Chapter Sixteen

Zelle got out of the car over a month later and waited for her cousin to make her way over. "Come on. There are a whole bunch of mortified shopkeepers who are excellent seamstresses and tailors."

Lya hugged her. "You look pale but good."

"Thanks. Growing a person is hard work."

Venka frowned. "You hid from your alpha?"

"I got my point across. He wanted to haul me over the globe and back again. I was in no mood. Oh, and his family wanted to give him a lovely young woman from a good family as a bride. It was when his aunt started referring to me as a breeder that I left." She smiled. "Right in the middle of his birthday celebration. By the time he noticed I was gone, I was gone." Her smile got feral. "Come along. This will be fun."

Bolin held the door open for her, and Chang came in to scowl at the shopkeepers.

The staff took one look at her and bowed. "Lady Zelle. To what do we owe the honour of your visit?"

"Thank you for your gracious welcome. My friend Lya has recently entered a den with a higher income standard than she is equipped to deal with. They are using Lady Olyna's dressmakers, but as the good lady was disciplined by Lady Lya here, we are a little leery of what she will actually end up wearing. I am hoping that you can do better."

Lya looked at her. "Zelle, how do you know about that?"

"Lady Fen and Lady Olyna own and control most of the businesses around town. They drive commerce, and therefore, Kaiyun knows all about them. He tells me all the gossip." She smiled.

The staff were scrambling into action, and Zelle wandered to the design book. She picked out a few looks for Lya that she knew she would appreciate. She spoke with the seamstress, and Venka appeared. "Oh, that will look lovely on her."

Lya was bullied onto a dais where the measure storm took place.

Venka chuckled. "Can you pick something else, Lady Zelle? You know our princess better than we do."

Zelle smiled. "For now. I suspect you are interested in catching up."

"I am, but she is our greatest treasure. All of us serpents are accepted as we are, and she's immune to venom."

Zelle smiled. "Yes, she is. How is Tamara doing?"

"She is currently at school with friends. She's been transferred to the school for alpha children."

"Oh, good. She will fit in better. She needed peers."

Lya called out, "Zelle? The measurements are getting intense."

Zelle turned to Venka, "Can you help her out? They will kit her out from skin to coat."

"Thank you for bringing us here. If the design you have chosen is any hint of your taste, please continue to make your selections. If they could have a dress ready for her birthday next Monday, that would be delightful. The aunties are making one, but as you have stated, my mother is not a fan."

"We will make her one. Lya is a great mother and an excellent friend, and I have no idea about her enthusiasm as a lover, but I have heard good things." She chuckled and took the pattern book to the designers, speaking in Cantonese and asking for small changes to the details, including a lot of serpentine embroidery.

Venka was soothing Lya and helping her to remain still while the last of the measurements were taken.

While Lya was looking at the finished clothing on mannequins, Venka went to the shopkeeper, and the man could suddenly not speak English.

Zelle laughed softly. Kaiyun had been specific. If she appeared in any establishment, he was to receive the bill. She was getting the hang of it, but it was his love language, just as making Lya feel completely comfortable was hers.

They went to another shop where thigh-high boots were ordered, along with some accessories that Venka was blocked from seeing.

Zelle sat in the lounge area and was drinking her tea when Kaiyun walked in. She blinked and then smiled. "I thought you were out of town for another two days."

He helped her to her feet and embraced her before the kiss threatened her lipstick. "My precious queen. I love the nails and look forward to feeling them later."

She casually reached up and wiped off the lipstick. "You are really getting into this."

"I gave you want you wanted, and you said you would stay. So far, the guys have said you have been very compliant with security."

"Yes, three days down and no escape attempt. It's a record." She smiled.

"Ford and his pride have invited us for dinner with the family. Would you care to accompany me?" He smiled and swayed from side to side with her.

"I would love to. My knitting is in the car."

From across the room, Lya burst out laughing. She was being measured for a leather bustier. "I wondered why you were so calm."

"Yep. It was part of the agreement. I have a craft bag in every car, room, and even some coats."

"Well, that explains why you agreed to stay."

It had been six hours of negotiation and seven stops to give her enough mate fire to keep negotiating, but they came to an agreement. She would keep her phone on her at all times, not dodge her bodyguards, and agree to dress according to his station as long as she could switch to comfy clothing at home. Out was out, and in was in.

If she felt slightly dizzy, she was to call him and get herself to Dr. Oriel, where she would be fussed over until Kaiyun returned. She took her vitamins and herbal teas, and recorded everything she was eating and drinking, and she had a donation account that was set to help a lot of trauma centres around town. Money came easily to him, and even though she couldn't win, her clips were already gaining a lot of traction for the burn centre. He was passing things along to things she cared about, but he was putting it in her hands.

The tipping point had been when he had brought her crafting supplies. That had been the point where she began to pay attention to what he was offering her because he was paying attention to her.

So, now, she knitted every time she was out of focus and felt herself relaxing. The baby was at nine weeks, and the layette made of the softest yarn was underway.

"So, Zelle, what are you getting here?"

"Oh, Lya is with her den at long last, and as it was their guesthouse I was hiding in, I thought I would get her some leather. She loves leather."

He looked over and stared. "She looks ill."

"She's recovering, but her mates don't breathe fire. She was attacked by an alpha six weeks ago, and her arm was broken, so she's recovering."

"Why is Venka here?"

"She is one of Lya's alphas."

"I see. Lya is into snakes?"

"And they get into her. It is all fun, and she is on her way to being happy." Zelle smiled. "She's getting her garage and all the cars she can repair. Our kind likes to keep busy."

"Your kind?"

"Betas turned omegas who are good with their hands." She winked.

He smoothed his hands down her hips, pulling her against him. "I don't suppose you would be interested in taking a trip home before we head out for dinner."

"Well, you did come home early, and that kind of behaviour deserves to be rewarded." She ran her hands up and down the thick fabric of his suit. "Hang on. I have to talk to the shop owner and make sure it goes on your account."

He grinned. "I am glad you are getting into the spirit of the thing."

She went up on her toes and kissed him before sauntering over to the man who was showing Lya boot designs. "Sir, please make sure to send the bill to Kaiyun Feng. These are birthday presents for her. So if I hear that she even saw the bill, I will not be impressed and will make Kaiyun not impressed."

"No problem, Lady Zelle. It will all be done and the bill sent to Mr. Feng."

"Excellent." She inclined her head and walked to Lya. "Keep shopping. I will see you Thursday at the latest. Despite my being disqualified from winning, I get to sit with you guys during the viewing and the chatter afterward."

Lya hugged her. "Okay."

Kaiyun took her arm, and they were nearly to the door when she paused. "Or I could just pop over. We now live about a mile down the road from your den, Lya."

Lya grinned. "I will be over to borrow sugar or something."

Venka snorted.

"And I will bring Venka to carry it if she isn't doing legal stuff. I still have no idea what branch of legal she specializes in, but I am sure it will come up at some point."

Venka grinned. "It will, but you have already seen me in action."

"Oh. Contract law."

Venka hugged her omega. "Correct. You get a cookie."

"I was going to ask if I was allowed cookies, but I have a few pounds to put on."

Zelle nodded. "You work on that while I am trying to figure out how to get bump into my favourite jeans. When I can find my favourite jeans. It's like a scavenger hunt with him around."

Kaiyun laughed and steered her out the door.

Zelle kept the smile on her lips until they were in the vehicle and on their way home.

She sighed, and Kaiyun rubbed the back of her neck, pulling her in for a kiss. "You did very well."

"Yeah. A few more days, and I might have enough energy to actually spend more than an hour away from home at a time."

"Aw, sweet. I will top you up."

The bodyguards laughed.

He kissed her and poured fire into her. He was getting better at it. When he lifted his head, there was a tiny fire phoenix between them that settled on her shoulder and nuzzled her.

She chuckled. "Hello again, my little friend."

There was a lot of trilling, and the mini phoenix was having a lot of fun pecking at her earring.

"Uh, Kaiyun, what do you know about this little fella?"

Kaiyun was staring. "I am not projecting him. He's just there."

"As long as he disappears before we get naked, I am sure things will be fine."

"Why must he disappear?"

"He looks like a baby. I don't know if his wings will cover his eyes."

Kaiyun laughed. "Fair enough. We will make him a teeny blindfold."

"Oh. I can knit one." She smiled.

"How is that coming?"

"I am glad the baby will be here in winter, or I would never get to use all the teeny outfits. Oh, Ford said Sabin, Nora, and Aurora will be there for dinner, so that top-up is definitely desired."

He smiled and kissed her the entire trip home. When they arrived, he circled the vehicle, picked her up, and carried her into the house.

The top-up was successful.

She lay on top of him, and he caressed her back. "So, did you get everything done?"

"I did. I even sang your praises with the exception of your travel aversion."

Zelle sighed. "I am pregnant, homeless, and broke... in my head. International travel isn't in the cards."

"Well, the contract ceremony will be this weekend."

"After the show launch?"

"We are doing the taping on Thursday and are going to Ford's on Friday night for the broadcast."

"Right. Well, I am not the winner, so I am not going to be making it a late night."

"I am sorry that you lost that."

"Me, too. It was really hard." She blinked. "Speaking of hard..."

He laughed. "My queen, I am in a fairly steady state when you are near me and naked or clothed or hostile."

She smiled. "Flatterer."

They had been cleaned with fire and were getting dressed when he asked, "Do you think there will be a time when you and Lady Fen get along?"

"We get along now."

He zipped up her silk wrap cocktail dress. "I mean with fewer daggers behind your gaze."

"Oh. Unlikely. She did try and literally dump a barely legal omega in your lap while calling me a concubine."

He sighed. "That was unfortunate."

"That was fucking stupid. It made me wish you hadn't given me fire. I would have been able to barf on her very pricey shoes otherwise."

"I am sorry that I deprived you of a weapon." He held her hand while she stepped into heels. "I will endeavour to do better in the future."

"See that you do." She smiled. "Gotta do my makeup. Back in five minutes."

He nodded. "I will meet you downstairs."

Zelle applied her makeup and headed downstairs. It was time to socialize.

Zelle smiled at Olivia. "Okay, I have to ask, why are you staring?"

Olivia shrugged. "I am sorry, but I have just never seen a couple as pretty as you and Kaiyun. When you two stand together, you take my breath away. I thought Ford was lovely, but he is a level below you two."

Ford was sitting with Kaiyun, and the phoenix was holding the baby girl that Ford had delivered earlier in the year.

Zelle had her pack sister in her arms. "Uh, thank you?"

"No need for thanks. You two are just gorgeous. I could stare at you all day." Olivia smiled and sipped at her coffee.

Nora chuckled. "You are making her uncomfortable, Olly. She isn't into women."

"It isn't that. This is just my face. I wear it every day." She smiled. "He is exceptionally pretty, though. That's why I propositioned him."

Nora smirked. "How did that work out?"

"He made a counteroffer." The baby on her lap began to screw up her face. Kaiyun exhaled, and the baby phoenix fluttered out and landed on Zelle's shoulder. The infant was hypnotized.

Olivia stared. "What is that?"

"That... is a baby phoenix projection. Good for distracting me or babies."

Nora laughed.

Ambrose came by and claimed his daughter, and the guys wandered outside into the night to show their little girls the stars.

Nora sighed. "My first pregnancy was rough, but looking at him holding her and trying to teach her Russian swear words, I want a whole bunch of them."

Zelle sighed. "I will see what happens after this one."

Olivia paused. "I had no idea. You look a little pale but still gorgeous."

"You can stop flattering me."

"Can... but won't."

Nora paused. "Have you told the club?"

"Not yet. I just got my stomach back where it belonged, but Kaiyun still has to give me energy, like Niko and Alita."

"Are you still feuding with Lady Fen?"

"Yup. It is a cold feud. She insulted me in front of her family, not realizing that Kaiyun would stay here for me so that I would become part of her society, so she is looking for a way to integrate me so that Kaiyun will attend her events. No solution yet, so I will just keep knitting and minding my own business." She smiled.

Olivia was serious. "How upset are you that you had your win taken away because of him?"

"I am taking it out of his hide." She smiled. "And his wallet. It's his love language to pay for the ladies in his life, so I am keeping that up."

Olivia chuckled. "It was the first thing the guys did when we became a pride. A purse full of money and credit cards."

Nora smiled. "I worked for Sabin before and after we got married, so I just got the split of assets. Mind you, I am not a classified omega."

The housekeeper came by and set up a stacked tray of tiny desserts while taking the empty cups. Zelle smiled and inclined her head.

The woman bobbed a nod back.

Nora sighed. "Keelie has lasted the longest here."

Olivia sighed. "And she's amazing. Nothing fazes her. Even seeing us all in a tangle on the couch just elicits a tiny smile."

The woman gave a tiny smile. "I could grin, but it's overkill. Nothing alphas and omegas can do in front of me is worth getting in a flap about."

Nora asked, "You weren't turned by trauma response?"

"No. I just got bodychecked downtown while leaving an interview. After two years of having my best friends screwing in front of me at our apartment, nothing happened. It turns out that since they had a beta best friend, they used me as a beard to keep their families from realizing that one of them was an omega. Once they were pregnant, they announced and moved out. I still felt nothing."

Haravin nodded. "I don't set alphas off, and I don't set omegas off, so aside from a difference in internal construct, I am just a plain beta."

Nora nodded. "A plain beta who can lift a car."

Haravin nodded. "Yes, one of those. We must be a dime a dozen."

Olivia laughed, and Zelle looked at Haravin. "No flickers?"

"Nope. And Ford has hauled me to the set of the Patchwork Pixie at every opportunity, trying to rub me against the dark Elite. Nothing."

Olivia asked, "Rubbing against?"

"He demands stills or documents to be delivered during lunch while sitting with the cast. I have to make my way through the crowds every day." She sighed. "Same thing when he is editing. At this point, I think he is just trying to find anyone to set me off. Heavy matchmaker streak in omegas."

Haravin glided out of the living room and left them alone.

Nora blinked and shook her head. "Nothing. Not one stray hormone emerges. She's also excellent with teens. They just calm down when she walks in the room."

Olivia was scandalized. "You have been setting her loose on the cousins?"

"Of course. She can even handle the near adults. Nothing even makes her eye tick. She is calm, graceful, and calm. No other word for it. She's a living oasis."

Zelle looked toward the kitchen, lifted her hand to the phoenix, and asked it to check something. The tiny firebird flew through the room and headed for the kitchen. There was soft laughter and then the word, "There?"

The happy chirp sounded, and the little beast flew back and landed on Zelle's shoulder. The tiny head rubbed against hers, and she frowned at the image. "You saw a statue?"

Olivia got up and headed to the kitchen. Zelle carried the baby, and Nora followed.

Olivia looked around. "The phoenix saw a statue."

"Sort of." Haravin smiled.

Zelle asked. "Why did the phoenix see a statue?"

Haravin folded a tea towel. "Because he asked the right question."

Nora paused and asked, "What was the question?"

Haravin laughed. "What does your other face look like?"

Olivia cocked her head. "What does your other face look like, Haravin?"

Haravin chuckled and looked at them. Her body turned into a wall of gold with brilliant emerald eyes. Her hair was made of onyx, and her nails were mother-of-pearl. The curves were exaggerated, and the clothing she wore fit snugly against the change.

Olivia must have alerted Ford because he bolted in, and Sabin followed with Kaiyun wandering in behind.

Haravin smiled and moved slowly to prepare coffee. "So, let me know when you are done staring. This form is slow."

Ford walked up to her and prodded her arm. "You are solid gold."

"Yup. And heavy as hell. Step back or lose a toe."

"Are your lips rose quartz?"

She smirked. "No idea. I have never chipped them off for a mass spectrometer."

Her movements were efficient, and she said, "I am going to dismiss it in three, two, one." She sighed and moved rapidly.

Nora blinked. "So, you don't know what you are?"

"Nope. Not a clue. I gained a lot of weight so that flies against normal beauty standards." She whipped around the room and finished her tasks. "I will just get you guys set up for the evening and keep chatting with Iris."

Nora frowned. "What does Iris need?"

"Someone to go with her and the boys to the theme park. I will have to book a day off for it."

Olivia blinked. "What age group?"

"They turn thirteen this weekend. They are throwing a rager. Oh, and Grigory's sloth will be hosting a family introduction for Lya and Tamara. Lady Olyna isn't going to be happy about it, but she will have to adapt to the new arrivals."

Olivia asked, "Why won't Olyna be happy about it?"

Zelle smiled. "She called Tamara something objectionable before realizing that Lya was her mother, not her sister. Lya slapped her, or so I have been led to believe."

"Oh, that is going to be fun."

Nora smiled. "I am liking Lya as an omega more and more. She's coming into her own."

The baby started fussing a little, and Zelle handed her back to Olivia. The other alphas had had to head over to the animal rescue. They had just gotten a shipment of rescued big cats, and all hands were needed to take care of them. The omegas were exempt from hard and dangerous labour, even though Olivia was a farm girl.

Zelle began to feel the social fatigue kicking in, and Kaiyun was at her side in a moment. "Time to go?"

She nodded.

He tilted her head back and gave her fire. The little phoenix flew around their heads and made happy chirping sounds.

Nora and Sabin were together, and Nora smiled gently. "Take her home. Help her recover. Aurora is just a happy little omega and didn't draw nearly as much as whatever your baby is going to be. I would recommend following him wherever he goes, or Kaiyun, don't be more than ten feet from her until she goes into labour."

Olivia smiled. "You really want her when you are in labour, so put Nora on speed dial."

Nora grinned. "I just make things a little easier. We will intersect a few more times before it becomes urgent. Kaiyun does business with Ford, and Ford loves having people over now that he is a family man."

Kaiyun lifted his head and smiled. "That was a hard turn for him, but he did it gladly when it meant an omega of his own."

"Omegas collecting omegas will never be a trend."

Nora smiled. "I know of three. Wait. Four. All omegas and altered betas."

Zelle blinked. "Oh. Interesting."

Kaiyun chuckled. "Thankfully, not necessary in my case."

She wrinkled her nose. "Home, please."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead, and they said their goodbyes. It was back to the car and heading home a few minutes later.

She asked him, "Why do I know Cantonese, Mandarin, and Japanese with a Tokyo accent?"

He chuckled. "How long have you had them?"

"Since... uh... the airport."

He grinned. "Because my father is from China, and my mother is from Japan. They met on a business trip and somehow created an alpha. His family was pleased, her family was delighted, and I was a boy, so no wonder everyone was happy. Everybody likes phoenixes, so I was welcomed wherever I went, and my business ventures were invariably successful."

"Bragging."

"Absolutely. I want you to know what a catch you have."

"I didn't catch you; I propositioned you."

"And I was delighted to answer your need." He kissed her as they cuddled in the back seat. "So, what about your family?"

"Uh, tonight was nice. Let's not wreck it."

"Why? Lya seems nice."

"Lya is great. My father and her mother were siblings. Both were raised in foster care, in separate homes. After an accident that left half of his body scorched and scarred, my father liked to drink, and he and my mother lost custody of me when I was ten. I was removed from my home and flitted through a few foster homes before I found my family who adopted me and met Lya when we were seventeen. I saved up for circus training, and that is where Lya and I intersected. I recognized her mother's name, and we dug a little from there. We became friends and had a thin tie of blood. It was funny to us when we both made it through the show trials."

He was still. "So, your family was not pleased with your progress?"

"My family, with the exception of Lya and Tamara, is gone. Car crash under the influence."

"They were betas?"

"Yes. Just nice, normal folks who couldn't catch a break, according to them. They didn't bother with visits. When I was removed, they were free, so I sought ways for me to be free, and I found them."

"Circus stunts?"

"Hey, with the right man catching, I can fly." She chuckled.

"I am sorry I asked."

"With the shadows behind you, you are facing the light." She looked up at him.

He smiled and caressed her cheek. "I am increasing your spending stipend."

"That is a weird way to show affection."

He sighed. "Well, I have already been kissing you, cuddling you, and you are carrying our little one. The funds are with you when I am not."

"Aww. Now, I am not going to spend anything."

Kaiyun chuckled. "Of course, I could just give you access to all of my accounts, and you decide how to spend."

"Please don't."

He kissed her cheek. "So, when is your birthday?"

"We have six months, so I am going to be huge. And you, when is your birthday?"

"Just over nine months from now."

She paused. "Wait."

He chuckled and reached out to put a hand on her belly. "Happy birthday to me."