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The elevator doors slid open on our floor. “Our room is a few hallways away,” Asher said, waving us out ahead of him. “But it’s still a real timesaver.”
Truly it was. We were closing the door behind us in only a couple of minutes, shutting out all the other people and noise and luxury I somehow thought I’d left when my parents washed their hands of me. Although, once Asher and I mated, I should have known better. “Whew. Now, what was that about using up your extra energy?”
The atmosphere changed, laughter replaced by the desire that was always on a low simmer between us, just waiting to be brought to the boil. I was caught up in it, leaning toward my mates when Onyx cried, “Stop!”
Asher was sliding the straps of my gown—not the red but one of the others I’d brought for dinner formalities—from my shoulders, but he froze.
“Onyx?” I ducked out from under his hands and spun to face her. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? Someone was mean, weren’t they?”
“No. I mean…not really. But while I was talking to Valentina on the phone, I overheard someone saying something that…I don’t know how to say this.”
“This is just us and nobody else is listening.” Asher stood, hands at his sides, looking so worried I hated being the one who made that happen when he and Raven had been so happy before. “You can tell us anything.”
“I wanted to make love with the two of you, still do, but I couldn’t with this in my head waiting to pop out.”
Now I was getting nervous. “Speak please before I think the worst.”
“I might have overheard someone saying your parents are coming, Raven.”
Nervous hell. I wanted to vomit. “Might have? Did you, or didn’t you?”
“I did hear it but the people, that gray-haired couple that was so snobby? I didn’t get their names.”
“Martie and Edgar.” Asher’s voice held no inflection whatsoever. “They said Raven’s parents were invited to this celebration? That has to be wrong.”
“They said they were not invited but were going to crash the party, or at least that’s my interpretation.”
“Hell. Stay here, mates. I have to go find my father.”
We sat on the edge of the bed, side by side and holding hands for over an hour before he came back. It took only one glance at him, his cheeks still flushed with anger, to have a good idea what happened.
I choked out the words. “They’re coming, then.” Not a question.
“They don’t know, but it’s possible, and if they do, we can’t turn them away.” He marched to the closet and began dragging out suitcases. “We’re packing.”
“Right.” Onyx opened the top dresser drawer and reached inside, her arms full of pajamas before I could say a word.
But the words needed to be said. “Mates, sit down. We have to talk.”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Asher gritted out. “My father will explain to my mothers why we’ve left. They’ll understand, and they’ll make sure the people who ripped the heart out of one of my mates is not at their next party.”
“No.” I worked his fingers free of a suitcase handle and sat him down then went to put away the pajamas Onyx held. “We are not leaving because my parents’ bad action shouldn’t affect everyone else’s holiday. Asher, your moms and your dad are so happy to have you here, and I think Blaze needs you even more. We are here through Yule, and if my parents do show up, I’ll make the best of it and ignore them. But your family is the only decent one between the three of us, and I’ll not allow mine to hurt that relationship. Not now. Not ever.”
And if my head exploded at the ball, so be it.
Ugh!
Then we made love. For hours. Not even bad news could make me want them less.
And Onyx filled us in about what was going on back at the Midnight while we lay cuddled together afterward. The hours before we got home were going to feel like an eternity.
Chapter Thirteen
Valentina
“What time is Erik getting here?” Storm had taken over the cooking for the Yule celebration while the rest of us made sure the house was clean. I also used my magic to dress up the eggnog a bit since it was a special occasion. It may have been a bit golden and sparkly—and very spiked.
“He didn’t really give us a time,” I responded while I folded laundry with Fox. We had a video on the TV of a Yule log since the apartment had no fireplace. “Something about vampires and living for eons and time and space were held differently for his kind.” I emulated Erik’s voice the best I could and failed miserably.
