“Since you cuddled me when I needed someone more than you can even imagine,” he said quietly and I stared at him in surprise as he cleared his throat. “You’re the rootinest tootinest guy I know.”
I swear for a second he had a twang of an accent about him on those final words and I frowned. Odd.
But I was too distracted by Blue again to question it as she gave me the flutter eyes and I sped away from Seth across the room to join my mate.
“Hey beautiful.” I swung her around, knocking the rebels aside as I stole her from them, tearing across the room to join our friends as I tucked her under my arm. I placed her down on a chair beside Tory as Seth came bounding over too with his plate of food in his grip. Wait, was he wearing that huge horseshoe belt a minute ago?
We all started chatting about anything and everything as we dared each other things whenever we remembered to play the game, but mostly I just soaked up the company of everyone I loved around me, feeling like nothing in the world could ruin my mood ever again.
“-but I mean hypothetically,” Max was saying across from me in the circle. “If you could have any other Order what would it be?”
“It’s an insult to the Fae realm!” Geraldine barked. “No such thing is possible and it offends my ears to even deliberate it, you scullion of a scoundrel.”
“It’s a game, Gerry,” Max said in exasperation. “It’s not real, I’m just saying if you had to.”
“Then I would be a Cerberus.” She lifted her chin with pride.
“But you are a Cerberus,” Max sighed, running a hand down his face.
“And a Cerberus I will stay,” she announced.
“Fine,” Max gave up, looking to the rest of us. “What would you all choose?”
“Pegasus,” Darius said easily. “Just to double piss off my father.”
Xavier snorted a laugh. “You’d be a shit Pegasus.”
“You’d be a shit Dragon,” Darius tossed back and they shoved each other lightly.
“I’d be a Lion Shifter,” Caleb said. “I could use their Charisma powers to form an army of servants and I’ve already got the best hair, so I’d easily fit in.”
Seth looked over at him with a small smile, but when Caleb looked back, he glanced away again and awkwardness filled the air. I was pretty sure only Darcy and I noticed it as Seth looked our way, and I had to admit I felt a bit shit for the guy.
“I’d be one of them too,” Tory agreed. “They sleep in the sun all day to recharge their power, right? That’s right up my street.”
“Lionesses tend to serve Lions though, baby,” Darius pointed out and Tory wrinkled her nose.
“Ew, I take it back,” she said quickly and Darius sniggered.
“What would you be?” I nudged Darcy and she sucked her lower lip, drawing my attention to it and making my cock twitch in response. “A fluffy little Bunny Shifter that I can put in my pocket?” I teased and she laughed, shooting me a glare as she pushed me back.
“No chance,” she growled and I could see she was a predator through and through these days. I fucking loved that about her. The sweetness on the outside hiding the wild creature within. And I enjoyed luring it out to come and play with me.
“I want to know what it’s like to be one of the animal shifters,” she decided. “Maybe something furry and vicious - like a Bear Shifter!”
“Or a Wolf,” Seth jumped in. “We could go running beneath the moon together – awooo!”
“Awoo!” Darcy answered with a laugh and I grinned at her.
“Oh what fun.” Geraldine clapped. “But by my mulberry bush, there is no true Order better suited for the queens than their rightful, honourable Order, the gallant Phoenix.”
“It’s just a game, Gerry,” Max insisted.
“And I am just a krill riding a lump of driftwood into the great beyond, Maxy boy, but a sealess plankton I can never be,” she said.
“What the hell does that mean?” Max balked and I frowned too. I had no idea what Geraldine was going on about at the best of times, let alone when I was wasted on Oscura wine.
“Tell you what I wouldn’t wanna be,” Darius said, wrinkling his nose. “A Cyclops.”
“Now, now, don’t go Order Shaming, you big Dragoon. There is merit to all Orders,” Geraldine insisted.
“I’m not against their Order, I just don’t want a bug eye,” he said.
“Oh my stars, Lance, did Francesca Sky get her bug eye out when you rammed in her backdoor?” Seth blurted and before I could cut him down to size myself, Darcy raised a hand and blasted him with water, sending him flying across the room as he howled in fright and fell down among Gabriel and his family.