Chapter 34

34

Between the six of us left at the table, we order fifteen different sushi/sashimi types plus some kind of dessert that Santanos insists we try. The menu is expansive and includes items from multiple planets, though we only order off the Earth menu to avoid finding out if we have allergies to non-Earth foods. Santanos also orders five different appetizers because Edovard thought he might like to try them.

The apps come within a few minutes, and Edovard graciously shares with the rest of us, smiling happily when Santanos builds him a plate of food before giving the rest of us permission to partake. It’s adorable how they are together.

While we nom our apps, the host seats a couple—one of them looks human, but the other is another one of those giant gray people with horns and wings—the gargoyles—that I’ve seen Darcy with a couple of times. He’s bigger than the other two I met, but he’s definitely someone a monsterfucker would love to have a little time in the sheets with. Hot like summer. While I’m staring at them, the server leaves with the human, and those two disappear beyond the same door Gregory went through.

Now I’m really curious to find out what’s happening.

“So what’s with the server taking one of the people at the table?” It would suck if Gregory didn’t get to eat with us.

Darcy’s hand lands on my leg and slides up toward my crotch. “It’s part of the surprise.”

“I’m not all that thrilled that y’all have decided to surprise us and Gregory needed to leave the table for it,” Bellamy drawls, frowning. “I’ll deny ever saying this, but it almost makes me wish Romily and Fox had decided to join us.”

“You’d have been sacrificed to the table along with Gregory if they had,” Darcy says, and Santanos nods in agreement.

“That’s true. Fox likely knows about or has been here before, and he would have pushed you out along with Gregory to avoid Romily volunteering,” he confirms, putting a potato wedge smothered in cheese sauce on Edovard’s plate.

“That’s the most alarming thing you’ve ever said to me,” Bellamy decides, glancing at the mystery door.

Santanos laughs, sounding like an angel, which to be fair, matches his cherubic features. “I’m pretty sure you said those exact same words when I told you to go see Gregory about the event planning for your twenty-first birthday.”

Bellamy turns a shade of red I thought was reserved for the cherries from my family’s orchard. “I was barely legal when you told me you were planning an orgy for my birthday. Most people offer to buy the birthday person a drink, they don’t plan—” Bellamy huffs, cutting himself off. “I’d never even seen another person naked.”

“Late bloomer, alright.” I hold out my hand to him for a fist bump, and he hits it over Darcy’s head with a doubtful expression.

“I don’t think twenty three is late blooming. I was busy killing people,” he grumbles softly.

Darcy turns to look at him, his voice full of surprise. “Really? I met you when you were twenty three.”

Bellamy blushes again, hiding behind a napkin. “You were hotter than the high I got from hitting my target from two miles away. Distracting and good for me. I needed to expand my horizons, and you helped me do that. I have no regrets.”

“Love that, man. Living life and having no regrets. That’s goals right there.” I’m glad he’s got perspective and he values it. That’s a good way to go through life.

He stares at me for a moment, but I have no idea what he’s got going on behind that blank expression before he blinks, turns back to Darcy, and says, “I see it now. It’s how chill he is. It’s the no shits given personality, isn’t it?”

Darcy grunts an affirmative. “It’s what caught my eye.”

I laugh at them both. “I have fucks to give. I’m just choosey about how I hand them out.”

“I’ve noticed,” Darcy assures me as our attention is drawn to the door behind which Gregory disappeared.

Our server comes out pulling what looks like a hovering cart, upon which is Gregory. I watch, surprised and delighted as the server and the host bring Gregory to the table and the hovering cart thing slides right into place, locked down with magnets. Gregory is nude except for our rolls of sushi and the sashimi we ordered, which are placed in a decorative pattern all over his body on leaves and fronds and other ornamental greenery. Flowers in his hair look like little cups holding small shots of an aromatic clear liquid.

“Oh Gregory. You look beautiful,” Edovard gushes, wide-eyed and clearly happy.

Gregory scowls silently at him, but Santanos pats Edovard’s hand. “He’s not going to speak until we’re done eating, my sweet. It might unbalance the table.”

Edovard nods with understanding, smiling at his boyfriend as Santanos uses his chopsticks to pull a piece off, holding it out to Edovard. “That makes sense. Good job, Gregory. Thank you for this surprise.”

As Edovard eats his food with a happy hum, Bellamy studies Gregory and the setting. “So this is what they meant by ‘table.’”

I grab my own utensils, pulling a piece of sashimi off our table. “This is fun, though. And Gregory is beautiful.”

“At least they covered his bits,” Bellamy decides, indicating a thick layer of fronds over Gregory’s dickular area.

“You have to unwrap your dessert,” Santanos says, smiling widely as he gestures to Gregory’s groin.

Bellamy pauses as I snag another bite. Honestly, the food is fantastic. Each bite is a treat, and even though they’re aliens, they really know how to prepare Earth cuisine.

“I’m not eating off Gregory’s junk,” he announces, shuddering.

I reach over with my chopsticks and lift a bit of the fronds hiding our dessert. A sneak peek doesn’t reveal much, but “I’m not making any announcements about my consumption of dessert until I see how it’s prepared.”

Darcy chuckles beside me. “During the busiest hours, when this place is packed, at least half the tables have sex acts happening with or on their tables.” He gestures to the other two people in the restaurant. I didn’t see them set their table, but the human looking person on it is visibly enjoying being eaten, while the gargoyle person has skipped their utensils altogether and is licking their meal off the skin.

“That’s sexy as hell.” I wouldn’t mind if one of Gregory’s partners—or all of them—wants to do that after I get my fill. I might not want to share Darcy or myself, but I don’t mind us watching other people share someone else. Huh. “I think I’m kinkier than I thought.”

Darcy’s chuckle vibrates my arm where we’re touching. “Given the opportunity, I think most people are.”

“This family is just as fucked up as the one I was born into,” Bellamy mumbles through his last bite.

Darcy sucks in a sharp breath, turning fast enough to pop his own neck. “No.” That’s a very definite order slash negative. Darcy must have strong opinions about the family Bellamy was born into.

Bellamy slides him a little side-eye. “It was a joke.”

“You know I’m the king of bad taste, but that was out of line.” My man’s insistent, and he does like to thumb his nose at societal standards for propriety, so I’m guessing Bellamy’s birth family is pretty fucked up.

Bellamy’s jaw clenches. “Obviously the Foxilys are preferable to the Joneses,” he agrees. “I was just commenting on the situation. My brother, his mate, and his boyfriend are dining off their partner, and I’m participating. I don’t think even my actual brother would be seen doing this.”

“Sterling,” Darcy interjects, pointedly. “He invited me to watch him take a werewolf knot.”

Bellamy gestures, giving Darcy that. “Ok, yes. My cousin would definitely want to be the table—and that would end with Jethro eating dessert alone.” He blinks away that image, shaking his head. “I think he had a crush on our uncle when he was old enough to know better.”

Darcy chuckles softly, nodding. “Kid ain’t right in the head. Love him.”

Bellamy agrees with a hum, taking his next bite.

“I love the besties for life energy you two have. Makes me happy. I’ve never had a bestie stick around long enough to become a forever person. I can’t wait to find mine.” Someday that’s going to happen, I know it.

“We should introduce him to Ace,” Edovard tells Santanos quietly.

Santanos’s smile spreads his lips as he looks me over. “Yes, I think you’re right, my love,” he agrees.

Bellamy points to Edovard. “Yes.”

Santanos turns his eyes on Darcy. “Ace is Bellamy’s werewolf. Have you met him?”

“I’ve been a little busy.” Darcy turns toward Bellamy. “You have a werewolf now?”

“He’s the leader for the pack that is aligned with good. Jethro’s pack is yours now, so Good appointed another leader for me,” Bellamy explains.

Edovard turns a serious expression toward me. “We’ll introduce you to Ace. That’s not his real name. He hasn’t picked the right one yet, but he’s taking his time to figure out what his forever name will be because it’s a big decision.”

I’ve already heard about Ace, but it’s sweet of Edovard to make sure that we all know to expect to change how we address the guy.

“I bet you’d get along like curry and rice,” he adds, and my heart grows at least two sizes.

These are clearly my people. No one else I’ve ever met appreciates curry like me, but Edovard must if he’s creating new idioms around it. “Fuck yeah. I’m down.”

Bellamy suddenly straightens and Santanos drops his chopsticks while Darcy jumps up, standing on his chair and looking around.

All of the Avatars going on alert all at once? Not good, fam.