28

IVY

IT was great having Maeve as one of my mates, because if it weren’t for her input, I wouldn’t have any idea what to wear to the family unit date .

I couldn’t help but smile as I swiped mascara over my lashes, blinking at myself in the mirror reflection. My heart thumped erratically from the waves of excitement rushing through me. The last time I’d felt even a smidge of nerves had been before the date with Rowan—turned Adrian. It was the last time I’d been on a date—a real date—too. Just the idea of finally getting to go out with my mates had my chest pounding harder and my tired magic bubbling to the surface.

With my makeup done, I took a step back and turned towards the closet. Maeve was already in there, lips pursed as she perused the selection of clothes.

“Perhaps we should go into the city in a few weeks and get you things that you actually like,” she murmured as I joined her in front of a selection of elegant, tight-fitting dresses. “These don’t seem very...you.” She looked up, and our eyes met.

I swallowed thickly at the rush of emotion her gaze betrayed. Uncertainty warred with hope, circling in the cerulean of her irises. She was afraid, too. It showed clearly in the soft lines of her face, in the press of her lips, and through our bond.

Clearing my throat, I nodded and returned to looking at the clothes. “Yeah. These aren’t...me,” I replied, grimacing.

But they were perfect for a Queen-to-be, I guessed.

Maeve pulled something from the rack and held it up to me. The dark green material was bunched at the sides, and it fell to my mid-thigh. The straps were thin, and the neckline was low-cut, as was the back. Most definitely not something Queen Greer or her royal dress shopper would have chosen.

My brows rose. “It looks a little—” Small. Too sexy. Something I would have been chastised for wearing if I’d been living with Kerry.

Maybe it was the thought of my mother, but it sobered me for a moment, giving me a small amount of self-confidence. And a little hope that after everything I’ve been through, I could pull off something this dainty and sexy.

“It’s not too much?” I asked carefully, taking the garment from my mate.

Maeve shook her head, eyes soft as they roamed over me. “Of course not, a mhuirnín . You’ll look beautiful in this or whatever you choose to wear.”

I released a shaky breath but slipped out of my robe. As it pooled at my feet, I caught Maeve’s stare. I wasn’t in anything, though with how the dress felt, I wondered if I could even shimmy into underwear without it looking obvious.

Slowly, I tugged it on, keeping my eyes on Maeve as I did. Red ringed the outer edges of her irises, and her expression darkened with that tell-tale sign of hunger. I shivered. She hadn’t fed since we bonded, and the thought of her fangs in my throat had wetness pooling between my thighs.

Maeve’s nostrils flared, and her shoulders stiffened. Biting my lip, I shimmied the rest of the way into the dress. “Zip me up?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

My vampire mate’s eyes flashed but she gave me a rigid nod. I turned and pulled my hair over my shoulder as her cool fingers brushed the length of my spine. They stopped at my mid-back, and I shivered as she circled what I assumed was her mate mark. “I never thought I’d see my mark on anyone,” she whispered, pressing her lips against my shoulder. “But I’m glad it lives on your skin, a mhuirnín .”

I shuddered, feeling the truth of her words down the bond. Her emotions were starting to become less guarded, less hidden from me. The weight of her trust was like a blanket, one I wrapped myself in.

The door to the bedroom opened, but Maeve didn’t step away from me immediately. She ran her hands down my sides, her touch leaving sparks of electricity in their wake. My magic was awake, but not fighting me. Peaceful, almost, but sensitive, aware. Reminding me there was still a part of our bond we hadn’t yet completed.

Soon enough, we were no longer alone. My two mages were dressed handsomely in slacks, leather shoes, and button-up shirts that were open at the collars. Adrian also had a suit jacket on, whereas Rowan had gone without. Meanwhile, my wolf was dressed more comfortably, in dark-wash jeans and a long sleeved, dark grey shirt.

One day I’ll see him in a suit, I thought.

Elias’s eyes narrowed. My skin prickled at the weight of all their eyes on me.

Adrian spoke first, taking a step forward as he did. “You look...” His lips parted, and he shook his head. “Too good.”

Rowan clapped him on the back. I couldn’t ignore the lust filling Ro’s eyes as they roamed the length of the dress. “Fuck. I’m almost a little tempted to stay home tonight.”

The heat in his words made me clench, reminding me I still wasn’t wearing panties. It felt a little too late for that now, though.

Elias remained strangely quiet as he stared at me. Our bond gave nothing away, but I could also feel the shield he’d placed up between our thoughts. “Do you like it?” I asked quietly, chewing my bottom lip.

My wolf breathed in sharply from his nose and released it slowly. “I’m trying to decide which weapons I need, should anyone look at you wrong.” The colour of his eyes shifted, taking on a subtle glow as they finally roamed my body. “You look almost too perfect for where we’re going.”

Relief and lust flooded me, but I focused more on the relief. “I need shoes, and then we can go.”

Maeve let go of me at that, striding over to the selection of shoes. She pulled down a pair of heels that weren’t too high and were a similar dark green to the dress. A perfect match , I thought.

Once again, I was really glad for Maeve.

As she knelt to help me into my shoes, she prodded the bond, and amusement filtered down her end. Don’t wear panties tonight, she said, a wicked glint entering her eyes as she met my stare. And certainly, do not let them know you are without.

I swallowed thickly, that same burst of lust shuddering through me, but I gave her a nod.

Family unit date night had begun.

~

The streets of Avalon were designed to be a walkable city, similar to the old architecture and structure of European cities. The streets weren’t large enough for cars, which seemed to be used primarily to go between the different cities and towns scattered along the island. But once you hit a certain point in any place, cars became useless, and you were left on foot.

Or cart, because there were a few of those around, too.

The sky glittered with an array of stars and a similar explosion of light as the aurora borealis washed over the northern part of the sky. The lights danced across the darkness, swirling in different patterns, almost like they were weaving in and out of the different constellations. But these weren’t the green blue you usually saw—these lights were a striking mixture of purple and red and gold streaking across the other half of the city.

“It’s the gateways between worlds letting us know that the time to cross has come and gone,” Adrian explained, his hand tucked into mine. I glanced at him and couldn’t help the smile that unfurled across my face. There was a sense of ease coming off him, one I’d noticed when we’d first arrived. But before I could voice any of those thoughts, Adrian dipped his head and pressed a kiss to the corner of my lips. “You really do look beautiful tonight.”

Heat rushed up my cheeks, and I ducked my head. “I was worried it might be too much.”

“Never,” he murmured.

Another warm presence appeared beside me, and I looked up to find Rowan, a dazzling smile unfurling across his own lips. “Wolfy and Maeve found us a private room at Endora .”

“What’s that?” I asked.

Rowan, taking my other hand, began guiding us down towards a series of vibrant, lively restaurants. “A fine dining experience, if you will. It’s popular amongst the aristocrats.”

That had to be code for something uniquely supernatural, I decided, something they would explain when we arrived.

I took the short walk as my chance to really...breathe it all in. It was strange seeing other couples like us. From the corner of my eye, I noticed a girl with two other men, and they all sat basically on top of each other, gazing lovingly at one another, like there was no one else in the world but them. Across the street, there were four girls, each dressed in different shades of blue, and each shared gentle kisses before striding into a restaurant.

There were smaller groups, and some larger. They all seemed to feature different dynamics. Are they all mates? I asked Adrian.

His eyes found mine. Not all of them. Some are likely having fun, others maybe just friends. You’ll start to get a feel for bond groups as your power grows.

I shivered, and didn’t protest as he released my hand and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

Rowan pulled us to a stop out front of a nondescript building. There was one person standing outside, with slicked back gold hair and what looked like scales along their cheekbones. Their skin was like the colour of ash, but their eyes were a striking, almost terrifying shade of blue. They wore something that shimmered when it caught the light, but where they stood in the shadows, I couldn’t make out what it was.

They’re a mermaid , Adrian explained through the bond. From the Abyss Court .

I tucked that bit of information aside, but as soon as they opened their mouth, and I caught sight of the razor-sharp teeth, all of it went away. I knew I should feel a prickle of fear, but I couldn’t muster it up. I was entranced by the being in front of me, but they were entirely different to the types of mermaids I’d learned about as a child.

Adrian’s arm tightened around me. “Cut it out, Mavka. She doesn’t know how to handle your Song.”

The mermaid cut eye contact with me, and my skin puckered from the loss of contact. “Sorry, Prince Adrian,” they rasped, eyes dragging over my mate. “You don’t see outsiders here often—especially on the arms of Avalon’s most eligible bachelors.”

“Eligible no more, Mavka,” Rowan replied, grinning proudly. “She’s our mate. Ours . And deserves to be treated with respect.”

I squeezed Rowan’s hand thankfully. “What’s the difference between a Song and a Call?” I asked, glancing between Mavka and my mates, who gave me uncertain looks. “What? Eloise has a Call—she’s a siren. And you just called what Mavka did a Song —and they’re a mermaid.” I glanced back at the Fae in question, who cocked their head.

“You sound genuine...” they purred, leaving their station by the door. They entered the flood of light, and I took them in; the scales actually covered their entire body, covering their chest and running down the left side of their abdomen. At their calves, fins sprouted.

Beautiful yet terrifying .

Mavka shrugged. “A Song is more...inviting. It draws unsuspecting victims in with promises of more. For you, curiosity. For others, lust. But they usually all lead to the same place: power. ” A shudder worked down my spine as their eyes turned to slits. “A Call, however...they only promise destruction. Death. A consumption of power, like a Song. But usually at the expense of others.”

My stomach churned, twisting with a different kind of anxiety. “Thanks,” I muttered, tucking myself into Adrian’s side.

The mermaid slid back into the shadows. Rowan nodded in their direction before tugging me towards the door, not saying anything until we crossed the threshold and entered a dimly lit hallway. There were no other doors, just a set of stairs leading up. On either wall were creeping vines sprouting white flowers with yellow leaves.

“Elias and Maeve must be waiting for us up there,” Adrian muttered, glancing down at me as he removed his arm from my shoulders. “After you, Sweetheart.”

Rowan tightened his hold on my hand as we climbed the stairs up towards whatever Endora was. Halfway, the soft trill of music and low voices met my ears, but I couldn ’t make out what I was walking into.

We hit the next floor and were met with another person, this time they looked rather...normal. My eyes narrowed as I took them in, but I got no sense of what kind of supe they were.

Adrian’s hand found mine again, amusement flooding the bond. Shifter. You know you can use your magic to find out.

I pressed my lips into a firm line. I’m not ready to test that yet.

I’ll teach you soon, then , he replied.

Although I appreciated the offer, part of me wasn’t ready for that yet. I knew there were good reasons for me to learn, but part of me liked not knowing.

“We’re with Grey and Beckham,” Rowan stated. “We have a room.”

The shifter eyed my mages before moving on to me. From what I was picking up, Rowan and Adrian were well known, which made sense. One was a prince, and the other a Seer’s son. Both connected to the crown. And the shifter before us definitely knew them. Those eyes bored into me, scrutinising me, and I had to wonder if it was because he wondered if I could really be their mate. My stomach twisted, and a flare of insecurity hit me.

And I hated it.

I straightened and lifted my chin. “Is there a problem?” I asked, pushing as much confidence into the question as possible.

The shifter smirked, but he shook his head, floppy, dark brown hair falling over his forehead. “Not at all. Follow me.”

I barely suppressed a shudder as we followed him down a dimly lit hall. Again, the same vines and flowers crawled along the walls on either side of us, only broken up by the occasional, flickering candle nestled in a bronze sconce. I tried to keep my questions to myself, but dammit, I was curious.

At the end of the hall, a curtain fluttered, and the shifter pushed through it into what looked like an amphitheatre. I dropped Adrian and Rowan’s hands and stalked to the railing, which overlooked a giant stage that was currently empty save for a few beams and poles, all alive with the same vines and flowers. The stage was almost at eye-level, which made sense, because there were small alcoves circling the entire thing, and more above us.

The voices and music were louder, but as I looked around, I could barely make out the details of the alcoves. They were all shadowed, but there were figures entering and leaving them.

A strong arm circled my waist, sending shots of electricity through me. “Welcome to Endora, ” Rowan murmured.

“I guess this is your version of dinner and a show?” Smiling, I met his stare. “Am I right?”

He grinned, and started us in the direction of the shifter. “More or less. But this is a show that’ll both surprise you, and maybe make you question whether the four of us are capable of planning dates in the future.”

I snorted and smacked him on the chest. “You give me so much hope for this first ever family-unit date night adventure.”

“I live to disappoint, babe.”

I rolled my eyes. I didn’t get a chance to respond, because we were dragged up a second flight of stairs—which made me realise Maeve had purposefully given me shorter heels for a reason—and then led around the balcony, passing more alcoves as we did.

As we went off in search of the others, I couldn’t ignore the burn of eyes on me. A shiver of anticipation crawled down my spine, like cold fingers of dread.

I had a feeling I knew what that meant. Who that meant. But fear kept me from prodding our bond. Fear that if I tried, I’d be disappointed once again.

And I would not let Ry of all people ruin my damned night.