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“This isn’tmy kind of Christmas,” Kylie said cheerfully as we tugged a satin tablecloth straight in the feline kin’s banquet hall. “Give me paper streamers and dorky plastic Santas.”
I shook my head at her with a smile. “I can only imagine the looks of horror I’d get from these shifters if I dared to disgrace their alpha’s estate with anything even slightly tacky.”
“Me too,” Kylie said. “That’s why I think it’d be worth it. Let them squirm.” She winked at me and straightened up, brushing her hands together. She must have recently re-dyed the bright pink in her hair, because her pixie cut gleamed almost neon under the crystal chandeliers. “Okay, what’s next?”
My best friend had flown down from New York to meet up with us here in Florida even though she’d also be joining us for the final celebration on West’s estate, much closer to her home. “Why only have one Christmas with my bestie when I can have two?” she’d said. “Anyway, Iknowyou. You’re going to need someone jumping in to make sure you don’t try to do everything yourself, mama-to-be.”
I’d grumbled something about how I already had four alpha mates hovering over my every move, but I hadn’t really protested the idea. I didn’t get to see Kylie anywhere near as often as when we’d been making ends meet on the streets together. She was the one who’d really helped me get back on my feet after I’d fallen in with a bad crowd, stealing just for the privilege of getting to sleep on a concrete floor and share a little food. We’d finally gotten an apartment together, ready to build a new life, when my mates had found me.
Of course, I hadn’t exactly left Kylie behind as I’d moved into mynewnew life as queen of the shifters. She’d fought alongside us in the battle against the vampires—and caught the interest of one of West’s lieutenants, a fennec fox shifter named Felix. West had sent Felix to New York to act as liaison with the new vampire king, and as far as I could tell Kylie and him had been honeymooning it up together ever since.
“The candle sticks are in that box,” I said, hustling over to it as I pointed. “I’m thinking four per table, spread out at equal distances.”
“I don’t think they’re going to measure the spaces in between them,” Kylie said.
“Have you met these people?” I said, only half joking. “Some of them totally will.” The feline kin, like cats everywhere, didn’t take all that well to authority—especially when the person calling the shots for them wasn’t even feline. They gave Marco a hard enough time of it now and then, and he was one of them. They’d been skeptical of me and my questionable upbringing in human society from the moment I’d turned up. And calling them finicky would have been a huge understatement.
“They’ve been going a little easier on you, haven’t they?” Kylie said as she grabbed a few of the silver candlesticks from the box. “I mean, you’ve been kicking butt since you showed up. What could they possibly complain about?”
“Mostly I get the impression they’re still reserving judgment,” I said. “Which means, waiting until they find a moment that theycanjudge, when they’ll happily jump all over me for making a mistake.” Which was why I wanted this particular celebration to be absolutely perfect. Why wasn’t the wine here yet?
But the tablecloths were almost as shiny as the chandeliers, and the wine that had arrived was an uber expensive Italian red that Marco had approved of, and the kitchen staff were whipping up all sorts of delicacies from rare ingredients I’d ordered in from around the world. The feline kin liked to feel they were a little superior—well, tonight I was going to cater to that sensibility completely. Other than the little surprise I had planned for the end, which I was hoping would appeal to a different side of their natures.
This night had better work out without a hitch.
As if echoing my anxiety, my daughter twitched restlessly inside me. I paused for a second with my hand braced against the table, the other rubbing the shape of her through my belly.Hey there. Settle down. And can we try to keep those heels away from my liver?
“Are you okay?” Kylie said, her eyes wide, immediately on high alert.
“Just a normal bit of kicking,” I said, straightening up. “She’s definitely a strong one—and she doesn’t let me forget it.”
“Hmm. Sounds like someone else I know.” Kylie grinned, but her gaze lingered on the bulge of my belly, concern still shadowing her face.
“Hey,” I said, giving her shoulder a squeeze. “I’m all right. Really. I’m pretty sure it’s the job of all babies to make their moms as uncomfortable as possible in the last few weeks so we’ll be looking forward to the part where they come out more than dreading it.”
Kylie laughed. “Okay, okay. You know, you’re my first friend who’s gone the mom route. I don’t have any practice at the whole godmother thing yet.”
“You’ll get plenty,” I promised, and then couldn’t help waggling my eyebrows at her. “And maybe I should be watching for you to ‘go the mom route’ sometime soon? You and Felix just seem to get cozier and cozier.”
Kylie laughed again, but she also blushed. Ah ha. A year and a half was by far the longest I’d ever known Kylie to be hooked on or hooking up with a guy—clearly they had something special. Not that I could picture her totally settling down any time soon.
“I was worried things might go off the rails when we moved in together,” she admitted, her voice dropping. “But… it’s actually been even better. Not that we never have little arguments or anything, but he gets me. And I get him. It’s the first time I’ve ever had that. With a guy, anyway. Obviously he’ll never replace you as bestie.” She tapped me playfully with her elbow and went back for more candlesticks.
“You’ve been holding out on me,” she called over her shoulder. “What’s my god-daughter’s name going to be, huh?”
“If I’m holding out on you, then I’m holding out on myself too,” I said. “I don’t know yet. I think I’ve got to see her before the right one will come to me.”
Kylie made a disgruntled sound. “Since when are you indecisive? You’d better spill the beans as soon as you’re ready.”
“Of course,” I said. My throat tightened a little. Maybe it wasn’t like me to waver over a decision for months. But my daughter would have her name for her whole life. She was the first person I’d ever given a name to. When I picked one, I wanted to be completely sure of it.
As I fished out the candles themselves, elegantly tapered cylinders of pure white that gave off a pleasantly warm waxy smell, a couple of feline kin passed the doorway and peered into the room. They only paused for a few seconds, but their vaguely impressed expressions as they took in the décor gave me a boost of confidence.
Maybe I could pull this off without any of Marco’s prominent families making snarky remarks about my tastes or approach. They were so good at getting in those subtle jabs. It was a delicate political dance, setting them in their place without seeming phased.
Who would have guessed that maneuvering cat shifters would end up becoming one of my main concerns in life?
Nate appeared a few minutes later holding a handful of forks. “Apparently each of these sets is equally fancy silverware,” he said, fanning them for my inspection. “I didn’t know which design you’d like more.”
