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“Because you all want it to work. I’ve seen firsthand what you men are capable of when you set your minds to it. You all are some of the most amazing men I have ever met.”
He cleared his throat. “We’re not too bad,” he agreed.
“And how’s my mate?” Gage walked up and nuzzled her neck, causing goosebumps to explode down her arms.
“Good. I was just chatting with your cousin.” She glared at him. “How could you not introduce us?”
Gage paused in lifting the flute of the strawberry champagne to his lips. “Because every other one of my idiot warrior brothers was constantly swarming you. I knew he’d approach once everything settled down.”
“He knows me well,” Bastien agreed, nodding.
Gage took a sip and looked for her around. “Where’s your plate?”
She held it up. “Here. Why?”
“Good. Aeson is bringing out a fresh batch of goodies from the oven now. Since you’re the guest of honor, you get to choose your goodies first.”
“As do you as her mate,” Bastien observed dryly.
Gage just gave him a shit-eating grin. “I have no shame tonight. Our brothers pulled out all the stops. I haven’t seen so many of my favorite dishes together ever.”
“We wanted to make sure Zoe got a wide selection. That way, she can request her favorites,” Bastien said, taking a bite of a pickle.
“So far, the pinwheels with ham, the cheese bites, and of course, your spritzer are in the running for my top three.”
Gage scrunched up his face. “The pinwheels? Really?”
She nodded. “Whatever they put in the cream cheese gave it a zing that I can’t stay away from.”
Bastien lifted his glass and winked. “I’ll let Leon know his creation was a hit. Have fun, kids.” He walked toward Leon, who was in the corner with the twins and Pip passing plates around in what looked like a musical chair, eating game.
Gage leaned in, brushing his lips against her ear, causing her to shiver again. “How about we retire after another plate or two? I don’t know about you, but I think the day is catching up to me. It didn’t help that they served spritzers and beer and not a single source of caffeine,” he said, taking another sip of said spritzer.
“Would you really have had anything else even if they had? I heard that was your favorite,” she pointed out.
He shrugged, smiling slyly. “Probably not, but then again, I wouldn’t mind the extra energy the first night with my mate.”
She raised her glass to that and took a long drink. Crap! It was their first night together. What was she going to do?
Chapter Seven
Gage looked down at his mate, where she dozed in the oversized chair in the living room. One of his brothers had covered her with a blanket, and in her sleep, she looked even younger. He had only gone to thank everyone, and when he finally was able to break away again, she had succumbed to slumber.
He gently scooped her up and held her close to his body. His brothers quieted as he walked by, heading toward the stairs, so as not to wake her. When he got to his room, he bent slightly and opened the door. With his foot, he kicked it softly behind him. Walking over, he placed her on his bed and stood back.
Her red curls stood out in stark contrast to his black bedding. He didn’t know how long he stood there, just watching her sleep, but when he found his eyes closing on their own, he determined it was time for him to rest as well.
As he undressed, he paused; he normally slept nude but didn’t want to upset his mate in the morning. Sighing, he reached for a pair of pajama bottoms and pulled them on. When he walked over to the bed, he was faced with another dilemma. What should he do with his mate?
The high-collared temple robes didn’t look comfortable. With trembling hands, he unbuttoned the starched robe and gently eased it off her. Breathing a sigh of relief, he discovered she wore a long, white, plain cotton gown under it. It would have to serve as a nightgown for tonight.
With great care, he pulled the covers down and then over her before sliding in behind her. Hopefully, tonight, if he dreamt of his mate engulfed in flames, he would now see his brothers beside him, helping them as they had all day.
*****
When Zoe woke, she stretched her arms over her head before snuggling back down. With a start, she sat up and looked around. It was too dark to be her own room. Where in the hell was she?
She reached around, and her hand found a glow-crystal on the nightstand and tapped it. Glow-crystals were primarily used in Noctem Falls. Eyeing her surroundings, she wondered if she was still in Éire Danu. The walls looked like they were made of stone, and she could swear she could smell the hint of water from a pond. When the door opened, she covered her eyes from the glaring light.
