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“Nah, this wasn’t fate,” Hades countered as he helpfully started breaking down my display. “Her work sold because she’s got raw, natural talent. All she needed was a venue to showcase her art, and I knew the people would flock to her like bees to honey.”
Leo turned his ball cap around, settling it on his head backward before scrubbing a hand over the lower half of his face, deep in thought. “Do bees flock to honey?”
“Feels right.” Hades shrugged noncommittally.
“Bears would flock to honey. Bees make honey. They’d flock to pollen,” Thane chimed in helpfully as he counted the money in my cash box.
“Or flowers,” Leo added, invested in the argument.
“Only because flowers have pollen. Ergo, I win.” Thane grinned cheekily and waggled his eyebrows.
I bit my lip to hold back a smile as the three of them kept bantering.
“What’s gotten into them?” Knox entered the booth and tipped his head in the other's direction. His platinum hair was still damp from the station’s dunk tank, but he’d switched out his police uniform for civilian attire.
I pulled on the towel that hung around his neck and drew him in. Pushing onto tiptoes, I kissed one corner of his mouth, then the other, working myself up as much as I captured his attention.
Picking up on my light, effervescent happiness through the bond, Knox trapped my face between his palms, stole a full, deep kiss, and then arched a brow when he pulled back. “Are you going to tell me what’s got you floating on clouds? Surely it can’t be the three musketeers over there.” He jerked his head in their direction without ever breaking eye contact.
Caving to my bubbly mood, I bounced on my toes and nodded toward the barren displays. “Look.”
Finally prying his gaze off mine, Knox peered around, and a slow, deliberate smirk tugged at one side of his mouth.
“You did it, Sunshine. You sold them all!” He sounded awed—not surprised, but wonder-struck. All the way here, he’d insisted I’d sell out by lunch. It’d taken a little longer than that, but I was just tickled that he hadn’t been wrong.
“All except for one,” Eli commented. I turned in time to see him and Jamison entering the booth carrying two trays of fair food—hot dogs, hamburgers, gyros, a mountain of fries, and soft drinks. They set it all down on one of the empty tables lining my booth.
The mixed scents made my stomach lurch, and I pressed the back of my hand against my mouth, willing the nausea down.
“Are you holding this for a customer?” Jamison asked, picking up the canvas wrapped in brown paper and glancing around as if he expected patrons to appear out of thin air. The sun was dipping toward the horizon, the lights of the rides and the soft illumination of string lights and lanterns setting a soft glow against the emerging twilight. The only people left in the fairgrounds were the vendors who were packing up.
All my men turned to me, probably picking up on the slight distress I was trying to conceal as I worked to block out the smell of food making me queasy. Swallowed, willing the sick feeling away, a smile wobbled on my lips.
“That’s actually something for all of you.” I twisted my hands together. I’d had to paint it once my mates were asleep, sneaking out of bed and down to my studio every night for the past week. I’d kept it hidden at the back of my stack of canvases so they wouldn’t catch sight of it before I was ready.
Leo came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my middle. “You painted us something?” He kissed my temple as I leaned back into him and placed my hands over his.
“Can we open it here or do we need to wait until we get home?” Hades asked as Jamison set the painting on the table between us.
All my men surrounded it, staring down at the brown wrapping like it was Christmas, and they couldn’t wait to tear into their gift. Their enthusiasm was endearing—especially because it was only a painting.
I bit my lip and nodded. “You can open it.”
Eli smirked. “How do we want to do this? Each of us takes a corner?”
“Fates, just open it already. I’m dying here,” Thane rubbed his hands together eagerly, and somehow I could picture him as the kid, shaking all the boxes to guess what was inside while he waited for permission to rip into them.
I snickered and tipped my head to the side to gaze up at Leo. “Don’t you wanna open it with them?”
“I think I got the best job. Holding onto you. Besides, I can see just fine from here.” He stroked his fingers over his mark on my wrist and made me shiver. I nuzzled closer, content to be in his arms.
Jamison hooked his thumb into the corner and ripped the paper. Between them, they tore the wrapping away and stared down at the picture of the savannah dotted with animals—an elephant, a giraffe, a hippo, a lion, and a gazelle. The style differed from my usual realistic flavor. It was done in oils, the animals a little more impressionistic.
Thane’s eyes snapped to mine from across the table, wide and searching.
“Demi…” Jamison rasped, seeming to have landed on the same conclusion, his narrowed gaze barely dragging from the painting to where I was nestled in Leo’s arms.
My Beta had stilled behind me, barely breathing.
