s a lot of confusion still, some sympathy, a few people are putting off nervous energy, and Ron is still livid. Uncle Hubert is still siphoning Ron’s energy, even though it smells absolutely disgusting. Like rotting meat.
