Chapter Nineteen

I stepped into the foyer of the Hound Mansion—as I was calling it in my head—and gawked. It was like walking into one of those historical homes that they open for tours. Everything looked appropriate to the time when the house was built. From the hand-carved furniture to the light fixtures, it all looked antique. A glance to either side gave me glimpses into more period rooms, each with doorways that opened to more of the house. The wings.

“This way,” Dominic said and headed for the stairs.

It was a grand, curving, wide staircase, the end post capped with the statue of a beautiful woman wrapped in vines. Persephone, I presumed. A runner was held in place by brass strips in the crevice of each step, and old paintings hung on the walls in gilded frames that were worth more than my car. And I mean the frames, not the paintings. The paintings were probably worth more than my house.

But once we got to the top of the stairs, things changed. Lightened up. Dominic took me down a pale blue hallway, windows bringing in sunlight. The walls were bare, but there were a few potted plants set on the windowsills. He went past several rooms and then took me into the last one. It was the room that the corridor ended in, so we walked straight into it.

I gasped as I stepped inside.

Every fantasy I'd had as a little girl about where I'd live—you know, back when I thought I'd be a princess (a mermaid princess)—came to life in that room. A mammoth four-poster bed ruled, demanding that attention be paid to its beautiful pink marble posts and deference to its filigree crown of carved roses and vines that formed a dome over the bed. Cream silk wove through the crown and became bed curtains that were drawn back and bound to the posters with big pink bows studded with silk flowers. The massive mattress was covered in silk blankets and pillows with a pink velvet blanket folded at the foot. As if that wasn't enough, twin tables with pink marble tops stood to either side of the bed, holding matching Victorian lamps—the bases formed by brass peacocks and the shades made of hand-painted silk adorned with foot-long fringe. At the foot of the bed, a pale green velvet chaise reclined with a white fur blanket thrown casually across it.

To one side, a raised area bowed out into a bay window and was warmed by a fireplace. A real one with logs in it, not a gas monstrosity. Delicate chairs and a couch stood there like a gaggle of pretty girls, giggling together. Directly in front of the bed, a pair of French doors let out onto a huge balcony that was crowded with plants. In the wall to the right stood two doors. One of them was open and gave a glimpse of a bright bathroom. Oh, and above all this old-world glamor was a ceiling to sigh over.

Delicate plasterwork of the sort you might find in a Georgian mansion outlined the ceiling and formed panels that framed paintings of flowers, birds, and the sky. With a ceiling like that, you didn't need any artwork in the room. But that hadn't stopped the men from hanging several pieces within the borders of even more plasterwork moldings on the walls.

I strode forward, still holding Binx in his carrier, and stared at the plants out on the balcony. “I can't imagine you coming out here to water those.”

“Declan takes care of the plants,” Dominic said as he joined me. “He's a wonderful gardener. Loves plants. I've caught him talking to them.”

I could feel the anxiety in Dom's stare, but I was too enamored with the room to look at him. I glanced at the little table and chairs between the two doors, then at the huge painting of a forest that hung above them. Continuing on, I first went to the door on the right—the closed one. I opened it and peeked into a dressing room big enough to hold all of Cher's costumes and jewelry. Including her headdresses. Brass rods ran along the walls, framed by paneling capped in Gothic arches, all painted pale pink. Built-in drawers stood beneath some of the rods while others were left with empty floor beneath them to accommodate gowns. A glass display took up significant space in the center of the room, with thin drawers beneath it. Angled shoe racks waited behind glass doors, and at the end of the room, a dais housed a three-panel mirror, its gilded frame arched to match the moldings that dominated the room. As if whoever was getting dressed in this room might want to put on a musical performance halfway through. So, again, Cher would love it. But the design made it something straight out of an elven palace. And it was empty, just waiting for its queen to arrive and fill it with expensive clothing.

“Holy shit,” I whispered and spun around.

Dominic stood in the doorway, biting his lower lip. Behind him were Darius and Declan.

“Well?” Darius demanded. “What do you think?”

I walked out, the men parting to let me pass, and headed for the last door without answering.

“Women,” Darius muttered.

I didn't care. I stepped into the bathroom feeling as if I were in a dream. More pink marble. Wait. That wasn't marble. It was rose quartz. Fucking rose quartz! Slabs of the pink crystal coated the long counter while tiles of it covered the floor. There were even columns of the stone forming a frame for the steps that led up to a round bathtub. Because a bathtub like that needed a dais too.

I didn't know that rose quartz could be found in such huge pieces. I ran my hand over a column and looked at the doorway where the Hounds waited.

“Is this solid rose quartz?” I asked.

“No,” Dominic said. “Those are granite columns covered in tubes of rose quartz. But the bedposts are solid rose quartz.”

“That was rose quartz too?” I gaped from the tub to the shower nook—an open space lined with more of the precious stone, no curtains needed because it was enormous. The spray didn't stand a chance in hell of reaching the outer floor. “Holy shit. This must have cost a fortune.”

“Darius found the bed,” Declan said. “Then Dom and I liked the look of the posts so much that we decided to do the bathroom in the same stone. It was pricey, but we've got the money.”

I turned to look at Darius. “You selected the bed?”

“Why? Are you going to refuse to sleep in it now?” he muttered.

“No, I was going to say that it was an inspired choice. If I was going to choose a type of crystal to make a bed out of, it would be rose quartz. It's a love stone and very calming. It's known to release stress, promote circulation, and improve fertility. What better stone to use for a bed? Well done. It's almost as if you knew you'd be bringing a witch here.”

Darius blinked. His expression went slack. His stare went tender. He cleared his throat. “Uh. I'm glad you like it. I hope you'll be very comfortable here, Amélie.”

“Thank you. This place is amazing. I can see the care that you put into every choice.” I paused, getting choked up. Then cleared my throat to say, “Living here will be beyond comfortable. It will be like a dream.”

Binx whined.

“Oh! Sorry, Binx.” I set the carrier down but then hesitated.

“What's wrong?” Declan asked.

“When you bring a cat into a new place, you need to adjust them to it slowly, especially if it's larger. Can one of you close the door? He'll have to stay in here for a few days. Oh, and I need his litter box.”

“I'll get it,” Darius said. “And I'll shut the door on my way out.”

“Thank you, Darius.”

He paused, nodded at me, and left.

I waited until I heard the door shut to open the carrier. “All right, Binxy. Come on out and explore.”

The cat strode out, sniffed the air, then crawled up the steps to peer into the bathtub. He walked around the rim to stare out the picture window at the end of the nook. Then sat down. Leave it to a cat to be more impressed with the view.

“Let's leave him to it,” I said and waved the men out.

We left the bathroom, and I set the carrier down beside the table before heading out to the balcony. Opening the doors, I breathed in the fresh air and felt my heart lighten. If I had to leave my home and make a new one, this wasn't a bad exchange. Then I blinked. Was I seriously considering living there? As in permanently?

Shit, how could I not? It was glorious. Walking outside, I was instantly surrounded by lush, flowering plants. I took the measure of each, making sure that none of them were toxic to cats. Surprisingly, none were. And that's quite a feat. There are a lot of toxic plants, especially the pretty ones. That Declan had stocked this terrace full of safe but beautiful blooms was, well, magical.

I went to the end of the balcony and leaned against the stone railing to look across the gardens at the back of the house. Victorian homes didn't usually have balconies this large. But then, they also didn't usually have wings and stone walls. And a garden so big it had to be sectioned off into multiple gardens. This was an exceptional home. A palace hidden in Spokane.

“Declan, you did an amazing job with these plants,” I said as he and Dom joined me, leaning against the railing on either side of me. “Did you know that none of them are toxic to cats?”

“Thank you.” Declan beamed at me. “I knew they weren't toxic, but not specifically to cats. I just wanted a safe environment.”

“There are even herbs out here. A lot of these plants can be used for my potions. I couldn't have done a better job myself.”

Declan's throat worked as he swallowed. “When I was designing this balcony, I did it hoping to bring our mate out here one day and see her smile just as you are now.”

My smile faltered.

“Sorry.” Declan held up his hands. “No pressure. I just . . .” He looked away.

“No, it's all right,” I said. “You should be able to say things like that. You worked hard on this. I can feel your hope in these plants. They've absorbed it and it's helped them flourish.”

Declan gaped at me, then grinned. “I think that too. I think plants can feel our intentions. Dom and Dare think I'm silly.”

“I know you're not. There's energy in them. They're living things. Out of all the beautiful details in this suite, these plants are the most inviting. Whether I stay or not, thank you for letting me experience this.”

Declan looked from me to Dominic. “We've all worked hard on these rooms. We want our mate to be happy here.”

“It's the biggest suite in the house,” Dominic said. “We figured we'd be sharing it.”

I stiffened and stepped back.

“Fuck. What did you say to her?” Darius asked as he came outside.

Binx followed him out and the two of them stared us down. Well, for a second. Then Binx was off to inspect the plants.

“Nothing,” Dom said. “We were just talking about the room.”

“And he said we'd be sharing it,” Declan added.

“I didn't mean right this second,” Dominic huffed.

“Why the fuck would you say that?” Darius growled.

“I just said that I didn't mean—”

“All right!” I snarled. “Goddamn it! I was so relaxed and enjoying myself, and then you guys had to start bickering like a bunch of kids.”

The men went silent.

“Let's get one thing straight. I'm not your mommy. I'm not going to moderate your fights. I expect you to be adults and behave as such in my presence. Got it?” I looked from man to man. “If you wanna act like dogs, go outside!”

“Yes, ma'am,” Declan said, his lips twitching.

Dominic snorted a laugh. “We understand, angel.”

Darius just grunted and headed back inside. “I put the litter box in the bathroom beside the toilet. Binx has already used it. But I'm not emptying it. That's your responsibility.”

“Thank you. I don't expect you to take care of Binx.” I followed Darius into the house, the other two hot on my heels. “And thank you all for letting me stay here even though I'm not certain how long it will be.”

Darius stopped and spun to face me. “You laid down your rules, now here's mine. Stop saying shit like that. If we can't talk about you being our mate, then you can't talk about not being our mate.” He leaned forward, bending to bring his face to mine. “Because we are mates, Amélie. All of us know it. Even you, I suspect. You're the one. We were drawn together by the magic of Hades himself. You're it for us. Our destiny. This is your room. This is your home. We are your men. Forever. Take all the time you need to come to terms with that, but don't tell me lies.” He straightened and walked away, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

I just stared after him.

“Sorry about that, angel,” Dominic said. “Darius is frustrated. He's usually the most level-headed one in our team. If we had a leader, it would be him. But you've got him all twisted up. He's feeling anxious, scared, and inadequate—all things he's never felt before. He doesn't know how to deal.”

I turned to look at Dominic and found Declan nodding in agreement.

“He actually told you that?” I asked.

“No, we can feel his emotions.”

“You can what?”

“You didn't tell her?” Declan smacked Dominic's shoulder.

“When would I have told her?” Dom smacked Declan back.

“Do I have to remind you of what I just said?” I lifted a brow at them.

Dominic cleared his throat and said, “Sorry, angel.”

“It's part of our bond,” Declan said. “We can feel each other's emotions. The strong ones. It helps a lot, especially in a fight. But it means that when one of us falls in love, we all fall. And—”

Dominic smacked Declan again, cutting him off. “No pressure. Remember?”

“Right,” Declan said. “Uh, we'll just go get your bags. Are you hungry?”

“Sure. I could eat.” I went to my purse and pulled out my phone. “I don't suppose you're going to be good with me going to work tonight?”

“Well, we won't try to stop you if that's what you want to do,” Dominic said. “But we'd have to go with you.”

“And we might have to fight our way home,” Declan said. “Are you all right with a shootout in your bar?”

“All right, I get it.” I looked at my phone. It was only eleven. I wasn't sure if Jackie would be up. “I'll call Jackie later and let her know to open the bar for me.”

“Really?” Dominic asked in surprise.

“I may not like the idea of hiding out, but I'm not a fool, Dom.” I looked down at Binx as he rubbed up against my leg. “Hey, Binx.” I picked him up and carried him to the bed. After getting us comfy, I said, “I got scared last night. Really scared. Silas, uh, he threatened me with . . .”

“What?” Declan snarled, his broad shoulders hunching forward as Dominic started to growl.

Binx hissed at them.

The men reeled it in.

“Sorry, Binx,” Dom said.

“What did he threaten to do to you, Amélie?” Declan asked in a more neutral tone.

“He said he was going to make me his lover,” I admitted.

“He threatened to rape you?!” Dominic roared.

Binx yowled and ran off the bed.

“Shit,” Dom cursed. “Sorry, Binx!”

“He really doesn't like you guys,” I said. “Silas said he had plans for me, and I think they went way beyond rape. He wants to hurt you, and he thinks I'm the best way to do that.”

The men looked ready to explode.

“Please excuse us, Amélie,” Declan said. “We'll go get your bags now.” He dragged Dominic out of the room but as soon as the door shut, the hollow sound of snarls filtered through the wood.

Binx jumped up on the bed and stared at me.

“They're very passionate men,” I said.

He cried.

“I still don't know if I can handle being with all three of them.”

Binx cocked his head at me.

“What do you know? You're a cat. For you, romance is screwing one girl a night. Or it would be if you weren't fixed.”

I swear he glared at me.

I chuckled and stroked his head. “Sorry, baby. It had to be done. It's just better for you in the long run.” I looked toward the door. “Sometimes, I envy you.”