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“Thank you,” Holly murmured. He ducked his head and pressed a soft kiss to her lips before letting his hand trail from her cheek, across her shoulder, and down her arm until their fingers were interlaced. Goosebumps trailed in its wake, and Holly shivered despite herself.
He stepped aside so Kallan and Synora could see her better. “Stunning,” Kallan all but growled.
Synora’s green eyes were dark, and the heat in them had Holly’s knees weak as she approached. She had never had such a visceral reaction to a person before, much less to three people. They affected her so much with just a look or a platonic touch. How would it be when they finally had sex?
As Synora stalked toward her, the wordexplosivecame to mind.
Synora stopped a half pace from Holly and lifted her hand up between them. Nestled in her palm was the most beautiful purple flower she had ever seen. She knew nothing like it grew in the shifter territories, so Synora must have made it herself. “May I?” Synora asked quietly.
Holly nodded minutely, barely breathing as Synora lifted the flower to her hair and arranged it behind her ear. She trailed the back of her knuckles down Holly’s cheek once she was finished, and Holly’s breath caught. “Beautiful.”
Holly didn’t know if her cheeks would ever cool down. “Thank you. You all look amazing too.”
“Shall we?” Synora asked, holding out her hand.
Kieran squeezed her hand and let it go so Holly could take Synora’s. They had really mastered this sharing thing quickly. She wondered if they had talked about it when she wasn’t around.
Synora led her toward the noise of the gathering. The celebration was in full swing by the time they arrived. Holly gently tugged on Synora’s hand as they got to the clearing, pulling her to a stop and allowing Bethany and Cody to pass them. Synora looked at her questioningly, but Bethany and Cody got announced a few seconds later, and Synora’s eyes widened in realization.
There was a protocol to these things, and on the shifter territory, Bethany and Cody were the royalty. Zack waited back with Holly and her mates, his eyes on Bethany and Cody, his expression hard to read. Holly reached out carefully with her Empath magic, trying to get a read on her friend to see what was wrong. She almost took a step back at the fierce longing and sadness that flooded her.
She couldn’t stand to have him feeling so conflicted, so she bumped her arm playfully against his. She didn’t want to use her Empath magic in case she needed to use it tonight, but her playful gesture broke the spell, and Zack gave her a small smile. They were announced next. “Announcing the Ambassadors to the Queen.”
The rowdy shifters stilled at Sadara’s words, parting the crowd so Holly and her mates had a clear pathway to the head table. Holly put a practiced smile on her face, one she’d worn many a time at her father’s events, and nodded to people as she passed.
They reached the head table without incident, and Sadara motioned to a set of chairs to Bryson’s right. Synora pulled out Holly’s chair before settling into her own. As soon as they were seated, Bryson announced, “Let the celebration begin!”
The noise levels quickly rose to their previous volume as the shifters began eating and the music started back up. The rest of the celebration moved to the buffet line, but the head table had plates set before them. Holly tried not to crinkle her nose at the radishes on her plate. She had never really liked the vegetable, but she could stomach a few pieces so as to not be rude toward their hosts.
Bryson leaned over. “How were your travels to get here?”
“Uneventful, thank the Realm,” Holly answered. She straightened up and looked back down at her plate. Her eyebrows furrowed. Her radishes were gone, and in their place were more potatoes. She looked sideways at Synora, who gave her an amused smile and lifted a radish to her mouth.
Thank you, Holly mouthed, and then surprised herself by leaning over to brush a kiss on Synora’s cheek. The affectionate gesture came so naturally she didn’t even think about it. Synora’s eyes widened briefly as Holly pulled away, but then a slow smile curled on her lips, and Holly felt her stomach flip. Maybe this mate business wasn’t too difficult after all.
She turned her attention back to her food, and it wasn’t long before a hand grazed her shoulder as Kieran refilled her drink. She swore they were out to tease her for the remainder of dinner. Before they could torture her further, the music started up in a familiar song and Bethany was there in a whirl of gold, dragging her out onto the dance floor.
It wasn’t the first time Holly had been dragged out onto the dance floor by Bethany, so she fell into the rhythm easily. As she twirled her body around, she caught glimpses of her mates watching her, their eyes intent. After a few more moves, Holly lost sight of them and focused instead on Bethany and the steps. The dance required partners, but they changed. The next time Bethany spun her away, it was Kieran waiting for her. He gathered her closer than the dance required, but their bodies fell together easily, as if they had danced together a thousand times before. He didn’t speak, just smiled down at her. The next time they changed partners, Synora took her hands. She didn’t falter, even as the steps got more complicated. As she twirled her away, her fingers trailed down Holly’s arm, leaving goosebumps.
The next time they changed partners, Holly was surprised yet not to see Kallan catch her in his arms. The serious, stoic Fae was not one Holly expected to ever venture out onto the dance floor. He was a bit stiffer, but he spun her easily, following the steps of the dance. The music crashed together in a crescendo as the beat got faster and faster, but Kallan and Holly didn’t miss a beat. His body felt like an extension of hers as they spun and ducked and twirled, moving faster and faster until the music ended with a crash and all the dancers stood, chest to chest, breathing heavily.
Holly’s and Kallan’s chests brushed against each other with every harsh breath. His head bent, and for a moment, Holly thought he would kiss her, but instead, he moved his lips to her ear and whispered, “Thank you for the dance.”
Holly blushed, but good manners had been instilled in her at a young age. “Thank you for the dance,” she repeated, staring into his light blue eyes. The temptation to lean in and kiss him was strong.
The ringing of a bell broke the moment just as Holly was leaning in. Everyone turned their heads to see Sadara standing at the front of the head table. “Let’s begin the official business so we can get back to the celebration.”
She gestured for Holly to join her, and Kallan dropped a hand to her back to escort her to the front. Once she was at Sadara and Bryson’s side, he dropped his hand but remained only a few paces behind her.
The crowd looked expectantly at her, and Holly took a breath. She really did not do well in the spotlight. Holly let out just a trickle of her Empath magic to help her scan the crowd. She pushed it as far as she could until her stomach rolled and then pulled it back. Most of what she could read from that general scan was curiosity. Of course, there could be other emotions in the crowd, but with a group this size, it was going to take a lot more magic than Holly was able to use without getting sick, so curiosity would have to do. Maybe she could satisfy their curiosity as well.
“I’ll keep this short and then open it up to questions,” she said, looking out at the people. She kept a warm smile on her face to hopefully turn their curiosity into something a little easier to win over. “My name is Holly Brandlevine. My mates and I are here at the behest of Queen Claire Mayfaire Oreson. As many of you know, only a few weeks ago three corrupt Councilmembers—Roland, Vanya, and Maxios—confessed to starting the Great War over lies to collect power.”
Shifters valued honesty. Keeping to the facts and staying as transparent as possible was going to do Holly more favors than flowery words.
“They were planning on committing the ultimate treason in the Realm and were developing a weapon capable of stripping every citizen of their magic—one they called ‘the ultimate weapon.’ Witches unable to cast. Dragons unable to fly. Shifters unable to shift.” Growls and shouts erupted from the shifters. To take away a person’s shift was the utmost of crimes. One that the corrupt former Councilmembers had let slide on more than a few witches, as Claire and their friends had uncovered.
Holly waited until the crowd quieted. “No one in the Realm would have been safe, as anyone may have been seen as a threat to their rule. The final piece they needed to complete their weapon was a massive source of magic, which they planned on taking from Claire, Queen of the Elves and Fae, and were willing to launch the Realm into another Great War. Your alphas and many of you answered the call, and we fought together and defeated them at great cost. Their supporters were gathered and taken to the Capital’s dungeons awaiting trial, until yesterday, when an inside person aided their escape. Now, these supporters, who were willing to strip each of you of your power, are running free.”
